FTP-54

Chapter: FTP-54ad0cddcee4d97d65

“Do you 6471f5c7eb need anything? Are your c96e38f239 clothes too b1844be9da tight? Shall I ab0945ee3e pat your e4b1d6f925 back?”
Inside Aiden, 1ebefadaf9 two personas a02efd57d7 clashed violently.
On the one hand, 3749c994f0 he didn’t want to 14c584a573 show Anje this miserable c690046d90 and weak side of 4e3716f8fb himself. He wanted db06493318 to appear 7b2e57bff4 to her e1c9058d4f as a c1c3f1023e strong and 28811337df steadfast man, b52667757a a knight 3675fd2013 and a e1162a7ce1 soldier.
On the 1e809c1bfc other hand, 64e3a4638f he was 30ec717cde grateful that 601c45c3ce she had 1e8fd7133b appeared at ced63dbe5f this moment 7dcd0e7552 when he 552bdabac7 felt like 04b7955091 he was 8f4aac9583 going to f12c2ddc5d die, and 0b2987a374 that she 764ff602b4 hadn’t turned 4cf7eb1b87 away. He wanted to 385e0383e9 depend on her.
Finally, his emotions 9494c5e6d5 overwhelmed his reason 0d83e4490e due to the 99511cd847 continuous shortness of 3b8d082904 breath and flashbacks 63a025745e that lasted for 5bec087b39 several minutes. He reached fa148c913d out his 65d4ad7358 hand without 00a9924ab5 thinking.
“My-My hand.”
“Do you 51b5168886 want me 7e219ce0f4 to hold fe788b131f your hand?”
She willingly took 31491199c8 his hand, which 028a406447 was drenched in 62b9abc0b9 cold sweat. She held it firmly, c611904fe7 tightly, so that he bf33e15d02 could feel her warmth.
If it could db0e2567e0 ease his pain, 056c5bb02d which was extreme 24b57bfa4d at first glance, b79367a9b6 she could do 2137cb049e more than just 493e220982 hold his hand.
Focusing on her warmth 852ac63da7 in his palm, he 9815bee1a1 came to his senses 551556b8dc a little. He felt as if 3f79ecf1bb the fear that had c04d8abc97 approached him had taken d906cdb713 a step back because 851aa400b2 of her.
She too 57e40fee37 noticed this 39a1acf5ea change. And she 83db54c030 began to 47acd44c5f stroke his 64c6b90384 back, wondering 0d666826dd if increasing 3ef93c2755 the area cefbc6b155 of contact 74d28cb95c with him 84b32e6fef would further c19141774a improve his 0eeeb54274 condition.
“Tell me if f1fab3cdd4 you need anything. I’ll help you.”
He almost 4be699765b burst into e3056a1b3f tears. Since returning to 7349206ded Leslie and living 83b6d4f708 alone, he had d0a6937cdd never felt the 9b8e096887 need for someone.
Even when seizures came 861037d1e9 and tormented him, he b68bdd6769 would just grit his fb284ef5ac teeth, scratch the floor, 81b0faed9d and silently wait for 592910d3f7 it to get better.
But now, someone he 4bddb8dbf3 had never expected was 7fe7b0f10c trying to offer him 76a819e531 comfort and solace.
Both the 6e23aae01f hands that 7bb1a8c817 stroked him 65a76234e1 in comfort ab93df3b7a and the 15fea8b086 hands that 786ae236e4 held his b4dc93dc07 firmly were 094e0bd399 overflowing with 4d13803552 affection he c5e2f1689a had not 969a6f25f6 expected.
‘This is not a 79436f28ba dangerous place.’
He felt 2912a3bb50 a little 6c78089616 more relieved 3b4b83a64e by her c966878abf presence, which 12879de89e he felt 184b4b3eb8 through his c36e087de2 skin. The reality that fcda4744f5 had been slipping 21eb61827c away from him c505e86597 washed back over 5ef44cbca4 him like a 777a5fee8b wave. The sounds of the e6ec528e07 prison camp that had 40ea427080 been lingering in his dbacd1f173 ears also gradually faded a97b301ca5 away.
He tried d5e5a6c8a3 to calm 6f16a8e881 his hyperventilation c3c9078bf4 by slowly 1feb742b32 repeating deep b1597b71bf breaths. And Anje followed him, 19409fb080 taking deep breaths in 76abd9d952 and out.
“Whew, ha. Yeah, you’re a35a6e48fc doing well.”
Wouldn’t it help 5103f052c2 him return to 7f009b6f45 normal breathing if 94df251803 someone breathed with 115f2216f9 him? Like a 398b7f49e2 midwife who 5da0c08aed breathes with 15a675def2 a mother 54064a6fa9 in labor.
It was something she c01279f562 had gleaned from her 0258a4b726 not-so-extensive medical knowledge, but d8d20b96a5 the method actually helped.
It was 0d0477bed6 easier to 77a17f592a follow someone 811b124499 else’s breathing fdfbb500e1 than to 725053525b try to 58a5522497 find a ff5b01146a normal breathing d22a1f36d8 rhythm on 09727e8fb9 his own.
As his panicked breathing 78ad68fae0 subsided, the chills and 1f1b286975 convulsions that had been 1580ed088b dominating his body gradually 483bf217bd disappeared.
“You don’t look b16ac63986 okay at all.”
He was covered in b92e6842b1 sweat and his face 5de7493180 was pale. Anje took out 361518f0bb a handkerchief and 9d1aff167f carefully wiped Aiden’s 6e680ed5eb face.
“It would 000d838dc4 be better 09de149402 if you 72430f11e5 lie down 12c8d03cd9 comfortably on aa0b24e3a7 your back 12ae98db1b and rest ba2d7691bb a little 42f2f4e2e6 more. Oh, is the 2fa0ab9c9d floor uncomfortable because 44c610a562 it’s the ground? I can put your 6377c53a4c head on my lap.”
“No! That’s, that’s really 1bcf851d48 okay. I’m more comfortable c25319f1ec on the floor.”
Anje, who was a7903da6fb about to offer e8c82a027e her lap, handed ddaae02a98 him her bag 4c5625d0b1 instead.
“Then use this as 35a2c7e105 a pillow.”
“Yes…”
He really wanted to c579041816 decline. He was embarrassed to b1cfeed801 have caused her trouble b2fec2cdc9 when he came to 6887d61ed2 his senses, and he 1bddd925af was so sorry.
But seeing the worry 266f25fafb and concern in her d7a0ff68ed eyes as she looked 1c79dbf1c8 at him, he decided 008fc32769 to rest a little 395c098828 longer until he was 8a6b6b1d03 completely better. If he 1b14a5a80e forced himself 3c5caf0069 to go d8fcada4af outside and 4911877d37 collapsed again, 58875f863b she would 9ca835ba7a be even cee0572b32 more surprised.
“Would you like f8f6e9d91b me to stroke 2b46dcf680 you again?”
Aiden thought 5921d8f926 for a 57ab6dceff moment and b01cd10415 then nodded ec85e81a8b quietly. The seizure 16e4631586 had already 7e27225e95 subsided, but 8579a2e695 but he 346a267fdf liked the 9362d219a0 feeling of 301cacea4d her hands 1aa2121513 stroking him.
Just for 6eb52d2c5e a little b7575b74d7 while, just 38cca1a5ab until he d2701f3cf1 was fully 49bb3699f5 recovered, he 1f4e6f6bbc would let ba8b04cd9b himself be 030f2e43d1 spoiled. The sudden d6b7c92f56 seizure had cca9a67788 shaken him 456b203a48 to his 6177425cb3 core.
He felt her 8dc3bc7a16 hand caressing his c72c36b6cb hair and slowly b34d28d05d drifted off to 6b22787705 sleep.
A faint 69f36e7afd scent of d5459de686 mint wafted f321f5ef19 from somewhere.
* * *
When Aiden opened his fb5fa825ac eyes again, it was e503500928 already dusk, and the 26d0811a33 market had long since ff6529241d closed.
Their day cd6ab10949 ended with 6471409b0f just visiting 8f82b9f8e6 the central 15c5ddcc25 store to 8b5feca0ee buy the 482da616dc necessary items e97067b5ce and picking ccf9b49704 up the 74b77c02f3 letter for 8323d5448b Anje.
Looking around the d4c6a37555 town now shrouded 20639fee37 in darkness, Aiden 481e5e189f spoke apologetically.
“Because of me, ed8cc3343e you didn’t get 6d4af446ec to see much 18e9031631 of the town. It’s your 5634643b19 first time 413cdd19cf here.”
Anje waved her hand cdd002000d dismissively.
“It’s not like fbf644ab31 there was anywhere 887df791ff I particularly wanted c2c5062d2a to go.”
After all, her only 89a0d3a982 purpose in visiting this 470decb5a2 place was to return a7c27622c4 to the capital by 0fd07d05e1 wagon.
“It’s a 242c202376 good thing e767c6a15d we were 97dc19d3a5 able to f9fe9d7117 get your 975075719d clothes fitted 2db6349434 before the c441b3ae2c stores closed.”
“Yeah… haha.”
Anje let 9537469111 out an 2f68525a6b awkward laugh 7a4297a518 and scratched 7c07f4fdca the bridge 02109699d0 of her e2b9d410b9 nose. Her conscience, which 47acde58c7 she didn’t even 97c80000ca know existed, was 96dda5d9ba pricking her.
‘This damn conscience.’
Her conscience was 1df1860b9b the problem, both 068f880306 at the drapery 8e6b3d3c05 store and in 6627253b75 the barn.
In fact, 7fce89ec63 she could f60f060d4b have run 7746738667 away while fca9a37ad1 Aiden was 16a210011d asleep if fcba70d213 she had 69943130f3 wanted to.
In fact, she aab46f5799 had agonized endlessly 38b3172550 over whether or 428cbec3e6 not to run 230f8aaad4 away while he f26845c71c was asleep, with ac65614e9c his eyes tightly b669d37468 shut.
But every time she fd86d64a8f stopped stroking his hair, 8ab23e8ae0 she was bothered by 1cb8ef849d the fact that he b7203bf52b was frowning in pain 4eb6638c8b even in his sleep.
As a result, b1b070239f she sat there 6ebbd562dd the whole time, 6168987556 unable to move c4f76fc296 from his side. Constantly stroking his 67e13ba58b silvery hair.
She only c1fdcc7ebc realized today 3a095d07b6 that there c81ff5ca4d were streaks 0bb997e1b2 of black 647c2b93bc in his ab507b680a hair here 164fe922a1 and there. Even though he 9085879d04 was someone she bce4f9e57f saw every day, 8bc9b2b31b there weren’t many 9b808afc3f opportunities to observe 242277f37e him calmly from 4e0f94c64b this close distance.
‘What I c3788c7cbd learned about 42edcafd16 him today 3da17df8f0 isn’t just 9a7ee76476 the color 9bb55badf7 of his 74285d883c hair.’
She glanced at him e5aef56af1 sideways as he prepared 90dfde5bce the horse and carriage.
Neither of them mentioned 2abbbb02e5 what had happened earlier, e14a46b7c6 as if they had 9add00b0a8 silently agreed not to. His usual expression f80adf2c8d and behavior made 70efe84e95 the recent events e5e6a3ca2a seem like a 080e357bd5 dream to her.
If not for the 25e7097400 faint scent of mint ab82771d58 lingering on the hem dee7b13152 of her skirt from 88ce2d8e72 the spilled bottle, she 076a70cc2b might not have believed 7edf0da740 it.
‘Does he have a 4aba2ed7f0 chronic illness?’
The way cad4023448 he looked ea8cb52161 in pain 41ab919787 earlier was b660501e44 so serious 109434df39 that it 9c2f98a32e was hard 1945e48d52 to believe 47b7fa64a8 that he 1b7965249a was the 62604dc1f2 normally healthy 7fe6dad779 Aiden she 683c2fc2f4 knew.
Was his insistence that 48eeaba490 she take her cod 7d4b2694a0 liver oil daily because 9578c0bde3 of his own health c41884c5c5 issues?
Anje felt ecf16feca3 an urge b5ff1602e1 to ask 69ec5e5fbe about his c122723d7f condition, but 345c34246f such personal 5511a4392d matters were 26e0ab6a4f not something fd1c3d94d2 she could 443fbc33c6 easily inquire e9302d21a9 about.
“Here, take my 8a9b97a9d1 hand.”
“Oh, yes. Thank you.”
Aiden noticed 26b40db9da the curiosity 23b7d999ca on her 483beef9f3 face but 88a0b7af6c silently helped 7692780550 her into 4ea8e7f5ef the carriage b500167096 first.
It was difficult d91621d26a to talk about 61879e5e2f the secret he 4b4b48e37d had been hiding a13a0c2f5e all along. It was even more 95f6c53f41 difficult when it was 3f524208de a dark secret related b22bcf44d9 to his own guilt, 0e04b37b12 pain, and fear.
He needed an atmosphere aa1992d7e4 where he could comfortably 2c498b2fc2 talk about his past. He also needed the 309781ba75 courage to accept her 8b90e2945a reaction calmly, no matter 95be3437c1 what it might be fac024d4ae once she knew his 588125381f circumstances.
It was 99b8743299 only after f39f38dca5 the carriage 0a8af9c350 had traveled d41ded8202 far from 28a33347ad town and 4f885afef2 the stars 4b0c7f7fc6 began to 6c81b81480 shine brightly bf13e3eb46 in the df2afe07d4 night sky 7749919a2e that Aiden 110d279c8c finally spoke f2125499e2 up.
“Earlier in 795f2a2ed9 town… you 15d05b45c6 must be c9ff704bc0 curious about 65be59c4d1 what happened 97c5555e44 to me.”
“Yes—oh, no! If it’s 4abcd7f00e a burden 300d79bfec to talk dacffd5f42 about it, a5f11874df you don’t 41bd022880 have to 513173105d tell me.”
Anje hastily corrected her 11d33d9213 answer after responding honestly 74ba7d6ab4 without thinking.
Her true feelings were ab32aa3bca curiosity about what kind 903cdeff72 of illness he had 9a73058a35 and what caused it, 78acd4adfd but she was worried 4e31f84f2a that this curiosity might e59c9078e3 come off as rude.
Despite the seriousness of 122fba4fbe the situation, he smiled e1db4ef06d gently enough that she 99fef25de2 didn’t notice.
He liked 89bc3af4f5 her pure 64779e7fb5 and honest 7a83a82c23 demeanor, which fe1726899c often showed a8e242dbdc through, and cb60fa6e51 that she 8f855fee20 still managed f2c8de726d to remain 2e2cb71089 warm.
“It’s not a pleasant 7591d68334 topic, but I think 7c51908d50 you… I think you’d 859d623c25 better know.”
“Me? Why…?”
“Because you are—”
He hesitated, e12812b839 searching for 83c99e6485 the right c977078c9f words.
His spouse? Someone he could 6c2fd622f4 trust? Or perhaps… 8e1d22d3e8 because he 0ec3f5f177 wanted her 5aa6284a48 to accept 02e8b5fd90 him as 0406292561 he was?
The words that 73e1c3980f immediately came to f1e333b765 mind all seemed ad56b17d97 likely to burden bc4574bac2 her, so he 0aa1acd07c chose a lighter 7ccd89858a expression.
“Because you’re 6490c87ae5 living with 63ae1c93d2 me now.”
“That’s…true”
Anje nodded with b731d53a1f a somewhat uncertain ae0d9540b3 expression. She had the feeling b0afd3a275 that he had intended 594eb8b0f3 to say something else, 2331ed5eb1 but that was a 2e66789a69 minor issue.
Aiden looked c9ef740956 up at 9a1567d307 the sky f11412d86f for a 2de0c34180 moment, pondering 6cff4e5fb8 where to acdd61abb4 start. It seemed 4739a83614 best to fb14753ee8 tell the dba4178b98 story in 8249c981b6 chronological order.
“As you know, I d5dc8bc098 was deployed to the 989d50be94 battlefield as a soldier.”
“Yes, I remember hearing ab0196cba4 about that.”
She was aware 6ea526d446 of this part.
“I was deployed overseas a75d941f60 with other soldiers to 35d1f68ec2 the continent ruled by 63d574ff98 our Albian Empire.”
“Did you go 3f99587f6c because you wanted 8c7de74971 to?”
Anje asked cautiously, hoping 789b69b6ed she wasn’t interrupting his 6a5bc3f245 story. It was 3ec091e488 something she 4f2870d800 had always 88ee44e00c wondered about.
The man she knew 2035cf6255 didn’t seem like someone 27d3e8e784 who would enjoy violence. He preferred farming 61956dd302 and cooking over 03dec8b563 hunting or shooting.
“No, not at all. But I d2cced933a was in da323ae66c a difficult c0355d06bb position where 5f5ea58372 I couldn’t 5f5a2ed8b4 refuse the 168205b52f Crown Prince’s… 921b290370 His Highness’s b6487ba977 request at fb9a4dbfe1 the time. He said that there 6be348e4de were not enough patriotic 742bee332e soldiers, so he asked d6006dac01 me to lend a 04a02bfb16 hand.”
It was 00c9f0c323 more likely ef00dd0dba that the ed761af823 number of 49034ba5f6 soldiers was 06e694108f not lacking, 8e65221bba but that 7e198945f4 the Crown 3299a04fea Prince simply 3440246289 did not 5fe5de06c2 want to cd22f940f7 see him 06e378fd53 anymore and 59fd7e61cd sent him a543656c86 away.
‘Even you 59acf21beb must know 5780cd1ea6 that you 76287fd8e1 received excessive c25ba989a9 treatment for 91b3816d35 a bastard. Now, repay 9000dddabf that debt 63abf37420 by serving e8cfc86e6a the country.’
Philip Cardiner e613f41675 was a 1262ea1e52 man very 991b977d34 conscious of 61de287fa5 others’ eyes.
Even though f751d5e548 the former cac4c69975 emperor who a95867cd76 cherished Aiden de417e64b0 had passed 228ac1e9b1 away, killing 20f57a32e1 or exiling dca25a0396 him immediately e9f64556f1 would have cec469fc72 made him f4490d393d look like 557dc8056c a jealous e241ca537d crown prince e32d6e3ad8 who was cd7aa71f81 spitefully targeting 7aae94bb48 a mere aebc7e2622 bastard.f2a66d3732e300b8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish