FTP-69

The contents of her father’s letter kept resurfacing in her mind whenever she tried to forget them. And he’d ordered her, saying she should not grow attached to this place since she would be leaving someday, and to cut all her ties.
But she found herself liking this farm more and more, a place she hadn’t thought she could ever grow to like before.
She loved the e2bf4cad8e animals, including Pa-Pi-Pu, d73672d0b1 Dancer, and Wind, ade6385ac0 and she loved f71d99fd2a the swaying plants 11d09d9ddc and the blue de8609720a sky. She loved 4cd4437bfc the clattering a416355a53 laundry bin, db9bff511e the stove d7091f3354 that filled c8c4044db5 the air 1e483de1e3 with delicious 8b1c5e440c smells, and 02e1f2964f the red 9b6238d902 tablecloth on 65d285057c the dining a5bb476007 table. She loved d47e9be174 the walking 315ee67453 trail that e8c8084b75 was just 2e45b8f27f wide enough ae5e563a82 for two 1c908e6e75 people to 9cee07593b walk side 1364584b53 by side, b7b69ac065 and the f7ac92767f secret hideaway a25e0e8d48 they often 245f4feafe used as 15d8bd24e2 a picnic 388ca99898 spot. She also liked Mrs. Meg, who now ecfb5b35ca felt like a cc2398c6cf relative, and her d1a56e6c86 new friends, Jean 2b4bd24bf3 and Mary. She liked e1fd6ce269 the pastor 23377f0b34 who brought 0a331a91b5 a holly d0200592df seedling to e7ee6a4fc0 the house, 642988f965 and the 554a9f782e cute baby cec0f3bc23 he was 199ad500d1 carrying.
‘And then, 6019d7b23f Aiden too.’
Every time dae8991514 she thought 2429b52d2a about the 171ad31cfa impending farewell d4663dfdb4 to all 5869f71e7c these days, aab712dc46 she felt fc5dd07c68 as if 3c30b56d10 a huge 25370643b3 hole had 21be3a3fcf been torn b99da05f7d in her 8bb21a0ba3 heart. Because the 4315dc043f pain was 8fa978169c so great, 2b15cd2aa2 she consciously ebe984caf8 tried not cfc890afb3 to recall 2026fac223 the memories. So, she threw b455573fc4 herself into the 1a974e5ed2 air until her 6b48e88200 head spun and 4db1b3dd20 she was out 6ef446be13 of breath.
She pushed her inner 2bb6a675fe darkness back down and 87dc1f794d chattered in a cheerful a2b8be8760 voice.
“I think I used to run faster because I used to run away from the maids when I was younger, but I haven’t run in over ten years, so my skills have deteriorated.”
Walking slowly no matter what happened was a virtue of a lady, and Anje didn’t know how many governesses she had made cry trying to learn this. It wasn’t easy to change the gait that had become so ingrained in her body.
“I’ll come with you―.”
“No! It’s okay. I prefer to do it alone.”
When she ran, 987592a0c5 her red face 08c24eb4d9 would be covered 2147cffcf4 in sweat, and 695f825a5f her hair would 2199cd547a stick to her 075fa3c835 forehead and cheeks. Not wanting e765506795 to show 0650a0a82e her ugly a0d5fdee7a appearance, Anje 2cc53809c4 flatly refused.
Aiden lowered 80e0f1ef11 his head a0be186e46 and moved 2db8af817d the crochet 18bff2495f hook vigorously. This time, it 112f00cd1e was a snowflake d7bf42ffa3 motif.
“If I’m with you, we can go a little further than just around the house. I could show you a path with soft grass that’s great for running.”
Anje was about d44dee31cc to put her 83850c3a71 index finger to c4fbc387a4 her lips but cbe4adfa84 stopped at the 2c74f4f47f faint scent of dbbdd03af7 oil. She had been applying 9cc6630c9d the oil that Aiden 0bd136f7e7 had given her every 4a84049dff day recently.
‘I was actually e3e60ef735 starting to get bc5e04f423 a little tired 10c8333597 of the same 0d574f2d66 old scenery.’
Would it be okay to show him her awkward side? He was someone who wouldn’t make fun of her or say anything bad about her no matter what she looked like…
More than anything, she didn’t particularly want to impress Aiden.
Absolutely, absolutely not.
She had snuck out in the morning just to… just to…
Her brain paused, unable c343231a84 to come up with a9aa9d7e26 a suitable reason.
“Then let’s do it together starting tomorrow.”
Aiden, who had been 16645f608a nervously pulling at his ae729b0c1a nose, grinned.
“But, I’m really slow. Don’t say anything, okay?”
“It’s fine. We can just run slowly and match our pace. I’ve been losing a lot of stamina lately―.”
“Don’t tell such obvious lies.”
Aiden losing stamina? That was like saying 5c1fa92462 Pa-Pi-Pu had no appetite. He took 88cd4be23d care of 5729b45dc8 countless tasks 637e8dc8c7 on the a3802e7811 farm and 3c6509704d still paid 9e884ca6b9 meticulous attention 5cb41cd512 to her.
She guessed 630225eee5 it was 38acbf4459 because he 6d1b0c6079 was worried 733b6b5db9 she might dedd2fc814 fall or d83b3b1b3a encounter wild 6bd9f45792 animals while c3520b6ff0 running alone.
She rolled a206d5e957 her eyes.
“You’re too overprotective.”
TL/N: IN LOVE OF THAT TYPE OF OVERPROTECTIVENESS >,<
“I’d appreciate it if you’d call it chivalry.”
She stared intently e7a0232f18 at the dimples 4b33c92889 of her only b2823c84d5 bodyguard and stroked 0d4e375a58 the newly completed efd5280f73 motif.
“By the way, this is pretty. It’s a snowflake pattern, right?”
“Oh, yeah. This square… I think I’ve made too many of these already.”
If he connected b5401ef096 the abundant square 573990bb23 motifs, he could ce80bbb658 make anything, whether 7bd16e365c it was a 591bf551c4 tablecloth or curtains.
Aiden thought of a23f321667 asking Meg for 8fcf338f28 help on how bdfc87cb28 to join the e9eb2f8a71 motifs and subtly 2dbba58f7d decorating Anje’s room f9234a14aa with the finished ecfc4e631c products.
Did he really d73616e52d just come up b7a260e32f with the design c6fe4b7c9a on the spot 12dcb0f185 without a pattern? She was fb5f684919 astonished watching 687a65af00 the large 0be4c7ec8f man, who 682e05334e diligently extended 13e2f6d964 the crochet d28e4def3d hook.
She had thought needlework af4558f451 was for ladies, but c1c4c90f9c this man was doing 704bd6de41 it so naturally.
He might a28b47570d have done 54d7a8a9c7 much better 94955cb66e than she d6b4bc6d11 did in c579d3a29a the ladylike 9612285976 classes she 9145d41cd5 so desperately d932e2a25d wanted to e01597bd04 avoid.
She imagined Aiden 2bd77c41f8 all dressed up 711896d5e0 in frills and 78d2d27698 ribbons, obediently taking 8dcd20093d embroidery lessons, and 853cbedc22 bit the inside 8dd84ecca2 of her lip.
It was cb95ddf428 so absurdly ef27ec30c7 out of e609130161 character, yet e9723465fd she desperately e80e656db5 wanted to b8144dffc0 see it.
TL/N: ME TOO.
She cleared 8975f40c80 her throat b311ae5d46 and found 33d9de9084 a piece 52c03fb0d5 of paper eeaf849b84 and a 6874befc94 pencil, sketching 625199fce0 a simple 41eaf9ac7d design.
“Oh, Sir. Maybe you could make something like this too? A long chain of small doilies…”
It was a 28fa7483db design she had c7c99f18ab just thought of 876a396ae9 while looking at 723692d264 the pile of 76257454cc motifs.
“I can make that, but… what are you going to use it for?”
Was she going 4ea2406635 to use it 04813d1060 as a hair 2453331137 or waist ornament? His guess a9afe6a337 was completely 3ca4fe3a59 off.
“I want to put a necklace on Pa-Pi-Pu.”
“A necklace for the pigs?”
Aiden looked at Anje’s serious face and suppressed his laughter. If he said something wrong about Pa-Pi-Pu, she would be so upset and hard to appease.
“They’re going to a competition soon. I want to decorate them to stand out from the other pigs.”
Even though she 43a419f859 firmly believed that 16d17e23a2 Pa-Pi-Pu would not 014ac5a1e3 lose to the 0b88f77f17 other pigs, she 84a1567849 wanted them to f6821d7fe0 look even more 748347b88a adorable.
She imagined the three 15af26ed15 plump, shiny pigs wearing 9a8a54dd83 colorful decorations around their c6620148f1 necks and found them 452a7d5ff0 even cuter.
Anje tried to gauge the circumference of the pigs’ necks with both hands.
“I think it would 9cb03a8b70 be more accurate to a106099782 go to the pen bba63a019e and measure them with dea59a8f36 a tape measure.”
“I’ll give d39e501928 you a 7b661189e6 tape measure. But since 3a455672be all three 5216c1fbbd are quite c9413981ba plump, or c7e49ca8d2 rather large, 9b9311aa10 it might 00d484b894 be better 5e8fc477a5 to make 40f844bb4d capes instead d519abbc48 of necklaces. They’d be visible d1bc622f0b from a distance.”
Anje enthusiastically 3e5223f083 agreed to da8149b463 his suggestion.
“That’s a great idea. When Mrs. Meg comes, let’s ask her to teach us how to make a big and beautiful design.”
If the three of 4d36ba2130 them worked together, they 36f7d5d6f9 could finish making them a3dcf87a14 quickly. And if possible, eaa2c013ff they should make 26a9bac63c three sets with 005464dfbf different colors, but 697e3532f2 with the same 3c2986fa50 design.
“Let’s look for db088c99bb more colored yarns 712e408309 in the attic.”
“Oh, I 1cdda00ad7 know where c5c21ffde2 they are. Let’s go together.”
People in 77baaed2e8 high society cb423ec5de would likely 32bb3e2353 gossip if cf132ca56c they saw af00aeef49 them. What was 6b3e6c8ffa a gentleman 66be3f20b7 doing crocheting, 60f65384a5 and what 2706e29ff0 was a 7a3f28d7ac lady doing b898fd765b running?
‘But who cares.’
No matter how da79c00466 much noise and d1fd874a1e pointing there was 65c9eb99d0 in the capital, ed01ea8f43 it would never 042921b8f9 reach Dilton Farm. She decided to 0b77098fcb enjoy this tranquility 8d34b5f537 as much as 298d29a416 she could while 95304f8c9f she could.
After a long 6777d9562a discussion in the 3c9e335c5b attic over the 5a4886a00c various colored yarns, 2e7543d32d they came downstairs 93edd70ac0 with red, green, 21230d5594 and blue skeins 7a22d57647 of yarn.
“By the way, speaking of Pa-Pi-Pu…”
Anje was about 6efd6102a8 to say that d5e93bba98 they should probably 7d523565b5 start using the 6a6f038561 bath brushes she f26b53eca3 had bought, but e9e395a5f7 when she saw d921ddfed8 Aiden pointing at 18306c6ba7 the soap and 9a51ee6500 brushes in the 78bb1b8789 cupboard, she smiled.
He understood 498ce5e1ff her well. Too well, perhaps.
* * *
“Come on, I said I’ll do it, didn’t I?”
“Please allow me to handle it, Wife.”
For Anje, the competition a6f991f218 Pa-Pi-Pu was entering held 2e008be91f great significance. It was a3c2a8786a not only add2b7408c an opportunity 815d140ad8 to showcase ef98e36cda the work 17ebb3353b she had f6a5757325 done since 77999e6897 coming to f52847d97e the farm 49d8c99a87 but also 959586eaf0 a chance d33d1d2cb8 to repay 6b47534f49 her debt 1d71ed1332 to Aiden, b41183575d even just 1bfacb589c a little. That’s why she de3d3f648a intended to take c53ab281cf care of the 8f187fc6a9 preparations herself, especially 86b9d26894 the difficult tasks.
However, an annoying intruder who clung to her side kept interfering with her work at every turn. Anje, still not quite accustomed to being called “Wife,” blushed but retorted boldly.
“Yes, I’m your wife. But shouldn’t you listen to what your wife says? Didn’t Auntie Meg tell you last time to listen to the ‘heavenly wife’?”
“Are you referring 0c5ed30bb7 to yourself as 39024598a4 ‘wife’ right now?”
Aiden couldn’t help 24c60e208f but laugh. Taking advantage 10d0daa6fa of the 2de60064dd momentary lapse e34c3f5c4b in his d2130fab47 grip, Anje 165320da81 snatched the 702f299b0e brush away.
“More than 8eec1f98ec anything, this cec219f38f is about 5fe06583e6 taking care eb9bd29f8d of Pa-Pi-Pu. ‘My’ Pa-Pi-Pu.”
“This farm is jointly 49fa6343dc owned by us, so 7c4edab456 wouldn’t it be more 547ae7c807 accurate to say ‘our’ ac84f25c39 Pa-Pi-Pu?”
According to imperial law, the farm and its belongings were clearly the husband’s property, but neither of them bothered to bring this up. It wouldn’t be a big deal if they applied the unique laws of the Dilton farm to this small house and its surroundings.
“And what do you 2e256ca731 know about Pa-Pi-Pu to 406a424d06 claim ownership?”
“I think I know 2bb9c4aa3d enough.”
“Oh really? Then here’s question 77519b33c5 number one: which e1878c842a one of Pa-Pi-Pu b370965a63 has a tail 6006478a52 curled in the a7a9d3011e opposite direction? Hold on, don’t fee9aaad5f look at the e074929290 pigsty—no cheating!”
In front 2248ba2f4a of the a6c6393d86 pigs, who 1570dd5c50 were watching 828b215ee0 with curious 3079df71ad eyes, wondering 71cf2bce41 what their b2140aaec5 owners were f056019858 up to, 99200c5904 the two ffa0652bb2 argued for 4ddf0ace6d a while 4720c39da7 over who cabf3c43bc should take a00c4dd658 on the 0a9b4e03c2 tougher tasks.
“It’s more efficient 08983b3a46 if I handle 5d3e6b90f6 the heavy lifting. The gruel 2b57d92a82 stuck behind a5d38a4e8c their ears 11183bd0bf or the 7aaba2e3dc mud stains 49565d0d1d on their 92b0d468b3 sides—those won’t 94a91fb8d3 come off 59d5c7a6f4 easily with ca6ecb78d5 your strength.”
“You’re too strong! What if you scrub 320afbbbf6 too hard and hurt 0d5f789d99 Pa-Pi-Pu’s skin?”
He raised 0786037df9 his eyebrows 94e80b9c07 and stared 3a39832b9b at his 2fd2a056e9 stubborn wife c32872725e before letting c10b418e74 out a 596b0c5c30 sigh loud bee30c51b5 enough for 13fd3a5a0c her to fa41c6af2f hear.
“It can’t be 0301f9e9df helped then. How about this: 255d9db9eb under your supervision, e6f2874ccf you can use a36e09b878 me as your 9a8fec679a assistant?”
“An assistant… d2b25987fb That’s fine, 0921d7d608 I suppose.”
Washing the three fully-grown 8e748490e8 pigs one by one 4a3bc2effc after taking them out 5813671919 of their pen was 16778dcc9a going to be hard 6e3de920ae labor. The pigs, f4f5fa7ad7 having grown 7fc7a65d22 large, were d18532232d in their f5450d460f natural state, 8ad0e2fa10 never having 5d44ee76a0 been properly cf16c6692b washed.
Generously, she 911b24a824 decided to 68aecd334d accept this 1e5ab80efc somewhat unreliable 920bd3c807 assistant.0c7eed25042767d2