Maylily - Chapter 133

At that point, Hugh’s child was already four years old. For the child to reach that age, both Hugh and even David had thoroughly deceived Deborah.

The sense of betrayal that surged over her was even stronger than the shock that the Everscourt family had an illegitimate child. But the anger that flared up like fire lasted only a moment. The instant she saw a photograph of Dylan, who was the very image of Hugh as a child, Deborah’s heart melted away.

It was Hugh who stopped Deborah when she insisted on going to Cartia immediately to see the child. He said he wanted to avoid anything that might trouble Maylily even a little. It was devotion of an astonishing kind.

“Then what kind of relationship do you have with Maylily? Are you really just friends, as you told the press?”

“I’ll marry her when the time is right.”

She knew he had been half out of his mind ever since he left for Cartia to find Maylily…. Even so, marrying a commoner!

Thinking it must be a dream, she pinched her thigh over her skirt, but the sharp sting only made her more awake. How could something like this happen in the Everscourt family? The look in Hugh’s eyes as he delivered a decision Deborah couldn’t accept was far too firm and unyielding.

“The way people will look at a marriage that disrupts the social order won’t be kind. Even if they don’t dare show it in front of you, Maylily will have to endure endless cold treatment and discrimination in high society. Do you think that innocent girl can bear that?”

“Maylily won’t have to bear anything. I’ll be a perfect shield for her. If I can’t protect someone of my own family, the Everscourt name would become a laughingstock. That wouldn’t do.”

Hugh was determined to see his will through no matter what. In the end, Deborah had no choice but to accept the new order that would be grafted onto the family. The plan she had been considering to find a suitable match for Hugh was discarded on the spot.

Deborah first met Dylan about two years ago, when Maylily began her touring performances. Traveling across the continent with a child brought practical difficulties, and a constantly changing environment for childcare wouldn’t be good for the child’s growth.

Thus, Hugh and Maylily agreed that Hugh would take charge of raising Dylan. From then on, Dylan lived at the Everscourt townhouse in Roden. The child was gentle and quick-witted, and remarkably mature for his age.

Surely there must be an emptiness where a mother’s presence could not be filled by his father or a nanny. Yet not once did he throw a tantrum or complain that he missed his mother.

At times she thought, truly, he is a Skaard. Yet now and then, a pang of pity would strike her. Hugh was a more affectionate father than most nobles, yet in some ways, he was so strict it bordered on coldness. That upbringing must have trained the child early on to restrain his emotions.

Whenever such thoughts crossed her mind, Deborah treated the child with even more easygoing and generous affection. Through that effort, she came to experience a kind of happiness as a grandparent that she had never known before. Now, she was looking forward, as much as Hugh was, to the day Dylan and Maylily would be welcomed as official members of the family.

“Please step down, Aunt.”

The carriage had already arrived in front of the theater. Coming back to herself, Deborah stepped down with Hugh’s escort. The two of them, tall and dressed in elegant formalwear, stood out among the crowd.

“Oh my, it seems the Count of Everscourt has come to watch the performance today as well.”

“Of course. He’s ‘Maylily Aile’s man,’ after all. It’s only natural he’d come.”

“They say the Count of Everscourt and Miss Aile are just friends. They’ve never once acknowledged the rumors.”

“Well, who knows. Can pure friendship really exist between two people who have a child together and are raising him?”

At the voices drifting from behind, Deborah smiled quietly and placed her hand on Hugh’s arm, looking up at him.

“It’s been a while since I went out, and I’m hearing some interesting talk.”

“You must be quite bored these days, to find interest in such outdated chatter.”

“Then you should spend a bit more time with this old woman.”

Hugh and Deborah brushed off the unpleasant whispers with a trivial joke and walked into the theater with elegant steps, as if the gazes pouring over them were nothing more than a carpet beneath their feet.

***

“You look just like a water fairy, sister! I made the dress, but it really suits you perfectly.”

Daisy exclaimed in admiration as she looked at Maylily, who stood before the mirror in a light sky-blue dress. The makeup artist and personal assistant watching from the side each added a word of praise. The assistant was someone Maylily had hired to manage her performance schedule and handle various administrative matters.

Each time she moved, the full skirt densely adorned with beadwork shimmered as if scattering particles of light. The fabric, the same color as Maylily’s eyes, created an even more harmonious atmosphere.

Though she was long past the age to be called a fairy, Maylily decided to accept Daisy’s compliment happily.

“I think this is the dress that suits me best out of all the stage costumes I’ve worn so far. You must’ve been very busy…. Thank you so much, Daisy.”

“For the greatest prima donna on the continent to wear my dress, the honor is mine.”

At Daisy’s playful bow, Maylily let out a small laugh.

Two years ago, Daisy became a designer at the most famous dress shop in Aberque, and to celebrate Maylily’s performance in Roden, she personally designed and made the stage costume. It was another reason to look forward even more to tonight’s performance.

Daisy tied a ribbon made of white lace around Maylily’s waist as decoration. Just as the makeup artist, who had been waiting beside them, finished tidying her hair that had become slightly disheveled while she changed into the costume,

“I came to say hello before going on stage.”

“Welcome, Greta.”

Greta, who would be performing together shortly, visited Maylily’s dressing room. Even after Maylily left, she remained steadily in her place at the Roden Opera Company and established herself as a reliable supporting singer with stable performances.

“Finally, the day has come for us to share the same stage. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this day.”

“Me too…. I feel the same!”

Memories of the short but joyful times she spent with Greta during her days at the Roden Opera Company came back to her, and Maylily felt her throat tighten slightly.

“Please take care of me tonight, Greta. Let’s create a performance that will be remembered for a long time.”

After finishing a brief conversation with Greta and sending everyone else out, Maylily took out a photograph from her handbag. It was taken last month in the reception room of the Everscourt townhouse, with Hugh and Dylan dressed in matching black tuxedos.

Looking at the affectionate photo of father and son before going on stage had become a habit she formed during the touring period.

When Maylily began her tour, the two took their first photo together, and every year on Dylan’s birthday, they sent her a new one. This was the third. Compared to the first, Hugh had hardly changed, while Dylan had grown so much she could barely recognize him.

Hugh spent three or four months each year traveling with Dylan, following Maylily’s performance schedule. He always presented it as business trips, but Maylily knew it was consideration for her sake.

Even so, living apart from her child for more than half the year wasn’t easy. Because of the guilt and regret she felt toward Dylan, who spent his childhood without his mother’s care, she even considered retiring. It was around this time last year, when she was performing in Bredova.

When Maylily returned after achieving success as an opera singer, Carlo, Giovanna, and Michele welcomed her with great joy. Hugh and Dylan, who arrived at the same time, were also warmly received. In particular, seeing how much Dylan had grown, Carlo and Giovanna were moved to tears.

After several days that felt like traveling through happy memories, it was time to leave Bredova. Maylily had to go to the next city for her performance, while Hugh and Dylan had to return to Roden. On the last night, as Maylily was putting Dylan to bed, she asked softly.

“Dylan, aren’t you lonely without your mother? Should I go to Roden with you tomorrow?”

The child, who had pulled the blanket up to his chin, stared straight into Maylily’s eyes, then unexpectedly shook his head.

“Father said Mom is happiest when she’s on stage. And that a man who protects the happiness of the person he loves is a wonderful man. I’m going to become a wonderful man like Father. I’m proud that my mother is a wonderful singer.”

When did Dylan, who always looked like nothing more than a baby to her, grow up so much? Gratitude and guilt welled up in her at the sight of the child who had grown so well even without her by his side, and her eyes grew hot. She also felt endless gratitude toward Hugh, who had loved and cared for Dylan fully, including the part that should have been Maylily’s responsibility.

Thanks to the wholehearted support of the two, Maylily was able to continue her singing career actively. She experienced every role she had dreamed of and received more love from the public than she deserved. She bought the wonderful house she had promised her aunt’s family, and several years ago, she prepared a mansion in Cereno where she would live with Dylan. The day she would return there holding Dylan’s hand was now not far off.

“Miss Aile, the curtain will rise shortly, so please prepare.”

At the theater staff’s notice, Maylily came back to her senses, put away the photograph, and left the dressing room. When she reached backstage, the bright and hopeful overture was echoing through the theater. Soon, the curtain rose on the final performance.