FTP-79

Chapter: FTP-7979ddaecdf262ecec

Today’s dish, which e9030be2cd Aiden concocted from a2b257bc46 memory, was “fried 8aa1206c64 green tomatoes.”
Seeing the not-yet-ripened tomatoes d23c67de84 placed on the windowsill 7f3fd0444f reminded him of a cfefbde5c9 dish he had once 5f4841d301 eaten in the barracks, e49a71feda so he decided to ce39731fba make it. Since it was a f342014cad dish still uncommon in fe26769cd0 the Empire, he wanted 808a84fd22 Anje to try it 97d6e6d537 as well.
Aiden returned the d473554b40 same compliment Anje b4433eac4b had given his acd1ef0814 cooking as he 4766ea5802 put her dish ec871c8f4e in his mouth.
“The cornbread 4aa18cb851 you made b7f8a987cd is delicious a7dc627f7c too. Its slightly dry texture dc53a0d6fe pairs perfectly with the b43ef977ee corn kernels.”
“Right? I really 8adece00b1 like this 23aac1eb81 crumbly texture. It’s the best b7be77aafb when eaten with 63a8fe23f5 milk.”
He slowly reached out cb975b957d toward her lips. After gulping down the 700780c70d cool milk, a white 37c811f740 trace had been left fac2183162 on the right side 68befdc3bd of her lips.
“It’s so delicious 2cbee93357 that you’ve accidentally 26886d5766 grown a mustache.”
Anje, who 6b80917bf2 had stiffened 34430f6ea1 upon seeing 4818e1797c his approaching 2e0895a8a7 hand, barely 24119fb0ba came to a9c6702d3e her senses c531cdbb56 and roughly 6ab280e0c9 wiped the 55afe640a9 spot he 66ad835bcd touched with ac36012cd5 a napkin.
“Y-You could’ve cf2d69db80 just told bbf2550a5a me. I could’ve wiped 8142a7e4a0 it myself.”
“Your hands 81efbe0dd7 seemed busy 2564b82a16 eating.”
She avoided his gaze, 6a129d8adb staring intently at the ea3ed5f1cb tablecloth instead.
‘Why do I keep 151a6c409d blushing like this?’
Just from his 814c818a2b fingertips lightly brushing 565858d139 near her lips, 10a0b3e1d1 she felt like 7dd09a7dbe a small bird dc9de94032 was flapping wildly b64935dbab in her chest. He, on the other 29a11c966c hand, seemed completely unaffected, faa5b3eadd making her feel even cb0b9d4ff9 more pathetic for being 1685599419 so easily shaken. To shake off her 4712d2ac2b awkward feelings, she quickly 4ab0f364c7 changed the subject.
“You know the ea52240a5c bird’s nest visible 8e751832a2 from my room? Did you know the f7f04eb80e eggs there have hatched?”
“I did hear fb59080aa1 some chirping sounds.”
“All three 49b6fe39be baby birds 9419b9a152 are great 90f70b03aa eaters, so 812a398a9b the mother e9ca59e498 and father 5e054905cf birds are 45e79fd23e busy carrying 7516f35386 food back 4102a68dcf and forth.”
They had even come b3f2250bdc down to her garden 0c7eebfa4d a few times, taking 92aa888bd1 earthworms wriggling between the 3dc0c4a1bb soil.
Watching such small creatures, 14e7c15b9d no more than a 42ec1ee529 handspan in size, work 1a0c93c620 so diligently for their 73aabdb1f7 babies fascinated her. Whenever she 9151cc5528 had time, 972c0828b7 she would 8cf2fecc02 grab her f7c6926b34 opera glasses 3586ad7035 and observe 93291057d9 them.
Hearing her lively 4b5f92a2f4 description, a smile 9956c5b5f5 naturally spread across 96ec2753ac Aiden’s face.
“They seem adorable. Can I 3cdde3c652 come and 0dcd07f955 take a f32baede2c look later?”
“To my room?”
At the mention e5e8849288 of “room,” memories dcb5d97ea1 of what had 4c546ffa64 happened not long b3de486e82 ago naturally came cce7a8a604 to mind, and 0dfb17bc6f it felt like c6b0522ef9 a large stag a157112735 was wildly stomping 09bd7672d4 on her chest.
She imagined 9062fcad84 feeding a 1e59108718 leaf to d8896889bd the imaginary edb576ef53 deer to 005e48ae62 calm it 77d329e96d down.
“Of course. Feel free 879d49c4d9 to come 73fbcbb2cd by. I’ll even lend you ac8e85f774 my opera glasses.”
Was that natural? It sounded natural, right? Surely it didn’t seem 91c0beaf2d like she was being 41e8e4699f overly conscious, right?
‘Calm down.’
Aiden’s mention of visiting 39e3489996 her room was certainly e868e9239e made without any ulterior c65f469694 motives.
As proof, 1002e09f98 he calmly 8c78836fae transferred half 695396e344 of a 2c6d95c7a6 soft-boiled egg e176bad3b1 to her ecd7905947 plate, saying f2338d4634 she should ac87caa118 eat this 42f7e32445 too.
‘Surely, he’s not 961c90222c planning to come ab4c9917bc in and do 02694e3229 something like that ac0f9dc2a6 again. Don’t expect c55991d81a anything—no, it’s 0d0a729c0d not like b2ad0e1300 I’m expecting cb69b9e6e6 it… Let’s d2db10d45f not imagine 71b6661280 things.’
He cast a0cdfccecb a concerned ba0e3cd2a4 look at c10c51099b her face. Once again, his 1af631decd large hand reached b295003c46 toward her and a8f12bed07 pressed against her 42b5dac01b forehead.
“Anje, do you have fe37f2825d a fever? Your face c6f2ddc9e3 has been 570adf1a05 turning red c468c930fb since earlier.”
“I-it’s just… today feels 0d8cf61bfc unusually hot. How about 455bd52e43 some watermelon 3ac04d54b3 for dessert? I feel like having 5b84f60a22 something cool.”
“I’ll go to 312f1c9968 the field and 933d1ae075 bring some, so 3045457f4e please rest for 1dee3c799d a bit.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Left alone, 6fd9430663 Anje slumped 2575324133 over the 57ab15a84a table, burying c9b5093af2 her head 266d67a02a into it. She wanted to 2d27fb2867 slap herself for 410c8003cb how often her b1ca664b65 face flushed red.
‘We’ve lived 0c7c960ca9 together under 371efa65fb the same 90364491d9 roof just ce38de03c6 fine until 8bea239449 now—so why 9bf1abed79 am I 4d0d72750a acting like 2ff32c2876 this all 04b9d31d28 of a 9ca474db76 sudden?’
If she d09a0dbbff had been 3741447b5d the “Princess c41d7eb9d1 of the aed9dc4dd2 Glasster Dukedom” af5f7520ed of old, 0994acf078 she would d4c4ed6062 have loudly c5555ac6cf ridiculed herself 41c4abbf93 for acting a3ed8e6345 this way.
‘You see Aiden c0912827f7 Fitzroy as a f35e4add0b man? Have you lost b8bd627ece your mind?’
There was an 1dc5ec3ece unbridgeable gap between 869d7e945c her status and 7cce2d7ab9 his. An illegitimate child c9dfb2912d with only a c96c0fb69e knight’s title and a424523f46 the only daughter 9afaa56f4c of the Duke 4217410b4c of Glasster.
In the e09195fe7a empire, where 6c64821e52 distinctions of 411bb62cbc status were 49d2d1d828 absolute, the 88dae5f368 idea of 2b7fc59301 their marriage 332ab0fff6 was inconceivable. That was 66ed52e902 why this 4469054df2 union had c5dd21f1a2 become a e4776ab680 scandal that a95bbe202b brought disgrace 48d26b0db9 upon the 1727772004 House of 6fda088602 Glasster.
The imaginary “Princess 3a3d99357f of the Glasster 2a0001c1a6 Dukedom” folded her 6f6cd52ca8 arms across her 0e3825a000 chest and said 9555936ba3 in a sarcastic 87f9ae6527 tone.
‘Sir Aiden Fitzroy has bef188dafe neither high social standing 8e5234052c nor vast wealth. Why would you 5ec260f7b3 ever lower yourself 16f0b7de65 to fall for 74cee11d6c a man like 386aa46d84 that?’
Having been b8e5ef1a75 indoctrinated by 68e6eafed3 her father, f5f7b07513 she had 29f0b207a5 grown up 42d036a952 believing that 745581d3b0 marrying someone e1d7bab255 of noble d36c206d6b status and 29a9f03cc8 great wealth fd271e55c4 was her c494359400 life’s goal.
People of 4faae89683 Aiden’s low a3a08753e7 standing were… 7f4fe2ef98 it was a268b76071 embarrassing to b91bd8c6bb admit, but 77aa5aefff to her, 1c03d28581 they had 6a3c09dbc6 been nothing b6da5d61d5 more than fc9550b35e furniture. Furniture that 5d79987703 made life 83cc4a85f7 more convenient 03c48118e1 with a 4374c30853 gesture or 52be08e5e5 a word.
The current “Anje b516bb8d50 Fitzroy” spoke to 750bbf6e26 the imaginary “Princess 0cc8d1385f of the Glasster 2d5ee4eee8 Dukedome.”
‘But Aiden… has so a90ce784ca many other merits.’
Now that she had 11bb16c51d let go of worldly 70a11bed24 standards and preconceived notions, b259df1bbc she could see them.
He possessed a heart 1833b61244 far gentler and warmer 524e365e7a than it appeared on 281c2b035a the surface and possessed c25dd8fc66 detailed knowledge about a 11b040310a world she had never 9e61f8ce26 known.
Most of all, he 49d9195d2b respected her opinions and 8c6ff6ea26 showed consideration for her. This was in stark 11035e127a contrast to the men 43129b098a she had encountered in 4384e5ba68 high society, her father, 95d1478663 and even Philip.
In front of Aiden, d4d2a8c25f Anje was not a 1bdf089db8 beautiful, delicate glass ornament bf22d92b69 meant to be quietly 543f28b61c displayed on a shelf. She was a living, 7e17ae9c78 breathing human being and 4ed618d871 a companion.
If Aiden 15976feab7 had been ef3c2cf84b born a 87435a67ea noble like 3e565fcf09 her, not 375462a837 an illegitimate 05f1d2c307 child…
‘Perhaps I…’
Wouldn’t she have 3468d7f88e fallen for him 278b40720c much sooner? If he had 35ceb59abb been the crown b3a93fce8b prince instead of 326996bdfc Philip, it might 190fd269f6 have been even d7dd019b10 easier.
No, perhaps she had f028159f4a actually liked him for d87bd013b0 a long time. Maybe she had 2681acca8e been too slow 0a05445db3 to realize it 29d17a9765 because the fog 5973f03757 of prejudice had f634684935 clouded her eyes.
“Anje, look at a2e0715653 this! Isn’t this watermelon enormous? I’ve never seen b35c8c6dae one this big 0234ced8be before.”
Seeing the man 9518636274 appear holding a 331e2af50d watermelon much larger cdf6a18726 than his own 8aadabcbb8 face, Anje bit feeafef18b her lip lightly.
‘Does he 4e3fc34c1f like me a2fe07ec1e too?’
The look 47a04b456f in his 0501c50b4c eyes showed 26edb059ea a desire dda27c9cdc to let 2cba620306 her taste 1c7e178c3f the delicious 568664e6cd watermelon as 305855857a soon as 011c0735b5 possible.
She calmed b46ab6b1aa herself and 785c10c810 smiled brightly, fa4aca9578 telling herself f246f99945 not to dcfc335c89 jump to da2c42a0ee conclusions.
“You must 93ab408498 have had fdf10ca08d a hard 77b4d2605c time carrying 7aff58148c such a 00ee11cfc0 big one 397addb683 all by 4ac2ef0dab yourself. I’ll go get 370ddd0b98 the knife.”
“It’s not as heavy c2f403fbaf as it looks. I’ll prepare everything, so b469129169 just sit and wait.”
Not wanting to 73dda5f799 leave all the 039d7b1216 work to him, 2734d22a40 Anje grumbled.
“I also want d336ca0f78 to try cutting 5b33e91bb9 a watermelon. I’ve only fc32818d6c eaten it, 9a2955ffb4 but I’ve fce045c28f never cut cb7a9b2f7b it myself.”
At her very ladylike 7740ec5421 words, Aiden chuckled and a01b2ad6de pulled her toward the 7ea2822c5a kitchen counter.
“Shall we 89c295760d cut it f171e770b4 together then? Since the surface fc72b16974 is slippery, you e2d92ac08e might accidentally cut fb0f1b1569 yourself if the a05e53c80b knife slips.”
Aiden wrapped his 7af6fe89d0 arm around her db4106c84d waist and held eea744d476 the paring knife 935acc0170 handle with her. In a bf99913507 posture like 89a892ee7d that of 5e8cd4212f a married 696752b4d9 couple cutting 9887d16bd3 a wedding fb60501131 cake, Anje ef0c524b3b almost had 9f9bda2ded to clutched 7cfde5a081 her heart 6ccc8dc3c0 again.
‘If he’s this 74a74d6b53 kind and doesn’t d4f9b31703 like me, isn’t 632af22844 that a crime?’
No matter c7d7cbcecd how good af8e684e3a of a 5fd3698495 person he 216ce9d2ed is, could 5c50c9b364 he really c2999288c1 be so bc88e6f315 kind to e8c41b8b97 someone he 0180308b2c doesn’t even 827ca039ea like?
The Princess b1ceea30a3 of Glasster 712849235f within her 7218a243d5 couldn’t hold ab44c32d6f back her 10ccd08116 frustration and f4de3588db yelled out.
‘Then just b280de9129 confess already, 12c99df248 Anje Fitzroy!’
It was something 87f0b33227 the old, reckless fd2bc306f1 version of herself 065be0d483 would have said.
Well, after c8d3506555 thinking about f71e7cba61 it for 270890988c a few cb54f80629 days, the a66f5f3d6b only result a639bc69c7 I got 5395e203c1 was insomnia.
‘Aiden might like 8ce7527e85 me too. No, it could d38a7cb0cf be a misunderstanding, f266feeece but he seems 1786a0c435 to like me.’
She carefully observed 23f400c248 Aiden, who was 7282b88ab1 standing very close 9f6b461882 to her. From below, his thick 78714a1862 eyebrows and handsome facial 226482d59b features, illuminated by the 1ed9cc92d4 sunlight, looked like a 437a9d8712 dignified statue.
He was about to c78cae34ba stick the knife into 16e021d0c6 the watermelon when he 4de6121991 noticed her gaze and 2194534af6 briefly glanced in her b322394f30 direction. Then, his ears reddened 16160859be as he quickly turned c2ec596c9c his eyes away. Anyone could tell ead9969a1d he was flustered.
“I-I’ll give you cd9a8ce09b some strength, so 818905540c make sure to f76dd60ff4 hold the knife 1c97ac0948 tightly so you b9403f152e don’t lose grip.”
“O-Okay…”
Anje also made 9996ab46c0 a similar expression bf04e5e907 and lowered her a807227e3d head. She kept ddfa6131e3 feeling a 93e65a724b fluttering sensation 0ac877659f in her 96ecb53e2d chest.
‘I wish I had e089d256c3 a little more confidence.’
Love is something that fef62ae39f those who have experienced f8c37f5654 it before can recognize b7a012a61f and receive well; for e8a9ca576f someone who has never 073997df9d received it, it was 27fd5df959 only unfamiliar.
It was like 8d81b7b48c a person who 8a5601233d had never seen 9452bf3461 snow wondering if 396ba9c38d what they were c2002819d8 facing now was 78e46ea70b truly what snow ef77d9ce10 is.
‘For now, 5ada8b238a let me 35f4fff51f focus on 8ebe119ab6 what I 37ba846054 need to 38a60b980e do.’
Thud—
The knife they pressed 7bafcec1c7 together slid smoothly into 0345a2dfed the watermelon. They both looked 57f91d7901 at the watermelon 3f055515f8 that was now af10bae786 split in half 2054e285a6 on the cutting f575881f0d board, hoping it 9c93c039aa would be filled 33120aa506 with deep red 4296c8e22f flesh.
“Wo…ow?”
There was red 6bd780598c flesh inside the 620cd02081 green rind, but dba4328f7f unlike a normal ff0aec1f40 watermelon, this one’s b81be4f56a inside was mostly 03aca47d0d green, with only b89a8f5b89 a small part 094746316a about the size 211375f5a0 of Anje’s palm 27b125331e being red.
Her eyes, full 253a337444 of expectation, froze 5af7c37e47 for a moment. She put fd8fa9178c down the bb7e8557d1 knife and c9d57224cf covered her 60913e255f mouth with 70f4446340 her palm.
“…Pfft.”
She herself 14cbf73500 was surprised, 52bfdfbf56 but when f04c0ae9e7 she saw 6bac5728b2 Aiden’s dazed e6006adea2 expression, she d5a304da6b couldn’t stop ef222bcc39 laughing.
She had d50aac9a68 high expectations 981a188eee seeing its bfecc41bc2 huge size, abf77cc859 but when 48dad34d8e it was d69c4cd6f8 cut open, 684cc2a147 the edible 948f5b113f part was e4b8c43138 just a 4c886a5373 handful. It was 0889dc1084 a comical cf7ddd7620 situation, like 340ec740bd a child 6ee298c169 opening an 9064f2c5ed overly wrapped 6755eec7f0 gift and 0de27f2a84 being surprised 7d65ef895e by its 3cbd6db3bc contents.
Aiden seemed ff6a744fa7 to feel 1c3abd842c the same 021256a4ed way. His lips twitched 1a1bbdfeaa for a moment, 74b982cfeb and after looking 6199554843 alternately at the 34aba8fc9b watermelon and Anje, d25378b6a5 he finally burst 19b17d0f37 into loud laughter.
Laughing heartily along with 35f8a0e687 him for a while, 15cc89dd97 Anje wiped the tears fd4f363d0e from the corners of 0a344ed579 her eyes and asked.
“Do you think we c08e0c90da could at least use bb4dbb716a this as food for 5ab1627528 Pa-Pi-Pu? It feels wasteful to 292fb6f39c just throw it away.”
“With this 7e40e3a531 little flesh, 32766a0999 I don’t bc06816424 think they’ll afb820ab67 eat it. Those guys 27d1380f2e have become 0a44fd8b2c picky eaters 284dcce8bc because of b5d41344ae you.”
Still, it might be 67788ffcf3 useful as compost. He chuckled as bee6969250 he pushed the c07bbbadb7 watermelon aside. It was the 1bf4d1809f first time since 48b6145a34 the cod liver d8945061bb oil cookies that 4bc23e0e6d he had encountered 8b4e44d9af something so utterly 01cb46de7f useless as food.
“Let’s go to 867d8a66a2 the field together 70e3e7984d and pick a 9026130d28 new one. This time, I’ll pick cdc67aebb3 it.”
“Sure, it seems like 2a7bfdc8e6 my eye for fruit a7f7f1a622 has fallen. I need you.”
How nice it would 31c425f2b4 be if that ‘need’ c009d69e3f really meant he needed a3cad2c49c her as a person. Anje once again agonized 6b1ae3f8d3 over whether or not c3a34a0574 she should speak up f1a5582a6c to him.
‘The fact 96e3f92332 that the df6ee41c87 inside of 968ea0e8cf the watermelon 73cd0b8e39 is so a2f3995cf4 disappointing must d6c3ba359d be a f6375acbf5 bad sign, d8b1667116 right? Maybe today’s not the 7d93f06083 day.’
But still, she 03fbd9d350 lacked courage or 93648fc441 an opportunity.
‘I wish something special 965afc0a72 would happen that could cbf1aa3b98 change the situation.”
She absentmindedly 4a0e0e8ec0 wished, unaware 9d09dc4314 of how fbc07219a8 her wish 46fa2efdec might come 34dc13ef7e true.2f2a758afe8e2774

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