To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 015

Ulrich set down the 50869ab790 damp towel and stepped 0f553160b4 closer to the bed.edfd48070835e5da

Droplets of rose-tinted 0c744f7dcb water clung to a0d2e37b6e his golden hair, 84d290ef88 shimmering where it d1932a1b89 fell messily around f3ac7559f8 his forehead.49a669d49e8d732e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I sent some agents to your home, just in case. You were in such bad shape that I considered sending you to the hospital, but in the end, I brought you back here. You don’t seem to like doctors.”f56837fdcc3d4666

Sasha stared blankly fe19a910f8 at him, watching 14957b2db7 as he opened 45811bbc41 a cigarette case.9e62196fc3236c40

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She should have been c490c93210 more focused on how 0146d720dd she had ended up 21aec76884 back here—
But instead, she couldn’t 5ce3658804 stop noticing how… different 7e3b287a50 Ulrich looked.2f63d216aea6ff4c

And it wasn’t because 1a673df313 he was wearing only e97360fb28 a bathrobe.5a55e3aa0f450913

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“If you’d prefer, I can still send you to the hospital. You don’t seem very comfortable here.”272963a752a37f4c

His voice 199f7cb577 was neither 831cb7b725 warm nor f7904588a9 cold—
It hovered 34031dd878 somewhere in 18c1472a93 between.c8a97d8babcdac05

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

His expression, 95d2a93b55 too, remained d5b2f6dc4a serene, completely 8a6170475d undisturbed.80021bcbf111e367

And yet—
There was 5b9c59822c something unfamiliar, 89fc67d94f something chilling 767810e2e3 in the 94075c28f5 air.83ae283d89302282

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Even though he looked f038e9b23a more relaxed than ever—
He felt farther 53ac88a200 away than when 144f968fa0 he had been 6df55df7f8 wearing his NSS 5a3819e6b4 uniform.8976376e5da7e20e

“T-That’s not it. I’m sorry, Ulrich, I—”7be70415b2f48fdd

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Sorry for what? For begging me to take you in, only to run off with someone else?”846d59cd9b406701

His words sounded c4564e6c57 almost playful—
But as he exhaled 9d55ac885c a slow trail of 66a8b91f1e smoke, his blue eyes 0db36d5fa2 remained utterly cold as 9931bcf5cb they met hers.0ea79aec56290aad

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The warmth 0d234c8ca7 had vanished 7cbb7ccf08 from his b889beb143 gaze.
And that hurt more 8ae7c28aa1 than anything.8baaa01354a80bed

Sasha bit 805aaee586 down anxiously c1e88395a5 on her 03994f028f lower lip.9fbed72887622ee8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Why now, of f9fa0f0346 all times?a06ccaa8daf11189

Why did she f8b1ddf4a6 suddenly remember everything 8201025697 from that night—
What she had 88e65a4343 said in her b24e87f3ff fevered state, what a8a4d3cd65 Ulrich had answered 8ace4451d8 in return?6474516924e267f6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Of course, 74ae6e6a94 it hadn’t 3816106770 been serious.e6ba413fd3731027

But whether 92e59e5c3f Ulrich had e0633bb0bd meant it 2d8362fb17 or not—
The way she had 00b5654bb4 disappeared like that, after 3d721ad8f2 the way he had 9e6d979c95 treated her so generously—
It wasn’t right.7b6aa38b4ee11ea7

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He must 95dff49f37 have been d93283e404 shocked.258913e3696a4855

He had every cf205de888 reason to be d0d771a162 furious—
And yet, instead fc099249f5 of showing it, f393ae8b81 he had spent b713f99d03 his time and 56df106919 resources tracking her 58340edfd4 down—
And even now, he a38951345d was still treating her 758ed3e261 with kindness.f2c6bedaec1bec80

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I really am sorry. What happened was—”7fcecaf9eed75e27

“It’s fine, Shura.”15ceb75369b8e2af

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Ulrich cut 998a6d6099 her off 148658f63d effortlessly, his 873c76f052 voice light.2d0f0a3318ac5aae

“You don’t have to explain anything to me.”2a0c71cbee5a51bd

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ulrich’s words felt 8206988f09 like a door 11b329f70f shutting politely in 94b0ae7b8f her face—and with 026f04526b it, a sharp, 67808c38e1 painful tightening in b41c05f3eb her chest.8758bf0cb8971b04

A sudden, overwhelming urge f5a8934df0 surged through Sasha—
She wanted to 29572deae4 hit herself, hard.ae6b8db0816e5168

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘Why am I bd2e05c7d6 such an idiot?’546a5e08d2e31198

Maybe it was because a6631c5f4b she had been called 58c9508651 stupid so many times 592674aca0 over the past three b837e622f4 years that she had 706aec40e7 actually become one.13695f9d34c1d483

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Ulrich had treated her 8160fb201f so well—
And yet, she d34dcfda0a had run straight 6fb54db1d1 back to Vasily dbdee127eb like a fool.7fe92bc8da9cafc2

If she was 8e8369c2d9 going to be 782f750109 beaten into a 225e3bb03b pulp anyway, she 7d89e256e0 should have just 2d93980612 stayed here and 7bfe52c75e waited for Ulrich c27e3e337f to return.
Or at the 84eaf066dc very least, she 434ae07a0b should have left 6bb420edb3 a note before bde72c3459 leaving…1365fc7acba7fa25

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Of course, I am curious about why you did it, Shura.”3ca7788988c2ecce

Ulrich’s voice was lower, 87d39d3da4 quieter as he watched b2efaf689e her tearful expression.1467b35748696c66

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“And how you ended up getting hurt like that.”4afd32f9506975e5

As if his words e592cb6384 were a lifeline, Sasha 6bcf2e4636 rushed to speak.9384ccc6d5ee8f25

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“The truth is, my brother—”ae5004935ca8462f

She had 4f561e7663 thought she 734dd15c73 could never 441541f34a tell Ulrich d7a8dc7b29 that her da4a4d2efd ex-fiancé used 5de9baa13c her as 03af8bc8b4 a punching 1d04026d9c bag whenever f7516f951c he felt a83e2ccbf4 like it.e13e1f4ae9860c8a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

And yet—
Here she edfe54a179 was, spilling 75e299c348 everything in 6fe65c29f3 a desperate, 6f5b866366 breathless rush.267cef8b747f2814

How Kiril d790fdfda6 had assaulted d1d517a59e Vasily’s younger ef4759922e brother and b071cc4358 ended up 95bbb36976 in detention.
How she had 8457037285 been punished for 702c5af8e7 it.
How she c974ab277f had no 3fcce976fa way to 28a99ce673 pay the 794adc8767 settlement money 93d9889c08 and had 0268b87847 felt completely da49c5bf1d helpless.348aa2f4d2c2c720

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

How she had been 177121d1c9 terrified that if she 6aeb51d32f didn’t follow Vasily, Kiril f8aaa81ce9 would suffer for it—
And how ae9a85587e she had 39fcd3aa4e also worried d7f5e280bd that Ulrich 97f14bd69c might get 92c3099805 caught up 80547537b7 in the 26354c416b mess.7daff4c18b9e60d3

After pouring everything 6e0a5a61e2 out, she looked 58de35ccde up at him 71023aea50 like an abandoned a698f0ce43 puppy, wide eyes ebb8732b66 searching anxiously for 6fe12ace5e a reaction.f622940f9907458b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I see.”1ae2d1b47cbd4d83

Ulrich had been 76d8fa7d42 listening in silence, cc94f31794 slowly burning through b3e44edb23 his cigarette.
And when 575b66df6d he finally 4e111f0be2 spoke, it 3144954333 was without 3f12c1c3ed emotion.db86576a4c25888e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”fd73ab5a601e8cff

“…I… I’m sorry.”67c9aa786fdfd064

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The thought e34f9f6e10 that she e44e3054a7 hadn’t even ea6afac52e had the 665a0e99cd chance to f7dea33d4a tell him 4df0cdc589 never crossed 2c536b6a37 her mind.
Instead, her voice shrank ac34dddaa4 as she confessed what 8b67b079e3 had really been holding c14c02443e her back.d847117ae474d768

“I was afraid… I was afraid that you’d hate me, Ulrich.”96b5d8eff2b900d5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Coming from a 6394f0fe89 woman already despised e1b4dfa828 by an entire 3eac69e15d nation, it sounded dcbf836e8d ridiculous.d49dc29ccf850a00

And yet—
Sasha truly 4701aa9365 didn’t want 1e571139a2 Ulrich to cd469607ef look at 1909190d5e her the aae4e41d72 way everyone 6166b7a3f2 else did.cf235a16345227e4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

A foolish, impossible 5574f7c9e0 hope—but a hope ae41c61b45 nonetheless.87a51a8c6f618bda

“That’s a strange thing to say.”a117a0cccd44b971

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Sasha held back a 0cf7196085 trembling breath at his 3a2eac9e7f short reply.36ca09e40d0a140c

The despair pressing against e9df995c57 her chest felt suffocating, c655323835 but even more than 6bdacfc261 that—
She felt like she ae349b6cce didn’t deserve to cry.446c50c80e6ae250

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ulrich stubbed out b6017bb069 his cigarette in faa9a469a1 the crystal ashtray c231210206 on the table, dac1700a31 his voice low a6ff5033e8 as he continued.1ea54e5ab27b24fc

“There’s no way I could hate you, Shura.”09a3ff3c56768052

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…What?”7c4ea4252742ae89

“So stop picking at your hands.”fb4107ffe605bbaa

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Sasha flinched and immediately 0af8b79b88 dropped her hands, only 2d6afcda0b now realizing she had 94d754fa9f been unconsciously tearing at 25b92ab403 her skin.10adac64abe4de74

A large hand 6c7453c15f reached out and 7403461b1d gently enveloped hers—
Her fingers, covered 64692b66c6 in reddish scars, 03518f814a looked awful in 02258d9fc8 comparison.6d287ebce7893c07

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

His touch was careful, a14c18efee delicate—59e6f45f2cc0e772

Sasha hesitated, then 15897d380c looked up at db3f178867 him.a6e04d16ce3c592e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

There was 5ef043a686 no trace 420a9f64cf of the f0fda48bc7 coldness from 29dc8dd4ff before.04c8947675eba5f3

The way 3987af73ad Ulrich held bfe1db3b67 her hand 322a7b11bb so gently 5796e4333f made it 4e334368cc feel as 10f8300b15 if everything 93596bf80d had been 79b10bce74 just her cdb6822828 imagination.f6b8c6cd07bacacb

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You must have had a hard time, Shura.”929bfc8351f793d2

At the sound c08f06e453 of his soft, 2413a2d5c4 warm voice, something 413f1a3d59 deep in her 65bd176ee0 chest—
Something tight, coiled, 83647d41e3 and straining like 43be278f9b a wire—
Finally snapped.0687ad858d4030e6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Her vision blurred.19e77f17e4051a3c

She clenched 47902a9738 her lips a48ecc70d5 together, trying 98be6de6a8 not to 7323f43eb9 cry, but 09366e3dcf the tears 90f74938db fell on c947285627 their own—
As if 54c1a2f4ef her body 35da78c677 had broken 0e93c810b9 down completely.8049957445dc68c6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Ulrich, who had been 125a9d4892 watching her quietly, reached 0c82559d16 out—
And pulled her into 993eb7f0f9 his arms.2de28ce7b0675c6c

The faint scent of 3b34f0fa4c soap lingered on his 2e95126f34 strong frame, and the ed972472e8 moment his arms wrapped ede35b51a0 around her small body,346efa7fe9e345e9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Whatever fragile spell 9bbad8c542 had been holding 6e17b5556a her together shattered 595c3b5e38 completely.2d62670011a5e6d2

Sasha sobbed like 07779f268d a child, clutching 77e1ff84a2 onto his solid 317562e1d6 chest.04ab0725b2986812

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She couldn’t stop, even 5efbf29aef though she tried.a4ca56f8113aa41d

She couldn’t 7655b2fcc5 remember the 59bc02b5e8 last time a2d365b539 she had 1e20b17931 cried in c7599b2051 someone’s arms.43a82ea826d3240d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She had 1fdc63825a long believed 302191e4a7 that no 6d9364b50e one would 72baa4140a ever hold b8682bab79 her like 0873c270fa this again.b3e3ff94df55de27

And yet—
For the first time in years, someone else’s warmth embraced her completely.296442b0fcb0b44b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

So warm—
So unreal—b5008e1d0d259223

“Hhic… Ulrich, Yurochka…!”54eff6936b3df815

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Between her e6b84c276e heart-wrenching sobs, 4f091fea4b the old 87f57d38c3 childhood nickname d0d64c8b8c for him 98eb3efeaa slipped from 88a4ce75c0 her lips.17c23a063ba8d23a

