Fostering the Male Lead

Despite the fact that it seemed like a long time had passed, the brush strokes had no intention of stopping.

‘I’m tired.’

I swallowed a sigh that was about to escape. My coming-of-age ceremony hadn’t even begun yet, and I was already exhausted.

Marina noticed my health was fast deteriorating and placed a piece of fruit in my mouth as my sugar levels dropped.

She fed me, while the other maids did my makeup and hair. Their hands came to a halt almost simultaneously after working tirelessly. When I opened my eyes to their slowly receding hands, I gazed in the mirror at myself and opened my mouth in a stupor.

I thought their skills were great at the last banquet, but this time it was on a different level.

Could this be what they mean by putting your heart and soul into something?

The corners of my haughty eyes were raised like that of a cat, and my tall nose and red lips contrasted well with my pale skin. It was a makeup that made good use of the strengths of Rosetta.

“…Like you guys said, I really think I look the prettiest today.”

Then, as if they had been waiting, they all started praising me with admiration.

“Sure! Our Lady is the most beautiful!”

“There will be no one more beautiful than our Lady today!”

Excessive praises, which I would normally have found distasteful, felt good today.

‘With a face like this, I can’t help but get compliments.’

While I was satisfied with my pretty face, the maid who brought in my dress led me. The purple dress, designed by a famous tailor, was put softly around my body. Every time I moved, the jewels densely embedded in the dress sparkled.

“My Lady, let’s use these shoes.”

What she presented was not the shoes that matched the dress, but a gift from Sihael.

“It’s not because we have a special interest in it, but the gift His Highness gave you suits you better than the one we picked.”

Just as she said, the shoes Sihael gave suited me better.

‘Did he perhaps plant people near me?’

It was a perfect pair with the dress to the point where I had a ridiculous suspicion.

I put on my shoes and sat down at the dressing table again. Finally, it was time to put on the hair ornament. When I was thinking about which ornament to use, someone knocked on the door.

“Can I come in?”

It was the duchess.

Surprised by the unexpected appearance, the maids quickly opened the door. The duchess came in and smiled softly at me.

“I want to do your hair. Will it be okay with you?”

Her expression was bright, but I could glimpse a subtle anxiety behind it. She tried to approach her daughter, but was still afraid of being chased away.

“Sure, mother.”

Relieved by my flawless smile, the duchess approached me with light steps. The quick-witted maids withdrew.

“I was afraid you might not like it.”

“My puberty phase is over.”

Turning Rosetta’s crazy wickedness into a temporary adolescent phase, I drew my lips together and smiled.  The duchess smiled when she saw the calm look on my face, unlike the past days when Rosetta was rude and fierce with her.

“I wore it during my coming-of-age ceremony. I really wanted you to wear it when you grew up.”

The Duchess handed me the jewelry she took out from her bosom.

‘… It’s so beautiful.’

The laurel-shaped ornament made of diamonds and pearls shimmered. It was a remarkable object because it was 20 or more years old, yet it didn’t appear to be that ancient.

“Would it be okay with you?”

“Sure, I like it.”

It was out of fashion and extremely simple, but it was more beautiful than any fancy accessories that filled the dressing table. The duchess, who held the jewelry firmly so that it would not fall off, gently hugged my shoulder.

“You look so pretty.”

As I smiled happily with utmost sincerity, a smile graced her lips. I looked at myself and the duchess in the mirror.

‘They look alike.’

I thought Rosetta had taken her looks from the duke until now, but looking at the duchess this way, Rosetta’s nose and lips resembled hers. She also traced my face with her eyes to see if she was the only one feeling emotional.

“When you were little, you said you would live with this mother for the rest of your life. Do you remember?”

Sadly no. I didn’t have Rosetta’s childhood memories, so my head was as good as a blank slate. But I didn’t want to disappoint her, so I nodded my head in affirmation.

“There were times like that.”

“You were like a chick only chasing after its mom, but you’ve grown up so quickly now.”

Her eyes gleamed faintly, perhaps thinking of a young Rosetta. She still regarded Rosetta as a small baby, even though her body and mind had grown so much.

“Are you going back after the coming-of-age ceremony?”

Maybe. It seemed to me that I could go back as soon as I could visit Asilla and finish my business.

Silence meant affirmation. The Duchess, who recognized my intentions even without saying anything, smiled a bit bitterly.

“Do you resent me for leaving you there alone?”

“No, I don’t care.”

How could she take Rosetta back to the capital when she kept making such a fuss? The only way to contain her unbridled foal was to lock her in a secluded place where it would not be harmed as much as possible.