Instead of the Heroine, I Married the Male Lead

 

“Um… I think the Duke is prettier than the Miss.”

 

Sophia muttered, stepping back as Kaien approached.

 

‘That’s actually true.’

 

The difference between handsomeness and beauty seemed negligible. Kaien, who I already thought was handsome just standing still, looked even more striking when dressed up. Nothing else around seemed visible.

 

‘Is that why Nadia fell in love with Kaien? Just from looking at his face?’

 

It didn’t make sense that their personalities didn’t really match, but they had still fallen in love. Unless they had simply fallen for each other’s appearance, there was no other explanation.

 

“Are you ready, Milady?”

“…Yes.”

 

Kaien offered his arm, then escorted me to the carriage.

As we got on the carriage, which seemed to shine even brighter than usual, Kaien asked,

 

“As you requested the other day, we will have a grand engagement ceremony and a private wedding.”

 

A few days ago, Kaien had given me a choice.

A few days ago, Kaien gave me the choice between having a grand engagement or a grand wedding. Of course, there was also an option to have both grand.

I asked Kaien which option would benefit him more, and based on his answer, I made the choice to make the engagement more grand.

 

“But I have one question. Why is it better to have a grand engagement ceremony?”

“Because it’s before the wedding. And there’s someone who’s been waiting for this news with bated breath.”

“Is that person, by any chance, the previous Duke?”

 

To that question, Kaien nodded.

 

“Yeah. My father regrets not passing down the title after I get married.”

 

From what I had heard before, it seemed the previous Duke of Wintbell had been pressuring Kaien to get married. Considering Kaien wasn’t old or unwell, the urgency seemed excessive.

 

‘I’m curious about the reason, but Kaien and I aren’t that close. ‘

 

Moreover, whatever the reason, this contract marriage is very advantageous for me. Honestly, if Kaien wanted, he could have married an imperial princess or a princess from another country.

 

‘But I suppose there must be some other reason why he chose me.’

 

With that, the carriage fell silent.

After a while, Kaien spoke again.

 

“Um, Milady. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you this.”

“What is it?”

“Milady’s family came to the venue. What should we do?”

 

I frowned at the mention of my family.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t thought about my family at all since leaving the County of Bonita.

 

“In fact, Milady’s family has visited a few times before.
Fortunately, Milady was absent each time, so they were politely turned away.”

“What? They came looking for me?”

 

I was taken aback by this new information.

 

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

 

Flushed with embarrassment, I bit my lip.

 

“Please also make sure to ‘politely’ send them away this time.”

“I’ll see to it.”

 

As we arrived at the venue, the carriage stopped. 

Kaien, as always, got off first and escorted me. 

As we walked slowly into the venue, many eyes were on us.

 

“Look straight ahead, Milady. Or look at me if you want.”

 

At his words, I instinctively turned my head towards Kaien.

He did the same, turning his head to stare at me and smiling slightly.

 

“To others, it will look like we’re having an affectionate conversation.”

“So much so that no one will know it’s a contract marriage?”

 

He chuckled softly at my words.

 

“Yeah. No one will know.”

 

Feeling somewhat relieved, I stood in front of the officiant. After the ceremony and the exchange of rings, we went straight to the lounge.

The reception was right behind it.

After changing clothes and touching up my makeup, Kaien came to escort me.

He had also changed his clothes.

The reception was a more hectic and nerve-wracking affair, as we had to personally greet various people.

I followed Kaien as he said hello to various people.

A small commotion caused me to turn my head and see faces I never wanted to see again.

 

“Philome!”

“Mother…”

 

At the appearance of my mother, both Kaien and I stiffened. 

He had clearly said he would prevent my family from entering. But who on earth…

 

“It’s been a while, Duke.”

 

With a smile, Winston approached behind my family.

 

“I apologize for being late. Something came up. The Duke’s fiancé’s family was outside the venue, so I brought them in.”

“Thank you so much, Your Highness the Third Prince.”

 

My mother and father bowed and greeted Winston. Winston chuckled a bit awkwardly, waving his hand.

 

“No need for that. Please have a comfortable chat with the lady.”

 

My family approached me.

The family I hadn’t seen in a long time was just the same as before. No, they seemed even more lavish than usual.

Perhaps they had become more extravagant, as my mother’s wrist was adorned with jewelry. 

It felt strangely familiar, and I found myself staring at the jewelry.

 

“Philome.”

 

My mother grabbed my hand.

 

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

 

Her voice and expression were affectionate, but her grip on my hand was violent. Her sharp nails dug into the back of my hand.

Beside me, Aiden approached.

 

“Indeed, Sis. Have you been well? We couldn’t sleep well worrying about you.”

 

Just as Aiden was about to put his arm around my shoulder.

 

“Philome.”

Kaien pulled me back on my shoulder. As Kaien approached, Aiden retreated a step.

 

“We need to greet His Highness, the Third Prince.”

 

Kaien glanced briefly at my family.

 

“Are you in the middle of an important conversation?”

 

Seeing Aiden’s lips twitching, I quickly intervened.

 

“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go now. Mother, Father, Aiden, I’ll come to greet you later.”

 

Kaien whispered to me as we walked away.

 

“From now on, act arrogantly toward your family. The same goes for other servants. You’re now the Duchess.”

“But we’ve only been engaged.”

“Haven’t we agreed to marry? That would be a breach of contract.”

“I’m just saying.”

“Even if we’ve only had the engagement ceremony, everyone will regard you as the Duchess of Wintbell.”

 

Kaien gently patted the back of my hand, resting on his arm.

 

“Don’t be intimidated by your family. You’ve escaped from that unfair and messy environment.”

“…….”

 

His touch was more like a light tap than a pat, but it brought a bit of comfort, perhaps because of its warmth.

 

‘But do I really have to go greet the Third Prince?’

 

I lowered my gaze a little when I saw Winston approaching.

 

“Greetings to the Third Glory of Vernum.”

 

As Kaien and I greeted him, Winston smiled brightly.

 

“Ah, yes. I was a bit distracted earlier and didn’t properly greet you, but congratulations on the engagement.”

“Your Highness, are you here as Her Majesty’s representative? Her Majesty mentioned sending a representative, but I didn’t expect it to be you.”

“Mother said it would be best for me to come. And I also wanted to attend the engagement ceremony of an old friend. I purposely didn’t pass on the message to surprise the Duke.”

 

Whether intentional or not, everything Winston said seemed to provoke Kaien.

When Kaien didn’t show much reaction, Winston turned to me.

 

“We met last time, but I didn’t properly greet you, did I? I heard your name is Philome Bonita; is that correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Don’t worry; even though the Duke may seem cold, his heart is very warm.”

 

Even though I kept my gaze lowered, I could feel Winston’s fixed gaze on me.

Fortunately, as other nobles began to approach, Winston’s attention shifted elsewhere. 

That allowed Kaien and me to leave.

Once again, amidst the chaos of farewells, we found ourselves in a carriage heading home.

Lost in thought, I stared out the window until Kaien loosened his cravat and spoke.

 

“You did well today, Milady. It must have been tough since you’re not used to these things.”

“I didn’t realize how exhausting it was until now. It felt like we were just greeting people the whole time.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

 

Kaien chuckled softly and brushed his disheveled hair back.

 

“I need to tell you in advance. I think I need to visit Gio’s villa tomorrow. It’s not too far, but I have some regular business there. I’ll likely be back in a day or two, as planned.”

“Okay.”

“After the engagement ceremony, many people might come to give gifts, but Sebastian will handle them, so don’t worry. Just rest up.”

 

Kaien furrowed his brow slightly and rubbed his temple. 

Watching him, I instinctively reached out towards him without realizing it.

 

“Would you like some physical contact?”

 

Kaien paused momentarily, then looked at me.

His expression seemed a little stiff, so I quickly added, as if making an excuse,

 

“Oh, it’s just… you looked tired. I thought you might need it.”

“I’m fine. It’s not like I’ve been using Aura lately; I’m just tired.”

 

Although Kaien gave a faint smile, it felt forced.

The atmosphere somehow remained frozen.

In the uncomfortable silence, I fidgeted with my hands and stared out the window.

 

“By the way, milady.”

 

Kaien suddenly spoke in a much lighter tone, as if trying to change the mood.

 

“Were you so curious about my three measurements that you looked into it…”

“There! We’re here!”

 

As the carriage stopped, I jumped up, pushed the door open, and hurried out.

The servant, who was approaching to open the door, was startled and stepped back.

 

“I’m tired; I’ll go inside first!”

 

I could hear Kaien’s muffled laughter behind me, but I kept walking toward the mansion.