Episode 77
The moment Lillian heard Cedric’s words, her heart sank.
‘He saw me?’
In fact, it wasn’t unusual to be seen by someone at some point, but she had never thought much about it. However, since there were no visitors to the annex, she thought it would be fine. If it became a problem, she planned to cry and beg for forgiveness, saying she just wanted to see her mother’s face.
But Cedric seemed to completely ignore the fact that he saw her.
Lillian became afraid because she couldn’t guess why Cedric had brought her here. Despite being adept at pretending to be indifferent thanks to years of lies since she was ten, her heart was pounding so fast that she couldn’t help it.
Her blood chilled, and her fingertips grew cold.
‘Does he no longer want to see me here?’
Although she knew that one day she would have to say goodbye forever to this portrait when she was eventually caught or when the time came to straighten out her life, suddenly facing that fact made her fearful.
Lillian felt a strong internal closeness to Agnes, whom she had never spoken to. It was only natural because she had looked at her face every time she felt lonely, becoming so accustomed to it that it felt like she knew her. Moreover, thinking of her as Swan’s mother made her feel even more familiar, so when she finished looking at the portrait and got up, she sometimes bid farewell to the portrait.
But now, would she never see it again?
If so, where should she go to find her again, Swan?
―I truly love you, Lily.
I truly love you too.
The voice of Swan that she had heard in her dream suddenly came back vividly. Lillian recalled that voice, calming her heart. As long as she remembered this voice, as long as she didn’t forget Swan, she wasn’t alone.
Lillian held her breath and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I sneaked into the annex. I didn’t know it was such an important place to you, Dad. If I had known, I wouldn’t have come in.”
“I see.”
Cedric’s voice was affectionate. Lillian raised her head with a glimmer of hope.
Maybe he wasn’t calling me to scold me.
And Cedric’s reaction was not in any category that Lillian had anticipated.
“But I was glad to see you here.”
“…Really?”
Though Lillian couldn’t help but question, Cedric just smiled softly.
Did this child know that she was the one who brought an end to Cedric’s winter? Did she know that wherever she walked, spring flowers bloomed? As Cedric faced Lillian, who was sitting in the corridor endlessly staring at the portrait, he realized.
―I guarantee it. Our child will make you happy.
Agnes’ words were meant for this moment.
In the face of the child, there was a deep sadness that even adults couldn’t understand, and her big pupils were filled with secretive scars. The child who came to Maynard to engulf herself in the bitter winter and burn herself. That was Lillian.
Nothing in the world remains unchanged with time, and there is no sorrow that doesn’t fade. Through this little intruder, Cedric realized that. He also realized that it was time for him to leave this space. Time needed to flow in the annex again.
‘I can’t know what makes you so sad.’
Maybe someday he’ll hear that story when more time has passed.
If there was one thing Cedric could be confident about being better than the child, it was patience.
He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Lillian.
“Here, take it. It’s a birthday present.”
It was two keys. Lillian had just seen Cedric use them to open the gate and the main entrance of the annex.
“But I’ve already received a birthday present.”
“I can’t call it a birthday present when you’ve just left home on your own.”
“But you said this is your precious space…”
“What’s precious to me will come again, Lillian. Like you.”
Lillian took the keys. The brass keys were lukewarm from Cedric’s body heat.
“You’re the one who can change this place.”
Lillian looked down at the two sturdy keys in her palm and then suddenly lifted her head to look at Agnes’ portrait.
She was smiling brightly at both of them.
And so, Lillian truly returned to Maynard.
* * *
The young girl often dreamed while gazing at the sky. A warm home with plenty of delicious food to eat and loving family members waiting for her. Sometimes, when it all felt too fanciful, she would imagine a very wealthy person coming to her and revealing that she was actually the heir to a vast fortune.
“Isn’t this side even more fanciful?”
“Nope. This side is more realistic. Who knows, maybe somewhere in the world, a very, very wealthy relative of mine is searching for me!”
It was Swan’s dream, but at the same time, it was Lillian’s dream too.
“If only such a thing existed… I’d really like that.”
“True?”
“Yeah. Then let’s buy a house. And raise a puppy in the yard…”
“A big bed would be nice! I heard from the headmistress that if you fill the quilt with duck feathers, it’s so warm!”
“With feathers? Not straw?”
“Yeah! Nobles seem to use such quilts. When the rich uncle comes, let’s use one too.”
In the dreams of the two girls, they were always together. Without anyone having to suggest living together, it was taken for granted that they would dream together. The bed would naturally be big, because they hadn’t learned to sleep separately. Whether it was naptime or bedtime, they always held hands and slept side by side.
After filling their hungry bellies with sweet dreams, the girls lay down on the floor, their stomachs bulging.
“Don’t you dream like this, Lillian? It feels like you’ve never heard of it before.”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“Ah, but still, isn’t there something? Think about it!”
“Hmm…”
At Swan’s words, Lillian chuckled.
Lillian, if one had to say, was pragmatic and realistic. When Swan talked about childish dreams with shining eyes, she nodded along, fittingly. But that was only because it seemed like something Swan could do. Swan was the protagonist of Lillian’s world, the princess of the world she lived in. If she said it, even the stream might shine brightly, and the ugly donkey might become a beautiful horse.
But she, herself, was just very ordinary.
The unremarkable little girl who would lose all her brightness the moment Swan disappeared from the orphanage. The kind of child who, when someone joked about a wealthy uncle coming to inherit a vast fortune, everyone would laugh at as being just an ordinary child.
Moreover, since just looking at Swan seemed enough to dream, she had never looked for anything else. As long as she was with Swan, Lillian was content.
So, if she had to dream, it would probably be that.
“I… I’d like to keep living like this.”
Nothing else was needed. Even if given a fortune, she didn’t want to be separated from Swan.
“I don’t need a wealthy uncle. I have you.”
“Haha, what’s that! Then your dream has already come true.”
“Has it?”
As Lillian blinked, Swan laughed out loud and hugged her tightly.
The soft skin and warm scent of the child came close to Lillian’s nose. She liked this sensation. The moment Swan hugged her tightly, the weight of life was fully transmitted through all the senses. Swan was so lively that even the touch of her hair against her cheek felt special. Lillian’s short, stubby hair would never feel like this. Lillian buried her face in Swan’s long, soft hair.
“But still, if I want something, I want magical powers.”
“Magical powers? That’s random. Why?”
“Because priests are good at healing, right? They can mend broken legs in an instant.”
So maybe she could heal Swan, who had a weak body.
“That’s true, but aren’t there priests who can’t heal?”
“Well… I’ll try my best.”
TL/N: They were talking about Ajhussi/ Uncle, Mister so I kept Uncle, they were not gonna call some random noble dad. It would have been weird if I used dad.
