Falling To Paradise

“Molasses, really, can I just add this one sauce and make this edible?”

 

 

 

Anje, half in doubt, searched for the sauce Aiden had mentioned.

 

 

 

“Molasses, molasses, molasses… Ah, is this it?”

 

 

 

A dark brown bottle on the table. She sniffed it and a strong sweet scent wafted up.

 

 

 

“Okay, then just one spoonful… Ah.”

 

 

 

Clang.

 

 

 

The spoonful of molasses she had scooped up slipped out of her hand and she let out a belated sigh as she looked at the spoon that had fallen to the floor.

 

 

 

It was because she was so hungry that she didn’t have the strength in her hands.

 

 

 

“Could someone get me a new spoon—ah, no.”

 

 

 

She fumbled around the napkins, looking for a call bell or a string, and shook her head. She was still not used to life without servants.

 

 

 

“I have to do even this with my own hands? Oh, come on.”

 

 

 

Grumbling, she got up to look for another spoon, and in a split second, her foot stepped on the hem of her flowing skirt.

 

 

 

“Ugh!”

 

 

 

With a clatter, she sprawled on the floor in a noisy manner.

 

 

 

It was an accident that happened because the skirt ties that Anje, who was clumsy at dressing herself, had tied loosely, came undone with repeated movements.

 

 

 

“Oh, oh, it hurts.”

 

 

 

She bumped her knees on the same spot she had fallen and hit at dawn on the corner of the furniture again. Anje hugged her knees and groaned.

 

 

 

“Oh, this damn house, damn Sir Aiden, oh my.”

 

 

 

Why doesn’t he have servants? At least let me bring my maid. Why is the food so bad?

 

 

 

She poured out curses on Aiden like a spell, filled with endless resentment.

 

 

 

“What, me?”

 

 

 

A large shadow appeared over her as she lay on the floor. Anje looked up at the owner of the shadow and cried out with tears in her eyes.

 

 

 

“You, you’re the reason I’m like this!”

 

 

 

Aiden couldn’t hide the look of pity in his eyes as he looked at the disaster before him.

 

 

 

He heard a loud noise from the kitchen, so he ran over to see, and there she was, sprawled on the floor again.

 

 

 

He exclaimed in a feigned tone of admiration to further provoke her anger.

 

 

 

“You adapt so quickly, Princess. You’re already personally cleaning the kitchen floor.”

 

 

 

“It’s not like that, ugh… I think I’ve broken a bone.”

 

 

 

Anje, who was about to get angry, cried pitifully, but Aiden’s expression remained cold.

 

 

 

“You may not know how to mop, but you certainly are first-class at exaggerating things.”

 

 

 

“I’m serious!”

 

 

 

If falling down once is enough to break bones, then you’re not a human but a stalk of millet.

 

 

 

Even though he didn’t believe Anje’s words, Aiden grabbed the hem of her skirt, perhaps out of concern, to take a closer look at the injury.

 

 

 

“Let me check, then.”

 

 

 

“Kyah, where are you touching!”

 

 

 

“You say you think you’ve broken a bone, but your kicks are quite strong.”

 

 

 

Holding her ankle as it cuts through the air, Aiden replied.

 

 

 

“I’m checking because you said it might be broken.”

 

 

 

“Why are you checking? Call a doctor!”

 

 

 

“It takes an hour by horse from here to where a doctor is. We have some basic medicines at home, so it’s better to examine and treat it quickly.”

 

 

 

The practical tone of the man drained her spirit. She felt like a fool for making a fuss over nothing.

 

 

 

It was true that she was startled when he unexpectedly lifted her skirt. In the society she had lived in, showing one’s legs to the opposite sex was considered taboo.

 

 

 

“Okay, just look at the injury. Don’t look at anything else.”

 

 

 

But after all, he is her husband. There’s no need for formalities with him. Moreover, there’s no one here to watch and gossip about her actions.

 

 

 

‘Think of him as a tall maid with short hair, or whatever.’

 

 

 

Above all, she wanted to get her injury treated quickly. A scar on her beautiful delicate skin would be a disaster.

 

 

 

“Ah, and wash your hands thoroughly before touching my clothes. Do you know how much this fabric costs?”

 

 

 

Aiden’s hands, which Anje pointed out, were covered in dirt on both sides from just returning from working in the field. ,then he pointed out the reality.

 

 

 

“This precious fabric is already covered in dust, isn’t it?”

 

 

 

“W-well, that’s… Ugh, stop talking and hurry up and look at it. It’s my right knee.”

 

 

 

She’s a woman who gets on his nerves with every word she says.

 

 

 

Aiden grumbled inwardly and lifted her skirt and petticoat slightly to look at the area she was pointing to. He couldn’t help but blame her when he saw the uncomfortable clothes.

 

 

 

“Don’t wear such frilly clothes or you’ll fall over.”

 

 

 

“What do you want me to do when all I have are these clothes?”

 

 

 

Aiden looked closely at her white knee, which was revealed against the backdrop of her blushing voice.

 

 

 

Pretending not to see the ribbon tied messily like a child on top of the stockings.

 

 

 

“How is it?”

 

 

 

“Hmm.”

 

 

 

“Is it broken after all? Or is it just cracked? Or, am I bleeding?”

 

 

 

Aiden turned his head to Anje.

 

 

 

“It’s slightly sprained.”

 

 

 

“……That’s all?”

 

 

 

“There is a slight bruise.”

 

 

 

“Oh my, on my marble-like skin!”

 

 

 

“…….”

 

 

 

Anje, who had been crying in a mournful voice, sensed the cold atmosphere and glanced at Aiden’s face.

 

 

 

“T, thank you for your hard work.”

 

 

 

“…….”

 

 

 

“Now let me get treatment, quickly!”

 

 

 

Aiden dropped Anje’s leg, which he was holding, to the floor.

 

 

 

Running all the way here in a frenzy over such a trivial bruise, leaving behind his precious garden, felt like a waste of strength and time on something unnecessary

 

 

 

Anje tilted her head back and protested as the man stood up.

 

 

 

“Why are you getting up? Shouldn’t I be getting treatment?”

 

 

 

“I’ll tell you where the medicine is, so you can do it yourself. I’m not your servant.”

 

 

 

Anje wanted to say that he wasn’t a servant, but a maid’s replacement. However, he seemed to be in a very bad mood, and she was too hungry to be as combative as usual.

 

 

 

“Fine, then show me where.”

 

 

 

Anje responded as gracefully as the situation allowed. She groped for something to hold onto as she tried to get up.

 

 

 

“Ah, ah…”

 

 

 

Since she was still wearing the crinoline she had worn yesterday, it wasn’t easy for her to get up on her own.

 

 

 

She grabbed the corner of the chair and slowly raised herself up. As she did, Aiden declared,

 

 

 

“There is one rule you must follow.”

 

 

 

“What is it?”

 

 

 

“No cages in the house.”

 

 

 

“Cages?”

 

 

 

He pointed to her skirt, which was billowing out.

 

 

 

“That thing you wear under your skirt.”

 

 

 

“It’s not a cage, it’s a crinoline! And what does it matter to you what I wear?”

 

 

 

Aiden pulled the chair Anje was holding onto away from her. Anje, who had just managed to get up, collapsed back to the floor in a huff.

 

 

 

“What the hell?!”

 

 

 

“This is exactly why. If you keep wearing clothes that are so cumbersome to move around in, I’m going to have to keep running over here every time you fall, aren’t I?”

 

 

 

“I can get up without you.”

 

 

 

Anje, who had answered roughly, began to struggle to raise her upper body by grabbing the side of the kitchen counter.

 

 

 

Aiden watched her for a moment, then waited for her to lose strength before standing her up.

 

 

 

“For the second reason, if you keep wandering around this house in that big skirt, you’ll drop my precious belongings.”

 

 

 

Anje thought of the wooden dolls and vases that she had dropped with the hem of her skirt when she came down earlier.

 

 

 

Fortunately, her clothes had acted as a cushion and they were not damaged, but she was worried that Aiden would be angry.

 

 

 

“What are you going to do if I say no?”

 

 

 

She understood the gist of what Aiden was saying, but she didn’t want to listen to him.

 

 

 

“I will keep knocking you to the ground and not helping you up. Until you get tired of rolling around on the floor and give up on the cage.”

 

 

 

“It’s not a cage!”

 

 

 

She couldn’t not point that out. Anje shivered and swallowed the rising anger.

 

 

 

“Fine. Then I won’t wear it ‘in this house’.”

 

 

 

I’ll just get out of this house somehow, so I’ll just bear with it until then. She convinced herself and promised Aiden.

 

 

 

He seemed to be finally satisfied, and he relaxed his hardened expression and waved his hand at her.

 

 

 

“Good. Then I will show you where you can find clothes and medicine to wear instead of those rags.”

 

 

 

That wasn’t the kind of kindness she wanted.

 

 

 

Anje tried to refuse the unwanted favor, but when she thought about it, all of her clothes were made with a crinoline in mind, so the hem of the skirt was very long.

 

 

 

If she didn’t wear a crinoline underneath, she would end up dragging the hem of her dress around.

 

 

 

“Sigh, Fine.”

 

 

 

Anje answered in a low voice and hobbled after him up the stairs. She limped exaggeratedly, as if he had forgotten about her injured leg.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Aiden led her to the room she was currently using.

 

 

 

Half of the floor was covered with the luggage she had brought, and the room was dark and messy because all the curtains were drawn.

 

 

 

“It looks like some of my luggage is missing.”

 

 

 

Aiden replied to Anje’s question.

 

 

 

“I put the bulky luggage in another room. It’s right to your room.”

 

 

 

He paused for a moment and then asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

 

 

 

“Why are all the curtains drawn?”

 

 

 

He knew very well that it was not good to be deeply involved in her work, but he did not understand why she had covered the windows with thick curtains on a sunny day.

 

 

 

“The sunlight coming in from outside is too strong. What if I get sunburned?”

 

 

 

Anje explained with a nonchalant attitude, stroking her proud, white skin.

 

 

 

Aiden suppressed the urge to say, “Are you a child of darkness?” and opened the closet door.

 

 

 

“There are a few clothes in here. They might be a bit big, but they’ll be more comfortable than what you’re wearing now.”

 

 

 

Anje looked at the clothes, which were mostly of a simple design worn by commoners, and wrinkled her nose.

 

 

 

“How can they be so worn out―.”

 

 

 

“These are the clothes my late mother wore.”

 

 

 

“―They’re worn out, but they’re still wearable.”