The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 35

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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 35

“It’s not that. I’ve just never ridden a horse before.”

The Ashen World was a place with no leisure to raise horses, so she had never even seen such animals, and during the past three weeks, there hadn’t been time to learn horseback riding as etiquette and culture lessons alone were insufficient.

‘I have ridden Is senior’s summoned creature before… but this feels completely different. Well, summoned creatures aren’t real animals after all.’

Being on a living animal, especially a creature controlled by someone else, made her extremely nervous.

Regardless of the fact that Leonhardt was family who would never harm her, she simply didn’t like the situation of entrusting her safety to a creature outside her control.

Even knowing it was safe didn’t change anything. It was a matter of instinct and habit, not logic.

‘This is why I couldn’t improve at dancing either. Every time someone else’s hand touched me, I’d stiffen up and become guarded… to the point where the etiquette teacher said we should give up and move on due to lack of time.’

She disliked having something alive touch her body, especially near vital areas. It was the same context as reflexively striking away approaches from blind spots.

Colleagues she had worked with for years or family she had spent childhood with were fine, but everyone else was unpleasant. It made her want to attack.

“You’re riding a horse for the first time? Are you perhaps scared?”

“It’s not that I’m scared, it’s more like I feel repulsed…”

Rita trailed off while answering Richard’s question. It wasn’t a logical state, so it was difficult to explain.

Among Pascals, this kind of repulsion was immediately understood without words, but Leonhardt and Richard would inevitably misunderstand.

“If it’s your first time riding, it’s natural to feel dizzy or motion sick. Just bear with it a little, Rita. We’ll arrive soon.”

“Hey, don’t worry. If you feel like you’re going to fall, I’ll catch you.”

Leonhardt comforted her and Richard grinned reassuringly. Rita just nodded and tried to relax her expression as much as possible, then hesitated.

“We’re family, aren’t we, Lili. We just need to get used to each other again. Like how you talked to us today, we can continue talking and getting to know each other again.”

Because she remembered what Leonhardt had said.

After thinking for a moment, she decided to speak honestly.

“It’s not because I’m scared or dizzy. I feel repulsed having an unfamiliar creature touching my body. I’m holding back the urge to attack.”

“You want to attack…? The horse?”

Leonhardt asked back in confusion. Richard widened his eyes and opened his mouth, then scratched his cheek and muttered.

“Ah, I see… Now I understand why you seemed so resolved when talking to us, Rita. These kinds of things are what make ‘Pascals’ different, right?”

“Richard!”

“That’s right.”

Though Leonhardt called his name warningly, Rita readily replied and added.

“I know it looks strange. And that it’s hard to understand.”

“It’s okay, that can happen.”

Richard grinned and reached out to pat Rita’s head, then hesitated.

“Do you also dislike having your head patted?”

“You’re fine, brother. You’re family.”

“…Wow, I’m actually a bit moved right now.”

“But I’m not a little kid anymore, so let’s stop with the head patting, Richard.”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

Richard immediately withdrew his hand and straightened his posture politely. When Rita smiled slightly, he also chuckled along.

Leonhardt, who had been watching his siblings, spoke in a gently relaxed voice.

“Rita, could you tell us in more detail about when you feel that way? I’d like to know.”

“Me too! I should know so I don’t make mistakes.”

Richard quickly chimed in. Rita looked at her caring family members quietly, then nodded.

“Alright. But I also have things I’d like to know about you two.”

“What is it?”

Rita turned her body to look up at Leonhardt behind her and spoke.

“Leon.”

“Yes.”

“The broken engagement wasn’t what you wanted, was it?”

“…!”

He stiffened with a start. Rita then turned her gaze to Richard.

“Richard.”

“Y-yes?”

“Rehabilitation is harder than expected, isn’t it?”

This time Richard stiffened and averted his gaze. Rita recalled what Hanna had reported about the task she had assigned her.

“I’ve compiled everything that happened at Birch Tree Castle during the 10 years you were missing, Miss! Organized by year!”

“You worked very diligently. Thank you.”

After praising Hanna, Rita showed the materials to Lindsey, who was an ‘Amethyst,’ for cross-verification, and also heard additional information that Hanna hadn’t been able to discover.

“This child organized everything conscientiously and well. But there are limits to what someone of a maid’s status can know.”

“For example, the reason Duke Leonhardt broke off his engagement. While it was partly because the mood wasn’t right for celebrations like weddings due to your disappearance, there were also political reasons.”

“The Duke’s fiancée was the daughter of the Everett Count family. Anne-Marie den Duirleborg Everett. Do you remember what you saw about the Everett family in the noble registry?”

In the Kairam Empire, children use their parents’ surnames together.

The name Lillieta del Nisa Raskail means she is a person of the Raskail family, born from a mother or father of Nisa family origin, with ducal bloodline that can use the title ‘del.’

When marrying and entering a spouse’s family, the surname changes.

For example, her mother Rosetta del Nisa Raskail was ‘Rosetta den Darius Nisa’ until marriage. It was the surname she used as the daughter of Marquis Nisa, who had a father from Darius and could use the title ‘den.’

When she married Duke Raskail, she became ‘Countess Raskail from the Nisa family’ and became ‘Rosetta del Nisa Raskail.’

Therefore, the name Anne-Marie den Duirleborg Everett means she had a father or mother from Duirleborg.

Indeed, the younger brother of the current Duke Duirleborg was Count Everett’s husband, and the Duke’s younger sister was Duke Adickl’s wife.

In other words, Leonhardt’s fiancée was a cousin of the Adickl Grand Duke’s son.

“Originally, the young Duke and the Everett daughter have known each other since childhood. The Everett Count family’s villa and our Raskail villa are very close.”

“When engagement talks came up around the time the Duke turned 17, he immediately mentioned the Everett Count’s daughter. They accepted the marriage proposal as if they had been waiting for it… This happened when you were 9 years old. Do you remember?”

Only then did she remember.

When she heard Leon was getting engaged and asked who it was with, she clapped her hands saying “Yay! I like villa sister!” after hearing the answer.

“Originally they planned to marry right after academy graduation, but as you know, you had just gone missing so it was postponed. The following year, His Highness the Crown Prince had an accident and became mentally impaired, throwing the political situation into chaos.”

“After that accident, Duke Adickl began revealing his ambitions for the throne, right?”

“Yes, but while Duke Adickl was acting so wildly, the Raskail young Duke marrying the Everett Count’s daughter, who is Duke Adickl’s son’s cousin? This would…”

“Our family originally focused only on governing the north and remained neutral while secluding ourselves due to my disappearance… but if brother married in that situation, it would immediately look like Raskail abandoned the Crown Prince and joined hands with Adickl.”

“Exactly, that’s why he postponed it. After postponing it like that, when His Highness the Crown Prince regained his reason and began crushing Duke Adickl…”

“…To avoid getting involved, breaking the engagement was the only option.”

Even though the Everett Count family didn’t particularly support Duke Adickl and was a quiet family that didn’t actively participate in the capital and just tended to their own territory, the situation turned out that way.

So Leonhardt’s engagement to the Everett Count’s daughter was his will, but breaking the engagement was not his will.

Rita recalled the Everett Count’s daughter whom she used to call ‘villa sister’ when she was young.

She was skilled with her hands. She had even made a small rabbit doll with pink yarn for young Lili who loved rabbits.

Moreover, she would play house with dolls for Lili who had no sisters, so every time they went to the villa during vacation season, she remembered being excited to meet ‘villa sister.’

‘I didn’t know because I didn’t call her by name when I was young. Anne-Marie den Duirleborg Everett… was that villa sister.’

After recalling that, more memories surfaced.

Memories of Leonhardt subtly probing young Lili about whether she wanted to visit villa sister. Memories of ‘villa sister’ asking various things about Leonhardt while playing with her.

Memories of Leonhardt accompanying them on outings with ‘villa sister’ under the pretext of being her guardian. Memories of briefly waking from a nap to see the two sitting side by side whispering.

She had found it curious to see her dignified eldest brother blushing and flustering, and the gentle villa sister laughing out loud.

Those two people got engaged and then broke it off?

‘If I hadn’t gone missing, Leon could have married before the political situation became complicated. It would have been better if they had already married…’

And regarding Richard too, there had been Hanna’s report and Lindsey’s supplementary explanation.

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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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