The Tragic Male Lead Chose the Wrong Partner

* * *

“Bye!”
“See you again!”
The orphans waved and smiled at the volunteers as they left after the event.
Even those who had initially grumbled to themselves—‘Why should I, a noble, be doing this?’—were now wearing satisfied expressions.

“I don’t know what to do… I think I’ve grown attached to them.”
Someone even shed tears. Despite the fact they’d be back tomorrow.
After saying goodbye to everyone, I headed straight for the hospital where Anita had been admitted. Masera had already left for the staff quarters to handle her admission paperwork.

That’s when I saw a shabby-looking man blocking the path—Hans, with fury burning in his eyes.
“Where did you take my wife?! Give her back to me!”
The soldiers blocked him, but he resisted violently, causing a loud commotion.

I dismissed the soldiers and stepped forward to face Hans directly.
If he had come all the way here, it could only mean one of two things.
Either he genuinely wanted Anita back…

“Is this about money?”
I asked with a disgusted expression.
If it were the former, he would’ve been worried about her health.

But no—this man just needed someone to bring him cash.
Hans smiled greedily at my question.
“Good, we’re on the same page. Give me the money, and I’ll never show my face to Anita again.”

He reeked of alcohol as he sidled closer and whispered,
“And of course, I’ll keep your little secret. About how you were raised like a lowly maid.”
I crossed my arms and thought for a moment before taking off the gold bracelet Count Queensguard had given me before the wedding and handed it over.
Hans grinned from ear to ear and snatched the bracelet.

“I’ll live righteously from now on, my lady.”
Liar. He’d run straight to the gambling den, and once the money dried up, he’d come crawling back again.
Still, I smiled sweetly.

“Luck that isn’t earned always takes something in return. Or brings misfortune. Especially when it comes to gambling.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Hans bit into the bracelet to test it and laughed with joy as he hurried away.

* * *
Hans, now flush with easy money, made a beeline for the gambling hall.
“That stupid girl. I’ll make her my personal cash cow instead of Anita.”

He had nothing to fear from a husband, and if he lost the money, he’d just go back and blackmail her again.
Ding—ding—
Before long, he hit the jackpot. And the gold bracelet wasn’t even part of the wager.

The bells rang so loudly they made his ears ring as Hans grabbed a fortune large enough to live on for the rest of his life without working a day.
“Haha! This is insane!”
Hans, who had always lost everything at gambling, stared in disbelief.

“They said she was a lucky woman. Is it because I have something of hers?”
But his joy didn’t last. Cynthia’s words echoed sharply in his mind.
“Luck that isn’t earned always takes something in return. Or brings misfortune. Especially when it comes to gambling.”

Hans suddenly stood up from his seat.
“What am I thinking?”
Gathering his winnings, he bolted outside.

“Hey, gambler. Heard you won big. You should donate some of it—you're going to lose it anyway.”
Large, threatening men grabbed him.
Hans, seized by the gambling hall’s thugs, shouted in desperation.

“Let go! That’s my money—I won it fair and square!”
“Fair and square in gambling? Don’t talk crap.”
Whack. Whack. The sound of a beating echoed from the corner of the alley.

Clink—
One thug picked up the bracelet that had fallen from Hans’ coat—and his expression changed.
Inside the bracelet, he had seen a tiny engraved crest.

“Shit. This is a noble’s item. Did you steal it? Or are you a noble yourself?”
There was no way a common thug could recognize a crest on sight. But he did know one thing—messing with nobility could get you killed.
“I… I’m a noble. From a baron’s house…”

Hans groaned from where he was curled up.
The man rubbed his chin in concern.
“Damn. We were just gonna rough you up and take your money… but now we’ve got a problem.”

The thugs exchanged glances.
“What’s done is done. He could be trouble—better get rid of him.”
“Yeah. Judging from his sorry state, his house probably disowned him. No one’s gonna come looking.”

A dark shadow fell over Hans as he crouched on the ground.
Suddenly, he remembered a promise he had long since forgotten.
“I’ll make you a lady someday. We’ll get a big house, earn the respect of noble blood, and live like we’ve never lacked anything.”

And Anita’s smile flashed in his mind.
“That’d be nice… but I’m already happy. I finally have a family.”
“Family…”

Hans muttered dazedly, his consciousness slipping away.
“Let’s not make our child unhappy.”
Only on the verge of death did Hans finally realize he had lost the most precious thing in his life.

That was the misfortune and price Cynthia had warned of.
* * *
Military hospital, where Anita was staying.

Thankfully, she was stable now.
She sat watching Cynthia, who was peeling an apple at her bedside.
'She must hate me. I know her past as a maid.'

Anita, having experienced many betrayals, couldn’t shake the unease. Cynthia might turn on her like Hans had.
And yet… she wanted to believe.
Finally, Anita gathered the courage to ask,

“Why… why are you helping me?”
Cynthia, who had finished carving the apple into the shape of a rabbit, smiled.
“You were the only one who treated me like a peer when everyone else called me an Esat mongrel or an unlucky white rat. And…”

She pulled out her parasol and held it up.
“You were the first to notice I’m sensitive to sunlight. Without this, my face would’ve looked like an apple.”
“…You carry that with you every day? It’s not even expensive.”

Anita blushed.
“It wasn’t even that big of a kindness. It’s a little embarrassing now.”
“I think it was huge. You had the courage to act differently from everyone else.”

Cynthia took Anita’s hand and spoke with sincere determination.
“If you want to keep staying ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ in the staff quarters, I’ll be your friend. I want your child to grow up happy and never lonely.”
Suddenly, Anita recalled something Hans once said—

“I’ll run away with you. I can’t let you die.”
She had once wondered if he could ever be a good father. Now, she erased even the faintest lingering regret.
“I want to stay. I’ll do anything, just please…”

Choked by emotion, she couldn’t finish. After enduring life’s tempests, she longed for a place to rest. If not for herself, then at least for her child.
“Isn’t it kind of cool? Having two moms?”
Cynthia joked warmly.

The seriousness on Anita’s face melted into a laugh.
“…By the way, there’s something I should tell you.”
Clearing her throat, she lowered her voice.

“I saw Anna that day—while I was running away in the market.”
Cynthia’s eyes widened.
“Anna from the sewing room?”

So there was another survivor—besides the maids she had warned to escape?
“I don’t know if she saw me too… but I thought you should know.”
“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.”

Cynthia nodded to reassure her and fell deep into thought.
'What exactly is going on here…?'
* * *

Helene was panicking now that she realized Anna had disappeared.
'Did she run away out of fear, after delivering that fake letter?'
Anna was a critical witness who held leverage over both Cynthia and her father.

But if she gave the order to find a runaway maid, she might raise suspicions. Everyone in the ducal household was loyal to the Grand Madam.
She couldn’t risk revealing her motive for keeping Anna alive, and she couldn’t ask her father for help either.
'…The duke wouldn’t help me. He’s already used that favor to gloat endlessly.'

Pacing the room, Helene’s thoughts drifted to an infamous underworld organization.
They were a notorious arms trafficking syndicate—only accepting requests from verified weapon buyers.
Still, as a duchess, any contact with them would be dangerous.

'But I have to find her somehow.'
They moved only for money, and if paid enough, they’d also ensure secrecy.
Just then, a maid arrived to announce the duke’s return.

Helene quickly descended to the first floor. Maybe she could fish for information about Anna’s disappearance.
The duke stepped inside, smiling kindly at the servants who greeted him.
“You look cheerful, Your Grace. Was it a good day?”

“Shopping? You even changed your cologne.”
Behind him, footmen entered carrying boxes.
The duke nodded.

“I bought a gift for someone.”
Helene stood silently on the stairs, watching him.
“The biggest problem isn’t a harmless affair—it’s when it turns into real feelings.”

The words of an older noblewoman came back to her. A sickening sensation spread from her fingertips.
'She’s trying to take my place.'