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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Worn-Out Male Lead Picked the Wrong Partner
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Masera, dressed in a neat shirt and sweater, sat on the sofa and unfolded the newspaper.
"Do you see the letters?"
Cynthia asked, watching him read the newspaper by the dim firelight.
"I can see them."
"The Brigadier General too? I see better in the dark too. Isn't it amazing?"
"...Everyone's like that originally."
'It is said that the colored-eyed people of the Western Regions are strong in the darkness.'
Cynthia nodded, recalling content from some martial arts novel, and sat opposite him.
"It's hard to see in bright places because it's dazzling. It's not to the point of needing glasses, but my eyesight isn't great."
"I can read the letters of a book from the opposite building."
At his words, Cynthia's mouth fell open in surprise.
"Are you a telescope?"
"...I was a sniper in the past. My eyesight is about 6.0."
"Wow, are you a descendant of Genghis Khan? You have a built-in 6x scope. If you can see well in the dark, you don't need thermal imaging."
"Who is Genghis Khan?"
'And how does she know such knowledge.'
Masera hurriedly turned his head away upon seeing Cynthia in her linen pajamas.
The slightly translucent material was a torment for him with good eyesight.
"Why sit in front of me dressed like that?"
"It's no different from regular clothes... And this is the bedroom."
Not a complete stranger, and soon to be a couple.
"Or is this pajamas not good..."
Seeing her slightly deflated face, Masera recalled the words he spat out in anger after hugging her before dinner.
"Really... it's disgustingly unpleasant."
It had been bothering him since earlier.
'Was I too harsh.'
"What I said earlier wasn't sincere."
"You mean calling the eel jelly tasteless? Everyone probably thinks that, so don't worry. It was me who recommended such food. I didn't think you'd actually eat it."
Cynthia answered more brightly than midday sunlight.
She was distracted by the hug and didn't hear what came after "Really..."
"My sister and the Duke are going on their honeymoon tomorrow. The family will leave too."
Masera, unaware of that fact, felt an inexplicable guilt watching Cynthia talk casually.
He thought she was pretending not to care on purpose.
There was someone like that among his past subordinates.
Always bright, smiling well, seeming carefree, but inwardly full of depression.
Masera's dawn-twilight eyes deepened.
"Was there a place you always wanted to go? In Media, I mean."
"Honeymoon? Can I plan it? I'll make a detailed schedule. It'd be so fun going with you, Brigadier General!"
Seeing Cynthia excited with shining eyes made his heart even more uncomfortable.
She said she wanted to see the sea for honeymoon, and from what she told the ladies earlier, going to the maritime kingdom Media seemed a long-cherished dream.
She must have been thrilled thinking of fulfilling it on honeymoon.
"Brigadier General, thank you for the pretty dress. Where should our honeymoon be? There's a place I want to go..."
"No."
Until she was rejected by him.
'Why like this...'
He brushed back his platinum hair and narrowed his eyes.
'Am I becoming the bad guy?'
Imagining the moment of coldly parting in the future, a faint sense of sin arose.
"Brigadier General, I never thought you'd really say let's break up..."
Could he throw cold words at that face armed with all sorts of pathos?
He felt a sense of crisis that he shouldn't be swayed anymore by this snow-white woman.
'Yes, a honeymoon at least.'
If it's a wish, he can grant that much. Since divorce would be troublesome.
After that, whether she cries floods or withers away, it wouldn't be his concern. Masera recalculated the favors to give her until then.
"Conversation was fun. I'll go to sleep now. Good night, see you tomorrow."
Yawning, she stood up and waved.
Masera went down to the floor and leaned on the sofa.
Due to long military life, standing watch became habit, so this position was comfortable in unfamiliar places.
Meanwhile, Cynthia sitting on the bed tilted her head watching the man using the sofa as backrest on the floor.
'Is that a Korean posture?'
Unable to overcome curiosity, she asked.
"Why sleep like that?"
"It's comfortable for me."
"Is it because the room is big? Even with lots of firewood, it's chilly. Want more blankets?"
"I don't get cold easily."
No answer came for a while. Silence lengthened, thinking she fell asleep tired.
As Masera slowly closed his eyes, her voice came again.
"Earlier, you secretly made a snowman, right? Your gloves were wet."
"..."
He pretended to sleep and didn't answer. Absurd question, no words came.
Thinking she'd stop now...
"You're doing fun things alone. I could make a snow owl too."
'Please just sleep quietly.'
Tired of her endless chatter, Masera vowed to have separate rooms after marriage.
"Colonel, we can't reach headquarters!"
"Food, fuel, winter gear are insufficient! Without supplies, our unit will be annihilated!"
Masera had a past dream.
A dream from before he got the title, when he was Colonel Masera Giz.
The incident where supplies were cut by blizzard, most annihilated.
At that time, the then-Major Lecanosa Duke and Colonel Masera survived. Noble officers too.
"To save the nobles, you ordered the remaining soldiers to advance, which is suicide... Colonel? Reduce numbers due to lack of supplies?"
It was Henry Lecanosa Duke, then superior, who independently ordered without Masera's permission.
Better some survive than all perish, his thinking.
Criteria naturally nobles.
"How could you be so cruel? Why not send me to the front too! Surviving by killing comrades just because nobles..."
Even as Masera was treated as cruel demon, the Duke pretended ignorance to the end.
"The Variesa dynasty fell, why are we still on battlefield, fighting for what? Cleaning up their mess?"
Amid the survivor’s screams, frostbitten general soldier's sobs.
"Colonel, too cold..."
Masera, peeking past in nightmare form, slowly opened eyelids. Purple tint in blue eyes darkened more.
Memory sobs turned to Cynthia's sleep talk.
"Ung... cold."
Chilly air filled room. Fireplace almost out, visible.
Masera threw spare firewood and lit match. Would take time to warm air.
Her shivering under covers bothered him. Wanted to ignore, but troublesome woman.
Approaching bed, Masera touched cold blanket. White hair peeked from under covers up to head.
Then, perhaps warmer, Cynthia turned, exposing upper body.
Masera watched her peacefully sleeping face.
Reflecting, all misfortune from incompetent Variesa royal family's war.
Revolutionaries killed all royals for complete extinction.
"Please, hide my daughter and me? I'll give everything."
Around six years old.
Woman came hugging 3-4 year old child, begging.
Woman said to go north, shabby but dignified, child in blanket smelling good, face peeking.
"Oh dear, so pitiful. Don't know circumstances, but as mother can't leave. Come warm up."
Masera's ignorant mother felt compassion, helped, woman gave red diamond necklace.
"We're refugees too, received much help here. Paying back, no need reward. Husband in north? Tough road, take bread and butter."
But woman left necklace wanting to repay, brought misfortune.
Mother became 'shameless who helped royal escape blinded by jewels', killed by revolutionaries.
Left as war orphan, he struggled fiercely against fate to survive.
And another girl survived fate's storm.
Masera's gaze in reminiscence reached Cynthia's neckline.
The red necklace that killed his mother was now around Cynthia's neck.
