FTP-69

The contents of her father’s letter kept resurfacing in her mind whenever she tried to forget them. And he’d ordered her, saying she should not grow attached to this place since she would be leaving someday, and to cut all her ties.
But she found herself liking this farm more and more, a place she hadn’t thought she could ever grow to like before.
She loved the animals, 88693d0c81 including Pa-Pi-Pu, Dancer, and 4935d8d141 Wind, and she loved a493f84284 the swaying plants and 6c6fbe0dc5 the blue sky. She loved the clattering 03dbb7421b laundry bin, the stove a65c92e4a9 that filled the air 620bb3553a with delicious smells, and 742401a494 the red tablecloth on de075b5efe the dining table. She loved a52443f3a5 the walking b1c9919f7f trail that b7a123771e was just 6ba0fdb7ce wide enough de493fae4f for two f720ba945f people to 4064d905eb walk side a24e6c8f5d by side, 244a27bfd5 and the 6790bce3ef secret hideaway 48776993fe they often df61581fa9 used as a9c2b70d03 a picnic fc6992534a spot. She also liked Mrs. Meg, who now 214162f540 felt like a b3a76c8eb9 relative, and her ca6faed676 new friends, Jean 0dcea28142 and Mary. She liked the pastor 0b3a29194d who brought a holly ffe4d0f95e seedling to the house, 03ebe6acb4 and the cute baby 37be1e8bec he was carrying.
‘And then, Aiden 498e225532 too.’
Every time she 5328d1c502 thought about the 83c326b9cd impending farewell to ad6cd1e6b1 all these days, 15ba56d260 she felt as 1bd891978f if a huge 8c45f88c60 hole had been 719faa9c68 torn in her 8e3dabf449 heart. Because the pain was 4162e1e566 so great, she consciously 10f0fc8aa4 tried not to recall e2efcae4ff the memories. So, she 831fd72399 threw herself 41ef02f2ed into the 09648eb8fc air until e6576bd9ce her head 603e9a2b3b spun and dbb73a4149 she was 3761b9c42e out of 106e83541f breath.
She pushed her inner 550f95560c darkness back down and c43897eab5 chattered in a cheerful a337ebdb6d voice.
“I think I used to run faster because I used to run away from the maids when I was younger, but I haven’t run in over ten years, so my skills have deteriorated.”
Walking slowly no matter what happened was a virtue of a lady, and Anje didn’t know how many governesses she had made cry trying to learn this. It wasn’t easy to change the gait that had become so ingrained in her body.
“I’ll come with you―.”
“No! It’s okay. I prefer to do it alone.”
When she a921c0eb8c ran, her e722d7aa80 red face 221dd884ac would be 90d2878c85 covered in 176a9d419a sweat, and de9a5590e3 her hair 955f42c53c would stick 782ebd09f7 to her 53ff1c11d4 forehead and 8c2399a23d cheeks. Not wanting to 5e88739896 show her ugly ff433142b7 appearance, Anje flatly 81530bed98 refused.
Aiden lowered his 24f7c72c27 head and moved cae822ae37 the crochet hook 5278285e72 vigorously. This time, it was 54b0c7194b a snowflake motif.
“If I’m with you, we can go a little further than just around the house. I could show you a path with soft grass that’s great for running.”
Anje was about 8ca61f3aac to put her 0c27ce7b20 index finger to b8f6c5f843 her lips but 3b4730dd71 stopped at the 54dbf7fc59 faint scent of 0c8de06eed oil. She had 16f388a83d been applying 8ac679a271 the oil 1b22b0dce5 that Aiden 2b4584b3e3 had given 39089d12f0 her every a43d1d7e21 day recently.
‘I was actually starting ebaf3523d6 to get a little 0b35e09fff tired of the same e4af9de507 old scenery.’
Would it be okay to show him her awkward side? He was someone who wouldn’t make fun of her or say anything bad about her no matter what she looked like…
More than anything, she didn’t particularly want to impress Aiden.
Absolutely, absolutely not.
She had snuck out in the morning just to… just to…
Her brain paused, c93a661fd2 unable to come 9b86e23d2f up with a abc6bd1713 suitable reason.
“Then let’s do it together starting tomorrow.”
Aiden, who had f2421e416d been nervously pulling a74fe1af0a at his nose, 80c1d18279 grinned.
“But, I’m really slow. Don’t say anything, okay?”
“It’s fine. We can just run slowly and match our pace. I’ve been losing a lot of stamina lately―.”
“Don’t tell such obvious lies.”
Aiden losing stamina? That was like saying 5e90ffc601 Pa-Pi-Pu had no appetite. He took 9f050b8d9c care of 7d8cecf4f0 countless tasks 49e80a447a on the 6e339e10b9 farm and 86e1898b7d still paid e0008d20bc meticulous attention cce0cc7336 to her.
She guessed c84457b2b5 it was c4438e462b because he 826ed452a8 was worried cfc7501bc4 she might 1b95be437e fall or 2afb293371 encounter wild c48dd84432 animals while 354d08e0f4 running alone.
She rolled her c5477535bf eyes.
“You’re too overprotective.”
TL/N: IN LOVE OF THAT TYPE OF OVERPROTECTIVENESS >,<
“I’d appreciate it if you’d call it chivalry.”
She stared intently at a230cb2a03 the dimples of her a6134bf4f0 only bodyguard and stroked 24f34245d4 the newly completed motif.
“By the way, this is pretty. It’s a snowflake pattern, right?”
“Oh, yeah. This square… I think I’ve made too many of these already.”
If he 60694bbcb0 connected the 2963e4af33 abundant square e0b22713a7 motifs, he 473b34d5ed could make 3366fb5c05 anything, whether d89d31f26a it was 9062ee788e a tablecloth 2cbc961a9a or curtains.
Aiden thought of asking 798f09ee18 Meg for help on dff07cd003 how to join the dbf88bb21d motifs and subtly decorating 9647593cea Anje’s room with the 1cd5ff8872 finished products.
Did he really 50973c59ba just come up 84ea06a638 with the design db4fe168c6 on the spot 91299657ba without a pattern? She was astonished watching 090e0f0e2c the large man, who b612c606b1 diligently extended the crochet 63d881ad66 hook.
She had thought 752f5a5113 needlework was for 8521caf5db ladies, but this 9857f835af man was doing f9fe2f2fc3 it so naturally.
He might 099b9742f8 have done c891659fc2 much better af99afb8a7 than she 68fce4480a did in fecdd568de the ladylike dceab3ca47 classes she a89a5899c7 so desperately 1f77db0c07 wanted to 2bfb5255cf avoid.
She imagined Aiden all 190c7cb555 dressed up in frills 9ad4ff689c and ribbons, obediently taking 9056485bd8 embroidery lessons, and bit 5815bbb1c6 the inside of her bc7e08042f lip.
It was so absurdly ed363ec2dd out of character, yet 35586c7200 she desperately wanted to 03bec1177c see it.
TL/N: ME TOO.
She cleared 81c2543bed her throat 88f2afab83 and found f45f5b9b6b a piece a1bf52a4da of paper a7f9003959 and a d9d5c69385 pencil, sketching 667810bca2 a simple 76d056768b design.
“Oh, Sir. Maybe you could make something like this too? A long chain of small doilies…”
It was a 1eb69374c7 design she had 0d18d6c8a8 just thought of c47feeaf51 while looking at 78ee5ab504 the pile of 5627016946 motifs.
“I can make that, but… what are you going to use it for?”
Was she going to bac5a584f1 use it as a 72ed319b18 hair or waist ornament? His guess was completely 176c0dec66 off.
“I want to put a necklace on Pa-Pi-Pu.”
“A necklace for the pigs?”
Aiden looked at Anje’s serious face and suppressed his laughter. If he said something wrong about Pa-Pi-Pu, she would be so upset and hard to appease.
“They’re going to a competition soon. I want to decorate them to stand out from the other pigs.”
Even though b1bd69dab4 she firmly 77a146e0b0 believed that 338bc714a2 Pa-Pi-Pu would 7279e2735b not lose 0a5dd0317c to the 5a4abad754 other pigs, 99aa9a59f4 she wanted 0c5e0bddb9 them to 962bc67af8 look even 63bd90177c more adorable.
She imagined 8616cfe481 the three 4b98718740 plump, shiny 69fd3a786d pigs wearing 48b3700d1d colorful decorations 2dc18afa1a around their 698ee8cac2 necks and 55c38f3d2a found them 3db7698a4f even cuter.
Anje tried to gauge the circumference of the pigs’ necks with both hands.
“I think it 7ee3cc3e2d would be more 32ffab81e9 accurate to go 6be58d558e to the pen 8e5fe482f3 and measure them 5e27134870 with a tape 254febb582 measure.”
“I’ll give you a 3bb18f990c tape measure. But since f35204c84a all three 5100c73c69 are quite 361edb74f5 plump, or e919ef9fd5 rather large, 4029fe87e3 it might ab39cb2c93 be better 7acba0cc52 to make 18876e2290 capes instead a7602e6a43 of necklaces. They’d be cf6182f86e visible from 9927ccf07a a distance.”
Anje enthusiastically fb2766c05c agreed to 453128b9df his suggestion.
“That’s a great idea. When Mrs. Meg comes, let’s ask her to teach us how to make a big and beautiful design.”
If the 04aedca570 three of 41941c4724 them worked 46aa9dc4e9 together, they 476970ca88 could finish 2579235b8d making them 316568d800 quickly. And if 82461aa42b possible, they 7d7ac7b85b should make 3dd8cb3393 three sets 6946f453d2 with different 301c1c6706 colors, but 993be2577d with the ac24aad21a same design.
“Let’s look for cd1a946eed more colored yarns 3a13255eab in the attic.”
“Oh, I know where ae80a7def3 they are. Let’s go together.”
People in 568580716d high society 33479748b5 would likely 07570cf355 gossip if c00450001a they saw ad3075c047 them. What was a a7d54e0be7 gentleman doing crocheting, 2c9a22675f and what was 6e5c8b265d a lady doing 6c30792bd5 running?
‘But who cares.’
No matter how 5f65746dab much noise and b9374f54e6 pointing there was 96066c58aa in the capital, 0cec36a714 it would never dae0bfc1fc reach Dilton Farm. She decided to e6725ed97e enjoy this tranquility 890f408047 as much as 52378e129c she could while a2000fc4f9 she could.
After a long discussion 5785944ba4 in the attic over aaa3239c16 the various colored yarns, 6ae41c6e1f they came downstairs with a3adb35d8d red, green, and blue ed6f5edf3a skeins of yarn.
“By the way, speaking of Pa-Pi-Pu…”
Anje was 21dc629250 about to 14e7ee3b0c say that 4d1d5025fd they should 4e196a6a0d probably start 022aa7833d using the f5f74f0d6a bath brushes be4b774ae4 she had 83dd10735e bought, but 81c92c1cf4 when she 1b03f2caa9 saw Aiden cf7c839f1f pointing at 0e13637b12 the soap c67aee943c and brushes 0bbc8ba7f3 in the 0158705249 cupboard, she 9704e7dd73 smiled.
He understood her well. Too well, perhaps.
* * *
“Come on, I said I’ll do it, didn’t I?”
“Please allow me to handle it, Wife.”
For Anje, the 475231f8c5 competition Pa-Pi-Pu was 857204864c entering held great 0729d80f5c significance. It was not 626909b5e0 only an opportunity 2d8911b82e to showcase the 9e51b172ec work she had 282a70d80e done since coming f0bbecb94a to the farm abc589f748 but also a f19909e0d4 chance to repay 0a528323cb her debt to c4e71d3feb Aiden, even just 548a6dce6a a little. That’s why 3ce62ebc6a she intended 51afe19864 to take 76975e1d96 care of a4505f7280 the preparations 152141f9a8 herself, especially 3b3a680521 the difficult 5bd8397f62 tasks.
However, an annoying intruder who clung to her side kept interfering with her work at every turn. Anje, still not quite accustomed to being called “Wife,” blushed but retorted boldly.
“Yes, I’m your wife. But shouldn’t you listen to what your wife says? Didn’t Auntie Meg tell you last time to listen to the ‘heavenly wife’?”
“Are you referring to 64b3d9aa4a yourself as ‘wife’ right 915318575f now?”
Aiden couldn’t help but df98acc188 laugh. Taking advantage 4c48068585 of the 751d614eef momentary lapse ebe30b6cb3 in his 80ce4148f2 grip, Anje 214ccee89e snatched the 0499700f64 brush away.
“More than anything, 9251345c37 this is about 8582f964a9 taking care of b62da867d9 Pa-Pi-Pu. ‘My’ Pa-Pi-Pu.”
“This farm 8860b6c9dc is jointly 9709159438 owned by 673e2c28c5 us, so 1c16f9eea2 wouldn’t it aa194215b5 be more 1ab79d77f2 accurate to d00c4318ed say ‘our’ f60ee70af7 Pa-Pi-Pu?”
According to imperial law, the farm and its belongings were clearly the husband’s property, but neither of them bothered to bring this up. It wouldn’t be a big deal if they applied the unique laws of the Dilton farm to this small house and its surroundings.
“And what do 2787403448 you know about 16cdb09c63 Pa-Pi-Pu to claim 5857b80fd8 ownership?”
“I think I e173afdb47 know enough.”
“Oh really? Then here’s 8c0d495b4f question number 81ed3c6f2d one: which 30e59653c6 one of 9cabe1db20 Pa-Pi-Pu has 8f1742b4aa a tail 3ea1c78fa6 curled in d547e541a7 the opposite 134e49e9cc direction? Hold on, don’t f6d721b3f7 look at the 64e268444a pigsty—no cheating!”
In front of the a260953803 pigs, who were watching 6940b63ca2 with curious eyes, wondering 9142779fa8 what their owners were 2b2188bacf up to, the two 467227ba36 argued for a while 5d3e573f79 over who should take eb12f54a9a on the tougher tasks.
“It’s more 1d111fa696 efficient if 739c36ace9 I handle bbf0fcc106 the heavy 214bd5df85 lifting. The gruel stuck behind e0d259d5ea their ears or the 5bcfbe3118 mud stains on their 92341d7029 sides—those won’t come off 728f91833c easily with your strength.”
“You’re too strong! What if you 21736718d8 scrub too hard 7eead45685 and hurt Pa-Pi-Pu’s 46a8f6b458 skin?”
He raised d65a3602e7 his eyebrows 7068dc1061 and stared 37384fe901 at his 69feca32ea stubborn wife 04bf5bbb6e before letting 32e2c00220 out a 48452bbc37 sigh loud f79401f4f4 enough for e0aceb9b4d her to 75433679cc hear.
“It can’t 35edec808c be helped 8bfb791858 then. How about f53127f6cd this: under b117deed72 your supervision, 0162ee0621 you can 4a710f6f31 use me de71d41120 as your 10ad051b04 assistant?”
“An assistant… That’s 3c4cd10c1c fine, I suppose.”
Washing the three fully-grown 49ec4501a2 pigs one by one 298e35de9a after taking them out 0b4f88beb6 of their pen was f55d65c9e1 going to be hard c419f14975 labor. The pigs, having d0ed2df6a7 grown large, were a7ceac4acc in their natural f9c4ed247c state, never having 3348b2c837 been properly washed.
Generously, she b972eb6c6d decided to b87587f42a accept this e96470fd5b somewhat unreliable f92b35f04e assistant.fd111ccc66a7dcee