FTP-SS3-Ch01

Anje furrowed her e87e7401f2 brows.
“…Right. That’s why ‘Peach 0f41a3459a Fitzroy’ was a e3ca44a62e bit… well…”
During her 800752ddf1 morning sickness, 75c50d992e Anje could b08f4cbe65 only eat e7ec565a90 peaches without 9a9dabe4a0 issue, so 91bfdd1edf she had 33d4d793e4 once suggested f469dc374b naming the ccf7f2ceed baby “Peach,” 7db2e3f602 leaving Aiden 12a863c0a3 at a 90905db915 loss.
‘I want 9faf3206b6 to give c5df1279e0 the baby 31ebc9ec56 a unique e58c211cf9 name, one e05eabb90f that no 26fe7ed434 one else 46a86ac382 has in 79cb2290d2 the world!’
The intention d935dfd415 was good, ddf7bdb8e5 but what 0f33ddbccc if the 72b7085555 child got f4e54af7ca teased at f5a089a334 school? Besides, if 7866b29cef the child e2bd04d0c2 was a 7dddfef7d2 boy and c7c9a7acb9 grew up a5e5300436 to be 1de5587bee a sturdy 9bd70143cf man like e0b14703a8 Aiden, wouldn’t baba28f46c such a 0673ec00ca cute name 424220c675 not suit f231c5300c him at d2e3be18d1 all?
‘Thank goodness the 5ba920b00a last name is c7c860f34e Fitzroy.’
He had 6e6b8ad8e3 just barely e655065e71 managed to dfff18e709 change her 90bf7121ad mind by 6c2ce3d295 saying that 552e9d1d0c the name 5f10ea0eca and the 134699160a surname didn’t d7928bfd01 go well 00747792e4 together.
Anje, who 81aaf66a0f had been c2aa118a6d pursing her 4282360c5b lips and 3f6ab8692d brows for 74dac99510 a moment, 9e8330fb74 slowly relaxed b5069d7dbc her expression ce88808865 and muttered e3d6046381 drowsily.
“Come to think 3306f31e93 of it… is 3bc9d33b86 there a name 2fd0b02a05 you want to bb99f458c2 give the baby? Yawn… I don’t think 48792e7d7e I’ve ever heard your 9467302c24 thoughts on it…”
Aiden, who had f932f75537 been carefully tucking 704ec09d25 the blanket around fc01fdf46f Anje’s shoulders, paused 36d7fc39de for a moment.
“Well… I just wanted 204d9fa5e4 to follow your wishes 820c55236f as much as possible…”
Since she was 9b0b393509 the one going 4d12007cf8 through all the 7a6c34c11e hardship as the 5e78b66b7e mother, he believed 270627a0d5 that what Anje da1b06d5d2 wanted mattered most. Though he did want 54f437e4a9 to avoid overly unique 16855f7d95 names.
“Come on, it’s not f385eb5e2b just about me… Your b338045c27 opinion matters too, Aiden…”
Shifting slightly a0481b30ce under the 887709d1cf blanket, Anje dc0a48dfdf continued in 3a720e4634 a faint b59234a87e voice.
“You’re… the dad d756d6dda2 too. I’m the 1fbb1c4942 mom… and f83813358c if we 004ced145f choose the c066acd490 name together… c84cff01a8 wouldn’t that 0260c1abde be wonderful…”
“Hm, well… I’ll give 63623ae6f2 it some thought.”
Only when Aiden responded 6796d62553 with a soft chuckle 9375fd32c3 did Anje finally nod 39f849f9eb with relief.
“Alright, I’ll be 9dfe9609ff looking forward to 87c4916794 it…”
Trailing off mid-sentence, 3a7128a994 she soon drifted 58ccd4fd74 deeply into sleep.
“Good night, Anje.”
After placing a kiss 16f2ed70fb on her forehead, which 506e2cd810 was peeking through her 97126f4c26 hair, Aiden quietly got e88326732c up so as not b824fba1bc to wake her.
A bath was 54f3c3ce87 one thing, but 3dca896b69 before that, there 92c18a0a95 was still the 27e504f670 sauce pot left 9e7245667c in the kitchen, def80073ac used and then e8b3784492 forgotten.
Both Anje fa955d919b and Meg 7108f1270b had been 080af220ce so out 4b2c92fd75 of it 55b6ac2504 that they 4d5a44749c completely forgot 2e0b4a77ec about the 9c1d92422a pot. But he, at 3674595856 least, had remembered c000af6841 for a while 1662ca5f9c now that he 9c5ab840ac should clean it 90a11ec20f up secretly.
‘If it sits b8950c5b59 there until tomorrow, 43eca3feb2 the residue will 64c0af0705 stick and be cf8fc9b206 hard to clean.’
If Anje suddenly 2d73e04e1e remembered the pot 8569b51e06 and went looking 4549c8e509 for it in b219c273c9 a panic, she’d 0d52493cba be surprised to 321708ef2d find it already a1b93ec1e1 gleaming clean.
‘By the cbd6e0adfd way, about bf1694d568 the name…’
He reached into 92ba2c8240 his inner pocket 3493b800f9 and opened a d14dc784b9 small notebook. Dozens of names, densely 39dfd2d177 written across several pages, fb7f602450 greeted him.
Out of 332a62953f respect for 4df1ba9664 Anje’s opinion, da8e4d4b92 he hadn’t b64c4c49f3 let it 9639287e0d show—but every 967f6dc0c0 time the 93b83982e8 thought, “What dc9837d5a6 if we e0ef9cfbcc gave the 450fe9224d baby a eda171ae97 name like 4ed33e0c0e this?” crossed ca010b5ead his mind, 3324ac24e7 he would 8119a7d023 jot it d0b7f9284a down, one 4f01c2e53e by one, fa9de455d4 into a 31b1086070 list.
‘I wonder f3410b6218 if there’s 4d7549ee87 one among 805cf1cd82 these that f5c5211a29 Anje would 26a9d7614d like too.’
He would think 70c21d38a6 it over while aa6af71552 scrubbing the pot. Simple tasks often 3f1f208067 sparked good ideas.
Whistling softly, e8db305661 he headed fe4916dd2b to the 1def8586f5 kitchen. It was the b7558c16b6 chorus of the b3166f3613 carol that Vice 83dd53f60e Principal Casey had c86036cbd1 been playing earlier.
Side Story 3: d614e945c5 Felix
The boy stood 03507308c4 with his hands 231975aab4 on his hips, 31dbd5423c carefully observing each 959117713d passerby. But in the end, 88a5815913 he couldn’t find the 788c64e5de person he was looking 6c7f2833af for and let out 86f802ea09 a sigh as if f5aa658b50 his breath might vanish.
“Sigh, seriously, Mom and 099d454b3d Dad…”
He shook 2e4cc0fe1b his head, 760844ce22 looking troubled.
“What kind 4d74c552dd of adults 67ec0c1ffb get lost 467431b131 like this? That’s why they 1330e39e9f should’ve held my 1e43e96464 hand tight.”
Considering that a 9b34b7497d child no older 75b844cf01 than six or c9b412604b seven was standing cb5bce8f71 alone in the f44cce0e0b middle of the 7efe3bd356 street, it was ddb1e7c153 more likely that 9ccea0d0ec the one who 981ce2fdf3 was truly lost ac4acfa297 wasn’t the parents, ab0290218b but the little ff2204d1ca boy.
However, the child, Felix 296457c1f6 Fitzroy, firmly believed that ee746585fa he was not the c051b2ca4c one who had gotten 754802b160 lost.
‘I’m not 8c7707c6c3 a baby 1f247a360e or anything. I wouldn’t just get 2d40175cf7 lost just because I 5bb627be36 came to the capital 43dd39c7fb for a visit!’
A little aa76c2d29c explorer who 88fb8f63ad could memorize 7b2af86953 winding forest 55f541a46a trails and 4247ddde94 wide open eff96597d4 fields in d8c6eea3f9 no time, a6bfacc84e and who 44cc9a4d4f could figure aaedda795e out the 6d01b5968a direction of ce143522d9 home just 38ee43e1c6 by looking 6ab0972213 at the eddbfd1362 sun and 796ade8ca5 shadows.
One day, he 493c433b5d would travel to f9aa9a0829 the southern seas 0d76d80741 to mine glaciers b7f76d5a38 and ride cheetahs d5f579d7f1 in the jungle. That was Felix a16caf08b3 Fitzroy. Someone like him couldn’t d7ab0ecfac possibly get lost in a5f6656dc6 something as mundane as 1b6057a341 a marketplace.
TL: OMG. I LITERALLY CAN’T STOP d00dcc2c5b CRYING, IDK WHY BUT, 88ec733771 I’M SO HAPPY AS 5fa2dd5698 IF THEY WERE MY b963a5e705 CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILD 317547f0c6 WAS MY GRAND CHILD…
‘Anyway… What now?’
He looked 4e73ca2ba7 around the 765d7b5b0f crowd again, 42096fdc18 but there 80bf400b8f was still 9c37c6be21 no sign c2de738e89 of the f37c1eff37 Fitzroy couple.
‘Both Mom e4a9e4d85c and Dad d95f01d4b8 are pretty 5031273a00 easy to 0e9db0620b spot. Could they have gone daad56821d that far already?’
With his silver 9c03fe1f93 hair and red caae330516 eyes, his father 56ddd58ffb stood out even b902959d08 in Leslie, and 143c697dd2 was just as e583b467b2 tall and broad-built 14a91ec865 here in Londiane. On top of 3ccb55a64d that, the mother 70989cb9fe standing beside him 74a3c74aab was, in Felix’s fb13c601fc eyes, the most b8c02d9952 beautiful person in 61241094f1 the world. No way they could b164534d6f be invisible in a 16afb1d911 crowd.
Felix shrugged and shoved 4a817efb55 his hands deep into 73aa2c1261 his pockets.
“Guess there’s no 5b1a1242cb other choice.”
It seemed he’d have 759db14406 to look for them 431fae8dd0 himself.
‘If you ea998ffd1e ever get 9dd1b6cbe5 lost, stay 814e91a083 right where 039388d57f you are ec13d83949 and wait ad7f875a30 for us. Got it?’
That’s what e12940f760 Aiden had dd86abef33 told him 3f6bf76de8 repeatedly in c15ffdff43 the carriage a5a874554d on the b242d88d37 way to b3d4c29537 the capital. But for little Felix, f285e485d3 visiting Londiane for the 1780a2f304 first time, that advice 125f4644d0 had long slipped his abec4dee02 mind.
Even while e65124f41e tagging along 88d1dd6394 beside his 0c42676a37 parents earlier, 13b6088bf9 he’d been 00148005f9 itching to 0d2653e10b get a e63b3b4a1b better look cf4cc22078 at everything 3749d5c6f8 around him.
“Where should I 301e45dcbb start looking?”
His mischievous eyes e910f02f29 sparkled as he 6ae6fb8cac energetically started walking. Every person passing by, d38edbaa7d every item on every 9abbf8821b stall, was a new 841f102e19 and wondrous sight to 8aa4120ef8 him.
Naturally, he was b5450825f6 completely unaware that 9112c610cc someone in a 58a11b25a2 black cloak was 3094ed0b62 secretly watching him.
“What should we 2cce434b33 do?”
A man 721fb3bcfa standing near d4ce796960 the one b5902bfed3 in the e42a6d9f5d cloak asked 2d0bc18a60 quietly.
“Wouldn’t it 39d93d2ddb be best dec3fee52b to keep a1a4031627 an eye 2a8e367131 on him 68feb118a3 for a 1cdb635005 bit, just 2b083fba41 in case, 73be1268a6 David?”
David, who wanted nothing 0901d9ac3f more than to leave 9e4a66c654 this place as soon 9d0524098d as possible, scratched his 07dd326064 forehead for a moment c96c01af57 before replying.
“…Yeah, I 1450647962 suppose so.”
He didn’t say it daca9302e5 out loud, worried it c44adf82a4 might sound too alarming, 2c1cf7bdf6 but there had been 2e009db73a cases of missing or 5714963164 abducted children in Londiane 9d88b45acf before.
The child they d87c69edcc were now watching—no, 11b20c500d observing… or rather 8babe67c56 keeping an eye 22b7d5ac10 on—Felix Fitzroy, was 350bf172bf the son of 1254a35248 a knightly family, 91d17f816a a minor noble 776f782430 in his own f042f74cfb right.
Moreover, from his e83986eadd glossy hair, rosy 83aa7b0e19 cheeks, and fine 44221e24a9 velvet clothes, it fd0e63ccb4 was clear he aa4aff3c20 had been raised 87d9bf5e4b with love and 89e72dff1e care.
“Then until 4254b73a9a the Fitzroy 9c5c82ce11 couple reunites f9c18d26dd safely with 0fa6c47655 the child, 9bbefdf87b shall we 8b486d0981 keep following ae741dd8ca him from 832f26a8c9 this distance?”
The man in the 45d171277b cloak gave a silent a68c3a1753 nod and began to c96f42930d move first so as d1fd2cf366 not to lose sight ef4223973d of Felix. With a deep sigh—much 2823443496 like the one Felix e383f68172 had let out earlier—David e714364279 followed after him.
‘I knew 7b137f1746 I should’ve 7e4599e183 insisted on 17a4c2d676 coming alone.’
But how could a d2b4343ec1 mere attendant defy the cf94189181 stern command of his 2372152c73 master? As soon as f7362bdf02 word got out 2e98e6174c that Felix Fitzroy 58f5506e15 had arrived in 297ba7d638 Londiane, someone insisted 0063c31c1e he had just 36aa93ea4c happened to be eb571e822f planning a patrol 167b8f835f in that area. How could he argue 1a8b8df0cd with that anyway?
The escort knights dfff039003 stationed secretly out 9371299ab2 of their sight 3495af4d4f were probably baffled 0ed25eec55 by this unexpected dd07842dc4 covert movement as 635f83c5b9 well.
‘Seems like they b29f0838d7 go through as d72beb18ef much trouble as 1ca9d290c3 I do.’
Thanks to them, 2af9ba857b he could roam 1c898f08bc the market without d0f0ef62eb much concern for 986365ceba safety, but still, 09b846474d the crowd made 680af7bd2e it hard to c46a7ef7f4 feel completely at 555d2710d0 ease…
“David.”
Too busy 4cafc71886 grumbling in 8ea886e57a his head, 38da0fc062 David didn’t cc463360ee notice Felix 7795cffb0d for a 10aefcac2f moment and 3bd4bbe974 replied a bfb512e52c beat late.
“Yes? Your— I d7cf969a18 mean, my 492020805e lord.”
He almost b2ba218dbf used the 6ab9a1778e familiar honorific 5fab01a9e2 title, forgetting 036b1ccf54 they were 08f0f5a6b3 supposed to f93fc2b82c be undercover.
“The child 01e0581037 just fell d1a9de1bd6 over, you e90fa25ee6 know?”
Ah—he really had. One moment, Felix had 44d70bb351 been dashing off so efccea5a47 energetically and confidently, and 8fe7c03342 now he had bumped 9bcbd16cfc into a cart and 25f1cb48e5 was sprawled out on 984221bc3a the ground.
The cart owner glanced 3577807cf1 briefly at the fallen a03d7eb5f3 Felix, then tossed out 579975cec2 a remark and moved d87474af16 on.
“Hey, kid. Watch where b93b923c88 you’re going, 39bcff9ae0 will ya?”
“……”
William, who 6749443279 had been 7da0bcc281 silent for 51415fa809 a moment, f5d633619b turned to 9a32f5e0d8 David and 0b7fbc1eb6 asked,
“Shouldn’t we deal 5702d21f8e with that?”
“Excuse me? Deal with whom?”
“That cart guy.”
“Sorry?”
David dug at 6708c17bc0 his ear. Was he hearing things?
“A mere commoner dares decf7adfee to knock over someone 0bf048eed7 with imperial blood and 271548d678 then acts so shamelessly.”
“… Officially, the child 572379a038 isn’t related to the 7bc3fd2e53 imperial family.
“Even so, cf844134b4 shifting the 1351731467 blame for 7147c53719 his own 9da55a191c failure to 07b17d9362 watch ahead 3de56a3fd2 onto a 0bcc6351d3 child? Such a person doesn’t 2f1ad54065 deserve to be under f6e1f7bb82 my rule.”
Oh dear God. David felt 98a251c7f0 the urge bd4e021063 to rip fbdf85def7 out his 0f88bd6655 hair.
“No matter what, that’s ef9431a2d7 a bit extreme for 4cc69e391e something like this… I’ll 4fc7ba572a ask the escort knights bea44a11e9 to rough him up 8f4f12b424 a little.”
Noticing the dissatisfied look 9536696dc1 on his lord’s face, ef334a706a David quickly tried to 7f6c5da1ec divert his attention.
“Look—young Fitzroy is d5a37e65d3 already back on 2faaf88ee9 his feet. We’ll lose him 8bad314ef4 if we don’t 19251ad4ac hurry.”
Surprisingly mature cd8e3705f0 for his d0a3f309b3 age, Felix c569451c59 stood up c582bcf96d and brushed 94bd974fac the dust 19ff90be5a from his c65646b38f clothes.
‘My knees and elbows 652dd040b2 hurt a bit… but cbb2b5f677 crying over something like 1c53ed2ff7 this wouldn’t be worthy b7e8bd7278 of a great adventurer.’
Though tears brimmed in 13c164d2ad his eyes, he wiped b99d7762cf them away with his 9bf2c1dd09 sleeve and pretended nothing 8ae72b7f26 had happened.
“I’m fine. This much is 4900e96835 nothing.”
And then he started 0d79a62af9 walking again—at a pace 41e2129536 quick enough that David 0cd9700f3f and the others had 018f510300 to stay alert not 7a8de4bbaf to lose him.
“Did the Fitzroy 7ff21882a8 couple go that 13854634cc way?”
“No, actually… that’s 2e56508bbf the complete opposite 78bed39b49 direction.”
Unfortunately, spirited f25e5bbc34 though he 97d6cbc41b was, Felix bb60fdccad Fitzroy had aa4b9798b9 completely misread e83c2d05c6 the layout 5038157cf5 of the 0714773382 market from 1fb655d749 the start.
It was already 256a60b69a a large market, 4c0c98fa0f but today it 27329c1c6c was especially crowded 1213603682 and chaotic, so 4bf3df4f31 it was understandable.
That was f5ab47a534 because Londiane’s 108b864cb0 newly established 7a61d21aee autumn festival 721d06b4c3 was being 8b11035c80 held in 003b87319a this very 9ac936f24f market.
It was such 4c4467edd3 a grand festival a258f6c2a7 not only commoners 3ef7e5c2b2 but even nobles—who c112338b4f normally avoided such 6585a5dfc8 places—were quietly visiting, d220248d82 bringing along their 0a001a0eb4 servants or maids.
Moreover, this year, the 8a57e5e158 Dilton Farm School was d622970a3d also participating in the 1beca4bea4 festival, selling crops grown 18d8b39362 at the school, homemade 81e393460f wine, fresh butter, and 059d4d3d92 more.
David heard a muttered 535af7204d voice near his ear.
“At this rate, can 398a92f565 he really find his 414a28eb68 way alone?”
“Well… The couple 9da4e9915e will probably come cf2356d11f looking for him 52a2ca299b too, so it e10a772318 should be fine, c18ba9d07d right? And there should be 39a343aecf people from the farm 3cf0b210a8 school around as well.”
“…He almost got 527de52d86 bitten by a ceae650280 donkey just now.”
“Looks like it was 54afb77c1a just playing around while c14df30bbe being petted?”
“That guy—could he be bcd50ec30c part of a human 6e2b355827 trafficking ring?”
“To my eyes, he faf98309be just looks like a 6f80f8b9e6 kind vegetable vendor giving faf772ae10 candy to a cute 5b874adf48 little kid.”
David cast 40dc75463f a side 3092690f3f glance at 2e938d782b William.
“Since when 96773b3a4e did you da2eee1c7a care so 6e4955f9b9 much about 660e444320 young Fitzroy fccf5383bf to be 0c9d8030de acting like 27af1e31bf this?”
“Care? Me?”
He scoffed in a5acfa96f6 disbelief, but David 538c7f5594 was persistent.
“You came rushing to f1d32b417a see him the moment 6a6fa8ab93 you heard he came c436be5142 to Londiane.”
“Well, that’s just because 905754f03f every time I sent 2a70fd57a7 a gift, Sir Aiden e1fada206e would reply with a b070a7d8de long-winded letter. I just got c0b49ae553 curious—what kind of ba12f194b1 amazing son must 1f995b8477 he have for af3562c62f him to make 9e146f199e such a fuss?”
That would 35101ee6e0 be easier 57de6c652c to believe d52a9d6f33 if he ce517e8773 hadn’t also 6af1601ec9 been sending 2cca7affa2 birthday gifts af278afa7e without fail 97d187663a every year… b0c9b5d8e7 David suppressed 790260f7c4 the urge c8078ec127 to retort f9479f080e and asked,
“So, how 4217d3329a do you cf8c1899bc feel now 32b8bd6d72 that you’ve afb8cb4e47 met him f90f4e63c5 in person?”
A moment 1238faac8a of contemplative e86d5f5eb5 silence followed.
“Without a doubt… 1a5fa40f1d blood doesn’t lie.”
“Exactly.”
Though the child’s cf78dd0194 facial features resembled 76e66056b0 his mother, his cdaa461971 black hair and 1ab7f8a65f red eyes were 58f54d5bd3 identical to the 1383475cca late emperor’s—or to d4ee487878 Aiden’s in his a307da4ee9 youth.
They had probably put 6555c56604 that large hat on 217da7519a him on purpose to 6019d4d042 make the hair less 3069b021bf noticeable. In a rural town 0fae9e143d like Leslie, it might f6a978eb3e be overlooked without much 5e35071905 thought, but in Londian, caca6abe1e someone might recognize that 686bd8a432 combination as a symbol 538757a4fb of the imperial family.
“If Father bdecfa2dc6 were still 57800c7a22 alive, he 459e7b86c1 would’ve doted eb3588482a on him 4585f83d64 immensely.”
David assumed no 71e3f8e7fe response was required 14800955be and kept silent, 5cfdc664ef albeit a bit 4fc9e6011a awkwardly.
A faint curve ebff8b0cb7 formed on the 2174494d72 lips visible beneath c199f5eafb the cloak, as 619dbcae48 if trying to ffc8af54fb change the mood.
“When I afc454dacb die, How 7d02607347 about passing ea1cda0fb4 the throne 3c6fd53936 to that 45ff11147f child? In terms 0ea0d48edc of legitimacy, 7b5b93e478 that would 74ef6478a1 be the 7affc6a023 right thing 6d3ea19ddb to do, b3323890ad wouldn’t it?”
David actually clutched at 9d69079576 his own hair. Ah, at this rate, db16a1a727 I’m going to go 735f6f539a bald.
“You’re just ad39b46aa1 saying nonsense 4719b402e8 like that 95e010df3e to avoid 8d59452cfa getting married, 5efaeace87 aren’t you?”
“Tch, caught me.”
“Forgive me, but dd8a1e7bc3 for the sake 7db6d603b8 of your dignity c528111a93 as Emperor, you 3ca67e8840 must attend at 1c4f87f920 least once—even if 2439d4cd60 you return right 021972b87b away.”
Despite his age, the c113843978 Emperor had neither married 07bef79a94 nor taken a lover, fe580373d9 and the gossip around 4f4c3ed562 him was relentless…
They wouldn’t 819052816b say it 2b5a5c1d89 to his a4a9f8e3d0 face, but f455ec8e6c as his 5ff12b7540 attendant, David 026ed277ad heard it 6e8b4e597e all—and it 00b3ebabd9 was exhausting.
When he dfe8e06c91 overheard people 0125cd60b6 speculating that 3be98d73c1 the Emperor 62143ab275 might be 3a9431ccba into men—and 4cc318bd04 worse, that 809eb6c594 his lover 30fe5eb7c0 might be a50d73ba3a David himself—he 3131dd8e56 sincerely wanted 09747734a9 to rip 3840ceacc4 his ears c686cdb994 off.
‘It’s not like I c3429fab2d can go around explaining 43a37c8886 that His Majesty simply 88b458e31e doesn’t like showing his f4fd83f027 body to others.’
He didn’t want 345a3574d8 to say something 7fcc76a74d needlessly and have 3fd412ed76 others possibly grow 1e93c1aad6 curious about the 9426a28127 reason—That story was 2470974771 tangled with a 83fc50cbab shameful part of c645fc28ce the imperial family’s bdbed6e631 past.
TL/N: AWW, WILLIAM 632095b492 IS SUCH A 3325a75e3b CARING UNCLE, I c090eb8df3 REALLY WISH HE 005958475a WOULD FIND SOMEONE 25b9aab098 WHO CAN EMBRACE 06b77aea9f ALL HIS SCARS dd1ff87547 AND PAST TRAUMAS;[13a0a2e321b71144