IBMILRFL | Chapter 81

Episode 81

The play was a very familiar story. The tale of Cinderella meeting the prince.

I was worried it might be boring since it didn’t take any creative liberties with the famous fairy tale, but fortunately, that was just an unnecessary concern.

With the actors’ passionate performances and stage devices that enhanced immersion—this was clearly not an imperial troupe for nothing. Overall, it was a fascinating performance.

‘…Cinderella, huh. Come to think of it, it’s kind of similar to Lilliana’s situation.’

The main character of the fairy tale, Cinderella.

Despite the oppression of her stepmother, she tried to move forward. The fairy godmother, moved by her upright nature, helped her, and in the end, she met the prince and reached a happy ending.

The details were different, of course, but it felt somewhat similar to Lilliana’s story.

‘If Lilliana is Cinderella, then I must be the fairy godmother.’

Lost in thought without much meaning, before I knew it, the curtain call had begun.

I lightly clapped my hands for the actors who had worked hard to give such a passionate performance.

Meanwhile, Lilliana, sitting next to me, cheered with an overwhelmed expression. It seemed she had been quite touched by the play.

‘Didn’t expect her to like it this much. I’m glad I brought her.’

I thought that from now on, if the chance arises—or even if it doesn’t, I’d make one—we should go out together like this more often.

Once the play was completely over, we headed to a nearby coffee house.

Normally, we would have used a reserved seat hidden from the outside, but today, we sat by the window.

“Wow, the scenery is so pretty! Maybe it’s because the weather’s so nice.”

Pleasant sunlight poured through the window, brightly illuminating the table.

Maybe because of that, Lilliana seemed particularly excited today.

After settling in, she cheerfully asked,

“What are you going to have? I’m curious about your taste, Mother!”

Come to think of it, until now, I’d only had tea with Lilliana at the mansion, so this was our first time at a coffee house.

“Hmph, what’s there to be curious about? I’ll just have a black coffee.”

It was a natural response.

But for some reason, Lilliana let out a quiet giggle at that short sentence.

“What are you smirking about now?”

“It’s just… it really hit me how much jeremyon resembles you, Mother.”

“jeremyon… and me?”

“Yes! In personality and taste. jeremyon always drinks black coffee, too.”

“You might be the only person in this world who says we look alike.”

Though we were mother and son, that was just a relationship on paper.

The entire world knew we weren’t biologically related.

‘Anyone who didn’t know would figure it out right away upon seeing us.’

I was too young to be the mother of a grown adult, but more importantly, we just looked too different.

Unlike me, with my fierce and sharp impression, jeremyon looked cold and standoffish. From eye color to hair color, not a single thing was alike.

‘Well… I suppose we both don’t give off a gentle vibe, at least.’

So I had rarely ever thought we resembled each other.

Perhaps sensing my puzzled gaze, Lilliana emphasized once more.

“Really? But you do look alike. They say family members resemble each other, right? Maybe that’s why?”

Family… huh.

Yes, Jeremyon and I were indeed family.

It was something I was well aware of, yet hearing it come from someone else’s mouth made it feel strangely unfamiliar.

A peculiar resonance spread through my chest.

As I delayed my response, turning her words over in my mind, Lilliana gave me a bright smile.

“Anyway, I mean it, hehe. You two really look alike. Maybe that’s why I like both of you so much.”

There she goes again, being all cute.

At some point, Lilliana had started expressing affection as naturally as breathing.

She was so warm and bright that being with her made me feel as if the demon inside me was being exorcised.

While we continued our light conversation, the staff brought our coffee.

Unlike me, who chose black coffee, Lilliana picked a café au lait with savory milk. It suited her, as she didn’t like bitter things.

“Come to think of it, Mother, what did you think of the play?”

“Well, it wasn’t bad.”

“Ah, I knew it! Actually, I really enjoyed it too. How should I say… I felt like my situation was similar to Cinderella’s.”

Hearing her chatter excitedly surprised me a bit—because I had thought the same thing throughout the play.

“It was fun because it reminded me of all the things that happened with you, Mother.”

I gave a light snort.

“Hmph, are you saying I’m like the fairy godmother?”

It was a comment I made half-consciously, without much thought.

But then Lilliana looked at me with the most baffled expression I’d ever seen on her.

“Huh?”

What? Did I say something wrong?

Lilliana looked so genuinely puzzled that I started feeling flustered myself.

“You’re… saying you’re the fairy godmother, Mother?”

