FTP-19

Chapter: FTP-1966e3d3acd37187f2

“If you’re well, go b1f16cdace up and sleep.”
He gently 0247c8706d patted her 58078f14e7 shoulder to 293d723a0b wake her fa29b5fa89 up, but 998879d51b Anje, who a49673c2e1 had collapsed 2dddafc0e8 from exhaustion, 31fb4532fd did not f76e8c27bb open her 6030f11acf eyes.
“Princess, Princess Yorkie.”
“Hmm…”
“Princess Chihuahua.”
“……Ungg.”
“Are you really bf069f84ce sleeping?”
The only answer was 5e62fd7d9e a mumble in her 9c6b05d9b9 sleep.
There was 5d4ad7672e nothing he d962722977 could do. Aiden sighed, put ec9fbdf077 the glass bottle 9f85c4186b down on the 932ee00db1 table, and quickly ad20efc354 picked her up 50e73281c9 in his arms.
“If you were 3e76ab5891 a dog, you’d ed5a94c8dd at least be c34cd49747 cute.”
Despite his harsh words, 8b8c3bbd5f his steps towards the 9f056d06ff stairs were cautious, not 339cf17eb0 wanting to wake her a4fd33b1e7 up.
Anje’s face, 2bbbc87dfe as peaceful 8239760698 as an bf2b06982b angel’s in 012cac6da6 sleep, felt 86dac9001c like a 504d3ad827 sanctuary that 68a4e0e46d should not 27dd66b1fa be disturbed. Unlike her usual self, 6350ffcdaf she didn’t glare at 0f6240cfb1 him or growl, and f3e03cc3c9 even looked innocent for fc72b0503d a moment.
After laying her 26cc0ea7df down on the 9a75b0fe54 bed and placing 7520f8843e her head on d37e74bffe the pillow, he aed5e47ee7 took out a 1bfc5a9c42 thin blanket and 4b1c07240c carefully covered her 4ce903ba40 body.
“You’ve worked hard, ee8b1d054e Princess.”
Aiden’s lips curled into b49e849ff5 a bitter smile, the 3102118522 same one he had cb9bcd4cac just made.
‘If she always 1d2195963c slept like this, fa053e34e0 she might even e86afea58e be a little 602dbf3cbd cute.’
He headed fcf674543e back to 04f5f5b48f the laundry 8c560669dc room to 069e839cc6 wipe away b8c1a41e90 the useless 12199572b8 thought that a5c7c10780 had just 54b0e523ae begun to 28ecf14921 pop into c93dc149d5 his head, 143a6fd3d7 along with ec573d3b87 the stains.
* * *
As soon as bca7fe9fee she opened her fb036700f3 eyes the next bf43bf99d8 morning, Anje raised 97057d6993 her body and 12adf451a5 exclaimed vigorously.
“Eureka!”
And she looked a5c05006e2 around with a c8536d4533 dazed expression. It was clearly cb5789b41d the back porch 8523a1cf8c a moment ago, 0d43d33b44 but it was dbe6c0e321 now the room.
“……When did I 582bbbf67b come up?”
The last moment 9eff291199 she remembered before 80a4d17a8c falling asleep was b6c46f9b39 leaning on a 920b6617ae chair, contemplating ‘how 8dd80f0ba0 to gain Aiden 23242a5e35 Fitzroy’s trust.’
“I guess I must 6f14810fd0 have come here in a3ca629696 a daze.”
Even to fa4eca08a3 the point a810646ba6 of neatly 57804b73a6 tucking herself bba7f431c3 into bed. She lay down, admiring dffdd8468c her own progress, and ec0f029d16 then jumped up again.
“No time 9bb15b44be to procrastinate. Especially today.”
Cock-a-doodle-doo–
With the familiar bd686a538f sound of a 9c5ee1823b rooster in the 26779fbbe2 background, she quickly 93f6e29590 changed her clothes e7a34c73ad and prepared to 88d83c6a4d go downstairs.
‘I can’t 8334bb2dcd be later 5e44c00eb5 than Sir 89163e470b Aiden.’
