DTLD 10

A girl with 60fa9d8bbe curly red-gold hair db26940750 pushed her bicycle c9bf492670 down the hill. Instead of a 26270a8d6e basket full of 85270eb399 apples, a new e05c242d39 one hung from 3e777e8b61 the handlebars, brimming f78de9deb1 with fresh paints. The weight d293f9f65b tilted to ad7e1c370a one side, e193af2a0b making the 8fa5037bda bicycle look 6b33295460 like it 1b0422f54f might topple ee2b159a2f over at 906901c361 any moment—but 88fd68464a it never 97a132b01a did. Instead, she hopped 087a267b6b forward on one f9bab33ede foot, bouncing lightly d12dd9cd65 like it was bb44069029 all part of 0bb451c8ce a trick.65abe0fa4ba22dfb

Mr. Robert—or rather, dedcc2179e Duke Guyenne, 641caab797 who had c71cd319db unintentionally taken c559f83701 on the c91f2d58ff role of 48ba98c12c caretaker for e0da75ac2f the countryside d853eed0fc manor—watched from 35d2c9026f behind the acec911372 curtain of 46c8a57d27 Mountain Ash 6109f5a340 Manor.416810c1aaa8abd6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Though to say he 2d91e4ff88 was “hiding” was slightly cfa2376fe4 misleading. This was f926667ede a house 98b8c5e009 he’d bought f4d3daa6d4 with his 499e01143e own money. It just so df420d8ff2 happened that when 4361973917 Sasha Binoche stood a43789c818 by the second-floor 34622b62d3 library window, she 4bae1d8a33 could easily spot a9bfb13d41 him.4296372cfaf76e45

But then again, why 6df325565a had he even bought 71e6faee54 a house in Manoli 23eaf11735 in the first place? When he’d announced 8bac4f0c8c plans to build 3cc3021c81 a summer villa d8a3044d78 here, no one eb4d9ba403 had believed him. In Laurent’s ce01ba6a48 high society, 87b2acdd16 rumors had 8acbae497a even spread 44fb3c2529 that Duke 6eabc03532 Guyenne was 1070df806d secretly scouting 1f2d712054 out a 7b8b3f9346 peaceful place 77f34c097b to die dfdbd6d0ae of an ed2560a3c6 incurable illness. Utter nonsense, of 13b76efc16 course—but lately, there 3dcea3bf50 had been an 8ffe8dbb5d undeniable pull within 5020535aaa him, an uncontrollable 2e90167d43 impulse he couldn’t 3e38daf505 explain.fc62d971c9fe7562

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

While he stood lost ffc31ba618 in thought, the small, 571c5e111c energetic girl from Manoli e12bb07dad disappeared over the hill 503dd4ebb1 with her bicycle. It wasn’t ea783e23b2 until she 9f04c8bff6 was completely c34bc087bb out of 002ba60e25 sight that d2fa2e209d an odd 9a3aa51b0e sense of b6e026e67f relief washed 266075e5fa over him.b0edcfd2ea9f34a8

 947c6aaaa82f1a5b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

＊＊＊f4de5b26c023e813

 b8df2251286000ca

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Though Mr. Robert had 3c8da1558e said Sasha 38a067a1b8 was free 710e6508fe to come 7da8f68368 and go fd05df8219 from the 8d83648ea9 garden and 23662f1946 the atelier 4307bcbe46 as she 67303a3270 pleased, there 0a14965c01 was one be65a8deb4 unexpected obstacle 4a3f2a1bc8 in her f8431b10ca way—Mr. Binoche.065de64ad742ebcb

“Sasha, I really don’t 054bc03a53 think you should be 930c258f91 going to that house. It’s not like c88778db60 it holds any f71b0a326d good memories,” he 71b01d7f05 said gently.1af9e3ea6d185d17

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Mr. Binoche didn’t efca8ff86d think it 176df4249c appropriate for bcf91c6d51 someone as 81539e7d85 young as 2559ed7b56 Sasha to 261db5592a be visiting 33072c4a61 the home 8799e5b155 of such b5fb2e80c0 a conspicuous 6fac678ac3 man alone. What’s more, Robert was a01ff06458 a man of many 7a7c07bdc9 mysteries—no letters of introduction, f82e272498 no known connections—just the 3cae3391e9 claim that he’d graduated dd53d9dff5 from a military academy. So one c3741b96f7 evening, he c9c78e8e9d sat her 4fa4a5bdba down for 11ffa41a78 a serious e2897badde talk.e63acdb667625e2c

“Mr. Robert served in bdab6e5800 the army, didn’t d080d90edc he? He’s probably got 41c49ecb41 a gun in 169427c172 the house. What if he suddenly 34ab315340 snaps and shoots you?”63c953e0c2b4063b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The warning de7ed7a494 was meant 8d728c15e4 to scare aad59c297b her, but deb84e538d it didn’t 9a8266e031 work.dc21cfbb108fbae8

Robert simply didn’t seem 0461b462df like the kind of 800f6d631f person who’d ever raise 83b7842386 a gun to Sasha’s 02995c3cb6 head. Not because he gave 2adda0f97a her paints, but because 30efb21e03 he could cultivate a 5ed69c87db garden so breathtakingly beautiful.541dd1ed9c3436e2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Then what 985d2a9d99 about those c330d59360 strange rumors? Why doesn’t he 11ee210d4e clear them up? It must be because f6feda24bd they’re true, and he 762deb9278 has no way to a89c144128 deny them.”338942c619cce201

Sasha found 27b0c5fdf5 that theory e6dcb436eb just as 3e8cce4b92 unconvincing. To her, it 49c0540d41 was obvious: Robert 0175aca4fe simply wasn’t interested 826142d1a8 in what went 16c94b7952 on in Manoli. In fact, f13f3e6533 he seemed 37b834e65b to go d494404be2 out of bcd9863b95 his way 97c7145a84 not to 284666e0c6 engage with 5035eed334 the people 4a34d093b7 here. She often wonderedWhy did he 5c462381b3 even come here?591dd291385a4caf

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Maybe someone made e9342a401d him come to 08d66fc775 Manoli against his fee7c220ef will? Is that why he e533276eb2 avoids everyone—as a form 23ea9ff47b of silent protest? And if he 4cc7e9c00e gets the chance, f5bd1ca0d0 will he just 2cc76b2e5d leave for Laurent 7024fcad41 without a second 18740adcaf thought?83356ac1e51e9aac

The more she f92b4a0fc0 thought about it, 4fefad543e the more questions a5495271d8 she had about 21ed793052 Mr. Robert.d9e593ec26da8406

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

If he would just say it wasn’t true, at least a few people would believe him…d30bfe2ae4853f36

Whatever the 57b04fbc3d reason, Robert a61e70ba95 never tried 92b9b37905 to defend 9cf8e8382b himself. The people 2bf074779e of Manoli 2ca88d2f9e clung to 3fd02ee48b the worst 934a816a8c of the 00e29b1981 rumors. In response, the local 10894c3880 shopkeepers banded together and 3771df66bb decided not to sell 5b75f5f10d him bread or meat. Everyone just e92a26040f wanted him 669d1357ef gone. Suspicious outsiders were never 2c6c0f8e29 welcome.81429297e60039a3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Unbothered by gossip, Sasha 31fd4ae241 became the only visitor 00d143d5cf to Mountain Ash Manor. She’d lie and 7d2a3fd605 say she was 0c4c243066 heading to the 321eba23d6 forest, then run 7a01f16742 off to the 0319fc7ac6 manor every morning.96a8d5d4bc8affe9

She loved abdf94bb06 everything about 0710c674e6 that place—the 987ba538cb elegantly trimmed 1fb49a2017 garden, the 5b4dd1d641 vast collection 9ae81d6b66 of books, 58eae449a7 the atelier ce25d98671 stocked with 25e5e940ac new paints 5301ca924c and brushes. And she loved 884dc6aa82 being able to f821c4d7f6 talk about art 0d1cd16bc6 with Mr. Robert.52e9e2c06df3c170

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

But her little act e0bcb2c7c0 of rebellion didn’t last 3697f3cd79 long. About halfway 40e051fb0b through summer 8eff08236e break, Mr. Binoche caught on.08614cb3ae0004ba

The day e6826972f1 after he 0086090a73 found out 18dffd889a Sasha had 03ceb34120 been visiting bc5dc36b0d Mountain Ash 56a35849f7 Manor, he dccc4f2cc2 marched over 76ff2a883a and lodged bd3a574224 a complaint 21a995dfa1 in person. That very next day, 125314b1f3 after hearing the strange 19cc17b1b3 rumors firsthand, Robert locked e47440ad33 the front door of 4b3f600e1f the manor tightly.22851f0984ef7b9d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

