The Extra Decided to be Fake

Episode 46

[Last year, everyone gathered to celebrate my birthday.

But this year, it’s going to be a somewhat special birthday.

Why? Because Dad said he would rent the palace hall this year for a birthday party.

And it will mark my debut in society.

When the time comes—]

“Miss!”

Lillian paused her writing and looked up.

The locks of hair, which had grown significantly over the past seven years, swayed around her elbows.

“Why, Sally?”

Time had not only matured Lillian into someone who seemed more like an adult than a child but had also brought about various changes. Her once deep brown hair had lightened, and it glistened like honey in the sunlight. Similarly, her hazel-colored eyes, once darkly hued, had shifted toward a greener shade.

Her round face had lost some baby fat and taken on a more streamlined look. The air of persistent cynicism that she had maintained had smoothed into a more polished and mature demeanor.

At the age of seventeen, she was neither quite a girl nor entirely an adult. With her appearance, Lillian had indeed taken on the refined demeanor of a noble lady.

With well-combed hair, a poised posture, a serene expression, and dignified demeanor, she looked the part of a young lady from a noble family.

Who could have imagined the pitiful, skinny girl who had come to the Maynard estate driven by a burning desire to find Maynard, brandishing only a pendant?

If not for the pendant Lillian had been holding, or if Lillian had refused to show it until she met the duke, she might not have even crossed the front door, as she was in such a ragged state, having gone without proper food or hygiene for days.

‘Really, Miss, you’ve grown so much.’

Sally, who was present on the day Lillian first came to the Maynard estate, always felt a sense of nostalgia each time she faced the now much taller Lillian.

It was a testament to how well Lillian had grown.

Sally secretly wiped away her tears and quickly broached the reason for her visit.

“Miss, Monsieur Portier is here.”

“Damian?”

“Yes. Should I tell him to wait if you’re busy?”

“No, there’s no rush. I’ll go see him. Thank you for letting me know, Sally.”

Lillian secured her fountain pen in the holder and put her diary in the drawer. Of course, she didn’t forget to lock the drawer with the key. Lillian’s diary contained various secrets.

Now, Lillian had her own room. When she first arrived at the estate, she had a room, but back then, it was hard to call it Lillian’s room because she had no belongings. However, as items accumulated one by one like rainwater seeping in, and Lillian began to use a separate bedroom from Cedric’s, her room gradually took on the appearance of its owner.

Lillian exited her room and descended the stairs. She could descend the staircase entirely in just five steps by starting from the sixteenth step, which squeaked, and then going down every other step.

When she held onto the handrail and turned the corner, she saw him waiting below the chandelier.

He had grown so much that you couldn’t call him a boy anymore, making him one of the closest people to Lillian.

“Damian!”

“Oh, Lillian.”

Damian’s eyes, which had turned lazily toward Lillian, brightened. His white hair was as white as his youthful appearance. His long, snow-white lashes formed a beautiful smile that seemed enchanting, particularly when he curved his eyes that way.

Lillian’s assessment was accurate. Damian had grown exceedingly beautiful. Although it couldn’t be said whether he was more handsome than Cedric, one thing was for sure—he was an exceptional beauty. His clear, transparent skin, light-colored hair, and striking blue eyes were harmonious, and his well-defined features gave him a kind and trustworthy appearance.

Moreover, Damian’s tall and well-proportioned figure made formal wear look especially becoming on him. Even though Lillian had no particular interest in romance, she often heard the maids gossiping about Damian as she went about her business.

―Monsieur Portier is quite handsome, isn’t he?

―He could capture the hearts of many women with that height and face.

―Well, didn’t it seem like he was interested in our young lady? I hope they get engaged. They would make such a wonderful match, wouldn’t they?

―That’s true. Maybe even the master secretly hopes for it. The Portiers are an excellent family, and they are close to our young lady. It would be a match made in heaven.

Lillian knew why the maids were gossiping like this.

There was still no heir for the Maynard family. Logically, it would be natural for Lillian to become the heir, but the Maynard elders did not accept her.

The reason was simple.

‘They don’t think I’m their real daughter.’

They argued that she had simply become a young lady thanks to Cedric’s favor, and it wasn’t proper for her to inherit Maynard.

―Your Excellency, if you want to make Miss Jung the successor, wouldn’t it be better to go through the proper channels?

―And what would be the proper channel?

―Marrying the Maynard heir. If an indisputable Maynard bloodline is passed down, wouldn’t that alleviate our concerns?

Whether Lillian’s lineage was real or fake, if she married one of the Maynard heirs, the child she would eventually bear would be born with Maynard blood.

It was the most certain way to maintain authenticity.

‘At the same time, it would be the best way to give the elders a legitimate reason to meddle.’

Thanks to this, the elders were in an uproar, insisting Cedric marry Lillian and make her the heir. The maids, on the other hand, were of the opinion that marrying Damian might be better in many ways.

Lillian and Cedric deliberately turned a blind eye to these two opinions, but now the expiration date was slowly approaching. Since her debut into society, formal marriage proposals would start coming in.

Ultimately, making a debut in society meant throwing one’s hat into the marriage market. Thanks to this, both Lillian and Cedric had been quite busy for the past few days.

Lillian thought today was relatively quiet, but then Damian appeared.

Lillian approached Damian with a pleased expression. “What brings you here? No message or anything.”

“Shall we walk a bit? I haven’t seen your face lately. I stopped by on my way. You didn’t contact me either.”

“Oh, did I not reply to your message?”

“Yeah. I guess you were busy.”

“Sorry, I was preoccupied. Debutante preparations are quite demanding. Fortunately, today is a bit calmer.”

“I timed it well, it seems. I thought I might not get to see you if I had bad luck.”

“That could have been the case.”

“Did you really consider turning me away if you were busy?”

“Well, you did see my face, didn’t you? Since you came all the way here.”

Damian smiled softly at Lillian’s words. It was a habit of Damian’s to lower his gaze and smile when he was alone with Lillian, even though it wasn’t something he had been doing for long. Like now.

“If you accept me, Lillian, I can wait as long as you want.”

His demeanor seemed somewhat special, and Lillian couldn’t help but look at Damian with a blank expression. Of course, it was impolite to stare at someone’s face for too long, so she quickly looked away.

Lillian took a step forward and spoke, “I’m not saying you’re using those words lightly. I know.”

“Why do you think I’m using them lightly?”

“Well… How long you’re willing to wait.”

Sometimes Damian had an excessively innocent side to him. While it didn’t seem that way in most conversations, he behaved as if he were incredibly naive, especially when he spoke to me.

Therefore, Lillian thought Damian would respond with something like, “I thought you’d make me wait for a long time,” but what he said was completely unexpected.

“I’ve waited this long; waiting a bit more isn’t difficult.”

“What?”

Lillian turned around. She saw Damian smiling a little distance away. The only difference from earlier was that he was holding a small jewelry box in his hand.

“You’ll dance the first dance with your father at your birthday party, right? After that, it’s customary to dance with your fiancé, but… since you don’t have a fiancé, I want to be your partner.”

“Damian, what are you doing now…”

“If you permit it, bring this with you.”