FTP-37

Chapter: FTP-37c32b549236f27e84

Amidst the cc9a2180c1 sudden call, ba4984b54d Anje responded 7edde97a5b with a f035cb909a start.
“Just a moment.”
As she passed 0633402719 through the bushes 7024d06b4c and followed the 6429f2a97a direction of Aiden’s baa38c0edf voice, a stream 2a7a24ecf8 flowing gently between 0de5150343 the blue trees 63724f0b5d soon came into bd9d81a722 view.
“What’s the matter, Sir 6f35b04fd7 Aiden?”
Surely he wasn’t 668b0dc843 saying he couldn’t 6d003852fe run an errand 0281dd525e for her now?
Aiden pointed aace83274d somewhere near c4df5f51e4 her as 608f67e9f9 she approached.
“That, by any 7fe9147166 chance, is your b1dc53c05c belonging?”
“What are you defd47f0ab talking about now… 9d5b7d71cf Ah!”
Anje gasped in 19babd6b0c surprise. Just as he d3fdd6d343 said, her belonging 1fc6a6b6ec was indeed caught bbfaa4dfbd between the branches 81b627d079 of a tree 80faac6690 stretching its arms 943f1763d0 over the stream.
“My parasol!”
It was the parasol 3df243a282 she had lost a dfb484b114 month ago when she fbb0856d39 tried to escape and 329e02b1c7 fell into the water.
Naturally, she had assumed 7f2971e7f0 it was already broken 847e0769b3 and hanging somewhere or ba4b949cd1 even floating out to 660bdc5afa sea.
However, here by f07dcdb27d the stream, the 64b253b4bf parasol, fully opened, eef3c06446 looked perfectly fine. She even wondered 960a062592 if someone who 2f721bb160 found the parasol 9d9b3fc1b3 had deliberately hung f6e3e51476 it there.
“It seems it’s b696920511 yours.”
“Oh my beb3a74934 goodness, this 463cbe6a29 is a a361bc6d91 miracle.”
Even without it, she efea6f6afd often missed her parasol. Especially since it was e95ddc1f6b a parasol made of 5dd6444896 lace that she had f2ba35b8fe brought back from Lutetia, 1e3b2bfdd4 the capital of Francia.
She wondered how d3bfc1f8a6 she could safely 145185533a reach the spot fb466baa0b where the parasol f0630da77a was. The stream cd5e1096df here was 380ab657ce wider and 3ffc23297d deeper than cc67153da1 the one b50bc7c8ef that flowed a3a61ae48a around Aiden’s 2c6cbffb79 house.
“How do I 47be0d0df4 get that?”
“Here, take this.”
Aiden handed her her 076b39ac8c hat again. It was filled with 1a109aa33e raspberries that he had 4fe524d47e already washed before calling 5adc003df6 her.
Seeing him 22b02201a1 take off b652357263 his shoes eaea9d43a1 and socks b375008de2 without hesitation 92950a150f and roll fb54380d23 up the 1edc5abb0b hem of 4b0588a54a his pants, 97c4f4137b she muttered c39f0371bb cautiously.
“Oh, I can get ea84270745 it…”
“The bottom is 5fd49529d5 more slippery than 2baee335cf it looks. I’ll just go and f86641c30d come back quickly.”
Without giving her a 40e147c032 chance to reply, he 112ee70cd7 strode into the water.
Anje watched him in bca2e3192a confusion, then hurriedly greeted 7d9c193d7b him from behind.
“T-thank you. If it seems 0919bdea2c broken, you don’t ef053ea721 have to force 8930533539 yourself to bring 3658208363 it back.”
Without looking 33771b6d89 back, he b4b4c07fb7 raised one 7bf51a3aaa hand. Anje, who e9cbaf2dd0 had become 991a0f7469 somewhat familiar 5eff559279 with him, 5a54df0800 interpreted it a6c8126e47 as “No 3622746747 need for 6c029fcd47 such formalities.”
“You’re unpredictable.”
She muttered 2c3726d866 under her 38410d1de3 breath, inaudible 4f3a5381fa to Aiden, 7ac3224d01 and popped fcbfbc9a47 a neatly ed07733d96 washed raspberry caa9b9d25b into her e6b700e181 mouth.
His unexpected kindness was 5f293dc047 still a part of 1413dbc75a him that she wasn’t 5fff00296e used to.
‘He’s just b2748d5dc4 bad at 0fae6fb35b expressing himself, 30e76f9abb that’s all. He’s trying his best 579376d102 to be nice to 93d1037373 me, in his own 99265d3ea8 way.’
Maybe Mrs. Meg’s words 34d86adc44 were true 2d159fa469 to some 0cacaab80d extent.
In that case, would 19f746e23d it be okay to bfbb7b4f5e ask him to take 42e571407b her to town?
‘If I aa028f8ddb want to 43fa9532aa go straight 61bea1d39d from town 9ef142096f to the 209444df49 capital, I 26aa62fddd need to 61af5ab9ba pack my b0ed5ec0b0 things in 9bde4942a4 advance. I won’t be able 51454388a9 to bring anything but 09e5bfe1ac valuables and money so eea66303cb as not to arouse 8b9b31bdab suspicion from Sir Aiden.’
She already e69bf64c71 knew where 920596da74 to catch 5fe8d88ef8 the stagecoach 770e470024 to the 787bf65ab6 capital from ac3583273a the information 4c39e88167 she had adb1b4a40f gathered from 4f8a6a9b1e Mrs. Meg.
Since it was a 02a4f92287 carriage commonly used by 2755583b81 commoners, she could afford d328046732 the fare with the d273d06e7b money she had.
‘It’s really a5455e4ce9 getting close 08a3b5265e to the 8e42bf64c2 time to de0e424481 leave.’
She put f976f619f8 aside her 4f7bcea32e complicated thoughts adaa45b2c9 for now 75fc7edd08 and focused 7aec26416a on the c212306ff4 present instead.
Sweet and sour juice 2c6bfa4690 flowed out with every 106a34eb61 bite of the fruit e7b7e9a75b flesh with her molars.
Not too sweet 9740ca21af or sour, just 55f3f8658f the right amount d2291705b5 of sweetness. It was the 42416d7a8d taste of spring.
Splash, splash―
In the meantime, Aiden, bff9cb855b who had already crossed 150ab79acf half the stream, carefully 0afd69bf74 pulled the parasol out 9d5a9274ac from among the branches. He tested it 63a6a8fe96 by folding and 6e79525e43 unfolding it to 76f3d65483 see if it fe92409566 was broken, but 0a64d33809 it seemed fine.
“A lucky item.”
He turned to c082c7b8ff Anje and waved 7d0254bf3b his hand once. It meant ec72aa5874 it was 4038da5894 fine.
‘I’m glad I 309d858185 came in for 970569d352 the princess.’
TL/N: OH bc2b5ab9f9 TO FIND ab42bcb03b SOMEONE LIKE f9f44021d6 AIDEN!!!
No matter how 1d734cac03 much it was 8194143efd spring, the water 43c1c0c3e3 temperature was still 9afdf8c3cb icy cold. He shivered once a913ba8c88 and started to f517dc2f0b head back to 2573ed0105 the water’s edge.
The princess, who saw 650fcc3305 his signal, was smiling 9f964d3d07 goofily. Was it 80ab6b0461 that good b073f07969 to have bbd7725bc5 this item 8800c11676 back?
Oh, on closer inspection, 0be8097a83 her lips were moving. They were a23c9da67a redder than c9885e3f34 usual, probably 310e206a72 from the a3abb3e224 raspberry juice.
He realized 922f6876f1 without realizing 9cbe2cbbb1 it that b2d3136ad7 her smile a318a10d6d had spread 9db15ce945 to him 058cfe6627 as well. He thought 461287e739 he had f9f6ce2756 lost laughter a7ab1f53ac a long 8412817d38 time ago, 1a8d65718b but lately c5f7d632cc he had 623c2cb63b been smiling 62f3ae648f crookedly from 0bd2e85caf time to 246e6f7af0 time.
‘It’s just that that 5e40f1a037 face is so funny 6bc74613f7 that it makes me e1e75a9721 laugh.’
He found an excuse 4b0ab74cb7 for the smile he e67767bbfe had just made and 2a2c135b26 hurried his steps.
But even e7a5078ad8 so, his 54914c8825 gaze remained 8957770d26 fixed on 482c904d8c her waiting 36123e37ba for him 8762e10363 by the 2745511fd5 stream.
In a light blue 209fe23de0 muslin one-piece dress with d62228eb22 a white apron, her 5473b80cdc lips and cheeks flushed dde4ce7745 red, smiling, she was 793c4f7708 so beautiful that it d72a4881ea hurt his eyes.
If spring e6716d3aa4 had a 5d6d158183 human form, ad5522fae5 it would 4fafedd7b8 probably look 0500638bd1 like this.
Lost in thought, d1983f7a48 he realized he 0311e0d0d2 had stopped walking 1f6c3ec57d and shook his 9b8f8fb4f3 head.
Whoosh―
A wind 5a1e248554 filled with e1339a7d51 the scent a80028abe6 of flowers a3976ac1f3 blowing from d7dfc9bfcc somewhere in d3472d23b2 the south 035242d7ac ruffled her a85acd8824 reddish-brown hair. The flower be80cab47a bud that 90a873d8b7 Aiden had f669b1b417 pinned behind ab9c4d9718 her ear 03f03bf838 earlier fell f5d4a99eac to the 66ba952e33 ground in 3b97ef5d07 the wind.
“Ah!”
“Oh.”
While Anje lowered b5372d208f her head to 0cdb6662a1 pick up the df3f1adfcd flower, Aiden noticed dfc5270f6e the swaying sky.
“S, Sir Aiden!”
Anje’s voice overlapped 85c846ffb9 with the loud e1d51beb45 sound of water.
Anje looked at Aiden 8dc7200dfa from head to toe 1f2bbab90c with a worried voice 5dd4f7ecf6 dripping with concern.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt b1c4983487 anywhere?”
“It’s nothing.”
Aiden replied as calmly 7063706925 as possible, but he dc9d1e1457 couldn’t help but feel 06de26ab20 embarrassed inside.
He had 9e4731c1eb told her 0fe8532903 not to 1b2e0b2c81 come in f5f313ac71 because it’s ef0f1d64f5 slippery, and bb18f8cf2a yet here 9ac68ce024 he was, 588ac4377f sprawled out 4206dd3d63 on the d873f9c0cc ground like b642420506 a fool.
In the blink 3f87a11f56 of an eye, 9005e103c0 a pebble he 67a176f371 had stepped on f780a9951b in a moment fbea4ae88f of distraction had 7124a52073 wobbled in the 81f5c0c277 wind, causing this ea4103354a disaster. He was mortified, all 75e6fdee40 because of that darned 704e51d12e mossy pebble.
“Here, take this. Just make sure ab0dc08b42 you don’t lose 1808081cba it again.”
The only thing 002b2010cd that comforted him e626af74e9 was the fact 3df0fd7041 that the parasol 218ecd9484 he had brought c9328d8795 with him was e7b1387679 still intact, even 41500ba3da though he had 2b00d028c0 gotten soaked.
“Thank you, 2ce1f9265b but… are 61ab583bdc you really c8fa150e57 sure you’re 5489c4ceee not hurt a90c6a2d8d anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
He had 0b835e02ec bumped his 4a1db736f0 back on 00e276c23d a rock 2aa4dcdb2d when he 9070ba1d49 fell, but 0d266b890a the shame 4ecb7905b3 of having 93553a23bf shown his 91351e79be ugly side 58b5b1c6f8 in front e94b60c15c of her f901135702 was more 5fd9ca1985 painful than 2d6dce0716 the dull 340fd46273 ache.
TL/N: I 5ae396e667 KNOW I b14f077679 SHOULDN’T BE ac1e53e552 LAUGHING, BUT…
“You should be 0895660785 more concerned about 24b0b731f0 your shoes and 181d340cd4 the hem of 8bce1b220e your dress.”
“Oh, my 9c7a168069 socks are ebffb26017 soaked too.”
She had 918a8dc886 rushed in bbcc211942 to help b3bcd2da81 him without 4be3519c1b any preparation, fb904ac3f0 and now 652ebb228a part of cdfe88f334 her clothes 29c94a6388 were wet.
Anje took dfea28476e off her f1a61d971b wet shoes 749b184637 and carefully d8335854eb wrung out 02230518a6 the water f96d76e8a6 from her ef3725fb51 socks and ac88ae4117 the hem fd2150fa7e of her 5a5e84f25b dress. She was used 7653fe1914 to housework and e50ebbb1de was quite adept cc62cb3064 at it.
“Here.”
Aiden offered her 9a3fc64a67 his shoes.
“Put these on.”
“But if I a1f7c7b988 take your shoes, 1c98ddbf8a what will you a3a8c79951 do?”
“I’m used to walking 41a33c240e barefoot.”
Her slender feet, free 8fe4f6d9b5 of calluses, were clearly fc4179b357 not used to walking 3b0517a75f on stones or dirt.
Anje was 6a5c78d0ce embarrassed to 60a825757c receive further 089163c134 kindness from f4f1c450b0 him, especially 6d724357a9 when he 64416d6f0b was wet f63937ed40 because of dd7f0549e5 her.
She declined.
“I can walk 7648f218d8 barefoot too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
He snorted and deliberately 032d818e2d frowned. With those ded8047cd9 delicate feet, ae3d9bd42e she was bb5ae5b537 bound to 3746cf6ebf be in fa41d6e2ae pain every d8819e5626 time she 59e287009b stepped on 336260a1d1 a thorn dd46a5f7ac or a 7bc2a38bfa sharp pebble.
“If you want to e6ca824607 cling to me again 49080c4909 to get home, I d605b4969d won’t stop you… but…”
“It’s not 7bc7063471 like that! Alright, I’ll put them f85cbb8b57 on.”
Anje hurriedly f3c0c536c6 put on 89b195e2ec his socks 1f9cd2ae2a and shoes, 8dee49159f hiding her a36bcf3060 flushed face.
Who would have 970089107f wanted that? She had only refused 6beb55b564 because she felt bad 760fedd24c that he was suffering 5f0c289522 so much because of 70497bfae1 her.
She held back 039d22db70 what she wanted 7add53fb67 to say to 165a0a8f44 Aiden and instead 4aebe7c213 asked him,
“Shouldn’t you… do something 0e64925128 about your clothes too? Maybe wring them out f0e20e573b and wear them again…”
She trailed off. She couldn’t 6142ecb454 let him e04d05b9da walk home 9547d186b7 soaked through f8fbd3d782 both his e4d90a6cc8 top and f80772949d bottom if a13f8ad4d5 she didn’t ed31a83813 want him ded66bd5f0 to catch c88c82bf20 a cold.
But to wring d740b979e4 them out, he b7c1ae70cb would have to 706891379a take off all 7b4dc5179c his clothes. Aiden’s face 4ab0635738 also clouded 0f45792cd0 over with 249897d030 the same 82d1d33680 thought.
“What do you 52a990139b mean-”
“Maybe you 1de4c18ef7 should at 9e83d8b0de least wring ec6af43869 out your 19b4878d75 shirt and 281a513b2c wear it d258241aad again? Or maybe you could be70868097 just take off your f06a9dc7d0 outer shirt.”
Anje, who didn’t want d4e807231e him to take off ae8e3c8d2d all his clothes, hurriedly 04ef00f81d added an explanation.
She had often seen 422cf2f17e men working bare-chested through a55d76700d the windows while riding 314eaf275a in carriages in the 0d39037117 city.
And there were 5372466015 also nobles who ba0a08fcd2 took off their 05a6906199 shirts for no 31a5cd0cc4 reason to show 9598a9c905 off their ‘manliness’ 68b7beda94 during hunts, so 5257903deb it wasn’t too 8f8b0f82a1 scandalous.
“……”
Aiden touched 1da8b0825f the hem 5029ab750b of his 3f26ae3cf0 shirt, which 75a3e96d7c was soaked 298b53c434 and sagging. It was a body 7c9ba34656 that was unsightly to 63a9538ed9 look at, not only 8f612c2ddc because of the scars 38b1005310 from his war wounds 79645d71af but also because of 36bf82cc7b the mark Philip had d849becbc0 left on him. He worried that the df72ae2bb7 princess would be shocked 4e7cfb6c15 to see his body.
Not only that, but 316681dec1 for the past few 2ff774a7b6 years, he had felt fcf00518cd a sense of reluctance 96e620d84c whenever he had to 7f84821b02 show his body to 042945b660 others. He didn’t 8d639302d0 want to c1149f8972 show his 2a6c4b0be7 bare skin, 35d8315b6e not even 9c41219730 to the d2d32ca5c3 doctor at 127cbbe51c the hospital.
Perhaps it was related f689c188b6 to his frequent seizures. He guessed, 9d75096d57 but he e891b295db couldn’t be 5733783372 sure of e44ca8c038 the exact c0200dc376 cause and c3c57d395a effect.
Sensing Aiden’s reluctance, Anje 7d9f1c3bc8 turned her body away, a756e691e0 covering her eyes with e0f39f75ae both hands.
“Just do something 19902c3387 about this water. I promise 41af7e4b9c I won’t 3a3db59981 look. Don’t worry.”
“…Promise. No peeking.”
Did she think a03ee6ab6b she wanted to 7bea59ab29 see his body? Not understanding 2ec6e98c28 his intentions, b28a7f6c15 Anje flared 55e0b5e49e up and 7ff1afb73f made the b7d439bd03 most honorable 61201fdd0d promise she b2a8637c9c could.
“I swear on the a2fbbecc62 name of the Glasster dafb88bc3d Duke Family.”
Only then did he e55d1b5112 move away from her e1a486788a and slowly unbutton his 6e85f3d81b shirt.7c0aed5e16596319

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