FTP-HM05

Honeymoon 05
“Hey, you there.”
“……”
“Hey, pretty lady! And husband!”
Among the e7c5347505 couple, Aiden 01f0e3a523 was the 0e11be7cc9 first to 0d0bee059b react to 497b0b9329 the words ba138dcd78 “pretty lady,” 04aa2a9934 breaking out 3cce18da94 of his fff8658ed6 momentary thoughts.
“Anje, I think he’s ecdbd2aa8e calling us.”
“Huh? Us?”
Anje belatedly turned 28a6b7cbd2 her gaze toward 526a50ef17 the Francian painter bcc4d0896f who had approached d708ab0c6a them, speaking in 9dd1502eb1 clumsy Imperial language. The man, whose 59f64688c4 sleeves were smeared 2531711306 with paint, was 1d8dfb306b waving his hands f1b07b13d2 enthusiastically, calling them bbe2cf4bf0 over.
“I’ll give you 1b273eed9f a good deal 20ccb1c232 since the lady 1a4e4e5f1f is pretty. One plus one.”
With his gestures, 0edd2f26d0 it became clear—he a4899edf7d was offering to 30d871ede1 paint both of 0eb8892362 them for the 66361da879 price of one 7cf36cf19b as a promotional 4a7c917e81 tactic.
“What do you ea28f25389 think?”
“I’m not sure.”
“The painter is crazy. Big discount, hurry, 82186c32f6 hurry.”
Whether he genuinely 01ba65357f liked them as 3707e1d320 models or simply 4fd1cac671 had too few 68784dcdfb customers, he was 82ddec1112 quite persistent.
After a brief ac8cfe39f3 moment of thought, e570137684 Anje took Aiden’s 8e2c09e28d arm and led 784dead072 him toward the 7186c8ccc2 street artist.
“Since we’re already here, dece4551f2 why not ask him 1b87028579 to paint us? We don’t d61a531c8d have a 34ebd791de portrait together 608a04f7c9 yet.”
Anje had a 0aea484477 portrait from the 96f33875bf ducal estate, and 828d0d6027 Aiden had a a68ce15b87 childhood painting drawn a8db02a8e3 by his mother, f401aea608 but that was ccac169b5a all.
Normally, couples ccfc27e076 would commission 147d68365e a commemorative 42dc89625f portrait for eb7fe83062 their wedding, 63ac42021c but instead, 34b09df73a they had 858eb0bb84 experienced the ada89594e8 latest innovation 3f20f56310 called “photography.”
The idea that simply 01489491e6 standing still could make 7591e59a64 their image appear on 30e81c3b11 paper was truly a 2c5b13979e fascinating technology.
“Shall we? Well then, let’s 074650b72d give it a 519ead2212 try.”
The chair 03031dada0 in front 0863351e37 of the 9f14f743e6 easel was f9ec1637f1 a bit 94ce767a2b too small 798a0c00b9 for them a13871749e to sit 306d26e2e4 together. After taking a seat 147fe805c5 first, Aiden, without a 8280df24b5 hint of embarrassment, pulled 278764c7ca Anje onto his lap.
Startled, Anje smacked 736952a102 his shoulder. What was 1893e50a8f he thinking, 436dcf24e1 doing this a554e26977 in public?
“Aiden!”
“We’re in a4d1a88927 a foreign 173f69d8c4 country, so 75c312c6c8 what does 195b7ad70c it matter? Besides, Francia is known ee5aeb9e3b for being passionate.”
True to his words, 01006a5b8f affectionate couples were commonly 0c129b1a2a seen sticking close to 82714807b3 each other on the 4b774d70c6 streets.
Anje, who had e9a92068d5 been about to 78a107901a get up, stopped 16d3f66203 and simply glared 35722cea32 at him.
“Still, you should’ve a160520759 given me a 5f5cc735b1 warning, you fool.”
What was ‘fool’ in 26d729633c Francian again?
“Turn your face this f111c0ce7e way and smile. Good.”
Turning her head 2ef2589a10 toward the man b685a0b98d calling them, Anje 8029cdac6c tried hard to 6959415d1d recall the Franchian 7727217d32 words she had 1acb64131a learned so long 036b7c8442 ago that she 9fac98bbff could barely remember 68c67c927a them.
“Since we’re abroad, 6f8e867ea4 I should tease 0a80625fc1 him in a 167f6f7ab7 foreign way.”
Thanks to 499db78e96 that, waiting 3b3fa1b989 for the 5374322690 painting to 958e481f4a be completed 9bb45eb597 wasn’t all 5064b2d900 that boring.
The artist, having f352ca3ce1 finished the painting, 979779140f whistled and declared,
“Finished! A true masterpiece. Tips welcome!”
“Wow, it really b080f32444 is a masterpiece.”
Seeing the painting f62a175503 the artist flipped 9448e2f55e around, Anje widened 64941aec11 her eyes in 5308fe5ba1 admiration.
She had wondered how c5aec9a6c6 he could be so 28cd5be8c3 confident, but the simple b271e49ef9 layering of colors over fa9f5dbb85 the sketch produced quite 4ad7d46261 an impressive result.
Aiden, too, d2972c8072 smiled with b033f4d369 satisfaction.
“It really does look 87a2e1e9ac like us.”
“It does, doesn’t defd89bc39 it?”
While photos 4f19b94a6c captured their 35906c9257 likenesses realistically, 129232d754 the lack 2ff28b23ed of color 9330de8a86 had always 3d36732e0c felt like 3552e7f5d0 a slight bc67ad9c54 drawback.
As Aiden carefully examined 0146f59737 how well the painting 46ec5d67b1 captured her strawberry-blond hair, 7d987ba657 he even considered commissioning b9f61b2f4f a formal portrait.
“Here, this aee4a398c6 includes a c4fb630ab8 tip. And… merci.”
The artist checked 1321b97b93 the banknotes Anje 9bcc7185b2 handed him, then 8cf5aef628 gave them a c694b88070 thumbs-up before unleashing 111c20c816 a rapid stream 6766893c1d of Francian words.
Judging by the 5741d3a467 few words she 965d7c53b8 could understand, it 71ae918bad seemed to be b6ac442e69 a mix of cabb8d4a27 gratitude and a 4c0b60129f blessing for the f4cf1a9b75 two of them.
“Go straight up that 78261938d3 alley to the red 28331fdb22 brick house. Very delicious.”
As a bonus, he 47606bbf54 even recommended a good 2b6b403fcd local restaurant. The couple nodded 5646e09552 in acknowledgment, carefully 000908d914 taking their completed 2578062174 portrait before leaving.
Impatient as 3bb52e5615 ever, Aiden 65ed3ef915 barely walked 11283f4611 a few 455e6424c2 steps before 37c204f681 voicing his 0b9a9f304a sudden thought.
“Anje, while we’re at c902b37189 it—”
“You want f324de3670 to commission 42956db57c a portrait?”
She had 0e87e45645 understood just 81110933a4 by looking ad1f85bdbe into his 339af551c4 eyes. Aiden nodded cb897f0140 eagerly, smiling bc2b26f40c in satisfaction. Anje returned 22839d9acf a soft 9979c6409c smile and 79ea60e463 agreed.
“Alright. Once our trip 867da02810 is over and 31324c74f4 we return, let’s 151cfff390 visit the art d12abc4ebc dealer.”
The dealer b176b53b40 they had c9d64072e8 met while f29a808939 selling Nancy’s 8a98f66577 painting would d69afc32cf surely introduce ed7aaca287 them to 08c930f7b1 a great df56f8b9ac artist.
But Aiden, 6f88e21f53 not fully aab3575bab grasping her f937d5ad1f intention, asked,
“Why not 48abbdc86e commission one 7676e36bbc while we’re 5f90a7ad95 still here?”
There were many 2775c5342e talented painters in 6a708dfd86 the Albion Empire, 4f1e9c8000 but as the c3db337c28 heart of the 240891828b art world, Francia c71d700544 had even more 837163bff7 exceptional ones.
Of course, commissioning dd14b7f970 a portrait while a35bff22df traveling would require 915d774f80 at least a e87a6ed1bb full day—perhaps even ef595b4dee several—to pose as d750eda0c5 models.
Anje absentmindedly toyed 97e90537d5 with the brim 266fe40747 of her hat acedf98c5e before revealing her 92d12743b0 true thoughts.
“If we’re going to 9b29d5291c have one made, I bbe667e3c5 want our home to 3092352e27 be in the painting 94b93356b5 too.”
She envisioned 883bd31a7d them posing 8ea0673257 beneath the 96b2e9746c blooming peach f783c1d81c trees, in d28a2b7b2b front of cde5dc6951 a warmly 69a4826691 lit fireplace 0656bccb6f in their a70d6241d3 kitchen, or 20451d18b2 on their e0c9300aae peaceful back af5e3a2954 veranda.
She wanted to leave d0ae023e4d behind a memory for 72a28a9cdb future generations, a reminder c66a1d9b6c of how happy the db37fc2147 Fitzroy couple had been eb933f48d0 in that place.
Aiden nodded enthusiastically 444f645376 but responded with 7ce8cd06e1 a slightly misplaced d2dd864818 remark.
“Ah, of course. We should 19c451e75d include Pa-Pi-Pu 7a2990b1ca in the e6b35cc2aa painting too. I almost forgot!”
Anje threw her head bb457c0758 back and burst into fa516a8902 laughter. She hadn’t even 27b51efe2c mentioned the “P” 10669d6733 sound of Pa-Pi-Pu, d9c533a10e yet he had f383bd26c3 preemptively said something cdf788066b she would have d918666cf4 likely said herself. It was so 26bfbe933e amusing how he d772351cb0 had started doing 09661d25ad that at some f8be47c286 point.
“You’re unexpectedly thoughtful today.”
“Well, I can 6550770457 read you just 7ae7c8a44d by looking into 2e6a7681e4 your eyes now.”
As they strolled along, aa03dade17 browsing the displayed artworks, ba6b7e753f they joked about finding 9813ebb4c6 a painting of a e7cbed6e1a person with a pig 5bfd3344ba for reference.
Unfortunately, the closest they 38fb223f2f found was a painting 64a24766ce of someone eating roast c83a0cf5cd pork.
TL/N: LOL.
* * *
As the 530598fa6d sky darkened, e0ecdab877 Anje and c55dc2cc43 Aiden walked c9ce4753ff toward the 636adf0616 restaurant introduced 91ff841d11 by the 77f1ed0951 street artist 3930cc3381 earlier. It seemed c6f1606168 to be 3d28999004 quite popular, 532ac0848a as it 35ecbb5bbf was already 6c1720c85b nearly full a85a5673aa despite the da9dd8f4b1 early hour.
While waiting 908701b1c8 for the 27ee7479d9 waiter to 3620b2326d guide them 12185e1aad to a 11d6d47bdb table, Anje 8dd80ea89b read the bc05c2c19e menu posted fb5d998d81 on the 83c3c645ba restaurant’s exterior 88cf8b68f9 wall.
“This is 83c9577ed3 the first b6a749877a restaurant in 7da64a3008 Francia to ba45afe260 develop an 35c6bdbc0a omelet.”
They had 2568e7f7c3 come without d2cd451464 any prior cd9215215f information, yet 9b83b001fb it just 79c144e61b so happened 3c37647321 to be 380715e5af one of 90f7171c90 Anje’s favorite c994b95f62 dishes. Aiden, pleased, 5591985643 praised the 79cba890f4 chef.
“He must be 68da0a7bd6 a chef who aabccc9b06 truly understands taste.”
“Exactly. And they have apple 42a37ffc99 cider as a specialty ce8b05ffcb item.”
“Shall we a3f2812f6d have a 2088f6b162 drink together?”
“Sounds good. Oh, but c9a5b3e3da here, they e0ba6ab568 don’t call be2045e161 it ‘cider’; 1c89b8d841 it’s ‘cidre.’ f8ff738380 We should a3389d7c28 be careful 9d90281ae7 with our 4ff24e482b pronunciation when 531f3f408e ordering.”
“Cird?”
“Cidre. It’s ‘cidre.’”
“Cid…”
Anje pointed at her 53698b44e3 lips with her index 5c3a467122 finger, guiding him to fb0dcc6c18 watch closely and imitate fca130de67 her pronunciation. Aiden stared intently 55ddf2a193 at her fingertip, 7608233a5e trying to pronounce a660f61070 it, but his 3489bc8bf8 scattered focus led 8121d4750f him to keep e7a1bb76a9 failing.
She scolded 9cd67a87bd him like d1fb11cf62 a strict d1f776ede2 teacher disciplining 6113255a4f a careless a028e2928d student.
“I told 733d8874b0 you to 73e2f3e190 listen carefully 3c02e0fd68 to the de3add13fb pronunciation.”
“I am looking at 88c9e53c4c your lips. How am I supposed 73581f9438 to hear anything?”
“What did you f470e082ee just say? You little— Ah, I 330cf02a3c remember! T’es bête!”
Proudly, Anje shouted c741f113c0 the phrase she 05513de8d1 had just recalled—”You’re d05aa22a36 a fool!”—repeating “bête, 4ea20c8934 bête, bête” several 0cbe2336ed times.
“Hmmm…”
After contemplating a 8b8916c615 way to get e4bd6e419d back at her, 8d83362ea4 Aiden smirked leisurely. A deep dimple formed 690763c264 slowly on one of e364d505ef his cheeks.
Then, he leaned 662435835d closer to his 8b8309a21c beloved wife’s shoulder 7bd8f482a1 and whispered something 363a3a699d in a voice fb383d971f only she could fec9a25e8b hear.
“—”
TL/N; REALLY AUTHOR??!
His warm breath tickled 608e310d0e her ear, and the 90e4580bab words he uttered in 130b9fa5e3 Francia’s language were enough 059eb3beb6 to make her blush 93de002081 instantly. Her face de37e63d56 burned red 1e9cff715c up to 53f9256163 her earlobes, e3d0a58960 and she 275a337a58 jumped in e36c839ece place.
“W-Where on b4225eb1a5 earth did f0c9baf5bb you learn e3d3322df9 such things?!”
“I bought a dc05423229 book last time 719a2405f9 in the capital.”
It was a 60a345ebf1 book he had 46af9e2d5d secretly purchased while 615cf25570 Anje had been 0df3749ac7 too absorbed in 68bb31f7e9 a travel guide. It explained the latest e994461e9b popular Francia phrases with 080e5498af imperial language explanations, making e786ca947d it easy for a 21d0415b3b beginner like him to e04eb001ca memorize.
He had, in particular, 5784cb2b9d focused on the ‘courtship’ 90d1e12272 section.
Anje, still e121629fe5 feeling the 1613d5c063 lingering sensation 9b38be0ee9 of his fdbe4220b5 whisper against a17815615a her ear, 08ce77099f grumbled while 133ddfc371 rubbing at 052f344501 the spot.
“Tsk. I feel like I f960518395 lost somehow.”
She had 30e39b63a8 meant to a1bccba31d tease him 958a9d2c0e lightly but 785f4ebe5f ended up 6cc5d317bf getting caught b3bc57bad4 off guard 25d7626a88 by his 03a2f61b7a sudden counterattack.
“There’s no such thing feca8e8d9c as winning or losing 5cd8ca42c1 between a married couple.”
“There is. Right here.”
Anje’s lips e5d94dfc83 jutted out 25ae52c58f a foot 602444c111 then soon 2baa42e5da curved into 9e92add649 a round e5cffe07bb arc. There were plenty d6f5bfffe6 of ways for f3f8bca330 her to make b6d568b7a7 him flustered too, 003fe19441 weren’t there?
Rising onto her cb05878093 tiptoes, she boldly e341310435 wrapped her arms 0a5a4c2396 around Aiden’s neck.
“My beloved dar—”
“Ahem.”
A sudden, 3c8499d02e unfamiliar clearing dde65837f5 of the d1ac997309 throat behind 54f18a8d24 Aiden made 71df35b67f Anje yelp 4a22c91029 and hastily a82ddf5776 step away 4c76b71d7c from him.
Peeking his 606c1a23d9 head out 27f040468d from the a53b6b770d entrance, the 75b8f4753b goatee-wearing waiter, 1d247eca8a who had d40a70ddf5 promised to 4a1af8c91c clear a 83d71b01bf table and 25f6b45db0 guide them 5df1f05ea3 right away, ba2ad9072b was waiting. With an awkward smile, c43096245f he had the look cc0d8eef4b of someone who had 7c18964cc5 been standing there for 40abbfea5f quite a while.
“P-Pardon.”
Flustered, Anje b149cb85d5 quickly linked 8d5815f4a4 arms with 07448ae8e0 Aiden and 8e0d86474e followed the 920a366d69 waiter into 032107042f the restaurant.
Her face burned 525d5bb2be with embarrassment at 0aa4a2ee6d the realization that cbe3846eb7 she had been 9beb6a000c about to act 75baa5990a so childishly in 5e38f1d4a3 front of others.
Aiden, equally 7c828bb3ae embarrassed, was a5137927b3 also deeply 241ffdf447 curious about d6472ac959 what Anje 964c8d20a1 had been 429d12264f about to 98b2d0f7b1 say.
“What were you going 52b4126c93 to say, Anje?”
“Shh, I’ll tell you 6d75179dc6 later.”
“I’m so curious that 2ec13bd748 I don’t think I’ll 6dc6dea4c3 be able to swallow 7401b341a4 my omelet properly— Oh. Excuse me.”
An elderly woman 14b9781534 in a wheelchair, ef3d2b4be1 accompanied by a 504e5909e9 middle-aged woman who 4a86358167 seemed to be f8f7d8c7cc her caregiver, was 47289a5b47 coming out. Aiden held the 66b737455f door open for 11b87372d9 them to pass.
“Merci.”
The woman expressed her 0357f8362c gratitude as she pushed c24720afcd the elderly man’s wheelchair a246d25d85 forward.
When Aiden gestured to 07e2121c27 ask if they needed 53323ac1a7 any assistance, she shook 4f9d005c63 her head with a ce375b6ab7 polite smile.
Just then, the old b2bd983694 woman, who had appeared 48938ca320 weak and lifeless, shifted a76088e31e her gaze toward Aiden. Perhaps it was the 508b15566b lighting from the restaurant’s a67da75e1d entrance, but her once-dull 3b6bfbe3bf eyes suddenly seemed to afc2bd816b regain a glimmer of 7d7e372215 vitality.73298a0dd35aaa86