Even though it was strange, that thought only flashed through her mind for an instant.
The atmosphere in the manor was very quiet. Lusamine set her teacup down on the coffee table, her cold yet complicated gaze fixed on Lillie.
"Sit."
The stern tone held no obvious emotion, but it still made Lillie's body tremble. Even so, she slowly walked over and sat opposite Lusamine.
Because of the fear buried deep in her heart, Lillie's hands twisted nervously in the hem of her dress. She didn't dare raise her head to meet Lusamine's eyes.
Time ticked by, second after second.
Lusamine, who'd originally been quietly waiting for Lillie to speak, grew steadily colder, disappointment filling her eyes.
"Since you came back of your own accord, I assume you'd already steeled yourself. So what's with this pathetic act you're putting on right now?"
Lusamine's chilly voice slowly echoed through the room.
"It's really heartbreaking, Lillie. Do you have nothing at all you want to say to me?"
Lillie's frail body shook, but she still didn't dare look up at Lusamine.
"I love you so deeply. I poured so much of my love into you both." Lusamine's voice grew edged with anger, the light slowly fading from her eyes.
"And yet you betrayed me!!!"
Yes—that really was how Lusamine saw it.
She loved her children so very much. But those same children—her closest family—had betrayed her.
They didn't just run away. They even took the vital Type: Null and Cosmog with them.
How could she not be furious?
"N‑no, that's not…"
"You rejected my love and then abandoned me. Lillie, you—"
"That's not how it is!"
The girl's stubborn voice cut through her words, sharp and sudden.
Lusamine stared, stunned.
This was the first time Lillie had ever raised her voice at her like this—the first time she'd ever outright interrupted her.
"Mother is always like this, just talking to herself! Why did you become like this?"
Biting her lip, Lillie finally lifted her head. Her reddened eyes met Lusamine's gaze head‑on.
"You…"
"Back then, Mother really was gentle. Big brother and I both loved you more than anyone!"
Lusamine froze, staring blankly at Lillie.
"But after Father vanished, you changed. Why? You never thought about how my brother and I felt. You just forced your own ideas on us, without caring if we were happy or not!"
"The Mother I admired was never like this!"
It was like a dam bursting.
With everything she had, the girl finally let out the voice in her heart.
Tears the size of beans streamed down her cheeks.
"And you're doing something so dangerous. Father vanished because of this, and yet you still want to go through with it."
"If… if you vanished just like Father did, then what would happen to me and big brother? We… we don't want to lose you too… uu…"
As she spoke, Lillie finally couldn't hold it in anymore and began to sob.
She'd been bottling all of this up for so, so long. It was like having a mountain sitting on her chest, making it hard to even breathe.
Watching Lillie's raw, heartbroken tears, Lusamine zoned out.
She'd never imagined that this was what Lillie had been thinking all along. A rush of indescribable emotion welled up in her chest.
The room fell silent again, with only Lillie's faint, shaky sobs breaking the stillness.
She didn't want to cry—but she couldn't help it. She simply couldn't stop the tears.
Then a warm hand rested gently on her back, slowly rubbing in comfort.
Lillie blinked through her tears and looked up.
What she saw was Lusamine—but the icy mask was gone, replaced by a soft, gentle expression.
"My Lillie… you've grown up, but in the end you're still just a child."
Her mother's warm voice sent another surge of emotion crashing through Lillie. She threw herself into Lusamine's arms.
The mother from her memories… was finally back.
"Mother!"
"Ah… Mother's here. I'm sorry, Lillie. I've made you suffer so much."
Lusamine wrapped her arms around her daughter, guilt threading through every word.
How had she failed to notice Lillie's true feelings until now?
Holding Lillie close, Lusamine felt a sharp ache in her heart as, for the first time, she began to question whether the way she loved her children had really been right.
Thinking back… in her obsession with the Ultra Beasts, she really had neglected to understand Lillie at all.
Lusamine truly did love her children deeply. She'd just never once considered that she should try to understand them. She'd stubbornly believed that as long as they listened to her, everything would be fine.
But Lillie's outpouring today had finally made her see what her daughter really felt.
Mother and daughter, reconciled at last, suddenly had so much to say.
They sat back down together on the sofa.
Lillie told Lusamine about her experiences after leaving Aether Paradise, while Lusamine listened intently, occasionally chiming in with her own thoughts.
The mood between them was wonderful for a while. Then…
"Mother, you haven't given up on those plans yet, have you?"
After some hesitation, Lillie gathered her courage and asked.
"You mean the Ultra Wormhole?" Lusamine replied.
"Yes. Mother, it's just too dangerous. Can't you please…"
"Lillie, as much as I'd like to give you the answer you want, I can't lie to you." Lusamine sighed.
"We can't abandon Ultra Wormhole research."
"Why? Ultra Beasts are far too dangerous. You know that." Lillie's voice grew urgent.
"Yes. And that's exactly why we can't stop." Lusamine's tone turned firm.
Lillie froze.
"Lillie, researching the Ultra Wormhole isn't just for my own sake. For all of Alola, the threat of the Ultra Beasts is very real."
"Do you know why Alola has never established a Pokémon League?"
Lillie frowned, suddenly understanding what her mother meant. She'd always been a very sharp girl.
"Professor Kukui has been working hard to found an Alola League, but it's ultimately meaningless. The fundamental problem in Alola hasn't been solved." Lusamine shook her head.
"Because of the Ultra Beasts…"
"Exactly. Because of the Ultra Beasts. Do you know Island Kahuna Nanu? Before he became Island Kahuna, he was one of the International Police that the Pokémon League sent to Alola to investigate the Ultra Beasts."
Lusamine revealed this secret.
"But during one of their missions, they failed—and one of their operatives died. The cause of death was an Ultra Beast: Guzzlord."
"If we don't fully investigate and understand the Ultra Beasts, the Alola League will never be established. Alola will never be able to hold its head high in front of the other regions."
Lillie bit her lip.
She wasn't an immature child. Faced with something that concerned the whole Alola Region, she couldn't just blurt out something selfish like telling Lusamine to ignore it.
"Don't worry, Lillie. I know what you're afraid of. But I've made plenty of preparations. I even hired a powerful Champion‑tier Trainer as insurance."
Lusamine gently stroked Lillie's soft cheek with a look full of affection.
"A Champion‑tier Trainer?" Lillie gasped. Even she understood how valuable that title was.
"That's right. He's very strong."
Something complicated flickered deep in Lusamine's eyes.
But Lillie completely missed the deeper meaning behind her words.
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