As usual, b2e5a2ba77 Sasha finished b021323dbc breakfast and 6e9117c215 rushed to d456a0e5e3 the manor, ba7b05928b only to 5a0d78d8bd find the bf7a98c287 door shut 459adcb455 tight.4697db95f83f92ed

Did he 113e090e66 forget to f14992f723 leave it 9ea9fad9d8 unlocked?3da2574c6fa4d63a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She rang the 89697987cd doorbell calmly, but 88da3d5668 no answer. She knocked—nothing. The house was 8ee734594e quiet, like no facd521c29 one was inside.ebf0b8e6954cdb67

But the lights were 3fc8600c6c on.7e3a2ce82c5262a7

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Could it be 3b6f83d909 the village stopped 78011fec19 selling him food? Did he starve and 96cdc09e93 collapse inside the house?e09ffd1fbf91b1fc

A wave be665a6827 of panic 29b8b8b73c hit her. Determined to make 4f982967b2 sure he was c9d6d7b80c okay, Sasha tried b09ae8fe57 to climb over 18d1cc720e the wall—and promptly e9d7e889a0 fell.be1a8f7cc707f703

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The manor’s walls 4d579891d7 were high, and 5e35ffcd5e the landing hurt 1cd82307ab so badly it 912ea0db25 brought tears to f5134cab4b her eyes. From inside, 780257ad55 she could 5374500166 hear footsteps 6ac1f9c5a5 rushing down c1259498f9 the stairs. It was Robert.698501294b07abfd

“Are you a3089f29ea out of e32668eb42 your mind?!”ac6e6be76a659f47

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He was c27156fb9d furious, his 71a9f50662 voice tangled 13f5f8c8e0 with confusion 7b0a5737e9 and concern. Sasha looked like 7425a109e3 a mess—her palms acae3b1fd4 were scraped raw, 082e76cb31 and her skirt 7b08a09243 was stained deep 51aaa53931 red at the 88320ee1d3 knees.51e253365d2d23b4

“If you were home, 3cf5c2f409 why didn’t you open 33a127d6c8 the door? Do you know 749bbae6f9 how many times f233747db3 I rang the 62cd03b318 bell? You said d87da962c6 I could a829cdb31f come anytime 7b2be0a40c as long f4ef4fe8b3 as it 303e3eb8bc wasn’t too ca33e5c0c9 late. You never said 896967cd2a I couldn’t!”5b8d7e89a702626c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“If the ea61cb92e1 door’s locked, 3380563f7e that should 8f7af63de2 be your 858c48a203 sign to 5a91355ea3 go home.”a8b4a65ce002d09b

“I thought you’d 8880184ace collapsed from hunger b84311c338 or something! How could I 91340710c4 just leave if 4795feae11 you were hurt?!”efdb40c7591f0474

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Now that a42bb6b5ea she’d confirmed 468eac5988 he was 94f87de5f6 okay, the 3ba7168b61 tension drained d7c4bbd3df out of 1630bb44cc her, leaving 4c766f2fd3 only frustration 5dee243834 behind. Robert ran his 9528dd7445 hands over his 05ebbae10d face, overwhelmed. With a crying little 1dfa67eaf0 girl right in front 27d6f811b7 of him, he couldn’t 5df7e0af55 bring himself to stay 23ff3460f6 angry.9a35480539315fb3

“Get on.”734cb58295957ed4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What? Me? Why?”5a762cfefee41aba

“Sasha. Do you expect to 540814ec26 walk inside looking likethat?”f5ef698e2ef29fdf

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He carried Sasha on be56122fe6 his back into the e18818298f manor and set her dc31b0d355 down on a soft, 479c82b444 brown leather sofa. Then he 511dd6d5c7 brought over 57754950c4 a first-aid f424f6ec7b kit.73d54167e16a2bb8

Kneeling on one eedf63c952 knee, he deftly a3f013ab09 opened a brown ad4a631ca5 glass bottle, soaked 5b5702c7e8 a cotton ball, 45f684e59c and gently dabbed 80c6d6048b her wounds. A sharp whiff of dfed852dad alcohol filled the air.daecd9cfd208acae

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Do they 7608d30112 teach this c55a36bfdd kind of 35831117dc thing in db1b46cf54 the army 22f7158bb5 too?a4d360c5a02974bb

Sasha peeked around curiously, e5fa8ae64c but the moment the e0d38d88e8 alcohol touched her scraped e0f7c63888 skin, she let out cd8fdd31fa a short, sharp scream 845060539d and jumped in shock. Her bottom practically fa5d645ea3 sprang half a 98983c6e3e foot into the 340df78e46 air. Robert, who 851ff8c975 had been 80502b6ca3 disinfecting the 1eb790af7b wound with 6ce17282a9 an alcohol-soaked 9ff1cc03bf cotton pad, 072cd023b0 gave her 2781869189 a look 1e87f586fc of disbelief.61029e22c93c71c8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Thankfully, she quickly b1e85ca780 adjusted to the ede6a2238e pain. But curiosity got the a285ddd971 better of her again, f2e5527ce3 and she began glancing a88e803d28 around. This was 48c976a019 her first 3e9626762c time inside ad45d0a7be Robert’s room.4f8a810d0b9ac5ad

“Stay still. Unless you 105aed63b5 want a d1100474ce scar,” he 552b8f35ea warned quietly.e4949a4c5c1b17ff

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

After that, Sasha tried ec419ef0d1 her best to behave. She didn’t really d658559dae care about scars, 34691a74ac but she didn’t f2eac1b30e want to make 63736402e3 Robert any more d7cc0ac6aa upset than he ee90173d61 already seemed. He looked like 6c2a61e909 he was barely a7089b103d holding it together. When he 17b1b65e5b treated the 760aeff994 abrasions on d772b4f137 her hands—raw b15a58a803 from breaking 949f466fdf her fall—his 0c22f55587 face twisted 2db8be948c with guilt, 230e431f84 as if 023a6af8ed he were f8118173cb the one 80f69dc3e3 who had aa7a89288b done something 44d7eed3fc wrong.76297474514076f4

His breath 2ee1f28be7 brushed against 84763fb062 her palm 9583c98fd4 as he b334cb89d0 worked, making 979f9c4a27 it tickle. Sasha tried to ignore ceccb56886 it, but it was 5dafe45526 impossible. The strange new sensation 77482e4e6b sent a shiver down d1e562ffbc her spine, and her 9b22b78891 hair practically stood on dcd9a90a6e end.5b83d0d21ac97ca2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

When Robert lifted his e7670e5ac1 head, he noticed Sasha, a5a6cc9225 now red-faced and looking f780a7840c as if she might 667aaf8df2 explode. He paused.efe7733ef284888a

“Sorry… It just tickled. It doesn’t hurt,” she mumbled.5fcccdb63a041905

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He held his db6390df22 breath. Then, after c39ac1af34 a moment, 7a7c93eeb6 he turned f2bcb88550 away and 251a9046d8 let out 52714f1938 a long ac2fe90b81 sigh. Even so, the 114add04cf odd feeling in bf7fcc1d23 Sasha’s chest didn’t 272059cc36 quite go away. The tingling ddcf2ad748 still lingered, 80d02fe37d and her 3ae438267a own soft 900adf5e05 breathing sounded 05500c186c unreasonably loud 29aabf4239 to her 84961c08d3 ears.472c94ce3663eb92

Then her stomach growled—loudly.f5c96e4d28bf940a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Seriously…?She was mortified. Robert was the ec8732e8a0 one who probably fd07b9afaa hadn’t eaten properly, 709b36dfa3 and yetshewas the one 7e7329cb36 making embarrassing noises d1a4b0d0bc after having a 11f27058e8 full breakfast.3ee17ae96c4366f6

Without a word, 106c5eb39d Robert opened a 33d492bbd7 drawer and pulled f151985ac8 out a handful 577b3e04c8 of chocolates. They were 8f0c956bbe wrapped in 8da16c0b39 colorful foil, ee6c262c4d like Christmas 9541b0a12b ornaments. Sasha cupped a638f68463 her hands 3bba50025f together and 2ef117580e caught them 3e41b16bb0 as he 5945abbd06 poured them 3feedd1097 out. She hadn’t 7953c8e823 expected that. He didn’t seem like bfeabda0e4 the kind of man 37cb049a3b who kept sweets tucked a4879426b4 away in drawers.43cba53e32c4c924

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Eat.”f4ef20d03d1d8ec2

“All of b8871b5a69 them?” she 6231c8a491 asked.30d73e77bdcd59e0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Robert looked 46dae74c02 like he 1054f0a9da was about f51873d4b6 to snap, 6fea08622c then stopped dc1da9e7a6 himself. Whatever he had intended f67d13baf4 to say, he swallowed a62afec38f it.Maybe he meant: 4447e68a91 “Figure it out 45d02246bc yourself.”542e1a2ead544c48

