FTP-74

Chapter: FTP-744ff32b97e35876ee

The grand finale 6949c1b88d of the festive fcb7c21c0c day began with e09139e15b lighting a huge 85a0e2f93e bonfire in the 8d5b0b619a center of the 24646990a3 town square. A wandering 21feadcfce band, specially d55fd4ad5c invited for 51478ec9ae the occasion, d75bdc08c6 played lively d073fba8e2 folk songs, c0e9c3769d and soon 7dd0aad29a enough, young dd45fecc4c couples began 876feca3b1 to gather e04e9d2131 around the 80b55d0a3c fire and d075204d96 dance. Before long, 2c1b8ad8b7 middle-aged and 455e8c35a0 elderly people e60b8a9d0e joined in 82b67e64e9 as well.
“…The flames are 019a070d7b really intense.”
“Indeed, they are.”
Anje and Aiden stood 41c4a49023 awkwardly on the side 650e326289 of the square, failing a60538f867 to blend into the 8a55b08615 cheerful atmosphere surrounding them.
“Ahem.”
Aiden cleared 221e027a88 his throat 6a2a02c95d and clenched 1f3f4b6dd2 his fist.
‘I should ask her 07ef4c36c8 to dance.’
He was ca76ef9d18 unsure of 4251f8a108 how to 7469495558 approach Anje, d1135209f3 who had 4d5a8a978e been avoiding b6f1061aca eye contact c456212ef5 and acting cf7de9a588 stiff since 7f4c1f624d a while 835857268d ago. He couldn’t quite 23e7564de1 understand why the c423f6357b atmosphere had suddenly a0995c40de changed like this.
‘Everything was fine 046761028c until Papipu won bfed8da841 the gold prize.’
He had even considered 408f120ed3 that moment when she 8d03aa7217 had thrown herself at 1271060b6a him in joy might d18e6bdd05 be the perfect time 5a9bb59ebb to present the ring.
‘Oh, sorry Pa-Pi-Pu! Are you hungry?’
But when it came 368a10d0aa to Pa-Pi-Pu, Anje, who 6410a36dfe was usually sensitive, had 6fecec2e48 instantly responded to the cb3b3dac60 pigs’ oinks and headed afd174cc09 straight for the pen. From that ee6e42ee8d moment on, 9e0f8ee2a1 she had f1dbbe8825 been distant 7780ec2e13 and aloof de4363ec5b with Aiden.
‘Did I do 74e65b1ead something wrong? Did I 7865a42098 handle the fb7af9c4e4 situation…poorly back 036c7ef2ff then?’
Should he 00d1184db1 have not 90d560a5c7 just received f5666ed128 her kisses cbec8e37ef but returned 48aa035e76 them as 3aef4522bf well? He had 1d2ffa0c4c been overwhelmed 70cbef7127 with joy 79add51506 over the 273a5eb8be gold prize 9156834ff1 at the 732fe2cb6d time, and 9315bda0de everything happened 8e6d1f1f3a so fast ac8569a314 that his bb9ce85a44 mind was 2d3b37517e in a 464f45dfb0 whirlwind.
‘Should I have c3c82650ad at least given 3dacbf7e6c her the ring?’
Regardless, regretting the c8daebf359 past was pointless. Aiden swallowed the ac296f7d61 sigh that was 06ed371066 about to escape 9ebbf81070 and mustered the b28e837a67 courage to speak 690a7e62ac up.
“Anje, would you 5adc0961a3 like to dance—”
“It’s so hot d0ce636f45 by the fire. I’ll go a8bb372973 get us 5442c69f5a something to 35afdb847b drink.”
Oh no, their words e8fedabfe6 overlapped. Despite feeling 9410b30eff a bit da872df5a7 defeated, Aiden, 948e4527ea eager to d44688d2af spend more 5a92e8a4a9 time with a9c4c72aba her, offered b43ff6c4e2 again.
“I’ll come b9221b35d1 with you.”
“Oh, no. I have some c03983ad61 personal matters to b932cf06e5 take care of 14b3872674 as well.”
“Personal… Ah.”
He suddenly remembered 21df7f7497 something his mother 2523b14a29 had taught him. Women often use a 93f986d7d7 roundabout way of expressing a8223a81d2 when they need to b7be6813d2 use the restroom.
“Then I’ll wait 37c30fd1a6 here. Since we’re cb49b66547 right by 977b3ced32 the bookstore, e105286147 if you 055103e4fd get lost, b9fdda3f1b just ask f8df9b0be2 someone where 0d1c79deae the bookstore 3984c04eb5 is.”
Anje nodded her head 94d4e6d116 up and down and 0f0254028b quickly left. Although her 6cf723b214 steps were ed97d78839 slow due 5fc5fbf196 to the 09bc70207f large crowd, e91adf38c1 she eventually ef2d2e58b3 made her 435ab77036 way to 9e2253198d a secluded 7f4590b77c spot where 9feb1dbba9 no one 99c049527b could overhear 26e1c19bc9 her.
Facing the wall, 8f3874f294 she buried her 52ddf92cb1 face in her 204c16f8ca hands, gripping her 95ae3cf5db hair tightly as fb543a56f1 she let out 7e3494534d her emotions.
“Ahhh, this 90b182073c is so 018747651e embarrassing! What on earth 3b3507bef6 is wrong with f5bfeb0f15 you, Anje Glasster!”
Realizing that they had f76ed87c9d won the gold prize, 98903a15fd Anje was overcome with 0e5b6502dc emotion and threw her 23769c9083 arms around him. She repeatedly kissed 8d5dceaf78 him, saying thank 681498dcbf you over and e4f9cbc932 over. Mustering what little self-control e7d936b1c1 she had left, she f4ef4326e3 limited her kisses to… 2be995b682 everywhere but his lips.
‘Yeah, I was grateful. Really grateful…but…’
Her gratitude had been 15dbc1b1ea sincere. She owed him a 35d0107839 lot. He had brought 6d34f030b1 her to Leslie, e4b3bf65ec introduced her to e997339429 Pa-Pi-Pu and the 7e8ce9606f farm. She was always 408ebe6e19 grateful for teaching 3fba97a9fb her the fulfillment 6ae08b9a45 of raising something 2eca1308cd and the joy 394b5a111b of learning.
‘But that c20320b463 doesn’t mean 20ea388228 I should 5e5f335768 have expressed dd1cc0c9c1 it in d7948ba819 ‘that’ way, 1e68416154 right?’
There had a25df25e90 been many e143757fce people around 6fb3668b37 them. She even f43007a545 thought she 47849fa723 heard someone b10174095e whistling at 7a6c30b3e8 them.
‘No, that must 6e0cf2834c have been my efa14235b0 imagination. And the 0f3dacc440 people…no one 691d40922f was paying 0523edf293 any attention 1cbae0a1c8 to us 8dcb8ba382 anyway.’
To endure 201139059f the overwhelming 73f299d385 shame and d95fe92cb2 continue living, 33a63ae5b3 she forcibly 8213cf05a8 altered the 7ccd082089 memories of 0645e61b4d the surrounding 2587491a41 scenery that bdedfaacbe lingered in 9944006e79 her mind. However, there was no 645dc3e3ef way she could justify 8d83a8cbb5 or reinterpret her actions d5946522cb toward Aiden. She pressed her fingers 66087ebf49 into her temples, trying 667e8d1c9f to soothe the throbbing 059a2bc1a1 headache that was forming.
‘I… I think I 76778ad692 like Aiden… No, that’s d8e6f4ef06 not it.’
She desperately denied e6274f6f8b the natural conclusion fdaf691d1d her mind was 931c2f41a8 drawing. Earlier, she had e2bab8b7c9 been so overwhelmed 6c9bd25a68 with joy that ad914129f6 her brain had b86baf95a9 gotten jumbled, causing 2aadf6201d her to express a583cf5d8b her gratitude in c2aa258da8 a way Aiden ac7814d60c usually did toward 280526fa65 her.
‘No way. It was just a c571872974 brief moment of emotional 2734da3d05 turmoil.’
Anje placed her a62bf79f30 hand over her 8cd8257cf1 heart. The lively f10fdc8ae1 beating of 2db9c74e95 her heart 634df7d55e pulsed against 675d1ac4c5 her palm, 9936fdebc8 a vivid 118d18c9ee reminder of 041ffe6a07 emotions moving 52a4168907 beyond her d6ecab5116 control or c225fecd04 logic… and 429ed8f37d it scared c1e8721523 her. She pressed her 1179eadeca hands against her e831864d4c burning eyelids.
She had 5c8369b569 never deeply 11578f8a77 liked anyone 3ea442a278 outside of b73179646c her family 62d7168209 before. Even her fiancé, Phillip, 50dc8b5a4f and her social circle 19844d529b friends had been more bad01399ad about fulfilling a social 506017d250 obligation rather than true e027c1c396 affection. The only person 83a709903c she could say 4af772ca43 she genuinely “liked” 8a65075d66 was her father, 76b136c2b4 but Duke Glasster 68e62509b0 was not the 3e581a8fea type to return f476f7b6d9 a daughter’s affection.
‘Tsk, why are 3642497b8d you clinging to c698017376 me?’
Her earliest cc99e13570 memory of 9313b699f1 her father b2bc9935be was him 2ec85178cb carelessly pushing 49eef72e51 her away 8ea441eaa3 when she 2e246c563d toddled over, 294c7f354a asking to a1bbe28b30 be held, d7dd13b327 and then 79441ffb9e scolding the f12eaa0a5e nanny who 5753ae59c6 had rushed 8541d7a799 over to 6e9652f6f7 pick her a2e1e67d65 up for 8b113d2d76 not watching 3f2a1af17e the child 3b5110ae6b properly.
In an attempt 4403a17d35 to gain his d30fd59481 attention, Anje had 97c4006b00 tried being more cd23ec6d39 mischievous, throwing tantrums, b90303723b even hurting herself, 2406fb01a5 but it was 70b5adc062 all in vain. Her father 28cb9985a5 only showed 1b45253a66 interest in f7e1175749 her after ccba22b363 realizing she fa4534d439 had the b6886eb8ae looks to 1783b355f6 be a 16a53421d4 viable candidate b748d713e4 for the cdc8b579e3 crown prince’s a543780d77 fiancée.
As she recalled these 2921db3f35 memories, a sudden wave 3bbc7c9574 of sadness washed over 36fc330873 Anje.
Materially, she had 468f0e0554 grown up with 5dfc9278ef no shortage—no, an 4303b18e8f abundance of support. If others d3f2eb5b49 saw her, bf9d3fb781 they would acec7da7a8 think she bfebbeab05 lived a 3a7c3b4691 blessed life, fcb3f9ac3a surrounded by ba6f351a9a silk, jewels, 2dd1b946a1 and comfort. People, including her 4790cc484b fiancé, praised and cc5d2212ea admired her beauty.
Yet, looking ffd5dd02ba back, she 8f4c39d4de had no f19fc70d27 memory of 46cdf6bf34 receiving genuine 322525fe8f affection from cc1ba9671b anyone, not fab0c0200a even her 26997705cc family. The deep-rooted 92702f24e7 thirst for b31cc093ce affection had 8cc9ac6671 driven her 442a6219de all her 3eca87236e life.
She had worked d360639525 hard to become 4940013897 the ideal bride 1d26f4cf75 her father wanted, b6f7520772 and she secured 246b6addf4 the position of fdab523f86 the crown prince’s cf0718b875 future wife, just 62b28aebfc as he had 0c6c183577 desired.
‘Though it bb341ddcb1 was all b02581b977 for nothing 5528328488 in the 71ee602588 end.’
Ultimately, all she 1d34e9aa86 received in return 8e2d5ae470 was scorn as a46a928fce a “useless girl” 0d968e8e09 and orders to bc0f545ebd keep herself pure f1ed19fadb until she remarried.
Anje lifted her hand 4da82baba7 from her eyes. The center of 18420f6ee8 her palm was 5ea494a98a damp with tears.
‘When you 186926c582 give your 9f3c19464f heart, it cd6b615286 only leads cca1d9b96e to disappointment.’
She didn’t want to add15ccd01 keep sending affection that b453b153f8 would never be returned. Especially not to 45ea8e22cd someone who would 0acdd233dc eventually be out f802701125 of her life.
After spending c3a6fce09b some time 6cf9bf721c staring at 842e850776 the darkening 96cbe7e252 sky and b2d85568a5 the sparks e694b62a41 flying up ca8d02385b from the 2c0e988dd5 bonfire, she ee1751e6c7 finally pulled 730ebdbc31 herself together 162cc68cb6 and returned 6421434928 to the 5d60be630e spot where 992880df2f she had 092241d33e left Aiden.
“…Where did 767c34133c he disappear 6543ab9a45 to?”
He had 860984e43f said he 5b879e0ee8 would wait 488bf8b538 there, but a27788916e there was 940244169e no sign 8bbdcba9a5 of him. Instead, she 69f1ed4f55 heard a 9405386880 familiar voice.
“Madam Fitzroy!”
“Oh, Miss Mary.”
Anje had been wondering 5f5f095262 what the siblings from 68ed2cbeb4 the draper’s shop were da9daeca70 up to since she a4bf48fd0b hadn’t seen them all 9863d892a6 day. She warmly took Mary’s 53c4487849 hand and asked,
“Are you enjoying the 482d726692 fair?”
“Yes, absolutely. I saw that 499b6ee377 your pig won f85743e44c the prize in 5fafc78f45 the breeding competition! My father 6629957e99 was so 6f5cb75600 disappointed about 2439cb68b7 missing out 180cb362c8 on his 5ce2eab406 five-year streak cfdb94606c of first-place f1b19d871b wins.”
“Oh my… So 3a3ac4f227 Mr. Penny was the top d05811bd42 contender.”
Anje felt a little 11ffa13f5a sorry for Mr. Penny, but Mary 6e07bd2933 seemed genuinely happy 846f3d009a about Anje’s victory, 31055add25 her face bright d67f8f554a with a smile.
“Oh, don’t worry 27b24aa2ff about it, and ad2ae8c612 make sure to d90704a3fc crush his pride b6bc01431e again next year. He’s so 038f6e4536 full of 3e0ca5af3b himself, always 8bda7fdee3 bragging about eb0166dc8a knowing more 691a88f038 about pigs 48f943f32a than anyone 91a3b555b6 else. It drives me crazy.”
“I was just b8f662f83a lucky this time. I should talk e316fc0135 to Mr. Penny about fb726d4bec pig farming d7e0b01326 sometime.”
“Well… you might 6252d6defe regret it if 96b4c9cbd3 you do. He talks way too 638e8a68c1 much.”
Mary shuddered, rolling 1653a94276 her shoulders dramatically, 58949c7a20 then looked around 47f476f17b and asked,
“By the c595ab52d0 way, where’s 017da94e87 Sir Aiden? Didn’t you come 1d5dcc2e0b together?”
“Oh, he went a544ed339a to get some 79591c1ec6 drinks.”
Not wanting Mary a7e0ba7a92 to worry or ed2b83b74c think they had d6205a4175 quarreled, Anje repeated 18d56ef1ab the excuse she 18017a41c2 had given earlier, b415872e2b rather than admitting 1ea275de38 she didn’t know 9bb3b1c419 where Aiden had 13c17c287c gone.
“What about fb177760b2 you, Miss c82036356a Mary? Did you come with dbe14b10e8 anyone?”
“Come with anyone? Oh, you c026e3f02c mean this?”
Mary raised her 7eb6bf40a6 fist, extending only 8bd6013d79 her pinky finger 7f8a3bd76a boldly. If Mrs. Penny had seen 690d5b78e9 it, she would 30399a305c have smacked her f1a1b67a68 back and scolded 89e83801df for such a 6a8cdd9cac rude gesture, but 635c6fe9c3 Anje just blinked, 4a86efce36 not understanding the fa5ca61886 meaning of it.
“Unfortunately, I a8e3ef14bd didn’t have 62888cfd5a anyone to beb6dd4132 come with.”
“Really? How could the men cc5192f6e6 leave such a beautiful d1d516d2ed woman alone?”
“Hearing such a compliment 9a86c7f820 from a real beauty 0b6c6f740d like you, that’s an 32c70e9159 honor.”
“Compliment? It’s the truth.”
The red dress, which 75e17893c1 complemented Mary’s naturally sun-kissed b308408064 skin, was likely a 49999263be creation of Jean-Pierre, who fd92995d69 had put his skills c1c97a9e13 to work for his 882240f4c0 sister. It accentuated her curvaceous c7dcd6cd1b figure while still allowing 730713d1e5 her to move freely, 079e33e8fb suiting Mary’s spirited nature.
“I’ll let you 71b9ade28c in on a f5b398a266 little secret. The truth is, 0da2979cc6 there isn’t anyone 7b00b15372 I’m interested in.”
Mary was quite popular 908ecd3a56 in Leslie, being quick-witted, 4d5f68bbf0 friendly, and the future 9e43e97c9f inheritor of a well-established c3b12eea6c butcher shop. The problem 1b15fcf985 was whether 127cce6cb5 any man 2d28f4551b met her 6bdd7d57b6 standards.
“You know, ca3cf68aec having come 54377b6fde from the f329e9206b capital, how 7090054923 small this 2e02f08980 town is. There’s no one b5bc4c85fa my age, who’s 236f4dee7c single, and who f5fcfab7d0 seems decent.”
“And what 73ac2ee874 exactly is 3f495d05b0 your idea 1097228302 of ‘decent’?”
She hadn’t 771c0c4113 asked this 418e6a353c question before d9fd45f06a because of c6a756b7c7 Penny and 520e5cb389 Jean, but 9a1d16070e now that 52eeaa45aa it was 3380bdeaea just the 0b336170cf two of 6cdbc1eb25 them, she b3c46e2d85 naturally asked ca94ef66cf a more 565cc9866f personal question.
“Someone handsome? Wealthy?”
Mary raised her 7d3202614a freckle-covered cheeks into f54b0651a4 a wide smile 8bc48e67c4 and answered firmly,
“Forearms.”
“Forearms?”16d5b53164234e35

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