The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 31

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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 31

When she lifted her head, he had already come close. Bloodshot eyes. His large hand was placed on her head.

“You’ve grown up splendidly.”

“…!”

Unexpected words. Her eyes widened. The Duke smiled as he stroked her head.

“I’m proud of you.”

“…Me?”

“There were many difficult and hard moments, but you not only overcame them all safely, you also achieved countless victories and even made friends you can trust with your life.”

The Duke pulled her shoulders into his embrace and held her tightly as he spoke.

“Papa is truly proud of you.”

Rita held her breath.

That she had grown up splendidly. That he was proud of her?

Though these were words she had never imagined, perhaps she had wanted to hear such words. Perhaps she had wanted someone, especially her family, to acknowledge that she had lived earnestly.

Such thoughts occurred to her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be this shaken. Warmth spread through her stiffened body and her heart raced.

Perhaps, no, as expected, my family members are.

She looked at the others while being held in her loving father’s embrace.

Mother was crying.

“Thank you, our daughter. Thank you for telling us, and thank you for growing up so well despite how hard it must have been….”

Mother, who had come close to her, grasped and caressed her hands.

Leonhardt wore a bitter smile.

“Lili, no matter how you’ve changed, the fact that you’re my little sister doesn’t change. As you said, ten years have passed and many things happened during that time, so we might feel a bit awkward or unfamiliar with each other.”

He took a deep breath and added.

“But what does that matter? We’re family, Lili. We can get used to each other again. Like how you talked to us today, we can continue talking to each other and get to know each other again.”

“Brother’s right.”

Richard picked up the conversation. He looked at her with a furrowed brow.

“Hey, why are you looking at us so solemnly as if you’ve made some kind of resolution? Did you think we would deny ‘Rita Pascal’ or something? I’m pissed that you suffered unfairly, but that doesn’t mean we’d treat it all like it never happened.”

He reached out and ruffled the hair of her who was being held in their father’s arms.

“You’ve been through a lot, and welcome back, ‘Rita’.”

Richard called her ‘Rita’ instead of ‘Lili’. Then Leonhardt made an awkward face as if realizing something and smiled awkwardly before opening his mouth.

“Right, welcome back, Rita.”

“Brother, you’re copying me now?”

“Shut up.”

The Countess, while tears streamed down her face, laughed briefly at the brothers’ bickering, then looked at Lillieta with a face so tender it could melt.

“What should Mother call you? Which one feels more comfortable?”

Rita couldn’t answer immediately. Somehow her throat felt choked. She swallowed and barely managed to answer.

“It doesn’t… matter. Either name….”

“I see. Whether Lili or Rita, you’re Lillieta. Right?”

Mother smiled with tears in her eyes and whispered while cupping her cheeks.

“Then, Mother will call you Lili. You’ve become such a wonderful adult, but to Mother, you’ll always be my beloved baby Lili.”

The Duke chuckled softly at his wife’s words. She could feel Papa’s laughter from where their bodies touched. He smoothed down her hair that had been tousled by her brother’s vigorous patting.

“Papa will call you Lili too. No matter how wonderful an adult you become, to Papa you’ll always be my adorable youngest daughter Lili.”

“Wait, if Father and Mother do that, what does that make us who called her Rita?”

When Richard interjected sulkily, Leonhardt grinned.

“What else would we be? We become the brothers who treat our splendidly grown youngest as an adult.”

“Wow, Brother really knows what to say at times like this.”

The family burst into laughter.

Rita looked at them with a dazed expression and felt her eyes growing hot. Richard giggled and lightly touched her nose tip.

“What should we do, is our youngest crying? From being moved?”

“…Shut up, Richard.”

“It’s okay to cry though. No, please cry. I can only cry proudly if you cry first.”

Richard’s eyes were red as he grinned. Lillieta laughed at the absurdity then burst into tears. And once the tears started, they didn’t stop easily.

From gratitude? From the realization that she had returned home? Because her family was still her family?

She didn’t know. She couldn’t explain it.

Lillieta cried to her heart’s content. Since she wasn’t crying alone, she wasn’t embarrassed.

* * *

Even after Lillieta’s story ended, the family didn’t leave the drawing room that overlooked the garden.

Until the sunset faded and night fell, they sat around the fireplace with reddened, swollen eyes and shared many more stories.

“To think that young maid was the one who lured you out that night… Sigh.”

“More precisely, it was that archmage bastard. Rita’s judgment is right. We need to keep that maid close and watch her for now. We have to catch and kill that damn Pascal or whatever his name is.”

“Pascal, Pascal… I have no idea who that could be. Since he’s from another world, that’s natural… I don’t know what intention he had for doing such things, but he will surely face Raskail’s wrath.”

“Our daughter, you must have been so scared that day… To recall that and even tell us about it… Are you okay? Should you sleep with Mother tonight?”

They expressed anger and offered comfort about that night when she was kidnapped.

“Papa will investigate the traces of magic remaining on the slipper fragments and coffin pieces. I have connections at the Mage Tower in the Capital.”

“I’ll investigate where and how that coffin was made. It would have been difficult to bring a coffin of that size from outside the Raskail Domain, so it was probably made within the domain.”

“Lili, Mother will have trustworthy maids keep watching Hanna, so don’t worry too much about it. If that child makes you even slightly uncomfortable or bothers you, tell us. Oh, dear, you remember, don’t you? That maid girl named Hanna is definitely….”

“…A child with a story. It’s a complicated tale, not easy to explain right now. Lili, the amethyst that will be given to you soon will explain it well later.”

“That Pascal guy might be a dark mage. No wait, a bastard who did such things must definitely be a dark mage, right? I’ll look for information about dark mages. While I’m at it, I’ll also check if the temple has any information about other worlds.”

They also discussed what to do going forward.

Not just such heavy topics, but they also shared plenty of light conversation. As if trying to fill the years that had passed without each other.

“Wow, the magical beasts were that big? You fought against things like that?”

“Magic gunmanship feels quite different from the marksmanship we know. Rita, can you show us sometime later?”

“Right, Brother didn’t see it, did you? She blew off a wyvern’s head in one shot in the city! The distance was quite far….”

Suddenly the Countess shot a look at the Duke.

“No matter how I think about it, Lili choosing a gun seems like your fault.”

“Ahem.”

“My, you look quite pleased?”

The Duke who had cleared his throat spoke to Rita.

“Lili, how about going hunting with Papa next time?”

“Lili, then your father might die from happiness, so be careful.”

“Ahem, hmm, dear.”

The Duke cleared his throat again. Rita smiled slightly.

“I’d like that. We never got to go together when I was little, right? Now that I’m all grown up, let’s definitely go together.”

At her answer, the Duke’s stern-looking mouth stretched into a wide grin. Richard giggled at the sight and got smacked on the back of the head by Leonhardt.

The Countess, who had been covering her mouth and laughing, said “Oh right” and looked back at Rita.

“Come to think of it, the social season is coming soon. Do you remember what the social season is?”

“Um, it was the period spent at the town house in the capital, right? From spring to summer….”

“That’s right, you remember! During the social season from April to August, nobles from all regions gather in the Imperial Capital Lambard to socialize. Countless balls and various banquets are held there, along with grand festivals and hunting competitions.”

The Countess clapped her hands as she continued, her cheeks flushing like a girl as her eyes sparkled.

“Lili, how about making your debut this social season? We must announce your return to everyone! We’ll hold a debutante ball at the Creme Dome and a banquet to commemorate your return!”

“You’re planning to participate in this year’s social season?”

Leonhardt asked in surprise. The Countess quickly answered.

“Of course we must participate, our daughter has returned! We must widely announce Lili’s return with a grand party! Don’t you think so, dear?”

“Yes, indeed. We can’t just casually pass over the return of Raskail’s princess. As you say, dear, it would be good to make Raskail’s first party of this social season Lili’s debutante ball.”

The young Duke, who had been blinking at the Duke and Duchess’s exchange, smiled.

“That would also be a party announcing Raskail’s return. We’ll need to prepare properly.”

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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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