Instead of the Heroine, I Married the Male Lead

 

Philome blinked.

“What changed after you met me?”

“…I wanted to tell you when I was certain you wouldn’t leave me. I thought you’d be disappointed because I’ve been deceiving you from the beginning.”

“Ha.”

Philome couldn’t maintain the smile that seemed forced and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

“Is there anyone who could stay by your side knowing that? Don’t you think hearing such things later would make the sense of betrayal even greater?”

Kaien had no words to respond to that question.

As he kept his mouth tightly closed, Philome continued.

“I would have agreed to the contract even if you had told me everything from the start.”

“….”

“Because I had no choices.”

Her closest friend had run away with her fiancé on the day of their engagement ceremony. It was obvious that her family wouldn’t let her off easily once they found out the engagement was broken. In such a situation, there was no way for Philome to have any choices.

That’s why she didn’t even look at the contract he presented.

There was no guarantee that choosing him was the best option, but Philome at least wanted to feel like she was making a choice.

“I was afraid you would abandon me.”

As Philome was about to sigh, she turned to look at Kaien.

As Philome spoke, Kaien, who had been blinking rapidly in anxiety, had gradually calmed down.

However, his eyes when they met hers were trembling endlessly.

“I was afraid you’d be disappointed and turn away. My judgment became clouded without me realizing it.”

Kaien was relieved that his voice didn’t tremble. He slowly swallowed, then released the tight grip he had on his fingers and reached out to Philome.

Kaien’s hand lightly touched the tip of Philome’s fingers.

“Philome.”

Philome flinched and pulled her hand back.

“Even if it’s the last time, please listen to my pathetic excuse.”

“Don’t misunderstand, Duke.”

Philome smiled gently.

“I won’t break the contract.”

“What…?”

“I will maintain the contract with you, and I will marry you. There’s no need for you to make excuses.”

Philome stood up.

“You must be tired, so I’ll head back first.”

“Philome, wait…!”

Kaien jumped up and grabbed Philome’s wrist. However, he couldn’t hold on properly, and his hand quickly fell away.

Philome found it amusing how Kaien kept trying to hold onto her. She took a deep breath and turned around.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Philome.”

“So why do you keep saying my name like that…?”

Kaien’s voice was filled with such longing.

It sounded like the voice of someone trying to hold onto a loved one, making it painful for Philome to endure this moment.

So she resolved to clearly convey her feelings to Kaien.

“I won’t care at all.”

“….”

“So don’t worry. I won’t interfere no matter who you meet.”

Kaien fidgeted, listening to Philome’s words, then felt something was amiss.

“Who I meet.”

“Yes.”

Philome nodded calmly.

Once that was pointed out, even she couldn’t help but say it out loud.

“Your mistress. I said I wouldn’t care.”

“…What do you mean?”

Kaien felt a chill wash over him.

“A mistress? Me?”

“Yes.”

Philome tilted her head in confusion.

“Why are you pretending not to know? I already know everything.”

“…You think I have a mistress?”

Kaien muttered, almost to himself.

There was no way he could have a mistress without knowing, and he didn’t have any past lovers to claim as one.

A thought crossed Kaien’s mind.

“Philome. Do you think I have a mistress?”

Philome was starting to get a bit annoyed.

She wondered if it was really necessary for him to act like this when she already knew everything. So she narrowed her eyes and nodded.

“Yes, Duke. I really don’t mind, so you don’t have to act like this.”

“Ha…”

Kaien rubbed his face as if splashing cold water on it.

“Haha…”

He burst out laughing.

Then, remembering Philome, he quickly lifted his head. As expected, Philome was looking at him in disbelief.

‘Is he happy because I said I wouldn’t care?’

Seeing his pleased expression made her want to take back what she said in frustration.

Before Philome’s misunderstanding deepened, Kaien quickly spoke up.

“I don’t have a mistress.”

Did he not want to call his beloved a mistress?

Philome’s eyes dimmed.

“I don’t have a hidden woman. I mean, a woman who could be called a ‘mistress.'”

“…What?”

“I don’t know how you came to have this misunderstanding…”

“Wait a minute.”

Philome interrupted Kaien.

“Then who is this ‘young lady’? The one who’s been living at the villa for five years.”

She didn’t want to ask so directly because it would make things awkward between them. But since Kaien kept saying things that didn’t make sense, Philome had no choice but to be straightforward.

Kaien realized who the young lady Philome was referring to was. He didn’t know where to begin, so he just gaped at her before turning around.

He headed toward the small door attached to the bedroom.

“Philome, I think it’s better to show you than to explain. It’s my last request, so could you come here?”

Philome hesitated briefly.

It seemed faster to see it with her own eyes than to keep having a misaligned conversation.

Having made her decision, Philome approached Kaien.

When he opened the door, a long hallway unfolded before her.

And the hallway was lined with portraits.

“This hallway leads to the head of the family’s room. The portraits of the head of the family’s family are hung in the hallway.”

Usually, there were multiple portraits for each person.

The number of people depicted could range from two to three, four, or even five. The number of portraits was also diverse.

“We add a portrait every time a new family member is born.”

As they walked a bit further, Philome spotted a young boy who looked exactly like Kaien, and her eyes widened in surprise.

If it weren’t for the current situation, she would have been so amazed that she would have made a fuss over how adorable he looked. The Kaien from around eight years old gazed straight ahead with a surprisingly serious expression for his age, and his chubby cheeks particularly drew attention.

Behind Kaien were what appeared to be the former duke and duchess, and beside them stood a boy who looked about ten years older. He resembled Kaien but had a more delicate and softer demeanor.

“That’s my brother.”

As Philome stopped walking, Kaien stood beside her and pointed out who it was.

“There seems to be quite an age difference.”

“There’s a ten-year gap, so it’s not small.”

Philome and Kaien moved to the next portrait.

The now-grown Kaien was about the same age as his older brother in the previous portrait. Next to his brother stood a new woman, notable for her noticeably pregnant belly.

Philome gazed at the woman’s belly before looking at the adjacent portrait.

In that one, neither Kaien’s parents nor his brother or sister-in-law were present. Instead, a girl who seemed to have just turned three sat in a small chair, with Kaien standing beside her.

The girl had the same silver hair as Kaien and striking green eyes that resembled the woman seen in the previous portrait.

“That’s my niece.”

Kaien said calmly.

“Even after my brother’s death, his wife kept the child safe until the end before passing away.”

Kaien’s gaze as he looked at the child in the portrait was gentle.

“I promised myself that since I took the place that originally belonged to my brother, I would return this position to my niece.”

Kaien turned his head toward Philome.

“This is why I told you not to worry about the heir.”

“……Because you have a niece who is decided to inherit the dukedom?”

“Exactly.”

Kaien bit his lip and added,

“My niece is at the villa, and I visit her once every month or two.”

“So, she’s the ‘young lady’ Sebastian mentioned?”

Kaien nodded.

Philome realized what misunderstanding she had and stared blankly at the child in the portrait.

“I feel sorry for you. But…”

Kaien cautiously reached out and grasped Philome’s sleeve.

With a gentle yet firm grip, she turned her head to look at Kaien.

“I want you to stay by my side.