The Return of Lilietta

Episode 5

Leonhard stared at his sister’s determined face with mixed emotions before opening his mouth.

“If you want to go back to the way you were, I will actively cooperate with that goal as well.”

“You’ll help me find a way back?”

“We also want to get the real Lilietta back. I think this is a good offer for you as well.”

Rita’s brow furrowed. She rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

Leonhard tried to remain as calm as possible and thought back to the discussion from last night.

He insisted that she was the real Lilietta, but Richard did not believe him.

The duke trusted his eldest son, but he also thought that Richard had a point. There was too much oddness about his daughter’s return to be purely joyful.

They decided to keep watching Lilietta for now. After all, her body was definitely that of Lilietta of Laskail.

Besides, even though she denied it, if her soul was the real Lilietta… … they couldn’t lose her again. Absolutely not.

However, since he could not reveal this to the Duchess, who had become weak-hearted after losing her daughter, he decided to keep Lilietta’s existence a secret from her for the time being.

“Brother, I don’t believe any excuses that say you don’t know what happened. If that woman took Lili’s body with some kind of black magic, I’ll do whatever it takes to get it back.”

Unlike his father, who was cautious because he had not yet met Lilietta in person, and his younger brother, who was gnashing his teeth in suspicion, Leonhard was actually almost certain.

‘Father will soon realize it if he watches. They are family. Richard will surely know too.’

I’m absolutely not saying that, but I can’t force you to say Lilietta, so I don’t plan on revealing it right now.

‘Until Lily realizes this on her own… …let’s just treat her as Rita Pascal.’

Lilietta thought for a long time. Leonhard waited quietly.

As the sun rose, the light gradually rose, pushing away the shadows inside the room. She finally nodded in the full morning sunlight.

“Okay, I’ll accept that offer.”

* * *

After having a simple breakfast in her room and having the wound on her hand treated by the doctor sent by Leonhard, Rita followed the maid’s instructions.

Although she accepted the role of ‘Lilietta’, Leonhard gave her step-by-step instructions as she was unsure of what to do specifically.

“For now, just think of this mansion as your home and live there. I told the servants that you came back with lost memories, so treat them comfortably. If they ask you where you’ve been, just say that you don’t remember.”

“Your father and sister know that you are ‘Rita Pascal’. But they haven’t told your mother anything. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I plan to let your mother know that you have returned once you are able to properly fulfill your role as Lilietta. So until then, be careful not to run into her.”

“See that annex behind the backyard? My mother lives there. She couldn’t stand it because memories of Lilietta kept coming back to her in the main building. She rarely comes out of the annex, so you just have to stay away from the backyard.”

“I’ve already taken care of keeping the servants’ mouths shut. You’re in a state of confusion, so you need to adjust, and your mother needs to find some stability, so we’ll keep it a secret for the time being. Everyone will be careful with their words, because everyone saw you faint at the funeral and almost got into trouble.”

“Other than that, yes, just adapt to life as the youngest daughter of the Duke’s family, ‘Lilietta’. Live with the mindset that you have become the real Lilietta.”

Until you can properly play the role of ‘Lilietta’ in front of the Duchess, acclimate to the life of a princess by living as ‘Lilietta’ in the mansion.

Rita accepted Leonhard’s proposal as an operational objective.

‘Pretending to be a civilian or acting like one is a total idiot. That was Senior Is’s specialty.’

I was a commoner, and I didn’t even know what a noble was, so I had to be a princess. My head was spinning.

It was difficult to even tell them to think of it as their home and make themselves comfortable.

Rita Pascal never had a home. She lived with her squad, wandering through battlefields and ruins. You couldn’t call a temporary camp a home, could you?

‘So… … If you’re not sure, I told you to wear a dress and take a tour of the mansion today, right? I’ll be inviting the etiquette teacher soon, so until then, just… … .’

Understanding the structure of the place you will stay and the terrain is the basics of camping.

Rita felt a little relieved as she decided that today’s goal was to figure out and memorize the layout of the mansion, or rather, the ‘Birch Castle’ as it was called.

“Uh… … Ah, Miss. I, I’ve arrived. Y, y, I’m here.”

The sweet voice of the maid woke her from her musings about the tool to draw the map of the mansion.

It was only then that Rita realized that her maid, Hannah, was still frightened.

“excuse me…….”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Let’s call carefully. Hannah answered as if she was competing. Rita swallowed a sigh and opened her mouth as softly as possible.

“Did you get surprised earlier? I’m sorry. I… … lost my memory. I thought this was a strange place, so I was overly cautious. I scared you, so—”

“Oh, it’s okay! The young lady is apologizing to me, to someone like me!”

The maid, who was so startled that she almost jumped up from her seat, quickly changed the subject.

“Look, look! Hey, hey, this is the dressing room where the madam has gathered the dresses tailored for the young lady!”

Hannah pointed to the old wooden door and spoke, then suddenly her expression became wistful.

“The lady… … thought that whenever the young lady came back, she would have something to wear, so she made a dress for the young lady every year for her birthday… … .”

Rita was startled, having only been told by Leonhard to follow the maid and change into a dress.

‘Is it okay for me, who is not even the real Lilietta, to wear such clothes?’

Hannah muttered, wiping her eyes as she swallowed the question she couldn’t say out loud.

“Every year, they make it according to the average body type of young ladies of the same age… … Oh, my lady said that. The young lady in the picture isn’t growing, but her dress is growing so fast. She was this big, but she’s already an adult… … Hehe.”

“… … .”

Rita’s heart grew heavier and she couldn’t say anything. Hannah, who was sobbing, turned to her and clasped her hands together.

“It is truly a great miracle that you have returned, my lady! Every time I clean this room, I feel so sorry for the unclaimed dresses. Oh, how happy the lady will be… I wish I could tell the lady about your return as soon as possible.”

“… … .”

“So, you don’t have to feel sorry for making a mistake because you were unfamiliar with me, really! I’m just so grateful for your presence!”

She couldn’t bear to look straight at the maid who was thanking her with tears in her eyes. Rita avoided eye contact and barely managed to respond.

“No… … . But civilian, no, um, threatening you was definitely wrong… … .”

“I’m really okay! I was a little surprised earlier, but I’m not scared at all now! Miss Lilietta is our lady’s daughter, so there’s no way I should be scared! I was so excited when I heard I’d be taking care of you!”

Hannah, who spoke passionately as if she was overwhelmed by something, pressed her chest with both hands and her eyes sparkled.

“I hope you feel comfortable with me! I will serve you with all my heart as your dedicated maid, so from now on, think of me as your hands and feet!”

“Uh, yeah… … Oh, thank you.”

As Rita, who was overwhelmed by the momentum, barely nodded, Hannah, who had fully recovered, opened the door to the dressing room with a bright smile on her face.

“Then, Miss, the dress… … .”

The moment the door opened, Rita smelled something.

The smell of the earth after rain, or the scent of charred wood chips. A bitter and pungent feeling that tickles the nose.

A familiar and ominous smell.

The energy emitted by a demon that has just eaten a human while digesting the human flesh.

The fact that the aura is so strong that even a human nose can smell it means that there is a Named Demon that is so powerful that it deserves a name.

The finale of countless tragedies and disasters, and the prelude to a desperate battle.

She reacted instinctively to the scent of the nightmare etched into her bones.

He grabbed the civilian in front of him and hid behind him, lowering his body and holding his breath. At the same time, his hand that was trying to draw his weapon mishandled.

‘I don’t have a gun, dammit.’

There is a way to shoot the magic bullet with your bare hands, but that requires you to be able to handle Od.

Moreover, this is a solo battle situation with no comrades to fight alongside, and even helpless civilians have been dragged along.

‘This is the worst.’