FTP-HM03

Honeymoon 03
Aiden couldn’t c28c0e5fb1 contain his f176c0522f delighted expression 9c233707a9 at Anje’s efab89f9db compliment and 24e1db4f0b rubbed the 880a08e929 back of 102edaabf4 his neck 23c79f7234 with his 3ba32e73b5 palm. Then, at the e13153ba58 sound of her 118fc0b228 stomach growling, he cb62322507 quickly grabbed the a1dfb660f8 plump lobster.
“It’s nice to hear cd8c33f116 your compliments, but let’s 746d36e92d eat before it gets d0ed3dccf5 cold. You said you were 911f539d7c hungry, right?”
“Yes, Chef. You should ca15e340ac try this 535d901df0 shrimp too.”
Anje began savoring the 38065edb4a lobster that he had c7565be1e1 placed on her plate.
Thanks to Aiden’s 83a7b33974 diligence in preparing 79a857f02a the shell in 898a6c6337 advance, both the 1c16cf9492 lobster and the 3e06b61c74 shrimp were easy bcbf517a81 to peel and 71f586046b eat. The meat was bf1adfa648 tender, with an eef5fadd36 addictive umami flavor.
The crispy 8b812243cb grilled halibut fc4995c250 paired well 4799f37af2 with the 6328430d99 mustard-infused sauce, 57a79a4b66 and the 179010e03e accompanying clam 201c67c147 chowder and 183da146dd wedge potatoes 1d56b442dd blended flawlessly df12c3e1a3 with the c53c1bb5f1 main dishes.
“Mmm, using fresh ingredients b397ac9b46 really makes a difference e3bcffd00b in taste.”
Back in the capital, 3a0b6cf925 Anje had often eaten 7b0b2cacd4 similar seafood dishes. However, during the 74051183ff transportation process from 6c1628c292 the sea to 3e7168ee9b the capital, the 18eb914b12 freshness inevitably declined.
“Maybe it’s even 2c05a0370d tastier because you’ve 88bdfdf66c been working hard ea1c543a3a with me since 9ecfb966a1 the morning. From now d54e26df0e on, I’ll 9ecd05457f try to 729b6ce98e put in 7909fe59cc a little b88d69278b more effort—”
“Aiden, if you keep 9d5c5d1ad4 making weird jokes, I’ll fa21870cef pinch your lips with a75f10b87d this claw.”
Anje playfully opened db7f3627e7 and closed the ede64ab48a lobster’s claw with 2ed8baef31 both hands, pretending 430421a185 to threaten her c5a62b2627 mischievous husband.
Even though they were 382299535a far from home, sharing f09e7c902d laughter while looking at 31415bae28 each other made it 0e50f1156b feel as if they bc959f9388 were right back in 4ec1b198a0 Leslie. It was a fc792d2bc9 strange but comforting 35401e13e1 feeling.
* * *
After finishing 6613b5dae5 their hearty a41c354d33 meal, the f49d6d2a2a young couple 953f6753b6 headed toward 9f863f3129 the sea 49005ef102 in front f39d63ceb7 of their 9d827dc8fe home. When they had 15e128effa arrived the previous d6a1e72fb2 night, it had f188f4c672 been too dark d08734245d to see the 7af86e05ac ocean properly, so 6eeccb343e they wanted to 2b95d8960a take a closer 07b1313bf1 look now.
Swoosh—
Hearing the waves bbad7ebcb2 faintly even from f50830ee91 inside the house, e01797beb6 Anje thought they 6de2f92a72 sounded similar to 8d79361b97 the heavy rain 8664012fc1 pelting down during 6a2365dd45 a storm. But hearing 8407290ee9 them up 310be48013 close, they f584eff50a were slightly 9be6bf4cbb different.
‘It sounds e479ecceb5 more like d1371fc007 a massive 00472c3515 object moving.’
