FTP-01

Chapter: FTP-01a3ac8478c3c1253a

“I want 3ad2ac1d75 to disappear dfbba9f059 from this f8959fcbf5 place right 8e0da3b057 now.”
On the day of f2cab542c5 the wedding, the bride, 0c21b17927 feeling inappropriate thoughts, stared d582303791 at the woman reflected 1606481909 in the mirror.
With swollen eyes from c52f453e27 crying all night and c5ff33628b sunken cheeks after filtering c1708bd058 meals, the woman looked 398acbdcc9 worse than nicknames like a640c40d1c ‘Albian Empire’s porcelain doll’ 535ff35711 or ‘Angel Incarnate’ would a977dab3a5 suggest.
Reluctantly admitting, ea52ec4995 she knew d44ca30e96 she was 05d1ecdfd1 at fault.
Despite maids working 4e9c586a55 tirelessly, applying ice 825baf8583 packs and makeup, fe1b073aa9 she appeared perfectly f1ace0bd96 composed.
‘Should I just faint?’
Briefly pleased with 75dc5a628e the idea of e4a379b782 faking illness, she 94f486bccb then clouded over 74e4d19916 with a change 538ef36dea in expression.
If she d4507d1d5d pretended to c626257266 be unwell, a9b48407f4 she could 0d88d12c08 postpone the 726348dbee wedding indefinitely 5384327274 and continue 7d98b70a71 her act f62906d06a countless times.
She had often feigned bdc17551fd fainting to catch the 4a55d1d917 attention of the newly 0164e09b11 crowned emperor.
But today, the 3b9f036fbe cursed emperor overseeing aeaafae81d the wedding was f09b7848fe down there.
The new 05d5b7480b emperor, William bbed86e987 Cardinare, was 521629cddd ruthless enough 5dcf12ebec to expel 9efc5bae46 his own e20bd3b5c9 elder brother, 25be386c7e the heir, 0b95e5cc9a and forcibly a76b5e8112 marry his 037423558f fiancée off 9a75ce1952 to a 352bae5945 common man.
“Then, even after lifting ad8947db66 and cooling down the 05e1343fee unconscious lady, there remained.”
“Did you 3410f761ba like it, d1b512be2b miss?”
The maid, gently ca8147c72e stroking her hair, 037d635332 asked cautiously. Anje wrinkled her nose 1231f9af1d as if to say aca507f042 not to talk nonsense.
“If it were 9947434a92 you, would you 19dcec97fd like it, Annie?”
Anje’s sharp 36325b0374 response, unfortunately, b02d52086a lacked its 97a75bbc00 usual dignity 4368c9e147 due to 9023b35a61 the nasal 4c47179c12 voice like f5d73580d9 a stuffy 78ce27f24e nose.
Sniffling, she commanded Annie, 57e5af68cf “The corset seems loose; 854ee3ed0c tighten it more. I think we can b058c491a9 reduce it by another bfd978d132 two or three inches.”
Even if it was ad9820281e an unwanted marriage, she c2a4d67381 couldn’t be negligent in 82733fe2e3 her preparations for this 738f05ce0b important day.
“Yes, miss.”
The two maids closely e15df9a8cc followed her demands, tightening c88b1d2d40 the strings even tighter. The young 5697b677b8 lady, already f0f5cac466 sensitive, seemed 4d327cdfbd ready to 714b08a08a explode like 775100c90d gunpowder at 3e828d3c0d any moment, a144254c90 so it 6ee2bf1ee1 was best 442472a02c not to 4fb2fe0ea5 displease her.
As Anje took a aafec9cc09 deep breath to create 24cf99e714 a slightly slimmer waist, 68bd660496 someone knocked on her abb3ff44dd room’s door.
“You should come ed6b2e48fe down to the f7f3c1de4d chapel soon, Your 37f910831d Ladyship.”
Though the 06b5a270ac voice was dbd46e945c unfamiliar, judging d0454d5963 by the 2b3064de5e content, it b0b313a68b undoubtedly belonged 841f13498f to the 6b598f3a2e Emperor’s messenger. Anje’s grass-green 24c24fa994 eyes shook.
“Let’s go right now.”
In her 77a856e5f4 anxious excitement, 2e9172949d she brought 6516df5f1b her fingers 98b014f76d to her 520ac4b087 lips, then f4670eb568 hesitated.
