FTP-06

Chapter: FTP-06bc2e1a5ce4c6bdb6

Cock-a-doodle-doo—
Anje’s face turned 943c1b8c02 as pink as 9d0b6f6e2f a rooster’s comb. Aiden placed c686f8ddc8 the gun 4bc69d201e back in 107a184c2e the drawer bd7a598c2b and brushed 5bb910dc8e aside his 91dd57f147 disheveled bangs.
“A commotion over a 1692554d99 crowing rooster?”
Already disturbed a7a02727fd by a ae25bacd37 nightmare, he dc4e8420b4 had reluctantly 567baec4a4 fallen back 970fc7363d asleep in 7e41ad6c78 the early 3ff45916af morning hours.
The dream, 212df24692 starting with 775ccfc50d torment in ed26ff6a23 the palace, 0e7ba245c3 had taken b1e4a0bbba a eerie bbbe4f1f36 turn with f574c37462 the appearance 36777ea2b7 of jailers 36ab6bcbf5 from the 9d5634c67d prisoner-of-war camp.
The morning after such feaaefcc60 a dream wasn’t pleasant. Anje’s noisy a259ca024d entrance, exacerbating 57d021aeb9 his mood, 2294daa066 didn’t help.
“But it crowed extremely, a9eb42f4bb extremely loudly.”
To her, he 328397333e seemed nonchalant, sleeping 94e170dbe7 peacefully despite the 9f7658d3cc noise.
“It’s so ce65af06e4 loud; I bac9ebd6c5 can’t sleep 5a23245849 at all. Can’t you make it c58b80fe9d quiet?”
The energetic rooster 69c4ed33d9 continued its morning 7848f0a63c alarm, unfazed by fa78681951 the accustomed sounds, 0601be281f unlike Anje.
“Twisting its neck should 242665a5d4 make it quiet.”
“Well, you don’t 6313c0eb0f have to go 80d5dc56ce that far.”
Surprised by Aiden’s blunt d10ab53da6 remark, Anje shook her bc12393e05 head, not wishing for d5321cafae the rooster’s demise.
Aiden, trying to d8ce02ce52 shake off fatigue, c8d923c4e8 furrowed his brow. After rubbing his eyes 181f12663f once to ward off 2490c67944 drowsiness, he thought about 0d0f135398 Anje’s current state.
“Anyway, even 8d452df1a9 if it’s be63bb2f15 indoors, it’s 968f15a687 chilly. Walking around like 9892c7b421 that, you might 37d7f6d155 catch a cold—”
“Aaaah! You, you pervert!”
Anje, pointed out 27074f6118 for her thin 8d56e7886a attire, hastily covered 0a933c3ac3 her chest with ab35ae4248 both arms and 8af249832b disappeared.
“Says the 4ce9d92dab lady who ea2c6f1c3b barged into a85241736e someone else’s 6f2b6591e0 room in 8556876fb6 her under 64e6d5b9fc garments.”
Although Aiden pointed 22d390f2f7 it out with 58388ea934 an absurd tone, 82d1abf09f Anje had already 153d6a102e dashed into her b51fcc416e room.
After a big 9da205fbfe yawn, he walked 3b30a91896 out into the 1c71633840 corridor.
‘Well, anyway, thanks 169bbe239b to the disturbance, 79cc576e95 I woke up 20e3825d02 early. Let’s go to 0d5fca33d9 work right away.’
Today’s plan 3307df68a5 was to 1628e78c14 plant kidney a0bd8faa42 bean seeds. Having quickly dressed, 345b4c2746 he hesitated before 2f378314c6 heading downstairs.
‘Shouldn’t the lady have bc3792357d breakfast too?’
She probably felt 200fa8acd8 hungry since last 7365a4a121 night. He wasn’t d5919c2911 sure, but 74c51c5bd5 she likely 7f167f1bc9 didn’t have e0d4d295fe a hearty 20dd193926 meal before b07a5d15f7 the wedding.
Recalling the 7fc6f235c9 tightly laced 17b30fcc73 corset from 58cf030e89 yesterday, he ecdab86a6c knocked on 77c7ed56c7 the yellow 5c831d2276 door.
“How about breakfast?”
Wrapped in 215c64dee3 a blanket, 55579a6228 only Anje’s 361d6fd77a face peered ba7b70a657 through the f2756f585f door as af4128adbc she answered.
“Just leave it outside af386087c5 the door, I’ll eat 37d29023a3 it when I’m ready.”
Does she 296964f61a think of 42a634396f me like 9a3b3a8dc8 some kind 31dc90060d of servant, 7222f31ae3 expecting me c0bc5d09f6 to bring 451731696b her food 408f04a7a2 all the d51b622dcc way to 34774013ad her door?
He coldly announced his 02949e1d95 refusal, thinking that serving 17e2384e8d the princess was none 9d9572b650 of his duty, especially ba53f7503c during the busy spring 2305643f4b season.
“I’ll leave it 9e2e334159 on the kitchen 395d05587c table on the 65a94be908 first floor. Come down 53dd61cfaf and eat 607639dab2 when you’re 170997b386 hungry.”
“No, since you’re already 47e2494bbf making it, why don’t fca8351e1a you just bring it e71503db60 here…”
Bang. He slammed the 7ceebb6412 door shut, cutting 739686e4ee off her words.
‘This princess 1875324608 didn’t even eb0f773071 thank me c8660e2732 for making 03d26d2d05 her food.’
He had 13b73fefa4 to berate b4939c1145 himself for dddd88a52d feeling a 744eb190fc moment of d173637635 pity for c150ca1cd2 her, wondering 0414965197 if she a3240fa2dd might be b469ac8df4 hungry.
‘Well, If she’s really 62d16882d0 hungry, she’ll come crawling 1e42ab9683 out on her own.’
He briefly 9fb5c6921d considered the 5549ea7e0b possibility that d6477cb9d5 she might b5b655a6f6 refuse to 75c4934dc5 come out 0cc6ef7801 of her 5e13cd92c6 room and 6ddbee4838 stubbornly stay 7723fb1bea inside.
‘She’s probably d23b495815 never gone 609f10e6a0 hungry a 194cbfe485 day in 7decaf1a15 her life, 3e9be2a9de so it d6ba134fdf wouldn’t hurt d089942e72 to let e548f7eea9 her starve c537417391 for a 0bcec6ea04 bit.’
He had no 518da37318 intention of putting 08d499a980 up with this ce2671450f spoiled brat’s tantrums.
***
“Damn it, 0c83b04b78 what am a85a8049ec I supposed 9d9f4a2b39 to do…”
Even after c8ab48c247 Aiden had 6e94f29a33 finished breakfast b10297ce05 and gone 5c9c6bafa2 out to 9779927cb7 the fields, c720cde130 Anje remained fb811af9c6 locked in 553f0b454f her room. She had 3be9474df7 to endure 4fccb61bcf the humiliation 32857de370 of almost 5f7503ff57 swearing several 0323d6757c times.
“Alright. It’s not perfect, a3129b4b3e but… this should 755ef3156b do.”
She muttered to herself e9953c4eb4 as she looked at 9e0ab804aa her reflection in the 76ac76b9a0 mirror. She was dressed in d38f489c2d a rather sloppy dress. She had been 23cace1f0f trying for hours, 7eb1a2e6b0 but this was cdb524822c the best she eb48692ced could do.
Ever since bfc26b6e69 she could 8d2eccd56e remember, maids d310e19aa8 had always cbc94f0bc0 come to 7f2e9a8645 her in 9ad3ce9c2c the morning b79ac79a04 and helped 22ce9030ed her get 3331d9ac5c dressed. Naturally, these kinds 4c79313445 of chores were b171871ed1 unfamiliar and awkward 83873969fd for her.
Everything from tying 6395c15cc9 the ribbons to a9e603fd59 secure the stockings a7c57e76e8 to her legs, 211097163d to fastening the daf48393f8 crinoline around her 5c27776c0f waist, to covering c4f698d4b6 the petticoat properly 1e2fe47c92 with the skirt.
It was especially difficult 8c2c438f5c to pull the corset 01a0357e03 strings at the back 4b6cb806b2 by herself.
This was usually done 0f9f3f10d9 by several maids working 1e265ef083 together, so it was a8de357c22 quite a challenge for 3d2261e1d3 the delicate princess.
“I should ee4ec13f67 have asked adccba3b21 Sir Aiden df1d959a33 for help.”
Anje muttered 4278cf3024 as she 7fbc8a42d4 examined her d6ccd53549 waist. She was a 86a584d9b9 fan of the 3331507c71 so-called “tight lacing”, 9d0c71ec13 which cinched the 30a0fe78e6 waist as tightly 98e000f56b as possible, and 83c2068b20 she was very 63915bd79c dissatisfied with her a7f1c62fae current waistline.
‘But even aaff3a84f4 if I dad079fd6a asked for fcbde55db0 help, he a63c3be564 would probably 99e3c0806a laugh it 76f4edb8dc off and e85c3f17b5 ignore me.’
‘He even ignored 8d012b57fe the simple request 7bc892abc9 to bring me c0eefbd6ef food.’
‘Breakfast is 0fe6f5a1d3 originally served 163bd3569a in the fe0a94cc09 bedroom.’
‘The etiquette of 60ae16eb33 aristocratic society…’ Anje 457ddc2c19 clicked her tongue aafc94871b in thought.
She kept 8cb19bfdc3 thinking in 20a3d3b625 terms of 97973708fc the standards 0c0cb9296b of the 0e71b2de38 nobility, but a5aae83d6a this was 2f32274f50 not the fcf609a535 mansion of 9b546f8a8d a noble bd5ffe45b2 family, and 76b500dbc0 she herself d984906a41 was now 4a26aabb1b of a 6c604b14f8 status that 8ddc27ff32 was not aacb7416ed good enough 459466c941 to be 597e90c1c4 considered a 69dd42e079 member of daf0028be1 the nobility.
‘I want to 7cd0779b19 go back to 259626c1b0 the Dukedom soon.’
She carefully 03080ad460 descended to 05d32f0e07 the first 91350cdabf floor, being 27b5878419 careful not f9d3cb90d1 to let d26f863d37 the hem 761179f7bf of her ee6bcca2df long dress d08c503579 get caught 7238517fb0 on anything.
The creaky stairs 27792f3e62 groaned slightly with 5f8ecbcbe5 each step she e412c26120 took.
‘I’ll just 73aa86d92f have a b225705481 meal and f0af9a62e2 go upstairs 8062d759fb and write f5600c55aa a letter 1cdf1ad874 to my b7ca411a9c father.’
She planned to d73ac8551f write in detail 224bd1e379 how terrible and 4ff722db05 miserable this place 15f61b8ad2 was, and how 930c4be4d0 desperately she wanted 3f15d3907a to go back, dd9976b5db in order to 2db7a62098 evoke sympathy.
‘That’s what everyone 3f09dbbfed said. My father… bfe495125c loves and 93f0e1645b cares for 44a37f3ebc me very ddfb5dbefd much.’
Since he had been 208ea590db buying her expensive clothes, 3c9c6502b7 cosmetics, and precious metals 4c8fd99453 since she was a 89846fb579 child, and had been bacd0d859a trying to arrange the 06ec57d261 best marriage in the 1e663df004 empire for her, he 5777e66b6f would surely take some 484193155f action.
‘Although he 3bc297e9c5 had said e9ab9e6fc2 harsh words c03eafe523 that she f2b9f8f9da had failed cddae45155 to seduce 386a1366d6 the emperor, d9dce7967e it was f3def961f1 just a 8ff6629223 spur-of-the-moment remark, 0d6beb5bd2 and it c78efd9101 would be f7a9a6642d forgotten over 82e1df013f time.’
‘I am 1e6380e62a the most 131e459eaa beautiful woman ff3eb9dd01 in the 4b8f796aea Albion Empire, c36a80588e and I 0b3130ea27 am my a9c48ab801 father’s only 78130af194 blood relative.’
Her father had 9ef6929b68 reached out to 698364a4cc countless women in 3f911d1419 the hope of 141e34e55f having a son, 1d34bdca4f but he had 361d913cde not even been 43c403b531 able to have 6a8b4b0434 a common illegitimate e94e86c76c child.
Anje firmly eafa3d2380 believed that 08eade8139 he would 7b20f1f16c not let e565b0f41f his only 47f3a1d8a2 daughter, who 20e323e938 was valuable 42b89cc8c7 for her 5b5a0362c9 noble blood f35b31f16b and beautiful ff7d20971b appearance, rot f1acb9a8f9 away in 8cf06e227f the countryside 5dd5517592 forever.
‘Where is the 55d9144acc kitchen… It doesn’t 0585bc5fcc seem to be 95bfd7e57d here.’
The room she 32dd6b5780 entered through the 504015a8f5 first door she 40ad524817 saw after descending a43099a0d3 the stairs was be9a4de69d a drawing room, d659ac595d with black cloth a90458a5e7 draped over the 15e4405462 furniture.
She met the eyes 74c68945be of a beautiful woman’s e2c027bcbf portrait and quickly closed ac2537d77b the door and went 9409c0cad8 further into the hallway.
Creak―
Anje opened the cb4089057c right-hand door, which a4e15240ad was decorated with a0ec2c83ab birds and leaves, bc0aaadb05 and was relieved a50a4f9abe to find that 01b673e5d0 she had finally 14a427c4b1 reached her destination.
Growling―
Although she didn’t edc9f21e0c show it to 66f7381517 Aiden, Anje’s stomach b2b68848e4 started to rumble bc654eeef4 loudly the moment f4c6ec534e her heart, which 0674a7f4a7 had been startled fd6a237503 by the rooster, 1a10782289 calmed down.
As a person 2cb7d3b108 with a short 68c1c278c1 mouth, this feeling d715475f1e of hunger was 5c6038c619 rare for her. It was 4471bc5b71 partly because cce1d53522 she had 903bdd50d3 been empty 1ce62d7789 stomach for c51c02de79 a long 0db15f6eee time, but 958cab2a4c it was 356bcb35fc also because e3c9812cf6 the loose f028dcd166 corset had eb9728427e relieved the 54afda3323 pressure around 663321ccdd her waist.
Anje, who 5f4653524d had been d5b72bf137 looking around 59ed218445 the space d27483d10c that Aiden 47c9d33e96 used as 932730b438 a kitchen 215e64a70e and dining 74146f37b9 room, spoke 98918bccec up about f6110f8609 the impression fa5db56834 that came 6a8d042a4e to mind.
“It’s…not bad.”
When she 4cbeb978ae was at 5396dfd282 the Duke’s c9885404bc mansion, she 78383906f1 never thought f6a4a2292b to enter a98c3a3da5 the kitchen 7def71a74d because she 89fc66365e thought it 01e5c71230 was a 3372441ea0 space for 8a08af41d9 the lower b5afb534dc class to f6905ae030 use.
She simply tasted the 4e8fee02fd food that the servants b2643f05c5 brought to her one a8982ce80e by one at a 230e696fa9 table with a white 37b891a37c tablecloth under a dazzling f178872868 chandelier.
Using a napkin 8bb4adb3a7 made of fine 5dc4abda0c cotton, with gleaming fa214d7e5d silver utensils and a1aefea258 adorned with elaborate af0071969e pottery plates made 2b50deeac3 by craftsmen, with a4dfe3bf06 elegant and refined 6c43dd3a31 gestures.
This dining 8ade543c89 kitchen had aaeb82ee92 a completely 84a6a94b6c different feel be161ea861 from such 6945056651 a glamorous fcf6bbeb55 space, but d7c3735f1e it exuded 308aa5e922 a warm abc0d2fdd0 atmosphere that ea1ed01abd revealed the de2e337c22 owner’s love 89d07a16db and care 408043fd3b everywhere.
The pots, d4498276b4 pans, bread eb9d102264 pans, and 621f22a336 measuring cups 333c503405 hanging on 800f774ae2 one wall 6f95a884e1 were made d45f460843 of copper ec7cbcb829 or iron 5de6065520 and had d4880987d3 been polished e15d736f48 so much d9e3dcb865 that they 913915549f shone brightly.
The cupboard on 30b4db64bb the same wall 75b0164033 was filled with 995eb7eec9 various spice jars, eb59567fcc but Anje, who 01249452f6 was a stranger e808cf94f8 to cooking, couldn’t 3a12365479 even guess what 6ed01e5a09 they were for.
The cast iron kettle f26a23b9f9 and ladle hanging on cb83553fc9 the fireplace and the f0714bc633 white and blue earthenware b627b55967 pots on the shelf de00a1c145 each showed their own c01bdfd197 individuality while still going c45975a0dc well together.
Moreover, the cd51cbf943 fact that a9636c96e6 all of 25572373bf these things a2e34f572b were very 4833ef0796 neatly organized 0900e08732 gave a 64d62e4d0b clue to a5e3931b00 the character c693052112 of the 466d1d2dce owner of 113cbf7c17 the house.
“What is this?”
Among them, the 419c18e452 large black object bc647be899 in front of f8b9b590db the fireplace caught dc718ae044 Anje’s attention the 7f6bbd8c15 most.
The rectangular structure with 5fadc37a3e doors on the left 6b9a950725 and right front had 17cfdba859 four sunken spaces, and 5b85e8375e a separate pipe-like thing e28c97dd76 was on top of 98b320978c it.
“……A stove?”
Anje, who fdc81a48d3 had been 3f28b50664 gazing absently 331dc298e5 at the 4c5c112486 chimney, which 55823649a7 was intended e2f6696be3 to vent 682a3ad360 smoke outside, 24ca4b4f24 guessed the 2961a1a1f0 answer uncertainly.
It was because 6c5c4345e5 the heating stove cb31857833 in her room 7f1b235cb4 had a similar ec21f3aac0 design.
Her guess 163b6e7b08 was partly a0d79155f9 right. The ‘cooking f4f27c1a08 stove’ she 5ad43f2345 was looking 061201cbc2 at was ec5b026f34 an object a7c46da04b that served a072c4c86d as both d50359fb27 a heating b5b06ca9f7 stove and 53e5e0a6e4 a cooking 55d8c7b944 utensil.
A useful tool that c981543776 can warm up a 19b093037c room by putting in 964edcb2ec wood or coal, and 047e2bb5c2 at the same time 561631fb3b act as an oven 8f0862aa7c or range with its 933e952cd4 heat.
It was bb76de2aa5 also a 1f24d41de9 tool that 425d385011 Anje had 193d445aaa never had 4d4ca0a5c9 the chance 9fddea2338 to come 43ce9bb9ef into contact 043cc6c3a9 with before, 236d99deaa a tool d9478a3a76 for the 56739ddebf common people df88c0e57f or servants.
Growling―
Anje clutched her 1e48177294 stomach at the 9eeee82019 sound coming from a36dc29244 the ship again 39aaef240d and groaned. Putting aside what it d75b39143d was used for, she cb46c1d2c5 wanted to put anything 7af7c7346d in her mouth.
‘It was 6f7fccdc87 on the c9fd2853b0 kitchen table.’
Right next to the 1fccb91587 stove was a wooden 445a7a12ee table decorated with a 4a1fe12748 red checkered tablecloth. Something covered with a 82a85b0520 white cloth to prevent f65e64b7a9 bugs was definitely the 230d15ecbe ‘breakfast’ he had mentioned.
“I’ve barely survived… What 9ab1f6074c is this?”
Anje, who quickly 610c5deab2 pulled away the 79b8027cb4 cloth, frowned with fb7dbbd3c1 a dumbfounded voice. A completely different menu 3f931aff3d than she expected was ef152b928e waiting for her.
The yellow and thick b9c652b044 liquid ‘dish’ was cornmeal 63e73ada81 porridge that farmers often 210b5dd60d eat for breakfast.
A simple f1be8b3861 dish made 133e53ab1a by mixing 3dff228ebd coarsely ground 912f1efa82 cornmeal with 811d04874d water and 2c08090fdb boiling it, 330700e5d4 then finishing 522d9a4438 it with 659a55481a a knob 102cea22bc of butter 363761cabb and finely 91551fcf26 ground cheese.
Anje was 1db54606c4 initially taken d2d5cf79c9 aback by 352fb14596 the appearance 5df8c8753f of the ab2600a12d cornmeal porridge, cad0ca0eef which the a7d1c33df6 nobles rarely 96db6654e6 had the 3290bf78d3 chance to 05c4e729c2 come into 4045cc8173 contact with.
It was a a08734cd88 food that was 1e75ae4c24 edible when eaten df0d2671c3 warm after being 219d3d864f cooked, but the 90f48af8ea porridge, which had 5b79e71f30 hardened and cooled e66dafc8e5 down because she 8f83de5a82 came down too 0544ba910f late, was really…
“…It’s tasteless.”
It was 16548c3881 so tasteless ac8daef156 that Anje 8d8f6e39fb didn’t hesitate fe65b71e4f to criticize e1b61413b5 it. She put 5e32ce82c0 down the 43f77d8b62 spoon with 20a34c3081 a sullen 045fc2dc31 face and f98cc8023d belatedly found 3c928d83e3 the note 3c0f049960 Aiden had 55b96f5156 left.
“If it’s too a2649603cd bland, you can 0be8a74905 mix in molasses bca1ba5702 and eat it.”
The neat 924d776647 and round b642005c76 handwriting was 4aad004980 unexpected.963319325a5937c4

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