The Extra Decided to be Fake

Episode 56

Strictly speaking, rather than hearing it from others, I met her in person.

Anyway, since Odile herself confirmed it, it wasn’t a lie.

Cedric’s expression hardened a bit at Lillian’s words. However, he didn’t seem overly surprised.

“Well, that’s how it is.”

If Cedric had really wanted to hide the meeting from Lillian, he wouldn’t have invited Odile to the mansion.

In the first place, there was no reason to hide it.

However, Cedric had a somewhat troubled expression.

“…So, is there something you want to ask?”

“I’m curious about your impressions after meeting Miss. Odile.”

“She looks a lot like my deceased wife.”

“Are you going to accept her?”

“I have to ask her opinion.”

Cedric answered skillfully, but ultimately, asking for Odile’s opinion meant Cedric had the intention to accept her. Lillian nodded. It was the expected result. Lillian knew that Cedric wouldn’t turn away the child.

There was no need to be surprised or hurt by that fact.

Lillian asked calmly, “So, can I go back to the orphanage now?”

Cedric’s expression became strange. In a situation like this, I should be the one hurt, but Cedric’s expression turned into one of shock and distress instead.

“Back to the orphanage… What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly as I said. I’m here as your daughter, and if you accept Miss. Odile, that means I’m not your real daughter, right?”

“That…! That’s not true!”

Cedric’s chair made a loud noise as it scraped back. Cedric had abruptly stood up from his seat, seemingly hurt and surprised.

“Even if I accept Miss. Odile, you are still my daughter, Lillian. You became part of this family with such feelings from the beginning. Accepting Miss. Odile doesn’t change anything between us.”

“Then… So even if I said I’m not the child of this house, you would have accepted me?”

“It’s not about the beginning. The fact that you are not the child of this house doesn’t matter anymore.”

“But I thought of this place as my real home. But if it’s not, then I…”

Cedric’s complexion quickly worsened.

Lillian’s story was simple.

By accepting Odile, Lillian would automatically become a fake daughter, as she would be claiming to be the daughter who lost Odile. And Lillian, as a fake, would leave this house.

The fact that Lillian brought up this topic before Cedric did was shocking to him.

‘Even though I just received wounds yesterday, am I making hasty judgments?’

Thinking about Lillian, even if she accepted Odile’s entrance, it would be better to proceed slowly. Let Lillian recover the position she lost due to this incident, have enough conversation to fully understand and accept the situation.

Since he had no intention of bringing up the topic of acceptance immediately, Cedric hurriedly consoled Lillian.

“Relax, my dear. Nothing is certain yet. Let’s reconsider the matter of accepting Miss. Odile later and discuss it then.”

“Can I go back to the orphanage now?”

“Of course.”

When Cedric smiled slowly, Lillian’s face brightened.

“I’m relieved. I was worried.”

“I was worried about you too. How do you feel?”

“The maids comforted me a lot, so I’m okay. By the way, I’m thinking of meeting Miss. Odile too.”

Cedric’s smile faded from his face.

“Miss. Odile?”

“Yes. There’s the charity party hosted by Lady Kenis soon. Since Miss. Odile is Lady Kenis’s adopted daughter, she’ll probably attend. I’m thinking of attending and meeting him then.”

“Alone?”

“No, not alone. I’m worried if I go alone… I’m thinking of going with Damian.”

Cedric’s expression turned even more troubled.

If Cedric and Lillian attended, there would undoubtedly be rumors and gossip surrounding Cedric, Lillian, and Odile. Lillian had no intention of spreading rumors. Above all, this was an investigation she was conducting secretly from Cedric.

‘Sorry, Dad.’

What Lillian just said about going back to the orphanage was a statement to delay Odile’s acceptance.

Of course, there was no lie in her words about considering this place as her real home, or the fact that she would go back to the orphanage if Odile were accepted.

‘If things go wrong, I planned to reveal the whole truth and go back.’

But there was no change in her feeling of deceiving Cedric. Guilt pressed heavily on Lillian’s chest.

As much as Lillian’s feelings toward Cedric were sincere, her guilt would deepen even more. Cedric, who didn’t know Lillian’s inner thoughts, looked at Lillian with a complex gaze, then lowered his body and hugged her deeply.

“Lillian.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Don’t forget that I cherish you.”

“…Yes.”

The voice she heard during the day came to mind.

—Dirty fake.

At that time, Lillian retorted the same way to Odile, but she couldn’t know which was better.

Ultimately, if deceiving Cedric was a sin, how was it different from Odile and me?

Maybe Odile, who looked like Swan, might be a better daughter for Cedric?

‘This position… is getting more burdensome, Swan.’

Sins could cover sins, but affections couldn’t cover affections.

Lillian, embracing Cedric, whispered in a voice that crawled in.

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

Cedric didn’t ask anything.

* * *

“So, you want me to look into the Moonlight Daughters?”

“Yes. Odile is a fake. That kid is changing faces.”

Instead of responding to Lillian’s words, Damian turned his pen.

He seemed to have a skeptical expression about Lillian’s request to investigate even up to the Viscount Fortier.

“Moonlight Daughters supposedly have strong divine power, and they can change faces as they please. So, although it’s just a possibility, it might be worth looking into.”

“I’ll look into it since you asked, but don’t expect too much. Fortier doesn’t have great information, so… Why do you think Odile is changing his face in the first place?”

“I saw Odile Kenis’s real face.”

“What if you saw it wrong?”

“I didn’t see it wrong. I mentioned that he had brown hair, and he got very flustered and touched his own hair. It’s certain.”

“Brown hair is common. He might have been caught off guard.”

“But—”

“Lillian.”

Damian put down the pen he was spinning with a loud sound.

He had a face with no hint of a smile. However, it wasn’t as sharp as the one he had during the confrontation in the meeting room. It was just the familiar face of a friend that Lillian knew.

“I’m worried about you. Do you realize that you’re acting strange?”

“…What?”

“If I summarize what you’ve said since you came to our house. Odile Kenis is changing his face. You saw her real face briefly for some reason. So, you looked through the books, and you found records about Moonlight Daughters, a bloodline blessed by the love of a god.”

Damian’s fingers folded one by one.

“But looking at the story about that bloodline, they can change their faces, and there’s also a record of entrusting their bodies to the temple. Although it’s not certain and the reasons are unclear, the temple might be behind this. So, you want to go together to Lady Kenis’s charity party and investigate about the Moonlight Daughters.”

“….”

“Well, Lillian. Do you realize how strange your words are?”

Instead of answering, Lillian blushed deeply and lowered her head. When she looked at the sequence of her words, it became even clearer how her speech was full of random and uncertain speculations.

“But… At the moment, that’s all I can do. Even when there’s something I can do, I can’t just not do it.”

“Of course.”

Damian unfolded the fingers he had previously folded and smiled gently.

“I hope I can find what you want. I told you, I’m on your side.”

“…Yeah.”

“So, I’ll help you. Lady Kenis’s charity party, was it this week? Let’s go together. But I’m worried because you seem too focused on this matter. Is there another problem?”

Upon Damian’s words, Lillian felt her words choked in her throat.