Side Story Episode 5. Wish You Were

Swan had brought up an old superstition—one that every child from Merrifield Orphanage knew.

The orphanage hadn’t provided the best education, but it had taught a few fundamental lessons. One of the most important ones was not to covet what belonged to others.

As orphans, they were already treated with suspicion by society.

If something went missing, people often assumed that one of them had stolen it.

Being suspected was inevitable. But if the accusation turned out to be true, the consequences were far worse.

Winston, the orphanage director, had been well-versed in handling such “trivial” issues.

So he had drilled one rule into their heads—

Don’t desire what isn’t yours.

And don’t desire what’s beyond your station.

The “Red Shoes” story had been a cautionary tale meant to reinforce that lesson.

Lillian tilted her head, responding with familiarity.

“If you mean the story where a girl stole a noble lady’s red shoes… and then her feet started moving on their own—of course, I know it.”

The girl who had put on the stolen red shoes had been unable to stop walking.

She wandered endlessly until she collapsed, dying in agony.

Lillian didn’t know what the original version of the story was like, but at Merrifield, it had been told as a warning to stop children from stealing.

And so, the girl’s fate had been made even more gruesome.

Some versions said she had been abandoned and died alone, with no one to help her.

Others claimed she had been stoned to death.

One way or another, it was never a pleasant tale.

It was no wonder she had forgotten about it while living at Maynard.

But why was Swan bringing it up now?

“That’s not exactly a good superstition,” Lillian muttered. “And honestly, I don’t even think it’s real.”

How much truth could there be in a story the teachers had clearly exaggerated?

Swan only laughed lightly at her grumbling.

“Well, it is a well-known belief. Especially the part about giving shoes as a gift—they say it makes people leave.”

Apparently, couples avoided gifting shoes to each other because of it.

Then, in a playful tone, she added, “So, Lily, you definitely shouldn’t buy Theo shoes.”

“Wha—?! Why are you bringing him up all of a sudden?!”

Lillian’s face turned red in an instant.

Theodore—the oldest among the Merrifield orphans.

Recognized for his talent in swordsmanship, he had been working as a squire for the Maynard household ever since Swan and Lillian became noble ladies.

Naturally, she saw him more often than the other orphans.

And besides… he was the one who helped me escape the orphanage in the first place.

Now, he was one of the people closest to her.

Since they sometimes spent time alone together, there were even rumors that they might be more than friends.

But that was ridiculous, wasn’t it?!

No matter how close she was to Theo, Swan was still the most important person to her!

Trying to cool her burning face, Lillian rubbed her cheeks with the back of her hand and changed the subject.

“Anyway, Swan, why do you keep calling Theo ‘oppa’? You could just say his name.”

“Hm? Because he’s older?”

“Then should I start calling you ‘unni’?”

“Nope! It should be the other way around! You always wanted me to call you ‘unni,’ didn’t you, Lily? Should I do it now? Lily un—”

“Ugh! No way! Not after all this time!”

Lillian frantically waved her hands in protest, making Swan burst into laughter.

Looping her arm through Lillian’s, Swan grinned mischievously.

“Lily, if you and Theo ever do get together, you have to tell me, okay? I don’t want him knowing more about you than I do.”

Lillian’s cheeks tinged pink again.

“That’s never gonna happen… We argue all the time.”

“But you like him, don’t you? You trust him, enough to tell him your secrets.”

This time, Lillian couldn’t deny it.

For a moment, the thought sat heavy in her mind.

What secrets have I even told Theo?

…I don’t know.

Then another thought struck her.

Why did Swan bring me here in the first place? Just to show me some red shoes?

As if reading her mind, Swan smiled and pointed at the shoes.

“Aren’t they beautiful? I really think they’d suit you.”

“Me?”

“Yup! Consider it an early birthday present! Try them on!”

She urged Lillian excitedly, insisting that they would look perfect on her.

And yet—

Strangely enough, despite how beautiful they were, Lillian felt no desire to put them on.

It was an odd feeling.

Even though she could see how well they’d suit her, she hesitated.

It was as if the moment she put on those shoes, Swan would start drifting away from her.

It was an eerie, inexplicable fear.

She couldn’t even begin to understand why she felt that way.

Why am I feeling like this?

Was it because of the superstition Swan had just mentioned?

Or was it because she had brought up Theo?

A dream of red shoes and a vanished princess.

A world where Swan still existed—where they were together, where she whispered promises in the darkness.

But the truth was, seven years had passed.

Lillian had known, deep down, that the red shoes were a trap.

That putting them on meant accepting a reality where Swan had never left.

And yet, when she had hesitated, Swan had knelt before her and carefully slipped them onto her feet.

“See? I told you—they suit you perfectly!”

Lillian had wanted to smile.

But she couldn’t.

Because the moment she looked up, Swan was no longer seventeen.

She was a child again—just as she had been before she disappeared from Lillian’s life.

Lillian had finally understood.

This was not reality.

This was a dream woven from grief—a place that had never existed.

“Lillian, these shoes can’t be taken off.”

“Even if you don’t want to walk, you will keep walking—until the journey is over.”

The only difference between her and the girl in the story of the red shoes was that Lillian hadn’t stolen them.

They had been given to her.

They were a gift from Swan.

Something she had never asked for—something she had never desired.

“But don’t worry too much!” Swan had reassured her with a bright smile. “They look so beautiful on you.”

Because in the fairy tale, the girl met a tragic fate.

But Lillian would not.

And that was the moment Lillian realized—

She was crying.

She had always cried when she dreamed of Swan.

There had never been a time when she hadn’t.

“I don’t want this, Swan.”

I don’t want to wake up.

I don’t want to return to a world where you don’t exist.

She shook her head, weeping.

And Swan—Swan simply smiled.

“But you had fun today, didn’t you?”

And with those final words, she vanished.

A few slow blinks.

And suddenly, the red shoes were gone.

The princess was gone.

And instead—

Instead, there was a boy with red hair.

No—a man.

“Damn, what kind of dream were you having to cry in your sleep like that? Look at you—”

The gruff voice, half teasing, half concerned.

A rough but careful hand wiping away her tears.

“…Theo.”

With his usual bluntness, Theodore was here.

And as she fully woke up, Lillian finally remembered where she was.

A bench tucked into the secluded corner of the Maynard estate.

The very place she had run away to after ruining her seventeenth birthday banquet—her debutante ball.

And just like always, Theo had followed after her.

She had fallen asleep in his arms.

And that was the secret that only he knew.

The secret Swan had hinted at.

The truth:

That the “underdeveloped princess” of Maynard had a habit of hiding away in corners—

And falling asleep in the arms of a squire.

And the red shoes of her dream…

They had disappeared.

Now, the only person left by her side was Theo.

Swan was gone.

Her path forward no longer had Swan in it.

But there was someone else waiting at the end of it.

A boy with red hair.

The only one left, standing at her side.

The dream ended.

“The Extra Decided to be Fake” – Side Story, End.

TL/N:Hello folks, and welcome to another episode of “Will Lily Ever Stop Dreaming About Swan?” Or will we keep running with the classic “losing a best friend and being haunted by it forever” trope?

So, the side stories? Yeah, they were basically a look into what could have happened if Lillian had figured things out sooner. But let’s be real, after reading the comments, I can tell you all have a lot of thoughts about this novel—and honestly? Same. So here’s mine.

First off, the webtoon adaptation? Absolutely stunning. Especially Swan. They really nailed how much Agnes’s magic played into her beauty—it’s almost surreal. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and read it. The art alone is worth it.

Now, let’s talk about something I think a lot of people missed. Lillian never sees herself as the real daughter of Maynard. Not even in her dreams. In her mind, Swan was always meant to be the true daughter, and she should have been. Even after being taken in by the Maynards, Lillian doesn’t accept their love because she genuinely believes it was never supposed to belong to her. That’s the tragedy of her character—no matter what, she sees herself as the extra. Even if she is the biological daughter, she still wouldn’t have been loved the way Swan was, and these last few side stories really drive that point home.

And the Duke? Yeah, he doesn’t have a huge presence in the story, and that’s kind of the point.

1. The Duke is still living in the past. He never truly moved on from losing his wife, and it reflects in his role as a father. Unlike other novels where the “Duke Dad” archetype shines, here, we see something far more realistic. Some people just can’t let go of the past because, to them, moving on means letting go of their loved one completely. And that terrifies them. That’s who the Duke is.

2. Theo? He doesn’t really stand out either—and that makes sense. Why? Because he was never meant to. This entire story revolves around Lillian and Swan. They are the true main characters. Theo, like the Duke, is just a part of the supporting cast.

Most novels shift perspectives—third-person, then first, then maybe even second halfway through. But this novel? It stays firmly locked in Lily’s POV from start to finish. Even when we see the Duke’s thoughts, they feel like they’re still through Lily’s eyes. And that’s what makes the story hit so deep.

It doesn’t just tell us emotions—it makes us feel them.

That’s why this novel is so raw. It doesn’t romanticize grief or loss. It doesn’t follow the typical narrative of “blood makes family.” Instead, it shows something even more powerful—

That love isn’t just about romance. It’s not just about family by blood.

It’s about a bond so deep that it becomes a part of your heart—so much so that even after death, you can’t let it go.

Lillian was never jealous that Swan would receive the Maynards’ love. That was never the issue.

What she was jealous of… was that Swan might leave her behind.

And there’s a huge difference. So in contrast the duke and lily are really blood related they can’t let go.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the side stories as much as I did.