Falling To Paradise

Anje leaned her weary head against the tree. After days of contemplation, her head was now throbbing.

 

This was the first time she had thought so long and seriously about something since choosing her debutante dress.

 

No, she had also agonized over the jewelry to match the dress.

 

‘Should I try to tame Sir Aiden’s horse?’

 

It was futile because she knew almost nothing about horses. Unlike the beautiful white horse raised at the Duke’s estate, the horses here were too big and ferocious.

 

‘Should I walk back to town again?’

 

She was hesitant because she had already had a scary experience once. And according to Sir Aiden, there were snakes?

 

That left the only option of following him when he goes to town and secretly slipping away to the capital.

 

‘But Sir Aiden…’

 

He was a meticulous man who never took his eyes off her for fear that she might run away again.

 

As she had been for the past few days, she sat in the shade of the tree next to the vegetable garden, alternating between looking at Aiden and the sky and letting out a deep sigh.

 

He still insisted that she stay by his side while he worked.

 

‘Isn’t it better to be outside getting some fresh air than to be cooped up in your room making strange plans?’

 

These words were enough to shake Anje, who was indeed “making strange plans.”

 

‘He’s such an unnecessarily sharp man.’

 

Last night, she had gone out for a drink of water, and he had immediately stuck his head out into the hallway and asked what she needed.

 

‘I’m thirsty.’

 

As she answered, her eyes rolling, he handed her a pitcher and cup as if he had been expecting this, as if he had known this would happen.

 

‘I guess I should be grateful that he doesn’t lock me up.’

 

And judging by the fact that he had brought the doctor all the way here, it seemed that he had no intention of taking her off the farm.

 

‘I have to start by getting him to take me to town. How can I change his mind? How can I get him to do what I ask?’

 

Anje chewed on the bark of the tree, deep in thought.

 

While many had tried to impress her, Princess Anje, who had never been the first to show interest in someone, found it quite difficult.

 

‘Seduction like I did with the Emperor?’

 

But the only methods of seduction she knew were using a fan to signal him to talk to her or pretending to faint and getting him to support her to have some time alone.

 

After all, in aristocratic society, it was taboo for a woman to approach a man first. There was no way for her to make the first move without using these indirect methods.

 

‘If I take out my fan… He’ll ask if it’s too hot.’

 

He would grumble, asking why she was wrapped up like that on a warm day. With his typical expression of treating her like an idiot.

 

‘I’ve been carried several times already and I’m sick of spending time alone with him?’

 

Yet, he still showed no affection for her. Not to mention affection, he didn’t even seem to be aware of her as a woman.

 

In society, the gentlemen would seem to fall head over heels even with a slight smile, but he…

 

“Is he perhaps into brunettes?”

 

She muttered to herself as she inserted a flower of each color into the ends of her braided hair, thinking that being too pretty could be disadvantageous depending on the other person.

 

Periwinkle. That was the name of the flower she had learned just a few days ago. She was happy that the name of the flower she liked had a cute and romantic ring to it.

 

‘There are also strange names like “stinging nettle” in the world.’

 

In addition to that, there were many cute spring flowers blooming near where she was sitting.

 

Purple crocuses, yellow primroses, wild tulips, and so on.

 

She now knew the names of some of them, either because he was annoyed by her constantly asking him the names of flowers, or because he had found an old notebook in the drawing room and handed it to her.

 

The cover of the notebook, which had delicate flower drawings and each of their names neatly organized, had the name of the previous owner written on it.

 

「Nancy Dilton」

 

Could it have been drawn by Aiden’s deceased mother? Anje guessed, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

 

‘Well, it’s good to have something new to read.’

 

She had already read the catalogs and magazines she had brought from the capital so often that she was bored with them.

 

Humming a tune, she tucked the wildflowers she had picked into the gaps in her braided hair.

 

This is how she tried to escape reality and cool her head, or else her head would hurt again.

 

“Mealtime.”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

At Aiden’s call, she got up from her seat and brushed the dirt off her backside with her own hands. It was something her old self would never have imagined.

 

‘I asked Aiden to brush it off for me and got a strange look… .’

 

How embarrassing it was when he didn’t even bat an eyebrow and said, ‘Are you asking me to do something so shameless right now?’

 

‘Anyway, it’s lucky that one meal is delicious. Or is it unfortunate?’

 

She had a hard time eating the food, which was originally delicious, because of Aiden’s talk of ‘fresh air’ or because she was restraining herself.

 

“I ate a lot of breakfast, so I’ll only have a little lunch today…”

 

She sniffed as she spoke. A sweet smell was coming from the stove.

 

Aiden, whose eyes met hers, explained.

 

“We have too many stored apples, so today’s lunch is apple pie.”

 

Aiden had hardly ever tried it because he couldn’t bring himself to eat this kind of bread alone. But now that the number of people had increased to two, he could share it, so he had bravely tried it for the first time in a long time.

 

Click-

 

As he opened the oven door, the strong aroma that had filled the kitchen intensified. He poked the pie with a skewer and made a smug face.

 

It was cooked just right. As expected, a recipe he has gotten used to doesn’t easily fade from his memory.

 

The moment she saw the thin apple slices spread out like flowers on top of the brown pie crust and the cinnamon sprinkled on top, Anje’s resolve crumbled.

 

‘Just today.’

 

She made a promise she couldn’t keep and indulged in the large slice of pie that was given to her. The richly brewed black tea and pie were a perfect combination.

 

‘It would be even more delicious if I put some ice cream made with milk on top… Wait a minute, come to your senses, Anje.’

 

I shouldn’t let my waistline get any bigger. I need to get fitted for a new dress when I get back to the capital.

 

But the freshly baked crispy pie from the oven was tempting. In the end, Anje ate the whole piece she was given without leaving a single crumb.

 

After finishing his lunch in silence, Aiden said to Anje.

 

“I’m going to be doing housework this afternoon, so you don’t have to go outside.”

 

“Oh, really? That’s good.”

 

She replied, but she felt a little disappointed. She didn’t like going outside, but she didn’t mind just sitting under the shade of a tree.

 

At first, she resented Aiden for asking her what to do with nothing to do in the middle of nowhere.

 

But like the dung beetles she had seen on the first day, there were countless creatures in nature that were diligently scurrying about, not even the size of her thumb.

 

The time passed quickly for Anje as she watched the ladybugs and butterflies flying between the grass and flowers, and the busy birds building nests in the trees.

 

When she got bored, Anje would wander around, as far as her weak legs would allow her, and out of Aiden’s sight, picking wildflowers that caught her eye.

 

‘Nature isn’t so bad either.’

 

When she was in society, she thought it was silly for people to say that birdwatching or plant collecting was their hobby.

 

Her eyes were drawn to more stimulating things, such as balls, performances, and tea parties.

 

Noticing that Anje’s face was clouded, Aiden hesitated and added.

 

“You can stay on the back porch if you want.”

 

On the back porch, right next to the door that leads from the kitchen to the garden, stood the rocking chair that his grandfather used to love.

 

Anje pointed to the rocking chair she could see through the window and asked.

 

“Can I sit there?”

 

“It’s a little dusty, but if you want.”

 

She immediately got up and went to look at the chair. It was a little dirty, as he said, but it was about the same as sitting on a flour bag.

 

If she had to think about it, it would probably be a better idea to sit on the rocking chair and swing back and forth.

 

Aiden, who had finished washing the dishes, approached Anje, who was sitting on the rocking chair as if she were at her own home, holding a laundry basket.

 

“By the way, before I start, I have something to ask you.”

 

“Me?”

 

Anje straightened her posture and asked. Him asking her something? That was unusual.

 

“Yes, is this clothes okay to wash in hot water? It looks like linen, but I’m not sure―.”

 

“Why, why do you have ‘that’?!”

 

Anje jumped out of the chair and snatched the clothes from his hand like lightning. It was her ivory ‘chemise’.

 

Unlike her, who was blushing like a February raspberry, his face was calm.

 

TL/N: CUTE.

 

“Well, I have it because I need to wash it.”

 

“So why did you……. Ah.”

 

Her pink lips parted.

 

Laundry. She had completely forgotten.

 

“Clothes are supposed to be washed and worn regularly, princess. The fairies don’t just clean them for you.”

 

Aiden’s words made Anje finally come to her senses.

 

“I know that, of course!”

 

She knew that. It was just that she hadn’t thought about it before because someone would always clean up and wash her clothes for her if she left them anywhere.

 

After she finally managed to calm down her face, she pointed to the laundry basket Aiden was holding.

 

“That… those are all my clothes, right?”

 

“Yes. You haven’t washed them once since you came here.”

 

He answered, emphasizing the word ‘once’. Anje opened her mouth and hesitated, then reached out her hand.

 

“I’ll… I’ll do it. Give them to me.”

 

“You?”

 

Aiden’s voice was full of disbelief.

 

“Do you know how to do it?”

 

“……Isn’t it just a matter of soaking them and wringing them out?”

 

He retracted his arm as he was about to hand her the basket.

****

 

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