The Tragic Male Lead Chose the Wrong Partner Chapter 33

Carlos kept rambling nonsense after that.

 

However, I barely heard a word of it—my mind was stuck on one phrase: “Remarrying the Grand Duchess after the divorce.”

 

Normally, a female lead would be devastated by her husband’s declaration of a love transfer. But me? I clapped my hands.

 

“Wow!”

 

Carlos stared at me like I was insane. But honestly, this was the best news I had heard all day.

 

Maceira was going to protect me with care and even divorce me afterward?

 

For someone like me, an imposter just waiting to be exposed, this was the ideal ending.

 

All I had to do was survive until then. After the divorce, I would get a hefty alimony, become filthy rich, and go live overseas with a harem of hot younger guys.

 

“Haha, men are everywhere.”

 

Muttering to myself, I turned away, leaving Carlos frozen in place.

 

Hold on a second. If this really is a healing romantic comedy, maybe this is just a temporary misunderstanding to stir up some light conflict?

 

Besides, there’s no way a princess would want a divorcee.

 

‘…So in the end, I have to win over the heart of that prickly cat?’

 

My head started to hurt just thinking about all the narrative possibilities. Not helping was the fact that I had taken a direct hit from the sun at the wedding, my face was burning, and my blood sugar was low.

 

“I have to hurry and eat cake.”

 

In the end, my final conclusion was that I needed sugar. I quickened my steps.

 

Looking back, I probably came across as a glutton with no sense of shame or pain from Carlos’s perspective,  who was left stunned behind me while I marched off. I’m more concerned about dessert than the emotional blow he had just delivered.

 

* * *

 

On the way to the banquet hall, after leaving Carlos behind, I ran into Major Rodriguez, looking sharp in his dress uniform.

 

“Congratulations on your wedding, Princess,” he said with a slightly wistful smile.

 

It seems he has finally learned that I’m the princess of Bariesa. 

 

“Are you heading in alone? I would be honored to escort you to the hall.”

 

His tone had changed. It wasn’t casual anymore, it was formal and distant, like flipping a switch from banter to duty.

 

“Since we’ve decided to be friends, please treat me comfortably like before.And I’d rather you call me by my name than ‘Princess’. Somehow, that title feels awkward, like clothes that don’t fit.”

 

At my request, his blue eyes widened slightly before curling into the same soft eye smile I remembered from when we first met.

 

“Of course, Lady Cynthia.”

 

I didn’t stop talking the entire walk to the hall.

 

“So the village chief was furious because wild boars kept digging up his sweet potatoes, right? He went to get a gun, and somehow got tangled up with an arms trafficking ring…”

 

“Ahaha! That’s insane—haha.”

 

Major Rodriguez was the perfect conversation partner for someone like me who jumped topics with zero context. He was a man who was good at following conversation topics and had great reactions.

 

As we were approaching the entrance to the banquet hall, the major suddenly stopped walking. 

 

Ahead of us stood Maceira, deep in conversation with a woman whose long black hair fell in waves down to her waist.

 

“Why is the brigadier escorting her instead of the princess?”

 

I looked up at the Major, who muttered in disbelief.

 

“Well, I wasn’t escorted by the Brigadier General. I was escorted by you, Major.”

 

“…That’s true.”

 

“Right? So let’s go.”

 

I strode past the two of them with my head held high, entering the banquet hall without so much as a glance in their direction, just in case our eyes met.

 

With this, I neatly avoided what would have been a classic romance-fantasy misunderstanding scene, and safely made it to the dessert table.

 

‘If I had to go through all that drama on top of everything else, I would have fainted from emotional fatigue…’

 

I was too emotionally exhausted to go through frustrating drama ^[1] The 고구마(Goguma=Sweet potato) part. When the story is so frustrating, it feels like a sweet potato stuck in throat. and build-up just to get to the satisfying ^[2] The 사이다 (Cyder/Soda) moment. When the scene in story is so refreshing like soda. payback scene. Besides, if you’re going to deal with that kind of frustrating stuff ^[3] In the original it written as sweet potatoes. Cynthia means in order to not let sweet potato stuck in her throat, she needs milk to make the sweet potato not too dry and soften it. you need milk to wash it down, and I don’t even have that.

 

“Then please enjoy your evening. I’ll excuse myself now.”

 

Major Rodriguez offered a courteous bow and left.

 

As I sat down at the table alone, leaving my regrets behind, and was about to take a bite of the cake, people approached me and started talking to me.

 

Most were wives of officers under Maceira’s command or young noblewomen around my age.

 

“I heard the goddess of fortune watches over the Princess. Could you tell us more? I’m so curious!”

 

“I heard your dress today was made with diamond thread, oh my, it was absolutely stunning!”

 

‘Whoa.’

 

It wasn’t often people came up to me like this with such friendliness.

 

Before I was a disgraced royal, most avoided me just because they thought I looked ominous.

 

I had a feeling this sudden warmth had something to do with the influence of the ladies of House Lecanosa, who were sitting across from me with warm, motherly smiles.

 

However, regardless of their intentions or reasons, just the fact that someone was making an effort to be friendly to me, who had always been alone, made me genuinely happy. 

 

“Snow White, my dear, how about learning Medeian? Helene is studying it too.”

 

“I’d love to.”

 

I nodded immediately to Madame Verache’s suggestion.

 

I already knew Medeian, so this was the perfect chance to be praised as a language genius.

 

“Cynthia, are you sure? You struggled even with basic etiquette language, remember?”

 

Helene smiled at me, a delicate blend of sweetness and condescension on her face. It was a clear message: ‘Don’t get ahead of yourself, maid.’

 

But I didn’t let it get to me.

 

“Exactly why I should study it. Because it’s hard.”

 

“I believe you won’t give up, even if you’re slow to learn. You’re diligent, after all.”

 

She sipped her tea with an elegant flourish, veiling her insult behind aristocratic grace. Then, as if something just occurred to her, she smiled and asked,

 

“By the way, where has your husband gone off to, leaving his bride all alone?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“He’s a soldier, so he might be a little indifferent. Try to understand.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

I was too busy replenishing my sugar levels with cake to bother arguing.

 

“I saw him speaking with Grand Duchess Charlotte.” 

One of the ladies, either clueless or malicious, blurted out something she really shouldn’t have.

 

The air turned chilly. Clearly, everyone knew about the Grand Duchess’ proposal to Maceira.

 

The woman looked downright gleeful. No doubt she was one of Helene’s people.

 

“Well, marriages arranged between noble families always come with these things. You just have to bear it.”

 

Oh, so it was intentional. And the way she feigned innocence? So clumsy.

 

“Everyone is someone’s precious person. It’s not okay to expect them to ‘bear it.’ And really, what on earth is the Grand Duchess lacking that she would go after a married man?”

 

The lady lifted one corner of her mouth in a crooked smirk and replied.

 

“Leaving your bride alone to be with another woman–”

 

I didn’t hear the rest. I wasn’t asking because I wanted an answer.

 

“How upset would the Grand Duchess be if she found out that she was suspected of something like that just because they had a brief conversation?” 

 

I pressed a hand to my forehead with a sigh, then folded both hands with a gentle smile.

 

“You must have only ever known terrible people to have such fixed ideas. That’s really sad. I hope someday you meet someone kind, someone who can heal those wounds and restore your faith in people.”

 

The lady who had clearly been trying to stir the pot flushed crimson, her voice shrinking.

 

“I just heard that the two of you weren’t on good terms… I was worried, that’s all.”

 

How did she know that? I was convinced our acting had gotten better.

 

Just as I reeled in shock, something brushed the corner of my lips.

 

It was Maceira, dabbing at the cream on my mouth with a handkerchief.

 

Typical of a man who couldn’t stand messiness, he just had to wipe it off.

 

“You’re not a child.”

 

“How long are you going to treat me like a ‘baby’ and take care of me?”

 

I twisted his indifferent tone into a classic tsundere line.

 

“….”

 

Normally, he would have shot me a cold glare. But instead, he silently slipped the handkerchief back into his coat like it had been part of the plan all along.

 

* * *

 

Thirty minutes earlier, in front of the banquet hall.

 

Maceira had been waiting to escort Cynthia when he ran into Grand Duchess Charlotte.

 

They had only exchanged a few polite words at various events in the past. That was the extent of their relationship.

 

“Congratulations on your wedding, Brigadier General.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“I heard you have recently started a development project.”

 

They chatted casually about business, nothing more.

 

But then, Maceira spotted Cynthia striding past him and into the banquet hall.

 

For someone who always bright and full of smiles, her expression was serious.

 

‘Did she misunderstand something?’

 

He frowned, but before he could do anything, he saw Major Rodriguez following behind her.

 

They must’ve come together.

 

‘Why is that man escorting her? I’m her husband.’

 

In the end, Maceira was the one who misunderstood.

• 1. The 고구마(Goguma=Sweet potato) part. When the story is so frustrating, it feels like a sweet potato stuck in throat.
• 2. The 사이다 (Cyder/Soda) moment. When the scene in story is so refreshing like soda.
• 3. In the original it written as sweet potatoes. Cynthia means in order to not let sweet potato stuck in her throat, she needs milk to make the sweet potato not too dry and soften it.