Episode 52
Looking for other similarities, there were trivial things like eating habits, and even significant changes in the color of Lillian’s hair and eyes. Stephan enthusiastically approached and grinned when he saw the change in Lillian’s eye color.
– I told you. Her eyes resemble yours. Look at her hair too. Since the color has lightened like that, it will fade even more as she grows up.
– …Is that really important?
– Well, didn’t you hear me? Even the late madam’s hair was brown when she was young.
Although rare, there were cases where hair color changed, either becoming lighter or darker, as one grew up.
Cedric had only seen Agnes with blonde hair, so he didn’t know it could change. When she was young, Agnes had brown hair. If that were the case, judging everything based on her appearance when she was young would be difficult.
‘Actually, it doesn’t matter even if it’s not true.’
From the beginning, he had thought that way. Even if the pendant went to the wrong owner and Lillian turned out not to be his real child, she had become precious to him, and he intended to raise her as his daughter until the end. Naturally, Cedric didn’t even consider the possibility of abandoning Lillian now that a real child had appeared.
However, to anyone looking, a real child had appeared. Cedric recalled a face he had forgotten for a very long time.
‘Agnes.’
The person who taught him love, the first person he loved.
To endure longing, he had to cut off the entire loss and bury it in the ground.
“Your Excellency, what will you do about Odile?”
“…Let’s meet her.”
Cedric could never let go of Agnes.
“If that child is really my child… she’ll be brought into the duke’s family.”
“And Miss…?”
Everyone in Duke Maynard’s mansion had raised Lillian, thinking of her as Cedric’s real child. But when a real child appeared, it was obvious that Lillian’s position would plummet in an instant.
‘Even though she had experienced something similar at her debutante ball.’
She hadn’t even danced the first dance, so in essence, Lillian had to go through her debut again. Moreover, since it was a birthday party where all the nobles had gathered, the nobles would naturally demand Odile be recognized as the heir.
Isaac knew what Cedric didn’t know.
“Miss, are you okay?”
“….”
Isaac hoped that Cedric would say something, but no response came from Cedric.
Just silence.
After a long silence, Cedric finally spoke.
“Come to think of it…”
“Yes?”
“I said if you have anything you want as a birthday present, tell me. But I didn’t hear it.”
“Oh, this time you want me to tell you what I want?”
“Yeah. Lillian never asks me for anything first.”
She only made requests when Merry pushed her, or when Stephan encouraged her. Only when someone around her offered or reluctantly approached her, pulling her sleeve.
He couldn’t remember exactly when he noticed it.
– Is there anything you want, Lillian?
– Huh? Not really. I have everything I need.
– Well, if you ask the Duke, he’ll grant anything.
– I don’t ask Dad for anything.
It was when he watched the children having a conversation from a distance one day.
Lillian was poking her nose into the paper while practicing writing, and across from her, Damien was also writing something. However, perhaps puzzled by Lillian’s response, Damien looked up.
– Please, won’t you?
– Yeah. The debts keep piling up.
Lillian responded as if it were obvious and not a big deal, then immersed herself in writing practice. Damien, too, smirked, seeming to understand, and continued filling in the notes. Perhaps because they were children, they didn’t seem to think deeply about it.
In the end, Cedric was the only one shocked by that conversation.
Only now did Cedric realize that Lillian didn’t want anything from him.
It wasn’t because Lillian’s surroundings were abundant enough.
– Uh, Mary. I’m out of ink; could I buy a new one with this money?
– What? What are you saying! I’ll fill it up again. Where did you get this money?
– Sometimes I help peel potatoes in the kitchen.
Mary looked surprised at Lillian’s words. Of course, she knew that Lillian occasionally wandered around the kitchen during her break, trying to help with chores.
That diligent Lillian received not just simple errands from the kind kitchen staff but also allowances and a story each time. Everyone knew but hadn’t thought deeply about it. Because Lillian, despite being the daughter of the mansion, was an orphanage child, and helping with work didn’t seem to be taken negatively.
After that incident, Lillian was forbidden from doing chores.
– The lady is someone the servants should serve. If she does what the servants do, it makes it difficult for everyone to treat the lady. So, from now on, promise to do only things that suit the lady.
It wasn’t entirely wrong, but it was only a superficial reason.
Cedric might secretly have hoped that Lillian wouldn’t ask him for an allowance.
And not long after, Lillian’s governess requested a meeting.
– Your Excellency. Pardon my impudence, but might the young lady be saving money?
– I don’t know what you mean. It’ll be terribly impolite if you don’t explain the reason properly.
– I apologize, Your Excellency. I also don’t want to ask about such things… This is the assignment the young lady submitted to me.
The governess handed over a bundle of papers.
And the writing on the paper had one peculiar characteristic: the writing was surprisingly bold, and the ink was smeared in places, as if the ink was leaking.
– I wondered if she couldn’t control her strength, but it seems the pen tip is broken. You don’t have a new pen tip. So I brought my pen first… Lady, your handwriting practice won’t go well without a new pen tip. Isn’t this an amusing problem?
Only then did Cedric realize why the governess abruptly made such a statement to him.
He thought that Cedric wasn’t buying a new pen tip for Lillian because he was saving money.
– … I didn’t realize. I’ll pay more attention.
In the end, Cedric voluntarily gave Lillian one gold coin a month, and Lillian stopped asking Cedric for anything more.
“I thought if I just left it, the day would come when the child would approach me first. So, I left her alone, but for seven years, she never said anything. So, this time, I just asked her first.”
This time, tell me what you want, as I’m willing to give it.
Lillian’s awkward expression from that time is still unforgettable.
Usually, when Lillian made such an expression, Cedric would quickly retract his words, but this time, he didn’t. He was genuinely curious about what she would say.
“But… I couldn’t hear her.”
And the birthday party ended in a mess.
Lillian’s seventeenth birthday was passing like that.
* * *
The day after Lillian’s birthday.
“Please try this, Miss. The kitchen staff baked this pie for you. It has homemade jam, and it’s really delicious.”
“Oh my! Look at the gift Mrs. Hopenson sent, Miss! It’s a meticulously crafted jewelry piece!”
The maids of Maynard were doing their best to cheer up Lillian.
In fact, the maids gathered around the time the rooster crowed, tied their aprons, and huddled together to discuss.
The one who gathered them was Nisha.
– Surely, the young lady won’t show any emotions.
– I guess so. The young lady… is always silent.
– But her heart must be really talkative! I would’ve cried my eyes out!
– That’s why we need to be strong! Let’s gather our strength and cheer up the young lady!
– Like this… and then like this…!
The maids put their heads together and created a curriculum for “Cheering up the Young Lady,” and thanks to that, Lillian was being led around by the maids, oblivious to the English they were chanting.
