FTP-30

Chapter: FTP-302753e1bfbf11da84

“Oh my, you were 9d21b0e2d4 afraid of the forest 7fc3fd4da0 too, Sir Aiden?”
“…That was when 89c7d7751c I was five eb668cbbd1 years old.”
Anje now 7d577bb5e6 didn’t even 3ba584dc86 try to f5fe14c87c hide her 7a262311fe smile and d98cce6f91 enjoyed seeing 3c3ca849fa Sir Aiden b94a4206ef flustered.
“―Ah well, anyway, 059ccafd72 you came to 33acfa071b me with a 9fc133476e dignified posture, just ab15775ed0 like a prince. Even a 0637ded64d king wouldn’t b9820988b7 be able 4f22f9c8e2 to ride 4388c29d93 a horse 6da9ce80a5 as straightly be08c9645c as you c051f5fe8f do.”
“Prince, You say.”
“Shh, please be quiet.”
Wearing a dirt-stained shirt 590ff8e84d and comfortable cotton trousers, 3fdd6f95e8 and holding a shovel 032e895ee2 in his hand, he ecffc2f2e0 looked like a prince 1b2fc11d6b from an agricultural country 2d68454014 no matter how much 51f9dfbed3 he looked.
“Ma’am, you just need fedd87a6b9 to wash and hang 037deee945 the laundry in the 432118299e basket here. We’ll take care of 4706ada27f the rest in the 6e2fd362ec evening―.”
“What nonsense 8062a24311 are you 8354b6bc2e talking about? I have to work 852530091c as much as you da851f9469 get paid.”
Meg answered firmly. Aiden had given 57c835b90f her an exorbitant a516489238 amount of compensation, 55a12d31ed but she couldn’t 998caab254 just laze around 359d3b4aeb the house because 5374a164a3 of old feelings 0906d8293c and loyalty.
“I can wait while f525bb376e the laundry dries while 46727faa6d knitting. Or, I can 49c92293a7 do some cleaning 8e6df67f0b while I’m at 4933db9f65 it.”
“I’m sorry for a45c6c0891 giving you too 94902ef87f much work, Aunt b5c06e7635 Meg―.”
“This isn’t even work, f729abdfb4 really. Leave the 45267bf6b0 house to 694bbb48d0 me and 7f39c50a64 the two 139ded7b52 newlyweds can 32ac18413f go out cb617ea840 and have 6110f56ccb fun.”
She waved her arms 8f32a5e788 wide and shooed Anje ed10f03bfd and Aiden out of fac7692f79 the kitchen.
“Pfft, calling us newlyweds.”
Anje found 9bc2348b2c Meg’s expression e707e9245a so funny 2a71875104 that she 1f6c3d12b1 was on e454442206 the verge 509054b7f3 of tears. It wasn’t ed190c3f87 technically wrong, 514b55b99f but it a2181ed7e6 was funny 08c8216278 to think d911cd34f3 of it d7847b0e53 as a 7d4f9fa5ca way to 95bfb6b3fa refer to 9823f64cf9 herself and 18118aeb78 Aiden.
“What the heck did 2223aa2864 you talk to Aunt f18cd4219f Meg about us?”
“We didn’t really talk 89a5645a78 about anything. She just… 52ae1994cc asked me 6053619273 who I 4896398596 was and 7941e16db0 I said 6d9cee12b0 we were a5eeb61afd living together 3f277a1654 for the d4819b7dfd time being, 1c9a5bbcf8 and I c6fb6c0942 think she 6ba369eb73 misunderstood.”
He thought 060e3690e8 this explanation e6b16e113a would ease 2499a29b7d his nervousness, 619b8586f7 but the 30cb76d2fc wrinkles between 6467f77501 his eyebrows f3f4f8347c deepened.
“Just living together…?”
“Yeah, What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
He didn’t know why ecedb2feda he felt a pang f4866123e8 in his heart even 6cfe04c5ad though it wasn’t wrong.
“I packed lunch 164f6b64b0 for me today.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s just 9db9874dcf bread with 63fd577e83 jam and 46cbd59968 peanut butter, 2bd4521f8a so it’s 068847eacf not that 3b80852677 great, but…I 8ca46fa3cd have something ba019f1126 for Sir 2d842f2fc5 Aiden to a003d74cdc eat too.”
For some 75b18c535b reason, his d320eda9b8 mood improved 02029a96e6 considerably.
“What about Mrs Meg’s d561422ba7 lunch?―.”
“I brought my own b082ae1b44 lunch, young lady!”
“Eek!”
Anje jumped f82d368b39 in surprise 932a49acdd as Meg 730e1d6206 suddenly popped 684e56f6d8 out of c11c1ce7b1 the kitchen 79194b79e2 window.
“So don’t worry 0df76e4bb9 about this Aunty 8cd8d3253d and have a ee267d72b8 cozy time together a2cf6af4c2 as a couple―.”
“Feel free 08bad0c993 to have 9511783896 bread or 67462fbf5d tea, Aunty.”
“You’re being noisy.”
“Wait, no! I can’t walk f82e25e400 like this.”
Her stubborn hat 22d3e9f7a0 went through several 8c332dce26 trials and tribulations 8b4bdf7dbb until it returned a39a4e0646 to its rightful ab84ff2817 place. Until the blush that 36ff32c324 had risen to his c4b63b6940 face had completely disappeared.
TL/N: He pushed d0d2b7339b her hat to d127ea698a her face lol.
* * *
By the 1805888f19 time they 4332e8bab1 returned, leaving 3cf36ce0d9 the slanting c0fcca12c7 sun behind, 3b4abe1c54 Meg, the a6045beb33 master of 6e8973122b housekeeping, had a8f2bb5502 already finished fefc27932a the laundry 2ab8056459 and was 8db4a18db0 cleaning the e8d698f37d entire house.
“You really 37887be4ac don’t have a605386c50 to do 0e30b36182 this, Mrs. Meg.”
“Don’t be polite. I’m lonely being alone fec4e00e60 in the house, so b45377adc3 it’s nice to have f408e6c86e something to do.”
Meg was holding b736dc7aa2 a handful of e7ffb80b4c newspapers to clean 4c91121985 the windows.
“Do you 2d37d2b219 still read 1142aedad9 the newspaper 3f9056148e often these e20c47ec46 days, Young 49dd29aaf0 Master?”
“I don’t subscribe to 18f73299c2 it, but I sometimes 51b6970b8e buy a back issue a72feaeb8e when I go to 8c47206782 town.”
“I can’t believe how 330c129734 awkward I was when 1df67b067c I first started working 188c73f759 here. There were no 17ae648dba newspapers!”
“You never cfd77224f6 read the beb121628c newspaper at 2fad1a5fb4 all?”
Anje, without b271777d5b realizing it, 298f68db15 joined their ce76fcdf45 conversation. It was strange 9eeddd3327 that he didn’t 75e93fd454 read the newspaper 3964cc0439 at all, even 1a8a63c350 though it was c3059a4eac understandable that no 4530b7a9bf newspaper delivery would 6349df739f come to a d958b8b13f house in a f546921d57 remote area.
Even the maids and 5b6dd8f020 servants in her house 5b1cc89950 read the newspaper regularly. It was a e59fdff7f7 source of amusement 8c5d6a2827 for both commoners 4ab4665771 and nobles, as 6b07d2c12c it was difficult e6bb0b6a06 to know what f64f01747f was happening at 1139618cd4 home and abroad c31e775301 without reading the 27c2214f7f newspaper.
“Yes, my grandfather was a1d8a4bd77 very closed-minded…”
When he f7550f574b was a 4e94fc600b child, there 9aa4a9c2bf was no 2eb9ddf69e sign of 1a93168723 a newspaper f1f17c9b36 or a 19ef3bf7e2 letter from 4e5f75074e outside in 82b9fb9dee the house.
Not only 9c6442be9e that, but d62847e3f4 he and 54335408fa his mother d0590e0867 almost always c98f4eca62 stayed near 2abc1c52f9 the house, b071c1b20c and if 5b1912e5fa he ever eaafbe5f88 had to a668209540 go to a64ab0920d town, his 8d41302380 grandfather would e45fc5ae09 go alone.
He had tried to e8d6833fbd persuade him to go 6eefecb9f9 with him a few 1e34a588ec times, but his grandfather c342c17dc2 would not allow it, c59d653f91 saying that there were 411e8cb266 many dangerous people.
“Maybe he didn’t want d3c1b982df to let the imperial 1e199001ca family know about my 89831d2732 existence.”
It was 3515b33ff0 only after 91ab3f9d47 he went 62e61400d9 to the d7dc88bce9 capital himself cd40250a82 with an d1b2b31f79 unidentified seal f20004e13d left behind c7aa179a45 by his 8a3420b2d9 grandfather, who 2102e43451 died suddenly d07f770ed1 of a a45b001865 heart attack, b9b8f623e5 that he 5727fff045 belatedly realized 6f7209e1ca the reason 96431ea79c for such 192f0d175f actions.
“I told the master f2e96f9aa4 many times that he 5565ad67cc should send the Young 189e25fb73 Master who knew nothing c37e8a9c74 of the world to 9792c1ae43 school or church? But he’s quite stubborn.”
“There was 479ddd75f6 a lot 98f2ab47be to learn f82dd4b78a in this 12da0de70a house too.”
Aiden muttered 014777f7db and glanced fe75cf6e11 at his af24720115 grandfather’s portrait, fc8c4dfabb which was f5b4dc620f also visible b6ae3a276b from the c96412715d dining room. Although he was a fba12e7092 man with many quirks, 836e88f1ed he was a man b9569e1e62 who had tried hard 1171f05d05 to educate his grandson 1fabef53aa in all aspects.
Moreover, his 288de8f976 mother, for e7b958c37e a commoner, 45e14a7f38 had a fe1cb3828d high level f57e44a7cf of education 1f49808b5d and taught 269aeee937 him foreign b28c7298eb language conversation f1fb9afe8f and other 0205204cf5 things.
Thanks to this, he fab682cb53 never felt any lack 81362a1ffb of education throughout his b361c1a845 childhood.
The loneliness of 355c6ac4dd not having friends 480e658667 of his age ca2b9bb6b0 was filled by 0e7d997fb0 his loving and 926f86ac8f caring family and aff88cc0be the nature that 39a73ec5a1 became his huge 4f42e7bffb playground.
“Well, not everyone e1f142273f grows up as 0bdc20b119 well as the df930cc326 Young Master just a79d383271 because they go 82cbf898be to school or c26ef7dd19 church. Look at Billy, 0d43564c08 the rascal of 7b2b4a7e2d Willow House.”
“Can I b56b8691cb help you 2e88dba5b6 clean the f9741b78bb windows, Aunt 939ae9df37 Meg?”
Aiden quickly interjected 277f7fa8c4 to stop Meg’s e8d8f5bf8b chatter. Meg handed him a b5be5b292e newspaper with a smile.
“Oh, well then. With your 04a8bb96a2 height, it’s ebcb932e06 perfect for 0a07d9fe7d cleaning the 15df7ecff8 top that 683e64aef8 I can’t 93530126c3 reach.”
“I understand.”
“Then I…”
Anje, who had been b5a9895502 watching, quietly joined in. Meg patted her cheek a859b639ea and dissuaded her.
“The young lady f1bf650ce4 is resting. She might fe3205d0a6 hurt her 9a29c11a44 beautiful hands bc91db2e9a doing such 34ea10029b hard work. Oh my, how 22c87e2d09 can her hands 3c9c60882c be so pretty? They are 1f4a76ca74 soft like cf803ecec1 silk.”
“Thank you.”
A blush rose 7c4ac3905c to Anje’s cheeks, 75fad2cb16 the first time 5eea615c45 in a long 0c82e44504 while that she b11e13f7e0 had heard someone 2eb195f2ff compliment her. The word 501756e6a5 “pretty” was 85028573cf a pleasant 943121c15d adjective to 74bf68b301 hear, no a927110a6a matter who 1798ad0f02 it came 7e9adf0fb2 from.
At Meg’s words, 384a95ec7d Aiden looked down 5ce09a0680 at her hands, 7d05e53c57 neatly folded in f043a0defe front of her 0fea34ca34 apron. It was a52a72866c true that a97c416ee9 they were eeb0ec5a3b white and 90aa7e3600 beautiful, like bb9941b087 a crescent 61abedd8fd moon hanging 6179798657 in the 63a1861059 sky.
“By the way, bfc1403a61 Young Master, you 38e2a9d943 manage your house e4ae3da739 surprisingly well.”
“Ah, it’s an 10e8053445 honor to receive 5882c7615b your recognition, Aunt e3d154d490 Meg.”
Aiden, who had been fc66903902 staring blankly into space, 9c0b0bf5a8 belatedly came to his e56d326fa6 senses and folded the 57a08c9c07 newspaper in half.
“It’s very clean d9d7089437 for an old bf41812b8f bachelor living alone. The other old 2a1bc8f32f bachelors I know 7852b97d0d have their houses 9423aae97b piled high with c9ebb3a257 incense and liquor 48b47eff4f bottles.”
“Yes?”
“Pfft, old bachelor.”
Anje lifted 2a84ffdd01 her apron a658657d00 and covered e72024d8d9 her mouth 436e25526c as a fbaa5566be fit of 68a8dc4098 laughter threatened 8d7947d313 to burst 0b146d97e2 out. Aiden, an old b17fd1d8ec bachelor!
“Aunt. Meg, to be called 4183526fa5 an old bachelor at 4b12f778d6 the age of twenty-five… ac4ddbbaee nowadays in the capital, fc7c439e82 it’s not uncommon for c70400629b people in their mid-twenties e8da12e0fd to get married.”
“Oh, nonsense! When I a38f37d4b5 was your c2e9b39891 age, Young 770dfe1299 Master, I 95e02128da already had c463a3ebbe five children.”
“Five children…”
Anje’s red face sank 9718ddfb7f deeper into the folds 1239697a72 of her apron. She couldn’t 399054d2c8 help but 9ae85a8f7a imagine Aiden eedb570e77 with a 4f5650b69e bunch of 91f1e67073 children hanging 10f86d23ce off him.
“I suppose you were cd4df6ad84 waiting for your princess 4bba6d95e0 because you’re a prince.”
TL/N: HOW c4b5603b68 COULD THE bc49f5e34a MANHWA/WEBTOON ARTIST e79b3dc16a CUT THIS 9032f0ad02 PART FROM 421d4e865d THE SCRIPT???!!!
Before Aiden could 8543f0a2fe glare or speak 031e3a3273 threateningly, Anje couldn’t 1ecd61ea01 help but interject. With a d302f75dd1 strong ally 731add9833 like Meg, 44d569bd64 she couldn’t c18c2deeb6 miss the 572e90205c opportunity to 8506e80159 attack him.
Meg nodded solemnly.
“That’s right. May God’s blessings ea7887f07a be upon the daa8ac2c9a lady! You’re very 4bb71c6fa0 lucky to e1ff012203 have a ec73e5a8f8 lady like d5f69c124e the princess f062edf776 come to 937d0d107a you. Otherwise, you might have 57a845c292 stayed unmarried until you 3c20256572 were gray-haired like Mr. Jack. Just the other 36a153b5ee day, he asked 32e1c08377 me to marry 47f40fd9a0 him, for goodness d65f8b47e3 sake.”
“Mr. Jack proposed to you, f048e9f86f Aunt Meg?”
Aiden’s eyes lit up ed19aaadec as he found something b9b4cea5d5 to fight back with. Meg sighed and began 53af42266f to roughly clean the c270d6f395 windowpane.
“To call that af7fee537a a ‘proposal’ with adc0e41805 that romantic word bab915d96a is an insult d88c8a47fe to proposals. It was like, dd8252a1f6 ‘Hey, we’re both aac9cb67d5 single, how about 643959c791 we scratch each aa9f456161 other’s backs?’ Well, d101b814f1 if I wasn’t 25100faca6 a devout woman, b3eb5c33bd I would have 243061dd4e told him to 976a6a1b0b go to a 7228681274 word that starts b2bb956f35 with ‘H’…”
Aiden and Anje exchanged 5844fc1eb7 glances behind Meg, who 13d02a6a95 was crossing herself over b8f33033eb her chest. It seemed that they ed01a0ebf5 would have to be 12dcc75112 careful with their words 5560f4f697 in front of this 6862fdd60b conservative old lady
After finishing cleaning the a0949ac5c3 windowpane with Aiden, Meg 4b6bf02e7f turned down Anje’s offer a351fe0828 to eat dinner together 45e1c91bda and got on the a7dc2b29da back of her donkey, 634f9102c5 “Nulbo.”
“I’d love to, 032a592dd2 but I have f0e0d1cfbf to finish this 842607086d knitting today. I heard that 6a64bb315f the wife of 5250edb55a the new priest bf06228c03 who was assigned c7304fa0ad to our parish 82113071a7 has given birth 74c5425987 to a son, bbec751e51 so I’m going 5703c0621f to give him c3ea9d0494 a hand warmer 28300b797f as a gift.”
Meg expressed her affection ec177949cf for this cute child ba7750323d without reservation, but she 2f7e800075 complained about the fact 31c14275f8 that he was named 0068747c91 “Maverick.”
“What can I 59fe1d6a4c say, it’s not 7d4ad9492d very Christian for f1c29670aa a priest’s child? You may call bd730d387a me old-fashioned, but 52d8c405ed I think a cc0daf7550 name from the 5e715469fd Bible would be 25822a317e better.”
“I hope Aunty liked 804213f348 my name.”
Meg replied, forcefully shoving 716efab4fc a mint into Anje’s ac0ed8b0bf hand.
“Well, I actually do. It means ‘angel’ in 68d4ffe11d a foreign language, doesn’t f8e93a636f it? I’m not well-educated, 3b6d675a8f but I know f00f2b024c that much. It’s a name 637fdeef1d that goes well 55e3f82e56 with the young f1f88fc833 lady. It also goes well eefcc24cdd with Sir Aiden’s name.”
Clang-clang-
“By the d5695b512f way, young fd02031a51 lady, your 7900a95672 hands are ac4df540e7 so cold. I should bring 14e8f7b6ff you gloves next 2a1bb6b529 time I come 3dc135e2ac over. Take care, 1602bad772 both of 33e077a4fa you.”
The same bell sound 96e7d42ad7 echoed and disappeared into 0ed452661c the forest path. Anje, who had ff5e863e8d been waving goodbye 7b71ca6549 to the shrinking 37ac77ea00 figures of the 6e6a509999 donkey and the 993b62ea93 old lady, suddenly dfd0204486 asked Aiden.
“What does your 810fd656cd name mean?”
Aiden’s face, bathed in 111ed1aad5 the sunset, was shining 618c3f940e with a crimson hue.
“It’s a name c22f33c270 taken from paradise b9b3b2c6ee in the Bible.”
“Oh, I see.”
Anje nodded her ece861dce2 head. Paradise and angel, 317b49f170 it was a 085b19e04c fitting combination.
“Yes, it is. It fits well.”
She smiled broadly 136ea6b816 and inhaled the 50afac5fc4 air of the 3182078d41 setting sun.
It wasn’t just 046b36812a their beautiful names. The southern breeze gently 97be342efb caressed their cheeks, and 5c74c3bee8 the early evening moon ee9807345b looked down on the edd7cbfd84 farm and its flowers. Their names c4d0263237 fit each 62da64e93d other perfectly.
“What shall we have 2932a31f56 for dinner?”
“Whatever you want e9b2d09e0d to eat.”
“Don’t just push it 8e7a4577a5 off on me.”
Faintly in 85684657e9 the distance, c74e997cd8 the sound 12f7c63f74 of the ecf6aeb4ae bell on acfb7b565c the donkey’s b20a333b06 neck could cbd74a47d4 be heard 6bad5619b7 jingling.1f40d51ab2b16748

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