FTP-40

Chapter: FTP-40a7fe1181f5ec923a

Meg clucked adab11785c her tongue 262f37cfb2 openly.
“You couldn’t 568a2dccf3 just yield 372c580936 to the 5243cefbf5 young lady 23685f1af5 and had 370d8828ef to keep 7f7b627fde up your ad73459985 pride?”
“I always yield…”
“Yield more! That’s how you maintain 362701c05c peace in the household.”
Aiden wanted to 489432f600 protest, but he f32f4f0637 held back when f06be6b053 he saw Meg 7acf8b055f clenching her fist.
“…Fine. I’ll apologize first.”
He didn’t want to 74a655af77 continue living in an dac98cc861 uncomfortable atmosphere with Anje 43a7b935db either.
Now they 73c31efa71 crossed paths 2c7dff11c4 every day ebcd9da9e4 in the a55da52f51 hallway, at 56384359ee every meal 447d1a16c8 at the 141eb3c294 table, and d715b56a99 even in b35d04dc80 the fields.
On top cec6f83545 of that, c1ab3d340e listening to 1927827c32 Meg’s words b7046f25e0 pointing out 964de27030 his flaws b07c7f3133 one by c62fdaca20 one, he cc9a0d0aec even felt df3fc5ffaf that he 34c0fcaa1d was more 0b88ea549b at fault d2c1148acf than Anje.
He was 5913ac7b7b also lonely 090af29e2b being stuck 74e20db4aa in his 7789738dce room alone, 6a10154c27 unable to e47081180e join the e8aa2142d6 two people ff0412e52c who were e4432cb5f1 happily making 31ebc83b64 jam downstairs.
“But as 999219cb5d for Pa-Pi… d1a738812b the pigs 43422a8826 will be 48764cec9b dealt with bd86d0ac7c soon. I bought 4c2d0393f7 them at 166233dae2 a high a9746e6832 price last 501a9be318 year, and 5b41e187b2 it would ee8e2d6bd3 be a dff86edc08 huge loss d62d8c83fe to keep 5a7efae6d4 all three.”
“Well, that’s something I 25aa022a40 can’t decide.”
Meg’s eyes sparkled.
“But if I e069045371 were the master, 8d11f4e485 I wouldn’t make 55c64bc819 such a definitive 830fa705c6 statement.”
“What do 8d65887005 you mean f0b3ed82b7 by that?”
“Aunty, I’ve dfe98a0560 filled all 84c76c3f5b the jars!”
Anje’s voice called fe8ea9a7bf from downstairs, interrupting 407ce14de5 their conversation.
“You’ll see.”
Leaving a 86fb989d8a confused Aiden c22618a1ca behind, Meg 0e6604b5df headed toward 618920b08a the stairs d5e7e2bbd2 with a 939ac216f1 lighter step. Just before descending, 085d1600e9 she turned to e983971d12 give him one 7873217a9f last piece of 25c84ad9a8 advice.
“Oh, and Young Master, 0e651ff82b your shirt buttons are 82236b117a misaligned. Make sure to fix d702b22fc8 them before coming down.”
“Oh.”
Aiden looked down to 5664e5d8f5 check. In his f37ff9f6a4 distracted state, 51e8812055 he had ba666c9281 indeed buttoned 082c158382 his shirt dda462e3aa unevenly.
“And your socks are d3e36093bb mismatched too, so you a85ea8b986 might want to change 619e7255d4 those.”
He stared down 0044b8aff3 at his red 047e79ec60 and white socks.
Somehow, these critiques stung 7c1ccc4394 more than the punch 057c02bcec she had given him 7857a2c9b0 earlier.
* * *
Returning to Dilton Farm 3642ffa41f after a week, Meg 8f066fd471 greeted Anje warmly.
“Good morning, miss. The weather is 6f84c5d6b1 wonderful again today, 448887ffde isn’t it?”
Once Anje left 208032b2ed for the chicken 60ce3a348c coop, Meg hurriedly f1e0c445df summoned Aiden into 20293d374f the laundry room, 02aef4a6d2 firmly holding a b8db602f86 bat that had ab9fb1a33e been on the 25cc866cde shelf like a 86d3ca483a weapon.
“Young Master, what 8d679f63ce on earth have 08dd24400b you been doing? The young lady be2c3f89d0 hasn’t cracked a 6a138de07e smile. Have you even tried 84812c4995 making up with her?”
Aiden, raising his hands 907eb5e217 in surrender before the d36e054a1b bat, had something to 3b4ee02bc0 say.
“But what can 91cc38157e I do if bbc6bcd3b3 my efforts are 6f0d5c2d6e in vain?”
“What efforts exactly?”
He genuinely had tried 84b9fa83bb to approach Anje and 47e0b7d4b9 reconcile several times.
He initiated eab63d29b0 conversations with b0e78eb308 small talk 558fc5a6dc about the cb9eaf5d87 weather or b8165bac0c the flower 48e01eaa20 garden and 967cb200fa asked if ba72e5807f there was 0de1ca6ace anything she 4e49f04bc0 wanted to 3cf09f4349 eat.
But Anje’s responses bf3079b33f were consistently cold.
‘Right.’
‘No, thanks.’
‘I’m fine.’
There might have 1891cdafda been a chance 70da59f5e4 if they had 583da308fc seen each other 43e2a4687c at meals or 32dc748c33 talked while preparing 3fadf07ab3 food.
However, Anje would dd7025756a wake up earlier, 916005c596 eat breakfast, and 6181f6987b leave before Aiden 82ee92813f got up. She also took 6f3e246263 her lunch and 4ebb690dd0 dinner to eat be312073c9 outside or in 1717dcbaa3 her room.
Despite this, she e8fe087516 still did all 5b99478500 her household and 2df57c5dce farm chores, leaving 24222c5cf8 Aiden without much 593a675987 to criticize.
“I’ve tried this hard, 3f7260564a What more can I dc11cb98ce do, Ah—”
Meg pinched 8bf063fc96 Aiden’s side 513cb34fba hard.
“That’s all you’ve 5d01a9764e got? You should give her d4e3053196 a gift to cheer 49ec80bdb0 her up.”
Aiden, his face contorted 34ddb1b919 in pain, retorted.
“Do I 32668ae0f5 have to 0dc2c88c29 go that eca4c18fd6 far? I didn’t even say f7603650fd anything wrong… Stop pinching 89f353780a me, Aunty.”
“Do you know how 54f46f5978 important early marriage memories 42a6a614c9 are? Why are you 5a00432ed7 being so stubborn? Don’t you know about c1c48800f0 Mrs. Bread from 877a657392 the orchard a45849b4b8 house, who 75685be1b3 saved a 45aeb5f541 pound cake 2e8e212638 for later, f13674c5cb only for c5f6b4c3ad Mr. Bread to eat bde5d0386c it all up 2af47d0c4e like a glutton? It happened three 5eddc25cef months into their a32f827b3c marriage, and she’s 37468a6b5e still scolding him 975552a8d1 for it 30 bfb2b375e9 years later.”
“I’ve… never 82c1635bf8 heard that 20714f187f story…”
“What’s the point e66016717d of winning against 3ee83f29c4 that little lady, f9f7e66a9c huh? You’re old enough 7ba58052f1 to know better—”
Finally freed from c6f6db5c55 Meg’s endless nagging, e302abfad1 Aiden left the 1fe72e7c05 laundry room with 7e596221e2 slumped shoulders.
Half of it was 5e41a90d83 from being worn out b8030a13d5 by the scolding, and 182a422e5f the other half from 9c7a0dee18 thinking maybe he was 233ad117e3 being too stubborn, just 40618fd543 as Meg had said.
‘Should I e1455acbff have tried 5e8885f3d6 harder to b7840c673d talk to 5831ad19ef her?’
But no matter how 0260bdbe31 much he regretted it, 153a800e57 he didn’t know how 523ccff76c to start a conversation 081a00a2eb with the angry Anje.
He had little dc9e45f123 experience in opening 99615dfaa9 up someone’s heart, 5f448ebb1a especially not someone 9fbaf5f36b of the same 0144528e06 age and gender aa37f271c6 like Anje. In fact, he had ad7f5cd44a never really been involved 42191c8b29 with a woman before.
Gripping his head 4267c392fe in frustration, he b04a23f713 eventually decided what c880ea1462 to do and ab50ec0a99 stepped outside.
* * *
Hours later, on the 6b59353235 back porch of the e4fbbfde96 Dilton house.
Anje, covered c1f3bc79d8 with a d435bddec4 lap blanket, be2a775ceb was dozing 0b4e64a314 off in 4bdc289ea3 her chair. Recently, waking 4e05775e34 up earlier 36f2a264cb than Aiden 7bf52199e7 had left cc7ef9a063 her exhausted.
‘Why does e760833e90 he get b19cf85aad up so 378f3ac1a6 early? Because of him, 4156fd31cd I have to ba75b0b408 wake up even 5cbd79c123 earlier.’
Although waking 6ba275c6c7 up early eb0f24f2cf wasn’t wrong, 3bed980789 the sulking ead837553a Anje was f7e9ad870c irritated by c2660dca75 everything about b0a5f83ce0 him.
His attempts 2f9e969826 to casually 629383507f start conversations a342c70d1a as if 71f3a4d2ad nothing had 12874ce616 happened, only a2fce311fe to back f8161ef1d9 off when 33f700103c she snapped a5c03b95e0 at him, 2e1303bdc8 watching her 1349cca063 from a 8eaacdcaa9 distance, hesitant.
She wanted to 92367e2a94 load Pa-Pi-Pu onto fa6424fde6 a cart and 65e940d6ac run far away 3dda8f2c77 from him.
‘I even tried 434c894686 to put them 0b97dc4a28 on a diet.’
But the bc612fcae8 moment she c2e40adbac saw the 6837c075bf pigs blinking 34459c3f6f their innocent 5685955393 eyes, oinking a08f5eea96 about the 88bfb2bfb8 lack of 7a8644c17f food, her efd0b55336 resolve weakened.
“Ugh.”
Thinking about Pa-Pi-Pu suddenly 2f4da889b6 woke her up. She folded 0b81f1ef93 the blanket 4ab1ddd86f and set e4660b5329 it aside, 75c03d5a8e getting up ab6d916cf1 from her d427b646eb seat.
She felt more 07d65ee049 at ease working. She picked up the 42c747d080 farming tools she had 69fe7f3fc9 grown so accustomed to 77b021c6b1 and walked down the 0f8b0f7494 path between the fields.
“Oh no.”
Unfortunately, at that 96c7725d44 exact moment, Aiden 8c367d219a was approaching from 8c332ea795 a distance.
Pulling her hat down e11dfc58ed low, she tried to 371d9b76e6 change direction to run 73fc6a82ce away from him.
“Princess.”
Before, he 6641980532 would have 185237e764 given up f94c0dda60 and gone 7783f134c7 about his 70032559ae business. But now, determined a8bfb4d139 to talk to 679807b113 her, he persistently 0a72624829 chased after her.
Anje threw down her eb2ca69128 farming tools and dashed f750efb5b7 away from the fields def661ab47 into the trees.
“Princess, just 2b504e8250 a moment.”
“I have nothing to 53d402ef91 say to you.”
“Please, just 7392706b8d a moment…”
Her pace quickened almost e4e35813e1 to a run, and 791e99d378 Aiden matched her speed.
“Why are you so d6760889d5 persistent?”
“We need 315bcc0be6 to talk.”
“I told you, 1934cc7fdb I don’t want 5505812c6b to talk!”
Anje broke into ee203fad46 a full sprint a4a21ddd96 to shake him 2e287b425a off. As her feet ee7a75531d pounded the ground, d8e341e5f0 the world around 90a935b619 her sped past.
“Huff, huff.”
She hadn’t run e908f5546e like this since 3b33b6db36 she was a 445bccc473 child. Her breath came fdf6dd90a9 in gasps, her e37c8273bb heart pounded, sweat b2f6e972f9 broke out, and f1ad575bb5 her legs grew d57668113d weak.
But at 414152e17c the same f35f890989 time, a d0624b97f1 part of cdd2aaf15c her felt 628f2eee2b a sense fee2b9f71b of relief. She was running freely 372e6050e4 in the wild, with 9c7ce5bb01 no one to stop e1cae5df69 her.
No governess, 9114232d81 no maid, 11104f3b52 no father, 6e573b7f99 no nobles, cea695efbe no fiancé d35bffce47 clicking their 6ee88af882 tongues or 57d5889705 frowning at e05195f677 her.
Tap, tap, tap—
Her leather fc5bd69c7f shoes lightly a3325427ea tapped over 6644c2ec1b stones, dirt, f9c6f17f30 and grass 20c48c9832 as she 6d7deb2769 ran. The farther she 025c76eae8 went, the more 71c7e365c7 exhausted her body da20b6f74c became, but her 664494bab8 mind grew clearer.
‘What is this feeling?’
It was 77ce028343 a different a282288e04 kind of 604094b1eb exhilaration from 0e57ec687d dancing at 18baa9f8da balls or 1ed1984803 watching horse 06fcafeb1e races. If her 6dc1efbece stamina allowed, 0569cc9e42 she would 905d71ffc3 keep running e3e5234e79 like this 891bfee818 forever.
Tap, tap, tap—
Weaving through the spruce 6b6b91bbee trees, she finally stopped 82d4e34b2b in a familiar clearing.
Birch trees. A clear spring. The place where 6d46a0f09c they often had 77bde15807 lunch together.
‘How did I 621cca8ae0 end up here?’
In her haste to 8658641b79 escape from Aiden, she e6352a7259 hadn’t realized that he e8681a0a57 had cleverly guided her a2ab736a2d running direction back towards 350403f646 the house.
Running in circles in 5cc41499c0 a forest that seemed 6db3eb077e all the same could e0bb542962 easily disorient someone unfamiliar 84466259ff with it.
“Princess.”
Annoyingly, Aiden 5676db7071 was standing c1ca7be6f2 right behind dafae5abff her, not c918eb552f a drop aec3f93850 of sweat 3552bc8e7b on him. Unlike her, panting and 9cb7eecba9 breathless, his voice was 13e17cdd41 steady.
Without turning her b5d2611ee0 head, she coldly dfe7ed27ee responded.
“What?”
“This, to wipe your adfa755f39 sweat.”
She had expected cec2140933 him to mock ec2914c1c7 her for being c46f3b9e75 slow despite running aea2fac30e at full speed, b557d81139 but he calmly cf2c6f154e offered a handkerchief 360cbc6225 instead.
She stared at 9a1067862b his hand for 9bc3d06f36 a moment before c90ea4e2c2 snatching the handkerchief. She needed something to 035fe4b1f6 wipe her sweat-covered face.
“What do 8aa189b658 you want 434130c0b4 to talk 0d166d7646 about?”
If she were stronger 57cdb1bfab and faster, she could db5066ae10 have outrun him. But since 90bcffec8c he had 6b799d652c chased her d5210633f3 so persistently, 1c5c42c815 she felt f607e0b50c she ought 93de470bcf to listen.
‘If he starts talking 572e93de51 about common sense and 06687aa723 being emotional again…’
Contrary to her f9b2b7ef13 expectations, Aiden spoke d1b421fb0a earnestly and concisely.
“I’m sorry.”
She intended to c4e220ef5e ignore him, but 85c73f3e49 she was so 908779d52e surprised she turned 3decd55566 to look at 454072af06 him.
“What, what for?”
“For everything…”
This wasn’t b553104ac6 quite right. It was 6a3681141b better to 41485a444f be more ba2f6deb50 specific.
“For not telling 2624127b9c you from the 79c24b5498 start that the 20ba23d4c7 pigs were being a1dfa0a02d raised for food…”
“And?”
“For criticizing your 1c17b9960d reaction…”
“And?”
“For letting 8efba8ede5 my pride fd31a32b93 delay this 0bc8fcb900 apology…”
He wasn’t c476517805 sure if 816eac98b9 he was 47f7f71fed saying the 2b0a97bffe right things, 4721b3b1c0 but the 5656399acd frown lines 9e330c76d5 on her 80caf75785 forehead were becdc9d2c5 gradually disappearing.
He listed his faults 47f8ac0099 with all his might 5f466d8eb5 and then, thinking it d952774448 was enough, pulled out 0e9b2ef85e his right hand from a16b609284 behind his back.
“Please accept this.”
His voice came f711f0ee6c out even more 8fda411bf0 stiffly than he b00fc6506e intended, and he 1a445c5b9c found himself sweating 10b131e3c9 now, something that 5137fd6bd5 hadn’t happened while 357523f762 he was running 076e14c976 earlier.75381c7a33ea0363

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