The Villain Deceived Me That He Was The Male Lead

Chapter 4

I don’t have any intention to stupidly intervening the romantic relationships of the main characters like the original ‘Laila’ did. It wasn’t only important for Valdwin to make the female lead my friend, but for me as well.

Could Einz kill the female lead’s best friend?

And although it is not ‘love’ between Einz and Valdwin, I will become their ‘best friend’ who has a deep ‘friendship’ with them just like an archenemy, then seek my way to live. I will help the female lead, Valdwin and Einz do what they have to do as a supporting character. That would give them enough reason not to kill me, and I have done a favor to Einz.

Great, this would be enough to live a long and healthy life throughout for more than 80 chapters. Now, how to build a friendship with the female lead is important. That opportunity fortunately came soon enough.

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Robelia made sure that the children were asleep as she covered them with blankets and went out.

Waiting for her, the Duke asked her with a worried expression, “Are they alright?”

“Yes, Lala and Didi are smart kids so they will be fine. I think it would be better for Didi to be known as a girl in the high society before he grows with his secondary sexual characteristics.”

(T/N: Secondary sexual characteristics for boys is having wide shoulders and deep voice. For women, this is growing their chest.)

Robelia has already made up her mind. It wasn’t that unusual to sponsor a high-ranking child’s study buddy and send him to the academy. Rather, it was better to send him to the academy to be formally taught than to teach him in hiding and be raised by Robelia and Adolf in the mansion.

The Winchester Family originally had produced Sword Masters from generation to generation. Valdwin would obviously be a great knight in the future. Of course, Lorovante’s knights were also excellent; however, it was only natural that the Academy’s classes were better than the knights of a noble family. Especially since Lorovante was a family who held a pen rather than a sword in the first place.

So, even if it was to send Valdwin to the academy, it was better to start working on it from now on. As Valdwin is still young now and dresses up as a girl without using any illusion magic, it doesn’t show even the slightest bit!

Robelia smiled brightly to reassure Adolf.

“I was thinking of a name for him. How about Rudella? So Lala won’t be confused, because she can still call him Didi.”

Adolf hugged Robelia tenderly and kissed her forehead.

“As you wish. But, Robelia.”

“Yes?”

Adolf said seriously, “Can’t we just go inside and see the faces of the kids just once?”

Adolf’s eyes twinkled with anticipation.

“You can’t! You’ll wake them up again! It would be difficult to put Lala to sleep once she was woken up.”

Robelia’s resolute refusal made Adolf’s shoulders completely blown away.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Under the pretext that Laila’s illness was now cured, Robelia and Adolf organized a party. Perhaps the nobles from the capital will attend Robelia’s party. The reason it was a big party was to naturally introduce Laila and Valdwin to the social world.

Before the party started, Robelia secretly called Valdwin without Laila knowing. “Didi, after today you won’t be Valdwin anymore but Rudella. Of course, it won’t be forever but just for a while.”

Robelia tried her best to explain it in an easy-to-understand way for a child. Though Valdwin has his usual calm expression, his gaze felt cold.

‘That’s impossible.’

Valdwin is only seven years old and he’s the lovely Didi.

“I’ll ask you again, Didi. Is it alright with you?”

“Yes.”

Valdwin nodded slowly. It was strange to see his smiling face as usual, but it seemed that he was just nervous.

‘Our pitiful Didi.’

If Queen Caitlyn hadn’t given birth to a son, and Emperor Lygos didn’t let the Leviathan raise their hands… Valdwin should have been studying for the conferment of his title as the legitimate Duke’s heir.

Lobelia’s heart softened and her love for him deepened more. She hugged Valdwin.

“Valdwin, our sweetheart, Mom is very sorry… From now on, you should call me Duchess outside instead of Mom. This is never because I hate Didi.”

“I know.”

At least, Valdwin’s calm and friendly voice was reassuring. The child’s warm body temperature seemed to melt away Robelia’s anxiety. She believed that he would do well since Valdwin was usually more mature than the troublesome Laila.

He looked so pretty with his short hair, and because he’s still a child, it doesn’t seem like there was a disharmony with the dress and headband he was wearing. However, Robelia was still upset. She didn’t notice any disharmony in him and was only concerned if Valdwin’s heart was hurt.

Valdwin didn’t ask why he shouldn’t call her ‘Mom’, or why Valdwin has to ‘dress like a girl’ – just like a seven-year-old who understands this situation. Valdwin rolled his eyes.

‘Hmm.’

What should a good boy do in this situation? It was hard for him to imitate how his peers act as he has no one to imitate when Laila isn’t by his side. Valdwin tilted his head and smiled sweetly.

Robelia smells like Laila – soft and sweet. He pondered before he buried his head in Robelia’s arms like a child.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Valdwin liked books. I don’t like books very much but this was all because of my past life. I was an illegitimate child of a well-known corporate president. My adoptive mother would starve me if I lost even one point.

What did she used to tell me? Did she say that even if I don’t have any dignity, I should have at least a good head? Considering the grades of my older sisters and older brothers of my adoptive mother, I wonder if they only have dignity and left their heads in their stomach.

That guy’s dignity – dignity?

In any case, I never lost my first place in the entire school from elementary to high school for 12 consecutive years, and my survival was a struggle. Thanks to this, I became attached to S University’s Chemical Engineering Department. My interest in studying completely waned as a result.

Even after entering university, my adoptive mother was still interfering with my life so I always stayed at the library. Among my classmates, they all call me by the nickname ‘Library Ghost’, but okay. So now, I am proud to declare:

Studying hard – goodbye. Library, goodbye. I’m going to be free like Laila! I will show you that studying is not everything in this world – this is it!

As soon as I woke up today, I found Valdwin had gone to the study so I took a light step. The good thing about Valdwin dressing up as a girl was that our range of action has expanded. My purpose today was to idle away beside him.

The snack basket that the nanny had brought me wobbled in my hand.

“Hello, Young Lady.”

“Hello, Mister Librarian!”

“Are you visiting Rudella today as well?”

“Yes! Where is Didi?”

Rudella.

Isn’t this at the level of withdrawing from your armor? Anyway, Didi is Didi.

“He went between the third and fourth bookshelves over there.”

That place is full of difficult books I couldn’t understand either way, but Valdwin always insisted on such a place. Valdwin doesn’t look like a bookworm when he piles up a lot of educational books with fairy tales and books adults can read in moderation.

I could see Valdwin concentrating, embracing what was obviously an unreadable book.

Oh, pretty! Our kitten’s beauty is exploding.

He wore a pale yellow dress today, and it was perfect. His short hair is no problem at all.

I crept over to Valdwin’s side.

“Yap!”

“U-uh! Lala!”

Valdwin rolled his eyes to me, then turned the book he was looking at upside down and pushed it aside.

“Read a book you can read. Why do you keep on trying to read things like this?”

“It’s fun.”

“But Didi is the only one saying that stuff was fun! That’s strange!”

I pushed the books piled up next to Valdwin and sat down.

“I think it’s better to be weird than Lala, who doesn’t study at all.”

Valdwin smiled brightly. He was obviously cursing at me, but I don’t think there was any malice when he smiled like that. Besides, seeing him smile makes me feel like a snarling cat, so I lost my will to fight.

“Other kids won’t play with you if you only say ugly words.”

“Lie.”

“Huh?”

“I only trust Lala.”

Valdwin lay on my lap, laughing like a cat. Ahh, he’s just like a cat doing aegyo showing his stomach. This butler’s heart will fall like dandelion seeds if you do this.

“… Would you like some cookies?”

“Hmm.”

Valdwin opened his mouth like a baby bird. I rummaged through the basket, fed the cookie inside, and glanced at the book Valdwin was reading.

Hmm. It’s almost like a book about magic.