FTP-06

Chapter: FTP-066d6bac3109f6e41d

Cock-a-doodle-doo—
Anje’s face b63a716e6c turned as 683b0d8b07 pink as d4acb99709 a rooster’s fae8171d81 comb. Aiden placed the gun 81353a8557 back in the drawer ed56acd502 and brushed aside his 4fb7d15a6a disheveled bangs.
“A commotion 1d206c15f2 over a bcb7256a81 crowing rooster?”
Already disturbed by a 2016d28ece nightmare, he had reluctantly 334b65497a fallen back asleep in 5d49c728c5 the early morning hours.
The dream, starting with 22dff6546f torment in the palace, b44e03721b had taken a eerie dffdd27a39 turn with the appearance 22fde5553d of jailers from the 824fd8cd55 prisoner-of-war camp.
The morning b640e9dce3 after such 84b8e3e3bf a dream 1ce735447f wasn’t pleasant. Anje’s noisy 9f5a3bc2ac entrance, exacerbating c18687ca2b his mood, 1e0fe7276d didn’t help.
“But it crowed extremely, c4dda07c1b extremely loudly.”
To her, he seemed 9abdcbe3ce nonchalant, sleeping peacefully despite 2dda5d1f53 the noise.
“It’s so loud; f8fa6da946 I can’t sleep 018a9b280f at all. Can’t you c6efa09f3e make it 140d8896d4 quiet?”
The energetic 6940982055 rooster continued 8affddbcf0 its morning bbad44589b alarm, unfazed cefb93c783 by the 4c8d1524ec accustomed sounds, 5d97cc70cb unlike Anje.
“Twisting its 5e8dfe6cb8 neck should 066cd7ce06 make it c15d17b7a1 quiet.”
“Well, you don’t 4d80d1e501 have to go 736a552384 that far.”
Surprised by Aiden’s 236de2eb10 blunt remark, Anje f2f3fd761f shook her head, 76556446df not wishing for 284c147e48 the rooster’s demise.
Aiden, trying to shake aade0e4b65 off fatigue, furrowed his af512c7b25 brow. After rubbing 768fd7f20c his eyes 13546b6af6 once to c4ce4d8372 ward off 4c2aad72dc drowsiness, he 8ee3469101 thought about f236ae4183 Anje’s current e604448e8f state.
“Anyway, even a72a732ac4 if it’s 41c526107b indoors, it’s 48799fa771 chilly. Walking around ce1f6ecca3 like that, 56095740f1 you might ae4acf750a catch a 80e7f9c5f9 cold—”
“Aaaah! You, you pervert!”
Anje, pointed out 5f18b5f68b for her thin 1761e9a703 attire, hastily covered 8a4fc15eb2 her chest with 0347ba6b93 both arms and 10d7efe2c9 disappeared.
“Says the lady who fbbca30604 barged into someone else’s 0d01b22087 room in her under b59bb3ff88 garments.”
Although Aiden 4dc4e8e6ee pointed it d20128c099 out with 57410c2b12 an absurd b2f7219238 tone, Anje 3ef0280fa1 had already 1a12ab9d44 dashed into d4595fb9ba her room.
After a big d3fa1c49c7 yawn, he walked 85ae61706d out into the 059c941983 corridor.
‘Well, anyway, thanks to 4df3938ab5 the disturbance, I woke 9e26fa285e up early. Let’s go to work 8e244f8aed right away.’
Today’s plan was 3b1202b299 to plant kidney d68a94faa3 bean seeds. Having quickly 739b5d84a7 dressed, he 3bd101bc56 hesitated before b176f994ec heading downstairs.
‘Shouldn’t the lady have dc60f3dc11 breakfast too?’
She probably felt 81427d9b9e hungry since last 288ece9f7b night. He wasn’t sure, 568d006494 but she likely 6dba55b534 didn’t have a b6e0c9e536 hearty meal before 2b80027bcc the wedding.
Recalling the tightly 76d64e983c laced corset from 0fa27b7221 yesterday, he knocked 4d889fa554 on the yellow cc2a62c3a5 door.
“How about breakfast?”
Wrapped in a 652ea2f7f3 blanket, only Anje’s 249656bc78 face peered through ca3af79c6f the door as d926461b51 she answered.
“Just leave it 153c95cdb6 outside the door, 61390677fd I’ll eat it 52082aacfd when I’m ready.”
Does she 67ab7d91ca think of a1bd03ca60 me like 2c2420c218 some kind 990f5655d5 of servant, b0ffbe1714 expecting me 285ab1ad59 to bring 793217a1fd her food 0dd449fb29 all the 1652c87f94 way to bc667757b7 her door?
He coldly 2b93458183 announced his 1a2bf5fa71 refusal, thinking 4ec0450e6d that serving 2535166ebb the princess 6a16ccbc16 was none 431a722c3f of his 28ca5e6785 duty, especially 82de09f866 during the 3411daad1f busy spring 48bcbf2dc9 season.
“I’ll leave caba66c90b it on 53691b9c2b the kitchen 5f6a3acade table on fb2cf6d137 the first ba1ad6ec95 floor. Come down and 96c3beac77 eat when you’re 9bd3957d09 hungry.”
“No, since you’re e26204ac14 already making it, 2f3cca1c19 why don’t you cc1f7ebeca just bring it 59bedd24c0 here…”
Bang. He slammed 1a308a03f7 the door 3d923c3c34 shut, cutting 8f1b79a2c5 off her 559346636c words.
‘This princess 8d2436f763 didn’t even ba5a2a8add thank me 597f7d48e6 for making c0ecf326e0 her food.’
He had cbbd099f0f to berate d66067b16c himself for e275a08b2d feeling a 2dabf4e9bd moment of a3475e5963 pity for 47e6d05d30 her, wondering 428a30ea43 if she 6be4e2441a might be 14be9512ef hungry.
‘Well, If she’s really a4970e71b5 hungry, she’ll come crawling b3795e026b out on her own.’
He briefly d0ba31f90e considered the 79f87870c7 possibility that f5753950aa she might 89f0482be8 refuse to c0057b9461 come out 3aab31bf8a of her 9214eddf8e room and f2fb142ab7 stubbornly stay 498c4e2f08 inside.
‘She’s probably never gone dba99e7c63 hungry a day in eddb14f9e7 her life, so it 8567be7e2b wouldn’t hurt to let eef9f973b2 her starve for a 8f7bef8f09 bit.’
He had no intention 79cdfeb5b2 of putting up with 34ce3f2f60 this spoiled brat’s tantrums.
***
“Damn it, what am b4ea071e88 I supposed to do…”
Even after Aiden 86d12f6485 had finished breakfast 4a6c40115d and gone out cb9c10366f to the fields, 36be06df74 Anje remained locked e74f8e8b83 in her room. She had to endure 7be99e8785 the humiliation of almost 4a0762c431 swearing several times.
“Alright. It’s not perfect, but… 4cb63ed954 this should do.”
She muttered 66dbff9612 to herself 96947fb224 as she 70d923cab4 looked at 3cf5f5a8eb her reflection a2617efab1 in the c315c20f08 mirror. She was dressed in cf21badf90 a rather sloppy dress. She had been f097cf40e7 trying for hours, fabe837acb but this was 614b0e2503 the best she 5361c3a3aa could do.
Ever since 0ed79b2831 she could 44e5c203ce remember, maids edce3da08d had always 58a6ff52f0 come to 7ad67972aa her in 9e1a933aaa the morning bab73e6026 and helped 36daaf2af6 her get d79350ed62 dressed. Naturally, these kinds 4955bc4909 of chores were abf15e8223 unfamiliar and awkward f6b729e4f8 for her.
Everything from tying the 92fc9a74ee ribbons to secure the caa901e7ae stockings to her legs, d6b113b7f6 to fastening the crinoline 53db7a2e53 around her waist, to 296c545406 covering the petticoat properly f3f325140a with the skirt.
It was 3fe0c26a68 especially difficult 9d1ffe461c to pull 8ba1c6621a the corset 584370610c strings at adc89bba01 the back 57078e2349 by herself.
This was 2879087bd3 usually done 5b971e0c27 by several b47eae53ec maids working d3176307dc together, so 3a266116a3 it was c09218b1cf quite a ef432cf673 challenge for 227ab3c6cb the delicate 4500e966e0 princess.
“I should have 554478abbd asked Sir Aiden 326c2cf387 for help.”
Anje muttered 3077fd47c4 as she b295446692 examined her 10fcafc032 waist. She was a fan 199edd6fe0 of the so-called “tight 1c0e633726 lacing”, which cinched the 63d6fcbe5f waist as tightly as 314697554f possible, and she was 4ac77b6574 very dissatisfied with her 43b698c025 current waistline.
‘But even 12d9a508c3 if I f6e99ab2d8 asked for 133ca6caf1 help, he 625bc76725 would probably 9a45c693fd laugh it 0924f14715 off and bdd8eac131 ignore me.’
‘He even ignored e4d79518af the simple request 6adb39f41c to bring me 1654981359 food.’
‘Breakfast is originally 61a4473f4d served in the 7d3c4733dd bedroom.’
‘The etiquette of aristocratic b582071a48 society…’ Anje clicked her 105e9bd128 tongue in thought.
She kept thinking 5e5ac6f817 in terms of ded2bd815e the standards of b7badeb8db the nobility, but f764c8bbbc this was not f90ce4d7eb the mansion of c5aa9830a4 a noble family, 0b6adba1fc and she herself e8e6b26e26 was now of 7b1d552c63 a status that 2764a9f1ce was not good 4b3f65ec61 enough to be 032f3507a0 considered a member d953347fad of the nobility.
‘I want 6d1776117d to go 6ba716f3d3 back to 1b4c68ce47 the Dukedom 2918e7f924 soon.’
She carefully descended to d873773993 the first floor, being 36b3a21b0e careful not to let a3dc7f195d the hem of her ebd160df55 long dress get caught 201e4bd13c on anything.
The creaky 6ccd7f4c81 stairs groaned 218e494b9d slightly with 08357f6559 each step b50355c932 she took.
‘I’ll just have dd32442229 a meal and 7e1dfe374c go upstairs and ebc34b0302 write a letter 65494c5e4c to my father.’
She planned to write 321dbd0595 in detail how terrible c6ca6797f9 and miserable this place 8a237a5dc4 was, and how desperately cfc7ed1572 she wanted to go 140ee2478e back, in order to c293871240 evoke sympathy.
‘That’s what 960611b44b everyone said. My father… loves and 88ccefa191 cares for me very a87ee89ac5 much.’
Since he had 0177a68be5 been buying her 2072e28eec expensive clothes, cosmetics, f1ce2752f7 and precious metals 72862b0e65 since she was f0a204b7c3 a child, and 046ca95520 had been trying 2fbcfeea4c to arrange the 83d9715a46 best marriage in 80c6c1e224 the empire for d5fd1c72dc her, he would d675299c99 surely take some ecbb8c77ca action.
‘Although he had said aa4ed608a0 harsh words that she 0d39dee343 had failed to seduce 29583ac809 the emperor, it was 165aa29dc5 just a spur-of-the-moment remark, 9ec12ca690 and it would be 422c8dc573 forgotten over time.’
‘I am 7c5b3ec092 the most 27410702a2 beautiful woman 02eba4aba4 in the f8b4c56c27 Albion Empire, 71d0770838 and I 10bcc272f4 am my a2399a0030 father’s only a2e62e42bf blood relative.’
Her father c21c590b93 had reached bc990bf930 out to 8ad68edec7 countless women 1dfac935e0 in the cbf1947d3d hope of b7e8976b32 having a 1e202c4563 son, but 1a27c19c5e he had 24728763a1 not even 222c7341e8 been able e3710b4f4f to have 8ee0595452 a common d2f213807c illegitimate child.
Anje firmly b9659846c5 believed that f2f26a7f63 he would 3b9fd04fc4 not let 7485987cee his only d3beeb3972 daughter, who 23a4219bf3 was valuable 1513271bd6 for her 2856d81d2a noble blood 92d5869264 and beautiful dfc17afc19 appearance, rot 81cf30e703 away in e8e474cf6a the countryside ce0b7ea091 forever.
‘Where is 0665e7a27f the kitchen… 3339058328 It doesn’t 42d89bd62b seem to da47b7933a be here.’
The room 23d2938cec she entered 7826a34535 through the 7828a86c31 first door 26e082b97a she saw 5dc45a52d7 after descending 945d064cdf the stairs 534f391c86 was a 9bbb74ac6b drawing room, 5e42c16291 with black 7e71d3648e cloth draped 101d780a23 over the c092cee9df furniture.
She met 37c989e1c8 the eyes baa72f3f21 of a ed7866a37a beautiful woman’s 01a0f085ed portrait and 970603d6e9 quickly closed a99f2f3732 the door c0e5c7da8b and went ecef8b4efc further into fe57e5e74e the hallway.
Creak―
Anje opened the right-hand cd473f5337 door, which was decorated 6275c786be with birds and leaves, 9520381628 and was relieved to d18b2ec04d find that she had 2c1de2346c finally reached her destination.
Growling―
Although she didn’t show 841614a19a it to Aiden, Anje’s fed492333e stomach started to rumble a137f16d46 loudly the moment her f74673c258 heart, which had been 5445ed5b3a startled by the rooster, 35d31f2997 calmed down.
As a person fe26cf64a0 with a short 99dd060017 mouth, this feeling 73307baa78 of hunger was 666b624c8c rare for her. It was partly because 46d6340d34 she had been empty eebcdc4572 stomach for a long 1cd48a6d96 time, but it was c2df74d291 also because the loose 5f6e058624 corset had relieved the 2f16759b37 pressure around her waist.
Anje, who had 2a32238802 been looking around 6fbe870b41 the space that f1fdb63954 Aiden used as e46cc4dd22 a kitchen and e02c93bcf8 dining room, spoke 8d630ec391 up about the 5d5851bcbf impression that came ab1a50dbe4 to mind.
“It’s…not bad.”
When she e77bd2177a was at 1de2ca24a6 the Duke’s 6d31ef4990 mansion, she e01376bff5 never thought 0ca8af8a90 to enter 99d784c3d8 the kitchen ee49d48c03 because she 0a938472fe thought it 9e1692fdd9 was a bdccfc4db0 space for 83a443c73b the lower 251ac507f5 class to ea04a099b4 use.
She simply tasted the 2d644d6ef0 food that the servants 033f49795b brought to her one 91bc00eb99 by one at a 2172d6182c table with a white de34470b28 tablecloth under a dazzling f689895816 chandelier.
Using a 45f1edb6f9 napkin made f629f4096c of fine 5a6d1497de cotton, with 37db186035 gleaming silver eec4619eab utensils and 92752090c1 adorned with ef3bd0f3e8 elaborate pottery edcfee8469 plates made 28da68deb3 by craftsmen, 35bfe0544c with elegant 61625cd8a7 and refined 818bf489c8 gestures.
This dining kitchen had d2465f9c8d a completely different feel b973ac3833 from such a glamorous da6e720f0c space, but it exuded 9f904c2d08 a warm atmosphere that 8c8ccf83bc revealed the owner’s love db76e8d811 and care everywhere.
The pots, pans, bread 9a0177bb9e pans, and measuring cups 3f84d3381d hanging on one wall 6b727610c9 were made of copper 78c7cd8f43 or iron and had 5999675aa1 been polished so much 242e3d9155 that they shone brightly.
The cupboard on the 05a9ddab59 same wall was filled 1b26cd9227 with various spice jars, 64722afa82 but Anje, who was a043f2aeff a stranger to cooking, 4315582ccb couldn’t even guess what c73b9adcdd they were for.
The cast iron kettle ea4e1468e1 and ladle hanging on 25b49b65f0 the fireplace and the 4bb48d5bd4 white and blue earthenware f38dc69be7 pots on the shelf a143615da0 each showed their own ef883e4558 individuality while still going c61b5f8507 well together.
Moreover, the d6d2e2a1a8 fact that 33c88011d4 all of 4d21a99194 these things e209836392 were very a9dee28512 neatly organized 9e79a3c082 gave a 0d03a48672 clue to 956ae88ed4 the character 1430a64730 of the da2836ce13 owner of 15482784f6 the house.
“What is this?”
Among them, the 9c150c2660 large black object 713fbdb22b in front of 71b5887658 the fireplace caught c24257cef1 Anje’s attention the 663726f758 most.
The rectangular structure with 6060a2f471 doors on the left 86c82fb50d and right front had 436514f560 four sunken spaces, and a664d53fe5 a separate pipe-like thing 20ed3d9435 was on top of 29c14a9737 it.
“……A stove?”
Anje, who had been 286cf768af gazing absently at the 0aea4ea590 chimney, which was intended 4e1458db39 to vent smoke outside, e0efdd1aa4 guessed the answer uncertainly.
It was because the 8326a27ba6 heating stove in her 510939abca room had a similar e1c9ff87a3 design.
Her guess was partly b56b80d131 right. The ‘cooking stove’ 1c9d770f7a she was looking 25e0c031b6 at was an a48d74d043 object that served 23357b8ffe as both a 7a8f9a9823 heating stove and bf4dd4a0fd a cooking utensil.
A useful tool 334b57936e that can warm 31bf972c23 up a room e06ac38f96 by putting in 0588be3f0e wood or coal, 9ad7e6e4ab and at the 724c0f3dd5 same time act f63b6f7d68 as an oven e707c10526 or range with 772c947746 its heat.
It was also 63d3364409 a tool that 8afcea222b Anje had never 8006a4f634 had the chance 71e263c856 to come into 9237697ff8 contact with before, 1a18a67da0 a tool for bc9bbe2310 the common people 8a282e0ee6 or servants.
Growling―
Anje clutched her stomach a96b818259 at the sound coming 1fccbebca3 from the ship again c13e0a8f44 and groaned. Putting aside what it 9977ca9d2a was used for, she cf6763008e wanted to put anything 33ea5c3df4 in her mouth.
‘It was on 11896f56d9 the kitchen table.’
Right next fde24005c6 to the c44bb2bf0d stove was 70797c39b9 a wooden dfc2c99d35 table decorated e6cfb0ad3f with a f4ac53e1bf red checkered d72c1a6595 tablecloth. Something covered with 2da880662f a white cloth 2e2a902826 to prevent bugs faa6478175 was definitely the 9910db7bb2 ‘breakfast’ he had 0fd8385806 mentioned.
“I’ve barely survived… What a2c51dc6ce is this?”
Anje, who quickly 1fa7fa0075 pulled away the d697540a74 cloth, frowned with 052d7b3138 a dumbfounded voice. A completely different menu 8fb3ba8fff than she expected was 0db79b351a waiting for her.
The yellow c32a0b80ed and thick e7490cde8f liquid ‘dish’ 3ee891e0c3 was cornmeal c8e8253748 porridge that 733ab7950f farmers often 51bee02cd9 eat for dabc20f3c1 breakfast.
A simple dish 1e2d548e6c made by mixing 790a7ca752 coarsely ground cornmeal 8d8e10a47a with water and 733f43ffa4 boiling it, then b83d5590ce finishing it with 82d6daed64 a knob of 51866d4074 butter and finely 1ad3ef92b7 ground cheese.
Anje was initially 2aa2f903fa taken aback by 763ca87b4c the appearance of aa7988b674 the cornmeal porridge, e355634f4d which the nobles f93f50a5fd rarely had the 36e304727d chance to come 20571cd91e into contact with.
It was a food e3e483b5db that was edible when b096eb30d1 eaten warm after being 5187714322 cooked, but the porridge, 874e9a96a1 which had hardened and df3a63c377 cooled down because she cc2e10b5fe came down too late, 2ce2b21ef9 was really…
“…It’s tasteless.”
It was so 686ea5c3e2 tasteless that Anje 263eed4acf didn’t hesitate to a86404102e criticize it. She put down the f6fbf33da0 spoon with a sullen 01f70c0b3e face and belatedly found bb37233c18 the note Aiden had 25cc6ef71e left.
“If it’s too 342ec912e2 bland, you can 7046b4f083 mix in molasses 4edc08b70a and eat it.”
The neat 14180bf699 and round f1f47ed69e handwriting was 7da3230e4a unexpected.fda101ca64b97791

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