The Extra Decided to be Fake

Episode 37

 

Theo, the eldest among the children at the orphanage, had come outside for a brief moment to take charge of the situation.

 

Naturally, he was well aware of what was happening outside and also had an idea of the future that awaited Maryfield Orphanage. Perhaps the fact that Lilian was standing there might have had something to do with all of this.

 

However, unlike the other children, Theo seemed indifferent.

 

“Hey, do we have no shame for not having parents? After all the trouble we caused the director, you want to spare him?”

 

“But Theo! We don’t know what will happen if the director disappears.”

 

“That’s right. Even if it becomes a state-run orphanage, we won’t get proper meals. It’s better to just stay as we are now…”

 

“Stop talking nonsense. As bad as this place may be, at least we won’t end up being sold like livestock at fifteen!”

 

Eventually, when Theo raised his voice, the murmurs subsided. The children had finally realized the harsh reality of their situation.

 

In truth, Maryfield Orphanage wasn’t a great place. The children were just too accustomed to it, unaware of the harsh reality.

 

Moreover, the teachers occasionally disciplined the children, saying, ‘You should be grateful. Do you know how good this orphanage is?’ So, the children couldn’t help but remain oblivious to the orphanage’s harsh conditions.

 

As the children, who had belatedly come to this realization, fell silent, Theo glanced around at them and sighed.

 

“There’s no way things can get worse for us here. Our fate is in the hands of the wealthy and powerful. Whether Lilian returns or not, it wouldn’t make a difference. So don’t blame it on some useless kid.”

 

“…Theo.”

 

Unconsciously, Lilian called his name, and Theo’s gaze briefly turned toward her. The boy smirked, raising the corner of his mouth.

 

“What’s wrong? Did I look cool?”

 

“You have a cowlick in the back of your head.”

 

“What?! Geez!”

 

Theo hastily patted the back of his head, his neck turning red.

 

“I tried to look good for once when we met, and it’s embarrassing. Ugh.”

 

“How have you been, Theo?”

 

“What’s there not to be? It’s always the same.”

 

Theo pretended to look out the window and glanced at Lilian.

 

Lilian was different from when she left, or so Theo remembered. Well, distinguishing between the two was quite straightforward.

 

When Swan was around, when she wasn’t, and when Swan had left.

 

Lilian with Swan was like a rosebud. It wasn’t flashy, but it was vivid and didn’t stand out even with its thorns.

 

On the other hand, Lilian without Swan was like wild grass. Not particularly sharp, not particularly vivid, just swaying in the wind as it pleased. But it didn’t fall. Just the fact that Lilian could transform into such an unremarkable child in Swan’s absence was astonishing to Theo.

 

So, what was Lilian like when Swan left?

 

‘…She was full of venom.’

 

Certainly, Lilian, who had been like wild grass until Swan’s death, suddenly turned into thorny underbrush. Her eyes were filled with bitterness, and her lips harbored resentment and hatred toward the world.

 

As Theo recalled, it was almost like the cries of a beast that didn’t know how to heal its wounds and only clung to pain.

 

But perhaps it was due to the change in her environment.

 

The Lilian who reappeared was emitting an entirely different aura.

 

If I were to make a metaphor, it was like early spring. The snow hadn’t completely melted yet, and it felt like looking at the stubborn patches of winter clinging to the fragile branches of trees that were beginning to bud.

 

Of course, with the snow still not entirely gone, even if new buds sprouted, they might freeze and wither on the icy ground. But the certainty of spring’s arrival was undeniable.

 

‘Has she moved on from Swan’s death?’

 

Well, no matter how close they were, Lilian was still young.

 

She was at an age where she had a lot to discover, too young to hold onto death for too long. Moreover, judging by her rosy cheeks and fine clothing, she seemed to have entered a well-off household, even though Theo didn’t know the details.

 

‘Is that man acting as her guardian?’

 

Theo suddenly remembered Cedric’s visit to Maryfield Orphanage and how he had handed over Swan’s notebook.

 

Come to think of it, neither Swan nor Lilian had said anything to her about that incident. The man was the same.

 

So, should he tell her?

 

Theo approached Lilian discreetly, tapping her arm.

 

“Hey, Lilian.”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you remember the day before yesterday…”

 

Two days ago, a man you know came to visit.

 

As Theo was about to say those words, a separate door suddenly opened, and a knight walked in abruptly.

 

“Theodore!”

 

“Yes, yes?!”

 

Startled, Theo jumped and answered, and the knight scanned Theo up and down before gesturing outside.

 

“Red curly hair, are you Theodore? Follow me. The Duke is looking for you.”

 

* * *

 

The social hierarchy in the empire was very clear-cut.

 

Commoners and nobility.

 

Even now, when the class divide had decreased significantly, marriages between commoners and nobility still seemed somewhat unusual. But between them, there was an insurmountable gap in social status.

 

Among the high-ranking nobility, the position of a Duke was particularly esteemed. There was only one Duke in the entire empire, and in this country, the term “Duke” referred to only one person.

 

And that person was now in front of Theo’s eyes.

 

‘What’s going on?’

 

It was premature to assume that a random orphan like Theo would ever meet a Duke. It was something that would never happen in his lifetime, and yet, this person had appeared before Theo not once, but twice.

 

‘Well, I didn’t think he’d be an ordinary person, but…’

 

Theo looked at the man before him, who even in Theo’s eyes appeared exceptionally handsome. His perfectly sculpted cheeks and the lines of his lips were exquisitely delicate, and the contours from his forehead to the tip of his nose were perfectly harmonious. Most of all, the clean-cut emerald eyes deep within his eye sockets, combined with his neatly combed black hair, created a perfect balance that captivated anyone who looked at him.

 

All of these were impressions Theo had when he first saw this man.

 

Up until that moment, Theo had vaguely assumed that this man might be a noble.

 

‘But he’s a Duke.’

 

Lilian, where on earth have you ended up?

 

Theo suppressed what he wanted to ask Lilian immediately and discreetly wiped the sweat in his palms on his clothes, making sure it didn’t show.

 

“Theodore.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.”

 

“Your attitude seems to have changed since the last time I saw you.”

 

“Back then, I didn’t know who you were, and I was rude. Please forgive me.”

 

“Where did you receive your education?”

 

“I learned everything at the orphanage.”

 

“I personally observed all the orphanage teachers. The manners you’re displaying now are things you could never learn from them. I won’t tolerate a second lie, so tell the truth.”

 

Damn it. Theo tightly closed and opened his eyes.

 

“Down the dirt road, there’s a cabin where a retired knight lives. I learned from him.”

 

“Milard Nepier. Is that right?”

 

“Well, we just call him Mr. Mil… I don’t know much.”

 

Did he have to know? Whether they were kids or the people next door, everyone just called him Mr. Mil.

 

However, as if Cedric didn’t care about Theo’s circumstances, he glanced through a few documents with an indifferent expression and spoke again.

 

“It seems that you weren’t the only one interacting with him, calling him ‘us.’ Is that correct?”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

“What did you learn?”

 

“He taught us things like setting traps for hunting, making fire, and some etiquette because I was the oldest… I also learned a bit of swordsmanship.”

 

“Is that all?”

 

Theo couldn’t answer. His tongue seemed glued to the roof of his mouth. It was something he had never spoken about before.

 

“Answer me. I won’t ask a second time. Is that all?”

 

“…No, I also learned… swordsmanship.”

 

“Good.”

 

And as if Cedric wanted that very answer, he set the documents aside and leaned forward.

 

“Theodore, would you like to become a knight of Maynard?”