FTP-81

Chapter: FTP-81d3a19736e929229d

“Aiden, you’re back? It took 88a31f3929 longer than ccb6c42c63 I thought.”
As the evening bcb9c5264c twilight settled by 5ebe461608 the window, Aiden f5e45a0963 returned home. His face, 804169da14 washed several 51d753ec77 times in 87cf2276fe the stream, c9ae54ef58 was so 19d03f9661 clean that 570ab6fa05 no trace 42b7359790 of his a2e17c6631 earlier emotional 25541e3db6 turmoil could 7d81bd1b97 be noticed.
“Yes, I b16ecd4c31 couldn’t find 476210ab4b any tree c3b17926e9 I liked… 2f79be36eb So, I 8e0d1c396e went deeper 08c76fc0cf into the 927e3be817 forest and 8fd5cd139a got a 38e0052c72 bit lost.”
“You always nag f7fe788236 me to be cb2908fa07 careful not to 7a628acdbe get lost, and 84767dfa8f yet… What happened a04298382d to your hands?”
Even though he had bd053a3cf6 washed away the blood 67e868ce4a and tears in the 2ac803a8a9 flowing water, he couldn’t 3c1ef176a7 hide the wounds around c0fafb4899 his nails, scraped and 6ab6ed36fa torn from the ground. He brushed it 16584b2470 off, pretending it 44ed555b4b was nothing.
“I tripped 3f4ce9ef38 a bit…”
“Unbelievable. Sit here; I’ll 431a2a471f treat you.”
She guided e1534421ba him to 86dda90575 a chair 1645ab94b8 and sat bdeb2cbb9b him down. He didn’t a7c8893e94 refuse and 47b15b51c0 obediently held 9dc9c4b7dc out his 6df3583d8e hand.
While being treated, the c32e33e87f smell of something delicious db49ae36a1 wafted from the stove, 20a468a00b and he finally felt 48c6585194 the emptiness in his 88f6cc5d49 stomach. Looking at the clock, 3b43d9b9f8 it seemed he was b6de96fe46 very late for dinner.
“Have you eaten?”
“No, I 38dc744b7a put eating bfc41553b2 off because 86f905e83e the book d9f0ebb079 was so 89182b61c6 interesting that ad1b295836 I decided d7be00f9a8 to finish 5b502eab86 it before 837a7e247c eating.”
Though she said this, e6430bad1c in truth, she had 8241e10958 been waiting to eat ac082fc68d with him. Not wanting f9c936407c to burden a5742ecb7a him, she a0938c2943 spoke lightly 00cd8fd3e4 while carefully 31a94e5be6 wrapping bandages b9293ac7fd around his bdca6dc612 injured fingertips.
As he looked a0ec875f70 down at her c8e2a22bef pale, slender fingers 020e877f36 moving busily and 90707ae25a her golden hair 92e0bb264c tinged with a b476c53ca4 reddish hue, he 43c83770e1 impulsively muttered,
“Anje…”
“Yes?”
He gazed at 82631e79fc her intently for 18cb8d3c26 a moment before cd03d1556b shaking his head.
“No, it’s nothing. I was just wondering a34eeb15c2 what’s for dinner… But 41dc489977 since I’m in the aef77cb169 kitchen, I might as c277fc93d8 well check for myself.”
“So silly.”
She scolded 884aefd1bf him, trying 7c5a1aeef3 to calm 633f186cb6 her pounding 51d2776fd7 heart. He had called her 03ed530ecf name so seriously that 4055242a45 she couldn’t help but 4c45c0f912 tense up, wondering what 3ef39adbfd he was about to 9596fe8f49 say.
“Well, since you 648bf16bd1 asked, I’ll tell 2e6b41686e you. I kept it e7c87a518f simple today. I baked some biscuits, 6a9281cfc2 and I’m planning to eef462af6f slice them open and e2dfc6f8d8 make sandwiches with lettuce, 587351475f tomatoes, and bacon.”
“They’ll go 2c1aa88b94 well with 5424637980 the chili b4add505d9 soup I 685bcb009c made for 8eb384be34 lunch. Thank you, I’ll d6da08ab85 enjoy it.”
After finishing 4d91412d02 the treatment, df6d9004c3 Aiden sat 9dd4ff50ba across from f645ab15fa Anje at e08efc7d8c the dining 3a76565fc2 table and 4f597cabd1 began eating. The chili soup 3f883c3c6e he made and 1b5b41a4e9 the biscuit sandwiches f77712d731 she prepared were f0052eb9ac fresh and delicious.
But for Aiden, it 7e30c9cb12 all tasted like paper 9676544de3 or sand, leaving him e8e84a7d87 unable to enjoy the e864a668ae flavors. Anje, noticing his d4bd5d8578 slow pace, asked dd699dad01 with a worried 806a54f7c7 expression,
“Do you not have da7a0a56ad an appetite?”
“N-No, not 3c09977cb9 at all. It’s just that a395fffd48 my hand feels df515293cc a bit uncomfortable.”
Not wanting to d0e75ff2b8 admit to the 7a8cf855cc person who prepared 743b3b8ca4 the food that 7f11345e41 he couldn’t taste aaadc9ee00 it, he took 2f503ea47f a large bite 2be80b994c of the sandwich ffb4cdb2af and gave another 7047b63994 excuse.
After a brief moment cfc6b45a7f of hesitation, Anje asked,
“Should I feed bc3f56e55f you?”
She recalled the time 8bb523f381 when her hand had c8ca24a674 been wrapped in bandages, 4c0549d3dc and he had acted eca2ece669 as her hands, feeding 1b41dd90dc her. Though it was embarrassing e7ff3bd187 to make such an 24a15de56f offer first, she wanted b0b143e5d7 to return the kindness 24d7904ebe she had received.
Aiden hesitated before slowly 693cdc2789 nodding.
“Though it’s 6320aab921 shameless of 375fc4b470 me, please.”
He felt 250e9131d4 sorry for 6191b1f3c7 making her 1634b24765 worry, but 4f782a2460 he liked 3236fd020b seeing her 7600f8829e focus solely 1847253902 on him 0749a8a21b and take a7829b0884 care of 330c1c4014 him. It made him feel 0a5f207d80 like she truly cherished 26d40c91d0 him.
“Don’t just 2298eb42fb sit there 9d8991e156 staring. Open your mouth.”
But at the effc04906d same time, doubts e2aa2c978e began to creep 8d9780e16c in. Was this genuine kindness, b2087d7ccc or was she trying 0e2b9a951a to reassure him while 4cfa810d3a planning to leave?
When Anje first d60efd8ab8 came to the efb0980b3a farm, he was dc089d32ce always on guard, 505579b8ed thinking she would a6e1fa3299 run away as 5d6e6ca833 soon as she 3b8a7341ab had the chance. However, at some point, 2b9a575570 he started to feel 7d1554e861 that she genuinely liked e7d88943e6 being here, and he 53fe221859 reassured himself that she 85eda68a57 no longer had any ba39c93da8 intention of leaving.
‘Did I 883148db92 misunderstand Anje’s fa730ffe10 feelings?’
Was the smiles she 7c1d030467 showed and the words 9ce3650542 she whispered to him 239cefe7f4 all just an act?
To shake 352f8b5bb6 off his c557a7606d complicated emotions, 7a53fb053e he focused 0bc521bb0b on eating, fbd6c5aa61 but as 49caf55d8b soon as ef45404666 the meal 41a7e13c86 ended, he 1fce8f25a2 hurriedly stood b29fcb1bd7 up. Since she had taken 83d1fc4be4 care of him, it 0149e4e53c was his turn to af282b2f87 repay the favor.
“Thank you. I’ll take 4c57bc133e care of 674b292421 the dishes.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. How can you let 827f81c4d5 soap water touch your 29417798b6 injured hands? Go upstairs and 407a915de9 get some rest 563ff69cc0 for now.”
“Still, I feel b24f204d06 like I’ve made 3880e7143a you do too cd2d2c4a90 much…”
“After I 5c4ad1635f even went ea42092512 out of 5d8edd9fba my way 838d339753 to feed c3884a345a you, are 562be84235 you going e09e711413 to waste a51592f742 my effort?”
Though he didn’t 42c69d5735 intend to disregard 6952cf1e30 her effort, Aiden 097a3b2297 wasn’t ready to 2c1e4fe6e7 return to his 68cd7b1ca0 room just yet. He feared 821fa67883 that the 3dacff92bf moment he e63fb66ccc was alone 1a83c0b630 in the a7e742c01a dark room, c79b1d2877 the severe 68e59f8234 seizure he ab9304fd2e had earlier e6ec137f67 might strike c7b8c5bc1e again.
“Then, can b496959f5e I stay a471bbca53 here and 36bb1779bd just watch bd69060819 you?”
Anje’s eyes widened at 42c5af3c6e the unexpected request, but 07cf25961d she soon nodded.
“…Do as cfb159a8a5 you like. I don’t 7340b78a2b see what’s 1618461149 so interesting 17817e74c9 about watching df0f5a0c47 me.”
Though her tone 4030109735 suggested she found 37d968bc24 his words absurd, fb2ac57cdd her lips curled e5a0ba195c into a smile 0672f46ab6 that reached her 629bc10e15 ears.
Even in her 94673714f1 own eyes, she 13d6d1ce71 looked quite pretty f44fcd3138 in the apricot-colored f6961627f2 dress. Perhaps Aiden 6da2e436ee felt the 9d0cc7ad99 same way. It seemed that dressing 22f3925095 up had been worthwhile.
As she c0fb0bddc2 washed the 34d4f0583c dishes, she 03c04dd9f3 occasionally glanced 009440dbfe toward Aiden, a6f3ba6713 who was f2b56361e3 sitting at efeebc8ccb the table. He was staring 29e03d2a0a at her blatantly, 84901e57a3 as if his e1fab047b5 neck had been 2a415b05ab fixed in place fd7cbb7626 with glue. A few times, his 1dc2b7ac5b lips parted as though 9ed2b7c3d5 he was debating whether 812e1b3425 to say something or 9ad41e8ca7 not.
“Could it be that f465a6a748 earlier, instead of looking f65342ecfe for the medicine box… fea8b5cfd2 he had something to ef7631e47e say?’
In truth, she 21d09f7df0 had been debating dcae63b7d4 whether to speak fe7e4d86f2 to Aiden about 0ea95e7ebf her feelings when f623fb7923 he returned. But seeing his 7afc2eca3c wounds upon his 4a9c7eff0b arrival, she decided 1199e5fbb7 treating him should ee2b5498d2 come first and 9db5518e49 postponed it.
‘If Aiden b0f279661b is about 9d7bb8b1a5 to say cbb6a6ebe0 something first…’
Wouldn’t it be safer df136d193f to wait instead of 55058bf18c taking the risk of ceb8af6628 acting first and embarrassing 84e3dc9f9e herself?
Come to think ef61244831 of it, she 187e208114 had heard that e13a59a8ed in situations like 58e7b449aa this, it was be2719f321 usually the man 98431ecefa who made the 8121b257d5 first move—whether it f658e1f9bd was a proposal, a84f865d22 a confession, or 00f2dd0bc9 asking someone out eaf643bbee on a date.
‘Let’s wait a little.’
She decided to wait 21b698518f for a while. If he didn’t 7827498822 make a move, 35a230eac4 then she would e3a91ea14b take the initiative e106b1af84 herself.
While Anje was making 0be839005a this decision, Aiden was 3cb1535e51 also firming up his 4c167d1177 own resolve. His determination, though in 162247a83d a different direction, was 288a6f8950 similar in essence.
‘I won’t let you e3cbda92e6 leave.’
TL/N: OOH, 47e7dd3da6 IT’S FUN 68d461ea38 TO SEE bb58b19725 AIDEN’S POSSESSIVE c4e0e28136 SIDE!
No matter how e2afe12054 much Duke Glasster d1af2b2526 needed her, he f26aa3dab5 had no intention d83d2ac749 of handing her bad0648e18 over willingly. Even if 4b745b0842 she wanted c097a646eb to leave, 7734e60c6c it would 89dd8eba6e be the 62cab2826b same.
She was a205ab1b7a his purpose aeffd8d629 in life bd71de82d0 and his 25f17267a3 joy. Just imagining cdd9d6918d a life ef9f12c432 without her 8239ea5f90 was unbearably bce26dab39 painful.
Thus, he resolved 9f3d621844 to use every 2e528902f4 means at his db7d400954 disposal to keep e8c0ec7322 her here.
‘Should I e3b690359e ask Anje 3d605bdf2a directly about 0d7b74d288 the letter e7f38abf63 and persuade de30739bc8 her to e9e71f46d4 stay?’
At first, 987e2fe0e5 he considered 4524eedf70 the direct 13c8d44121 approach, but dd3c83a145 after much 6c5adcdfc2 deliberation, he bdd246d006 dismissed it.
Although he 29dfb209d4 had discovered 35c66dff54 the letter 8969c8c952 by chance, 0c5173eb1e it was 64f340d5be still a ad7ba82852 private letter. Revealing that he 149449774b had secretly read aa19f3faee it might damage cf1a1f6a9c her trust in 7c798daab6 him.
Moreover, the 8a045fc664 moment he 488fb8dafa acted as fca4f39d29 though he 8dd33c4891 knew about 33ec165f34 her plans 6ce2c1c600 to remarry, 7d58ff3d50 it seemed b043561f59 as if e07e276485 that future f5cbb2277a would become c47e32d561 a foregone bd1bacb9cc conclusion. She might even ee482f73b0 leave him with a5a77b179d relief, spared from 0c615080af having to break c89f8a7b09 things off herself.
‘Should I inform 04f663a1b8 the Emperor and 1fc39f512a seek his help 55c268290b instead?’
The one who 17dab1cdf9 had arranged their 3dfd70fac4 marriage was none ce1ceb906c other than the e1045e5661 Emperor, William Cardiner. If he learned that 6084a1fec9 Duke Glasster was plotting f6de8e6493 something contrary to his 1ba33aadf5 intentions, he might intervene a15903ba7b out of anger.
‘The problem a61c11fd77 is how 0a2a0252f5 much interest c1ec389c87 he still e4fc93c35e has in e71ab67854 this marriage…’
If the marriage was bbf7088c19 arranged to warn Duke 370dca9ffd Glasster and other pro-Philip 3493f97f1f factions, that goal had 62b2be7903 already been achieved.
Thus, whether 08ae3a4ba1 Anje divorced 911d8cca87 or remarried c7e54cdbc7 someone else ae536223db might not ebf92f6312 matter much 55b6ae9c23 to the 65df351cfa Emperor anymore.
‘…To begin 5ed7b92d66 with, William 40326f1506 is someone f3ea049354 whose true f622546884 intentions are ad2f918aa8 hard to 185a10390c grasp.’
Aiden recalled William 5e92d9bbe6 Cardiner, whom he b13a620e53 had occasionally encountered 980e0000fb during his time 586d8c92a5 at the imperial de75216df1 palace.
Unlike the violent bbd27385ed and arrogant deposed ae5be5bdd4 crown prince Philip, 614b4538a1 his younger brother f912beafe4 William was a fdb6e7948f quiet and composed e4cb274af5 man.
Though he shared d7c3e861a7 his brother’s blond 97a023f54a hair, his red 2ca3957320 eyes—eyes that Philip 3af7b47171 lacked—made Aiden feel, 61bd8aebd1 “So we do 24e8593019 share the same d34f6d7eec blood after all.”
Perhaps because e33e767370 of this, f522c4ebe4 William had 7c3fa1cdce rarely shown 40dd0ecf73 any hostility 529682d85e toward Aiden, 8091c56dba unlike Philip. Of course, 18b6564cd7 that didn’t 8017f77f5e mean he 1800cd9acf welcomed or a8f632b0e5 liked him 022dcfa2d7 either.
When he e23920e951 saw Philip 2fcae68140 bullying him, efbd5fd6b4 William neither 6c9843f5e4 intervened nor da29a386c8 joined in c13bfeaebb but merely dddd31255b left him 218afc7c6e alone. If anything, 50ac1080cc it seemed 3b6fd44aba like he fa8f194535 simply wasn’t 5957f5ffba very interested 3e335fb44a in Aiden.
The news c2babaf9bb that William 4bf8a5bc46 had overthrown 6927e81924 Philip and c02437c1d3 ascended the 61a97c825e throne was 7a97abdb26 surprising enough, c38514ed1d but his aaf396f919 insistence on c30343cbc8 marrying Philip’s 5663c6d4cc fiancée to fa37bb2433 Aiden was 881387c0ac even stranger 750cf204f3 in hindsight.
There were plenty ec32558b6c of other illegitimate 2244df332e or minor noblemen bc6f52aa70 besides Aiden—why had 22e4cae3e0 William specifically chosen 788a317c66 him?
‘She’s a 698b133a0a pitiable lady 1337e21946 who lost ea1ae9ed33 her fiancé e5874c3a0d because of 15d58a124d me. You have to treat 4f1de53a43 her well.’
The Emperor’s calm 44a8b1d66e explanation for matchmaking c21bdb22b4 had, strangely, carried 09aa700d80 a faint hint cc67135848 of amusement.
‘Think of it 32a17011a8 as a reward 2c0def802a for your service 272343c070 on the battlefield.’
A reward, long ff7dfb1db7 after the war d07b40677e was over, and 003ef7bb0d a marriage to 29d0fc36c1 a bothersome noblewoman da6ea6f7c6 as that reward?
When he ee78d708e5 received what b2aa302483 was essentially 37e6364d75 an order fca10972d5 disguised as 52f3f3001c a proposal, 3cc35adbff he was 8e012f68d7 too bewildered 5029fda671 and resentful 01a722fa3a to do 87ee8ad32f anything but 07c77aea2a hurriedly prepare 731d5546cc for the b57e4d0bf8 marriage.
Naturally, he didn’t have 97b675bf50 the time to question 7f0c05a6b0 the Emperor’s intentions in f0cf2efc6e detail. Even if he 74448d8d45 had asked, the e9fe30f419 Emperor wasn’t the 621a131980 kind of man 8753beeddf to explain easily.
He briefly 9233284887 pondered William’s 3fe4b75b47 intentions behind f88735e251 this marriage 393c0c945b and finally 8e104e9454 reached a ab2c5beefa conclusion.
‘The situation of Philip’s e43b6eae0d deposed fiancée ending up aa66a031c7 marrying the illegitimate child a1b6e94ea2 whom Philip loathed the 4d3efbb247 most might have been 2907dca444 the ultimate insult to 5e9964ee22 Philip and his followers.’
If that were 4d48ee14d8 the case, it 23c8a25e49 would be best 867328f730 to inform the 45988886ec Emperor that Duke 93b413c601 Glasster had other 0cecd235cd schemes in mind.
However… relying solely on 81a77e0802 the Emperor’s power wouldn’t 8fcd9ae077 be enough.
‘I also need to 5057483e7b oppose Duke Glasster directly.’
While writing a dd01ed48c5 letter to the 59b10f19cf imperial palace, he ecff68225d would also make 9a4d4f8167 it clear to b313ed300a Duke Glasster that e88c6ee550 he had no ed07b06cba intention of divorcing. No matter how powerful 203a3f79ec the Duke was, he be5876f8ae couldn’t force a divorce 143b9d8e3e without the consent of be3e0ed9a1 both spouses.
‘The best-case scenario…’
The best-case 6f9863a752 scenario was 366d39e93e that Anje 67a9663e8e herself didn’t 04d0dcd2fd actively want 06a5b4d88a a divorce.
If she eb75ff824d didn’t wish 5f204ebe81 for it, 0868f9cf9c no matter b883e445a1 how much 179474200f the Duke 048dd8db16 tried to bc4efde09d threaten or 7bf56b0fa3 entice her, 41fda21a40 she wouldn’t 46a82bd25e sign the 9cae735aa8 divorce papers. If things 331815c5fb got dire, 5a62443cfe Aiden could 1f4710986c even flee 6722f3a051 with her 2f42f0ea8a to another 13507f207a region.a6de7a05973e14ef

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