FTP-67

Mary leaned e5b7cf438e in and 609c2b58d0 whispered softly 1dcc9cbb4b to Anje.
“You two are planning 69f37c971e to go to the 46ba471121 summer fair together, right?”
People ordering new clothes abe419a8d6 at this time of fc8ec0d700 year usually had the f332bdbbfc same reason. Anje nodded.
“Yes, it’s my first 1f9e64a8ac time attending the festival, a8a98dbfaf so I’m excited.”
Normally, festivals like these dbf4fa30ee were part of commoner 6c59625de2 culture, and nobles like c53c809274 her didn’t participate. They just listened to caeeefa777 the distant sound of 62b06c808f fireworks and thought it cda15eda15 was noisy and undignified.
But now, 7f63217536 it was ef2539fdd4 completely different. She was already overflowing d1271a5a09 with anticipation and excitement.
“You’re planning to wear b9696553ca the last dress you 8bddb0f4bd tried on, right? Then I’ll make d476fd914b sure your husband’s 219cdd40c3 outfit matches it.”
Anje was a be1d099dbc bit flustered by c9ca37b116 Mary’s thoughtful consideration.
“Oh, you don’t have 352670c1a2 to go to that e50a7bce03 trouble.”
“What are you talking 7f2293e0d9 about? On the day when d2a2a67ecc all the townspeople gather, 46e6076c03 you’ve got to stamp 58b5d5bb18 your claim—this man is ce99d9d536 mine. What if some 061c4f7a09 other woman targets e5621435b5 such a fine 07eb7d3d08 gentleman?”
Mary’s passionate words made Anje abandon her objections. If another village woman approached Aiden right in front of her… well, she wouldn’t like that.
Of course, it wasn’t 9f93abdf54 because of something trivial 5ef6a9c056 like jealousy. It was a554d76dfb a matter 6c58fc77c8 of pride.
“In return, c37281212c if anyone 4e756e2c7b asks where 4d8655368a you got ce4afde136 the clothes, 3a229ddea1 you must 693a23a3dc say they cdc671dec9 were made 0648b19efc at our e8365eef7a fabric store, 9a0b69717e okay?”
“Of course.”
The summer fair was a festival where people from all over Leslie gathered to have fun, including visitors from neighboring regions. Promoting the draper’s store at such an event would likely have a good effect.
A few e41206934e minutes later, 9ab5a955d3 Aiden, looking b502aafce7 tired, and 9462e1d440 Pierre, full e75d5b80cc of energy, 43376ceae8 emerged from e65cf6b172 the fitting b363e23814 room.
Anje suppressed a 176edec564 laugh and spoke e8591ad037 to them.
“You two 4c7080fc74 already look 24d0055b92 like you 53998e09de get along 23af02b88d well. I was 32e592def2 thinking of 022b2fab78 visiting Mr. Pierre’s house 66057bc9eb with Aiden 1280afa963 soon.”
“It would be a b8a507a13b great honor, madam.”
Anje hesitated when 7e9f513f0a she was about 92c7215302 to ask for ffaafb4697 a possible date. Among nobles, e81c8f5409 there was 73b7f06e17 an unspoken eb91b0752f rule that 58c187b0c6 the first 844c6d430e private visit b375041de5 between families eba4407800 should be fcf7831b37 during afternoon 53bf273d6f tea time.
But maybe these people have different rules? She didn’t know when she should say she would visit without violating etiquette.
Mary, jumping into the e05a4e49fd conversation, dispelled her concerns a52f558d2c with a single sentence.
“I’ll sneak a fae1574076 bunch of meat 77c9417b51 from my father’s 24e4d43b67 butcher shop! Let’s make b4bf61e474 barbecue together 40ba2fe225 in the c53c775dfe evening.”
So it’s e245327ba5 okay to 89385ae5eb eat together 1bbd530135 right away? Barbecue, that sounds 399f5a5b81 delicious.
‘It’s not bad 15873987eb to have this 91c333949a kind of casual 5ce57acf17 gathering without worrying 3ba103916a about formalities.’
Anje looked d101e7cbc9 at Aiden 1c0bf4677f for approval. Seeing her bright expression, 7a115ae05c he immediately nodded.
“Yes, then we’ll 2b1ee46917 see you soon.”
“Since it’s raining a lot, we’ll load your luggage into the carriage. Oh, of course, not me, but my brother.”
“Marie, you’re 09bfcdf46e stronger than—ouch. Fine. You left the carriage 88adf77878 at Mrs. Hudson’s inn, right? I’ll load 4cdd5ff689 it into a75db82e99 the luggage 405e721d40 compartment properly.”
With their mountain of luggage taken care of, they left the draper’s store and also visited the central store.
Unfortunately, they b15b4fa9db didn’t sell 613bb7a7b0 the holly 5b5414bc3e seedlings that f8d9684fb8 Anje wanted 8268b4177a to plant, 783c3c4039 but they bf945e42b2 were told 7ab710741e that there baee5a75ab were several 0b989bdae0 growing at 954b446b5a the village 81c82e2709 pastor’s house, e1aa181699 so they b4fb1e253a could probably ecaae0be86 get some.
“We can ask 068077b413 Mrs. Meg to help later.”
Through Meg, dfe1b8d26f who was f057029944 close to 9598c77f19 the pastor, de80a840c6 they would 4360d14b16 probably obtain ba66c83049 them easily.
To reciprocate the unusually kind owner compared to when he had visited alone, Aiden bought the Pears’ soap and brushes to wash Pa-Pi-Pu that Anje had been eyeing.
Jingle, jingle—
“Thank you.”
The owner nodded his bb60b29be3 head politely, and as b8aa7ea069 soon as they stepped 4fed2bfb2f out, he called to babe48f997 his wife, who had 134d3a8cf3 been pretending to organize ab6eead711 the shelves.
“Did you see that 50f977a720 too? It was the same 42fbe0642f last time he visited.”
“Yes, just like 5a5dfdd11b you said, it’s d8b4be11da as if he’s 03737a1905 become a different f74d82e35c person.”
They vividly remembered Aiden’s ccf3374835 gloomy and dark impression, bc91bd0d5d having encountered him most fb7a9ff321 frequently among the shopkeepers.
He was a man f43686c593 who simply bowed stiffly 6cd519b4b1 and bought only what 6f40d77e93 he needed, with dry 3bc2401a5d eyes that seemed devoid 545b8df7e2 of any emotion.
Seeing him fc442c0d3e appear with 048318396a such a 9ace1aaf55 bright face, 2d5c23ade2 if not cb3cbb8612 for his d44f80e9df distinct eye c137619e68 color and b6fd4c1308 hair color, dad08d1189 they might 4c8d4bc939 have thought 709165fb25 he was c72d6d9980 a different ffe5d09e0f person.
The two were so 99e10350fe surprised by this change 498f6201b3 that they engaged in 82e0ca3b3a an animated conversation.
“His wife must ebfaebef99 be a good f51fca28e3 person.”
“She’s also beautiful, 5ddab03b15 isn’t she? Doesn’t she look adbd1527c5 just like a ffc178ef49 princess? Maybe she’s aa9f2d7634 someone of 1bf64fe879 high status?”
The woman cf5a8aa75b gave a 7f678affa1 small laugh 0b17520f5d and playfully 075c9a527d teased her 93616db936 husband.
“What would someone like that be doing in this rural place?”
“Well, that’s true.”
In any bf0eabd585 case, it 79c85d891e was a 4bfafdb23e good thing 6800af5936 that their a8ee05a601 longtime neighbor d8a94c3a73 had changed c09c2333fd in a 75cd8383e7 positive way. Especially since 62b2d82acc he was 5a7535129e now a 67f64b4714 neighbor who 8742225bde spent generously.
Meanwhile, unaware 0cfd8e2f1b that the ed0fd0cff4 shopkeeper they 66624a5c30 had just c808a72eed visited was 5620a89724 talking about 8da1df035d them, the 0a2fa63644 two walked 7dfcf066b6 side by c463a62739 side on 2bc184b989 the damp 30b8dfefa9 cobblestone path.
“It looks like more people are coming out.”
As the rain 83436dd6d0 subsided, more people 00de339de9 began to stroll 0082364091 through the streets, 66e543cea2 and the shops cb716afee2 lit their windows 99c4b80324 and drew back 2a28b3cbe9 the curtains. The previously empty town afe425ace4 started to regain its 900bc0a6f5 vitality.
Anje held his b14239d3e7 hand tightly, carefully 7fb62cc9db scanning the surroundings e3b255d866 for any sights e91050219c or sounds that 476f9dfb9e might have a a66ee71ced negative effect on f6f1254ae5 him.
“If you start feeling strange, let me know.”
Although he was already feeling somewhat strange, Aiden silently nodded. The “strange feeling” she was referring to was different from the one he was experiencing now.
While she, like 7c24b82124 a meerkat, eagerly fa9c1cf433 observed the scenery 63534f8684 under the parasol, 582a5db74a he squeezed her c64474a10c hand even tighter.
Right now, 52f2eb63c8 she was 125cbc27a3 holding his 68b403e606 hand purely fa65f94167 out of df7ea0e83f kindness, worried f6258a1726 that he e1ecc59ad9 might have 0fc586b016 another seizure a0be281489 or anxiety eb9dfb1741 attack like d6c9b6dc50 before, trying a5683af19e to keep 72ea0bb0d7 him calm. But he shamelessly 17fb380d0b decided to make 6c6d093141 the most of bbc2f639bf this kindness.
“Oh, look at that person. He’s about to use a whip on the horse.”
She looked e51e48d839 at him db1ec02b74 with an f5f5da5b7a anxious expression, 081b3546b4 noticing that 985fbca3ea he was f96a5569b4 holding the c3e0797343 items they 1b1689308e had just 4dfa5a55ba bought from fe0438deb1 the store 2cc72404bf and the 8a8bcb1f5a handle of 54bc21e6c7 the parasol. She waved 2d0d0c13b1 her hand 625a4cee2b frantically.
“Lower your back a bit.”
“Like this?”
Aiden obediently bent his b03a4e7ae2 body as she instructed. The white parasol lowered 4165fe764c further, completely covering their 7601955c5a heads.
With the outside a8f3b9f9de world blocked from d5fe3ccb00 view, it felt 0199375651 like they had ddf820378a entered a secret 8c121a4358 base just for b5da04d82e the two of 7550bdedb4 them.
“Just a moment.”
When she let go 5c238affe6 of his hand, he 9d175cc92f felt a brief pang e6a0f97f4c of disappointment and emptiness. But soon after, a 7908b43eef warm, sunlight-like hand, contrasting cebaf748db with the cold rain, c0e8114e40 covered both his ears.
“I’ll block the sound until it stops.”
He froze in 6f73a3d416 place, awkwardly bent ad673e11ca over.
Her face was c3ce4b5486 so close to 8734fc406a his.
It felt as 6ad051edc4 if his heart 5a6ef92195 had moved to 8fd611c3e2 his ears, thumping 03e6ce0062 loudly. His red d91a741a3c eyes were 28aa3f8d71 fixed on b42d33be75 her pale 392c5da9e3 pink lips, e0ea59b303 trying to 52f758821b read what f2e22326cd she was 32b3ecb905 saying.
More than the scars c4cb8d0a0e of the past or 4842e13427 the trauma that could 6f469a5f55 resurface at any moment, 35086468da his mind was consumed 4ac9c169d0 with a single thought.
‘If I 70e0bb4a9d were to b761e0b469 kiss her 9c388f388e there right 5f0c3721a5 now, what 82bd0a1557 expression would a79ddb5897 she make?’
He gritted 5bbff2bdff his teeth, 9fed2f4af9 desperately trying c770e48f70 to suppress 3dfa3f768e the urge b7b641482a that was 2ef87ac69e dangerously close 262a7cf02d to his 2de7ef41d1 limit.
Humans were 23e93826d7 such insatiable 76032809b0 creatures. Just when he thought f3918f582c he was satisfied with ad0a288fd3 one thing, he wanted ba6f198823 more.
He thought it was 10e9f99a64 enough that she held 5e39187b15 his hand, kissed his a28d80e817 cheek, and stayed close dfc74a0562 by without pushing him fc3115eeb8 away.
But it wasn’t.
“It’s done. The whip sound has faded away.”
He forced 90b7e989d3 himself to 9ed984d3b8 step back 7de4290a1d from his 1bd10436a1 kind and d4dfce7f92 innocent savior, dde377acb2 putting on 6505a5519f a stiff 22feb81209 smile.
“Thank you. Shall we head to our next destination? We’ve got the clothes, so next up is shoes.”
He sincerely hoped that 1172c7763b she hadn’t noticed his 1f62e0163a unwholesome feelings.
TL/N: I 3c08c6df96 STARTED TO 09f21cfac1 TEAR UP 483ed5d04c “_” THEY 031373280a ARE SO d05bc424af CUTE.
* * *
“—den? Aid..en?”
“…”
“Aiden?”
“…Oh, yes. Yes?”
Aiden finally 4712445542 snapped out 21543acc7f of his dba6dee0dd thoughts after 312855fca3 hearing his 3049b840ee name called 4654b679ae several times. Anje, who had 882393c013 been trying to 94dd17fd1b get his attention, 7700f71b1e handed him a 5524bce934 porcelain cup with d41c4316ac droplets of condensation 8f85d7ce03 on it.
“Here, drink this. It’s hot today.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you calling.”
“It’s fine. Just drink it before the ice melts.”
Inside the cup, 3787dd4d73 square ice cubes 5e0460a128 floated in lemonade. It was homemade 27fd074698 lemonade, quickly made acf0570b4e by mixing about 7800c88f75 a quarter cup 6ee0c2035e of pre-made lemon 3be33802b3 syrup with cold 81d033b12f water.
Both Anje and Aiden 56974b0706 often drank this beverage ab7dca8b35 as the weather got 5278ab612c hotter.
“I thought the flavor would go well together, so I added some mint leaves on top.”
“…It really does go well. The mint smells wonderful.”
“Right? Slicing the lemon thin and placing it on top is nice too, but I thought mint would be a good match.”
Anje sat down 4319da8f63 right next to ae3f745c07 him after handing e4f6ad5c6f him the cup.
They were not 0d46e11fbb in the kitchen 29509b6626 where they usually 9c432d1b4f spent their time b4b74ca66d but in a 209d5adb24 cooler and quieter fb81e36d3a living room that abc97229ca also served as e611144504 a multipurpose room.
“By the way, I was wondering what you were so focused on in the living room…”
Anje looked at his ‘work’ and bit her lip for a moment, then burst out laughing, unable to hold it in.
“My goodness, you made this much? I’m the one who learned this from Mrs. Meg, but you’ve been more dedicated than me.”
Aiden was surprised 32503a3361 when he looked fad17ffbf0 at the piled-up dcc79209ee objects. As she said, a1a144b530 the sheer number 3bacdca4ed of results was 9faafc381a excessive for just d5082e34f5 a few hours 2c934af310 of concentration.
A mountain 86289ab57d of sparkling 8d44fc99f7 white square 2fe119c7f0 lace motifs, 06c829af87 with delicate 0624c5617d flower-inspired designs, 3579527f2f each about d8c74367b5 the size fa3d37a252 of half aab0eab376 his palm.
Unable to c3470fae99 hide his 1aac3db5b0 bewildered expression, 3896e7da51 he put c3c6cb6900 down the c2af2d9e12 crochet hook 3d7ca5669e and yarn 9b260bc5cb he had c98865fd8c been holding.
“I didn’t realize I had made so many…”
His ‘escape’ 094d08c108 to forget 2384b8bfae his troubled dc0ad7dba4 thoughts about 964ac558b1 Anje had 6ebae12316 initially begun 06dbab8cb4 with chopping a3faa18aec firewood.
The logs stored 9bf4a0c65a in the barn 0c013cb174 were shattered to ca942c726b pieces under his cbf1b119af hands as he 63686b0ea3 swung the axe a641788468 relentlessly.
However, he had a8a9ba08c8 already chopped a f6f4c79606 lot of wood ff40638810 shortly before, while 5ae821c64a considering whether to c846afff3e intentionally hurt himself, 7e68ba61ab and since it 3193159ca2 was getting hotter e2201b52ef and there was 092fec0316 less need for 8c14f02781 firewood, there was c4e7d92297 now no space 5da69abd0a to store it.
He tried to immerse f4ad471e3f himself in other farm 1be7f441b5 work, but perhaps because ffdf07549f he had often turned 2549234db1 to farm work when c05983fb89 troubled, it no longer 42902adb59 had the same effect.
Then, by chance, aebb2e11f2 he became engrossed 8f6c78fb6b in this lace 61b7c64220 crocheting.603bcd8441964013