Falling To Paradise

TL/N: TW: ANOREXIA!!!

 

“I have something I need your help with.”

 

“Of course I’ll help you, young la…”

 

“If you call me ‘young lady’ again, I’ll pinch your nose.”

 

For some reason, Aiden had been using the term ‘young lady’ instead of ‘princess’ lately, which was strange to Anje.

 

He thought it sounded more intimate, but now whenever he heard that term, Anje felt a strange discomfort all over her body.

 

“The corset strings seem too loose. Can you tighten them for me?”

 

“Yes… Yes?”

 

“Oh, wait a minute. Because of the way my dress is made… Can you close your eyes for me? I’ll put the strings in your hand.”

 

Since the dress was made in one piece to be easy to put on and take off, he would need to pull the laces with her in her corset and chemise. She frowned, touching her waist.

 

‘I guess the corset is too loose which makes the dress sagging.’

 

Maybe it was because she had been wearing comfortable corsets lately and was not used to wearing a tight one, but it was very difficult for her to tighten it herself.

 

The only solution, as she had done with the maids at the duke’s mansion, was to ask someone else for help.

 

She was embarrassed to ask Aiden for this kind of favor, but there was no other way.

 

Even in casual attire, her waist was something she couldn’t give up on. Especially on days like today when she was going out to a crowded place.

 

“Wait, wait.”

 

“Why?”

 

Anje, who was about to unbutton the front of her dress, stopped and looked back.

 

Aiden, with his eyes tightly shut, couldn’t hide his embarrassment and fumbled with his hands. He seemed to be at a loss as to what to do, wanting to help Anje but unable to see.

 

“I can’t do it.”

 

“You just have to pull the strings tight. Like when you tie a rope to a fence.”

 

“That’s why I can’t do it. What if I hurt you so much that your bones break?”

 

She was already very thin, and he could easily wrap his entire arm around her waist if he wanted to. He was afraid of hurting her.

 

“There’s no way a person could do that. If you’re really worried, just use a moderate amount of force.”

 

“That’s not the only issue. A crinoline would be better; compressing your torso like this… isn’t it bad for your health?”

 

He had experienced how suffocating and uncomfortable it was to have his chest wrapped tightly in bandages at the hospital.

 

“But everyone in the capital wears this. They say that married women have their husbands tighten their strings with the maids.”

 

“That’s them, not me.”

 

When Aiden spoke in such a firm voice, no amount of persuasion would work. Anje grumbled, looking in the mirror.

 

“How can I go out into town in such a baggy outfit?”

 

Once she became conscious of her waist, she felt as huge as an elephant.

 

‘Could it be… have I gained a lot of weight?’

 

Her heart raced, as she had staunchly maintained a 17-inch waistline more devoutly than any belief.

 

“Sir, open your eyes for a moment.”

 

“You’re not… undressed, are you?”

 

“If I were undressed, I wouldn’t ask you to open your eyes! It’s urgent, so hurry up.”

 

Aiden cautiously opened one eye and, seeing that Anje was fully dressed, relaxed and opened the other. If she had been in a state of undress, he might have fainted on the spot.

 

She glared at Aiden, who was standing behind her, with her hands on her waist.

 

“Look carefully and be honest with me. I’ve gained weight, haven’t I?”

 

“Weight? Well…”

 

Considering how diligently he had ensured she ate meat and drank milk, it was inevitable. While she still had a slim figure compared to the average, she had put on a bit more weight compared to her previously skeletal frame.

 

However, judging by Anje’s attitude as she started biting her fingernails furiously, he knew giving that answer would lead to trouble.

 

“I don’t really know.”

 

Unable to muster the conscience to say she hadn’t gained any weight and lacking the skill to lie convincingly, he evaded the question.

 

Anje looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, ‘Men are all the same.’

 

“Do you have a tape measure at home?”

 

“No, I don’t.”

 

He did have one, but he planned to throw it into the fireplace soon. Seeing how she anxiously fidgeted with her body in front of the mirror, he knew giving her a tape measure would be a bad idea.

 

“Why can I feel the flesh here? I used to be able to feel my ribs immediately!”

 

Anje came to a grim conclusion through self-diagnosis and clutched her head, shouting.

 

“I’ve gained weight! I’ve really gained weight! I’ve been moving around so much, so why? Everything is ruined now.”

 

She had reached the point where she had to face the truth she had been avoiding.

 

Her life was over. All the effort she had put into maintaining her figure was in vain. Despite the discomfort and stomach pain, she often kept her corset on even while sleeping. She refrained from eating her favorite foods and, when she couldn’t resist, she ate and then purged.

 

Returning to the capital with such an unflattering body would mean no man would show interest in her. Far from receiving a marriage proposal, she would be laughed at and considered a rural peasant woman.

 

In a state of panic, she forgot that Aiden was still beside her and muttered to herself.

 

“This is a disaster. Everyone will dislike me, saying I’ve become so ugly…”

 

“That’s absolutely not true.”

 

The hand on her shoulder almost made Anje jump out of her skin.

 

“Look at yourself in the mirror properly again.”

 

“No, I don’t want to. I’m not going to look.”

 

She turned her gaze to the floor. As she realized that she had gained weight, she became afraid to look at herself.

 

“It’s okay, just look.”

 

Something touched her hair. It was his hand gently stroking down her hair along the strands.

 

“I think you look good as you are now.”

 

It was the first time Aiden had ever complimented her appearance. Surprised, Anje found herself looking straight ahead.

 

“Liar.”

 

“It’s true.”

 

Anje stared into the mirror, trying to see if his words were genuine.

 

“You think you look healthy and energetic, don’t you think?”

 

Her eyes narrowed, unable to erase her doubt.

 

“Well… my face does look a bit more flushed, as if my blood circulation has improved. But, but look, sir. There’s fat on my wrists, ankles and stomach! I used to be able to feel my bones right away.”

 

“It’s natural for the human body to have some flesh. If you touch here, don’t I have flesh on top of my bones?”

 

Anje squeezed his forearm that he held out.

 

“You’re firmer than me. I’m just soft.”

 

“In my case, I have a lot of muscle because I use a lot of strength, and you will soon too. Muscles attach to fat.”

 

He gently pinched and released Anje’s cheek between his index finger and thumb. It was white and soft like milk pudding.

 

“And what’s wrong with soft skin? I think it’s nice. It feels good too.”

 

“W-What good is it that you like to touch it?”

 

Anje stammered, looking at their reflections in the mirror. The woman and man standing side by side, clinging to each other, looked much more intimate than their actual relationship.

 

This was not simply because their physical distance was close. Rather, it was because of his gaze, which looked down at her as if looking at a precious treasure.

 

“Anyway, I hope you don’t think you have to lose weight or harm your body just because you’re fine the way you are now.”

 

His eyes were too sincere to think he was just saying what she wanted to hear.

 

Her face flushed all the way to her neck in a combination of unexpected compliments and his gaze. She deliberately asked in a harsh tone, trying to calm her racing heart.

 

So what you’re saying is that you didn’t think I was beautiful before, but you do now?”

 

“Ah……No, even before.”

 

He stammered in embarrassment, then finished the sentence in a strangled voice as if he had a thorn in his throat.

 

“Even before, I thought you were beautiful.”

 

This time, it was his turn to look down at the wooden floorboards.

 

Anje forgot about biting her finger and stared intently at him reflected in the mirror. The tips of his ears were as red as a ripe watermelon.

 

“Sir, your ears are red.”

 

He glared at her through the mirror, as if to ask why she was pointing that out.

 

Anje couldn’t help but smile at him. She thought it was cute that he was so shy after giving her one compliment.

 

“Your cheeks are red too.”

 

“My cheeks are always this color. As I said earlier, my complexion has improved recently.”

 

She hurriedly made an excuse, but both of them knew it wasn’t true.

 

They stared into space in silence until the clock struck the hour, startling them both into taking a step back from each other.

 

“Anyway… since you’re ready, let’s head out.”

 

Aiden started walking towards the door, but his steps were awkward, with his arm and leg on the same side moving together.

 

Anje gathered her things and took one last look at herself in the mirror.

 

“…I think I do look beautiful.”

 

It was the same mirror and the same person, but why did she look different because of someone’s words? She walked out with a lovely smile on her face.

 

* * *

 

“Whinnies.”

 

Behind the house, Aiden’s carriage and horses, which he had been preparing since dawn, were waiting. The horses, boasting coats and manes that were more gleaming than usual, snorted contentedly.

 

Aiden was about to climb onto the coachman’s seat when he remembered Anje’s struggle to get into the wagon the other day and held out his hand next to her.

 

“Here, come on up.”

 

“Ah, okay.”

 

Anje took his hand and stepped lightly onto the passenger seat, stepping over the wheel. The two-person carriage was just the right size, not too narrow or too wide for the two of them.

 

Even as she watched Aiden spread a blanket over her lap while sitting in the passenger seat, she could barely mutter a word of thanks, still unable to shake off the shocking remark she had heard earlier.

 

TL/N: WHAT A GENTLEMAN♡!

 

“We’re off.”

 

The sound of leisurely horse hooves began to echo down the road.

 

* * * *

 

If you want to support the Translator, Translator’s Ko-Fi: