The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 16

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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 16

“…Yes, yes, Miss…”

“Did you happen to meet any strangers that day?”

“No, I, after my mother passed away, I immediately entered the ducal house and never once went outside Birch Tree Castle. I never met anyone except the people inside the castle. Really, please believe me…”

“Then do you have any idea how that voice ended up in your head?”

Hanna hesitated with her tear-stained face, then answered while sobbing.

“Sob, Miss, actually, after I regained my memories last night… all night long, until now, I’ve been constantly, constantly thinking about it. What was that thing, why did something like that possess me…”

Tears poured down. She grabbed her head with a truly desperate expression.

“But no matter how much I think about it, I don’t know. I can’t guess anything, really, I’m sorry… Sob, it might sound like a lie, but I really don’t know anything… Without any warning signs or triggers, it suddenly happened like that… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Miss…”

“Alright, I understand.”

Rita answered briefly, turned around, and returned to sit on the sofa.

‘My nightmare that night also had no warning signs or triggers. Since Pascal is an archmage who can even manipulate people’s memories, he probably used magical methods that ordinary people would find hard to notice.’

She didn’t particularly resent Hanna.

She wasn’t so consumed by anger that she needed to take it out on a child who was only 12 years old at the time and had merely been manipulated by an archmage.

Honestly, right now she felt more questions than anger or betrayal toward Pascal.

‘I can’t understand it. Why on earth?’

What could be the reason that archmage kidnapped a child from another world with no connection or grudge and turned her into a weapon? And in such a complicated and inefficient way at that?

And how was such a thing even possible?

‘Was it a coincidence that I possessed the body of a child named Dorothy who resembled Hanna in that world?’

What exactly is the relationship between Hanna and Dorothy? Are they simply people who look alike? Or is there some connection?

At least until she could figure that out, she needed to keep Hanna within her sight.

‘Besides, I don’t know how Pascal managed to possess Hanna’s body, but… the fact that he possessed her once means he could do it a second time, right?’

Perhaps Hanna was the only link to Pascal who might be in another world.

‘What should I do with her.’

If the truth from 10 years ago came to light, Hanna would face at least execution. Even if it wasn’t her own will, a mere commoner orphan maid had kidnapped the young lady of a ducal house. It would be fortunate if she died peacefully for such a crime.

‘There’s no way Hanna doesn’t know this. If she wanted to live, it would have been better to somehow escape as soon as she regained her memories.’

However, instead of running away, she came to Lillieta on her own and confessed everything.

She had been threatened by her with mirror shards, and had her throat strangled when she had a seizure, yet she showed no signs of resentment or blame.

Looking at this alone, she was a very honest and loyal maid.

‘…But there’s also the possibility that all of this is an elaborate act. If she was an accomplice from the beginning and made the first move to avoid suspicion as soon as she heard I had regained my memories.’

Of course, given the clear circumstances that she was a young child who had lost her single mother at the time, the probability of Hanna being an accomplice wasn’t high.

‘Still, the probability isn’t zero. If Pascal continued to possess Hanna whenever needed, Hanna might have unintentionally become an accomplice… or she might have been persuaded or brainwashed by him and truly become an accomplice.’

She had seen more than once how people who seemed good and innocent betrayed others or turned into demons. She always had to keep the worst-case scenario in mind.

Which was it? What should she do?

Rita pondered while touching her lips, then finally decided on Hanna’s treatment.

“Hanna.”

“Sob, yes, Miss…”

“I’ve heard everything.”

“Then, pu, punishment…”

“No, you’ll continue working as my maid.”

“Whaaaat?”

Hanna looked up in shock. Receiving that incredulous gaze, Rita thought.

She couldn’t let someone who might be a crucial clue die or be banished. It was better to keep her close and watch her.

‘If she really was innocently used by Pascal and confessed while acknowledging her guilt, then she’s someone I should bring to my side. Conversely, even if she’s an accomplice, the conclusion is the same. I need to use her as a link to Pascal.’

Rita spoke calmly.

“Hanna, you said you were sorry to me, right?”

“Yes… sob.”

“Then dedicate that much loyalty to me.”

“…!”

“I’ll believe that you didn’t kidnap me of your own will and that you didn’t even remember it until yesterday.”

“You’ll believe me? Really?”

“Yes, I believe you, Hanna.”

Actually, she didn’t believe her.

She shouldn’t trust people carelessly. However, if she showed signs of suspicion, even people who wouldn’t have betrayed her originally would betray her.

“Why did you do that just now? Rita, in any situation, it’s better to say you believe them first. There’s nothing good about showing suspicion. But don’t actually believe them.”

If they’re bad people, they’ll let their guard down thinking she trusts them, which is good, and if they’re good people, they’ll be moved that she believed them, which is even better.

In the former case, she could catch solid evidence, and in the latter case, she could gain a valuable talent.

‘—That’s what Gid said.’

Gid Pascal was skilled at handling people. That’s why when Gid and she founded the Beacon Squad together, Gid became the squad leader and she became the deputy leader.

She missed him.

Him, and the comrades of the Beacon Squad too.

‘The possibility of meeting them again here is… unlikely. Everyone will be safe.’

Rita neatly tucked away the sentiment that suddenly arose and looked at Hanna’s moved face.

“I’ll believe you, so atone by being loyal to me from now on.”

“…Yes! Yes! Thank you, Miss! Thank you so much! Since you’ve forgiven me and spared my life, I’ll definitely dedicate it to you! I’ll serve you with my life on the line!”

Hanna burst into tears and prostrated herself before her. Rita sighed softly and thought.

‘First, let me investigate the traces of the slipper fragments and coffin pieces while also investigating Hanna. Meanwhile, I should give her some work to do. Since I said I believe her… should I have her do some simple information gathering? But it must be something that can definitely be cross-verified.’

After pondering, she spoke.

“Well then, I have something for you to do first.”

“Yes, anything you say!”

“Investigate and organize what happened at Birch Tree Castle after I went missing, then bring it to me. What changes there were compared to 10 years ago, and what happened to our family members. You’ve been working here all along, so you should be able to do it well, right?”

“Of course! Just leave it to me!”

Hanna clenched both hands, full of enthusiasm. Rita smiled slightly at her.

‘Information that Hanna, who lived here for 10 years, can sufficiently handle, whose accuracy can be quickly verified, and that isn’t too secretive. This should be enough.’

As a bonus, she wanted to hear more from someone other than family about what happened to her family while she was missing.

Since Lillieta was the young and weak youngest daughter of the Raskails. Her family, who were already overprotective of her, probably wouldn’t tell her bad news after she had been missing for 10 years and barely returned.

‘Especially Leon wouldn’t be the type to say harsh things to his youngest sister. But I need to know everything.’

Rita recalled the stories she had heard from the butler, maids, and gardener, Richard who had come to her drunk, and the Countess who had jumped into the lake in the middle of the night.

‘…Everyone needs healing.’

She wanted to fix all the parts that had been broken because of her disappearance. Only then would she feel like she had truly returned ‘home.’

* * *

The Countess, who had fallen asleep after taking medicine, woke up in the afternoon.

As soon as Leonhardt and Lillieta entered the room after hearing the news, the Countess sprang up from the bed and rushed over as if flying.

“Lily!”

And as if she couldn’t even see her eldest son standing beside her, she grabbed only her daughter.

“It wasn’t a dream, it wasn’t a dream!”

Life returned to the Countess’s entire body, which had been withered like a dried flower. She endlessly caressed Rita’s face.

“Lily, you’ve come back. You came back to me, oh God… No matter how many years have passed, there’s no way a mother wouldn’t recognize her child. I knew at first sight. I recognized you the moment I saw you. Right? My daughter, my angel, my fairy…”

Lillieta quietly leaned her cheek against her hand and answered.

“Yes, Mother. It’s me, Lillieta.”

“Ahh…”

The Countess whispered while tears streamed down.

“Lily, where have you been all this time?”

“A very distant place from here. I couldn’t return because I didn’t know how to come back.”

“A distant place? How did you live there? Wasn’t it difficult or hard?”

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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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