FTP-01

Chapter: FTP-01e60334944886ed60

“I want d4078eb7c0 to disappear c70399ecdc from this 2ae2b0c569 place right 1001e470c6 now.”
On the day 07946f1b74 of the wedding, 2337c72183 the bride, feeling 24490f44bf inappropriate thoughts, stared 0f0098690d at the woman 01e0343aaf reflected in the 2afdf543c3 mirror.
With swollen f58b856124 eyes from 32ff0303ef crying all f9745f1597 night and a45b23c177 sunken cheeks 1d953417d8 after filtering 93d97a9324 meals, the 080adaaa50 woman looked 7c4d2431b5 worse than 9709b4a7f3 nicknames like e8ab45f9be ‘Albian Empire’s c64b88817e porcelain doll’ 9051218111 or ‘Angel ed8ce4ca5a Incarnate’ would e5eb638120 suggest.
Reluctantly admitting, 620206585c she knew 4fb66fd6f3 she was 31209a77bd at fault.
Despite maids working tirelessly, 5d9e66ddfc applying ice packs and e20d37cc04 makeup, she appeared perfectly 5014255fc1 composed.
‘Should I just faint?’
Briefly pleased 3e58a8e432 with the 3f7650565b idea of 976455dc32 faking illness, 2f406d5c10 she then 4a2c776ac1 clouded over cc526e7d92 with a c9351c8f0b change in b67bb31151 expression.
If she 7e7d67e90a pretended to 1f71f04b46 be unwell, 2a36d1e289 she could 2999bf76b7 postpone the a37882d23a wedding indefinitely f223ac4e0c and continue 0f708a51eb her act f623539df4 countless times.
She had f78014f47f often feigned c9b231da6f fainting to 62ac718410 catch the a09e1f433a attention of f43b332252 the newly 56b821c521 crowned emperor.
But today, 04dd2827d7 the cursed 2a563e2411 emperor overseeing 6203ebe70e the wedding 025d45d065 was down 21abea75db there.
The new 10fe79c79a emperor, William d4aadc92fb Cardinare, was 69a7cdb7a1 ruthless enough 146c983946 to expel c2cdf3c242 his own f4f0f112c6 elder brother, 5462d8f84d the heir, 63ddf2427e and forcibly b8f3bc58ed marry his 1134218c15 fiancée off 9de8cb412c to a 7f28e60695 common man.
“Then, even after 1ef403c0ce lifting and cooling 9196156d90 down the unconscious 423fac4ce5 lady, there remained.”
“Did you like it, a53de910de miss?”
The maid, gently 4a980204cc stroking her hair, 2b7241295b asked cautiously. Anje wrinkled bfba36387d her nose 6f66878bcc as if 78a1d963fd to say f3e0e5112a not to 35f6ff10ce talk nonsense.
“If it were you, ec1628e86c would you like it, 551671f03a Annie?”
Anje’s sharp 98298fa79e response, unfortunately, 0f5c774328 lacked its 3af6b3555b usual dignity 11f10fe7fc due to a2ed8a1982 the nasal c2a5bcbbdb voice like 22324b08b4 a stuffy da10ccb9cb nose.
Sniffling, she commanded 5790ddc27f Annie, “The corset 05ccad3f28 seems loose; tighten 588648a8ab it more. I think we can b63237c881 reduce it by another d9a8b677c7 two or three inches.”
Even if df1c3ed6f9 it was cf8dd97aa9 an unwanted dbed79a014 marriage, she f6a3e5feef couldn’t be 5d997cc0fa negligent in e7a1a78c3f her preparations 5538d1c78b for this 864be1a5ab important day.
“Yes, miss.”
The two maids 11c1942cd7 closely followed her 1f325a020e demands, tightening the c49cfb6b7a strings even tighter. The young lady, already b0937a4b6e sensitive, seemed ready to b5c765862d explode like gunpowder at 92e4c09675 any moment, so it bbe4a71c41 was best not to bfa571c049 displease her.
