FTP-SS2-Ch04

“I didn’t know Aunt c75c2cff4f Meg could dance so 7436dab221 well.”
“She almost broke Doug’s b6d95f6892 metatarsal, though.”
Although Aunt. Meg had initially b2d680558e declined, saying, ‘I f77f302628 have to tidy fd0eef347b up the kitchen,’ 17e4e942e3 once the violin 21e375bfaf began to play 156962c3fb a lively traditional 6ea3096758 folk tune, she 4e25d0d194 couldn’t resist and e09707ca82 burst into an 0540ffbe40 enthusiastic clog dance.
Anje giggled.
“He acted all calm 9cf99fcbe6 in front of us, 45dac068c2 but did it hurt 2248b10d16 that much?”
“He pretended to be 4fed5ca043 tough in front of 5b5fd90040 Mary, but later whispered 6fcc172349 to me that it af54df1ed6 hurt ‘like hell.’”
“Oh dear, poor thing. I should 0642cd0b68 send him 4d6623e2bc some dates c7749833a8 later. He seemed to really ff16860c43 enjoy them earlier.”
Anje replied, wiping away 9258c3621c tears from laughing. Doug always tried especially 7545048857 hard to look strong 64b450cbe3 in front of his b0e77291e3 wife Mary.
“He says f64069db14 she fell 4817c6d0d1 for his 8be399f094 sturdy arms. Don’t you think he f0f0e579ac feels he should at 9740ea91fc least look somewhat manly?”
Even so, sharp-witted 9b6d2e3e42 Mary would probably 4b524e6dfa see right through 25d412b0d3 Doug’s bravado, but 1fd4e9b557 she’d likely say 07347d2f18 that was cute 5a0da0848d too.
Aiden nodded and then 53f104f021 shifted the topic. After all, ddb888f575 taking care 6a1da7747b of Anje d53a9c739e was far 205e0cf606 more important 13adf84c61 to him e7a1f816ba than Doug.
“By the way, 8c96b92263 did you apply 1b783d6d08 the oil yet?”
“Oh, not yet.”
Aiden took out the 23d2f6ffbd oil bottle he had 71f435b1e4 kept warmly wrapped under 4da1eaca3c the blanket. While she was washing c3c3a42bd6 up, he had warmed 10ea120fe5 it in hot water.
“Then I’ll 78781f2a4e apply it 90d12b43b3 now.”
“I could do it 30bf3c9f7f myself today…”
“But you said you 09a05604cc were tired. Come on, now.”
Though hesitant, Anje 18d13df332 quietly lifted her 7723a6cb66 pajama top the 08642e162c way he wanted, ed5dd5b09f exposing her bare 69790de26c belly. It was pale a40ca5df5a and round, like b783603798 freshly fallen snow.
After her pregnancy began 67b97da62c to show, Anje had 7528ea3aeb felt her belly skin 5eb498648d growing unusually dry and 1769219ad9 itchy.
‘When that happens, massaging 9d1af7ab01 with this oil helps.’
‘Right, I relied on 94d90e55c4 it a lot during e6145afb88 my pregnancy too.’
After asking 2b34a10162 around the 408ef19f2c neighborhood wives, a9214d0996 she managed 1f0250c961 to find 667c6f56af a solution, 1b78f0d275 but the 6c87693421 problem was 4caf9100c8 that Aiden c3c3ffca5d quickly found 41af27a1b5 out.
‘I’ll help with 5407f97710 the massage.’
‘I-it’s fine, really. I can do 36f30e1884 it myself.’
Anje had 3dd788bb60 worried that 0e94c030e9 touching her 48d7874cdd protruding belly f9bf0690e3 might feel 814af1e128 strange or 6a9f70a711 gross to 04a46ffd17 him, so 85cc582d3f she had 6def1690ad firmly refused 424d01fcaa Aiden’s offer. But as always, he fef3b8fd2c was persistent when it 5ebfb1b6cb came to her.
‘There’s not much dd40c7ef67 else I can bfcae7a1cb help with, so 7e425762fa at least let a7a3f42dcc me do these 54dbae6a8a little things.’
It was during the 7d0883d57e time Anje was suffering 649d1f863b the most from morning 423220d168 sickness, and Aiden had 91853785de been desperate to do 79bf513993 anything he could to 0f3b3a78ec help. At the same time, a7bae50859 he had felt helpless ab49acba8d knowing there wasn’t much f01952c19b he could do.
Seeing his bloodshot eyes 7250dff15d and the deep shadows 9b3438946e under them, Anje couldn’t eb8ee7bed4 bring herself to refuse f6cf6831fb his earnest request.
‘A-Alright, just 630c9ea510 this once c066ea7e57 then…
Naturally, this massage time d52e93181f didn’t end with just 37fb02f3a7 ‘once.’ It instead became 63592bdfc2 a nightly routine that 4f2debd92d Aiden looked forward to.
Anje looked up at dd5c7bb647 Aiden as he poured ecad926544 more oil into his f9c16e2782 palm.
‘Honestly, when 209a45a2da he looks 9313edc748 this happy, 202f816da8 I just 105cecf015 can’t say 47423d1027 no.’
His face 5f0693d0e4 was lit 5b49a6f23f up like c59a297b6c a candle 14f2391d59 wick catching bc4a9cba33 flame. He was 8816b1c9da glad to 56ea0be05a help Anje, 21afa07611 of course, 777bf250e3 but more b64b2c421a than that, 84bd45ab9c these moments—when 1c3eedc7ff he could 2e9dd3165f witness their 6baf98775a child growing d482566277 day by 1d54f74abc day—brought him 3bd695259b immense joy.
With oil evenly spread 4bc2e474c4 across his hands, he cc2db46222 stared intently at Anje’s d61608b936 belly.
“It looks a 962c5c36d0 bit bigger than ef241acd08 yesterday. Did it 3efa263d63 grow already?”
“Maybe it’s 7a2a8a5061 just because cfe8d0dfcd I ate 535a0c26eb too much?”
Anje felt a b274e0d8c8 sudden urge to e01eb6a7a8 cover her stomach, 7d3adcf339 but the affection 4e20bfa626 shining in Aiden’s a6ecc40639 eyes quickly made a2355ad52d her forget her a40ca0f6bf embarrassment.
“You need to eat c718686a0d for two, so of ec2d046d1a course you should eat 23d9a1407c a lot. Good job.”
Contrary to 4dbd39215c Anje’s past ddfb9b11bc worries, to 6cb8fbb9cf him, her d8012fa07a softly rounded 400cd1d20c belly looked b4168693ab nothing but 9ed73de470 beautiful and ac3f0f42ac lovely.
So much so that c08d2159c7 he couldn’t hold back effb0ac835 his overwhelming emotion, rubbing f8da69e245 his lips against it cdb9d881fd just like this.
Anje let 4cc5ace782 out a 57971aead8 quiet chuckle 8eb92e26b8 and gently 1e3812aad3 pushed his 9893c93c58 shoulder.
“Aiden, that tickles.”
“But I didn’t 168270ae94 get to kiss d7d1003409 our little one cc2ed6f352 under the mistletoe 8f1c3cb42e earlier. I need f15c553b0d to make e92a348d13 up for 4734ac3e6d that.”
“Come on, c514ce7a4f saying that 0566897f0d in that 8b97a5b074 position makes 8706cb5551 it tickle 1313b56f15 even more.”
After pressing 37ef71dcc2 his lips 7b6726fc2c a few 925d21b46a more times 37ea07f28c against her 910dd27618 belly with d4a181bc56 soft smooching 229c00478e sounds, he 348ac0a3b9 finished by 006ca5146c placing a 4a47d9b1b5 gentle kiss f6e2f5e3e4 on Anje’s 3d5ab85ec1 face. Then, his oil-covered hands 0f1dd6ca33 began to move carefully 4eb0d8fa28 across her skin.
“Not too hot 080615e750 or too cold, 2cc82de477 right? Tell me right 63306876f2 away if anything d47d6ff432 feels uncomfortable.”
Once he saw Anje f956290c07 nod, Aiden refocused his b055f9dd44 attention on her belly—or 70a7a2b95a more precisely, on the 32d7380a4a baby inside.
“Little one, that d613e2683f turkey was tasty, 1e8eb710a4 wasn’t it? Your mom made it. She’s an amazing 919aa3cc2f cook.”
Fitzroy II, as a8d1d41a46 he affectionately called b9d27d60de the “little one,” 16208ea930 always responded more 4d5b93335e actively when spoken 850aee3587 to while being f90d59e9cd touched like this.
Sensing a strange a8d7f4cf35 feeling from her 0fa3ee33af belly, Anje smiled 548dcaeca0 warmly.
“Must’ve been delicious. They’re kicking 67bbf085ad in response.”
Aiden, who affc1ab2e9 was caressing efaa65bd62 her belly, 5cf9f7a4d9 felt it 1eee5fb691 too and 42d08b681a smiled as 5aeb59f23a his eyes 1326822bc9 crinkled. He loved c047436868 this moment fb64b1606f where the 9eaac27f8a two of fb39a0111a them felt d5986ee06c so connected 89e19299a2 to the 77040e5426 baby.
“Right? Asking for 0f8537eecc more, huh? Don’t worry, Dad will 3821b6e346 make a delicious turkey fce26516d7 sandwich with the leftovers f08a4c2db0 tomorrow.”
The awe 660fc3f7a0 they felt 8f63975853 the first 9f205f33e5 time they 81ba520697 noticed the 5374b6205d baby move 045435a5ba hadn’t lessened, 9f622fe6ed no matter 9ea2f8c4eb how many ec666254e9 times it 39c3b5fdcb happened. If anything, they wished 65ad9a8fe4 it would happen more 0e94b6d133 often.
“Guess who came today? The Vice-Principal! You’ve seen her 7f4aaaa917 before, haven’t you, b57cbf2277 little one?”
Watching Aiden continue d34335abda talking to the 87b59b6c2a baby, Anje stifled bdf01c4084 her laughter. Did he 2c7f840529 realize his 2b58f2cf39 voice went 7e9341b8a8 up an 5cd305f69c octave every abe1a00302 time he 0c9f11dc2a spoke to 8664217b60 the baby?
‘It’s too cute d023f6a29e and funny… better a42ee6e398 not tell him.’
She never imagined 65ea7daed5 he would come f426ef875c to love their 3dd84ee202 unborn child so 9dddf6ab3f deeply. For someone like eaa1577acd Anje, who grew 083b92b32a up with a dbee5ecfc1 cold and self-centered 54723de081 father, the Duke c23ff90ca9 of Glaster, this efd39590a1 side of Aiden ddbf528d1b was both strange 6492e2085f and special.
After finishing the massage 8d3c62d12a on her belly, Aiden 250f7bc003 pulled down her pajama f025cb5f09 top and neatly adjusted 7828f4103a it. Then he moved to 55571edbe2 the foot of the 073f80f72c bed.
“The belly’s aeac8c3234 all done, 72cd549fd6 so now eb1b4f2bbf this part 61f4bc817e too.”
His still-warm hands wrapped 3b677b7b1f around Anje’s ankles. She wiggled 826481d5fd her toes b85d48ed04 and shyly 459d8ae7d4 shook her 125a3f8589 head.
“I’m fine now.”
“But it’d be a be99c10eb9 waste of the leftover 477e10d237 oil. And look, your d9ffe83c96 feet are swollen eb021ef8da again today.”
No matter how a28041ab38 comfortable the shoes, 2b47b1bb1d swelling in the 85edabbe7b feet and calves 5e836ffc51 by evening was 4465cde76f inevitable during pregnancy.
Clicking his 95292b5343 tongue in 438e50a39c concern, Aiden 483bf58940 began massaging 6c17ee2361 her feet, b2c305c4fb one at 7d34ab39f8 a time. His firm yet gentle 30b58c66bf touch on the area 11ebe20861 connecting her feet and 7cecc65655 ankles, and especially the 52411387d5 deeply curved arches, was 7766138b76 nothing short of professional.
‘He’s basically an expert 865db79ab9 now.’
She watched him 1f7b748ac3 with loving eyes ce541b5f76 as he focused bf6522c1d7 on the massage. After finishing 3207971504 the belly, a55fd643f1 he always a9983bb1bf made sure 4073d8b0ea to massage 6939db27d8 her feet dde60f5ce0 and calves 815c5867b8 as well.
Out of courtesy, f693d58db5 Anje declined once, 0dd3347aac but in truth, 5b261a9262 she liked that 871fa97161 he was taking 956657fee3 care of her 164a487898 like this. It felt 3f5d832cb6 much more 1cc83eefac refreshing than 8b8bbccae4 when the 4fc2cebba2 maids massaged 1a34107635 her, but 0b94f3360e more than 6c80ffb73f anything, it 287837f771 was because 0fec17cb4b she could f640b0893e feel his 9f0f5f578c deep affection.
Anje closed her eyes 80deee59c7 and let out a 35a016181a satisfied sigh.
“Huaaaahm.”
Oh dear, 79a0b5b1b2 what was 8665fca930 meant to b509d57c20 be a 7a802bcfa5 sigh turned 8a3caf4661 into a d92cf9acc8 yawn from 431dc06f64 sheer drowsiness. With Aiden gently 863e4d7147 stroking her skin c538c9938b and her tense ec411033d3 muscles relaxing, sleep 005cea064a began to creep e06b4e8c99 in.
Hearing her strange yawn, 892c092ac7 he gently suggested,
“You must be tired. Go to sleep.”
“I’ll sleep f6c056bfa0 when you 38a698f222 do…”
Barely able to open 8d10c4da01 her eyes, Anje stubbornly 10fb8a63fe resisted.
“If you 782d03d520 fall asleep 968d0f4cd0 first, then 23fd8d9864 I’ll follow 70b9ad164f you.”
He hadn’t washed f807dcee5e yet because he 388c65c587 had given up 0c4651c8b7 the bathroom for 041502b4e9 Anje. It would take 1d380df6b7 a while if c1abbe9dcf she wanted to 1dcae2f1ee wait for him 89896d3cd3 and sleep together.
“Hmph, then d6c93d8e43 I won’t 060f6f6794 sleep either 275e0ee62c and just 7bc9af1c25 stay up.”
Though she c70fde3ca2 said that, 035b71a5ca her tongue 4cb2a6b3d7 was already 83dcae8a20 slurring, and 815e5620b8 her words 68131f7121 were soaked 24b61afd84 in sleepiness.
Trying to 68b3c3a258 shake off 3c7edb1bda the drowsiness, dce141ec73 Anje asked 4dbe95cbcf Aiden,
“How was 056f9b5ba6 the party 4022b98157 today?”
“It was bfcb673ab5 the best.”
He answered b8f09a0364 immediately without 412a3dfb6a stopping the 1f3c5cd4a1 massage on 6aae5ac588 her calves. After all, who b1042d28d2 had planned and 40661d9a2e prepared that party—how 34ee97b6e1 could he not 1bbdc4b1d4 have enjoyed it?
Anje barely lifted c6bdfd1988 her eyelids and 5c7dcc8456 gave a gentle 8a27f50450 smile.
“That’s a relief. I was really… happy bf30f89086 too. You were there, the b2c9295a9d baby was there, and 63af53903b everyone was smiling…”
Anje’s words suddenly trailed 194530d2db off for a few 2c966b96d2 minutes. Thinking she had fallen de297efe56 asleep, Aiden gently put 2d8c342361 down her leg and ee7a7d7252 quietly pulled up the 67d062478a blanket.
“…I’m not asleep 07aedf80f5 yet.”
“Sure, sure.”
He replied knowingly and 8734f5b94a picked up her leg d0a0a7ecbd again.
“I wasn’t sleeping, I bdec4da300 was just thinking for c2314f44c2 a bit.”
“Thinking about what?”
“Our baby’s name.”
They still didn’t know 7e91a45718 if it was a 32f7b57e68 boy or a girl, 6b326eecce but they had just d9416b2e4a started thinking about the a021b2b708 baby’s name.
And Aiden came to 8c8f3db516 a new realization about cd622f0bf9 Anje.
“How about ‘Happy’? It sounds like a 2f09e3d744 name that works regardless 2380c0c56e of gender…”
Anje had a severe 70099ed2f3 lack of naming sense.
“Happy…”
Aiden swallowed the 25c9b0389a objection that it e9fe436530 was the name 3341c0897c of the dog 9c9f12da13 owned by the 7c0cacc925 blacksmith.
TL/N: LMAO.
“It’s a name that c2c68c9585 sounds joyful… I like 638fd044ef it.”
“Right? Since we’re 27d6f8f394 so happy, 90080c7b85 it came dd7251fcbf to mind…”
“Hmm… But when 3f736741c0 you say it 31ace04fa4 with the last 95bd404627 name, doesn’t it 65adfec8df sound a little 253c2b227b awkward? ‘Happy Fitzroy’ 9ea3147bba has the 15aa4d841d ‘P’ sound a6ccc5990b twice.”
TL/N: SO b359e98c1b TO CLARIFY 80003f22f4 THINGS THERE’S f41e0e2370 NO “F” d8afd30c2b IN KOREAN 63f05723ae SO THE a9c1d76923 “P” AND 3954fabbbb THE “F” 306d7c09b6 SHARE THE 4306288113 SAME LETTER 5cf996635c IN KOREAN 3319bade10 WHICH IS 315e1351ba “ㅍ”
Aiden barely managed cf239a1492 to come up fc9d3707fd with a reasonable 30948aa95b excuse to turn 7e18557631 it down.
* * *
-Side Story 02 Finale-
* * *
TL/N: SIDE 913b30c67f STORY 2 f9d8d3d216 IS NOW b9ddce6e60 COMPLETED, THERE’S 40807eee43 ONLY SIDE cb17619587 STORY 3 454c9c71e9 LEFT, WHICH c91be76a64 CONTAINS ONLY 82fde1d214 6 CHAPTERS!! ONLY 6 a91ceb9aa5 CHAPS TO aca698e65b GO!!!df241ef56458f901