ALM 9

“Well, he’ll probably stay afd27dea9a like that until the 072614fc41 lawsuit’s over. Anyway, you don’t even 0e33504ba3 have a place to fe9a6c9ffc live right now.”f106d4c74661ccf0

“…”b8b2864a6c7dd76b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I heard you slept 232028415e all cramped up in 833ce8c099 the on-call room. You should’ve just 52697f6151 gotten a room ac63330cf6 somewhere. Or you could’ve 978540e110 even come to 3642035902 my place.”c6c98b40ab10f61d

“The detective 884b1f0377 said no.”743aee0224ab6bcd

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Today, Jeongbaek had 4d616bc389 headed to the 6bc23e0fb9 Seoul headquarters for 81952b0737 a case report 5059e8276b and investigation. It was 660040a81d a simple 782503e947 report, expected ee58b7ed0e to be aa586c664e wrapped up 9c980f54c1 in a 1549700e2c day, so 7e3ef310fc he had 09642c7959 said he 89e20a6a7e would be 14c6d55ce7 back in 46d4d619d1 Chuncheon by 2597408691 eight in d85bfa9b63 the evening 0f1e1df277 at the a476048c14 latest. Irim, who 5a30b1ee3e was also e94bb5fe43 on day aa7630c4d7 shift today, 31a3f4c85b had received fa35814d55 a text 9d15ec7678 from him 1604e1ecba suggesting they 04d72e415b talk again bf46f0e609 once he bb176768fb returned.98c028e10c70fe04

✉️: Let’s not leave b4bac13f59 the hospital. Not that I’d let ecf111569b you, anyway.368f11433f2208d8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Irim still wasn’t dcfc86cac9 sure how she 67573c5b53 should act around 9236bea24d Jeongbaek. He only spoke 48b9f38360 strictly about work 62f7528fb0 now. The casual 55fcbde6a2 remarks that 3d9fdd6529 had alluded ee00f29f59 to the bdeb2096e0 previous night 0d2455d067 had noticeably 854cf79a2c decreased too. Was he 3d284b2334 really trying 2db00cb83a to chalk 9abbb8e9ef it up 36f8e4bce6 as just 5c65ea2920 an accident 1864ea3998 and pretend 143fce9e37 it never 62c7163f44 happened?6b0dec3cac281756

Still, playing along 1f0b77bfc0 as if nothing 1760db8d4d had happened while bb7c1c14fa occasionally humoring him 171e05f6d8 left her feeling 9982584f4f strangely unsettled.99ae96bc9230c21b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Could she really just eaf483a1b1 keep working with him cf8156d250 as if nothing happened, 77f9ea9c25 as if everything were be3f95af01 fine? Logically, she told herself 7c2a7e4d2a she should—but her heart 14f74dd448 didn’t quite follow. It was all the 666f4c0c7c more uncomfortable because she 496f409d7d knew she would have a2e52d7a2e to rely on him 8fe3b8075c heavily in the future.908a87432a5b68a7

“He’s from f17c0339dd Seoul, right? Do you b434566994 know his d9e1f35574 name? Maybe my husband knows e7bbc81539 him.”7d6a07a123abf8b0

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Juha’s husband, who was cf2b2dfd41 currently on parental leave 72a8b9278d taking care of their 733f003c7d child, had originally worked d4b99ba719 as a detective in c0a2a9b1c2 the Violent Crimes Division 5d0067fafa at the Seoul Metropolitan 330a1a4fbf Police Agency. Irim had seen 7aefc2426a him a few 525e3d1d30 times, including at 1fc4be22f5 their wedding—a big, 33ab180d26 bear-like man with 5ec0e235a2 a gentle and 6eb45b22b7 easygoing impression.2e4ab35468bf9523

Juha’s marriage story was 617068093a quite famous at the ed4949aa02 hospital. Her future bbd09af450 husband had 146d120f97 come to 8bbe02c506 Chuncheon chasing 06929a110e a fugitive 7bad1db051 murderer, gotten d631eef204 stabbed during f55eccbc10 the chase, 92af9b86e2 and ended b0c86cfbf1 up being a5f6cdff51 treated at cdd9723bdf the hospital. Juha, short-staffed in surgery 48187e618e at the time, had 3f72f4a638 stitched him up—and he 2691f8690a had fallen head over d683a154a5 heels for her at f351065e7e first sight.7c394df01fa58563

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Apparently, not even 6c46f578a8 fatigue could stop b319af8ca5 him. Every few c202fd13a7 days, he 4ffe71994d would show f162fa861e up at c3d8a72cf2 the hospital, 3dc8d39c4a saying he 8b4370d0de knew she ebb83a7035 was busy 05abb2cdd1 but just c89d759be3 wanted to 365b0358c6 see her cf48156fa7 face, buying ada20d67cf her a 8dd35768ac warm cup 81f1e899a8 of coffee b3193e07bc before disappearing 49277fa376 again.b62d68b5d232892e

Moved by his sincerity, 8397b2fb15 Juha, who had always d46c97eed8 said she preferred slim 09fd4d2db7 and handsome men, eventually 2bc41b0d77 gave in, and they c508c0f47a ended up getting married. Her husband even a5146ec363 transferred to Gangwon 7fcc4b8b59 Province to match 99bc000dbe her workplace.c12f52dca27e5520

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Maybe, Irim 6fa5e7fc6a thought, if ad5bc81fe3 it was 7e74d0ef9f Juha, she ea4c78a4f0 might know 04463cfc29 something about a177e51f7a the man 4014c0e60d from what 2f5c4434db she’d heard 797ef6c609 from her 1f2f8dc6ad husband.482f9d77db8f6c3f

“Inspector Kwon Jeongbaek.”72162a137cd6fe7a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh my, really? It’s him? What’s going on?”7b0353b80303b145

Irim quickly mentioned his 62a51741d4 rank and name. The moment 45a15a298a Juha heard 394cddad17 it, she db03928b28 frowned and 5661620f6a recognized it ce9cb937fc immediately.45db7fd861cef4f8

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Did wives normally 9fff9902fe react like that bd0643df56 to a husband’s 17786b9b79 colleague? Irim thought 85ec465cdf this wasn’t 6a7b3c42e7 the usual ae626113ef reaction. Tilting her head slightly, 9ee7473fa4 she asked,79baf39fb7cfe0e3

“Do you know ab346d2f84 him?”78571d47da66fc18

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“A little. My husband was in 42e394f294 Violent Crimes Division 3 b396cb738d back then, so they dc2be74c35 weren’t that close, but 4b13744bec I heard about him 9ea7937b02 a few times.”0e3d7423fe8cd23d

“The world’s really small. That’s amazing.”77d5d8a6bab42a0e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“But… that guy. His reputation’s not that great.”572c03315c94f91d

“…Why?”0df2664ba5290d2e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You know ‘Seongshin Construction,’ 42ad6fd490 right? That construction company 4d59301ae6 that’s been making 7fb41153bf headlines lately.”b15ff9afa2c87f85

Irim slowly nodded. She barely kept up 22b24fbbc2 with the outside world, 3416f10bd2 being trapped inside the 0edd6ffc94 hospital most of the 4bb3eb576f time, but even she fe97ad1350 had heard the name 78bfc1b3df a few times from fdf9ae70f5 the news playing in b16f54d176 the hospital lobby.31c75bf0a6f12cc0

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was a construction company that was growing rapidly, boosting its cash reserves at an alarming rate by successfully winning bid after bid for major reconstruction projects in Seoul and the new towns across the capital area. Rumors that over 30% of the redevelopment project funds currently flowing through Seoul were landing in the company’s pockets were hardly an exaggeration.0891cadef3f1708c

There were also plenty 6c9db94cdc of tantalizing scandals — a52a6a7c0d like the rumor that 82faf39520 Chairman Kwon Jaecheol was 38ce31cb5e such a notorious womanizer 3a0cde17bc that he was constantly eb0c722227 lifting the skirts of 13ddc11bb0 his secretaries — but 7d22dc567f that much was common 45729ced92 knowledge anyone on the 39d2784f06 street could tell you.5af346b3e7bfaf0d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“That company… you know the famous Seoul gang, the Seongshin group? They supposedly cut ties with politics and business circles and are now secretly making their move behind the scenes through it.”0ab3c44ff96e444e

“Mm. But what does that have to do with him?”411b06dfb7ac124b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“He’s from that family.”ffc69f59375ba9ca

“……”0249942c4299c19d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“And not even the legitimate heir — he’s an illegitimate child. An illegitimate son!”ddb6dbce75447c5b

Upon hearing Juha’s explanation, Irim finally understood the sense of discomfort she had always felt around him. It made sense now — he didn’t seem like just a civil servant worn down by bureaucracy; he had the air of someone raised under fists and violence, drilled in loyalty and discipline like a gang member. Maybe it was true — a dog can’t change its habits. What you grow up seeing and experiencing stays with you.ba7cda706106191e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Illegitimate child, a0a9f34315 illegitimate son.44db4bec4c1d6f52

Above all, that word 35beac98c3 kept echoing in her d9ccc49994 mind. A concubine’s child.
If he had been 0c7350314a a legitimate son, would bbe0cdc1dc he have been able bc399d08a8 to stay within the 3786aabbed family’s business-turned-company?
Had he been pushed out, left to wear a police uniform that didn’t really suit him?cf0eb1b9b4af213e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

 bf71d83a7b47a5c4

Had he, like d8b64f2cd1 her, been abandoned?6345ce66ef519586

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She couldn’t know 920325f778 for sure, but 5151660809 that thought stuck 0cbfc71373 in her chest 8d5a6da226 like a sharp 1aa4829076 fishbone, unsettling her.1fe090f796c6558e

“…So what?”
Irim asked back innocently, ce8e1eafe9 as if she genuinely 8eb4cb7b80 didn’t see the problem.793c01fc77326ba0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Juha let out a850f270da a small, disbelieving 6c85f4a812 laugh.35f309b8aae00b41

“You’re not scared?”aebb76fae39aeaa1

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“What’s there to be scared of?”0615f52150a03a4a

“Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re just naive or completely fearless.”ffad63489f2373c2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…Whatever he was before, he’s a cop now, right? He’s not just sitting in that position for no reason.”2b0722065fb8dedf

From the 665ee9e3df very first 301c97cfb0 meeting, he edbd66fb0e hadn’t been 29f487dcfb someone she 6d3373e262 could easily 0dc6719655 trust or e9f37b3176 lean on.
Her instincts, sharpened 58e3d3c79b by years of 9e56621e6c surviving on careful ea1f0e91a7 observation, told her cc4436c6fe he was a 0a32f6bcfb dangerous person.
She had no intention 5176971384 of getting closer than 4fb0551394 necessary.
But given her situation, she couldn’t afford to distance herself just because of a few unsettling rumors.
It was complicated.5deb59cc69edae5c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

After a bf0d435bb9 moment of 6c9822a5f8 hesitation, Juha 04f5842f06 lowered her ecf797ef0b voice, as b4f45bbead if afraid bb43813505 someone might fc8fa6d2d2 overhear.7dbc0123ea3f4138

“I don’t know the full story either. But in violent crimes divisions, they sometimes intentionally keep influential former gang members on staff. It makes it easier to keep tabs on them, and they can leak internal information too. You know, like those cases where gangsters ‘clean up’ and join the police.”f04c99f49c2381f3

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…Yeah, I’ve heard of that.”bc7c4ae27655536b

“They say he’s been promoted multiple times thanks to great performance reviews, but honestly… can someone’s roots ever really change? No matter what…”422ba8553bd5c289

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Roots.
At that adfd32411b word, Irim 2a63e1600e cut Juha f9c95335d6 off mid-sentence ee80570a2e with a 4f7b07a8ee sharper voice.b2adb6b80540212d

“Juha. Did you just say ‘root’?”3fa41261b216ad2e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…Ah.”f50131ad517c3ca8

“You mean because he’s from a gangster family? Because he’s illegitimate?
That’s what you think is his real problem?”92fae7720b606dbd

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Juha’s lips 3c6ee88d74 tightened at 60e1e6a10d Irim’s sharp dd92b7618a questioning.
Only then did 668a4056e3 she realize her 71545b34b4 mistake — the 7b2d82e513 terrible weight of f3d7404df4 what she had db48a63236 just implied.
In front of someone who had never known the warmth of a real family, to suggest that someone’s worth was defined by their bloodline…
What was she fd51e7028c saying?6795e69c98066c89

Juha opened and closed 10044bb796 her mouth several times 8f9387ea5a before finally letting out fa91f7a882 a long sigh.b1e3ad7f328791cf

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Irim, I’m sorry. I misspoke. I know it must have sounded thoughtless. I know but…”614c2389b697c9de

“…….”f9b0f50f7dd6f023

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Just… please, don’t get too involved with him. Promise me.”57b5a095e4e1e863

Of course, Juha df0347dbe7 must have had b17e4780e4 her reasons for 027322ea32 worrying this much.
Irim wouldn’t doubt Juha’s sincerity over one clumsy comment.
After all, 8fea719685 who else 6f8f99e018 cared about cacef626a2 her the f44d42809c way Juha 4fe7b73e86 did?
No one.e06407e1855447c7

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Juha’s husband was bb330a4718 an extremely tight-lipped 0c03691811 man. He likely didn’t tell 1f0e8b52f0 Juha everything he saw e8ad33f9f8 and heard at work, 81b68cb9c7 and Juha, in turn, 96ccd104ae probably didn’t tell everything 8b6d7a1287 she heard from him bd81a0305d either. In any 852a06a14e case, if 6062fa4cf7 just those 2dd64b4fb3 few words ca8775d232 were enough d99c4e22d3 for Juha 7640b7bbd1 to feel 3154f5950f that there e689f8803e was danger, c4417e89b0 then it 1218a384dc was clear 4789922162 that Kwon 4243498754 Jeongbaek was 546335cbd6 no ordinary c8c1820819 figure in bab914c6e4 Seoul.fd407ce2c202010a

Of course, 1e9b7b2cee Irim had e4a4b93b94 already realized 4fb3707b64 from their b8fdcda1cb first meeting 4982393065 that Kwon 9327863ee2 Jeongbaek wasn’t 1bed521a3e someone easy 3033303e70 to handle. He had an intense 37742c24c7 aura that was impossible 57ef71ba11 to ignore.95238b3b79f1b1eb

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

But that instinctive feeling 0d1e583dfd had nothing to do 8e872aebba with his background. Rather, his background…a982c12d25e6f6fa

…was similar to mine.4da38e3750b8c616

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I got it.”6a3e1df8069e0746

She wanted 2c9f4d7b9c to wrap bfc7a00e3f up the da42198dae conversation. It wasn’t 187ad5f1c8 a topic 3e8ae70bc4 she wanted 041bbbe33f to drag 82af3f6036 on. Irim slowly nodded, fbf642d462 signaling that she b650c71e43 understood. Even as she 6824ea6b5c cautiously glanced at 35c08cae1d Juha, worried she 15365fdb43 might have hurt d2d92191b5 her feelings, Juha 1b2fe28825 leaned in with 646faddb70 a face full 36f9791bdc of barely contained 00a4346d29 curiosity, like a 5ec3cdfbd3 puppy desperate to bfc84e8206 go outside.a15e0e04d0adc8a9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“If you have something to say, just say it.”2796d13928188380

When Irim smiled lightly e36a9b8f6a and opened the floor, b8c674c2b7 Juha immediately closed the 9a07980d40 distance and said,9cfbb9c87a26f267

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“But Irim, I’m really curious about something.”4cfa1204650ba5cc

Seeing the e72ca12641 mischievous smile 819e88506e on Juha’s 7b3b0e3c5c face, Irim 8db9ae4f58 instinctively leaned 6b5da79508 back a a677c71eb9 little.c90194eb2f2d54eb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…What is it?”de089e5db413afc2

“Who did you stay out overnight with? You didn’t have anywhere to go that day, right? Don’t tell me… you went clubbing? A one-night stand?”427f0097c79d42a3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“T-That’s not it!”03dde939be115511

Startled, Irim 4d4208d91a blurted out e4390c8fb8 the answer abf801cbff almost instantly, 25111755d1 stammering without 7ab4623016 thinking.4c99ac9a8d2c5255

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Then why did you stay out all night?”d40a77cefa6f9237

“I-I just… got bored and spent the night at a comic book café nearby.”820b9ea8213d3b6f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

After all the trash-talking earlier, she couldn’t bring herself to say that she had stayed out with Detective Kwon Jeongbaek. Although the idea of imagining Juha calling him all sorts of names — human trash, scumbag, and worse — was amusing, she simply couldn’t bring herself to tell her.348a33c0aec6396d

“Oh, I see. I was wondering because you don’t usually do that kind of thing…”9f85ed1555b2c259

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“……”732c62d874ad5c74

“But still, it’s such a relief it happened on that exact day. Maybe fate really does exist.”ecaad52352dda9b9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Juha’s shoulders, e287ef1c8a which had d87afebcb6 been full 343416c485 of anticipation, 9e2d2e0ede sagged with 353d114e67 a deep 8cdaceafa3 sigh. Apparently, it made more edd643f986 sense to her that cb784fda24 Irim had spent the aa783e4c29 night at a comic 958b4925e4 café rather than impulsively dd64c9056f spending a night with 9b6c748b28 some guy. Relieved, Juha 968cc6d5d9 didn’t press bd968fc9f2 any further, 9bbb301c06 mumbling that 8f3069bc31 sometimes being 8324e14ec0 lucky was e59a4b2b71 the best 1d3add1719 thing. Meanwhile, Irim awkwardly smiled 08f1488436 and lightly scratched at b64ecb616d the spot near her 4dac2ea47c collarbone where his teeth 069f242eff marks remained.d37ed0bb71266406

“Alright then. Let’s get back to work. And if you’re struggling because of what happened the other day, make sure you tell me, okay?”33c0039152c301d1

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yeah, I will. …Thanks.”e5a4e1f56757575c

“Now, let’s get moving.”067fdbf32947c427

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Letting out aa6a370c9e a small 5996242365 sigh, Irim 60eaebd8bc picked up f1b0dd04ec the chart b0da36774b of her da390daf70 assigned patient 044652a9f0 and left f834257bc4 her seat 6ada93bdf2 to start ea82494101 her rounds—making 75deb37cd5 sure to 8d5451fcc3 avoid looking 06fde29e7d at the 4779bcdd3e now-empty bed b91073c8fe where Jeong-ah 7845e812ee used to 5ecd36caa4 be.abcdd0efe416f977

 9ef3c8044f39a09a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator