Falling To Paradise

“I’ll do the dishes. You prepared the tea, after all.”

 

“It’s fine. You did the dishes after lunch.”

 

“But I did those with Mrs. Meg.”

 

Strangely, he was being overly kind today. She tilted her head slightly but decided to accept his kindness and head upstairs.

 

There was much to do if she was planning to go to the town over the weekend.

 

Quietly, she planned to pack her things, clean her room thoroughly, and prepare a farewell letter for Sir Aiden. Though she didn’t have much, she intended to leave some money as payment for her stay and as a token of gratitude.

 

Above all, she needed to mentally prepare herself to leave this place. She had to avoid the mental shock she experienced when parting with Pa-Pi-Pu.

 

“Thank you, Sir.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“Well then, goodnight.”

 

Anje nodded to him and stood up.

 

She didn’t notice the slight look of expectation on Aiden’s face disappear as she turned away.

 

The candle in her hand flickered softly as she moved toward the hallway.

 

Splash—

 

Amid the stream of water from the tap, Aiden murmured.

 

“I guess this wasn’t enough.”

 

It would have been nice to receive her other way of saying ‘thank you.’

 

Realizing he looked like a fool in the reflection of the tin plate, he picked up the scrubber and vigorously scrubbed the dough-covered bowl.

 

‘Disappointment over something like this? I promised myself I wouldn’t rush things.’

 

That afternoon, after much contemplation in the barn, Aiden’s conclusion was simple.

 

He could never attain a noble status, no matter how much he wished for it. Therefore, as he was now, the only thing he could do was try his best to gain Anje’s favor.

 

Even if Philip was a part of Anje’s past, Aiden intended to be a part of her future. For a very long time, as long as the institution of marriage bound them together.

 

So perhaps, one day, a miracle would happen. A miracle beyond the kiss she had once placed on his cheek.

 

His secret desire had burned passionately since the moment it was discovered, but Aiden had no intention of pressuring or burdening Anje with it.

 

‘Let’s approach her slowly.’

 

At best, he was just the half-blooded illegitimate child, Fitzroy. A symbol of everything she had lost. A chess pawn of the Emperor’s, deployed to tarnish her and her family.

 

It would only be embarrassing for her if he expressed his feelings for her. She was the one who had made it clear from the start that she did not want him to have any romantic feelings for her.

 

Even though their relationship had improved since then, they had only known each other for a few months.

 

The fact that she had clearly defined the peck as a simple greeting meant that she didn’t have romantic feelings for him.

 

And…….

 

‘Murderer.’

 

He was also haunted by the ghosts of his past. Did someone like him deserve to be liked by anyone? No, did he even have the right to have feelings for someone?

 

“Sigh.”

 

Aiden put down the scrubber he had been holding and tried to calm his rapid breathing by recalling the best memory he had had recently.

 

‘Thank you so much.’

 

As he recalled the brief but vivid sensation, he rubbed his left cheek and suddenly remembered a regret that came to his mind.

 

“I should have brought more pigs.”

 

If there had been five or six, not just the three Pa-Pi-Pu, wouldn’t his right cheek have been kissed fairly too?…….

 

TL/N: LOL, AIDEN XD

 

As he thought such pathetic thoughts, his breathing calmed down again. And at the same time, he was ashamed of himself.

 

He raised his fist and hit his head once, then focused on the dishes again.

 

After finishing the dishes, he decided to go clean the carriage he would take into town for the first time in a long time. He had to put a roof on it and lay out blankets so Anje could enjoy a comfortable ride.

 

Oh, right, he also had to secretly dispose of the remaining cod liver oil before Anje caught him. He hated the smell of it now.

 

“Maybe I should give it to Pa-Pi-Pu.”

 

He changed his mind as he recalled the pigs’ reaction to the cod liver oil dessert.

 

They were already Anje’s pigs, and he had a duty to be kind to them just like he was to Anje.

 

He decided to pour the leftover cod liver oil into the compost bin little by little. The plants wouldn’t complain about the awful taste.

 

When Aiden went to get the cod liver oil container, he tilted his head in confusion.

 

“…It seems like there’s less of it or is it just my imagination?”

 

* * *

 

On the morning of the day she was to go to the town, Anje felt her heart pounding as if it would burst. Her heart fluttered and trembled as much as it did on her wedding day.

 

“Pa, Pi and Pu. Don’t forget me and behave well, okay? Listen to Sir Aiden.”

 

“Oink?”

 

Pu tugged at her apron with his teeth, perhaps puzzled by her serious farewell. Anje gave a bright smile to reassure the quick-witted pigs so they wouldn’t worry.

 

“Stay healthy. I’m really glad none of you ended up as bacon.”

 

After much deliberation, she had decided to leave all her money, except for travel expenses, in her room drawer along with a letter.

 

Even if she struggled financially on her way back to the capital, it was better to feel less guilty about Sir Aiden not selling Pa-Pi-Pu.

 

She also planned to ask the Duke of Glasster to compensate Sir Aiden for the expenses he had incurred because of her during her stay at the farm.

 

Though she wasn’t sure if her father would grant this request, she was prepared to secretly sell a few dresses if necessary.

 

‘Sir really did suffer because of me.’

 

She chuckled softly as she recalled the early days on the farm and the trouble she had caused.

 

It had only been a few months since they had fought bitterly, exchanging harsh words.

 

Back then, she had cried and made a fuss, hating the farm, but now that she could leave, she felt sad. It was a strange and mixed feeling.

 

‘I’ve wondered what it would be like to stay here, but I don’t think it’s for me.’

 

It wasn’t just the lingering desire to return to her glamorous life in the capital.

 

As she debated whether to leave the farm as planned, she questioned whether she was truly a meaningful presence there.

 

Aiden was capable of running the farm on his own. He was knowledgeable, versatile, and physically strong.

 

In contrast, looking back at her time there, she felt she had only been a curious nuisance, hovering around him.

 

TL/N: NOO, YOU’RE NOT!

 

She had enjoyed herself and learned a lot in the process, but had she really been of any help to Sir Aiden?

 

‘Am I truly needed here?’

 

TL/N: YES, YOU DEFINITELY ARE!!

 

She couldn’t confidently say yes.

 

‘I did make him laugh a couple of times, though.’

 

But that was only twice.

 

Anje took a deep breath in and exhaled.

 

She had done a lot of things she wouldn’t normally do with the determination to leave this place. She had willingly taken on chores she had never imagined doing.

 

After months of struggling, she was hesitant just one step before reaching her goal. The human heart was truly unpredictable.

 

“Are you ready, my lady?”

 

“Goodness! Not yet. I’m still in my apron.”

 

Anje clutched her startled chest as Aiden appeared behind her without warning. He looked her up and down in bewilderment.

 

“You could go just as you are…”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

By Anje’s standards, she still had much to do to be ‘ready to go out.’

 

After blowing a final kiss to Pa, Pi, and Pu, she returned to her room, neatly hung her apron in the closet, and straightened her dress.

 

Thanks to the apron that covered her thoroughly, her pink dress remained pristine, just as it had been when she put it on in the morning.

 

She then let down her loosely tied hair and brushed it meticulously. In the sunlight, her hair gleamed like a veil made of gold and roses.

 

‘Is it just me, or does my hair seem thicker and fuller than before?’

 

Unaware that her improved diet had enhanced her hair’s condition compared to her time in the capital, Anje looked at the mirror, puzzled.

 

She scrutinized herself in the full-length mirror for a while. To her, she still seemed unprepared. What was missing?

 

After much pondering, she found the answer.

 

“Ah, You here, Sir Aiden?”

 

“Yes?”

 

The door opened as if he had been waiting, and Anje turned around with an exasperated look.

 

“Were you waiting in front of my room? How impatient.”

 

“Well… I was ready.”

 

For someone who claimed to be ready, his attire and hair were the same as usual, only his shoes were different.

 

Anje bit back her urge to comment and gestured for him to come inside.

 

* * * *

 

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