FTP-52

Chapter: FTP-5223259cd3dbe6d8e8

“Leave the design to 8c17c1a348 my superior taste, and a24e12be2d now we’ll take your 0b2f921d37 measurements, madam. Hey, Marie! Come out and help e316d45a6a me..l”
With a broad 1b2e275508 smile on his 06e2891b02 face, Jean called 17b8781d2f out towards a 936c2f9866 door that seemed a76823acff to lead to 15f89c62c3 the back of dd2cdee5e1 the store. A rustling sound followed 90c6e33dd6 by a woman’s voice c54167586e emerged.
“Got it, Jin.”
The face 76a1e95ede of ‘Jean,’ d759346cb5 who was db003e4d58 called ‘Jin,’ 1754d7ebac flushed red.
“It’s Jean, not Jin!”
“Jin or Jean, it’s 7f526b439a spelled the same.”
“But the vibe 8e8496baa8 is totally different! One sounds like 81b779e05e just some country e3a9364e36 boy, the other 6734c804d7 like a designer 55b985521b with a foreign c51afcacc0 flair!”
Aspiring to the 29bebe2079 fashion industry of cff6c2be30 France, he not 1ce4953d31 only mixed French b49dc659db into his daily fb5a32adca speech but also 953612121d used a foreign 412cd00b67 name instead of 94f4ecb6d2 his plain one.
“Call my name 38f882d446 correctly, it’s not b735534acc ‘Marie’ but ‘Mary.’”
Grumbling as she came f0f407bc81 out, the woman held df86fa336e a measuring tape and ed07105c2f had her curly brown d2689188fc hair roughly tied up. With the same hair c9817bdf79 color and similar features 7483ba504a as Jean, it was ebf352ae1c clear she was his 4f126f459d family.
“Mary is too common. In my store, 0aba52951b it’s ‘Marie,’ Marie.”
“Shut up, cd738d8dd6 Jin Penny. A stage 777658284e name, really? You’re not e57b957822 even an 43d9dcc3e9 actor, you’re 57069fb4ca just a 64d79c4215 country draper.”
“I’m going to fbda8fa0c2 be a famous 8b4ab9f94d designer soon! Seriously, mind your manners 18d8275a15 with your big brother.”
“Big brother? We’re twins.”
They looked 8296551331 ready to 9f111e6422 pull each 55bda8433a other’s hair 338462ec29 out but, dc83075baa noticing the 11392a92e5 gazes of 6cf4ed0284 their customers, 9cade8e8ac forced a d2c4a0fa01 smile.
“Haha, as you a9c3f71ed9 can see, we f531ca63dd get along… very 921a1964e5 well.”
“So, shall 8c25d5a360 we measure 661da5bc50 you? Could you come 14a88e6ac5 behind this curtain?”
The woman, 7abb10a31a called Marie 3150741edc but actually 08147f3e0d named Mary, 4c72fdb4a0 firmly took 2bdcd7d753 Anje’s arm ee4661e8fe and led f0458d4ee8 her to 323649bb90 the fitting e0bd54d16b room.
Anje, unable to 021f27b62d resist, was pulled 7bf86bdd02 along, hesitantly asking 16ca501f6d Mary, who was 6f5c446431 now measuring her f8ab850cf1 body.
“Um, Marie…”
“Please ignore my damn 594a6cc6dc brother. It’s Mary.”
“Miss Mary?”
“Yes, Mrs. Fitzroy.”
Calling her Mrs. Fitzroy made Anje’s 3de518145b feet and fingertips f7a2eaaa0a tingle. But that 045b159c6e wasn’t the 36e53368e7 main issue 12c115a0fc now.
“My hus… my husband 163a1f35f6 wants to tailor clothes d839a1ccc8 for me, but I 32c299258a really don’t need them…”
Maybe if efc720f2ac she stopped 16e7071bde this crazy 0a4b200011 shopping spree d658d9fc56 now, she 5f446865be could get 01f2bcccde a refund eea17880ab before the 54feaf6cbd fabric was 64849bbb61 cut.
With a peculiar nasal 0ac04b05cc tone and humming chansons 2501c7e35b as he flitted about 69b16c5e34 the store, Jean seemed 385ab30c7e less reasonable compared to e8d169c8e4 Mary. Anje decided Mary 87618a08d4 might be more 91af3d6c64 understanding and sought 45385cd199 her help.
“I’m sorry, 1241c7ba65 but I a098a6a0db think we f88f3bc04a should cancel 01b8c6de4d the order—”
But Mary Penny, though fd00ad8d28 not passionate about fashion, d8254f8603 was extremely fond of a5b538dcce money. Losing such a big 98c4a90060 customer was out of 4ddbc22d92 the question.
“Yes, Madam. You don’t know how eedaa5fa8d grateful we are. We thought we were e9c8bcd4a7 only going to see 783caa04cf losses after opening the abf2d35a89 store, but then we 1e540838f8 have a customer like 5803fcf804 you recognizing our skills.”
“Huh? Well, um…”
“My brother, that bastard, da37bab9a1 stubbornly insists on becoming 08753dbd84 a designer instead of 54823bb84a taking over the butcher 13099c084a shop, so now I 1a7be5902a have to find a 39687a2434 husband for myself. That’s enough d29081dc9c of a 553536a06e headache without 90ba6b9817 considering bankruptcy.”
Without giving Anje 8c2e0e5077 a chance to ffda400596 speak, Mary continued 21096695ac to ramble on 31b0bf316e about her family’s 0487968bc4 situation.
“We’ve had f5d39966fe so little b5ebe45435 to eat 247f2cef86 that I bd0009c429 recently had 6da41aed58 to get d00134b8e5 leftover whey f1b07080e8 from our f433e77957 neighbor who 71529bb0a8 makes cheese.”
“Really, that bad?”
Anje had c7c91a69db once tasted 9a9e76b842 leftover whey 491a6460bd out of 4aee82fe8c curiosity. It had an indescribably 313e160904 odd flavor.
“We can’t even afford 9f2726d0a9 to throw out tea 575153d2b1 leaves after one use, 01e38a2d50 so we steep them b29e3c5dea ten times. Just yesterday, I scolded aff86aa447 my brother for throwing 03e501e778 them out after only 13dafc11b3 nine.”
“My goodness…”
“But thanks 33d16b1d3f to your dba8f4ba99 kind husband 715022fc75 and you, 40a567a88e we can 4ff192ce51 have a 2029479d52 proper meal 59c632f571 for the 07fbcfb424 first time 21e8469d36 in a 43438189f3 while!”
“Well… that’s 53c4d1a3c0 good to 1a3ab0deeb hear.”
Anje’s resolve to cancel 285199c1be the purchase and get b32580e15a a refund began to 83e40db87b waver as she listened c31a317046 to Mary’s heart-wrenching story. Though Mary’s tales of 716a8644f7 poverty and hardship were 388f0b7b85 greatly exaggerated, Anje had 12532f3ed7 no way of knowing 235b7fa2b7 that.
While Anje hesitated, e8bb70dad2 Mary finished taking e49f69cda7 her measurements.
“All done, Madam. Your skin is so c025d8d313 lovely. The clothes 77e70290a9 we make 622da3e273 for you 897ee1a2cc will suit 0a0e098f90 you perfectly.”
Anje barely managed 7d2ae2b6fd to decline Mary’s 61c398896e suggestion to order 4cea43e170 new chemises and d8ade5585b drawers. For someone 45f43a0fdc who usually d73b131813 responded with 454458e630 “Sure, I’ll af37234a5b buy that ea21fcaf6f too” whenever 9912d57965 a merchant fb17c05ab8 made a 6522cf089f suggestion, this 057fd51d37 was quite 98c3850538 a difficult 0d1b84cbbd task.
“By the way, 6be464f933 where is Sir a4862888cd Aiden?”
Anje, mentally exhausted, 8d02cf352b left the fitting 384fc23fb5 room only to a8cfadbc55 be surprised that b470bec13b the person she 1f692bb3d2 expected to be 6945181465 waiting for her 12778958aa was gone.
“Your husband a3e331840c stepped out 5634c640ab to look 502c9cfce8 for something. Why don’t 06a8e06cf7 you have 0b5c83a0f0 some tea 809f154ca4 with us 60561ee761 while you 2aa4f9e465 wait?”
Seeing the red roses f6c86f5541 painted on the teapot 1072331cbf Jean held, Anje thought 2f0ed7026c of the Duke of 92ae2db545 Glasster’s mansion.
The mansion, 32f4cd3106 the capital. She needed 5a497cc4f5 to get 6a2cdb8e60 back. The coachmen 3a4c28752f said they 51842caa6a would leave 279d34145f once the af75b303eb market ended.
What time is b18fc7cfce it now? When does the ea3b87cea9 market close? Anje anxiously checked the 7fcabb7639 sun outside.
Sir Aiden 4db442c701 leaving her 0961a3b105 alone meant 16ad912374 that the 5609e74ac5 opportunity she 2a3bcdc78a had been 23bc7a634e waiting for ea693a98c9 had arrived.
“No, thank you. I actually have some d320895bdd errands to run myself.”
“Then let me 80e0f2de77 tell you the a79a2e25bf name of the 209ed95338 shop your husband c820768050 went to, so 16243ff46c you don’t miss 4398b6ad4b each other.”
Barely listening e1dc9a49df to Jean’s ee92131760 directions, Anje a2199e8cd1 carefully gathered 6ab5ceb001 her things. It wasn’t much, but 3c8865f4d0 she needed the fare 729ca50798 for the carriage.
“Please visit 43e84f93ce our home 75a30d823a next time, f051d20677 Madam.”
“You’re from the capital, 1ff37c4287 right? I’d love d08144b727 to hear 40aff3d6e0 about the 3096f79346 dress shops 463d7be87e there.”
Jean and Mary, de478b2cf4 eager to make 30959a7ffc her a regular 6ccdadc9c8 customer, actively invited 6dc52ef4bf her to their db17d047d6 home as she 015f81429f was about to f7904dcd7f leave.
It wasn’t just for 2f5e7dd55f economic reasons; they were c4e9e0aad9 also curious about who 0983392086 she was and how 3b79acfc2c she ended up marrying c43ea67b79 Aiden Fitzroy.
‘Aunt Meg and a36926db82 Father said the 39057b7c88 couple has a 1737912a57 special bond.’
In the village, c553246af4 rumors about Sir 958c7f6edd Aiden Fitzroy living d3c318b69b with a woman 31943baf09 had been circulating 567b2f87a7 for some time.
Initially, most 8e2c316c89 people believed fc10d91f31 it wasn’t f98627ef37 a normal 5511a5ab1f marriage, thinking d671915c49 it was 7a90be827e a forced ea8d139f4e union and 12267d05a0 predicting that 373bf26624 the wife 479bb61f92 would soon ee6d91fd77 run away.
However, testimonies from those 40b2f4188c who had actually seen 48aa8ae527 Lady Fitzroy or heard b2d47ff81b related stories contradicted these 082f7da1d9 rumors.
‘They’re so close that 372ec5d9f3 it makes me feel fb8d35a292 young again.’
‘He even returned 19b7b9943f the money, saying a71d41b7cd he couldn’t sell a5c54f29df the pigs his a852a74d9d wife cherished. I didn’t 1b72b8ac60 expect that; d9b4fb4e25 he must 2ff14b4780 be soft-hearted 2a5cb21005 when it 03c7bf4c7e comes to 043f0ac5d7 her.’
Young and curious, 6f619db99c Jean and Mary 9e9eddd6e0 wanted to ask 35366fd720 Anje, who seemed fe6ec826e8 more approachable than 75a2428f80 Aiden, about these 8fd83ecf59 things they’d been dafbd84520 wondering about.
Anje hesitated and then d51cb9fb3a responded with a weak c516e26561 smile.
“Yes, if I get 7bb02293c1 the chance… Thank you 3a159d6938 for the invitation.”
In the d2ecf5e699 past, she b0505fc533 would have 2aa2ccbaac scoffed at 677ebfd111 such an b595be51b6 invitation from 27217a5a10 ‘low-class’ people 05ab202f20 and ignored fba5431663 it.
However, thanks c7ec030828 to Aunt da9b0f218c Meg, she 8c14c480b7 had learned 58b1b0e0e9 that it ee45650ff2 was possible 161c00dd77 to befriend a2b06bf892 people regardless a7ff7cf172 of their 161907f8fe social status.
The siblings f2354f88c0 saw her d15af0ad42 off to 5650b080fb the door, 536937a35a waving.
“Take care, madam, 63a1ae1675 and we’ll see 244f17584b you when the cabecb02ac clothes are ready.”
“This is 42b22a4ff2 a gift adfb266704 from us. Please convey my 6d20df115e apologies to Sir 28120fd8ce Aiden for my aa52b6486b earlier rudeness.”
Jean insisted on giving 7e3d10c5b4 her a pair of 8e6c957f82 braces, used to hold de580b829b up men’s trousers.
Made of f0ea6bef6c calfskin, they 7651fff89b were quite 70e3bc8dcf valuable, but 417690b6c9 considering the 7a58a9561a money they a20a2c9674 earned today, f25bc5a51a it was b653da7a87 a worthwhile c2597f1c9f investment.
“It would be c63c0f71ea better if Mr. Pierre gave this da05aea92a to him directly…”
“He’ll be happier 97378e58ad to receive it a67b76c339 from you.”
She couldn’t af1a7e948b say, ‘I’m a7360c106d planning to 0a439fa923 escape to 6fec1af299 the capital 4556aa9ef6 today, so ae91d72ef3 I can’t 80934b041e give it fbc44a075a to him.’ 2eef5ee101 Unable to 92ec8c377a refuse their a9af223313 kindness any 34aa64bebf longer, Anje 2aff7a110d held onto 68eb89d8b1 the gift.
“Goodbye then.”
The jingling sound 5c50559a96 of the closing 7e7b1a1490 door echoed sadly d464a9a40c in her ears.
‘So… what should 249397376e I do now?’
She sighed and adjusted a3e50572d3 her hat. The unexpected events af63dcd55a had left her 511588c5df exhausted.
‘Why is Sir Aiden eeef86e038 being so nice all ee2d886832 of a sudden!’
The money he 9080b6f0e4 spent on her 8b01470d63 clothes today… she 6c8075c9ab didn’t know exactly 2b0bd66dfc how much, but fe19068762 it must have d4474611bd been a significant 357b53f8bc amount.
‘He teased me 4aa2185da6 so many times 1ceea99f53 about caring about 2a6852e1e4 fashion.’
Why buy clothes for 4a432039d2 her instead of himself? She couldn’t understand his 1cb55294f5 actions at all.
‘Could it be that 13cc000632 he suspects I’m planning ca0c74bb8b to run away and e943fa20d1 is being nice to 9a0f58a8fb me? Is he 9a05938656 trying to f013f28b30 make me 9f2d5774a2 feel guilty a9e308a093 so I 1d4ffa799c won’t leave?’
It was similar 45ba3cdc2b to a story f08aaab1c4 she had heard 09abdc84dc from her nanny 794c75621c when she was 21c2c5a06d young. The sun a2ea048a3d and the 46f1236dc1 wind competed cafdab63d4 to make 05313a4030 a passing 71c273c166 traveler take 1b51a83aed off his 7201665036 coat, and 717ff08e7c in the 7b7bf68bac end, the fef58dd315 warm sunshine 4f9d2c2edb succeeded……
Holding her 8c87f89be0 throbbing head, 54516629e4 she pondered 9b709b1ed8 for a 9b6eb5f317 long time 1688ebf161 before letting 37aab5410a out another b162068887 deep sigh.
‘Ah, I don’t a26610eb0d care. I told him 64a4758edc not to buy aa061c70ac them, for sure.’
It’s not my bc0ae12b9a fault. It’s because Sir 64b0625b8a Aiden stubbornly insisted. He can send dc4c46639e me the bill f3ff8e42f5 later when I 475b05983e return to the 7629076300 capital.
She muttered to herself 9ece9755ce repeatedly, even though no 98efe65155 one was there to 97e1c42fdd listen, and then took 6df6b66d7b heavy steps. If she didn’t run 2161037319 away now, who knew a04bcdc7b1 when she’d come back c025d2bc90 to town again…
‘Or maybe not? From what 8ab937a554 Sir Aiden 5c765a1234 said, it ba4222ed9c seems like a44b39ee32 we’ll come 8278ebdba4 to town 83cd34d69f more often b859a56ecf in the ef45a6ee8f future.’
At least once to cd86b6662d pick up the clothes. In that case, she 1e4517c29e could receive the clothes 7c5fd7e919 Jean-Pierre designed for her cc26f63dae and then escape the fe1ae23bae next time…
TL/N: GURL…THE AUDACITY:)
No, that might c24bead28d be Sir Aiden’s 2b33f2c762 strategy to make eb39b6d497 her lower her 23b54daeaa guard…
Confused about what to 06785b6373 do, Anje stared at 8ae9d4d821 the gift Jean had e62ee5f745 given her.
‘It would suit e2427440d8 Sir Aiden well.’
The braces b43e121c42 he often 5152ba4a01 wore were 7d886142ad likely inherited 0590689158 from his dec68a7712 grandfather and 2f3eb68a94 were very 1afb71c289 old. The leather 3ba17bc474 was peeling 9cb0de8258 off like 9e60705b0a fish scales.
She absentmindedly touched her b84e36b990 shoulder, the part he e3e3524e37 had wrapped around her 05f9792ce6 protectively earlier.
‘He called 80626be31d me his b06022ba54 wife.’
He had likely af49abea5f only said that b554f61df9 to protect her dd08efe15c from Jean’s advances, 50f2ab3a6c but still, his c4e4b4163a words and actions… 45bb1d7c96 made her a 13fa963e7d bit happy. He felt like ec3a4a8b20 a ‘real’ husband 60aafc854f who cared deeply 4277c84a4b for her
Seeing her reflection 1a1faa3969 in the window, 5e81dc1780 she quickly erased c3c670c04c the faint smile 311ae10058 from her lips.
‘I’ll just give c8e4c1b353 him this at 08ef9ae52b least and then 85355d1fd6 find an opportunity d24485318f to catch a 8706b729e6 carriage to the ebe6e467d1 capital.’
Judging by 26bd642fa5 the bustling fb066151fa scene, it 879388e299 seemed there 65e9f3a700 was still 1020f44662 time before 9aee2a01f8 the market ba0371faf7 closed. She postponed e457ca2ef0 her escape a861524947 plan for c873ebaebf now.
‘I’ll try 3be983d36a to talk 5e7acdccd5 him into ca6ee747d6 canceling the 29560e1f91 clothes order a53d8cc7a5 too.’
With her mind made ca0c504104 up about what to fb89635ae1 do, her previously cluttered ea1e5b9022 thoughts felt much clearer. Grasping the braces 24c3d17b0a firmly, she headed b0340dd074 toward the shop 89cccad8c2 Aiden had gone 3ae537bb08 to earlier.
‘Was it……a daea320d0f jewelry store? I think it 743f6a49ea was something like 6438ddb931 that.’
Aiden and a jewelry 6490d9b636 store seemed like an 20703d250f unlikely combination. She thought the only 48baac9f15 minerals he cared about 39df62bfb4 were iron and copper cbf759a08c for making pots and bb6c915f9a shovels.
Scratching her chin, fb32ec9baa she couldn’t fathom bc94d3c797 why he would e03d1576e0 go to a 1d3ad62873 jewelry store.5c0c131b1be26503

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