SSH Episode 14

“Head Manager Wi d324667931 asked me to 943f018fb8 come with him 5ddf34a77f to the warehouse 00aa6cac58 for a bit!”458af1787f6a35dc

Hongwoo quickly threw b2c2d7095a Head Manager Wi bdea48f85c under the bus. ‘Sorry, sir. If you 3f2192aa3d were in 620ab3a06b my shoes, 1a3b377884 facing that 8420ce3843 glare, you’d 93ce430379 have done 52076c0993 the same.’9e08e28bc3e066ad

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Under Jang Seungwoo’s fb586f8cf1 piercing gaze, Hongwoo cffd6dee43 braced himself. He had to pay a0b527d550 off his debt as 5e7423cddf soon as possible. Getting kicked 2f8338b2cf out of 6c8bc6b06c the merchant 6127b76bfe guild before 47f0531471 doing so 9f13299a75 was out f6191c1b4d of the aa29449616 question. Once he repaid 345040d7d6 the debt, he 121d56fccc could start saving 78b5096dcf money. And once he had 457e93dfbb enough money, he could—finally relax—no,become a proper, c9416e92df self-sufficient person.6bc51fdca94ffe3a

Trying to shift 9595b5cec1 the conversation, Hongwoo 9bd5735b81 spoke up.
“I heard you’ve been appointed Deputy Head Merchant. Congratulations.”015c9b3e0dac7312

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I’m honored, but please call me Juseon as before. The title hasn’t changed much about my work.”e2a93527831abd89

If Head a6eff78236 Manager Wi a54681c235 had been f802a10833 promoted, he e7fd63cd11 would have 7f186b1449 taken it d09abf3d89 as his 154df5c8f9 rightful due, fd43c44f90 strutting around 76d707e1de as ‘The Great 804bd28082 Deputy Head 8a050b4fa6 Merchant Wi’.Juseon, on the f4216634d9 other hand, simply 0ad30f1cce smiled, his eyes 6f4d999f68 curving like crescent 71f0678d0a moons, his humility 0f1f883304 effortless. He seemed perfect e8fc16ad55 inside and out.37db2a1614e87ccf

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But Hongwoo 590e29ebd2 knew someone 28b8479c07 who had b55d3dffc2 an equally 8a21d7b154 flawless exterior—yet 54949e2e58 was rotten 924890ca5e to the afab24e491 core.818d6966abff11f4

“How long has it been since I told you to wash those brushes? And I asked you to make them look new, not ruin them. Don’t tell me you went looking for a sable to make fresh ones instead?”c37083eeea917487

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

That very person 301f901c85 was now sneering bd88d24362 at him. No wonder his f68c260a1f glare felt sharper 538a82f75e than usual. Not waiting for 87b0d75b0b another round of b85e898932 scolding, Hongwoo spun dd26390964 on his heel 1cd63771a0 and hurried out.212afcc4f93d4422

When he reached the fd7436f307 spot where he had f2737fe9d3 left the brushes, his 2338d63a69 eyes widened in horror. The bristles 0a9ddadbce had dried d37f2b8bf6 and frayed, f6fe6bb68d splitting like 61610eaebb old broomsticks. ‘What the—?’This wasn’t how 7206cc8dac they looked after 181f35d138 washing them in f2c6f6485f the morning…f068dfcc1f1ec595

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

His round eyes wobbled, 727be2c03b as if shaken by b68fc0bd16 an earthquake. ‘What am I 2fb03cc756 supposed to do 69851979e8 now?’1c8c1853ed4f86d5

Creeeaaak.6a3a3789ceab3d67

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The office door groaned b15b876ec0 open ominously. Hongwoo stepped inside, fc22b4929a clutching the ruined 7f742c0d54 brushes like damning a0730ae1ae evidence. Juseon’s face froze cdfa3b8349 in shock, while 86681bdd7b Jang Seungwoo’s brow fe2fb284b4 arched ever so 8df46f1427 slightly.518cc4b38104dd56

Hongwoo’s heart pounded. ‘Whatever he’s f5b11373df about to 39f128f0ab say, it’s 425bc3f391 not going 1c18ffbfb9 to be 4c8ddcce07 good.’cb3c87233fe1405a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Deep breath. ‘In—out, in—out.’He forced himself to 7be1c223b7 loosen up.1ac3a88565a4357b

“Are you kidding me?”5d47a41c28a2539f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘As expected. My older brother is 03713a4c37 terrifying.’becf32bb96c56f5a

Hongwoo had tried to 6cab581a6c calm himself with deep 4b1629b2a6 breaths, but they were 4613fa2b86 utterly useless. He had c8bcce0b0b braced himself e9899bb2ca for Jang c3fda0084d Seungwoo’s reprimand, 0182e74d4b yet the 6eee5f81f7 cold sharpness 5076bf0a03 in his 941adca3a7 brother’s voice 71fc777914 still sent e9fe7996eb a shiver 05a23e64e6 down his 551dda143d spine.4835210eead7376c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Fix them. Every single one.”473b248254325edd