I looked at her with an expression that asked what was wrong with that.

Lilliana stared at me with wide eyes, then spoke firmly.

“Mother, you’re the prince! Not the fairy godmother!”

“What?”

Did I hear that right?

This time I was the one taken aback and asked again.

Lilliana, uncharacteristically frowning slightly, repeated her words.

“I mean it. If I’m Cinderella, then you’re the prince, Mother!”

“…?”

“Hmm?”

We both stared at each other, question marks written across our faces.

A long silence fell between us.

Me? The prince?

It was such an interpretation I had never even considered, I couldn’t quite grasp it.

Lilliana also seemed unable to understand why I had referred to myself as the fairy godmother.

In the end, she was the first to break the silence.

“This is what I think. In the play, Cinderella’s true happiness was overcoming hardship and meeting the prince of her dreams. The fairy godmother was the one who helped her get close to that happiness.”

“That’s true.”

I nodded since that much I agreed with.

“So I thought Jeremyon was more like my fairy godmother.”

But suddenly jumping to that conclusion without context—I couldn’t follow her logic.

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Lilliana added an explanation.

“Jeremyon helped me reach true happiness, just like the fairy godmother did.”

“I don’t get it. What is this ‘happiness’ you’re talking about?”

“Huh? Meeting you, of course!”

As if wondering why I was asking something so obvious, Lilliana tilted her head.

Ah.

Now I finally understood what she meant.

‘So that’s what she meant…’

A quiet laugh slipped out, and I hurriedly covered my mouth.

She really thought of me as someone that precious.

I was happy—but I deliberately kept a straight face as I replied.

“Still, don’t go saying that kind of thing to Jeremyon.”

“Ah, why not?”

“There’s just… a reason.”

Lilliana blinked, looking like she didn’t understand.

‘That Jeremyon kid… looks like he’ll be suffering a little more in the future.’

Thinking of a son who might get jealous of me made me feel a little sorry for him—but I didn’t intervene further.

From now on, it was up to him.

A tea party somewhere in the capital.

“Everyone, do you know what I saw yesterday?”

At the exaggerated voice, all the noble ladies at the table turned their gazes toward one spot.

“What happened?”

“Yeah? Oh, right, you said you were going to see the imperial troupe’s play, didn’t you? How was it?”

“The play was, of course, wonderful… but that’s not the point!”

“Then what is?”

The lady who had been answering took a breath and got to the main point.

“Well, guess what…! I saw Madam Winder and Lady Locke together!”

“With that witch? Oh my… that’s surprising, but when you think about it, it kind of makes sense? She’s basically the future mother-in-law… There’s no way that horrible delinquent would leave Lady Locke alone.”

Yes, exactly.

At the agreeing voice, the noble lady at the center of attention shook her head in frustration.

“No, that’s not it. If it were just that, I wouldn’t even mention it! They were chatting at a coffee house after the play. I thought I was seeing someone else!”

She continued without pause.

“They seemed closer than just ‘getting along.’ Lady Locke even shouted to defend Madam Winder!”

At that, most of them exchanged glances with disbelief.

At that moment, Evelyn Lifton, who had been quietly sitting in a corner, cautiously added,

“…It’s… it’s true! I… saw it too.”

“If Lady Lifton says so, then it must be true. But… I still can’t believe it. Why would that delinquent…?”

There was a reason they couldn’t believe it easily.

Though known as a villain, Vanessa Windor was actually someone many ladies secretly admired.

Her seductive and dazzling beauty—so intense that it sometimes felt like being poisoned.

So no matter how infamous she was, people couldn’t help but secretly long for her.

Some of the ladies had even dared approach Vanessa themselves.

But they were only met with cold rejection. Her face as she drove them away and told them to leave was so cruel it haunted their dreams.

Having gone through such experiences, it was only natural they found it hard to believe Vanessa was with another lady.

A brief silence fell over the tea party.

Evelyn nervously fidgeted with her fingers before mustering the courage to speak.

“Maybe… Madam Winder… has changed?”

Vanessa Winder?

Everyone looked skeptical… but eventually, they accepted it.

Because if she hadn’t changed, none of this would make sense.

“Come to think of it, there weren’t any incidents at the victory banquet either, were there?”

“Huh, you’re right? She used to cause a ruckus every time she came to a banquet…”

Could it be that Vanessa Winder really had changed?

No one could be sure, but if it were true…

A small sense of unknown anticipation quietly sprouted in everyone’s eyes.