The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 98

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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 98

“…What?”

“I’m talking about whatever controlled you to kidnap me 10 years ago. The identity of that culprit, or the reason they could control you, might be related to your bloodline.”

“…!”

Hanna turned pale and closed her mouth. Rita explained calmly.

“To find the culprit who kidnapped me, I had no choice but to investigate your father. I did find a way to verify it in the end… but it seemed rude to proceed without telling you.”

This much information would be fine even if Pascal found out by chance. Besides, she didn’t want to hide Hanna’s father’s matter from Hanna herself.

“Rude? What could you possibly be rude about to a maid like me? Especially when it’s about finding the culprit from 10 years ago? Then of course you should do it.”

Hanna answered reflexively despite her confused expression. Rita let out a small sigh and continued.

“Hanna, depending on the results, you might no longer be a maid.”

“What…?”

“Once we verify your bloodline, your identity will be revealed. If you want, you could reclaim that status.”

“…”

Greater confusion spread across Hanna’s pale face. Rita watched the dizzy-looking maid quietly before gesturing.

“Go rest for now, Hanna. Rest and think about it. I won’t proceed with the verification until you decide.”

“Yes…”

Even without verification, the blood relation between Pascal and Hanna, and the connection between Pascal and Adickl, were almost certain. She just didn’t know the specific relationship.

So she could afford this much consideration.

‘…Even though I didn’t know, I manipulated Dorothy’s body as I pleased and even killed her, when she was Hanna’s descendant.’

Rita watched Hanna’s retreating figure stagger away, then soon turned her gaze to Lavinia’s disassembled revolver.

Focusing on gun maintenance gradually calmed her complicated feelings. With her mood slightly improved, she thought.

‘I should get a revolver for Hanna too.’

Oli had said that ‘Dorothy’s’ body had no special talents and was merely healthy, but Rita, who had used that body directly, knew better.

The body from her ‘Rita Pascal’ days had decent senses for shooting. No, it was actually quite good.

Of course, her reclaimed original body had much smoother senses and felt better suited to her, so looking back on those days now felt somewhat frustrating.

‘Anyway, Dorothy’s body definitely had talent for shooting. So her ancestor Hanna might have similar talent too.’

Regardless of the complicated situation, she looked forward to teaching her in various ways.

* * *

May 17th, 1770.

The day of the May Frontier Festival, the first festival of the Empire’s social season.

North of the Imperial Capital Lamcard, there was a low mountain and a forest that covered the mountain and stretched long across the surrounding plains. Because the shape of the mountain and forest looked like a sleeping dragon, it was called the ‘Forest of the Sleeping Dragon.’

This forest bordered the capital and wasn’t connected to dangerous terrain like the White Mountains, so there were few monsters or dangerous beasts.

A well-managed forest with Imperial Hunting Grounds inside, where most areas were safe zones frequently visited by citizens and nobles living in the capital.

However, it was still a forest, and due to its area being more than twice the size of the capital, places untouched by human footsteps remained eerie.

The Frontier Festival was held at the Imperial Hunting Grounds in the Forest of the Sleeping Dragon.

Colorful bunting (festival decorations with flags strung together) hung along the path from the forest entrance. Luxurious carriages traveled in procession along that path.

At the end of the path, the Central Camp of the Imperial Hunting Grounds was a spacious meadow surrounded by forest.

The meadow was filled with barracks set up by noble families. Nobles who emerged from the barracks gathered at an outdoor ballroom set up beneath a watchtower that overlooked the entire hunting grounds.

At 10 AM, the opening ceremony of the Frontier Festival was held.

Originally an event that should be presided over by the Emperor, but the Emperor was nowhere to be seen. The role of raising the Imperial black dragon flag on the watchtower and declaring the opening fell to Crown Prince Gideon.

The Crown Prince also presided over the hunting competition where representatives from each family, mainly knights belonging to the families, competed for points by hunting monsters released in the hunting grounds.

And Duke Adickl was assigned to preside over the shooting competition held at the Central Camp while the hunting competition proceeded in the forest.

This role was decided according to the Emperor’s claim that the burden on the Crown Prince would be too heavy to preside over all competitions alone.

‘It’s his job to begin with, but he has no intention of working while still wanting to check Gid somehow.’

Even though he’s his own son.

Lillieta approached the Raskail representatives waiting for the hunting departure, worried about how Gid might feel.

For the same reason as the shooting competition, she didn’t participate in the hunting competition either. Among the three Raskail siblings, only the second son participated in the hunting competition.

Richard, who was warming up with the family knights, looked at her curiously.

“Rita?”

Rita looked him over briefly.

Richard, who had done rehabilitation training every single day for nearly a month, had noticeably improved posture. You could already tell how hard he had worked. It seemed she would be able to confirm his rehabilitation progress at today’s hunting competition.

She smiled slightly and said.

“Hold out your hand, Richard.”

“Why?”

Richard asked bewilderedly but obediently held out his hand. Rita took out a light purple handkerchief and tied it around his wrist.

“Isn’t it customary to tie a ribbon or handkerchief to a knight you’re cheering for as a good luck charm?”

“…You’re doing that for me?”

“Yes, to prevent you from making excuses that you got hurt because you didn’t have a good luck charm.”

Rita tied the knot in the handkerchief with a playful smile. Richard looked at his initials embroidered on the end of the handkerchief. The shape was strangely clumsy.

“Hey, don’t tell me you embroidered this yourself?”

“Mother helped me, but I still couldn’t manage the full name, so just the initials.”

She frowned as if the mere thought disgusted her. Richard, who had been staring down at his wrist, soon let out a laugh.

“I can’t believe you did something like this.”

“Yeah, I worked hard on it, so just come back safely.”

“Alright, I’ll prove that your charm and training are effective, so don’t worry and wait.”

He grinned and cheerfully waved his wrist with the tied handkerchief before departing. Rita saw him off while thinking.

‘I hope no monsters appear this time.’

But based on past experiences at the boat outing and Garden Salon, the probability of a named monster appearing at this festival presided over by Crown Prince Gideon was quite high.

‘If no monsters appear this time…’

She glanced around. A middle-aged man climbing onto the outdoor platform for the shooting competition caught her eye.

Black curly hair mixed with gray, sharp eyes with golden irises. Colors proving royal blood and a coyote-like impression.

Terence del Nafaroa Adickl.

The current Duke Adickl, cousin of current Emperor Lorenz, and father of Prince Joseph.

‘…If no monsters appear this time and the Frontier Festival ends safely, it would help Duke Adickl’s reputation. That would make the relationship and intentions between Pascal and the Duke, who must be behind this, clearer.’

Whatever the conclusion, peacefully enjoying the festival was definitely out of the question. Though she was used to being in constant combat readiness anyway, so it didn’t matter.

‘Tritoma agents are deployed throughout the hunting grounds for surveillance, and Beacon is all prepared, so even if monsters appear, we can deal with them quickly.’

While Duke Adickl gave his opening speech, Rita looked around the crowd.

The distinctive pink hair caught her eye first. Lavinia, frozen stiff while preparing for the shooting competition.

‘She seems too nervous. I should calm her down later.’

And the ‘actor’ standing near the platform, Joseph del Duirebourg Adickl.

‘…Mission objective confirmed.’

Rita swallowed the sigh that was about to escape and naturally moved through the crowd toward him.

Joseph was surrounded by young nobles of the ducal faction who followed him, when he noticed the gazes around him moving as if enchanted and turned his head.

Lillieta del Nisa Raskail was walking toward him with light steps.

Blonde hair decorated with silver and blue moonstones complementing her moon-white skin, mysterious violet eyes that made even those jewels’ light seem pale, and a slender body wrapped in an elegant grayish-blue dress.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

Joseph just watched her approach with a stupefied expression. The moment she opened her mouth after drawing all eyes from every direction as she approached him.

“Your Highness, are you busy by any chance?”

A song-like voice and faint smile spread from her.

The sound of people around unconsciously drawing in their breath could be heard. Gazes filled with instinctive envy focused on Joseph.

The moment he felt that, the memory of her openly humiliating him at the recent boat outing instantly evaporated from his mind.

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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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