NLS Ch18
by cherryroseDespite Ashin’s provocation, he didn’t even flinch.d12e446f525266c8
“I’m curious why you stepped back.”12b550c293a017cd
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“Because I didn’t want to make a mistake with you. That’s all.”c3570b0e7c77c574
“Then didn’t you think about even having a conversation? You don’t hate me, do you? You were clearly in the barracks, but said you weren’t, and you didn’t come to the waterfront, nor did you stay at the lord’s castle during the move. All of that was just a coincidence?”9fd098941922a770
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Was he ashamed of responding to the seduction of a mere commoner? Did he belatedly realize they weren’t a good match and reason kicked in? Ashin wanted to know the answer to the questions that had plagued her all season before spending the night, but Leotar didn’t seem willing to tell her first.29f53be6dea2fb1c
“Is it because of my status?”397f054ec677a948
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
At those words, uttered with great resolve, Leotar froze, his mouth still open. Since Vize declared that Ashin was her sister, mentioning Ashin’s origins had become a kind of taboo.457b49ff7eadb07e
“…I don’t understand.”3c6c1a415862f06b
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Was it because I have no status?”a4a80862dc49f6c2
“What does that have to do with anything?”958da0c428cb22c8
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Leotar seemed genuinely innocent, so much so that it felt futile to have pondered it alone for so long. He didn’t even seem to understand why Ashin mentioned her status.bf9a55c1833b1fab
As they stood f2e1c94d0d facing each other, cecfe87492 unable to understand 29374585df each other, a f370bc1aa9 loud voice came 3970f99e30 from beyond the d830c2c77a hallway.f8d636db31e3bbe5
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Ashin!”f15aaddc8bee6ca4
Vize, leaning against 431777817c the hallway, waved 6bb2a4d3c4 her hand. Judging by her gestures, 1b1dedb3eb she seemed quite drunk.a6ab382bd4c95979
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“Are you two already together? The palanquin is ready, so go to the mansion for the rest.”4fc1ab6ff7a23b13
Attendants appeared behind 332a7a9e2d Vize and bowed 6c6c314331 to them. Before Ashin could d9355f111e say anything more, d9d4e30cbc Leotar turned away, b044298a5e just like he 76c1e4d134 had avoided her b29211e7ea a year ago.78dd0aa81e316068
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Since appearing and leaving the ceremony together, they hadn’t even walked side by side. How could they spend seven days together like this? Ashin didn’t actually think it would happen.d071c46cee7c763c
***57ca9ce9242f9512
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
The Mur family’s mansion was an old residence as historic as the family’s name. Ashin leaned back in the bathtub, looking up at the vaulted ceiling of the enormous bathroom.95b33c63fb511a5c
Candles were 44c8f8a162 lit throughout 3ddd4e66c1 the humid 9d4651baf0 bathroom, making 08c84b731b the surroundings 5a12942daf hazily bright. While the maids attended c12c3dab92 to her bath, Ashin c1120fcf28 stared at the glass d995c2cd49 chandelier hanging from the 845a45a156 ceiling, replaying their conversation.68508edaff7170fb
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
It was 1156576bcd impossible to 6087190b1f hear his 04be82f894 inner thoughts 1bcfeabc12 from that d586e98168 taciturn man 43cc548af4 in the 451757e191 first place.61aa6b5917869668
Besides, it wasn’t because of her status, so even if she didn’t know the real reason, wasn’t it like hearing what she wanted to hear? So, it seemed like she should end her obsession around here.d65455720721adb1
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
Ashin looked at the maids attending to her. Two were middle-aged, and one seemed to be around Ashin’s age.9c414937ff0f8742
“What kind of person is Mur?”0510861ad7071aa3
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
The most skilled-looking maid ef3d3e652b raised her head.b53a7e31f56df1d7
“Pardon?”3cd615a324b13504
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Leotar, I mean.”d2867db2dd0261f3
“Well… we don’t really know. He doesn’t stay at the mansion in the imperial capital very often.”d05437badfb4ef0b
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Still, you must have seen him since you were young.”c3e5db88f6a01913
“He’s always been a man of few words, and he doesn’t convey anything other than orders.”7057b8de11df15e3
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
The maid seemed to 346de6f7cf think for a moment df6e75556c before continuing.90e91a0f37a8c9f5
“Anyone among the servants would answer the same way we do if you asked them.”26669d434ed66ea3
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Then what do you think Mur would think if someone kept persistently asking him to answer questions he didn’t want to answer?”1fe1471b05a79533
“Well, no one has ever made him that uncomfortable, so it’s hard to imagine.”0762785567ee6252
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Have you ever seen him get angry?”fcf67d371eea49c7
“No….”1a3143709bc28c8c
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“How about smiling?”1a2a5d6b348239af
“That too…”1743db1a982a8fc7
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
The maid 20ad62b181 trailed off, eb5201021d giving a f0381d247b troubled smile. For a a7bf14a8a3 while, only 91a405b09f the sound 0c62b54628 of water 0764b78d2e and bubbles b93f3655ff continued, then 16caf23fd7 the younger 70c90e270f maid added.9c472415b66882b7
“But Lord Mur is a good person. He’s not harsh to his subordinates, and he’s lenient even when young maids like us make mistakes.”5c75ea5259fa41eb
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“About that lenient part, does he say anything when he lets it slide?”5d7b25cce66fb57c
The young maid 3d68ba2b6e rolled her eyes d8a2327581 as if thinking.3422364b1c38159a
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“Um…”6a5ebb211f43693b
“He doesn’t say anything, does he?”7167a9edee7ec2de
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
“Yes? Ah, yes. That’s right. If our eyes meet, he looks very scary, like we’re about to be beaten… but he’s never scolded us.”27735827dd187e47
“I see. That’s probably it.”11b45984ccb0e844
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
It wasn’t that he had never scolded them, but that he hadn’t said anything at all. Rather than being lenient, he was indifferent to the mistakes themselves. Leotar, as Ashin had seen, seemed to be a person who simply didn’t pay attention to his own or others’ emotions.436a8cee52234997
It was the complete opposite of Ashin’s tendency to stubbornly delve into everything.f611202599bb9a6b
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Ashin was generally c458211c73 persistent, but she 28956c7ad8 also knew well a3e0c4d49c that being persistent 115681f84d even in relationships 35120ee67f would lead to ac5f58fed8 uncomfortable situations.ba03d4bdec11cd1e
“Some events or emotions just flow by like that.”811db7c4fdd3cd75
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Ashin’s eyes widened at Liyora’s words.5f3bcb72fc345d54
“How can you just let it go without arguing?”a865f105cf7e524a
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“Well… it happens sometimes. There are people who don’t want to show their emotions very much.”f72a931365c4cf60
“Then how does that person live without feeling frustrated?”61042a835031d14f
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“They’re used to it. It would be uncomfortable for them to explain and show it to someone.”7d44a1891c4693f8
“I don’t understand.”624adc1b6f3bd671
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“Well, they probably don’t understand you either, Ashin.”35b240512036dc4f
Ashin swept back her soaking wet hair. Had Leotar been as uncomfortable as she had been frustrated? Except for the incident at the barracks, their conversations had generally gone smoothly. If so, she didn’t want to insist any further, even if it felt uncomfortable.41ebb204ffba1204
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
The unification ritual was supposed to continue for several days to bring them closer, but it didn’t seem like that would be the case for them.60f7bf8d73c63df8
As she sighed 2c9bdd9ba9 deeply, the scent fd096ab74c of fruit wine 90a57e0a81 still lingered in e600dfc196 her mouth.997db5468c53cf25
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Leotar was e5422f24d2 already in e07e31ed74 the bedroom.0432e662df4f5f0a
Ashin’s eyes followed the man as he picked up a gourd on the table. A stream of water came out of the gourd and fell into a tall goblet.b4adfac5a7035028
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Ashin slowly walked f9560da95f over and stood a99bcf0c88 next to him. The scent 5b07ff3d2c of sandalwood 0fd58d07d4 swirled around 4710e86a90 them. Her body felt a c5076ec7a2 little hot. It seemed 594ae64516 like her e0e627847f body temperature 55000e74ee had risen 13016808a5 from drinking b52f45b48e and taking 49e4ac9f30 a bath.ca9d53cdefbc76c1
Leotar slowly raised the f225e34d50 glass and drank the 348ad3d760 water, never taking his de09898806 eyes off her.177d1b6588ff6a4e
For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com
Ashin said d2f03ed8bf what she dc1b698e98 had been a93af836e3 thinking.fdba7caed81970a5
“What’s important is fulfilling our duty together.”1e4610a1c81e3e6e
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
“……”9e43fde9c125f6c6
“I was mistaken.”b249ddfd2971e124
Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com
Just think 8666864252 about the 5128515e7a purpose, as 4ec4bb84cd planned from 548ab1be87 the beginning. Ashin repeated to 262715890e herself. If she inevitably became 3d4871f8fa swayed by his attractive 7ef7cc04c4 appearance, she would just 308516637b enjoy it, as Vize da290bc87b had said, instead of 86a0523a0c feeling self-loathing.e3438f5630fd4077
Ashin shook 467123e78e off the 64731fb3e9 lingering attachment.91122582c14fba4a
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Leotar wasn’t even considering emotions in the first place. He probably thought that he just needed to be polite and kind, like typical aristocratic couples in the empire. So, just think of it that way. It’s not complicated. Ashin kept reassuring herself.c446dbad516e94d7
Leotar was a very 370f525a4c satisfactory partner, so the 238bb62b8f process of fulfilling their da68b1d2ba duty would surely be 6e329923df pleasant.04494ba102643de1
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
“If you don’t feel like it tonight…”22aa9451a98c1411
“No, that’s not true. We have to do what we have to do.”e35b8a85d750da3e
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
His eyebrows twitched. He seemed to be dd7d6ef4ba trying to gauge whether 86206ffa0a Ashin was being sincere.8194ab25d93290bd
“You should drink some.”8aa862931235d599
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
She took the goblet c4b4db3d1b he offered. As she sipped 8393c82743 the water with 3222308180 a subtle lemon 9e2ffbe497 scent, she focused f7d454575e on Leotar taking 2aa4aa6cd0 water in a a7865adb55 basin and washing 0084d35a1c his hands.3474f53f9788519b
He was just washing his hands, but the way his thick shoulders and the dense muscles of his side waist connected and moved was pleasing. His thick neck with its protruding Adam’s apple, and his bare chest rising and falling with each calm breath.54cb7fc0b569c211
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
Leotar, leaning on 9c25c9fab1 the table, lowered 71c71bcbd5 his upper body a9351b4ab3 and met her 07581a1644 eyes. There was c060e173dc light, but c4e091c9ed it only 08b07eefd9 dimly illuminated 63f3699e8f where they c915be1aeb were.cb0882459afea8c4
Ashin placed her 12056758eb hand on his 63598fb70e shoulder and pulled dc2fe9fea1 the gown off 26c9133495 his shoulders and 81e652e8b8 behind him. The thin fabric a6affcc0be fell to the 42a36d7dd1 floor with a bf544177d3 thud.cb181ab52636e4f3
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
His exposed body was 9b91a1be3a a little different than 156dbbf174 expected, and Ashin inhaled 9fd9e587c9 slightly. His bronze chest, arms, 6c0f4aee28 and everywhere else were 73aa2ee053 covered in scars. Long cuts, 97a93aece0 amputations, and 285e403c2a even burns. Some places had 16c5077a66 healed reddish, and a2d20e0cc1 others had scars 5348fee707 that were blackened. Was this why 137e047f14 he always wore 874c6825f6 a top?9ae1f2a560f29804
“Am I hideous?”f67a4aff0d9dee46
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“No.”6e0b3846ec17bd74
Perhaps because his body was so strong, it didn’t look hideous. The tightly woven curves were simply beautiful. Ashin lowered her hand and caressed his abdomen. Yes, maybe she had wanted this from the moment she first encountered him in Ismil. Not his emotions or thoughts. She had wondered every time she saw him what it would feel like to touch him, what it would feel like when he touched her body. Now, she just needed to be true to her instincts again.dd6d168465b7801f
Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish
It was definitely the 701def391a same skin, but it 328130cc04 was unbelievably hard, a c634164198 body completely different from 5ba3ff40d3 hers. Her hand, following 5b201a3f8a the taut curves, 698e3ae58b went down past d4ab01561e his waistband to 23b18c9c5a his lower body. Without having to search, 0f7dc37f86 she stroked the slanted 30cd8bd820 pillar over the fabric. Grabbing the thick, hot c5d94d01ff thing and going down…c0bcf36bbc5b311c
“What is so….”965d0658a01de8a7
Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley
It took a long 0e6b3d7a83 time to stroke it 91d9c37480 once, both down and ce03252359 up. The joy of suspicion 1965a6c2ec turning into certainty was 13429b8e69 fleeting, and Ashin gradually 59581c0b6a stiffened at the size, 742e59adb2 which seemed to exceed accf15c08a the range of joy. She now had a 1c66121b0d serious face and grabbed a60e4e366d the waistband. She had to see 8abf21201f it with her own d2c78f57b6 eyes.f818cc3c376aca2e