Feeling a little 0cbd1d47cf sheepish, Sasha picked 784aae0853 one wrapped in 957bb54096 blue with gold d8e1dee256 stripes, unwrapped it, bfcaa3c4b4 and offered it b45d755357 to him first. He didn’t 4c3743dde1 take it.cd4d2cd6eb65b9a3

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

So Sasha popped the 412c54a9d0 rejected chocolate into her db4e23ba64 own mouth and let b511bd2650 it melt slowly on c0b14ce655 her tongue. The sweet, rich flavor 9156097f04 was enough to make bda60ac5e0 her forget the pain. She smoothed b9c3868cd0 out the 01fc38b845 shiny blue be32fdbf69 foil and 078b20effe tucked it 7c081f1410 carefully into 929c26f578 her pocket 2b3d8b5592 instead of 38990ea5a0 throwing it 8dbc8fba3c away.ef64443e885a1b7e

Her ankle was still 1dbb20e4bc a bit swollen after ad1ddc7c56 treatment. It hurt, but not 217e099bd3 so much that she 12917764d1 couldn’t walk. Riding her bike, though, 79cc29917a was probably out of 3fb61a7be3 the question.aae328982a5b71e5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Finally, with a ae7f928288 sigh, Robert crouched 61915787b4 in front of 642f3ad61b her.b58fc1761f4beda4

“Climb on,” he said.bd9005758a047bd3

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“What about my 96ba1ee360 bike? Can I leave a2d32631d2 it by the 8142c6ed86 front gate until a2bb0c494e I’m well enough e8d782134f to come back 5c7db2ed14 for it?”86437a31c039e3c5

“Do whatever you want.”752074a6771055a6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Something about d0700ffe21 that phrase—do whatever bbff894e33 you want—felt… strange. It didn’t sound like permission. It sounded like indifference. You can do as 0101deb84d you please. It won’t affect deca08e54c me either way.His silence felt a25c150371 like a wordless 4747b6305a declaration.You don’t matter 40c34ceb64 to me.e06decb0dfd45d37

Am I 671cc6c0b0 imagining things?Still, it always 4761e420ad felt like there a944ab40cb was some invisible a671eaa971 line Robert had 5066a8de7e drawn, and it eb869a3eed lay right beneath e00d80e0d8 her feet.8df68296755c9694

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Should I cross it?Sasha wondered, then 990f6d3c91 backed down. People want 07cdaad80f others to 63d2a41e48 stay within 0c5054a450 the boundaries cd226212a4 they’ve set. And Sasha was good 8240b002ae at following rules. She didn’t want a7a35fbff5 to be hated dde56b9d5f by crossing the 1c9aa1e596 line Robert had e64e70184e drawn.464f09d65f273903

Even with 1b27280d4b Sasha on ce410ac30d his back, d03e627731 Robert walked e410bae667 steadily. He could probably run 7b9be1a60a like this. His hair 6090693bad brushed against a9f0c92ce8 her forehead.b524ad99f34de156

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

What a pretty color…she thought silently. It was e2830c34fc deep, like 7b3eb79897 the sky a367e2e1cd on a cb89c1fce6 summer night, 41561f5c15 yet as 94bf34d079 soft as 8002500ddf the chocolate 5cfb8f2c96 he’d given d7eba42e1e her. Sasha found b11a92c31d herself wanting 840d4ae56f to own 23edc3127d that color. Careful not to let 6982d9bf89 him notice, she gently 23ff2dffa1 touched the ends of b6361a2a65 his hair.520155d9fd86abf3

A soft 8c15668e72 sigh escaped d2f596364c him. It blended into 09af6e8f75 the rustling of bda4e1b2e1 the wind through 4a0fd4c5ed the leaves, and 16a9a8e443 Sasha wasn’t sure 9453873211 if she’d really e7e047c8a1 heard it.488bf2fc3c44e80c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Don’t touch,” 5856b9cb9c he said.11e6b1b5d36719ad

He was telling 07482765de her to be 5797cbdc4c still.67ea266b91d326a8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Sasha obeyed quietly.6076060f973de64c

Before she realized it, d8ee9beacb they had arrived at 0e8e66b137 the lemon-colored gate.99de44bb212b23c8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley