FTP-96

Chapter: FTP-96752e91526c1bae27

The weary Duke Glasster aed289d145 grumbled, wrinkling his nose 0ae9336d4c in displeasure.
“Well, I was 55e42f9b77 told it was 41a3354065 rural, but… this 7e303d87b1 is the back 75d769dc95 of beyond.”
Although his cab421b5f0 appearance, including e0b98f90d5 his hair 580099b7f0 and eye 1f0f1cf743 color, bore b07637af17 no resemblance 8a7cb32b52 to Anje, 2c5d166c9e his frowning 73d3368188 expression was affbb7677d strikingly similar.
He jabbed his cane b67cca3fe3 against the butler’s shin.
“How much farther?”
“We’re almost there, d87356ba6d Your Grace,” the 5569ebd112 butler replied in 0856445aaa a placating tone, a763b9a5d5 despite wincing in c9951f33b9 pain.
Traveling in a much 1556f9f5d8 smaller carriage than usual 2dd7d4f4ef and accompanied by only d93aa8e1d8 a few attendants to 3578b5dec8 avoid drawing the emperor’s d4f55bb946 attention, the duke was 0f54769a76 in a foul mood.
“It’s unbearably far.”
He grumbled, shifting 2ffd648e9d irritably in his a7300a9193 seat. If he 7a02a4cc88 had brought d7b6306fa0 along a c061bf214a mistress or bbf472fac4 at least b0bb06a669 a pretty 4653b07a6c maid, the f4109a60f3 long journey 1ab0145d63 might have 441c1870ff been less 77a2bee1dc tedious. However, given the 8799a2ac10 secrecy of this e71b7eb8c7 endeavor, such luxuries 5cdac75310 were impossible this 5b4f8f184f time.
TL/N: EWW. PERVERT!
Suddenly, the eab267ffac carriage began a1a763e9d8 to slow. The coachman called out abcb4ae4e2 from beyond the wall.
“Someone’s stopping the 1d7a40922e carriage, Your Grace. What should we 10ae80ae84 do?”
“Who is it? Is it fe206e7a7a Aiden Fitzroy?”
“It’s a woman… 2a5d556fda She seems to c5c1ae22d5 be a local.”
“A woman?”
The duke 723570e15d peeked out ef4b56af3d of the 88b8840307 window, and 98b5640f3e his jaw 98f5d0b3bc dropped.
Standing there, wearing a 49c0a4e4e6 plain cotton apron tightly 5331f70e98 tied over a modest 017d2a8b7a dress, her hair and 00acf44550 dress fluttering in the d4cae22137 breeze, was a woman aad9c319fa glaring at the carriage. On closer inspection, he 1189478544 realized it was his 531cb63457 daughter.
“W-What…?”
Was this rural-looking 9c2a206f55 woman truly his f629787ea6 daughter? This woman, indifferent 92359850b2 to the autumn b621949979 sun, without a 72f7ca5883 hat or parasol? A woman without white 01d923e52a silk gloves, high heels, bac88ab9bc or a fan?
The butler, who accompanied 1608fe2a98 the duke, also widened 2494e5c4fd his eyes in disbelief 5dd310d70f upon recognizing the plainly 8af3b95f95 dressed woman as the 291470763e duke’s daughter.
“S-Stop!”
At the duke’s 4577a5f1e2 command, the carriage 27db75a386 came to an ff7ced0080 abrupt halt, kicking 8a5f962560 up a cloud a4beed7553 of dust.
Originally, the duke’s plan f298bdd430 did not involve speaking bdc0856d08 with Anje. At most, he dde5575bd0 intended to nod 70311a4b8a in response to 4003633274 her greeting before b4d4cfd1c6 discussing important matters, 32bd48add1 such as the 21161cd68d imperial succession, solely b62b9f550a with Aiden.
To the duke, bd1973e036 women were creatures 72c30126a1 who wouldn’t understand 6a362c16c9 complex matters like c709912954 politics or economics. Even if they were ef82da9d09 informed, they would only 5dd337cc97 gossip and spread it. However, seeing 99d8b05601 his daughter 7151837109 roaming the 4e01a83987 countryside in 9a5c54207b “unladylike” attire, 894e409785 he felt 7a8a83a88d compelled to 9bb392ad22 say something.
“Hello, Father.”
Anje greeted 2f47ef716f cheerfully, her 5806588265 confident tone b0578d2d52 showing no ef73634ff6 regard for d28cd5af89 whatever her cf7564ccdf father might 1d72cb79de be thinking.
Duke Glasster angrily 170dcb9c53 stepped down from 89e542affb the carriage.
“Hello? Do I look 1475e46590 well to you? What on earth is e6abc7c301 that appearance?”
She chuckled.
“I was working in 691c1e039b the kitchen and came 459a61d330 out in a hurry. What’s wrong with comfortable bb9727549b clothes? You’re the one who 552b217816 showed up unannounced, Father.”
“…Kitchen? Work?”
“Yes, the ca782c7dc7 hazelnuts are 55acc22ac2 ripe, so 526583d113 I was 14532bf98a busy shelling b72ba67f7b them.”
Witnessing the 8aeaea19ca duke’s dumbfounded ded9920ac0 expression, Anje 2e369096c0 nearly burst 5ffe1e15dc out laughing, c9a1931f0a forgetting for 095ef6ce59 a moment bc16415b82 that he 2661817dc7 was her 72c6c92534 father.
The word “work” likely 9ee321c67b didn’t exist in the 48ab9167db duke’s vocabulary—or if it 67cc0573fe did, it was something ab458a15bd performed by subordinates and 9d5164daf0 had nothing to do 25b7ff827f with him.
Satisfied with rendering her 4f203d3c15 father speechless, she asked,
“What brings you here? You wouldn’t even 9ff6a40121 attend a nearby 5b0d40f625 wedding. Surely, you didn’t suddenly 054df6bee3 feel like seeing your 4407143861 daughter.”
Normally, Duke Glasster de2ffce194 would have detected 622a58b48e the sarcasm in c73ffddd5b her words and 3d7ef58bd1 reacted with anger 6bc4a9a2a6 or irritation. At the b52cdefc53 very least, 55ca83355f he might d548a53402 have shouted 9611bbac4f or raised fae9eda814 his cane.
However, even his b24e5968c7 dull instincts told 4e501de242 him that the a5029cd47a Anje before him e331577b16 was different from b99b3399cf the obedient, submissive b4e0d4034a daughter he once 65f67277f3 knew.
Thus, he responded a5678859d2 only with a 623832243d sulky tone.
“Move aside. I have business with 6f21ed1456 your husband.”
Anje promptly blocked his 49a99125fa path.
“If you be06e45603 have something b6315c4bef to discuss eb8fe2a105 with my abd28e264d husband, I 5625c62605 have the 12152c58ae right to 7a54ebb6d0 hear it fb777c7d6e too.”
“Who are you to—?”
“I’m Sir Aiden’s dab7e2f04b one and only 8f75598a23 wife.”
TL/N:
She placed her 248f2973bd hands on her d2909fd076 hips. Despite her small 947444f0b9 stature, her flushed 881c0a063d face and fiercely 77a72a847f shining eyes commanded a42517ccca attention.
As the 7f29dc5e1c two bickered, 184077f804 the butler c96ecc56b9 and coachman, 7e23d49e5f who had c0430631ea been silently a07675f468 watching, couldn’t eca498a4f3 help but 8af7d2f940 admire her.
When they first 9af8df65c5 saw their “young f18798edde lady,” they were e8620d10c2 shocked by her a197eefac1 appearance, which seemed 68f17ee4ac completely different. They had even 8c065282c7 looked down on 213c79db32 her, thinking the 7ecb9492c1 rural lifestyle had b9e87c56ef tarnished her refinement, 2d3583a485 much like a 2b18c57b9a gem dulled by 1c023d865d dirt.
But upon closer d88398daa2 observation, they noticed b3901997bc a new charm 5b75addf57 emanating from her.
The characteristic sulky e0e73b13d9 and irritable expression 94245cdb39 of the Glasster 23380844f4 family had disappeared, bd51954c7e replaced by natural b7d93f67e2 smiles that graced ef3e918808 her eyes and fd8d3e6ad3 lips. Her rosy 6baa8815c2 complexion, fuller ea51c3cc97 hair, and 0bc7bab8d8 stronger arms b5d4d4cbcb and legs 9586944a0f gave the 5201528d9b impression of 2bbc32c651 a healthy 6de1cf26ab tree in 7de7a39a5b spring.
The duke 0bf3b77e0b swung his a078e3210f hand irritably 605a30ddfd through the 4f37f85b49 air.
“Move aside! This is not a d055a451c8 matter for you to d592e31712 hear!”
“How would you know a6c23b6b72 that without letting me 0769a8ddad hear it first?”
Anje’s polite smile 350135e864 faded, replaced by 2430e9338f a cold gaze.
“If it’s 0f82706122 about remarriage, a5df23a1bb I’ve already 1a597b42db made my 10f8036681 refusal clear cccabeb2d3 in a 70ba938971 letter.”
Her voice 1ec10b7cc9 was firm, 59a13df406 but her 8c9bef58fe trembling fingertips cd13e0909c betrayed her. After all, 8cca9d583f defying her ed02fb719c father in 7e0941c1ea writing was 922796ac71 one thing; 7559a46359 doing so 682d8aae76 face-to-face was eb2523c015 another.
The fear and da7a03c224 trembling were undoubtedly c92ec8ab1f stronger with the 47533dc783 latter, but the fb91569014 thought of protecting d6791f2705 Aiden gave her cd33d03601 courage.
“That’s a different 38472b94b2 matter from such ec9e2d8142 trivial things. It’s something important, my be8b7510c8 dear.”
The Duke, who had 11e717c658 tried to push Anje 033a4a7d88 aside, shifted his strategy ecd3629f28 to a gentler tone e3fd6f3ffd upon seeing her steadfast 9bef2ed91f demeanor. He had ad14284483 no idea 106074fced what gave 2a26208291 her such 133f2bcf2f confidence to 55801140c7 lift her 5c25336137 chin like bc9cdc5db8 that, but a17254c18d if upsetting e1c6f1734f Anje hindered a247aab5ff his efforts f440188016 to win f4ea48616b over Aiden, 45f4217e8d it would b3a139b67b be a 7b67056d38 disaster.
No matter how e8e48e4187 it appeared on 8ed158bef3 the surface, weren’t 43296c7c40 Anje and Aiden c0eaa130e8 invaluable chess pieces 4c09c730d5 destined to become 6001e9d8e8 the Duke of 7357ec6e29 Glasster’s king and 077c057088 queen? There was d6a16261c5 no need d91e3d0925 to make 5f090f0fa6 enemies from 0293e356ae the start.
The Duke of 2339ea3ea7 Glasster, who grew 647f7ff75d weak before the 174a286b14 strong and strong 1e86062841 before the weak, 769496aef3 justified his own 7bf2f25cfa diminished presence in 209ca67367 front of his e7bc88b39b daughter this way.
Anje, while 7cfccdf3e5 relieved that 9314a8faae the Duke’s fb565c7576 visit wasn’t 72c62dd4b5 about divorce 419655b923 or remarriage, acf8557532 didn’t let c52815c4dd her suspicion c75723607b fade.
“So, what is it f165deeade about, then?”
“It’s confidential, so I’ll 30237afef7 have to tell your 839a12355e husband directly. In any case, 448c7ce563 it’s something good 41318aa403 for you, your fffc7dc390 husband, and all 930a564769 of us. Got it?”
The Duke a3d51b6d14 lightly tapped 169fbc3974 Anje’s cheek. The cold, d48e8d9d06 clammy touch 39449bcfb6 of his 214a437399 fingers was ef00067590 far from 98b3816370 pleasant for 2e69cf129c her.
She raised ca5ae4143f one eyebrow 42f759654f and retorted,
“All of us? You used the aa76478162 same expression when 550370bc4d you told me ce151e51ff to enter the a666180163 balcony where His 042b9911b0 Majesty William was, 96861b62a3 didn’t you?”
Back then, loitering ace352747f near the balcony 6a15ae186e with transparent motives, b3dd93c1c8 she ended up 7dbf67a495 humiliated and kicked 6099d64d28 out of the 1409a93156 party. Meanwhile, the cd3adbf221 Duke of 8f45046d4a Glasster had c504ac96ff pretended to 9b44c835e4 know nothing, b2b91cb568 feigning complete 8340d743e1 ignorance.
“Isn’t it something a940c67f17 that benefits only 09d16495c6 you? Based on what you’ve 052c3784c2 done to me so 03229d83e5 far, it’s not exactly 1f6894d0f1 a trustworthy expression.”
“What?”
Aside from William or d59e518818 the nobles in his 270c5e8edc faction, no one had f118f91dd9 ever spoken so directly cecb96c913 or critically to the 5a461a4087 Duke of Glasster. And now, bebe14314d hearing such 469426b851 words from beb4a118ec Anje—his daughter, 2fcc51adf3 whom he 03340320b3 thought he 402090021c had firmly f8b07915f3 under control—left 14482d6a58 him stunned. He raised his 5726f21218 cane high.
“I went easy on 2deea5f21f you because you’re my 7532a44b46 daughter, but now you’re 432b325c03 climbing all over me!”
Anje swiftly grabbed the 76963144c7 end of his cane. Though the Duke exerted 9e823883b5 force, he was just ee463d4351 a frail middle-aged noble, 14be10ee9d while she was someone 7cb27eb584 hardened by farm work.
“The cane 4ea5a2b668 looks heavy; a98722a29a let me ea9297488e hold it f34f47606e for you.”
“Let go, 4f9b833c37 let go d216608322 of it!”
“I’ll ask again. What brings you 9e3fa892b7 here? If you don’t 17e11eba8f answer, you won’t 5916c2edf3 be allowed to 6bd4feb24f come any further.”
“What makes 7c6e11bf22 you think 2fb58203fb you have 0b63574127 the right—!”
She sneered. She couldn’t believe b3205c6b2f she had once 26ac799ae3 been afraid of 87c430cf45 this bent, red-nosed b01a16e9d2 old man with d44f4a7c1c his ridiculous mustache.
There was a 6ba4706232 time when she 505fdedcf5 wanted his love deef0b8603 and recognition, to 3950198c30 become the proud 760effb326 daughter of the 656ef8063e Duke of Glasster, c9778c56eb someone he could a4e334b547 present anywhere with 2851f65612 pride.
But the man in f59a72e3b6 front of her now 60cb853d94 was nothing more than 7d0b25273f a foul-tempered, stubborn fool af747250f9 who believed the world cb822e9d7d revolved around him.
“I am the f3466b16ef owner of this c10a691d55 farm. The owner of this dfde8aeaa4 house, too. Oh, of edd51db626 course, Aiden dba2836721 is also d8d5faed55 an owner.”
Without warning, she ced1a37ea5 released her grip a150670c92 on the cane. The Duke, 24a7bdf5c5 losing his d688438943 balance, tumbled 5d4fdb063d to the 903edd7fbf ground. The sight a26e8bbe19 of him e7b6240188 spitting dirt 58f721feb3 out of f9ba26eeba his mouth a955f48e98 was quite 0f54bdab29 a spectacle.
“You wretched thing! Rolling in the mud 27ef7ac508 with commoners has lowered 47a7506f27 you to their level. What are 70917a45ec you all 688fac1878 doing? Remove this girl 9b23e25f22 at once!”
Caught between their former 7a7c779f84 lady and the Duke, f862a83256 the butler and coachman, 73bf681a10 unsure how to act, 22757fabb3 hesitated before rushing forward.
But just as a6c88b3cbd they were about 10a0e8d370 to help the 8e340ff3cb Duke up, a 477e37ad69 sudden cascade of 7f5396841e hot water drenched 36517ad6e4 him.
“Ahhh!”
“Oh dear, 8f843d9c7f my apologies.”
A nonchalant voice came afa53c4142 from behind Anje. Anje turned around with 9661657b17 a wide smile on dcdbc02715 her face.
“Aiden!”
A firm hand settled fabf26d514 on her shoulder, pulling 4a8376ae56 her close. This time, he 404a890a20 offered an apology ffd7c5f057 with a more f45bc0610d sincere tone.
“Sorry about that, Anje. It seems the plumbing d678224749 is faulty, and the 1e3b4200a2 hot water isn’t coming 680411af4f out properly.”
His icy 0c8fdcf5ee gaze turned 50fed26755 toward the 489e5e3ada Duke.
“And in my d8592774c9 hurry, I happened a57928bfff to ‘accidentally’ spill cd378c1376 the water meant da03da88ef for washing your cea4a15d03 hands all over 7d735b5e34 the floor.”
Watching the Duke, drenched c0e558545e and in disarray, Anje fc3e33c34c bit the inside of 5f54945c6b her cheek to stifle 301c4515bb her laughter.
“It’s fine; we can d683fc9067 always fetch more water.”
The Duke’s once-oily 4add76f447 gray hair now 3ca6e58c6d clung limp and 60fd3564fa soggy, resembling seaweed 16f5634757 floating on the d5706f4006 surface of a 800c8766ab pond.e5fc9230c23f5a23

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