Instead of the Heroine, I Married the Male Lead

There was no winner or loser in the battle between a spear and a shield.

 

“Can you express your intentions?”

 

I nodded at his words.

 

“It seems you don’t want to reveal yourself to me, so next time, either contact me first or communicate through your subordinates.”

 

Kaien stood up from his seat.

 

“I came here just to make an impression today, so I’ll be leaving now.”

 

With that, Kaien left, and Jack sat down on the sofa.

 

“Boss, Young Master, I’m really sorry. I’m a man of loyalty, you know? But even so… how could I lie when the Duke of Wintbell showed up?”

“Shut up.”

“I got here half an hour ago. Do you know how many tear-jerking things I did to stall for time?”

“I’m grateful for that.”

“Boss, you’re not going to throw me away, right?”

 

Jack looked at me with a pitiful expression that didn’t suit him.

While it was true that we had been caught because of him, there was no one more reliable than him. Moreover, though many had tried to meet us before, Jack’s exceptional skills had ensured we were never discovered.

 

“I won’t throw you away. Besides, you’re not even mine to discard in the first place.”

“…I wasn’t your person, boss?”

“I’m the only one who belongs to the boss, right?”

 

As usual, Jack and Harnen bickered. 

Seeing their familiar interaction made me finally feel relieved that Kaien had left.

 

‘Look at me, sweating.’

 

My palms were already damp, and so was my back.

Noticing my distressed state, Jack discreetly left the office.

 

“Boss, are you okay?”

 

As I lay sprawled on the sofa after removing my robe, Harnen brought me a cup of tea in a dusty cup, as usual.

My mouth was so dry that even dusty tea seemed necessary today.

 

“Hah… this is so exhausting…”

“Boss, don’t come out next time. Just keep doing what you were doing before. There’s no need to go through all this trouble.”

“Can you handle the Duke then?”

“…What’s there that I can’t handle?”

“A lot. A whole lot.”

 

The main reason Harnen and I were running this business together was because he didn’t know the first thing about business.

While I wasn’t an expert, I at least had basic knowledge, unlike Harnen. 

Moreover, Harnen heavily relies on me. He said he would cling to me for the rest of his life if we didn’t run the business together, so I reluctantly became his boss.

 

“If the Duke shows up while I’m away, try to send him away as quickly as possible. Except for the days he visits regularly, I’ll contact you through Sophia or something.”

“Got it.”

 

After barely cooling down, I went back down the stairs.

Since I had claimed to be out buying something urgently needed, I had to buy something.

I entered a nearby store, got some recommendations for men’s items, made a purchase, and then returned to the carriage.

As the carriage headed back to the estate, I tidied my disheveled hair and smoothed out the wrinkles in my dress as much as possible.

 

‘I need to rest today.’

 

Running around after such a long time had accumulated a lot of fatigue. 

Soon, the carriage stopped, indicating we had arrived at the estate.

I waited for the coachman to open the carriage door, but it opened a bit late.

Just as I was about to step out, a gloved hand was extended toward me.

Startled, I followed the hand with my eyes.

 

“…Your Grace?”

“Take my hand and get down, Milady.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

 

I clumsily accepted Kaien’s escort and got down from the carriage.

 

“But why are you here…? Weren’t you out on some business?”

“I finished my business and returned, but I saw the lady’s carriage, so I wanted to come in together.”

“I see…….”

 

I tried to respond as naturally as possible, but then Kaien asked me a question.

 

“But where did you go, Milady? Sebastian said you left the manor in a great hurry by carriage.”

“Oh, well… I went out to buy something…”

 

I diligently averted my eyes, sweating nervously, and the box in my hand caught my eye. It was a box I bought without even knowing what was inside.

I extended the beautifully wrapped box to him.

 

“I went out to buy a gift for Your Grace!”

“…You wanted to give me a gift?”

“Yes… It’s an engagement present. The Duke has already had a ring and dress made for me, after all.”

“Well, that’s something I should naturally do.”

“Well, but I don’t feel quite right about it. I’m a bit tired after going out. I’ll take my leave then…”

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Inside the mansion, Kaien, who had been going over documents, suddenly turned his gaze. 

There was a wrapped box on his office desk.

 

‘An engagement present…’

 

He opened the box, recalling Philome’s disappearing figure.

Given the small size, he could guess a few possibilities for the gift.

 

“Gloves? A pen?”