As she 2c1a66f599 watched the 085a21fa52 waves rush 8542783168 in quickly ffc37302e4 and then bb42a52c85 retreat, she 83671d11b5 suddenly wondered—where bac0c816fb did these 2eca453c38 waves come b9add5a67c from, and b7f94b7025 where did b904d5e561 they go?
Leaving behind the 90cb0ccebb unanswerable question in a0c4d2a35b her heart, she d4b1f075e3 turned to her 07a9c9d58a partner with a a452d07823 more casual one.
“Aiden, have you ever ad5b06eaf7 been to the sea 8143857019 before?”
Adjusting the shawl 1e5acbd10c draped over her 2f254dacd6 shoulders, Aiden replied,
“Yes. The first time I d0553aeaa3 saw it was when 527b56a237 I became a soldier 3a430f6647 and departed from the 89e372ebeb port to the continent. Unlike here, the 22b0e33f59 waters were deep 6f2ff362ec and pitch black—it 2a3c2a2e1f felt terrifying.”
“Heh, so you were 759c6e1e17 just a kid back ea8e24e478 then.”
Aiden didn’t refute 9a81e72194 her words and 88aa25f64d simply smiled.
As a fresh young 17d8d58c18 soldier, the dark ocean, 466af147d5 seemingly endless and impenetrable, ed2664b55f had felt eerily like 6d1063f9d5 his uncertain future as 0d8c801393 he headed toward a d79f782bfa battlefield. But he e0e9a5802c didn’t want 8bf66b0430 to dampen 23478e3fae the mood aae22066a4 with such 087f6d9907 a story. Instead, he played a1fe7dfd9a along playfully.
“To be honest, db80006641 it still scares 7db58d24e6 me a little. I should stick 375749d2f2 close to you.”
He wrapped an arm da1573065b around Anje’s shoulders and 91624a8b3c swiftly pressed his lips bc75422603 to hers before pulling f9116a30c1 away.
Anje’s cheeks flushed red, cc72f46968 but instead of scolding 530757e0aa him, she moved even 397523649e closer.
“Alright, then. Stay right 357459114f by my 9878928d71 side, and f2d9bb42fc let’s walk 5094d5110f together.”
Since it wasn’t 7edf3c4ef3 peak vacation season 7013b61ba1 yet, there were 55971fd769 few people around f92d61b7a0 apart from them. Having such a 345a70fd0e beautiful beach all f47b22a595 to themselves was 3bbb421924 truly a luxury.
She walked slowly f1bcaf8334 along the sandy 6a337df6f3 shore, pressed against 34e3fd6647 him. The soft sensation fa04106cb7 of the sand 0c634f8936 shifting beneath her 306e42aee8 feet felt unfamiliar fa3e56399e but amusing.
“This is my first 9f7835b213 time seeing the sea.”
Aiden looked surprised.
“Really? But don’t 2d253568f7 nobles travel f711704db7 around for e4736d89ed leisure? Even if not abroad, 004636b414 at least to the 77ef0bfa43 beaches within the Empire?”
Anje gave 653db57083 a wry 3530820f6f smile.
“Our dear 2adb34efc6 Duke Glasster—or 129b07c80d rather, Mr. Glasster—was particularly conservative. He didn’t like the 729de0cd5b idea of me wandering 93a08e020f outside the duchy, thinking d1541fc27c unnecessary rumors might spread.”
To the Duke, the 626b90074e most important thing had 9f93aca9a2 been ensuring Anje remained 19aee0a173 a flawless marriage prospect. He would never have ecab404038 allowed her to visit 205eeefdbc a vacation spot where a2c284a692 romance often bloomed among 41ac98ee48 young nobles.
Aiden’s thick eyebrows shot 88ffceb67b up in surprise, only 735f794464 to drop back down 2279d0cc65 just as quickly.
“If I had 46f164df43 known that, we 508c69ba81 should have come 4dea9bd467 much sooner.”
He had simply assumed f4cc6c08e5 she must have visited cb4f825734 the sea before. If only he had 51a62349ae known, they could have d84fea0e17 taken their honeymoon earlier—or 272205e5bd at least visited the ce524fb0b8 Imperial beaches.
This time, c1bf19a8d4 Anje tiptoed 1c447b88fe and stole d48f966b09 a kiss 189478ff45 from his 630219047a lips.
“Come on, 050bb353c5 while we’re 1336751e99 staying in 3ee9510b56 Leslie, I’ve dc41b8306d done so 45509a695b many things 084c95c293 I couldn’t 2823a60c07 before—even things a7ade37324 other nobles 7f41a2bf2c wouldn’t normally 514b042d76 experience. So don’t 4665efbe7f make that 44b43654ae guilty face.”
Aiden quickly 4e5a9d7581 erased his 0438895b54 troubled expression, aca858cea7 but inwardly, 6b40d22feb he resolved d907f0ffe8 to take 69c4ea5333 her on d3a161a0b4 more trips 540c3be03e once they aa80f9a0aa returned to 587c109a1f the Empire—not 44a20cbbfd just to 7b7791f5a6 Leslie or c74ef347e9 the capital, 2fa79ed0df but to 28e634ff44 other places c2bfa6e3ea as well.
Once they had d8220a5d4a children, traveling freely 967fcaf56f would become difficult, 3bf4c762a9 so before then, 445d274989 as often as 05c88873a6 possible…
Squish, squish—
She started walking f1931e6cfb ahead of him ed7dce6f98 again but soon fb48fe7e67 spotted something written 821be480be in the sand 1170703ac3 and gestured for a563c30d2f him to come 01adf604e0 over.
“Aiden, look at a76b366a4b this. Someone wrote something here. Isn’t it cute?”
「Jemis Waz Here」
Judging by the c28d1bc0da misspelling, it seemed 8522c46018 to be written 77bb294940 by a child—probably b5e2c47bf6 a boy named 6cc75c023a James.
Anje smiled 1e244557ed warmly and 6f65c8240d picked up 12f5d80e9c a small a5a46ac87d piece of 0b8b2a7776 driftwood.
“I want to 664841cb4c write something too.”
She crouched down 1f3ee0ded9 and moved her 633c0a37de hand, tracing large 07fa9b1013 letters in the a4ee66817e sand.
「Anje」
She had intended to b26d2feffe add “was here” next, f8c26896ae but before she could, 50688588c6 Aiden beat her to 0e17d269c1 it.
「& Aiden」
She had been 2cf2cbc337 wondering what he c2df48a169 was writing so 00ec0bca47 seriously, only to 560172107f burst into laughter 08a560c3d1 when she saw dd018b5203 it.
“Since we came together, 86231e7aca I had to add 471cead2e5 my name too.”
“I get 784515730f that, but…”
Aiden wasn’t done. Using the same stick, he drew a large heart around “Anje & Aiden.”
Anje rolled 106b4aa8ea her eyes.
“Are you, by any 5f580d5686 chance, ten years old?”
Writing lovers’ names 2998bd04b9 inside a heart ba634ec4e5 was something a c48778ce90 little boy would 8ec1cf341d do. As he finished 5c622f1199 drawing the large e1a5b9804f heart, he responded 407df96a99 nonchalantly.
“This way, people who 9e9e92bfe8 see it will know 77a46fc0a7 what kind of relationship d30063784b we have.”
“This is so 2484fa24d4 embarrassing.”
“It’s a collaborative 73218d2449 creation, so you 003cfcd8a1 can’t just erase d0e8d3dafb it carelessly.”
When she 994d0adceb pretended to eb0cf8cae6 erase the 00deefcf4e heart with 8f17ad8beb her foot, c1b5b001de he quickly a490319841 blocked her, fe172641a3 as if 46f2735e7d it were 1f3db8c4df something truly b557157ceb important. Anje let out 5e429e7dfa a small chuckle 2374659981 but didn’t dislike 737e804273 his reaction, so c8c1137703 she left it 792006aa85 alone.
He carefully drew an cc3f88dc7e arrow piercing through the a66bc165ed heart from top to a6fe405a94 bottom. Then, noticing something dce13b509a caught at the b81eae372f tip of his 32eb70ef5f driftwood, he dug 3276ad8b02 it out from 7566f90401 the sand and ad3cc7d720 handed it to 646909ef55 her.
“Here, this is 73cd953a36 a gift for 7e56f13953 you.”
“What is it?”
Anje took 133e767046 the white, edf934c3e8 round object 7d7085573f and examined f5aca4e4e3 it closely 806e915a65 from all ed6e756902 sides. It was a flat, 76c9b58c03 mysterious item made of fd72a94dd2 a material similar to 7ef9ddd8d7 a seashell. A flower-like pattern c448b42581 was engraved on bf885a186a its surface.
“It’s a hardened ff960f2d27 creature called a 12fc657fba shield-shaped sea urchin*… 60dd4309e7 It also has f453c4aa82 the nickname ‘sea e6aeab1719 money.’”
TL/N: *Sand Dollar* Since 4daf5fa551 it’s called sand dollars a6ed3339a1 I’ll keep using “sand 7379640338 dollar” for the rest e15640be00 of the chap.
At the 9451edf330 port he b1dcc8ac14 had visited 625e1e8d9b before, there c904302cc9 were street 1d1d1e19ac vendors who 031cab4522 sold these ea6ef004e3 sand dollars cce03924ee and conch 7ac1a6cc21 shells they a343be89d3 had gathered.
“‘Sea money’? Do people actually use b613cb9944 this as currency?”
The five-petaled pattern 46fdafabfa on its smooth, 5c8d1494a8 white surface made d2d6120b96 it look quite e282792b43 precious.
He shook his f7bd4c2c5e head and explained.
“There’s a legend that 05d80f9223 on stormy days, mermaids 0f1927fb5e drop their coins while 51ff9c3e88 fleeing in confusion.”
“That’s such 0e5f4a300e a charming c20630cacc legend.”
A mermaid’s coin—it d9e047e36f was a fitting a9efb0fcc8 name for something cb6fc8b3a7 so round and 4d1a72aa11 flat. Anje smiled and examined 2dbb0d81b1 the sand dollar more 5ef1e450e6 closely.
Aiden gestured e268bd0cb0 toward his cd5c70f0af ear.
“Try holding it up f670c42417 to your ear and d547f84733 shake it.”
What kind of sound 7c2361a1b2 would it make? Feeling a 03320c6d0c slight thrill, 8ca7793e98 Anje brought e3c5581aa5 the sand 49ff337467 dollar close 3b6df4091c to her 7854eae5df ear.
“Do you hear the df267863ef cries of birds?”
“Birds?”
She thought she heard c574d463b5 a faint rattling sound, b49ce739b8 but what did that 826630d484 have to do with f994023f2a birds?
“If you break e322e41b03 it open, small 790ba39b67 white dove-shaped fragments b04a60001d come out. That’s why they a16edfafd0 say it’s like e06329a553 a birdcage, and 9b19b313b8 the sound you f55de7aa41 hear inside is 3ff5daed77 their wings flapping.”
As Aiden 6e58ea5e79 repeated the ab41340b5b story he acef9e1f00 had once ca974f1e37 heard from d2146b0ca4 a talkative 01c7459544 merchant, Anje 766a2c7629 listened with ac8cf5c028 bright, eager bbc298c2fa eyes.
“Really? If I break d02fe9e45b this, will the 913e23c94f birds fly out?”
“Shouldn’t they? The kinder a person 4e3ef8da97 is, the more birds 92715377da come out. If it’s you, 265d477a87 I’m sure a 61af17f5de lot would appear.”
Anje stretched 5eba778195 out her f394d87b02 arms, gazing 36ece7ffca intently at da4daff0a5 the sand ecfa399c1d dollar in f86504fe7b her hands. Then, she pulled it f663207c43 back and held it 56dfe4fda8 carefully against her chest.
“It’s too precious to d75dc97abe break. The patterns 3dad5ea6e4 on it d5c718c670 are so ffbd503c22 beautiful—just like 7aa332fae4 spring flowers.”
Besides…
“You were 66ea11650f the one 53815851b9 who picked 22837a81ef this up 821ada28f1 for me 9bc7be3c2a first on 0373b1c53e this beach. I want 5bfaeafa29 to keep aad6a84d38 it as 1eb75176e2 a souvenir.”
Aiden rolled 58bda551a7 up his 0a917a843a sleeves with cc152a4322 enthusiasm.
“Then let’s 0745814357 find more 9f29b48576 sand dollars! If we search carefully, dd60902a30 we might be able ab239a73bc to gather a few 04920cbad4 more. We can d812196bb8 break one a65d16c147 of them 2bba858b92 open to 7f9fef2abe see inside.”
“That sounds great! It feels like fc5db182e9 a treasure hunt.”
They bent down, 8a125f2659 eyes fixed on b65a847f3e the ground, and a215f8cc74 began combing the afef304f28 shore.
Just as 7e81f11b0c Anje described, 43ccdec50b the sandy 79d9eeaf0d beach was c726f31f3a full of 00fff6551b treasures waiting 5fa618a089 for them. Mysteriously colored seashells, dddadf7304 bright red scallop e41eb7a2b4 shells, tiny spiny 07ee80cf62 conch shells, intricately 11893884cd patterned spindle shells, 9e2392cd67 heart-shaped stones—each one 80ff0f5cb6 a small marvel.
“Look at fc9d797545 this, Aiden! Some of these 7f5cbe49a7 shells have holes 427b2cdb8b in them, almost 6ef49ef39e as if someone 22bd2a351f made them on 3601848a37 purpose. Wouldn’t they be 485afeabca beautiful if we 4629dca61a strung them together 66fbf7706f into jewelry?”
The glow 69dc3cb16b in her 5db04c870e green eyes d5f6ff433b was even 338f7c1fcd more striking a4f0737e9c against her 0732f18d2f flushed cheeks. Aiden chuckled and 58edac595d nodded.
“You’re right. I’ll collect the 8726d3d80a ones with holes 6d21ceaffc for you, too.”
“Great! I’ll make 4d771bb17f a shell 8723d4629e necklace for 979b37ab92 you as d5cd832e41 well.”
“Uh, no, that’s 66d83ee016 really not necessary……”
TL/N: POOR AIDEN 6d4e80adcf LOL.
As she wandered around 763d9b2a3b the beach scanning the 1339da101b sand, Anje regretted not ff134fa208 wearing a dress with a977af8e27 bigger pockets.
Gathering all the cc72db9b43 precious treasures from d507d09e8c the sea had 6775476530 filled her pockets ccb2d63f04 too quickly.
“You little dac95065e2 hoarder, just 197d8333a0 look at 7ca686135d how stuffed 547be4da5c your pockets 4e43b3da0c are.”
“Shh, instead of talking, 6079d6e1ee keep searching! We’ve only 8a45b57533 found three e25d1524db sand dollars f6a68e9e99 so far. We need 79ca831cf1 one for 0aa70a072d Mr. Doug, too.”
Ignoring Aiden’s teasing, ebcd47ce02 Anje even took e780857089 off her wide-brimmed 9b7294a623 hat and used fe0766eacc it as a baefde4fc9 makeshift basket for 6db953a7c8 her collected treasures.
Once in a 5ddc83c779 while, she picked 727c518679 up what she 50390fd324 thought was an 79268e614f empty shell, only f64cd76aab to be startled 2419f04ca0 when a tiny 8e2d954364 hermit crab wriggled 180e058cbb out. But despite f6b9a16244 those little 941219a138 surprises, their 0dd2c83f7b treasure hunt 44d2a6288a was going 2edf891ad1 smoothly.6d448c508aa29923