Between Your Letter and My Reply

Chapter 88

[Translated By Divinity]

It was a gloomy day.

It looked like it was about to pour, so Damian canceled all of their plans for the day. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say that he canceled Lilliana’s schedule. After all, Damian had to follow Lilliana wherever she went.

So, instead of going out, Lilliana spread out the canvases Pascal had sent in the living room as if displaying them and stared at them from a few steps away.

Beside her, Damian and Annette stood side by side, their faces serious as they looked at the paintings together.

“What does that look like?”

“A field of flowers.”

Annette offered a thoughtful answer to Lilliana’s question.

“Oh, anyone can tell that with a glance. What I meant was, which field, where?”

Lilliana was currently trying to deduce her whereabouts from the paintings she had created over the past two years.

“Noster Province is a mountainous area; there are no fields like this. This wasn’t painted there. If it’s not a copy, then it was definitely painted somewhere with a field!”

The reason Lilliana was fixated on this painting of a field was because of a phone call she had with her college friend that morning.

―Oh my god, Lily! I thought you were dead!

Hazel, her best friend, had greeted her with a scream as soon as she answered Lilliana’s call. Dumbfounded by the intense reaction, Lilliana frowned and asked,

“I almost died, that’s true, but what exactly happened to me?”

―Well, you suddenly submitted a leave of absence and disappeared overnight! Even when I went to your house, there was no trace of you!

“When was that…?”

―Two years ago, around August… Wait, what are these questions? Why are you asking me about your own situation?

“Well, it’s because…”

Lilliana scratched her head and explained that she had no memory of the past two years. She omitted any mention of her current whereabouts in case the information leaked. Hazel’s voice on the other end of the line grew increasingly concerned.

―Is that true?

“That’s why I’m saying I have no memory of the past two years. I don’t remember what I was doing.”

―Lily, are you okay now?

“Ahahaha, I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m just calling around trying to regain my memories.”

―That’s a relief… Anyway, I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything more. Like I said, you vanished overnight without a trace!

“I see. Okay, thanks for letting me know.”

And with a promise to meet up once things were settled and she returned to Kelta, she ended the call. After that, she made similar calls to about three more people, but the reactions and information were all similar.

“So, that means I wasn’t in Noster Province for two years. Moreover, these paintings I did over the two years aren’t landscapes from Noster Province. In other words, if I know where this scenery is, I might be able to find out where I’ve been for the past two years.”

“By the way, these are quite idyllic landscapes. This is a lake with swans… Is this a valley? Someone is fishing.”

Lilliana nodded at Annette’s words.

“I don’t know where it is, but it seems like I was in a place with beautiful natural scenery. What do you think, Damian? Do you know any place like this?”

Damian had been standing with his chin resting on his hand, staring at the paintings as if he would devour them. For some reason, his demeanor was different than usual. He, who was usually calm and indifferent, was now frighteningly focused on the paintings.

‘A field of cosmos and daisies, a lake where swans swim, a valley that looks good for fishing…’

Damian knew the name of the place where such geographical features coexisted.

“Edenfallen…”

Lilliana, overhearing Damian’s unconscious murmur, turned to him.

“Huh? What did you say? Do you know this place?”

Brought back to his senses by Lilliana’s call, Damian’s eyes regained their focus.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Leaving the paintings aside, wasn’t there a wooden box? What is that?”

At Damian’s question, Lilliana suddenly put on an artificial smile and said in a flat tone,

“That’s nothing.”

“Yes?”

Damian tilted his head and asked again.

“Wasn’t there an embroidered cloth inside?”

“Yes, it’s just an embroidered cloth, nothing special.”

“If it’s something you were making two years ago, couldn’t it be a clue like the paintings?”

“That may be so, but it’s really nothing special.”

At Lilliana’s firm words, Damian couldn’t say anything more and had no choice but to back down.

While Damian remained silent, Annette let out a small groan and said,

“Well, as for a specific village or region, those landscapes themselves aren’t that unique. You can see scenery like that if you just take a train a little way out of Nichio.”

“Hmm…”

Lilliana also agreed with Annette to some extent and fell into thought again.

“Maybe they were painted in different places.”

“That’s also a valid point.”

As Lilliana agreed with Annette and stared at the paintings again, Annette shrugged and said apologetically,

“Anyway, I don’t know. Nothing comes to mind. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help to you.”

“No, I’m sorry. It’s natural for you to react like that, Annette. The scenery is just so… ordinary.”

Lilliana lost her motivation and let her arms droop. Annette apologized, looked at her watch, and then said to Lilliana,

“Oh, that reminds me, Lily! I’m going to work now, and a guest will be coming while I’m gone.”

“A guest?”

Lilliana tilted her head, and Annette continued with a playful smile,

“To be precise, it’s the fourth tenant. When they arrive, could you show them their room and make them feel welcome?”

Then she winked.

“Aha, a new housemate? Okay! I’ll treat them well. But what kind of person are they?”

“Heeheehee. That’s a secret, but I’m sure you’ll like them.”

“What? Why is it a secret?”

“You’ll find out when you meet them.”

She then took off her apron, hung it carelessly on the back of a dining chair, grabbed her umbrella, and left the house.

Lilliana narrowed her eyes and muttered as she stared at the spot where Annette had disappeared.

“What is she up to?”

Lilliana kept tilting her head, wondering about Annette’s mysterious behavior before she disappeared. Meanwhile, Damian, left alone with her, carefully asked,

“Lilliana, would you like to go somewhere with me this weekend?”

“Where?”

“To Edenfallen.”

Lilliana blinked at his words.

“Where’s that?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? Where Lady Lintray lived…”

“Ah, ah. I remember. But why there?”

“There’s something I need to confirm.”

“Confirm what?”

Damian looked directly at Lilliana and said with a serious expression,

“About Lilliana’s identity… I think Lilliana might be Lady Lintray.”

Lilliana’s expression changed subtly at his words.

“Why do you think so?”

“As I said before, many aspects of Lilliana overlap significantly with Lady Lintray. And that scenery… those are the landscapes mentioned in Lady Lintray’s letters. The field of cosmos and daisies, the lake with swans, and the valley where she fished with Glenn. Isn’t it all the same?”

“So, as I said, it’s a coincidence. Damian, it’s highly likely that you’re just making assumptions. You want to find Lady Lintray, so you’re just forcing connections and coincidences between me and her.”

“But…”

“Crucially, there’s no evidence, no evidence. How can you make a decision based solely on intuition when there’s nothing that can be considered evidence?”

Lilliana’s assertion made Damian frown. He looked like he had a lot to say.

“Couldn’t you just go to Edenfallen with me, even if it’s just to humor me?”

Damian was surprised at how blunt his voice sounded, even to his own ears. But he didn’t want to take it back.

The journey to Edenfallen wasn’t that difficult, so what was so hard about accompanying him just once, even if it was just to appease him?

“Forget it. If Lilliana isn’t Lady Lintray, then my assumptions are just forced connections, so my opinion probably doesn’t matter to you.”

Lilliana’s mouth fell open at Damian’s words.