The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 102

“Princess, I didn’t mean it that way, I was just worried about your safety…”

“I don’t care about your intentions, you were quite insolent just now. I am the Princess of Duirebourg, and you are a knight who serves Duirebourg. Don’t forget your place.”

“I’m, I’m sorry, Princess. I overstepped my bounds…”

“Be careful in the future.”

“Yes, I’ll be mindful.”

Count Pabein apologized frantically. Lillieta watched the scene and recalled the Duke’s expression as he silently observed Lavinia’s finals match.

‘The Duke certainly does care for Rabi. It’s true that a young princess needs to maintain some authority and dignity when dealing with her retainers alone… but his way of caring is a bit misguided.’

While Lavinia was putting Pabein in his place, the Duke, who had been quietly watching, spoke up.

“Count Pabein, go to Duke Adickl and the host to get permission to borrow the combat arena for a moment. Since we’re supposed to do target operation tests before the actual competition begins, tell them we’ll replace that test with a demonstration match between you and the Raskail Princess. They should allow it.”

“What? Your Grace, if we make it that formal and the Princess is humiliated, Duke Raskail will…”

“I’ll take full responsibility for the aftermath, so don’t worry and go.”

“…Understood.”

Pabein moved toward Duke Adickl. The Duke then turned his gaze to Lavinia, who was watching her nervously.

“Lavinia.”

“Mother… what did you just say about a demonstration match…”

“Walking around covered in sweat is undignified. Go to the barracks, change your clothes, and come back.”

“…Yes, I mean, yes…”

The dejected girl turned around, and the Duke added casually,

“Wear the Black Dragon’s Eye with your changed clothes.”

Lavinia turned back to the Duke in surprise. Duke Duirebourg’s lips curved up slightly.

“If you want to watch your ‘teacher’s’ demonstration match with dignity, you’d better hurry.”

“…!”

Joy spread across Lavinia’s face. She nodded eagerly with slightly moist eyes.

“Yes! I’ll be back quickly!”

After Lavinia left as well, the Duke turned her gaze to Lillieta.

“Princess Raskail.”

“Yes.”

“Lavinia is my one and only daughter, whom I obtained preciously. That child is more precious to me than anything else. There is no falsehood in my heart that cherishes Lavinia. However…”

The Duke paused for a moment before continuing slowly.

“…I grew up desperately struggling and being endlessly evaluated from childhood. I always had to fiercely fight for everything.”

Lillieta recalled the information about Duke Duirebourg that she had heard from Lindsey.

‘The current Duke Duirebourg and her siblings… they were half-siblings.’

The current Duke Sarubia’s mother died giving birth to her before even becoming a duchess, and the previous duke immediately took a new wife and had two more children.

And Sarubia only received the title of “Young Duke” just before the previous duke died. Until then, no one knew which of Duirebourg’s three siblings would inherit the title.

Even without knowing the detailed circumstances, combining those facts with the Duke’s current statement gave her a general idea. The previous duke raised his children in competition, and for Sarubia, who had no birth mother, that competition would never have been easy.

“So I didn’t want to give my daughter that kind of life. I wanted her to do nothing difficult, to simply enjoy what was hers comfortably without any suffering…”

Duke Duirebourg wore a bitter smile.

“But I… seem to have been short-sighted.”

Rita recalled her parents who said she would always be their baby Lili. She remembered her father telling her it was dangerous on their first hunt together.

She understood what kind of feelings the Duke had. She spoke gently.

“Your Grace, Rabi said it was the first time she heard she had talent. She said it was also the first time her efforts were praised… and she cried in front of me.”

“…She cried?”

“If you love your daughter, give her the chance to walk on her own. Even if she falls and gets hurt, give her the opportunity to stand up by herself.”

“An opportunity…”

Duke Duirebourg looked at her with a confused expression. Lillieta slowly closed and opened her eyes.

The reason why the time she lived as Rita Pascal was precious and beautiful despite the pain and hardship.

“Even if it’s hard and difficult, if it’s a result obtained by one’s own hands through endurance and overcoming, whatever it is will be brilliant. Don’t take away from your daughter those moments of feeling such brilliance, and the possibilities she’ll discover and opportunities to grow during the process of striving for it.”

The easier something is obtained, the easier it disappears. It’s not easy to treasure what’s taken for granted.

