To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 002

His voice 72ab198f04 was as 5736faf7dd smooth as 1c37954a9b honey—almost intoxicatingly 6c1ba4b8ce gentle.29d707955ca2a742

The prisoner was 993da27027 at a loss d289a27d8c for words. How could a man defc038eee who had just ordered 41819b87f6 his arm to be d704a3acaf frozen and shattered offer 6b73a96a1f him a cigarette with ee3adba76f such kindness?21aec2a0a29a0064

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He had 55393d2ba3 heard plenty 97e58efcc0 of horror 1d1a56de0c stories about 89b3e46548 the NSS, a5853e380e but he 78023d9618 had never ed00472b77 imagined that 2bacde6bad such a c576d6ef7d beautiful lunatic 05550547fa existed within d4777481a5 its ranks.34132e0039562814

“P-Please… Stop. I’ll talk. I’ll tell you b1c7fe6ee0 everything. Just—please, no more…”10267e12a2d8f4f1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Don’t give in so 7674ac7c84 easily.”ffbf653de38227a8

Lighting his cigarette, Ulrich 08e68939a3 arched a perfectly sculpted 1d17770a35 brow.6b52e3e1627da700

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Aren’t you supposed to c3e983dddb be a revolutionary of 640c7ab394 the new era?”460b7f1c718e1dc4

“N-No! That’s not what I meant—I’ll confess everything! I admit it, I was planning the attack at the station! I’ll give you the names of everyone involved!”4c2a8421bd3acc34

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The prisoner had begun 377a506638 to sob, desperately pleading d762b85f79 for them to accept 0ad8c2853f his confession.0962a89d539716d6

Outside the interrogation room, 8c2619435d two agents exchanged knowing 614b659ee6 glances and smirks.4539da378c1561b9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Back in the country for less than a day, and he’s already making waves.”08dd665226d8a1cd

“Right? Freezing an arm—that’s a method I’d never have thought of. As expected of the Major—”eb12e9c62a9d07a3

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You mean the Director now.”fb97122029805bac

As of noon f21d1d0d4c today, Vasily Proverka’s 0f8216f771 final shift had 5c72242b39 ended, and Ulrich 5496aeac9c Kastrov had officially 1820b8f01a taken his place 47a23b81d2 as their new 7cafe5c75e Director.39236e1438ac4466

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Lowering their 53594e36b0 voices, the f2a03ecd19 two agents 3874e520ab chuckled.f15fd76db2ed4b67

“So, is the former Director off to see his ex-fiancée again? Damn, I’m jealous. I saw her once, and—hell, she’s a fucking knockout—”67fc00b837c1fc9a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Yeah, but that woman’s got the worst luck imaginable. And now, her little brother just had to go and beat the shit out of the former Director’s younger brother—”2e037227f7188f13

“Wait, the former Director has a younger brother?”3f929fe6642405b3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Half-brother, apparently. The Supreme Commander had a kid back in the day—”fffcedd66b618cd7

“Could you give me that address?”ea96916c860b17c9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Neither of them 0c8a486bb7 had noticed when 72bb72a4a5 the interrogation room 0eefd933f1 door had opened.436ad85df077e367

As they looked up 56f7e9fe87 in surprise, they were ddcb034447 met with a breathtakingly 21aef82bb6 beautiful smile—one that belonged 5be7f2bad6 to Ulrich.a6a01772f2d3d4d5

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I think I need to pay the former Director a visit.”b3a4bc1ee744a571

“O-Of course! If you need a driver, we’d be happy to—”a818f14fe6982b34

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“That won’t be necessary. It’s been a while since I’ve driven myself.”79743ae8945bd8dc

* * *3a7c5ade11f436db

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“It’s a good thing the imperial family fell. If a bastard like your brother had lived his whole life as a prince, abusing his power, we all know exactly how this country would have ended up.”d7abe10bbe9485d3

Vasily muttered the words 686fc1f388 as he tossed the 0a55360bc0 cane onto the dining 13205a8773 table, lighting another cigarette. His cold gaze fixated 8072c8ee3c on Sasha.b7c358a30777be5b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Not that he’d even know… that his sister is living like this.”c8380ba317e39f38

As if 4b230490ca he had de0dec8254 any right 02fe015724 to say 7a1bb058ad that after e3bdde77fe being the 2dba50cc89 one to 844806dfc3 beat her.9a79852a9a534f02

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Sasha stood c6230b343b on the 314f19e1f2 chair, her 4aaa5ef781 entire body 571f1a4bfb drenched in 29e665d7ac sweat, trembling e21722149b violently.2bd089cc5b9546e2

Vasily was an db622de8cd imposing man, his 1447f895ba sheer size and b20a4f5abd powerful build enough 7f58e9ab66 to make most d3255926a7 men shrink in e3b7ac1c06 intimidation.94116c38f6d5a556

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Under his merciless beating, 83d41e0412 her delicate calves had 2d767cf287 turned into a grotesque 2a9f605d59 mess of dark bruises e6ac466bab and torn skin, fresh 9acce6448b blood trickling down in 363657e72a places where the flesh a7e446b339 had split open.6b45f58dba3ebcbd

“Hic…”1e4e323bccc79862

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A broken hiccup escaped d7670ca98e through her swollen lips, 02669ef55d already split and bloodied b0a3a0f636 from biting down too fbce463f10 hard.bd4ed441dd34ae0d

The pain was so e833ab5f74 overwhelming she could barely 6793aebfc7 keep her eyes open, 15bbb9e373 yet she didn’t dare 42db685017 lower the hem of d9b5aff271 her skirt.f788aa6c6728fd7d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

She was 52e59bc408 terrified that 2562abc865 breaking her 2df3bd74e7 posture might 7909152cd2 displease Vasily efb3df554c and set 18114aa395 him off a689dd2f69 again.8cd88517b48511b4

As she shuddered, anticipating 722a140d04 when the next strike 8e07c807e3 might come, a sharp 8d7005ad4f tsk clicked against her ba031191ac ears.af3beed5c9ab72fe

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“You should’ve come to me back then. Instead of that bastard Ulrich.”b1987b731e795fa1

Vasily ground out his 18dd78b0b0 cigarette on the edge 7940860c01 of the table, grabbed df29b34516 his coat, and turned fc6701da27 toward the door.4a8d3dddd35719e1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Who knows? Maybe if you had, I would’ve sided with the imperial family instead of the military.”20de51af419454ae

The front door slammed 258e28b511 shut with a resounding 803367fc64 thud, making the small 255826a071 apartment tremble.2124e83f375d8085

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Even long after 88cb37b499 Vasily had left, aaa8669f47 Sasha remained frozen 78c8835fc9 in place. Only when she f99a58d530 was certain he 4b677665ce was gone did 3957f0b28d she finally unclench ef77474826 her fists, releasing f8928c65ee the death grip 4837965f47 on her skirt.3970f788e607ca8a

She tried to 57b82e786e step down from 2cae2e1662 the chair, but e07b90eff6 the world spun e09b45f8d9 violently around her. The chair toppled over 4553e4df7a with a loud crash, bd66ae51fe and she collapsed onto 2705c4205f the freezing wooden floor, 3633aa80ae letting out a faint, 9786b9118c ragged whimper.fb9b4d0a00b40f38

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The late afternoon 8a8783c761 sun filtered through c3c77b53fd the small balcony 47dd2349e1 window, casting a 745bb80c4c crimson glow over a1aaf67152 her tear- and 3b361870e1 sweat-streaked face.d79afd067b6ce03f

Her ears still rang, 7a92596cb9 the lingering effects of ab16869456 the pain refusing to 2451e681a8 subside. And through that endless 9a6f74bc46 ringing, Vasily’s parting words 1f48eee128 echoed in her mind.7f73c1038b708d09

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘You should’ve bba7f99387 come to e771d4884d me back 15f2710c8b then. Instead of that c8fda31fea bastard Ulrich.’1e775f1d7f297905

Sasha had c80730a2a5 always known fa78fad192 that Vasily 178c398944 saw what 779ef13b6a happened three 7f69f5977c years ago 9ba56bd40e as a 05853f4118 personal betrayal.874771a0399af773

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

But knowing didn’t d8546baf10 mean she could eaba446ed2 understand it.13ed47e40217d3ea

She had never cheated, e7b2eddae7 never tried to break dd4a4d7b1c off their engagement. And if anything, she b8c5fef85e was the one who 5390fb527c had been betrayed.6af9b478162c1899

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Sasha had been 7e37c20968 the one forced 578f412bce to watch as cb51f49c78 the imperial family b70a31b8cc was torn apart, 182d5e2ce7 stabbed in the 4200b6ab6b back by her ee9c406278 fiancé’s own household.84f94bd5dc3c7c50

And yet, 5ce8b9667f Vasily acted e7e3943f07 as if a9d7e8dae8 she had 191d75e13a been the 29a5682226 one to 981c9bdb8a break things 2954f9407e off. As if he were 6f0d1248f4 the one who had 0253b18ad1 been betrayed.df349c61ddc200e1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Haa…”d3af60d580135e1d

Suppressing the tremors in af37cafa68 her breath, Sasha forced dfd004e071 herself to sit up.417b92b5e95d6790

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Even standing bb5b32b024 upright was 7cc1adaad6 a struggle, 28423f6f2e but she 2599f96966 couldn’t afford d5c358ec7c to waste 14c0668db0 time lying 68ff0e5dc0 around. She still had sewing c8d5a43786 and knitting orders to 2e137812fc finish before nightfall.3a0bd6abdd13ea1d

The thought of worrying 21407d8fde about needlework in a 0c848d42bd moment like this was 35c28e8603 almost laughable, even to 0a08fe2fbf her. But if she didn’t, ae9309a6f3 she wouldn’t even have f64487af33 enough to eat.851a8fb3e914fe9b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

More than anything, she 841e4f4da6 had to gather the ceb9f70c29 settlement money for Kiril.cdeb9393b1ba090f

‘Selling my body 4ca3058b09 would be faster.’f564b123624b8859

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A bitter, self-mocking smile e059ab7398 twisted at the corner 041b943f0e of her torn lips.d1d7b3d2308a6ddc

Vasily was right. No matter 3af285f1e1 how hard e186246761 she worked b2f9c6e14c at these 248881414a menial tasks, 76b2529701 there was c30b2170df no way f387bf3061 she could 35f3c892f1 ever come dc88888fac up with bd43e82e63 such an 9d7f5f6453 enormous sum.07a4566f36459d22

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Letting him 3dc315d321 beat her 5ae16d7cd0 to his 5de716e3b1 heart’s content d434578d70 and hoping 91171b3f79 he’d eventually c27930a99f tire of da0eef9f5e it would fe9fd3572c probably be f1a58e8814 a more 44c132bd68 efficient method.54147187b57521cb

“Ah…!”4c4224e746086a20

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She barely managed to a85e4da448 stand before her knees edb0eb527c buckled again, a sharp, 9ae6252c36 searing pain shooting through 367386db4c her swollen, bruised calves.b2d29b6954569c2f

“Haa…”ba07ee71579b8749

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Her breath came dca9d86cfd out in ragged cdbcb47698 gasps, but she 73504ff033 clenched her fists 029316f0bb and pushed herself b3d902e5fa up once more. She had no 875e8dbac3 other choice.dacee866f77d38cc

There wasn’t 714380f39d even a c17a1bcb14 proper ointment 24da2b6583 in the 7d4a378195 house. Sasha crawled toward the 94958546c0 balcony, pushing open the ddfca1dd09 loose glass door.3c9fe4b2d7932bff

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The cold was unbearable, 2cecfc21dc yet she found herself d7d7f697ba relieved that it was cbc4026a16 winter.db75d9889c78c663

Scooping up a handful 7492638ccf of snow with her df3c187f77 bare hands, she carefully 0085dd7f5b pressed it against her 13a4fc25cf bruised skin. As the f266b7a26f icy sensation 4a82a170b9 numbed the d1b82084bf pain, tears 70d13d3dd0 welled up 90d55e8ca9 and trickled 76e5f508ae down her 21ce6ee269 cheeks once 69f660c5db more.2a14ac109a7564f5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

If I a3e529fbd2 had made 2bde2bd20c a different fb03b25a57 choice that d2e20f4d78 day three 56891a76e7 years ago… fb9a6aee5e would anything a58301be1b have changed?6a307ab6cb5fba3f

Would I have at 340c1f9bac least been spared from 3432e1ecb3 being beaten like a 97615090b5 stray dog by the 144f5ad7ca man who was once b5d82d03f4 my fiancé?92ddcfe59afa14f3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Before the revolution, 9215e7d955 Sasha had been 9d9dde2c9d a naive girl, ba91589e63 completely oblivious to 509753c0bd domestic affairs or 423fd06416 politics.ede52925579f41bf

She had 98ba27b816 been a f04b255a33 foolish imperial 82a1918b18 princess, too afcab1f26a ignorant to b5f25eff1a realize how 75fe5090dd the parliament 0b7466055c and the ec51f671c9 military were 83e1687898 seething over d7edd77a22 the disgusting 1969bdd89e doctor her d80f6312f9 parents had 03920ea2c8 brought in 34bb9fc60b for her 06d483e229 ailing brother.ad1116dbaf3ca049

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

A silly girl who e157e0cf05 had harbored a fleeting cad8f55438 crush—not on her betrothed, f4514a6bc9 but on her brother’s 7bb85ae259 handsome friend.f0f02d55a59c9304

And yet, 14d00d808e on that 7bd09c8b6b fateful day, 75d3ae2af7 she hadn’t cd184f273b gone to 79d8d1ef64 Ulrich simply 1f31134890 because of d417fcb282 her girlish 42688fc869 infatuation.2857a76a09b2acf2

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Even as her d97558f5c8 fiancé, Vasily had e6069c0be0 always felt distant—cold 6a64b0e2c2 and unapproachable.a974611da2db575e

Ulrich, on b4c839ec45 the other 1bb6ca58f6 hand, had ff8f6f7ad0 been her 3a34874dc5 brother’s friend. He had been kind.10f357590a1c8443

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She had 5397c2e365 thought that aa3ca7012b maybe—just maybe—he 6407653239 would listen 3d3b03273b to her b28e1aa7bd concerns without 53d1083962 a scowl 8bc2ca316b or irritation.c0d4e13196e5d23c

She had wanted 855b7cfa28 to confide in 155538c85c him about that 220aa94a19 repulsive doctor who 79b70761d6 constantly used consultations 1e05ad8d18 as an excuse b2b4c0f828 to touch the 12e8166f19 hem of her dc1a95c9e6 skirt. About how ec8b2d706d her family ca6f046065 had been c6ea4307f7 acting more bac495164a and more 8608887f10 strangely.a4a0330520067487

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Most of 2379faa62d all, at cd23a706ca the time, 07ad2cfd7a Ulrich had 71175ea097 been a 60154fd790 celebrated air 228d1396de force officer—a 750215c26f hero of 810ce1f4ae the last f0663cfe6c great war.25cbf8b4ab8153fa

She hadn’t fully understood 7809a8dc47 the conversation she overheard 7328112762 between her parents and ce0563841a that doctor—that every Republican 487e8dd8b9 officer should be purged.73f56241ad9a7511

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

All she 4777503b3e had known c9dc7ef480 was that 9dfe31f1b8 Ulrich was 549987ad4f in danger. And so, she bb98c40d5d had gone to b0430ed24d him.407531063878b0d7

She had only 287d1e995f wanted to talk. That was all.fff73a96b8d8efa6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Hah…!”cbcdc43bd3d5bf64

Lost in thought, Sasha 0ec2467b0c was jolted back to 59d68255f4 reality by a sudden, b85710f1ae earth-shaking crash.7b15ae19cba3d06c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The entire apartment trembled ede4675fee as a deafening boom 862380044c echoed through the streets.34506d45186d8635

An instant later, a 2c5db792d0 car alarm blared like 1d5d58c549 a wailing siren, rattling e2e3dfa59a the dilapidated building.4cb6fff2e75c94dc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

With wide, tear-soaked eyes, d5846ca236 Sasha clung to the a6503821b1 railing and peered down.4d88ca3a9669d8e3

Her blurry 6c677f5294 vision took f7e4a200d5 in the 441b9a0a76 sight of b2482b595d a car 6aa624d591 stopped motionless e30cc3df4b in the 025c786354 middle of b9a78fb7c5 the street—an 614e8c5e3f unfamiliar vehicle.01182e808f5a4c51

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

And right 40d091ab88 in front 5042fd46c3 of it, aa6ae4eec2 crumpled like e852c12959 a crushed a79c50d73a tin can, 4ce95f8574 was Vasily’s 03a9136b32 wrecked car.79aba652e3deb665

 b0311e1ec1f473d2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com