The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 66

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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 66

Rumors had spread that she had been trained as the imperial family’s secret weapon during her missing ten years, or that she wasn’t actually a real noblewoman but a talented individual from another country secretly recruited by Raskail and disguised as the missing noblewoman.

Moreover, however Gideon had handled the matter, Lillieta’s three-day stay at the Crown Prince’s Palace had been transformed into her receiving special treatment from the imperial physician for injuries sustained in battle.

The story about her being interrogated at Onyx Palace for using strange abilities seemed to have been an excuse told only to Raskail. After all, “treatment” would have been an unacceptable excuse for Raskail, who had been denied even visitation rights.

The letter he sent through Richard was about this matter.

First, there was a perfectly fabricated treatment report complete with the imperial physician’s seal. A document that processed Lillieta’s past three days as being spent in the Imperial Palace’s infirmary rather than the Crown Prince’s Palace bedroom.

The additionally enclosed paper was made of material that responded to ‘family trees,’ letter paper that only members of specific families could read.

That letter contained a polite apology for dismissing Raskail’s visitation requests, along with a proposal to coordinate their stories to prevent unnecessary speculation since this incident would likely draw attention to Lillieta.

Gideon’s proposal was as follows:

Lillieta lost her memory due to an accident at the time of her disappearance, became a member of some secretive combat group passed down from ancient times, and spent the past ten years training in special combat techniques.

Then an accident occurred within that group, and she, having survived the process, returned to the ducal house after partially recovering childhood memories while her memory was jumbled from the shock.

Afterward, Lillieta fully recovered all her memories during the battle against the monster during the boat outing, and the Crown Prince, impressed by her skills, sought to recruit her into his talent group while she was receiving treatment at the Imperial Palace.

However, Lillieta has not yet decided what to do… he said.

‘It’s remarkable how it’s not entirely wrong.’

Rita clicked her tongue after reading the letter’s contents. Except for details like the ancient secretive group nonsense, the context wasn’t much different from the truth.

‘Moreover, saying he attempted recruitment but my answer hasn’t come out yet means our family hasn’t completely become the Crown Prince’s allies… He was being considerate.’

He even seemed to have guessed that Rita had revealed her return to her family members, and that she would reveal the fact that the Crown Prince was also a returnee to explain the situation to her family.

‘The reason I’m making this proposal is something you know, my lady.’

If she hadn’t revealed the truth, it was also telling her to make up whatever excuse she wanted.

Additionally, materials were attached that plausibly connected that ‘ancient whatever’ group with a real secret society that existed in ancient times to make her cover story more believable.

The Twilight Order.

‘So something like this really existed. An ancient monastic group that accepted only a few people and cultivated mind and body through unique combat techniques… Though their lineage was cut off long, long ago.’

There was also a tip to make Lillieta the sole inheritor currently so things wouldn’t get unnecessarily complicated.

Now when anyone saw magic gun techniques and asked where she learned such unusual skills, she could blame it all on the Twilight Order’s inheritance.

‘While I was out of it for two days, he handled the Kraken terror cleanup, compensated for the yacht, appeased the nobles, and prepared all this too…’

It was just like Gid Pascal, who had covered up the squad members’ various accidents and secured Beacon Squad’s position while going between the trashy command and the city’s sinister upper echelons.

‘Thanks to him, I could focus only on the battlefield.’

The familiar feeling automatically put her at ease.

She decided to follow Gid’s proposal exactly as it was. Her family members also agreed to coordinate with the Crown Prince after hearing Lillieta’s story.

Of course, everyone was surprised to learn that the Crown Prince was a returnee who had lived in the same place as her.

The Kraken attack incident was officially concluded this way, but an subtly ominous atmosphere lingered.

Some criticized that a giant monster never seen before appearing at an imperial-hosted boat outing was evidence of the imperial family’s incompetence, while others whispered that the monster appeared because the Crown Prince was cursed or had done something evil.

And there were even direct opposing opinions. The opinion that the Crown Prince had deliberately defined an ‘accident’ caused by neglecting the capital’s defense as ‘terror’ to minimize the imperial family’s fault and create justification to oppress the nobles.

Along with this opinion, suspicions arose that this was a show directly planned by the Crown Prince, pointing out that no deaths occurred despite such a monster appearing.

Naturally, those who put forth such opinions were nobles of the Duke faction supporting Duke Adickl. Although the Duke had been pushed out of the capital by the Crown Prince and was in self-reflection, the Duke faction hadn’t disappeared.

This was the content that Lindsey, who had compiled information received from the jeweler, reported to her.

‘Raskail will have to decide its course soon too. Whether Duke faction or Crown Prince faction. Since my return ended our seclusion.’

The choice was practically predetermined. Duke Adickl’s side was already unsettling due to the Hanna issue, and now the Crown Prince was Gid Pascal.

‘If I accept the Crown Prince’s recruitment proposal, Raskail will naturally become part of the Crown Prince faction. If it’s Gid, he would have planned this board considering even this.’

She wanted to support Gid unconditionally. It wasn’t just because of their friendship.

‘To prevent the future of becoming ashes, it’s better for Gid, who knows everything, to become emperor.’

That said, she couldn’t decide the family’s course arbitrarily by herself.

‘I should discuss with Brother Leonhardt first.’

But that’s for later.

What she had to do now, no, what she wanted to do, was something else.

‘Gid said he’d send an invitation. There’s a returnee gathering on the 1st, so let’s all meet then.’

However, there was someone she could meet before then. Unlike other colleagues whose whereabouts and appearances she didn’t know well yet, there was a friend whose identity and location she knew clearly.

‘Oli.’

April 28th, morning.

Although she couldn’t sleep until late last night reassuring her family and discussing the Crown Prince’s proposal, Lillieta wasn’t tired at all thanks to sleeping very well at Onyx Palace before that.

She got up early in the morning and prepared immediately after Lindsey’s report ended. It was to visit the Blen Viscount’s residence.

Visiting suddenly without being invited or sending word in advance was completely against noble etiquette, but this time there was no leisure to worry about such things.

And it seemed the other party felt the same way.

“Miss Lillieta.”

While putting on a light pink outing dress with the help of Hanna, who was sniffling saying she was glad she returned safely, a maid came looking flustered and reported.

“A guest has come looking for you, miss.”

“Who?”

“The Blen Viscount’s daughter. She came without notice. Should I tell her you’re scheduled to go out?”

“No.”

Rita hastily continued.

“Cancel the outing. I’ll go meet her right away, so guide her to the reception room.”

“Understood.”

After the maid left, she urged Hanna.

“Hanna, that’s enough. Finish quickly.”

“Pardon? But miss, if you’re going to meet a guest, you need to do your makeup and choose accessories—”

“It’s not necessary. We’re not that kind of relationship.”

When she muttered something incomprehensible and tried to rush out clutching the dress hem that was falling down because the back knots weren’t properly tied, a shocked Hanna chased after her.

“Wait! Wait, miss! You need to at least dress properly before going! It’s falling down!”

“Ah. Please hurry.”

Lillieta stopped with her hand on the door handle. Hanna sighed at her lady’s appearance, having seemingly forgotten all the noble refinement she’d learned, and hurriedly moved her hands.

“The guest is the Blen Viscount’s daughter? What kind of relationship do you have to act like this?”

What should she say? Hanna thought she didn’t properly remember the period when she was missing.

Rita was momentarily speechless, then recalled Gideon’s proposal.

“…Actually, while fighting that monster during the boat outing, I recovered all my memories. Everything that happened during the past ten years.”

“Really? Is that true? Oh my, is that why you recuperated at the Imperial Palace for three whole days?”

This fits together so well.

She roughly nodded and said.

“I met the Blen Viscount’s daughter during that time and became friends, but I had forgotten, then we recognized each other during this boat outing. That’s our relationship.”

“Wow, then you should hurry and go see her!”

Hanna, eyes wide, quickly finished the knots and arranged the wrinkled skirt hem before standing up.

“It’s done, miss! Now it’s fine!”

“Thank you.”

Rita smiled slightly at Hanna and ran to the reception room. When she threw open the door without even knocking, the woman sitting on the sofa looking at something raised her head.

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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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