Chapter 73

‘Breaking the rules?’b88e9e69a7cc5c4e

I was baffled 05a8fcdb9b by the sudden 891087593c accusation.07bc1a998f75d944

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

But it seemed ddc29bfe8f the headmistress wasn’t ee22859222 making this up, c2c5ebd049 as she looked becf186fc0 quite triumphant.c7c21cfddd43a89f

“What rule do you think we broke?”12e62d3699c7fee1

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Before I could step 9354720c80 forward, Edwin stood protectively 18f7deee3b in front of me b95bd344c0 and asked.63155428e6ac7c3c

The headmistress smirked and answered, “Young Lord Kallios being here is the violation.”221ec3bf38e31cab

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Me being here?”2ddf20fd4dc63c7d

“Yes. According to the rules, each booth is allowed only one assistant.”420507e725d9e550

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

She then looked at fc0db88bae me, flashing a smug 2271ca63d2 smile.7ee6ab7a2768aff2

“Didn’t you say that old man was your assistant, Belze?”2d284c387797cd95

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Tch.”5c25acc506097a21

‘How petty.’a2c8e05a5e877301

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I puffed out my 6a1fa31e5a cheeks in frustration. Edwin had been here for c2323c8c47 less than 30 minutes.71f4a39e6ea7bbb4

It seemed the headmistress was still holding a grudge from the earlier incident about her “constipation.” Her expression was full of malice.e796c59432cbe966

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“But they’re blatantly having people help gather customers over there,” I blurted out, unable to contain my frustration.8d98c523d48220da

Unlike me, Edwin remained calm 506634b234 and reasoned fairly.dd27240ecd6b5342

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The headmistress glanced in 492d0e32ed the direction Edwin pointed, 79983dc8e9 then responded nonchalantly.5c528b70162fcd41

“What are you talking about? From what I see, Marquis Barelotte is simply engaging in friendly socializing…”f23b6f7c85b043a8

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“So if I stay outside the booth, that’s fine?”67924a12781be28b

“If you’re engaging in social activities, of course, Young Lord”812cc1086df21c20

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The headmistress said with a faint smile. “But, since you’ve already been seen helping Belze, I can’t guarantee there won’t be more reports coming in.”4e67dbbfca4e6adf

In that moment, I realized 4f09d9a670 exactly who had reported us.2a28fbb3c410db89

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

There was only one person 5484d00825 who would do something like 71db7fff6b this. It would have been 3ad6f03fb0 strange if I hadn’t 05d2055846 figured it out sooner.be5c2e825e531ca9

‘That cockroach of a man.’8706b7c4cf32d9f8

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I glared at Marquis Barelotte, 7e2701d83d who was happily chatting away c18d47cca2 with nobles in front of 4e10996f74 Diana’s booth.513bbe82e854f987

It was unfair, but there 1b78e6f166 was nothing I could do. With a heavy 6f5b3f19b8 sigh, I looked 6e2380c03d at Edwin.e0bb65289ebc117f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m fine, Edwin! You can go play with your friends now.”5812e31a45b4a8ef

Edwin frowned.d92adb2bb49d0d48

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“How are you going to handle things on your own?”a62e12f678eda915

“I’m not alone. Grandpa’s here too, right?”a79622cc8a1113fa

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Exactly. You should’ve chosen someone who can actually help from the start.”4a68b15b372feb1a

“Please stop with the ageism, Young Lord,” Grandpa Gordon muttered, but Edwin ignored him.ac5cbaf5e43c21e2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His expression was full of 374ab68449 dissatisfaction and worry.0861d8804d85e0c2

‘Ah.’6b31cbdb09301bc6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It hit me 0a33d3c2d9 a bit late.6be742cbe0829bc1

He was upset 965f0e1384 because I hadn’t 41681e1371 chosen him to 6d75b73086 be my assistant.3e1188ab89da33f0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘But… Grandpa Gordon is my business partner, and assistants are supposed to be adults.’68488b7f5a4b32fd

Plus, choosing someone 85e8db8c74 who could cause 7cf2ebfc99 discomfort due to 5758e78f79 their high social 816a619957 status would also d57dcb3dec be a rule f368c15376 violation.1402b5f43202e538

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

I had plenty of reasons 0a18e26f2f why I couldn’t make Edwin 39a9a1e91e my assistant.db38d7e199ac9f98

But seeing the 8a59c6a8e0 irritated look on 20865b2bd0 his face, I 0e879d7b9d couldn’t bring myself f47ea422dc to say any b0147828b5 of them.581b8c131fec8b05

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘He just doesn’t want to leave.’eb4abbeb49857507

Of course, I was happy 8b7c20b08d he had stayed by my 9c65729791 side. Truth be told, dealing 2371330f52 with the Marquis had a66e9b7f18 been tough, and having 1c570330aa Edwin nearby made me 99a1295735 feel both secure and 51491ad43c proud.89ec67618c0933fb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘But rules are rules, after all…’15dd2155b02cd899

As I hesitated, I d2c5eab86d squeezed my eyes shut, 3cb69cbd2d stood on my tiptoes, eea897eeac and quickly leaned in.093d7620dd9398e6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Something cool and 1891b2a390 soft brushed against dfff7bd5d8 my lips.abb12d28b0de3ecf

And then—cc1ee0cfed2913e7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

*Smooch!*b52ef5082403d24f

“…Thank you for staying with me, Brother!”4afea2f647026bad

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I planted a swift d8f78a39c8 kiss on his cheek fdd18a4efb and, hoping to ease 106daf28b4 his frustration, hurriedly blurted 31bca88e56 out my thanks.e1151ad6437969b1

“You…”d1543a0b2d39bc5b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Edwin stared at me, 0d96ab553b looking utterly bewildered.8673e3dac3697e41

It seemed he 01cdb4ac7e hadn’t fully processed a792b35e9a what had just 1ff129ce68 happened.80899ca0a1fb32cc

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Slowly, he raised a hand e577e3cffa and touched the spot where 93dbb69c66 my lips had landed.7388768f7772ab5a

Suddenly—15c1a9ba3b56eca4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

His face turned bright 29a06d1d45 red, as if it 1dd75c0fc6 were about to catch ed1df9614c fire.30f99ba905a7248f

“Brother…?”dc692e88b15cb0a6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I tilted my 275e89a8b6 head, surprised by b38d45de0d this side of ca2316a344 Edwin I’d never 6a2c98d2a8 seen before.65d68700fa72bc1b

Then, in a ccc03940dc rush, he covered b4854f53f6 his flushed face e842b50b98 with his hand, a22751d3a0 hiding his burning 2849c29ad2 cheeks.4545923433212ec0

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me that?”f55f2097d60ee365

Edwin snapped, his eyes 6416a1ecc9 flashing as he glared 6e777c82d1 at me.775608bf12e7b8c6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I had suspected for a while now that Edwin really hated being called “Brother.”0902fc0a7a23d0ae

‘I just wanted to show my gratitude…’08ecd8546524b546

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

My attempt at being cute 8d7cbe5893 failed, and I puffed out 9e80780e51 my lips in frustration.fcf56ddfaea51cd1

Then, he suddenly narrowed his 701aac8cde eyes at me again.4a988931de36ca54

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Don’t even think about saying that to anyone else.”05b6482af23884e0

“…I won’t!”9242594e663cb41e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“And put those lips away.”d83f0e99d927156f

At his command, e5562580c5 I quickly tucked 1f4c0a7620 my lips inward, 2f3662dcb8 feeling both embarrassed 1ae625d800 and annoyed.8f24d0a95e6c7438

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Well, what’s done is done. What’s he going to 7b79827505 do about it?’2ce2908f8ad9e3c4

I looked up adc0f141dc at him with 4c1a200c51 a defiant expression, d9b9d67f9a and he let ded3e300fd out a long 6b2c1eb6c2 sigh.6364fe6fa86fc7db

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What am I going to do with you…?”fbd29d7caf60df63

He often mumbled 4df88a1261 things like that, 59020cd2ee as if I 4201b179eb was some sort 18b7c9f5ca of puzzle he 4e539b2020 couldn’t figure out.f954801813fecbdf

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

But I was 2fcaf5fcc2 the one feeling 10d94442f5 wronged!cd2424f2f949f336

‘I’m the one carrying you through all this, you know!’90cbde961e11143d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Still, I was always the 891965588d one at a disadvantage with c7359cca4d him.c26597d3353665b8

As he turned 34567cda98 away without so 9b4043cbb5 much as a 4931ed6f86 goodbye, I awkwardly f00bc4f757 waved after him.ec1d65b1d568761e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…See you later!”1e2cd7a636686d21

He paused for a second f5a996bbc8 at my words but then c34b8a1c5f quickly started running off.8622fc3c5cd4ee81

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I watched him 5d928b6759 go, feeling a 310236c75a bit disappointed.b8c3835052b1e67f

“…Was the kiss really that bad?”1a8195ceb6a47c0f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Hah!” Grandpa Gordon let out a disbelieving laugh.618822175eec9027

“Grandpa, do boys usually hate being called ‘Brother’?”9958790ba95ed3ac

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Good grief… It’s like the Duke brought a little enchantress home.”ab02abebb5d78697

Grandpa didn’t answer my 407dbe5ef1 question directly, only shaking 351c6467cd his head and muttering 1866d69c04 something under his breath.5f6a07c08678e62a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I guess asking someone like 5eafa7be72 him, clearly inexperienced with romance, 46b309a41a was a waste of time 1d62e7ef84 anyway.135fe5616e91969b

“Ahem! So, what are you going to do now?”d093ea2ceb67e075

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was then 95a3aa457b that a familiar, c7e25ab2a8 unpleasant voice interrupted.7e44e4e7c746d74f

I turned to see the ef3ab395d9 headmistress still standing there, watching 5ed6b75df9 me with an impatient expression.ad881aa80b3965c3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You’re still here?” I asked.2d9630e5ab879985

Her face twisted with annoyance. “Where would I go?! You broke the rules, so you need to pay the fine!”d5f9941bef9041e9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Fine…?”38fc2704df8fda41

“Yes! Unless you want to be disqualified and kicked out!”6fe185c8f9435a40

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I didn’t see anything about a fine…”e01f6fe030391351

The headmistress waved 54f6ca0d7c a paper with cb451aac82 the rules in b5dd954fb3 front of my e431041501 face.d2c81431a49eb6ee

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

**Rules for the Temple Volunteer Event in Celebration of the Goddess’s Birth**85037ab89a0fdde7

1. The organizers strictly 6072479804 control access to c138902913 ensure the event adc204e685 runs smoothly.56eae6d14f3bb809

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

2. Each child participating in the 6d4933f56b event may use only one 36909e9f52 assistant. The assistant must 5784dda301 be an adult 6f188d9408 who does not f68c8449c4 cause discomfort to 4d1fa97b7a other participants.c173390bb6569fb5

….f82679be7e94b0c8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

14. Anyone who violates these 3882bbb984 rules will be disqualified 4b73a64458 and expelled. However, as this event b045e79c62 is for children, the 13cc4aa8d9 rules can be applied 7ae6f8927f flexibly depending on the ad843978a1 situation.8b52995734aaa1ba

“See? It’s right there!”002b33d6685885b0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She said, pointing to 4080ad11c7 the small print with b3be1c86ae her finger.dc773fb1e138098d

“I’m being lenient by not kicking you out immediately and settling for a fine. You should be grateful!” she added, clearly trying to appear magnanimous.0193b166ac04fa19

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Reading the rules again, I 4f0856cd30 wasn’t entirely convinced I had 6f4302000f broken them.d1b167e90a0c564d

‘It says I can have one assistant, but it doesn’t explicitly forbid a friend from helping for a short while…’8658a40dc53bf162

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It seemed contradictory, a785312a32 and this was af226da932 the kind of a9f2457238 situation that should a6f753c4ad have been flexible, 3b7b364004 as the rules cbf30c2070 stated.ab2e0521f713274e

“And how much is the fine?” I asked, deciding not to argue for now.9fc26a3bdf9ea9f4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

If it was a small d50292ac10 amount, I figured I’d just fd5fc3f35c pay it and be done b298ef1b83 with it.d894ad533f7b8f06

But then, the fdb733857e headmistress spread her ec60392e99 fingers wide with ce0d7f5399 a smug grin.4c1e1282055acbac

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Fifty talents.”6d00903da33dbde9

“F-fifty talents?!”406d51cbed82ed72

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

My jaw dropped.454c9968094456cf

‘Is she insane?!’37403b75c70564b7

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Fifty talents was 7894753a93 the price of caab30a959 one bottle of f26e3c881d Fairy Herb Hair be67f5cafa Mist! That amount was outrageous dd4fa78260 to demand from a fae599ec7e child.23a2bcba8b1e6291

‘Not to mention, I don’t have that kind of money!’59c7c912a8370fef

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Shaking my head furiously, I shouted, “I can’t pay that! I’ve only just started selling. How am I supposed to earn fifty talents so quickly?”b1f5898e8c3b1a0f

“Oh, stop lying! I know the Duke gave you 100 talents. Don’t think I’m unaware.”7b574fb11f9e884d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Ugh…”8a72350dec143ff3

Her words hit 48f710b44a me hard, and 22cce9eaaf I instantly shut 36f18d4d17 my mouth.546757706f4f1566

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘Damn it.’2eb2bf4aedb03e1d

I hadn’t realized the rumor c36cafc3c5 had spread so quickly.f7a3c4762455a9ba

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Humph! If you don’t want to pay, fine. But you know that if you get disqualified, we’ll confiscate all the remaining talents too, right?” she sneered, watching me stammer in shock.592a771a25db20e1