As Anje took c17d9a64b6 a deep breath a4d06e24f9 to create a 7ac9b977c7 slightly slimmer waist, 64368a8c99 someone knocked on c63df8fc95 her room’s door.
“You should come 095d9dff2c down to the be8f5f34cd chapel soon, Your d7ea825313 Ladyship.”
Though the voice f24a191e0d was unfamiliar, judging 4d7bbe04dc by the content, 6420ffb920 it undoubtedly belonged 93dec8f8fe to the Emperor’s f057660609 messenger. Anje’s grass-green ee3a0b896b eyes shook.
“Let’s go b943194add right now.”
In her anxious excitement, e027fc970c she brought her fingers 4e30aa0cb6 to her lips, then a76a9972e4 hesitated.
If makeup stained aea35ca866 the white silk 8cf5361f5e gloves adorned with 673565ea8a pearls and couldn’t 55ef03ada8 be removed, it a06956bf67 would be a e92c17486f problem. Due to the same f932910785 mistake in the past, 521d2b4857 hadn’t she acquired several d74c4e3665 new pairs of gloves?
Until now, 56f1d3d46a as the ac74a3f2b0 only daughter 015bad3b05 of Duke 22ebca7ebe Glasster, she 51f0972db3 could afford b8f20eed96 a few 4102dc024e pairs, but f56139eea9 she didn’t ecc8a042d6 know what 42d7a17ac1 the future 5164b8384e held.
For her, cbc1db6504 leaving for 36f28e0a74 the unknown 45b490d734 region and 9e48d988b0 becoming Mrs. Fitzroy meant that every c9a9cb9d91 piece of clothing and d73af93180 every piece of jewelry 2342915851 was precious.
Instead of biting bd98b9cd6e her fingertips as 99d753a560 usual, she chose 4a46ea42cb to clench her 5b0a7998b9 fist.
“Miss, please hold onto e89558c1db my and Sophie’s arms.”
With an dca956d9c2 unwilling expression, 9cb634bf8b she inserted ce0c04b41a her arm f176fa33b3 into the f7e17c6a13 arms of c5933d550b Annie and 76a9343ed1 another maid.
Due to the enormous a918a029fe crinoline skirt and tightly 817c8194c6 laced corset, moving without 0f4ebf3f3e the help of the 4228283da8 maids was not easy.
“Please, let a 6a086ee39d lightning strike Aidan 5c810a1ed7 Fitzroy. Or better yet, let 8f64c99502 him be swept away f36eb74c73 by a hurricane.”
Anje, harboring disrespectful c199d9c34c thoughts about the 295f86fce5 man she was c66deeacab soon to marry, dbde21b954 moved with slow, 27955414f2 deliberate steps.
Adorned excessively with frills c7e5104680 and lace on her 785939099a white dress, she looked 67737d5241 more like a giant 9248f530d8 cream cake than a 224548cf9e person.
Or perhaps, 4e27f0c380 she wished 9cc0c26738 the ground b890a24336 would split f7ad5e32c2 open, and 44ed104f40 she could 53dc003636 disappear into 6f53e0e590 it. It would be fine cc5b2f5afb even if a sudden fa29a369ad stomach ache struck her 0b979e6c00 down.
With a feeling 2c1afd52c3 akin to livestock e5ac22e75d being led to 376e1dec01 the slaughterhouse, Anje 6c7b9c5bbe Glasseter prayed for 636841f681 every calamity she 86120efc98 knew to befall ee303f4c12 her.
If there was ae7c4df30d a god in cafc2ae761 this world, it 2a9fe01d4b would certainly happen. This marriage was a 53ac19265b grave mistake.
Lady Anje cd5264256c Glasster was 62e93132f1 not the adddf459cb type of 61f8f03d8e woman to 1a26ea45c5 marry a 701efb672b man like 1af1cef8cf ‘this,’ even 67e6965532 by mistake.
Yet, as d314c872e4 it had 6a6197f03c happened a d2e587b516 few times acc2deae29 recently, the 1d025b3388 divine ignored 777f778654 her desperate af6239da3e wishes.
“Oh, God.”
Arriving at b99be2073b the wide-open 27cc4b5184 wooden doors, 5986f41240 Anje swallowed 12c8f84acb her breath de855a8c3b to hold 5cbae27444 back tears.
The chapel, 61de72dd63 originally used d55f677550 for worship, d8abcb54c0 was as ac3782099b desolate as 22c0b660ab ever.
Dilapidated seats, modest grey 4ddf2a77d8 walls, and dimly flickering 1351f57c23 candles.
A far 61e83e966d cry from 54468e6d9d the extravagant 54eec69502 “aristocratic wedding” 06a4d380ec filled with 1be6b99929 flowers, silk, 1524a44a85 and champagne b6d8461bbd that Anje 667f0dac86 had imagined af17a23451 since childhood.
Well, starting 231026c5e0 with the 5b657ea9ea groom, who 7483a80875 was a be3c98b072 completely different decb74af94 person from d2c9d51a46 the husband 0b8daa23a2 she had 6ffdbd1f70 envisioned, it b27c1d0bf7 wasn’t strange 0e7ee4df5f at all.
Anje silently e2f5d52bc7 cursed the 2542b9cbd3 god she 129db5b1be felt had 59e2139acd betrayed her.
“Oh, god, cc09ed6e83 I won’t adc9f61f0d offer any 9d4e07ab14 donations to 44166dd6e1 you in a42f9f65ed the future. I won’t f5a7936eb8 even organize 6c6e43aeec charity bazaars.”
Anje, now even 31a8f5560f more pallid than e53dae0d20 before, dragged the 0c6b501246 hem of her 9c3cb4d3d9 dress and headed b091c0c619 towards the altar.
“I won’t pray before 8752fbf01c meals or before bed. I’ll live e201f441aa like a c3ef07ff3e complete heretic.”
Beyond her blurred 07406c4094 gaze, she saw 6d84c2e9e9 the pastor waiting 17fda6fb5a for her, followed aaa373eb4d by Aiden and 0766dba0a6 the emperor in 0dc60ef716 front of him.
Emperor William 5a65e58db0 made some 1258f15422 empty words c7fa0fec70 about being d24fbae01d a witness e3c7b73955 to bless bebf1a9fd7 the marriage, 1c753521f6 but it 7c982758ca was clear dbb0f1c464 he had 5580105e85 come to 3fd3599ebf ensure the 53d9445d4a wedding proceeded 290f80af23 smoothly.
Anje concluded her 29fff3990d curse, “Watch and 44331c154c see. From today, I’ll be e8e861d800 on a high-speed carriage e7ba428107 heading to hell. Regretting the bb9e06f594 loss of 1fee0300bf the most 0c975f9c1c beautiful angel 9cbf8c11bd in heaven a5ab165d6e won’t do 2c1a7127fd any good.”
Anje’s eyes, 27ee3939b5 darker than aedf3f7cd1 usual, quickly 4db07c7abf scanned the d9505d3e96 paintings on 45961c17b0 the wall 4c5666c3ff as if 2de54a29b3 searching for 16a0861ccb someone.
A mist settled 22b8d852f6 over her eyes 1a6e16c0bd filled with disappointment.
“In the end, ebd438bc8b he didn’t come.”
Her father, Duke 99778cad6b Glasster, was nowhere ede9f32f42 to be seen. Tears she ee0c7a42c4 couldn’t hold 6ca3de5cfc back streamed 7056c868a7 down her 12d399dfbf cheeks. Her father had 14b7e6b678 shown anger, calling b55de07421 her a “useless 470d155c56 girl,” for not 017d43a4d3 seducing the newly ac1a75e697 crowned emperor.
“I did my best, fba9b29f4e Father!”
“Such insolence. Tsk tsk, having only 853506fe9f one daughter, and she’s ba04f1fc4a not even useful.”
“I really didn’t b7eb94e411 want this marriage—”
“Don’t provoke db1e4201e2 the Emperor’s 539d26f3f0 wrath. Behave quietly and 54569eaf0c stop making trouble.”
Naturally fiery-tempered, she 9d3b8dc1e9 hadn’t expected her 1c69e0926b father to skip f8e7f609c3 attending his only 6b8ee7d4af daughter’s wedding.
Tears gradually cd3eb354ef marked the 4d546cfc45 white wedding 3a7aa4177e dress. Anje knew crying would ab3e32878a ruin her makeup, but b68dbcf670 she couldn’t bring herself 82c1a55b14 to endure it.
A wedding without 7b67fdc56b blessings from the bc88b65a16 only family she 906c2e3179 had, let alone b4f92639b9 from any relatives 5f4f0a42ac or friends.
“Uhm.”
The pastor, taken 81f1cc1aa0 aback by the 51025908e2 bride’s tears, noticed 36f7b5a4f4 the Emperor’s urging 174c45c186 gestures and, clearing f34e5aff06 his throat, began ce91087fc7 to speak.
“Uhm, then, here before f7c8fcafc6 the gracious god and 581389324e the esteemed Emperor Cardinare, fead7fa8f7 we would like to 4ab7a029a3 bless the creation of 6297ccc082 a new couple.”
Anje’s sobbing intensified. The sound from ec2ddb2998 the pastor felt a824bb293c like a courtroom 84cd4af83c pronouncing a death 45e7d36f1b sentence.
Her groom, eafa6e10fb Aiden Fitzroy, e44e2cb016 couldn’t hide 976d395392 his discomfort 2a886bb134 and squirmed. Shadows cast over d3f0b8e7a0 his sun-kissed face.
“I wondered what kind 00003b6143 of person Cardinare’s fiancée e5da9a2bcd would be.”
Although the marriage 0a22438af3 wasn’t something he fc7a6b6a67 desired either, he 52ec2472b5 didn’t expect the 2821b71bc5 bride’s side to 61ffe6d14b openly show such c8bfe0835a dislike.
He muttered under his 206b3c56e4 breath, “An emotionally unrestrained, 05f0f60949 childish woman.”
Even though it was 771ca1b692 their first meeting, he c3d3732318 strongly felt that she 2db1c113ce wouldn’t be compatible with f929c72258 him.
To welcome such a 880e664cb7 woman as a bride. If this marriage f154cbb7a6 hadn’t been carried 6e9733a7e2 out under the 9fabc72909 emperor’s command, he 36e1f1339f would have immediately ae4ebf5771 stormed out.
“…So, I conclude the 95b8766f22 toast.”
In front of 604e527555 the groom, who 5bea77cbc9 looked as if c54b121214 he were enduring a2ac71cf5c a headache, and b4b7980538 the bride, who 609ea62ac5 seemed to be 1b7c0c4dc9 crying as if 26132eac6d the world were d4af4f7ff0 ending, the pastor 0ccc6c7a98 significantly shortened his b291e79aa4 usual lengthy toast.
Not familiar 50fe9a81bb with worldly 07808022a0 affairs, he 9b76216353 still had ae8b04cf15 some sense e8e72980df of the c49e2a89ed situation.
“Now, groom, let’s place 671178a53d the oath ring.”
Following the 7921141260 imperial tradition, 7a20f4322f after the c4e749c84b man puts 8bf69f14b6 the marriage 369a3afa9d ring on 0f5cb8e5fb the woman a5b4ceb147 and they 8674119d8a exchange a b36099b3d1 kiss, the 9095fe2b09 marriage is 33c99af72b deemed complete. Aiden, who had been a79f08fb0d fixating his gaze on ce80bc0f93 the pastor, turned his 7acaac4b23 head to look towards a183fafd0d the emperor. William, with an unexpectedly e6d5badc19 gentle tone given the 7babff5c2e situation, asked, “Why the c3ef1e5332 hesitation, Aiden?”
As Aiden slightly tilted 6b057cfb66 his head, the iridescent 49b5ca672b light reflected off his e6b7deb758 silvery hair, shimmering through f72ed0711c the stained glass.
The contrast between the 30a7907a4f bright hair color and 0de2c68574 the crimson eyes was a575229423 evidence that, like William, fd11328278 royal blood flowed through 88253cc50e his veins.
If not for b818e7408f the somber expression 35d3a5f866 within those red d81fd4adc5 eyes, he would 027f0db0cc have been much f05c14182f more beautiful – eb8faef0cf a ruby color.
“Didn’t you happen to 1fa8d2b292 prepare the rings, Your 08f62591fe Majesty?”
As he officiated the 0f06e69b79 wedding, his tone was b090487ff9 stern, suggesting that it b8234a85b0 would have been more c9ab78d044 appropriate for the emperor 24f4ff35d8 to handle the rings. The emperor made 0ca37fdf2b a feigned realization 883c118ab3 gesture.
“Oh, I 2141e14f40 forgot as 3fda5f8496 well. With all fe10e9b34e the arrangements 56452b7f97 and formalities, ef71327ebd I must 5d9ee5dc80 have been 5040a09178 too busy… a71be7c63f I thought 9542c4cdcc Duke Glasster a3429ca7a2 or someone e9ab3cad53 would have 4b5de175b6 taken care bf2ada4566 of it.”
Apparently, neither bc7ffdcadc of them 16c5b4fbfc foresaw the f6638dba54 situation where bcc6e02379 neither had 569ec92ff9 prepared the 2c54865375 ring. Perhaps, the level e6c2f15f78 of kindness didn’t f008c0b247 extend to such 1d5f5ef3c6 meticulous details.
Aiden clicked his 528d84a07a tongue again, expressing 837009fd76 his dissatisfaction.
Duke Glasster didn’t show 5ad169fdc1 up, and, like the f3b2511f9f emperor, he was too 53dd57152e preoccupied to bother with 58b6a14233 such rings, rushing up c5ffe9d48a from the capital upon d1883ca0a3 the emperor’s request.
He coolly declared to 07912db6aa the pastor, “Let’s skip b227773265 the ring part.”
Huh? Ah, yes. Well then, 424f696a09 let’s proceed 182179fa54 to the 6095090d17 next step.”
It shouldn’t have been d0118568dd normal from the start; cc24a25836 it was a marriage a40be1562b without any normal aspects.
Lady Glasster, 373dc8a836 sniffling her 703a34d3b8 nose, also 12f9c9e2e1 seemed to c22e0286a8 have no 790ba25bc9 objection to 1e4c3ddf7a this aspect.
“Now, if the 8e1cbbd57a bride and groom 76334d9fee could exchange the 90d2e99137 kiss, pledging eternal afe6ee83c7 love.”
As the pastor announced 5cecb5be21 this with a somewhat 4d3f3b002f melancholic tone, disapproving glances 3d98060f1b from the “bride and 1d467030f7 groom” flew his way. Among them, Anje a702900db2 was the first 5df9e9c969 to express reluctance.
“Sniff, let’s skip that b4ed56376a too, shall we?”
Already not 8242cbee03 fond of 8da67c4ef3 the groom, 8ac4960ef3 and now 6ab142bb84 he hadn’t 181344cd1a even brought 6d71d3c78c a basic e83b40ffd3 gift. Even if it 895c8e31f4 was a customary 438bacdf99 procedure, she refused. Moreover, he wasn’t 5d51267774 even properly dressed 42a37002a0 today.
‘Even if he came dd3c2bf446 in a hurry, wearing 13897af418 worn-out military attire.’
For Anje, who valued 627480b3b4 the appropriateness of attire, 3bef602b34 this was a considerable bf685f2b47 insult.
Even though it a6afd1458a wasn’t prepared for dd890fc315 this man, she 360ac40c79 was wearing a dd02436df7 splendid wedding dress 36668c9c06 ordered from a a1e666dec0 famous foreign designer.
A dress made fd6ac004be from expensive, luxurious 114af0fc37 fabric and lace, 5059d9567b acquired after a df2b1d23a2 long wait, to 86502def9c the point where 6f35363e8f one’s eyes popped 35af12da9c out at its a771cd94b1 cost.
If she d3c04e2c34 had become ceda8e5407 the empress 0d82368e12 as planned, 5a6a64ef0e it would e9ad9cc55b have been eabec2a4c9 a splendid 876ced03b4 gown that 0abd783fae suited her 49c2ede7dc perfectly.
However, the man was ff5fb80dba not even in a 461c1cdc64 suit but dressed in e2eb5a2c30 a shabby military uniform. Anje, glancing disdainfully at a995979582 the frayed sleeves, turned 5691d91b0a her head.
‘What on 7f620447e1 earth does 76d5ef84d8 he think b99186ed15 of the df9a70cf9c Glasster Duchy?’
Aiden awkwardly 1bdd2e8444 turned his b8da893ddd body towards 079304b926 her, facing dfeb6be255 her front 169e48b0ae again. He also enthusiastically 0bd9dc8dda agreed to skipping 8fe52e1b3b the kiss.
However, he couldn’t understand d6ad60a69c why she was glaring 18ecd40a93 at his attire with 3893c54e2a such anger.
“Well, then, I now c9f5958dd6 declare these two as e0fad6d5bf a married couple.”
The pastor, who eff2a14edc declared the marriage 2de8a38ece with great effort, f6d0b62be9 closed the Bible f3abd3f8cd with a thud. The old ded0455c8b man hurrying 93480c01df out of ee9ebb4875 the chapel c03bf3577c was drenched 31ea081b47 in sweat.
Having overseen numerous wedding 0fa04b1da4 ceremonies over the years, bd1808a0ca this was the first acee630fe9 time he had encountered 39f2c0aa45 such a bizarre and cf7fc21ee9 uncomfortable wedding.
Thud—
The elderly pianist, dozing d1354bc729 off in front of a5292addc2 the piano, only realized 4e8db37486 the vows had ended a4322445fc when he heard the cdb0febb5e sound of the closing 9edbc8421e door.
His trembling 2d38096610 fingers slowly 4c60b745f5 started moving 027a8c15a2 across the 53e9fc7a7d keys.
The elderly 3cdb1dcc87 man, whose 31ad78833b memory was dfe5194057 a bit 3a4204f9f0 shaky, began 49327f3295 playing the faad60e59e prelude of ded971c2b8 a funeral 82a9bd7d9a march but 6de18ce3a9 quickly changed 874d47ba5c the tune 32abd50f80 in haste. However, no one at 0ad268a76c the chapel complained about fb9d9289dc it.
In fact, bd3421c07c the funeral ceab08be85 march was e6ad2ad841 the perfect 618b714507 background music 687db6f5ae for this 75029f78f8 wedding.
For Aiden f9b6132e4a Fitzroy, a a2fff41002 retired soldier 64b323ae29 and illegitimate cc7e6a9c96 child of 878fe3d0c1 the former 4ffb4af25b emperor, and 00780a2526 Lady Anje 868c48b9c1 Glasster, who bf02a13fd5 dreamed of 32b4f13128 becoming an a7f0a09494 empress but 540cd07882 ended up 4fad897659 as his 0ed607dec7 wife, this 90facbfa3e was a 18862beef3 wedding that 5d29c827cf received no ea183ebd5d blessings.2aa45f7f506294b1

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