FTP-58

Chapter: FTP-58bc61c7a11e7d792e

Meg mentally checked ef029f25a4 the items needed a7b12009b5 for the couple’s 17b11c2c19 first night together.
‘There’s already a 900ce246a8 candle in the 96b4c68cec inn, and I 92da3144da should ask Mrs. Hudson, who 5aad0fdc0c runs the 3c1ea71f1c inn, to 0ea0175582 get a 2d7dbc310f good bottle 767b212ad8 of wine.’
It was a pity ca6df6e634 that the shy couple 62c6bc9ff9 were still sleeping in 1030286f57 separate rooms, but she 201d09dce5 couldn’t miss this opportunity.
She was determined to d8372e93c0 use all the wisdom 1d0e870a6b of her years to 376ae4334e help close the distance 0cae0698ef between the couple so 4d1c503d49 that Fitzroy II could 616177baee be conceived safely.
TL/N: LOL.
“Then, I’ll head 6db4327da9 to the kitchen e5a4553b7e first.”
“Alright, I’ll clean ca9aebaf06 outside so I 1e27af6107 don’t get in a6a3f58bc8 the way and e45b579078 come in later.”
Unlike before, 110385f629 when Aiden 7f332b0e0c would often 1318864dab ask, “What 6bda070f53 do you 94f5d5c4ca mean, get badcffbdde in the 98122e0eac way?” he 3fd1624493 just turned 579c0a5192 his body 58c8e2363f and shrugged 17040a98e7 his shoulders.
Seeing the ca40b5dd0e shyness in 83dfa2e07d his movements, c95cdfb16a Meg burst 6b3651d13b into hearty dc52e7a72c laughter.
* * *
Aiden carefully 507c8c9970 held the 6712bfbcd2 paper with 6a60000b5c information about 3c2e527661 the fair cecdef74a7 and headed a457d223cc straight to f46d23659b the kitchen. He wanted 1ef5028489 to share 063e7d47d3 it with 494b3a5f0a Anje as 1eb0f1a0da soon as 17ffb7d68c possible and 28c0b5b711 get a cc1df58587 definite answer 4d8fbcd12a to go 594b2f109d together.
“Ah, Sir. Is this ea8bd48a0f the right b5adee22ba thickness to e054df6046 cut the 414dd71915 tomatoes?”
Right. He had asked 0cc23d18db her to pick ec54a9dfad and cut tomatoes c538f22a53 from the field e732de8c9c before he left 0654a3bcb7 the house so 05d7e5658f he could meet 23a97cf7f4 Meg separately and a75c633a2f ask for her 6573fff070 advice.
“Yes, that’s perfect. Then I’ll make 6819d50ef3 a breadcrumb mix.”
Today’s dish, using ripe 08f9861bfa red tomatoes, was tomato 88fec89c28 gratin. It was 9fa7755267 a simple 5e4c88681f dish to c662f2ac42 make by 6c4a12a638 layering thin f6e4f14bd7 tomatoes and de36d9049b breadcrumb mix e5b4761256 in a 0c5fc90475 buttered pan 1b4fc27988 and baking.
“Ta-da. I made 1efbc9a954 it in 3faf538d09 advance before 0b93550c41 you came.”.
Aiden tasted the mix 2e31868f85 Anje handed him with 7510fd0517 a spoon. It had just 1fc76ab084 the right amount 79f72bb0fb of butter, salt, 4d8d29fb91 sugar, pepper, onion, b9073f25e5 and breadcrumbs.
“Perfect. There’s nothing 503c640529 left for 5fdfd837ad me to e5ad1cf84c teach you.”
“At this rate, 0f2fe7a912 we could open 212a28194e a restaurant, don’t 2ecfc8f469 you think?”
“Yes, Mrs. Cook. Or should d3f26efdfe I call 044cfebe23 you Chef 7fde23c509 instead?”
“Chef, huh? Sounds good, like Jean-Pierre.”
Anje, smiling 3a21e7fcf4 as she c1f4b84663 answered, widened f88b667505 her eyes fffe856704 when she f1ba491f26 saw the 023ad377a4 paper Aiden ff83939bad handed her.
“I brought some valuable d939abae6d information for you, Chef.”
“This is… 7f823cbf28 a summer eba44e2296 fair?”
She raised an 0d0a8dcbbc eyebrow and read a59764a517 the large print.
“Are you interested?”
“Wait a moment. Let me read 34f2179557 it carefully.”
Not knowing 3fdae9c1be exactly what 5445173a77 the fair d22ec807fc entailed, she 1c6e585d02 couldn’t answer aea1ea78f0 easily. After wiping her c588d22d40 wet hands on 737451c440 her apron, she 6efdcd1336 took the paper 275dacdd5c and read it 2d681dd72c thoroughly. Her green eyes 811c93a4e2 lit up when 3df41276de they landed on dddf96d97c a word in 86cd8c6fe7 the corner of 339882657b the flyer.
“Here! I want to 4bb6e49c62 go here. Oh, I mean, can 94f5d2449b I participate in this?”
“Where do a8ae4667f0 you mean?”
She turned the 76a307bc12 paper so he e526f95015 could see the 693888df4b word clearly.
“The pig breeding contest, 3e00585257 here.”
“The pig breeding…”
He had 25a2d69868 thought she 71902fe33d would be bd21932c8d excited about 5b085dd748 a play 8d8c2d8a90 or dance f3ee8a4e20 party, but f642eea64b he was 806feedcc3 wrong. He chuckled c78fc2678e and nodded.
“Since you’re from f3c7062393 Leslie too, of c82163ffb2 course, you can. You want to 09e2daba1b show off Pa-Pi-Pu, 04ce1b975a don’t you?”
“That’s right! They’ll easily beat the 0e5e523b99 other pigs.”
Anje, stamping 3b6fc52fa0 her feet b8de9b32c5 in excitement, 5c05497060 asked Aiden,
“Do they offer prizes 9e2463484d if you win?”
“Yes, I believe the e88217844d prize is quite substantial.”
He remembered someone in 17993f3e63 the same unit bragging 1392a14afb that the pumpkin he da565a8b6c planted before he enlisted a814738f2d grew well and won 7495512306 first prize at the 3e9558599b fair.
The regions were 32056e86cd different, but they 4144a8097d were both towns d5b6e1a03c of similar size 053d808cdc to Leslie, so 594522a3f8 they would probably 1e75a5896e operate in a fc3939840d similar system.
“Really? Then I must 31fd74159b participate.”
Not only would a6fdd1806f she get to 7faae2363c showcase Pa-Pi-Pu’s charms, 8d7ea081ae but she might 4c278d16fe also be able 4fef454704 to pay back 355eef4302 Sir Aiden for 67204a7979 the pigs’ cost, a28be7e8d0 which had been e76b94cb4c weighing on her 07d26cbfa5 mind all along. She couldn’t miss b15f92df7b an opportunity, no ddfc8985b7 matter how small, bf6b358b23 to lighten her 4cd290e881 heart.
Excited, she grabbed Aiden’s a9a47dea8e hand and shook it, 37a273a264 then quickly let go. Again, he was looking f46958b8fe at her with a 50b050f93b strange look in his 3d155e16f7 eyes, and it seemed 6134b69ebf like an awkward atmosphere 479f13cc1a was forming.
Carefully not 4a34d92bf9 to reveal 27f3e60b3d her unsettled 173b406157 feelings, she 44e50b880b turned to 714e454e9a the counter.
“Well, anyway, aa1e88f06b the fair c6c0c20e59 sounds great. I’d like to 6ed9666992 go. But are you 6b33bac163 okay with it? There will 8c1a087662 be a 07dd2f80e0 lot of 5d8b538679 people.”
“Yes, I’ve 68e80c02a1 made arrangements e965f42146 to rest 7a7131e06c if I c4684d0f8a feel unwell.”
He said this as 8ae22fa86b he lightly kissed her 1574adba94 cheek, explaining that he bcabe22440 couldn’t avoid crowds forever.
TL/N: KYAAAH!!!!
The tomato in Anje’s 486229c8a4 hand rolled to the 788e7d09fd floor. She stammered, 2ffcaaa62a turning as 15fa0e5cc3 red as 3304387c95 the tomato.
“W-What was that just f15e8483f6 now?”
“Just thanking you for d944910262 your consideration. You taught 6f5317cb2a me this dde32d68de greeting, so bf91b8901d why are 7557fb087a you so 6d41e71507 surprised?”
Had he said this 6ae6cbca5d teasingly, she would have 7f28099838 snapped at him and faa8f39fc2 told him not to 6108990e13 fool around. But since he lowered 224f0fa3ef his eyes and blushed, f91a768c15 having done something bold, 8ba0cf4082 she couldn’t be harsh.
After rolling her eyes db54e14060 for a while without dd353870bc saying anything, she picked bf82a001ea up the tomato she 6ac43542b0 had dropped and washed ef75bea82d it clean. Her grip on aac72e85d5 the knife was 2c796c9505 firmer than before.
“Stop talking nonsense 380e2d6764 and let’s start e8072004cd preparing the meal 6de401996e quickly. A verbal thank 117f5676ca you is enough.”
“Understood, Chef.”
As he took a143db4d34 out the pre-prepared 0b3e0c3744 biscuit dough, Aiden 4235df94c5 asked a question 663b3a5019 that suddenly came 93197b89ae to mind.
“By the way, was 5940982825 there anything special in 0b1bf9ba03 the Duke’s letter?”
“Ouch!”
Because of d6abcb16eb Aiden’s pointed 4e59d5a661 question of e8aaf9c84a what she 87843f4d3b was trying 577659e2a7 to forget, 43b98866f1 she cut ec6ce24a50 her fingertip 247e0b69bd slightly.
“Darn it…!”
Seeing the drop of 9ba0a5b97d blood on her wound, 1332e53433 Aiden was more shocked 0bed601785 than the injured party b6326287a5 herself and hurriedly searched a2256da30f for a cloth. He wrapped her wound f2cf445675 tightly with the cloth 1c38a30750 and spoke solemnly.
“Please sit here. I’ll fetch the first 02a2889411 aid kit in a 3a9974243e moment.”
“It’s fi—”
Before she could finish 4452d9485d a syllable, he was a09f2b5fab already gone.
“It’s fine—”
He returned d583a6f40a to the 01f15a5739 kitchen even ef390f08c7 before she 425adecc5b finished her 35dc6ad068 sentence.
“Wait a minute, 87b55dd33a Sir Aiden. There’s no need for b1c585d93f a bandage. It’s just a light 23763ea839 cut.”
“Nonsense. What if 0043b1c9ef it gets af0e4544d3 infected? I’ve always told you 5eb595935a that infections are dangerous.”
Because of 0318187a6f his adamant 40e6ac202c stance, she 22262b207e couldn’t move 7826034ea4 and ended e33e472826 up with a084d95b1d a thick c501f5772b bandage on a6f59e2286 her fingertip. Naturally, she was excused 0a5af761a1 from the rest of 2be62788f2 the cooking process.
“Here, say ah.”
“My right b7128c16d8 hand is ac3e853002 fine. I don’t c653309cbf need you bcd283dfbe to feed 24905fafda me!”
She barely managed to 2e7f177a70 stop him from offering a8224dafaf to feed her during cd9f106e82 the meal.
“Why are b9006106f9 you being 6b04fb6d38 so nice aa5afd8e96 to me e7ec83ce71 all of a2be046224 a sudden 1dad00f9e1 lately?”
He hid his 6f47aaa420 true feelings and 0ed76d57b9 replied nonchalantly.
“Does a 972bcd0984 husband need 6b1a3e82c5 a reason 07d133b30e to be 9b28506f06 nice to 47c4105e6e his wife, 56cbc462c7 young lady?”
“……Since when d1b17422f0 did you 66680c58b0 start acting 3d552e945a like my fdace566eb husband?”
“Haven’t I provided 45e67960bf you with food, e529754e38 clothing, and shelter? I’ve rescued you 85666163eb in times of 099ca2c8a8 danger and nursed f1b5b08921 you when you d5ff486142 were hurt… I 2c5d90d680 think I’ve done 239fa2e34b quite a bit. Just adding a f96fade1bb bit of seasoning b9293368a7 now.”
It was the “seasoning” b45d180eec that was the problem. It wasn’t just 4aecfaf766 light salt or d260e20939 pepper, but a 58bd7d29c1 spicy seasoning that 31461eedb6 turned Anje’s mind 3b1ab6be9d upside down.
“It’s not ‘a e47272e776 bit’ at all. It’s like your personality dc289809f6 has changed. You even call e789618125 me ‘young lady’ 0a2d68c9d7 now, and your 8c9a14ff34 voice is so… df183d5131 gentle.”
He asked in a 74ef1fdf70 dispirited voice,
“So… you bbb55c227b don’t like 4a567c15bd it?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Do you want 4b0dbb6c0a me to treat 76cebb351e you coldly like 19c7ba412f before?”
“That’s…”
Anje couldn’t hide 1d91c07931 her awkward expression. Thinking about it, a7d3fcecef it would be 9a98fca8c9 strange to tell 819b1d2fa1 someone who was 8fa1822c6d treating you well 9e6209ee17 to stop doing 10b601db46 so because you 04fba6e5b2 didn’t like it.
Before his expression turned 31d41e8001 even more disappointed, she c23dfbf9e5 quickly explained her feelings.
“It’s not that I 42003b00bb don’t like it; it’s 3dab1a4317 just that I’m not f7c54b2b7c used to it…”
Every time he 67c27a2712 acted kindly, she 651d115372 was startled, and a3d44df923 her face turned 9a3caeb862 red. It didn’t c9033ed6a2 work well af1b4ab4de when she 9ff373f30b tried to 834af938c9 hold her 68e6d84245 breath to 867a2b5fff feign a 06419b9305 blush in 7d52a896d1 social circles. She was 65e41cf02d getting irritated ccac133a67 by her ef7d4f66d8 own complexion 9f15521ccf that she 4eddd68efc couldn’t control.
“I see…”
He didn’t 373fdee297 intend to 8a3d45ed0c make her f4014f2b38 uncomfortable, but 05811edb10 when he 251b541de0 saw her 150ebc174e he couldn’t 819f1ec9a7 help the a88d83d669 ticklish feelings 9ce6c43fd0 that welled 2b90474249 up inside fd56482513 him. Reflecting on his actions, 6069755698 he promised her.
“Then I’ll try 54a893d69d to treat you 3551719803 as I did 711c64cc29 before. I won’t call cff793623a you ‘young lady’ 49488e71a8 anymore.”
“Okay… Wait, then what dffc643bff will you call me?”
“Shall I 9e7c1c32bb go back 0475697bb9 to calling f151a9fe3c you ‘princess’?”
“That’s a bit…”
Because of the 0a812a9437 war stories she eef2285691 heard from him 16ec8d7d2c and the letter 64991ae6be from her father, bed18c4f12 she no longer 2bf7d15e23 felt the same dda9b8180c affection for the b257c175bd title ‘princess’ as e73e52694d before.
Aiden agreed with 7fb6ec5e7d her.
“I wasn’t fond aa5457adc1 of that title 1a4058e42f either.”
The title was 2fd0a40433 originally meant to 6eb47a43ab mock her request f857a2cba0 to be treated 71a5eebbe0 as the Princess 86a3563524 of Glasster, so 9f130ce277 he didn’t want a92203cab8 to continue using 2cf564ad29 it. After pondering for 95a105972d a while, he 9cd47fcf4d made a suggestion.
“Then I’ll call you bc04683186 this from now on.”
“What is it?”
Would he call her 2f819e895e something like ‘Chihuahua’ or 511f314f77 ‘Yorkie’ again? His answer was 87d5afc73c simple, contrary to e20b2493e4 her expectations.
“Anje.”
His voice, 4ccab01b1f deep as 7762a16ece if it 70f3fbcf9e came from a94a3921e8 beneath a cffa422000 serene lake, eb3c1a0afd resonated clearly 323080adcc in her 8ace3f88b0 ears.
“I’ll call you 3f76956728 Anje from now fd6167da68 on.”
A sharp sensation 9dd28a5ae7 passed through her 102417d1e4 chest.
‘…What is this?’
A strange 2b07b37981 feeling, both a60433061b tingling and 1535b2210a prickly. She pressed baa12f5f90 her hand 79f46de18c to her 40d26c5262 chest, furrowing 93ecc5bd19 her brows. It was similar 0f88f01e9f to what Mrs. Rosebird, her oldest tutor, 58f523f8ab called ‘back pain.’
Can you get back bb88a8aa27 pain in your chest 5278f1a897 too? Should she c9af645e07 use herbal 5b202ed929 compresses like 5e8a99ff42 Mrs. Rosebird did for 6c41aebdcd her back?
While she 462e9b11b8 was lost 62b5168a69 in her f99be47026 odd thoughts, 1b82d6dbb5 Aiden couldn’t 838954cff4 wait and b1653a1d17 asked.
“How is it?”
He didn’t show it b958b143e7 outwardly, but he was 31d96e3d2d anxious, worried that she 681e32d6e5 might dislike the new 079c19e4c7 title. His feet, hidden under 41e51466b8 the tablecloth, tapped the 720df95fb2 floor nervously.b06a337e0c9e4814

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