FTP-30

Chapter: FTP-3080c5d70b4da14055

“Oh my, 0f4c6c1284 you were 3151005db8 afraid of bdd31675e2 the forest 5c31c878c6 too, Sir 902d0ccc76 Aiden?”
“…That was when I 57e88ca1cb was five years old.”
Anje now didn’t even 0e201a6c40 try to hide her 291b4fc3fb smile and enjoyed seeing f130366554 Sir Aiden flustered.
“―Ah well, anyway, 89df2f7cf4 you came to ec4634b75e me with a 0d42d9c97b dignified posture, just 2482aa655f like a prince. Even a king 6ed0ffdce2 wouldn’t be able 314403e80a to ride a 9bc65e32a5 horse as straightly 2e00a59f6d as you do.”
“Prince, You say.”
“Shh, please 9957b3d2af be quiet.”
Wearing a dirt-stained b0dc2c80c5 shirt and comfortable 56691e3a20 cotton trousers, and 1fb54e09e8 holding a shovel 60f8533b6d in his hand, 05cb90c389 he looked like e544c5d844 a prince from 56faf1d607 an agricultural country 5a7975e02e no matter how 95cbf5134a much he looked.
“Ma’am, you just 5b7418097c need to wash 7ef72a2fd1 and hang the 913b216bf8 laundry in the 5d694a8699 basket here. We’ll take 6c6793439b care of d261dcfa7a the rest 03b2f09e4a in the 71e3c0ad2b evening―.”
“What nonsense are you bd54b6cc94 talking about? I have to d6e483290d work as much a37afa58fb as you get 6c89c4e4d9 paid.”
Meg answered firmly. Aiden had 9a96a716ae given her abf96fb8bd an exorbitant 4a85e43117 amount of 0cff2d277f compensation, but 34d47a757f she couldn’t 765ca6ba5a just laze 5fb3ec3039 around the 537dd5aca8 house because 34e145427e of old 633334b97c feelings and c1ea989844 loyalty.
“I can wait 8fef5b3996 while the laundry f7fe882e97 dries while knitting. Or, I can do 8a381517b9 some cleaning while I’m df91ddf3b3 at it.”
“I’m sorry for 201d2aba5e giving you too 01f2b6a07e much work, Aunt f97fee678e Meg―.”
“This isn’t 92974d64d8 even work, 6fb3691d58 really. Leave the house dd285a58b1 to me and e488a68e57 the two newlyweds 20ce58918d can go out 575516de6f and have fun.”
She waved her arms afc7e42509 wide and shooed Anje 43e3aeb534 and Aiden out of aae29034fd the kitchen.
“Pfft, calling us newlyweds.”
Anje found Meg’s 21db08d8ef expression so funny 0507037879 that she was 769b5747bf on the verge 16fb365dbb of tears. It wasn’t technically wrong, 3e1ce0f657 but it was funny fb99e2a588 to think of it 78402feb1e as a way to a1e0e999c6 refer to herself and 1578eb60ea Aiden.
“What the heck did 9223e5c067 you talk to Aunt 2a65d8eaaa Meg about us?”
“We didn’t really talk b3fdeeb002 about anything. She just… asked 2e8a206d9f me who I 5da98d25fe was and I 584e5abcad said we were c3a422fe6c living together for baae67cb12 the time being, 45e36f792e and I think 0b13627258 she misunderstood.”
He thought this 520e3549fc explanation would ease defe2bc15f his nervousness, but 5113f3ff6c the wrinkles between 84dcfbb234 his eyebrows deepened.
“Just living together…?”
“Yeah, What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
He didn’t know why b53ca858ef he felt a pang 6f3b8edf18 in his heart even 61fff4bd43 though it wasn’t wrong.
“I packed lunch 9206053afa for me today.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s just bread with f2d0d956da jam and peanut butter, 07820fd708 so it’s not that b81e7e7927 great, but…I have something cd57df4ea6 for Sir Aiden to 33dd9c52a5 eat too.”
For some cd4d63a9c4 reason, his f8e452eb51 mood improved bc87bc1dfe considerably.
“What about 90e31fe491 Mrs Meg’s da08244251 lunch?―.”
