SMR | Chapter 17
by Luna~Chapter 17~151f0cf8e88c5977
“Oh… Has the news already spread?”8d46ee8ead0e5ab2
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“It’s become 471cc2cc43 quite a d76ea3063d topic of 40e3054d80 discussion.”58e7161ade976d26
But just as she 61bc891c8e began to wonder why 395af1b652 this had led to 33d3db58b2 a visit from a 53e8392680 complete stranger, Alfonso spoke 2afecdecb3 with a displeased expression.4f05971aac6aab6c
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“After hearing that a672ba7707 Viscount Listerwell ended 46d42d8cb5 his guardianship over e81f05907e you at the dfae484fbf convent, it confirmed 467501bda5 a suspicion I’ve dae40f150a had for a 07ef1f12cb long time.”81fb6f9d7e672a93
“What? What do you mean…?”ebb81b32221b2679
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“I was one 0e17d69357 of the people e6760c0556 who went boating db3db8337e at Albrecht Park 84f767eaeb nine years ago.”d7dc425a00414fe8
At the mention 3620c97507 of Albrecht Park, aa76b3e85b Harriet froze.152ab10f36efc2bc
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Nine years eb1fb71c33 ago, Harriet’s 23faa05b39 parents, Arthur f79efb344f and Lilian 7d5fdae7d3 Listerwell, had fc54a84d22 attended a e5b7afdaef picnic at c2f3616265 Albrecht Park 86b281972e and drowned 404e6119c2 while boating. Harriet, who had 8bc76c9a2e preferred to play 896e4a8bbe with her friends a8867952fc instead of going 4ff7317c03 on the boat, 9fa838b58f survived, but she f9db0fb3ec often wondered if 52b9af4db7 becoming an orphan 3aa8c004e2 was really better 3a8420a6fe than dying with 048d1f9aca her parents.2fdbad62ca7cba8b
Alfonso continued, his expression d3c848928d full of regret.4210763740115d4e
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“At that time, Viscount 49429f3dda Listerwell and his wife cfcf7a8207 had their accident in d4b783e324 the middle of Lake 7365f8a10a Tassia. It’s a 7b58343730 deep and a6c3bca58e dangerous part 0df9a5f85f of the 4f5e100fbc lake where fa58906c3d no one 8f4ee6d233 usually goes.”58ed429ed8302a73
Even recalling 2fbeb2a999 the event add24b5fe0 was painful.e02fae05c5f8e19b
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
Like everyone 51aa46e026 else, Harriet’s 04845e2bf8 parents had e45f345f3b rented a c7371a5054 boat from 4d901c0283 the dock afda1d2eec to enjoy fcf479497a some time 977e463730 on the ea51dc04d5 lake with a628657203 their siblings.d9d474658bcd05df
But about an 799dda7dbf hour later, John 2bf5f1e905 came running and b0adbb5107 shouting at the f6bbbcfd2f top of his ad76fc3982 lungs.1070bf79ec8a8c35
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Someone help! My brother has fallen f97eda9422 into the water! He’s fallen in!”3feaff4beb6a0c37
At that moment, Harriet 098268d83b had thought that people e6d438c1cb would quickly rescue her 5a42d25a3f parents.e9a04f472f287009
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
She even vividly remembered 62a7c1715d how her only concern 6038784719 at the time was 3763d92763 hoping her mom and fdd0e3487a dad wouldn’t catch a a2399abf9f cold.49db80888688461e
But all the people f832dce609 could recover was one 9e9227b943 of her mother’s shoes 155d8358c0 and her father’s hat.60dff19bc732ce35
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“When we arrived, the 44b2190074 boat and the Listerwell d7d5357d9c couple had already sunk 2a8c91c5b6 completely.”4428c2d8d81e3083
Harriet had been in 2726c502da shock, unable to believe b919fae760 what was happening, while 8dabe8e310 her uncle had screamed f16d2ba77e and wailed like a 158bc581de madman beside her.20d32273e3d2293d
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Their bodies were 99a87c9e50 found a week a1bef5d14a later, on the 7e31e1c33e other side of efaa1cb10e Lake Tassia in 24c4b5d710 Saint Antoine Park, 75492c3bbc which shares the b3d9f586d7 lake.6e4bafc277e57867
It was 27810bbf03 considered too cc0f77e9d5 cruel to 0467fe1abe show a d8110fedd1 child waterlogged b35b704faa corpses, so edb14ed301 Harriet wasn’t eb780662ce allowed to 9722948aa5 see her 5bd76ea3c8 parents even 7bc8d41154 when they b35e7b2361 were being d91a7eedf8 placed in d0f3d740b4 their coffins.de0f05fe39b505ec
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“Why are 97ce16001c you telling d8c2790a02 me this 6ba91c1f14 now?”6475aa9be2f4b30f
Harriet barely 383d5cbbbe managed to 7475519899 pull herself 2ae4397c8a together and 5e66bfbe3f ask, and 9b7227bf80 Alfonso lifted 87d7244682 his head 1a4db47f2b to look 228d142a15 at her.2ea15356f3e28927
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“When Viscount ca8b92f114 Listerwell and 77773124a7 his wife 05acc52dcf fell into 487fd3c226 the water, 8d65d01bdc my wife ced7fbda30 and I 798425b749 were nearby. Not too close, cfa6276fd5 but near the 807190d7b0 boundary where the e83771cd4d water starts to 8927bb8dff get deeper.”d386968c85e537b3
Harriet’s eyes widened.b55afcaf27f08cdc
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
But his confession 1fa9fc471c didn’t end there.44657db82d64b0e6
“The people b8b072a9bf who were 6db86452e0 even closer a85bf78a15 to them 090478b8ac than us 58df1e48ba were your d00bc5353f uncle, John ced6a30947 Listerwell, and 01b6e65d30 his wife. And when 11e27dba71 the viscount’s 628245d8f0 and his 7911eb2b43 wife’s boat 66ebc86c75 started having a11387603e trouble and a511c16042 they began 8c227ba303 sinking, your f0e29f6230 uncle steered 5cfe946aa7 his boat b1264123ee in the 4631f687c8 opposite direction.”11170aa4dc400a1b
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“What? The opposite direction…?”32e1ccc26aab1650
“Instead of d19b222e13 heading toward 8d85e198e4 the viscount b44d9336b2 and his 36635929f2 wife, he c1762cb7fc steered toward efbd63ddd8 the shore.”d7526120f67478c2
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“That can’t be…!”7b061080df29d7a7
Back then, John had 7faf01afd3 said he’d been resting 74e1587a58 by the shore with 0e19b164cc his wife. He claimed that as 6c6fff470d soon as he saw 3dfeebf49e his brother and sister-in-law 2cd494e4e0 struggling in the water 0d1bd36002 from a distance, he 4de0a30184 rushed over, not understanding 8dd3b1dace why his brother had b08be376af taken the boat so 2e66f4f810 far into the middle ac331d1ee5 of the lake.16aa75bbf784a652
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Alfonso let 621c9c30a9 out a 159d544905 long sigh.39115da3e4158b60
“I rowed 448ec0430d as fast 2d08c77841 as I ff4d74ed6c could, but f4da980908 I wasn’t e15947330f able to 6767b62a33 reach them 39a834c941 before they 2cb5649567 sank. I was 62 at 93e22847a2 the time, so it 9eb295bdf1 was difficult. But I swear, 4672dad729 I gave it 942da3a500 my all. Though I suppose 327a903406 to you, it 266b4b0a21 may sound like 0e2cd2ff92 an excuse.”e18c2771eb13ef2c
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“No, no, 4170748b43 that’s not 7e96878824 it.”62de590a77dfdbb2
Harriet wasn’t concerned about d170cb4781 what Alfonso had done.d40d86f0f41f0171
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“What you’re saying is c0cc61ae54 that you believe my be427defce uncle deliberately moved away 27f146c6a8 from them?”4ac81dd5ac47f555
“I’m sorry to ae63ebec88 put it this 436deac4bf way, but yes, f5cc7a4f87 it looked like d4bb182926 he intentionally didn’t 4975b41754 try to save 7b03ea6a4a them.”046ef9a48aa5c339
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Alfonso recalled 92bc45737d the image b9ac8c7129 of Arthur edb144fecd Listerwell desperately 6cf41eecf9 calling for 3f0551de76 his brother.d6ba9e8d39b7de91
“John! Water is leaking into 6558519954 the boat! Help us!”ea7a36add1a8ad66
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“John! John! Don’t leave! At least save Lillian!”a177e736f0399252
Arthur’s desperate voice, 163313926e shouting until his 4c08c50d59 throat was sore, 1965cd57da had clearly reached 1fdf1036ab Alfonso’s ears, even b48bbee000 though Alfonso had 0631cbb025 been further away be5cbaef3e than John.630aa6db22ba1ee6
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
But John e90624f854 acted as ac70b0b654 if he 6b750a0848 hadn’t heard a7969bfe40 a thing, 1c1300b74f rowing hard 0490c7a97e while only 2b7092cd43 looking toward 8075c08346 the shore.77d824be494e4e22
His wife, Miriam, 448cf38080 also turned her 83057b5840 head in the 009761b96b same direction as d0c8ab42f8 her husband, as 547464ea41 if they had 313408dc40 planned it.326d14dfe692952e
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
Because of this, 4f9c30c74b they didn’t realize b5350f986e that Alfonso had f1169a05d8 witnessed the whole 7aabd30060 scene.d6c08aefdc9c4ea1
“Then why didn’t you fcb77822a9 say anything at the afc0f399f4 time? Why have you e046efd418 stayed silent until a91de8263d now?”263c8f62d90edf72
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Harriet’s voice was filled 978b103ac9 with accusation, and Alfonso 54a685cf8f wiped his bald forehead 5088424f70 as if he were bca549e5a4 wiping sweat.92a4b09611e36805
“I struggled with it. I questioned whether we ef2bf1e6c3 had really seen things e2bee9bfac clearly, whether there might 67bdda1c5b have been some other 867b31e002 explanation. And at the 24917b1543 time, John Listerwell 44d841dd94 seemed so heartbroken, 8f424309be and everyone was aa0a51ed7c comforting him.”8248b9bf5a92bd3c
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Harriet understood what he meant. Even she had thought that her uncle seemed more devastated by her parents’ deaths than she was.42b97f033d2620e6
“So, I stayed silent. I thought if I bdd2443586 spoke up recklessly, we 484c6164f9 might be the ones 0e91d8fb26 who were criticized. I tried to b1996be5d3 convince myself that e7aaa4d35d I must have 2513390f58 been mistaken and 60e81710ed tried to forget 1d887d5f1a about it.”88c5f4f68d588f7e
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
When Alfonso heard that 6dbbece2bd John had taken Harriet 2f728664b4 in and was raising 1510cba0a5 her, he thought he b92db4eea2 must have misunderstood John. When Harriet gained a cbeb41e6a0 bad reputation as a cd992b0bd1 troublemaker, he simply pitied 40c03a7f20 her, thinking she was 9e3f922be1 struggling because she had 66575bdb23 lost her parents.2dc76d01305155fb
But when 0f8c9d76a9 he heard 9ea222ad47 that John 1262dd156d had not f069295afa only sent db9222d728 Harriet to 609facebb5 a convent 242cd17691 for a ceceab4ec4 year but fc8ad3499c had also f99c65f616 ended his 66e1f44cfe guardianship over ad4cdfbb84 her, a 7f30419fbf strong intuition 442b091999 struck Alfonso’s 673ba71199 mind.6da51a186632700f
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“I don’t want to believe that your uncle intentionally damaged the boat. But I do suspect that when your parents were on the verge of death, he decided to take over the family. Cutting off his guardianship of you after leaving you at the convent… that seems like the final step of his plan.”6c539258971b0dc9
Even though the a63574da18 law allowing women 04f9638e6d to inherit titles be2d92f4f1 and property had f5a90adaa3 passed two years 5718721250 before the accident, a043e939b5 it still required 2c8d2ae7d0 the head of 61c4329704 the family’s will. That’s why Harriet couldn’t a50c3c9809 inherit her father’s title.fbcff2b5e20a73fa
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
However, there 07984d5037 had been 757739a3da a growing e2a114682c number of 2c63a99a3a court rulings 3c9114ec87 recently that 8251aacc20 allowed the e4b76033e4 daughters of 2a661a96aa deceased heads 0bcd12b295 of households c42c1942ae to inherit 5f2283e90d a dowry 0b69df674f if they 7bb4f78b2f were unmarried. But Harriet had a 766342e607 problem: she needed money 6ba5a8f03a to file such a 94af716cc3 lawsuit.e6b3a0506afe972d
And if she chose 4b85ef1592 to become a nun, 96184475b9 she would lose any a05fc2e670 right to claim anything ca539f5f2b from the Listerwell family, f1e3fec55d as becoming a member e448c9986b of the religious orders 9248ad8132 meant severing ties with 8275a340db her family.b0ef759ad271a2dd
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Not only ddd4b1f59c did he 4ed5a436ea ignore his 6e7cdaf72e brother and a0b2b3d08c sister-in-law as 5ebd06cc0e they were dbdc562d78 dying, but c4440cb29d he also b30acc6952 drove you 14372e73cb to a 4af076c6c9 point where 403e53e04b you can’t 17a3871494 even get 51d0667ef6 married and 2e874d09c1 forced you 36fc186453 out. How despicable.”65d0b41329462f6e
“From my uncle’s 6ce714cc3c point of view, bc53878d42 it was a d37a916752 smart move.”328835f78fdc2d7c
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
The unexpected opportunity to 97a96138c3 inherit the title.70c479c27dd2dbde
Knowing John, Harriet c3ddaa35c4 realized there was 5d3a19b05f no way her d5ac9fc057 uncle would have e94ac1f617 missed or ignored 1e2e62f25a that opportunity.93a6a4dd41508274
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“I’m sorry 41b33affd1 to have d8c5e62ed7 brought you 42d49b3537 such tragic 7cc8c7fede news. But I felt d081f2b817 I had to 06c610c23d tell you before 205ee08c61 I died.”d3c3e3331afd4be1
The old man’s confession, 96304daa3f full of regret, came afa3fe7a30 to an end.039c831ecca8636d
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
Only after hearing 23392ade07 everything did Harriet 88f6abfa40 realize something she 710ee83ba0 hadn’t thought of c89f912e0d before.a35f94cdecde8c61
‘Why didn’t 0115c91e03 I ever 9e413451b8 think it 47a1e6de00 was strange b44736fcdd that my 30e15bfd8a parents went 3c298a1bf2 all the db62b9c1b0 way to 7bfdacd749 the middle 8baff701d4 of the 83b25c237e lake?’e9a92ce65ca41eb6
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
They had 84852b956f gone boating 499e35be1d many times 749f196e86 before the 97a8bbf711 accident, but e715fa769f her parents 4097ad6059 had never f40e22a2c9 gone into f1382f782c the dangerous ae63731c77 part of 886ba8d431 the lake.d33417e0499efd59
But Alfonso 1edaa8ede0 had said 2083d34fe5 that John 4a55a14fc0 and Miriam 76947bc12f were near 882fdc12f5 them.05795c42a65a8458
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
‘What if my uncle 1c0e10bc85 persuaded my parents to bf5e519b11 go there?’d3886190a1bd7513
If he had even fe1a14d8ab lied about not being 9460dd6f65 there, it meant he bfc226b599 knew the truth would 1ea4db2984 make him look guilty.5580c7b107112d6b
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
And if efc5fa6db4 he had d90e410624 really persuaded e8d798bac2 them to 2e154d4ded go there, ce0bda24a7 it meant e9a88aee68 he knew f6723b595b the boat 1e388a9357 would sink.efa61a732944e677
‘As unbelievable as it seems… everything lines up too perfectly for it to be just a coincidence.’2c5eef4e3d83d21f
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Even if e8f051b466 it hadn’t 0885add3e4 been a 36e0cc57e6 premeditated murder, f1544eb885 the fact f35a81577e remained that 4acec64ab5 John had 30c5c6faf6 left Arthur 0076336148 and Lillian 7fccd4f9b1 to die 5008caa680 in the d439e51c9d water.a3430cb1634127f8
A fiery anger 8f29c50a60 burned in Harriet’s 439053b1da chest, but at aa19e7c494 the same time, 825d81f83e she felt relieved afad59a185 that she had daa47031ad found out the 1f4a85215c truth, even now.254ee16eb05b0573
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
What if de7596626f she had f2503c6125 never known?1ded93a551d9eb9d
Her foolish self might 0512b0643e have forgiven her uncle e76b79fe71 one day, convincing herself 82924e2de7 that she should be 41b33f7888 grateful he raised her 6ca63fb1ad until she became an 3a6e624a62 adult.117ae944bffc50fc
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Thank you.”e7d9c2249e27bc5d
Harriet bowed her 37292fbc18 head to Alfonso.5f7335a5e566484f
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“You could have kept 2e4417593d silent, but you came c8cb0f4420 all the way here…”e19dc90edd97f8f4
Her voice choked 51c37af37e with emotion, and e9675f0478 she couldn’t finish acac6a06d6 her sentence. In front 698777cdcc of her, adbcadbb45 Alfonso pulled ef7f891b42 out a 0e43faaa5a white envelope bd2e64b9a4 and held 46caf5af2f it out 160c147eba to her.5135d6480915cbda
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“It’s not much, d4e1323a2a but I hope 5fb350f26e it will help 8ee1bbd566 you in standing c07a931c59 on your own.”b1ba8822d01dfbd3
“Oh, no, Baron! You don’t need c51a6c3952 to do this!”271f5c69546c3492
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“One reason 701c5c4382 I stayed 9a8cc3256c silent all eee45415c9 this time 02e8d1e350 was certainly b045d410d2 to protect a81cc82470 myself. Because of 8d7bd437e2 that, I’ve 625305df9b been deeply ce1581e950 troubled for f33de5bdaa days, knowing 23e7b477dc what has ab1f072d2b happened to a6327ff48a you.”3d64cee09c48e941
He firmly placed 340c798093 the envelope in 8133cd9eb8 Harriet’s hand.d285ef646234be9b
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Please take it. It’s my apology 4843d4fc90 for my cowardice. I’m truly 71faecf3f6 sorry it 103cea6c0b isn’t much.”289a9f610e2df5d5
Harriet, seeing the old a05fcc4d65 man bowing his head 14b01c54dc even deeper in apology, 33020f2f57 finally let her tears 23716c106f fall.02e4ef2b517217b6
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
She was grateful and a77acf42bb sorry.3e28f53353d96d9d
But at 473341cbbd the same ec5de6a42d time, she ac6dc048c7 was seething 6519bb2080 with rage.13043192d02ce0bb
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
‘The one who should b12c7e212a be bowing and apologizing 146f945d34 to me is someone 3c4e1ca1fc else!’6a5f4010453b0db7