Instead of the Heroine, I Married the Male Lead

 

“I….”

It was at that moment.

“Miss!”

At that cry, Philome and Kaien turned towards the villa.

And at the same time, Liazell, who had quickly run over to Philome, buried herself in the hem of her dress.

As Philome staggered, Kaien firmly held her from behind to prevent her from falling.

“Liazell?”

“I thought… I thought Philome was gone.”

The child, panting, did not let go of Philome’s dress.

Perhaps startled, Philome could feel Liazell’s heart pounding rapidly and loudly through their close contact.

“Why? Are you in pain again?”

Philome asked urgently, and Liazell shook her head.

“No, it doesn’t hurt. Really… it doesn’t hurt at all now.”

Liazell lifted her completely buried face, revealing her large, moist eyes.

“I was surprised when I got up and no one was there. Was… was I a lot of trouble for you?”

“Yeah.”

Kaien, still holding Philome’s shoulders, gently patted Liazell’s head. When Kaien’s body touched her back, Philome flinched and looked back at him.

But Kaien remained calm, simply patting Liazell’s head.

Both Kaien, who was petting her, and Liazell, who was receiving the affection, looked quite awkward.

“Uncle…”

“Did you hear anything from Emma or Bear?”

Liazell shook her head.

“Right after I woke up, I ran out… I didn’t hear anything.”

“Let’s go home, Liazell.”

“Home?”

“Yes, your original home. The Duke’s residence. Now that Liazell isn’t sick anymore.”

Liazell hesitated, her small lips quivering.

“Then, if I get sick again, will I come back here?”

“No, no. That will never happen. You’ll live in the Duke’s residence for the rest of your life.”

Kaien, taken aback by Liazell’s words, squatted down to match her eye level. He took her hand and spoke in the softest voice possible.

“Shall we go see Mom and Dad’s pictures?”

At that, Liazell’s eyes sparkled as if she had forgotten her worries.

“Yeah! I want to see Mom and Dad’s pictures!”

“Okay, let’s go see them as much as you want.”

Kaien lifted Liazell and sat her on his forearm.

It was a bit awkward and clumsy, but Liazell carefully wrapped her arms around Kaien’s neck.

Bear, who had followed them to the entrance of the path, smiled when he saw us.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

Liazell whispered to me in a small voice, and Philome leaned in closer to listen.

“Thank you.”

Suddenly, Liazell planted a quick kiss on Philome’s cheek.

Philome’s eyes widened in surprise as she turned to look at Liazell.

Liazell smiled shyly.

“Thank you for making me not sick.”

Philome blinked in surprise, placing her hand on her cheek that felt ticklish as if feathers had settled on it.

Then she met Kaien’s wide eyes.

“Just now….”

“I got a kiss before the Duke, right? Are you feeling jealous?”

Philome smiled.

Perhaps it was because she received a kiss before her uncle, Kaien, that she felt even happier.

‘Before me, to Philome…,’

Of course, it was jealousy of the opposite kind.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

Philome paused while flipping through the documents.

“Madonna.”

“Yes.”

Madonna, who had been waiting in front, quickly approached Philome. Philome pointed to a document that felt unusual.

“This maid has been marked as having resigned, right?”

Confirming the maid’s name, Madonna replied immediately.

“Yes, it’s the maid I mentioned a few days ago.”

“Ah.”

With a short exclamation, Philome’s gaze turned cold.

“That maid who spoke carelessly?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Since Liazell came to the Duke’s residence, Madonna and Philome had been more attentive to the servants than ever before.

Just like when Kaien was injured, they didn’t gather everyone to speak separately, but most of the servants were careful not to talk about Liazell.

However, there were occasionally those like this maid who spoke about Liazell without fear. In such cases, Madonna would hear the stories through the servants and seek Philome’s permission before taking action.

A few days ago, Philome had given her permission, but while reviewing the monthly report, it came to her mind again.

“Still, this week it’s just this maid.”

“Yes, it seems they’re being careful now.”

Most of the servants working in the Duke’s residence were quick to pick up on things.

It wasn’t difficult for them to guess the reason why a colleague they had gotten along with had disappeared.

“That’s a relief.”

Philome sighed and left her signature at the bottom of the report.

“You’ve worked hard this month too, Madonna.”

“The one who worked hard is you, Miss Philome.”

The two exchanged bright smiles.

“Is the preparation for going north going well?”

“Yes, it seems we’ll be wrapping it up soon.”

It had already been half a month since Liazell arrived. With Kaien’s departure for the north approaching, they needed to filter out those who posed a risk as quickly as possible.

Even though Philome was in a position to exercise power with Kaien’s support, time was a bit tight to establish a clear position as the master among the servants.

“How long does the Duke usually stay when he goes north? Does he spend the entire winter there?”

“Unless something urgent comes up, he stays for about three months and still comes back every two weeks.”

“Hm, I see.”

Three months isn’t a short time, but it was a relief that he came back every two weeks. If he couldn’t come back at all, it would be troublesome if issues arose, and more than anything, she wanted to see him.

‘No, no. What am I thinking?’

Philome was startled and shook her head vigorously.

“Miss Philome?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Here.”

Philome handed the report to Madonna.

Then she rubbed her stiff neck back and forth.

“You must be very tired.”

“I guess I’m still not used to it.”

Philome had recently started taking on the tasks of the mistress. Originally, these were things Madonna had done, but she had taught Philome everything she needed to know, so it was time for her to step into the role.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a busy social season, and there were no major events in the mansion, so Philome had been able to handle everything perfectly without any difficulties so far.

“You’re doing exceptionally well, so there’s no need to worry.”

Madonna spoke gently, knowing that Philome felt nervous while handling the reports.

Philome smiled and nodded.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

At that moment, a commotion outside the wide-open window caught her attention. Philome turned her head. Her office on the second floor had a particularly beautiful view of the Duke Wintbell’s residence.

Whenever she felt tired from reading reports, turning to look out the window was like a breath of fresh air, as the scenery was a picturesque painting. It was always beautiful and full of life.

And there, playing in that backdrop, she saw a child.

With her hair tied in high pigtails swaying as she ran, the child’s white cheeks flushed with color—it was Liazell.

Philome couldn’t help but smile as she watched Liazell.

“I’m glad Liazell is adapting quickly.”

Philome stood up and moved closer to the window, murmuring.

“Yes, she has adapted much better than I expected.”

“That’s all thanks to you, Madonna.”

“Not at all, it’s because you and the Duke have taken such good care of her.”

Both of them were right.

Madonna and Sebastian had intentionally chosen young, gentle maids to help Liazell adjust, and they swiftly dealt with anything that could become a problem.

Philome and Kaien made sure to spend as much time as possible with Liazell, so she wouldn’t feel isolated. Having meals together had become a mandatory routine.

As a result, Kaien, who had often been away from the mansion, drastically reduced his outings, and naturally, the time they spent together began to increase.

“It seems like she’s grown taller.”

Even from a distance, it was noticeable.

“I guess we need to buy more clothes?”

“Yes, I’ll contact Madame about that.”

There had been many changes in just half a month. When Liazell first arrived at the mansion, she was 10 years old, barely exceeding 120 centimeters in height with a thin frame.

However, with consistent interaction with Philome, as her pain faded away, she began to grow rapidly, like a flower blooming. In just fifteen days, she had gained 5 kilograms and grown 4 centimeters.

At this rate, it seemed she would soon meet the average physical standards.

“Miss! Wait for me!”

Philome spotted Sophia, who was struggling to keep up with Liazell, and couldn’t help but chuckle.