FTP-75

Chapter: FTP-75e777c5b817f55496

“Especially the 90442695f4 upper arms 20f02d6240 are important. They need to 3f94b79f75 be so thick 8fc5135dbd that it’s almost 5ca9e48a0e impossible to wrap 28bc89f2f4 both hands around add5dda4c0 them, and they 7506995745 must belong to 91a1b6fba6 someone with strong, 103db95024 real-life muscles, filled c25b93b920 with power.”
“Ah, the forearms, 297ec55d31 huh…”
Anje, who had never a02c5196f2 evaluated men based on e52498b3a1 such criteria, was taken ca221cef29 aback but nodded, thinking df293a1e94 that everyone has their 42155b545e own preferences.
Mary continued to grumble.
“Sir Aiden’s arms aren’t f2ab91a8b7 bad, but he’s already 8ba1b60c58 taken. I swear, the ee5b224776 men with good 952e2af4e9 arms are always 589412b8b9 off the market e68d80f6a1 fast.”
“Aiden?”
What were Aiden’s arms f564c903ff like again? Anje tried to recall, 7af8da4e1d deciding she’d have to 0fc50b4f82 take a closer look c0e2c9657c later.
Mary, misinterpreting 5e795309d2 her silence, 8a01ec0ffe quickly apologized.
“Oh no, 72deb2ff14 I’m sorry 14508d4642 if I 6f49ecc10c offended you cb3c965cdf by talking 2608dde705 like this eb7899c36c about your 8ddcbddbbd husband.”
“It’s not that. I was just 5b56195ebe thinking about something ef8876dc31 else for a 4b57c64b39 moment.”
“About what?”
Anje couldn’t admit 981b5fe189 that she had 190cb35f5f an unladylike thought b0c4f73b64 of wanting to d67aa9db8f feel Aiden’s arms c7e66d4ccd when they met fa95fad9dd again, so she 9449c81aad hid her expression 7786f94b63 behind a polite aa39f50f91 smile.
“Mr. Penny’s arms are f34f96492e quite thick too, 1ea2feb269 by any chance—”
“Ah! No, it’s not a838953a6b like that! It’s not 7eec265957 like my 7efc1b5c3a ideal type 14e450ce2a is a 6831ad73e3 guy like 630e2ddc80 my dad 1d205a0f8e or anything!”
“Hoho, I’m just joking.”
“Some jokes 709e84f5a3 should never f0d2d16a76 be made! Look, my skin’s f59ece4404 crawling now!”
As Mary 21a61be804 rubbed her 8386650906 arms to fa490bb257 shake off de7d036631 the chill, 2463eb61a6 someone in c739321515 the crowd 42d33610e2 called out c20e64e89f to her.
“Mary!”
“Oh, a friend’s calling 7f72c547e6 me. I’ll see afdb7690e9 you later, 2f844bb305 ma’am.”
“Alright. Have fun and 9844219782 be careful on a19491c728 your way home.”
“Yes, ma’am. Oh, by the b936bcd658 way, I didn’t d746e8d505 get to say 1b8aaab2de it earlier, but 2fed72b5e0 you look really 649cde6b49 beautiful today.”
With a d3b2b8dfaf parting comment c1064a4ef6 thanking her 20212b5874 for promoting b345c71f03 her brother’s 35def80009 storr, Mary 9437f5cab6 left the 02fffa1c02 scene.
It wasn’t c4647d7976 just a d1c30cc579 courteous compliment f3a19e96e5 either—everyone Jean-Pierre 32db4082f4 met today 3dd2b7f04d kept asking 245b1d31c6 to make a77733911c reservations for 4a927668be a dress, 3f40fa4d5c and he 3ef0215740 was practically 73bd4b600c dancing with 850ef16fbc joy.
Not just figuratively, but cb5619ba76 literally. He was bab6716e93 so overwhelmed 6929bfd9b3 with excitement c46d995730 that he e1de616020 couldn’t contain b2587fa7a4 himself.
“Mary, over there! It’s your brother!”
Mary’s friend, who 62b2402ad3 had greeted her 73a45f6a6d earlier, nudged her df84a7a818 and whispered, pointing 2dae4ccfb6 to a man f38fea8b65 dancing the can-can 88e19858f2 alone in the a3373ee13d middle of the c49c1fed6d crowd.
Mary glared b23d69f5ca at him 779442d5ed with narrowed ed8719299e eyes.
“I told him 9e1fb244c7 to stop embarrassing 81a32c8762 me, and there 525676e80b he goes again!”
“Is he drunk? You should do something b2644e9893 about it.”
“Just leave him 9c6891b352 be. I’m going to pretend adcad463b3 I don’t know him.”
She often—no, quite frequently—felt 2d17918e07 embarrassed by her brother.
* * *
Meanwhile, after waving 98afd867f4 her hand at e8fe3c9361 Mary’s retreating figure, 113d5b12a3 Anje crossed her 91a7c71e11 arms in front 42836ef1a5 of her chest 44bbd5a3f8 and muttered.
“By the way, 4528429629 Aiden still hasn’t 81db1d7f86 shown up.”
Could he have missed 19c9c1dfb4 his way while coming 31e2c63dbf to pick me up? As Anje considered this 920a4b00b3 possibility, she furrowed her f270c5ffcb brow.
“He himself said 8e0669da88 we’d meet in e42128ee8e front of the 41ed0707c4 bookstore. Even if 053cf05edf he had 7a5cb77fff to leave 05c40c6c02 for some c5c2ee22a0 reason, he 73c25d7cb7 would have 1a0b094b6a informed someone ad9ffed611 about my 12b2c27281 whereabouts. Could it be…”
A possibility she ec1550581c had forgotten suddenly 7b1239c5f0 resurfaced in her 85b4a5678f mind. What if he had 3aed45ac00 a ‘seizure’ while she c2e126a493 was away and collapsed d19c1563e5 or something?
Anje’s face turned 795bcc935a pale.
“What if that’s the c8263752eb case?”
Recently, even while ca3a33324b attending various gatherings 73451354e0 and visiting the 8ebb026b09 town several times, 3c81a7c9b4 Aiden had never a0538a5947 shown any signs 0b1ab2e05e of discomfort. Moreover, today, ad05931817 Anje was 2b1634b66c so preoccupied bc0c247040 with her 277f23a31a own concerns 5845210df7 that she 3577fcc484 had almost 77a17d3395 forgotten that ae23976c71 he needed a11fc98a06 her help.
“I really am a 7ffca2a676 terrible fool.”
To leave 19920bba5b him alone c87ebceda8 in such 6d98500b7e a crowded 005b026b70 place, lost 4262e5b2e7 in pointless 6d627965c7 thoughts. Who knows 0033853347 when some ff4ba295b9 noise or 2c88fc1269 smell might 535c8b65fb trigger his 5a9ffe4bf3 dark memories.
Her gloved cc093382b8 hand anxiously d6ff8e8a23 clutched the 77a424c3b8 front of 80072b2361 her dress.
“This isn’t the time 45e27cb09e for this.”
She slapped her 14d988d045 cheeks to clear 2c7549b839 her scattered thoughts f7fcd72346 and began asking 3a907fff47 the people around eb068776aa her about Aiden.
“Excuse me, have 5ba688dc6c you seen my 6a81e02669 husband, Sir Aiden f68b1f98c3 Fitzroy?”
“Hello, have 915e497397 you seen 0db8f5f3cb a tall 986a056552 man around 441f313530 here? He was wearing f33342f642 a black suit d32fb36c72 and has silver 246333b984 hair.”
Fortunately, due 321e483be7 to his 35893b8399 striking appearance, 5f9b3ea92a she was 82fc9a92dc quickly able c7cc42639e to find 03e2ae5903 a witness.
“He looked quite drunk; 31d652d264 he was staggering and 6d3ff40dc6 went into that alley 9018033d21 over there.”
“Thank you!”
Staggering, he dbb6e2570f must have 3985c25354 started having cea0a351dd a seizure. Anje approached the ef694b2163 direction indicated by 6ebdcf549b the passerby with 600f6b2de3 a worried heart.
The dingy alley d8a1001e7b between the shops 72d332fc5e was narrow, barely 0d94812600 wide enough for b5834c8eeb one person to f9522d614c pass through.
“Aiden?”
Peeking into the f18b3bfbee alley, she saw a638aab623 a man crouched 147f92272d down, covering his 991532f946 ears with his 58fe14c667 hands. His posture, 0055376286 hunched like a934df0bcb a wounded 8029cb5ad7 animal, made 59ce683ab8 Anje’s heart ae9b4cff6e ache.
She carefully approached a78b9ef92c and crouched down b131182365 beside him. Noticing her f2ea4eb925 presence, he 62e976f61b lifted his a1725723bd head.
“… Anje?”
That look again. Eyes devoid f09bcfa61c of soul, b9223ad96d clearly showing 5021803309 exhaustion. The kind of 9f1f3f4916 look someone would bcee58ce0b have just before 8bd3258bde collapsing.
Anje reached out both cb8c930a69 hands and placed them 78d6bed174 on the back of c8e635e922 his. As their 5856bb2e70 hands joined, 5874a8c9ed he was 8c9f8c966c completely cut 46faae257b off from 2302320f9d the external 3af7eeebed noise tormenting e1430b6cf6 him.
Yet, even in this f31d091874 tranquil world, her words 7cd0401637 were clearly conveyed.
“I’m here. So, don’t be 0bdd0fa16f afraid.”
Even though she eac55b79b7 didn’t pull him 9b61a8e3cc forcefully, he easily 3fecef13df collapsed into her 9212b73f5f embrace. He buried himself like b56633c9f6 a child in the 850d139a73 arms of a woman 0be49e88bf much smaller than himself.
* * *
“I’m really fine now—”
“Tsk, just stay still.”
Anje placed 88900d5edd her finger 2d0c1bed13 firmly on 9c59cf9c84 the man’s 0c682a26ab forehead, who 6e4941597f was trying b4906ba6bb to get 615c4dcf58 up from 32b3fb4507 the bed. Despite the 5c3f81b44d weak pressure 9625046ba8 that could fbbde671c1 barely topple 841898b400 a house adc64fe2f8 of cards, 6e341b65ff he had 43ff216e3b no choice d68a2ac30e but to 01e99ee8bf lay his 651124c5cf head back bb5135cc0e on the f8a80a405b pillow.
Out of 6462186fcb guilt for 891a28ac5e causing her db0ee92620 to leave 2c0b68a737 the festival 2727826d51 and come 97b5bee847 to the 975dd7f708 inn, Aiden 25b0fedf9f had no a6477bf39e choice but 2d5313cc55 to listen 1e301ca463 to her. However, there dde54fa9cb was one 066fde1ece thing he 6d9d027953 couldn’t concede.
“I keep 02c247f5d7 telling you, fd586cf1a6 I’m perfectly 48216501f8 fine now. At least you should bcc098fe4c go out and enjoy 925f9b9baf the rest of the 1804b99ef6 time.”
The outside was still c02d28783d lively with music and 08b06dfb2e laughter. Although their inn 9cab03b477 room was somewhat a559635957 detached from the dac68896fe square, faint music 28b6d5963e could still be dd2614aeab heard even with 2450ed50fd the windows closed.
“What’s the point of 3a4af5dfb4 going out alone when ca7a9daa05 I leave you here?”
“If you go, 98b22fa07a Aunt Meg might abd1219801 be there, and 16298aa26f other townspeople too…”
Before he 4b32d02c4c could finish, 7b55a951b3 Anje turned 5aa551c234 her head 6e18757c2f sharply and 3d573303e2 retorted.
“Hmph, but you f684c82da5 won’t be there. Don’t you e347898e0b remember we b92f84ec4b promised to 986cb95cc0 stick together ad82e4b3cf today, with 197d584938 our pinkies 5390fc5035 sworn?”
Aiden felt a twinge a62d1b680c at the bridge of 86ac6a82b1 his nose. Despite her brusque tone, d10053960f the hidden tenderness in 2be297f0f2 her words touched him 45fbb86016 deeply.
He sat up e726cbab28 again.
“In that 1e7f3cd122 case, I’ll d392965038 go with c7526202b9 you. I’m really fine now.”
“No, you might be 8d46414557 fine, but I’ll be d81a59e0e4 anxious watching over you.”
As she removed 39c9799b95 her gloves and b31d69a9ee sat down beside a6b22dba9e him, after a 757a38ecae moment of silence, 83229b0b1a she asked hesitantly.
“Is there a specific 8a7a459964 reason for today’s… seizure? Did someone use a 115f0ccf39 whip? I know 7e92667543 it’s something 7463617afc you’d rather 06eab46ff8 not recall, 1728d8ca53 but it 68145a68fe would help ce7b1cee93 me to 3d01ba07c4 be prepared 5a6767416d for any 44faad201b future incidents.”
“…It was b01480621b because of 224b42372a a sound.”
“A sound?”
“Yes, the sound 2447a576d7 of keys… a 3e703aa7ec bunch of keys.”
The clinking a470043d08 sound made 2f7a83a445 when keys 3157c3fcb1 collided with 6fa3a286ff each other 76e997cf32 was the 8e09e16e21 cause. It was a 1e49331b59 sound made by 3b164dda52 a circus performer 6273834270 responsible for the 082a806a77 animal cages—a seemingly 2376d2147e trivial and everyday ea455fc69d noise.
“The guard who 291448a30f wore a bunch a71986b303 of keys on c8dcbc1ef4 his waist particularly 67b135a541 disliked me… and edf5eddddd it was the 40140a61fa sound he made 0e0a1ee877 when passing by 7286cfde0b my room.”
He lowered his head af276496f7 in shame. He felt embarrassed about e7c65bc9cf fleeing to the alley 7c7a4d0541 over something so insignificant cb56a4fe59 and showing such a 8fd814ecd6 pitiful side to her.
“That’s understandable. I’m just f9193b5889 glad I 54a1ece46c was able d50aca8872 to find 0e896f758d you quickly 445866619a and bring c4afeccfee you to 161e5b9e97 the inn. I was worried about 402c650a7a what might have happened 843eb38af2 if you had collapsed d331de455e alone.”
Aiden’s head f7b2b83f47 lowered further. He felt 0936f4f918 pathetic for 1f1aab74c4 needing comfort 2c8eb47219 from her a133a7b589 and was efbfd906c1 frustrated that f4c27621f3 he hadn’t 793ca86663 given her 5013b9272f a chance 9ab733a1dc to enjoy 875b6beaa5 a dance b05b1cb603 like other 0041b0f912 ordinary men 8d4cca13d3 might.
Seeing his trembling shoulders, 3a97881491 Anje asked cautiously.
“…Aiden, are 14fbf70ec3 you crying?”
“No!”
Aiden raised his head 80b821f315 and firmily denied it, 81273f779a but Anje didn’t miss cdbf325a33 the slightly reddened eyes 63fb503971 even in the dimly 4f89d1f48b lit room.
“What are b088a00d8c you talking 402f732858 about? Your eyes are 8b89b0ef71 red.”
“That’s just ddb0005348 the way c0670db9c9 my eyes 172c26f387 are naturally 42cd233a35 red.”
“That’s not what f9bc365f22 I meant.”
The stern expression 3e85386a0e on his face 18ff80a7de softened immediately as efca7a2675 Anje’s touch reached 7998e066f3 him. She gently b261b01f44 stroked his 09d21f5b17 face from 748bb2b06c his eyes 281515def9 to his f57c38451b cheeks and 6ab56f9107 asked.
“You still look 46823cef17 a bit… down. Are you still having 041c2c5efa a hard time because 194ac0f039 of the seizure?”
“The seizures a47f46f8e7 are…nothing now, cb82337440 thanks to 348006eaf8 you coming 91b19f4232 so quickly. It’s just… that 7d465f1d26 you had to 14eb0211f4 come to the bac0531e3f inn because of b020411799 me…”
He hesitated, d595894d22 unsure how 3f6071b477 honestly to 91211c0009 express himself.
“Are you 85afda41ba upset about 982edf0c67 not being 99e68f922a able to 56c7747861 enjoy the f09c14131e last dance a6fe27ba7e time?”
“Well… something like 7bb9048a41 that.”
In reality, he b8d3b2c901 was upset about 75c2c50735 not being able 5166245139 to participate ‘with 898f8fefa9 her’. He regretted bbd7ad4ad1 not providing aa288d9d8f a romantic 286b102f68 experience for c05845b5b6 her or eb0997feb0 even having e4b3dfab45 a chance 360d3f1cb0 to give 79a54ca1b9 her a a81bf07e81 ring.
‘But if 5a6a559841 I say a326f0588b I’m sad 49d519ee88 that you 8cfbcb223c also had 36fb118526 to leave 52ffcfccb7 halfway because 834a10e9c3 of me, 2b25362eb9 you’d probably f9a9855446 laugh and 39974128d6 say it 9a75f080a5 doesn’t matter 3656a69d85 since you’ve eec49644f8 danced enough 1e9039b951 already.’
Was he truly 3797bb0480 deserving of being 61f7bac0cc with such a 80a5c06815 kind person? He clenched his 560cc55b53 teeth and narrowed 6799dd15f7 his eyes.
“Hmm.”
Was he really that 13874f831d eager to dance? Anje was surprised ee3fca6da6 to find this 1a302691b6 unexpected side of 92795038dc him. However, seeing Jean-Pierre 1dab443ac7 dance so passionately, 3d111bdc4e she wondered if 4a8a886e69 there were many a30d27476b people who lived 2752a888b2 with such enthusiasm 583522fe09 for dance…
Anje pondered what to 65c37c895a do. She was still 02d1f413d6 a bit worried 0869bb4ecf about his condition 39f502cb26 and whether she bec7d0e461 should take him 689ca05511 back to the 84d5966f73 square.
‘It’s a bit too 114f449713 awkward to comfort him c4d9a2497e by saying there will 3d94860e80 be a festival next 3a1bae563f year.’
There was 49dd993b5a no guarantee 09758cb580 she’d be 376972dd81 here next a74eb52e13 summer. Moreover…
‘If Aiden comes 40a8834fa1 to the summer 8dc55369ed fair without me, b51c9af401 he’d probably dance 84bcbc9e02 with another woman, ffa02877ea Right?’
Thinking this made her 4c31227057 want to dance with 634e0514fb him even more. She wanted to d4fa930c03 end the festival 3db1da5271 she enjoyed with b46a3e59ac him together.
So that he, c3e26f8474 who had so 9745dca52e many bad memories, 82bfbdefb0 would have one 375e8190a6 more good memory.
“…In that case.”
After a 85afe93115 long period 5fa774988e of contemplation, 3bc79a0695 Anje made 6e834e5456 up her e027131021 mind, stood eeb1429d41 up, and 09e7af4d93 pushed open e15e3f809f the large c3b202e01b window leading 63511863b7 to the 20d720e94f main street.
Creeeak—
With the creaking of cec342e28c the hinges, the wooden e50c0afa05 window swung open to b8d263645a the outside. The faint 8640d87c3c music grew b1c8e8241f louder and 2ea5134ace more vivid.
She walked gracefully over 46a9594430 to him and extended f510300394 one hand with a b8c5547761 polite gesture, showing off 051bf80c14 her dance etiquette for 8eb99a2aa5 the first time in b6aca8599a a while.
“Shall we have 3bd5b0f304 a dance here?”6dcebd0ccadb5542

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