Young Lili truly loved her family, but didn’t treasure them as much as the current Lillieta does. Because she had lost them, because it wasn’t taken for granted, they became more precious.

Because she had things taken away, she knows their value. Because she had fallen, she knows how to get up. Because she had been sad, she knows how to stop crying. Because she had wavered, she knows how to endure. Because she had failed, she knows how to take responsibility.

Rita looked up at the Duke and continued quietly.

“She can’t remain a child in your arms forever. Your Grace, have you imagined what kind of adult Lavinia will become if she continues growing like this?”

“…!”

“Don’t hinder that child’s growth. Give your daughter the opportunity to challenge herself. It’s okay if she falls, so let her walk on her own. So that someday she can become a wonderful adult like Your Grace.”

“…Ah.”

The Duke’s expression became blank. Her gaze lingered on the arena’s lane. As if recalling Lavinia’s expression when she stood there.

After a long silence, she laughed as if deflated and muttered.

“It’s hard to believe the Princess is the same age as Lavinia.”

“I grew up in somewhat special circumstances. My parents taught me well too.”

At the calm answer, Duke Duirebourg looked down at her with fresh eyes.

“Princess Raskail, I… owe you a great debt.”

It was a weighty statement. Rita smiled and accepted those words.

“I’m more grateful. When Your Grace listened so seriously to a few words from someone as young and green as me.”

“…I’m becoming curious to properly meet Duke Raskail. If he’s someone who raised such a daughter, it seems we could have a much more beneficial conversation than with my younger sister who raised Joseph.”

Duke Duirebourg wore a strange smile. Lillieta was surprised by those words.

‘Come to think of it, wasn’t Duirebourg not very active for being part of the Duke’s faction…? Enough to not get involved when Gid drove Duke Adickl from the capital…’

And Grand Duchess Adickl wasn’t the current Duke’s full sister but half-sister, and from what she could see now, the relationship between them wasn’t very good either.

‘If this goes well, we might be able to pull Duirebourg entirely into the Crown Prince’s faction… no wait, hold on. Anyway, it’s a house that Gid will win over by marrying Lavinia. It wouldn’t make much difference.’

Rita, who had been slightly excited thinking she had accomplished something that would help Gid’s position even though it wasn’t intentional, quickly became rational.

‘But if Duirebourg becomes part of the Crown Prince’s faction without marriage, would Gid no longer need to marry Lavinia?’

She had that thought for a moment, then dismissed it, thinking it wasn’t her concern.

Meanwhile, Pabein returned.

The regular division targets were cleared away and obstacles and magical targets for the combat division were set up. The host cleared his throat and shouted with his magically amplified voice.

“The arena test that’s normally conducted before the competition will be specially changed to a demonstration match this time! Those who will conduct the demonstration match, please enter now!”

Lillieta entered the arena with Pabein.

She was already a striking beauty, and being the hottest topic of this year’s social season, there wasn’t a single noble who didn’t recognize Raskail’s youngest daughter. The viewing stands buzzed with chatter.

Regardless, Rita briefly surveyed the arena before yielding the order to Pabein.

“Please go first, Count Pabein.”

“…In case you don’t know, I should mention that I’m last year’s champion of the combat division of the shooting competition. So it would be better for the Princess to go first.”

He was saying she’d be more embarrassed by comparison if she went after him. Rita smiled brightly.

“No, it’s better for you to go first.”

“…If you insist. Well, you’re not a knight but a duke’s daughter, so you have no honor to lose even if you’re defeated. I’m the only one at a disadvantage in many ways.”

Pabein spoke sarcastically as he stepped forward with a bow as tall as her height.

The combat division competition was the sum of two scores.

The first score was calculated based on the time it took to shoot down all the targets that popped out and sprang up between obstacles. Missing meant waiting and shooting again, which took longer, so it was a category that tested both accuracy and speed.

The second involved attacking a giant rock carved into a monster shape and protected by defensive magic, measuring the size of the scratches left on the statue after breaking through the magic. This was a category that tested the power of ranged attacks.

Pabein confidently drew his bowstring. In the first round, he hit all targets without missing a single shot, recording a time of 58 seconds.

“It took less than a minute!”

“He was last year’s champion, right? Not a single arrow missed. As expected…”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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