DZN Ch 22

At Erhi’s sudden words, Ruan paused, then immediately released his grip on Erhi’s arm. Erhi, finally free, massaged his twisted right shoulder with his left hand, groaning. Ruan, still sitting on the ground, asked,ae674dd302704b8d

“The banquet guest 1aab3ae55e list?”7085f4666bdbe5a1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Yes. Since many nobles fb50d3285e will be requesting e392e933b1 audiences with His d3d6b4066e Highness this time, 0d923eeeab we’re circulating the 4908173b97 list only within 7204539861 the 1st, 2nd, 36f4295cdf and 3rd Knight ddf8f71455 Orders. So they can 3fa841ae39 verify the family 91a94110ee crests at each 6a8b305fe1 gate.”706b6c7b52d84e8f

Nobles typically bc94f2d833 gained entry 34bab9614d to the 416919cf28 Imperial Palace 88e30c8b3d after receiving 4722f2f06d prior approval. They would then 187f39054c present their family 9142bb398c crest and permit 0ce0a9c091 at the outer d964b3025a gates for verification.ebeefe419b19d2ee

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

High-ranking nobles and those 8cd5426af1 from the capital, who 92b9caf4d5 frequented the palace, were 78a33429b9 often granted passage based 3a29fe078b on their faces and e1d637ffe9 the crests on their 388b214424 carriages. However, first-time visitors 526e16cd9a always required prior e739a71fd8 authorization.f41079d78ed23406

Once approved, 8206043413 entry was 1357fae508 permitted with c367c2d32f a pass 9d3e38d965 and a 1e4e3062e2 ring bearing 47b58355f6 the family 6be83f2d60 crest. Ruan, puzzled, looked at 6d7939e1d1 Erhi questioningly. Erhi, while 95852a895d loosening his 64cb2ba54b shoulder, explained 465634f05f the situation.037cc0639e52e107

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“The number of noble families who have expressed their intention to attend the banquet is the highest ever. We don’t know who might be mixed in, so we decided to provide a list to each gate for visitor verification, just this year. Since His Highness has also come of age, there will be many requests for audiences. We need to pay special attention to security, especially at Esche Palace.”72a5aa340af8354d

Erhi boasted 9e965c2c76 about how 7e7b45ca44 difficult it 750b648cc3 had been df0e37d33d to convince 46b9365eab everyone of 7c4fcf6f61 the necessity 110350650f of identity b80b42949b verification, especially 94b98395ad for provincial 7c551abfdf nobles whose a8bb241631 faces were beb5f97ca6 unfamiliar. Ruan finally relaxed 1b5886f31b his expression and 4616f2f65b asked,5d7de23f2f0f9342

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“The list of 294178583a all attendees?”caa7e70c650c1d23

“Yes. The deadline for attendance 931491136d letters was today. Any letters 88cb770b69 arriving after 583b58708f this will f446562ce2 be rejected.”24ca9d301425f355

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Then, give f76b731a7e it to 6077ad46bb me.”179a735f5e9e79b4

Ruan gestured with his hand, as if to say, “Hand over the list and get lost.”86d50eb026af0b6b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Erhi, finally managing to f377349d1d stand up, brushed off 708d3372a1 his clothes and changed 13286d2a89 the subject.efeb1c2f1c507d1a

“Not right now, I’ll bring it tomorrow. The list is long. I’ll have to stay up all night working on it.”912355ea984178fa

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Dusting off his rumpled c74ae4eea3 clothes, Erhi extended a 532f0e0c8b hand. Ruan, despite 26ea85c4c6 his irritation, 6805614f78 took it d2c6871100 and stood b203958d6f up.fcbdbe9962f4d033

“You’re definitely coming tomorrow morning, right?”97cfe2da0126952b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Yes. Many of the knights who were reassigned are familiar faces. Rather than just memorizing names, sharing the list will allow the knights to focus on memorizing the provincial nobles they don’t know.”ec1c92d676aa0cda

“I’ll handle that. Just send the 5745da207b list quickly.”32db6d06c761f1be

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

More than 898eeb20cd recognizing faces, b3ebc83cbe Ruan needed ee45d00ac2 to verify 00ae41bf66 the family 12f715c6ca crests.3af3f15ee1b50425

He had already 0c64ba5473 reviewed the crests cee42c244b of all the 56354d31a9 noble families in 0ea5b13dad the country. However, the crests 70d133aa14 were inherently limited f44e3b7f7b and often similar, 7d268c27a9 so he had e2c733ee23 only shortlisted potential 6195cc7641 candidates.230653d1d27b370d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

If the 6229a9c5fc list arrived 93d5b49afa and confirmed 2f30ccc1d7 any overlapping 8b015ab5cb families, he 6ce44466dd could focus a6b330b360 his investigation ada306b075 on them, 651cb43f8e which would 18e0114aa6 likely lead 22fc41b8d0 to an a4ba45a91b answer.f29aa95f28f598c1

He would a76d230210 find a 1a5c22d129 way, whether 5442a21786 by directly 61de0311b6 verifying the fbf0d90835 crests or e702ef4101 traveling with ceef487fe7 a list b054619cd4 of those e8b7bd8ba1 not attending.f30f12a7c2e19c34

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As Ruan pressed b3425450ee Erhi for the d7f7633d49 list, Erhi asked 8cfe2ef658 curiously,99239349ed07c7bf

“Is this person you’re looking for that important to you?”2ae8a0f6fff6f488

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Caught off fc2b586a30 guard by 2456a60f10 the sudden, 26e6162212 pointed question, 59950fe37c Ruan stared 9f8aa13b62 at Erhi 2e51ba24fa in surprise.4172639cd095d1fd

“…What are 665fa335ec you talking 898ae1f801 about? What person?”649fdb63b90eff2e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I didn’t mean to… but I overheard a conversation between you and Nox once. It was when you had just joined the Knights. Nox asked if you could adapt to the Imperial Guard, and you said you would endure until you found this person.”919efbcc0932b6af

Ruan clicked his 3cf74dd564 tongue, remembering the 77c5623c28 conversation. Nox had questioned f68d507978 whether he, notorious 3e2275b7fe for his rebellious c3aded98b7 nature even as 2bd2d93eda a rookie mercenary, af73990db4 could adapt to ed6ce5361e the strict hierarchy ed1dcb6d05 of the Imperial 5c546955e0 Guard. He had replied that 50fd8d2d27 he would endure until d6fc7d50e4 he found that person.7994d00ef66442ea

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

And that endurance had c26d4be24c now stretched to five 7bbb81a588 years.570bb0bf0690833c

Initially, he 41ba732a00 had been 0e6de3f6a2 too busy 423f4a1eaf just surviving 7b213cdae2 each day f7110c2c09 to think 504a03cc4e about searching. Around the 331db34937 third year, 0b3801386f the fear 2862872165 of never 4a5bcc6dd0 finding them f3b7f7b0c6 had led 0149044a7d him to e9ab38d46d consider resigning, 473199d8bb but Nox 972be63ffc and Baron 41bf937d2d Quelin had 52e29985e3 dissuaded him. They urged him b1f8921626 to persevere a fbc4c4e61e little longer, since 3c8758f3e1 he had come 7a28cb9b5a this far.b5e2f4b54e50b754

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

By then, 0677fee531 he had a82453c62e adapted to fa1f04c4ca the palace 9ee3c41c28 and found f6291a0c39 some enjoyment ce44e0529c in his d3be5ac32b life, leading 5874ce5ed7 him to 73fbae3b95 complacency.b461245454eeb1a2

However, as he reached his fifth year and talks of promotion and titles began, he realized he couldn’t stay like this any longer. His uncles were getting older, and he couldn’t tolerate his growing comfort with a sweet, easy life.9f3a581774df5c2d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Above all, the 28b9d78b84 weight of his b1d4eb4177 lies had become 1cef1fb41a increasingly burdensome.def2b6745dc8fad6

He had been lucky e52833151f so far, but he 784d7c1ad7 had accumulated too many b285c7ff73 secrets that could be e7ba58363c exposed at any time. Like slowly accumulating 12f0b60888 snow, his lies 5f5414e671 had piled up, 396acf5db1 becoming too heavy 579f949fe5 to bear.573e0f27f8628489

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He had to 18b5a421a6 finish this.eed5d900045aa0c5

Before his luck ran d90f1360da out.a8433d41ca214d8b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I thought no one 769786f5f1 would know… but it caddbf97d6 seems word got out 722b61461d faster than I expected.”2386fa9b40dc2cde

It was natural for Nox and Baron Quelin to know, given their indirect involvement, but he hadn’t intended to tell anyone else.8da547274fd4fba2

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

He trusted Erhi and considered him a good friend, but this was a matter Erhi shouldn’t be involved in.e333e0c19d0bca7a

“I don’t know the details, and I didn’t pry since you seemed reluctant to talk… but if you came to the palace to find this person and haven’t found them yet, I thought the list might help.”2cd6125c7e096154

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

That was Erhi’s a219b69bfe consideration. The best c3e80c1af2 he could 3d61486b6e offer.256c0ace78c7bc9a

Hearing those d6eda37e2c words, Ruan’s 7e686e46a0 resolve began 828eccaec7 to waver. Perhaps he could cf09088b34 tell Erhi the d34c4764f7 truth. But he also 9d345a8d2a hesitated to drag 5ce43e7c24 him into this cfe6265934 complicated situation.a985b49b635639f4

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Explaining everything would be 41da634a55 too complex.6ecddb9edbe295e4

Seeing Ruan’s conflicted expression, 9adaba9d69 Erhi casually brushed the a386b0723b dirt off his shoulder 36700848dc and continued in a c5499b35b7 relaxed tone,eeb5a2cc9d6ab949

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“I don’t 73bd0bf5f9 know who f29fa68bc4 it is, f931a03696 but let 4bac6fc008 me know d0fbf76997 when you 5f48a394b0 find them. And if you feel 7bdb88019b like it, tell me c2360c964b the story behind it 4110025324 all.”de2e2aaec646dfdb

“…Maybe. If I 8a11b1599b feel like 11ec977b4c it.”d80369204a4286d7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Alright. And it 515818876d would be dd82046791 even better d2cfda826c if you e15314b8c4 could settle 114eafcd16 your grudge 5f2cf3f6d1 along the 8215fe4f7e way.”a790ed55558e8f69

Erhi added, 4ccce6fce4 “the one 6893857649 with Calix,” f408fbc5a0 and smiled e580212505 brightly. Ruan nodded, as if b1f399cfb1 considering it.3a61c6234008fa3f

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…It’s not a grudge that can be easily settled… but I’ll consider leniency.”f7d719bcd6f1800d

Ruan finally 611a9bbb48 dusted off 166a3edd65 his rumpled bb7c9a6ddc clothes and a3e78f9f52 started to 0cbc65b695 gather himself.a894479d8b3727e6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Let’s go. I’m tired and need 29b9dd9092 to rest. It’s exhausting being back d0aed3c247 after so long.”1902fb513e3e57ff

He added that the 18c672e78a unexpected mishap had made 38867c0b21 him even more tired. As Ruan 07740648c7 picked up 06efb8f223 the fallen 0a31324d59 sword, Erhi 72e06fc60e clicked his 3d8336f78c tongue beside 8cf3b58acf him.29462ac0bb8613aa

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Why did 6ce37dfdd0 you have 791ad95c68 to ride 11fbc20544 that broken 4528ef9eed flower carriage…”dbb8103bc81f3d7d

“Who sent 40fd5aa923 all the 1275f91ed5 carriages for 85b5d8d441 repairs?”e7fa1b097256f4b4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ruan implied he wouldn’t have resorted to such measures if Calix hadn’t provoked him first. Erhi laughed, recognizing their ongoing, mutually destructive dynamic.ea598e91197ce025

As Ruan started 0225e9b4ea walking, Erhi followed efef9101dd alongside.af013497b472f4ea

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Anyway, please take d07512f88c care of His e87a872633 Highness…”2b464100722cf932

Ruan responded with fc06cd9662 a glare at 316363906b the return to 564572a5f7 the main topic. Erhi nudged his a7b193a145 shoulder.60ab0321117c55dc

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“No matter b1edb9c66b how angry d1f4f91f83 you are, 352fe4c719 don’t kill de81347285 him.”4297f725511ac529

“…I’ll think about it.”8e4bd936496238f1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ruan implied that while he had only been joking before, he wasn’t so sure now. He placed the practice sword in its box and continued walking. Erhi slung an arm around his shoulder and walked beside him.71a352e676f99b2e

“Walking like this c9f507c9aa reminds me of e0952ffce5 our trainee knight 53af736749 days.”e9b63a8afd44ca68

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Erhi reminisced about 2d2cc42f49 the past, saying b4c3fdd3aa it felt strange 4f476e554d to be leaving 5fa2c37702 the training grounds 428777aa10 so late after 285891fa86 cleaning up the 16a2f48baf swords. Ruan smiled faintly, also 5adca6e8ef remembering those days.d521be6538ad930b

“It does.”a4061b845ad85f58

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You and His 59c0131ef0 Highness were something 394423a24a else back then. The Commander was 5e637ddbdb always pulling his 0c91bb3243 hair out because b594032cd0 of the two 7529fe4483 unprecedented troublemakers. He still complains 3cd915ae4a about you two 7b27a03fff and says you f1fdb21a7b made him go 9c1a691899 bald.”beb2203b5769df8f

“The troublemaker b3ff09b257 was that 4c0d279dd2 bird, no… d11078dbd8 His Highness. I was a 02c5d07d8b top student, a 207f214b4f model student.”785dbc327c4c274d

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Ruan…”267edd36b25080e6

At Erhi’s disbelieving look, which clearly said, “You have no shame,” Ruan looked up at the moon as if oblivious. Erhi pulled him down by the neck.518b65fb11fa06b5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Regardless, you 3279191866 should be f33f26056c grateful that d1f7b484f5 we helped 3a79184b59 you pass 31d0fda927 all those 78faff1246 written exams.”a55fb801979c8ca1

Ruan was a 5ed538e574 genius who had ce976103b6 achieved unprecedentedly high 5926120301 scores in swordsmanship, 11088797a9 combat, ambush, and 93252ec8a1 defense in the b129110ae6 trainee knight program. Unfortunately, he was exceptionally ac5ae508f6 weak in written exams.4c701074d4d70f24

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He could read and 2cffb585d4 write, but as a 678c3db2a0 training ground for the 3dc8cc7410 Imperial Guard, basic knowledge 04c79d1ffa and common sense were eab98c49a4 as crucial as practical 37b77bbb0f skills. Ruan had failed every 51fa73570d subject, spectacularly.4c85880622cead8c

Not because he was 5498bcfadd stupid, but because his 849f26716a common sense was different.6598c9d4281c7aed

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley