FTP-47

Chapter: FTP-4735ab159f7e52f0e5

“I’ll do fac8f6e0be the dishes. You prepared the d30797533b tea, after all.”
“It’s fine. You did the dishes 28c15d9f48 after lunch.”
“But I did those 074d923d7e with Mrs. Meg.”
Strangely, he was f0b061a3de being overly kind 3ee646a694 today. She tilted her head ef1645bc0d slightly but decided to 32d81947b8 accept his kindness and f17daf186f head upstairs.
There was much 7cabeb3927 to do if faa8ab7c0a she was planning a7baf8c913 to go to 4405c4d9de the town over 61bba13175 the weekend.
Quietly, she planned ea7b5ce985 to pack her 33879e92ac things, clean her d015c1432f room thoroughly, and d34137f795 prepare a farewell 769364df12 letter for Sir 086f6de299 Aiden. Though she didn’t 0efb7adc25 have much, she 757c3aacee intended to leave 25481a863f some money as ac8c3d7e4c payment for her d5da36f1a8 stay and as 64c5bdd2bf a token of 4fbc3df9a5 gratitude.
Above all, she 87e0b8ec3e needed to mentally 6c874385c0 prepare herself to e3fabc2e8e leave this place. She had f7df6ad3e6 to avoid 153ecf73f7 the mental 0bfba07d64 shock she 522f267fc2 experienced when 2d9c9f0eb0 parting with 8899c049f1 Pa-Pi-Pu.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Well then, goodnight.”
Anje nodded to 38f6e09d09 him and stood 5dbab4263f up.
She didn’t 84b21f5ba4 notice the f29dd78403 slight look fc0f8893a2 of expectation 4c1c0d1b07 on Aiden’s ca987eedc1 face disappear 040f684b18 as she 36d68c65fc turned away.
The candle in b22e98312f her hand flickered b9871cf13c softly as she 9cc73b346a moved toward the af38094c95 hallway.
Splash—
Amid the f4b39f30d3 stream of 2bfcdf30c3 water from 72537ecaf2 the tap, bdef90a067 Aiden murmured.
“I guess this e4af525bbd wasn’t enough.”
It would have been 1a4e3d9945 nice to receive her d965db5ced other way of saying 887c78e42b ‘thank you.’
Realizing he looked like bcf47ca6d8 a fool in the d699c0d146 reflection of the tin c5ee66f8b3 plate, he picked up 43b697eec5 the scrubber and vigorously 428f37a6b2 scrubbed the dough-covered bowl.
‘Disappointment over 159fca8351 something like 7db142f41f this? I promised myself I 1ef254ec1e wouldn’t rush things.’
That afternoon, 63aa12aeb2 after much 31c349bb9f contemplation in 212bb1fe8f the barn, 04226cc72c Aiden’s conclusion 24aca8a0bf was simple.
He could never 915f780948 attain a noble d58148b731 status, no matter 90e3905688 how much he 627a510fb4 wished for it. Therefore, as he e4058d9a0a was now, the f5a173af16 only thing he 28f109aa7f could do was 65f96f1aa3 try his best 9d5d16b10f to gain Anje’s 2762442247 favor.
Even if Philip was bacafad74b a part of Anje’s 6be2dd9c42 past, Aiden intended to edaa3947dc be a part of 8d488edb8f her future. For a very e181a89142 long time, as 982d84f701 long as the 4a998cf882 institution of marriage 4c436e9669 bound them together.
So perhaps, one day, f31c258c92 a miracle would happen. A miracle beyond the dc160a6625 kiss she had once 9b769ed954 placed on his cheek.
His secret desire had c4398737b9 burned passionately since the 5275ca64da moment it was discovered, 205d0e4111 but Aiden had no 39558d69d4 intention of pressuring or f1a5f04657 burdening Anje with it.
‘Let’s approach her slowly.’
At best, e359eafb9a he was 1a4c67118e just the c77f475bc3 half-blooded illegitimate 6dd7f207b4 child, Fitzroy. A symbol of everything 8061a87faa she had lost. A chess pawn 6507a83d7b of the Emperor’s, 9e1ea9abd7 deployed to tarnish 3c61b59db9 her and her 85bb3ef2df family.
