The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 112

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

Chapter 112

No answer came back. He had noticed late due to his concentration, and the sensation of her bite on his shoulder had also disappeared at some point.

Gideon felt as if his heart had dropped and was rolling around, so he held his breath and hurriedly cupped her cheeks, turning her face toward him.

“Rita? Rita?”

Even while confirming her breathing and pulse, fear welled up inside him.

Terrified, he held up her pale cheeks and gently tapped them. He desperately shook her shoulders and called her name.

“Lillieta…!”

Soon her golden eyelashes fluttered and slowly lifted. Hazy purple eyes gazed at him.

“…Ah. Is it over?”

Her voice was completely hoarse. Gid embraced her and finally resumed the breath he had been holding.

“Yes, it’s over… It was hard, wasn’t it? Let’s rest a bit before moving.”

“You must have had a harder time… Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me for something so obvious.”

When he let out a hollow laugh, she could feel the vibration from his chest throughout her entire body. Lillieta, who had been leaning against him in a drowsy state, finally realized that she was pressed too closely against him.

She was nestled in his embrace, slumped with her whole body leaning against him. She had even wrapped her arms around his neck and bitten his shoulder.

This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, so normally there would be no reason to be surprised or flustered. It wasn’t like they had given each other emergency treatment while battered on the battlefield just once or twice.

But the current Lillieta reflexively startled and tried to unwrap her arms from around his neck and pull away from his embrace.

“What are you doing?”

Gid asked in an incredulous tone and quickly wrapped his arm around her waist, making her lean against him again.

Rita held up her hands awkwardly, not knowing where to put them, and answered in a somewhat dazed state.

“Uh, it seemed like we were too close?”

“What nonsense are you talking?”

“You’re going to get married soon, aren’t you, to Lavinia. If you’re a groom-to-be, you should be careful about your conduct.”

“…”

Being held in his embrace, she could feel it vividly. His body, which had been relaxed while holding her, stiffened rigidly.

Lillieta took that opportunity to slyly try to get down from his thigh, but was caught by the waist again and buried in his chest.

When she lifted her head to look up, Gideon was looking down at her with a dumbfounded expression.

‘Even with that stupid expression, he looks like a painting. Is it because he’s handsome?’

She had that thought unconsciously, then shook her head. It seemed she kept becoming unnecessarily conscious of him because his appearance had subtly changed from the familiar-as-air Gid Pascal days.

Meanwhile, Gideon stammered in a voice that seemed shocked.

“Who, with whom, doing what?”

Though it had been something she said unconsciously in her confused state, now that she had brought it up, she thought it wouldn’t be bad to honestly discuss the part that had hurt her feelings.

“You, with Lavinia, getting married.”

Rita answered clearly and added.

“It was written in the history books, wasn’t it? That you were a loving couple. The body you used in the Ash Ruin Era was a descendant of you two, wasn’t it?”

“…”

“I was a little hurt, Gid. I didn’t expect you to hide the person you’re going to marry even from me… Is it because she’s that precious to you? Or are you embarrassed?”

“Wait, wait a minute. What on earth…?”

Gideon rubbed his face dry and took a deep breath. Even so, one arm remained wrapped around her waist and wouldn’t let go, so Rita pushed against his chest and shifted uncomfortably.

“Let me down first. The treatment is finished, isn’t it?”

“Wait a moment. For me to talk calmly, calmly, with a clear head, I need to calm down, damn it, somehow calm down.”

“What does you calming down have to do with this?”

“…Rita, right now I need to feel the reality that the damn Lillieta del Nisa Raskail, who was covered in blood with unfocused eyes and endured without even fainting, is here perfectly fine with color returned to her face, you understand?”

“…”

“I saw your bloodstains and imagined not only your face being torn apart like in the old days, but now your current face being torn apart too, so if you have any conscience, stay still for a bit.”

“…Sorry.”

Rita gave up completely and obediently leaned into his embrace.

She could feel his heart beating violently through their touching bodies. Reflecting on the situation, she felt even more sorry thinking he must have been very frightened.

“I’m sorry, Gid. I got impatient when I saw the Crawler. In that situation, I happened to have an appropriate means—”

“That damn ‘appropriate’ and ‘optimal’ talk is forbidden, Rita. Do you know how chilling those words sound to me right now?”

“Ah.”

She closed her mouth and hesitated, then apologized again.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I know I’m a bit insensitive about these things, but it doesn’t get fixed easily. I’m really sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“…”

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Gid looked down at her face as she apologized seriously and smiled bitterly.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to explain so hard. I know you. I know well that wasn’t your intention.”

“…”

“And this time too, your judgment was right, Rita. The operation results were excellent, and your injury, ha, was ultimately handled well… You didn’t do anything wrong. Rather, you did well.”

“Right?”

Rita looked up at him with delight. As expected, she knew Gid would understand her subtle sense of injustice and quiet pride.

“For an operation hastily put together while injured, it was effective, wasn’t it?”

He didn’t avoid her expectant gaze. He smiled gently and spoke carefully.

“Definitely. Moreover, the Moment of Twilight you just used had much stronger power than before, didn’t it? Even with more Oaths available, increasing output isn’t easy. Sniping was also an excellent choice. Thanks to that, we cleanly dealt with the troublesome Crawler. It was impressive in many ways, Rita.”

“Thank you.”

Rita answered happily. Suddenly he felt incredibly endearing to her, but Gid himself poured cold water with a cold expression.

“Of course, that’s only looking at the results. From the perspective of someone who cares about you, your operation was the worst.”

“…I know I caused worry.”

“No, you don’t know. I’ve told you this before, haven’t I?”

“It was a rational and cold judgment, and it was the optimal operation. We won thanks to you. But Rita, never do that again.”

“…Okay.”

“Really, never do such a thing again, Rita Pascal.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I know I made you worry.”

“No, you don’t know.”

That was a conversation she had with Gid after exploding the Oaths in her body to escape from Fair Squad. When Rita fell silent, recalling the old days, Gid whispered tenderly.

“Rita, I know how you feel. You know that other people worry, but honestly, you can’t understand it, right?”

“…I’m fine in the end, aren’t I? I don’t act recklessly without thinking. I do it after considering everything and thinking it’ll be okay, so don’t you trust me that much? You said you prioritize my judgment on the battlefield.”

“Of course I trust your judgment. But I can’t feel at ease. You’d do it even knowing you might not be safe, if it’s necessary. You know what the result of that was now, don’t you? How much we all…”

Gid trailed off and swallowed his words. Rita was at a loss for words.

She recalled Oli’s crying face, and the squad members’ behavior after her death that Is had described matter-of-factly. Also Gid’s appearance, coughing up blood and looking strangely distressed.

As Rita closed her mouth, he gently cupped her cheeks and continued.

“Rita, what we want from you isn’t some optimal operation. You’re too precious to us to just look at results.”

“I feel the same way about you all. That’s why—”

“I know, you truly care about us too. That’s why I’m saying this. If we’re precious to you too, then from now on, don’t take optimal actions, but take the best actions.”

“The best?”

“It’s okay if the results are insufficient and the outcome is a bit bad, so choose the direction where you get hurt less. Don’t calculate things like treatable limits or levels that won’t leave you disabled, just, just try not to get hurt as much as possible. Don’t squeeze yourself to the point of fainting either. Make your complete safety the absolute standard, and only do what you can within that limit.”

“That’s…”

“Rita, that’s the ‘best.’ Even if it’s a bit inefficient or frustrating, it’s the best for those who love you.”

Lillieta blinked in bewilderment. Gideon tilted his head as if to kiss her eyes, then hesitated and simply pressed his forehead against hers.

“Do you understand, Rita? That’s how someone who truly knows what it means to worry acts. Prioritizing your safety over results. So you really don’t know anything.”

“…!”

“No matter how good the results are… if you’re staggering around covered in blood, it’s meaningless. I really feel like I’m going crazy. So please…”

Gideon’s voice gradually trembled. His golden eyes gazing at her also trembled with overwhelming emotion. The hands cupping her cheeks were also trembling.

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