 

Once Kaien had fully unwrapped the package, he found himself momentarily frozen.

 

“Duke. I have some more papers for you to process…….”

“Gio.”

 

Kaien turned to Gio, who had walked in just in time.

 

“What does it mean for a woman to give a man contraceptives just before they get married?”

“Yes?”

“By the way, they’re not in a bad relationship.”

 

Kaien pondered, then added.

 

“In fact, it’s quite good.”

“Um… does it mean to take care of the lower body well?”

 

Kaien fell silent, then murmured quietly.

 

“It seems like Lady… has made a solid misunderstanding.”

 

Unaware of his own grave misunderstanding, Kaien stared at the box of male contraceptives Philome had gifted him, lost in deep contemplation.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

“Miss.”

 

Sophia woke me up.

 

“Miss, it’s time to get up.”

 

I curled up into a ball, scrunching up my face.

 

“Hmm, Sophia… What’s wrong… The sun hasn’t even risen yet…”

 

As I tried to drift back to sleep, a sharp, prickling pain shot through my bottom.

 

“Miss, did you forget that today is your engagement ceremony?!”

“…Right.”

 

I blinked, realizing that today was the day of the engagement.

Sophia worriedly checked my face, her expression full of distress.

 

“That darn business of yours. Your skin looks like it aged three years in a few days.”

 

Saying ten years would be an exaggeration, but three years sounded quite plausible. I patted my cheek in confusion.

 

“Me, really?”

“No, I’m just joking. Your skin just looks really dull.”

“Why do you tease people like that? You scared me.”

“Because I’m upset. The only good thing about you is your smooth skin, polished by a long night’s sleep, and now you’re like this.”

“You really are something.”

“Oh no, the water is getting cold. Please get up, Miss. I’ll massage you until the puffiness goes down.”

 

As I was about to say something, Sophia quickly changed the subject. As I undressed, she started lecturing me, but once she began the massage with the right pressure, I melted into it.

 

“Ah, that feels so refreshing.”

“Miss, you kind of sound like an old man when you say that. My dad says the same thing when he’s eating hot stew.”

“Sophia, just keep massaging and be quiet.”

“Yes!”

 

Sophia continued massaging with a bright smile. 

After finishing my bath, I found the maids from the ducal household and staff from the beauty salon waiting.

Madame approached me.

 

“Today, we’ll be helping with your preparations. Please have a seat, and we’ll take care of everything.”

 

With that, I sat still.

I dozed off a few times, but Sophia would call out to me each time to keep me awake.

 

‘I’ve been lacking sleep lately.’

 

It wasn’t just because of the engagement ceremony. 

In fact, until yesterday, I couldn’t even remember the date of the ceremony. I was too preoccupied with business discussions with Kaien. 

For the past few days, I have been exchanging letters with Kaien through Harnen, constantly discussing business matters. I felt so frustrated and uncomfortable that I wanted to rush to his office on the same floor and talk to him in person.

 

“Milady, look in the mirror.”

 

I changed into a dress and stood in front of a full-length mirror.

And there was my reflection.

My hair was tied back in a half-updo, with delicate flowers woven between the strands, giving it a mystical air.

Moreover, the dress itself was incredibly beautiful.

It wasn’t pure white, but the soft beige color mixed with a subtle lace pattern gave off an engagement ceremony vibe. The dress, adorned with delicate lace without any striking patterns, exuded a subtle brilliance, neither extravagant nor plain.

 

“Wow, milady. You look even more beautiful than you did at your debutante ball.”

 

Sophia exclaimed in admiration. Hearing her mention my debut, when I had been dressed up the most extravagantly in my life, made me smile.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

 

“It must be the Duke!”

 

Sophia murmured excitedly at me. 

As one of the maids opened the door, light flooded in.

 

‘Wow.’

 

No, it wasn’t light; it was Kaien.

I almost clapped as soon as I saw him. He looked really, really handsome today.

There’s no need for elaborate descriptions; he was simply handsome from head to toe. 

Kaien was not in his usual attire, but dressed in formal evening wear. Despite the elaborate cravat he was wearing, he looked incredibly stylish without appearing overly ostentatious.

His loosely swept hair, with a few strands falling gently, perfectly matched the relaxed atmosphere of the engagement ceremony.

And then I noticed a flower similar to the one adorning my hair was embellishing his handkerchief.

It made me feel as if we were truly a matched pair, causing my face to flush slightly.