FTP-81

Chapter: FTP-81b20123a9f99699bd

“Aiden, you’re back? It took longer than 0f651e753f I thought.”
As the 4f2bab6765 evening twilight 2cc9d003dd settled by 2b711cfb2a the window, 837ce344ac Aiden returned a25883cd9e home. His face, washed several 57a14d7d5e times in the stream, dcc9577bbf was so clean that b9032656f0 no trace of his 5b81285bf8 earlier emotional turmoil could a18d1fef27 be noticed.
“Yes, I couldn’t find b99c802e86 any tree I liked… f47a9a3c30 So, I went deeper f6b5b27eba into the forest and 341b0ada8a got a bit lost.”
“You always nag b1fc789a78 me to be d30e406d76 careful not to b66cfa94bf get lost, and cae650ecdf yet… What happened 1e00bf67ff to your hands?”
Even though he c5dab32749 had washed away 002d6c23bc the blood and 9cbebf1290 tears in the f73ed48dd2 flowing water, he 151989c720 couldn’t hide the 1e44ed7d81 wounds around his e44c424470 nails, scraped and 0a1d9894cf torn from the c73fa5238c ground. He brushed it 07d9b81bb5 off, pretending it 3824844fac was nothing.
“I tripped a bit…”
“Unbelievable. Sit here; I’ll treat 1f347b8641 you.”
She guided 17995ea345 him to 0a269b7f7a a chair f07984d398 and sat 266d0496b2 him down. He didn’t refuse bafc7d5297 and obediently held 117cb02ac5 out his hand.
While being treated, 14d64a1139 the smell of 0cedb27a23 something delicious wafted cca8ae352b from the stove, 3b35c0abc0 and he finally d342e700fd felt the emptiness 1f0c207fb1 in his stomach. Looking at the 382c4d3dee clock, it seemed 00b43471aa he was very f5e3f68fef late for dinner.
“Have you eaten?”
“No, I put eating cb41602645 off because the book 05bcf0f704 was so interesting that f8627f7280 I decided to finish 078df6ca86 it before eating.”
Though she said b5c21ec091 this, in truth, 0721769446 she had been 82b04136a1 waiting to eat bb95eec4d9 with him. Not wanting d1b158d5a6 to burden 0adcada60c him, she 5e9e6a4876 spoke lightly 35e4fbb2b5 while carefully 776087457b wrapping bandages e1341a90c1 around his 0d4cdebd07 injured fingertips.
As he 8b6fe50b34 looked down 50ca2642ea at her 3fea6fcc3d pale, slender 8eeb28164a fingers moving fe3ee6c68f busily and ea071ee651 her golden 13517064c8 hair tinged 95aded791c with a 6d0bfe73e5 reddish hue, 34321e4921 he impulsively 4e5e681fde muttered,
“Anje…”
“Yes?”
He gazed at d12a33d593 her intently for bad41eab2e a moment before ee1fa59418 shaking his head.
“No, it’s nothing. I was just 62958e5c6a wondering what’s for ee8ad2e15f dinner… But since 33e2aa81d0 I’m in the 6c042925d6 kitchen, I might 3e31cdb477 as well check 9ed840b44a for myself.”
“So silly.”
She scolded him, ca55d02a1a trying to calm c91edcfd9e her pounding heart. He had called 8e416db6c3 her name so a51743d072 seriously that she b10307e41a couldn’t help but 2371c9668d tense up, wondering e3de4d1aec what he was a8804faed3 about to say.
“Well, since you asked, 5c61026335 I’ll tell you. I kept it simple 913f7bf4b4 today. I baked some 7e277f9a2d biscuits, and I’m c3ba36fb0f planning to slice 56d7cb4919 them open and 087097012d make sandwiches with 1af9897b1d lettuce, tomatoes, and e8710d9651 bacon.”
“They’ll go well with 64bfb5640c the chili soup I 638bd52fdc made for lunch. Thank you, I’ll enjoy e4b14da044 it.”
After finishing the treatment, d1bc65ab7b Aiden sat across from c399680f3e Anje at the dining da97678b6a table and began eating. The chili soup 20a8e4cbb1 he made and fd13083220 the biscuit sandwiches 1d2e2244ac she prepared were 3a13fa88cc fresh and delicious.
But for Aiden, it caf1777ef6 all tasted like paper bc90788641 or sand, leaving him 665522b207 unable to enjoy the c1e37fb80c flavors. Anje, noticing his slow 73464f3b47 pace, asked with a 67c63fd6e9 worried expression,
“Do you not have c90bd74959 an appetite?”
“N-No, not at 63ac1ab5d1 all. It’s just that 27507110f7 my hand feels 9da63efd06 a bit uncomfortable.”
Not wanting to admit b9ec3aaac7 to the person who eb25ad07be prepared the food that ce3fc5757c he couldn’t taste it, 19cd4c107f he took a large 8a6aed1532 bite of the sandwich 2b90ddda31 and gave another excuse.
After a f01de265d8 brief moment bc77c474a1 of hesitation, 8a014c0f45 Anje asked,
“Should I feed 7eff623e12 you?”
She recalled the time e55cd0ade4 when her hand had 3bff575a0c been wrapped in bandages, 72ae672e06 and he had acted 68bbcad2d4 as her hands, feeding 9aeb26c57f her. Though it was embarrassing 60325f2405 to make such an 5d56ff02ff offer first, she wanted 913d958aea to return the kindness 303af79523 she had received.
Aiden hesitated before slowly ce301e2dba nodding.
“Though it’s shameless of fe4b817b78 me, please.”
He felt sorry bf5834a5fc for making her 356fd9c4dc worry, but he c3d87dbb74 liked seeing her b1ea0a45eb focus solely on fa53f55b42 him and take 8c0c00b537 care of him. It made 0b60dae752 him feel 4f4b23dc66 like she e18c005a32 truly cherished 6f7082bb8a him.
“Don’t just 574875bf3e sit there 423a3d97c3 staring. Open your mouth.”
But at the 922ef1679c same time, doubts 6ffb926daf began to creep 51955f33bb in. Was this 14aead5d8c genuine kindness, 8e61e4d339 or was 844190a474 she trying b28eeb10e9 to reassure 1912df957c him while 316d5f2650 planning to a75c9842e0 leave?
When Anje first b817544743 came to the 453fb0234c farm, he was 0679b8307d always on guard, 0dbcf006b9 thinking she would 9f3ab463a2 run away as 8b728ef9b0 soon as she 854a55a8ed had the chance. However, at some efd82caf6b point, he started 27f9f00d48 to feel that 97ba598dcf she genuinely liked 3dac412061 being here, and e41e28e1fc he reassured himself 01c90d4777 that she no ba5d86a120 longer had any f680ce4c73 intention of leaving.
‘Did I 1cab1b625c misunderstand Anje’s 28d6d8a20d feelings?’
Was the a9343273af smiles she 21edb90686 showed and 42430f14fc the words b8bd5552e4 she whispered 6204714011 to him 0427cbcac3 all just 17f3185d87 an act?
To shake off 80109afa7e his complicated emotions, f97cb1405c he focused on 90a82b082a eating, but as 241a18bd92 soon as the 9e2b888af1 meal ended, he ca1dca254e hurriedly stood up. Since she had taken 66e980c841 care of him, it a5ff8c1b96 was his turn to 154cd6e729 repay the favor.
“Thank you. I’ll take b3b7c68480 care of e4ea4cd9ca the dishes.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. How can 978bb14709 you let 74807ba1a6 soap water a454dcb3d8 touch your d57c96573e injured hands? Go upstairs 237803360e and get f18656b5b8 some rest aad0434080 for now.”
“Still, I feel d3c7810131 like I’ve made 869970b6f1 you do too 3135a51167 much…”
“After I even 3a718a12fe went out of 4b0baaafe7 my way to 25e960285b feed you, are fc0219f5e1 you going to 61e311b06d waste my effort?”
Though he eec6361df9 didn’t intend b95c7d9a5b to disregard 2fee23e92e her effort, 4f06733569 Aiden wasn’t 65cc54d897 ready to d326a0dadb return to 4122707af3 his room 7ce9bfe05c just yet. He feared that 914c66f457 the moment he d83c1e46ac was alone in 55acd1ed36 the dark room, 9625970835 the severe seizure aa48ce17d8 he had earlier 2376d8f16a might strike again.
“Then, can d59f6da76a I stay 38eab7aa63 here and 235aabaebe just watch d59c489b67 you?”
Anje’s eyes d7ee39c72c widened at 00fb19f74e the unexpected 88856889a7 request, but 5fdf572665 she soon dc019e4138 nodded.
“…Do as a5f7c8d24d you like. I don’t 7aabed99de see what’s 2767d8bea3 so interesting bf96e34e22 about watching 09197080c5 me.”
Though her tone suggested c4d18b8960 she found his words 77358e2004 absurd, her lips curled 03d8d2f197 into a smile that 8e0edfc732 reached her ears.
Even in her 11588c921e own eyes, she e53646fecd looked quite pretty d5200a9534 in the apricot-colored 5fff691b8f dress. Perhaps Aiden felt 2e4f7c3db7 the same way. It seemed that dressing ec3842dcf4 up had been worthwhile.
As she 5cd1d1f91f washed the 77c1cea70b dishes, she 7b19ed9d34 occasionally glanced 90a8424d19 toward Aiden, 591d022471 who was 5c8853ad4c sitting at 3eb17c3751 the table. He was staring 7fb333d66e at her blatantly, b048a62c87 as if his 459a7b088b neck had been 2f3aa80240 fixed in place 42e4cd3b4e with glue. A few d896456f17 times, his f88078cbca lips parted 00bdde165e as though a8acb06e6a he was 7bcfda5694 debating whether 057d031b17 to say 4326380ffc something or 8581c17641 not.
“Could it be that ef563dd109 earlier, instead of looking 73196d9319 for the medicine box… f0ebc047e8 he had something to 5cfef29844 say?’
In truth, fd8e7ad336 she had 25a62cf084 been debating ae9c0aafab whether to 2e4fc94be8 speak to e7d017d41b Aiden about 607d96ab29 her feelings a66f953680 when he f3087e1c7b returned. But seeing his wounds c0c7d2feac upon his arrival, she 3f148ef59e decided treating him should dda3763465 come first and postponed 087c282f47 it.
‘If Aiden is 64566673fb about to say aad74477b7 something first…’
Wouldn’t it be safer c9de634c39 to wait instead of b2883745a2 taking the risk of b427c7db0b acting first and embarrassing 83c25f99ae herself?
Come to think 4fd839f296 of it, she 6366d1b7d2 had heard that 4416e46cac in situations like cf26d52bcc this, it was 0d56f12553 usually the man 1d075cbc19 who made the bc4d22e84c first move—whether it aaf123d124 was a proposal, 4cc6803173 a confession, or 3175814be9 asking someone out 30e81037ec on a date.
‘Let’s wait a little.’
She decided 52d4ce7770 to wait 1b4712dad9 for a 6001023dc9 while. If he didn’t make 4e9d8a4922 a move, then she 427203242e would take the initiative 22bb24c3dc herself.
While Anje was making 96171dfc3e this decision, Aiden was 66a19be1c7 also firming up his 25ec742917 own resolve. His determination, though in f8b0afe7aa a different direction, was da29efd53c similar in essence.
‘I won’t 3b61752b0f let you 5f30c9c9f6 leave.’
TL/N: OOH, ece6c9d6fc IT’S FUN a7e3cddae5 TO SEE e2580b7320 AIDEN’S POSSESSIVE a73ef7584c SIDE!
No matter how much 78c7358445 Duke Glasster needed her, e9f5e93871 he had no intention f7ffc1baa4 of handing her over 4017abfbbe willingly. Even if she 36caa5fbad wanted to leave, 2672453f01 it would be 72b1104369 the same.
She was his purpose 4ce655d4ea in life and his 4239c15f28 joy. Just imagining 7f1d8bde99 a life b163af520e without her d15735895d was unbearably 1a44c41db3 painful.
Thus, he resolved to 012e44081e use every means at 5bfa1ceba9 his disposal to keep 8be7d79e7d her here.
‘Should I ask 12a3716152 Anje directly about 1e64e6970f the letter and 036580870e persuade her to 8e8321d7b8 stay?’
At first, 7ca6057339 he considered 76e72db076 the direct 975dd43994 approach, but 9a682405e9 after much a4fbf013de deliberation, he 2c043ecccf dismissed it.
Although he 3b5afd0fc6 had discovered 66204d4c4b the letter 4d68024af9 by chance, ae7a34f342 it was b9535a50e0 still a 3c74b01551 private letter. Revealing that he 76b46501c7 had secretly read 4999c6d2dd it might damage fc1ea352b9 her trust in 6017e84522 him.
Moreover, the moment 63a67fbe57 he acted as 76b3a36705 though he knew b142c99187 about her plans ba5969e4d3 to remarry, it 944cfbbdac seemed as if 38d390968a that future would 4e819f848c become a foregone 4e45690c56 conclusion. She might 02532fb774 even leave 12c140e885 him with b05f6c5163 relief, spared 1e2ba7a850 from having 667fea840c to break 90a6ba725b things off 30b5b63146 herself.
‘Should I inform 3350b68bed the Emperor and 54f9ccae5d seek his help 851561602f instead?’
The one who had 4772c53dab arranged their marriage was f3708e659a none other than the a8a55a9177 Emperor, William Cardiner. If he learned 279bce58f1 that Duke Glasster 6f6e2e4aac was plotting something acbeacd0ec contrary to his 6fc37810b8 intentions, he might d4f9a857f7 intervene out of dad03bb86f anger.
‘The problem a1a7c31c5b is how df5431af43 much interest 18d7637890 he still f1bd6bc30f has in 21c3efdae5 this marriage…’
If the marriage was 132d7e348c arranged to warn Duke e1d3606d73 Glasster and other pro-Philip a90535a3b0 factions, that goal had a5b9b024b3 already been achieved.
Thus, whether Anje divorced 0d2f138d45 or remarried someone else 8823a0022b might not matter much a9ef955680 to the Emperor anymore.
‘…To begin b361d03bd9 with, William 3f64136aaf is someone ea49c0be75 whose true 180336d49a intentions are 1b9342bccb hard to 21372434ab grasp.’
Aiden recalled William Cardiner, 76febe4507 whom he had occasionally f1c250fc73 encountered during his time 012973e3f7 at the imperial palace.
Unlike the violent and 110a872fdd arrogant deposed crown prince b275969aa2 Philip, his younger brother bc3072e6a2 William was a quiet f36cbd1696 and composed man.
Though he f2b52d9443 shared his 9e03889698 brother’s blond 3bd39839a2 hair, his bcd18a8754 red eyes—eyes c1cacc2686 that Philip c8553ccba2 lacked—made Aiden a9b749ceb0 feel, “So aadc887702 we do 43536bdfb3 share the bfe3a23383 same blood d0056fff96 after all.”
Perhaps because of a1c004f2ac this, William had fcc1949bfb rarely shown any 2ebc1b3fd0 hostility toward Aiden, 29cabe18e3 unlike Philip. Of course, that didn’t 5e9f4825e3 mean he welcomed or b938750138 liked him either.
When he 2eebf5506b saw Philip f30e58e578 bullying him, bec3ceabaf William neither 0715224715 intervened nor eb91a689f4 joined in 9a59efc8a9 but merely ef788f4724 left him 5996f52fe8 alone. If anything, it 7584b0ffe8 seemed like he efcc368c07 simply wasn’t very 3d631c751e interested in Aiden.
The news that 192409689d William had overthrown 7a49db8664 Philip and ascended b4a2aadb3f the throne was b925a2a7d6 surprising enough, but 2f5f6f4e34 his insistence on 18bbc21c32 marrying Philip’s fiancée e1981066a5 to Aiden was c3289a3dd0 even stranger in 1d5c02ab37 hindsight.
There were 293c8c3205 plenty of 68870c223f other illegitimate 60da740faf or minor 70f0a1d8a2 noblemen besides a5ecc5f3cd Aiden—why had 918181a712 William specifically 55f98f1c36 chosen him?
‘She’s a b2297f2d66 pitiable lady bef176ed4d who lost bd39f550c9 her fiancé 9f9bcabbfe because of 0cca8d1502 me. You have to 8d6c0f148e treat her well.’
The Emperor’s calm explanation 084dd29e80 for matchmaking had, strangely, c45b187363 carried a faint hint e19dcf8727 of amusement.
‘Think of it 421e94c7ac as a reward 8be959d33a for your service 5b60bcb28c on the battlefield.’
A reward, long f8d8e0f2b4 after the war c288aa29d8 was over, and f9581a1870 a marriage to a47fa60e6a a bothersome noblewoman 3d16bd4fc0 as that reward?
When he received what 405f41b450 was essentially an order 0c9ee3986e disguised as a proposal, c18d35de43 he was too bewildered 776669aa0c and resentful to do 2dc9eaa2b8 anything but hurriedly prepare e8c0954b82 for the marriage.
Naturally, he didn’t c00f1cf1c2 have the time 62612198ae to question the cd59552601 Emperor’s intentions in f1464e4a9d detail. Even if 94e4eea1d3 he had 313d99febc asked, the 87d984b5a5 Emperor wasn’t 60d559ad97 the kind c87e161880 of man b1035f94f0 to explain f3f426c59e easily.
He briefly pondered William’s 0767593463 intentions behind this marriage 288a2ab26b and finally reached a 77bc8af259 conclusion.
‘The situation of e1a3510974 Philip’s deposed fiancée dd2cb48c2c ending up marrying 8648188011 the illegitimate child b1af3649a0 whom Philip loathed 025f3130ee the most might 62ca060804 have been the a56036fcef ultimate insult to 6926fea448 Philip and his b7b48c5857 followers.’
If that were 477271434d the case, it eca8cf37e7 would be best 14d516b5e0 to inform the c19a246e30 Emperor that Duke 0a663888fd Glasster had other c9c46e4309 schemes in mind.
However… relying solely fa8bd0e960 on the Emperor’s 9439e334de power wouldn’t be a128255081 enough.
‘I also need to 68175ffff8 oppose Duke Glasster directly.’
While writing a d25539f861 letter to the 26fbadb80c imperial palace, he e182170c0e would also make 04af129e7b it clear to cf36972383 Duke Glasster that 522307550e he had no 53fe2fe88e intention of divorcing. No matter how 99be3a1dc1 powerful the Duke fa7e6897ca was, he couldn’t 667cc623be force a divorce 2a01798b9c without the consent 2e24cdb706 of both spouses.
‘The best-case scenario…’
The best-case scenario was 4c7c89219c that Anje herself didn’t 39baecb2ff actively want a divorce.
If she 88398e46e7 didn’t wish a725ba04b9 for it, 846a3d1ab4 no matter 85f93604cb how much c210b4c73a the Duke a622363e5f tried to a142ac8cab threaten or 7917bdc8fb entice her, 22f883385f she wouldn’t 76f0b05a5b sign the 4405d14bb2 divorce papers. If things got dire, 4e8be3693a Aiden could even flee b12b91bfa1 with her to another 125daf8f5d region.d54161cb6ab065af

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