The Tragic Male Lead Chose the Wrong Partner

* * *

“The firewood stockpile should last us through the cold season.”
Standing before the mountain of wood, I smiled with satisfaction.
Masera’s subordinate soldiers were chopping logs and stacking them as firewood.

On the other side, snow clearing was underway.
“Wow, that looks fun.”
Since cars and carriages couldn’t move easily in the snow, people often got around on sleds pulled by reindeer.

Anyway, since everyone was working hard, I needed to take initiative too. The other VIPs had already fled for fear of being made to do manual labor.
As I focused on chopping smaller firewood, someone spoke to me.
“Wow, you look like a survival expert.”

When I turned around, I saw a tall and handsome man with ash-tinged black hair and golden eyes. Dressed in a suit with a long black coat, he looked like a wealthy businessman.
He had an aura similar in temperature to Masera’s, but it was different somehow. If Masera was the scent of chilled dawn wood, this man had the image of cold metal.
“Hello.”

He greeted me first with a perpetual smiling gaze. A shiver crawled up my spine.
‘Why does he feel so familiar?’
I was certain this was our first meeting, yet somehow… it felt like I knew him.

Zap.
Especially when I saw those beast-like golden eyes—an intense headache struck.
‘It’s the original Cynthia’s memories reacting.’

And not just reacting—responding with deep-seated fear.
I debated whether this was some kind of primal human warning sense or just subconscious trauma surfacing.
For now, I responded to his greeting.
“Yes, hello. Are you a volunteer from another district?”

I forced a polite smile, intending to keep things light and make my exit soon.
He reached out a gloved hand to shake mine.
“Nice to meet you. My name is—”

It was at that moment—
“Mister! Thanks for the present!”
Children came rushing over and clung to him.

He crouched down and gave one a piggyback ride as he continued.
“Not ‘mister’, I’m Makia Visberque.”
With a name as unusual as Masera’s, he must be foreign.

“You seem close with the children?”
“I had some circumstances as a child and stayed here briefly. Since then, I’ve kept visiting.”
“What kind of circumstances…?”

His smile had quietly turned bittersweet.
“My father became a prisoner as a war refugee…”
“Oh—sorry.”

“But we were reunited after many years. What I learned from being alone as a child is that kids need adults who will protect them.”
Watching his gentle demeanor, I thought:
Guys like that—always smiling with their eyes—tend to have secrets, and they’re scary when they open their eyes. But maybe I shouldn’t judge too quickly.

The kids really liked him, after all. Maybe he was a good person. I let my guard down, just a little.
While greeting the children, he asked me,
“Is there anything I can help you with, Lady?”

“Hauling kitchen firewood. It’s too much for me.”
At my request, the man named Makia effortlessly picked up a bundle of firewood.
I followed him, carrying a smaller bundle, and asked a question.

“Are you and your father doing well now?”
He looked back at me with that same sad smile.
“We only saw each other occasionally… but he passed away a few years ago. Someone killed him.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry…”
“He was always busy and distant… but I liked him.”
As I stared into Makia’s golden eyes, a sharp migraine suddenly spiked.

For a split second, a scene flashed in my mind.
Snowfall so thick it clouded vision, freezing cold, a grey landscape, and the sound of someone’s ragged breathing.
“It can’t be helped. Just as you have something to protect… so do I.”

Golden eyes glowing like a beast’s in the blizzard-darkness.
‘Is this a memory from the original body’s owner?’
But it passed so fast I couldn’t grasp what the memory actually was.

Then, as I looked ahead, his gentle voice continued.
“You are Princess Cynthia, yes? Wife of Brigadier Masera del Visente.”
There was a strange weight in his tone as he clearly enunciated Masera’s full name.

“You know my husband?”
“We met as children at a shelter for orphans who’d lost their parents. I wonder how he’s doing these days.”
I couldn’t see his expression from the side.

After placing the firewood in the kitchen, we washed our hands.
“Oops, I forgot my handkerchief…”
As I wiped my hands on my apron, Makia approached me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Princess. They say you’re such a talented businesswoman, even Medeia’s royal family invested in you.”
Before I knew it, he had pulled out a handkerchief and was gently drying my hands himself.
Startled by his sudden kindness, I heard him add,

“I’m in sales myself.”
“I’m not buying anything.”
I quickly pulled my hand back in rejection.

Phew, I almost paid in advance before hearing the pitch.
If I let that deep voice and lazy smile get to ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ me, I’d soon find my room filled with electric heating pads and health supplements.
Seeing my deadpan face, Makia let out a quiet laugh through his nose.

“Don’t misunderstand. My company sells machine parts. I doubt there’s anything a princess would want to buy.”
Then his eyes settled on the kitchen table. There sat the desserts brought by me and the noble ladies.
“Would you like one?”

I offered out of courtesy, and without hesitation, he took a slice of cake and placed it on a plate.
“I love sweets. Especially this kind.”
“Help yourself.”

“I plan to.”
Actually, please don’t! If we run out, I’ll have to buy more!
But I couldn’t be stingy with food, so I bit my tongue.

“Have you not been in contact with my husband recently?”
I wanted to gather a rough idea in case they didn’t get along—I might need to steer clear.
“We were sent to different orphanages. Even when we later joined the military as boy soldiers, we were placed in different training centers. Different units too, so we rarely crossed paths.”

“Boy soldier…”
He must have barely survived to become the adult he is now. I chose my words carefully.
“Volunteering at such a young age—that’s admirable.”

“It wasn’t for any noble reason.”
He wiped the cream from the corner of his lips with his thumb and shook his head.
“I was hungry. Probably the same for Brigadier Visente.”

As he started on a second slice of cake, I stared and thought of Masera.
Masera did have a thing for sweets. I’d never heard about his past directly, but I knew he had lived a hard life.
This man, too, seemed to carry a sad story…

“…But did you have to eat the entire cake? Our top-class chef made it early this morning.”
When did he eat it all? Was this why he followed me here?
I shot Makia a look of betrayal.

Definitely a glutton—he gave a sheepish smile.
“It was too delicious. I’ll go buy more.”
“I’ll go with you.”

No doubt he’d eat it all on the way—I had to go and keep watch.
* * *
And so, we went to the market—and ate again. This time, together.

“Wow! Makia, this waffle is packed with whipped cream! I can’t believe you know this place—it’s amazing!”
Makia was apparently a gourmet tour guide, winning over even the soldiers who had accompanied us for protection.
“I know all the best places to eat in this area. Let’s head to the food alley next.”

At Makia’s words, everyone’s faces lit up with excitement.
It felt like I’d found a kindred spirit after Dalia the big eater—but just as I was enjoying that thought, I spotted someone standing off to the side of the alley.
‘The Duke of Recanosa? I thought he’d run off to avoid chopping firewood.’

Then I saw the woman standing beside him—and my eyes widened.
‘Anna?’
She was the seamstress maid from the Queensguard estate.

Anita had tipped me off that she was alive, but still…
Why on earth was she with the Duke of Recanosa?