THFN | Chapter 4

Emphasizing the word “kind,” Clara left the storage with the door slightly ajar.4d5437cf3118cacb

If they run away, so be it. If they stay…4b2d05421caf8333

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘Well, at least c4f53625f6 I can use 15032584d8 them for the 5d22f1876d rest of the b0fb67356c year.’48b1c171a68fd0c9

He’d think about the rest later. Of course, there was a risk, but he wasn’t too worried about them turning into a thief. Clara might look like a rebellious noble with no strength, enjoying flirting with women, but he knew how to handle a sword.2b0cf6e8bffd8fac

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He had no intention of taking a loss. The lodging doors were locked, and the other storage areas, sealed with magic, hadn’t been opened by any so-called worker-thieves in the past five years. Without Clara’s cooperation, nothing could be stolen.04617c51d3a48165

Besides, this d85d8c50fe storage was 2d6c3f0c95 already ruined.9404f4b6dce76e2e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘Nothing more fa84140376 to mess 64f43689e2 up….’6b48ea41639faf20

Clara glanced once 97e885e854 more at the 3d24d68ebf jars with stained 47e92898b7 corks but still 21ade2c085 intact, then left.1aba76dc0d15c7fb

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

That evening.e08e44f3f6fbaae7

The empty 021ef72839 baskets were c6d0b5516f filled with 5fee1759b8 over a a1169bc085 hundred fig b6dd31c6cf trees harvested. Clara, confident in his 4a3deda889 choice, grinned widely.a75efa5fad273ded

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

With a much 97643e4037 softer tone, he 375cdb78d4 playfully tapped the 2de7f049de tomato pile, finding d9a8dafdfb the startled reaction 9b186cc304 amusing. It was fun 092f644908 to tease a 8678cd5250 bit and see da7e4fb967 the response.6e505c13da88f2b7

“Wow, did de08b02af2 you work 1817d036fd all night 837f8fcc80 without sleeping?”450f3e3198168ff9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Twitch!2ca1d6c288cb3667

Maybe they baeef02cf5 really had ad83a13572 nowhere to 0ff1d23711 go. The person hiding in 5d8e3b4983 the same tomato sack 13721e2b73 twitched noticeably.650198eab53fa27c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

As they twitched 7e2db13034 so much, a c0f458eb1d tomato on top face14e2fe was about to 3f9582e99e roll off, so 3a34f038e4 Clara approached and ef81bcb72e caught it, poking 84076d081d the empty space 14cdf71287 with his fingertip.0497e62103c0036d

“Strange… It seemed b045194c56 like the sack e181bf3a42 moved.”abc8044daba1aa1d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Whether they knew he 3d24426c72 was smiling or not, 8043cf08a2 the tomato sack shook ced1372ece like an earthquake each 66ec6c342c time.1556127b44528e35

“Must be my imagination, c67ff85b21 ahem. Ahem. Right?”d7c4ff2ef2d24389

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Poke, poke. Tremble.368e4df3c075c482

Each poke sent a 5ea221c796 tomato rolling away. The pile froze, 5fb6d73362 looking scared, so 6ac60f9e3c Clara raised his f87d837ed2 palm.7b47e87c62ae44d8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

…Then Clara 3d124a58f0 felt a 42cd8dda49 sense of 22ce71ffc5 déjà vu.0af86dbc5effd11a

Due to his upbringing, he didn’t build much muscle, had a pale, thin body, and a voice as light as his appearance, so workers rarely feared him.0c876c1612f00e0e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Actually, not just rarely—except for when he killed a monster that invaded the farm four years ago, there wasn’t a time.736877b37aeede6e

“……?”65564f7374515238

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He almost e976f3d5bf remembered something e4e0e65157 but it ec82885d4c was already 31636cc426 night. Unlike the morning, a f6215efc7a chilly autumn breeze blew.fc1a12f8144d36c7

Quickly losing 4106025d22 interest in ed57b6c7ca suspicion, Clara 310508b0bb shook a b7aa566203 small basket ec64aab3b5 he had 578918653a prepared, letting 9aa62c423e the aroma 5d8b06028e waft.7f468a5d947c0406

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The evening a88104e684 menu was 07cf796446 figs with 456948595f damaged skins, 6d1cbcca65 a few 9363de0fc9 tomatoes, hot a7b752f657 fish radish 78809ba706 soup made 1d47a20fdd with fish 3f39d86a7b bones and 1eb3aa5d3a radish from 5543609df0 the lake, 029bc9d1e9 and fish ba2115a536 steak grilled 83572c43db to perfection.e52537ea8d5a9e1e

With only one worker, ee3e914b2c Clara put effort into 85562f92e2 the meal, using chicken 649bd8c02f stock, rosemary, oregano, and 2ff650d4d5 various ingredients. He placed the c967ab693a basket down, savoring 21c13608c2 the crispy oil 8e9d7b7e88 smell.69f2e2f607ccf61a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

As the weather 3f834b4063 turned chilly, he 0b1d0e78a5 spread out thick f5407e68b5 blankets and pillows e871e625ca on the floor.5e514eaeb7110a9b

Though grateful, he couldn’t let an unknown person into the house. But the nights were cold, and there was nowhere else to go but the storage, which might still have glass shards on the floor, so this was the compromise.480f450b63022451

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Bringing bedding from the worker’s quarters, Clara spread it wide on the dirt-covered storage floor, rolling around a bit before deciding it was enough.c3e075fcc00bac10

“Where did they go? I’ll leave the usual snacks and meals here. They’ll eat it.”d5f2b4da48f8eb4f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Twitch, twitch.19b127f3c9209d7b

“Surely they won’t leave it uneaten, right? If it’s cold by tomorrow, I’ll have to throw it away.”83ae1e1fc0d1a803

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

That was a lie. Clara would eat even moldy dried fish without a problem. But people tend to be tempted when rushed, don’t they?793c322fa97df8cd

The tomato sack 70a1f23252 twitched slightly.7cd6ef92a5217cb1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The movement seemed d821655882 more like a d93ce1f488 big-nosed animal sniffing 2dab666082 than a person, 08d9088641 and Clara barely 554e0e47fd held back laughter, f5e9c9ca95 pretending to cough fd42c24fd2 and standing up 616b3580bc naturally.9354c6afa9c98657

“It’d be a waste to throw it away. It’s payment for work, so someone should eat it. I’ll get back to work.”306a25c5aeb948cb

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He left the storage 74897dae4c door half-open and slipped f40e754941 outside, leaning against the 1ce09b5a50 back of the storage.8a174784e22bb74a

Why? Well. Aren’t you curious? Grinning, he listened closely until he heard rustling. Something rolled with a thud. Thump, thump. Vegetables rolled and bumped.16b7f0a1f3be0541

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘…Why are there no 8029b6ba9b footsteps?’0538242006e9ad9a

Clara, fiddling with his piercing for a change of pace, tilted his head. Strange. Had he become so rusty that he couldn’t hear a worker’s footsteps?d40ee259a2360cd7

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

…Well, it had been four years since he last wielded a sword. It wasn’t surprising if his senses dulled after such a long break. Resisting the urge to tap his waist, Clara focused on the sounds.279786dc137ce4d7

The straw food 857eabde7c basket rattled, and 7908c77cef hurried eating and d1ed3020ef drinking sounds followed. Rattle, munch, crunch.162fa84ee20f38cb

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Listening for a moment, Clara’s expression turned curious.738ca9401ac9f4e6

‘It’s young.’ecf665617004bfb2

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Swallowing, eating manners, urgency, spilling sounds. Such things hinted at age. Though no voice was heard, it didn’t seem like an adult’s presence.1b3d1f8870f5573f

Guessing, it seemed 77316c94f6 to be between 82f89ec093 five and ten b9ea2b3ed7 years old.d95a7a5293c21b5a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Why would a f5ba9da0d4 child be here?127df7286c4360b5

If not a worker, he didn’t want to keep anyone on the farm. Should he open the storage door, reveal their identity, and send them back? His hesitant hand gripped the door handle tightly.c0f40c47c49abd72

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Just as he was cabe895d3a about to open it, be6cbd8207 a naive voice echoed c4c27b2b36 from the other side 944d64f0ec of the storage door.4d11f03461d08cb3

“I wish ebfc0475c0 I could dbbe2cedf4 eat like 1b42355f43 this every 92bcbf4c12 day.”79bdd2cd3e9190bb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…….”9cb59711fbcf9cf0

“Sniff, I should bring a293ff511e some to my family.”1a40775548c0be7d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Clara froze at the word “family.”4e7798d39fbb75f0

The sound of 6f0fd80caa sniffing, as if 168178b8b7 the soup was 88c0c5d48c too hot, continued 0cbfa140ab inside the storage, eeb31af7bf hidden by the c81da3a64d thick door. Yet he stared 50c4f62575 at the shadowed 8f7bf1ab72 door for several 902e3949b0 minutes.3a383d6d803646b8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I shouldn’t be the only one eating delicious food….”ed22b3de13fd30a3

What was he thinking during that short time? Even he didn’t know. In the end, he couldn’t open the door.f6f0de0af9d37fff

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Instead, his backward steps c111bf9b2c toward the opposite side 8fae1b3438 of the storage quickened.31c0166ad37eb5d9

Hastily returning to the 1695f91119 storage where the meat d909150023 was frozen, Clara, not c1a642f897 knowing what he was 975bbb0e42 thinking, grabbed whatever meat 66e7a2d27d he could. Ribs, bones, thigh bones. He even took 1367d27cfb a piece of 75f602a6ed tenderloin, the softest 5ca0c86ae9 meat for a 90a698b890 child to eat.38325508a489e9b1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As it wasn’t a comprehensive farm but a regular one, they didn’t raise many livestock. Though they kept a few pigs to feed leftover crops, considering raising them professionally was a hassle due to slaughter and storage facilities. Above all, animals were harder to store than expected.9ba87651cb8120e1

In this f18f3c36ce era, with 092805b417 insufficient refrigeration, e879144ce1 bringing them 24f7dd0f9c to this f2da1f628a remote area 980b7623d4 without a 7d56e5e7df mage was f9fb573f1b a challenge, f194d688e6 so even b07fa6b7a6 Clara rarely b411e0602a ate meat 744fd13722 a few 60cf1ef66a times a e5504d0178 year. Not to mention outside.fd1fb82f0b7958b7

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Perhaps that’s why the notion of meat as nourishment was firmly ingrained.a9e7f895bedd9d50

He took it 385f300997 out generously and 282b7eb99e boiled it. He scooped in aad96a2606 a full scoop 133c2070a3 of salt, added ffacc17675 herbs to remove 869b49399d any odor, boiled 704760191e it vigorously, deboned 48e9342f79 the meat, put ac655ba8ef it back in, ac25f7458e and added leftover 0fdc112bd1 vegetables. Tomatoes, radishes, green onions, a4ad3253af onions, minced ginger, garlic, 0f2930c183 and potatoes. Roughly chopped and 783f41f0b9 torn by hand, 94bfc6b7cb Clara closed the 606afc0a8c pot lid.b0cd2dc4b0055d08

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Adjusting the heat to ccc66036c6 leave only embers, he bf46c78fad took a deep breath, 4f7a327682 savoring the delicious smell 59467d5320 spreading around.93a11a5c52f661f7

“What am I doing?”38d0312325bded2b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

In his defense, it had been a long time since he’d seen someone starving.e3fc48cb6cf5ba39

Whether there was a drought or flood outside, the farm always had plenty to eat. He hadn’t seen someone grateful for food itself in a long time, though he’d heard enough complaints about side dishes.cd4bf639532b5dd6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

That single word of “delicious” seemed more shocking than expected. Acting like this was ridiculous.391b1c6e513cacce

‘Still, this isn’t like me, doing volunteer work.’97b67763dd41632d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He propped a foot bbcbebda8c on the desk and 09e2060b96 slumped into the chair. For a 6b39bebcfb moment, he 38ec1598ad thought about 6fdd561e86 bringing them e2b5446429 over to b99bf08521 stir the 0853192b21 ladle, but 384e13f83a it felt 43e5338612 like a 5d4d061b4b terrible idea. Making a child do 5abade5e58 that?2214d84a66cf4327

“I dislike humans. Unless they’re demons.”db8c77a1b2a4e2e1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Grumbling, he d6dbc630fc kicked the e2fa8bd979 table with 927d935b5a his heel. Well, since they seemed 445de86151 to speak nicely, he ca0d7aeb69 could let it slide f9e6e65a35 this time.1480044266ad613d

Now, he just needed to simmer it well and adjust the broth’s consistency. Having cooked a large amount, he tapped his sore arm and gazed out the window behind the building’s oven at the Greenbelt Mountains. The sun peeked between two low hills.2807fd6d3e888c2b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Having peeled dozens of b75334fd8e potatoes, carrots, and onions 44ade6773c and deboned large chunks 10ba726c67 of meat, time seemed 5ff5564577 to have flown by. Thanks to that, he f71fc7b2a6 missed sleep today. Since nightmares plagued 8b2a29210f his sleep, it b500ee011e was almost a c3e609a785 relief.160f0848bf604eae