The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 4

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

Chapter 4

“….”

Rita hesitated for a moment, then put away the mirror shard and released the maid.

The maid, now tearful, trembled as she glanced around nervously, then quickly fled from the room when Leonhardt gestured with his eyes.

After Hanna left, Leonhardt closed the door and turned to look at his sister.

Compared to him, she had a frail body that seemed no bigger than a handful, yet her posture and gaze were like those of a knight who had spent ten years on the battlefield.

‘What on earth did she experience while she was missing?’

Though his heart ached, he suppressed his emotions as much as possible and acted calmly.

“…Yesterday on the way home, you fell into a deep sleep, so I had the maid wash you, change your clothes, and let you rest in this guest room. That’s all that happened to you last night.”

Leonhardt recalled the previous night.

When they arrived at the Duke’s mansion, she had fallen asleep on his back. She seemed so exhausted it was almost like she had fainted.

While the maid washed her and changed her clothes, Leonhardt discussed with his family about the nightgown Lillieta had returned wearing.

He called only his father and younger brother, excluding his mother who had just awakened after fainting at the funeral.

“Lillieta has returned.”

“However, she seems to barely remember her childhood. She says she’s not Lillieta but someone named Rita. Her body may be Lillieta’s, but she claims to be a completely different person inside….”

Most prestigious noble families possessed magical tools that could verify bloodlines. It was called a ‘family tree’ because it could register verified individuals.

The Raskail family tree was a large basin surrounded by bronze sculptures depicting flowing streams.

When the maid dropped the woman’s hair into the water in the basin, the family crest and name soon rippled and appeared on the surface.

Irises and grain stalks surrounding a purple gem. The name ‘Lillieta del Nisa Raskail’ appeared clearly above the Raskail coat of arms.

This was proof that the owner of the hair was of Raskail bloodline and had already been recorded in the family tree at birth.

Whatever her soul might be, that body was definitely Lillieta, whom they had desperately searched for over ten years.

“Leon, do you think even her soul is truly that child? Just… she’s forgotten her childhood and lived as someone else for the past ten years, so she simply thinks she’s not Lillieta.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Duke Raskail trusted his eldest son’s judgment. However, his second son did not agree with his brother’s opinion.

“She said it wasn’t her body, right? She said it seemed like she died, became a ghost, and possessed it, right? I heard there’s dark magic like that. It might really be someone else who has taken over Lili’s body!”

After a long discussion, they reached one conclusion.

Leonhardt sat on the sofa in Lillieta’s room and gestured toward the opposite side with his chin.

“Sit down and let’s continue talking, Rita.”

Rita slowly sat across from him. She placed the mirror shard she had been holding right beside her so she could grab it at any time.

Seeing this, Leonhardt checked the broken mirror scattered in the corner. Rita followed his gaze and shrank her neck as she made an excuse.

“I needed a weapon. I’ll compensate for it somehow later.”

Leonhardt was about to say it was fine when he saw her hand and was startled.

“You’re hurt!”

“Huh?”

Rita looked down at her right hand, slightly flustered. Despite holding it carefully, she seemed to have been cut by the shard, leaving a shallow wound on her palm.

‘How weak is this body’s skin?’

She clicked her tongue in disbelief when he quickly pulled out a handkerchief and extended his hand toward her.

“Give me your hand.”

“….”

Rita looked once more at his face, which closely resembled hers, then obediently extended her hand. Leonhardt pressed the bleeding wound and wrapped it with his handkerchief as he spoke.

“Fortunately, it’s not a serious wound. I’ll stop the bleeding like this for now, and I’ll send the family doctor later so you can get proper treatment.”

“Sorry. I hurt your sister’s body.”

Leonhardt, who had been tying the handkerchief, paused. Rita sighed softly and added.

“I’ll be more careful from now on. This isn’t my body, after all.”

“….”

Leonhardt remained silent for a moment, then finished tying the knot and withdrew his hands. Then he carefully opened his mouth.

“You said you’re not my sister.”

“That’s right, I’m not.”

“Why are you so certain?”

Rita glanced toward the window. A fresh world with bright sunlight and clear skies.

“Let me properly introduce myself from the beginning. My name is Rita Pascal, and I’m 22 years old.”

“22 years old?”

“Yes. Why? How old is she? She does look young.”

“Lillieta is 20 years old.”

“I thought so. See, even our ages are different. My original appearance was completely different from this body too. I had reddish-brown hair and reddish-brown eyes.”

“….”

“And I was one of ‘Pascal’s Children’ as well as the vice-captain of the autonomous squad ‘Beacon’ belonging to the Last Defense Line.”

“Pascal? Last Defense Line?”

When Leonhardt asked back in confusion, Rita sighed as expected.

“It seems the world I lived in is completely different from here. Even the environment is too different.”

“A different world, what do you mean….”

“Do you happen to know what ‘magical beasts’ are?”

Leonhardt stroked his chin and the corner of his mouth.

“There are monsters, but… that has a different nuance.”

“Monsters? You mean things like orcs, goblins, and trolls?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve only heard of those in fairy tales…. Anyway, those are a species and living creatures, right? Magical beasts are beings that are different from ordinary creatures in many ways. Monster-type mutants caused by magical contamination, shortened to magical beasts. First time hearing about them?”

“I have no idea.”

“…So they don’t exist here. That’s why… it’s so peaceful and beautiful.”

Rita looked toward the window again. A powerless smile appeared on her face as she stared blankly at the sky. It seemed both hollow and resentful.

Leonhardt rubbed his face and asked.

“So you’re saying… you were born and raised in a world where those magical beasts exist? And you have all your childhood memories?”

“Childhood? Of course I don’t remember everything. But I can roughly recall it. Well, I was just a common orphan. That’s the kind of world it was.”

“More specifically….”

“Rather than that, let’s talk about this place now. I still don’t even know your name.”

“Ah.”

He had been too hasty. He let out a thoughtful sound and introduced himself.

“My name is Leonhardt del Nisa Raskail, I’m 28 years old and the eldest son of the Raskail ducal house. My father is Duke Waldemar del Regis Raskail, my mother is Countess Rosetta del Nisa Raskail, and I have a younger brother Richard who is two years younger than me. Your… no, Lillieta’s family consists of these four people.”

“Everyone has long and elegant names. I guess that’s because you’re nobles.”

Rita shrugged and added.

“In the world I lived in, nobles like dukes and such only existed in fairy tale books, so I don’t know much about noble etiquette. Please understand.”

“It’s fine, I’ll get you an etiquette teacher. Someone discreet.”

“Huh? You want me to learn etiquette?”

“From now on, you’re also a noble.”

“What?”

Rita widened her eyes as if asking what kind of nonsense he was talking about. Leonhardt leaned back against the sofa and clasped his hands on his knees.

“Rita, you said you’re from another world. That only your soul entered my sister’s body.”

“Mm, probably.”

“Do you know why this happened?”

“Sorry, but I have no idea. I thought I was dead, but when I opened my eyes, I was inside a lake.”

“So you have no idea how to get your original body back or return to the world you knew. Is that right?”

“…Yes.”

“Then how about living as ‘Lillieta’ for the time being.”

“What?”

“You don’t know how to return to your original world anyway, and you don’t really have anywhere to go in this world either. So why don’t you just live as Lillieta of the Raskails, fitting the identity of that body?”

“What do you mean….”

“Rita, my younger sister has been missing for ten years since she was 10 years old. We spent ten years searching for her, only to give up just a few days ago and hold a funeral with an empty coffin. My mother fainted at that time.”

“….”

“I don’t know what would happen to my mother if I told her that a complete stranger’s soul has entered the body of her daughter who returned after ten years. Especially if you were to just leave with that body….”

“….”

“Do you understand what I mean? If you really are borrowing someone else’s body, I’d like you to at least play the role that fits that body.”

“A role….”

“Live as ‘Lillieta,’ the daughter the ducal family has recovered after ten years. Then we’ll treat you as a true princess of the Raskails too. So you can enjoy a luxurious and comfortable life forever.”

Rita looked around at the beautiful scenery outside the window and the splendid, comfortable interior.

A wealthy noble’s life in a world where things like magical beasts don’t exist—it would certainly be a comfortable life, but….

Countless faces flashed through her mind. Juniors, friends, seniors, and.

“Don’t do it, damn it, don’t do such a thing! Rita! Please!”

She recalled the man who had been screaming and trying to reach her in that final moment.

Her oldest comrade-in-arms. After the children they had trained with were all killed, leaving only the two of them, they had become each other’s sole contemporary.

His words about not being able to live without her were probably just a simple joke, but still, thinking she was dead, he was surely deeply grieving… Gid Pascal.

‘If I was lucky enough to survive, I should return. Somehow.’

‘Beacon’ was an autonomous squad composed only of Pascal’s Children.

Orphans who had been rolling around battlefields since their early to mid-teens, risking their lives. Instead of homes that didn’t exist, they relied on each other like homes to return to—a bond closer than family.

She couldn’t abandon them in hell and find comfort alone.

Rita shook her head.

“No, I have no intention of continuing to live here in this body. I’m going to return to my original world.”

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