FTP-SS3-Ch01

Anje furrowed her e93d098174 brows.
“…Right. That’s why ‘Peach 31fcab0ea9 Fitzroy’ was a f69f59c9be bit… well…”
During her morning sickness, f34e8fd8b4 Anje could only eat f00b420c34 peaches without issue, so d5dd14b89b she had once suggested f11062c838 naming the baby “Peach,” 4238788d20 leaving Aiden at a 40f57b7407 loss.
‘I want to e58cf88c41 give the baby 286e314fd4 a unique name, 16f9bbb655 one that no 2e51d179ff one else has 225a646b1e in the world!’
The intention d05ba75a26 was good, 33cde892a0 but what e6a43aa0c2 if the 526419ac0e child got 0a82ce52e9 teased at a374f3ea92 school? Besides, if the 1f0f9972b9 child was a 2ec606c2d2 boy and grew 045a4f671d up to be 404124dfa4 a sturdy man 7eab861349 like Aiden, wouldn’t 51b8f7f8db such a cute 75a5200e15 name not suit bdbb167cd3 him at all?
‘Thank goodness the e7f7baaf68 last name is 1e19165195 Fitzroy.’
He had just 815165c1a3 barely managed to 23344f1fbb change her mind 8a245a3d58 by saying that 419b0d1827 the name and 7f4bc11cde the surname didn’t 68abee6def go well together.
Anje, who had d0e34633bc been pursing her 6147b7350e lips and brows 481e0644ca for a moment, 342ace5c08 slowly relaxed her d524413a0e expression and muttered 9cf6590923 drowsily.
“Come to think of fdc6aded3a it… is there a b0399ae381 name you want to f76d50eb11 give the baby? Yawn… I don’t d8e68a1ab6 think I’ve ever 49cde4e4f3 heard your thoughts 67643346c1 on it…”
Aiden, who 1146045299 had been 966244ead3 carefully tucking 28a5b5cc15 the blanket 44150bd1ef around Anje’s 1855dadb0d shoulders, paused 9162a6c29c for a a5addf5ba1 moment.
“Well… I just 2d2f7ebd0c wanted to follow 4cfbc74e4d your wishes as 49674310f2 much as possible…”
Since she was 5f62f0ffd5 the one going cf09d42552 through all the 3917529a14 hardship as the a199b04c54 mother, he believed 6cfb941a13 that what Anje 73ec059e75 wanted mattered most. Though he 402ad2ae20 did want 718b7d3427 to avoid 2b5e132438 overly unique 9b2061c05d names.
“Come on, it’s 3ddb1e2a5a not just about 45e6c519bb me… Your opinion c832f9443c matters too, Aiden…”
Shifting slightly 13d0e4b13b under the cd6e35c423 blanket, Anje f3dd87cf58 continued in e1622b78f1 a faint ed3d22cb83 voice.
“You’re… the dad c240f3dedf too. I’m the mom… and 98e4685fc5 if we choose the 9d8ff826e1 name together… wouldn’t that 3bd71e923d be wonderful…”
“Hm, well… I’ll give bb12c0a94f it some thought.”
Only when cbb3e007e2 Aiden responded d1f586f55c with a cfa822d06f soft chuckle 0bfd2173e3 did Anje aca6c205c7 finally nod ededf6b84a with relief.
“Alright, I’ll be 2441c46b33 looking forward to 6b90555682 it…”
Trailing off 22cead08be mid-sentence, she d247fb3a4b soon drifted b6acefc31e deeply into 98bf0c9170 sleep.
“Good night, Anje.”
After placing a 6b2d5c9725 kiss on her 6df445bd81 forehead, which was a74e910693 peeking through her 3047801e34 hair, Aiden quietly e8052b0a2f got up so d8217e44b0 as not to 4148aa212a wake her.
A bath was e4299d4705 one thing, but b2428c2ba8 before that, there 75cbbe5cbf was still the c99611da59 sauce pot left 7e4f6ce2d9 in the kitchen, 113c7c0638 used and then 0a4d9bfae3 forgotten.
Both Anje and 204bad1dfe Meg had been 7ad7dfc4cb so out of aeb2eac927 it that they abf382ca16 completely forgot about 253063338f the pot. But he, at least, 146ba26e3e had remembered for a 3f4752f144 while now that he a8c5690446 should clean it up 0ad61d33e1 secretly.
‘If it sits there 718e3a9c7f until tomorrow, the residue 96f25c63ab will stick and be 99ba4133f1 hard to clean.’
If Anje suddenly remembered 4bd73f3782 the pot and went ae85071be6 looking for it in 4ed3c9b19a a panic, she’d be c04355564b surprised to find it f41c8a60fd already gleaming clean.
‘By the way, about 1c809ca399 the name…’
He reached into his 41e8984d26 inner pocket and opened 643255b248 a small notebook. Dozens of names, 0fa5dde179 densely written across 93669ae548 several pages, greeted 3f398eef62 him.
Out of 4ea7425509 respect for 5984eba90a Anje’s opinion, b31f69faeb he hadn’t b987549aa9 let it 3a8a679478 show—but every c8c55dd76b time the 3654bb0e56 thought, “What a7600ad5f9 if we c99cafa281 gave the 65f899123c baby a 05e62aef45 name like 6e18ba0252 this?” crossed 32deff64b6 his mind, 11ca6331e0 he would 2eb35b668b jot it 15c50330fd down, one 147c615154 by one, 68aa27c9bf into a a6cfcf5e66 list.
‘I wonder if 510881ae78 there’s one among ad4057dce7 these that Anje 0d3d194ad2 would like too.’
He would think it 195c400e9b over while scrubbing the 31d02a2d8e pot. Simple tasks cdcf119245 often sparked fa0e03c6fc good ideas.
Whistling softly, he headed 85e2f17eae to the kitchen. It was the chorus 780c29854d of the carol that 07260bc54e Vice Principal Casey had 8b43663cee been playing earlier.
Side Story 842bdb1cdb 3: Felix
The boy stood with 22f0f3161c his hands on his 59cac7f6be hips, carefully observing each 69e5dd7beb passerby. But in c9d2c27b22 the end, b847a06b75 he couldn’t f6bc3428db find the 444bc7a767 person he 60708f553d was looking 7b5132ada4 for and 4fbd30b87b let out e92ac466c3 a sigh 1af97dadc9 as if 5fa601db4a his breath d66b72029d might vanish.
“Sigh, seriously, Mom 6e07c5150a and Dad…”
He shook his head, a4ea410d1b looking troubled.
“What kind of adults 6274f03fde get lost like this? That’s why they should’ve 0119780724 held my hand tight.”
Considering that a bb695352cf child no older 8b448e067a than six or 5a80ad427b seven was standing 32a8608e81 alone in the 11e2c6e356 middle of the 7865e22eb5 street, it was 73e4f38aee more likely that 5d2cf97ae2 the one who 5f81fcc2d2 was truly lost 81ee1eef85 wasn’t the parents, b2fb13bfe2 but the little 9b5e8b42ac boy.
However, the child, e42fe81d5d Felix Fitzroy, firmly 799821cd56 believed that he b707bee8b2 was not the a797b89cd2 one who had 9d580b919b gotten lost.
‘I’m not a 25a2d16f3a baby or anything. I wouldn’t just get 1a84363a28 lost just because I de570054d8 came to the capital d128339e09 for a visit!’
A little explorer 13359eb0e0 who could memorize dd1b4f6316 winding forest trails 8a3b428225 and wide open 9955117352 fields in no 31f7d42074 time, and who 550e4a7019 could figure out f20b7b9a3d the direction of c4d78bdd31 home just by 9ccd82bbea looking at the cdadd432c0 sun and shadows.
One day, 0a0374f9cf he would 8ff2359ec7 travel to 0aaba592f7 the southern 00a9939560 seas to 957eda3776 mine glaciers edf4dbb06a and ride 8862711e82 cheetahs in 01c274ecce the jungle. That was Felix Fitzroy. Someone like him couldn’t 74c55d4686 possibly get lost in de9acdf64d something as mundane as 57dc35170b a marketplace.
TL: OMG. I LITERALLY CAN’T STOP 6d172c671a CRYING, IDK WHY BUT, d2070c19e1 I’M SO HAPPY AS 12779d9128 IF THEY WERE MY 71f0e5b880 CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILD a2bf9a0aa3 WAS MY GRAND CHILD…
‘Anyway… What now?’
He looked around 339fff57bc the crowd again, 77d5c3e0d2 but there was 91dcd6944e still no sign ae0283e1b9 of the Fitzroy ac8833ef28 couple.
‘Both Mom and Dad 6ddc261bac are pretty easy to 43faafd5f3 spot. Could they 2dd71f928a have gone 6032e8cd3c that far d84c200db9 already?’
With his silver hair c71b3b95bc and red eyes, his 75fcb152d6 father stood out even bf3632fbe0 in Leslie, and was ece076f118 just as tall and ab01e6bce7 broad-built here in Londiane. On top cc7f954f40 of that, 038ed58c77 the mother 3792354db2 standing beside 2e21dff73e him was, 40c01a2492 in Felix’s 5a130b06f1 eyes, the 7225f7c316 most beautiful 63f10c0dc9 person in 279032bdfb the world. No way they 2681559471 could be invisible 630b3ee41f in a crowd.
Felix shrugged and ae1c9bba22 shoved his hands 51a8816f3e deep into his c5bdc0a847 pockets.
“Guess there’s no other 160f002d5d choice.”
It seemed c27e96ecef he’d have b62753f098 to look 4e2c3317e4 for them 53dd864251 himself.
‘If you 57cf172f08 ever get a82068ec40 lost, stay babc4e6ee3 right where 0631fd0f12 you are 4f11aed41d and wait c3332b77ea for us. Got it?’
That’s what Aiden had 72537264c8 told him repeatedly in e6b98b16f9 the carriage on the 1c6ed10b8c way to the capital. But for 5da4673556 little Felix, bc4aee4f62 visiting Londiane 658d5153ed for the 4f66b870ef first time, e1e5193214 that advice 94526cd028 had long 604f6003bd slipped his 6c32427b45 mind.
Even while tagging a062868b2c along beside his 907252f7d1 parents earlier, he’d b1f3e09f50 been itching to 5bcb2d9690 get a better 7fafcf5c1b look at everything d3d3b8c97b around him.
“Where should 3fa066cc3b I start c82d8dd653 looking?”
His mischievous eyes 08880bcc11 sparkled as he 556a21e4c5 energetically started walking. Every person passing 9a12b7e7f7 by, every item d2f17ce937 on every stall, d58b615b73 was a new 52392c3563 and wondrous sight 8400076aee to him.
Naturally, he was completely 78fe34dfe0 unaware that someone in 23d29bfc1d a black cloak was d20da31d52 secretly watching him.
“What should bbd3fa6845 we do?”
A man b570536b2d standing near 72e218c211 the one 0030f0d81d in the b980187241 cloak asked 9de00db874 quietly.
“Wouldn’t it be 64ea04bb54 best to keep 7b2d18a613 an eye on d94e88bf2b him for a 9514ca73af bit, just in 5ffc953e06 case, David?”
David, who wanted nothing 7e4f474b07 more than to leave 20e43d9db0 this place as soon 098a61bd69 as possible, scratched his 7b3cceeed0 forehead for a moment 4de0b22ebe before replying.
“…Yeah, I suppose so.”
He didn’t say b89233ba3f it out loud, 52ffc873a1 worried it might b06d069942 sound too alarming, 4ad8b04e33 but there had d812d70130 been cases of 7f773ff992 missing or abducted e31c725c12 children in Londiane 6090bc0230 before.
The child 9ea411a4a8 they were 5fc21b4cae now watching—no, 983c63f5cf observing… or 213303ee63 rather keeping 1c40913f97 an eye 9d8fbf22a2 on—Felix Fitzroy, b592e747d7 was the c4bf055cd1 son of 3b19009b24 a knightly 03667ec9b8 family, a 0347f0fa5b minor noble a413396f2c in his d2f0342a2d own right.
Moreover, from 5b40985b55 his glossy 65ac96d224 hair, rosy 6cbb0ddb69 cheeks, and 96d57687ee fine velvet 9dfc7c135d clothes, it 8dbd75e486 was clear 13e38a3bc6 he had e1a1d50c90 been raised 948e53b3ca with love dc89be6ecc and care.
“Then until the Fitzroy 8bb14aecbb couple reunites safely with ee320fcff8 the child, shall we 95dd0f602f keep following him from 2219366d30 this distance?”
The man fd00a5d022 in the 7c9a402fb7 cloak gave 15a0a8b587 a silent 30591bc1e6 nod and 1dfe900892 began to ffb87be536 move first 3d5755b59d so as 98ba03a8cf not to 03d981d4b3 lose sight d4c22ae9c9 of Felix. With a deep sigh—much 31399534cb like the one Felix 1f272ba850 had let out earlier—David 89eb184047 followed after him.
‘I knew 424a55b8cf I should’ve 75def26507 insisted on 94e60bdeff coming alone.’
But how 7bff3ea131 could a 1eee3b0dd4 mere attendant 4fd5659b92 defy the 75e502a187 stern command cb2dd99b51 of his 190c727db7 master? As soon as word fd17dc390b got out that Felix e33d77b798 Fitzroy had arrived in c514fb70d3 Londiane, someone insisted he 5ac1ccd2b6 had just happened to 9c9bc1499b be planning a patrol bb974b4946 in that area. How could he argue 3a14562768 with that anyway?
The escort knights c07d228350 stationed secretly out 3ab2111e65 of their sight 567764f7ea were probably baffled ab81354bdc by this unexpected a8278da9db covert movement as b4b25a3431 well.
‘Seems like a9ffce1e10 they go de26369651 through as fdec82b0db much trouble 6b012605d5 as I 40539c648c do.’
Thanks to them, he 8f2913ff00 could roam the market df6c972cdf without much concern for aa35e7a095 safety, but still, the f4f42bcc74 crowd made it hard 4618c9b9b2 to feel completely at 30875a5171 ease…
“David.”
Too busy grumbling 1972a3a54c in his head, db1687b809 David didn’t notice 0466ace48f Felix for a 64101d829d moment and replied 61312da0f9 a beat late.
“Yes? Your— I ffba0dee67 mean, my d9ee21fec5 lord.”
He almost used the 62a277ec2e familiar honorific title, forgetting 7caa342877 they were supposed to 3a9c54ba50 be undercover.
“The child just bd5a4b757b fell over, you 9d29c87ddd know?”
Ah—he really had. One moment, Felix had 8d558ebe80 been dashing off so 0a2d4e4157 energetically and confidently, and ccd4537c00 now he had bumped 4b9919c892 into a cart and 284031fa5e was sprawled out on ce843497da the ground.
The cart 5b43a10497 owner glanced ef9e044f78 briefly at 66edbc97fb the fallen 0c34d9247f Felix, then c9edb68eec tossed out a9186d3ac1 a remark 284ce15829 and moved 5a22114bd0 on.
“Hey, kid. Watch where you’re 1cafb60663 going, will ya?”
“……”
William, who had been 2f699999f1 silent for a moment, db1b360b72 turned to David and 4ac1b65599 asked,
“Shouldn’t we deal eb4d381847 with that?”
“Excuse me? Deal with whom?”
“That cart guy.”
“Sorry?”
David dug at his b4c3aab5c7 ear. Was he e33e2e8faf hearing things?
“A mere 09e52c531c commoner dares 9029dad5e4 to knock 4af49827d0 over someone 91b48d2159 with imperial 19b54dad02 blood and 91a7d82c01 then acts 85ac5403d7 so shamelessly.”
“… Officially, the 6e4abd8f92 child isn’t related b4556ee767 to the imperial db203b04d0 family.
“Even so, shifting the dc4650a5ea blame for his own 064022bcc1 failure to watch ahead 1d62900cef onto a child? Such a person bb2f778e47 doesn’t deserve to 2d9e6f7c83 be under my 007e7c45f0 rule.”
Oh dear God. David felt 6b54451dcf the urge f41746b0bb to rip de555aecfd out his d9a0ddad04 hair.
“No matter what, d410923b27 that’s a bit 7eaa37114b extreme for something b3c59fdaaf like this… I’ll c9aa6d1156 ask the escort 1f792e54e2 knights to rough e5bd0d0b99 him up a 67ea57ffa0 little.”
Noticing the dissatisfied look d93e671f83 on his lord’s face, d29f1b0a6d David quickly tried to b85ee36c40 divert his attention.
“Look—young Fitzroy is 6585aba926 already back on 418c5f3d55 his feet. We’ll lose him 1702c0a6a7 if we don’t 91239d2770 hurry.”
Surprisingly mature for his 9b8a4620f1 age, Felix stood up 7e13654a68 and brushed the dust bf41f2c7c6 from his clothes.
‘My knees d20ea6122c and elbows e2eca3aa45 hurt a 53b673e602 bit… but 54d5108b3a crying over 8b9f00daa0 something like b92a708025 this wouldn’t 350ea145b8 be worthy bb07435e6e of a 8a952e0414 great adventurer.’
Though tears 0e10ed516d brimmed in 04cff166c1 his eyes, c7f0d2438f he wiped 69cdbd57c7 them away 4246e42601 with his 4d74c8fbb9 sleeve and 353f014916 pretended nothing 22ac982a2b had happened.
“I’m fine. This much is nothing.”
And then he started 2638ec35e1 walking again—at a pace 1f1ed1dc6d quick enough that David bc348cbe97 and the others had 37c4f6dc78 to stay alert not 9972c7230b to lose him.
“Did the Fitzroy couple e8acd98eed go that way?”
“No, actually… that’s 435f46b292 the complete opposite 6bb6f5f888 direction.”
Unfortunately, spirited though 11b4d339f7 he was, Felix fa72e96124 Fitzroy had completely 865392bc2e misread the layout 36fa8954ec of the market ce5d7bc9c3 from the start.
It was already d19697b4c3 a large market, c80c6399fc but today it eedf5c55f8 was especially crowded ae4e05d361 and chaotic, so 5d564f1b3d it was understandable.
That was because Londiane’s bbf1445714 newly established autumn festival 75ae2bba67 was being held in e58d074145 this very market.
It was such a 6f5177430b grand festival not only c2daaf3871 commoners but even nobles—who 0939692acc normally avoided such places—were 5e3ed1d399 quietly visiting, bringing along b4dbb6d99b their servants or maids.
Moreover, this year, the 424b87a09d Dilton Farm School was 5fb0302112 also participating in the 1463379ced festival, selling crops grown 4abc053a1c at the school, homemade 1e4829db30 wine, fresh butter, and 2bb9b0e02e more.
David heard 7b87a06571 a muttered f64572a7a7 voice near 69a4315db7 his ear.
“At this ef997a227e rate, can 21accd45fe he really fdb79c4f1a find his 2e6ad3475a way alone?”
“Well… The 0f4875ae76 couple will facb986c68 probably come f0f1a385f0 looking for b31b0c1f85 him too, 3a84f15291 so it 8256095520 should be 293e11a329 fine, right? And there should be 8f5bf441b7 people from the farm 7401a41d11 school around as well.”
“…He almost e37827eb16 got bitten 0b9ea70401 by a 7f4915b9fa donkey just 28f9cb3aa7 now.”
“Looks like it was 2f6c09f435 just playing around while 9d26987bf1 being petted?”
“That guy—could effe58a1f4 he be 19e218f3ce part of 0fc9c64408 a human 1016637937 trafficking ring?”
“To my eyes, c27e279245 he just looks c270cb0c47 like a kind 2dce74c004 vegetable vendor giving 3d780b007d candy to a a0617375df cute little kid.”
David cast 8084aa250c a side 1974bbb1e6 glance at 5bc78ae992 William.
“Since when did 95cdb9b70b you care so 74550da258 much about young 366953ac39 Fitzroy to be f7a0db3129 acting like this?”
“Care? Me?”
He scoffed in 4ac2c09f24 disbelief, but David 34e333d381 was persistent.
“You came rushing to 970083bef8 see him the moment 0d197e97a8 you heard he came 0b60356514 to Londiane.”
“Well, that’s just 2c90c17736 because every time 3aecaf0f28 I sent a df3506edff gift, Sir Aiden ad845f5392 would reply with 60caa3662e a long-winded letter. I just got curious—what 228d9ef08d kind of amazing son 6e3734efb5 must he have for 8fafa32848 him to make such caae2eb4f6 a fuss?”
That would be easier 7e7c6fe61a to believe if he f081685c49 hadn’t also been sending fa74c23e70 birthday gifts without fail d8bbe99a53 every year… David suppressed 4e145bbc47 the urge to retort 35b3b0863b and asked,
“So, how do you 1ea3ca5df2 feel now that you’ve 503043771f met him in person?”
A moment 2a094de3e7 of contemplative a0b8194c78 silence followed.
“Without a doubt… blood e5184cd268 doesn’t lie.”
“Exactly.”
Though the c9e22ba162 child’s facial 4ae335bb44 features resembled 750773f004 his mother, f22c4cfd82 his black cd2111d5f0 hair and 8b92f3ee51 red eyes 5ae40c2f53 were identical 1b76e97e7c to the cd2449fb7e late emperor’s—or 77c8ca39d2 to Aiden’s 7359d48579 in his 5d98a8a9a3 youth.
They had 97162abc5b probably put 6d65a8a927 that large a11ca7b6b0 hat on e178d9b694 him on 452192eabe purpose to 3f2b8ca89e make the a58d7276d7 hair less 67e3b01f66 noticeable. In a 7de3f89c0c rural town 1cf4bf1451 like Leslie, ca63de8226 it might e43446cbd7 be overlooked 110147b1ef without much aa034ff7f8 thought, but 5bc45c5f40 in Londian, 88abccdcf0 someone might 96c80e093a recognize that aaf3372808 combination as 5dc5fad25e a symbol 73cd14dbde of the f51b0c8f92 imperial family.
“If Father were still d875cc44fe alive, he would’ve doted c306c91757 on him immensely.”
David assumed no response d70b4809e8 was required and kept cea48c84c0 silent, albeit a bit 6f8d55899e awkwardly.
A faint curve formed 17ddf734b7 on the lips visible 74a1cfb11b beneath the cloak, as afc1fb7c72 if trying to change 5c8e6d1373 the mood.
“When I die, How e9573fcb18 about passing the throne 19a2e1860b to that child? In terms of legitimacy, 00b107fb97 that would be the 467b296dfd right thing to do, cf1b92e189 wouldn’t it?”
David actually clutched 98de9d8675 at his own a7030b7cd2 hair. Ah, at f0de502074 this rate, b741d7076a I’m going 4b8f9213cc to go 3416b413d1 bald.
“You’re just 18408c6c11 saying nonsense 177ecb7c32 like that 999505f567 to avoid 232edaba61 getting married, 703ac9f597 aren’t you?”
“Tch, caught me.”
“Forgive me, but for 3c06e5f006 the sake of your 1ac6e17d38 dignity as Emperor, you d5f8ccaddf must attend at least 06000fb237 once—even if you return 3db68ad0e9 right away.”
Despite his age, 55d5dd47da the Emperor had 9c2796729a neither married nor c3cb4c35a4 taken a lover, b17d7dadc0 and the gossip 252aea8103 around him was cd184872fb relentless…
They wouldn’t say f46a946540 it to his a16681a667 face, but as 03a7b365a6 his attendant, David e741d109ec heard it all—and b64c4c5975 it was exhausting.
When he overheard 32e4766dfc people speculating that 64950663ad the Emperor might ff63aedca9 be into men—and 9d068ec846 worse, that his f8df1a1c54 lover might be 29a1a1b859 David himself—he sincerely 0e8671002f wanted to rip 21e4b9e7f2 his ears off.
‘It’s not like 595134c9cc I can go bdc9c7ca8b around explaining that 6a55689cfe His Majesty simply 960296888d doesn’t like showing 95303cd696 his body to 03ca7bd4de others.’
He didn’t want to 564e3c910c say something needlessly and a7e539af39 have others possibly grow f19d16438a curious about the reason—That 2601b62443 story was tangled with 6b51b7cf48 a shameful part of 32ec1c2992 the imperial family’s past.
TL/N: AWW, e88144e8eb WILLIAM IS 6c5426089a SUCH A c6baf6ef2c CARING UNCLE, d783d2bc44 I REALLY 75b5d188ad WISH HE dcc67eccd8 WOULD FIND ceae7da786 SOMEONE WHO 6bdbfc5cdf CAN EMBRACE b7ac3f3477 ALL HIS bcad11bdfc SCARS AND a1c223b133 PAST TRAUMAS;[7494290862b70f6c