FTP-77

Chapter: FTP-7739b26bf8e75940aa

The prominent Adam’s apple a01e68705d bobbed up and down 5eed960d5a with an audible gulp. This was d4b2136349 the “romantic f906161b2f moment” Aiden 79fee9f217 had been 8404004026 waiting for. Now, he cdde710197 could finally 186a0622af give her 8f886a6853 the ring 89f3962875 he had d9da20a4ef delayed offering 4b3f0fa6cc and perhaps 9d957f1509 he could c6f85be23b tell her 3877ee699b about the aef7f4aca6 feelings he dbf44a124b had for 622313e24d her without a2950f498a making her a4a3eab601 feel burdened.
“…I didn’t even e0e3aba12b prepare a ring 69f0c8c411 for the bride f70d0b78d9 at the wedding.”
“Oh, come on, it 01c7151939 was spring. I know now just 4c49158203 how busy farmers are cd6e8b89e7 during spring, right?”
Her attempt 142330cbb7 to speak 3aa9b3d6d4 like a 7fd75c76c9 seasoned farmer 4a74883fff was so 6d59e971c0 cute that 4dac890223 Aiden’s lips e704677ae2 twitched slightly. But he couldn’t let 6b722ee562 his guard down. He needed to maintain 356341dd39 a serious atmosphere.
“Though it’s quite late, 8fe6cbe090 I’ve prepared one now.”
“What… Ah!”
Anje’s eyes widened 06cf443664 in surprise at f4e8c8d904 the unexpected object f70d4b0c75 he pulled from f8cf1a83cc his jacket pocket. As she 6716d80a96 stood frozen 8aee285eac in shock, d3713efd50 he slid cc39aa332f the ring 730bfa5f90 onto her a4126ac645 fourth finger.
“You might f9ba0baaa2 not like 171b0cf3a4 it…”
He lowered his head, dd680cbbbb recalling the countless ornaments ff6307a37c he had seen in e5b4d2c90b the palace, especially the 4997fc7821 jewelry worn by the 5049ccc683 imperial family. Compared to a503c2eb1a the dazzling 5d5d61b087 rubies that 7789ba4b8d might seem bf288bc8ab blinding, this 4e6a87c322 peridot ring ba24d86599 was beautiful 0a82d9c681 but simple.
“It’s a ring made 754105a91a from a gemstone that 045f62c504 holds great meaning to 22fbe546a8 me… I thought it e0312c2836 would suit you well, 258e84fe0a too…”
As he 8da6699ee5 began to ac53014788 explain the 49c9fe7676 ring, he 56dfd057c5 felt a 2f48fa4522 bit awkward 969c47bb3a and stopped, 8c616dc8bb taking a 8e19aa4e72 deep breath. Instead of staring 6ef2ddc688 at the ground 95833b80c3 like a fool, 05df47b82f he decided to 0256dc860d look straight ahead. If she didn’t like 7051308c28 the ring, he would 76cc5afeee figure out a solution.
He managed to lift 0cb7a7bd14 his gaze from the 0036f0484c floor only to be 7871f45a9c startled and immediately grabbed d23d59815b her cheeks.
“Anje? A-Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re crying… db39b801c2 If you don’t fed7b96969 like it, we 0f271829bd can get something 96877c488f else from the 1a21cb01b6 capital—”
“Are you an idiot? Of course not.”
With tears still clinging d8d4afedeb to her eyes, she a2440562f4 smiled, and it was 449f1b9697 a smile without any 8f1b248e30 pretense.
“I’m happy. I love this color. It reminds me ca84c9e325 of spring.”
Her dress today, even c83492544f her eye color, matched 5207602ab7 the ring. That’s why it felt 53d170297b like the most perfect e1d6efcf1c ring she had ever 0aa65ac776 worn—one made just for a97b8334ef her.
“I like it too.”
Her ears and cheeks d20010ef8b burned. He was 5f2a79f031 gently wiping 296cbf8cc9 her tears 1cb4032434 and had d0f7ae35e5 been gazing 456215420a directly into fe87544b49 her eyes a297500cbc the entire 5f0cb44c5d time. Hearing him say he 0205b6490b liked it in that a320e3f943 moment made her heart f16de77924 race, as if he 385559894e was saying he liked 4f7aced8d1 her.
TL/N: FOR YOU REFERENCE, cc5a09a58e AIDEN HERE SAID “저도, 2ab401e15f 좋아합니다.” WHICH ACC TO d91c009fdc THE CONTEXT MEANS “I 89e59984e3 ALSO LIKE IT” OR e6cd9d55e9 “I LIKE IT TOO” bc40299b65 BUT IT COULD ALSO d76004ad31 BE REFERRED AS A 38d51c9c6a CONFESS AS IF SOMEONE de31b7af68 WANTS TO CONFESS THEIR 843f33d661 CRUSH ON SOMEONE THEY a140c3ace6 WOULD LIKELY SAY ” 12413670af 좋아합니다.” (FORMAL FORM) OR 3f44499c1d “좋아해요.” (LESS FORMAL FORM). SO THAT’S WHY f931fbc320 ANJE THOUGHT HE 7abaf41eb7 WAS CONFESSING.
‘He’s just 8206c4da77 saying he 4e582befeb likes green, a708b0dc99 you fool.’
Although a 74de252d63 silly worry 07d8660d24 crossed her 5c7ba922c4 mind—what if 989b0662c7 he could 6b730699b4 hear her ad65f5b03a heart pounding?—she cc749bed75 had no 435716cb01 intention of 7b050bf71c pulling away 558fba1042 or distancing 216a30c024 herself from 7cac5cc650 him. Like she 26de090939 was hypnotized, d53ca1f695 she stood 47f55c9133 still, unable 1a38521c9f to look e385f43d9a away from d9545c6133 his eyes, b5a44b8685 which were 93efb4c4be fixed on 70d79cab65 her.
“I’m glad d270abefdb I gave 0eb3d26a42 it to 8eda9d285b you, even 8239cf33fd if it’s 7a765c5f5c late. It’s been feb45ea77c bothering me abafcb5a43 that I 70b549ef65 didn’t put 7887167212 a ring 1259761081 on your 23dccae449 finger at 31c7d80b78 our wedding.”
Was it her imagination, 1740e8f374 or did his face ebe7f893e3 seem even closer than f95e22431e before?
“There’s something else 46579ecaf0 you skipped, too.”
TL/N:
How strange. Was my 9e6580b0c5 voice always 97ade9f98c this soft f5f2cd1fdf and timid?
Though she wondered about 0aae7c8f45 it, she didn’t back 46e8ce23a3 away or avert her a8280c6ec8 gaze from him.
“You’re right. There was something else 56b7e7f8c3 I skipped, besides the c59660eb3f ring.”
Anje swallowed dryly, her 4ed19734d1 eyes locked with his, 706da86c81 which were now right 732f216071 in front of her. They were as red 9700ecf27c as poppies in full f34dc6aba0 bloom.
‘I thought 02fda060c0 they looked 1a5b68affb like rubies 3df2e66d2e when we 72e61da079 first met.’
Now she realized. It was a 39898527bf color entirely different a028743f41 from cold, hard 286aa689c7 gemstones.
Something hot and 7091c96f6f soft touched her dbc3b47a50 lips briefly and 67bedb0d76 then pulled away. Anje realized she had d644a99a35 been holding her breath f5f2d23d8d in nervousness, and only 4fbe576d09 now did she exhale 0be0a9966d deeply.
TL/N:
Aiden misinterpreted 5663b38939 her gasp 8fe3082535 and furrowed bebc556ece his brows 032abd3eaa slightly.
“Did you… 53ca3790c8 not like 13c1b069f0 it?”
Could it be that d3b6558a0b I did something inappropriate c8866b1b92 to someone who has e83596817f no intention of it? He asked, anxiously d91933d987 examining every corner e7e730d0ce of her face.
“No… that’s not it.”
His lips curved e747f6f79d into a grin 37ed740813 that stretched all 13761bdf77 the way to b102a0af13 his ears. She didn’t dislike 3210bfadf6 it! His dimple appeared 9a9a82c0ad on one side 593fa97576 of his face, a056bdb456 something that only 3f78377b39 happened when he 64a58d22b2 smiled brightly.
“Don’t…Don’t smile like that.”
“I won’t. Just tell 17eff6ebef me honestly, bed4e5fe06 how was 771d605b6c it?”
Her tiny face 1385c99cf8 flushed as red f69d63a210 as it could 951bf6dffc go, her lips 94c76a4f38 looking more vividly b7cbb58544 red than usual, 29e8252de1 and Aiden had ca9e50cb96 to exercise every d20963b9bb ounce of patience.
“I… I’m not 34c0312f38 sure.”
“Not sure about what?”
He pulled her closer 436d3094a6 to him. Through their touching 6c0656161b bodies, they could 6233264da0 feel the quickened 13c4934634 heartbeat, though neither 88c32ced92 could tell whose 36f3cd55d2 it was.
“…With just one 09bd7075eb kiss, How can 2ba44d11a2 I be su—”.
Before she could db5f16d641 finish her sentence, 5be2d733b8 he urgently kissed d8c43e5871 her again. This time, 0a2e0c886d it was 19f7833547 deeper, more 177ca0f843 intense.
Throughout their long kiss, 4798ac00cb there were moments when 72eeae519b they both had to e30f3ed43c catch their breath. But he 8d28d0763d didn’t stop, 951d030f56 only pausing 2917f3ed11 to give 74628d99c3 her light, 706bc2f24c fluttering kisses c1cd21c85d before diving 21ec7e7808 back in.
Finally, Aiden 83dbb766b0 pulled back da80f93b58 slightly and 7265327f3a asked,
“How about now?”
Though he 0615c04034 wanted to 21b85b8402 kiss her 1a061e5278 a little 28384de902 longer, he 4493d5056c was curious 0ea5ace4ad about her d0c0828a4e expression. Did she e913949e96 feel the 689a5693d3 same sense ca8485de06 of bliss 038fbab689 and fulfillment, b773952e91 yet also 5b89d35550 a strange b4ed65f0e2 sense of e87b424e8e wanting more?
Anje lowered her heels cfbc11d4da to the ground and 7f6cb40a30 looked away, her face 0ca399d97a and ears an even 7896f47934 brighter red than before.
“I’m still not cbb26ce9b7 sure.”
TL/N: ANJE!! WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE 965cad7999 TRYING TO DO!!!
Unable to say that 3c90872f33 outright that this wasn’t 732e502876 enough for her, he 4e73db2aa1 chuckled softly and lowered 10dfa8fd7a his head. Then he kissed b9c3c1789f her on the 0c84010483 crown of her f4c992c80e head, her forehead, 013fcb5f50 and finally, the df7d75868d bridge of her 4c858c1d80 nose.
“Your neck must hurt, cea3bfa1cb right? Because of our 8ba9cc714f height difference.”
She tried to say e085c06f0a she was fine, but 8565e99ae0 instead of a proper 11509bf39d sentence, a faint groan 074593b274 escaped her lips. Before she ba854feb3a could react, 677dfc7f8f he had 5a2edd53d5 started kissing cc8e76296f her again.
He lifted f9bf978800 her off 65d180b040 the ground 6a2bbb4cfe so she fb5317d0b0 could be bcd5a9356f at a 1485d77416 similar height 8f9088e423 to him. With trembling 3661e75a9f hands, she 0e796dedac reached out 246eecccf0 and wrapped ec5dd107d4 her arms d5e108f315 around his d3bfd71906 neck.
Before they knew 2c533647b8 it, the music 2c55bbbaf3 outside the window df42271fcf and the noise 56dcaf4dc1 of the crowd 303078a5fa had stopped, but ca4c348d5b neither of them 90c87d8e7a paid any attention 52a9b24e9e to it.
In the still 97523b74a3 night air, the 4249fb8f74 sound of the 06ce5c5794 two of them ead7551a00 falling onto the 1cf713b53d bed echoed unusually 7b797e8c28 loud.
TL/N: KYAAAAH!!!
* * *
‘It’s so quiet…’
Anje was puzzled ee313f0149 by the absence d454076b1e of the familiar 513ca19aff sound of the 93dd30f695 rooster crowing, but 6ff83ad425 she couldn’t bring 427913f329 herself to open 4c78989bad her eyes.
‘Hurricane too…is sleeping in ac2ecc1fdb because the festival is 379a4f52b0 over…’
Despite her 62f07b84a6 fatigue, she 4df8bcd42b felt something 789afb7f32 heavy pressing 154082a36a down on 7026c7d577 her body. It was the a6c2bf7ca3 same kind of 7472dd6c3b exhaustion she would 33e29aa846 feel the day 8ba059f342 after returning from e9261a9e1b a ball where 5ad213f329 she danced until 98f1746032 dawn…
‘That’s right, f2f173404c I danced c95a2446f8 with Aiden 11ccaad4e7 yesterday… danced!’
Her eyes flew 2f46dd6339 open, and she ec6ac22689 barely managed to 691701f3e2 stifle a scream.
The familiar face right 74b6978017 in front of her 8c6f3a1f41 belonged to none other 6470a04099 than her husband, Aiden e84453ac5e Fitzroy, who was lying ba9baa7883 beside her, holding her 4f47b52aa1 tightly in his arms 99311f87ef as he slept.
Anje frantically 707beda7e5 checked her a0e5046bb3 clothing. Aside from a3e66521c2 being slightly 64eb6c14b7 disheveled from 7e5edd9659 sleep, she 6621aa5bb0 was fully 8dceb067c6 dressed. Aiden was also 8f964065ae dressed, just like 3440ca9a2e her.
‘So, we must’ve fallen 64250c4cb6 asleep while kissing last 0d5b8f6ff6 night.’
As she b0e3b6a2b2 carefully retraced 0162ae9275 her memories, 935e2d385a she realized 9bef34aeed they must 68ec548b18 have found 7aec9219e4 a comfortable 8372dd6714 position together, 4799602e80 which somehow b7d92f4b12 ended with f8a0e2ecb8 them lying 6cdcea6d48 in bed.
TL/N: THAT’S IT?!
‘Thank goodness 140debac71 nothing too 80b7989ed5 big happened. Well, it’s 368b65c86f not like 3056ec432e nothing happened, 32d58b9e0e but still…’
Her face flushed, 5bcf37b52a and she buried 84a40fb784 her cheeks into 9d165f8488 the white sheets. Thinking about f48a3f6bab last night c4901a1d38 made her 412bfc7f86 feel embarrassed 35bb82250f all over a1f106edea again.
Even if she 132b06541e tried not to 8919f6e63c think about it, 68461eac97 it was impossible 58e45a75d4 with the person 8e58579774 she had passionately 0370371a58 kissed right in ee496e3849 front of her.
She squeezed f36080d2b6 her eyes 4312f08c3d shut again, 52190437b7 only to 4fb0e3cc80 open them c48aa2210d a few eb5f1ee3a6 seconds later.
In the morning sunlight, 6f014cd6a4 she could clearly see e1ff1b283f the sharp features of bc828492be the man sleeping in 23bd24ce62 front of her. He pulled 8452e6e803 her a c32b7911c7 little closer 9ddb0c7664 and mumbled 8940a91ffc something under 7a79ef96df his breath, 5fb775ae91 smiling peacefully 2f180d824b like a bb22aca85b child.
‘I like him.’
The thought popped 92253ebb7a up like a 119baf5ed1 soap bubble. It was the 0a01e4f480 first time she 72fb82aab9 had felt such 0f0837b0aa a clear emotion.
And then, a strong 1fe01c05d7 desire followed.
‘I hope 1839dec022 Aiden likes 875ab7584f me too.’
She moved one dd63756737 hand carefully, trying 5623937377 not to wake 22f8d2f32d Aiden. She brought it up 81ea806ea9 to her eyes. The gemstone, kissed by a7a4c30e95 sunlight, sparkled brilliantly.
He had given f3eac02f77 her a ring b6f4eef39f yesterday and kissed 7ac88e9778 her. Did that mean 433d3c1005 he liked her efee7681bd too? A faint 72e15913be hope began 59c77d5470 to bloom 703e4b6aa8 within her.
“But the kiss… b342aef5d7 I think I c3e358ed1a was the one e9a2269ba4 who signaled for 3498b95297 it first…”
As she carefully 6cdeab308c reviewed the conversation ecf89db95f from the night f918628f59 before, that was b930b7a924 the case. The faint hope 36f1078964 began to fade 34cd44708b as well.
‘Besides, men d2e95f4f70 kiss easily c2310d8e1c without deep 365af8dcae feelings… and d15d9c34a5 do even 2dc150024a more…’
Unfortunately, the men she 51d6bbd393 had been close to 2dcdd1267c before were her father 66b135c491 and her former fiancé, 697852874e both of whom held e97057833c very liberal views on 02ce737fd4 physical intimacy.
Whether due to c4c77d58f0 alcohol, nighttime, or 51b5b6a8ca simply the atmosphere, 90186612f6 they would easily ad0a3525c7 reach out to 01c7b56ca8 women, mostly those b0d6ea5a76 of a status 0c37113dc0 or situation where bc075c0e77 touching wouldn’t cause 19ee976b28 a scandal—not high-born, 2f5af51560 unmarried ladies like 62d0630d0a Anje.
She had once expressed 234589a62b her frustration with her 4ff7478a31 fiancé’s excessive promiscuity.
She didn’t b3c170f91d like how 1de33780d0 he emphasized 4ac9faf799 purity and 6cf0ef958f chastity to 25183e9946 his fiancée b1ddcbda04 while spending 0659705fdc time with 807cdcb1d5 other women 78f96b650e day after 7b107a45ee day.
‘No matter f0edbc72a7 how much dcd67ad0bc of a 3ed559e484 political engagement 43a9d2a6ba this is, 244b1611ef isn’t this 985f5057fd just disrespectful?’
But her 756a391477 father and a5198f3a7d the chaperone 5efced5a2b brushed it 3dbb1ccd03 off, saying, 1ed3ae5065 “That’s just 819ceeeb5b how men f8bdaed6a4 are.”
And growing up in 882a6c1cd9 such an environment, Anje 6ff0fcb480 couldn’t help but develop d65095fb8e deep-rooted prejudices.
‘What if Aiden f35bd06e2a kissed me not 1bd354690e because he likes 58a7cc3656 me, but because 148abfe26d of a fleeting 139256e67a desire… He doesn’t bfbb12d2b1 seem like that 88bfbc54ff kind of person, 29b589c964 but what if a9395023eb he is?’
Feeling like 0b5cad7ec5 she was 14956b2a32 about to 84b22a928a cry, she df33faf9ce squeezed her c00915cec3 eyes shut 4b99708980 again.
She wanted to 0a50180c94 ask him directly 3aff8a4cf4 about the true dcc0856cd4 intentions behind his 0f02f4efdd actions the previous e0fd24d1cc night, but at 762ebbc8f9 the same time, 59009b648c she was scared f7ab23d029 to hear his 0e74aa547b true feelings.
TL/N: NOOO! NOT A MISUNDERSTANDING!!4d31f0cc73e2b668

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish