NRAL | Chapter 05

Chapter 05 7d0725f244071e5d

No More 47c7598586 Pretending To 38bbb20a45 Be Nice5452cd7b3015a332

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Eleanor Astria d75073b91e has everything.”1abe603f005aa76c

That’s what the people b8762fc300 of Astria’s territories and f4671aea92 the nobles of Cardiff, bd29b5ef25 the capital of the b6d38fb0b3 Juvenile Empire, always said.cddbe2c31a32acea

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The empire’s only duchess, heir to House Alcestis, the future moon of the empire… Words used to describe her were always lofty and beautiful.edd080791d34b6fa

Naturally, everyone 06394e455b believed her d254203bd1 future would 44d48817a2 be brighter ed0ce3bd93 than anyone 37eb95d980 else’s.93580b5a852a3310

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Surely, Eleanor Astria must 80735d3621 be the happiest person 61cd591ba1 alive.d8c8c5b1c937d4b7

But none of ceb4a70573 them knew.d2bd0b6d3f6d9150

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

They didn’t know 1ad657dfce that Eleanor had 35f8652930 lived a life e982648d70 far from happiness b64a6ab668 for as long 4cd2322c4c as she could f4be0b39d8 remember. Nor did they realize bcfc9429e2 that all those envied d6573b1528 titles and descriptions only d42c6179de dragged her deeper into 1aa5c93d54 despair.14be04613fb5a93d

Her misery aef44f6ae1 began ten 8886a80412 years ago, a613b4cd66 on the 8d7a7ecc81 day she 7ac88e1783 left the bc75ee934d orphanage.8297f8f9ad4d9be5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The Marylebone Orphanage 15041fa2f1 was a facility d93933d8d8 run by the ae519f03b0 Triton Church. Or at least, 79e0031000 that was the 2941cfd9a1 claim.43af7dcf6a6fcf1b

In reality, it was 19f30992ac poorly managed with no 5101270b8b proper structure, and it 3e2efbc4b2 was a place where 72322a5150 the poor and unfortunate 25c605c176 died every day. A refuge for the 0f033a8fbe poorest and unluckiest people 7761a4f7e9 in the empire.87c3475f9d46ed8e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Yet twelve-year-old Eleanor, 2a9ed61cb0 who had spent a676ed595f most of her 972f6cef7a short life there, 536174b6b3 didn’t think she 42b9eb41be was unhappy. Despite constantly eb8a17712e going hungry d443fcc81c and enduring 7d0fc4d240 the cold 444338cb65 in a 3bba63cd22 small, dimly f9cdd57859 lit room, 7f88db9fea she was d311f08085 okay—because of 230d4c65b3 Luke.e44360ca9b7f2bb5

Luke was 008ed7a066 a woman 069a6914f5 twelve years 4e929a180f older than 248c83aee9 Eleanor. She followed 32ed12d38a Triton’s teachings d3a0488980 more faithfully 27087def19 than anyone 175cd33f12 Eleanor had 40a4317017 ever known 7ccd063953 and often 8291fe42f9 spoke of 755de8b7c8 a younger ce1aedb240 sibling, just 8489ad1768 a year 9a8775b519 younger than ef99483752 Eleanor, back 9c3d986baf in her 69718b8aed hometown.1b63d2ae02ed048f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Luke had d91ff261ef found Eleanor 0b21616103 after she 62462bf48c suffered an 5d7f99a5d0 accident that deb8a38062 left her 4631ec41b6 with no 97e7ac5957 memory and 4297d13bfe took her 0d6747949b in, caring c42c9fa04b for her 4109c49bab as though e7a7bda88f she were 1c8c3bae47 her own 1e07399fbf little sister.56a05e50bd685cdc

“God led me 0dfa5e229a to you,” Luke 04c8ba3ee9 would always say, 095ec0dda9 teaching Eleanor the e4c726860d ways of the 35cdf6360b Triton Church.0e4a5c9a338085cf

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Be kind to the weak. Forgive the wicked. Do not follow selfish desires. Be grateful for what you have…af459531cec763d1

