The grand finale of the festive day began with lighting a huge bonfire in the center of the town square. A wandering band, specially invited for the occasion, played lively folk songs, and soon enough, young couples began to gather around the fire and dance. Before long, middle-aged and elderly people joined in as well.
“…The flames are really intense.”
“Indeed, they are.”
Anje and Aiden stood awkwardly on the side of the square, failing to blend into the cheerful atmosphere surrounding them.
“Ahem.”
Aiden cleared his throat and clenched his fist.
‘I should ask her to dance.’
He was unsure of how to approach Anje, who had been avoiding eye contact and acting stiff since a while ago. He couldn’t quite understand why the atmosphere had suddenly changed like this.
‘Everything was fine until Papipu won the gold prize.’
He had even considered that moment when she had thrown herself at him in joy might be the perfect time to present the ring.
‘Oh, sorry Pa-Pi-Pu! Are you hungry?’
But when it came to Pa-Pi-Pu, Anje, who was usually sensitive, had instantly responded to the pigs’ oinks and headed straight for the pen. From that moment on, she had been distant and aloof with Aiden.
‘Did I do something wrong? Did I handle the situation…poorly back then?’
Should he have not just received her kisses but returned them as well? He had been overwhelmed with joy over the gold prize at the time, and everything happened so fast that his mind was in a whirlwind.
‘Should I have at least given her the ring?’
Regardless, regretting the past was pointless. Aiden swallowed the sigh that was about to escape and mustered the courage to speak up.
“Anje, would you like to dance—”
“It’s so hot by the fire. I’ll go get us something to drink.”
Oh no, their words overlapped. Despite feeling a bit defeated, Aiden, eager to spend more time with her, offered again.
“I’ll come with you.”
“Oh, no. I have some personal matters to take care of as well.”
“Personal… Ah.”
He suddenly remembered something his mother had taught him. Women often use a roundabout way of expressing when they need to use the restroom.
“Then I’ll wait here. Since we’re right by the bookstore, if you get lost, just ask someone where the bookstore is.”
Anje nodded her head up and down and quickly left. Although her steps were slow due to the large crowd, she eventually made her way to a secluded spot where no one could overhear her.
Facing the wall, she buried her face in her hands, gripping her hair tightly as she let out her emotions.
“Ahhh, this is so embarrassing! What on earth is wrong with you, Anje Glasster!”
Realizing that they had won the gold prize, Anje was overcome with emotion and threw her arms around him. She repeatedly kissed him, saying thank you over and over. Mustering what little self-control she had left, she limited her kisses to… everywhere but his lips.
‘Yeah, I was grateful. Really grateful…but…’
Her gratitude had been sincere. She owed him a lot. He had brought her to Leslie, introduced her to Pa-Pi-Pu and the farm. She was always grateful for teaching her the fulfillment of raising something and the joy of learning.
‘But that doesn’t mean I should have expressed it in ‘that’ way, right?’
There had been many people around them. She even thought she heard someone whistling at them.
‘No, that must have been my imagination. And the people…no one was paying any attention to us anyway.’
To endure the overwhelming shame and continue living, she forcibly altered the memories of the surrounding scenery that lingered in her mind. However, there was no way she could justify or reinterpret her actions toward Aiden. She pressed her fingers into her temples, trying to soothe the throbbing headache that was forming.
‘I… I think I like Aiden… No, that’s not it.’
She desperately denied the natural conclusion her mind was drawing. Earlier, she had been so overwhelmed with joy that her brain had gotten jumbled, causing her to express her gratitude in a way Aiden usually did toward her.
‘No way. It was just a brief moment of emotional turmoil.’
Anje placed her hand over her heart. The lively beating of her heart pulsed against her palm, a vivid reminder of emotions moving beyond her control or logic… and it scared her. She pressed her hands against her burning eyelids.
She had never deeply liked anyone outside of her family before. Even her fiancé, Phillip, and her social circle friends had been more about fulfilling a social obligation rather than true affection. The only person she could say she genuinely “liked” was her father, but Duke Glasster was not the type to return a daughter’s affection.
‘Tsk, why are you clinging to me?’
Her earliest memory of her father was him carelessly pushing her away when she toddled over, asking to be held, and then scolding the nanny who had rushed over to pick her up for not watching the child properly.
In an attempt to gain his attention, Anje had tried being more mischievous, throwing tantrums, even hurting herself, but it was all in vain. Her father only showed interest in her after realizing she had the looks to be a viable candidate for the crown prince’s fiancée.
As she recalled these memories, a sudden wave of sadness washed over Anje.
Materially, she had grown up with no shortage—no, an abundance of support. If others saw her, they would think she lived a blessed life, surrounded by silk, jewels, and comfort. People, including her fiancé, praised and admired her beauty.
Yet, looking back, she had no memory of receiving genuine affection from anyone, not even her family. The deep-rooted thirst for affection had driven her all her life.
She had worked hard to become the ideal bride her father wanted, and she secured the position of the crown prince’s future wife, just as he had desired.
‘Though it was all for nothing in the end.’
Ultimately, all she received in return was scorn as a “useless girl” and orders to keep herself pure until she remarried.
Anje lifted her hand from her eyes. The center of her palm was damp with tears.
‘When you give your heart, it only leads to disappointment.’
She didn’t want to keep sending affection that would never be returned. Especially not to someone who would eventually be out of her life.
After spending some time staring at the darkening sky and the sparks flying up from the bonfire, she finally pulled herself together and returned to the spot where she had left Aiden.
“…Where did he disappear to?”
He had said he would wait there, but there was no sign of him. Instead, she heard a familiar voice.
“Madam Fitzroy!”
“Oh, Miss Mary.”
Anje had been wondering what the siblings from the draper’s shop were up to since she hadn’t seen them all day. She warmly took Mary’s hand and asked,
“Are you enjoying the fair?”
“Yes, absolutely. I saw that your pig won the prize in the breeding competition! My father was so disappointed about missing out on his five-year streak of first-place wins.”
“Oh my… So Mr. Penny was the top contender.”
Anje felt a little sorry for Mr. Penny, but Mary seemed genuinely happy about Anje’s victory, her face bright with a smile.
“Oh, don’t worry about it, and make sure to crush his pride again next year. He’s so full of himself, always bragging about knowing more about pigs than anyone else. It drives me crazy.”
“I was just lucky this time. I should talk to Mr. Penny about pig farming sometime.”
“Well… you might regret it if you do. He talks way too much.”
Mary shuddered, rolling her shoulders dramatically, then looked around and asked,
“By the way, where’s Sir Aiden? Didn’t you come together?”
“Oh, he went to get some drinks.”
Not wanting Mary to worry or think they had quarreled, Anje repeated the excuse she had given earlier, rather than admitting she didn’t know where Aiden had gone.
“What about you, Miss Mary? Did you come with anyone?”
“Come with anyone? Oh, you mean this?”
Mary raised her fist, extending only her pinky finger boldly. If Mrs. Penny had seen it, she would have smacked her back and scolded for such a rude gesture, but Anje just blinked, not understanding the meaning of it.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have anyone to come with.”
“Really? How could the men leave such a beautiful woman alone?”
“Hearing such a compliment from a real beauty like you, that’s an honor.”
“Compliment? It’s the truth.”
The red dress, which complemented Mary’s naturally sun-kissed skin, was likely a creation of Jean-Pierre, who had put his skills to work for his sister. It accentuated her curvaceous figure while still allowing her to move freely, suiting Mary’s spirited nature.
“I’ll let you in on a little secret. The truth is, there isn’t anyone I’m interested in.”
Mary was quite popular in Leslie, being quick-witted, friendly, and the future inheritor of a well-established butcher shop. The problem was whether any man met her standards.
“You know, having come from the capital, how small this town is. There’s no one my age, who’s single, and who seems decent.”
“And what exactly is your idea of ‘decent’?”
She hadn’t asked this question before because of Penny and Jean, but now that it was just the two of them, she naturally asked a more personal question.
“Someone handsome? Wealthy?”
Mary raised her freckle-covered cheeks into a wide smile and answered firmly,
“Forearms.”
“Forearms?”
* * * *
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