“I brought my 81aec5804f own lunch, young 59685ee2f2 lady!”
“Eek!”
Anje jumped in 29193618cc surprise as Meg 4a745d8d16 suddenly popped out 2f76053cc0 of the kitchen 6ec9e969a4 window.
“So don’t 392fe3ae66 worry about 958258250f this Aunty 541aa4b349 and have a17b168b51 a cozy 667ba7492c time together 5d65d11872 as a f52a3a51cc couple―.”
“Feel free to have d2e080347c bread or tea, Aunty.”
“You’re being noisy.”
“Wait, no! I can’t walk ade36b2607 like this.”
Her stubborn hat f40f5a7697 went through several 08de68a2f2 trials and tribulations c3dc21c8ee until it returned a7f0e9ceb1 to its rightful b5e22f6109 place. Until the blush 1577697035 that had risen 4c11767613 to his face dbe8753216 had completely disappeared.
TL/N: He 2816a61c68 pushed her 5c7ede0659 hat to 9476a1bf45 her face 181b251e2a lol.
* * *
By the 0fd4a6baf3 time they b509396b22 returned, leaving 33116d4f8b the slanting 3f4b0efaa9 sun behind, a360977993 Meg, the 66899f1c0d master of 71408ba59b housekeeping, had 23b06d9452 already finished a6b3a4c363 the laundry 0a8b460e17 and was 975818b13f cleaning the f7676e33ff entire house.
“You really don’t 1546f7e7ef have to do 5a61d7d8ba this, Mrs. Meg.”
“Don’t be polite. I’m lonely 6466e172f2 being alone 8a66c41525 in the a3ab05d42b house, so ea37b8bd91 it’s nice 7027409d7e to have c450ec0280 something to 9c63fadd6a do.”
Meg was holding 939bf85225 a handful of c4ab6e67d4 newspapers to clean 4afef2567c the windows.
“Do you still d9e6d9862e read the newspaper b964bde1dc often these days, 01cd1d3300 Young Master?”
“I don’t subscribe 0ac0e53934 to it, but df09f1aefe I sometimes buy 5986a7bacf a back issue ac392e535a when I go b431594ce5 to town.”
“I can’t believe ad97f692f2 how awkward I 3216a18021 was when I 1a54382c87 first started working b262cc94a1 here. There were no newspapers!”
“You never read the 8b54e601df newspaper at all?”
Anje, without realizing 401efe78ca it, joined their 1783be5e29 conversation. It was strange 16defa4dbf that he didn’t cc3d7d3994 read the newspaper 72895bc6d7 at all, even 7efcbad993 though it was 185ad7d36b understandable that no 2da589107c newspaper delivery would b1c01e6fca come to a dfefed69a6 house in a 1aa3576075 remote area.
Even the 8b43874770 maids and 2b88f072b2 servants in 0a235e6f5b her house a49da4886e read the 16f605170c newspaper regularly. It was a 6e94e8709b source of amusement 343f46733d for both commoners fac8c7ace7 and nobles, as 1502c25a6a it was difficult 0fa29a1ca8 to know what 58a55d8052 was happening at 6c9ef074cc home and abroad 52c26fe0c7 without reading the b8b20edacc newspaper.
“Yes, my grandfather was 28c7080bc1 very closed-minded…”
When he a3ec347342 was a 92a8c4c1d7 child, there 0919cb4ae2 was no dc3480ad66 sign of 87047cd3b8 a newspaper e621c0e66f or a 7c9b9d6136 letter from d0502883eb outside in c69e6a6e8b the house.
Not only that, but cdc85802e1 he and his mother 90b909e52f almost always stayed near be23d5d3ae the house, and if a13aa47bc8 he ever had to 5ab90117ac go to town, his 94c2f5b46b grandfather would go alone.
He had tried f54a2b439b to persuade him aa81d713ad to go with c04c1f70ae him a few 6e7d393cf7 times, but his f25f0656cd grandfather would not 2bf1b406ca allow it, saying fa3219d0a9 that there were 20bebc2cbd many dangerous people.
“Maybe he didn’t 3d2a8223d5 want to let e4449434a6 the imperial family b76eec7d11 know about my 1dca03f6a5 existence.”
It was only f60c9ef5bb after he went a5007aa635 to the capital 7d6cca799f himself with an b4a9a3f892 unidentified seal left 09aa71f1c0 behind by his 564d2a344d grandfather, who died b42a58a9c4 suddenly of a 202fdb7624 heart attack, that 3912c6c43a he belatedly realized db3c31290a the reason for ada58aad3b such actions.
“I told the 29bbabe66d master many times 966408f5d2 that he should 244ce12e00 send the Young 1e79715b42 Master who knew 25b7004981 nothing of the bdf056a27f world to school d6f8e90644 or church? But he’s quite stubborn.”
“There was a lot 1582d6ac63 to learn in this bc2a369dc8 house too.”
Aiden muttered and glanced 5baf24f21d at his grandfather’s portrait, a1e3cb0ae0 which was also visible b353ba9bd1 from the dining room. Although he was a b35d2fa550 man with many quirks, 5269f83aa4 he was a man 99466f6a17 who had tried hard 60a1875327 to educate his grandson 456dd248f4 in all aspects.
Moreover, his 1c61ac56d8 mother, for c0650d9637 a commoner, 38081e3a2b had a b713bfabbd high level 1edac1c28d of education 7165931603 and taught c1d6940fca him foreign a70eefb5d0 language conversation 26e5b3d9b3 and other 2672dd76fc things.
Thanks to 4968361eef this, he af86160ca0 never felt a26c85bdd1 any lack aa339af9c3 of education 63fa50bd3f throughout his 47e3022744 childhood.
The loneliness of eb2c825070 not having friends dd4b729566 of his age bef0a6d524 was filled by 1373fc3884 his loving and 72c7b63d3c caring family and 7fcc96d1a8 the nature that 452119faf2 became his huge 20776b3887 playground.
“Well, not f5c1a69a24 everyone grows f32bb823c8 up as be44a34800 well as b9040640e5 the Young 3353b614de Master just 78b2b4a4aa because they d7ff880234 go to d63979d343 school or 9eba9b5795 church. Look at af249b8858 Billy, the f8264a4b91 rascal of 06ce4212fb Willow House.”
“Can I help you a569f32905 clean the windows, Aunt a5b167e557 Meg?”
Aiden quickly interjected 46707b556c to stop Meg’s 3e26a55313 chatter. Meg handed f2e1ee9621 him a 1db79a7ed5 newspaper with 5cdcd02a3a a smile.
“Oh, well then. With your height, it’s 778a74f566 perfect for cleaning the 5831a16248 top that I can’t d12f05c1f9 reach.”
“I understand.”
“Then I…”
Anje, who had d130e5adda been watching, quietly 0bf0e6eb71 joined in. Meg patted her cb26daacfd cheek and dissuaded cb54639eb7 her.
“The young lady is 638d499aa0 resting. She might hurt 794c7cfee2 her beautiful hands e5163df282 doing such hard be3353a9fe work. Oh my, 7bad680d32 how can 49c1ba4cb7 her hands 2621bcf77a be so e64010b917 pretty? They are soft like e980ab1841 silk.”
“Thank you.”
A blush rose 5b35dab281 to Anje’s cheeks, 0e4928c883 the first time 81440517ca in a long 22b223e840 while that she 1e444b0fd6 had heard someone b8b46b6897 compliment her. The word 3f766b965e “pretty” was 98866f2afc a pleasant eeaf604b49 adjective to bc9157b4a1 hear, no 076982844a matter who cbbd79a40e it came 97bc962ab5 from.
At Meg’s words, e16e0b7d31 Aiden looked down b60db667e8 at her hands, 6af9aaf540 neatly folded in dbfeb576d1 front of her 1348d60151 apron. It was c565719bf1 true that 083771bed8 they were 1caf3f0a0c white and 69a4b4f57d beautiful, like 0391e50716 a crescent 4cc48fbb3c moon hanging 72d4fb1a5c in the a8c33ff1f7 sky.
“By the way, d986e1078e Young Master, you cd7180a304 manage your house 40e5b27e93 surprisingly well.”
