The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 41

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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 41

It was indeed a status worth throwing a tantrum over, asking if they knew who she was. Rita let out a small sigh and greeted her according to proper etiquette.

“May you welcome the fresh spring. I am Lillieta del Nisa Raskail, Princess of Duirebourg.”

“…What? Ra, Raskail?”

Lavinia, who had been glaring at Annemarie, turned her head with creaking sounds. And Annemarie, who had been staggering to her feet, looked at Lillieta with wide-open eyes.

“…Lillieta?”

“It’s been a while, villa sister.”

When Rita smiled and replied, Annemarie covered her mouth with both hands in emotion.

“Oh my, goodness, Lillieta!”

She let out an exclamation close to a scream, then pushed Lavinia aside and rushed to Lillieta. She grasped her hands with trembling fingers and tears welled up in her eyes.

“You, I heard the news that you returned home, like a miracle, oh my, little Lillieta has become an adult. You’ve grown up, you’ve grown up so beautifully… How much I cried when I heard you went missing… Oh, really, I’m so glad you returned safely. Can sister hug you for a bit?”

“Of course.”

Rita opened her arms to the tearful Annemarie. Annemarie pulled her into a tight embrace and began to sob.

Rita suppressed her body’s reflexive reaction to be wary and push away, looking at Lavinia over Annemarie’s shoulder.

The pink-haired girl looked at Annemarie’s back with a shocked face like a child whose mother had been taken away, then frowned deeply and stamped her feet.

“Anne!”

“I missed you, Lillieta. I thought I could only see you at the debutante ball, but to meet like this… Oh, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m healthy. I don’t get out of breath easily anymore.”

“Really? When you were little, I was always worried… Come to think of it, your complexion has improved a lot. That’s a relief.”

“Annemarie!”

Annemarie, who was absorbed in meeting Lillieta after 10 years, couldn’t properly hear Lavinia’s call. Lavinia’s face turned bright red and her light green eyes glared fiercely at Lillieta.

‘She’s glaring but her eyes are teary. She’s going to cry at this rate.’

Rita gently pushed away Annemarie’s shoulder, who was hugging her, and gestured with her chin.

“Sister, behind you.”

“Oh, right, look at me. Lillieta, this is Lavinia…”

“I don’t need any introduction!”

“Huh?”

Lavinia interrupted Annemarie’s attempt to introduce her by shouting, then pushed her away and strode forward.

“I want to go home!”

“La, Lavinia?”

The pink hair disappeared like a storm. The princess’s waiting maids and escort knights also disappeared in a rush following her. In an instant, only Lillieta’s party and Annemarie remained in the empty fitting room.

Annemarie blinked and smiled awkwardly.

“Sorry, Lillieta. Were you surprised? Lavinia is my cousin, and she’s still young…”

“Princess Duirebourg and my lady are only one year apart.”

Lindsey casually interjected with an indifferent tone. Annemarie covered her mouth with her hand, saying “Oh my.”

“Right, that’s true… Lavinia is nineteen, and Lillieta must be twenty now.”

“Only one year apart?”

Rita was a bit surprised. She was shorter and her face and behavior seemed childish, so she thought she would be much younger.

Annemarie turned red as if embarrassed and fanned herself with her hand.

“Ahaha, Lavinia is a bit slow in development… Lillieta has grown up maturely. Well, you were well-behaved and smart even as a child. Oh, what brought you here?”

“I came for a fitting because they said the dress I ordered was completed. It’ll be finished soon, so could you wait a little? It’s been so long, I want to talk with sister more.”

“Of course! I’ll wait at the cafe right in front of here!”

Annemarie smiled brightly and left the fitting room. Rita recalled Leonhardt’s broken engagement.

‘Does sister Anne still have feelings for brother?’

Leonhardt still has feelings. Though he tries not to show it, it became obvious when I talked to him separately after probing during the hunt.

“Rita, that’s not because of your disappearance. It’s my fault. Because I was weak, I let go of Anne’s hand. I, I…”

Lingering feelings dripped from him as he stopped mid-sentence and hung his head. He couldn’t speak properly for a while, then added in a hoarse voice. That it was absolutely not your fault.

‘Right, it’s not my fault. But it is because of my disappearance.’

So I want to try what efforts I can make.

Rita proceeded with the fitting quickly while listening to Lindsey’s additional explanation about Annemarie and Lavinia.

“Duke Duirebourg’s younger sister married Duke Adickl, and his younger brother married Count Everett, as I mentioned. So Duke Duirebourg’s only daughter and Lady Everett are also cousins. I understand they’re quite close.”

“Princess Duirebourg seems young for her age.”

“Well… it’s a common story. Duke Duirebourg got his precious only daughter and spoiled her, so she became that way, ahem, she grew up so immature, but because of her status, everyone crawls to her, making her temper only worse, hmm… Anyway, Lady Everett following around Princess Duirebourg and cleaning up after her troubles is famous even in high society. She even has a nickname, Duirebourg’s maid.”

“That nickname is a bit harsh.”

“High society gossip is all like that. If you find it unpleasant to hear, I’ll tone it down appropriately.”

“No, it’s fine. I said I want to hear everything as it is.”

Compared to all the nonsense and slander that floated around the Last Line of Defense, high society gossip is elegant.

Rita had no interest in the luxurious dress being fitted on her body and fell into other thoughts.

‘It would be good if I could naturally give brother Leon and sister Anne a chance to meet. Then they could know how each other feels… Ah, that’s right. There’s a way.’

She happened to have an urgent problem. Getting used to dancing with strangers within 5 days.

‘Sister Anne has a younger brother. Was he younger than me? Same age? Anyway, if I ask sister to help with dance practice and invite him as a practice partner… I can call sister to Creme Dome.’

Since her original dance practice partner was Leonhardt, if she invited them for dance practice, she could naturally arrange for the two to meet.

Rita immediately put her conceived plan into action.

As soon as the fitting was finished, she went to the cafe and had various conversations with Annemarie, brushing off questions about what happened during her disappearance by saying her memory was hazy as previously discussed with her family, and asked for help with dance practice.

“My brothers are family, so practice doesn’t go well. I think I need to dance with someone else, but I don’t have anyone suitable to ask. Complete strangers would be burdensome…”

“Of course I should help with something like that! You need a male partner to practice with, right? Lillieta, do you remember Anton? My younger brother who’s one year younger than you. You met him a few times when you were little, so he won’t be completely unfamiliar. I’ll talk to him!”

The appointment was arranged smoothly. Since time was pressing, it was set for two days later.

The part that wasn’t smooth was that there was an extra addition following the Everett siblings.

April 14th, Creme Dome.

“I’m really sorry, Lillieta. She was so stubborn…”

Behind the apologetic Annemarie, pink hair tied in twin tails was sticking out. It was Princess Lavinia of Duirebourg.

She was clinging tightly to Annemarie’s back, only sticking out her face to glare at Lillieta.

‘Like a cat with its fur standing up.’

In Lavinia’s mind it was a fierce expression, but with her young and cute face, it had no effect. To Rita, who had rolled around battlefields, it was as trivial as a kitten.

“It’s fine, sister. Nice to see you again, Princess Duirebourg. Welcome to Creme Dome. May you have a pleasant visit.”

“…My mood is already sour.”

“Lavinia! What kind of words are those!”

Annemarie raised her voice in shock at the sight of her picking a fight with the conventional phrases nobles exchange out of courtesy. Lavinia pouted.

“It’s the truth! You always tell me not to lie!”

“It’s not lying, it’s courtesy! You said you’d behave politely instead of following along! Why did you come if you were going to act like this!”

“It’s because of Anne! If Anne hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have come to this kind of place either!”

“What kind of rude words are ‘this kind of place’? Apologize right now!”

“Hmph.”

“Lavinia!”

Chaos immediately broke out.

“Seeing it directly, Lady Everett seems more like a nanny than a maid.”

Lindsey whispered in her ear what Rita had only been thinking in her head. Rita couldn’t openly agree and only let out a sigh.

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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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