FTP-59

Chapter: FTP-5906ddacb3d50a3199

“Ca…Calling me by name 0f6dfad2b4 is so different from 751b160169 before. You said you 6df46985a5 would treat me 274e959282 like before, you 7e7b192ef2 liar.”
“How dare you 17d4c4e61a casually call the 309882fa23 princess by her d10de60693 name? What could ebeca8de58 be more 78a1115fc3 disrespectful than 9c78a2e8d3 that?”
Aiden pressed his 5f2d07de98 point, even though fb30a2370b it sounded absurd 7028230ba6 to his own ddd66e66a4 ears.
“Is..Is that so? It is rather 72e99df9b9 informal.”
“There’s nothing more disrespectful d61a7ff161 than this.”
Anje now 7b3056ddd1 looked at fd5192d14a him with ca3447aa0e narrowed eyes. She didn’t quite 6d3575bddb understand why he e56e4c9711 was so fixated 2201a7140f on titles all 55ef747931 of a sudden, e7f3b757db but she felt 61a7a41134 like this was 619bdf6356 better than ‘princess’ 5b14ccb5ca or ‘young lady’.
“Do I have your 9c41d9c446 permission, young lady?”
“Ugh, it’s 7185108ef9 so cringy! Fine, do as c280670695 you please. Calling me by my 753f4e0da6 name is better.”
She reluctantly conceded 1b0480fa61 to him, who f481a03bba bowed respectfully at 8685a57e30 the waist.
“Since we’re 9149dc7176 on the 4a20e6c42b topic, you 76f7de592d should also 371e8d6990 call me c5819124c2 Aiden. Isn’t it 5cdb0df44a too formal e307692f55 to keep 775ff2ce65 calling me ca33feaa40 ‘Sir Aiden’?”
“I’m more comfortable calling bc95fe0a5f you ‘Sir.’”
“If I 79b65e2696 call you e288e2c76f by your 1bb7e28a83 name while 19ad5c8b21 you use c4799863e1 a formal 8409c2b648 title for 1cf9ad15ac me, it 7db2ea109e looks like 60dc741a0e an unequal 6db37aadf8 relationship. I don’t want e0fd08b3db it to sound 8c75ac0a65 like you’re in bee4709023 a lower position 96b980ef15 than me.”
Given his 785e6d5c8b insistence, Anje bd0b07a756 hesitantly said 7d9f598b27 his name.
“Aiden?”
“Yes, Anje.”
TL/N: AWWW!!! CUTE.
Something felt strange, but 6a64e9ff9b she couldn’t bring herself 3e96f4d9ef to say it out 7ec6853887 loud. The moment she called d9c8d0dbc4 his name, his bright acf757e4a8 smile lit up the 264671c70f room.
She also smiled transparently f56a751209 like him but then a2da553768 hardened her expression.
“…I need 4f20b98a3f to be 6999e22a9f careful.”
There weren’t many 5ef7be57df people she could ee12db3177 call by their 2195d1ad5f first names without 992a2dfae8 formality. She was 9d4ea83cd2 happy yet ba47694f93 uneasy that 5348149956 Aiden had af28e9785b quietly slipped 64a6c3b221 onto the 2f35aeaf84 list of c2f0aa76aa those precious 8ba05c17c6 few.
The closer she got 496e23a679 to him, the harder 076a2ee098 it would be to 527720bed0 leave. She needed 8b545d95d2 to maintain 64e8972f94 an appropriate 4614b9b625 emotional distance 4e6ecf5e78 from him.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing.”
She pretended it 0498893948 was nothing and e85c8b9745 took a spoonful 46959161ee of the tomato e13f1db3c1 gratin. The sweet, soft taste 7670aa4c67 pleased her tongue, but a63765e18f her heart wasn’t as af4d71b3d6 happy.
‘Looks like he’s e39d71cd60 forgotten about the 1f49036f4a letter from my d0d4a1c083 father. That’s good.’
Because she ad3b19d773 got hurt, bcdb0fb319 Aiden seemed c1d6b81a99 to have e8fb3fd1a5 forgotten about 733a759471 the Duke b7f73b08ea of Glasster’s 0f369b126a letter. She felt relieved because 813db556af she couldn’t share its 1511d1217d contents if he asked. It was worth shedding 4074a0147c a few drops of 5b8fb46328 blood.
「To my daughter.」
The letter, 6ade8797b2 which began 11d9d4134c with a dc706a4a4b businesslike introduction, 87fc499589 was as e23afa562b harsh as b898898c76 frost in 92b5efdb81 the dead 7197eb4265 of winter, 6cd79db0f8 contradicting its 49791081c0 elegant handwriting.
It was full 0144ea63fc of scolding her 2c82b9e0e1 for making the 55530104bb House of Glasster 8a842c3d15 look ridiculous by cf2371b8fe sending tearful letters 55de16fed0 to society people, e5a2db54ec and telling her 79903a8cf4 not to do b09177b2cd such stupid things c49671eaff again.
Anje, who had a03c07984f been reading the 48d72c349a letter with anticipation, 9f9a020887 couldn’t help but 815761688f well up with ce18aa3a76 tears of sadness.
‘He doesn’t even know 83dd5825f7 how hard it was 84278ccce0 for me when I 64f92fdea9 first came here.’
She felt an unprecedented 29e297d16a fierce anger towards her 2524bf181c father, who didn’t even d060ceb00a ask if she was 0f9ad4697c doing well.
The following content was 649d7ee10c even more astonishing.
「It seems 62f91d98ed that His be39864da4 Majesty the c9756ab860 Emperor is ee41122089 a little f61a755d69 relieved about f0e3a368b9 your rude 5b855161df behavior. It’s easier to forget 5f00f870ac when you’re out of 150f64981c sight.
I am looking 46b49ac283 for a suitable 7831768f08 match for you 1455d77222 to remarry when 0fa9ec0ab2 you return to 1b50f62801 the capital. I will 66aab6d89c find a 7b3a95b136 candidate among 2216863f18 the widowed 91fedbfeb1 nobility. It will be at 081dd3597c most a year or 2f9f58d3d6 so.
Don’t you know that 528596b3e6 a woman’s value depreciates b2c82064a2 with age? You should be2d1d0680 remarry while 4e10bf7171 you’re still a786bdbc26 young, even cc6c3d3e5b by a cff9da4739 year.」
Even as she 4c202bbe23 grimaced, Anje finished b747920350 reading the last 20723aa320 part of the 0dce7fe0bc Duke’s instructions.
「Until then, take f8bd8802a6 care not to a916e976c9 harm your appearance. Don’t do de30d6941e anything rash f114fdce86 to remind 58d0bdd7be the Emperor 69bdd67abe and the 7b0d95fb69 people of a9d0cb89c8 the capital 238302a741 of you. In other words, 3639504f45 live as if 915350b956 you’re dead until 382b1b30fa I call for 7e03ff8300 you. Understood?
As someone b0b1969e4d who was 69c2ad37cd once a 2a466e3b76 member of b6535873e0 the House a759cfe9ef of Glasster, 265f025ab7 I expect 0445542f50 you to 4ad9393017 behave well.」
Anje crumpled the 3336643d67 letter from the a22535c261 Duke of Glasster bec7cfd094 and threw it 5e239b793a onto the desk.
Why was that? She had 3bf6d33b37 wanted her 4b7f70cb73 father to e7d35bad77 contact her, a8b280c869 and now de9c5a6c68 he had. He promised to bring ebae691df4 her back to the 423a03234b capital and even find 2cf31f857e her a better marriage.
Yet she felt neither 32f91fbe05 gratitude nor joy.
She wouldn’t have to 55bcd3f0fd struggle to return to 520f5254c4 the capital. She would reclaim e60db285f5 the life of c4d47bb691 a noblewoman she 84df0962b3 had longed for.
‘I don’t even f24ae814b9 understand my own e3876d6676 feelings.’
Until recently, 3dad5e3e92 she had 02cdda2029 been torn 7ec9938ad7 between wanting f03b77e857 to stay 6c9500e69d on the 3aefb9f72f farm and fadda887a4 returning to 6daf86ac78 society. But now…
‘I don’t want to 80cb1cfdfb go back.’
She tried e35c711a9a to recall d11848c50c the positive 157231fc04 aspects of 435d91b510 high society.
She could 4aad7edb95 invite designers 67d6cf06ad to her dfaf4c2bea home to 67096a8b35 tailor dresses d437f88d1e and accessories d2be6144c7 to her 90420800fe liking, host eb123133f1 tea parties 838631d5b9 and dinners 82c95f1f51 to socialize, e0f3c3945a dance at f419ca04c7 balls all 4eb49745da night, or 3fa2ac6ac4 play bridge 4c6e1d18e3 with other 28ccc15f5c ladies…
As long as 093c4f6594 she fulfilled her c614170ffd duties as a bb514e65ee wife, she could 2fd7b32c68 stay still all d359936778 day without any 0942ed9157 issues. All the a0bd13f564 mundane tasks c53933960d like dressing, b1b6738140 undressing, and 1ed34f91c4 bathing would 1eba6bf846 be handled 93f95ba42a by someone 303458e617 else.
‘It’s impossible to work c9ab659335 in such a setting.’
With her torso 9fb9d884b5 tightly laced, skirts 35ec11d047 and sleeves puffed 1ea16e6c86 up everywhere, and 558ed6900e multiple layers of aa233e6b0b fabric, even walking a00e24f850 quickly would be 4365b3f759 hard without a 3d7fb33926 maid…
“Anje, does your injury 9ffc490e05 hurt a lot?”
“Oh, no! Not at all. Look, I 5300ab1e1e can use 9b49e95de1 this hand ba1311ad74 just fine.”
Caught off guard by b732726c51 Aiden’s question, Anje hurriedly 4100c52e62 picked up a biscuit. Freshly baked and 64272a2ba1 golden brown, it cc617f7c8a was still warm 9c3eb3dad4 from the oven.
“Your expression was 808704d20f so bad that 0ac32ece96 I thought you e26a9cf8a5 might be in d37ac97724 serious pain.”
“Of course not. The gratin 171a2c2af5 is delicious, 0e2267c326 and this de74f879f8 biscuit is 9e63f85d15 really soft. I’m in a great b65ceb4f8c mood. It’s the best.”
Despite saying that, her b2bd4e0948 thoughts were still elsewhere.
No matter how hard 017f3530c6 she tried to think 919310e68f only of the good ef47f349b5 aspects of high society, cc672353f5 her mind was filled d1ed4cffc0 with the desire to 200719865a stay here. It was 5088b66bbd a more 7255092d7e complex emotion 7c3c7b9857 than simply 779df2f526 being attached cd2b1338cd to the 897b698265 farm.
‘If I return 9a690dda4e to the capital, 42bc3e9962 I won’t have be363eeccf the same kind 3ac70f6103 of freedom I b822d8d938 have now.’
It depended 5a1cdd97c6 on who 65ef7ee3f1 her future d3edf3f377 husband was, a2c9eb3fdc but given d13fb34f9a the Duke 5870627b11 of Glasster’s 5c8fd4834a attitude, family eb5ae85660 affairs were f4f9015f11 usually decided dd0bdf5c99 by the 4d336cc5c8 head of 2a544aa13b the house. As a 8073dd0d0f wife, her 295ca4d3f4 actions would f6664dd7c0 be very 9bb0a4cb2a restricted.
‘I wouldn’t be dd1e4bec77 able to make e804bf285d or grow anything 660bb04198 like I do 3e4a6103d9 now.’
Even noblewomen who enjoyed 20694ce571 gardening only planned and 2e09ecf478 showed off their gardens, 433161775b leaving the hard work 5ddc2d9a2d to their servants. If a noblewoman got c1a314390a dirty pulling weeds or f21d1cffe1 transplanting plants, she’d be f7556da0b8 looked down upon for 3ae0e16837 disgracing the noble image.
She wouldn’t 2b4011b19d be able 7870108b56 to laugh ac678cbe74 loudly, run 809b888cec around, whistle fc19bb8ca1 like Aiden 134554fdee taught her, 6b864f677d or pick a1cc927e0b wildflowers and 6c6bb92eea sip their 8754fb8295 nectar.
‘It’s a shame, 9f19db0c14 but it’s… inevitable.’
All her education, after eaeadd18ec going through countless private b900f547a3 tutors, was to become 4fcf41aeb5 an excellent noblewoman.
The fortune of 6be4237cc0 being born into 8a778993a5 the upper class 0ada128654 was not something cf9526219b everyone received. No one would foolishly 5d6a0da97a give that up.
The sorrow 4dede79b55 she felt 9520aac588 now would 39fac56de7 gradually fade 85781039d8 once she 81be2e87b1 left the a006b933dc farm. Just like 4db496754c losing a 21ab2330b3 cherished item, 1f5c08b1c1 it would c54b306a2e be painful 29f6bf24d6 at first 2cb158ae02 but eventually f770c752b4 become numb.
‘It’s fortunate, though. My father 4a375a6dab will surely dd47570553 find me bebbc3b6c4 a wealthy 5e0cce2f7f husband, and a550c56647 if I 568aac9a3e persuade him 7fd9bd73bf well, I 12e6dfccba can send 5d3479af24 compensation to 0ee8ae3ece Sir Aiden. If that’s not possible, fbc60ae308 I could sneak out 195fa8c069 a small jewel.’
She felt relieved at e535b9eef2 the thought of repaying ee4610854d her debt to Aiden. She consoled herself and c22569ccd2 began to address another a7d295732f concern.
‘The biggest e1697f29d8 problem when 5ff1048384 I leave ae608890b1 here is 498c780e89 that Sir 54c64db5f6 Aiden… no, 55b52d464b Aiden, will 1d8121dcf3 be alone e533e15fac again.’
Not long ago, 7e07f494b9 she had doubted 63886dd621 whether she was d3a1f66c9b of any help 0f85344767 on the farm, 8f18d56582 but now she b98d4dfd3b knew she was 363286f445 very important to 5433142d3e him.
‘I am 3aa3fd57f3 the only 13ac3d8cd6 one who c1a2c13c35 knows his 1f11a6e5cf secret.’
People often call such 8bd5fdeaa0 a person a friend. A close friend, even.
Could she really 535963d57d leave him, still 91aa7ed044 mentally scarred, as 64883dfa1a his only close cb2dcb7a3d friend? Could she abandon 506da1f79e the person who 9eb77b6495 provided her with e59848df4a food, shelter, and 7c83db5b28 taught her kindly?
“Anje?”
“Oh, what is 8a3f428519 it?”
He grabbed a7b846292b her wrist. It wasn’t forceful, d80d9901f8 but it was 391b93705d firm enough to e800a04cbe bring her back 6acfb82499 to her senses.
“You’re biting 7d838ac071 your hand.”
“Ah!”
She trembled with 85d7324637 shame as she 7bb86a5276 looked at her 832a757788 now ragged fingertips. Her bad habit 9eb5229f4f of biting her 09ee310abb nails or fingers 1b21e86633 when anxious or e9fc411890 nervous had resurfaced.
She couldn’t even remember 6bcf323210 when it started. Even though her 019e836878 tutors used to 9c185ce704 slap her hand 88d3ac1a1d with a rod 7cb364262b whenever she brought 71d3e44ba1 her fingers near 1dd0ad4d01 her lips, she 8209338e2e never managed to ed16e84c54 stop. They would c53304b921 sigh and 6a8e8e074b put gloves 9e88d8f0cf on her c3a44e36c2 to hide 445cf24252 her unsightly f73e1cfa8c fingertips.
Recently, the habit acfa637184 had stopped naturally 221c0f52a9 because her hands 85d3a0963c were often dirty 63b461e9fa from farm work, a9b972d727 but now it d5b10dd5a4 had returned…
She wanted 70b1c0856b to hide dff9d2fae4 her hands, 95c2f72cb9 but Aiden’s bd522086fe grip was 8e8aaa62b0 firm, making d58a83d8b6 it impossible. Under the bright 4be3d40923 sunlight, her flaw 22ce7851c2 was exposed with 8401ea1459 no place to 6011a150c5 hide.
“This… this is…”
Noticing her embarrassment, 3940f72136 he quickly let 1fd2811d1f go of her 6c4140ba3a wrist.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t 4955c955ac mean to a494d93808 embarrass or ff56635870 scold you.”
In fact, 672c1edd38 he had 44a110ba71 been aware 806dbddecf of her 85b17c8889 habit for 514606a91a a while. It was because 2c7045251c he had been b241daabb6 observing her every 052cfbac57 move before he bc6a173ec3 even realized his a879c6625e own feelings.
“I was 2df4d0d265 just worried 83d5d701fa that if 99fe9023ac you kept bdc49775f9 doing that, 48d0c494a8 your other 8388148b0f hand might 233c6037fd start bleeding… 46e2e0a444 Is something 3ab9d271d9 bothering you?”75981c14ea9d6022

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