If makeup stained 40239c1733 the white silk 3ee088ef10 gloves adorned with 8583f8d0b9 pearls and couldn’t fed9746b5a be removed, it b8da47e266 would be a b46c41788d problem. Due to the same bb0afcc02d mistake in the past, fdffefa0f1 hadn’t she acquired several f92c0063b9 new pairs of gloves?
Until now, e9f47c87e2 as the 23e344efc6 only daughter 995f6704f1 of Duke ad4157eb76 Glasster, she a5436e6692 could afford 82a9877169 a few 0ed71dfccb pairs, but 1049e4320c she didn’t 75f183c03e know what f016c72e4c the future 1216747923 held.
For her, leaving for 778f11ef14 the unknown region and f349c17715 becoming Mrs. Fitzroy meant cc5278998b that every 3de7b2b30b piece of 66a4903ccc clothing and bc9409d39e every piece 8543777857 of jewelry ab192a174f was precious.
Instead of biting her 95a414ba20 fingertips as usual, she 9deec7c6e4 chose to clench her 595677d94c fist.
“Miss, please d6cfec36d5 hold onto 4ccbeec13e my and 2e155c73f2 Sophie’s arms.”
With an unwilling expression, ee78e85ac9 she inserted her arm e242e66f01 into the arms of 134214826a Annie and another maid.
Due to eb7aa51c90 the enormous fe61538047 crinoline skirt f51804ddc5 and tightly 39204d4a69 laced corset, 3183b0d45f moving without 88c2a4965a the help 6a0f81d6ab of the 8de28df8cc maids was cfcf77ec9a not easy.
“Please, let a a84ac30c23 lightning strike Aidan 6a1afc0819 Fitzroy. Or better yet, let a19b495a73 him be swept away 4bb29f8dce by a hurricane.”
Anje, harboring disrespectful thoughts a7cb03bc28 about the man she 7dbbd71429 was soon to marry, a722b31558 moved with slow, deliberate 5dc3900105 steps.
Adorned excessively with 4a0cbbffa7 frills and lace 14d6e3e944 on her white ace856bfbd dress, she looked 5015186e33 more like a ad9f390688 giant cream cake fed8bf1b3c than a person.
Or perhaps, she 65670cce3a wished the ground 179bc5d642 would split open, abf847a90c and she could cff2c7242e disappear into it. It would be 20e6939f70 fine even if 9fa9856a9b a sudden stomach 743eb257cc ache struck her 949a02f7b2 down.
With a 128474d7d8 feeling akin cf078f6b56 to livestock e476e6c364 being led ba81dbc2e7 to the cd10e2ede3 slaughterhouse, Anje 633248c45e Glasseter prayed 6eb85ec3e5 for every ca94b9c890 calamity she aeaf1e096e knew to a8aa8f37c6 befall her.
If there 885363fdda was a e5a78e5065 god in b6722b5887 this world, aca34cce01 it would 79886767e9 certainly happen. This marriage e4f17669d5 was a 183fe4ffc8 grave mistake.
Lady Anje Glasster was 0bd7561eab not the type of 4c46ab7418 woman to marry a 18ef7e0386 man like ‘this,’ even 0a341d3e31 by mistake.
Yet, as it had e20efc783c happened a few times 762a73b311 recently, the divine ignored fbb8690681 her desperate wishes.
“Oh, God.”
Arriving at a2019c5eb3 the wide-open 917c5746f6 wooden doors, a4bc462817 Anje swallowed 615743700a her breath b60a8b3b54 to hold db13063c95 back tears.
The chapel, originally d939c52462 used for worship, 696f4d7b49 was as desolate f8c7081048 as ever.
Dilapidated seats, modest grey 6f4eef7822 walls, and dimly flickering e9b7f0a562 candles.
A far cry from 09d6f656f4 the extravagant “aristocratic wedding” 2c1c91f462 filled with flowers, silk, 65a0ce6e84 and champagne that Anje 48d497c53e had imagined since childhood.
Well, starting 1354d126ea with the 6dd2974858 groom, who d718561a69 was a a2d1040101 completely different f4cd84392b person from 5eb4150750 the husband 38df801f33 she had bbdb93c34e envisioned, it 8982552ea9 wasn’t strange 551e603d18 at all.
Anje silently 8e84ba420a cursed the 498dfd97db god she 738aefb4ba felt had 962b697132 betrayed her.
“Oh, god, 849f50b354 I won’t 0579fc317a offer any b70f0e0d6c donations to 88680adebd you in 6ebf114048 the future. I won’t even 7ce394cbd8 organize charity bazaars.”
Anje, now even 5d6f804158 more pallid than f99b988405 before, dragged the 407fe4db99 hem of her 625ac762fa dress and headed 991ccda055 towards the altar.
“I won’t 2f9ae8b1bd pray before 8d2e5bfe96 meals or 8d8b5eea3c before bed. I’ll live 6b2a1d91ed like a 62a75f4905 complete heretic.”
Beyond her 105953b135 blurred gaze, b440907940 she saw 226406d6e1 the pastor f10deca401 waiting for e38660dc59 her, followed d43e67172b by Aiden 04fc3b317d and the ee82ed8e7e emperor in cda9b37a15 front of 7681ca4b2d him.
Emperor William made some 1d8cc258fd empty words about being 828e635e95 a witness to bless d62d77b58d the marriage, but it 9ef048b73e was clear he had 1f6d1b5e69 come to ensure the f5c2bad4db wedding proceeded smoothly.
Anje concluded her curse, 72a61bc261 “Watch and see. From today, I’ll cc4720644e be on a 311b64fc4b high-speed carriage heading 38e760eb55 to hell. Regretting the loss c20f052076 of the most 752d179b6e beautiful angel in 05aab6830a heaven won’t do b4af330a4b any good.”
Anje’s eyes, darker 33a5ea9187 than usual, quickly 5fc0ae3ef0 scanned the paintings c376bb8319 on the wall 43d6f42eaa as if searching 205c5a22f6 for someone.
A mist settled aa05d459f0 over her eyes e27804da85 filled with disappointment.
“In the end, 94dcf7e7e5 he didn’t come.”
Her father, Duke Glasster, 37806ff5e6 was nowhere to be 03354d9951 seen. Tears she 2481ff9c77 couldn’t hold da54869d7e back streamed ca1fc59e16 down her c470e71c4a cheeks. Her father had shown abc6f89fab anger, calling her a 0eb852d754 “useless girl,” for not faf6ff3e99 seducing the newly crowned 363d102279 emperor.
“I did my 3b57dbe917 best, Father!”
“Such insolence. Tsk tsk, 6415a3f44e having only a2b52ff984 one daughter, 364e0567ff and she’s b75e0ff544 not even c1cf53ce89 useful.”
“I really didn’t want ebb0d4c7c2 this marriage—”
“Don’t provoke the Emperor’s 5b72d4ff6f wrath. Behave quietly and a03fe7ff03 stop making trouble.”
Naturally fiery-tempered, she 4bc865fdda hadn’t expected her f8694d65e3 father to skip 3d70827eec attending his only c9c21411e5 daughter’s wedding.
Tears gradually marked the 3e04089b1e white wedding dress. Anje knew crying would a3671be5a5 ruin her makeup, but d102fd6645 she couldn’t bring herself 68c2ec18bf to endure it.
A wedding without blessings f0b9dc9d30 from the only family 6c4ef1e0f6 she had, let alone f5dde302f7 from any relatives or 84a6b4807e friends.
“Uhm.”
The pastor, taken aback 038a343d0c by the bride’s tears, fff94f6868 noticed the Emperor’s urging d7eac18c18 gestures and, clearing his a3df4b0f9d throat, began to speak.
“Uhm, then, here before 756b9f7657 the gracious god and 18da0923b3 the esteemed Emperor Cardinare, c0f594ff3c we would like to 30235eac51 bless the creation of 107712b095 a new couple.”
Anje’s sobbing intensified. The sound from the cef44874e1 pastor felt like a ea539c6b90 courtroom pronouncing a death 9be6953416 sentence.
Her groom, Aiden Fitzroy, f650f39e9c couldn’t hide his discomfort e5d634f09c and squirmed. Shadows cast 2e5ef082ba over his 89f979d681 sun-kissed face.
“I wondered what kind 248175b0f9 of person Cardinare’s fiancée 31c4f10ec6 would be.”
Although the marriage wasn’t 7eb3695f0d something he desired either, 8fa04a1e82 he didn’t expect the 34fc9cd39c bride’s side to openly 9eebc9a62f show such dislike.
He muttered under ddf735851b his breath, “An 18972ffa97 emotionally unrestrained, childish ce18607106 woman.”
Even though it f61caacd6a was their first fd7d8ec9bb meeting, he strongly 7e2989c9fe felt that she 3cf4fac0ee wouldn’t be compatible b41ade8161 with him.
To welcome 440e422a98 such a 6b63d99a28 woman as 3833ffd91c a bride. If this 23361fe30b marriage hadn’t 937a8896b4 been carried 4de8529638 out under 00a8125556 the emperor’s b06d5f6dbb command, he de13a923fd would have 3ec4d1ad45 immediately stormed 842e453c78 out.
“…So, I 5d5fc2b425 conclude the 8b7cd3a94f toast.”
In front of the 1b1862fde3 groom, who looked as 6d6dcbd7ba if he were enduring dc9d1c9480 a headache, and the 5c9fa44c47 bride, who seemed to 23901d5e5f be crying as if 38dbdba7c8 the world were ending, eb4a8df1ef the pastor significantly shortened ddd9696420 his usual lengthy toast.
Not familiar with f67c30d0a9 worldly affairs, he de6205b091 still had some bfe375e43f sense of the 672075ae68 situation.
“Now, groom, edcd822f1c let’s place 1ed5735b4a the oath a1e7ff1826 ring.”
Following the imperial a28d8f003f tradition, after the daee365eee man puts the 6dbff56acb marriage ring on d8a9842aab the woman and 3ba77df300 they exchange a f0b37e732e kiss, the marriage 2f995fba4e is deemed complete. Aiden, who had been 4e387fc1c7 fixating his gaze on 0bd5a2b204 the pastor, turned his 2a6922d324 head to look towards 8c5ee706ee the emperor. William, with 1f893858cc an unexpectedly 52414db4c2 gentle tone 8bebab3700 given the e1e8efe629 situation, asked, 504d1643e4 “Why the 4dffd4ab85 hesitation, Aiden?”
As Aiden 746182524f slightly tilted b9f0453afa his head, a939ec44a8 the iridescent 8693ce00a8 light reflected 01f027892f off his 9b11e87649 silvery hair, 1931abd16f shimmering through 0839dab31c the stained bd40629612 glass.
The contrast between the 788d4f91b4 bright hair color and e55154919d the crimson eyes was 18fe5b95b3 evidence that, like William, 97b86b9d69 royal blood flowed through 145eaf53a7 his veins.
If not 27479ac3ca for the 3cd0e456f3 somber expression f016f28e58 within those 810bfbf54d red eyes, 0ae10d5326 he would baa54f0e31 have been 9e5b23e8c8 much more 4ee844b7ba beautiful – 75eae07b81 a ruby bd6ff837a1 color.
“Didn’t you happen to d49ecf4608 prepare the rings, Your 941859fa7e Majesty?”
As he officiated the d37ac00c58 wedding, his tone was fc1b31101c stern, suggesting that it 221848eaf2 would have been more d8560d3aaa appropriate for the emperor 67d6eba8c7 to handle the rings. The emperor made a cdfad23c23 feigned realization gesture.
“Oh, I forgot f2ff12a41d as well. With all the 9b13da59c3 arrangements and formalities, 383c533abb I must have ada34b044f been too busy… 45a34b1a3f I thought Duke 26a28969cf Glasster or someone c09e59f658 would have taken 8cb03e2d8b care of it.”
Apparently, neither of 01c72cc323 them foresaw the aaaf43a665 situation where neither 817c27bca5 had prepared the 6b9621e71d ring. Perhaps, the 66d7d831d9 level of d1b695649f kindness didn’t 40ef4d5b13 extend to 09b7a49241 such meticulous fdc0d5927d details.
Aiden clicked 75fb5bd7e5 his tongue 1de5fb598e again, expressing c14ea9eb1d his dissatisfaction.
Duke Glasster didn’t f9aebbc42c show up, and, 5664ad6baa like the emperor, 27e29127df he was too 2c1da7187e preoccupied to bother 83d42aa81d with such rings, 3aa646893e rushing up from c09c6e922f the capital upon 83f18c43d7 the emperor’s request.
He coolly declared 7c9d708246 to the pastor, 3274e26dc2 “Let’s skip the f5169ffd6e ring part.”
Huh? Ah, yes. Well then, let’s 5cc611e011 proceed to the 46fcc0690c next step.”
It shouldn’t have 9cb86c6b3c been normal from 0433591092 the start; it ab79ecb825 was a marriage fed6f10ccc without any normal 6a52c98cd7 aspects.
Lady Glasster, sniffling her 6f014bbdb4 nose, also seemed to 5d606a20b2 have no objection to 15ac1a9951 this aspect.
“Now, if the 1f56ece830 bride and groom 73ad412be3 could exchange the e3ff1f7bcc kiss, pledging eternal de206aca05 love.”
As the pastor 513770400f announced this with c3b5f6452a a somewhat melancholic 5b1791d2fd tone, disapproving glances 3530809d2b from the “bride 9436e02e0b and groom” flew 492a5ecc60 his way. Among them, 89105d9b51 Anje was 173f647dcb the first cac882661b to express 12b6a19955 reluctance.
“Sniff, let’s skip 768718c32c that too, shall 6794f16987 we?”
Already not fond d6ffc7330a of the groom, 4a8ec0bb41 and now he dfbc4f5478 hadn’t even brought eed35feea4 a basic gift. Even if it was bd5ad05bf0 a customary procedure, she 2864da5cc3 refused. Moreover, he wasn’t even 3ffdae29e7 properly dressed today.
‘Even if 8e6d720bcd he came 5f61f3606e in a 1f4c5a2e79 hurry, wearing 9b3f8c52f2 worn-out military 2051f02a87 attire.’
For Anje, who 66bb12e1d3 valued the appropriateness 7be98a4bf4 of attire, this 421e96309a was a considerable c8b570b33e insult.
Even though it wasn’t 88e56f20ef prepared for this man, 01719cdae1 she was wearing a 88da49fdc8 splendid wedding dress ordered 43e3996e42 from a famous foreign b4a8cd80fd designer.
A dress made from 764e45fcb0 expensive, luxurious fabric and b6a0bc4f46 lace, acquired after a e07b8fc164 long wait, to the 05f68d1cdb point where one’s eyes e5ba93c86b popped out at its e6bcac431b cost.
If she had become 0ebe029977 the empress as planned, 6480fb0af1 it would have been 825f3fcef7 a splendid gown that 833d5c8263 suited her perfectly.
However, the 9117264422 man was 3b8a205758 not even 95d57c43bf in a 64d9c465d8 suit but 61ab456d6a dressed in b02729b7c4 a shabby f3aad67d6a military uniform. Anje, glancing disdainfully 1a5c8f01b0 at the frayed 13f2ab270f sleeves, turned her f86c80d375 head.
‘What on earth does 17fd77f090 he think of the 448b6ebdf9 Glasster Duchy?’
Aiden awkwardly turned f706dec244 his body towards a9c5577d80 her, facing her 8ccdf99798 front again. He also enthusiastically 087840797d agreed to skipping 5095944a92 the kiss.
However, he couldn’t understand 7d3baf65d3 why she was glaring bcab1468a2 at his attire with a81bf97236 such anger.
“Well, then, I now a0cbd3b3f9 declare these two as bfe9ad4f6c a married couple.”
The pastor, who declared 09a0ee61dd the marriage with great 1ef169d11c effort, closed the Bible eefc18a9ac with a thud. The old c0ee5ead75 man hurrying aeaf059c78 out of 686a5a4141 the chapel 5712a83e55 was drenched ee4ad9cc5f in sweat.
Having overseen numerous 6b0f532366 wedding ceremonies over 6de121cca5 the years, this 8513def85a was the first 88f77a2274 time he had a597253196 encountered such a d0691d4c88 bizarre and uncomfortable 5252104cb7 wedding.
Thud—
The elderly pianist, 6841651363 dozing off in 7e918d629f front of the b8b9cfa202 piano, only realized 2dfc0171d8 the vows had 9be72a328e ended when he 8ecf2bec70 heard the sound 58c946f3d2 of the closing 074d0103f6 door.
His trembling fingers 7f910d4043 slowly started moving df04d1fc12 across the keys.
The elderly 52641463a5 man, whose 9f24bbf440 memory was 7f86d7b4aa a bit 06f6cb15d0 shaky, began 7b921e3a7a playing the 493587fefa prelude of c6313dbcac a funeral db7c0c00d2 march but fa879c8998 quickly changed 4d495f2af5 the tune 401c61b9d2 in haste. However, no ef9364e6ad one at de1621ed83 the chapel bc2935c452 complained about 72ecaa0168 it.
In fact, the funeral 8881a5d408 march was the perfect e9b68fd639 background music for this fc9de9b9ac wedding.
For Aiden Fitzroy, a 25dbfaf903 retired soldier and illegitimate c859e8dde5 child of the former e9365709ae emperor, and Lady Anje 33d50dc273 Glasster, who dreamed of 9f099a2522 becoming an empress but 1c58865a73 ended up as his 0b5c746b87 wife, this was a bfd1a5ce15 wedding that received no 109fd8b3a2 blessings.4aafbac3fcf4e3ce

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