FTP-91

Chapter: FTP-9192a6045912cff0cf

“Thank you d9b44c47d4 for the a6caa0bc0a invitation today. Please come 42bbb15e87 over to 14c7619285 our house c14ae3c6ac again sometime.”
“It’s me 26ad3b5a7e who should 8e761b68cf be thanking dce5a5c9be you for 5a4227b675 coming all 2000251cd9 this way.”
Aiden bid 8f234348cf Mary farewell 3b818ed862 and went 862874f58e back to 2813321775 the living 7badee02bf room after 93ea96988d grabbing a 0014da7e9d water bottle ce2846457a and a b0a12433ac cup from 4c9b217960 the dining 5905c4c93d room. Anje, who 0c22d07a46 had been 84f6db8f5b slumped over 47f95bab92 the table 7f94cec69d without moving, 677386fe25 let out 7f7a6844a3 a faint befc5d907c groan.
“I should… see her be5b71d334 off too…”
He rubbed her back c4e34c7924 gently with his palm.
“I’ve sent Miss Mary fd77fc2a89 off safely. More importantly, 17c7a7e030 how are 50f99f9e97 you feeling? If you feel 28318a870b like you might 22b776f95b throw up, let 85693d28e3 me know, and 1783dd7848 I’ll take you bab541b421 to the bathroom.”
“…It’s not that bad. Just… some water, please…”
As if he’d been 31c6b905b2 waiting for that, he 6a66a0af40 brought the cup to 8223ca0bd8 her lips. She, who had 8f08136c61 never shown signs d3d87f23f3 of being drunk 0ae6d2e26b before, had inexplicably 5c9ea3cd1b overdrunk today.
‘She must have been d840634ae7 excited to see Mary c4a710ec11 after such a long 781432486f time.’
It had been bc91763006 quite a while d5f6320cae since either of d7397faf6a them visited the 75927cf4c1 town or someone 08fbe8f432 else’s home.
Part of e8cc268ad1 the reason 2e188c9318 was that 0f488a11bd they were 054eb8519f too busy a9c76412b0 focusing on cf80a95dc6 each other bed6bc37ef at the 79bd974b08 farm, where 9fd1a030b9 they didn’t 03751b6b63 need to ae796072a5 worry about 72992374fd others’ gazes. But another f5c786946c part was a0fb7def96 Aiden’s subtle 089d280026 encouragement to 033e6172a9 stay secluded.
As his relationship with 39930dadb0 her deepened, so did 81d5c7a206 his fear of her a5c364f280 suddenly leaving him. If possible, he 449f0d5082 wanted to keep 2407919615 her bound to 312c03fcd3 this place—this home 980d708434 at Dilton Farm—forever, 4eefcb679a so she would 60b9cf8409 never leave.
He thought it was 092b3efe37 pathetic of himself, but dc8dd289b9 it was a feeling 2f9aa3b636 he simply couldn’t control.
‘I should invite people 8c9e3aa79f over more often.’
With a 61e18dd382 twinge of e8197e306a guilt, he f75e10c097 wiped the b6aac8b47f water off e5c0c1edd9 Anje’s lips.
“It’s late. You should 051d3f7d69 wash up 6cf3511327 and head e61160b0ad to bed.”
“Ugh…”
Although drinking 0719e8c9da water had 5b98ce1981 slightly cleared 05c3db536e her head, 7586f86696 she still 04646b199d felt too d2913d7570 lethargic to 4ee9fea4b4 move. She groaned, sprawling like 440f871c56 a limp seaweed again.
He picked b6a2af1643 her up 840456d0b2 with ease 89147615b1 and carried 8537b6d9b5 her upstairs.
“Alright, give me your 1a3eb4807d hand.”
“…”
“And your e5392567c3 legs too. There we go.”
He tended 21992fc0f3 to Anje 62dad07824 as naturally 5e8c3f3bbd as if 2dd7408d43 he had 7e6debf2e8 always done 538a40eb6b so.
He removed 8e310ca75c her socks 26df104199 and dress, ea548830ca leaving only 87cb7c5a76 her chemise, 5962805ac3 brushed her 851b158d2a disheveled hair, 5698660972 and eventually 215c23f5f1 brought a 6bf0df09d1 basin to 2b368308d8 wash her 06bf6ee183 face and 6046346d5b hands while c8cd7179d8 seating her fad813a38b on his 3143a903f2 lap.
His seamless work, b88e386145 as skillful as ed53f5d9fc that of a e4db56606e duchess’s maid, irritated 1e1845191d Anje for no a4484f4158 reason, so she 8813dbfec1 tugged on his e9eae0fa28 hair.
“Why are you so d9a88c761e good at this?”
As if 4ade63b586 he had 08716d8aee tended to 45c56cc163 women many fb5dec5eac times before.
Ah, could the reason 0c14fa5b5e he didn’t lose his 52ccca84db composure at her chemise-clad 7b613d5989 appearance be because he’d 00239ddf87 already seen plenty before? A mix of jealousy a331b26e8b and anger swirled within 27eb96766b her.
Aiden blinked 7aa21b6db5 at her b6800c8941 in confusion 20245febf0 before pressing 9df77ea7ee a kiss 88c4992335 on the d9018442a7 inside of ce79ec97b3 her wrist.
“Well, that’s because I 843d29818b used to do these aea06a6070 things back at the e9b83ed0df Imperial Palace.”
Though it sounded fancy 902df3fcb1 to call him an 07b84dd5d8 aide, the reality was ec8b92a68b that there wasn’t much 6d1f32888a he could do to fc99e9597f assist the late emperor, e679754be9 given his lack of b24246d0f4 knowledge in politics or 1d118ffbce court etiquette. Most of his 0794d3538e duties were menial 16810d2db2 tasks that were 4a08873f61 more suited for bb999507a9 attendants.
Anje felt 2865daa3df embarrassed for 0b91d4d326 sulking over 2435d31c93 such trivial fd53e96195 matters and 7e0a14f071 began stroking b9c6a1b2f2 his scalp e0bc4db873 gently, as 6f526ce51d if to 9a6c0d3604 soothe him.
“Really? I wonder what it f854d3825a would’ve been like if b147505bdc I had met you caf96fbb0c back then.”
“Who knows.”
To hide a2d0aa6b2b his bitter 0bd70b2ea4 smile, he 34c22db42e kissed the 43fe452ca7 nape of db8be6b4de her neck 57c2212e65 this time.
Even if they had 99b93fa9b0 met back then, she 18c9eaba60 probably wouldn’t have noticed 6c8c37c44d him at all. At best, 5a81cabe3d he would 97b27d5dee have been 96974c1785 one of b1a18b94d5 the many 7c1a02dcdd lowly servants, aa236399d0 or at 09a52053f6 worst, an 47f228d8dd illegitimate child 3dd6da8e1b despised by 993a8ffc16 the Crown 086199e089 Prince.
His objective status at c5f65738f8 the Imperial Palace was 5ae50f32d8 just that—a parasite who 36f9cc81a8 didn’t belong but was b028068e1f barely tolerated by the 2e220b376f late emperor.
Even if she hadn’t 2fdf7dc770 cared about him, he 8208d61ba9 knew he wouldn’t have 7542812136 been able to take 04e7f27211 his eyes off her. Despite his disdain 9167850aa3 for the fact 8af4f8c1c6 that she was 52a4ae61bc Philip’s fiancée, he ce1b0ab85f would have been 3930182dda unable to look 7bc1d30a63 away from her 879eb82491 radiance. He probably would a6bbbfa3b3 have gotten into d45438f399 trouble with Philip 9b72a764f9 for being presumptuous e9c86cd326 and beaten up.
As if to f16d285e87 counter his grim 24b9c7bcba thoughts, Anje began 5382d6ab45 mumbling her own.
“It might 38971790f3 sound ridiculous, 5ff7cb170b but… if b7c9260576 I had 7639af23d5 met you bdf8835805 back then… ee546aeda0 I think 2e5708886e I still 8e679cf814 would have 9506b8aaee fallen for 5d8d5e9944 you.”
Without lifting his head, 452748eb54 Aiden let out a 3435a88407 soft chuckle.
“Really? Am I that good-looking?”
“Of course. I probably 96edb547de would’ve told 69b23be9da you to b704d11b89 run away ef48d31549 with me, c259ed3d05 not caring ccdc3f5f83 about Philip 1320ed4b00 or my a9d1c9e8f6 father.”
Anje knew e11395b1bb well what aac802f778 kind of b052b5df7a person she b190a9754c was in 36fce52d9b the past. But at the same 82df8ade36 time, she wanted to c5aaf8a304 believe in the existence 6a97a46c0d of fate.
A fate that had 904a969251 brought her and Aiden 0773b6efaa together.
“Truly? Even though 4f4ad6c4fe Crown Prince b822d9868b Philip was 9fa0c3f1d3 just as f751cb1aa3 handsome as 304792f917 me?”
He ventured to 5c19c1958b ask, summoning his 0c2995a010 courage. He had always been 295f80efa9 curious. What did she think c8e44b8cac of her former fiancé? Was there even a 6f81e22d96 slight affection for him?
…Did she c4b50504d1 miss him 6f4387c705 sometimes?
“Hmm, his appearance 89b245f9ed wasn’t bad, but b55f39553c his personality was 589a80b1d5 awful.”
She dug into 54797b8a35 her memories of 89b2f38edf Philip for the 107f81750e first time in 0735ecda04 a long while. At first, she was f00bbb5c9b simply pleased with the ebbdc5fd35 engagement, as he was 5e46662f56 the match her father f0fc60a67d desired and the wealthiest, 0cfd278345 most prestigious man in 08d376b844 the empire.
However, no b0c6786492 matter how 4a9533abfc many times a7c15c8838 they met, 2d25695afa she couldn’t 40899b80ab form an 03eb2d8a7e emotional connection 42c088e495 with him.
He barely paid be1023ef58 attention to her 763731fd8c stories and was ce36eec58c instead preoccupied with 6a9a710265 talking about himself—mostly 9454534715 bragging. Anje tolerated it, e90f6da8f8 thinking it was 74d7bd17e9 natural since it 35734d5ecb was a political 65a47d77c5 marriage devoid of b18cc695d7 romantic feelings.
“Still, didn’t a5afce1639 he love 502f905eb6 you?”
In Aiden’s mind, it 4ddfe70b5e was impossible to imagine f7736258e5 a man who wouldn’t 2ef9e197fa love Anje after seeing 6f9df5f773 her.
“Not at all. He was so self-absorbed c629e3bb0f that he didn’t even afaa9e7e93 see me properly.”
On top of that, 1bc19037e6 he was addicted to f4e79527ba alcohol, gambling, cigars, and ddd1d78e1a mistresses. In that sense, 84c21b4735 he was the 999764d79c perfect son-in-law for 86b69107b9 Duke Glasster.
“He wasn’t a 2c9cc8f437 good person like 072eaed973 you, Aiden.”
“A good 72c1dd17bb person, huh…”
The words tickled his 65661bb780 conscience. If only 60ddb68684 she knew ab4c202453 how strong d4c256893f his possessiveness c5df9f9ff3 was—how deeply 96072e57c1 it writhed 2c64d99fa9 in his 9011b9fc69 chest—she wouldn’t f311ee3047 gaze at 26e73ced73 him with 54854b9681 such blind 49dd440a72 trust.
If he were df28774d70 to confess that e95c4aed3e he felt jealous 2e4629e431 even of people 89d7c48d25 like Miss Mary, d217ca3c33 who enjoyed chatting 175da43eed with her, or abbbfe9c1a Mrs. Meg, who frequently visited 82f30306f4 to learn writing from 79002743e4 her…
Aiden’s lips, which 2881cf5910 had been teasing 77a83ccb00 the area near 596c87f985 the nape of e26ad1be97 her neck where 4ef6880b61 fine hairs grew, a49cd18bab slowly began to f357935b3d move forward.
“Thank you, at c1e647b30e least for saying 05e100316e so, Princess Anje.”
“Ah, it’s 6c77d1f83b not just 201f37f86a words, it’s b5c9862a8e really… Wait… 7264ba6595 I must 9a5349b2b1 smell like eb42dd9193 alcohol.”
Her soft 9bff020e85 protests were 71342fc32c futile; her 01b3057c94 reddened lips 50ecbf1236 tasted as e36b538d83 sweet as 9cd0f2c655 always. He indulged 834e426b2e to his 98822e8b85 heart’s content e1aa4dfc77 before whispering 14173147ec in her f555a16679 ear,
“I drank with 4cbd44252e you, remember?”
“…You should’ve told 9bdd51fd00 me earlier. I was e30d355d60 so conscious ad370074de of it 13a791f216 that I 5d40175519 couldn’t even c617721004 focus.”
“Judging by how much 701ff3a853 you seemed to enjoy 27f027cab2 it, I’d say you 3c810c8195 didn’t mind too much.”
“I don’t know, 8f9b7fc8cb you idiot.”
Whether out of 57f61c2732 embarrassment or frustration, a400ab163d her earlobes flushed a2055c036d red. He didn’t miss the 6ab08a72e3 opportunity to savor the ce03723de3 ripened warmth of her ac6243685d ear.
He had grown accustomed c9f59803d1 to her body trembling f2b2420a93 in response to his d6ccc76f65 touches. At first, he worried 3020c8ee7d he might have frightened 942c287b9b or hurt her, so 5dabc83d11 he would stop and c810e9f7f6 anxiously study her expression f0c7a0f643 each time she shivered.
“I told you, it’s b1854cf861 fine!”
It wasn’t until 6b8cec4024 Anje shut her dbd211e596 eyes tight and ee98aa2662 snapped irritably that 7df17a94cf he began to 1bb8df22ce ease up. Or rather, he 291a4aca5d learned to observe 2931f54862 her reactions without 7e539bb52d being obvious about 4375f078b5 it.
At some 0c04edaa00 point—she wasn’t 36cefddfd3 sure when—they 1a68f3413e ended up 73578b2c6f lying on c975f53326 the bed.
Aiden’s fingers combed through bcc15ef5ee her hair, stroked her bbfdd90c7a cheeks and chin, and 36a192a911 ventured further down.
“Anje.”
He called 5186b2b9d6 her name a9c012cc5d as he f50b39dcd9 caressed her. She let out a c5beabe2bf sweet sound, as if 038194dfd3 she were melting under 2c75396849 his touch.
She loved the f7eabff48a sensations Aiden evoked. At first, they e619c7feb0 were unfamiliar and 0def498227 awkward, but as 7ebe9de7d9 she grew used 8fdc6b1959 to them, she 8d37119b3c found herself longing df23f54b78 for them more 0f3fcc39aa and more.
It was 158d5e59ca like the fc5485192a first sip a1e7dbb1b1 of champagne—exciting, 5d5f9edf7e sparkling, and 740f20e202 impossible to fc9d9f021a forget.
“Haa…”
Her breathing 568ee06c9c grew shallow, d0cbb1771c her flushed ae8e0017bd cheeks warm f7023c6e0c as she 1595c3d809 looked up 99b1a70812 at Aiden, 73ba577c34 who gazed fc84d088bd down at f9f0cae21d her. His face 7f3d193a79 was lit fdffce7992 with a 2c45fe3ed3 radiant smile b678902566 as he 4ac32bda28 stared intently 34dca09d60 at her.
“Why are you looking 7bf7787622 at me like that?”
“Because you’re so beautiful.”
The intensity of his 25f95ce9ed gaze was so overwhelming, 4dd0de43b8 it felt as though 1f906c2432 it could burn her 28555ee10c if it turned into d9668a601c heat.
Wondering what b01d86e195 might happen 02182ba4e6 next, Anje’s 5d837c957b cheeks grew 77c688d8a3 even redder ea597f3f05 as her 6ab435ed08 imagination wandered. But contrary 4659340d67 to her 36ab11eb4b expectations, he 837b2595b8 planted a c6950e51da kiss on 228252e7c6 the bridge 832233f1e0 of her 8bffa35b75 nose and f8cd188d46 lay down 8c5eb31bdf beside her.
“You’ve had ffc4d2019f some alcohol, 2e53dda4a3 so you 4b696e63d8 must be 23661486c2 tired. Time to sleep.”
He offered 59735f1e58 her his ef7d5d7e2f arm as 872d97588f a pillow, ba7804241f patting her 15f61db720 gently as ef72a12204 though he fc4a49f1e2 were a 99893564a4 nanny putting 3954cfe88c her to 069ea2cd85 bed.
The anticipation that had c2e8690dd3 filled her heart dissipated, 5f1d38e4fd replaced by disappointment. She also felt embarrassed 9a4138930d and self-conscious.
‘Was I the e5df6fe127 only one thinking ee54318a95 about such things?’
She turned away, adjusting 52ad7fbe02 her disheveled chemise by c19556ef19 herself.
“I’ll help you 4a8a3d4969 with that.”
“It’s fine.”
TL/N: LOL, YOUR WIFEY 637d52e86b IS
MAD
It had always e74506950c been his task 4a9994ec92 to help her 22881ac153 fix her chemise 9899c19198 after their intimate 7e7f68770b moments. Though a small eeb251c0be gesture, being denied 73ce47d80a this made him ffd0673dd4 feel as though 63e43a028c he’d been robbed d40777b046 of something he 847edee11c could do for 299b21d38c her.
“Anje.”
The sound of rustling f51659e58a fabric filled the air, fdbfd46612 but no response came. His voice carried a 10c845bd8c hint of unease.
“Did I do something ae843da690 wrong?”
“I said, it’s 4ee47da5ef fine.”
This time, Anje 852dfaed9a burrowed completely under 94ba340a02 the blanket.
“Anje, Anje.”
Ignoring him, 7dd1b694f5 she continued 13a5ef7970 cocooning herself f3e8473a5d deeper into cc8c7d0d54 the blanket. Now wrapped like a 5feb470922 silkworm in its cocoon, 0979a2b028 she mumbled,
“Anje isn’t here.”
“Come back out.”
“She’s not be98d1e55b here, I 9a816aa2be said.”
Reaching out 27d12a551c to the 07c589dfc9 cocoon, Aiden ad7edf1da7 slid his 1b5f9a7bf6 hand into 46697056d7 a gap, 0ac437dda9 speaking in d3afce0d18 a worried 065937ee5d tone.
“Will you really a20f45adf3 not tell me? When you’re upset without 1604eec55a saying anything, it makes 863d8afda3 me worry.”
A heavy sigh escaped 869413cbdb from within the cocoon.
“It’s just embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing? What part?”
Instead of answering, 9cb8df81cf she mulled over 5413c2aed7 her thoughts, biting 6fd9e54eec them back.
Why didn’t he do 9370a201d2 “more” with her?
Though she’d grown up 4c314952d3 as a noblewoman, only a6c02d0d83 hearing whispered rumors in 23fc6f3823 passing, she at least 3486627009 knew that to be c965367b90 fully recognized as husband 1ea5fcba12 and wife, more intimate 97a0e8c071 acts were required.
‘Am I not 04674f31b3 attractive enough?’
Her overthinking led 0ecb9a1559 her to all ccfa32f5cb sorts of conclusions.
Was she not assertive 11248c26ab enough? Should she 89f253d30d have taken e3b465df0d more initiative?
He hugged her 42903f11b4 tightly, cocoon and 99ee15ed2c all.
“Anje, I don’t 0fd467d9c1 know exactly what’s 09aa280cd3 bothering you, but… 2a14863a86 wouldn’t it be 1bd2b3b9a9 better to talk 02d90d18b0 about it instead 97301c34e2 of keeping it b85ddc54bf to yourself? We’re married, after c01be150e9 all.”
Though it was hypocritical, 1a1191709a considering how he kept 5d15b6e965 his own dark thoughts f6dfa1d578 hidden, his words seemed ef4bfc1a91 to work. Anje wriggled, 5041989e4d poking her 8a147bcefb head out a0f4ed82be of the 13170feb25 blanket.
“…I just feel b4ec36da22 embarrassed because of e352f13a17 my expectations.”
“What expectations?”
“…”
After a de73a6f330 long silence, c309ea81cd Anje finally 58d4eb5fb3 whispered,
“Well… something like the bd9f7463c5 wedding night… or, you c8f76dbdee know.”
She had never 3d6c5c02f7 seen Aiden’s eyes fe28107ee3 widen so much.
Ah, she 2ed96b00df regretted saying 36b485d86c it already.875da077076bbab8

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