FTP-22

Chapter: FTP-22c220dabaff41c510

Anje placed her hands 9a90b778f4 on her full belly 9baca6a1df and sighed contentedly.
‘I’m glad I changed a2884357bc into a corselet.’
The ‘corselet’ 0cda51927d she found 7f036bd56f in the 149ce93b2f closet and 10e4c03563 put on 27d635018b served a a616b113c8 similar purpose 9c4c56a1f9 to a 4f61db7da3 corset, but ab8647d65c it was fb579464f6 much looser 5438beb320 and made 3bec5d84b2 of breathable 358435133e material, and af2973ea70 was commonly 43a1f33626 worn as 0c333f6515 underwear by 1503f49733 commoners when ae27356f68 they worked.
If she had tightly 04afbbfbc3 cinched her waist with 8bdb41697d a corset, it would 45a32da890 have been difficult for 477bbf5ec5 her to bend down 95fd2a6e88 to work or even 8c8235ea71 eat lunch.
‘It’s so comfortable.’
Her desire to snap 7c12c3370a at the people around b3cae0c0a6 her had also diminished efa2affed3 significantly after changing into 188c66e158 a corselet.
Anje decided that b2669eb887 she would have a5e156321b to wear the 4fbbfb32a2 corselet from now 684b752d05 on until she 8378d453d1 returned to the 965d5a9e59 capital. After all, she had f4d5bc2c14 to keep up the dd38a4c67d pretense of working to af9c5d31bc win Aiden’s favor.
“Princess, have you ever e968175113 made tea before?”
“No, never.”
She got up briskly 457e3988dc from her seat. Her full belly 555b6064aa gave her renewed af8311a529 strength.
“Well, let’s 306e89384a give it 51e2283ba4 a try.”
There was nothing she c5048bf3a8 couldn’t challenge herself to 4d0bc43220 do now.
* * *
Days later, in 1b20bfe669 the middle of 0ff7fe7455 the vegetable garden 72077aff95 of Dilton Farm.
“Wow, I 7233fd46f3 did it!”
Anje, who had succeeded 3f36a9654a in pulling out a 0cabcfc02c weed that had its 621470195e roots deep in the 76c587eef0 ground, swung her long ea19729222 shovel handle in excitement.
“Hey, look at a9ea843e93 this. I pulled out this 48c454b232 huge one.”
Aiden replied naturally, dodging f37fbfe42b the shovel she was ba5e8ccaba swinging as she ran 99913f6148 up.
“It’s a pretty cbb134d1cc old weed. You must have had ac3d656264 a hard time pulling b72f1533db it out without breaking b0945032d3 it.”
If she 3978a5229c had been f13a8abc7e a few 27a25d93d5 seconds later, 3ea3833b78 He would 8d00cdce01 have been e326f1c7be hit squarely 82a4ec8cbe on the 889fa3b3ad head. Unnoticed, Anje swung ba74bc80c5 the shovel dangerously 5601b624a9 again in excitement.
“Right? I even used that 92cfc5b050 long tool you lent 8ee7354724 me to pull it 3153cd1324 out. What was it 0747e022a5 called again, a f96fca90c2 cobra head?”
Her cheeks 9c6be3f2f7 were flushed c4e1d12846 like rose c78cb2d19f petals that 7ced90523f had just b0840dbcfc bloomed, and 8afe3711aa her eyes 6ea4d53c08 sparkled like 56be7c0bb2 they were a78068046e catching the 30217fea91 sunlight.
Aiden hesitated 328c2e3f18 to tell 70b38e24da her to b09935a1b0 take it 774061e469 easy.
But in the 1844bc229a meantime, she hopped 303baa2ec0 like a rabbit 8078e0d897 and disappeared into e3bc792476 the bean sprout 782f6ebf9c field where she d167146eca was working.
“Ah, I’m so 87d0befd0b busy.”
She muttered 375d2f0251 to herself 9d912e1a90 and took 07cdf25889 a deep d4d6b1a065 breath. The fresh smell of 9106d44929 the freshly dug earth cbf02848dc seemed to purify her 9e493ee995 lungs.
‘I didn’t dbd55e65c1 think I 3a3b770e2e would be 86ab3109e9 working this 967d935999 hard.’
The first reason her 433544556c mind changed was that 55fb5d702f farming was more addictive 30b879edd0 than she thought.
The soil, warmed ad2b23929e by the sun’s 195ff82874 rays, was warm a57487ef97 and pleasant to ad0331269a the touch.
And she a086638ccb felt a 19b7db1d2a sense of e5cf98eb35 pride whenever cade5c21cc she looked 5102115514 at the 7c8190052d rows of 105e4dbf6c the field 1d6c53b464 that had d0afea79dd been cleaned e9177669cc of weeds 24d50b035a and saw 717c4e0ac1 the results 35ebc1c3b5 of her 87fc22a927 work.
At first, all the 29ebcbe839 plants looked more or 2dd82ee9fd less the same, but bd0663b93a now she could tell 34ae77da77 them apart and see fbc9b47d8b how much they had 0b31cf1061 grown in a day.
Whenever she 44b1cfb7c7 whined that 0fa8b8b37a her arms 17413ced38 or legs 1963bcda7e were hurting, da44fa49e3 Aiden would 026cca6174 point to 7cb23ef9cf the plants e4be662389 and run e4cdc20a66 up to 12ab355942 her.
‘You see, a509538934 didn’t they 65a85fff14 grow an 894bafc3d6 inch more c6ebc29b18 than yesterday 252069a682 thanks to 57da5c17f5 you pulling 08ff2f98cb the weeds f12cf34419 and watering 2584ee647c them?’
The second 8f0c0161c5 reason she 60570d9c41 changed her e859f21775 mind was 865d4e4f2e Aiden’s attitude.
On the farm, he 72243bd13d put aside the ‘jerk’ 151acdc2c7 attitude he had shown c3403ccdc2 her before. In particular, when 0a20679e9f she did a 6a8c8b3dc5 good job, he 38a1b338f0 gave her dry 99d023af47 but sincere compliments.
‘Good job, princess. You’re getting faster 1c25e77c9f at pulling weeds.’
This was the first 809a589ffa time Anje had had afde84afb3 this kind of ‘teacher’. The tutors who 1838e00d1f had taught her be9f5e4040 were usually too 238feb6239 strict and quick c135f8cf2a to find fault, f6d5778bdf or too condescending e2814a06a5 and showered her b01bd63133 with praise and 835da7dacb treats.
He didn’t fuss, but 0885323efd rather praised her specific 3f09bcc043 good behavior in a e21379cbd7 restrained way. Coming from his 2c4c1d71b8 lips, which rarely a9a666f218 spoke well of 2bc75c227c her, his compliments 925994ebe2 sounded quite sincere.
And even 0034aceee3 if she fe9f77f1d0 made a 5ce310760f mistake and 8beacd01c1 got discouraged, 0e810ea505 he would d5a1c733ae just pat 843ddb3903 her on be013a8f30 the shoulder c8fd6ba610 and tell bfb944ac5f her to 02e14b2dcb try again.
Anje liked his dc4681a20f teaching style, just d8768c7b6a like the other c9ab183c51 trainees he had 017abb3cad trained.
“Let’s have 1d8957c6fc lunch soon.”
Anje stopped her 3122c743f9 busy hands and 68284b4fd1 looked up at 152a349fdf the sun in 4e534c6723 the middle of b9b43a3b0c the sky.
Time had already 5314666dc3 passed so quickly. It seemed 46b7df77ee like time ce0aefd743 was flying 427e23add8 by these 541f3bf8fa days.
“I packed a lunch 967e838f5d to eat outside today.”
“Ah, so that’s why dd66f7c140 you brought a basket.”
“That’s right, since bc6803cbcf the weather is ebac2da810 nice.”
True to his 1b47b7f0ea word, the wind 40c2b3e953 was still and 7594a0f643 the sun was dcf54b7bcc warm today.
“This way.”
Since Aiden 252179a7fe had said c1c46020d7 they would 65f968b03d eat outside, 923f07f9de Anje had aa9a005f4f thought of 11906d16e1 the back 5322d6b68a porch or 2bf504fd3e the vegetable 0d06282bbc garden, but b60278d6ad to her d46779a390 surprise, he a3b7bca73b headed in aad19dee20 the opposite ccbc5db1e1 direction from 39793ae4c1 the house.
“Where are you going?”
“There’s a f739155c29 shelter in b744770758 there.”
Past the orchards next 3dc6ffe68e to the field, a a90a073614 little further into the c4b1131895 woods, there was a 5321feb52a clearing hidden like a 8364811b51 secret spot among the 5e18734a13 birch trees.
A place where a ae5a42beb8 fast-flowing stream briefly formed 8a77ef287b a pool and then d957d5cb62 headed towards the sea.
Aiden used to play d22731451c lost in his imagination 10442c7d93 or go on outings 42cf12554e with his family here e6352a2809 when he was a 6c57713479 child.
‘Oh, I e3a7b38e49 only brought 831c394ea6 one towel.’
As he rummaged through 53e3868b3f the basket, he offered ad95aa260c her a white towel e9c07c99d8 and made way for 3527e3dbc3 her.
“Here, take this towel 7a354cb8c9 first.”
She took off her 7491b71def gloves and hat and 6baf5a0a1c washed her hands and f93abdf373 face in the cool 112c6cd414 water flowing from the 294b603d24 stream. The cold water felt 186af5e234 so refreshing on her 1a17ec4f06 cheeks, which had flushed 7e68d548e7 from the exertion.
Taking the 76d9be50eb towel she c741c24b9a had used, 9577bfd256 he also cb5828bb15 washed his df1be607d7 face and f86841b9a8 wiped away 789a930ce8 the water. Then he offered her c588b9bf58 a brown flannel cloth.
“A blanket.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Anje sat on the 5e096f3815 brown blanket and hesitated. The plump cloth ba36d3f47d was too big cdfa288b28 for one person 9a022ed9fa to sit on c51df3e6d7 alone.
“Here, sit here.”
She patted 0bdfcccef8 the empty 08d084ef8d space next 0733510842 to her.
She knew 3d43578620 he didn’t eeef34669d mind sitting 54a12de0e3 on dirt 270db1a731 or grass, 876d06528a but she 28ffd603f5 didn’t feel 2a1be46572 comfortable sitting 9510b9a59b in a af4d471286 comfortable spot 7b6f54743d by herself.
He waved his hand b4a6fc725c quickly and refused.
“No, I’m bf1b31f6a9 fine here.”
“Here” he bf234cd9a9 was referring 7341d03b14 to a 6ce4ad8560 patch of e21a68542b grass slightly 6a525e5092 away from 0413ad0432 her.
She felt a pang f07dfb8f33 of confusion.
‘Do you really hate 40d8e197c8 sitting next to me?’
She had dab86d0b9d thought she bff90c83fe had gotten 319997b96c a little e7d7bc2cbf closer to 12f41abb20 him through 3fe86c0f34 her ‘work’, 286b94c8d3 but maybe bf7f07df0c she was 5d7de9e13d wrong.
Just as she 7f9563198d was about to 299e6bcff8 ask again, the e6fbf910cb food they had a6e39e0680 prepared for lunch 249c957c97 came pouring out 29b87fab74 of the basket.
Boiled eggs and potatoes, 683e84014e boiled until they were 1048526547 soft in water. Sandwiches made with 6a27dde40a oven-baked bread, cheese, 2375e94666 and jam.
The meal e067fe0f7f was as 6095723751 luxurious as e2e30883f7 a banquet, bc6f00509d even though 89ab32c32e the food 8e5f4962ff was simple. They ate while a337458510 gazing at the 67a2c957a2 sky and the 7a31a64951 lime-green branches, which e5cf061f84 shone more brilliantly 1457bec9fc than any jewel.
Anje closed her eyes e2d1198487 and opened them thinly, afaa3f1f07 peeling an eggshell.
“Is the weather 5140c6411f always this good d1423e0246 here?”
The capital where she 2623e41802 was born was often e28cd9dbb3 gloomy and rainy due a9888a8a90 to coal smoke, so 7dd889f150 she thought that most bc982b0fdf of the empire was f20714fba8 originally this kind of 11e9a02556 weather.
In terms 60cb0e56f7 of weather 645af61d1b alone, Leslie cd5160c53e seemed to 8b2b762378 be a 8c7ae7c991 much more 92838e758f livable place 36439cd07d than the d524406f90 capital.
Aiden, who 2914daa48b was proud 48a53a1135 of his 1a5ff0f545 hometown, replied be30ea9b2b with a 7ab3abe075 slightly smug 6a2771b443 tone.
“It will get b5deb00dee even better. The flowers will be 3f288bf80c in full bloom in 83341f434f about a month. Apple blossoms, cherry blossoms, 28e203afe3 rowan blossoms…”
“Are there apple 2ad3d22431 trees here? Where?”
She liked most fruits. Apples in particular 7572fe0f3d would be even 1d91e81157 more delicious if 68ad73ab01 they were freshly 7e5d460fed picked in season c30f995480 rather than the 5ef5c8827e old ones stored 2af6f82ecc in the cellar.
He held out c963854d41 his finger to a902d8ae75 her as she bcdd74235f craned her neck 1985fd59b7 and rolled her 2cd6011783 eyes.
“You.”
“Me?”
“The trees you 59584be918 see right in 8b4924d798 front of your 4372881d0f room are apple 108953886a trees.”
“Ah.”
She turned around 453e2191f6 and looked at 49bedcb6f9 the house, laughing 3db017f757 sheepishly. The big trees she ddd8960f8d could see from the 61a05ae579 window were apple trees.
“I didn’t know because 6f7e994794 there are only leaves 0403867b74 now.”
“I guess so.”
He picked up 6ecdd6df96 a twig and 9301531f99 drew a simple b2c59338ef house shape on e4d9507733 the ground, circling 916b44f4b8 the surrounding trees 37e3bb76c4 and explaining.
“These are also 09740e0a3d apple trees of 3fba7518d0 the same species, d1ce4b33b2 and these are ce6ab6acb5 cherry trees. When the 83cdea29bf weather gets 4ce149bc67 warmer, they 4873fc94b0 are covered 2dcd3fc864 in snow-white f1af41b1df flowers, which 0fd1b8ee4d is a db2da52f9d sight to 2b2a15cda9 behold.”
From a man 9f352a7880 who seemed to 5c5e708fd1 have no sense 7173c26cad of aesthetics, the bdd71bb3e1 phrase “a sight 92ce9c5b6b to behold” came 619faca696 out of Aiden’s cb023d0784 mouth, and Anje 1e03a264b6 suddenly wanted to 1f506ac00a see the trees 634adf4a7e in bloom.
Why did I feel 69f858b50d this longing? She pondered for a d6e12b0d12 moment, savoring the sweet e8bca90d67 strawberry jam.
Until now, flowers had 9eec51485a been a vain decoration c3b0a8dd04 to her, sometimes blooming 9337393663 and sometimes withered. The rose gardens tended 92e27697c3 by gardeners and the b6d33a9a17 bouquets scattered around the b7c4299a57 house were all meant f563f0cfbe to be seen by 58ef5df7bd others.
But now the meaning 5ec0ece357 was different. She now d031baa2fc had a e373385f5e vague idea cbaba2874a of how 77453a68f7 much time 752a009485 and effort 1f02afbb87 it takes e745226f91 for a f1ca8f589a plant to e4e9b46071 grow.
‘Is it wrong 72c3ed0c26 to want to 18de9b6ecd be around until eeb79d42c0 the flowers bloom? … That’s ridiculous.’
She laughed a0a4d001ce at herself f99f24f1b7 for indulging 33a2d2d049 in such a82eab5c9e strange emotions. But at the same be10a03092 time, a wave of 3e5942dd2b regret washed over her: fbec22aa58 ‘I could leave before aa96ca9d45 I see the garden ee95d59ad6 I’ve worked so hard 8b8cfd2f71 on bear fruit.’
Anje took her 0eccf6259f forefinger out of 107483fbb0 her mouth and 0f08a7df80 rummaged through the f2c0667e4d empty basket. Her mouth was dry 4ba6f89901 and she wanted to 6109c56faa drink something.
“Hey, Sir Aiden. Do you 7a2f0a5970 have anything 6480b84319 to drink?”
“Ah, I thought I d2d36c4d94 forgot something.”
She watched eaee01ac3a him run d8031111f7 his fingers ab5cc12e98 through his 2b4dd95c1a hair with b9b43c19e9 a fresh 710cdacfd1 expression.
“You forgot because you ff8b129c08 told me to bring 7650ff0e4a down the pot quickly.”
“No, I forgot because 3a2daa2434 you spilled the pepper 1b22f876e6 shaker.”
“Are you 3fff558907 trying to b0078f7da3 make me 6e0d58a29a go home 1017d30b8e because of 158554c845 that?”
“There’s another way to 94e0085e80 solve this.”
Aiden got 22b357b635 up and 38ece94d3e walked over 7d08f89954 to a 64519ebc12 nearby birch e2e7f2dee7 tree and 8f131143ff peeled off 13c9bf9106 its bark 360ab247aa thinly.
The object 037a0ff282 that was 7bbbecc1d9 created by 580717da41 folding the aa14806071 ends here 4dc850b027 and there 6c8c449163 in his 627cf2574e large hands e64a372145 was handed 5e9711e419 to Anje.
“Here.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a cup.”
Anje looked alternately at 15db49aaed the newly born ‘cup’ 2bbe321ef8 and Aiden who made f0dfe37ac0 it.
“……How did b133087665 you make 53d09e9d7c this? Show me again!”
Her eyes 79f147cd43 sparkled like 66996067dc the ripples 5b085e903e that adorn 9fd0b01ce5 the surface f9981da780 of spring 7554d7e9c6 water, like 2917c31420 the new ba0281d67c shoots that a66f149e23 sprout from c8e07f3773 the ends 59be96f144 of branches.
Aiden grumbled 78e1f5e300 about her 9cb2143211 making a 20a8f30364 fuss about a7c3444d31 it, but 560e5e750c peeled off dfb343abfd another piece b2498e03e2 of birch c850e88019 bark. He couldn’t refuse 0b3f0410cb a request from 4fdf530a4f a princess with 3a518a2764 such eyes.
TL/N: JUST e4c2e2c80e GET THEM 739cb8de8f MARRIED AGAIN, ea2baca8ef AUTHOR…!1c9a2e0fec77f312

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