Chapter 3
Raising Lala and Did together was war. Lala was a huge troublemaker in particular while Valdwin was involved in most of those things.
“Sigh.”
The more Valdwin gets older and grow up, the more they were troubled.
“Honey, don’t worry too much. Just how much of relief it is that Didi and Lala are friends?” The Duke comforted the Duchess.
“That’s not like that…. It’s not like Lala only does it for a day or two. Rather than that….”
I wish Valdwin was a girl. Then he could’ve been Laila’s study buddy studying together, and paved the way under the pretext of his sponsorship.
In fact, there were often cases where a nanny’s daughter received such support and served in the Imperial Palace from a high-ranking family. But that’s only when it was a daughter.
The Duchess fiddled with her brows nervously.
[‘I only trust you, Robelia. This is my last request.’]
(T/N: Texts inside [] and italicized is said/happened in the past.)
The last desperate of her friend who finds her on a dangerous situation – Valdwin was like the last leaf to Robelia.
‘I’d rather you be a girl… Girl, girl?’
Robelia raised her head. Why the hell didn’t I think of that? The Duchess glanced behind her.
“Honey! I have a good idea!”
“What kind of… ?”
“I will raise Valdwin by disguising him as a girl! That way, we can make him Laila’s study buddy! It wasn’t unusual for a noble family’s daughter to have a study buddy!” Robelia quickly said her words in an excited tone.
Until now, the number of servants that can enter the children’s area was strictly limited in order to hide Valdwin’s existence. But there were at least a nanny, butler and a Head Maid, so stories about Valdwin and Laila doesn’t come out or become a gossip.
People are confused as to whether Layla is a son or a daughter, so they have no interest in the nanny’s child.
“Disguise Valdwin as a girl…?”
“Yes!”
Emperor Lygos turned on the lights in his eyes and searched for the baby who wasn’t named yet simply with the gender male, when Valdwin was born. Even if a boy with red eyes wouldn’t stand out, it wouldn’t matter if it was a girl with red eyes.
(T/N: turned on the lights in his eyes = eyes burning with greed)
Although having red eyes were inherent to Winchesters, it was because those who had a relationship with the Winchester in the past had it. That is why this is the most innovative and safest method.
Robelia exclaimed in an excited voice, “Our Laila is a genius!”
Of course, they had to consult Valdwin’s doctor, but there didn’t seem to be a better way than this. And the kind Valdwin would probably adopt Robelia’s method. All she needs to do is to raise the child safely.
Valdwin cannot live as a woman for the rest of his life, but can the Emperor Lygos live for a long, long time? People are bound to die, and there are no red flowers for a hundred days. So, Robelia just needs a way to safely raise the child.
There were rumors circulating now that Empress Julia had closed her Palace doors and was only living with the Crown Prince to pay tribute to the Winchester Family, who was loyal to the Imperial Family, but Robelia knew it wasn’t the end. As Robelia was Empress Julia’s past study buddy, she knew Empress Julia wasn’t the type of person to give up.
Lobelia knew that Empress Julia would open the Palace doors again when everything was ready and come out. Robelia was waiting for that moment. At any time, Robelia will also be ready to stand by her side.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Two days after the incident, my mother sat down with Valdwin and me, speaking bitterly. She has been limiting the amount of dessert Valdwin and I can eat, it’s the time I should be careful with my snack today.
I can’t miss even the smallest crumbs, and while concentrating on eating, Mom said in a serious tone, “I have something to tell you, Valdwin. It would still be hard to understand but… Mom wants you to study with Lala. But Mom can’t do that if Valdwin is a boy.”
Wait a minute. I think this is something very different from the original…?
Valdwin was the nanny’s son until he grew up. He was raised secretly and disguised as a servant so as to not attract people’s attention. That’s why Valdwin was calling Laila ‘Young Lady’ from the time she turned eight. I was going to fulfill that beautiful and happy dream by becoming my favorite character’s ‘Young Lady’, but….
“So, I want Valdwin to pretend to be a girl, so you can study with Lala. What do you think, Valdwin?”
My mother struggled to match the 7-year-old’s eye level. She must’ve been impressed by the dress I put on Valdwin a while ago.
“Is this what mom wants?” Valdwin asked calmly.
Our kitty had a simple heart contrary to his cold and arrogant character. The author often describe Valdwin as ‘insidious, different inside, dangerous’, but a madman who was only kind to the female lead was always welcome.
I was convinced at that point that Valdwin was the male lead – because readers have a reverse double standard for him. Moreover, Valdwin was kind to Laila and her family until she harmed the heroine.
Valdwin grinned as mother nodded. It was the smile of an angel who didn’t look like a 7-year-old.
“Then I will.”
E… excuse me…. Disguise as a woman? That wasn’t the genre of this novel…. I am sorry Valdwin, I think I twisted your life.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Where did it go wrong? I needed to look back on myself.
I was just planning on becoming a sworn enemy-like friend to the male lead and a close friend to the female lead, fulfilling my cause as a supporting character. But what is this absurd turning point in the male lead’s life?
I need to reflect on this.
You said you weren’t going to do this! Didn’t you already decide that you were just going to live quietly as a supporting character!
I wondered how pretty Valdwin was when I saw him in a rather modest dress… yes, EoNam-Win. Isn’t a black haired male lead with red eyes is the law that hits 99% of the Romance-Fantasy novels world?
The heroine will recognize Valdwin and fall in love with him no matter how much he disguises as a woman. That’s the law of fate that applies to all romance novels.
[‘I would have loved you no matter what you are.’]
Doesn’t this famous line often appear?
If the original heroine was worried about Valdwin’s gender, I can just sneak up to her and say his gender – as her close friend and the male lead’s sworn enemy-like friend.
‘Actually, she’s dressed like a woman for this reason.’
Because she was the original female lead who felt compassion towards Valdwin’s and Einz’s poor childhood, I’m sure she will also feel more pitiful and cherish Valdwin more. All I need to do is be a good assistant.
“Noona will cheer you up.”
“Huh?”
Valdwin blinked in his nap – his white face against the pink dress. How is it like glutinous rice? I rubbed my cheeks against his fluffy cheeks.
“Believe in me!”
Valdwin grabbed my hand with a sleepy expression on his face. Then, unlike usual, he nodded his head like a gentle sheep.
“Yes, I only trust Lala.”
He looks good like a male lead, but his voice was like a rolling jade. I guess I am destined to be a die-hard fan – I am shaping a male lead with my own hands!
I hugged Valdwin, who was digging into my arms.
My cute cat, what can’t the butler do for you?
Baldwin began to breathe from my arms.
Aww, pretty!
I quickly made a new plan.
It was necessary to create an event where I can naturally get close to the female lead. That is the academy where Valdwin first met the female lead in the original story. However, the Crown Prince and the female lead had long since known each other before that. Hmm, shouldn’t this butler come forward in this case?
In order to occupy a more advantageous position for Valdwin, it was necessary to be close to the female lead as soon as possible. That’s why I should be the female lead’s close friend. It would be my turn next after the main characters achieved their happy endings.
I have no regrets in my neatly finished past life. I was rather very content with being reincarnated into our happy home from my beggar-like previous life. What would you do if you were born into a good family? I was proof of my father’s affair, and my adoptive mother hated me to death.
[‘Someone like you shouldn’t have been born! Why did you come to my house….’]
I’ve never felt what family love is like, I thought that I was rather lucky the moment I was hit by a car.
But here, I have a family that loves me. This was the first time I’ve heard of the phrase ‘my dear daughter’ – I am a treasure here. The slightest bit of guilt for a child who should have been born as ‘Laila’ was not a priority over my happiness. So, I will be happy living with Mom and Dad.