FTP-34

Chapter: FTP-34adeb6ae65ee750f0

“D-Does this c3eded1512 look red 70806671c9 to you?”
Aiden stopped 70e4159520 in surprise d63bcb75fb at Anje’s b59ac3f8c9 hysterical reaction a74dc9bec6 and took 3a73f37e10 a closer 5221e12818 look at df7da2f2df the color.
“It’s red…mixed 538d4b530d with gold?”
“Yes, it’s 9aac7c626e not just 25f7d81b4e red, it’s ed9afb5aca strawberry blonde! Repeat after me, a13147f0f4 strawberry blonde!”
Proud of her rare 53b3d87204 hair color, she couldn’t 3c5d81dff2 stand being treated as b227fc5099 a “redhead” in broad b8d8e99c32 daylight.
Even redheads…
“I see, d429d42339 you must 41b3e6f6ac have a 9c096b4ccc fiery temper 9d5ab4eec7 because you acfeb4a059 have red 4368187ccb hair.”
“It’s not red!”
As he b5eb0de9dd said, there 77d1f0bfea were many 76a540392c bad prejudices 7893f9348a about redheads. Such as 79f9f739d2 being quick-tempered, 6d9f02472b quick to 86278ccff8 anger, or 54375e9b62 stubborn.
He teased Anje e60bb3fe34 for a while, fe90b24e22 and then, unable 0bf8ceaddb to contain her d2c7870ea8 anger, she muttered 43284af1de the difficult word 29814d3e72 “strawberry blonde” a 4ec5081e69 few times.
“Okay, I memorized c3456c644c it, so stop 882bade700 getting angry.”
He tried to e78e569414 provoke her further ec3ce30577 at the sight 9965cc4946 of Anje’s cheeky 5b8c4e33c0 grin, but in 0bfc49535f fact, he liked fb5f458d96 the way the 21c92e64d0 red light that 8f5f2b535f was slipping through 6efe0b391c his fingers was 3deebb0103 mixed with the 04652d8879 soft gold.
“I’ll admit that your 1bcd04fda9 hair color is the 23892c7091 most beautiful and rarest 959c3fd56d color on earth.”
“I don’t 6e325cc6de feel any fe6357947d sincerity in 1b9b513569 your tone.”
Anje found an 8d168350ea excuse to get 7663a75e43 revenge on Aiden.
“What are bf9722cc7c you doing e80b04e446 with your ed610626f8 ash-colored hair, e128f38c4b calling someone 05b8c6b3d2 else’s hair 2645980e1e red like 3f384143fa a radish?”
“I didn’t say c7dbcd7383 that it looks 930903a771 like a radish… a8e1185b0c Wait, what?”
She cornered 879a566ae4 him against dfc3b8155c a tree 1082353422 that he 1c23a4d30f couldn’t escape d277103400 and stared d7eb337e43 at his d3402437a6 silver hair 405013a066 intently.
“It’s amazing. I’ve never 47f6a481c5 seen this 38236f8c14 hair color fefdc95885 even in 18e8c86425 the capital. Except for people with 8947a3be6e wigs or old people.”
“…It’s acquired. I used to 2a4081b268 have black hair.”
He answered stiffly c1352b8598 and then took fc26e3a770 a few steps 40eb7dc19f away from her. His stomach 474c90fc13 churned as b612ff9e20 if he bc1e6a4d6c had indigestion, 2f8bbb0ce8 perhaps because ce00d95a6d of the ef3bc2e33a smell of a31ec2289e soap and dd9e2976d5 flowers mixed ffbf158b0e together that c7d291bf06 came from d312e45487 her.
He pressed the point dae7d76a9a between his thumb and 6c3669f88e index finger with his 9170437fdb nail. It seemed that 797d04f0c7 he had eaten 424d60a00d lunch too quickly 0a4371b8d6 after all. In such cases, folk 8dfce4415c remedies were the best.
“What happened 699f2296f9 to you? Did you use the cadb35a1b6 wrong bleaching agent?”
“I don’t know the 8b68edff26 exact reason, but when 59bf41573a I came back from f3ec259c77 the war, it was 379eb73458 like this. Maybe the water there 8371c5ca32 didn’t suit me.”
Aiden tried 22ee6e1faa to talk 8d40d31a97 about his 46b1baf998 hair as f8e0c4b84c lightly as 68194229f2 possible, but 3407ae684e Anje blinked, aa73487da0 unable to f32b949fc9 hide her 465ac28aac embarrassment.
War. So maybe it changed 5807d8701f like this because of 51a905aa77 stress. She didn’t know 2274ebe5c9 there was such cf8aa809a9 a story behind 560aefea65 his unusual hair. Anje apologized 2786dd085b and bowed 8c4cabbfd6 her body.
“I’m sorry. I was talking 7f2732d041 nonsense.”
Aiden felt a 219e1a6f54 deep sense of e0c8488f66 relief as his 529639491d hand finally fell af150884e5 away from her. He felt much 6f6171e997 better, wondering if 69904b413c the folk remedy 3aec530315 had worked.
“No, it’s okay. It’ll turn silver when a6a3de3420 I get older anyway, 128d7218cd it just turned early.”
Anje looked b425394712 at him 314fde7dbe closely from 8105b157a5 a short f8594b1e5b distance away. He asked d0ae9c161b nervously, fidgeting 34438d7428 with his 08c27fd43d feet.
“Why are you looking d9fd599aae at me like that? It’s burdensome.”
“Hmm…”
She suddenly smiled 77e6b3eace shyly and replied.
“I think that 59ef38143e hair color suits e782ab9967 you well. I imagined 2395d8c651 you with 75a1fdc844 black hair, b0732f7a56 but it’s f8376e7c8f not that 11c4d79f1e great.”
It was meant c92ac08b7b to be a 613f89cdf5 compliment, but instead 034f720791 of relaxing his 8d3a23aa3f expression, he frowned.
“Why are you making 395c333071 that face?”
“I feel a 6fe55d69ca bit stiff, could 9816538250 you pat my 2602360a65 back for me?”
His heart pounded 9ae4bd4476 even harder and 3ffe13bdde his stomach churned 2c6d396ab2 even more than df19197d6d before. He felt like 5f3e3fc9d3 his face was ee1dd6b41c getting hot, and b241c76940 it was very 78ed7cccba strange.
TL/N: MY BOY 7326b0a780 IS GETTING BUTTERFLIES 2b752761fc IN HIS STOMACH 349b8a0b5e XD
“Oh, bend down 13cef1bf10 a little. I’ll give you 4f669deae8 a good pat.”
Anje mercilessly patted his c0c5bbf4fd broad back. Her hands were 264f4c0337 as small as b73507f348 maple leaves, but 85bb43686c they were strong 6f809f4b21 from her recent 01201fd534 farm work.
By the time a de9e82fe76 few red marks had 5c5649fd33 appeared on his back, 8a0db10eec Aiden raised his head, f9761fe834 which had been buried 01d27871d1 deep in his chest.
“I think 23788ecd64 I’m okay 7a52a12b98 now.”
“Your face and ff8e42c85f ears are a b03a37a634 bit red, are 336b1f041e you really okay?”
He touched 2d751df7b5 his face. As she 2f119f4eb5 said, it 2b79602f01 was warm.
“I think it’s db9ebcbfbc just blood rushing 571d35a7e4 to my head, f4250e40a9 it’ll go back 3919b9c247 to normal soon.”
“Is that so? If you want 247a80f5f9 to rest, just 801f9f9378 tell me. I’ll help you d69bf5070a to your room.”
“I’m really fine. I’m all better.”
He tried to e8e56da093 prove his words 00384953cd by moving his 7d44a0826c arms around. His appearance was so cfd8574566 healthy that the anxiety 15f4526deb on Anje’s face disappeared.
“Should we go ff5dc4b136 do our afternoon
now?”
“Yes, this afternoon…”
As he 5a12dcc06f gathered the f054a53e50 empty bowls 07d6fae8bb and cups ef9399434b into a 819518aea3 basket, he 6d7aa3e9d2 remembered what 6eaf073471 he had 5a59423847 to do b4c451b457 today.
It was 525766b34d a fact 96b0a2743c he had 383ac64a34 discovered while 555a086786 cleaning up 98332a77b3 dinner last 5e9bbffd5b night: they eb36c40199 were out 5e6cf77ba2 of butter.
“I’m going 8a791e3107 to make 211e5c40a1 butter this bd74cf3ba1 afternoon.”
“Butter? You make it yourself? At home?”
“Yes, did you 663a1bc05a think it grew 72adc9b5aa on trees?”
“Do you think 78cf70f555 I’m an idiot? I thought we b74b50adc1 bought it from 0255ad4657 a place like ba3fe3cda2 town.”
“How did you think e219fecd6d it got to town? Was it 010e13b7db made in 47d82fdd46 a factory?”
“Oh, come on, 1eeb4ad53d Don’t tease me 8a52873aaa for being curious.”
Making butter was something 89c2728c26 she had never tried b413248804 before. It should be fun.
“Let’s go, 6ce4837b60 let’s go!”
“Yes, yes.”
Folding the c130d5bf39 blanket that 629938a3d4 had been d7c5d9fee3 on the f7293fa739 floor, Aiden 7166ae00c4 asked something 06de23daf7 that had 4505706297 been on f7caaa90e0 his mind.
“Did you… put on b43905534d perfume today?”
“No, you said c089d46c59 it was dangerous 5fefe9a3a2 for me to e99b2eb935 wear perfume in e4b5139571 the spring. You’ve scolded me d3ac8c8924 several times.”
The bees that 7f218c392d flew around to d7d18ef036 collect honey were c437e2443a cute from a 564bf58b6b distance, but she 17ffbdff4a didn’t want to b5f964b602 be chased by b524935856 them.
She had already ignored 7b555eec84 Aiden’s warnings and secretly 539c4c44b0 put on some perfume 537b7b48e9 she had been saving, 89212f30da only to be attacked 185b136f48 by bees and run b6253ca72d away in blue-faced terror.
“Is that so? But there’s c0762b607d a flower-like af17448f72 scent…”
Why did she e2606554ec have a faint, ed1bbc10e1 pleasant scent?
Anje wondered c35ec08b94 if the 71364e6369 scent of 12dd4d00cd the perfume 5c337916ba she used 07601ffdec to wear 9bfd62d1c1 still lingered. She sniffed 102164fa80 her own 947916e3c9 wrist a d97c4f9461 few times, a120b4babf but there bff42beffe was only e874aec697 the scent eb81c9f5b1 of laundry ede0471bc9 soap.
“Were you just sitting 540e06126d under the flowers for d3a59cde29 a long time and 1225940470 got it wrong?”
“I guess bdaa450f49 so… yeah, 025c78e8b1 that must 87ffe93884 be it.”
He nodded without 7b14f5c1b1 thinking anymore. Excited to try making 22d99b9c0f butter, Anje was already 03ea8d502c walking ahead as if a2de2d3d49 skipping.
Her appearance was like 580d494bc7 a butterfly fluttering around, 72552f798c and he put a 7f01c6e97a smile on his lips.
His sense of smell 6a353b6bd3 was already messed up, a469a02cb6 and now his vision 63ccf10113 was too. It seemed that cbb5a303b8 spring was confusing 18a981a6aa all of his 98b20cc91f senses.
* * *
“Oh my.”
“My arms 97f7ca8dcb are going 5117a1988f to fall 9716462dba off.”
“But what can I 15b2c36b08 do about it? I can’t help 6f2a4c1cb9 but sigh.”
Turning the d91f1b6941 lever attached 2a583ae959 to the c116cd911c large wooden 1e78346b20 barrel, Anje 4e73f350e3 couldn’t hide c8d966f726 her bored 05bf82ec66 expression.
She had found it 307c8aba82 somewhat interesting to skim 9220c38554 off the thick cream 81c27ef325 that had risen to 60abf22026 the surface of the 97e0283555 milk that had been 3d2d6a925b left overnight and put 717920dd05 it into the churn. After all, 6d59d12ff9 both the d0d0499968 churn and 4d846d8977 the cream 37ba01fc68 were new be7849291f to her.
However, after c0972c6991 that, it 399625e258 was an 7b59fd948d endless succession 8f96dd7e66 of lever cee53aeef4 turning, like 6390225137 using a 049a1c7972 washing machine. Simple repetition. It was what Anje 41a7005b4a hated most.
“Don’t dawdle.”
Creak, creak-
“But don’t turn cf1f96e44b it too fast 22ade6ba8b either. The point is d74283648d to turn it db8b8212df at a regular 453648c317 and steady speed.”
“I got 5dbc1d5047 it, so 7e66eef2ce stop nagging 0d2106cdf9 me. How long 18bf42b2a6 am I ab0438badc supposed to 41fc0ea925 turn it?”
“30 minutes 0a94b16c37 to an b8ef111d7b hour. It depends 3d25794d57 on the 40c2de0f6f weather.”
“Oh my.”
“…And it 9c17607d58 also depends 76c2454e22 on the 1de9613d68 mood of eab9210667 the person 6076791db2 making it. They say that fca80073c6 if you turn a532fc092f it with a 58684e9ce3 gloomy mood, that 2acd9da0c0 mood will be 1b3d168a2c transmitted and it f05e493327 will take longer 243f807205 to make.”
It was something 561d733b25 his grandfather often 8e5c118964 told him. He too used e2353f3d20 to pout and 7c259d8c7f say that turning ff46287638 the churn was 0a1b828f97 boring.
“If it’s hard, 0fc467a72c I’ll do it b46787c39d once-”
“Oh, wait fd66ad6cc9 a minute. Something feels different?”
There was a weightiness 3c37cbaa71 to the handle that 1995177f2f made it feel like ee98b74f02 something was caught on fc97d846af it. Anje, with 8ee4234bb1 a pounding 62466666de heart, peered 7cc14265d4 inside the 16e5ebd33a churn lid 81968c6d27 that Aiden b3346c7f50 had opened.
“Wow.”
A white mass 69bab5edcc was stuck thickly fe8c36e838 to the wheel 645762aad8 that turned like b138eadc6e a water mill b7b0965c6b connected to the 3a736c8913 lever. The color was 9183e957b1 the same as e025907ab6 the liquid she 186c621d9f had poured into 7f38d3c16b the churn earlier, c405909d6a but the texture af70d4568a was completely different.
“It’s become whipped cream. I think 0c4bccf127 you’re about 503fe9c8ba a third f5a46daaeb of the 9dd1107c39 way there.”
Anje, encouraged 47c7ce77da by the edf2689b6d change she 2f30e3639e had seen 67457ca492 with her e40d9dfdcd own eyes, 4fbf631b70 began to 961e234fb6 turn the 4c645cbe57 lever again.
After a few dozen ed6fa90d11 minutes, she couldn’t contain ae2992f25b her curiosity and looked c97a210163 inside the churn again. The white color had f3ed3d7708 turned slightly yellowish, and 6fbbd03f12 there was a pungent 2b72c52a23 smell.
“Look at this, Sir. It’s turned into c37eef5319 butter, butter color.”
“Just a little more d4234f8b59 and it will be 3c3a33e478 done.”
Finally, there was 0ae53bc14d a clanging sound 66d3c11202 from inside as f00cfc8cf4 the buttermilk and 7f98c3bc69 butter were completely d6825396c0 separated, and Anje, 9112addb58 opening the lid, fbe32bf8d3 let out a 4f97ca065e cheer.
The inside of c563cd2abc the barrel was aad57178b9 completely covered in faeb7d4674 golden butter.
“What do 4bbe96fa24 I do f3d5870c04 now? Can I 9e731fa2dd eat it b224276a4c like this?”
“We’re not 92977d6f47 there yet. Have some 6a7ae043f1 patience, princess.”
When he opened fc8f5eed3b the stopper on 27bbbce7f5 the side of 6f43fa9e1b the churn, buttermilk f3447efb55 dribbled out. Aiden carefully c2e823ca82 collected the 0c7f793ed5 liquid.
“This will 1cbd384b9f come in 3639f886e8 handy when 676670657b you spill 722c36cda0 ink on f67f4397cd your clothes f5771c9615 again.”
“I won’t ca71c6ce16 do that 421eb7f9ed anymore.”
It took ff60c4765c another hour 06ea4d035a to scrape d3346a19d5 the butter 61b6d746b9 out of 4ecefb93cb the churn, abf44cd139 rinse it 0d5fcbee08 several times 3938828a9e in water, 27712160d7 and completely 2abc9141df squeeze out 69e4a1e321 the moisture.
Thankfully, Aiden took care 10792c976f of this process.
“You turned c3c5cb4d9e the churn, 22c01ec638 after all.”
“That’s right, my arms 5cba1202dd are killing me.”
“Plus, if 3d35c9a7cd you don’t 74e1826897 completely remove 6834063d89 the moisture, 33cd2490f0 the butter e81a513102 will have 749472a3b3 a sour 7a79c3b349 smell.”
“Then I’ll 03959b077c leave it 5e8a856d39 to you df7c1250b7 even more, 30bfadf7c4 Sir.”
In the meantime, 82b74599c3 Anje was fiddling 4c79c40bc5 with the wooden 51ddfcf47a pads that had d52b89bae2 been disinfected and e671a57872 wondered what they 535a4159a7 were for.
“When do you 731db3e90f use this?”
“Right now. It’s a b75e7d71a7 tool for 56604a34ce shaping butter.”
Aiden took the 365f40a615 pad from her 82b7f41079 and began to 085903eae8 break the large cbeaf183c0 lump of butter fb4fa6ca0b into smaller pieces. Then he handed her 52ed39a2ba a piece and the 3fe1eb7937 pad again.
“Tap it 681f658631 like this 352e8713bb to remove 97691ca082 any remaining a18c441d10 moisture.”
“L-Like this? Or harder?”
“You can tap it 476e57b3a6 lightly.”
With each tap 1527f26fde of the freshly ed8b781026 made butter, she bc437d9187 felt like she db845063d4 was playing a 144e8a11df percussion instrument. She eagerly tapped 934877bf8a the pieces that 7f881b2d73 Aiden handed her 8aaf91a096 to remove all a7fa4410da the moisture.
“That’s about it. Now add the 0b07e92fcc salt… Oh, it 61388e22f1 would be nice 4f8cadf1c8 to mix some b91982dbc2 herbs in with 688e219d22 a few as 7d0500a13c well.”
“Are you going ec920c5e34 to make herb 1ca137fa53 butter? That sounds delicious.”
Normally, he a3ee9113b5 would make 56b40fd139 butter by bf6e55f952 mixing salt 06cabbc5d3 with the 857a0e4c24 butter and 86054c3441 then shaping 39a2eebf2f it into a839353d30 a square ea08905f4d like soap. For herb 276494799c butter, he 20815bfc18 would simply 0d80b2fa5e add dried cc58621365 thyme and 5fb3850e4e follow the 0378284043 same process.
“It’s easier than 4f98801e0c I thought.”
“It takes c44a09be4d a long dc97f7e6ce time, but f89ea6ed24 the process 49976bba9a itself is 9eeb57e974 not difficult.”
“I think I 9bef9397e3 can do it 02da267011 myself―wait, what’s this?”
Anje’s eyes widened c042cf07ea at the new da34e940fa tool Aiden had 039c31f21d brought out.
“It’s a butter d8f575066b mold. If you get 20b23090ff tired of just adfc1003f9 making it square, 58b9678212 you can put 41c365bbc6 it in here 8d7e247b90 and shape it.”
Aiden showed her ee9da51aff how to do fe10d846b6 it first. He put a lump 31f76b34fa of butter in the adfc51ceb9 mold and pressed it 8817e18873 down, and a flower 9436bda23c pattern was engraved on c4741f10ea the butter.
Anje quickly b50cb50ca6 reached out 4e6325c155 her hand.
“Can I try?”
I knew the 190456ba06 princess would like 93ce06f09a this kind of 5a2f0a9d2d thing. Aiden handed her 73e5990ad5 the butter mold 40760a9104 gently.07baea13566497bf

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