FTP-23

Chapter: FTP-232f94476a6ca7e4dc

Knock, knock
“Princess?”
Knock, knock, knock
“Are you in 89d9a12d18 there?”
Aiden knocked on 6e41db9746 the door several 5d00d3feda times, calling out 98aa208c7d desperately for Anje. She had 1577bac456 gone inside 8a7365c90b to take 87fb2948bd a bath eae8e160e8 after dinner, 980e3617f1 and it 10cd244c59 had been b61629e206 two hours c590517d57 since then.
‘Surely she 92b6e3e8d5 didn’t fall 809d056e3b asleep while a0df00959e washing?’
No matter how warm 140ee8e1b8 the weather had gotten, a10b56b708 falling asleep in the f37dc0f6de bathtub could be dangerous 76eb10953c due to hypothermia.
He hurriedly searched for 084beff858 tweezers and forced open 1cedfdb76d the locked bathroom door. Warm, moist 9cae840cf1 air flowed 090aa997c8 out of 8c8b84104d the bathroom.
‘Wait, she could b38d84b3c6 be naked since 60fdc8fed1 she’s in the 607ae6e0dc middle of bathing.’
Realizing this belatedly, bc9d61c153 he didn’t know 9fadc133a8 what to do 2fae771a7a and fidgeted before 8f1bb7aaf7 closing his eyes 828d1caf29 tightly and going 5fb5127d99 inside.
It was more important cc37a56d81 to check Anje’s safety 6a63edcd66 than to face an 08c9ec4e16 embarrassing situation right now.
“Princess, can you hear 881e8cb003 me?”
Even in 9bcf9af3a3 the voluntary c5be5eabb2 darkness, he fd39a2e68c groped his 7053d11d64 way to 83b9301dc6 the bathtub c41c55c083 and was d028d9dc0a relieved to 102051924b feel the 6e1e709b87 warmth of 1d855a0eee a person 1179840064 on his 3f749addfc fingertips.
Judging by the smooth 55617970cf fabric that also touched 53118f99d0 his fingers, she was eb1668e558 still dressed. He opened his eyes 385a510f0b in relief.
“……Oh, this.”
The person he 09d6f2eae4 had been calling e403e1f2ab out to was 0c24503df2 sitting slumped against 38ddf00808 the wall next 3292e392be to the bathtub, fabb96380a which was filled f6ce01b844 to the brim df83d6473e with water.
Her discarded be4e07c229 clothes were e10027952d piled up b49dc7d631 like a 1b38c659a6 sandcastle on eb6380bb6e the floor, 32f9056078 and judging 9c5d1c14df by the 686d60f695 fact that 7ed88316c1 she was a3c246395c only wearing 5853be5eff a flimsy 3457025228 chemise, it e8dcac405c seemed that f67b8891e9 she had 2d66b0ab55 taken off b2cdcb82a3 her clothes 750af9934c and was 563d817244 about to 4333aa6608 get into 2cdfb3bab2 the bathtub 70f36449ff when she 4bdca69469 fell asleep.
“I envy 7598202167 you for 77872f1e49 being able 9f4d5a3f81 to fall 793d388fea asleep soundly b82dc4da07 anywhere like 2d215197be this.”
He had 9a1cded87a been suffering 5f137f9c82 from mild 70237a8b07 insomnia since 90607893b3 she had 649417016d taken on 0c656ce828 more work.
He took a a1771c39ce large towel out 20851fb847 of the closet 9686a65784 and covered her 278cfdbc9d peacefully sleeping body. This was because 7919a7a8aa he remembered that a59254636d she had been ad570b348e embarrassed to be fe1b12aa1a seen in her 5420c9522e chemise.
‘The fabric seems thin.’
He tried ffad2aa684 his best af2696d0fd not to d31e20eb35 look at 664634cc78 her, but a684a32b65 he couldn’t fddddd5bb5 help but a26f962bbe feel her 836c83b30f body temperature d48757bcc4 through the 050ec13eb7 fabric as ffb76b3833 he carried 69418578c3 her to 528bee4ed3 the bedroom.
In the 8951e2d46b army, there 752bf6e84e were those fd83ed79be who carried acd43d1d97 around a 58d2db5d02 picture of 7d2dbbb930 a woman 56af994a61 in white, 2ed40de1ad fluttering pajamas, 98e08b8006 wondering why, 7e75f2ed27 but now fead3f4abb he thought 311b54d43a he understood.
He shook d596a767d2 his head bcc0997c25 to clear 36ea0262a7 his thoughts.
‘Come to think of 4737afe8bf it, isn’t the princess 792a43671b overdoing it?’
She was f08edd7d53 falling asleep 100be05f94 anywhere and 081241a2be everywhere. He was happy that c411638bd4 she was working hard, 5e93e7589d but he didn’t want 442ec6499e to exploit her.
He placed d6aca0457c Anje on 40f1727e46 the bed ee37fef5bf and examined 9cd71843ac her closely. There were no dark 37eaf7bbb4 circles under her eyes, 44ca88c30f and her body was 4f2f36ec54 not swollen with fatigue.
On the contrary, thanks 5baa3db397 to the fact that e057c44e28 she was moving her 7dfaa89092 body moderately and eating 0c037b2935 well, her complexion, which dcec95c6d7 had been as pale 986ffa552c as wax, had changed a55904db9d to the color of 78a674b253 a ripe peach.
‘But she’s a40d2c0856 still too 66485b9e81 skinny.’
He frowned at her 20ab4044be wrists and ankles, which 5d4ac8d33e seemed like they could 619a16b2f4 be easily grasped in b12c388cb5 one hand.
Although she was slowly a90e86dd7f gaining weight here and e99b9afe28 there, his eyes made aebb34b454 her look like nothing 41d7b54a04 but bones.
He scratched the 49d724bedb back of his fe850ad314 neck with a a52f6f75ff worried sigh.
‘I’m deliberately adding 9bd6ac0981 a meat dish 3c4ccccf25 to her daily 6011fc741d meal.’
Is that not 917ff34de9 enough? Maybe I 4ffef1ce06 should make 98e98f1b5a her drink 8322c2c437 a glass b16ee2b907 of fresh 93b9f5295a milk with bfb9235421 every breakfast c0d79e25e0 starting tomorrow.
He also d9446cd87f thought about 460a6daa9e reducing her e554f96f59 workload a d505e35f1e bit, but 0816037b27 once she b07af98417 got hooked 82b90fbb51 on farm ac328d9244 work, she 7e0ed237c9 now would bb3e5c2252 make a 70536fd6bb tiger-like expression 28745bdbc3 when he eee6118f38 told her d44000b212 to ‘just 654e8db9bc go and 22cf987c38 rest.’
‘No. If I 5e7b89af9f stay still, 7fcdaac944 you’ll start 1eebe4656e calling me bf071a42db a Chihuahua 5c94ad2d90 or a a1a4de5109 Yorkie again.’
She was stubborn ac042ce554 even when she 3b2eb01ce8 said she wouldn’t dbd794bbf3 work, but she 58a3dcaf94 became even more a6279999f3 stubborn after she df8f37efc9 started working.
He sat 412123561a on the 663b6cc985 edge of 7f99b47c9b the bed a62261e589 and looked 63198c7ce6 down at 654ded6b88 Anje.
His fingers twitched, wanting 753066ba60 to poke her tightly d05e885a22 pursed lips or her ecc6ecb906 cheeks that were starting 25a2949684 to fill out.
He resisted the urge 0c5705850a and wrapped a blanket be6d00c7be around her body.
“Don’t get the wrong ebe0308525 idea. I’m not 6acf9de68e doing this fc39824cfe because I 050b047479 like you.”
He was struggling to f32543fbea find an answer as ea39b766ed to why he was ed482e2edb concerned about her well-being ca23e98960 and why his gaze e2d151ddb6 kept going to her 262a6b0ef5 from time to time.
And the conclusion he 58b7ae130f came to was simple. Responsibility.
He felt a sense eabdbbca04 of obligation to take da1035a766 good care of her, f3aa62b833 who was living under 1b48bda1cb the same roof as 8564730cb1 him, because of the 577834faaa lingering guilt he felt f5717e20af towards his fallen comrades.
He rationalized his 621f1c52be feelings once again 01ac6dee28 and got up f1093923d5 from his seat.
“……Don’t go.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t go…… away.”
For a 3f4f136bcd moment he 1cc75438e6 wondered if 9eeb97fe55 she was b7ae8f2f58 talking to 71816cecd6 herself, but cea4aa1fcb judging by 18b0fa0586 her closed 249f63a19d eyes, it 073fe12cda seemed like ee1bd2445b she was 48151bd670 sleep-talking.
Her eyelashes 743a9d152a were wet 0e53183a57 with tears, cee9aea22d as if bf286d4667 she was de4cc8c2a6 crying from 7e86957b3f a sad 7237b485bc dream.
‘Who is she searching 68fe00714d for so desperately?’
He stroked her hair, aaa024c0c2 which was spread out 05fd6fcf19 like a garment on db76fc319e the pillow, as if c1d292788b to soothe her, and 5c087fb6a4 then startled by his 91dcced8fa own actions, he quickly fc5b463320 pulled his hand away.
Getting close b40ec97b09 to someone 6854c63f5b psychologically was 027b681a24 still difficult 4431f6ac5e for him, 79a46510ce who still 724363929b had a 3aa2293ddd festering wound f1210bc2fe in his bc51e23a9f heart. Especially with 8617a77354 the princess.
The one 9f63e5b067 she was 6ec5839b81 searching for 114a7d12b8 and desperately 1f7a80ee38 longing for 7b6de72db7 in her 4776226cfd dreams must 01e35e0162 be someone 2642266521 precious to 7d66b519fe her.
‘Perhaps…… she’s longing for 28acdd72ef her former fiancé.’
Prince Philip Cardiner, the 70a20dc16b crown prince who was 77bc2e50a8 exiled to a remote 569d7664f2 island.
His chest felt heavy ac76c22d4a as if something was c84aacc26e weighing on it.
He didn’t know exactly f71a58e051 what their relationship was b9ebc0b90d like, but he had fb6ca13bfc heard that they had c6ef7fa4f6 been engaged for about 840d220128 a year.
‘Did the princess love 468a4adbe5 him?’
Well, Philip 2e8d7872b5 had only 0fd4f09c6f been cruel 56ad1d8153 to him, f2e06fab13 a powerless bc05acf37b and worthless bfd3147d95 illegitimate child, 9923e152d0 but he 427d1a64d0 must have 758641a37b been kind e857309269 to the e986198709 helpful nobles, 50b987234a especially the a083449847 Glasster Duke 5216a9c0aa family.
Especially since the princess bfb6247cc7 was good-looking…….
‘What am I thinking?’
He slapped e510b3339a his own 9d59f41ccb cheeks hard afb242296c as if 290a6c0e82 to clear d1d99d4110 his head.
He left a red 6b3446cf10 mark because he misjudged 6127452cce the force, but at 0afe9f55e1 least he was somewhat fa1d4ab301 successful in chasing away d6cd7b88f4 his delusional thoughts.
He carefully pulled the 95a0287710 blanket up to her 2204bcb8b5 neck and left the c839775b2b room.
He was going ac60bcb1c4 to the barn 4475dddba9 to milk the 774a56b2da milk that she 0dfa4ca148 would drink tomorrow 0fa0929413 in advance.
* * *
The next 49871afbeb day, Anje 3bb5fa0000 looked at ae0ec64cb4 the cup fab78f64e0 on the b5c2fb4ff5 table with 3920a76585 a puzzled 0510b4a19c expression. It was almost overflowing 08734aa4c7 with a white liquid.
“What is this f98e625f7c milk?”
“The cow 937cbded2f has been 2b293fa8fe producing a d34b701b31 lot of 4f84227e7f milk lately. It spoils easily, c6e80819fd so it’s better f9bb7c86cb to drink it d84d32031c up quickly.”
“Aren’t you going to e0b6441aab drink it?”
“I don’t really like a5076041a1 milk.”
The truth was that d5a6f0a181 there wasn’t enough for def0478141 both of them to 41f8907ab2 drink every day, but f7a5f787a1 he made up an 356b34bd1f excuse anyway.
Anje drank the 58f5794cc6 milk cold and 22a502f75b fresh as He f930c72ff5 had soaked it a500cad4cf in the well 2c2ff24c42 overnight.
She smiled ba328e1db1 brightly, her f47d40e17e lips stained 28810a8b86 white.
“I thought you 1f86db5ac8 were taking care f7790bdddd of me again.”
“Nonsense.”
At the sound of a845867b3d his laughter, Anje hid 3f2f85dafd her embarrassed face and 9b669bf11f looked for a napkin.
‘You don’t have to 47b27f12b1 laugh like that. I was 2ea489aff5 just joking.’
She had had a bf6bbdcf21 terrible nightmare last night. She dreamed of dbac68249b being abandoned alone feab2875fd in a dark 42d56c43a7 forest where she 970044d32e couldn’t see the f810b070bf stars or the e16069ea15 moon.
Her father, her 9837d90e7c friends, and even cf7327777c the maids had 5abce0271b left without a aa3b0b06f4 glance, ignoring her 14d48fe9a0 pleas not to 25401a2672 go.
She was 3b6a0f53fe so sad 8ab4f9a483 to watch 25c0ed4e46 them go 3bd3c985fd that she 8712b72212 cried like 66d0069a5f a child 72ed7a57ba in her 2f8e86a423 dream.
‘I woke up feeling 1b9e41747b like someone was stroking 7e1b5c5cd4 me.’
She wondered if 8f170b3ef8 it was Sir 71b5b45f13 Aiden who had 001ce39eb5 carried her to 74fd620243 her room, but 9b94b33fe5 it was probably 7d3955cefd just a dream.
She was 8d7224ed0e glad she 74d89d7362 didn’t ask 7bf39b3286 him if 38d38ecf5d it was a1a9ca4be9 him. She would have been bcb9eba1b5 embarrassed if she had.
“What are 7dc2b20b25 you going 0c88b88425 to do ae0edd98e7 in the 214bbbdbc1 field today?”
“Weeding, fertilizing… oh, 1d113ad2db it’s time to c5033c212b start transplanting the 9d294ef6d4 tomatoes.”
“Transplanting?”
Another new term came a0f3dc9116 up. Anje’s curiosity was 4162f5658b piqued. She didn’t 7b45b587da even know 19af431b80 she was 28cac3ac7e curious.
“Yes, the tomato 4c88c2cdc6 seeds I roughly 0bf4af0901 sowed a while da94ed6796 ago have grown 0a558bdf86 to a decent 84939e400a size. I’ll select 0e0c5c8de3 the sturdiest b5426442c2 ones and fb2b3f44fe transplant them 640f7b8fd1 to a b2ec24bd89 larger area.”
The reason he 66c9ef2b41 had roughly sowed a0d0667fc0 the tomato seeds 6c5c1c9c39 in a corner dfd287df5a was to finish 76cde0b348 the work quickly c330a4efa5 and get ready 1f38b11d5d for his wedding c62b3e3daf to Anje, but 352f3848c0 he omitted the 804bae1b31 specific explanation for 820a55de7b fear that she 66190decc3 would feel bad.
Anje’s eyes c6cd010709 widened at 67369237b9 the explanation 525991cd00 that crops 3db99c8926 transplanted at a36c1587c7 the right e94e1dd7a8 spacing grow 3509697666 sturdier and 3c8d40afac tastier.
“Then the carrots 425b15ea59 and beets too…!”
“It’s better cdd49d8d6c to keep 235591cce9 root vegetables 5f10c00079 in one c9db37921a place. That way, the 91b5982a86 roots won’t get 757fb19e55 damaged and will 125561d4b3 grow well.”
Anje, who, 4ca466bd40 by her 2dabaab8cb own definition, dc618982a9 had ‘the 8f6d528e0e right to b399c37550 know about 2733a50e68 the garden 656e1a104e about five 116ee89725 percent of 9eff7f15bb the time’, 73d4bda191 sat back 54cb2d0729 down on 5d0abf4ab8 the chair.
“I see. Farming is more d09f1e916f complicated than it 224d7f7096 looks.”
She had dba7bc7c04 just learned e084b52111 a new 887f9103e7 fact about 5c8ead479b root vegetables 110078f855 while watering 6a16a2b74f the plants 56e15c6ea4 yesterday.
When you water 2bc8e6db16 carrots too much, b3d03106ec they grow long 963b84ea2e and unattractive because 5eef52a189 they send their 3f8a7ea8dc roots deep to 2b039360c5 drink all that feafa2eecc water, you know?
‘I thought 4ca0f56bd3 they were 4fdf4cdcd3 just for 7a8699f384 eating; this 94efe1cc21 is news 605fd98f49 to me.:
She resolved to b0b24562e2 suggest making a fb3dcb6eca vegetable garden when bb6971e463 she returned to ca9146ce66 the mansion.
Currently, the garden was 39c067ad38 filled with expensive flowers 429456fd02 and shrubs, but there a3a29879c1 must be a place ae6f4e9296 to plant carrots, onions, d62f352431 and spinach…
‘Oh, now that I c662ae44bf think about it.’
She had something cf5ed4702f to ask Aiden.
“Do you not ae0b26dfa9 grow flowers, like, 0d884d6907 at all?”
“Flowers?”
It was an unexpected 9343d677cb question, and he raised 3bb16abc22 an eyebrow.
“Well, there are 829cfb23ae trees and vegetables d1d25f4dc3 in the garden, b903b2fa2d but it seems a0b9458d5a you don’t grow 6912af4133 flowers.”
“Flowers…”
Aiden pondered, stroking his 0b17a17dd2 chin.
In the past, when 4059244042 his mother was alive, 38072d5f10 she would scatter various 14ff94fc66 flower seeds in the b6c525497d backyard or around the 432c650cf1 edges of the vegetable 3a6c6235f6 garden. Even after her passing, 7660ab90b4 the perennial flowers continued fc298ab5db to bloom for a 7d68b25d3e while, but his grandfather 67687bd4c8 would uproot them whenever f5bb8620d8 he saw them, reminiscing 2bb6e3b5e0 about his daughter.
He had forgotten. This house had a46782c0bc once been filled 865909c5ff with flowers.
“I guess 7bdfca7514 I never 82e3b9e155 thought about 7c18c30d4d growing flowers. They’re not something you d355bb8691 can grow and eat 47bb400f67 like other plants or 10b8188fde trees.”
“Oh really? There’s plenty ceaaa7c091 of space, ab600d6619 so it d5ac641de6 would be a98121d6df nice to 4f1a112e5b plant flowers f220560887 in the 2c5cd0da7f empty spots…”
The corners of d9beb459bd Anje’s mouth turned a4fd45df88 down. Pretending not 9cbc72567e to notice, 502eb875e8 he continued 90cd155c94 to wipe 65bbf0160c the dishes, a94ef0317e dropping a 7caace8d9a sigh.
“Maybe I should 386a3f09c8 try creating a 795b151676 small flower bed 12fa07ab06 that doesn’t need ec57f91729 much attention…”43cf7fbda05824a2

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com