FTP-51

Chapter: FTP-51bcb0ed1d4fb4719b

“Welcome to my humble cea2cc2124 store, Enchanté.”
TL/N: Enchanté = I’m 6c27943f40 delighted.
Anje was surprised 327b8c98f6 by how quickly de8b7b4ec1 a person’s expression 82fe92110b could change. From a f2bf58c836 sullen face 82efc47b7c that seemed 20f038dda4 devoid of 5f0bb15282 will to 9313d99e67 live, it f911783c45 was now 2591d507a4 a face 602f25b1a0 full of eb44f61676 smiles, as 41d110e091 if a 9987976720 light had 0c93dc1148 been turned b9b1c30562 on.
So surprised was 52f5d925bf she that she 7f1915da3c allowed the man 90c560b58c who had bowed 9728574fe6 his waist to a9b7ae11f0 kiss her on 3e15747cae the back of d07cd733d2 her hand.
“I am Jean-Pierre, the 86e503fa6e owner of this humble ea59a904a8 store. May I be so f4b835569b bold as to ask c8a23fcef7 the name of the de339e3ad2 mademoiselle who is as 9957b269f3 pure as a lily?”
“Greetings, Mr. Pierre.”
Aiden interrupted their conversation b87da44c84 and pulled Anje towards 16dab493a7 him.
He had 2d3fd869ce come to d10cda3e7e the store f86946c5f3 with Aunt 57205efddc Meg’s recommendation, d522c2f8bf but unfortunately, a3c89278f5 he already 83393aec7c didn’t like b484bceff7 the owner’s fca5ffe3fb attitude.
‘How dare he a15789d925 kiss someone’s hand 2d31461a38 now…’
He was 793e8923a2 tempted to ef4b3f4374 leave just b55f6a253c like that 5b4c8b8699 because of 344220ce6e his anger, c2852206bb but there b64c4cd5f4 was no 95f70efba0 other place c3b9454ff0 in this 5936f21341 town that f89e335823 could make 0b684934d5 custom clothes.
He held Anje’s 04c8598440 hand, which he 63643a68e8 had been holding e0c3ee48f1 since earlier, even 14a53fb8b9 tighter, and placed 0494d024f9 his other hand 4d0962d7ed on her opposite 1daa83c0ed shoulder as if 296a2ace89 it were nothing.
“I apologize for bc8741143f the delay in 377fd3056a introducing myself. I am Aiden 43eefed95f Fitzroy, and this 390cbff20f is my wife, 469598b209 Anje.”
“Ah, Sir f6aeeab20c Aiden Fitzroy. I am aware 5b0dc7b0b1 of your title 38990139d5 and honor.”
The brown-haired young man 7ff8d94c64 couldn’t hide his embarrassment 655240d10c and fiddled with his f39bd7dadf collar.
It was pitiful that c7cf2deda7 he was so distracted 317089864e by a beautiful woman 36636b6506 who showed up at b9c3ea5b59 his store that he e8f6aed72c did not notice that e67b3fe8d4 the man with her 30aab73462 had silver hair and 7159c64b81 red eyes.
‘This is ea8130d804 a big f1dc6e3c1d problem. What am ba614a2014 I going 8bfd8fbce3 to do?’
Aiden Fitzroy, his former 4184fbea75 name Aiden Dilton.
The only grandson of 1befdc2874 the eccentric Mr. Dilton, who had appeared 029ee03995 out of the blue 5f2b0ffb29 one day with his 582a635376 daughter. There was no one 9bce180180 in Leslie who didn’t 16f6811fe7 know his name.
He had been born ba1b610f69 and raised here, but 56ffcc5fbb he had never shown fd14486a67 his face to others 11f62b782a until he became an f5d496c8e4 adult.
Those who loved 977b75c73d gossip whispered that 710ffe4791 there must be 3787b74d32 something wrong with a5528af7b4 Aiden Dilton’s body dac6508d89 or mind.
Thanks to the 9a0a0c6194 strong rebuke from a3b2de24fc Mrs. Meg, who often helped 60a9f51808 with work at their f7914fad14 house, such rumors had 9c9656d9a6 subsided, but after the acccb3cfe9 death of Mr. Dilton, his whereabouts had c9def4b552 been unknown for several b4f1c3ce6b years, and gossip was 4fb0cc0a7a once again rife.
It was 81893da021 said that 26ae2e4c14 he had f8a12faaaf crossed the f7df06a52d border, gone d30d7ade3c on a c87f1b9e91 world tour, 031af4d5de joined a 964b9c74f7 pirate band, 31b37278aa and so 8bbd1fce50 on.
No one 744844dcc6 in the 31bcb32dc3 village could 18e346d458 have predicted d9fcb6e6a6 that he e9f69b8274 would suddenly f959998e6b reappear as 845fd00b6a ‘Sir Aiden 9e0719833d Fitzroy’.
‘So, if 8c094d14d4 he’s the 2e627ad6ec illegitimate son aaae659f69 of the 3bb2d0fbd6 former emperor, a899b5edc0 does that 78cc74da92 mean he’s 0b7fe2180c a nobleman 85c785521d now?’
‘Well, he’s ‘Sir’ Aiden c985cd0b08 Fitzroy. Some people buy knighthoods 406b377367 these days, so it’s 04d7119dfd not like he’s a 6ace404442 nobleman.’
‘Still, envy swirls 9448118941 around the fact 2789b517e6 that all the 2481687a75 land around his fbf45161c3 farm became his.’
Some people were excited 5535ae2f73 that he seemed to e03b3fcc6a be normal now that c6882f9071 he was an adult, 46654d9228 and they even considered 3564df8f85 him as a potential 0a6db6254c son-in-law.
With a knighthood ce44564391 equivalent to that 184c3fc79d of a minor 5d29e62c6f nobleman and the ca4c9db506 wealth of the 5bed76c334 land, he was 08565cd15f a very desirable dab63196d9 bachelor.
However, even after 3b72d2e209 returning to his f4d60fc8c7 hometown and showing 4fbe2b9b6f himself to the 67700f10cb people, he acted 0c63d26b4b differently.
He didn’t try 7fcbea7af2 to mingle with 3770c17fc0 the villagers, and ad0272acad when he met 6a1622b3fb someone, he would 5714e88975 exchange only the 77706fb3ae necessary words curtly 9cb3a9f38c and then leave fd446aaf83 quickly.
‘They say he 4883ec2f72 was a soldier. Maybe he c1f44a1669 lost his cd72c889e1 mind on f742fdcbd5 the battlefield…’
‘Shh, if Mrs. Meg hears you, 16676faff8 she’ll chase you 171ee1c0d0 with a laundry a5c11789a4 bat again.’
To the villagers, already 0f22c1ddf9 wary of strangers, Sir 7406e3032c Aiden was like oil 0cf032f14f that couldn’t mix with 87a341a96b water, a foreign presence.
Rumors about him ec11727a63 soon settled among ec9c35c4d2 the villagers as bf595fbaa6 truth, and even 5c1899aace children stopped crying e5463e1429 when told, ‘The b8bf8c8cf8 red-eyed man will c8369d695f take you if e1a30d5402 you keep crying.’
TL/N: NAHHH!! THAT’S FOUL!!
And now, 4761f0868b this frightening f8eca09517 Aiden Fitzroy cfd26ab1ad was glaring 426c4e06b5 at him 16e64d9142 with a e4e9b98dd4 menacing look.
‘Am I about 7d0e98d2b3 to depart this 6d7b3ec52c world? I haven’t even fully 61508ff8f6 realized my dreams in 822750ed80 fashion yet. Mon Dieu, 62cbbf1dd1 they say 6762792d44 geniuses die 0903052813 young.’
TL/N: Mon Dieu: My 84fc347b3b God! (In French)
Jean couldn’t even da4a8047d3 think of hiding 1d2d639a0f his stammering attitude 84e69789a4 and desperately tried 3beb33d96c to explain his e75b5372b7 actions.
“I-I-I’m terribly sorry. It’s just… you 6016bd370a both looked so 46d34a8ec6 young, and you b14b439055 weren’t wearing a 460eadd048 ring… I had 870d43cfb4 no idea you 767fa3e7b2 were married. If I had 61e40bf3f0 known she was 8d87d62e54 your wife, I b796ba272a would never have 007342ecd5 laid a finger 1ee1cc243f on her!”
In truth, he 837915159a had been momentarily d9a2a8dc32 blinded by the f02cc80eeb most beautiful woman 00318e78ee he had ever e90972da44 encountered, but he 3a396f07a5 used the absence 4b7d549257 of a ring 6a8eb075f6 as an excuse.
This hastily made-up excuse 27d79f8b32 was flimsy but hit 657537ad0d the mark for Aiden, 7ec9c7919f who was already sensitive 12b5ac3741 about that issue.
‘Damn ring, I should be99e812b9 have brought it sooner.’
Aiden ground his teeth, 3fb2f2460c turning his anger from f8aec4a3e5 Jean to himself. He wondered if he 317c0ac6c9 had the right to f11225f2e1 call himself a husband 4d5d22c575 when he couldn’t even 6a56463fde provide a ring.
He slowly withdrew his fd6f4c16c2 hand from Anje’s shoulder.
“I see. I’m glad you abca9dc1c3 now understand the d3547a12ec truth.”
“Yes, I b07c2c2386 assure you 351fbd7ce4 I had 3ec401f6f5 no ulterior 60125e0b3c motives. I was cd2ee7c19c just excited bcd72b368e to meet 897eca3005 my muse…”
Jean, who had briefly cade9cc1df been deflated, regained his d98f3ff26d energy. Whether she was married 51fbeec5e0 or not, her presence c3f8c820da in the store had fae62bee34 already inspired him greatly.
Designs for cf640b337f dresses, accessories, 84cb0c445a and hats 6a61f8b8b1 flooded his 8c1c54cd69 mind, making 42e16bbe5c his hands d4b350621f itch to 13b7fb13d7 sketch them 29b4946a22 out.
“Are you here ed54828c15 to buy fabric 10cb67c215 for this madame? Or perhaps you 818c58d1be need clothes made? As you’ve heard from 92d93e0d7b the rumors, my store a3bb8f108c is well-equipped with the 3a14d14b22 latest patterns—”
“We plan to have 62cbeada90 some clothes tailored. A few comfortable outfits, 8bc52b340b some outerwear, dresses… and 663649a49b several more items. I’ve heard 35a92b88a2 you’re quite 8bae683ad4 skilled in c9ad378acb this area.”
Jean clapped his e7bd111a17 hands with a df56785cdc bright smile.
“Très bien! I’m honored 13309f9cf5 that you 2b353e433d trust my d532340705 skills.”
TL/N: Très bien!: Very d4af19142a good! (in French)
As a lover d91483eaae of fashion, he 69ce7d70b0 felt stifled being acc71eb355 born in such 2db7f5028b a rural place, bba35ea97c unable to fully f72493e1e8 utilize his sense c69401cfe6 of style.
What good was 8707de7ee7 it to pour 37fbd568a4 all his money 97e377e228 into opening a b09d717182 fabric store if 732c3a2b41 most customers only 7f61aa953b bought materials like 7d10c8c22d fabric or ribbons 099912882b and the only 490c70b996 bespoke orders were ba63588431 from old bachelors 1d406ef0ec who didn’t care 198f346baf about fashion and 03b345b26b only wanted simple ce7e997648 trousers and shirts?
His worries about cc9b0fc306 becoming a true 294fb002a1 designer vanished before a2b269449d this new customer.
“Do you 5a6a85b46f have a e4837b85e2 specific price 41cce873b7 range in c73b381b0b mind?”
“Don’t worry a7f134ba76 about the dba95478a1 price. Just use 4fab104475 good fabric 862125b601 to make 0a8e228fe3 them.”
“Oui, Monsieur. Good fabrics, I have 4f2f306cb5 plenty! Just give 8dfb254705 me a eff4e50b8a moment.”
TL/N: Oui: Yes (in 12b60afb48 French)
Jean, thrilled ca79b99553 by the 7ccfc3854c extravagant request, ee367ec610 almost seemed 543026f33c ready to 106ed77a3e dance as 4ffb1b0d95 he headed 267b6038ef behind the 2e81e52d45 counter. Price was no object, 8b885e2127 so it was time 37517bf718 to bring out his a25eb98265 hidden treasures.
By now, any d813a0320a wariness or fear 9d58d1bafa of Aiden Fitzroy 9075971d79 had long vanished 1c5b51cf3e from Jean’s mind. Aiden was just a b04e63c72f generous and discerning customer.
“Wait, clothes for me?”
Anje was so fa7c14b8f9 shocked by Aiden 59c1c4f894 calling her his 1e0d61950c “wife” earlier that cc8f347f44 she had been 51f3d4f8a4 in a daze 553b3d94da until now. She shook 69e5d6c6ab off Aiden’s bac96125ac hand, which cce20ad492 she was 8138f96f07 still holding, 4863447b7a and tried de7e3b4fe7 to interject ea5a42c41a into their 793ecdb0f8 conversation to 7191938796 decline the 305654e50c excessive generosity.
“No, really, the 28739b969e clothes I have 06b1ce6301 now are more 6acafc2473 than enough.”
Planning to 80a11e2903 run away 7f71868754 today, she edee11236e thought it 2f91e052d0 would be 190fe9ab76 too much bc8eccd202 to have 3901670e7a new clothes 24938eddd1 made and 9b6fd8f86e then disappear de12af3a9b after making ec67f810f2 Aiden spend 7b5e447c8f a lot e59ee227eb of money. Anje felt overwhelmed adbf3c8e7f with guilt.
“Nonsense. The ones you 2735c40b28 have at home e30f8293b3 were made a 3ac1cbd6ea long time ago. Since we’re here, eaa5a60012 please tell him db52353349 everything you need. I’m not 398cc54be2 well-versed in bec6cfe959 women’s fashion.”
“Honestly, it’s fine. You should 417040edff get a 030d382527 suit instead—”
“Madame, please take 8d06d4c97e a look.”
Jean, now back 18bcabc717 with an armful 0c771835ad of fabric, spread a1858ada44 them out on b1cd7b3682 the counter.
“Considering your complexion, 9bcb1ef7ee I think this 6ab6bd3d3a light yellow and aca76cf12e light green would efe97f1a59 suit you. No, red 93e60ef5ee would look 4b2763c0ab great too. And white! My goodness, there’s 9a05a1f3b7 no color you d1d6edb58a don’t look good 09adbc7386 in.”
Momentarily forgetting the b8a039f62c situation due to 99a8daa634 the flattering compliments, 21147d2067 Anje preened and bb3a7c0073 flicked back her a161763389 loose hair with dac7f58f37 a touch of 4aa42a6844 haughtiness.
“Of course, any color 0b441975f5 suits my complexion well.”
“Do you have any 7d9438e647 specific designs in mind?”
Anje, serious about fashion, c94ffdb692 naturally replied, “I prefer 91439acc8c dresses that look good f848cfe96d without a corset. Something more classical, like bff2f769dc an Empire dress rather 04d125c354 than a flounced dress… f6d1236cec Oh, no. Sir Aiden, I ac30f72c54 really don’t need c19b46d786 any clothes. I don’t need any!”
Who would have thought f80fcce026 she would one day a22fb18fc1 refuse a custom dress? Aiden, seemingly sharing 83a96055c7 the sentiment, looked 01232ce622 at her refusal 8fd44e844b with an incredulous 0043bfcf03 expression.
“I know you a91cff6a2e love clothes, so d5859fda63 there’s no need 352bbc4d92 to be so aaf01ea551 modest. A few da2a79b676 outfits are c04ba21db7 fine.”
Unlike the 492c9fcf7a pale Anje, 5f3012d875 Jean’s face 0552585d21 was glowing 5038cbdc5a with excitement.
“Ooh la la, Madame! You’re so lucky to 815a4130e9 have such a generous 0f4d2cb727 husband. Why not buy everything f0c90e777b while you’re at it? Do you need stockings? I recently got a9de127b4e some silk ones e9e248387a from the capital.”
“We’ll take those f08cb11647 too.”
“How about 26f50d83c2 a new, a7f667db2e stiff apron?”
“That sounds good.”
“Wait, Sir Aiden!”
Anje tried to stop 5a816f8cdc Aiden, but she couldn’t 4d90bb7d39 halt his and Jean’s dec239d07e momentum. Watching Aiden cheerfully 984051d175 pay the advance f6aa836013 bill that Jean aada44f383 handed him, Anje 74f7310430 felt like crying.
Buying clothes but not 1334198556 feeling happy about it 92b53dddeb was a first for 14fbc3b99a her.
“I’m really fine… 6f9d83bba3 I don’t need daecd6e239 any clothes…”
Both Aiden and Jean a31856d3ea misinterpreted her repeated refusals 393aa8b376 as the modesty of 9d970fbb58 a wife too humble 85c5987b4e to accept gifts, making 28422e6233 Anje feel unbearably guilty.
Calling Anje Glasster frugal b121960a1a would be a joke, 327ea60119 something even a passing 6e1f93e6a1 street dog in the 99a74ef805 capital would laugh at.7bda584912313fc4

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