The Tragic Male Lead Chose the Wrong Partner

* * *
"Ah."
A familiar ceiling.

I blinked and stared up at the ceiling of the cruise ship. The emotional aftershocks of the vivid dream from my past life slowly faded from my chest.
When I turned my head, I saw Masera’s sculpted profile right beside me, his eyes closed.
His nose is really pretty.

I was still lost in thought when I realized my head had been resting on his shoulder. I flinched and quickly sat up.
At that moment, Masera’s eyes opened. He looked like someone who hadn’t slept a wink.
“By any chance… did I do something last night…?”

I asked cautiously.
I didn’t remember much after hearing the fireworks—only that panic had overwhelmed me and I had curled up under the blanket.
“It would be helpful if you could warn me next time when something scares you.”

He replied, eyes still fixed on the ceiling, looking thoroughly drained.
It’s not like I knew there would be fireworks on the cruise!
Anyway, it seemed I had done something that required this man to take care of me.

“Loud noises like gunfire, explosions, sirens…”
“And yet you married a soldier. I’ll keep that in mind.”
He was still lying down, staring at the ceiling. His normally well-kept platinum hair was disheveled.

“Go ahead and shower and get changed first.”
His voice was even more formal than usual.
He was always up early and perfectly tidy when we traveled by train. Was this… my fault?
“Okay.”

As I stood, something felt off. I looked down and noticed that my pajama buttons weren’t fastened. I jumped in surprise.
“That wasn’t me.”
His tired voice came from behind me, as I turned away.

“I know.”
There’s no way something like a one-night stand could’ve happened between us.
“You stayed by my side all night, didn’t you? Thank you.”

While buttoning up, I spoke over my shoulder to Masera, and he said nothing in reply.
Every time I returned to that moment where I was ready to give up on life, it was that man—who supposedly didn’t like me—who held me and brought me back.
So he’s actually a warmhearted person, huh.

A warmhearted foot warmer. Let’s consider this his resume passing the first round.
* * *
While Cynthia was fixing her disheveled pajamas and heading to the bathroom, Masera remained lying on the bed, lost in thought.

“Have you forgotten the pain and suffering we went through because of the Bariesa royal family? So even you’ve become someone blinded by ambition, Brigadier.”
Captain Declan’s heated voice echoed in his memory—Declan, who had opposed the wedding to the very end and hadn’t even attended.
“That girl, spoiled and treated like a princess while hiding away in the countryside—what does she know of war’s pain? Even the war-scarred staff in your estate deserve better than her.”

Masera exhaled, covering his eyes with the back of his hand.
Before meeting Cynthia, he’d intended to be cruel, to hurt her.
“Hello. I’m Cynthia Queensguard.”

But when he saw her pure, childlike smile, all of his resolve was shaken.
The resolve to ruin her cheerful world had only left him with guilt.
Most of all, the look of terror she had worn… that was a face only someone truly broken could make.

“I’m fine, really. I feel better when I eat lots of good food.”
She always smiled brightly. But then he remembered a subordinate who had also smiled, until trauma finally drove them to end their own life. His eyes opened sharply.
Ha…

His pupils trembled.
That suicide had become a turning point for him—he began supporting those who suffered from post-war trauma.
But now the one person he should hate most was evoking pity in him?

Since meeting Cynthia, he’d been flooded with unfamiliar emotions.
Just get through this one trip.
Once the honeymoon was over, aside from official appearances, there would be no more reasons to be near her.

They’d keep their distance, and when the time came, go their separate ways.
So there’s no reason for her to become precious.
Beneath the hand covering his face, Masera’s lips twisted faintly.

* * *
After many ups and downs, we finally arrived at the royal palace of Medeia, invited as state guests.
People looked at Masera’s utterly sleep-deprived face and smiled, saying this must be the happiest time of our lives.

“We welcome the war hero of the Lutemia Republic and the princess of Bariesa. Please enjoy your stay in Medeia.”
Even the queen granted us an audience. She was stunning and enchanting, with the intelligence to match—fluent in six languages, including Lutenian.
Later, we were assigned a luxurious guest suite. Masera sighed when he saw it only had one bed. He brushed off the sofa, clearly choosing it as his own.

“So, what’s the itinerary? I heard you planned it meticulously.”
“Of course I did. Here you go.”
He glanced at the itinerary I handed over, then looked at me with a baffled expression.

“…Can you even call this a plan?”
“It’s perfect, thank you very much.”
Day 1: Arrive at royal palace. Palace tour (buy a souvenir for the queen’s 20th coronation anniversary). Go to that famous river—I forgot the name.

Day 2: Visit the highest observatory. Ride the famous night-view Ferris wheel.
Day 3: Visit cool temple. Go to cathedral. Walk the pilgrimage trail.
“So Day 2 is an ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) aerial battle, and Day 3 is a spiritual march?”

“We’ll move flexibly depending on the situation.”
I was, after all, a spontaneous P-type person.
He flipped to another page and pointed at a section.

“You only put serious effort into researching food.”
73 Blaine Street, Resselin House: Local gourmet spot endorsed by the royal family. 100 years old, with recipes passed down through the Resselin family. Opens at 3PM, closed during break time. Must line up during dinner hours.
5 Descent Street, Footman MyFairMaid: Traditional beer house. Opened by a retired Francian footman who once worked for a noble family in Medeia.

…
Over twenty such gourmet spots were listed.
“Food is what makes a trip memorable!”

As I spoke proudly, Masera looked at me like I was unbelievable, then sighed.
“Let’s start with the palace garden.”
“It’s raining, though.”

A land where it rained almost year-round, with only a few sunny days.
“It’s fine. I’m a weather fairy.”
I said confidently and headed to the garden, but the rain didn’t let up.

“It’ll stop once we step outside.”
Even as we toured the beautiful gardens and made our way to that famous river, the rain continued.
So Medeia’s rain is strong enough to overpower even my luck, huh.

I looked up at the sky, holding an umbrella instead of a parasol.
“Rain is romantic, you know? It’s nice, right?”
“…Sure.”

Masera replied grudgingly while watching the muddy waters of the river swell from the rain.
I had hoped to ride a tourist boat… but that wasn’t happening. That man definitely wasn’t going to row, and I’d just end up doing it myself.
After looking at the muddy river for a bit, we headed to the café I had so painstakingly researched.

“…Congrats, Latte.”
I turned to Masera with an awkward smile. I had boasted I’d take full responsibility for the trip, but it was feeling like a flop.

Still, a book once said, “The world doesn’t go as planned—and that’s what makes it interesting.” As a person with flexible thinking, I decided to move up the Day 2 plans.
Off we went—to the highest observatory!

“It rains all the time here. So when do they even open this place…”
In the end, we did nothing all day. Just after we had dinner at one of the restaurants I’d looked up, the rain finally stopped.
“See? Told you. I really am a weather fairy. We had a delay so something better could happen!”

“Princess of Fortune, I believe the rain simply ended on schedule.”
I shot him a look, ignoring the sarcasm, and headed toward the Ferris wheel to enjoy the night view.
I pretended not to hear him ask “So what are we doing tomorrow now that you’ve burned through the entire itinerary?” That was a problem for Future Me.

Thankfully, the Ferris wheel was operating normally.
I boarded the rickety thing and gasped repeatedly at the view.
The sky, now free of clouds, was filled with a bright moon and countless stars. With the illuminated city below, it looked like a universe.

Sitting across from me, Masera looked out the window, lost in thought.
“The night sky is amazing. They say you can’t usually see much because of the fog, but today’s rain must’ve cleared it all. Total luck, right? They say what you speak becomes reality, after all!”
“I see.”

With no real reaction, he just kept staring outside.
“Wait… what happens if this thing suddenly stops?”
“You live here now.”

He gave the most half-hearted answer in the world.
And just as we reached the top, the Ferris wheel lurched and came to a halt.
“…Huh? Are you serious?”

The lights inside flickered out. It didn’t seem like it would be moving anytime soon.
Nervous, I scooted over and sat next to him, clinging to his sleeve like a whimpering puppy. His brow twitched slightly.
“Using your reality-bending luck on something like this… very problematic.”

It’s not my fault!
…But wait. Isn’t this one of those clichés where the male and female leads get stuck in a confined space and end up sharing their true feelings?