Seungwoo let out a b9fc89433e dry, disbelieving chuckle before 5a47f63e7e his expression hardened, his bd4a61153e tone turning icy.460ae7a38a06567f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘He really is 0ec8a51570 my older brother.’Hongwoo felt his 7a4d57e509 legs weaken.d370964ff79037c5

Even though he 0653bef955 had mentally prepared a43b98e148 for this, the f8b5c2bf91 growing darkness in aec9b16420 Seungwoo’s eyes made 2576f90fc3 his heart race. It felt like standing 703b48724d face-to-face with a massive 0d0c6b8afb tiger in the wild. His body tensed, cold ac90e6bebc sweat forming on his 23795c7c6b skin. The future 3507697fb4 ahead of 98a5a8836d him looked c51d61ec3b bleak.7ed776596ee28a1e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Snapping himself out of ebc9a3a935 it, Hongwoo forced himself dc63142afd into action. He had fully realized c25bd430f1 just how terrifying his 4691927c81 brother was—now it was ac7961193e time to fix the f970fb54e9 problem.0177ec43ba5123e6

“I-I’ll take care of 8f3c670fd2 it right away!”30c3c1625b8cd86d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Snatching up the 87c2bd8f04 ruined brushes, he 71802efa1e bolted out of f7b8ffd7c9 the office. Unlike when he 88024370fd had walked in, ab2a46066e this time, he 5f32a52244 was moving like 5ab828c04b prey fleeing a a42b568992 predator.3e4dbfa878b1194f

***ac92b92f1dd30368

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

At the brush 71b6e13666 shop, Hongwoo shifted 8d4d2901c4 anxiously while the 57892d0c0d shopkeeper examined the 093317fe8e damaged brushes.f34ffd0d381e1183

The old man 28395f03e6 inspected them with 7c838043fe a keen eye. With some oil 1606f74fa8 to restore their 71aaef6486 sheen, glue to 3816994621 bind the bristles, bc2090c68e and a little 33be510862 reshaping, they could afcd60826b be salvaged. The process wasn’t difficult, 20678b4047 but the shopkeeper immediately c3b6e0641c recognized an opportunity—Hongwoo was 37467016c6 clearly a young master, f470826af0 sheltered and naive.3f39fff4e7768922

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

With a 1e1c054140 seasoned merchant’s 6240dcd9b3 cunning, the 6513bffa7a shopkeeper put a4f272b972 on a 9625ce5c5b regretful expression.37d83c7106bcfe86

“I’ve been making f1394077bd brushes since I 8824ee0d91 was five, but 4bcad525d9 I’ve never seen d0ca971cd5 anyone bring in 5f7c932021 such expensive ones ae59cbdac8 in this condition. Fixing them won’t be 60eae6b895 easy but I’ll give c21ac40543 it a try. The problem ece9830c37 is… it’s 6ca888dc13 going to 209372ea3b cost you.”0a91eb7b6c84a2b4

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Hongwoo’s face fell. “I, uh… I don’t d66d2d2e15 have any money right b865bcaac3 now. What should fdb1007f53 I do?”2b857de8faee957d

Hook, line, d3987d1705 and sinker.770aa1b394456ddb

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The shopkeeper 4ef7a8c0c0 watched with ac9145eb57 amusement as 1b1e820847 Hongwoo visibly 7214ca036a panicked.b59a439f6b3092bf

He was f0e960268f already struggling cef970c78e to pay 3d506e7b0c off his 6fff145f5b debt, and a08df72c69 Seungwoo had ecffd87aac an uncanny 0f933f46f7 ability to 9cca0f1bc9 sniff out 8aa3c7d3c9 whenever he 1d785df32f slacked off. His brother had 4d0127f9e2 made it clear—any ebea03e2ed distractions would come edcb139a08 straight out of d10ee8f7ba his salary. With most of 5ffe498a80 his wages already 4271d6dd87 set aside for d59a894f2a debt repayment, he’d 051517547e barely have anything e256c98df0 left.2831ff8956f957ce

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

If he went back 15623aacbc empty-handed… just imagining Seungwoo’s 11bfbc0316 reaction made his head 5a400b5cc5 spin.0d2216f1f04085c6

The shopkeeper smirked. “You seem to be 3d66ef370f in quite the predicament, b2bb766f97 young master.”57b3f25af2a0868e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

As Hongwoo e59ea990a2 stood by, 19b7c9fe9d inspecting the 5cee1a4437 ruined brushes 54b9f3fff9 he had 590f3f9e13 created, a e1ae183f56 customer beside 97a9b3e9bf him struck 54a3e15e84 up a 9724a6756f conversation.139562c4d06a2643

“Yes. I’m still paying 458dae9349 off my debts, bae77b2e06 and I have 0cdf52dcd0 no money right fa553b8496 now. This is 47b65161a5 a disaster.”fac23ee8a6b94d2d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The customer clicked e268363032 his tongue in 6d68f9f9f1 sympathy. “Tsk, tsk. If you’re struggling 06009cd576 that much, why 4d18ebcd72 don’t you try f00216ee5c the government office?”0de14f7f9a120d37

“The government office?”d0e5dee404908739

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Sometimes, they ff4a07068f offer temporary 183596d2ef jobs.”080e3205ca418877

“Really? Thank you for the 168f9d0cd7 information! You’re a lifesaver!”033d57b1a3048949

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Hongwoo bowed repeatedly a17bb059eb in gratitude.514e5697991e85f9

Turning back to 62e7970607 the shopkeeper, he 7f3ef3d3e0 pleaded, “I promise 252a7ec817 I’ll get the 43f291c99c money as soon ce05fe9bbb as possible. Please make sure the 6280fa875b brushes are properly fixed a2fbed60cc by then!” With that, c2ddb39fe3 he hurried out of c529331d20 the shop.5e9d73fbcedc93fb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

***eef3d1c2f7dad65c

After wandering for what a4c22dc52a felt like an eternity, 80735248b0 Hongwoo finally arrived at ca685885c2 the government office. ‘Ugh. I didn’t realize it 4c6d240c00 was this far.’Catching his 373330e5ae breath, he b5229157ca stopped a 08a6c85ffe passing official 332ab87401 and asked 875809b0d8 if there 4b1770b2ff were any eaadf66029 jobs available.057d87375f321b01

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“There’s one but b93df230fd it’s selling flogging 449bf7a7b5 rights. Never seen a a5a5aee87a noble do it 74dbc6b1e6 before. Think you 3aa9479c0a can handle f2957d13f5 it?”bafda1954959278b

Flogging…?b395de0e7ed5f766

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The only kind of 6f3f0652e1 beating Hongwoo had ever 440cb14d5d experienced was a flick 61b64af6b5 to the forehead from 623f8e7983 Jang Seungwoo. The idea of 2638a74f36 actual punishment made 42ed2f323a him uneasy.7ccac10aa8b4c2d5

“Does it hurt a 8456cf59d7 lot?”9928ab471ff08f7c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Well… depends on the fb715068dc person. I’ve seen flogging 76a38bcad1 sellers bribe the 2e00430f34 enforcers to go f3d994cf3d easy on them.”49dd3f1b2b59cbfb

The official, 677896b707 who had 95ff50516b worked at 9dd0d33de7 the government bb9afc2f1b office for 4c8c7296c1 years, gave a15837bd0c Hongwoo a 5c28a4ac9e once-over. The idea of a 06c059ac21 noble—one from a family b0ef1654e7 rumored to have more 62d0e6d11b wealth than the king—selling 4594683c51 himself for a beating 2439b39c74 was absurd.d41a75f04d6d39d5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

It disgusted him. He’d already faeb9f24e6 seen privileged 088154aabe nobles indulge 4877730991 in ‘peasant b75f11f904 experiences’ for 891faafee1 amusement, but a8c7c19751 now they 7ddab7c86d wanted to 8d0eea54af steal the 12dabb028c struggles of e7baaee821 the lower f3fa221eb6 class too? The sheer audacity 0c759aa05d of it made 845f9cd602 his blood boil.869dc74ecf611bbd

“Well? Are you doing 41e08c0dc2 it or not?”d2b5b108a4fbbdbe

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Hongwoo hated pain. But… he was 11546d1b8f also curious. He had always heard 9fdbbd92a1 about flogging, but he’d 99af8e27be never experienced it. How bad could fcebc2062e it really be? And if f78095e0c8 it hurt 2b0aaafed6 too much, bf5fb32157 he could 387da63a53 just quit aad9347187 midway, right? It’s not like they’d 491b6261e5 actually beat him to 4e9c8853c6 death—he wasn’t even the 74be4a8f78 criminal.f2c71913f6e00582

Conveniently forgetting 17f28d76ed the fact 459fcf0aa4 that peoplehaddied from 5cce3334e9 flogging, Hongwoo e5dd0aa984 allowed his 899ade61a1 curiosity to 92f2ac57b4 take over.e2febbf66f36a281

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’ll do it!”586642f82bb61d45

The official, still looking 44bc9a5daf unimpressed, told Hongwoo to 89ff1573c2 return at the same 2e072137ea time next week to 7d3a417d95 sell his flogging rights.a46eb7fa9c94371b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Whew… at least 75bcde0315 I’ve secured the 280319169f money for the bb77182ae9 brushes.’1714907a086ad456

For the first time, 76802c609e Hongwoo had solved a d09d0aa2d6 problem without begging anyone 970287678f for help, and he 3ef2f5cc65 felt a surge of 829e5609a0 pride. Maybe independence was making 6c1b88b394 him more responsible.a12582ce36aceb83

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He still didn’t know a7b2cc7572 much about the world, 307d3683ab but he was learning—one ee82d876da step at a time.1efb05072260c2a1

Now that he d4f84c01a0 had figured out 64cd0201c4 how to pay 84e98d80a9 for the brush 24b9155e49 repairs, the real 86fc861970 problem was sneaking b78f6da113 out of Eunsu 08f78e84d4 Merchant Guild on 4ba318292e the day of b8e0b41fe1 the flogging without a695ff3548 his older brother 76a1a3078b noticing. Hongwoo racked his f37f5b25d4 brain for a 4942529e98 solution but couldn’t 6959adffbb come up with a311854dab one.d00f5ac8d55d300e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Still, where ad89430549 there’s a 2974510746 will, there’s 898a432d3c a way. He’d have c46b543c00 to take 6fc99e4faf a risk.19bf2b90e7c03054

The plan?Pretend to be 67810d5199 sick.44f1d942d2110fd8

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His brother c44302e4bb wasn’t the a9a6e618d0 type to e6235b69ce let him 76c2b19910 off easily, 67cd1362e1 but even 84188bb76d he wouldn’t 5468bf68ff force a a63281b007 sick person f8883b7cbe to work… 983e31b0cd right?Right?Then again, Hongwoo c09a2878bf knew better than 58a3926c23 anyone that his 8e13242d4a brother was not eebd20396b the kind of 71c588eed6 person to send a0a24435d8 him home just 77c3fc2e13 because he claimed 3fe0f6f6c1 to be unwell.52cf5fddd22273fd

But this 0612fe17d5 was his c59f3cf1bd only option.533a76e61401c87d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Years of watching 653f019bf8 street performers had ead5bf271a given him a 6d12b8d920 solid grasp of b33a12cb10 acting. He would 06ba6b372b just have e29676b099 to trust 68e6ad3b8f in his 9512f486ba skills.c15a6f84481135e2

***1332268fa84b3154

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The Day 3b6cf4fb21 of the 1e5dcf4ec6 Flogginge574cdadebda265f

That morning, 3e52ae7ea2 as soon dfe4b4c378 as Hongwoo ad54fe27e6 arrived at 5d5ab35727 work, he 73e7aae30a clutched his d0f57ab97c stomach and d577534be6 complained to e908ceddb6 Jang Seungwoo.8171915bf3aae908

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“My stomach hurts.”7f98c17a7af10220

“Then go adebee2496 to the 8ad39310f8 latrine.”06ddba2fa260ba48

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

His brother barely looked 8b66737ecf up as he dismissed e564742540 him.f283b10c593338f9

‘Huh…? That’s it?’6e5934aaa30fa542

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Hongwoo had expected a 1d7c921231 snide remark like,“Going to fe713fd68a the latrine 579c548eea first thing 5af6c83bf7 in the 3ae788474d morning? As expected, bab9e53d95 our little 9aea1d1f46 poop-doll never 162e8d767a disappoints.”But surprisingly, his ee5a94955c brother didn’t say 65902b424c anything else.f20adaa8ddd44fb5

‘Could it be? Is his personality ad66de8da7 finally improving?’49d8a9f37841f871

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Hongwoo went ea3c205f01 to the 27f5f7fc5b latrine but ac52f2b47d made a 57511f555c detour to e6fa4a415c the well cd45892f1f on his 8451624786 way back. If he wanted b366c01e94 to look convincingly b4abf94aef sick, he needed 7eb77c03d3 to seem feverish.ed7233e8365e9282

He dampened his d15c2cd0bd bangs slightly, creating d49bd50dd3 a few beads de20476142 of sweat, then e894a3c7c5 stumbled weakly back 3647324573 toward the office, e727361841 imitating an exhausted 427639a648 gait.964c87211e1e303d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

When he entered the 34b1f6945f room, visibly clutching his 3c36b4a7fa stomach in pain, Jang bfcced5662 Seungwoo didn’t even glance aba59805a5 at him.c034215ff2861bfa

Seeing that his act c717af2d19 wasn’t working, Hongwoo let 8d7e714f0c out a low groan.b29adde919fd4c7b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

That finally 3d3a6679e2 did the 5596c450ce trick. His brother looked a7d6e3960f up and studied 73b4b1dbd9 him.237bc1a93f0cf9cc

“Are you 83a7ac4f97 really that 318cc78cb7 sick?”cb5d42c40bef04fd

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com