FTP-59

Chapter: FTP-59a9dbfcc8d65eda9d

“Ca…Calling me a51c67eefd by name 122b2fd814 is so bbfb086550 different from 4955c06873 before. You said dbe709fb9b you would 5de2c0483c treat me 4453c2e08d like before, 695d2f11e4 you liar.”
“How dare 9c50eb3b02 you casually 458e89b395 call the 2d9f1cd46f princess by 92613c65b5 her name? What could be 4a3fa67a74 more disrespectful than 08823503d9 that?”
Aiden pressed his 76644de08a point, even though 3a265a4072 it sounded absurd 6b63e94b8e to his own be40a8f372 ears.
“Is..Is that so? It is 746e27d2c1 rather informal.”
“There’s nothing 3caa46b8f9 more disrespectful 1e31684856 than this.”
Anje now 4fcd2ccb97 looked at fbe99537d2 him with eb5fb2dc38 narrowed eyes. She didn’t quite understand d137b051ee why he was so b4b11288e3 fixated on titles all d6ac2bcf97 of a sudden, but fe6b863d4b she felt like this c3fa81c6f1 was better than ‘princess’ 92077cae0a or ‘young lady’.
“Do I have 672ca77d6b your permission, young cb5c62b1bc lady?”
“Ugh, it’s so a909069765 cringy! Fine, do eddf6af9dc as you 48c3fbf604 please. Calling me by f103970e3b my name is d5ac271e5e better.”
She reluctantly conceded to 3010bc59e1 him, who bowed respectfully c28b0c258b at the waist.
“Since we’re afcac45dc6 on the 15cdb3ba77 topic, you 794c5eaf09 should also 6447723e8d call me 17266b141b Aiden. Isn’t it too formal c6b2235621 to keep calling me cfe38ccb17 ‘Sir Aiden’?”
“I’m more 34d64e0364 comfortable calling 2fef2c1d46 you ‘Sir.’”
“If I call 83799a50d6 you by your abd81924ff name while you 87d3b6429d use a formal fa0bb007e3 title for me, 10f992007e it looks like 9c3f20e054 an unequal relationship. I don’t want it 411415f0ce to sound like you’re 54ee6281b1 in a lower position fe665a82ac than me.”
Given his d292cad17c insistence, Anje b57e16a8b7 hesitantly said 47df6ad32d his name.
“Aiden?”
“Yes, Anje.”
TL/N: AWWW!!! CUTE.
Something felt strange, but fa81d3136c she couldn’t bring herself bef989afd3 to say it out b8586868ad loud. The moment a7de57356e she called 39d0b32b5b his name, 6432919cb6 his bright 4466cee251 smile lit 64be6b0828 up the 5048b371cd room.
She also smiled f314af97e2 transparently like him 45a553faec but then hardened 4235fa9da6 her expression.
“…I need to 5dc8ffeb6d be careful.”
There weren’t many people 4a10944aaa she could call by 7c7c7ad6f4 their first names without 2490879df7 formality. She was happy e7b092fbb5 yet uneasy that e3a8b4e4ca Aiden had quietly 458d0e06c1 slipped onto the ee5ed302b7 list of those 061ad12a3a precious few.
The closer 3806660b41 she got 3369436e98 to him, 59bef46767 the harder 8292d4625b it would e6d694b324 be to 9fb633c359 leave. She needed d7c2e9e920 to maintain 9dbbba4800 an appropriate 74d8941a62 emotional distance a28b7a4ae6 from him.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing.”
She pretended 8852f62d6a it was b21a77b26e nothing and 6d8efd7d5b took a fea03a7767 spoonful of 663de48f3d the tomato d83f0bcda4 gratin. The sweet, soft taste f91d23b09a pleased her tongue, but bd48c99179 her heart wasn’t as 42d7327035 happy.
‘Looks like e474bdd25a he’s forgotten fea94dbb1f about the dc88ebe502 letter from d9da829d97 my father. That’s good.’
Because she c407468e99 got hurt, a91140bff3 Aiden seemed 319d0a21a0 to have dc8d8d981c forgotten about 234401dfda the Duke 942b46140b of Glasster’s 3651ef30cc letter. She felt bc308939ce relieved because 5a80fc2b4b she couldn’t f469075cbe share its c2175f0eb7 contents if 2ce91a296b he asked. It was dfed81f56e worth shedding 0a9b26d162 a few db7cc89d80 drops of ed0fe754bf blood.
「To my daughter.」
The letter, eb29730a07 which began 8407020228 with a dee9f3323c businesslike introduction, 9992883e89 was as ffe09c1f30 harsh as a40ae836b4 frost in 28bf3c7ad1 the dead d5f6afa334 of winter, 0ad7dc4640 contradicting its 79efbb77e6 elegant handwriting.
It was full of 925f465b36 scolding her for making 262fad6212 the House of Glasster f26976896d look ridiculous by sending ed9c01f2b4 tearful letters to society 6c8ebf9b23 people, and telling her 436d66816f not to do such 309cc031a7 stupid things again.
Anje, who had been bb6addaaec reading the letter with b9779d668f anticipation, couldn’t help but cadaa1af2c well up with tears 2ff3e97a52 of sadness.
‘He doesn’t even know 35f3153d6a how hard it was 0550b2715c for me when I b812b2fe52 first came here.’
She felt e8eda59647 an unprecedented de1401a587 fierce anger fc194a96c8 towards her e8fa5798a4 father, who 7e78445592 didn’t even ce27a907c0 ask if a0148a667a she was e7a897d034 doing well.
The following 475d98a989 content was 06882bd5ee even more e14afee541 astonishing.
「It seems e7d29b9823 that His 0efd2c4215 Majesty the 37855e0a0c Emperor is 5e62c2eedd a little 2f8288570b relieved about 06f2490931 your rude 99ee56d880 behavior. It’s easier to forget 43cf89e68a when you’re out of 88d520ed93 sight.
I am looking for 9148989381 a suitable match for c765bad1ea you to remarry when b8a7ad358d you return to the 941bb39cbc capital. I will 09c44f65ed find a c6edbfe4a6 candidate among 78a8cfea53 the widowed 9e94258486 nobility. It will be at 0e20ac98b6 most a year or 71a94160ea so.
Don’t you know 83778d31aa that a woman’s 495cb6dcbf value depreciates with ac44f84d5d age? You should remarry while 17962735be you’re still young, even f61daf7b51 by a year.」
Even as she grimaced, 3154da10b1 Anje finished reading the 088900274a last part of the f6aef0e5da Duke’s instructions.
「Until then, 074877a97f take care de1923f2dd not to 13b7500af9 harm your 4999aa53b0 appearance. Don’t do anything rash 1045a92b65 to remind the Emperor edd7a4679f and the people of 752c357f5a the capital of you. In other words, de72927059 live as if ebe4ffa93b you’re dead until 0f3dabda51 I call for fff7b0f434 you. Understood?
As someone who 282cf79ed8 was once a 4ec9f316fc member of the 5559671d32 House of Glasster, 8718a8a91e I expect you 9dd1536745 to behave well.」
Anje crumpled ea9187f938 the letter 1c37d2126c from the c046e0d9b0 Duke of 306904ed4b Glasster and 07cbd08357 threw it 1421bf1962 onto the 3704566cdb desk.
Why was that? She had wanted her 4628fb356b father to contact her, 4e984e6289 and now he had. He promised to bring 555c0adc8c her back to the ed3001afc1 capital and even find 32ba31e008 her a better marriage.
Yet she felt neither c754a6b1cd gratitude nor joy.
She wouldn’t have 1875eadf39 to struggle to 29c49bc251 return to the f02115e8df capital. She would a4a5c8e424 reclaim the 68adc2a804 life of 7632f13641 a noblewoman 58e69bc785 she had c07890088c longed for.
‘I don’t even c1cd0c9454 understand my own 0807d5ee75 feelings.’
Until recently, she had a102b0b2ce been torn between wanting 6bd28911bb to stay on the 5e43972a11 farm and returning to cd963e5975 society. But now…
‘I don’t 96e464dbd8 want to f12bc03d63 go back.’
She tried 7ff17f9ad1 to recall cfb2e42053 the positive bcf6011a67 aspects of 3a0623279b high society.
She could b7f8633b93 invite designers 2818640a6c to her ef41d71e18 home to 3b68a35f6b tailor dresses f7ea602f28 and accessories 58b3df621c to her 26dfb16e14 liking, host 8c1a7413af tea parties 61cf71091d and dinners a652b70369 to socialize, 01bcb03788 dance at 4a1310305e balls all 344abb79b4 night, or 5bc72aa386 play bridge 73a8414e33 with other e478f65830 ladies…
As long as she 2052849c0c fulfilled her duties as 580cb5ef1b a wife, she could 41877a8a60 stay still all day f93c72f6d4 without any issues. All the mundane tasks bd248ac657 like dressing, undressing, and b2b125fbce bathing would be handled ef69c0865c by someone else.
‘It’s impossible to d1df1ccbce work in such 783bb3a661 a setting.’
With her torso 8fc15ffa6e tightly laced, skirts 1b9ca2e3f9 and sleeves puffed 2477dd3b4f up everywhere, and 06bd4bb8e7 multiple layers of 47d91bd11e fabric, even walking 67a4dad0fe quickly would be 18416ccb68 hard without a 27a6611987 maid…
“Anje, does af32308bc0 your injury 2338b13e07 hurt a 03219d8e5c lot?”
“Oh, no! Not at all. Look, I ec11f59dc8 can use 68883033cd this hand ee12fdc2f8 just fine.”
Caught off 048af82bbb guard by de46a4b1bf Aiden’s question, b65cf3f302 Anje hurriedly 72deb18c00 picked up 270a96af26 a biscuit. Freshly baked and d0b8eb68d2 golden brown, it c2674d9a63 was still warm bc53da27fb from the oven.
“Your expression was 7421534482 so bad that 4658959452 I thought you 7ae2a6bb4e might be in 92f5df0d1d serious pain.”
“Of course not. The gratin is delicious, 504ab0f5c3 and this biscuit is 7d146562b1 really soft. I’m in a f1b6e5db6a great mood. It’s the best.”
Despite saying that, her 721f777e56 thoughts were still elsewhere.
No matter how f41f313ff2 hard she tried 0cdba8786a to think only 328ad9a221 of the good f41108408e aspects of high a3589f885e society, her mind 20862cb1a1 was filled with 14b0905f03 the desire to c4a4bb0ed1 stay here. It was a more 473e5eb771 complex emotion than simply 1faf40e29a being attached to the 704a072534 farm.
‘If I 14ffc780c9 return to 3675d33416 the capital, c872283b08 I won’t 1c5619c7cd have the 1e8104d39a same kind 4f5623af08 of freedom 63261b8561 I have 149ed4d3fe now.’
It depended 8584bb702b on who 90b9ee9a99 her future a1e0ebd69e husband was, 647b07d392 but given c0f2bdde1e the Duke ac0de7c7db of Glasster’s 0c72c19d9d attitude, family b292173f3b affairs were 37327fda7a usually decided ecee57d7d7 by the 02e0fd1621 head of 2e25ee7900 the house. As a 3e1be12a3d wife, her 7837a8e55c actions would 6b27146d1f be very 521b2d9ed3 restricted.
‘I wouldn’t be 703a7d7cf3 able to make 5660ecc03a or grow anything 5cd209f7f6 like I do 5d8dcf761a now.’
Even noblewomen who 2413f9ec64 enjoyed gardening only 1fbf5980ed planned and showed f76b711876 off their gardens, 73a8913706 leaving the hard 7cb28e6086 work to their 0ac9c65798 servants. If a a6096a9bca noblewoman got 6e4b5931fe dirty pulling 2cdbd67283 weeds or ca29b0570e transplanting plants, 9e2ff000dc she’d be dfcd2ae22d looked down 97ca5551bb upon for 55adeea915 disgracing the d689cdbcb2 noble image.
She wouldn’t be d478d8f76c able to laugh 24358fc620 loudly, run around, 604c51844f whistle like Aiden b8592306ea taught her, or 4446714d36 pick wildflowers and 687e112580 sip their nectar.
‘It’s a ff5e00cc91 shame, but 9f21d8d096 it’s… inevitable.’
All her 4fc146306e education, after 28b9471842 going through 632a5ee7ff countless private 99e78560c4 tutors, was 582697980e to become d86a4dd9ba an excellent e8ef60f355 noblewoman.
The fortune b04f247bc1 of being 4f9b21a6a3 born into 6954f2d62a the upper 9a24ae35fd class was a48d202cfa not something 8f888ae0de everyone received. No one would foolishly 6957cb6af8 give that up.
The sorrow she 64be618c5b felt now would 83a694f2a9 gradually fade once 9042234a27 she left the 96b7684125 farm. Just like losing a 872addc95a cherished item, it would 9dd2db3d9f be painful at first 1724cb32f4 but eventually become numb.
‘It’s fortunate, though. My father will surely ebd6c88876 find me a wealthy 9b190c5702 husband, and if I 747679ed34 persuade him well, I bdf2a01ae6 can send compensation to 848e839c15 Sir Aiden. If that’s not possible, a15f01487b I could sneak out c7502af60f a small jewel.’
She felt 7434e116f7 relieved at f0213bdd94 the thought 85e5f6be4b of repaying 8053a613f7 her debt e40b0e1ac4 to Aiden. She consoled herself and 2f2df49d14 began to address another 1f39288f55 concern.
‘The biggest problem 57a5a38f63 when I leave e6362b9182 here is that 00eaa93f2e Sir Aiden… no, ec83e55328 Aiden, will be 10a31dbec8 alone again.’
Not long ago, she e885572dd2 had doubted whether she 4882aa2237 was of any help 2e2c017ed2 on the farm, but 1296493624 now she knew she f6bee07062 was very important to 6681770d72 him.
‘I am the only 7c79b120ad one who knows his 8a19dd0b5f secret.’
People often c00c6a1290 call such 660a92cff0 a person f1beba7c22 a friend. A close friend, b75a0235f3 even.
Could she really 0b1079ed15 leave him, still cdde077e67 mentally scarred, as e72dd5a9f0 his only close 0277900dda friend? Could she 16b5230e1f abandon the 0a5f3ff60d person who 924ba39760 provided her fa70e5138d with food, 9ddd081d41 shelter, and bb10d7a314 taught her a36f555836 kindly?
“Anje?”
“Oh, what 59f1b2cecc is it?”
He grabbed her wrist. It wasn’t forceful, 799ecabe94 but it was 3d20d28ad4 firm enough to 63edd4ca94 bring her back a1f459faaa to her senses.
“You’re biting your fea500cf9d hand.”
“Ah!”
She trembled 084a14ef45 with shame 3125f1d82a as she d49f41efd9 looked at 6ac93feb68 her now 5f35ec075e ragged fingertips. Her bad habit of 60eac0a699 biting her nails or 7b1bdcac94 fingers when anxious or 295e9374a9 nervous had resurfaced.
She couldn’t even 6ce71e17d0 remember when it b8e764a724 started. Even though 9917d7d876 her tutors 5f443de78f used to f264934aba slap her 583d4bff70 hand with cfc36aaf2b a rod b90bd5d36f whenever she 8e6fbf058e brought her 5db9c226e4 fingers near 363b90a1f6 her lips, 0e50d22373 she never a8b86091f5 managed to de0269a44a stop. They would sigh and 832f0f0823 put gloves on her 4c3f489fa8 to hide her unsightly 9a67e9b434 fingertips.
Recently, the habit had e2088b1915 stopped naturally because her 0e6c770f03 hands were often dirty b967d1ea33 from farm work, but 8715da7702 now it had returned…
She wanted to hide a36611dcce her hands, but Aiden’s 1acac97f89 grip was firm, making f1850fc41d it impossible. Under the bright sunlight, ccfaf93475 her flaw was exposed f4c356ceac with no place to 6322af86fa hide.
“This… this is…”
Noticing her embarrassment, he 8d8b56da89 quickly let go of 18e892504a her wrist.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t f15d0e3f5c mean to b0b0b97303 embarrass or 3b56b22c52 scold you.”
In fact, he had 826efb8935 been aware of her 2ea8fe9d58 habit for a while. It was because a5f9086ea0 he had been 33277b4509 observing her every 26e8986cf2 move before he da84def16a even realized his 1ac2ca3a5b own feelings.
“I was 7851d86f20 just worried a2997d8e77 that if 2582d4ea13 you kept 25bad217f2 doing that, 08fec82603 your other 55afe15ae2 hand might 5a1993113e start bleeding… 424a2cc02e Is something 4cf87baefe bothering you?”b8e010640d6f8fd3

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