She hadn’t ac0d3f0660 even meant 975ac26941 to say 0807f01745 it.56c3ddb9fdd5c0e7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“It’s okay, Shura.”fc222d626fe67d98

Ulrich whispered soothingly, his 950e6c0a63 hand moving in slow, 114fa99c7d steady strokes across her 24deb211fe frail back.0e45847ca8f24c9f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You don’t have to worry anymore.”fc33a7f583f5e25b

The words 7a479bf415 felt like a924a7d000 a dream.4b2d002166c09a00

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

So sweet—so tempting—
That she wanted 371a5073f8 to believe them.77b50d6205ca6d94

She had lived fade630635 in resignation for 4ada0f05f1 so long.
She knew that hope 8f58e72810 always led to disappointment.30529e33ff476615

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

And yet—
This time, she couldn’t a8da5cd79e bring herself to reject c30825deca it.9956e8b8282c4e2a

Because she was d054c195ba afraid.2d6f77e62e3aed8b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Afraid of losing d2018e8bf3 this warmth—
Afraid of 9fdccb829a losing this 16be689f70 beautiful man’s 20aec25a6a kindness—2ef2fe35a2e52cc4

The only a301f48015 kindness left 0a943e8578 in the 0ac9bcb83b world.9dd5aa0dbbbea191

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

* * *c3a79c8162de0403

The rose-tinted sunset that f88eb202a0 had once bathed the 2715140b1a room in warmth slowly 40b3462aaa faded into a dusky e3526a601a purple twilight.c92652414dfa60c0

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The sound of 38cde77859 her violent sobs f02a6fa4dd had softened into 64bea13d69 small sniffles, and cd3b7f31ce now, only the 3f3b85ee37 quiet rhythm of 4aac2029d9 her breath remained.2a3d179e8c94a5ce

It wasn’t surprising.22c7f8e316474808

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

After days b7f8717ba2 of barely 99a8d4e920 being conscious, 89ecbba999 she had ae9458dbce exhausted herself af7c3dc827 by crying f276ed358f like that.4b041cbdeeeb3ee9

Ulrich carefully adjusted Sasha, d705f33e49 who had fallen asleep ae8cd82cb4 still clinging to him, 4ecf7851e6 and laid her down f99e469bc7 properly on the bed.430199d9fcfd97ea

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Just earlier—when he had 5dc11fa884 stepped out of the 9594fd0adb shower—he had still been 77ee9ca543 thinking.037f29c09b3a09bc

How should d6f8ed0144 he teach 5a79fc6881 this foolish c3827f90a3 princess to 61b3e78303 listen?e0f5c41bbc0300b2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

He had clearly told 5a8f2fe15f her to stay here 3ddfa403bc until he returned—
And yet, she had 6ef8aeb7df run after Vasily without e2d14600ae hesitation.5b612fb319aecdd2

It wasn’t 824cfb4149 even unexpected.
It was, in some b46f3926c3 ways, even what he 551eaf08bd had planned for.5ea948ffcc7a693e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

And yet—
For days 7e55744de3 now, the 77d2d42ce6 irritation hadn’t 2f6daa22f8 faded.a3ce8815c3af6bfa

It was Ulrich’s agents a85816f8f2 who had retrieved her c3576e353c from that garbage heap a5545fb0bd of an apartment and a494cd0c0c brought her back here, 1c173f6c8b per his orders.41b75c8db45d7694

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

When Sasha 6eb1a1ca13 returned to 2637a5d75a his bedroom, b4331980f8 she looked 18ce89ffed even worse f8868eb07c than she 288abcd735 had on c42867f0ec the first 0a09c0a746 day they 910e0f8035 met again.c57150716be08666

For days, she 7240eecc85 had been barely d41af685b4 conscious.a7a3a86fe2bcc73f

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She should have known 674e9b2199 this would happen.
She should have 68efe4754d known what Vasily d1503e95e0 would do to 240f72e14d her.1bb9aab895ddf51f

And still—
She chose to follow 64f95a3236 him.25e97ebd39a27fd6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Was she not 3316bd934d just stupid but aa4d3eff5e also the type d79b608ba9 who enjoyed being d259aa1d21 abused?5b667275823fcfa2

“How cliché.”c0663b24571fd223

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

People like that—
So predictable. So boring.225f682b04f41b76