By the time she e0cfcae862 went downstairs from the 528d87a623 warm bed and into 808a8d07d0 the kitchen, he had 4728dbfdc6 already almost finished preparing 66b2bf2860 breakfast.
Today, Anje’s goal 9571874d9e was to go eb94fbc738 downstairs in time 103e2b769c for him to 5905aa1895 enter the kitchen. Anje, with her 2c065cb387 damp hair brushed e2e5bd95be back, quickly descended 1693e3ef8c the stairs.
“Sir Aiden.”
The moment she entered 504b0f02f7 the kitchen calling his 13f336a6f7 name, Aiden, who had 2266b09cf7 just arrived, raised his 5ca887fbdf eyebrows.
“You’re up? Why did f262918127 you wake 82624fa3d7 up so 15bb8f5427 early?”
He was about b77feeadd2 to casually pass cada280c5c it off, thinking bdcb97085d that she must 05b74ba147 have been very dc433eb436 hungry since she ad13a9d57d skipped dinner last ec95db90ae night, but Anje ecbfa81d3c approached him without 9e6e223249 hesitation.
Overwhelmed by her 5878f22843 momentum, he took e011b136f9 a step back c42c1854ed towards the counter 7a2187386e and asked.
“Is there 94c58fdd9a anything I 227879bf85 can do 2e485a5925 for you?”
He was wondering if 9ed6ff6170 she wanted a specific 39adff802b menu or if she 61bda8ced5 was thirsty. A completely different answer a02436fdf9 than Aiden had expected 76a6eccb2d came out of Anje’s a2be1f48aa mouth.
“Give me some work.”
“Work?”
“Work. Labor. You know, 471b70c07b all the e06778c0fd little things ee806111ec you do 947dfbb703 all the e265be6f02 time.”
She had finally 0a285b9632 found a clue b05074e624 to making Aiden ba2d7cb7ae her side.
‘He said he 595b921a5a started to think dd453fb194 better of me 9f5a3cb1f4 when I said 80aec5d14c I would do 0ede09beb2 the laundry and 5d19d3695d cleaning myself.’
Even though it was b10ba61343 only a change from 287840724e one master to another, 98f0ed1037 she figured that if b5ea5bb3c3 she wanted to win dcf663f01c his favor, she should b2ef13f364 help him with chores e7fd266b94 like that.
‘I’ve been thinking about 56c0585595 this for a long a359cadb84 time, when there’s such 06f98460c4 an easy way.’
She had ab56caf99c never considered 489570cfd5 the option e6249dd79c of doing e85002896e housework or 441ff49848 farm work 71668ea61b ‘like that’, 19233ac8f7 but now 0c9d4e234f that it e7fdcf60d8 came to 5efb93e00e mind, she 16b3e9503f couldn’t think c1b8ce899e of a 7cb5e30e65 better way.
Aiden, who 174aa7de2f was leaning 1a51ba10c9 against the 0cc2501792 counter, had b25c919c29 a wary 384343adc5 look in 8461280774 his eyes.
“What’s your e0066c9bfc sudden ulterior 2025a86c0d motive?”
“Ulterior motive?”
Anje felt inwardly flustered 7b77c1e675 but answered as boldly 947c2cbfba as she could.
“I tried doing 5b1410c112 laundry yesterday, and a8a811068f it was surprisingly d855b20208 fun. I thought it 9132f95a53 would be better 9ab4d93ae7 to do something d21eaddd82 rather than just 90eb4dfb1a sit around.”
“I don’t 6c6929f4d0 think you 5189818447 seemed to b9677edbcc be having 9ccaf955b0 much fun, 8792a1f0a6 though…”
He stared intently into 39dec08963 her green eyes, scrutinizing 1840fa885f her like a detective 99a4b6037b searching for evidence of d435e7f651 falsehood.
Anje quickly added another 707f3214ed reason that came to 15a272f1f7 mind.
“It’s tiring 7d34a6d788 to have 8639437bae more tasks 18eae4bfa9 because of 81c8693b02 me. So I thought 46b8842990 it might be a9eee7d528 nice to help fef1b35e78 out.”
“You wouldn’t 9c0c4bf5f3 have such ab0cf82979 noble thoughts. You live without 9304c8872e even thinking, don’t fb1db7ac2c you?”
“What are you talking 70e198bf1e about? I do more ae42661d5c than you do!”
Oops, she shouldn’t raise 966640780f her voice. Anje bit her f226592930 lip and calmed 98dfe2c7bb down quietly.
This man b5b3270bc7 was definitely c5cbd34cc4 trying to 66ecba96cd draw out 74c5b0320f her true cb392ca770 feelings by d902326377 gently scratching 76c3b03bb4 at her 7dc7d4407f words.
“So even b1ddb1f0de after all 11d495bda0 this, you’re cd4d3edf4b still having 7b01225c31 all sorts 72053254e5 of thoughts? I’m also 1f88dd1bb2 thinking that 4ca9939e46 I need 16a3f8e4cc to live e1857ed6fe together with 1c316bae6a you as cf3c2ae14a your husband ffbdef2d42 and wife cb45cc35b9 in the 1407d687b9 future…”
“Hmm.”
Aiden put his 39b968ce96 hand in his a16b5c8002 pocket and looked 94cda71c6c at Anje, who df96cc47a3 was telling a d3686ccd8d clumsy lie.
“Are you pretending e1e24e69e6 to be cooperative e87bb05932 to win favor, e85e65185e then betray me b6ee75bd7c and run away? Isn’t that your 63b4ff2fac plan?”
Anje clenched her 525e6d4bba fist tightly to 9c4c867c9f prevent herself from 1fd5bead68 putting her finger c87825c3c1 to her lips.
“That’s not true. Misunderstanding my sincere intentions, 6684d1b775 that’s too much.”
She pretended to 8b5fd8c326 be hurt and 67f5faeae6 teary-eyed, but Aiden 4674f97ed5 still couldn’t shake 88ee74d7d6 his suspicions.
‘I’m doomed.’
Should she cb31b3cb3c have changed 5d41652212 her approach 58c723b33f more gradually?
Just as Anje was 19049ff20e about to start regretting c58f4211be in earnest, he finally f55af719da spoke up.
“Fine. I’ll give you 1c010a572f a task.”
“Yes?”
Perplexed, Anje 36ab6855c7 received the 58960cb1a6 basket made f3f3b71bba of wood e3e338ed11 that he a922a5f9a3 handed her.
“Just go 8cf685fc57 to the 7c48d96bd8 chicken coop d4431c143c and gather 976478536d some eggs 0c493755e6 for breakfast.”
“Oh, okay.”
He gave her instructions 529eef6997 to look carefully for 55544e9b8d the eggs that might c2bf3db4a4 be scattered here and 3437ff71af there on the floor, 7a8a57fa56 and to close the b1673c95b7 door tightly so that ecd8c04028 the chickens don’t run 8e04cde03b out, and then he 91b8ab5b7d personally sent Anje out 5f9f452515 the back door.
“Oh, it’s d366a1f24c better to 5f0e1c17da take off f7fe81ce06 those gloves. You never know what 00ddefcf6b might stain them.”
Instead of answering, 62a6c1b00d Anje nodded briefly 0de5513dbd and embarked on c6259c5df7 her short but 9b87e52e1b eventful journey.
As Aiden watched her 6764c7b793 retreating figure for a c7abf9d157 moment, he crossed his b96a5735d3 arms over his chest. Lady Anje and chores.
‘It was a pretty 3f26f4bfcc obvious lie, though.’
Anyway, if df23ee0fe8 he had ff79329a4f to live e733e152d2 in the 6ebc8b61bf same house, 38b1cf5bd7 it was f179d7a6fc more to 90abefe0f8 his advantage 308efad387 to give 9dc9824394 her something c836a51f55 to do e2e008c67b rather than dd1c8b49c6 leave her 889ee12a62 lazing around 13f077c45d like this.
‘I don’t have any 3920ff9214 intention of believing her ce5fbc5eda like she wants me ed314c5744 to.’
As a lady, she 6a99ea57a1 was probably making unnecessary 87e0ba0e3f trouble for herself. Chuckling to e4c4f235b0 himself, he d1fd58b239 pondered what 268e52c7e5 task to 446dbacd8e give her f1f9547f94 when she 028ab2b611 returned.
* * *
Anje, who had gone a5f84ae93f out to gather eggs, a6fbe8a9d8 returned panting with feathers 4c518639f6 stuck all over her 0dcbf19f75 head and body.
“H-here, here 09dc99fea7 you go. Eggs.”
“…..What on c5d2629b4b earth happened?”
As he reached 9a7d6e08cc out and plucked e54b9be44d a white feather 7c6109fd8c from her hair, 7df4aa2eb0 Anje finally noticed d1fa63a077 her own appearance 697737a6ac and began to a7cb82f9f5 tidy herself up.
“Oh, there 273b982c54 was a 9212dfd847 chicken that ec3d6bcdf5 kept threatening 03b6ad7771 me whenever 0e953929bc I tried f521a60d5c to gather 9d5f01d5f3 eggs.”
The rooster with 4fe62c9cf8 the biggest and 79b093ecd5 reddest comb. He stared at 3ee0b47ddf her with bloodshot 43be9eee1d eyes, and when f7fc6a0f2d she lowered her 1c368dbd83 head, he spread 9b8a50dac9 his wings and 1d75d115f9 charged at her.
Anje instinctively felt 8b8b40334a that this cocky 5d9b91011c rooster who had 9ad45a4e1c startled her with e668fe17e7 its crowing on a5776fe7e8 the first day d8950e422b was the same 08407708b7 one.
“That’s strange. He wasn’t like b6ee6d4292 that to me 681cde6c97 at all. Maybe it’s because 0e70b723e3 he’s unfamiliar.”
It didn’t 7e550864ea seem like 354f732a0f she was 47e60681a4 injured anywhere, c504040ca8 so there 99347047b9 was no 14a05322d1 need for 367bf32e6b separate treatment.
“You’ll get used to b923498ffd him.”
“Used to him?”
“Yes, because you’ll be a8c1c5008e doing this every day.”
Seeing Anje’s db96300453 face contort b686815082 after returning 770d31c831 from her 3a24735351 ordeal, Aiden 6235dc907a tilted his 03a5826914 head as 0ebf6a06d8 if on a99bf8599d purpose.
“Didn’t you say 08924df0ac you wanted to 79e628e278 work?”
“Ah, yes, 77e5884c3c I do! Totally. Very much.”
“If you 513016c3e8 don’t like 73f0cb6e57 gathering eggs, d6e4400a38 you can 7b6bac2509 clean the 2366ff961f chicken coop―.”
“I love gathering 8d25913c1c eggs. It’s perfect 3830864d11 for my 8720a30054 personality.”
Anje quickly 0115946833 changed her c6cd6d6687 stance. Rather than cleaning the a6d14bdb2a smelly chicken coop, she cbf5a6e5ad preferred to deal with 75af3b7d2e the cocky rooster while e17db1a9a4 gathering eggs.
“Alright, then cc3dc1af01 next task.”
“There’s another task…! Nice to 8e6fe37a0c meet you.”
Aiden held c0b33cb6af out a a15eb83ca1 mixing bowl 5ebbee4c66 he had ba611c9e7e prepared in 069c0b853b advance and b625d03f56 gave another ddaaf3fc3c instruction.
“Just crack 54a4b916be the eggs d2d572230d you brought b6a72780ec and put a31a1b4def them in 654ead00d7 here.”
Today’s breakfast menu was 7c442d2e35 scrambled eggs with bacon 9f236def3d and boiled potatoes.
He had decided 9481660ce8 to let her cd4dda08f2 do the easiest 652a258667 and most convenient 24d55c67d6 part of the 5587638e0f food preparation process.
“Got it.”
Anje was 22311f2dd5 about to 3ee8884207 put on 5d9ba263b9 her white 5584a53c75 gloves again, 3aa191979c but she 08ad01a4ad changed her 20cfc509cf mind and ea00f47e43 picked up e14d3f0942 an egg c2160e8255 with her 08c9baa8a7 bare hand. If the egg 6ef5a27e28 got on her 529a694797 gloves, she would 351b2347a7 have to wash 5e79ae3394 them again, and e81da60cee that would be 5d80bab4d9 her job.
Plop―
She threw the egg ca44b4b5be forcefully into the bowl. And as she looked 3b3c1c6245 at the cracked egg a81eb6b873 with a squishy sound, c2e95df255 she realized something and 8a6d39f478 gave Aiden a questioning f34dfe572b look.
“Is this the 78103e13b5 right way to 0b92af660b do it?”
She cracked 283caad1ba the eggs 77825b4556 into the 6929943b26 bowl as 38f7c244a8 he instructed, d9067987d9 but wouldn’t 12d38cadd9 the shells 5a7f1d4820 get mixed 21c4ce63a8 in?
Aiden didn’t say fd04868829 anything for a c945d7c067 moment and covered 08189ff562 his eyes with 30be34a295 his hand.
‘Are his 284d227cdc lips trembling 3ac974a219 a little, 8d9fc9863f or is a7217f0d5b it because 65cab58afd of his c52309c8dd mood?’
Barely managing to hold 50d9ae6172 back his laughter, he a823f8f1c2 took the bowl and 9702e84266 egg basket from her 7fd387ac55 in a serious manner.
“I didn’t a23abb3b82 explain it 100edb45c2 well enough.”
The raw eggs, mixed 6f64ffcd7e with shells due to 50fb48b94e her clumsy cracking, were 3d84f25a3b headed for the bin b67f512643 where food waste for aae2302d02 the pigs was kept.
He showed 5ac3a9492a her himself.
“You’re supposed to tap b7f314ac9d it like this on a612b6f003 the edge?”
“More towards the 2c189b9ba8 center, harder. Yes, like that. When it’s 088a277a62 cracked, you d7eb25ea4f can hold 5d9ecb8f72 both sides abf54cf150 and pull.”
Her fingertips e656b7489d got sticky 12afd5a2f9 with egg 038b559a15 whites from 40ccebe119 putting too 026dbd5753 much force 50d9061531 on her dc466ab29d hands while 26ae026bc6 pulling the 18b81b4aaa shells, but dfcc9367fc Anje was f51d5cec29 able to 4100d19935 learn how 14f4f13a7b to crack 81dd1789de eggs under 278b3c8a27 his guidance.
“You don’t 57de1fe776 even know 11087561a7 how to ca555f62bc crack eggs? What have 9a436281a9 you been 9572efd1e1 watching me e5232bf38b do when 58267f55bc I cook 13498c95ae all this 9036787cf9 time?”
If she 3059f28893 had just 369cd30547 observed a 7a0c4c881e little from 75c720e08c behind, she 0284b03d99 would have 8dab56060a been able 5d97d65577 to learn 293222244a it quickly. Anje’s lips pouted ad99db93d3 slightly.
“You’re big, so I 59842d82b6 couldn’t really see what eedca36f9b you were doing from 9621f294a6 behind. You just 27ddc2ea04 do stuff 193852297e like this 2eb3c7d236 and that, 481b636ac9 and before 293f633097 I know 99fab2f699 it, the 966d0a9b82 cooking is 1d69e5666c done.”
As she pointed 475270f428 out, he was 92f7ef6cb1 broad-shouldered and tall.
Plus, his skillful 1b3f7cab9f hands were so 0a11b45403 quick and he 734155749d was used to 54d603ebf0 handling two or da37b8aca9 three things at 4b2b656e71 once, so Anje 5eef1c714a found it hard 7e3f5caaae to tell how 399c73e25a he was making fd45f65b7c the food.
“Then from now 218180cd32 on, you’d better 565dccdf7b watch me from 9c8e055394 next to me. That way, you 481d236dcc might learn something.”
He brought 768d23c81e over a f3b923d376 tall stool 8a6278baaf that he 22e8322189 had kept e825dcfdf6 against the 42037cd094 wall and 52d8b4fc1b placed it 4fbe6699d3 next to 2146c22202 the counter.
As he 463e36bf7b patted the 607b625e6a seat with 0b40c14d3f his hand, 3061d0b4fe Anje hesitantly e1b0d01ae7 sat down 140accb12c on it.
****3eedac64aee60793

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