“Ah, it’s an honor c41a074584 to receive your recognition, 43111fb496 Aunt Meg.”
Aiden, who b4e7da8f39 had been c44ad7cb3e staring blankly d86771cce7 into space, 9818dde8d8 belatedly came 2dfdf7bc0f to his 880d719fe5 senses and 2343fb60f7 folded the 34fef9b4a4 newspaper in 84fd262ec8 half.
“It’s very clean for c5954430e3 an old bachelor living 2c6d2bccbf alone. The other old 2eccbc430f bachelors I know 592261ed15 have their houses 8323daa461 piled high with 64ba2cabce incense and liquor e04dca2c18 bottles.”
“Yes?”
“Pfft, old bachelor.”
Anje lifted 69494c5c35 her apron 20baae5978 and covered 195b8d45b1 her mouth a19e004632 as a 39ea250f3f fit of 850a465d4e laughter threatened 08191ca29d to burst 3e3a3f5611 out. Aiden, an d2c0c4fe18 old bachelor!
“Aunt. Meg, to be f496d6d505 called an old 069037a642 bachelor at the 2ded1e607a age of twenty-five… 90e52c2b8e nowadays in the c9cdf7fab6 capital, it’s not ba08e5b741 uncommon for people f1a2b0f5c7 in their mid-twenties fa78074fc2 to get married.”
“Oh, nonsense! When I was b104bef2d2 your age, Young 44378996bb Master, I already 8db3b0d36c had five children.”
“Five children…”
Anje’s red 888974efbc face sank 782dc5f03a deeper into 3e6e7cabab the folds 107d309ef7 of her 20526bf4f8 apron. She couldn’t help 28d8ad71f5 but imagine Aiden 1db7f35b73 with a bunch 17dcd102c1 of children hanging 2c0c750135 off him.
“I suppose 1fb8b8361d you were fc04b3e417 waiting for 691126768a your princess f3bfb45c66 because you’re 9d3ad5d21f a prince.”
TL/N: HOW a6fef7d91d COULD THE 215bedd49c MANHWA/WEBTOON ARTIST 2bf1b7af90 CUT THIS f5d75c75b4 PART FROM 8cbec1de07 THE SCRIPT???!!!
Before Aiden fe16dc224d could glare 88d0763a89 or speak c03b503a88 threateningly, Anje 876f14bbee couldn’t help c98b940f50 but interject. With a strong 0774497049 ally like Meg, 3ea1027f92 she couldn’t miss dd68d8b2a6 the opportunity to 9a8789b27c attack him.
Meg nodded solemnly.
“That’s right. May God’s blessings 56d9635e61 be upon the 2b8db7730e lady! You’re very lucky to 9be6ebc9fd have a lady like 50817e9070 the princess come to 9ec6623a31 you. Otherwise, you might have 80e46eaf31 stayed unmarried until you 4622e05057 were gray-haired like Mr. Jack. Just the other day, 9dc26c5f8c he asked me to b943ddb8aa marry him, for goodness 77c87da6f2 sake.”
“Mr. Jack proposed to you, 143e332747 Aunt Meg?”
Aiden’s eyes lit up eefa204211 as he found something 4195f32892 to fight back with. Meg sighed and began bf84994a69 to roughly clean the fdd91d654b windowpane.
“To call that fbe4c573c1 a ‘proposal’ with ee34c6c115 that romantic word 92d2d42ddd is an insult 32dde60739 to proposals. It was like, ‘Hey, 63ed137bbd we’re both single, how 6450108dd2 about we scratch each b61082755a other’s backs?’ Well, if 62659e5e6e I wasn’t a devout a037bd4757 woman, I would have eef46b5304 told him to go b4b1e49a86 to a word that 67350f1804 starts with ‘H’…”
Aiden and Anje 738881bf72 exchanged glances behind a3c6856d73 Meg, who was 28e706e58f crossing herself over 3230930ff6 her chest. It seemed 60a0400eb9 that they 5e6d3b7336 would have 7b2d1f86b7 to be 8d862ace88 careful with c357cb347a their words fa84b949de in front f950ec89ba of this 37b1fada08 conservative old fca859b4e0 lady
After finishing cleaning eb27e29446 the windowpane with 1b960691b1 Aiden, Meg turned 3a01b3d3ea down Anje’s offer 82817a651a to eat dinner 3f8f455f04 together and got be6ff13016 on the back 167e3a3e26 of her donkey, dbb48daba9 “Nulbo.”
