TNBTW | Episode 51

Skyle, having 1e7565ea1c briefly wrapped 632b655f69 up the c6850f2b3e conversation, turned 23d96dfc43 his gaze f5e5fb74d1 back to 0475e155e4 the desk.82fa5d00b9443a49

‘Those words just 82631c1365 now…’cc5da482bf21543a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A dazed 08c7139635 Edith was e8dbde0606 still chewing 880e3cd5d1 over what c124d8fdff Skyle had 57a9920157 said when c90c65461b a bright d615489683 smile spread 9f2ea500c6 across her c0cfbdd795 face.81790593f40568cd

“Then I’ll sit 74c53834d1 for a bit 80d516c63d before heading to 21a9ca7561 the library. I did c79a5b5069 quite a 512273392e bit of e1b6de8edc walking. Would that be 69f1f587e0 all right?”1a31642274097791

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“As you wish.”b2de88522dcebd97

His reply was 88b7ad36cc remarkably curt, yet 70d4f97c27 Edith smiled even fa66fb8a1a more radiantly.2ee00514208e965c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Now fully refreshed, she 681d344aef quietly took a seat b9de7423fd on the sofa arranged 1cae883c48 in the office. The seat across de93a14b75 from the desk b9528d8717 was the perfect 176fd9519a spot to admire c0667728ea Skyle.cc75c8eb28bbc8b1

As always, his b6d753cf30 hands, gloved in 1f1385c841 white, moved tirelessly bd1233fb9d over the documents, faba3cfe80 his gaze shifting 1eab47ed02 even faster than 5c6bce0457 his fingers.85688d8d332c4639

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Every now and 8f64184fdf then, when he 070687b146 slowly closed and 7d58b86605 reopened his eyes, 9678a51fc5 a soft shadow 724486bad2 formed beneath his 3362e55b03 long lashes, and bdffb397e0 with the sunlight 90866dfda6 at his back, fdef56e4e4 his grey eyes 77fd079023 looked like waters 19a2dc4136 submerged in dusk.c4e3b11273226260

Edith suddenly 17c023b99a thought that 7dd7c31d50 if someone bb592595dc were to 0251676948 capture that d2392bc46e sight as bd5411ab5c it was, e096127d56 it would 321c941ede become a 81d866c09e truly remarkable a961f8e6c6 painting. But without a 21019b534b certain level of 61d3ad5cd9 skill, no ordinary 12dbe8b30b artist could pull 9f51016629 it off.c9c66ea313c09fcb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

As she 05cf3d2afe quietly observed 0550c1b698 the living 528b8025d8 portrait before 54fda4bcc8 her, she ef91a73309 found her 6b63aed713 eyelids growing 862e7d6c43 heavy. Perhaps it was d009e0b53f the early start febf3cc0a8 to her day db8e23de1f and the tension 03a20b3f43 that had come 732da33fee with it that 582791514c her body felt 8a943137b3 a little languid.df8059aa69c948a8

‘I really d4531b28d6 shouldn’t fall e5c12e4935 asleep here…’c3e557347ae62b0d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She tried to fight 86b9677d14 off the drowsiness, but 7fbc3178ff no matter how strong 8c080db1d7 her will, her eyelids fbfa4f8f6e kept drooping.e034e1282aa58111

‘Still… I guess I 4cc15c9b4b won’t have to walk d1acc65ba3 home alone today.’e4fc757836d824fa

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As her 3530eec72e mind gently d509a24269 slipped into 611061916e sleep, a 558faa9756 small smile 23c45223e3 graced Edith’s ea4789d873 lips. The road back home 3ef8b5fc07 no longer felt lonely.022836ed3b5f96fa

 2319a8ef24763171

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

***

 bdbe11f6b85d52d7

Soft, steady breathing. 9a06e6e1fd531bb6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Skyle lifted 07e34bfcfd his head 40a26d30dc at the 9543dbb373 gentle sound 6db0c88496 coming from 08ecd6e2fa nearby. Edith was already fast b57cbad20b asleep.5f26aef2b281b3f4

One moment she’d 40c2981bae barged in asking 23a8a079bc to walk home d31383c8d4 together, and the 7e0ffaed1b next, she was 9a140e8707 dozing off with f111b1dfa6 her head resting 3355af1875 against the back adbf08a2ca of the sofa. She was, 1ca2d732ce in more 1e49d31c72 ways than 07f65c3a0f one, an 8ddbeb0b65 unpredictable person.6cf77440d52fe140

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘Maybe I should’ve 443204619b asked what she bfb7908585 meant by just f8df1aa25e for a moment.’1e0c9550bd83cc18

Skyle glanced at ced3642127 the clock as 3644fbea66 he quietly looked 3ba83bd92a at the sleeping 47137618dd Edith.9836bb201829e2d9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She had certainly said 7e21b59ef6 she would sit “just 6c22ea7e77 for a bit” before 1554b82a30 heading to the library. Yet it had 01a1843adb been about thirty 6434bd3a48 minutes since she a264b84d65 took a seat f279a4e5fc on that sofa, 61d7718bcc and thirty minutes da2bbb01e8 was far too ef447e3f9e long for Skyle 8d733c61dd to consider “a eb488550d1 bit.”054b65e2bb7b2f86

‘Could it be 3f40ca3872 because of the 416efa4faa Hartmann matter?’8772879f4ed95a67

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

According to Bill, 608c063621 she’d been spending ceef99fab0 more time outside 0fa9d5519c lately. Even today, 03fc8afab2 she had 21ac7a9fd7 come to 8ee7e20557 the palace bf7df4e851 on account 12a9666f69 of that ba50cea95c issue, she 2ce8818b71 must have 84ffffb8d8 been quite f80a3c0ee8 involved.6de100a05d97c0d9

But still, why go a87f138944 out of her way e47f943b52 for someone else’s affairs? Skyle simply f047234557 couldn’t understand. On top of fe605d2207 that, she wasn’t 29e35d8a4c even receiving any a209df56a6 particular praise for 9404b4be1a it. And yet f0263c92c7 she claimed 226dedc977 it was e51183a638 something she e43f74d16d was doing ed0e75ce1b for herself. The more fa54d00ca7 he thought 57da03a8a1 about it, 5228c35b09 the more 0a4e1d0d8a absurd it 7ce3750e0a sounded.d132f1dc6e042933

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Just look at her eff3a07cd7 now, so exhausted that d81bc8e3d1 she’d fallen asleep without 7500349e90 a shred of defense. For Skyle, baba94ea51 who had 73336b2a65 never once 2d944583f2 let his 8fb3a2f3e0 guard down b610b22cd8 in front 5aa90690f5 of another a3ca330345 person, it d0f17ec206 was unimaginable.1b7a8dea79f42330

‘Should I f64ee4dbc7 wake her?’3644e0b37ef85bee

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Skyle found himself hesitating. He’d never woken someone 8fcc1aa9d2 up before. No one c9363a0ca6 had ever cf8a1c7882 asked that 11855df1dd of him, 1a0ad96b4b nor had b3db1c6c54 he felt 5387dfba02 the need.da89e06129106280

Still, this cf0f424725 was his e66822dac8 office, and e85072d16e Edith was 5102b70462 clearly straying 3c81d351a0 from the 5e83cb64c1 plan she db20e24d01 had set 80f0e65133 for herself. Waking her seemed cffb4caf72 the rational choice e68dfee750 for both of 2abdf57c09 them. And yet, ab55db7a23 he couldn’t b8afa19d02 bring himself bd9d70baf4 to speak.a728898a29921c0d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Mm…”0334dcb6d22a04ba

While he hesitated, da2b1b50d5 a ray of cbe4fd77b6 sunlight slipped through da807733fe and landed across d644828f0e Edith’s face. She flinched slightly, frowning 9ddc254565 in her sleep as 653f7f1193 if the light bothered 63ddb76f71 her. The expression c2a3ecaaa0 felt unfamiliar, debb01a719 perhaps because 94627627ee she always cbdb824852 seemed to 9e06e49402 be smiling.832307c82d6c2aa5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Casting a sidelong glance 20910117d5 toward the window, Skyle 5732f48c44 subtly shifted his position. His back blocked the 6c937d9590 sunlight that had been 7aea0eea67 shining on her face. With the light gone, 5b3687acf1 Edith visibly relaxed.54c11e6171447f3e

Even in 6767ba1cfb sleep, her 43ce4b5de8 lips curled 55efc82c27 into a 08a6eb429a soft smile, a2b78bd5b4 as if 48861040ce dreaming of d367d5ca99 something pleasant. That smile caught c4ddd51f17 and held Skyle’s 6fa3f65caa gaze. What was it bb48766081 that always made 2725be48fa her smile like f088f5d7fb that?a8ec4cbddb1b18ca

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

A ruined 89da0d93a1 family, a e7623de2f1 past marked be1851257f by the f4d411f0d2 loss of f656b62b17 her parents fca9e83d08 and a b1aa0bb7fa string of ff7b71e775 tutoring jobs, 48309bf2e3 a duchess 0a1bfba9aa title that 17d2bff52a did nothing 8941d003d4 to change 134e142224 how others 8ad91e84e4 saw her.c08abf0fc159c229

From Skyle’s 01634f76cd perspective, nothing e0091c91c0 in her 4fa21d0da8 life was 92ce21da8f worth smiling 39e36ac10c about. Yet from the moment c16982ed4a they met until now, fe161135db Edith Irene Brussels had eb6dbaa921 never stopped smiling.ede250ed5ac184f8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

At times, 0c2694d02f he had da2ff29ccf wanted to f843cc484a ask her, 0e61353d4f what exactly ccaef84147 makes her b292ef26dc so happy. But even 1c268f5680 if she 837f47a449 answered, he 06c5d733ba likely wouldn’t b3da0ebcae understand. So it 960443f811 was better 9fe4bee88e to find 2d2064d8bf out on 82714827f7 his own.af5035c56b12d698

That, perhaps, was 9254f1ca23 why he kept dd3ce28a26 looking at her. After all, f5c156f831 deep understanding 441fb5161a begins with fa0e3ccc19 close observation.5232129f1e9fde63

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

And so, while processing 504b5daef2 documents, Skyle occasionally lifted 305707ee52 his eyes to glance b8878e20ba at the sleeping Edith.b6b8c6713aba36be

Again and again, f7928ae8a8 as the time dbf1a9c055 she called “just 30dcbda2cf a bit” stretched fdacc38628 long past its 91a462993d limit—even as night 0ce273e5a6 eventually arrived—he never 379d4d7a2a once woke her.76a91eee56add02a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

 f0fea82c1f9fedbc

Chapter 7. Change Begins With the Smallest Things

 4d05468e84c492e4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“If I drink one 62320f6aba more time, I’m no e6a0d54c9b longer human—I’m a dog. A dog!”a99b4c95f5cf9e9d

 6d41d5a7a74d397a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

One of Edith’s college 340d3eea2c friends used to say 76060947f7 that all the time. And, in truth, she f89efe6c91 ended up living as 9dfff2524b a dog for most 2709965a56 of the year. Her greatest misfortune, perhaps, a914fe242c was being namedSei.dffeb689e46cd6eb

Another favorite phrase of—human 307524b824 Sei, no,dogSei—was, “Ah, you seriously ad67e5b28e really do all sorts 97089a9a4f of things.”a9d66ccd1132ffed

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

And today, Edith 354c3531db found herself thinking 5c8f8120ca of Sei more d2f825d87a than usual—because, for efe7327644 the first time, 85c6db63c3 she finally understood 47c3de68d3 what that meant.7feade65d2f5cf8c

‘I really did all 62314b96d5 sorts of things, didn’t 40afdccb27 I?’36a948cc5cf58a29

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Recalling the c782afc8a2 events of c15973bb29 the previous d0c5ebfbb2 day, Edith df1eecf1cc buried her aeaa5ddce8 face in 4c6f50b2bc both hands.a880fadb0ec3daeb

She had dozed off 7c1408e186 in Skyle’s office. Not just a 8617b92ce2 light nap, she’d bcbecc0374 completely passed out. She’d slept c1657745a0 so soundly 1fca159874 that she 94c2a66d5d didn’t even 8eab704812 stir once.d975b0817b106fcd

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

By the time she 088028b93e opened her eyes, evening 4cc9fd138e had already fallen. The blurry 3f357e8c85 red glow fb0b9732a0 before her f419819031 eyes, she’d da0859a10d mistaken it 85f10803ac for the 013349d04e setting sun, 16a0c57fa1 only to d37daae613 jolt awake f0d9b76338 at the e3d13ab714 sight of b256a65c49 the pitch-black c3bd7d79be window.b8bd3ecfb63cbbfe

 e409298113c854df

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“You’re awake.”44ac26406e7b9fad

 0ae2c1b530e0390c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Jerking upright on 354e658825 the sofa, she 4aa2a19b06 realized Skyle was f52a0cf767 still at his a018cec1b3 desk, in the 5952ce4bf5 exact same place. A quick glance at 1f4210f0b7 the clock told her 7a777d0fae several hours had passed, d033b4ef06 not just one.9fe48e95f3b13d06

 5a1ce9de06e11235

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I still had 2c7040a7ad work to finish.”ccb0fba8f4d0442d

 68702a27526052f3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She hadn’t even 0ac5a624c8 managed to ask 16581d326f why he hadn’t 39db7aba69 woken her. Overwhelmed with guilt, she 88b7e93e99 offered profuse apologies, to 48d2fdc6e6 which Skyle replied with 9cd959c8f7 that same indifferent expression.1229026449d47a54

But Edith could easily 7478a98721 guess, he’d likely moved f94bc9d55e up tasks he could 439d850117 have done tomorrow.55c8b45ec133e49d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘Maybe I’ve grown too 145255baba comfortable around him.’4ea9ea211ef5fe4a

That had 8caafffd28 to be 1fa85d21eb the reason. Otherwise, she would 8f123ab5aa never have slept 6ce77dc07f so soundly at f2b265a13e someone else’s workplace.5e88116d4e78d118

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She’d never dozed 2168bedc82 off at her b11460f884 own desk before, 317ad934a5 yet here she 86bb97ff64 was, out like de0168a518 a light in b5fbe88aca his office!a3a81d168d526604

Her face 5cf64f601c flushed at 7129023603 the memory, b8dd595ce9 and just 45cd7484e4 then, she 8496595288 felt the fb33434ccd carriage wheels 6cc910b5b8 come to 808c8b3570 a halt. The jolt efd1ed9bf4 pulled her df55028180 from her 7e4b50045f thoughts.27b5d6aee1f379ad

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“We’ve arrived, madam. Shall I return 3fd043eb44 here to fetch c08e1b6084 you later?”ea66d549a4769d2f

“Yes! I’ll come back 0e46baec6c when the clock 3a0d8452bc tower chimes.”a53a2d728db13e36

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Understood.”4a2a8e1baa61be81

The carriage stopped at 0c3a09efa6 the square in front 6f4d37cf41 of the imperial palace 1ff74c468e and departed after letting 8ad4d23f74 her down.ea6e010236dec0ab

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Pretending to 7eddce7526 admire the 5ef7dd59e7 towering clock, 7745868e85 Edith stalled 5e4c3d0c65 for a f93113f003 moment before eb77ee6787 finally turning 2733abc399 away from b4853cde7f the shopping 9baf310219 street and a31ca44deb heading in a20cb3d0db the opposite f21362209b direction.fcc0fc815f560330

She’d told the e17e3f48a8 steward, Bill, that 8ea871788f she was going 710057b386 to meet a 4694eaf0ff friend. But in truth, 89db2719d5 her outing today de708f0c5d had a different 336aa573f4 purpose. She walked down the 7fb06f3414 street and hailed a 76b7cc2589 small carriage.a7a96ed1d0f27dfc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Could you take 4d6a20f2cf me to the d2e3b308f8 Heraldic Bureau, please?”cb2f7c1dda7f614b

Her destination 8a1b3f6871 was the e60b3ace95 Heraldry Hall, 8c37e140af one of f364976373 the departments 13c9af0c99 of the 515403dfed noble assembly. Today, Edith 1e0067d96e had made 47813fe9df up her e996265dbc mind: she 964c01dceb was going ba791680fe to learn 8f6ec8614a more about 11e5775737 Christian.31dcc243858f8d80

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It wasn’t 5627bab153 that the 67f91cf0dd thought hadn’t db946f9ff6 occurred to 820073d1bb her before. But she b68c33259d needed time 95a37c328d to adjust 9d8c090d91 to her 42e90632c6 new role 004c210d27 as duchess, ab5d4558f6 and she 1c5c9177c2 had hoped 3d2a4e0fab that, in 64f7eeb7a4 time, everything efd764fadc would come 7858d008c4 to light 18382ebe07 on its 98e68a5acc own.92f1de949827fcde

There was also the 04c734f7ed awkwardness of being a 8a24c1fdba newlywed duchess asking around fc70309afa about her husband’s past, 0d0c73de06 especially when that husband f8d3d94e8e was the Duke of b69bef0581 Devion.49553eb8cfb16741

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

And yet, 06e9eabfaf people didn’t b152c818d0 speak much bed49230bb of Skyle’s 9033e57169 past. It didn’t feel like 8314f35150 reverence toward a war 6ecea0cd63 hero but more like d27677e238 a fear of even 406a2ea5d4 mentioning it.6454aedf122740bd

‘Could it be because 4872b1177e he’s associated with demons?’6d9cf0e215d1f447

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was just a 0dfd76aaef vague hunch, but not 4502f8ff2a entirely impossible. People here were df3862036b deathly afraid of 6277ad50fa demons.ce38bc9eea50e8b7

And so, Edith 2f246a36d3 had chosen to 3d5b30a067 search on her 8872eeb4d4 own. Ignorance wasn’t a crime—but d75fbefcfe unknowingly hurting someone because 635f899ee6 of it was something 87e0988e45 she never wanted to aa20c29d7f do again.7820957927bb2910

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

 5dc3b2b0296af56e

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───53e2b471889c2325

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

[❤️ Golden Child Treasure Chest ❤️]

🤍 Christian Emmett Molt 17ec93d91aba139e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───46fe7339a2ed6bb2

 336bd7706f6d157f

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Besides, Christian’s a7c2b4209a name was 4a3589eb00 right there 5808d93fcf in the 51b6b0ff42 treasure box, e59bba0a94 and that 403ce329fc alone weighed fef6e35c2c on her 4b443a53b8 mind. It wasn’t about d4e3b173c0 filling in the 92b5302149 stars anymore. She was genuinely 67edac4326 concerned about the e4133b59bb child.354457ad96af5cc6

She also 34f76ed1e7 couldn’t brush 6e4c3920b8 off what 951a6de2d8 Skyle had 0c1f7a8b44 said, that edf5c8f709 Christian might 5ddcbd71a0 be resenting ee9ec6c0c1 him.f7c5333f5ead4dda

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish