The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 90

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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 90

The hat-wearing special operations unit member used wind magic to disperse the thick smoke. The doppelgangers that emerged from the smokescreen looked around in confusion, then began searching everywhere for their disappeared targets.

‘As expected, the Oaths’ punishment doesn’t activate when running away without killing the doppelgangers. Since they’re not the main body, they’re not bound by the covenant.’

Rita pressed closer to Gid while looking down at the Botanical Hall through the leaves. The body she touched flinched, and a pained groan escaped from above her head.

‘Hm? Is he injured somewhere?’

Rita looked up at Gid in surprise, only to see his face flushed bright red. When their eyes met, he hurriedly turned his head away and whispered quietly.

“Don’t look this way, Rita.”

“Why?”

“…You’re completely soaked.”

“Ah.”

She looked down at herself and realized her mistake. Her thin spring dress was thoroughly drenched by the rain, revealing the curves of her body completely.

Rita curled up and moved as far away from him as possible while apologizing.

“Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“It seems like I made you uncomfortable.”

She let out a small sigh and added.

“In the past, something like this wouldn’t have mattered at all, but since my body has changed, it’s bothering you now, right? I understand.”

“You don’t understand at all, so what do you mean you understand?”

Gid retorted as if incredulous. Rita protested, throwing back the words he had said at the drinking session.

“You said it’s troublesome because I look unfamiliar when I stay still and have become excessively pretty. Isn’t that what you meant?”

He stared at her intently with a face full of things to say, then suddenly pulled her firmly into his arms.

“Shh, one’s coming.”

A doppelganger approached beneath the tree. Rita buried her forehead against Gid’s chest while quietly moving her hand gripping Silvergrass.

She waited, ready to shoot the moment it looked up, when the wet skin touching her forehead felt hot.

‘Skin?’

Why is his chest bare skin?

‘Ah, because he untied his cravat.’

A body scent like bitter black tea lingered at the tip of her nose. It felt calmer and more fragrant than the rough body scent of Gid she knew. Her attention became subtly divided.

‘It’s familiar yet unfamiliar… Is this how Gid feels?’

[Question: Your heart rate is rising rapidly. This doesn’t seem like a crisis worth being this tense about – is there another reason?]

‘Shut up, Grace.’

Rita took a deep breath and consciously focused on the doppelganger below the tree. She didn’t notice that his body had stiffened completely where her breath touched him.

After a moment, the doppelganger that had been lurking around the tree turned and moved away. Rita lowered the revolver she had been aiming and relaxed. Suddenly, he sighed from above her head, lifted her lightly, and repositioned her in a different direction.

“Lean this way.”

“I’ll just stay apart.”

“What do you mean stay apart in this narrow space? Your awkward fidgeting is more distracting, so just stick close and stay still.”

She was about to protest when another doppelganger came near the tree.

Rita closed her mouth and pressed against him. Completely buried in his embrace, she could feel a sweet scent subtly mixed with the slightly bitter body fragrance.

What kind of fragrance is this? Does he use expensive perfume since he’s the Crown Prince?

‘No, why am I thinking about such things in this situation?’

She was exasperated with herself and lightly bit her tongue, then focused on the sensation of Silvergrass in her hand.

Grace was recasting the disguise magic with her Oath every 30 seconds, causing a mild headache. Thanks to that headache, her scattered mind became sharp. She carefully aimed at the doppelgangers moving around below.

Gideon left the doppelganger surveillance entirely to Rita and gave up on his senses altogether. He lifted his head to stare only at the lush leaves while gritting his teeth.

‘Rita probably isn’t thinking anything of it, while I’m the only one acting foolishly.’

To her, Gid Pascal was merely a friend and colleague. Though he was more precious than other colleagues as her only comrade, that was about it.

If he rashly revealed his feelings and even their current relationship was ruined, it would be irreversible. He knew well that his mental state was half abnormal.

As he consciously tried to think of other things, a fact he had been worrying about all along came to mind.

“Rita.”

After confirming there were no doppelgangers near the tree, he called out in a whisper, and Lillieta moved her head slightly. Gideon asked her quietly.

“Will you be okay today?”

“About what?”

“You have nightmares after shooting human-looking things.”

“…I’ll be fine. It wasn’t even a real person, so what’s the big deal with just this much.”

“I’ve seen you unable to sleep from explosion sounds more than once, so like hell you’re fine. Don’t you need a music box?”

“I already have one.”

At her clean answer, Gid closed his mouth. Is just having a music box enough? He swallowed the desperately rising question. He hid his trembling hands by gripping the tree branch and smiled casually.

“That’s a relief.”

After a complicated time in many ways, all the doppelgangers that had been roaming the Botanical Hall scattered to other places.

Once the last one moved away, Gid held her waist and jumped down from the tree, then took off his jacket and offered it to her. Rita obediently accepted it and put it on.

Right after, a small bird made of bluish-green light flew over and circled in front of them. It was Is’s summoned creature.

“It seems Senior Is found the main body.”

Rita said with delight. They followed the direction the bird was leading.

A signpost appeared at the fork in the path.

Tropical Plant Zone-2

A paper with ‘Under Construction’ written on it was attached to the wooden signpost, fluttering in the wind.

The bluish bird flew past that signpost and the makeshift barricade for entry prohibition, flapping its wings into the dense jungle.

Unlike other well-maintained zones, this place was covered with lush leaves and vines that sprawled even over the paths. With only moonlight in the night and tropical plants growing wild everywhere, it was dark enough that you couldn’t see an inch ahead.

“Perfect atmosphere for a monster to make its nest.”

When Rita sighed and muttered, Gid clicked his tongue in agreement. At least Isaiah’s summoned creature that had flown ahead was emitting a gentle light, serving as a lantern. Gid held up his sword to clear away hanging vines while saying.

“The path is a mess, so be careful.”

“Okay.”

They followed the blue bird into the depths of the Tropical Plant Zone. The deeper they went, the more the plants flourished beyond prosperity to overflow. The air also became muggy and humid, making them sweat.

Though it was an unpleasant environment, Rita and Gid silently advanced while watching all directions. Soon the blue bird that had been flying ahead landed on someone’s hand.

“Senior Is.”

Isaiah appeared from between the trees with his summoned creature perched on the back of his hand, quietly gesturing.

Gid glanced at Rita, then approached him and extended his hand. Isaiah readily clasped hands with him. Soon Gid released his hand and looked back at Rita.

“It’s really Senior.”

“You juniors are really the real ones too.”

Is smiled bitterly, then pointed in one direction without preamble.

“We should catch it first and then talk. The doppelganger’s main body is over there.”

His summoned creature flew up in the direction he pointed, scattering gentle light.

A place that looked like a closed greenhouse was revealed. It was a small building that appeared to have been devoured by plants, with large, thick vines randomly entangled around the steel frame and glass.

Isaiah added with an embarrassed expression.

“We were trying to cultivate tropical rare species with Oath there, but made a mistake… They grew too well, so we temporarily closed the zone. We were planning to clean it all up soon.”

“So the doppelganger made its nest in there? What about the captured people?”

When Rita asked, he answered.

“They’re hanging from the vines. It’s okay, they’re all still alive.”

“Are there any peculiarities about the main body? Is it the same as the doppelgangers we knew?”

This time Gid asked. Isaiah faintly furrowed his brow.

“It looks the same on the surface. It’s quietly nesting as a giant slime mass. It has a single eye embedded in the mass just like before, and occasionally spits out doppelgangers from its mouth… I didn’t have time to explore in detail, so I don’t know more than that.”

“If it’s the same, we can’t make eye contact with it.”

At Rita’s muttering, Gid and Is nodded.

The doppelganger’s main body had one troublesome characteristic. An ability that activated when making eye contact. They quickly devised a subjugation strategy considering this.

“The rest we’ll improvise. Then let’s charge in.”

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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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