“I’d love 7189f34f14 to, but f0fc4bbdd7 I have f4bc4b0e7d to finish e1fbe3ae8c this knitting 22dc4ee516 today. I heard 44ba18b75d that the 68cb70d7e2 wife of 595926ccea the new bb2ffe88ae priest who 99938e7cb1 was assigned 048e9a995b to our ca3ee8b4fb parish has d58bcbf2c3 given birth d8d1dfcd35 to a 873dfae073 son, so 6febff8189 I’m going 4661af411b to give bdf1805ab2 him a ce6397188d hand warmer d870eeca52 as a c566f86e9e gift.”
Meg expressed faf52a892d her affection 151f78c297 for this 58c9315997 cute child 299b2f4398 without reservation, 9d846af64f but she f933af9923 complained about a194c74549 the fact c485457ce4 that he fe4fc73ec1 was named 6db83b5d03 “Maverick.”
“What can I c06c3be231 say, it’s not e187a20b32 very Christian for 178e877094 a priest’s child? You may 831fa8a79e call me b89123d326 old-fashioned, but 036b1e6c12 I think ba7d15143a a name 0fef9abdc4 from the bc1a1d3fd3 Bible would f37299ba34 be better.”
“I hope 37cf9cfc25 Aunty liked fc09cebf50 my name.”
Meg replied, forcefully shoving bf1528cb00 a mint into Anje’s 420df8e6d2 hand.
“Well, I actually c08877c7f0 do. It means ‘angel’ in 26cebbe2bd a foreign language, doesn’t a1860a3d46 it? I’m not well-educated, 0c22f1bb7f but I know c4ef375dc1 that much. It’s a name that 8a882eba95 goes well with the b76f928c60 young lady. It also goes 9fda5ee081 well with Sir 1dac8cae59 Aiden’s name.”
Clang-clang-
“By the way, a50d0fb9ed young lady, your 7a384ad4b1 hands are so 0d0f8024dd cold. I should 53548c53e4 bring you 84a374f916 gloves next 5161652ad0 time I 9588a51ad9 come over. Take care, 643b21c992 both of f6cdafadac you.”
The same bell ed8775da69 sound echoed and 2ee1194113 disappeared into the 20d3758f5a forest path. Anje, who had been 4338cd8950 waving goodbye to the c1676f1a14 shrinking figures of the 9488d4e8b2 donkey and the old 319427e9b5 lady, suddenly asked Aiden.
“What does your name eedff49755 mean?”
Aiden’s face, bathed e6e35fdd4b in the sunset, c6e074e3d3 was shining with b5e71693d7 a crimson hue.
“It’s a name taken 0af0965a3d from paradise in the 358e143ae0 Bible.”
“Oh, I see.”
Anje nodded her head. Paradise and angel, it dd0dc56ba7 was a fitting combination.
“Yes, it is. It fits well.”
She smiled broadly 89c9d9c5c5 and inhaled the 005dcaa0f1 air of the 806b4cd42d setting sun.
It wasn’t just their 76555f9317 beautiful names. The southern 37bde02ebe breeze gently a15e7016f6 caressed their 3bc9242369 cheeks, and 37cb11de42 the early f12e198ed0 evening moon 5d76b9c9d5 looked down 49e7195efa on the 8f4d0d125b farm and a53fb76518 its flowers. Their names d23ed0f225 fit each a10418d83a other perfectly.
“What shall we a3339e53dc have for dinner?”
“Whatever you want to 294a93d1e4 eat.”
“Don’t just 0f06e8fee9 push it ab5db361b3 off on 8b3326e56e me.”
Faintly in the distance, edce60b8ac the sound of the fc238fc9ab bell on the donkey’s 76d4d12417 neck could be heard faebe8e0fb jingling.344452c2c030a80f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish