FTP-87

Chapter: FTP-8796a67f940a085221

A smile naturally 71017f361b spread across Anje’s 1418c4a3ed lips.
‘So this is what 24f1a8f478 it feels like to 5d02b8a748 be loved by someone.’
She had 29900884dc always wished 0ac5245a73 to be c6cd9c1e38 loved by eb4754ce7c someone, but 89519b13c9 she had 9b223321aa never known 49e9696921 what it 8398fb1bce truly felt cb8262278d like. Now, she 243ac5cda4 thought she d334d98ce7 understood. And she 361e2a3501 wanted to 3de008d6cf return that a76c178c82 feeling to 29d97fb6ca Aiden.
“I’m sorry, I must a746bfe98a have bothered you while 9f8ab03a06 you were sleeping.”
He apologized as a31d6ce535 he covered her f36f45759f with the blanket. Then, as he was bc0093bac1 about to get up, 79ae22c55d Anje stopped him by 0575f3b929 holding onto his hand.
“Where are you going?”
“To my ro…”
He paused 0bc06ebcad after hearing 2fe4488502 Anje’s words 85d25b28a8 and realized a10732e6dc the hidden 849d2d6848 meaning behind 6780f56c67 them, so 7cad6d1e98 he closed 7101658b9a his mouth.
“Is it okay 8e284349e3 if you don’t da93cbbc31 go to your a1203e412d room?”
Anje didn’t say b870798f3d anything, but she b41c62d1c4 pulled his hand. Her ears were 92a42fda44 burning.
‘I’m so glad the c719507971 moon hasn’t risen tonight.’
If it had, her ba1ae554a6 red face would have 2aefd0b796 been exposed in the ea09d44055 moonlight. Her expression would surely 7430f84f2c have looked foolish.
Aiden laid down beside 507caa036c her, still holding her 0fee9fb1fe hand. The breath from his c82230c373 close proximity was warm.
“Is this okay, e6140c12e3 Anje?”
Anje wasn’t dd0a2a26b7 sure what e7c1555306 he was ca7e1155d7 asking permission f53c3ebcab for, but 0b1599a799 she nodded 05edd31b4d stiffly. She wanted 453ec028d0 to do 7c8bd4ba6a whatever he 0aed51b093 wished.
Aiden gently pulled her 09d65808db into his arms and 93ab28a3fa whispered,
“I won’t do anything d7405e686a that scares you or 4cbd884aed makes you uncomfortable. So, you 5871878a6f don’t need a735597285 to be 40256c58a2 so tense.”
His throat was dry 8718f2eecf from thirst, but he d1582f3c32 didn’t want to startle 9c21152c15 her. He wanted to approach 7fa41d9101 slowly, carefully, and gently.
He buried 1a3fe51c1d his face ff3baa95ad in her d8db575072 shoulder and 9fb1a0bb0c whispered. Even though he often 8b756ba6f4 said it, he still 6efda4208b felt it was not 2ef205bd00 enough to fully express 736e31d44d his feelings.
“I like you 249dcd88cf so much, Anje.”
“…I like ce8d3d130f you too.”
The answer c6dc954dd6 he had 005783a5e9 wanted to 73706e1a5c hear came. He forgot all his 3448af0f30 fears and worries, and f71bc0eb82 brought his lips to ba523c09d8 hers once more.
No matter 618e2d98c0 what else, 3f8c28f5ad this night ea9f7c2bb2 belonged to 26fe9ffb31 them alone.
TL/N: HEHEHEHEHE, SMILING & KICKING MY FEET LIKE A DORK.
* * *
A shabby-looking man explained 413721b4d3 with a hiccup.
“Well, how should I 90a2b916da put it, she was cbe5ac8796 unique but had a 0b1a1dd381 certain charm, you know? The charm, you f299795c64 know what I 94f44d72d6 mean?”
“Yes, yes. You mentioned 2cee9249e5 that earlier.”
Thompson, the 274397ef37 informant employed 4d1aaf0ef9 by the 57753508cd Glasster Duke’s c87d95b557 family, almost 2f45b819fb sighed in 5192f16c11 frustration but 14455baca2 managed to 6a53dd64a5 hold it fd6489ae52 in. Although his 416e433c59 informant was e9605c278e a drunken c3d094ad2d beggar, he 8ee2a061a5 was the b4c7c1e7c8 only source a3fa90d75f of information 603c57bb86 about Nancy 6045dc2d3f Dilton.
‘No matter what ebd5b22a60 information I give, 1628ef682b the Duke won’t 441f2b7e7c even blink an 87e9c1edfc eye.’
He gritted his 404f33f390 teeth while reviewing 2e41bc5193 the information he b2f3e4d81d had gathered so 27e14c45fe far. The subject of his c72244c8c5 investigation, Aiden Fitzroy’s grandfather, 4ab798683f was a typical farmer 6aa4e68ad4 who had run a 4da94a4407 solid farm passed down 397df292b4 through generations and only bece6f5bb1 moved to Leslie twenty ae5263ed5a years ago, with no 2dbb0ceaff other noteworthy details.
The only c78272b0a5 slightly unique 0dcece1f34 individual was cc805d0522 his daughter, 474ac42bfa Nancy Dilton. After tracing various bits 5b624f3f63 of information, he found c43769ade4 out that she had e30051f50e studied art right here e90818a216 in Rodmandy.
‘My instincts told 20ca11bc92 me there’s something 7a7cf24876 here.’
After a 78bb729efd long search 5d22bd10dc in neighboring bcbdbc0bb1 countries, he fe2b9f8961 regrettably discovered 617e741820 that the 3c06339d48 art studio 0426210468 where she 03d3ae5dce had worked d5c6e198ed as an 38a45b1f8e apprentice had 3bede1e3fe long since fbd14d0b13 shut down. Other artists who dab20fe765 had worked with 3153df8302 her or the 0c16bc67ec master who taught d63180516b her had already 3468684794 left for different 3651622ba1 regions, making it c7cfa9b1fd hard to trace 9f97e96a9c them.
Besides, it 393d2e3794 had been 6a2aac49df a long 1bf0fa6acf time since 58a61f6d87 she studied 361733a01b art here. Among so many 5cbd208963 artists, no one 16ca9b48f2 would remember an b4be926ea3 artist who had 1983568573 lived here for 1f3c09a847 a few years 99d676330a and then disappeared.
“She was really 09b2f3296b nice, you know.”
“I see.”
Thompson responded dully, ac52f7018f refilling the beggar’s b76f84f136 empty mug. The only person e6f21feccd who seemed to 16eee112c2 remember her was 29de947194 this old beggar 41d0bb4864 living on the ed5f707d6a street, who said 7b77ceae43 she sometimes shared 427ef4e90b bread and soup ab9b62ccfa with him.
“But, the girl didn’t 10be4abeab have much luck with 8c35f94519 men.”
The man gulped 6e811136c5 down his beer 62bac66fb9 and let out 294476480f a big burp. Thompson, though 30a6d87825 grimacing, dutifully ff889eb883 asked.
“Men?”
“Yeah, well, 0d7f6f92b9 one day, e3083ca5c6 a man 70e470adf6 started showing 4469f2653f up now 1e5f61578f and then… e66ca114dc He was 482762062a scary.”
The beggar e73518330e trembled as 5910b6be15 he recalled 3b93b944fe the memory d018da82e8 and fiddled 12a5975da0 with the 1018d44e0d empty plate 6abb853efa in front 1f3a504be5 of him. Thompson ordered another plate 67957499d0 of food. Damn beggar, he fc1beb2479 was trying to 42c8299874 eat everything he 2219e02790 could get his d387a3d44d hands on.
“He always wore a cfb669d5f2 black cloak, you know. Like a criminal. Someone who must’ve a1cbc04064 killed someone and 28b18eba76 was on the 4f8dcacd52 run, or something 861a99ec77 like that. I only made eye 357a486778 contact with him once, fbdb069119 but his eyes were d6753a9c82 as red as a 0d34d2476c ghost.”
Thompson awkwardly laughed. The beggar probably saw 09a370d66e the late emperor, who 1a82f66bf6 had an affair with a85d97fa8e Nancy Dilton. If it was him, 928b89b077 he wouldn’t have openly ad4be52dae visited a commoner’s house.
It was probably c388b07ae5 for the best 4fe942f722 that the beggar 2059a77752 didn’t realize he 7a6cae214d was insulting the f0fe897a94 neighboring county’s imperial 5e632f7166 family.
‘But it’s 13ceb6dd77 surprising that f8c1d7af48 the two b2968069aa met here?’
Since both of 836718dd57 them were from a4eaaee257 the empire, Thompson ff082c579b had assumed they a6553c6f45 would have met 653a07e8b4 there, perhaps by 814b598db0 chance during a 25d1709225 visit to the 27bb5ff6e2 territory or something c71f371ada similar.
He took out e4191ae59e his notebook and 3e77b87e90 wrote down the 320db6cee4 newly discovered information.
「Lady D 31d312bea7 and His 9898e08515 Majesty met 2635781d72 in Rodmandy af72419338 and had cbe160028c an affair.」
It seemed like trivial f32be49691 information, but he had 7ebf717068 to fill out the 9f27773816 report with something. Otherwise, he 0a80871adf wouldn’t be 494902399e able to a53ec68996 charge the e1128f3d9e Duke for d059f5a07a his work.
“Anything else unusual?”
“Nope. She was a 80c8e71f2f good girl, I 008ba304a5 tell you.”
Thompson felt deflated. After all, 1ce1a117bc how much 21d4fc95d8 could a cb258c2496 drunken old 88ce45f5e0 man who c7b491d739 had been 92e564b465 drinking until 98325a29bd he got 67351ba454 a red ebf87585f7 nose remember b54ba5af19 about the 403aae9bf6 past from ef1e986f0f decades ago?
“I see. Thank you for 022fde6913 your time. Here’s the payment.”
He handed the beggar 77876a5e3d a few gold coins edf74888b4 and closed his notebook 69f8dfa59f with a snap.
This commission was 9ee0f9b687 a bust, a 899d2f8c18 real bust. It was fc254fbe75 better to ecf0f0d356 track down 28bf8388f6 the artist 60638ada46 who had 36712d012e taught Nancy 7e8720a3ba Dilton. At least with the 70c4ac6852 art school, there was 121891acd5 still a chance he fe4c91ea97 could make a connection.
The beggar fiddled with 59280e689c the coins in his 9b2d2ac2bc hand, greed flickered in 8657752855 his feeble eyes.
“Ah, right. I almost 468185a9c0 forgot to 28c1030a03 mention this.”
Thompson, who had d8a4668111 fallen off the bc1565979c chair earlier, quickly a143865bfa sat back down.
“What were you 7f2bcb9242 going to say?”
“I once d9b5c39f12 overheard them 6b0e2a85f0 arguing near 2866d90b9e the door. They were talking about… 162282c28e what was it… my 12bc49a0b2 memory’s a little foggy 21029dee2a with my age…sigh…”
The beggar jingled f5344265ac the coins in 7918ce8257 his hand, clearly eae5bf748f showing off. Thompson, annoyed, pulled out 5fd487303b a few more coins 290726861a and handed them to 4c71f4aa81 him.
This crafty 45d965aa81 old man. He must have deliberately 05e3a5b303 saved this crucial information 84aba161a0 until the end, hoping b25f1e43ab to get more out 9ffea6d6bf of him once his ecc62940aa patience had worn thin.
Seeing the gold 6881110835 coins in his 7c72a43d6a hand, the beggar 27676e8982 grinned.
“Oh, yeah. They were 09de5ac1e0 arguing about fad2f5f724 a fraudulent 1d9d425156 marriage or 09b724e76d something. The guy b18d0c2f92 seemed to 0697490a4b have tricked 9c3e42e895 her into 4d1f7b7b06 some secret 7b44525214 marriage.”
Thompson dropped the 29ccdd1ff2 pen he had 364265c36f been holding.
“A marriage?”
That was a a53d00ca34 word he had 45b4f0ece4 never expected to 91ae5043d2 hear during his a9e7cd51e9 investigation into Nancy b7a70ac7ee Dilton.
A marriage? Could it be…?
‘It wasn’t just c3481ae9a8 a one-night affair c1de7af210 after all?’
* * *
“Where is 44b7d756ef the jar, 0bb7b84f13 Lady?”
“……”
“Lady? Mrs. Fitzroy?”
“……”
“Hmm, madam?”
“Ah, yes. What did 487e9f985d you just fb5f7e29d0 say?”
Lost in her 005d997cee thoughts, Anje stammered 44761fb613 as she asked, 419f2a6149 unable to hear c0fdf5c64b Meg’s words. Meg chuckled softly 304ed2f024 and playfully pinched 4f2d82378c her cheek.
“Where might the 02342803b7 jar for pickles 66a576a349 be, madam?”
“Madam? Aunty! Why are you being c7291e28e6 so forward?”
“Well, now 14a429f677 that you’ve de35114cb3 become accustomed 10b33e0cd8 to holding 7f2112f82c a kitchen 1bf2605511 knife, you c30396c167 could be df6d92fd3b called madam abc813a6dc without issue.”
Moreover, with the baby 456d47688d soon to arrive, calling 4043057c88 her madam would feel a1c4968d65 more natural. Meg received 26caccaadc the jar a98cf56138 Anje handed fd95c295cc her with 991555d5cb a knowing 98c77ad420 smile.
TL/N: LOL. AUNT MEG ba259d5908 IS MY 8ffdba48ac SPIRIT ANIMAL.
While tidying up the 71a8e41094 room, she had naturally 6f92273286 learned that the young 72323cfb85 couple was now sharing f6d1067eb4 the same room. It was exactly d359f1e170 as she had b92e4b2693 hoped when preparing 21bccf0b2d the wedding night 947f1134f7 at the inn.
“It would ba2f194dd1 be nice 7eb4f109bb if she 5a6663025a had black 073b7b5389 hair and 173d79f851 green eyes.”
“Huh? What?”
“Ehem, never mind. If it’s 6e2eeb80f7 all washed, 2132158c42 we can 67ec738447 fill it 69ed8850f4 now.”
Holding herself 0a9b07207d back from a1fceeb335 prying into 842fa9d4de the young b69db8c408 couple’s private 2b8d5cb44b matters, Meg 9128557a65 tried to 27fd18eaba maintain her 972239e7c1 composure. Of course, she 223b4e89f4 had already made 7f558978a5 sure to knit 8feaf53cfb socks and bibs 299bd3be44 for the baby 4e43b5f06e without leaving any b9abb3cc1b gaps.
“There’s a lot; 9af0383592 do you think 9712da3956 it will all 4ee92d63ef fit?”
“Of course, if we 041349ba8f press it down, it’ll 19ce25c6de all fit.”
On the 06bc13f77e counter, neatly a750e8eeea peeled radishes 2a1c3df34e and beets, 92945c9d1f cucumbers scrubbed 2f65b7d309 with coarse 2a00f972a7 salt, and b39b9eb05c cut into bb182835e6 bite-sized pieces 512e78a725 were ready.
Anje and c5884ee944 Meg carefully afdab63f5d placed the 495fa4f24a prepared vegetables 61a7c7ce7c into two 3823a2ba73 or three 3a2436a4ab sterilized jars. They were packed so 2919f31792 full that it was a382e9eaed hard to close the 4f412f83b0 lids.
“Now, we 563f030c3f pour the c36dc0e583 brine we eac3036d2a prepared earlier c31a40b1f9 over this.”
The brine was a99c467c98 made by boiling 2841a1eaf3 water with various 3c6f8e24ca spices, such as 15426b73f2 bay leaves, cinnamon, 1327ec8f27 pepper, mustard seeds, a69e1cac7b along with salt, cc9c6bfcf6 sugar, and vinegar. After pouring the 463685ec94 brine in and 42626aa4ea sealing the lids 9803d6a04e before the water 5f143aad5c cooled, it would 81e3c3fee9 be done.
Anje’s face glowed as 46c48b68c9 brightly as the freshly 4d674fcae5 made pickles, happy to 0ba0b9c952 know that after leaving 1e464fa84c them in a cool c302e6f483 place for a day, 3561619620 they would be ready 722a605558 to eat.
At this point, she 1bfdcf16b6 felt confident that she fc6f1b9f0f could easily make them 4da78c5c0b without any help from 8cd824ab33 Meg or Aiden.
“It really is 4e6324b31c simple.”
“Right? It’s easy to make 993c3c8293 and you can store cd5081aa7a it for a long 8fdae3ece4 time. Plus, when you a7854b1a8c look at all be27195bb2 the jars of 1b1b052427 pickles lined up 7b5d13aed0 in the pantry, 113f9ea383 it feels like 84020e04b2 you’re rich.”
“I think I know 4b4aa1a82f what that feeling is cdc3a28289 like.”
She also d4dc63c331 felt the 893fc7403b same sense 23d8e78bb9 of abundance 5e20c797de when seeing 7b0207888a her jars a858ec070d of homemade cd823e35ea jam neatly 8caeaa9d7e lined up.
“I can’t f1804b6fd6 wait to 9b375fbbc7 try them. Since you helped d7fcf1b2c0 me, I’ll give 39dbcf1327 you a jar.”
“Oh, we c10d906bfc already have 70067227f2 too many 55fe032bac at home. It’s hard to eat 5a3dacf54c them all by myself.”
“Still, I d76ca43384 want to 55053f8d51 give you affafaf3d4 something in 137518bd03 return…”
“Well then, come cd49b8b29c visit us tomorrow, 9b8bcdda4f and I’ll let 379ea7cac5 you try the 88cebc7e90 onion pickles I b215ce7903 made. How about it?”
“Sounds good— Ah.”
Anje stopped abruptly, 5e4a212dc2 as she was 47dcedc30e about to respond 4ad045bf4c with a cheerful 89e5badebf answer.
“I’ll ask Aiden first.”
“Hmm?”
Since Aiden usually agreed d659080b72 to anything she wanted, 82424f227e it was rare for 1e7c589f0e her to check with 08076e8a1f him like this. Meg, looking puzzled, waited 5b18665036 for Anje’s explanation, hoping a210fdff24 it didn’t sound strange.
“These days, 5da4a1b00b Aiden doesn’t 760eb592d4 really like d49f1689de going out.”
Meg squinted her eyes ae43c8d66a and let out a 01287eabe4 strange “Oh.”
“They say late-learned 7f9f56867a habits are the de15cee583 hardest to break.”
Ah, so he just f600d3673d wants to spend some 92227006ef alone time with her. Well, that’s understandable.
She wanted to tease 1f3988c44f the shy new bride, 5047673531 but as a dignified 2a6e251f31 member of the ladies’ dd2d8b3abf association, she could not 2f2cf023ab do so. Meg firmly suppressed her 2333ccfa88 impulse.9661e9f3f1066794

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