We’re back with a new webtoon recommendation! ‘My Fair Footman’, written by Lee Jaa and illustrated by ggory, is a period romance. Maybe it’s because we’re rapidly moving into winter and everything’s dark before 5pm? But I’ve really been feeling like staying in and cozying up with a fluffy romance story. This one has got it all; a gossip filled social season, a mystery surrounding our cross-dressing protagonist, an impossibly attractive male lead, a spoiled prince and an evil cousin.
Originally published on Kakao Webtoons, you can read the official English translation here.
My Fair Footman
The story follows Avery (or Elijah, if you started reading this in a different translation…), a young girl working as a footman in Count Albert’s estate. Due to some complicated circumstances surrounding her parents and the Count’s mother, she was raised and had to live her life as a boy. This will change the moment she turns 18. From that point on she’ll be free to live as she wishes. She’s already got her next steps planned out too – quit working as footman, reveal the truth, and go to work as a governess.
However, life and Count Albert seem to have other plans. Avery is whisked to the capital for the social season, setting in motion the events that will alter her planned path and ultimately unravel the mystery behind her parents’ lives.
The verdict
I gotta admit – I binged the whole thing. Avery is a great chatacter, and she has such a good head on her shoulders. She was so much fun to read as a protagonist. I think she reminded me a bit of Haruhi from Host Club, which is all the more reason to love her really. Romance-wise, I adored her dynamic with Albert. Their romance just made sense, it never felt forced or rushed.
The story is the other thing that absolutely made me decide to recommend this one. I’ll admit, I came in for the fluff and the mandatory silliness that usually comes with such a premise. But in the end, I stayed for the beautifully written and brilliantly executed plot. Honestly, since I want to avoid spoilers, I can’t say much more.
So I’ll leave it at this: there’s a reason clichés became tropes in the first place. ‘My Fair Footman’ does a great job of balancing the lighthearted with the serious, without going too far in either direction and losing it’s focus. The clichés are handled and delivered very well and nothing feels tacked on just for the sake of fulfilling a genre trope. I feel like this is rare in pure romance series, so it made this very refreshing to read.
Overall, if you want a solid romance read, look no further.
