Episode 57
Demián’s reaction was actually quite normal.
If someone didn’t know about Swan and Lillian’s relationship, they might not understand why Lillian was so worked up about Odile.
But in Lillian’s mind, consumed by thoughts of Swan, Damian’s question felt painfully sharp.
“That, that’s….”
Is there a problem? Too many.
Why did I come here? Why did I follow Swan’s bequest? Why did I not cherish any of the many memories with Swan? I became a fake to prevent someone claiming to be Swan from targeting this place.
But now that Odile has been acknowledged as the real heir, what am I even doing here?
Just thinking about it made it hard to breathe. Lillian was engulfed in a desire to expose all of this. Those with many secrets tend to find corners to depend on. If you hold out alone, you’ll eventually be devoured.
And it seemed like Damian, knowing about Lillian’s crack, approached her.
Lillian could see the face she always thought was angelic staring at her up close.
“If there’s something wrong, tell me, Lillian. We have that level of trust, don’t we?”
Damian’s blue eyes were so clear that one could immediately get lost in them, and the person looking at her had the feeling of someone who had always walked the righteous path without any wrinkles.
“I’m always on your side. I want to help you.”
Is that so? Damian’s whispered words always felt sweeter than those of anyone else.
Holding Damian’s hand made her feel like she would never be lonely again.
Ten years old, the day she met Damian. On the night she held that hand and cried, she really wasn’t lonely.
“…Are you really on my side?”
As Lillian asked unknowingly, Damian smiled softly.
“I do like you.”
“Now it might not be.”
“Well, maybe someday that day will come, but it doesn’t seem like it’s now.”
Demián’s hand overlapped with Lillian’s on top. Their fingers loosely entwined.
“Aren’t you curious about how long a heart that hasn’t changed for seven years will remain unchanged?”
I feel like it will never change.
Lillian silently stared at Damian as he said that. How much of Damian’s words were heavy-hearted and how much were light-hearted?
Sometimes, Lillian imagined telling everything to Damian and Theo, her closest people.
And the reactions in her mind were always the same.
―You… were such a person? Don’t ever talk to me again.
Theo always despised himself.
―Must have been tough, Lillian.
Damian accepted himself for telling the truth.
She couldn’t tell which side she wanted, not even to herself.
In the end, Lillian withdrew her hand.
“…Let’s just say I overreacted. Thanks for worrying.”
“Don’t mention it. If you ever need help, just contact me.”
“I’m already getting enough help as it is. See you at the charity party. If you find out anything, send a letter. I’ll go.”
“Yeah, take care. See you tomorrow.”
With that, Lillian left the room.
Thud. The door closed, and Damian stood there for a moment, staring at his right hand.
The hand that had held Lillian’s.
“They still haven’t replied to my letter…”
I’m waiting only for you.
A weary expression crossed Damian’s face. He lowered his hand and walked over to his desk, where he dealt with a few tasks that Lillian had asked for. Investigating the “Daughters of Moonlight” and preparing for the charity party hosted by Lady Canis tomorrow evening.
“The dress code for the charity party is Lily? They’re quite explicit about it too. Then let’s go with Botticelli. Send Corsage to Lillian.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the servant who received the orders stepped back and disappeared, another servant came in and bowed respectfully.
“Sir, excuse me. Miss Odile Canis is here. Shall I let her in?”
“Who?”
“Miss Odile Canis.”
“Ah. Today was the day.”
The agreed-upon day.
He could have met Lillian if things had gone well.
With an indifferent expression, Damian nodded.
“Let her in.”
* * *
“Everyone was so easily fooled, weren’t they? Do I really look that much like her? They all seemed stunned!”
Odile chuckled and laughed.
Ever since her visit to Marnerd Manor, she had become quite confident that becoming a lady was almost a certainty in the near future. And rightly so, as everyone who saw Odile immediately recalled Cedric and Agnes from her.
In truth, Odile’s face resembled Agnes more than Cedric, so except for a person named Viscount Napiere, the reaction at the banquet wasn’t explosively enthusiastic. But Marnerd Manor was different.
Most of the staff at Marnerd Manor had been there for a long time and, naturally, knew Agnes’s face well. When they saw Odile, they all wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
―”Madam…!”
Even Mary burst into tears.
Pretending to be someone else in front of people who knew nothing was so easy, and Odile only had to match her words as she practiced and give a little smile. With this face alone, everything in Maynard could be hers!
“A poor orphan to an empire’s lady.”
Where else could such an easy social climb be found?
But Damian, sitting across from her, had a rather unpleasant expression.
“Is this the time to be laughing like that? You were caught with brown hair, weren’t you?”
“Oh, that was nothing, right? I was surprised at first when the disguise came off, but I was fine. That child seemed hesitant too–”
“No, I was certain. You should’ve acted properly.”
“W-Well… I was too flustered. I said brown hair too confidently. I really thought the disguise had been revealed.”
Although Odile replied dejectedly, the puzzle was not completely solved.
“But everyone else completely fell for it! In this situation, even if that girl said she had brown hair, no one would believe her. It would have been easy to push her away, wouldn’t it?”
“Is that so?”
With a confident smile at Odile’s words, Damian flicked her cheek right away.
Snap! Unable to withstand the shock, Odile collapsed to the floor, and Damian looked down at her coldly.
“But you need to know the topic… About a nobody orphan. Dare you call her that in front of Lillian?”
“I-I’m sorry…!”
“Say it again.”
“L-Lady… Lady.”
“Think carefully. What should you call her?”
Odile quickly shook her head. Having been often hit and lived in an orphanage, she knew well how to survive in such situations.
“Mi-Miss Lillian…?”
“That’s right.”
Finally, Damian smiled satisfactorily.
Meanwhile, Odile’s face had returned to its original state. It was partly because it was time for her nerves to settle down and partly because of the shock she had just received.
“Come here.”
When Damian gestured, Odile hesitantly crawled over.
As Odile sat on his lap, Damian touched her forehead with his index finger.
Gradually, Odile’s hair color darkened, and her face also became Swan’s.
“Go now. Be careful not to bump your face, and come back in three days.”
“Yes, yes…! Thank you!”
Thud. As the door closed, Damian leaned back in his chair. His dry face showed no emotions.
“Haha. What are you thanking me for?”
After all, he was just chipping away at her life.
Damien u disgust me 😒