Chapter 56: I Hired a Champion-Level Protector

Although strange, it was merely a thought that flashed through for an instant.

The atmosphere in the mansion was now very quiet; Lusamine placed her teacup on the coffee table, gazing at Lillie with a cold yet complex look.

"Sit down."

The majestic voice, devoid of any discernible meaning, made Lillie's body tremble slightly, yet she slowly walked over and sat opposite Lusamine.

However, due to the fear of Lusamine in her heart, Lillie gripped her skirt with both hands, daring not to lift her head to meet Lusamine's gaze.

Time slipped away minute by minute; Lusamine, who had been waiting silently for Lillie to speak, gradually grew cold in expression, her eyes filled with disappointment in Lillie.

"Since you are willing to return on your own, you must have made your resolve, right? Then what is with this weak appearance of yours now?"

Lusamine's cold voice slowly rang out.

"It truly breaks my heart, Lillie. Is there nothing you wish to say to me?"

Lillie's delicate body trembled, but she still dared not meet Lusamine's gaze.

"I loved you so deeply; I poured so much love into you." Lusamine's words gradually carried anger, and her pupils gradually lost Gao Guang.

"Yet you betrayed me!!!"

Yes, this was exactly what Lusamine thought.

She loved her children so deeply, yet these children, her most intimate family, had betrayed her.

Not only did they flee, but they also took away the so important attribute: Solgaleo and Cosmog! How incredibly... infuriating a thing this was.

"No... it's not like that..."

"A child who rejects my love and leaves me, Lillie, you..."

"It's not like that!"

The girl's stubborn voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Lusamine's words.

Lusamine looked at Lillie with some astonishment; this was the first time Lillie had spoken to her so loudly, and the first time she had refuted and interrupted her speech.

"Mother always speaks only for herself! Why has Mother become like this?"

Lillie bit her lip, lifted her head, and bravely looked straight into Lusamine's eyes with her red-rimmed eyes.

"You..."

"Clearly, the Mother of the past was truly gentle; both Brother and I loved Mother the most!"

Hearing this, Lusamine froze, staring blankly at Lillie.

"But ever since Father went missing, Mother changed. Why? Without considering Brother's and my thoughts, you forced your own ideas upon us, caring nothing for whether we were happy!"

"The Mother I admire was clearly not like this!"

As if venting, the girl used all her strength to shout out the feelings in her heart.

Bead-sized tears slid down from the corners of the girl's eyes.

"Moreover, Mother is still doing such dangerous things; clearly, Father went missing because of this, yet Mother still insists on doing it."

"If... if Mother were to go missing just like Father, what would Brother and I do? We... we don't want to lose Mother again... sob sob..."

As she spoke, Lillie finally could not hold back and choked out in tears.

These words had truly been suppressed in her heart for a very, very long time, pressing on her heart like a great mountain, making her almost unable to breathe.

Watching Lillie, who was pouring out her true feelings and crying aloud, Lusamine lost her senses.

She had never thought that Lillie's thoughts were like this; an indescribable emotion suddenly surged up from her heart.

The atmosphere fell silent once again, with only Lillie's barely suppressible, faint sobbing.

She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it; she simply could not stop her tears.

At this moment, a warm palm stopped on her back, gently soothing her.

Lillie opened her tear-filled eyes; what came into view was Lusamine, but the Lusamine of this moment no longer had that cold expression, but was full of gentleness.

"My Lillie, although you have grown up, you are indeed still a child."

The gentle voice from her mother caused Lillie's emotions to surge once more, and she threw herself into Lusamine's arms.

The mother in her memory had finally returned.

"Mother!"

"Ah~ Mother is here. I'm sorry, Lillie, for making you suffer so much grievance."

Lusamine embraced her daughter, and her voice full of guilt entered Lillie's ears.

Why had she not paid attention to Lillie's inner voice before?

Lusamine held Lillie with aching heart, reflecting for the first time on whether her love for her children was correct.

Thinking back now, because of her desire for the Ultra Beasts, she had indeed neglected to understand Lillie.

Lusamine did indeed love her children deeply; it was just that previously she had never thought to understand her children's thoughts, stubbornly believing that children only needed to listen to her.

However, Lillie's confession this time also made her understand Lillie's thoughts.

With the mother and daughter reconciled, naturally there were many words they wished to say; the two sat down on the sofa again.

Lillie told Lusamine about her experiences after leaving Aether Paradise, and Lusamine listened attentively, occasionally offering her own insights.

For a moment, the atmosphere was excellent, and then...

"Mother, have you not yet abandoned that plan?"

After hesitating for a moment, Lillie mustered the courage to ask Lusamine directly.

"The Ultra Wormhole?" Lusamine asked.

"Yes, Mother. That is truly too dangerous; could you please not..."

"Lillie, although Mother very much wishes to answer with what you want to hear, I cannot lie to you." Lusamine sighed.

"We cannot give up the research on the Ultra Wormhole."

"Why? The Ultra Beasts are truly too dangerous; you should know that." Lillie was very anxious.

"Yes, but precisely because of that, we cannot stop." Lusamine said in a solemn voice.

Lillie was taken aback.

"Lillie, researching the Ultra Wormhole is not just for my own sake. For all of Alola, the threat of Ultra Beasts is a real one."

"Do you know why our Alola has never established a Pokémon League?"

Lillie scrunched up her little face. She understood what Lusamine meant — she had always been an exceptionally bright girl.

"Professor Kukui has always been working hard toward the founding of the Alola League, but in truth it's all been futile, because Alola's fundamental problem has never been solved." Lusamine said, shaking her head.

"Because of the Ultra Beasts…"

"That's right, it's because of the Ultra Beasts. Do you know the Island Kahuna, Molayne? Before becoming an Island Kahuna, he was one of the International Police investigators sent to Alola by the Pokémon League to investigate Ultra Beasts."

Lusamine revealed this closely guarded secret.

"But during one mission, it failed, and one team member was sacrificed — the cause of death was an Ultra Beast, Guzzlord."

"If we don't investigate and get to the bottom of the Ultra Beasts, the Alola League can never be established, and Alola will never be able to hold its head high before all the other regions."

Hearing this, Lillie bit her lip. She was not an immature child; faced with such a matter that concerned the entire Alola region, she could not bring herself to say something so selfish as telling Lusamine to leave it alone.

"Don't worry, Lillie. Mother knows what you're worried about, but Mother has made thorough preparations. I've also invited a powerful Champion-class trainer to serve as a safeguard."

Lusamine tenderly stroked Lillie's soft little face.

"A Champion-class trainer?" Lillie was surprised. Even she understood the weight that title carried.

"That's right, he's extremely powerful."

A trace of complexity flickered deep in Lusamine's eyes.

But Lillie clearly failed to catch how much deeper meaning was hidden in her mother's words.

Ps: The Alola arc is about to wrap up. Also, it's the end of the month — begging for monthly tickets!

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(End of chapter)