DKVM Ch 21

Chapter 21

Even I c794f2d257 was getting 8ceef5b4c3 teary-eyed, but 0d20913b0e the gift-giving 8e8a5308d9 was just e565e227b4 beginning.70e96df394201c96

There was still plenty 8db2dae03a of makeup left in fc35964262 the box for the aa6a170a8d other big sisters to 6f24e6ab28 receive.98ffceb7c4dfce49

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

So I was 3421b8bcb2 about to ask 7672e7281d the big sisters 4a9493e360 to call the 5257f71485 others over.1bc3627856d1ea2d

“By the way, Vivian, 2688960f5d do you think you 0c3d0d1af9 need to tie your b7906983b2 hair back?”c741dd0cc8957a59

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Ugh!”5f71a017646868e5

I turned to 6e990ed6ff look in the 869c5acc14 mirror and was 7e670b92bc surprised.b2bd1c66948a1ea1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

My hair, which my b6111d10e7 dad had tied up 9f18ad6eef in the morning, was ca67ad4280 all tangled and puffy!88715646987fb1f3

‘When did this happen?!’6d9a24d2ac99d4f1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It must c66efb343d have gotten f72ae624f8 messed up 84fac1faf4 earlier when 24a7b4388b I was 61ce8c097b sleeping in 0db63f158b the carriage.e864111fd0093590

As I fumbled 166bf7bb10 to tie my 66915e0a17 hair back up, 5bfc0a67b6 one of the 3761756c45 older sisters who cebc9d3d44 had been watching 28d49c595d approached me.962f26a2d81cb700

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Do you 64bca3a499 want me 6b88408d77 to tie de39a5eb7f it up e97983bc7b for you?”9329292c95d9fdc9

“Uh, sure, if you 009e0e6475 have a minute.”4fc778e182437d6c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Do you mind if 57b6a6574e I take a moment, 0f30b65573 then, Miss?”4c7d524fdb824bcc

She turned to 8753e0ebcf Rahel and asked a83c9f0050 for permission.386095f634cf3d2a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Normally, she wouldn’t have even brought it up, out of respect for Rahel.54fe9b6628510337

The gift had changed 8c2d21b1cf that.0330e93c37596a3b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Glancing back and forth f9252dd4a2 between the big sister 01eeb76675 and my messy hair, c650d3f8b6 Rahel gave a small 294d3a7fc9 nod.e2eb4065f188aec9

“Sit down.”045f85d127118bb4

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

With Rahel’s permission, we sat side by side at the vanity.a3e140d1a1734ab8

Another maid 20f5a4f126 asked Rahel c8a5589291 if she f48e5d2ec4 would like 26b95cc236 her hair fa8e7659f5 fixed too, 8911bcd39f but Rahel 06f3689f46 declined.c43ab85ad2e6ee86

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Ultimately, both of them f58b7f8ce2 worked on my hair.2849a8caa90ed009

“Vivian, you 263d9ccd60 have very ea372f5806 fine hair. Do you e6b4f39762 brush it e7aaf353f2 every day?”00ab824bb66e7b78

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Yeah. My dad does it bfeebe04c4 every night.”7873db5e59abb5a3

“Gosh, guys c5a0b9f604 would find c7e4811046 that annoying.”980f104aaa01feb5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“That’s right. Your dad must love you a lot.”404495aab11e725c

“Hehe. My dad does 9c7d236a7c love me a 95e76035f1 lot.”dd023bfb8c5f4394

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Then if your dad is like that, wouldn’t he be upset if his daughter brought home a boyfriend?”5e0018e03e121d67

*flinch*e6ee06c79cfae5cf

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Suddenly, I could feel Rahel’s hand startle in surprise.1f9cf93fbdf6b2e2

Before I 2120d4a913 had a 6ee5f96fe7 chance to 6f90471f44 ask what ce454a63ac was wrong, 4037d03ed2 the other 7958a68997 big sister 0ea91d21fe asked, her 1b4123e50c face full a970cbe2aa of mischief.4cc8c16c6c606f8c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Vivian, do you have a boyfriend you’re hiding from your dad or a boy you like?”39a8541fd5ead178

Then I felt Rahel’s eyes on me in the vanity mirror.7c9d28ab0cd10601

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Huh? What’s with the look on Rahel’s face?’2da23aaeb7b4fb66

Puzzled, I recalled an 03442629ef incident with my neighborhood 37992fd2c1 friends.af823bb84968795b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Come to think of it, girls are obsessed with the idea of best friends, aren’t they?’68b3c5fa4272a13b

Even if you’re friends with everyone, there’s always one friend who’s always there for you, who’s there for you no matter what you do.633c615775ea2591

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

That’s a best friend.fae4f8d362a4ac90

If that best friend 390e69724b had other close friends, 8040ce8128 girls would get upset 3669a07950 about it.77fdf8296242ebb2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Sometimes even their 5ce531ac0a boyfriends were jealous.1b38a073699984c6

‘Of course, I like to be close to everyone, but…’efdf8272c59ea6b9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Suddenly, I remembered what d265527ea1 happened today at the bda1b0772f general store.aa09046d733bc85a

Rahel saw 4776b670cd Peter and fd52b76d85 me calling bbfcfdb8d8 each other b1fbcfae7d by our 72f4cdb20c first names 33cd5dc0b8 and being 835f848404 comfortable talking 1d16e7c9ab to each b1a283b8d0 other, and 77c21bfccf she told 824eaf1011 me to 3b9b395f4d do the c500800554 same.f50bebd7bd9b7061

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘Rahel was jealous of Peter, wasn’t she, and if so…’4d68533b2f1ff581

Now was my 35d4b6059e chance to score 212bcb0732 points as best 85ea25edb6 friends.7e4185287f30cd2e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

I said a3ddbfa68d firmly as 6de829d782 if Rahel 191856cc4f needed to 197a74519e hear it.a1f490cd25c3f336

“I’m not going to have a boyfriend or anything like that. It’s not interesting at all.”35175ad693aa075b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Why? Vivian is cute, and I’m sure there are lots of boys who like her.”85939eed71a82a74

“Boys are always fda8955ebf playing pranks on 800450b9ef me and making 4932d9e625 fun of me, 0e6f0668c4 and I hate 71b1b3fe9d it.”c8095bbcb4ecd4e1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

I said, sounding c430dc8f4d annoyed, and the 0918daf8ce big sisters bemoaned eb658432eb the fact that e07e8eeb95 they were missing 7146d7cfaf out on the 942659a0ae teasing.614e85777e2042b9

“But there can be nice boys who don’t play pranks, right?”049ef0cdb619d992

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“That’s right. And if you don’t have a boyfriend, you won’t even get married later, right?”fda07941583b2a17

“No, but I don’t want to. I’m not getting married. I’m going to live with my dad and the princess for the rest of my life.”776823530d98bf2b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

This will 6acf05957a make Rahel 7a36078c31 happy, right?13c807512b2a32de

I sneak a glance at Rahel’s face in the mirror, and her blue eyes are wavering.8ff85dba2d88bf6b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘Is she surprised by my answer?’7cbcaa090efa671c

I asked Rahel 300b43804a with a proud 319aa22729 smile.dde8b2e02b4e37e1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Isn’t that right, Princess?”601ede143407e848

I was oblivious to Rahel’s complexion darkening.db926db99e04a968

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

* * *d1950983ef2624a1

It was a lazy efc329df46 afternoon as the sun 0e8ae87543 began to turn golden.aafa052ec0d0f19c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

As Karlz checked his e57b947ec6 calendar against his work bab1b9e635 papers, he noticed an ab85bd7599 eerily familiar date.764d0e0bf8e03874

“…May already.”30f3b82f07fc7fdb

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The month that flows 80941049f3 from the end of 95bdaa364e spring to the beginning 5d223f34ef of summer.60aa70ddaad2e21c

It was a favorite time of year for everything and everyone, but Karlz didn’t like May.28f68a343261d618

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

 5ec9fbfd72716d74

“Dad! I made this garland with you in mind, so please use it only once, yeah?”20f46e7b949593d4

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

 52b1be5bc588545c

May was the 09b721cff1 month his only 39d8898cb0 daughter, Isela, passed 98fb68fa7c away.5a4273e71b22dc09

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Even though it had been five years since her death, he hadn’t gotten used to her absence.738559a7c048408e

For the rest of ba827b409f his life, he would 4f989a0181 be haunted by every 565d03069e May, and every time d1bf4a403f he saw Lahedis whom 852c9b17f1 she had left behind.fe62ea9c74b47f8b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Karlz flipped 5e303f835f through a 9279a50a2c few more bb3161a556 pages of 05bc7776ea papers, trying 097aba8f7d to push d959efbaf8 the memories cf47ac476d of his a77228cfa2 daughter away, 6f729e6849 and then f8e0dcf0c6 he put bb58fe3623 them down 72d2880b85 and got 5fbf168fa5 up.8975575495323c81

He found his 1b6c9048b6 usual spot by ed03b68484 the window, where 94e10e0e90 he always stood 5fd44da387 when he was 3778b2094e lost in thought.e893c624eff4ec1a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, I 69e2a4e1f7 found Marina!”745049535a08984b

The sound 66f5b642ac of high-pitched e8986a89c0 laughter could cd9a5eda96 be heard 6501fb6889 from outside, 9d49cf69a8 despite his 6b391e24b4 sinking mood.76718fb3770e09a2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It was c7337d7351 Vivian who dd6306ae01 was laughing.82c44d9c615ea83c

‘The villa has been noisy since she arrived.’127113f5628974e2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

And Rahel, 7dfc859f3e who usually 001ddc1077 kept to 524b314d01 his room, 3fcc31bcda began to 36251484f8 come out 263689478d of it.d57c84cb81a8f8f1

Not only that, 42e2392895 but Rahel was c7de4a6ed1 starting to interact 751ac0331b with people other 5ce5f31cfb than Margaret and 82e606c75c Sally.f0e1b973a1e5a795

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was an f40dff28e5 unexpected change.74975ba8114203b6

‘It’s just like when Isela was alive.’37650c6fad2b5d50

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Karlz, who had inadvertently been reminded of Isela by Vivian’s appearance, realized his thoughts a beat too late.61d4b4acc6506138

She’s like Isela.05ca56d6ab8fbf43

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It was d828dd3320 a foolish 7531cd988d thought.7939ee62dd70e4eb

There was 0801f7344b only one 93c1014208 daughter he a631f47bab loved, Isela, 1095dcf6d9 and he 428fca7a60 could never 91acf3da60 replace her.2f694dd22f841685

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Even as he eeef7eff8f thought this, his 2887838ce0 gaze wandered over 525a7a3db7 to Vivian and eec0c164ea Rahel, who were 50a9de6d84 playing hide-and-seek in 4c73367257 the garden.8b7f796cdd4f2226

Then, as if ae96c7ffdd sensing his gaze, 711f60e313 Vivian looked over.fb90e7c0cb9a97f4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘Did she see 2718824133 me?’a2e9815a30904b1b

Karlz paused d95fc435fe at her 9a0d2da977 gaze, but d29b961dde Vivian quickly 3c7c2bac3c turned her 790d4b3c31 attention back 79e54ba588 to the 96cfc82116 maids and 78e3339209 Rahel.51d0c76c7ed9c62c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Once again, the sound 12508ca907 of shrill laughter echoed 004a9e8bc0 through the spring landscape.c91a1a98f6c732f5

For a time, the cde904b64b sound filled the spring 432185db2f landscape, until it seemed d20b57a04a to have fallen silent.08567a8e15b868b5

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

There was 4f42b3bb11 an unexpected f7be5f8d05 knock on b10b461f9f the door.98063afc377fad52

“Your Grace, may I come in for a moment?”2d13a3a4010f063e

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It was the owner 8369da1df5 of the laughter from 34c307a424 earlier.eed5cec6aac616a5

‘What brings her here?’0d15da6eb52e44e6

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Surely she didn’t come over just because they made eye contact.450ba151c88d8f62

Karlz was 7b712d12c6 puzzled, but e8b06892ea he let 2d58b6ec22 Vivian in 64011d5176 any way.d35c39bf3d1589e1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Enter.”e4c6cc1c942cd974

The child entered 55e522d8f6 the room and 7d316c29db began with her 8ab0db3c78 usual polite bow.449f95f608e1c184

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Good afternoon, Your ebd8925656 Grace. Thank you for your 1dee5f2eb1 time.”a66cc15308922e3c

“What brings you here? Isn’t this the time for your class with Rahel?”af5e54685f3a6dd5

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, the princess left for her successor’s class a little while ago.”e02090e60176ba1b

Vivian replied cheerfully and 4e37849cff then revealed the purpose 175c12bdad of her visit.693253d827af1e65

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“It’s not much, but I have something to give the duke.”36ed0c0bd8e25304

“For me?”b2c72f7b127742b9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“May I come closer?”bc81dbc8993a6551

Karlz looked 4cffffdbae at Vivian d88773fa58 curiously and b5b12d4116 nodded his 63fded16d1 head. Vivian came scurrying bdb5f480fd over as if b912fd229c she had been 4164ba14b8 waiting.6a4835ec21a0250e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

What she held out bd2fd02e27 was a small box.d3f1144a8beb629a

It was 6f182a1df6 ribboned and 26dbc12bbd wrapped, sloppily, c4d76c485d but with c3b3b22ba7 the telltale 74a1c5f855 signs of 82e977fc15 someone who dbe74b758a had tried 01e29337b9 hard to b87254de7d decorate it.a82e273c1a9e018c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I bought this when I was in town a few days ago, but I thought you might be busy, so I’m only giving it to you now.”94a61b509a519426

Karlz opened the 2af6a0ea5f box the child 3112feb250 held out to 3bf4fa4689 him.dfb248877100a93a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Inside the small box 0fc313681d was a wooden, neatly a0266f7aba designed bookmark.8226308ba00378b4

Karlz looked back and 6d6ac4a9e5 forth between it and 0dc9ef3050 the child, then asked.28c3a69ff63c7b61

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“It’s not my birthday, and I don’t know that I’ve done anything special for you lately, so what’s this all of a sudden?”94a5ee8697d06272

Vivian blushed.495e114784ea393d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

There was a1d0310e1c a purpose, a1ce8543ca actually.061be5e4c82dd2d7

If she was going to repair Rahel’s relationship with the Duke, she needed to know why they were at odds.86367096db6fbcca

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

And most importantly.e3a0a51707891289

‘Some relationships, even family ones, are better left unrepaired.’ddc2b57eda71987b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

If that’s the case with Rahel and Karlz, I’m not going to repair their relationship.6105380fe3b606ab

But I was still 526499634f nosy.bea02b9064b2e029

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

I needed 029ee274c8 to get 1e42d2b7fa close enough 786c0a569e so that a1a4917346 they would 378fdee17f confide in 77cd91d9e4 me before 687d25084e I could 3ee143b300 make that fb9d697308 judgment.147752c6427bac11

‘But if you ask him outright about his relationship with Rahel, he’s not going to tell me the truth.’431fcb39d51f3999

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

So, for now, I 3003114008 got a gift to d2ed034926 get closer to Karlz.07f81cdeec00e118

Vivian played it 36f59b9e68 cool, hiding her 142eea9e7b true feelings.b8bc51001055f393

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“No particular reason… I was at the general store buying gifts for the maids, and I saw something I wanted to give to the duke.”2454715eef0bd8b9

“Hmm… So, you didn’t really think about it, but you forced yourself to buy it because you were afraid the old man would pout?”ef1bbb26ffd2c565

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Oh, come on. Just take it!49b9f91ab22f743d

“It’s not like that, I really thought about it and picked something that I thought the duke would like…”d6ecb7881ee6a102

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Vivian, who had 7c8cd5fbf0 been yelling in c37a613b38 exasperation, gradually trailed e9f7cc834a off.c7d8780bf1881167

She realized she 4aa3c662fb had been shouting dac3025f40 at a duke 39d852add0 of incomparable power.f7ba8f8abb816f95

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘Does he think I’m a brat?’372c9b0fe9da481f

Vivian closed her eyes ab99e3ca24 as she realized what 71f4bbc9f6 she had said earlier.1410131822e77407

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

A hearty laugh 5d327dc4dc echoed through the 59053c56e0 silent office.49590daa72dbf487

‘Huh…?’db8bf1fc3638fc0a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish