Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 114

Unlike Casey, Damian was capable of lying, so he smiled and replied, “Yes, it’s not that dangerous.”

Lilliana seemed relieved and let out a small sigh.

“By the way, how’s the painting going these days? Are you able to make up for the two-year gap?”

“I’ve regained my dexterity, but I’ve forgotten some of what I learned, so I haven’t caught up with the class yet. But I think my style has changed a bit.”

“In what way?”

Lilliana crossed her arms and pondered before answering, “Hmm… It’s become more loving, I guess?”

“Loving?”

“Yeah. Like my perspective on things has become subtly filled with affection.”

Damian didn’t understand what she meant, but he frowned at her next words.

“I think it might have something to do with the person I liked.”

At Lilliana’s words, Damian let out a short, bewildered “Ha.” Lilliana glared at him and grumbled, “Why? Are you laughing at me?”

“No. They say that when you’re in love, the world looks different, so if there’s been a change, it could be related to that, as you said.”

Damian spoke so nonchalantly that it was impossible to tell if he was being serious or sarcastic.

“So, any progress in remembering this person you loved?”

“No…” Lilliana replied dejectedly.

Damian walked in silence for a while, then casually asked, “What do you want to do once you remember him?”

“What do you mean what do I want to do?”

“Do you want to start dating again?”

“That wouldn’t be bad. If it’s someone I liked, he must have been a good person. If his feelings haven’t changed, it would be nice to start over.”

At her words, Damian felt his stomach churn, even though he was the one who asked. Oblivious to his feelings, Lilliana continued,

“But it’s been months, so his feelings for me might have faded. Hmm… Well, I’ll just have to say goodbye with a smile.”

“Are you planning to make that decision after you regain your memories?”

“That’s right. I need my memories to decide what to do.”

Damian’s annoyance grew with every mention Lilliana made of her forgotten lover.

Yet, he kept asking these questions with a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, she had given up on this mystery man.

“But, you see, that brother of mine keeps refusing to help me find my memories!”

Casey’s promise to help Lilliana find her memories was genuine. It was the word of a spirit who couldn’t lie, so Lilliana believed it wholeheartedly.

The problem was that…

“A promise? I’ll keep it when the time is right. But there was no mention of a deadline for the promise. Do I have to do it right now? I don’t want to.”

Casey had exploited a loophole and slipped away! Lilliana, completely outsmarted, was left dumbfounded.

“Lilliana, in that case…” Damian hesitated before suggesting, “How about writing a letter?”

“A letter?”

“A letter to your past self, or to that unknown person… something like that…”

“Damian.” Lilliana narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

“You still think I’m ‘Lady Lintray,’ don’t you?”

Her words were laced with clear displeasure. Lilliana denied it, but she was indeed ‘Lady Lintray,’ which was driving him crazy.

Lilliana shrugged.

“So, I’m telling you, I’m not that person.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“There’s no proof!”

“There’s no proof left because I got rid of it all. But the information I have…”

“That’s all just conjecture and delusion.” Lilliana pointed at Damian with her index finger and spoke in a stern tone.

“You’re so desperate to see ‘Lady Lintray’ that you’re projecting her onto me, who just happens to have a few things in common with her.”

Damian clenched his fist so Lilliana wouldn’t notice. His nails dug into his flesh, but he didn’t feel the pain.

He couldn’t suggest going to Edenfallen together like he had before. That place had already been exposed to the enemy and attacked by golems. It was too dangerous to take Lilliana there.

“Honestly, it doesn’t feel good to hear that.”

“I apologize.”

“Let’s just say you won’t talk to me about that person anymore.”

“…Alright.”

Sensing that Lilliana was about to get truly angry if he argued any further, Damian reluctantly agreed. Lilliana sighed deeply.

“If you’re so worried about that person, why don’t you try to find them more actively? Brother Casey’s here, so it should be fine to go to Edenfallen for a while. I can be that considerate. Maybe we’ll find something if we investigate again?”

She made the suggestion quite seriously, but Damian replied nonchalantly, “It’s fine.”

“What… Are you upset now?”

“That’s not it. I’m reflecting on my earlier remarks that might have upset you.”

Lilliana felt a hint of sarcasm in his tone and didn’t like it. But she didn’t want to argue with Damian any further, so she just kept quiet.

“And Lilliana, I can’t leave your side for the time being. Marquis Sutton knows you’re in Nichio. I can’t leave in this situation.”

Lilliana’s eyes widened at Damian’s words.

“What?! Really?!”

“That’s what Casey said, but seeing as there haven’t been any moves yet, they probably don’t know the details of your situation.”

“Then shouldn’t I be doing something about this? It doesn’t seem like the time to be leisurely attending university…”

Lilliana said anxiously, but Damian waved his hand dismissively.

“No. You live your life normally. That’s my and Casey’s goal.”

“What do you mean by ‘that’?”

“To prevent those people’s greed from taking away your normal life.”

Lilliana had already had her normal life taken away once. Edenfallen was certainly a nice place, but life there was far from the “normal” life Lilliana used to enjoy.

Even though she was living with her family, she couldn’t freely go down to the village. Lilliana was isolated, lonely, and desolate.

Casey, barging into Damian’s room as he did most nights, recalled Lilliana from that time with a hardened expression.

“She never really went down to the village, so there was no one close to Lily, or rather, Seyra, in Edenfallen. At most, there was Glenn. Even then, I had to follow her as a watchdog… She never truly enjoyed herself or felt at ease in Edenfallen.”

He recounted this and said he didn’t want to see Lilliana lonely anymore.

“Is that any way to live? People shouldn’t live like that. The 18-year-old Lily, free from any constraints, was so full of life.”

Damian nodded at Casey’s words.

“That’s why Lily should be just like she was back then, no more, no less. If she’s sick, she should go to the hospital without worry, enjoy her school life normally, hang out with friends, and live happily.”

Casey’s cat-like eyes crinkled as he smiled and continued, “That’s the life I want for Lily. She…”

Before Casey could finish his sentence, Damian muttered, picking up where he left off,

“She has to be ordinary and happy…”

Finishing his brief recollection, Damian smiled at Lilliana.

“Do everything you want to do without hesitation, Lilliana. Enjoy your normal life. You don’t have to restrict yourself because of this situation. We’ll take care of everything.”

“I appreciate that, but you’re telling me to do everything I want even though I don’t know what that is?” Lilliana giggled mischievously.

But Damian still replied with a sincere expression, “Whatever it is, if it’s something Lilliana does, it will be enjoyable. Enjoy your life.”

How grand could a rabbit’s desires be? At most, it would be stealing a basket of carrots.

Lilliana blinked and stared at Damian.

“Damian, I don’t want to hear that from someone a year younger than me. By that logic, you should also be doing what you want to do, not cleaning up after someone like me.”

“But this is what I want to do.”

He truly wanted Lilliana to be happy. So if it meant sacrificing himself for her, he was prepared to give up a part of his life willingly.

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