FTP-76

Chapter: FTP-7637a9a419a2034dab

“Here?”
Aiden looked bewildered.
“The room f7a913df7f is spacious, 16794dbff9 and we b7f9db0ef1 can hear 129e50f874 the music 099fe9448a pretty well.”
Anje smiled as 3cda599ba5 she pointed out e2cd8cf64f that they wouldn’t 85d385caba have to worry 26bea2798e about bumping into a464eba66c others while they c979b9e39f danced.
Without hesitation, c01ea3ba9d he responded,
“Sounds good.”
Aiden gently took 4e6368f4e2 her hand, which 250ba782e8 gleamed white under 68e3167b9a the moonlight, as 45df81cb01 if it were b2b5147b7d a delicate snowflake d727851c70 that could melt b327d98b39 at any moment. When he stood 94420044ee up, the melancholy 8f014dff68 that had shadowed 490c3e78d3 him earlier was f116cd9d50 nowhere to be 5d214dad02 seen.
“By the 616346b46c way, can 39a86abb40 you even 4805c5703c dance?”
“Well enough.”
Anje exaggerated 52977e4fb7 a sigh 5b8fdd2b93 of relief.
“Thank goodness. I thought 0a077392cf it would 134fe949fd hurt a 627f13a2b5 lot if ed5049719e you stepped 76c992a42b on my dbe96bdc97 feet.”
“I think you’re bfd3e34bfb underestimating me. I might not be 9db74027a3 as skilled as you, 8d343b7206 but I’m no clumsy 383707e7ad oaf.”
He denied 1f2a8d843f it so 6b8610239a earnestly that 3e72acb833 she laughed 51ed0996e9 and threw e02b7bfcad him a d14804d28b challenge.
“Alright, here’s 5b0e481db5 a test. What’s the song 51f7cc21b0 playing now?”
“This song…”
He listened closely 7a0bbade9d to the music 42f78870da for a moment d6934952bc before answering correctly,
“It’s a Ländler.”
Originating from c3d4cd1ec3 a small 97f992f11c kingdom slightly 2d8ad3f018 removed from 691dc11df3 the Albion 4167fca3df Empire, it e840b0cc79 was a 23ac12d217 traditional folk 7ec4ce3fec dance farmers 474042878c used to 7a6e96945a enjoy.
In recent years, f0dfcc03a2 a faster, more 3509f44f78 elegant version of 9953a47492 the imperial Ländler 24dccca43d had gained popularity badfaf28d0 across all classes.
“Well done, 82ab6dd31b Sir Aiden. As a reward, 3987328eb5 you’ve earned the 6d5a0ed281 opportunity to be 6b11663250 my partner.”
TL/N: YESSSSS
They clasped hands and, f0804b6e40 shoulder to shoulder, began c7e0d372da moving across the room. Luckily, they 033d7bf750 had rented 8b2fac8c3e the largest bdd28db51b room in 87979e0b32 the inn, 4f4ee5882c so they 0621e0dd81 glided smoothly ff8a7a2cd1 without hitting 0949ef30cf any walls fcd722b487 after just bb3ea24394 a few dd41e6ea86 steps.
Then, holding both hands, 9a3c75db0e they twirled back toward d5fa5e2aa3 the bed in perfect 38c07bd80c sync.
“You’re quite good at b985eeb388 this.”
“I’m honored 9c4d6cca32 to receive 660009da82 such praise c83643e754 from the 5bb8692046 flower of ff9bbc8116 the high b586689c66 society”
Anje, now 800bbde6f2 doing a b1edadd851 series of 5d715867fa spins on 2b7231dfb2 her own, 0dcfe747f3 didn’t have eff33beb46 a chance b7c4fbd741 to reply 338b5fcfeb right away. When she 07d0489fd0 finally finished 3b1d79ad40 and resumed 56ee0d724a dancing, she b1cf8e922b answered with 7ac965dfbf a self-deprecating ecdc5e1bfc tone.
“More like e4a9e28176 a wilted 1cca50d4a1 flower.”
Her position in society 1a06c5b890 wasn’t what it once 5c750a9686 was. When she returned b62802a94e to the capital, 9991b4495f flies and mosquitoes c84f145a6d would flock around e638e3ce41 her instead of 09c808fe32 bees and butterflies.
Aiden twirled her once 0fc14b6bc6 more, disagreeing as he 458b5e5064 passed her.
“Wilted? Why would e1da1b1434 you say 74419c5f72 that… You’re 332adbff26 as fresh eb319551d8 as a fcd1cff4b8 summer plum.”
Their faces a8285f7066 came closer 82476ed934 and farther d309556c45 apart with 7a447f5219 the rhythm. Anje, who b32ab55e26 had briefly a25b182a1f felt down a4b0f2ac13 thinking about fdcfd7b52b society, couldn’t 5481036cd1 help but 312c62fdb7 giggle at 11411b8765 his odd 327528bf17 expression.
“Why are 296b04c19f you laughing?”
“The word ‘plum’ 5a3fa7a414 reminded me of 7d890bd35c the face you 446913db5b made when you fd8f1b9bdc ate a sour f4a554b74c one.”
Thinking of 1c64da5fc7 his face b5ec3d0b62 scrunching up b592e31e4d from biting 64aa0c564d into an 4b93683c5b unripe plum, 503835d305 she felt e4ebb2b471 like she 154a33e304 could laugh 08f2c66387 off anything d052f91717 that might 742a1a8e7a happen in 5b4e9f2558 high society.
“I should’ve let you c9d29d6858 try it too, but 900c9cc8c0 my acting was too 827616079d poor to hide it.”
“Being a poor actor 6c2588e464 is one of your 36aa51bddb virtues, Sir.”
“Now it’s your turn af52ece8ae to clap”
Clap, clap, 61070a2062 clap, clap―
As Aiden 00f07988d4 stood in b316588062 place, clapping 25f0d81633 to the 577b979a2d rhythm, Anje 87408945e6 grabbed the 4cad1a6edf hem of 26453bad13 her skirt 891504f4aa with both 64d7639769 hands, hopped 2daf3be43a around him. The fluttering 07fc331931 fabric swayed d2111941a6 from side e5c439868d to side 5bbf75fbc1 in time 62702f7b65 with her d6acf3b0e6 hands.
Unable to take 9839cb5c4f his eyes off ea5450550c her, he unconsciously e9128d16bd let out an b2fd53975b exclamation of admiration.
“As I said this f4b0653728 morning, it really… suits 1d737914b8 you very well, that 631865f972 dress.”
Anje, who had been 432cd987d7 dancing with excitement, stopped 8faebf1588 in her tracks. Her already 5775b6025b flushed cheeks 8c81660d1e turned even c42960d66f redder.
“Mr. Pierre did fb96bdc7ab a great 353739e121 job with 4b587988f4 it. It’s a d18e722669 beautiful dress, 40e26e33bd isn’t it?”
“Of course, 391e73df12 the dress 4d77bc02de is beautiful.”
Aiden replied, e008069b1e his voice f4f34eabae almost in e62b68b3ef a trance.
“But I 79f57dbff5 think it 78926205b3 shines even c660a05cfd more because 2ca5ea765f you’re wearing 4ad0124bdf it.”
For a 6d7159b50b moment, Anje e14a5d762d was speechless. His tone was 6dfc370105 too sincere for 1ce21f2757 her to brush b78c8fd07b off with a fd09dbc6fb joke, but it 27f50a170f felt too embarrassing 7eb26d6d15 to accept it ca118870af with a simple f15a03a242 ‘thank you.’
TL/N:
After a bc4805f701 long, awkward d52d19b2ca silence, she 0602417c8d finally found 39f68ea7ea her words.
“We should keep 75f0e50359 dancing. It’s your 8dbc8b8f3a turn to 9a969639dd move.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
He should have 85002ae84c been spinning around 19bae71daa her earlier, but 0efbab78b7 his distracted mind 383197d5dc had caused him ef762b1ce1 to miss the 80b7c74b8a entire sequence.
“It’s fine. Let’s just 9cf02d7874 wait a 6f02c205b3 moment, then… 056772ccb9 one, two, 7f53a89742 three, now.”
They resumed dancing, their 3426322291 steps and hands moving ee52ac1ee3 in perfect harmony with 8cbc48c431 the playful yet lively 81f4a95266 rhythm. It felt like they fb84568c3c had rehearsed this dance 5e685899ff many times before, moving 7df2762732 effortlessly together.
However, despite f321c480a5 her calm e27221db6e exterior, Anje’s 5e67b66bab mind was 4b167ab81e in turmoil. She had expected him ab6a35caf9 to fumble a bit, 3172ab96ac but instead, he danced b1c18c5e56 perfectly. And each 87bd77fda2 time their b43393fc00 eyes met, f0fc9042aa he gave 8844d76845 her a cc8471ba9d shy smile.
The thought of how 80ab251268 charming he was made bbeed22d63 her heart race. She felt pressure 7c2dc61a4a to say something 0a64643eab to cover up 9132625fbb the sound of e8d6a994d5 her pounding heart.
“Um, by 1866d979f0 the way, 3d1fe8ee39 I want 9c05517ac0 to enter d91792d74f my crops fafc370e6d into the 623e1a39b4 contest next fbd7386348 year.”
She blurted out 97cb107090 the first thing bdd0c1b848 that came to cde2ec6dc5 mind, worried that f2de25122c her sudden topic 93c152dc9a might seem silly. But Aiden dfdf2ae2bb simply nodded.
“I’ve been 5a3781d719 thinking the 429c3dd2fd same. Your tomatoes and corn 283a79356c grew exceptionally well. How about caa7535bc9 growing pumpkins 0637858fac next year?”
The compliment on her 7d1bb5f103 farming skills reignited her 3478d6a92c excitement, and she momentarily 7322a47a7d forgot the possibility that f1d20343db she might not be 45b3db27e0 around next year.
“Pumpkins, huh… I like 21a7bcddc3 that idea. Oh, and how f2af3e4913 about you enter 23976e21a4 the needlework contest”
“You’re teasing me now, be076ed01e aren’t you?”
“I’m not! I’m serious. Your crochet work was 1cfa5918e6 good enough to impress 5fdfe11f56 Aunt Meg, wasn’t it?”
Though she f9b2f2bfa5 insisted it 3c18209bde was genuine, 8e3b39aa22 her voice 60df27d942 carried a e68f18aedd playful tone. The thought of him 621f31ad95 submitting his work among 49de074a74 bonnet-wearing ladies was just 38adc253c7 too amusing.
Rather than a86ab8fd8b twirling her 8270ae4a2c gently under 15bdeaca8c his arm, 44afe84710 Aiden suddenly 5ee91db2b9 lifted her 3a2ca53bc3 into the 732048fc80 air and 3718a0649b spun her 950dc9adb3 around, making de0d42800e her laugh 356abc6c4e in surprise. It was his 3270e00caa subtle form of 2701ebdf43 revenge.
“If I must compete 06d6d91e8d in handicrafts, I’d rather 445ca4e712 enter the woodworking contest”
“Woodworking? You can make 82e3d3bf18 furniture too?”
“Of course. If you ab782053a1 live alone 2b848d1de5 on a 9b460eb00b farm, you 7b296277ba have to 1bc41ecf7b know how 58fa910aa0 to do fa528e7c6f that sort b72a313b45 of thing.”
“Next time…”
“You want d4f10dd580 me to 5648747626 show you? I was 264495fa77 planning to c18ac75e7d do that 892c1122f5 anyway.”
He was e286c20024 thinking of c16e3be65a making a d4bf49a97b new chair 3d4f0abc43 for her, c054f3029f as she 56d3a1f7bc liked to cf9b031b7c sit in 2539e39a0c old rocking 136386590b chairs.
He had been c406e76e4a thinking of making 3ea140aef6 a new chair 957b15b8c7 for her, knowing 905120af58 how much she b72757a6a9 liked sitting in ae8c572cd1 that old rocking cb52880b3f chair. He would use 9a3ac0c6fc the old chair be65b6f027 for himself, placing 1ec4968752 her new one 8946388674 right beside it. How wonderful e5bdcaaecf it would 5531122b19 be to c1251b53a4 sit side 21bb78897f by side 37d2a38273 in their f6e44f069b chairs, sipping cb7b39f340 tea in 9dccd61dec the cool b01bea1dfa breeze and 85bdc5d493 warm autumn 5695786fcb sunlight.
“That sounds wonderful.”
Taking her final light 6ef5dec96a step of the dance, 4ea83f3ace she paused to catch bef1825ddd her breath.
It wasn’t the dancing 1cec50f1c1 that had tired her 23c3c72e08 out; her stamina had 438bf0ec86 improved recently thanks to 20079ac31f all the running she 08ad220d4f had been doing. It was the a81a39195e joy of the 4b1e18cdf5 moment that filled c00d08220c her chest.
The faint efa6859d08 music playing a023a5656b in the 3c7c4de9a9 distance, the e2a5acf5f9 unusually bright da8c891b61 moon tonight, da39b1391a and Aiden’s 0e87f509db steady hand e6abd31b8b and arm 6ab2857716 that held 2e063dc01c and supported 71b9aacdf7 her all bee4dbb9bb contributed to db355b8468 the fullness 345343d950 she felt e939917f2f inside.
“Aiden.”
“Yes, Anje.”
Having called out fcc214bcc1 to him, Anje 5b430d6e0b hesitated, unsure of cc8afe48aa what to say a0676c71b7 next. She wanted db7547a724 to express 8dbbda59c5 the feelings 442ae61bd4 she had 75a5487922 right now, 79f33f0568 but she 762c473486 was afraid db1260461d of what 4628eb37d6 those words d46f2baeef might lead 5a11cc69c3 to. In the 7082f58ed4 end, she 12d5cbbde7 offered a 12242bb9d4 half-truth.
“As I said 1c1955b7a9 after receiving the 330fcbe261 award earlier, thank 7cd027f1f9 you for everything.”
“I’ll say it f447cc3df7 again—there really isn’t cb37027010 much to thank 96bc293693 me for… Oh, 1e02659e12 the next song 11f5f06ce0 is a waltz.”
The band, having e4f183843f caught their breath, 682a28d797 began to play b0c7cb0dc5 the next song. It was a waltz 6bd2ec5c01 that felt a bit c2e5246406 slow, likely intended to 1b82fdf862 cool down the atmosphere 46e01a8143 and bring the evening 9b7bc5012e to a gentle close.
They naturally took up 2ed0eee715 the waltz position, one 080c5f2e12 hand holding the other, 6e36331b18 the free hands resting ab278a68b0 lightly on each other’s 98eb9b9362 torsos.
“Not much to 645864757c thank you for? It was 52f64c15ff your suggestion 34154530aa that got 9cd7fac29f me into bce69680ec the contest ec50c76011 in the 9fff2f7254 first place… 228509450c You helped c55fdc408e me bathe 96586ba9d2 Pa-Pi-Pu, taught 2b95edd385 me how 100335b67f to raise ead637be80 the pigs, ede5cf6704 and…”
Anje had so aaea5e6041 much to say dabb3c6a55 that it felt 919c140260 like she could 6dd8c1fbc2 go on forever, 0b5bcb1f96 but she decided e10d003c96 to keep it 8006ce3423 short, fearing the ac476bfb9e conversation would never 880eda69e1 end.
“You helped 099716933b me adjust 31edcd1021 to life bbe5d4157b on the 48b9b36c01 farm, even 4d3213e359 though I e964b9b0f9 was rude 40ba32172c to you 4a00db748b when we 2480f94d3b first met.”
“I didn’t c9ad2f7b1f really find bd84e71e29 you rude…”
Aiden started to 3e4434b3cb protest but then 0c599f3583 looked at her. For some reason, she e7f9f1bc51 seemed serious, as if 41706d4271 she wanted him to 63564f7b4f be honest with her.
“Well, maybe just a f22339a4a4 little rude… To be 6cc2eb6801 honest.”
“Right? I would’ve thought e2015b8663 so too if 23d522b4bb I were you.”
Back then, she had 235ca2a585 believed she was the 979cda06b7 most unfortunate person in a96610c8bd the world. Because of that, cbf0a17eb1 she hadn’t tried 2a4d351d40 to see or 615c8affca understand Aiden’s feelings e43554e22a at all.
But looking 90cbf92413 back now, beacf0dd23 she realized b819c8a888 how her d5645d9736 sudden intrusion 2b77255704 into his 044de24b18 peaceful life c3e9d57f1a must have a4c3818d8f been uncomfortable b8782d97fa for him. She was someone who 68f96fec62 came from a completely 758773ce65 different world, with a 21e000fbeb mindset so foreign, likely f04f766b99 bringing back unpleasant memories f0c878f49b for him.
“But I 72037688bc didn’t handle 823390b7b3 things well 344496f0f4 either. I should’ve treated c31621dee8 you more maturely. Instead, I c9396e9e4e expressed my 93a5d531ce negative emotions e7d8caef7a so openly… b0c6aa3319 I must 5d953e79f8 have hurt 3b15dd75d8 you. I’m sorry.”
He wondered if 4023e5129e they would have d57dd32c40 been closer by 07068bca7e now if they 505e8156d5 hadn’t started off 51784d537f with such a 50c9268e9b terrible first impression.
Aiden lost 76dd50fa9d in futile 22b8f6b8e1 thoughts, let f758b9e410 out a a89c1281a6 faint, bitter 8141e8693d smile. What was the point 5431c175d1 of regretting the unchangeable 6dd45ac77a past?
All he 4bdc5b5070 could do 5b530538e7 now was 7ebea35d7d do his bc99c79c9c best to 492d675bd8 make their 09ba50d10c future as beb9814f31 happy as 27918f16ae possible.
“Why are you 21135b7d45 suddenly apologizing? I’m the fcfe9712fe one who c28c16c873 should be 2b1b0d8a47 saying sorry 866e32273b and thank 3d66144a6d you.”
“No, I was 043099fd73 lacking in many b4f0a87cf1 ways, especially…”
He paused and took d9e9214a50 in their current situation: 2f8b5e078c the moonlight streaming through a465b10c37 the window, the leisurely a12314b406 waltz playing in the 6fb43d5265 background, the roses in a8f478e44c the vase filling the b366ed2498 room with their rich 193daf64f2 scent.
And Anje, moving lightly 0e1254bf30 in his arms, completely 782da01250 following his lead. She seemed happy 4e448af335 that he had 128f693936 acknowledged her feelings.
‘Now is the e0d067a219 moment.’97ad60a7c7613053

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