Falling To Paradise

“Ca…Calling me by name is so different from before. You said you would treat me like before, you liar.”

 

“How dare you casually call the princess by her name? What could be more disrespectful than that?”

 

Aiden pressed his point, even though it sounded absurd to his own ears.

 

“Is..Is that so? It is rather informal.”

 

“There’s nothing more disrespectful than this.”

 

Anje now looked at him with narrowed eyes. She didn’t quite understand why he was so fixated on titles all of a sudden, but she felt like this was better than ‘princess’ or ‘young lady’.

 

“Do I have your permission, young lady?”

 

“Ugh, it’s so cringy! Fine, do as you please. Calling me by my name is better.”

 

She reluctantly conceded to him, who bowed respectfully at the waist.

 

“Since we’re on the topic, you should also call me Aiden. Isn’t it too formal to keep calling me ‘Sir Aiden’?”

 

“I’m more comfortable calling you ‘Sir.’”

 

“If I call you by your name while you use a formal title for me, it looks like an unequal relationship. I don’t want it to sound like you’re in a lower position than me.”

 

Given his insistence, Anje hesitantly said his name.

 

“Aiden?”

 

“Yes, Anje.”

 

TL/N: AWWW!!! CUTE.

 

Something felt strange, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. The moment she called his name, his bright smile lit up the room.

 

She also smiled transparently like him but then hardened her expression.

 

“…I need to be careful.”

 

There weren’t many people she could call by their first names without formality. She was happy yet uneasy that Aiden had quietly slipped onto the list of those precious few.

 

The closer she got to him, the harder it would be to leave. She needed to maintain an appropriate emotional distance from him.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Oh, nothing.”

 

She pretended it was nothing and took a spoonful of the tomato gratin. The sweet, soft taste pleased her tongue, but her heart wasn’t as happy.

 

‘Looks like he’s forgotten about the letter from my father. That’s good.’

 

Because she got hurt, Aiden seemed to have forgotten about the Duke of Glasster’s letter. She felt relieved because she couldn’t share its contents if he asked. It was worth shedding a few drops of blood.

 

「To my daughter.」

 

The letter, which began with a businesslike introduction, was as harsh as frost in the dead of winter, contradicting its elegant handwriting.

 

It was full of scolding her for making the House of Glasster look ridiculous by sending tearful letters to society people, and telling her not to do such stupid things again.

 

Anje, who had been reading the letter with anticipation, couldn’t help but well up with tears of sadness.

 

‘He doesn’t even know how hard it was for me when I first came here.’

 

She felt an unprecedented fierce anger towards her father, who didn’t even ask if she was doing well.

 

The following content was even more astonishing.

 

「It seems that His Majesty the Emperor is a little relieved about your rude behavior. It’s easier to forget when you’re out of sight.

 

I am looking for a suitable match for you to remarry when you return to the capital. I will find a candidate among the widowed nobility. It will be at most a year or so.

 

Don’t you know that a woman’s value depreciates with age? You should remarry while you’re still young, even by a year.」

 

Even as she grimaced, Anje finished reading the last part of the Duke’s instructions.

 

「Until then, take care not to harm your appearance. Don’t do anything rash to remind the Emperor and the people of the capital of you. In other words, live as if you’re dead until I call for you. Understood?

 

As someone who was once a member of the House of Glasster, I expect you to behave well.」

 

Anje crumpled the letter from the Duke of Glasster and threw it onto the desk.

 

Why was that? She had wanted her father to contact her, and now he had. He promised to bring her back to the capital and even find her a better marriage.

 

Yet she felt neither gratitude nor joy.

 

She wouldn’t have to struggle to return to the capital. She would reclaim the life of a noblewoman she had longed for.

 

‘I don’t even understand my own feelings.’

 

Until recently, she had been torn between wanting to stay on the farm and returning to society. But now…

 

‘I don’t want to go back.’

 

She tried to recall the positive aspects of high society.

 

She could invite designers to her home to tailor dresses and accessories to her liking, host tea parties and dinners to socialize, dance at balls all night, or play bridge with other ladies…

 

As long as she fulfilled her duties as a wife, she could stay still all day without any issues. All the mundane tasks like dressing, undressing, and bathing would be handled by someone else.

 

‘It’s impossible to work in such a setting.’

 

With her torso tightly laced, skirts and sleeves puffed up everywhere, and multiple layers of fabric, even walking quickly would be hard without a maid…

 

“Anje, does your injury hurt a lot?”

 

“Oh, no! Not at all. Look, I can use this hand just fine.”

 

Caught off guard by Aiden’s question, Anje hurriedly picked up a biscuit. Freshly baked and golden brown, it was still warm from the oven.

 

“Your expression was so bad that I thought you might be in serious pain.”

 

“Of course not. The gratin is delicious, and this biscuit is really soft. I’m in a great mood. It’s the best.”

 

Despite saying that, her thoughts were still elsewhere.

 

No matter how hard she tried to think only of the good aspects of high society, her mind was filled with the desire to stay here. It was a more complex emotion than simply being attached to the farm.

 

‘If I return to the capital, I won’t have the same kind of freedom I have now.’

 

It depended on who her future husband was, but given the Duke of Glasster’s attitude, family affairs were usually decided by the head of the house. As a wife, her actions would be very restricted.

 

‘I wouldn’t be able to make or grow anything like I do now.’

 

Even noblewomen who enjoyed gardening only planned and showed off their gardens, leaving the hard work to their servants. If a noblewoman got dirty pulling weeds or transplanting plants, she’d be looked down upon for disgracing the noble image.

 

She wouldn’t be able to laugh loudly, run around, whistle like Aiden taught her, or pick wildflowers and sip their nectar.

 

‘It’s a shame, but it’s… inevitable.’

 

All her education, after going through countless private tutors, was to become an excellent noblewoman.

 

The fortune of being born into the upper class was not something everyone received. No one would foolishly give that up.

 

The sorrow she felt now would gradually fade once she left the farm. Just like losing a cherished item, it would be painful at first but eventually become numb.

 

‘It’s fortunate, though. My father will surely find me a wealthy husband, and if I persuade him well, I can send compensation to Sir Aiden. If that’s not possible, I could sneak out a small jewel.’

 

She felt relieved at the thought of repaying her debt to Aiden. She consoled herself and began to address another concern.

 

‘The biggest problem when I leave here is that Sir Aiden… no, Aiden, will be alone again.’

 

Not long ago, she had doubted whether she was of any help on the farm, but now she knew she was very important to him.

 

‘I am the only one who knows his secret.’

 

People often call such a person a friend. A close friend, even.

 

Could she really leave him, still mentally scarred, as his only close friend? Could she abandon the person who provided her with food, shelter, and taught her kindly?

 

“Anje?”

 

“Oh, what is it?”

 

He grabbed her wrist. It wasn’t forceful, but it was firm enough to bring her back to her senses.

 

“You’re biting your hand.”

 

“Ah!”

 

She trembled with shame as she looked at her now ragged fingertips. Her bad habit of biting her nails or fingers when anxious or nervous had resurfaced.

 

She couldn’t even remember when it started. Even though her tutors used to slap her hand with a rod whenever she brought her fingers near her lips, she never managed to stop. They would sigh and put gloves on her to hide her unsightly fingertips.

 

Recently, the habit had stopped naturally because her hands were often dirty from farm work, but now it had returned…

 

She wanted to hide her hands, but Aiden’s grip was firm, making it impossible. Under the bright sunlight, her flaw was exposed with no place to hide.

 

“This… this is…”

 

Noticing her embarrassment, he quickly let go of her wrist.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass or scold you.”

 

In fact, he had been aware of her habit for a while. It was because he had been observing her every move before he even realized his own feelings.

 

“I was just worried that if you kept doing that, your other hand might start bleeding… Is something bothering you?”

 

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