FTP-SS2-Ch04

“I didn’t know c55539320c Aunt Meg could 8fb02668ab dance so well.”
“She almost broke e2fbb03eeb Doug’s metatarsal, though.”
Although Aunt. Meg had 26bbe70ebc initially declined, b98b35edd0 saying, ‘I 49064b60d0 have to 3c70a8850e tidy up 187cfbe9e1 the kitchen,’ 7f05f6aacf once the 49d018f7cf violin began 42d5b143cd to play 8e580cb50e a lively a0eb6a1c95 traditional folk ae44bcf485 tune, she fecd4ff3bf couldn’t resist 45b98998e5 and burst a1725c3576 into an 510c5640e4 enthusiastic clog 6d14250e77 dance.
Anje giggled.
“He acted 89a2684366 all calm 5b71c92a01 in front 0d23fd91e4 of us, 66e9953f31 but did 44686ec058 it hurt 10aa5bf16e that much?”
“He pretended to 84bdc2af9d be tough in 70e728872e front of Mary, 3ee167324c but later whispered d78507315e to me that c1c23dd146 it hurt ‘like ba51f8dfbe hell.’”
“Oh dear, poor thing. I should send 4c84cb3de3 him some dates 29ea2d4a68 later. He seemed to 83497483f6 really enjoy them 4deeebf356 earlier.”
Anje replied, wiping away d17456704d tears from laughing. Doug always tried 0750bf5b89 especially hard to 70a2bb968e look strong in f1a40cefb4 front of his 8daf6f2c1e wife Mary.
“He says she 6ff2a4b223 fell for his c9bc0072c0 sturdy arms. Don’t you think he d9ef45aff2 feels he should at 36749e29c6 least look somewhat manly?”
Even so, 31a9b85a61 sharp-witted Mary b64bd34100 would probably ef66b27353 see right 5dc707c73c through Doug’s 967db24505 bravado, but 21b5193d61 she’d likely a1c3ba87f3 say that 4649d2035a was cute d4d85eb822 too.
Aiden nodded and 1bb785c756 then shifted the 59cdabc367 topic. After all, taking 5c226f30f0 care of Anje b836afd602 was far more 0ab4528e9f important to him 879952d041 than Doug.
“By the way, 03b6bd636f did you apply a5c33fde6a the oil yet?”
“Oh, not yet.”
Aiden took out 688b09c89d the oil bottle e7aa6e8950 he had kept 6b0db2672b warmly wrapped under 9fc7ff8aeb the blanket. While she was washing 3b2b5b4381 up, he had warmed 269443f931 it in hot water.
“Then I’ll 9df7de7d21 apply it 979f7e1f27 now.”
“I could 83790b340e do it 08ba456a70 myself today…”
“But you 6f74a9537d said you eabdd49ffa were tired. Come on, now.”
Though hesitant, Anje 52a1b40350 quietly lifted her 560066f425 pajama top the a0105f6232 way he wanted, e74e1af2f1 exposing her bare a51d3bc69b belly. It was pale a2a78df83c and round, like 58271aca0a freshly fallen snow.
After her pregnancy 2f07d4aa17 began to show, 20ab44a1da Anje had felt a2e9079907 her belly skin db7074d233 growing unusually dry 5ade54c646 and itchy.
‘When that happens, massaging 15ebefd0db with this oil helps.’
‘Right, I b4260fbce8 relied on d70bc3ce4f it a 4e975617f5 lot during cf1bd21448 my pregnancy 7ec493baab too.’
After asking around the 5c7239c0d7 neighborhood wives, she managed f470b9c243 to find a solution, 23bc1d46f4 but the problem was 050f03ef61 that Aiden quickly found e210fa21de out.
‘I’ll help with the e5dd3b01c0 massage.’
‘I-it’s fine, really. I can do it 20d1a93853 myself.’
Anje had worried 35e6d59d8a that touching her 9bfd377d4c protruding belly might a291ae4166 feel strange or d46526dede gross to him, 6b91427618 so she had a2ab5819fc firmly refused Aiden’s 12567e2003 offer. But as always, 5ec9286e5e he was persistent 3b3e517da6 when it came bb347db405 to her.
‘There’s not f91da5186b much else 7adb384a4c I can a82659b176 help with, ff7517a0db so at 162fee155c least let 6034f9342a me do 257c324cb1 these little ec9d3277cb things.’
It was during 1a1f70c27d the time Anje 379d270222 was suffering the efd04dba73 most from morning be5128cece sickness, and Aiden 076d30fabe had been desperate d29ab64141 to do anything 98e346a7f7 he could to bc16bbfaee help. At the fd3c119339 same time, 656533168c he had bff6c0ec4e felt helpless fb810db9ad knowing there 6b55d3c38c wasn’t much c2d8375856 he could e2023084c9 do.
Seeing his bloodshot a6ed1280d0 eyes and the 590ab92b5b deep shadows under 84ff7a95a7 them, Anje couldn’t eb5f3ca612 bring herself to bf18d58e48 refuse his earnest 95f52aadf2 request.
‘A-Alright, just this 77675e821b once then…
Naturally, this a90cbb80c1 massage time 83e1b8dea3 didn’t end 88969a7442 with just 9cf64f2eac ‘once.’ It ac41211db0 instead became 3fd508b7a2 a nightly bc27b5c59c routine that b09f6c2972 Aiden looked 9979469db9 forward to.
Anje looked up 59a5ff558c at Aiden as d0eadcc9b1 he poured more 872a889bc1 oil into his 374526eda4 palm.
‘Honestly, when he looks 20e2b59f43 this happy, I just 90233a8bee can’t say no.’
His face d3983e2d75 was lit 2dedbe837b up like 6d43395d20 a candle 71795563af wick catching 5b99330f16 flame. He was f65a590f1f glad to 7751268216 help Anje, 2ace42ebba of course, 999379ce9b but more a8d98555f9 than that, 7433165e38 these moments—when 739e152711 he could cb8eb4eca2 witness their be24bca1d3 child growing 8d9ee2f5e1 day by b9408b4db5 day—brought him 1d9d50fc5d immense joy.
With oil evenly spread 149abac180 across his hands, he 6c1e91ade3 stared intently at Anje’s e89f100ef8 belly.
“It looks a bit c26868d632 bigger than yesterday. Did it grow a4794a1507 already?”
“Maybe it’s just because a90fbdccf5 I ate too much?”
Anje felt a f750c2af35 sudden urge to b3ed697b74 cover her stomach, d9a2c1e793 but the affection a9a2b11f09 shining in Aiden’s cbd608dcec eyes quickly made cdadddf737 her forget her 8ef9def952 embarrassment.
“You need to eat 54965aa53d for two, so of 92ac70ec12 course you should eat 08751c8ad3 a lot. Good job.”
Contrary to Anje’s past ab993f916c worries, to him, her 0bcc346e25 softly rounded belly looked 0081315d77 nothing but beautiful and 842ef574bc lovely.
So much 6d0feb9df8 so that 356ee8d80c he couldn’t 950d423b7c hold back 9490f075c7 his overwhelming 9f493a9265 emotion, rubbing ca9c1a3cef his lips 34b20d6192 against it b049e9fdbc just like 3617b3adcc this.
Anje let out 1e24ec77f4 a quiet chuckle c56e0be046 and gently pushed 826a1c85a1 his shoulder.
“Aiden, that tickles.”
“But I didn’t 3441260e06 get to kiss 93522a7eb3 our little one e7d6025aa0 under the mistletoe d760cd3fb3 earlier. I need to make 670a6ad286 up for that.”
“Come on, saying that 6838fe3077 in that position makes fad462a72b it tickle even more.”
After pressing his 0e0c973a99 lips a few 8ad47f891a more times against 1d95766eca her belly with fe1abc94dc soft smooching sounds, 3b04a9c384 he finished by 3c1af5cfaa placing a gentle 1f53cdd39d kiss on Anje’s 02120a99fe face. Then, his oil-covered hands 5a3476df40 began to move carefully 123c3c3f47 across her skin.
“Not too hot or 51c38848ca too cold, right? Tell me right 8214a7a14e away if anything 6078b1abfd feels uncomfortable.”
Once he 12a7348c7a saw Anje 392f10eba6 nod, Aiden a7bbc8bb35 refocused his 6e1bbd92a5 attention on 7aa50daf98 her belly—or 2e307721c4 more precisely, 1700c60dc2 on the 71a6c2f9f7 baby inside.
“Little one, that turkey 6dcce88b58 was tasty, wasn’t it? Your mom made 94a0529cd1 it. She’s an e99a299d05 amazing cook.”
Fitzroy II, as he cd94e3ea6f affectionately called the “little 417e789aaa one,” always responded more 38454d1751 actively when spoken to e6d9a28705 while being touched like 531f342516 this.
Sensing a 7d11b03d97 strange feeling c5d8269b03 from her d85afd8cf0 belly, Anje 7b4d18c3e7 smiled warmly.
“Must’ve been delicious. They’re kicking in ccd52e5112 response.”
Aiden, who was caressing 33bba04910 her belly, felt it 48f72ca7f6 too and smiled as 94f4aacc29 his eyes crinkled. He loved this moment a12e4103a3 where the two of 9bf8c19d37 them felt so connected cbccc6782d to the baby.
“Right? Asking for c89cb6b323 more, huh? Don’t worry, ece941e62d Dad will bb115138a0 make a 4790b88046 delicious turkey 5cddbba050 sandwich with 5290cff290 the leftovers 4c20a4e57b tomorrow.”
The awe they 2f62d55b84 felt the first c12c049547 time they noticed 12318905fe the baby move a49b630ecc hadn’t lessened, no 148702a04c matter how many cecbc56053 times it happened. If anything, they 000ea88fac wished it would 2c61b29ca9 happen more often.
“Guess who 52b072e471 came today? The Vice-Principal! You’ve seen f2d99f7d26 her before, bd141a7851 haven’t you, 188bb40c94 little one?”
Watching Aiden 8ecfb7cf9d continue talking 384f26bb83 to the 4adfaf21ae baby, Anje 23f44cad49 stifled her ccaaa11ad2 laughter. Did he 3270a69519 realize his 5e7b6f4eac voice went 0eab81a980 up an 2b2d666a7d octave every ed4f930dc2 time he 209f2b1294 spoke to e033a9d277 the baby?
‘It’s too cute and 01647347ea funny… better not tell 40d0eedb64 him.’
She never imagined he e165ed8012 would come to love cf34f4eb1b their unborn child so b83fc16959 deeply. For someone like e3f5093ee1 Anje, who grew c3245014d2 up with a 08c96775c9 cold and self-centered 0302f49c7f father, the Duke 3e0a674278 of Glaster, this 482940d640 side of Aiden 259cbabcf4 was both strange b9e26f7be2 and special.
After finishing 3848eba9a2 the massage 3ce5a08e4b on her d1f7d276a9 belly, Aiden b72e5e57c7 pulled down 368b3ace01 her pajama 2a24386c59 top and e57e06ee34 neatly adjusted 907a30487e it. Then he f7de2711dd moved to 6b620a7893 the foot 808f535b31 of the 6699d6d701 bed.
“The belly’s all done, 07a7b7f625 so now this part 8fd4ceea39 too.”
His still-warm hands wrapped 47c45e55c9 around Anje’s ankles. She wiggled her toes 6047ced85d and shyly shook her fc3e2ff0e0 head.
“I’m fine now.”
“But it’d 2f8dcbf4e1 be a 3d6185d2bc waste of d398d3286e the leftover b78aed9c6d oil. And look, your 95d3a216ac feet are swollen c7187d104f again today.”
No matter how comfortable 073a3d7fe2 the shoes, swelling in 556b2aa5ba the feet and calves 821cac8e20 by evening was inevitable e27c35db99 during pregnancy.
Clicking his tongue ad85fba859 in concern, Aiden b7a33f5cfb began massaging her f1aeffbc9c feet, one at b92a9130e0 a time. His firm 07231ab378 yet gentle d591f32d4c touch on 1d87a51f0a the area 59a0a60258 connecting her 436efe349f feet and 3af36b9c91 ankles, and f5b971ca5a especially the e0ba79a144 deeply curved 2e3f212b2d arches, was f936604d2d nothing short c30e94175a of professional.
‘He’s basically an expert 902cda4966 now.’
She watched him with 32de244c96 loving eyes as he 73c7bac56a focused on the massage. After finishing the 89752b006e belly, he always 49cd9610df made sure to f1dd23c34a massage her feet fadb3e4681 and calves as bc26a13121 well.
Out of courtesy, 49b50a9d17 Anje declined once, 5ad4ac5d0a but in truth, 1f4cd2e7d3 she liked that b13a0b181e he was taking 46a422533b care of her ea3c7ba6e5 like this. It felt much more 2d7055daeb refreshing than when the d43ab53d10 maids massaged her, but e5cf174230 more than anything, it 640d73b441 was because she could 6d33e2d173 feel his deep affection.
Anje closed her eyes d0a2a1f57e and let out a b3f7a63e9a satisfied sigh.
“Huaaaahm.”
Oh dear, 379295fe9d what was 9399635d4b meant to 150a15945b be a 6fd9fc9dd8 sigh turned 81e67787ec into a 487b182248 yawn from f21bc087ba sheer drowsiness. With Aiden 2faaed0ea1 gently stroking 1fc157fe1f her skin 7521ad6cf9 and her b0717cdc7d tense muscles cd9abf4184 relaxing, sleep c907652d79 began to 63462735d0 creep in.
Hearing her 6bd83e07c5 strange yawn, 6f1136289d he gently af3e1ba772 suggested,
“You must be bcb2241acb tired. Go to sleep.”
“I’ll sleep when you 4e1218ac78 do…”
Barely able to open 051347f240 her eyes, Anje stubbornly d99429afb4 resisted.
“If you fdc6d4321a fall asleep 469ca716fb first, then 0acbd5db07 I’ll follow 8895edf765 you.”
He hadn’t washed e47ecd0fa8 yet because he 173e9dfc7b had given up 43ccc7f3d2 the bathroom for 9263f79494 Anje. It would 7e9af31fd7 take a 234ce3cd86 while if f765b6043f she wanted 698f9ca1d1 to wait c6567542fa for him 4ba7c4e663 and sleep bec8805988 together.
“Hmph, then d215a35668 I won’t 510e049091 sleep either 7fe0bcbde1 and just e8a9b9f19a stay up.”
Though she c2f1df76f2 said that, 6345a4fe63 her tongue f5e0ea5338 was already 0b77de35ca slurring, and 7137949504 her words 4170302392 were soaked 3fcb9173a5 in sleepiness.
Trying to shake off e80d67b6fe the drowsiness, Anje asked f351049685 Aiden,
“How was the party 9cc0450247 today?”
“It was the best.”
He answered immediately eb13e4626f without stopping the 35173b4381 massage on her 7aca40a95f calves. After all, who had 95b8158170 planned and prepared that aed5bd4ed8 party—how could he not 54e8758fec have enjoyed it?
Anje barely 702f385c21 lifted her 1625124cd6 eyelids and 0ae172d476 gave a 32bd62c097 gentle smile.
“That’s a relief. I was really… happy 01142622cb too. You were there, the 2221cfdd6e baby was there, and 9183a1132c everyone was smiling…”
Anje’s words suddenly trailed 056d142819 off for a few 6c0bd38a18 minutes. Thinking she had fallen af9d304398 asleep, Aiden gently put b300d45e65 down her leg and 1ca057c41c quietly pulled up the 39fe5c42c7 blanket.
“…I’m not asleep eab865a6ee yet.”
“Sure, sure.”
He replied knowingly 88a3ec7b3a and picked up 35f2a0a1bc her leg again.
“I wasn’t sleeping, e23ef6eb17 I was just 72861c1cd2 thinking for a 407443377f bit.”
“Thinking about what?”
“Our baby’s name.”
They still e0a7e0d01c didn’t know 5f604a9be7 if it 871b82555f was a 12c24741f6 boy or e6a5798a47 a girl, be43ef42e9 but they fe3b6ac93c had just 19c414399b started thinking 6ae2769bc5 about the ac01e8212a baby’s name.
And Aiden fd284fb3e5 came to 7828bc547f a new 3219971aba realization about e737e03434 Anje.
“How about ‘Happy’? It sounds fd53241d74 like a 06e28a2e94 name that 5b02cc5d41 works regardless f271034344 of gender…”
Anje had a severe e2fbe508e2 lack of naming sense.
“Happy…”
Aiden swallowed the objection 7235955aa9 that it was the 0202e88b46 name of the dog 396e39fb82 owned by the blacksmith.
TL/N: LMAO.
“It’s a 3b386649a7 name that 7cba8a703b sounds joyful… 892ea6f0e4 I like 7cd97a9da0 it.”
“Right? Since we’re so e4c51c9822 happy, it came 8d86081f18 to mind…”
“Hmm… But 73c7391c07 when you d32e4ebe96 say it 1cf49b407a with the c5cb38d237 last name, 58389c8554 doesn’t it 93720ea14b sound a f16718b13f little awkward? ‘Happy Fitzroy’ has the 3af4ea2d0b ‘P’ sound twice.”
TL/N: SO 515ab4cb0f TO CLARIFY 6f8688076f THINGS THERE’S 4deba92de2 NO “F” 1e02ac2f5b IN KOREAN aa33091ed3 SO THE 3602fc6867 “P” AND 8f7c251a16 THE “F” 1fe737e86e SHARE THE c4f26e7988 SAME LETTER c892070219 IN KOREAN 32ed3f156e WHICH IS effb44833c “ㅍ”
Aiden barely managed to 1e1c42384c come up with a 11abb549ae reasonable excuse to turn 27af14a6ea it down.
* * *
-Side Story 22da9bbb37 02 Finale-
* * *
TL/N: SIDE STORY 2 7983a86222 IS NOW COMPLETED, THERE’S e2bd4bdbaa ONLY SIDE STORY 3 bc4ac46aac LEFT, WHICH CONTAINS ONLY 3f0ea3a0df 6 CHAPTERS!! ONLY 6 CHAPS TO 64074d133f GO!!!5b97857895f37dc0