The Tragic Male Lead Chose the Wrong Partner Chapter 19

Maceira, dressed neatly in a shirt and a sweater, sat on the sofa and unfolded the newspaper.

 

“Can you even see the words?”

 

Cynthia asked, watching him read the newspaper by the dim firelight.

 

“I can see it just fine.”

 

“You too, General? I actually see better in the dark. Weird, right?”

 

“…That’s pretty normal.

 

‘Since ancient times, the people with colored eyes from the Western Regions said to be naturally gifted in the dark.’

 

The thought reminded Cynthia of a line from a certain martial arts (wuxia) novel she once read, and she gave a nod as she settled into the seat across from him.

 

“Bright lights give me headaches. I don’t need glasses, but my eyesight isn’t that good.”

 

“I can read the text in a book from across the street.”

 

Cynthia opened her mouth in surprise at his words.

 

“You’re a telescope?”

 

“……I used to be a sniper. My vision’s around 6.0.”

 

“Wow, are you a descendant of Genghis Khan? You’ve got a built-in 6x scope. With night vision like that, who even needs thermal gear?”

 

“Who is Genghis Khan?”

 

‘And where does she even learn this stuff?’

 

Maceira quickly turned his head after catching sight of her linen pajamas. The thin fabric was slightly sheer, which, for someone with excellent eyesight, was a nuisance.

 

“Why would you wear something like that in front of me?”

 

“Huh? It’s not that different from regular clothes… and this is the bedroom.”

 

It wasn’t like he was a total stranger, and they were going to be married soon.

 

“Do you not like the pajamas?”

 

Seeing her expression falter just a bit, Maceira recalled the words he had blurted out in anger after hugging her before dinner.

 

“Really… It’s so unpleasant.”

 

It had been bothering him ever since.

 

‘Was that too harsh?’

 

“I didn’t mean what I said earlier.”

 

“You mean when you said that eel jelly was disgusting? Don’t worry about it. I’m sure everyone thinks that. The real problem was me, for offering you something like that. I didn’t think you’d actually eat it.”

 

Cynthia responded brightly, brighter than daylight.

 

She hadn’t heard the part ‘It’s so unpleasant’ since she’d been too distracted by the hug.

 

“My sister and the Duke are heading out on their honeymoon tomorrow. The rest of the family’s leaving, too.”

 

She spoke so casually, having no idea what was coming. That made Maceira feel strangely guilty.

 

He thought she was pretending not to care.

 

There had been someone like her in his old unit once in the past. He was always cheerful, smiling, and seemingly carefree, but underneath, he had been drowning in sorrow.

 

Maceira’s eyes, like the twilight of dawn, gradually darkened.

 

“Is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go? In Medeia, I mean.”

 

“For our honeymoon? Can I make the plans? I’ll draw up a full itinerary! I bet it’d be so much fun if we went together!”

 

Seeing Cynthia’s eyes sparkling with excitement, a part of his chest became even more uncomfortable.

 

She said she wanted to see the ocean for her honeymoon, and judging from what she had said to the ladies earlier, it seemed like going to the maritime kingdom of Medeia had been a long-time wish of hers.

 

She must’ve been over the moon thinking she’d finally get to go.

 

“Thanks for the pretty dress, by the way. So… where do you think we should go? I’ve always wanted to–”

 

“I’m not going.”

 

At least until she got rejected.

 

‘Why do I feel like…’

 

Maceira raked his platinum-blond hair back and narrowed his eyes.

 

‘…the villain here?’

 

He imagined the cold, final moment of parting that would come someday. A faint sense of guilt flickered through him.

 

“General… I didn’t think you actually meant it when you said we should break up…”

 

Could he really say something so cruel, to a face brimming with such fragile sorrow?

 

He suddenly felt an urgent need to stop himself from being swayed by that porcelain-white girl again.

 

‘Fine. A honeymoon, then.’

 

If that’s what she really wanted, if it was her dream, then he could at least give her that much.

 

Breaking the engagement now would be a mess anyway.

 

After that, she could cry her heart out or wither away all she wanted, it would be none of his business.

 

Maceira began weighing just how much kindness he was willing to show her until then.

 

“That was a nice chat. I’m off to bed now. Sleep well and see you tomorrow.”

 

Cynthia yawned and waved as she got up.

 

Maceira slid down to the floor and leaned against the sofa.

 

Having been used to standing guard for a long time in the military, this position was more comfortable than a bed in unfamiliar places.

 

Meanwhile, Cynthia sat on the edge of the bed and tilted her head as she watched him sitting on the floor using the sofa as a backrest.

 

‘Is that a Korean thing?’

 

In the end, unable to overcome her curiosity, she asked.

 

“Why do you sleep like that?”

 

“I find this comfortable.”

 

“Maybe it’s because the room’s so big. Even with all that firewood, it’s still chilly. Should I give you an extra blanket?”

 

“I’m not really sensitive to the cold.”

 

Silence fell. Her voice didn’t come again for a while, so he figured she’d finally drifted off.

 

As soon as Maceira slowly closed her eyes, her voice was heard again.

 

“You went out to secretly build a snowman earlier, didn’t you? Your gloves were all wet.”

 

“…”

 

He stayed quiet, pretending to be asleep. It was such a ridiculous question that he didn’t even know how to respond.

 

‘Surely she’ll stop now…’

 

“I would’ve helped if you asked. I’m great at making those little duck-shaped snow, too.”

 

‘Please, just go to sleep already.’

 

Fed up with her endless chatter, Maceira silently vowed: once they were married, they were definitely getting separate rooms.

 

* * *

 

“Colonel! We’ve lost contact with headquarters!”

 

“We’re running out of food, fuel, and winter gear! Without supplies, our unit will be wiped out!”

 

Maceira was dreaming again. A nightmare from his days as Colonel Maceira Ghis, long before he’d been granted a title.

 

The incident where they were stranded in a blizzard with no supplies.

 

Most of the unit perished. Only he and the Duke, who was a lieutenant colonel at the time, and Maceira, who was a colonel, survived. The noble soldiers were the same.

 

“Was it your order, Colonel? To send the others into a suicidal advance so the nobles could be saved? Are you trying to reduce the number of soldiers because we lack resources?”

 

The one who gave the command had been Duke Henry Lecanosa. He had acted alone, without Maceira’s approval, his superior at that time.

 

His reasoning? If they were all going to die, at least some should live. And of course, by ‘some’ he meant the nobles.

 

“How could you be so cruel? You should’ve sent me too! Instead, I lived… by letting my comrades die, just because I was born noble…”

 

Even as the accusations fell squarely on Maceira, the Duke remained silent.

 

“The Bariesa royal family has fallen. Why are we still on this battlefield? Who are we even fighting for? Cleaning up the mess they left behind?”

 

Amid the screams of the survivors, the sobs of ordinary soldiers whose hands and feet were rotting from frostbite could be heard.

 

“Colonel… it’s so cold…”

 

Still trapped in his nightmare, Maceira stirred. His violet-tinged blue eyes slowly opened.

 

The desperate weeping from his memory had faded, and turned into Cynthia’s murmuring in her sleep.

 

“Ugh… It’s cold.”

 

A chill lingered in the air. The firewood had nearly burned out, and the room had gone cold.

 

Maceira tossed a few extra logs into the fireplace and struck a match. It would take some time to warm up.

 

The way she shivered under the blankets was bothering him. He wanted to remain indifferent, but she was a woman who was annoying in many ways.

 

Maceira walked over to the bed and felt the cold blanket. Her snowy hair peeked out from under the covers.

 

She must’ve gotten a bit warmer, because she stirred and pushed the blanket off her upper body.

 

Maceira watched her sleeping face in silence.

 

Thinking back on it all, every misfortune had started with the war, a war waged by the incompetence of the Bariesa royal family.

 

The revolutionaries had wiped them out completely, executing every last royal.

 

“Please… hide me and my daughter. I’ll give you everything I have.”

 

He must’ve been about six years old.

 

A well-mannered woman came begging at their doorstep, holding a toddler no older than three.

 

Though poorly dressed, she had an air of elegance, and the child who smelled good, was wrapped in a blanket with only her sweet face showing.

 

“Oh dear, that’s awful. I don’t know what your situation is, but as a mother myself, I can’t just turn you away. Come in, warm yourselves.”

 

Maceira’s mother, knowing nothing, had taken pity and offered them shelter. In return, the woman left behind a red diamond necklace.

 

“We’re refugees, too. We were helped when we first arrived, and now we’re paying it forward. No need for anything in return. You’re heading north, right? I’ll pack you some bread and butter for the road.”

 

But the woman insisted on repaying the favor, leaving the necklace behind, and that sealed their misfortune.

 

His mother was branded a traitor, accused of helping a fleeing royal out of greed. The revolutionaries executed her.

 

Maceira survived the war alone and fought tooth and nail against his fate.

 

And that little girl who also survived the storm of fate…

 

His gaze, lost in memory, landed on Cynthia’s neck.

 

The red necklace that killed his mother was now hanging around Cynthia’s neck.