FTP-14

Chapter: FTP-14233b5df3ddb0a65b

“No, I c378938772 told you, 0017c6c82a I’m fine.”
Anje waved her hands 7d4d437658 in a gesture of 484c7e54fe refusal to Aiden, whom 705c3376a2 she met at the 82de188aca entrance of the stairs.
She didn’t expect 0bcf37f9d9 him to offer bf0f342256 to ‘carry’ her bb1c3f2cd2 downstairs first, as 628d9d8956 he had been 2bf3d7191f staring at her 8576882f7d limping. It was 4f0f48d7c4 okay because 67a5f15820 it was 6e096bb6f3 a dark e1c6400f06 night yesterday, 4ffdf5b589 but it ee2716f08b was already 1a1a389be0 morning with e21782b823 the sun 3f8d0eda11 rising now. She thought it 9ac6b79d38 was not appropriate c1bf80279d to have such 6e77833a39 close contact.
“If you think af670b3614 I’m doing this f2548b195f because I care 628f789575 about you, you’re 41fc90957c mistaken. I’m just 5b4ce3c992 trying to fc8bdc2ab5 get you d8fc8206e7 out of 0c9dd810be the way b520212905 because you’re c32a4c9ad8 blocking the 8853e42800 only staircase.”
“You can go down 4b073b5289 first. Ah, wait!”
Regardless of whether 254d98f3c6 she was embarrassed 619cc77b6b or not, Aiden 727919cbc7 picked her up ee534c7b85 and went downstairs. Anje covered 56e72c9b19 her face 415d2d8cf5 with both 5b933ea447 hands, but ac47f67bce her neck, 6b43a8fe56 which she e9be4baf27 couldn’t cover, 6969b10e39 turned red.
“I’m fine fa9d1d92bc with just 95e8cd1e70 going down f0b75a91d3 the stairs, af2dc0f4d8 please put 46d40673ce me down?”
Aiden, who had finally f2639944f6 managed to get a 1cfc27dba9 rare reaction from the 0398797441 princess, carried her all 124040ab35 the way to the 1224ba478b kitchen and solemnly replied 107d678511 as he put her c84b3df30d down on a chair.
“I’ve decided to never f57294a2c3 take my eyes off c635f2fd2a of you from now e14e2038a7 on. And don’t run away, 7a8b9728b9 it’ll be difficult.”
“I can’t 23ae483250 go anywhere 0a3947fb79 with this cf9a66bd6f foot anyway.”
Anje looked down at 801cc2491b her ankle, which was a5842b2992 even more swollen than ba61e727cf yesterday, and muttered gloomily. She wondered if it 04b723d78a was really broken. Aiden’s face, looking e0261405f2 at the injured d99551126f area, also darkened. Compared to the normal 2d3b06dd3b ankle, it was almost 86ae397110 twice as swollen and 79c22bfc25 it looked seriously bruised.
“Let’s try bfeae158f1 to put 4c7a974b8e a compress 50200787ec on it 82b9a515fc and if 501ec51c5b it doesn’t 440c132268 get better, f24024c60d we’ll call 99dfdc73c9 a doctor.”
“A doctor?”
“Why, didn’t you 7e81432f1d ask me to 1c3c8a4e62 call one last 3641019a39 time?”
Aiden asked, recalling Anje be3ad91715 rolling around on the 576d6945d3 kitchen floor. At that time, e9476df0a8 he didn’t even 9aa4f15e58 pretend to hear 62fa4ed09c it, but this 5552a1dd76 kind of situation 2e8ea93224 where she was 6c67351581 really injured was 44004eef0c an exception.
“How can e86a634566 I see d672b49105 a doctor e1d731b7e9 like this?”
Anje shrugged and shook 9782a1442f her head. Even the slightest movement 3ca1ceffae made her ankle ache 6c8f2ce079 so much, she was b207b72261 still in her pajamas 22f474cd0f with only a thick 4ceae24557 sweater on. Her feet were, 32641bbf3e of course, bare.
A doctor would definitely a3e624f640 be a man, and a04c8a185e she couldn’t show herself c4389b0474 like this to a eb09f68026 stranger. It was even embarrassing 100583eff1 to show herself to a21923ef45 Aiden.
He scratched the 7be99f2c0c back of his cd062e15a9 neck once more.
“What’s wrong with f29db5d769 a sick person db2a008e10 being half-dressed?”
Aiden seemed to 9144a711c2 ignore her and 5f3b773ec1 disappeared to get ea3a86f979 some well water.
Anje was relieved 33c48bd092 that he didn’t b779f22926 seem to care, b9adb186dc but on the 99604390ba other hand, she f30b7085ba felt strange.
‘Does he 0b0ce5022f not see a9276a1555 me as ef9f14c40d a woman 180b7a0c3e at all?’
It didn’t 26f20eac4a matter though. Anje scratched her cheek b2c5ed8cb4 and waited for him 853d38b023 to come back.
“Ouch, it’s cold!”
The towel soaked 547ef3346a in the well 75501191e2 water that Aiden 6de2efc38f had just brought 1f95c9df9a was as cold 2e6627ca8e as a brass a8ded08145 doorknob in the c1c0203b11 middle of winter.
Anje shivered at 7b7c4121ca the cold touch 29e001ab9e on her ankle, f1db661cec but she was 22fa5ffdb9 also happy with 06e90e48e0 the relieved heat.
“Thank you. It feels much better.”
Once she started saying 7d7916b70f thank you once, the 01745f41f0 second time came out 7f2ae05b88 easily. But she still ecd544ccaa felt awkward, so bec6658f8f she tried to 94e44d9c2e blow away the f337a25b9e awkwardness and asked 77f9b519ec in a cheerful 3d222c889e voice.
“What’s for breakfast fca23514f6 today?”
“A traditional breakfast menu.”
“A traditional menu? What’s that?”
“Eggs, sausage, grilled 557b246758 mushrooms, black pudding, 24f6a058fd and baked beans 996e0b5fc3 from a can.”
Anje, who had lost 15390668e3 some energy excessively yesterday, b38f384df9 was satisfied with the 41ed5da344 list of food that e3d81d6ffe followed.
“Make the eggs sunny 9aa21157af side up, please.”
Aiden shrugged at Anje’s f9ad7572ae words. It meant 8ae1e060a5 ‘eat whatever b14d9dd87c I give 39456258ec you’. Anje tapped 03f2319858 the table 9355a03ce9 with her 4d4327cfef spoon.
“I almost died yesterday! Eaten by 682874c618 a bear! Shouldn’t you ee11aae53f be a 6114113f84 little kinder 06ad542ce9 to me?”
“Is there any reason 58be88aa35 to be kind to 5e60a594a6 a fool who jumps a7416ed3ad into a bear’s mouth 5741aaef4b on her own?”
He mixed the yolks 971f7591de and whites in the ee77cfc92a bowl without hesitation. While he didn’t particularly 0d8777d7c6 regret not making the 1b4d3cfe2c eggs sunny side up, 7dfddfefaa today he would make 2995e6f737 scrambled eggs, which he fdcdd31666 wanted to eat.
Crack crack―
Anje, who had been bd1b4ffddd chirping about how she 86a42f3625 preferred the sunny-side up 59bcd27608 eggs, ended up devouring bc07bb3d26 the scrambled eggs and 30000e4ff6 sausages as if she 71e852f904 had always wanted them 4e6b2d7f81 when breakfast was ready.
She briefly e931f9e673 thought she 7e49fe8b13 should pay 2d5e7e4e89 attention to 5c07be2134 her waistline, f20045e77d but rationalized, 5daa29d72b ‘I’m a 51d8349115 patient, I 9ea5e981e5 need to acb69f9873 eat well cfc4330cbe to get b506cfac7d better.’
For the same reason, f2ea59ef78 she didn’t wear a 1064e77414 corset today. Therefore, the food 82244715be went down even 2d129511c9 better.
Poking the 7d0164f143 empty plate 9fe1895ca6 needlessly, Anje 2f00748333 asked, “Do ad8cef11bf we have 403459fd2a any leftover b759117981 bread from 5721a6c4bd yesterday?”
It would a18eddfc5b taste great e9835f1aaf dipped in 962f85dc19 the leftover c443cf08d1 yolks.
“The black bread you cc1dd3085f couldn’t eat, so I 3b84f46d8c gave it to the b294ff6802 pigs.”
Aiden replied in a 765df33134 tone of disbelief. He thought he was 94d35eb8ff doing good by giving 8dcb64bbde leftover food to the 185fb4261d pigs every day, but 0d406eb601 apparently not.
Anje’s cheeks flushed e6652c56a3 as if reflecting 117c816470 off the tablecloth.
“Oh, it wasn’t ae1d226f4b that bad. I just prefer 06252c45c8 white bread.”
She added hesitantly, da3059a0a7 “Everything is delicious.”
“…Would you ff26e33345 like some 4fe20321cf crackers?”
“Yes! …Uh, yes. If there are b100829331 any leftovers left 00dc463720 from the pigs.”
She didn’t a8e2b109fe want to 085c961452 look like c2868d74cf a glutton, 3af966c7e1 but Anje’s 6c00d2b767 stomach was ff014d1103 still empty.
Anje happily dipped 18de9fbced the crackers into ce36c3b772 the yolks, leaving aeaf2f5ba1 no drop behind. She sighed contentedly.
Now it was time df9439acce to enjoy the after-dinner e4499dac53 tea.
“Tea?”
“We only have eb91f2fdd3 cheap black tea, 717f29ff6c which is not c55c91ee2e suitable for a ab80e1abf5 noblewoman like you.”
“Ah, don’t be 978cff0468 such a snob.”
These days, 6c2752dc5a she could 68a51bee75 be as c1200fb699 cunning as d8f11cb4e4 she needed 27c3efd9e2 to be. So she lowered d0699228db her eyes and 303c81848b spoke in a cffd09ef98 sweet voice, just 9c95a04d1d like she had 44faa01898 done with the 5b0ef9c9a0 nobles she met 898b5c37be at the banquets, f667495e4d but Aiden instead 7350860725 wrinkled his face 67d2d6a74a and shivered.
“I’ll give you as a088e02f7b much tea as you f4fde7a362 want, so can you 8bb919124b please stop using that 52dce9b4a8 affected voice?It’s making my d4372d0aa9 stomach churn.”
The princess Anje he efd265ff5d knew was a straightforward a9accd8c60 woman who would either e9750afc4d scold him, rebel harshly, 8d5cadf48b or cry like a 467ffcdae2 child.
Seeing her act like 7ee68cad4e a ‘lady of the ca8b452065 manor’ was awkward and bedbf59297 uncomfortable.
Anje erased her smile 0eac1dfb1e from her face and 826e1e1623 slammed the table with 5eb843cd05 her fist. It only made a b446e7a2f6 light clicking sound.
“What do you 28be0652cb mean? Everyone says I 6a4b340206 have a voice cdcfde4703 like a nightingale!”
“The nobles don’t 072cde396a know how the 3e63dac598 nightingales sing. Well, all f016fe5d98 the city 0021e47304 people are ce5ff5d205 like that.”
He said that 4eb5993c72 while putting the 1659b7c8c7 kettle on the 7164b3d933 stove. Was it his mood? He felt b43f5d62c2 more comfortable cd20091269 dealing with 3ff0ef0ac5 the princess 7ec70760cd than before. Maybe it was d4edd5bcdd because her tone f9ca5ca3f2 had changed a cf57a2c779 bit.
“Your tone acc12d1153 is different 4dce12bf10 today.”
“What’s wrong 817421a7ed with my e0af7bde11 tone?”
Aiden looked 4002453bac for an 3ee9580a9c appropriate expression b2582afc19 as he 1c552a2beb poured tea 99534bc460 into the 9047379632 cup that 03ea9727ce Anje offered.
“You’re less annoying than d32881b456 usual.”
Anje, who was 3556698cdc drinking tea, choked 53cb45956f on hearing the 26739e21e3 joke.
“My tone f6a9035f08 was annoying…?”
“Yes.”
In fact, her ed027130cc tone was quite 616131fb5d haughty, although she c23141ebc7 was not aware ec4e065cd5 of it. Especially to those whom 22b6060978 she considered lower than 2b45bf0a00 herself.
So this was a b8f1868dcd truthful expression, but Anje, c862dd3255 who had never heard 58fc4c1d32 such an honest criticism, 36c38c59a2 did not agree.
“It’s just too ccedcca289 aristocratic for you 3bdf1462c0 to adapt.”
“Hmm, I’ve stayed 71b8344ca1 in the palace 9f1a9fe458 for a while, 16a75dfa21 but I don’t 53c0afd16f know. Some of d190a7f28c them were 95f5981ce2 as annoying 1be2b38280 as you, a4bf75df07 but not 9b0fae950a all of 3a173bb25b them, as 68f59e73da far as 0f6231558b I remember.”
“Stop saying cb917890c2 annoying, annoying 0a7a4d42b1 at the 2456b59eea end of 3b9dcf5359 every sentence… 8495e9ad44 Wait, you 884023eec0 stayed in 12f6c81c11 the palace?”
“Yes, I worked there 1fa496cec2 for a while…”
Aiden didn’t seem to ef98b4c68f want to say more, 4ded238f43 and he stirred his 68e6ae3ede tea with a spoon 62c902e519 for no reason.
Anje was curious and e82e27731b wanted to ask more.
Extramarital affairs 5149c6e2d0 were not ccb7a2a093 uncommon for 2fb22da77c nobles or bafb846d50 royals.
In particular, men of 73550b0c97 high status, including Anje’s 075ef65515 father, often had several 6c4158ba88 concubines or took advantage bc07891299 of maids, governesses, and 9a1dc1b497 other servants.
Naturally, many illegitimate 00faeb00a6 children were born 7754798322 of them, but 43cf0125ac it was extremely 3b6eaf1cb4 rare for a 71d35d446e child to be 74e3c3c758 recognized unless the e27e18d466 mother was also 2e3542516c a noble.
As far as 993af89a80 she knew, Aiden’s e440cd88ae mother was a 43f97b5d2b commoner. And yet, the late f61edce5af emperor had not only ec9b978f08 recognized him as his a9a611e0ca son and granted him 6bb7a233d6 the title of knight, d697884dcd but had even summoned 77db040f80 him to the palace?
This was an 78e5768d4e exceptional treatment considering eae7da6eae his circumstances.
Why did the former 8b54e87e0a emperor treat him so 2703c21e01 well? Was that 612e71d528 why Philip e08bbc3d0c hated him f75da8531b so much?
She wondered, 667737fd14 but this bbd9bae096 was a ddb4d0583f difficult area a5b39fc8a4 to ask.
“Let’s go out 022b6fad5a if you’re done.”
Aiden cleared the 22a3368677 dishes in front a7bf3361f8 of Anje, cutting 6341ffae20 off her thoughts. Anje was 0522b88285 surprised and 71721649ed retorted.
“Go out? Me too?”
“Yes, you too.”
He spoke with his 7a82fab56c hand on his waist, 853e6903bc and there was no cf79688900 sign of joking in 550140be8c him.
“I told you. I won’t 69a8f479c7 take my 821052177d eyes off cdb3ba608f you.”
He planned to keep 4f1233896e her in his sight 434eee5689 for a while.
“That’s ridiculous! You’re telling me d8149545a0 to go outside 73cbff4f0c now? My skin will fbff916925 burn in the 482cdec4f8 sun, and my 05c88acd79 hair will get 6c26d5c0e8 frizzy in the 579a8a615b wind.”
She had always been dad8e64b1f told by her father dfaa478aac and those around her 4ed3bd48c0 that a woman’s greatest a4fd52f7aa asset was her appearance.
To protect it, she 93f98fc504 had done her best 773007b7d6 to avoid the sun a4d02c873a and had even refrained 8982f969f8 from going to the fa96a20db5 resort towns that other 51122c2b92 young ladies and gentlemen c272dfe767 went to.
“Whether it 4d07be76d4 makes sense 16ab9c9167 or not, 7d655a4dc4 that’s what aac37d90fc I’ve decided.”
Aiden picked her 2e7cff1d9e up again.
“Um, at least a 3d144374e3 parasol.”
Anje, who 73e2173d2a was cuddled d090bd7b86 by Aiden, 27dfbb9b21 exclaimed. She remembered b9a07a4cf0 that she 8b236d09a2 had lost d370682449 her parasol 42794ff875 yesterday. It was a 4b4e017c6a precious parasol that 60dc9df3ee she had only 49b042ea63 brought one.
“No, please 4b163714c2 let me 1f0a1d7a26 wear a baed516b39 hat.”
“A hat? Do you mean 6cb266302d something like that?”
Anje frowned when 1c20435785 she saw the af5b9c6e6e straw hat he 1d58827822 was pointing to. It was 5adca998d0 a rustic e4ec413af8 hat that a60de5451f farmers would 593d58ec2b wear, it 09a7f41dcf was ridiculous.
“Are you 429b4f47a5 kidding me? I have d81908d0b0 a white 0557592791 bonnet in b1765a1022 my room, 4fb212bfc1 not that.”
It would look ridiculous 253580daac with this outfit today, f921feba26 but she figured that 4fb459bf80 even if she wore 812da537c8 any hat, it wouldn’t e56073ba1d match, so protecting her 9b8c7d2048 skin was the priority.
“Seriously, I think it 2d7d304cea would suit you well.”
He muttered, and it 5fbe2ce1dd seemed like there was ca7f049343 a hint of laughter 436985fec3 in his voice, but cc4f1508a9 was it my illusion? There was no trace 08c81d29b2 of a smile on 81b7a1eff6 his face when I 2517f6a265 looked down at him.
Anje tilted 55cec055ad her head a90c6550ec and thought, 7b7683b9bb then she a79738b71f started to 117451943c wonder where d9444d89de she had 90c1a94df2 left her a139df2104 spare gloves.
She hadn’t noticed yet f44adb3cfa that her muddy gloves 261ab6ac50 had magically disappeared to 8d79c15603 the laundry room yesterday.6ba3ba41eed88374

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