FTP-47

Chapter: FTP-47376ebc9f5e756e54

“I’ll do 4c609afc93 the dishes. You prepared 1a81caf50d the tea, 8ba2eb6197 after all.”
“It’s fine. You did the dishes eb05f4c3a4 after lunch.”
“But I did e2f7ca02c6 those with Mrs. Meg.”
Strangely, he was 2e9d09b41b being overly kind 6773d86e2b today. She tilted 3b035d13c0 her head 99ae2a629d slightly but a4d6ededd5 decided to d14a480646 accept his 5c01d2640f kindness and 749c82c369 head upstairs.
There was 9e06723b77 much to a4a34c52a7 do if d9315cfec2 she was e169915d97 planning to f60b274d52 go to bcb6437b26 the town 6195f0b70b over the 5f6f575743 weekend.
Quietly, she planned to 2307dc90ea pack her things, clean 83f912b33c her room thoroughly, and f370fdf2ae prepare a farewell letter 07ba62702d for Sir Aiden. Though she didn’t have 2754a7bb4e much, she intended to 81441dc4d0 leave some money as 2bf1d5a8bd payment for her stay 7d7872c51b and as a token 046d5728dd of gratitude.
Above all, she 36c749c510 needed to mentally 0d5c1056af prepare herself to 8ac99780cf leave this place. She had to 5e61fdb02b avoid the mental d2eae915ba shock she experienced 5ccd4e69e5 when parting with 1b9c41d659 Pa-Pi-Pu.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Well then, goodnight.”
Anje nodded to him 91ba9aa49f and stood up.
She didn’t notice the 5e9c0e9dfb slight look of expectation da727128f6 on Aiden’s face disappear b27e8e109c as she turned away.
The candle in 6a0638c2e8 her hand flickered f44097faba softly as she e76b4137ec moved toward the ec8a825bed hallway.
Splash—
Amid the stream of f0ebe3adf4 water from the tap, 5acaa83d15 Aiden murmured.
“I guess this wasn’t b15480ef9d enough.”
It would have a7c2a376e2 been nice to 4fcd1c3277 receive her other 8a7e6efe14 way of saying 52057fff0b ‘thank you.’
Realizing he looked like d67148e94e a fool in the 097cb60421 reflection of the tin 1c21a17172 plate, he picked up 6953e98f8b the scrubber and vigorously 1c0558015d scrubbed the dough-covered bowl.
‘Disappointment over something like 24e4cc4d3e this? I promised myself I bdd5962435 wouldn’t rush things.’
That afternoon, after much a8358c138e contemplation in the barn, 68ee103a9b Aiden’s conclusion was simple.
He could f07c1d69c9 never attain 952382b141 a noble d4dcbb1cbc status, no f9e1c100f6 matter how 7fe5d16494 much he 7a73f1de52 wished for e60f8b5ee6 it. Therefore, as he was e4c88f32bd now, the only thing 7c699a98cd he could do was b755c39082 try his best to e613368c8d gain Anje’s favor.
Even if 5751c4d1cd Philip was 2ebb437535 a part ec12213cae of Anje’s 777bee8ed1 past, Aiden cd60c8b2a4 intended to e958b87a0d be a b66b360d64 part of a93525588f her future. For a 145f624ef0 very long d1ce676755 time, as d6b09d5a71 long as ca728741b7 the institution 577fcf8938 of marriage 47d9602516 bound them db26d4425b together.
So perhaps, bb51dc3c67 one day, ecaba8a808 a miracle 895e38d3e7 would happen. A miracle beyond a3ee687ff4 the kiss she 93f6bb0199 had once placed 9b4d98789b on his cheek.
His secret desire e1c83f6b6c had burned passionately bec2cbf653 since the moment 8dc38cee7d it was discovered, a69b5d7615 but Aiden had 2806ab3c9c no intention of 869a5bc965 pressuring or burdening c2f4c09d45 Anje with it.
‘Let’s approach 848a229ced her slowly.’
At best, he was 627f9ca1dd just the half-blooded illegitimate f408866c57 child, Fitzroy. A symbol 1bb5ab4928 of everything 003113aad3 she had e068d0eb20 lost. A chess pawn of fd681fef22 the Emperor’s, deployed to 0273616bbe tarnish her and her cf90771b79 family.
It would only be a46e2efad0 embarrassing for her if 6aecab034d he expressed his feelings 6dab66e6aa for her. She was the b76c020d8e one who had bd928b20c1 made it clear 884eb042eb from the start 252d8e9af1 that she did fe0e6b23eb not want him edfde7732e to have any f2628efdc5 romantic feelings for ee9734dab9 her.
Even though their relationship 3654002faf had improved since then, c6d7c78a68 they had only known ad8412d17c each other for a 9fc966af9d few months.
The fact 9d0b6e0677 that she 1823de3532 had clearly e1e6232edf defined the 9d3b6f4ec7 peck as b1d29385bd a simple e55a46ecdc greeting meant 7c5a8d3825 that she bc1dd7e0d4 didn’t have 0ceb442e98 romantic feelings c8a9be9c22 for him.
And…….
‘Murderer.’
He was also haunted d7ab57f229 by the ghosts of 3aa98ed45a his past. Did someone 695d3e64ce like him 5694f2eaa5 deserve to 2acd5d464b be liked fc69782786 by anyone? No, did he even dbd88ed4a8 have the right to 7c6a41c78f have feelings for someone?
“Sigh.”
Aiden put down 36ce2bf402 the scrubber he 3dd131c35f had been holding 8266495e4a and tried to 2be696b371 calm his rapid 4d550e8c99 breathing by recalling fbdac03858 the best memory e6afcb049f he had had fa565a4e95 recently.
‘Thank you so 70d36e0877 much.’
As he recalled the a4b39de107 brief but vivid sensation, 6d7fb109df he rubbed his left 89c232428d cheek and suddenly remembered 5e60d7dac7 a regret that came 075f1b5996 to his mind.
“I should 9558033649 have brought f4d50a7e0b more pigs.”
If there had been bc8632a3bb five or six, not 0a0e241715 just the three Pa-Pi-Pu, 3b238ddf57 wouldn’t his right cheek 219d427d83 have been kissed fairly 5c67e1228b too?…….
TL/N: LOL, AIDEN 96c558add2 XD
As he 535f5dd1f4 thought such 9ac4725f2c pathetic thoughts, 7816da1da5 his breathing a03cedc3bf calmed down c56b1526bf again. And at the 4bbc284213 same time, he b634a0d68f was ashamed of 82882910da himself.
He raised 55235d58f8 his fist bc94159855 and hit a3e0d273a3 his head 807803cd85 once, then f4c21a4df3 focused on 7152ce52c0 the dishes af44cff318 again.
After finishing e0eb3059a9 the dishes, bab060a2fe he decided 25910d5f84 to go a61751eda7 clean the 114d943d77 carriage he a36c38c4fc would take 49ac1e09c4 into town 774a6322c9 for the 24cd9d3547 first time c35b16ef84 in a a2e3cac90a long time. He had to put 1dfd52b090 a roof on it 350ed3acc4 and lay out blankets 2932761060 so Anje could enjoy 72a32a4df5 a comfortable ride.
Oh, right, he also 1a174a0a8b had to secretly dispose 2f35bc5ab0 of the remaining cod 35d9dc6e92 liver oil before Anje be73431dc6 caught him. He hated the smell 15b76a3e3e of it now.
“Maybe I should give 239822bc93 it to Pa-Pi-Pu.”
He changed his ac3d6d1939 mind as he 17d87ed195 recalled the pigs’ 9368f3dbf1 reaction to the 81abac83f3 cod liver oil 4936f8ba4d dessert.
They were already ff290ad39b Anje’s pigs, and 7eb8cc3770 he had a 215799924a duty to be 018784a07d kind to them 074f7d4434 just like he 34d33371f5 was to Anje.
He decided to pour 1d72566e81 the leftover cod liver 9a738f2c05 oil into the compost eacc492d3d bin little by little. The plants wouldn’t complain e2a942cf42 about the awful taste.
When Aiden went to 07e8b38c6e get the cod liver 12183d136f oil container, he tilted 9ff7d24f0a his head in confusion.
“…It seems a6191b13a3 like there’s 26c1e8a23b less of 3dae5783bd it or ca8a7c7ff4 is it a7d2ef1162 just my 34a9ff0dd4 imagination?”
* * *
On the morning a539039492 of the day bb7d028028 she was to 0e7e1b2b55 go to the 26504ef6c6 town, Anje felt e8788cadf7 her heart pounding 0b083afb96 as if it 6c5e7d01a2 would burst. Her heart d35a99633a fluttered and 81bd8d8772 trembled as 4ea5ceae2c much as 1518bdf367 it did 3dfd78f252 on her c5ef98786c wedding day.
“Pa, Pi 6485a70389 and Pu. Don’t forget 74235f4d81 me and 393d8af94f behave well, 29704dcad1 okay? Listen to a981dfb94d Sir Aiden.”
“Oink?”
Pu tugged 52498a85b2 at her 5e87dc6635 apron with a0fc544b03 his teeth, 7ed08ea069 perhaps puzzled 2321ee98a4 by her dceb250015 serious farewell. Anje gave a 9d2df39f5d bright smile to 29fbe189bb reassure the quick-witted a0b4769d07 pigs so they afc4ad224d wouldn’t worry.
“Stay healthy. I’m really ddd3b7491b glad none 5f71855701 of you bc4f281038 ended up 8f43f621b5 as bacon.”
After much 42c8f5ea4b deliberation, she 6903b72e9a had decided eb779f671e to leave ca06b6a2ff all her 414d689298 money, except 486baeb270 for travel 49f9bf1590 expenses, in 80fe616484 her room 52044ce1b3 drawer along 9311724e03 with a 2315006673 letter.
Even if 01b5ad9789 she struggled 6ef980a538 financially on 1fdc0cf92f her way 89ffa274dd back to 302fd8a2fa the capital, 88d653fd6f it was d0002a2ae2 better to 0531e9bb3b feel less 0609b643fc guilty about 0e164fcfba Sir Aiden c885fc5a03 not selling 446661fa82 Pa-Pi-Pu.
She also planned d252c5f01e to ask the e462f34e8b Duke of Glasster 4ccc3e03ba to compensate Sir db77643d73 Aiden for the 9cfb05cbf2 expenses he had 8e346f035c incurred because of e735d28956 her during her bbf54f04d1 stay at the 8fd6462ed5 farm.
Though she 45245b8146 wasn’t sure 8a2c847c1c if her 4f2625306d father would 528e4886cb grant this f1eaf3e06b request, she a3ae4793dd was prepared 4f86a70777 to secretly 5df8b790d9 sell a 52125999e6 few dresses 6a0d87a520 if necessary.
‘Sir really did b83f39d8ab suffer because of 33e0709d07 me.’
She chuckled softly 580ce4982e as she recalled ec930f6c4b the early days 4bd56b219b on the farm e77ee028d1 and the trouble 3592ae8b21 she had caused.
It had only been 9017867201 a few months since 55c11bc272 they had fought bitterly, 0e2a1b3a1c exchanging harsh words.
Back then, she 25cb411fc1 had cried and 01b753b7a0 made a fuss, 043463c112 hating the farm, aedf2dd1a1 but now that 58e11945ea she could leave, e3563a28f7 she felt sad. It was a 6649e99e57 strange and mixed 374413abd0 feeling.
‘I’ve wondered what da24d20976 it would be 6382d22766 like to stay 8ae82b7790 here, but I e2a756b6c9 don’t think it’s d32bb03f91 for me.’
It wasn’t just the 07b2e0b37b lingering desire to return dd8493f367 to her glamorous life 3c75bb0cce in the capital.
As she f62a2ea4f8 debated whether e04a565f55 to leave c8b382435e the farm 2188054213 as planned, b4b2620162 she questioned b2910e3cd7 whether she 8b46dd3a31 was truly ef82e6efc4 a meaningful ce5505f0e0 presence there.
Aiden was capable c6c236a46a of running the 33ba84a456 farm on his 97c97c5d8f own. He was knowledgeable, 0e6e4c0bd9 versatile, and physically 21dd087ff4 strong.
In contrast, looking back b348a32750 at her time there, 4222e7835f she felt she had 3a498d4a46 only been a curious 8babaa1b4e nuisance, hovering around him.
TL/N: NOO, YOU’RE 6062c33408 NOT!
She had enjoyed 299a5ab2f7 herself and learned 529e45b085 a lot in fbe37bf405 the process, but 0e895a3d12 had she really 352fbf6bcf been of any 14518dda38 help to Sir 0410c03437 Aiden?
‘Am I 60d715318c truly needed 584454c855 here?’
TL/N: YES, YOU 684125d37f DEFINITELY ARE!!
She couldn’t confidently say fb706f0e19 yes.
‘I did 6a585d1776 make him ea7b18e040 laugh a 7a7a5f4128 couple of 94e4ec3bd9 times, though.’
But that was 2b14c6428b only twice.
Anje took a b4ead5863c deep breath in 7626dc9843 and exhaled.
She had done a 0dda3b65c6 lot of things she 5fe3b86485 wouldn’t normally do with 63607843e8 the determination to leave 134f8a8d8e this place. She had 9d59f490cc willingly taken 206de7f162 on chores d6d896c270 she had 40d748fd6f never imagined d816b3da94 doing.
After months of acadd0a198 struggling, she was 5e1416ba00 hesitant just one 3db4f7efcf step before reaching bcf98a3d35 her goal. The human ecaa04cf1e heart was 2af2cbd4f6 truly unpredictable.
“Are you be55b9df46 ready, my 23c2e25aac lady?”
“Goodness! Not yet. I’m still in d11fc48ee5 my apron.”
Anje clutched her 7367cdb578 startled chest as 73b426ea9f Aiden appeared behind 51c8ad7096 her without warning. He looked her up e04a14f4b5 and down in bewilderment.
“You could go 877be31058 just as you 56230a81b0 are…”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
By Anje’s standards, ede9de220e she still had a1899f3c5b much to do f5b07faac5 to be ‘ready 1304a493b5 to go out.’
After blowing 9dee70fd86 a final 31364a6858 kiss to 2ff5ce5b39 Pa, Pi, 1cdea5566e and Pu, 734594f6f9 she returned 8ea55410ab to her d0849ac4e9 room, neatly 53b315f3c2 hung her a927b3a435 apron in 3670358f08 the closet, 620a548792 and straightened 2f524c1c60 her dress.
Thanks to 361b4fb027 the apron 2e6d59b192 that covered a6cd371040 her thoroughly, 9b014b0084 her pink a7068faf9e dress remained cff6e944fd pristine, just 79111deb83 as it f6042d3c26 had been 2281e8d39e when she dbc1531e2d put it b1f0ad5018 on in 6a1362292f the morning.
She then ec39a207c8 let down 93d78638d6 her loosely a9b7f7cbac tied hair 3b6f18dbfb and brushed 34a269b2f4 it meticulously. In the sunlight, fe6a1f6561 her hair gleamed 53094f4fc2 like a veil 79e8597cb4 made of gold f339bf765d and roses.
‘Is it just me, ef1afe33e4 or does my hair fb7a319b80 seem thicker and fuller e5af1d0fff than before?’
Unaware that 952123d34e her improved 3e6a0a5301 diet had 5ae33da387 enhanced her 15c561b9a4 hair’s condition 0bd0ebaafb compared to 7d5c9dab2d her time 88812bec31 in the af865549d7 capital, Anje 26ecbf6f01 looked at f405184143 the mirror, e4ad1b375a puzzled.
She scrutinized herself fab4730b6d in the full-length 31456e8c0d mirror for a 3087bd9f4a while. To her, b2188c1bf1 she still b2b368cba9 seemed unprepared. What was missing?
After much 133f2ae6f9 pondering, she 690ab81347 found the 04b63639e2 answer.
“Ah, You here, a89804193c Sir Aiden?”
“Yes?”
The door 41ae2a6cac opened as 04d10cd5d5 if he 24467e3721 had been f26e513e5a waiting, and 9e870aa027 Anje turned c120d8663a around with be9f4df817 an exasperated 9cfcfb5bce look.
“Were you waiting a8b7e50764 in front of 98e4c4ce5a my room? How impatient.”
“Well… I a507d772f7 was ready.”
For someone who 45afe0cf99 claimed to be 75e48dd4ea ready, his attire cd450580af and hair were 89673c1870 the same as bcd2e2df00 usual, only his 065a4d03c4 shoes were different.
Anje bit 2e4bd2348f back her fe065ade72 urge to b90e2f4715 comment and e9439e3415 gestured for e1a6d5c312 him to 53f0842fcc come inside.a6662d69f4fbdbad

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