TTMLPTWW – Chapter 135

“Why are you so good at this? You’ve clearly done this a lot, haven’t you?”

Just then, the music cut off as the piece ended.

In the brief pause while the next performance was being prepared, Masera was seized by a suffocating tension.

“No, I….”

Caught off guard by the sudden suspicion that he was some kind of seasoned flirt, Masera trailed off.

‘What am I supposed to say?’

He had, in fact, danced quite a bit.

“It would be wise to practice a variety of dances. You’ll be attending social events frequently after the wedding.”

That had been Dahlia’s advice before the ceremony.

“The Princess isn’t very good at dancing. She’s worried she’ll make a mistake… You’ll need to lead, Brigadier General.”

Back then, Masera had figured nothing good could come of hearing Cynthia’s name, and so he dove into intense training.

“Am I playing the woman? Or are you?”

He and Captain Carlton took turns playing roles.

“Now, it’s your turn to ask me to dance. Bend one knee, meet my eyes, and gently kiss the back of my hand for three seconds…”

That part was so revolting he never managed to do it properly.

As the silence stretched on while he hesitated, Cynthia’s gaze on Masera turned a deep shade of red.

“You—Life imprisonment! Drawn and quartered! Public flogging!”

Suddenly branded a criminal deserving of a firing squad, Masera hastily offered an excuse.

“No! It was always Captain Carlton!”

“What?”

Cynthia looked bewildered.

Realizing that might have made things worse, he quickly clarified.

“No, I mean, he was just my practice partner. The first person I ever asked to dance at a ball, the first person I ever actually danced with—was you.”

“The first?”

“Yes. I’ve had a lot of firsts with you.”

Only after hearing the answer she wanted did she finally bean with satisfaction.

“Could you be more specific? Let’s go somewhere quiet, with no one around, and you can list them out, one by one.”

And with that, she revealed just how relentless she could be once she set her mind to something.

“Somewhere quiet…”

He was a grown man.

The phrase ‘somewhere quiet, with no one around’ echoed in his head until he forgot his original objective entirely.

This was a hotel, and the only place fitting that description was a hotel room.

Just then, Major General Izak approached Masera.

“Brigadier General, the Chairman—the one they call the investment guru—is looking for you. Something about investing in oil?”

Knowing her priorities, Cynthia let Masera go without a fuss, and he was dragged off by the Major General, still looking dazed.

* * *

They say tragedy always strikes at the worst possible moment.

I was just about to taste the limited-edition dessert made by that famous pâtissier when—

“I can’t believe you’re mad over a dance! Feeling guilty? Didn’t you hook up with First Lieutenant Martin while we were still together?”

Captain Port, Elsa’s trashy ex-boyfriend, was picking a fight with her and her husband. He was yelling on purpose, clearly wanting everyone in the room to hear.

“What do I have to do for you to stop? I’m begging you. I’ll endure whatever you throw at me—just please, leave my wife and subordinates alone.”

First Lieutenant Martin, Elsa’s husband, pleaded sincerely. But Captain Port just snorted, as if to say, ‘You’re groveling because you know you’re in the wrong.’

Guys like him exist in every era, it seems.

Word was, he was the one who cheated and dumped Elsa first—but the moment he heard she’d started seeing the first lieutenant, he’d thrown a fit.

And after Elsa got married, he’d gone on a revenge tour, spreading lies and harassing First Lieutenant Martin like some kind of victim.

In a rigid hierarchy like the military, a mess with your superior can get ugly fast.

They’ll abuse their rank and block your promotions.

He even got Martin’s colleagues and subordinates to skip the wedding.

You dared lay a finger on my friend?

Time to teach you a lesson.

I marched right into the middle of it.

“Elsa wasn’t the one who cheated—you did. And now you’re out here playing victim and tormenting them? How’s that fair?”

“What the hell are you talking ab—”

Captain Port started to blow up but froze the moment he recognized me. Then, with no shame whatsoever, he started spewing lies.

“You’ve been misinformed. If I were to open my mouth about her behavior, she’d be exiled from high society—no, the capital itself.”

“Without a shred of proof? I could just as easily say I’ll turn you into a two-legged potato.”

“I’ve known Elsa longer than you have, Princess. Are you just going to take her word for it?”

He must’ve run his mouth a lot, because the crowd was now eyeing Elsa with suspicion.

“The only ‘proof’ of Elsa’s supposed misdeeds is your mouth. Meanwhile, there’s actual evidence you cheated. Isn’t that the real conclusion here? Oh, and look—there she is.”

I flicked my gaze toward… well, nowhere in particular.

Everyone turned to follow my gaze.

Panic flickered in Captain Port’s face as he leaned in and dropped his voice.

“Wh-Whom are you referring to? And how do you know about that? Don’t tell me, the Brigadier General told you—”

I have no idea who his mistress is. But he fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

“What’s that? Your affair was with a married woman, and now you’re begging me to keep quiet? Not just one, you say? Even some married men too? Wow! What a scandal! I won’t breathe a word, promise!”

I shouted loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Eyes widened all around. Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Let’s see how you like it this time.

Just as the captain, now pale as a ghost, stepped forward to stop me, someone quickly moved in and blocked my view.

“Anyone can ask you to dance—except men and garbage.”

Masera, jealous to an absurd degree, had arrived to crack down.

As if shielding me from something filthy, he pulled me back by the shoulders.

Apparently, he’d caught me mid-conversation with another man and had come to unleash divine retribution.

Well, at least he seemed to agree that Captain Port was garbage.

“N-No, Brigadier General. The truth is—”

“Did you think hitting on married women had no repercussions?”

Masera’s words carried a weight Captain Port’s self-justifications never could.

“You’re already under investigation for conduct unbecoming of an officer and abuse of subordinates—and you still haven’t learned your lesson. I hear there’s even a civil suit for damages from one of the spouses.”

Wait—he really went after only married people? I’d just made that up!

Masera looked at him with pure disgust, like he wasn’t even worth the effort, and turned to lead me away.

As we passed First Lieutenant Martin, he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“Take off your rank insignia and settle it. I’ll take responsibility.”

Captain Port ground his teeth audibly.

“You’re the one who ratted me out, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. And now the Brigadier General just gave us permission to fight you man-to-man. Will you take him up on it?”

The First Lieutenant cracked his neck as he asked.

The Captain, who, despite being much smaller, still tried to act tough.

“If—If I weren’t under investigation… You wouldn’t stand a chance, you little—”

Honestly, even if he brought ten of those pathetic fists, he’d still get flattened.

The crowd, unimpressed by his pitiful posturing, clicked their tongues in unison.

Clarence wrapped a supportive arm around Elsa, now vindicated, and shot me a big thumbs-up.

Thanks to Masera, everything had gone smoothly.

“Thanks for stepping in.”

“Nothing more tiring than trash with inflated egos.”

Masera was still lost in his own spiral of imagined betrayal.

“That’s the price of having a popular wife. Endure it.”

I decided I might as well enjoy myself.

“Now then—why don’t we go somewhere quiet and finish our earlier talk? About those ‘firsts.’”

* * *

Unfortunately, the conversation didn’t end up happening in a hotel room, but on the terrace.

Under Cynthia’s interrogative gaze, Masera stood silent for a moment before slowly beginning to speak.

“First of all… this marriage is a first.”

“Isn’t that kind of a given?”

“I’m not sure how broad the scope is, but… you were also the first person I ever slept with.”

“You’re really starting off with the intense stuff.”

She clearly had a different kind of answer in mind. Of course, it was up to him to figure out what that was.

“Holding hands while walking, buying flowers… worrying about someone more than myself…”

Piece by piece, like fitting together a puzzle, he finally found the answer.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever fallen in love with.”

The stern, judge-like expression on Cynthia’s face softened into a rosy smile.

Well, it’s about time he made a proper confession.

Having successfully lured him into it with highly advanced interrogation techniques, she tilted her chin and gave a prim little cough.

“I accept your confession.”

“Oh…”

Only then did he realize—he’d never once actually said he liked her. He’d said she was special, that she was precious… but never that.

“I’m a boring, clumsy person. I probably don’t have much charm as a man… but I’ll try.”

“Huh? Says who?”

Just looking at your face is so much fun. Being handsome is a gift.

Cynthia had nearly said something foul but caught herself just in time, lowering her hand from her mouth with a frosty smile.

“To think someone who’s probably received countless confessions is putting on such an obvious act of coyness.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Are you lying now? Public flogging.”

“They were people who didn’t actually know me.”

“So it’s true you’re popular enough to get confessed to based on looks alone? Life imprisonment.”

“What do you want me to do?”

Burdened with sins he couldn’t even account for, Masera looked utterly dumbfounded.

“Hmph. I’m just jealous.”

Cynthia rose up on her toes and gave his cheek a light pinch.

“That means I like you.”

She tossed it out casually like it was no big deal, then spun around and ran off, saying she needed to go chat with her friends.

Masera stood dazed, rubbing his cheek, mentally replaying her words over and over.

To cool the sudden flush rising in him, he gripped the railing and let the cold wind hit his face.

One little sentence, and it felt like heaven and hell.

Is this what it feels like to like someone?

“…Dangerous.”

Like–it was a terrible emotion that didn’t seem to match such an innocent expression.

It felt as though he would die without her.

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