The Return of Lilietta

Episode 9

The loud bang of the door opening interrupted her agitation. Rita instinctively moved her Odd, forming a magic bullet at her fingertips as she turned around.

“Fucking fake!”

It was a red-haired man who kicked open the door and came in.

Although he was an unfamiliar face, Rita recognized him at a glance because she had heard the story.

A face similar to Leonhard, similar purple eyes. However, unlike Leonhard, who is a handsome and upright man, he has a flashy and free-spirited impression.

Richard del Nissa Rascaille. The second son of the Rascaille family.

He glared at her fiercely.

“Fake, you strangled someone? Looks like you showed your true colors faster than I thought… … .”

The words that had been spoken harshly became blurred and collapsed. Richard’s eyes, looking at her, grew wider and wider before becoming blank.

He muttered as if possessed.

“… … Lily.”

Rita didn’t say anything. No, she couldn’t.

My mind was in a state of confusion, as the oath I had just taken under the name of Lilietta had just been successful. I could neither deny nor confirm that call.

Richard staggered toward her as she stood there blankly.

Rita flinched. She could smell the pungent smell of alcohol coming from him.

‘I think I’m drunk to this extent.’

She doesn’t drink, but she knows her best friend, Ollie Pascal, who is a great wizard and a master gunsmith, so much so that she’s worried about his alcoholism.

When a person smells like that much alcohol, they usually can’t communicate and do things that don’t make sense logically.

‘That was the only time Ollie was being an idiot.’

As expected, Richard, who had come close to her, knelt down without warning.

“Sorry.”

“… … ?”

Didn’t you just barge in saying something about fakes? Apologizing out of nowhere?

As expected from the smell of alcohol, Rita was dumbfounded. The man knelt down and burst into tears.

“I’m sorry, Lili. I’m sorry, it was my fault… … .”

The man began to cry and babble like a child.

“You, you asked me to stay with you until you fell asleep, I’m sorry, I, you’re not the type to ask for things like that, but I, I didn’t listen to you because I was annoying, I’m a hopeless piece of trash. How could I just tell you to go back to your room and then go back to sleep, I should have at least checked your room. Me, a punk… … .”

He reached out to her, sobbing. His fingertips were trembling, and it seemed that it wasn’t just because he was drunk.

“Oh, Lili, Lili, you don’t know how much I regret that night. You don’t know. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. If only I could turn back time, I would. I’m trash. I had a chance to stop it, I could have saved you, but there are things in this world that can’t be undone. I know that so deeply, I, I really… … .”

Richard sobbed, clutching the hem of Lilietta’s nightgown.

“I’m sorry, Lili, I’m sorry… … .”

Rita froze, unable to even bring herself to shake the hand.

Suddenly, he barged in and started yelling, then lost his mind and started apologizing and crying.

‘I guess you’re really drunk.’

I can’t even understand what you’re saying.

She looked down at the man who was sobbing and scattering the magic bullet that had formed at her fingertips, wondering what to do with him.

“master!”

Just then, another person suddenly appeared through the door that Richard had kicked open.

Rita wasn’t surprised this time, because as soon as she woke up, she started to habitually sense the flow of Odd around her.

He was a man wearing monocles who looked to be in his late 30s. Judging by his well-dressed uniform and the title of “Master,” he seemed to be the butler of this mansion.

He came running in panic, became even more panicked when he saw Rita, and hurriedly greeted her.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Lilietta. I am the butler of Laskail… …”

“Ugh, I’m sorry, Lili, I’m such a piece of trash… … .”

“… … My name is Alfred. I apologize for greeting you under these circumstances.”

Alfred pushed up his monocle and wiped the sweat away.

Rita sighed softly and pointed to Richard, who was still apologizing.

“Nice to meet you, Alfred. This guy seems drunk. Do something about it.”

“Yes, excuse me.”

Alfred gestured.

The large servants who had followed him rushed in and carefully held down the wailing Richard.

And then one of the dogs slowly made his way out of the room, holding an open bottle of liquor and shaking it around near Richard as if setting up bait.

“… … !”

As Richard turned his head toward the smell of alcohol, the servants holding him gently pushed him away. When they all left the room, only the butler Alfred remained.

‘What is that… … It’s not like I’m trying to trick an animal… … .’

Rita blinked in amazement at the absurdity of what had just happened. Alfred calmly explained, as if he had guessed her question.

“Master Richard is a top-class knight. He can swing his Aura even with his bare body, so if we don’t use bait like this to get him to move on his own, everyone will be in danger.”

“Is alcohol the bait? No, before that, do people eat this kind of bait… …?”

“It works well when you are unconscious. It is the safest method.”

Rita, who saw the butler respond calmly, realized that this kind of thing was common in this mansion.

‘You’re saying he’s a total alcoholic? How could someone who can even use an Auror become so corrupt? If he’s a knight, isn’t that a profession that values ​​chivalry and dignity?’

As she clicked her tongue in astonishment, Alfred opened his mouth as if he had read her mind.

“Miss, please don’t misunderstand. Master Richard wasn’t originally like that.”

“It wasn’t like that from the beginning?”

“You never drank alcohol before. You became like that after the young lady went missing. You think it’s all your fault.”

“… … !”

“It is said that on the night that Lady Lilietta went missing, she went to see the young master. She said that she had a strange dream and was scared, so she asked me to just watch over her until she fell asleep. That day, the master and mistress were attending a banquet, and Young Master Leonhard was at the Academy and not at the Birch Tree Castle. Only Young Master Richard was there.”

Alfred continued speaking slowly, as if he already knew that Rita didn’t remember anything.

“The young master was so sleepy that he ignored the young lady’s request, and the young lady eventually returned to her bedroom alone. That was the last time we saw of Miss Lilietta before she disappeared.”

Only then did Rita understand what Richard had been rambling about and what his apology meant.

“Master Richard has been regretting what happened that night for the past ten years. Unable to bear the guilt, at some point he started drinking… … and that’s how he ended up like this.”

The butler let out a sigh that was almost like a sigh.

“That’s why I haven’t kept any alcohol in the mansion lately, but since you’re a top-class knight, I can’t stop you from going out and drinking at bars.”

“… … .”

“But things will be different from now on. Since you have truly returned as if by a miracle… … I guess we can hear laughter even in this birch tree castle now.”

His face, filled with emotion and hope, turned to Rita. He bowed deeply once more.

“Miss Lilietta, I sincerely congratulate you on your return. Thank you… … so much for coming back.”

“… … .”

Rita was still so confused that she couldn’t say anything.

“I heard you are confused and have lost your memory. Please get some rest and if you need anything or have any questions, please call us at any time.”

The butler spoke kindly and affectionately as if he understood her reaction and was about to leave the room. Rita called out to him.

“Just a moment, Alfred.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I have a question.”

“Say anything.”

“Lilietta… … What kind of child was I?”

Alfred couldn’t answer that question right away. He fiddled with his monocle for a while, then looked down and answered.

“I’m sorry, miss. That’s difficult for me to answer.”

“why?”

“I became the butler after the young lady disappeared. When the young lady was here, my father was the butler of Laskail, and I was studying somewhere else. That’s why I don’t know about the young Lilietta.”

“The previous butler was your father? Then you know him well, don’t you? To him―”

“Father.”

Alfred closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again and continued speaking slowly.

“After the young lady went missing, he felt responsible and stepped down from his position as butler, and passed away shortly thereafter.”

“… … !”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t make that face.”

Alfred said quietly with a bitter smile.

“The disappearance of the young lady was a misfortune that fell like a meteor, and its aftermath covered the Birch Castle and became a shadow that would not disappear. Many… … really many things happened.”

The butler was silent for a moment, then smiled faintly and continued speaking.

“Everything will be better just because you came back, young lady. That’s why I’m so grateful.”