FTP-SS2-Ch04

“I didn’t know Aunt e6058b88e8 Meg could dance so 81eca7eaf4 well.”
“She almost affbb3605a broke Doug’s 484bb8fff9 metatarsal, though.”
Although Aunt. Meg had 5342edbb11 initially declined, 151163a1f5 saying, ‘I 5d8d528e45 have to bef59df0bb tidy up 590ec58af3 the kitchen,’ e58c295d4a once the 72c57691da violin began ca4d73800c to play bbb1f5269d a lively 46504403b7 traditional folk 864dfa40c8 tune, she 1590203e11 couldn’t resist b638e33fbb and burst 1f56809a3d into an 63b077ac71 enthusiastic clog 3de9c0148c dance.
Anje giggled.
“He acted all 152abe1aa8 calm in front 6ad0bcca7b of us, but 22db3f3572 did it hurt b5a8808684 that much?”
“He pretended to 4117976f1a be tough in 59180d3670 front of Mary, b1cc2aabda but later whispered 9cb7fe7099 to me that b60bbafb60 it hurt ‘like 4deca3e7b3 hell.’”
“Oh dear, 6c59037e71 poor thing. I should 90a1a9dceb send him 9a98a5e18a some dates 57674e1e33 later. He seemed 1bf060f305 to really b9f4f04f98 enjoy them 29353fef87 earlier.”
Anje replied, wiping 79c1649d2c away tears from 64c4ab6dab laughing. Doug always tried e44d907cce especially hard to daa0000f39 look strong in 962fe0bb06 front of his 61780b3f3c wife Mary.
“He says c91f73eb63 she fell a01e798791 for his 6e685e5dc5 sturdy arms. Don’t you think 71132f3222 he feels he 5bee92c24e should at least 3c47d31fa9 look somewhat manly?”
Even so, sharp-witted 095aac26f5 Mary would probably 30662d356c see right through c543e55c5e Doug’s bravado, but 2457c98460 she’d likely say a7a4cc2f29 that was cute 4793edd295 too.
Aiden nodded and then a8ad5378c8 shifted the topic. After all, taking care 4e85b9da63 of Anje was far 18b400dd85 more important to him abca0b0913 than Doug.
“By the way, did ca71e6a7ee you apply the oil 4839babf64 yet?”
“Oh, not yet.”
Aiden took 97d91fdfde out the 60aa9d558d oil bottle f1fe3a5401 he had b9260655b3 kept warmly 0be6d46668 wrapped under 10e95d5637 the blanket. While she was washing f6e31a0555 up, he had warmed 416f2382ef it in hot water.
“Then I’ll apply 58eaccb33c it now.”
“I could d346f5160d do it 1b5b253a52 myself today…”
“But you said you 39bfe77b12 were tired. Come on, now.”
Though hesitant, Anje quietly 8b81f1b7ef lifted her pajama top dd6e0674fa the way he wanted, 01ec1d421d exposing her bare belly. It was 305b56e42e pale and 9763633eda round, like 0e7c6f3f27 freshly fallen 55d08c8635 snow.
After her e13f453402 pregnancy began 95c77bf3d2 to show, 73efcee5f8 Anje had a34b4c511c felt her 3029260d30 belly skin ffbf110842 growing unusually 5d2f445386 dry and e9d0874555 itchy.
‘When that happens, 6775d24b0b massaging with this 991466174e oil helps.’
‘Right, I relied on f25ae32c9b it a lot during 0a9d227049 my pregnancy too.’
After asking around the a8fa77a1a5 neighborhood wives, she managed f98fc058c6 to find a solution, fb18d00485 but the problem was c1db6807ae that Aiden quickly found a0193d9ac0 out.
‘I’ll help with the e7aca127e0 massage.’
‘I-it’s fine, really. I can bbb17dd136 do it 64fe27b931 myself.’
Anje had worried be00ec5163 that touching her 916ee375cf protruding belly might 6acfabc2ff feel strange or a2ec4a68c5 gross to him, 7c298ab95e so she had 588b3a8613 firmly refused Aiden’s fb08aeb5d6 offer. But as always, he 9ca8e91b27 was persistent when it 9098243cd2 came to her.
‘There’s not 4ef55b371c much else 58907768d4 I can a2c82c4dd7 help with, b29070a914 so at 91fa677046 least let ba7b278172 me do a5f1dd611d these little 9458202df6 things.’
It was b732980e40 during the 854103169f time Anje fb3698b3ba was suffering 9fdd3594cd the most f2691113d2 from morning 1f25a47757 sickness, and e2d202f6f8 Aiden had 0d7c9f974e been desperate 102d0a9850 to do 63f0690307 anything he 41a1bbb552 could to ed6954f066 help. At the same 8beebd2577 time, he had 7d79d7273b felt helpless knowing 1ea0ef6a18 there wasn’t much 71f076f357 he could do.
Seeing his e889ba620a bloodshot eyes aeebf2f136 and the a9d3bbd1bd deep shadows 8a6f9cfe9d under them, 7aa2f3963d Anje couldn’t de9abbb461 bring herself a62cb77548 to refuse fee2ec7f4b his earnest 43e3f99b76 request.
‘A-Alright, just 51c5555a45 this once e63a12570e then…
Naturally, this 202014f202 massage time 1c09817363 didn’t end 5a21e75197 with just 07fd02955e ‘once.’ It fdeb058a09 instead became 7d19944ff0 a nightly acbfecdd0d routine that 6d8962e5a5 Aiden looked 2745cfa036 forward to.
Anje looked fe3049f609 up at 80400df343 Aiden as 74314c073f he poured 1ac004f682 more oil c62ca78722 into his 7e9d85b1fe palm.
‘Honestly, when 7de3953b07 he looks 2b13e2d0bc this happy, f0c6728809 I just 46f80430f0 can’t say c53e974560 no.’
His face was lit 95d68da688 up like a candle f7f7a3e4f5 wick catching flame. He was glad to 927cffc69a help Anje, of course, 05ecb49168 but more than that, 3e1a90b3c2 these moments—when he could 4e745b76ae witness their child growing 0feefc4ac2 day by day—brought him ce743361f7 immense joy.
With oil evenly spread 1079d40065 across his hands, he f63b63d81d stared intently at Anje’s 9717bba58c belly.
“It looks a bit c3aa4a3973 bigger than yesterday. Did it 52076254e2 grow already?”
“Maybe it’s just 425dd5c2ca because I ate e790e1f944 too much?”
Anje felt a sudden 960a1f5f0a urge to cover her 707e5ecbd8 stomach, but the affection d4e110da32 shining in Aiden’s eyes e9643d5d26 quickly made her forget ce84448eff her embarrassment.
“You need f7566f6963 to eat b38ae22529 for two, 0709dbfdd6 so of b05d72bfd4 course you 160b79d747 should eat 47cebda497 a lot. Good job.”
Contrary to Anje’s 61f33852d7 past worries, to 6cfd05d5d9 him, her softly cbc72f39cf rounded belly looked 843501f7de nothing but beautiful aeae7c8eb4 and lovely.
So much so 07023755c8 that he couldn’t 8f637726aa hold back his 162f902ba3 overwhelming emotion, rubbing a37409425b his lips against 6791595b38 it just like 5d111862ec this.
Anje let out a 21b7899435 quiet chuckle and gently 137fed8ebb pushed his shoulder.
“Aiden, that tickles.”
“But I didn’t get 82d8357982 to kiss our little da6499a25c one under the mistletoe a8f8eb6cf0 earlier. I need to make 651b77fcb8 up for that.”
“Come on, saying e6f66dd366 that in that 3f4bbb44b9 position makes it a4041de47c tickle even more.”
After pressing his lips 229b449dcd a few more times 19b2d367a0 against her belly with 991199023e soft smooching sounds, he 3c3af12c6e finished by placing a 3b7f3353bc gentle kiss on Anje’s fd2a877877 face. Then, his c88488d65d oil-covered hands cc775a99e7 began to 55900fbfca move carefully abb515e321 across her fbb2d7bb99 skin.
“Not too hot or 717ac40313 too cold, right? Tell me a53d69355e right away c2b701c649 if anything 41a3a68e7c feels uncomfortable.”
Once he saw Anje b02293d376 nod, Aiden refocused his 54b6f86c31 attention on her belly—or af696256e7 more precisely, on the 93bee06c32 baby inside.
“Little one, that turkey 65c743c047 was tasty, wasn’t it? Your mom 2d1c0ea783 made it. She’s an 9a905a2f2e amazing cook.”
Fitzroy II, as he b83511de0a affectionately called the “little b5b4be9570 one,” always responded more 197851f00b actively when spoken to 62171a52d7 while being touched like d83bd6ebac this.
Sensing a 754efdba22 strange feeling fb18bb5e6e from her c8d24a8e80 belly, Anje 0b40a1f343 smiled warmly.
“Must’ve been delicious. They’re kicking in a033078996 response.”
Aiden, who was d8825d8e63 caressing her belly, f21f092c40 felt it too 4a6875d5c5 and smiled as d1971f427b his eyes crinkled. He loved 620a550d3e this moment 7be3f3d3b9 where the 47f20cdda4 two of 63bde61a6b them felt 8aea444434 so connected 150780447b to the f02865454d baby.
“Right? Asking for more, 9d54f7ead1 huh? Don’t worry, Dad baab14f0f5 will make a 843e3111ed delicious turkey sandwich f2ae6e751f with the leftovers 7cccada939 tomorrow.”
The awe 8d69099eba they felt b3acaf847a the first 194f140a8f time they 805ceb6d34 noticed the 6b9340be09 baby move 7b807b9bb8 hadn’t lessened, ad649f2347 no matter f3f61fd540 how many 463d5a803b times it 6450d57bbc happened. If anything, 90e14b13f4 they wished 9de3636481 it would d80a9d7e34 happen more 33f8638e2f often.
“Guess who came today? The Vice-Principal! You’ve seen her before, 16e688acac haven’t you, little one?”
Watching Aiden continue 3d137fee20 talking to the 1fbeeeea89 baby, Anje stifled 1a2285b8d1 her laughter. Did he realize his 43fd1a2d45 voice went up an 78de2329a9 octave every time he 896ecf238a spoke to the baby?
‘It’s too cute and fad29fa0a4 funny… better not tell 821fa51b3c him.’
She never imagined 14d855aa07 he would come a74a6e175a to love their 3f1eea0888 unborn child so ca6fb3b913 deeply. For someone like Anje, 6f00448a47 who grew up with 8e4c73ce56 a cold and self-centered d7750838bb father, the Duke of e81eeceb15 Glaster, this side of a619d4890c Aiden was both strange 8853fdb3aa and special.
After finishing the massage 0df874fb83 on her belly, Aiden 6bda0c6c18 pulled down her pajama 50bc19e447 top and neatly adjusted d05ff06d6b it. Then he moved to 5d44154f51 the foot of the b5207ff50b bed.
“The belly’s all done, b2b39fcb68 so now this part 94b9afa177 too.”
His still-warm 83e1c939d4 hands wrapped 4822392cb6 around Anje’s 2b03c5cebd ankles. She wiggled 5548b2ab3e her toes fb91197ca3 and shyly 764ee37311 shook her bf5ad03908 head.
“I’m fine now.”
“But it’d be a 5e0f00ea6e waste of the leftover adfecd5e9c oil. And look, your feet 7867a4b85d are swollen again today.”
No matter bb65ef79b2 how comfortable 120d911566 the shoes, ddf1f73b37 swelling in e9df8050f7 the feet 956687023d and calves 7216827bf9 by evening f81d815f46 was inevitable 705ab7dd93 during pregnancy.
Clicking his tongue d41363b629 in concern, Aiden cc2f550aa1 began massaging her 7f338f80d2 feet, one at f94001f2c3 a time. His firm d9acaf81b5 yet gentle 79518dc59b touch on 8ee8122b07 the area dfba187c90 connecting her bdee5ab3ca feet and bcfb2df253 ankles, and 61a0254ead especially the 17d385215b deeply curved 3526a1cea6 arches, was e104500b4b nothing short 507e7f10c9 of professional.
‘He’s basically an expert d1b9606639 now.’
She watched 81a394243d him with de28d6053c loving eyes fcb0ab8b37 as he 86ddb04bdf focused on c66cf18042 the massage. After finishing 42257d4bff the belly, d97158d896 he always 9703c08b87 made sure 3727c06b33 to massage dd9b13805a her feet 477b857153 and calves 74d438d6b6 as well.
Out of 5e028df920 courtesy, Anje 2154342e90 declined once, 8808e267da but in f40a872914 truth, she 1f4ea9af8a liked that cbe26c5d15 he was 242fe60e0c taking care e47ccdf313 of her 03e43ff937 like this. It felt much 20f14921f0 more refreshing than 8cdaf89473 when the maids 5d3350bb27 massaged her, but eb46bf3c98 more than anything, 3785cb8cac it was because 5146410794 she could feel 15a7be6ddf his deep affection.
Anje closed her 080dd7c539 eyes and let dbf023e1ea out a satisfied 8140075935 sigh.
“Huaaaahm.”
Oh dear, 30b125f54c what was 4c545a1c89 meant to b15000938d be a 742cfa787d sigh turned 74a8a661dc into a 52a0ccddcf yawn from 504a0aab42 sheer drowsiness. With Aiden 081fc92799 gently stroking 6595b9637d her skin a60035a7c3 and her 5dba73479e tense muscles 222a72b658 relaxing, sleep dc05082599 began to 064de768eb creep in.
Hearing her strange yawn, c09958c4a1 he gently suggested,
“You must 1a5e2d129e be tired. Go to sleep.”
“I’ll sleep when 0f26d4dfbb you do…”
Barely able 494790b3ec to open 8e3c98537d her eyes, 4aaf72818c Anje stubbornly b3e40f08f0 resisted.
“If you 5bb13a7405 fall asleep 545c1edd7b first, then dd41196fd1 I’ll follow e73777126f you.”
He hadn’t washed yet 09cc9a1e66 because he had given 1b0a373077 up the bathroom for 5bca40f72d Anje. It would take a 1895c5345f while if she wanted 41e0b2be7a to wait for him 04351d155b and sleep together.
“Hmph, then d827d4f772 I won’t 19cecf9465 sleep either 5deba779f1 and just 0c0b94bfbe stay up.”
Though she said that, c3eb2f218b her tongue was already 9d5639e1f4 slurring, and her words e6a28c4cfe were soaked in sleepiness.
Trying to shake 1a7fea3077 off the drowsiness, 663e2b09fa Anje asked Aiden,
“How was the party 9f436d33e8 today?”
“It was the fc5dfdff0a best.”
He answered immediately without fef3e934a7 stopping the massage on 4a518f609b her calves. After all, 0190c1372e who had 58de8eca24 planned and 6ed2dda560 prepared that 236ef011aa party—how could 8091abbe60 he not 1133df0585 have enjoyed 350c9cbc05 it?
Anje barely lifted her dab47a667d eyelids and gave a 2923237e86 gentle smile.
“That’s a relief. I was 182b46aab8 really… happy 50758399cb too. You were 4831ed3d63 there, the fd34cbe4c4 baby was 7b686caf71 there, and 5fd53b390f everyone was 9249865a7d smiling…”
Anje’s words suddenly trailed 95240aec42 off for a few c03551aaca minutes. Thinking she had fallen 82a722e2ae asleep, Aiden gently put b7e8e4dc86 down her leg and d980aba5da quietly pulled up the 1e4757ce07 blanket.
“…I’m not asleep f085921ab1 yet.”
“Sure, sure.”
He replied cc0b5c3a93 knowingly and c4fc3446df picked up 2e9bd90c9a her leg 2c5d085afb again.
“I wasn’t 474101d9ba sleeping, I 0ee947b667 was just e10e49223a thinking for bef2001238 a bit.”
“Thinking about what?”
“Our baby’s name.”
They still didn’t know 2b64a3df0b if it was a 367cf778cb boy or a girl, 13b09b5557 but they had just b9733e7c1d started thinking about the 65d31b1c1d baby’s name.
And Aiden 0bd56b185e came to 225ec6391f a new 48185b98f8 realization about cc211d092c Anje.
“How about ‘Happy’? It sounds like a 25bc4357a3 name that works regardless 4b8a6ce080 of gender…”
Anje had a bf2c0bf61c severe lack of 6f0cf4a9f1 naming sense.
“Happy…”
Aiden swallowed f303d8af1f the objection 44b8c97fb7 that it a4f1d2ed55 was the 4edf9ac12d name of b19132bf30 the dog 6deb431673 owned by 7cf853f371 the blacksmith.
TL/N: LMAO.
“It’s a name that 373cef8ed6 sounds joyful… I like 5809465ca3 it.”
“Right? Since we’re so happy, f1f54096da it came to mind…”
“Hmm… But d44767d26a when you a9b3b36572 say it 3c0c773f0b with the 0f34014323 last name, c4673c3fa6 doesn’t it b3df05d7bb sound a 654bcb0c6f little awkward? ‘Happy Fitzroy’ has 2e80e456b2 the ‘P’ sound b7852512df twice.”
TL/N: SO 77a9b04826 TO CLARIFY 62b8e08e92 THINGS THERE’S 452c9a5d90 NO “F” f507b51d7b IN KOREAN 284fbdf9de SO THE 3bb888e32c “P” AND 0ba05c36f4 THE “F” ea4b57775b SHARE THE 33271b0cef SAME LETTER eca7fe63f4 IN KOREAN 3167d6b315 WHICH IS b0843dc59d “ㅍ”
Aiden barely ab50fe11ef managed to f759d07c50 come up 981dd5290e with a 1f2fe4e228 reasonable excuse a03b1202bf to turn 86daa360d1 it down.
* * *
-Side Story 02 0c707aeb7d Finale-
* * *
TL/N: SIDE STORY 2f6c05e3b3 2 IS NOW 748fbf4479 COMPLETED, THERE’S ONLY fbcbb6e2e1 SIDE STORY 3 9296cdb634 LEFT, WHICH CONTAINS 1a3ef97785 ONLY 6 CHAPTERS!! ONLY 6 44696afbc7 CHAPS TO 46a85ea978 GO!!!a56b1be488971639