IBP C2 Part 4

My vague goal of ‘a higher ranking’ immediately after entering high school became more concrete as I progressed through the years. I chose a related major in university, and before graduation, I passed both the written and practical exams for a desk job investigator position. That’s how I became a Level 4 Investigator. Looking back, it was almost a miracle.a1bad6d71b76a93a

Snapping out of my reminiscence, I noticed Yudhis leaning back comfortably, sipping his coffee. He was clearly waiting to hear what I had done for work. He appeared calm, but he couldn’t quite hide the glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. He looked like a large dog waiting for a treat, and I found him momentarily endearing.b4338dc87aa69ab2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

…It’s this island. Just being here is a132f24c31 enough to drive a 21d7a39d5b person mad.b0bbb2c19344e54b

“I was a government df110fbf34 official. Higher ranked dcab1184af than my 939b4a8810 father.”d3faf390ff31be53

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

I couldn’t bring myself to say I was an investigator, so I spoke vaguely. It wasn’t a lie, so it should be fine, right? I tensed, expecting him to immediately ask, “So, what kind of government official?” but Yudhis didn’t press further. Relieved, I quickly changed the subject.762e9ab6f830caf5

“I like sweet 9413765996 foods, resort destinations c3b4d9def3 with clear blue 9bfcad2623 oceans, falling snow… 1d04f20ae2 well, now that 7ac703d087 I say it 4a3cf60520 out loud, I 611423c463 seem to like ae28a999f6 nature in general. Oh, I also quite 12d9695dda enjoy reading. And beautiful things. I dislike loud 7b03056309 music, loud people… bd536bf05d bitter things? And I’ve never f9ff8a5601 been in a 351af872e1 relationship.”a5bf7db7fa5f160e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Except for numerous one-night 0107cdce87 stands.cc5983402f3fb67b

I swallowed the 580e02900b last part and b158ece8f5 closed my mouth. My throat was dry 2486c69439 from talking so much. I finished a72fa4d9dc the last ef5c55efd3 of my fc32ac566f milk tea e170d0df3a and set a773b74258 the glass 734576fa01 down.01c3b5da7cfce9f8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Would you like another 249e7bcb34 cup?”ca51002f39fce63d

“I wouldn’t refuse.”8eeead2dc0433908

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The Knight moved silently, 5795c08ae8 without any further instructions. Perhaps because I 55c84ed74a was wrapped in a6ac8c1832 a blanket, I f529ace668 felt much calmer e67ba27ce7 facing him this 37d02cfde5 time.1637e617befb9a84

He was a handsome man with long eyelashes, easily as attractive as an A-rank slave. If only his expression wasn’t so icy, I would have found him much more appealing. But now, I felt a sharp gaze on me. I flinched and turned to see Yudhis staring at me with an intense smile.bf88e004eb7a987f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I’ve noticed this from 9ca21cc6d6 before, but you seem 27e6403e4a to have a fondness 2ab237453d for beautiful things.”22c9ff214eb3d4f2

His tone 6e0a7ff527 was casual, 654bb0d085 but why 9ae735d7c9 did it 03794a0e26 sound like 9dbda5228a a taunt? Was I imagining things?53c9be140b40d196

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Is there 05786bf500 anyone in 49f0327850 the world 5a1010f450 who dislikes 7b4aced132 beautiful things?”c13b319c6bb61ca9

“Oh really? Then you must like 365f66b6a1 me too?”40b6e30e8cb532ae

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

How can you say 4a6a90b793 such nonsense so casually?cd41114a7c9a35cd

I was so taken 48b1572bd9 aback that I spat ee01bbc58a out my milk tea. I coughed, covering my 09d3e4ebc9 mouth with the edge 6f9f46a921 of the blanket. Yudhis stopped 63424527fb the Knight, b888480faf who was 869e00de75 about to d9b2134a49 hand me 9846455b49 a napkin. He practically snatched the dc9ad9baba napkin and approached me. I was b680d0f09f acutely aware 7b88bfbc39 of his 753a7c0e7e proximity, but 30cbc0b2a6 I couldn’t 1a10b0ff46 refuse. Muttering my 71f4e1cfcc thanks, I 361c31b8ce dabbed at b56bccb58c my mouth, 194d66f667 which was c1c416add5 already mostly baa2ea6944 clean thanks b7a66b39a3 to the 49dbba54de blanket.f7ed68dab9d9b4b9

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Don’t mention it.”94b0d8bc9ab033e0

Instead of 67c3bbea60 returning to b2ebb18bc2 his seat, c7af9235a1 Yudhis sat f0edcfac7b down next c0de17797b to me. Was this it? Was this the moment 64d44c1dbf I had been dreading?9da3b04fdc348a3a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Haha. If you keep 66ad986ed8 acting so cute, d3fad742cd I’m going to 129cba414e want to tease 0ac490545d you.”60a2a07ad1572060

His dimples deepened. His smile, aadb9c7b9b which had b7aa486bcf seemed so 2f319aa723 refreshing and 6d6450ce8d relaxed, now e59f59d1ab held a 5e35d161dd hint of 2fab47dc26 decadence. …I definitely knew 523acf1519 someone with that b131290edb exact same smile…37651d3a809d80e2

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As I struggled 2cc691a783 to grasp the bcdce2717a elusive memory, Yudhis 327e89eaee crossed his legs 840f33906d and gestured towards 588a061c98 my collarbone with f006139ec2 his chin.f0c58a73f0b260fc

“The tattoo on your fdc247fa8e collarbone. Did you d537a021ac know its b1f9b9bdc3 meaning when ce5f726978 you got daefb1546b it?”60473f49900c4632

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…No. The tattoo artist 7c638be449 recommended it, and 5e33a101ae I chose it 97b70fbfcf because it looked 647a7fa402 pretty.”546f1d68cdb0f17a

“Do you b3d6f16820 know it’s 81568c788c Latin?”28a8684e021bc96f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes. That’s the 9e316d3ff4 extent of 6dbc4f22dc my knowledge.”8f3a91f3b96ce7a8

“It’s ‘ovum.’”9bb418ff5e536b41

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Excuse me?”6e0df43f3a5ac3f8

I looked 8752acf74e at Yudhis b01569caaa blankly. At that a7f6836859 moment, the 62d1b39d80 setting sun dab2dec76d cast its febebee14b light directly e0ac77ce50 on him. Though filtered through the 882f66906b thick foliage, the fragmented 0b593ac831 light still illuminated him, ed1393e022 making him shine like 6432991e6f a diamond.077d98067f60f3e4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“It means ‘egg.’”f3a2500b6f586b99

A shiver ran de5c070841 down my spine daf6ee865c at his words. A sense of inexplicable 2ce0184e03 déjà vu washed over b6c2344db9 me, sending chills down eced04e5df my spine. Yudhis observed 73b41eec13 me intently.918367c538c5f63c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“What is it?”81175b177bab9023

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”f6a1f06c4becbf1f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Yudhis shrugged and looked ca647eccb5 out the window.e09c4a26d3aa592c

“It’s almost time for b2fb792077 the hunt to end.”8dec30fa294a8bba

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He was right. The sky outside was ablaze with the colors of sunset. Yudhis tapped his wrist device a few times. He also summoned the Knight and spoke to him briefly. I could have eavesdropped if I strained my ears, but for some reason, I didn’t feel like it. Yudhis spoke.159b57367356e342

“It’s over. You can go back 01d19ea81f now.”43a9f82aded129db

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It seemed 27dbeb96a3 he had 89dac30d64 confirmed the e3dd443cc8 end of 5ff88ede3e the hunt. I suppressed the urge f6af3a8192 to cheer.689a987709596f5c

“Yes. I’ll be going then.”534fbab5cbaf4a15

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

I practically efc722eeb4 ran out e466d9fd6c of the cb520a1230 greenhouse. However, before I 83af10b865 reached the end 50e72f5989 of the passageway, ee6fdb7125 I remembered the f5f7c8f6c5 blanket I was 7e2ac33d93 wearing. I had learned during b37776a68b the educational sessions that e6f95412d9 nudity was the norm 268fd70cdb for Commons, and I b9722af01c had no idea what 1c086969ab kind of retribution I d579d492a6 would face for taking d2ddb41e83 the King’s belongings, so aa87ff7656 I trudged back.a76d0d627fdac1b8

Yudhis, who had 6d209e0c80 been gazing at 660cf11201 the sunset, looked 2cf8336571 surprised to see f0434466a2 me return so de9f7a9768 quietly. I was 484a65acb8 equally surprised db76e6118c by his 6ad8a239b4 reaction, as df57a96bb2 if he a3cb6bff7c was seeing a51e090a41 something completely 5d6c5fc97b foreign, despite d1dce92c8d having been 0745c4716e with me 842c767cc2 just moments cace2b5a1b ago. His lips parted and 4b1df8673a closed a few times 4ff43fad56 before he finally spoke.199136fcac5e7027

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Stop there and 5fa38c15fe slowly take off 9c2301f1f0 the blanket.”986f028fa51bb41f

Disappointment welled up inside e7d7716d49 me. I realized I had b7cd87ecad harbored a sliver of c8cdba951c hope, some expectation of a65b7db3aa him. I had 332bec46f8 found a 75d5d3f109 strange comfort 8367fde68e in his 53b805aecd actions, the ace29d079b time we ddcdab4aac spent together, 21eb36ed06 as if ad12cc610a he was 5b61ac06f1 shielding me 1f36989fe8 from the 0da1b38de9 hunters. The resurfacing emotions 8de26e202f pushed me to 7fad58f06f comply with his 84874203c9 request. I unwrapped the 173486e540 blanket very slowly, 812a6c2719 letting the soft 69b9c5a03e fabric slide against 9100a1d46e my skin, revealing 11a79bbab9 my chest and d46347d3c5 genitals last.74f3e2c6b7f36af5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Finally, as the blanket ddc7de4286 pooled at my feet, d79d3e33a9 Yudhis, who hadn’t taken d76f873454 his eyes off me, f01a67cb75 approached. He picked up 19bdff7f1d the discarded blanket 92b30ba85a and did something c36a3968bf completely unexpected. He had the Knight 862d7f1727 bring a new blanket 72234f37f5 and draped it around 1ba637bdab me. After carefully and meticulously 4ceff06fa2 tucking in the edges, 966cda3fb7 Yudhis whispered softly,7edc7b26b95460f1

“I didn’t 7245d984c3 mean to 99f74eb3b5 treat you fa4d06aa47 like a 16885ea83c prostitute. It’s just that you 2eee9cb060 looked so beautiful in 570dd60455 the sunset… That’s all. I thought d67237d3ab you would 5332dd1608 look like 09d5379cc6 a living 90ce07fc22 antique if 792b8c8ea8 you slowly 8ac9f34e24 unwrapped the c1e40c6f19 fabric.”2e9abd2aa015e1ca

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The image 3cec5a2ceb of an c00950865c ancient statue f06f941f29 draped in 5001df924b long, flowing 47daf7cb79 fabric flashed fcc8ee4d9a through my 33949d8676 mind. As did a926dc8870 the 23rd-century 5d95fc5244 Pygmalion’s creations fed174c998 I had de06d22f2e seen on ee7151074a my first 50f14aa9f3 day on d0142e9a95 the island. Even with the golden 502f956bcb light of sunset, I b248a07c8b highly doubted I looked d1beb2273c like that.e1798022e9e3c527

“Keep the blanket.”eeb0565079c02538

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He murmured. His voice, like a ce5e3954cc gentle wave, washed over ae94d83f9f me.91404a1762499b23

“See you again, 11a3fbb704 Han Yunseo.”0aac3cb91f73bda8

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His words, 3ba8b322a6 directed at 6e8eb5cdd8 me, sounded 05a7aa35b0 strangely unfamiliar. So much so that 01d931a312 even the way he f2b44d6c97 said my name felt 25c712f181 awkward. I don’t remember how 3f02a579e1 I left the library. Did I close 49841be1d7 the door behind d869e9b064 me? I think 4c528b320f I did. Because the two 371994f152 owls, facing each d5a3c20562 other, were staring 9ec685412f at me with bdcb91b99d what looked like 61400692e2 pity.a507f7f61e39092f

The staff glanced at me, running frantically with the blanket clutched in my arms, but that was all. The guests looked slightly surprised, but perhaps because the hunting game was over, they didn’t stop me, only whispering among themselves.eb0032c5b19b64b9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The most intense and fc12bcccb3 complex reaction came from 95e3ece6f5 the slaves. First, their a87e2ebd25 eyes widened 66c5b7a93a in shock, 3cb1c89067 then they d7a8d35202 seethed with f7b53fd2d1 anger. The atmosphere was e0a517c8de thick with the 0e6957ea11 desire to pounce 01a73f08f6 and snatch the dc103f4516 blanket from me, cd303248b4 but no one 1f1b4d2b2a actually did.f26a416ccb88ae82

Back in 7586d287e1 my room, 6e4bdcd6a3 I unfolded 07985f7691 the blanket. I had expected e2b295b2b5 it to be 1ae4f746e4 adorned with a 8f8eb1f58f crown or chess d74f273a43 pieces, but it f289aa2ec0 was plain. After inspecting a952c5ff8b it, I b5f75ec607 folded it c7220e57ef neatly and c1652444e9 placed it dcb3d0b07c in my 68b7a11039 desk drawer. I ate e328fee663 the provided af1da054bd meal, washed a883216cd2 up, and 093dba4224 lay down. The gas 00b47eeeff soon filled cfac02ffa6 the room. I didn’t resist. I was f20d21162d getting used aa957d679f to the fa33fced5d forced sleep. Perhaps because db50c558b6 I was 23fe75375c playing an 13c0ff78b5 unwitting Scheherazade, 86e7d2851a I dreamt 4f7d44ed80 of my 399be91fe0 high school 532ea53f11 days that e02aaf4243 night.79a332378479e4d5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Past the road, just 6401824063 well-maintained enough to be dc072b6ac1 considered quaint rather than d222cdd04a dilapidated, around the corner, e849ee015a was a narrow alley 5187983c26 barely wide enough for ee2ac3911e two people to walk feabe75562 shoulder-to-shoulder. That shortcut was e72a081a10 my route to 1481b4df68 school. Midway through 8f83d0f181 the alley, daa0a7c995 branches from 56041fc669 a tree 88c199bc00 on the c952d3c134 other side cf9c34112a of the 20b63ff0b4 wall hung da3d7f15ed down so 5025eddcaa thickly that 3317f952f0 even when 9f9e1d1ec7 I squeezed 8125ea70a1 past as bc2061e001 tightly as 05f1d49860 possible, they 0b0bf013de would scrape 265b4a9704 against my f77942d3d3 arms and 0bd9f264b6 cheeks.8c5e10a3af168b39

Taking any other route added at least twenty minutes to my commute. I had no choice but to use the alley, but it was incredibly inconvenient. Whose bright idea was this? What’s the owner of that tree doing? Has no one complained? I grumbled for weeks. It wasn’t until spring arrived that I realized the branches belonged to a forsythia bush.171a5bac00b5b743

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The slightly 6216101c4b shaded alley 9a48ea249e was filled 05e9fc44c4 with vibrant 93e627c074 yellow. The previously fff296e026 gloomy space c14e650c59 was no bd4abb39b4 longer gloomy. The familiar 4a41346612 shortcut suddenly 2a3de2b654 felt unfamiliar. From then on, 608bea11e1 even when the 2813563d3d branches scratched my 693e24f8ad arms and brushed f68e6b032a against my cheeks, da4e5f3ca6 I no longer fa7c042f2a felt annoyed. So that’s why b1af07a54c the branches were 70d6b2bbbf still there. Along with this 5154504709 bright realization came 3b29708d89 another, like a e18e7d3791 bonus.ba4d6cd4a3d74e05

Unfamiliarity is another 3227b296e3 word for excitement.f73fd7f82704f398

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

 9efd94f5d5ec4c0f

***b7ef6bf8870e5aac

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com