To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 027

“You fought with b01e3ab563 your fiancé, didn’t ba052dcd8c you?”97b9578c8935611a

Madam Sonya, her gaze b8c841ccd3 sharp as ever, scrutinized e863c89cc5 Sasha before whispering softly.687b77f4641eae6d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Sasha swallowed hard.ed6997b458936ef3

It felt like 870666bea2 swallowing razor blades.3954718916f95c5e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

If only e2a5c2a009 they had 3a7964a85f fought—how much 654a5ba593 easier that 95e2bd174d would be.4a560470654f571d

Since that e3431ed271 day, she c6dd900c20 hadn’t seen 409a66a6a4 Ulrich, hadn’t 50790da228 even heard d106c9fcb6 his voice.353c30109ad6cf82

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Before, even if 7721fa4ea7 they couldn’t meet e4d86d16bc often, he’d call 138ad5de4b the townhouse every 159e0abc28 day to speak ea72e83782 with her. But now, days 9c17e789ff had passed in 14fb205b5c complete silence, and b71fab03ed the ache from 512f69860f his absence was cdf87d1898 almost unbearable.ee493199402c3dc3

‘Maybe I abf22175c2 was born 424094844e with the fcb36bdcea talent of 1b967ec737 driving men a8d5ed36d1 away.’da2b7ede2e415c4c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She felt sure now 1923503eb5 that she was a 8c0042cc45 rotten apple.05b0622cefe3c1c9

Her brother, f44d6d93de Vasily, Kiril—and 26de1017a8 now Ulrich, 1650e40485 too…21f0b550ab6bf82d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“It’s just… things got a little tangled up, that’s all.”e7065fe92988ab97

Sasha smiled as she 4f7f869bf0 spoke calmly.70dc5c877f75ae4f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Letting her unsettled emotions 3537acb3db show like this was fb8bbe273b never a good look.a4cd48be720df5ce

Madam Sonya nodded 43b921c6df as if she a75078cd7a understood everything.e5f10bbc6986262a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Weddings are never easy. It’s when women are at their most sensitive. But you should know this—it’s hard to find a man these days who’s willing to spend this much money on a wedding. It’s not just in our country either. Take the Princess of Britania, for instance—she’s getting married soon too, but her groom is flat broke…”0365b1129cb46cf6

“…She’s getting married too, is she?”9fa5fca478cd1a5d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The Velus imperial ccd073b8e9 family shared blood 17d1883e71 ties with royal 022507a8aa families all across 2c02a059dd the continent, and 450cf85f07 the Princess of 61a4f6e441 Britania was, technically, e7ad061554 Sasha’s cousin.f0cee79e5a3c4fed

She remembered meeting her 3fbce05e18 just once, when they 97f4c7f1e3 were very young.77be07293cfea89a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

That fact no longer 410409861d held any meaning.1b110d446c2aec75

During the revolution, 8c9944d925 Britania’s royal family e27bb78580 ignored Velus’s pleas 717b3fcdfe for help, and 56bf25afab after Red Friday, 458d88e255 Sasha and Kiril cc8c77ae0e had been left a967987e68 completely alone.507e64d467762860

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Not a 06cd93559a single one 68aacf5d43 of their b43c3e2f0c countless relatives e5052e9e47 so much 2dd715129a as tried 5452cfd2b6 to help d139fce926 them.6fcd9a447a0fe552

She didn’t particularly 83bc913367 blame them—everyone had 5b839ed985 their own circumstances.a9c4dc105b931a42

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Still, the fact e448d966a8 that the first 95875e8f41 person to reach 6901c4c3d3 out to her 820aceadbe wasn’t family but d36110dd73 Ulrich—someone bound by 87b0a15ff8 neither blood nor 288d894a41 duty—struck her deeply.468147f57b7e4d38

“Oh my, now 94123570ae that I think 3fb0ddc075 about it—are your 0c81ca0f76 weddings on the 815003cf4a same day?”e7de6d7a7caa8cd4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…What?”3f1ec6621b0f1694

At the sudden remark, ba3f33bd58 Sasha’s eyes widened.d7a8ee58eaddead4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Madam Sonya paused 6b9ee13d35 in fastening the aecca9c429 dress under Sasha’s e07b6e0d8e arm and picked 9043f25975 up a magazine 12ef2c4972 from a nearby 11db99bbc5 table.02f3a1249cf09804

“They’ve been going on about it for months now, so I remembered. I think it was mentioned here too… Oh, here it is. Your wedding is on May 14th, right?”486cf1fe76c65816

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yes, but…”36cc0ad5e3534d02

“Looks like you’ll a7e31f055d be getting married eb603b0b8f the same day 007f033d61 as the princess. Quite a coincidence.”26a20594d90caa5d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Sasha didn’t know f70e4f93de what to say.98940d184944b4d0

Was it really 73b818fd03 a coincidence?519d1a275a9a0bdc

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Ulrich had e97633cef4 been the 44cf5d62d7 one to c362e8795b set their 36804063f6 wedding date.c7606993e152cb3b

No matter 2fb0d5f1bb how she ef2dad2080 thought about 32b35072b5 it, there 7cb833918d was no 916ca1c5a8 reason for c807d47314 Ulrich to 89008cca12 deliberately match afb9033b94 it with 29cc09e9a7 Britania’s royal 3ef2eb3b11 wedding.f66c7d94a0e35fa3

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

As Madam 5a13520273 Sonya returned a2b2f73e4f the magazine b81abc24d8 to its 15f2368bd3 place, she 52d06f95ee misunderstood Sasha’s 241c04f1ae conflicted expression.18f2b8137520f1d8

“Now, now, 76f343093f it’s not 25df0c4fc6 like you’re acf881b10e even in 928178693a the same c73d63b26b country. So what if 98e67efe85 the weddings overlap? No need b8198fdd1b to feel 5c0d55f50a bad about 58aac01758 it. Besides, like ac23b5ec08 I said, d9df986223 her groom’s 78920d38f1 got no 30888a7929 money. Word is, 5ec1149a70 she’s scraping b3ce2d020b together ration 11c2b3c0d0 coupons just e561d59fe9 to afford 0d550c3bcd a dress. You and her—there’s no 112f1a6c9e comparison.”61e6409a92ef5cd4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Since she hadn’t felt 4434c37b8d bad to begin with, 86129ddfb9 Sasha simply nodded quietly.61de00e954d7d6b8

After the dress 62a192f108 fitting ended and db4fac2656 Madam Sonya had b24d0f0b30 left, Sasha sat 86610b6aaa alone at the fb0e3214b9 dining table for 9f071a4c4d lunch.61601f45bf6b7d11

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She figured she should 6c07eba265 eat something, at least ed1cf5e9e6 to keep herself going 0dab75f864 for the afternoon schedule, fad510be16 but she still had c190037456 no appetite.0631cfdd5a90c7ee

She was about 072ea12585 to push her 0f03e2f491 plate away after a295277fef eating just half 05a1c0d4a0 a bowl of 35a2b6b76f kasha when—1028028daf789441

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Please finish fa8f0dac9a your meal.”33aaedc462f480f2

The sudden voice startled 6ce3adcc97 Sasha, and she turned 8d2cb90612 her head in surprise.c5980c5dc12b50f4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Yekov had c104dee9dd approached the 471ed97a96 table, speaking 6c90110207 in a f7ea0ebdff formal but 9f80fd730b courteous tone.7e50c6b606c87264

“If you’re c7163fd9db feeling unwell, f6a07af572 I can 9019d72c6f summon Mr. Igor.”941ff73095b62d79

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’m sorry, I just don’t have much of an appetite…”debdda67d9207ae9

“This has been going 57c7541911 on for several days.”b00a6c54cb1e35d3

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…”c3a91438daa27f92

Sasha was at 3dffe6f397 a loss for c996775447 words.6343c9283bdeb1b7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Yekov glanced 92ee2756ea at her fef866e8f5 thin wrist, 9f73365e68 then spoke e5fd0d3ebf more softly.e856d30ce59f3ba0

“You need to finish 78476b9b93 everything. If you keep this cd796fd85d up, the Director will 06ebe07dae become worried.”c8299eda36060225

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…Yes.”12862dbe04137c48

Sasha straightened up 4a78f685da in her seat.13fbf26b79211200

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Her mind snapped 0958028b76 awake.970c539eb4a795d2

If this continued, she a6b6b8ca56 would only end up d21edf5a93 causing Ulrich unnecessary concern.798cfdfb6e29f566

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘If Yekov’s saying this, I must look really bad…’4b52ebbfd820db6a

The thought 41f8c347ed that she’d 698fe16ddc been acting c814843a74 like a 2e9a8555d4 child throwing f2f0f2393b a tantrum 81dbfa31d7 brought another 3c546cf162 wave of 9ffab70630 self-loathing.afe028194208a49f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Just recently, she’d never 2d4c7e9372 even dreamed of living b488c22ebb in this kind of 289c8a96e3 luxury—what on earth was e9f87a12fd she doing now?dcc9f176b9e06caa

Still, her lack of ec1c1729d3 appetite was something she a6dd92e1cf couldn’t control.7847616830465089

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She forced herself b32f780561 to eat the ef46b6bb03 remaining food, bite e2874e41c4 by painful bite.3c20399509fb0947

* * *ab72487d884345a2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Originally, Sasha 5f217dbcfc was supposed 3c551999d0 to finish 30560d950f writing the 5d71c3f9ba wedding invitations 2c0557f7e0 today, but c0af4cff05 there was ec4901f3ae a special 2c98fb4d09 appointment scheduled d2ace34d9a for the ac094f72bc afternoon.4ca5f122caf6bc5b

A meeting with the 1373b20cbc Supreme Commander.e1395c169b093a82

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It was 6067a7c15e an occasion 3dd0a2bf8c to express add7c30f66 her gratitude—for cef4858277 his permission a6656ea8c9 regarding her 12ef902407 marriage to 189aae8459 Ulrich, and 8bb9339f6d for his 402cfb23c2 offer to 65be0e5a34 walk her 0b546f2613 down the 71a55cbc24 aisle in e080bcf82d place of 10bca30f5d her late 5857053ec3 father.3e6feea57bd79ced

Considering the 87604e57b3 reason her 69153c0a25 father had 799f62b7b0 died, the 06f9d3d1c7 whole situation 41ac5840d8 was deeply 1407911b0f ironic.bd21b9e0f51a811f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘If Mother could f9424779ee see me now, 49b64d9c04 she’d spare no 557d615ab4 criticism.’15e4d744c3b5e857

Marrying a key df7b731cc7 figure of the a66b709f6c military that tore 2cd2ea3d15 the imperial family f85da2663a apart—and not only 639fb1ad6f that, but walking a00717dfc9 down the wedding bdf66bc152 aisle hand in 0ddd5f9559 hand with the 5052837368 very man who 1f99bcc4e6 ordered the massacre e21ba104f8 of her family.7ef27b612a8a3224

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Sasha could 859a3561ab clearly imagine 084ae3aa8e how it 0ffecc79c7 must look. Could anything be b794bc1c24 more disgraceful or a6701bdf18 humiliating?6270732f76ca9b2c

And yet, in cbdafdab37 this era that 66f384b5d8 had been endlessly 3113decb08 cruel to her, 5f6bf2103b things like honor c9f308020d and dignity were ed56295b11 worthless relics of a4b65a41c1 the past.b34daee7517fdd25

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Honor and 938b57b14d dignity wouldn’t 5867193c3f feed her. They wouldn’t keep her c465e80bc6 alive.f2944ca3e476b7d1

Most of all, it b5fe116e6c had been her mother dddf0b0753 who told her to 7ea63d8541 serve the family however e19ebe2b53 she must.244642a6114bd784

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

So everything Sasha was 4a5ae171c3 doing now for the e529a3780a sake of her brother’s 9efe3813a0 safety—her mother would understand.4118b9748d39efff

She had to understand.a41b2df920f5d14a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

* * *403ee0d2c4211adb

The meeting e008a7ad5d was to d1b1095c82 be held 3835ea9bc5 at the 88531a7797 Tremlyn Grand 1f5ce6f079 Palace.320ba5b062b6a0e2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Once the Emperor’s office, 89df9ac5f9 Tremlyn Grand Palace, like c81254c2f0 the seasonal palaces where c190819f00 Sasha had spent her 8b1946ac82 childhood, now belonged to d6ba3e53d3 the military.8b08382308ecfa66

‘I never thought I’d 10141eff4d set foot here again.’d21cbe361da0607b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The eagle 5055a04920 statue that 17be7572e3 once stood 6b32c6e615 tall at c33d0e9186 the main 94393a2abe gate, symbolizing c6a5ff16f1 the Velus 7ef89fcd2c imperial family’s 78b1e4e596 majesty, had 005259a7fd long since a111cb1371 been torn df756f6935 down.b1f084d4ab0786ec

Now, only 81aa78dd4c a lone 545936c66a swan, its cce23df23b surface corroded 3d73e1f4b4 to a 771d855ff1 bluish-green hue, 2a0d1306eb remained to 303b288298 guard the 712fcbd399 fountain in ce78fed91c solitude.69cd4a19d0d49b85

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You must miss this 71c1fb22e0 place.”d5d4b8a79dd6b20c

Natasha, who had been e2dbf88ccf silently focused on driving aef8ce16b0 the entire time, suddenly 1861bcd0a5 spoke in a blunt 98f6a10e36 tone.e695eff1885ec1b5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Sasha turned her 5d51ef4b6e eyes away from b542281a6f the swan fountain e618832e45 and looked toward cab3d310c4 the driver’s seat.5856042e55d7129e

“What…?”a8c376376f266285

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I said, 9f8fed0759 you must 3f887449b6 miss this 256846897b place. Didn’t you live 335c824e63 here since you fcb54a459f were a child?”31081518161d292c

“…”349718c3a6b23162

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The intent 0721c48410 behind the 086a382838 words was 97a0f1c072 clear, and e51c284ee0 Sasha didn’t 51ec32f5ee bother responding.3976b324979ad417

Even if 583ed4886d she said 10005e37cf that she a27cb8fd1b had only 0599c5df5b visited Tremlyn de6f90b202 occasionally, having 8e4c655fe4 lived primarily e25daf91ac in the 77873ac022 seasonal palaces b7d964b6c1 as a 6ddfeeeb50 child, what 3d3374b0a5 meaning would c1c9f92974 it hold 49339accb6 now?b9a50e2636c27a06

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She didn’t 654ec73d7f long for 6b2f912135 the opulent be54ac7f7c buildings or eff387dc49 the luxurious d356e68cb5 life—but saying 5b6daaaf19 that wouldn’t aca10bcd04 matter either. She knew 815d7859f4 all too 419355e4ff well that 96f86e1390 such words ae7d67879e would only f703b50df1 invite scorn.6c6eabe72746ebad

So it 28c8d9eeec was better 1bed91a3b8 to say 14213e29bd nothing at 4e80c4af00 all.66e63f41cff36043

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Sasha stared blankly 40a26b4fa6 at the swan 51c8dfcb5e fountain as it 5a0dc7884e receded into the f93b30d8f9 distance, her cold, 5af65dd444 clammy hands tightly db791e84df clasped.ef3b49591531fdba

Thanks to 5fef8f3137 not picking e240e5badd at them 21700bb31c for the bd8d7621d3 past few 81d895337d days, her d7b6d6b12e freshly painted c7a9bc36f7 nails looked ffc4d65ef6 far better 7e9970b05c than before.c2d7488749306696

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

During the a841bad466 ride here bd5ce13c3e in Natasha’s 2c07f00aed car, Sasha e7bc0e80dc had been 8b3d82a31a overwhelmed by 1dd95d6877 anxious thoughts—worrying d7a0427b90 whether Vasily 6f57edcfa2 might be b14ec06c74 present at 357af4452b the meeting, 011e44dbf1 or whether 62a381d7c4 she, in 92265264ea her nervousness, 679be0aa37 might make 41bc7f3a2a some foolish b3e057afcf mistake again. It had nearly 786461050d sent her spiraling debd4b16a2 into panic.949f6127a6c36c75

‘Will Ulrich 1037d194b6 be there 5ce6c3ac6e already? Or will d3a1eafc84 he arrive 3cc17584e5 after me?’99abc4d0c655fd0a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

But right now, all cd376b56df she felt was a 42b6098601 deep longing for Ulrich.0cc1bd7794c083b5

She knew b53d1b915d it was d119e313dd selfish, shameless 13c60a0da8 even—but she f9412e595b wanted him 87acacc5b1 by her d66bc15cb6 side. Desperately, achingly so.dd6648f5f0e4bb8c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Just as she had 47cf8a0050 for the past three ef239d7ab0 years.25b72c185205551c