Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 71

[Translated By Divinity]

“But technically, my brother and I are cousins of Oracis Shelbyr. So the spirit power and energy passed down through the Shelbyr bloodline is close to ours. Because they have the same origin!”

Damian blinked at Lilliana, and she wiped under her nose.

“Oracis’s mother and my mother were born from the same spirit. So they share the same grandmother, and Oracis’s mother is my aunt. But I’ve never even seen Oracis’s mother, the spirit. I was curious, but how could I find a spirit who disappeared for 500 years after giving birth to Oracis?”

Damian was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information. The idea that Oracis Shelbyr and Lilliana were cousins sounded like a story from another world.

“Anyway, that’s not important right now. I understand why they’re targeting us siblings. If it were the energy of another Salamander bloodline, it would repel instead of being absorbed. That’s why it has to be my brother’s or mine.”

Lilliana, having sorted things out in her own mind, tilted her head.

“But why didn’t my aunt tell me any of this?”

“How would I know?”

Damian scratched his head, and Lilliana sat down slowly, looking confused. Damian thought for a moment, then asked Lilliana again,

“Do you have any idea which family or group within the royalist faction is targeting you?”

“My brother Casey probably knows.”

“Then Ms. Pascal might know too.”

“But my aunt won’t tell me anything related to that…”

“Lilliana, I’m sorry to say this, but…”

Damian hesitated, then continued,

“It seems like Ms. Pascal doesn’t like you knowing anything related to your situation.”

“That’s true. She doesn’t want to add to my worries.”

Lilliana readily admitted it, which surprised Damian.

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

“It does, but it’s pointless to get angry because she won’t listen anyway.”

This was quite surprising to Damian. He had thought Lilliana wouldn’t miss any opportunity to talk about herself. But for some reason, her face was filled with dejection, and she didn’t seem to have any intention of actively seeking answers from Pascal.

“It seems… my aunt wants me to only see the flower gardens.”

Lilliana said in a somewhat gloomy voice.

“To only see pretty things, eat delicious food, and have enjoyable experiences… She wants to shield me from anything negative. But how can a person live like that? If there are happy moments, there will also be sad ones. If there’s beauty, there’s bound to be ugliness in the world. But my aunt thinks she can control that.”

Lilliana seemed angry.

“How can she try to turn me into a caged bird? I’m no different from a princess trapped in a tower from a fairy tale! I’m not that foolish! I didn’t want to go to Noster State University in the first place. I wanted to leave Noster Province! But my aunt… Ugh, forget it. That’s how it ended up.”

Lilliana clicked her tongue, looking truly exasperated. Damian listened to her, organizing his thoughts and pondering in between, then tilted his head and asked,

“But even if Ms. Pascal isn’t cooperative about that… wouldn’t it be safer for you to stay in Noster Province? Even if you have me as a bodyguard, I’m just a human, and Ms. Pascal is a spirit. If we’re comparing who’s stronger…”

Lilliana groaned and waved her hand.

“The hideouts there have already been exposed. And for some reason, the earth spirits who were protecting me can’t use their powers anymore. So even if my aunt tries to do something here, they’ll have countermeasures, and that’s why…”

Lilliana looked down with a worried expression.

“That’s why I can’t stay in Noster Province anymore if I want to escape from those people.”

Lilliana looked dejected for a moment, and Damian was wondering if he should say something comforting when she met his eyes and said,

“By the way, Damian, you seem to understand what I’m saying quite well, even though you’re having a hard time accepting the whole mythical creatures thing. Most people would struggle to follow along even after hearing just one part, but you’re making quick deductions in the middle of it all. I didn’t even think about that.”

“At least I’m better at thinking than most people. And didn’t I say I believe you, whether mythical creatures actually exist or not? There’s no reason for me to doubt whether what you’re saying is true or false. And if it’s all true, it’s a deduction anyone could make.”

Lilliana pouted, saying that even she, the person involved, hadn’t thought of it, and Damian had come up with all these hypotheses after just hearing the story for a few minutes.

“But Lilliana, I was able to think that way because I knew almost nothing about mythical creatures or half-spirits.

“What do you mean?”

“I had very limited information, so it was easier to deduce than to search for the necessary pieces among a vast amount of knowledge. All I knew about half-spirits was what happened between you and your brother, so I simply thought the group targeting you might have the same motive.”

Damian’s reasoning sounded quite plausible.

“I’m glad I asked you to be my bodyguard.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you don’t like nobles, so I don’t have to worry about you siding with the royalists.”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. I always see things through to the end once I take on a task, so even after our contract ends, I won’t do anything to harm you.”

Lilliana was relieved that Damian understood. She had rambled on about spirits and mythical creatures, and even revealed her family’s internal conflicts… Even she thought it was a complicated situation. Lilliana smiled at Damian and said,

“So you won’t run away, right?”

She thought she sounded threatening, but Damian just looked at her blankly.

“Why would I run away? I’ll be on the streets tomorrow if I don’t take this job.”

Lilliana didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the power of money. ‘Poor guy.’

Whether Lilliana was thinking that or not, Damian scratched his head, lost in thought. If the opponents were human, he felt confident he could handle them, assuming he could use his arm freely.

But he still didn’t know how to deal with Casey.

Damian couldn’t be sure if Lilliana would allow him to use force against her own brother, even if it was necessary for her protection. He also wasn’t sure how to prepare for an attack that involved spirit powers. So he cautiously broached the subject.

“Regarding Casey… what should I do?”

“Do what?”

“He’s not immortal, so can I kill him?”

Lilliana choked on her orange juice at his blunt question. She coughed a few times, then looked at Damian with a dumbfounded expression.

“Kill my brother?!”

“What? But…”

Damian frowned, looking at Lilliana as if she was the one who didn’t understand.

“He tried to kill you first. I believe we need to respond accordingly.”

TL/N: You can join the discord server to get updates of the novels that I translate. https://discord.gg/7GTXrJMhgg