Honestly, I have a vulnerable side to pretty faces even before I came to possess this body. When I came inside this novel with a male lead having this kind of beauty… I think I can root for this novel. Of course, that didn’t mean I wanted to do something with Valdwin. 

Take it easy Laila, you’ll die if you do something wrong. You should be close friends with the female lead as close as possible, then stay in the line with the male leads – you can do it, right? Don’t forget that the original Laila died while harassing the female lead. 

(T/N: Stay in line means not crossing the line with the male leads)

I vowed to myself once more and hugged Valdwin tightly. This is the result of being a die-hard fan. Valdwin blinked his jewel-like eyes in my arms. He’s so cute that I’m dying. 

Contrary to what my heart wants, my body only let off Valdwin when I already smeared a lot of saliva on his cheeks. Phew, am I starting to be like this because I am a baby now? When I released him from my hug, he wobbled and fell backwards with his head first  as he was still young. Uh, uh… this isn’t my fault. 

“U, uuwaaaa! Moooooooom!”

“Lala! Did you bully Didi again?”

Didi, Didi!

It seems that mother just coined a new nickname for Valdwin. I even completely forgot that she misunderstood me. 

Mom held up the cute and soft cat Didi. How can a nickname like that be given to a cat? In my previous life, I have always dreamed of having a pet cat and that came true now. 

“Stop crying Didi. Shhh…. Mom will scold Lala! Hit! Hit!” 

Of course, that doesn’t mean that I will leave Valdwin’s side.  Anyway, I have to let him go after the female lead comes so I will just enjoy it to the fullest now.

Actually, Didi’s personality when he grows up will be… uhm, he was more chic and sharp. 

Now let me tell you, I had a history of unfinished dozens of novels because Valdwin had completely attacked my taste buds. He was very tasty. In the original novel, Valdwin had the basic qualities of a male lead and practiced proper obsession with the characteristic ‘I’m bad to others but I am only kind to you’. 

Readers had a whole stock fight over Einz and the bad-to-others-but-only-kind-to-the-female-lead Valdwin, and even coined a new word for them – EoNam-Win and EoNam-In – anyway, my husband Valdwin, and anyway my husband, Einz. Of course, I am an EoNam-Win – even now that I am inside the novel!

(T/N: The term 어남(eonam) is the abbreviation of 어차피 남편은 that means along the lines of ‘anyway, he’s my husband’, ‘he’s after all my husband’ or ‘he’s my husband either way’. I used romanization because it was too long. Another, the -win and -in in the end were both taken from Valdwin’s and Einz’s name, as you can see. )

My mother let out a deep sigh seeing me wriggling no matter what she said to me. 

“Sigh, who on earth do you take after….?”

Mom said as she patted Valdwin’s wiggling back. Who does I resemble? 

“Mom!”

“What? You look like me?”

“Hmm!”

Of course, I looked like my mother.

My mother raised both my hands and feet at my sly smile. Seeing me like that, Valdwin moved his cute butt and dug deeper into my mother’s arms. What is so sad that you’re crying like that? Messy. 

I want to make him cry more. 

My broken heart swelled up after suffering an unfortunate incident. It was rare to see the young Valdwin to cry so I wanted to see him cry a little more. This is what we call a fan success story. How many people can watch their favorite character cry right next to them? 

Let’s grow up prettily, Valdwin. Noona will support you, smile. 

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Valdwin grew up steadily and beautifully as I wished. As he grew up, mother and father’s worries deepened and it was the same to his education. We don’t know what the future holds so we’ll have to make sure that he gets the right education as the Duke’s heir, but that would take away his status as a nanny’s son. 

A commoner’s son without a surname was educated as a successor in a Duke’s family? It was clear that people around us would be suspicious of him. However, it was impossible to comfortably decide on how Valdwin should treat Emperor Lygos, who was still very obvious at his hostility towards the Winchesters. There was also a narrative about that in the novel. 

The name Winchester was called the ‘Swordsmanship Beginning’ and was enough to summon mercenaries and knights. It was also the reason why Emperor Lygos wasn’t lifting up his restrain order on them. 

Everytime mother saw Valdwin, who likes to draw, play and read, her anguish deepened. But Valdwin was a boy to be kept as my playmate or study buddy. Mom and Dad taught Valdwin themselves in the original novel, so Valdwin had to fill their shortcomings by learning to read the book himself. My parents always felt sorry for it. 

Well, why don’t we go on a similar route again this time?

We are now 7 years old. Was it because of my overprotectiveness? Valdwin grew up to be tougher than I thought. 

Fortunately, we formed a relationship that was closer than others and closer than friends. We’re already 7 years old, and it’s all worth the effort I put in. 

“Our liwel cat ~.”

Startled, Valdwin shook his head and slowly moved away his butt. 

“I-I…  am not a cat!”

Of course, you’re not. 

As Valdwin got further away, I moved closer to him.

Don’t reject me. Your noona will get hurt if you do. 

“Shall we play with dolls?”

“P-play dolls?”

“Hmm.”

Valdwin rolled his eyes. His face clearly says that he knew how I would react if he refused with the seven years of living with me. Twitching of his round red eye is the evidence. I chuckled.

Honestly, I thought that I already graduated from playing dolls a long time ago, but I was reminded by my childhood nostalgia seeing Valdwin. I think a pink dress would suit him and thought that I should probably get him a yellow one as well since he had fair skin. Fortunately, the wealth of Lorovante Duchy can be clearly seen in my dressing room. 

My dressing room was always filled with dresses for me to wear – dresses with laces, ruffles, and ribbons! – just like the doll clothes that I’ve worn countless times in the past. Besides, what kind of fate’s play was this? Valdwin was two fingers shorter than me.

“…okay.”

Valdwin’s round cheeks tremble. 

Sigh, can I take just one bite of you?

And an hour had passed. I have created a masterpiece of a lifetime.

Valdwin’s pale pink dress was a perfect match. His short hair was tied as tightly as possible and secured with a pink ribbon. Although it looked sloppy because I am still young, the black-haired Valdwin hits like Snow White. 

Hmm, it’s a bit sad though. Indeed, I should also put a red headband on him. 

He was surprisingly calm. He was usually wary of me and harsh on me, but he would quickly give up and accept everything once it already happened. He still was. Those eyes of resignation were asking me if I was yet to finish. 

“How’s it, it’s pretty, right? Normally, a man should try on a dress once.”

“… Odd habit.” 

Valdwin quietly muttered but I pretended not to hear him. I know I shouldn’t be like this, but it was fun to bully him. And I just couldn’t stop doing this when I saw him embarrassed as I told him he looks pretty.  

When I was in the middle of happily appreciating my masterpiece, my mother opened the door of the dressing room widely – obviously well-informed by the nanny. 

“Again, what are you – Lala!”

“Huh?”

I blinked my eyes as innocently as possible. Understanding the situation, my mother took a deep breath. Anyways Lala! I burst into laughter and dug into her arms at my mother’s nagging full of affection. 

“Isn’t Didi pretty?”

Mom looked at me and opened her arms to Didi.

“Didi, come here. Mom will change your clothes.”

Valdwin alternately looked at me and my mother then opened his arms widely at my mother. I giggled as I watched him fall into my mother’s arms. I’ve already see the scene I wanted to see. 

“Who on earth does Lala take after that you’re causing trouble like this?”

My mother lightly said, so I responded similarly. 

“Of course I looked like Mom~.”

My mother pointed on my forehead as I showed her my tongue. Pfft, it was also fun to tease my mom. 

“Honey! Please scold me Lala!”

It was the weekend, so Dad was at home. Dad poked his head behind my mother. 

“M-me?”

“Then who is here?” 

My mom coyly looked at my father. Dad then cleared his throat and approached me. 

He even said solemnly, “Lala, you shouldn’t do what Didi dislikes.”

“But, Didi allowed it too! Right, Didi?”

Didi, who looked at me and Dad in turn, nodded slightly.

“Yes, I did.”

My father, a Duke of the country, was on the weak side to the women of our household despite his title as Duke – especially for me. 

It wasn’t easy to get the reputation as ‘fool for the daughter’. The point here is to open your eyes wide as possible and blink – look pitiful. 

“I-is that so?”

“Hmmm….”

“Daddy misunderstood, Lala! Daddy’s sorry!”

“What the hell are you doing! Of course Didi is nice!”

Mom took a deep breath, but I’m the winner. Why are these family members so cute? I think coming here did well for me.