A lot af44b7e985 of it 4807700c7a didn’t make 7d235e7f1a sense to 67138e90df young Eleanor, 08c5757b62 but she 90af05fc1c memorized it f7f714de15 all anyway. She repeated 6f74449198 the teachings 73b14180aa daily until 08d310da92 they became 71c659d989 a part 8d980506db of her.ec589edd4f5822ff

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Religion gave 2a71dfb606 her the c7626f796c strength to a8d0c40683 endure hardship. Even when her food b343b44306 was stolen after hours 4c757e1911 of waiting in line 2914f6b534 or when she wasn’t 2e9d522942 paid properly despite a a8081d36ae week of hard work, 372467ab69 Eleanor was simply thankful abe09d0711 to have survived another bc09b1b68e day.88dfff20ae98e0fa

It was be3967b637 all thanks 01bc897e1c to Luke. If not for her, 3b041af45b Eleanor wouldn’t have made da51a815c4 it through such harsh d4edfcb1d1 conditions alive. She wouldn’t 074f3ede92 have been 7ec955e29c able to 20a133e418 smile and 0506676fc5 carry on 20e62f0bf7 despite the 45deaa3337 crushing poverty.b54397233760ddfc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

And so, the seven bd5672323f years Eleanor spent at 9e5b2d41db the orphanage were cold cab346856d and hungry but never c65f1d14b7 lonely.47d500f91ef3bf75

Everything changed 2cda1f4774 when the e5a962bb6a butler of 34ade4f383 the Astria 6305061490 duchy found 99db06aeb0 her.09909b403a4c1aee

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Wait, hold on! I need to 7e5e3b34ce find Luke…!”7ad280282a55513f

“If you’ll ecc924f476 head to 4f2b33b2ac the mansion 676f977bcc first, we’ll 475ba13a67 continue searching. Let’s go now.”8e8c82441826a47a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Luke vanished without ccfa785792 a trace, and aadb279895 Eleanor was taken e10dcb3905 to the duchy aaa0b30b28 without even getting c538b8f5a2 the chance to 5002614fd1 properly thank her 7c92ea28be savior.fb4dbd6f00568c2a

“My goodness, Eleanor! My daughter!”784a425539129aa4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The Duke of d6786c7e60 Astria, overjoyed to 8062db1bc7 reunite with his 124abf0195 long-lost daughter, embraced 25e152e817 her tightly.d4cde9fd946298b2

For the first time, 7098722a9a Eleanor felt a father’s e74dfd0a8e arms—warm and comforting. It made her foolishly 357c824921 hopeful.b6d7b521a38d91c7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

She dared to 483100327b believe that her 7926cb38b3 life would only e16e3a3025 get better from 684134efad here. That she would enjoy 3c1f8f5ada her father’s love, never 12ddd56e41 go hungry again, and 3c617a7194 even find a way 62757c9571 to repay Luke’s kindness.8a7322e62432b90a

It took 5b4751a994 less than 8ac2026f2c a month 10ff8e61df for her d740b6aa3c to realize 44987fa874 she was 50c0b91fb7 wrong.7afc24dbd7fe55e6

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Be useful.”e08928d4165b13e1

That was the 5fc8ef8584 phrase young Eleanor 2287ab13e5 heard more than c5c06fb359 anything else.96b13e60b63b45b9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The Duke, c850f1ac12 who had 3b4f9da299 once hugged 7a5ed40c2f her and e756bac405 said he 5dcc625bf8 was glad d0caa4baa8 she was 96a096024c alive, turned 6be8a3c25a cold within 7fd01b97b6 days, demanding a3f3ab2645 she prove f0a0bb9800 her worth.0f41b8499c420c17

Terrified, Eleanor b6647f02ee did her 95dccf156c best to c26e4b05d1 comply. She worked hard d2d3e15435 to become a 542ca0c9a1 “useful person,” as 2b3c871625 he wanted.39d6927dabac5849

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She wanted ff0b465ca8 to feel 42b96121b1 his warm fe6b45e067 embrace again. She wanted to avoid 121e8d3a64 being thrown out of adaa0bb2ff the mansion.90bf6d8b8bbe3477

Eleanor was e475343da7 bright and 09c0b4761d learned quickly. But no matter dde4eba381 how fast she 50a0a70f10 picked things up, 78bc4342a3 a child raised 77283ed839 in an orphanage 1226360ca7 couldn’t master the 8fc3f474ef graces of nobility e2b80cdf89 overnight.2a75306be74f9884

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The fact that his a5709fe288 daughter fell behind other cfcc2c1880 aristocratic kids greatly infuriated 597677b6fd the Duke.003eee6da1d34fca

“Lift your skirt.”6605711f6b6d8f3d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

At first, she thought e4c387b554 he was joking.45650fbbcb80ca99

She couldn’t have imagined 9545d7e2d4 that the Duke, the 8d63b647a4 man who had searched 933ee32414 for her so long, 604aa15199 would raise a whip 266f2e5ec5 over her, especially for b417cb4684 getting two questions wrong e23a79a5b5 on a test given d45a5cbd9a by her tutor.0821040377ee1bed

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She stood ac622d5932 there, dumbfounded, 7859069ede and as ea2d5b32e0 a result, 32f3aafea4 the servants 2ed88392bf grabbed her 329efed736 arms and 2699733e48 legs, holding 908d53e705 her still d3c56d213e while she d6d5f0e4f2 was beaten 160380ad1d with a 42a10f020b birch rod.3ca1c302b8529ea8

She couldn’t even 2d51f69f90 scream, as the 10d87add66 servants had covered 53abc808a8 her mouth after 233f198805 the Duke told 5541d84e24 them it was d0f87255a4 too noisy.197869a906637516

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

From that day 8a763fa0fe on, beatings became e65aadb945 a daily routine. Every small mistake would 15446c65d0 result in severe punishment. Eleanor’s legs were constantly 24972ddad5 covered in bruises, and 90a0fb7380 she longed for Luke, e4a17cddfd who was unreachable.26eac017696f2a70

‘I just need to c79475e037 do well, and everything 7010c2e7dc will get better.’004c1e4290f11347

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Eleanor believed it 487b497462 was all her 4ce9147b7c fault. In fact, her e0350cd98d father would say 40bc719ea2 similar things every 31834f5bb7 time he hit 1d69a59123 her, telling her 02f5156eb0 it was because 547795dbd8 she wasn’t good f1775b57b2 enough.342a76c3d59c5444

So she worked harder. She studied late dde6a442e0 into the night, 8d590e011f sacrificing sleep.7624dc850a54ba62

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

A year 9bb5169975 later, Eleanor 695d3bbd9d was praised 45123877f2 as being 5f12b23257 better than ee18b7999a any other 2e49f3b60e child her 29506fe2ad age. She became 7cfc35bcfd skilled in caffa3616b noble manners d134685e48 and was 1f64f30009 fluent in 8df1c0e4e8 history and 0595bfb652 foreign languages. Many nobles 4cdd43e491 praised her b08013f9ab talents.648ddf99ac2292ff

Yet, for some f9db2de5d6 reason, her legs 83829eb5ba were still covered bc0a4fbf1f with red marks.e8e8f9f5c994c91c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“She’s a girl, and 06546c01f8 she doesn’t finish her 2fe73e8f35 food.”4c6944fbb325f3f8

“She didn’t understand the eecde5ad59 value of food and 67b41c6530 wasted expensive meat.”8af66d1ed425459a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Her appearance as da1d9a0265 a noblewoman is 1519da04a4 too shabby.”365378e79f5e63ab

“Her new 77d7cc9601 dress became e2b2153a5e too tight 917ec6ee8f in just 28edc500a8 two months.”21c6a5852b3f4b21

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Just because 02832f86bf she did 8891298ea0 well in ea443d91fa her studies, 1890bdc3b8 she’s making 439ff712a5 her younger c9ccf052c9 brother feel 91fd64a646 inferior.”24968e18178deb88

“She hasn’t dbb9425ac2 educated her 056ffbe8d2 brother properly.”f972843016e63c1f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

There were countless 2f58c615c0 reasons for her 68a677a53e to be scolded, f6d701ccdc and they were 480a5f647d inconsistent, making it 5a34fbe1da impossible to satisfy.cb4a478bc462452d

It was 0aa586c6ad unbearably painful 41b9b0a958 and lonely. But at that time, c85fcad2e5 Eleanor still didn’t think c8a2618651 she was truly unhappy. Triton’s teachings f3c3aa566e had told 6aa1ca2620 her this c1b07ca1fe was just 370b32cdd0 another storm 11515ce5a4 that would 1b65af2b3e pass.e9b0a7592fd15220

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

She wouldn’t realize c81aa4796b she was in 2cdfb02669 hell until later, add6f79ef7 on a summer 7cb03be23d morning when she d102eb56c6 was thirteen.1e13a7a7c95655b7

One Friday c4547a3bec morning, she 1d7af89ad9 woke up 9c67cf37da early and f846403641 arrived at 4b330545c6 the dining d70d1577e6 hall well 3c95d72e76 before breakfast 45b89ea7d6 time. Checking that no 1180c4132a one was there, 812ee891e2 she took out abb676fa83 a small piece 9e2e513c4a from her pocket.22ef8795d548cf1d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was a a87e4758b4 tiny, well-worn statue 418d2ca70e of the goddess b4828c94a3 Triton—a gift from 079e06b3d7 Luke just days 81f6c8e2d4 before they were 6323fb3675 separated. The carving was crude, 1546415aa5 and the material was 1eb7478fff poor, making it an 71c78b79ca unusual gift. But it was likely 1b6f765125 the best Luke could 562350e6d9 manage.5a59409aceabd826

Eleanor placed e4d7ca7adb the statue ca6c43b3ff on the 773245eb3d table and 0558bf171f knelt before 1deb71f7e5 it. In her rush 48a72b835a that morning, she’d 2a621438be forgotten to pray, 13a1c62bfa and now she 65bf439932 intended to make d113d1d1f0 up for it 4437b298b6 here.b9bd823c42c85451

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Though she wanted 64e416e1d5 to pray in 0383af52a1 a more sacred cd8e75dc28 and appropriate place, 1fe35c22b4 she found it 87f4054f6b strange that the 5b033173fa estate didn’t seem 1d34fb52e4 to have a 7a89868642 proper prayer room. It was odd, aa3d9948a7 especially considering her 691044d8e2 maternal family, the f4a039ff6b Marquisate of Alcestis, 4af9ee66d7 had long supported 230ecf100c the papacy.a6dbd13c8de78ef9

Perhaps she 56def75be4 should have 0b9cb55b58 noticed something 8ecc676a6b was off ca99818a6b even then. But at that fb04bdd108 time, Eleanor simply 818c218a17 didn’t have enough d199975f00 information to understand.4813b335ee080e2b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Triton, please help 01bf7938b1 me shake off 594b983b3e this anguish. Help me 733435be8b become smarter cdd5d7fc72 and stronger, de09c71b78 so that 22e6ab61ec when I d78417e08d meet Luke 109b9a6421 again, she’ll 732aa75c69 be proud 8faee86df9 of me…”e0959e6ffc942714

Eleanor prayed with af42f53b99 all her heart, 69423a2021 but then she 87516ade10 heard a commotion 1481384999 behind her.6ac869e6d1e92626

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Are you sure d0f37509fa it’s okay to b67d394574 visit this early? Haha.”76aadbdabf5a38a7

“Don’t be silly. You’re welcome anytime. The chef 7d614d09c6 has even 91b74d8e79 prepared something 3156cd58d2 special…”76f1b50a35f74f92

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Eleanor quickly finished her 45b7a05993 prayer and turned around.8cc90ed134e11788

She saw unfamiliar men 1d43d839ab looking surprised to see c1b822cb7e her, and her father 3ad2bebcfe glaring at her with 549295aaf7 a look so cold d350cb69cd and furious it seemed 1ff2c93fa0 he might kill her b0506586bc on the spot.5f84a32e99e02714

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

At that time, she 0814249122 didn’t realize it, but 63331d77fd those unfamiliar men were 14b83b9b0f supporters of the Solarem 7a9255a69b faith, a rising power b7a139f5c2 known as the Spires, b0e40645cb who supported the reformed 1bf6d3b9d0 church of Solarem.c320513d8c9eb140

Looking back now, it 7ea821c821 would have been embarrassing 729325e123 and infuriating for her d1bb25bd00 father, the Duke, to dd81c66fd2 have invited them into 1b1c9a2b36 his home, only to 365daafdfe find his daughter praying cea6f96ea0 in front of a e25610dc9b statue of Triton.3dbbc6fc40704aeb

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

But even so, 51797cf8a9 nothing justifies what f77935dc05 happened next.f6ba37f972fcbced

“How dare cfd58aa5d9 you do 6a5810515c that in 2704aa09ce my house!”698acc67ae83a473

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Once the 01122cf8b6 Spires left 0c10136e85 with awkward 96391cb22c smiles, the d416894e6c enraged Duke b4c5672e29 of Astria 76e7517401 unleashed his 1fc7f80164 full fury.10482680d82c3d2a

Eleanor, not understanding what 7a25e3b88e she had done wrong, cfb30f7cf7 was dragged away by ac33662f24 him. Judging by his fb71d37d37 mood, she figured 8b45c88031 she’d get at f976cde71a least twenty lashes bdc10aac8d this time.01e06d1bb5c3f65f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

She was wrong.1487a3387fe5534a

It wasn’t that ea5c35ce49 she avoided the 1fd22a89fe beating—just as she 6b7763b827 expected, she received 87de2d8c60 twenty lashes from 1214013298 a sharp birch b18b90eafb switch.d8e9174ba70f0d9a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The problem was c4f0e5ea23 that the punishment c5fcbb2635 didn’t end there.a8bd1fb76b0aee3d

Following the 6e7b8afaab Duke’s orders, f728cc5621 the servants 59edc21e8c grabbed Eleanor, fdd8870562 who was a27b3d3b48 clutching her f7d4d07ef2 bleeding legs, c3ee93c70d and dragged e7db23983f her off e928f25f42 without even ad5339952e letting her 39c53d3dea treat her d0cf9815fc wounds.b28ebe5fec595c26

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

They dragged e9aa7e7b81 her into 1e6714ab07 a basement, cb5e0713a3 a place 275782c0f1 where no 36c237f5cf light reached. There, they forced her bd792b361b to sit on the 0dd4283d05 cold floor, and the 24c604ad7e servants placed hard bread de4348166e and lukewarm water beside adee595bc8 her.eff255ed94b1ab8e

Suddenly, something e68210698c was thrown 4a28cdc807 on the ec5c172819 floor in 514df7f3de front of 923f224b10 her, sliding 2dd0297dcc toward her.1bdeca095086648b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It was the statue 73b1601494 of Triton she had 6200608dbd prayed in front of ee8d6493e5 earlier.95fc3ca919cff24d

“Eleanor,” her fa704bb14f father said eeaa69435d coldly, “from 392f72a6e7 this moment b0f9457c6f on, you d7e77e487b will not 6c4452e1f4 take a 8923c10544 single step 5aa5b9f6ed out of d12b9d558c this room. You will 43d181c330 not meet 344044f94d or speak 74b26c4c3d with anyone. Take care 1cee62241a of all 08e8faf83d your meals 0efc587322 and needs 3358cd307b here. Surely, the conditions at 6afe11c99b the orphanage were worse 76ab4cfc6f than this. You should be able 235c13be82 to endure it.”986dd49c13c4b55e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“W-Wait, Father! I was wrong! I’m sorry, I’m so 2c036035ab sorry!”da3949f84fa2d46f

“If you a6950993d8 can’t stand 8b9856c161 it, then 097acbe70b pray to 411d874bae your cursed 8e74a72fce god. Beg for help! Beg to be 70e5342840 freed from here!”bac46f97345ec1e5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Father! Please, Father!”3dbaf4f1c5ee193e

She pleaded desperately, but 49d8243a69 the Duke left without 6b7eaa69d0 a glance back.2ad56a3add1cf08d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Eleanor was left alone b1f0e1e2a4 in the pitch-black, cramped 4f1d6fa636 room. Her only 1e4d0aa272 companions were 33e4e0951f the tiny 205dc9e380 statue and f96268d41d the skittering b74ab507ba insects that 32949ee4ef made faint 129bb5deef rustling sounds 55ec9f7eb8 somewhere nearby.c3a186cef7ae16b1

How much f512faa13f time passed? Three days? Four? A week?6f6b9d3164ae1e06

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Eleanor tried to 32d07a6255 guess the time 06df7ba36b by the sweltering a2dd18e5e7 summer heat, but 9baa22408a after the first d5961769e4 two days, her e97eb7d793 mind stopped working e67e7eb4dc properly. She couldn’t eb2c921035 tell what 21670efe33 hour or 34cc2c795f day it d8ec4e5a8f was, let 5b9cbeb0d3 alone how 0fb71ba083 long she’d 5992fd6866 be trapped d6c29ad6c7 in that d60fe6824a prison.369b81c1c0086915

Her leg e6a9341c8f wounds had 31d7cc901a become infected, 2c8882a553 and her db931ea52e heart had bd7f7f4acd grown sick 14e5ee52d4 too. The bread and water 3dd1124009 could ease her hunger, 7ef17dee2f but they did nothing 9a55bad9c0 to soothe her loneliness.d6bef14e56fc36bb

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She screamed da8cd47d63 and begged ac3fb1a637 forgiveness. She pounded 6d065ed26e on the bdf3f2e357 unyielding door 52243e16db until her a8a4f0866a fists bled.861dba49568b935b

No one came.8cde8e1ab7230ae8

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

With every passing 1d18a3c003 moment, Eleanor felt 68cb418d65 herself slipping further 0026c7ee83 into madness.5f94ec0ca5835c35

In the dark, 7d4abd4f45 she stared at 38ada7dff2 the small statue. With her eyes bf3cbeeb1a adjusted to the 31050e81ef darkness, the gentle 59f82ee9ac face of the 6fe932bb7d goddess faintly emerged.86bc356797a1be46

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Be kind to the weak. Forgive the wicked…923baf71d5fc8542

The words she used fe368eaf89 to mumble out of b88712510b habit grew fainter and 7b7f11a35f eventually stopped altogether.6083cf4be9b4c72e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The insects crawled 6231c7a836 up her legs, 9411a1c077 their long antennae c9a5075180 brushing against her 81846dfad0 infected wounds. But Eleanor didn’t e53f4f7f2d move. She simply 598139bb02 leaned against bcd83901b5 the foul-smelling 2b10670230 walls, lying e222b50ee8 there like b14d69c4ab a corpse.601a170e858c605a

Finally, after what 2685585d3a felt like an d35880d7aa eternity, the door 7ca34c914c opened.7400e050a2aee24c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Still half out of 3bc650b437 her mind, she was cfe795429f washed by the maids, 2dd09972f4 dressed, and forced to 37b27803f7 drink some kind of b82c7dd26f thin soup.176a2c8a02c96fa4

The maids 279a806cff dressed her 2f74988029 like a 70f60f75a9 doll and 12723603f8 dragged her d51c8f7e51 off somewhere.10749e1250e89c43

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

When she 35b1a2af47 opened her 2eb0823528 eyes again, 42f9a9e3e7 she found cd506f14ba herself in 41194447b0 her father’s 0e5cf0d6f9 study.ffb7b4539c95b213

Even now, years 4b77f7a4d9 later, Eleanor remembers d01a188121 the scene vividly.33888acd1f8e72fe

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Her father stood ac78d0e3ff under the pouring 4e08cdb6af summer sunlight, looking 710194ff0c down at her. His beautiful 595bd9122a blonde hair 0f9d2f9920 sparkled in e34afa5224 the light, 97b6a74a28 and his bf03e2fb8b noble attire 76c01062a6 was as 0baea7162c splendid as 39ed8e7a54 ever.499c8a304ec06925

“Well? Did your precious god a9c41b6011 save you?” He sneered, ff1f24cd9e gripping her frail shoulder 881a05e457 tightly.90b9778489653cc6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I suppose not. Remember this, Eleanor. Only I decide b5bd9b7798 whether you live ac1e247ae9 or die. Only I, your 95b4e57da4 father, have the 07f241f6b1 power to make 9ae9eeb958 or destroy you. So never again 5bb9ca7e80 kneel to some 1f6e50a24c god in my 814cad5c6c presence.”5dad4223783804ac

This was the first 37ca20959b time.f7b43f769f53c7c2

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It was 52f17d6364 the first fe5f2e535e time that 50276849de made Eleanor e4da6564c6 hate Astria.a109053dac5467a8

***ac19181d423938ee

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Eleanor had been preparing de7a312ea2 to leave Astria for 3b2b658258 a long time.17510d862bc87306

But actually escaping 3741384dc6 was no simple 7ebd1259b8 task. Too many watchful 9f0f73a97a eyes surrounded her. Even if she managed 9ebc6d3926 to flee, her father 61bf376b6e would never let her 336f503dd9 go. She’d be dragged 6e5c524f19 back within days, b2d9fe6743 making any escape 20d42947c7 attempt meaningless.bc409edafbe69368

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

That’s why 803da55783 the situation cf297ddc3f Nora had aee16c09ee created was 34ce3a7ccc a gift da8a9dd493 from the c750309278 heavens.184544142f73b6f6

At first, when Nora 7ec6172804 claimed to be the d2557d7c80 real Eleanor, Eleanor was 05716fdebf just confused. Rather than feb66d73a6 feeling betrayed, 4b0adf9f7f she was 6ce9e43ef0 more astonished cca20ec2af at the 72ea72d8af reckless challenge.ed01cadcb96cd550

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

But when cf49fd4a53 she saw 384a0b2008 Arlo supporting eb9fc0a05f Nora, Eleanor 7308ff4898 saw a 98e48da9ee possibility.836d47fd3b0c08e2

She could 724d8da4bb hand over 6da6828be8 her life—all c3b5c06935 her misery—to 3fec1ff64b Nora and 93c6701f4a finally leave e6cf631cd2 Astria behind.bf9ac280a4950ac2

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Her heart raced, f2a383afa7 and she couldn’t 3fcab6f7e0 help but smile 2fc6fa31be in anticipation. She wanted dcb29c47a0 to declare 6dff5e9c88 Nora’s claims c506ec7c66 true and 63afde745f leave that 3bcf61f20a very moment.d4533d31a9929a68

But she held back.be903546cb7fea0e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It wasn’t because 6fa224c086 of the situation. It was because a4df27ca42 it was Nora.e3efcaa7d5a03278

Nora reminded Eleanor of a342054f7e Luke. Though their 3c2045aa5c personalities were a839a1ceb3 entirely different, 237293bd08 Nora’s round e312c9dbcd eyes, small 3be9bb5f3d nose, and a3d6269606 short face 256bc5b57a were strikingly eabcf038e4 similar.1495964a16f34865

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Just as Luke 2a2692acf7 had saved her, 0f5d0ce97e Eleanor wanted to 971db2ffb3 do the same ce75af1e89 for Nora. She wanted 3d257b5ad8 to repay fa200eb276 her debt 3334a251e4 to Luke, 87e4062bbc even if d778337557 it was 7ae637dbb1 in this cd5d990aa3 way.4f6994651575606c

So she resolved 6b4884e360 to endure.ec28d095e65e8c62

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Even if Nora 5e474dee58 had betrayed her, 2749b2ce4f she hadn’t done 8b29f4982c anything so terrible 52dd3b220e as to deserve 40dbf88989 all of Eleanor’s e91815d56f suffering.6a3edfaba7669aba

But when she saw Nora wearing her clothes, having relations with her fiancé, and being called by her name…9d79c6b3df08a836

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

When Nora, who had 86e638a946 planned the entire thing, 32230e0448 gave her such a 3299982d59 radiant smile—e654d81745799b2f

Eleanor decided 252dba70f4 to put c019696aec an end b2e5eb2fa8 to it dc76e44eb9 all.cf019ba1d41e95d6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

No more pretending 3dd31dfcb2 to be nice.e80d9c49cd2636c7

 3d172fcef1d5a1f7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com