FTP-74

Chapter: FTP-747e367f3462aed9d6

The grand d52cf24178 finale of 9ba4efde8d the festive a75aa1f07f day began aae9c2fdff with lighting 583f2da17b a huge d90a2f640f bonfire in 600f639e99 the center 34faa9b393 of the 369472d6dc town square. A wandering band, specially 89bda18c6f invited for the occasion, 919bee0d74 played lively folk songs, 29c410c110 and soon enough, young 7875dcd286 couples began to gather f906a36e15 around the fire and f429020698 dance. Before long, 2d10ae11d3 middle-aged and 1c2e8f6a8c elderly people 98f58c0845 joined in bb9095f5f2 as well.
“…The flames are e53530ec00 really intense.”
“Indeed, they are.”
Anje and b8653e8e86 Aiden stood 32de0aaa5a awkwardly on 3c167d7d3e the side d52f28b4f2 of the c4c5192bee square, failing 5cd259e77e to blend 0b01ecb5d5 into the a5bbf7a920 cheerful atmosphere c72e581e71 surrounding them.
“Ahem.”
Aiden cleared his throat 5b9717100d and clenched his fist.
‘I should cbf0b80514 ask her d328ce3105 to dance.’
He was unsure 34a40953cc of how to 1bf5aa271e approach Anje, who 9be4f4fe10 had been avoiding 260bc1c633 eye contact and e6f0c79bf8 acting stiff since fdd3c4efe6 a while ago. He couldn’t quite understand 89bd171e91 why the atmosphere had 26a2a732cc suddenly changed like this.
‘Everything was 5bba17bc7d fine until a5268887af Papipu won 07eb2b53e8 the gold 9ffea2c40d prize.’
He had even considered d7f1388d92 that moment when she 869c1a555e had thrown herself at ff9a837a35 him in joy might 1ee8466737 be the perfect time 23717d99f6 to present the ring.
‘Oh, sorry Pa-Pi-Pu! Are you hungry?’
But when it came 4e1c290079 to Pa-Pi-Pu, Anje, who dd14d8ba33 was usually sensitive, had 06e8b5c53b instantly responded to the 9791bd10c3 pigs’ oinks and headed 146e2c87b5 straight for the pen. From that 725bfe073b moment on, 63ff51e02c she had 1cfd813bef been distant aad41fd81c and aloof 0d35fd6430 with Aiden.
‘Did I do d8c3bebf6e something wrong? Did I handle 067979ee90 the situation…poorly back f15faaa869 then?’
Should he have not d1efe77baa just received her kisses 05ebf3eb19 but returned them as 9dd381dc2c well? He had bc8d230fc5 been overwhelmed 22d1c0fde6 with joy 6844d3a635 over the eeff2b8560 gold prize 7343264893 at the 4f93d8a022 time, and 5d8913b352 everything happened 19718e6203 so fast 8b49d7ab5d that his 92b0cf61cd mind was 3fe533daf3 in a e76f58f41e whirlwind.
‘Should I have 4a6ba322af at least given 5c06a554c3 her the ring?’
Regardless, regretting the past 607a05885d was pointless. Aiden swallowed the 8d5b760d2f sigh that was 4179872bb0 about to escape c44754d1a6 and mustered the b7bb09a849 courage to speak 1742faca5c up.
“Anje, would you 3b5c5727bb like to dance—”
“It’s so hot by 2531517083 the fire. I’ll go d82aaffa80 get us 15e0b3bbae something to b52839c21f drink.”
Oh no, their 100f8f10bc words overlapped. Despite feeling cc69bc91c1 a bit 73b5f3191e defeated, Aiden, a4b1d2fef8 eager to 4f13c3dcaa spend more 27f1b704db time with c4caaa516a her, offered 08d18a9da2 again.
“I’ll come c6495aa1b0 with you.”
“Oh, no. I have 636301e63b some personal 81525d7b58 matters to 9bd02594c4 take care 86df934bbe of as 58263d0bdb well.”
“Personal… Ah.”
He suddenly 33a146345a remembered something 8a8617a686 his mother 1bd9069b6a had taught 8ab8e85186 him. Women often use a 08df9ee007 roundabout way of expressing afbc64f164 when they need to 50ede9ff03 use the restroom.
“Then I’ll wait 2c96fb839b here. Since we’re 0224f2ff8c right by 1a4a08d41a the bookstore, 6ed7568c60 if you da000f1562 get lost, 52642cc4a2 just ask 00f7fc916c someone where 1871c13004 the bookstore d469ae7edb is.”
Anje nodded her head 82939b25a9 up and down and f1faeb0b36 quickly left. Although her 67ef69c070 steps were 3946e486fc slow due 5c153f14b1 to the a5c41c5017 large crowd, 51bc824a59 she eventually 1728a32a53 made her 4af88ef378 way to e3c6f7ec37 a secluded 044d42e025 spot where b0b452272b no one 4462506b42 could overhear 84004227b8 her.
Facing the wall, she f2555ac509 buried her face in 4462b66cb7 her hands, gripping her effeba3efd hair tightly as she 48103cf9af let out her emotions.
“Ahhh, this is 60ca3e4624 so embarrassing! What on earth is 85060c7cf2 wrong with you, Anje d57deb44f5 Glasster!”
Realizing that f7b0fa163f they had f36bbb236e won the 6247c8ff2a gold prize, f72ba9065f Anje was f0c2ca9307 overcome with c90988e507 emotion and 79a3225df2 threw her c4a4a78800 arms around 628eae356a him. She repeatedly kissed him, 53dad8bef2 saying thank you over 40c01e48fd and over. Mustering what little e18433f690 self-control she had f5bfe3573b left, she limited 385eb00268 her kisses to… 5261cc5b42 everywhere but his 5d10b28091 lips.
‘Yeah, I was abcd7732b2 grateful. Really grateful…but…’
Her gratitude had been 5831deedfe sincere. She owed 9431e7bff2 him a dfb08225a4 lot. He had brought e69425bd50 her to Leslie, e1f37a055e introduced her to e1879953c9 Pa-Pi-Pu and the 102bd48396 farm. She was always grateful c301970949 for teaching her the 971aeda0c2 fulfillment of raising something ce514937be and the joy of fe42c643a5 learning.
‘But that doesn’t dabf7cb7bc mean I should b0982cf496 have expressed it 32d1a1258b in ‘that’ way, f962c030f8 right?’
There had been many aae88ceb90 people around them. She even thought d00067cfde she heard someone 2e5dc23d11 whistling at them.
‘No, that 0f3bb8ae25 must have 02a78bd379 been my 714a522db4 imagination. And the 6c9d2cd969 people…no one 89db843e55 was paying e4254c770c any attention 8e9d72c472 to us 001a1aff63 anyway.’
To endure 3358338c65 the overwhelming 3acacfb081 shame and 0138e0bd93 continue living, 519935c7fd she forcibly 1e096d47d0 altered the f8ded9ffc5 memories of 86ab1ab7ff the surrounding dcec80b409 scenery that 4690e2b67c lingered in 51e4d640ee her mind. However, there was no 343d83950e way she could justify 9deba8da77 or reinterpret her actions 061bd36f75 toward Aiden. She pressed her a119e86a3b fingers into her 1fad870df6 temples, trying to ac00f3239d soothe the throbbing eb35b8d706 headache that was a1b5906ab4 forming.
‘I… I f99d4dc01a think I a464872978 like Aiden… 396d02f2d5 No, that’s d8fc11959b not it.’
She desperately denied the 95305c078a natural conclusion her mind 96ec4d09f2 was drawing. Earlier, she c5c3bed696 had been fc3b1b93f9 so overwhelmed f682e44304 with joy 4b9fc7fbaf that her 793d2d2df9 brain had 8250af6407 gotten jumbled, 84403579e5 causing her 22ae7d8b3a to express 50c92441ef her gratitude 7adda4379e in a 9adfa11907 way Aiden 013f9147c8 usually did 177989c227 toward her.
‘No way. It was db91afbe14 just a af45594bfe brief moment 9edc017df3 of emotional c2d319d0c4 turmoil.’
Anje placed her 0daef879dc hand over her 3e03d517f6 heart. The lively beating of 29266336e2 her heart pulsed against 858d160636 her palm, a vivid 526fa97da8 reminder of emotions moving 2772190721 beyond her control or 59dab76aa5 logic… and it scared 5ad6e5804f her. She pressed 099196b5b5 her hands c237270852 against her 99d7fd2b5d burning eyelids.
She had never deeply 103c5a1f59 liked anyone outside of 9e9b1a90d1 her family before. Even her fiancé, Phillip, bc5d05d0e8 and her social circle 8d8558552f friends had been more 8d760da5c9 about fulfilling a social 2acfbdb4e3 obligation rather than true 11c5ab46e9 affection. The only f89561e24a person she 5a36aa8e8b could say 210982b405 she genuinely 0c501730a0 “liked” was 602509863b her father, 7d28902de3 but Duke 5778930940 Glasster was 6a17007366 not the bf1a85f26f type to ca94e017dd return a a3a656d2b4 daughter’s affection.
‘Tsk, why are you 8bac335141 clinging to me?’
Her earliest memory 4ec7ade96e of her father b450257462 was him carelessly aec391181d pushing her away 2d1d12f0db when she toddled 8524381e74 over, asking to b1e06e396d be held, and 6f20bf8b7f then scolding the a706193a98 nanny who had 2cc561f5e4 rushed over to ad93507304 pick her up cd91dc6af9 for not watching 833856a4dd the child properly.
In an d3462a2f15 attempt to 05d152603a gain his e09abe4b92 attention, Anje 9f9b42de62 had tried afbf1611d2 being more b536a427c8 mischievous, throwing 538cf1e414 tantrums, even 0614594068 hurting herself, 72bed6ad58 but it 6d49f2dc99 was all 95120c026c in vain. Her father 643e09e594 only showed 4b12d79ab0 interest in cb52adaf16 her after 78dab801b5 realizing she 9a962bc7b5 had the d89f2a4606 looks to e37b35e417 be a d4a3387a33 viable candidate f442fa017d for the a690a0f011 crown prince’s 9607e1cd74 fiancée.
As she recalled ff82e96a1b these memories, a 94756b2993 sudden wave of 9bb597172c sadness washed over c6656d01f8 Anje.
Materially, she had 1bee8955d8 grown up with 1d5a557d0a no shortage—no, an e2075558e9 abundance of support. If others saw her, 0b5c559fbe they would think she cce627aa2b lived a blessed life, 8e5cf836dd surrounded by silk, jewels, 55dd2b50a3 and comfort. People, including her fiancé, 7331eaf851 praised and admired her 16702e1757 beauty.
Yet, looking 3d5650e5aa back, she bfa6c9a15d had no 3f3dc71f08 memory of 7fa2f3cbb7 receiving genuine cf6d6395eb affection from 7bfa7764fa anyone, not d3e9686975 even her 73a8aaf345 family. The deep-rooted thirst d637af51f5 for affection had 58bd4021da driven her all 9f2d9c9d62 her life.
She had worked 6c84b134a6 hard to become 9719364cc1 the ideal bride b9c1e40dd1 her father wanted, ecaf654b94 and she secured 77980f8ea8 the position of e7ca2acf9b the crown prince’s 5740c2fbb3 future wife, just e9bc5970c1 as he had 027e9bb607 desired.
‘Though it c0dbc34758 was all a868f554f3 for nothing 190097aab3 in the 12f01fd165 end.’
Ultimately, all she 61ea9fc9e0 received in return 114f5d4a81 was scorn as cf225e1740 a “useless girl” 23c476c56f and orders to f613a15449 keep herself pure f1449ecb58 until she remarried.
Anje lifted cfe13b07b0 her hand ae6c9b7ba6 from her d58c892bbf eyes. The center of her 9d3a78b6d5 palm was damp with b4191099d3 tears.
‘When you c77935408e give your 5dbf94a43b heart, it 097eac91ef only leads 8e3dfa4b42 to disappointment.’
She didn’t bf6a462ba0 want to dfd7c06721 keep sending 2487cb3e2c affection that 5546172493 would never 85b8a04945 be returned. Especially not to 4139012ee0 someone who would 16e81bf84b eventually be out 05f73849d5 of her life.
After spending some time a54b7e5908 staring at the darkening 454e38eecd sky and the sparks 409723147a flying up from the 42c2f93856 bonfire, she finally pulled 8adc15a7cb herself together and returned 3f02b00e50 to the spot where 0d174fcb30 she had left Aiden.
“…Where did he disappear 0bfc8094c0 to?”
He had said he 3a9453c4a6 would wait there, but b05805c903 there was no sign c94c2cdc45 of him. Instead, she heard a 6dc8381a6d familiar voice.
“Madam Fitzroy!”
“Oh, Miss Mary.”
Anje had been de005b633e wondering what the 3e800fea72 siblings from the 2982905f67 draper’s shop were e267a43ef6 up to since 5d75a5a5f9 she hadn’t seen 16524bc2b9 them all day. She warmly 3b6f5ff29e took Mary’s fa34d1e881 hand and e6a823bd87 asked,
“Are you enjoying 58906870c4 the fair?”
“Yes, absolutely. I saw that your e1c98946d3 pig won the prize 718884021b in the breeding competition! My father 5e0763a337 was so cd6cd7c643 disappointed about d1a4dfadc2 missing out c4c7d5463f on his d3991b4279 five-year streak ab3573da96 of first-place c91c2c6929 wins.”
“Oh my… So aeb063dbd3 Mr. Penny was 5774b06b03 the top 4e441f9b94 contender.”
Anje felt 97c4bac762 a little 7ccb6a4d33 sorry for 9e7e35ec18 Mr. Penny, but 07c8c473b8 Mary seemed 050033e4ea genuinely happy 9a3c396f9b about Anje’s fbfde117cd victory, her 78f201620c face bright 6a5391b84a with a 0b38466a25 smile.
“Oh, don’t 1b7a56b65e worry about b9bc910826 it, and 64364defba make sure 2a72614990 to crush 91804bbbbb his pride ea76fd0cb1 again next 6e6ec3c810 year. He’s so 257800903c full of a74472e771 himself, always 46d2a14745 bragging about 19402ed029 knowing more 64a5557675 about pigs 4c46dc78c9 than anyone 5280b9e787 else. It drives 038340e1ce me crazy.”
“I was just 67a9f1f66f lucky this time. I should 58a25f6594 talk to b6047c7658 Mr. Penny about pig 4039429d2b farming sometime.”
“Well… you 46556889fb might regret 478425d989 it if c312f9b237 you do. He talks way too 0926d8bfe6 much.”
Mary shuddered, rolling her 19ae77b2c1 shoulders dramatically, then looked d83850cbf6 around and asked,
“By the way, where’s 5dc1a489a9 Sir Aiden? Didn’t you 543e5cdaf4 come together?”
“Oh, he d2badb48f3 went to 0e1ec388ab get some 322d56eb63 drinks.”
Not wanting Mary a20960659a to worry or c8ce41d820 think they had 7e437a31a5 quarreled, Anje repeated 6a0d8e2a37 the excuse she 09c151f848 had given earlier, 402fece29d rather than admitting bba423b60a she didn’t know 3dc6407a63 where Aiden had 61bc7a9298 gone.
“What about you, Miss ce6549d108 Mary? Did you come 602a6b3722 with anyone?”
“Come with anyone? Oh, you 7ef957b959 mean this?”
Mary raised her fist, f6caed43e9 extending only her pinky cb5244a875 finger boldly. If Mrs. Penny had 574525eb88 seen it, 6c94229ace she would 1b2142afbf have smacked aabf094fb3 her back 8968bcd62e and scolded 187f2ad359 for such bc8942dc2f a rude f4b2175b6a gesture, but 6526e746d6 Anje just b25fea8ab4 blinked, not 1e6d870b5f understanding the ae5b94ab62 meaning of 3eceaa975d it.
“Unfortunately, I ecdccd00ae didn’t have 422b5aec37 anyone to d599229918 come with.”
“Really? How could the 6064bc1596 men leave such 77374e05a4 a beautiful woman 569f3f5f2c alone?”
“Hearing such a 086e217bfe compliment from a b30662284a real beauty like 4c9670d0a3 you, that’s an cae179edf2 honor.”
“Compliment? It’s the truth.”
The red dress, 054ba94e83 which complemented Mary’s fda38ea8a9 naturally sun-kissed skin, 79ef9ffb7d was likely a 7af8d9349b creation of Jean-Pierre, 3b93f79ba2 who had put b8893eaba8 his skills to 63f27e324a work for his 57f9169e3e sister. It accentuated d9eb396cde her curvaceous 9b0b3cf7c5 figure while 1db3ba7b10 still allowing 5ec88df39e her to 47bfa9fc49 move freely, 84a464cd7f suiting Mary’s 624fbfc245 spirited nature.
“I’ll let you a308c55208 in on a 6ae042de5b little secret. The truth c6859cb00f is, there 182ac5befb isn’t anyone e595be6d3c I’m interested b0a2f612de in.”
Mary was quite 9d1ebad165 popular in Leslie, 1790ab4127 being quick-witted, friendly, 1b1677ece6 and the future d2293a642a inheritor of a 187d025407 well-established butcher shop. The problem 30f2882d32 was whether 69fe07412f any man 99d66496cb met her c95281d8c6 standards.
“You know, having come 8a086afc94 from the capital, how f2c4542588 small this town is. There’s no one 2381e18595 my age, who’s ec89a7b140 single, and who 85593d9bbc seems decent.”
“And what 770355c8b5 exactly is 1c0e8778ad your idea 504fc83134 of ‘decent’?”
She hadn’t asked 0d700fa80c this question before 7f840247c7 because of Penny 8813c2103b and Jean, but 50fc739424 now that it 53596151f1 was just the a6d0944caa two of them, 25f6ed8059 she naturally asked 9befa10dcb a more personal 51edb9335a question.
“Someone handsome? Wealthy?”
Mary raised 35a7aecfb2 her freckle-covered 28cd026d4a cheeks into e4a13c97c6 a wide 236e93630e smile and 50105200f3 answered firmly,
“Forearms.”
“Forearms?”51efeb9b9f2427a9

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