Side Story Episode 4. Wish You Were

Why did Swan’s voice—always telling her that they would be together, always promising never to part—feel so unfamiliar today?

Was it because, for a brief moment, Lillian had considered a life apart from her?

Or was it simply because it had been a while since they had spoken like this?

…No.

She already knew the real reason. It wasn’t something as trivial as that.

Be honest.

Yes, if she were honest, Lillian was afraid.

Afraid that Swan would eventually realize she didn’t need her anymore.

At Merrifield Orphanage, Swan and Lillian had always been each other’s entire world.

Even when they fought, even when they bickered, they always came back together like magnets.

In the ten years they had spent side by side, had there never been a moment when they truly resented each other?

Of course there had.

But loneliness always won over hatred.

Anger never lasted against affection.

Whether they liked it or not, they had no one else but each other.

And so, they cherished one another as if they were their own lives.

That was all there was to it.

They had lived in a world where nothing existed beyond each other.

But now, Swan has a family.

A wealthy household, a grand estate, and many people who would love her.

She no longer needed to look at only Lillian.

She no longer had to live in a world where it was just the two of them.

Lillian knew this all too well.

And it terrified her.

She hadn’t changed at all, but what if Swan… what if Swan moved on without her?

But right now, in this moment, her princess was smiling and saying—

“If you’re not here, Lily, none of this matters.”

Swan’s deep blue eyes gleamed in the dim moonlight.

Perhaps because they were the same color as the night itself.

Her eyes, when swallowed by darkness, turned a deep cobalt blue.

And even the night, though it appeared black, was tinged with blue.

Swan’s color—dark yet strikingly blue.

The realization struck her all at once.

Her lips parted before she could stop herself.

“…Me too.”

Me too, Swan.

If you’re not here, nothing means anything to me.

What is a life without you?

I don’t want anything to take you away from me.

Not death.

Not even time.

Because I don’t need the name Maynard, nor the grand estate, nor anyone else by my side—

I only need you.

And in that moment—

As she gazed into Swan’s smiling blue eyes, Lillian suddenly understood.

Why had she been satisfied simply shining the spotlight on Swan?

Why had she been happy letting Swan’s fairy tale become her own life?

Now, at last… I understand.

She hadn’t been content simply because their lives had always been intertwined.

No—

That wasn’t the reason at all.

It was simple.

While Lillian had been casting her light on Swan, Swan had been shining her own light back on Lillian.

Just as Swan had always been the heroine of Lillian’s world, so too had Lillian been the heroine of Swan’s.

The strange glow in Swan’s deep blue eyes told her as much.

Swan’s world had always been illuminated by Lillian.

If Lillian’s fairy tale had Swan as its princess, then in Swan’s fairy tale, the princess had always been Lillian.

So, in this story where the princess seeks happiness, there wasn’t just one person who needed to find joy.

For the story to truly be complete, both of their princesses had to have their happy endings.

As if affirming that realization, Swan tightened her grip on Lillian’s hand, her eyes shining as she declared—

“Lily, from now on, we’re going to be real family.”

Both of us will be Maynard’s daughters.

And we’ll always be together.

Like a whispered spell, those words made Lillian’s eyes well up with tears.

Swan let out a bright, ringing laugh.

“You’re such a crybaby, Lily!”

“Don’t tease me…”

“Haha, I’m not teasing! Come here!”

Still grinning, Swan tugged Lillian into a tight embrace, then let them both collapse onto the bed.

The warmth of her arms, the gentle patting on Lillian’s back—

Her long hair tickled against Lillian’s cheek, and her softened whisper brushed against her ear.

“I love you so much, Lillian.”

Hearing those words, Lillian pulled Swan closer, hugging her even tighter.

Swan was usually bright, lively—bouncing with the energy of a child her age.

But sometimes, she spoke in a voice that was far too mature.

And though Lillian had always known, in some vague way, that Swan was more grown-up than she was, she had never truly admitted it.

Perhaps that was why she had always pretended to be the older one between them.

But right now, that steady, gentle voice—the one that felt so much wiser than her own—didn’t bother her at all.

Why did Swan’s voice, in moments like this, feel so comforting?

Why did it make her feel so at home?

Lillian pressed her nose against Swan’s dark hair and closed her eyes.

Tonight, at last—

She had found her place.

* * *

“Has it really been seven years already?”

Time was relentless. As Lillian watched the sun slowly setting in the west, she felt the weight of that truth.

It had already been seven years since she became known as the second Lady of Maynard.

The lost “twin” daughters of Maynard—

Lillian Maynard and Swan Maynard.

These names had become as familiar to her as her own face in the mirror.

To announce to the world that he had found his lost daughter, Cedric had declared Lillian as Swan’s twin sister.

Since birthdays at the orphanage were assigned based on the day they arrived, their official birthdays were the same anyway. It wasn’t a problem.

What mattered was that they had become real family.

And calling Cedric Father no longer felt strange.

— “My princesses!”

Cedric always greeted them with that same joyful exclamation, and by now, not only Swan but also Lillian had grown used to running into his embrace.

Just as naturally, Lillian’s hair had grown out over the years.

Unlike Swan’s thick, voluminous curls, her light brown hair fell straight and smooth, giving her a refined, ladylike appearance.

More importantly—

“It looks nice with Swan’s.”

Now, they could braid each other’s hair, and Lillian loved that.

As she absentmindedly admired her reflection in the market stall’s mirror, a familiar head of black hair suddenly popped into view.

“What are you thinking about, Lily?”

Even though Swan’s sudden appearance should have startled her, Lillian barely reacted.

“Hmm? Just that my hair’s gotten really long. I used to have short hair, remember?”

“Oh, come on, that was ages ago! You’ve had long hair for years now!”

Laughing, Swan dismissed her comment and grabbed Lillian’s hand, dragging her forward.

“Never mind that! Come on, I want to show you something.”

“What is it?”

The two of them had been at the plaza since early afternoon, shopping for their social debut.

They had already bought their dresses and accessories.

Lillian had even secretly purchased Swan’s birthday present.

Since they had seen everything they needed to, they had been just about ready to head home—

So what had caught Swan’s attention this time?

Lillian got her answer soon enough.

They hadn’t walked far before Swan excitedly pointed at something.

“Look! Aren’t these shoes beautiful?”

“…They’re red shoes.”

A pair of stunning, deep-red shoes.

They gleamed under the sunlight, their glossy surface catching the light.

The sleek, pointed toes gave them an elegant shape.

No gemstones, no embellishments—yet somehow, they were mesmerizing.

As Lillian studied them, Swan suddenly turned to meet her gaze, a playful smile on her lips.

“Lily, you know the legend about red shoes, don’t you?”

That if you wear red shoes carelessly…

You might find yourself walking down a path you never intended to take.