The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 117

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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 117

“…I came straight from the training grounds. I’ll go wash up.”

“Yes, how about telling Lili about the hunting competition results after you wash up? I think Lili would be curious about the results.”

“Ah.”

Richard’s face turned slightly red.

Through that face mixed with embarrassment and pride, Rita could guess that he had achieved excellent results as Raskail’s representative in the hunting competition. She added with a smiling face.

“That’s right, Richard. I’m curious about how it went. Since I couldn’t see anything and feel disappointed, tell me in detail later.”

“…Alright.”

Richard left the room grumbling while still flushed. Leonhardt followed with a gentle smile, and the Countess left last with the Duke.

And not long after, Hanna came in pushing a tray full of easily digestible dishes.

“Miss, please eat first. You must be very hungry.”

Smelling the food made her finally feel hungry. Rita didn’t refuse and immediately picked up a spoon.

After finishing her meal in an instant, she called to Hanna who was clearing the empty dishes.

“Hanna.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Can you tell me what happened in the forest that day?”

Hanna’s hand moving the plates hesitated. She took a deep breath and looked back at Rita with eyes that had somehow become firmer than before.

“Of course I should tell you everything.”

The story that followed didn’t deviate much from expectations.

The Naporoa Household Servant who had shown interest in Hanna was chatting and walking with her, when at some point he suddenly said her hair was beautiful and tried to touch it.

When Hanna refused and backed away saying she didn’t like it, that bastard suddenly grabbed her hair. Startled, Hanna pushed him away with all her strength and ran frantically, and when she came to her senses, she was deep in the forest.

Wandering there, she unluckily encountered a herd of Horned Boars, then climbed up a nearby tree in terror.

It was the best choice she could make with only a practice revolver with blocked chambers.

‘It’s within the range I roughly expected. Hanna must have been very frightened.’

The unexpected element was that the servant who called Hanna out belonged to the Naporoa family.

‘Naporoa is Duke Adickl’s maternal family.’

Terrence del Naporoa Adickl. That’s the current Duke’s name.

His mother was a princess from a kingdom in the west of the empire, who naturalized to Kairam when she married the previous Duke.

The Former Emperor granted her a family title and territory that had previously been reclaimed by the imperial family when the lineage was cut off, as repayment for the interests she brought as dowry, and that was Naporoa.

In other words, the only person currently belonging to the Naporoa family is the ‘Naporoa Baroness’, Duke Adickl’s mother.

‘I heard that old lady left the duchy after her husband died and her son inherited the ducal position, spending her remaining years at the Naporoa Estate… Did she come to the capital together when Duke Adickl returned?’

Was it really the servant’s own intention that a servant from that family called Hanna out? Or was it someone’s order behind him? Was that someone Duke Adickl, or the Naporoa Baroness who is the Duke’s mother?

‘No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like he was just hitting on her out of interest.’

It was suspicious in many ways that a servant from a family related to Adickl happened to call out Hanna, who might have blood ties to Adickl.

‘Ethan probably followed well and investigated. I’ll ask him later. But… Hanna isn’t mentioning anything about Ethan.’

From Hanna’s perspective, not knowing that Ethan and Rita were colleagues, she might think it was her private emotional matter and none of Rita’s business.

‘If she wants to hide it, would it be better for me to pretend not to know? But if I leave that bastard Ethan alone, he won’t even apologize properly.’

While postponing conclusions about the servant issue and pondering Ethan’s accident, Hanna finished organizing the dishes, straightened her back, and spoke in proper posture.

“Miss.”

“Yes.”

“About what you told me to think over before, I’ve finished thinking and want to tell you.”

The matter of Hanna’s bloodline verification. Rita stopped thinking and gave her attention.

“Have you thought about it enough?”

“Yes.”

Her light brown eyes were clear. She added in a firm tone.

“It’s a conclusion I reached after thinking hard while you were lying down, Miss.”

“Good, tell me.”

“First, I will definitely get the bloodline verification. And regarding the matter after that, I have something I want to ask you, Miss.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“You said my biological father would be related to the criminal who kidnapped you, Miss. My being controlled was also because of that bloodline, and you’re investigating my bloodline to find that person.”

“That’s right.”

“Then… after verifying my bloodline…”

Hanna took such a deep breath that her shoulders moved, then continued as if she had made up her mind.

“How about I personally go find my biological father after regaining my original status and investigate from a daughter’s position?”

“…What?”

“I don’t need any other status. I’m satisfied as I am. But if regaining my status helps you, Miss, I want to do that.”

“Wait, wait, Hanna. Do you know what you’re talking about?”

Rita shook her head in confusion.

“It’s not just regaining your status, but investigating the criminal from there? That’s an extremely dangerous thing, Hanna. That kidnapper wouldn’t be an ordinary person.”

“That’s why wouldn’t it be best for me, a blood relative, to investigate? If I regain my status, I’d become the criminal’s blood and family member.”

“Just entering that family and adapting is different from investigating. Even if you’re blood, there’s no guarantee you’d be safe. If you’re caught, the criminal might try to dispose of you!”

“Miss, I’m not particularly good at anything and not smart, but I can risk my life for anything you ask me to do. Anything.”

“What? No, why on earth…”

“Anyway, if it weren’t for you, Miss, I’d already be dead. I would have been executed as a kidnapper, or fallen from a tree and been eaten by monsters. You saved my life twice, Miss. Even though you were kidnapped because of me, even though you bled because of me…”

Hanna approached the bedside and knelt before her. Pure, straight eyes looked up at her.

“Miss, I want to use the life you saved for you. I don’t care about danger, what’s important is being helpful to you.”

“…!”

“Please make me your limbs and spy. I’ll do my best.”

Rita was speechless for a while. She stared blankly at Hanna’s resolute face, then barely managed to speak.

“Hanna, that criminal might control you again. He’s a great mage.”

“…Isn’t there a way for me to resist?”

“Hm?”

“You know various mysterious techniques, Miss. Among them, isn’t there a way for me to resist so others can’t control me? If you teach me, I’ll grit my teeth and learn!”

Lillieta was again at a loss for words at that idea.

Because a certain possibility she had thought about alone when she first decided to teach Hanna shooting came to mind again.

‘If Hanna became an Oathbinder…’

She might be able to resist magic trying to invade her with internal Oaths. Even if completely repelling it would be difficult due to the level difference, it would be much harder to control than now when she’s a powerless civilian.

Originally, possessing and controlling another’s body wasn’t easy even for that Pascal.

If controlling non-blood bodies was easy, when kidnapping Lillieta, he would have possessed Richard, whom she completely trusted, or a stronger adult, rather than Hanna who was just a 12-year-old girl.

‘I also used to move Dorothy’s body, which would often become paralyzed, with the power of Oaths gained after making vows… So resisting in reverse should be possible too.’

Of course, even so, she couldn’t assign Hanna, who hadn’t received special training and had lived ordinarily, the spy role of infiltrating Adickl to investigate Pascal.

‘To regain status, it would be safer to completely cut ties with me. For both Hanna and me.’

When Rita’s brow furrowed, Hanna grabbed the hem of her pajamas as she sat on the bed and spoke desperately.

“Or, or Miss, you know, there’s that thing, magic that places restrictions. Can’t you put that on me? Then even if I’m controlled, I won’t be able to betray you, Miss, so somehow…!”

“…Calm down, Hanna.”

Rita lowered her head and placed her hand on Hanna’s.

“I understand your feelings. But it’s still too dangerous, and even now you’re helping me enough as a maid―”

“That’s not enough! If it’s because I’m incompetent and that’s all I can do, that would be one thing, but something more helpful has come up! And, and this… is something only I can do, right? Anyone else can do maid work, but I’m the only one who can become the family of the criminal you’re looking for and investigate.”

Hanna asked with determined, shining eyes.

“Is this kind of spy work of no particular use to you, Miss?”

“…No, that’s not the case.”

“If it helps even a little, then, I want to do it. Whether as your spy, your limbs, or your chess piece. Please let me do anything, okay?”

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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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