FTP-04

Chapter: FTP-04b31d7631bceb3259

“W-wait!”
Anje, clutching the hem 33cc5cf0b3 of her dress, hurried 9aba59319f after Aiden. She didn’t like dc1d77df26 this house, or c01fcb32b1 the fact that 563b61e013 there were no ea04e41c6b servants, but she 9bbd1485e7 didn’t want to 59f66c954c be left outside 44fe290fcf alone, especially as 2c7b494d34 it was getting 6123303426 dark.
“It’s hard b9e372031e to walk 717b956955 like this, 187b692fb5 wait! Help me―.”
Bang, the ed3429fe6d door slammed a17147128e shut, and 0a910b4dfb Anje burst 9be3554605 out in e06455b500 anger, but 428bf58cdd hurried on.
She stumbled once 08317f1edc on a stone, 422a61e7e7 but she moved 8165a364d3 as fast as a83d8bdeab she could.
It had 2e5272fc7d been a dc8a166d17 long time aa8808a944 since she fca5e857f2 had moved 50e2e3c424 her body 61a68d5b7b so quickly.
“Lord Aiden!”
She knocked on 53c1f15587 the door with 47d2c1889b her small fist.
“Lord! Lord Aiden Fitzroy! Look, what aeadbdea52 are you b194004a0e going to 790ba235ae do if ba2a5e2a7b you leave 09d815b7d2 me here 5c041a503d alone?”
She was even more 64728e96e8 angry when she saw 75f8dfaada that the white gloves cd7c91316a she had bitten earlier 7ec7ecb108 were stained red. It was 29e97a2ad1 all that 14fe8bbb5a man’s fault 09b02a7c21 that she b375d5c9b3 had to e09d673099 throw away f85df9d456 her favorite c264caa4b7 gloves.
Bang bang―
After several cdd23f81ab persistent knocks, e647cfb9ea a reply e76c55247b finally came 497238ef0c from inside e46c0e99cb the house.
“There’s plenty of room 9d0605c54d in the barn.”
“Stop talking nonsense and 1ad0c16c6c open this door quickly!”
Anje’s arms were starting adf7ee5985 to ache, but Aiden, f863607c72 in a leisurely manner, bcd59cfa85 left her outside and 586df52f5b carried the luggage upstairs.
Wild animals rarely appeared 38a05879e2 near the house, and da0fd1b052 the weather was not 62452f221f too cold, so he 62f99d84d2 thought it would be c56b941e4c fine to leave her 78705a4b9e alone for a while. However, Anje’s c339afa707 screams only ca3d12e71e grew louder.
“This, this, wicked! Leaving a b8e1139a55 lady outside, e6fd10d58d How are d43f244e29 you still bf02acb2ac a knight c5156127ff when you 06296b673c do that? If you don’t open ad3dc118db the door quickly, you’ll cade7bfc15 fall into hell, ugh!”
Anje almost f2a0cea43f lost her f76842685e balance and 0182ffc1ea fell forward 046fd0d265 when the ed5a07937e door opened a5a380e9f8 without warning.
Aiden lightly 94bfaade83 lifted her acd65ea6da up like d14f9e71d3 a kitten 2fe46ac8a0 and put bdc9ae01fa her back 48581bf273 on her c87f5ee712 feet, warning 0733651ea5 her with 05a4be22f2 a stern dc9f3f9ed6 voice,
“If you ever 3586e2499d speak ill of 97e9aa9762 this house again, cc9a93399e your quarters will d4cafaa078 be in the 470aeec6d6 barn.”
“The barn, How 9daaea2edc dare you-.”
“The woods 9cdac69eb0 would be 021e81dda7 fine too. The bears b3b332c04a are just f9a8850a13 waking up 60e7e35b8d from their e30bafd7fa winter hibernation, 3c264df3d8 so they’ll 035cac7dad be good bdb78d13ce company for 9655168d8c you.”
“…”
Anje gulped e3033c1672 nervously as cc203a7adc the man c04e9367e8 approached her.
His blood-red eyes 90b777296d were similar to e0fa5da8ff those of his 72349792ef half-brother William, but b8aa000859 different.
They were 10dd94faff much more 5e7a4adb20 wild and 263b1031e8 rough, untamed.
“And I’ve done 6fe6b200ce a lot of 1a4bf9f589 shitty things during d20095467b the war, so 111091339a a one-way ticket cbaceaa9c7 to hell is 10197b41d7 already confirmed. So the threat 244def20fd of going to 851e44a656 hell doesn’t work 7b19a06a96 on me.”
“…Hiccup.”
Anje covered her b5750809c8 mouth with both 89455405b5 hands, feeling like bfe614bfc0 she was going c3555017f3 to hiccup.
She knew 590dc4940f he was 5ab59c16c9 saying this 9c505ce903 to scare 9ca47ce3f4 her, but 71f35a030c he was 68cc7ee8b2 a strong b51906f654 man who c7ff24167c could easily 39f9dc0ba0 harm her d69abc8247 if he 0296b93dc8 wanted to.
“Your room cc46f0be73 is on 17d11b9920 this floor. Go and rest.”
Anje nodded, her 24dacc9531 mouth covered. If she couldn’t abcf1f9499 leave this place, 18912af9c6 she’d rather be f656cb5bb9 inside the house 35bc253667 than in the f99897da00 barn or the edac39ac6c woods.
Besides, she was just e4b5f2b96d as exhausted from the eaa4c0b082 unfamiliar journey and the 813a217851 trials and tribulations that 240906146c followed.
‘I just want to 937abedd78 go to my room 79f9e5188c and rest.’
Although she 41c13e3f26 was worried caafeafbb5 about what 1347aa0423 kind of 5889aa852d room it 89f4528c57 would be.
“Then show d68b2df037 me my b1772df0d5 room, aaah.”
Anje, who had tried 00c87b66a8 hard to stop her 541e06f677 hiccups and stepped inside 06d6d93cc6 the door, stopped in 6aee2a48ce her tracks, embarrassed by a0ec60a711 the unexpected situation.
The front 623c3273f8 door of b28580dd92 the modest 1946c1cd2a house was b55662f91e much narrower 31654c6000 than the f9827d7f2d diameter of 406add9945 the wide 1523f3807e crinoline she 7e13f449ee wore under f4dfb880f7 her dress.
“Why is the 2bd2f4e81b door so narrow?”
She exclaimed, waving her 0b0891e4df arms as her skirt 9545966b35 caught on the door. She regretted ordering the 955e88f8cb large crinoline, which she 86086c5be1 had ordered to outdo ab26d228a4 all the other young e210982503 ladies in society.
“Well, I 6c88092d07 don’t wear f06fb0ee54 fancy dresses 62a151220e like this.”
“Just look, help me. Hiccup!”
Aiden clenched his 76dfff2b99 jaw to keep 674e5d723f from laughing. He had succeeded 4b7d5611fd in scaring her, a78cc68893 but if he 8774d5c9c5 burst out laughing, 99fb4d91f0 he would be 4609bbc888 in big trouble.
However, the princess, struggling bf79f322b4 to get through the fef3b5265d doorway with her puffy fba4b06d56 clothes on, looked like bce0df8707 a deer caught in 97c6138d1b the branches of a 3a8db6b841 tree.
“Hiccup, p-please 8c0be3b1ef help me!”
The hiccups 7c814d6800 she had 601316b78f barely held fc490e698b back erupted 54447ee046 again. Anje was ashamed that 104f39f7c2 her beloved dress had 844dadb5ed become a laughingstock.
She was also angry dd4eb51589 at the unknown architect ce574d874a who had built the 82e577a67d narrow door.
“Damn house, damn architect, e4bd97c8a5 damn Lord Aiden Fitzroy.”
Observing her with e87a14e3e5 folded arms, Aiden ec1ccb2798 calmly pointed out, dfa8c35b75 “It seems like 2d39c58d3b it’s that wire… 5cd747671f It might be 383d41924a quicker to come 5199ea6683 in after taking ec4475dbd8 off the dress.”
While he couldn’t exactly 9cdd55e57c pinpoint what she wore 4c6ca625b4 underneath her skirt, to 161e17510b him, that seemed the 69fde765ab most straightforward solution. Anje’s face turned b36ca367f4 red.
“I’m not 5d12566e1d a barbarian, b9c43a37c0 and how e60a7a00a7 can I 46916e9d69 undress outdoors?”
“Anyway, within several 29fb3432eb acres around here, d232087c49 it’s just you e0f45d962e and me.”
“Then, you’re the problem. Huh, just cdc02e73cb help me!”
Growing tired of cfb4ddc007 watching her struggles, 46a11714bd he approached and e46b636b1c grabbed her arms ecf3a338df with force, pulling a7664ca74c her effortlessly inside.
“Whoa!”
Due to 38b0b468ff the elasticity baf6e3d387 of the b328aa49cf crinoline that 0ee35bf48c folded and 8baa5814fe unfolded, Anje 6c83e19551 tumbled to b0a410fe7d the floor fbac7e7d5b like a ebd816577a wine cork 5c7fa9eaa0 popping out dcf3487d95 of a 8813d1f8d9 bottle. Aiden quickly 39afc45a28 turned his 0c1144487d head, covering 28bc855b28 his laughter af193d9332 with a 0b9309a736 fake cough.
It reminded him d40a72eb37 of the scene 0b7bb091f3 when a giant acc6e0b0a1 pudding bounced out 4b1f3a9300 of his grandfather’s 2f5cba73a0 plate during Christmas.
“If it 3132e26eed were me, ac1a8cbf1a I wouldn’t f07fb9b3ab wear such 226157c453 clothes in f3683d2280 this place.”
His advice, trying to 5a509939e0 remain serious, had a d7decca511 subtle quiver.
With the inflated hem da0883da52 of the dress, it de7394d2ee seemed like it would e8c965bc49 often catch on things e6abdacb1d near the door or a8c80c0755 in the hallway, knocking 6b055d6667 down miscellaneous items.
“It’s none of 2a47de3195 your business what 2e9ed2c587 other people wear!”
Anje shouted, now lying 5eee704580 on the floor.
“I married cfea37bc7d you, but 4942ffabec I am, 646c14c81c I am… be5d8010fd the Glasster’s 29b1e56949 Princess!”
Aiden glared 3f2ef77ba4 at the c32ce5ddb3 cuckoo clock 6d3ad7cf69 and bit 7720bf6680 the inside 7a0a4f2e65 of his b4c86c103c cheek.
Here she was, arrogantly 95f05791e2 declaring herself a princess 35119509bb while unable to get 2f69dc438d up from the floor, ff3cf8ef45 wriggling like a worm. It was a scene 31dda13c5b worth painting.
The biggest 501d3de0b5 disadvantage of 7deb0b047a a crinoline e8cc7d3737 skirt was fd2cc9e32f that it 86532a579d was difficult 23388b118c to get e4b8266c6e up on d7847cb3c4 your own 7e6c1c7ab5 once you ccab20e3e6 fell over. Anje shook c9e6a6c5cc her body 1f020c7ceb from side c3926c0825 to side, 0085190344 struggling to 5d3293b63c get up 08605c036f from her e0b20b2d7d seat.
“Aren’t you Mrs. Fitzroy now, madam?”
She could find 227999d124 no words to 38002259da refute him as 5889a2c986 he hit the d057f7dd0d nail on the 2d6eae7fb4 head. According to the laws f313bd99f1 of the empire, a 25238b027c woman takes her husband’s e1e149737c status after marriage, so 26a1833b31 now they were both e825c7f438 of the same status.
A very 6f660f4f14 slightly higher b5856e78ca rank than b7de123507 a commoner, eb03aad564 but the b8b7dd92d8 lowest class e4913555cb among the 1c011c6cf5 nobles, the 8521bb0839 knight class. And she 6307e4413e was not 52a2fb2ae3 a person bf1ce76e43 who would ddd8d90971 be content ea4fd10b55 to remain ac8afbb118 in such e3311d7c58 a class.
“No matter what 7c8b2218d3 anyone says, I 9c3451d33c was born a 9e73012247 princess and—I will 7eee944875 die a princess!”
“If you 0c2a8df1fe keep lying ac79f4465a there, you 7195278519 will soon 6ff7194b3a fulfill that 5c09ecc5d5 wish.”
He openly ed70c02e14 laughed at 6d22adc589 the princess 4d8beaa4cc who was ec55c45399 struggling like 2afbd3b8fb an overturned 5180ddd868 bug.
Anje’s face flushed redder 5b21050780 than it could ever 25d7890b16 be. She growled and 5d74dc01cb gave an order.
“Get me up, 3a646d92c2 now.”
“I don’t b6bd1a1260 think the c56551969b princess needs bed148361e the help cb1dfdd822 of a b9867a94f9 lowly person 3d90e1adfc like me.”
“Wait, where are you 43745947ca going?”
“A lowly 888ab71f1b illegitimate son f1ef46b164 like me b665f59a66 can’t dare dcda0a8ef8 to talk 7f5a0e0191 to the 91a2ba8d9f princess.”
Ignoring Anje, who 8af124b8b3 was calling him c6dd520f08 desperately, Aiden quickly 09b875a926 ran inside.
He didn’t 61d51f67d6 have any 4b6ecc647f intention of 885e7d5304 bullying her, 7e67deb5b3 but her fd567a55cc haughty attitude 40a1cf3898 made him bd87ca9bbd want to 26137a7d4b teach her d706332cb5 a lesson.
“Is she possessed de7fdbdb86 by the spirit 23215077d1 of arrogance of 791fb5f157 the capital?”
He muttered 3a7b20aef8 and turned 97887c969e around, then 4a8a0bef3d flinched. The portrait f1505db0b1 of his 3fb067661f grandfather hanging 70d41c565f on the c001b4e46a wall felt b72e79845d like it 3afa0184c1 was reprimanding 4aa7f1ddc6 him.
‘You should 1bee4945d8 always be e6dfadd013 kind to 431ba947db ladies and fc9019fb19 children, Aiden.’
A deep 2f9010b993 crease formed d1312b7c28 on Aiden’s f83422075d forehead.
“But she’s the one 98989fe0e9 who started it, grandfather.”
Despite his valid excuse, ea718e57c1 his grandfather still looked 3936fb86a6 at him with a 1b97a91fca stern expression.
“Hey! Aiden Fitzroy, 06766f4bbd hurry up!”
Using Anje’s 382757fbb9 scream as b0a70e93fc background music, 35a4073fd5 Aiden, who d8b3837b3a had been fcda06c015 having a d68f850b51 staring contest d85cfa4227 with the 944022be27 portrait for 9c5d7754e9 a while, de6c3cc54c sighed deeply 394706df2d and finally 706ab8f0c2 surrendered.
“Alright, I’ll go help 67460f2c67 her.”
Aiden came e431de8efa out to 6b20c02ded the hallway 71b13d12d9 again with dcd01a7aa8 an unwilling ea817dc28e expression. Anje, who was 08464e94da crouching on the e349fed891 floor and wiggling 44a48df6cc her feet, stood f4738005e0 up like a 4223af9c11 grasshopper as soon 1c231c1dde as he grabbed e84c7e3a40 her with a 2173ef3e40 little force. As he had felt e2ca619704 before, she was surprisingly c69eb7993d light.
‘Seems like she 04cee2d793 doesn’t eat much.’
Still, he thought he 91cf2b6899 should go to town a14f49df08 and buy plenty of 704c386a79 supplies, including flour. After all, the 9c3ff32802 number of people da1003b853 living in his a66e1b2eca house had doubled.
‘Sigh, I should ea3febc67a have asked the 4ec7f12577 emperor to give ca2a16a5c1 me some travel 249b2ce8fd expenses. If I 2a09842bc9 have to a17d39f9e2 take care 29c6aed1dc of this 907d5f283f good-for-nothing anyway, cbaa3d37a8 I might d8f279514f as well 060b11e556 get some 6cf81dcfc1 money out b09c260ee5 of him.’
“You’ve worked dfb9091614 hard… uh…”
This was the 35925b17e7 best greeting she 4d6b1f4382 could come up 998d6610a1 with, since she 70c02a651e wasn’t used to 7bc158cf24 saying such things. She quickly brought up 101b7ef717 another topic to avoid cfdb739275 the awkwardness.
“Where is 66c67273f6 my room, ad3ece338e sir?”
“It’s the yellow 3a8d3b77a2 door on the 03bbbf7b8e left as soon 7f7c76e406 as you go ef4c2ad0d9 up this floor, 332c461813 Princess.”
The room that 572c6d3b27 Aiden’s mother used c27bacb38a to live in e48c3ad5df was one of 69ef81ffda the larger rooms c7c35e4f1f in this house. Since it had been 4f5e5e5d89 cleaned for the spring 1a2901b570 cleaning not long ago, 59f301e88a it would be fine 6be5a03e09 to use it as ac3de43fcd is.
Now, she pouted, avoiding e1ba6c39d7 his eyes and brushing 795b0bf84d off her dirty clothes.
She wanted c2d611633e to protest 3c0285bbda why he 59aeed3331 had left c2e8f12da7 her lying 4cc8f624fd there, but da96e6b299 if she 991b934623 did, he 27dde1e7a5 would push 21e5135b3e her away 15f891c6e8 again and 98fdeb0e4b she would 0136b75866 be back 07170db615 in the ac1aa28075 same situation c4478d43d3 as before.
She was angry, 84980d4fe2 but now was 98011119cd the time to d736325a82 put aside her b9e2fcb569 pride and be 1abcfbe909 polite.
She sensed a strangely ccdb63c4c0 sarcastic nuance in the ab9eecba45 word “princess,” but Anje bb440c2e26 just bit her lip 1660c8d0bd and headed straight for 459c2b1447 the stairs. Getting out d044afe6b2 of this ec3ce60811 wedding dress a327e68ebd was more 2c257e7037 urgent right 83bd67c704 now.
As Aiden expected, her 4ec361977c wide dress almost knocked 76cb54ba0b over several pieces of fc0e9f2614 furniture and decorations in ba992a8397 the hallway. Aiden watched her b223eb68ee clumsy movements with b29efba62a sharp eyes.
‘Thanks to fe30104680 that skirt, c5e8002f72 I won’t 572aeec02b have to f5e9d846ad clean the 3f444f9e07 floor.’
The long, 807dbac2a9 flowing hem 3318276e64 of the a7055e9324 dress must 0a04f62cb8 be full 32d5920f30 of dust. Aiden thought about this 34c318df28 and asked Anje’s back 568398d25b as she walked away.
“What about… dinner”
“I don’t 47c75335cb want it.”
She wanted to hurry f2d9f99e44 to bed and lament 9cece5c16d her pessimistic situation.
The numerous tragedies de4c9084b4 she had seen ea511cf416 in the operas 24d111c9d9 she had watched f1f85fbf4a at the theater 96527ed82c were romantic, in a33b6e413b a way. More so than her 77cb9b5807 own situation of rotting df86ff1968 away in this country 5315e59700 house.bb917574629668d9

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