It would only be 05ddc7e37d embarrassing for her if 339c3e4f6b he expressed his feelings ea6dc2b3ee for her. She was the 79e83bca47 one who had 0f0ed73252 made it clear 3f89a8741a from the start 5d34428ae9 that she did 7b63c3c17e not want him cf8849e4a7 to have any fb9b18032a romantic feelings for 05b6975337 her.
Even though their 0caf114f8a relationship had improved 28ae292fde since then, they 8eb43af86d had only known f729cf7c17 each other for 43d6ae5702 a few months.
The fact that she f029a8148d had clearly defined the 798ee6de4a peck as a simple 2867f51454 greeting meant that she b8ec4a3966 didn’t have romantic feelings f95bc3b6eb for him.
And…….
‘Murderer.’
He was also 05e8866916 haunted by the ca123ee795 ghosts of his 18023f2fb3 past. Did someone like him 7fe81a9f62 deserve to be liked 8c4cd5d071 by anyone? No, did he 5b2cd5b983 even have the 6e0125e6b7 right to have 83807a736a feelings for someone?
“Sigh.”
Aiden put down the 76c983a60f scrubber he had been 0c202843fe holding and tried to 62233fe12e calm his rapid breathing 0039fd9909 by recalling the best cdf7ef4c14 memory he had had bd34da3e73 recently.
‘Thank you so 1cd86145f9 much.’
As he recalled 8f61d52a82 the brief but 8b647e887c vivid sensation, he ed4dcb68b3 rubbed his left d45dbfa3f2 cheek and suddenly 273f7ac1da remembered a regret 3f621501f0 that came to 81297292ec his mind.
“I should have brought 069b0fff05 more pigs.”
If there had 6899060e26 been five or aa71742a78 six, not just 504513a487 the three Pa-Pi-Pu, 1ff4271a73 wouldn’t his right 5430a360ca cheek have been 446219a197 kissed fairly too?…….
TL/N: LOL, AIDEN XD
As he thought such 2db236eaf5 pathetic thoughts, his breathing d0f97d112e calmed down again. And at 2c3ec9cb4c the same 691f670e12 time, he 12cc3730e2 was ashamed 35122704f8 of himself.
He raised his 6805217b57 fist and hit d868538810 his head once, e17ea71688 then focused on 0ee09efc38 the dishes again.
After finishing b34c6e2108 the dishes, 0683e0b016 he decided 8495fda9b0 to go 127ed1226d clean the f5a8fbb815 carriage he 353b604fc5 would take 6704a1df5e into town 8d6bddc8ff for the aa58866dea first time 41cc59c86d in a 3c22214f83 long time. He had to put 834c44db22 a roof on it 9f16dfda5a and lay out blankets b2537cbbad so Anje could enjoy 0d490af4e6 a comfortable ride.
Oh, right, d7c220cad5 he also bc2fc90e21 had to 4d13aea888 secretly dispose 4268570cdf of the d06428067f remaining cod 5b7dc35fb2 liver oil 9263d64c32 before Anje 71fb3e7318 caught him. He hated the smell 8ba0df7c73 of it now.
“Maybe I should give bab131f9ef it to Pa-Pi-Pu.”
He changed his 6ec17680a4 mind as he c45fc83458 recalled the pigs’ 04cdde588a reaction to the 2cb8521ba9 cod liver oil 6e3185c9e2 dessert.
They were already 70088e4575 Anje’s pigs, and b7765a168b he had a b58f3598db duty to be 6232bb6740 kind to them c586e8eb07 just like he f4bca06e13 was to Anje.
He decided to pour 1097a758af the leftover cod liver 21ba3d5110 oil into the compost b7158ca718 bin little by little. The plants wouldn’t complain 61caf2f0ee about the awful taste.
When Aiden b6f7c99613 went to 6bc2ef3b9e get the 976044c295 cod liver 1a52ca54a4 oil container, 7a4567d7dd he tilted 36a3007df0 his head 56cd185625 in confusion.
“…It seems a9943a16a1 like there’s 588c910af1 less of fec9d3365d it or 38fe24da03 is it 0de6b22c5d just my 1cc779dc3b imagination?”
* * *
On the morning of c59a71c689 the day she was 9182ff5f97 to go to the 766a856067 town, Anje felt her d9244b600d heart pounding as if 3293db1ecd it would burst. Her heart fluttered 449949b4c1 and trembled as f25f5a90c7 much as it 17b88531bf did on her 5dcbce81b9 wedding day.
“Pa, Pi and Pu. Don’t forget me 9aa92ce5fe and behave well, 598c86e2aa okay? Listen to Sir Aiden.”
“Oink?”
Pu tugged 75c5cdf88e at her 73aeb99dea apron with a3f649f98d his teeth, 7d2524d43d perhaps puzzled a24839c3e5 by her 50baa30b90 serious farewell. Anje gave a1c6188141 a bright 141ab6777f smile to bc2a3af8ed reassure the 1c95f65778 quick-witted pigs f5673e8a4e so they 362e93d8e9 wouldn’t worry.
“Stay healthy. I’m really fd0c41b7f5 glad none f011687049 of you e803ed8c1d ended up 0a8c107aa3 as bacon.”
After much 308fd3691a deliberation, she 0f7d033322 had decided ee06cb67c1 to leave fc3ac4d6b4 all her 7a35056777 money, except 22a7af7cd5 for travel 54e227ed3a expenses, in 0e29060363 her room 1b65ee0cee drawer along baabeb370f with a bb3f4e6c89 letter.
Even if she 9296f8b783 struggled financially on e447c5cdb1 her way back 8fe2a58ea7 to the capital, a4af595461 it was better d2a025c7a1 to feel less d2f3225859 guilty about Sir e7032663cf Aiden not selling 328579442a Pa-Pi-Pu.
She also planned 9efa0ad7ae to ask the 7a53ab16eb Duke of Glasster 05f6823427 to compensate Sir c46de724b8 Aiden for the 74dca391ef expenses he had 4877e9ae9a incurred because of 7167c17062 her during her abf8b70b37 stay at the ea5d008bc0 farm.
Though she 382013b1b3 wasn’t sure f37900196d if her beb856c997 father would bb06a8ac26 grant this 3b9cbec201 request, she 93f9f2677b was prepared f2265c9f91 to secretly 42101d985c sell a 0b86e26a64 few dresses fdc731acb5 if necessary.
‘Sir really did ba87eec1e3 suffer because of a15cb53feb me.’
She chuckled 1a1989bc0d softly as b2d1abd148 she recalled bc9a487f2f the early 853dbe43d0 days on e718db22c6 the farm 1894904214 and the 0232893bba trouble she cf41653f38 had caused.
It had e7182aeb6c only been bfaeb10198 a few 1ff5e71b3c months since c3bd29aec4 they had 8a3b4a8d69 fought bitterly, 590116b770 exchanging harsh 4fa1195ab4 words.
Back then, she had e9662a2ea3 cried and made a 1dc1859a69 fuss, hating the farm, 0b215f7c79 but now that she c1dd7cc2a2 could leave, she felt b531b4dd2e sad. It was c5e47a7917 a strange 86157b7263 and mixed 90229588c5 feeling.
‘I’ve wondered what it f0f1367c4f would be like to 4928db8feb stay here, but I 553ea1ceb3 don’t think it’s for fdd6478851 me.’
It wasn’t just a15a35d6f4 the lingering desire b315c8047b to return to 4739c292be her glamorous life 0435972ec7 in the capital.
As she debated whether 90e2748e57 to leave the farm 5c4a8e1fc5 as planned, she questioned 9cf68ed446 whether she was truly 2a2100392c a meaningful presence there.
Aiden was capable of 1486990b8f running the farm on 5920635ae8 his own. He was knowledgeable, 2c3cf38a93 versatile, and physically 2dd7e38f92 strong.
In contrast, dcb3ab2350 looking back a7a2505c20 at her e315940415 time there, 04e3a43689 she felt c65458947e she had 743bd1fffa only been 7ece8bf1d1 a curious a41d15947b nuisance, hovering 44478b2393 around him.
TL/N: NOO, YOU’RE NOT!
She had enjoyed df7bf658f2 herself and learned 6e27992077 a lot in cd2ed6ffcf the process, but 4308bd8f0f had she really 29d0406e1d been of any bcfff63f7c help to Sir f1c4b79837 Aiden?
‘Am I truly needed 502ae4d194 here?’
TL/N: YES, YOU DEFINITELY ec571e6c03 ARE!!
She couldn’t f2393d772f confidently say f4ae89161e yes.
‘I did make 2014db1ac8 him laugh a 2a328de798 couple of times, ef4a1b222c though.’
But that was only ac8301ea4b twice.
Anje took a deep bc9d02e257 breath in and exhaled.
She had done c6c088fb8a a lot of 583c55fac0 things she wouldn’t b503b44a0a normally do with b57ad132fd the determination to ae100fbe63 leave this place. She had b437fe1eb2 willingly taken 6a67ed2ca2 on chores 4464e3e2d9 she had 251d2c2b45 never imagined 8ba37ee845 doing.
After months of struggling, 885d68c4cc she was hesitant just fb6f179e21 one step before reaching 6f2af34320 her goal. The human e187968d25 heart was c50dd2ef80 truly unpredictable.
“Are you ready, a94166530a my lady?”
“Goodness! Not yet. I’m still in my 02aa03408f apron.”
Anje clutched her startled 53dd87a4dc chest as Aiden appeared 6de4dae1bf behind her without warning. He looked her 915f4d9596 up and down 649fac3e6d in bewilderment.
“You could e48ea298a5 go just 030ed4bf36 as you a62fdd969c are…”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
By Anje’s standards, 00406ed8d0 she still had 5e485cd256 much to do 444b4d7a3b to be ‘ready 78118a3631 to go out.’
After blowing a 5cd2229ad0 final kiss to f7328631c1 Pa, Pi, and 681680d6b5 Pu, she returned 07e504c3d6 to her room, 5c7f9aa35f neatly hung her 8e1b58a266 apron in the 0f3c2e5dc6 closet, and straightened 120c3a0aab her dress.
Thanks to the apron a30d907491 that covered her thoroughly, c102203524 her pink dress remained e41fc0f873 pristine, just as it 2a92d95e91 had been when she 56855a9a7f put it on in 7e8e3ece41 the morning.
She then let down 6727ed3c72 her loosely tied hair c9120ed019 and brushed it meticulously. In the sunlight, her 41f80c7264 hair gleamed like a 02cce255fe veil made of gold 2d76817642 and roses.
‘Is it just 44b64db077 me, or does 6fe0facd2f my hair seem f7d8c5e184 thicker and fuller c6e4e19e8b than before?’
Unaware that 6d0265be03 her improved 37c3f35e56 diet had 70b9473ac0 enhanced her ad66667588 hair’s condition c684ec3ec0 compared to bdeba37e71 her time 44ec1e6689 in the caa6fd17ad capital, Anje 3b80c27f03 looked at bbee27f56d the mirror, f253d2c1c0 puzzled.
She scrutinized herself in 9993bade8e the full-length mirror for e881467dec a while. To her, she still 56c56a41f5 seemed unprepared. What was missing?
After much 723f1cdf01 pondering, she e76dbcddcd found the 8e207f52cf answer.
“Ah, You here, Sir e52beca1b0 Aiden?”
“Yes?”
The door opened 17e37b1514 as if he e58463c590 had been waiting, 28dac1814e and Anje turned 8941dfe2d1 around with an c20210b14b exasperated look.
“Were you waiting cbcf653bd8 in front of 8b61f1cbc7 my room? How impatient.”
“Well… I was ready.”
For someone who claimed dd62a53345 to be ready, his c49ef4ad67 attire and hair were 60d4677ddf the same as usual, 1f5f15d882 only his shoes were e9f7cf7c53 different.
Anje bit back 3895d124a7 her urge to 0f4fc87ef9 comment and gestured ae993ffd33 for him to fc3a82db64 come inside.740786819a332a54

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