Falling To Paradise

“Especially the upper arms are important. They need to be so thick that it’s almost impossible to wrap both hands around them, and they must belong to someone with strong, real-life muscles, filled with power.”

 

“Ah, the forearms, huh…”

 

Anje, who had never evaluated men based on such criteria, was taken aback but nodded, thinking that everyone has their own preferences.

 

Mary continued to grumble.

 

“Sir Aiden’s arms aren’t bad, but he’s already taken. I swear, the men with good arms are always off the market fast.”

 

“Aiden?”

 

What were Aiden’s arms like again? Anje tried to recall, deciding she’d have to take a closer look later.

 

Mary, misinterpreting her silence, quickly apologized.

 

“Oh no, I’m sorry if I offended you by talking like this about your husband.”

 

“It’s not that. I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

 

“About what?”

 

Anje couldn’t admit that she had an unladylike thought of wanting to feel Aiden’s arms when they met again, so she hid her expression behind a polite smile.

 

“Mr. Penny’s arms are quite thick too, by any chance—”

 

“Ah! No, it’s not like that! It’s not like my ideal type is a guy like my dad or anything!”

 

“Hoho, I’m just joking.”

 

“Some jokes should never be made! Look, my skin’s crawling now!”

 

As Mary rubbed her arms to shake off the chill, someone in the crowd called out to her.

 

“Mary!”

 

“Oh, a friend’s calling me. I’ll see you later, ma’am.”

 

“Alright. Have fun and be careful on your way home.”

 

“Yes, ma’am. Oh, by the way, I didn’t get to say it earlier, but you look really beautiful today.”

 

With a parting comment thanking her for promoting her brother’s storr, Mary left the scene.

 

It wasn’t just a courteous compliment either—everyone Jean-Pierre met today kept asking to make reservations for a dress, and he was practically dancing with joy.

 

Not just figuratively, but literally. He was so overwhelmed with excitement that he couldn’t contain himself.

 

“Mary, over there! It’s your brother!”

 

Mary’s friend, who had greeted her earlier, nudged her and whispered, pointing to a man dancing the can-can alone in the middle of the crowd.

 

Mary glared at him with narrowed eyes.

 

“I told him to stop embarrassing me, and there he goes again!”

 

“Is he drunk? You should do something about it.”

 

“Just leave him be. I’m going to pretend I don’t know him.”

 

She often—no, quite frequently—felt embarrassed by her brother.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, after waving her hand at Mary’s retreating figure, Anje crossed her arms in front of her chest and muttered.

 

“By the way, Aiden still hasn’t shown up.”

 

Could he have missed his way while coming to pick me up? As Anje considered this possibility, she furrowed her brow.

 

“He himself said we’d meet in front of the bookstore. Even if he had to leave for some reason, he would have informed someone about my whereabouts. Could it be…”

 

A possibility she had forgotten suddenly resurfaced in her mind. What if he had a ‘seizure’ while she was away and collapsed or something?

 

Anje’s face turned pale.

 

“What if that’s the case?”

 

Recently, even while attending various gatherings and visiting the town several times, Aiden had never shown any signs of discomfort. Moreover, today, Anje was so preoccupied with her own concerns that she had almost forgotten that he needed her help.

 

“I really am a terrible fool.”

 

To leave him alone in such a crowded place, lost in pointless thoughts. Who knows when some noise or smell might trigger his dark memories.

 

Her gloved hand anxiously clutched the front of her dress.

 

“This isn’t the time for this.”

 

She slapped her cheeks to clear her scattered thoughts and began asking the people around her about Aiden.

 

“Excuse me, have you seen my husband, Sir Aiden Fitzroy?”

 

“Hello, have you seen a tall man around here? He was wearing a black suit and has silver hair.”

 

Fortunately, due to his striking appearance, she was quickly able to find a witness.

 

“He looked quite drunk; he was staggering and went into that alley over there.”

 

“Thank you!”

 

Staggering, he must have started having a seizure. Anje approached the direction indicated by the passerby with a worried heart.

 

The dingy alley between the shops was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.

 

“Aiden?”

 

Peeking into the alley, she saw a man crouched down, covering his ears with his hands. His posture, hunched like a wounded animal, made Anje’s heart ache.

 

She carefully approached and crouched down beside him. Noticing her presence, he lifted his head.

 

“… Anje?”

 

That look again. Eyes devoid of soul, clearly showing exhaustion. The kind of look someone would have just before collapsing.

 

Anje reached out both hands and placed them on the back of his. As their hands joined, he was completely cut off from the external noise tormenting him.

 

Yet, even in this tranquil world, her words were clearly conveyed.

 

“I’m here. So, don’t be afraid.”

 

Even though she didn’t pull him forcefully, he easily collapsed into her embrace. He buried himself like a child in the arms of a woman much smaller than himself.

 

* * *

 

“I’m really fine now—”

 

“Tsk, just stay still.”

 

Anje placed her finger firmly on the man’s forehead, who was trying to get up from the bed. Despite the weak pressure that could barely topple a house of cards, he had no choice but to lay his head back on the pillow.

 

Out of guilt for causing her to leave the festival and come to the inn, Aiden had no choice but to listen to her. However, there was one thing he couldn’t concede.

 

“I keep telling you, I’m perfectly fine now. At least you should go out and enjoy the rest of the time.”

 

The outside was still lively with music and laughter. Although their inn room was somewhat detached from the square, faint music could still be heard even with the windows closed.

 

“What’s the point of going out alone when I leave you here?”

 

“If you go, Aunt Meg might be there, and other townspeople too…”

 

Before he could finish, Anje turned her head sharply and retorted.

 

“Hmph, but you won’t be there. Don’t you remember we promised to stick together today, with our pinkies sworn?”

 

Aiden felt a twinge at the bridge of his nose. Despite her brusque tone, the hidden tenderness in her words touched him deeply.

 

He sat up again.

 

“In that case, I’ll go with you. I’m really fine now.”

 

“No, you might be fine, but I’ll be anxious watching over you.”

 

As she removed her gloves and sat down beside him, after a moment of silence, she asked hesitantly.

 

“Is there a specific reason for today’s… seizure? Did someone use a whip? I know it’s something you’d rather not recall, but it would help me to be prepared for any future incidents.”

 

“…It was because of a sound.”

 

“A sound?”

 

“Yes, the sound of keys… a bunch of keys.”

 

The clinking sound made when keys collided with each other was the cause. It was a sound made by a circus performer responsible for the animal cages—a seemingly trivial and everyday noise.

 

“The guard who wore a bunch of keys on his waist particularly disliked me… and it was the sound he made when passing by my room.”

 

He lowered his head in shame. He felt embarrassed about fleeing to the alley over something so insignificant and showing such a pitiful side to her.

 

“That’s understandable. I’m just glad I was able to find you quickly and bring you to the inn. I was worried about what might have happened if you had collapsed alone.”

 

Aiden’s head lowered further. He felt pathetic for needing comfort from her and was frustrated that he hadn’t given her a chance to enjoy a dance like other ordinary men might.

 

Seeing his trembling shoulders, Anje asked cautiously.

 

“…Aiden, are you crying?”

 

“No!”

 

Aiden raised his head and firmily denied it, but Anje didn’t miss the slightly reddened eyes even in the dimly lit room.

 

“What are you talking about? Your eyes are red.”

 

“That’s just the way my eyes are naturally red.”

 

“That’s not what I meant.”

 

The stern expression on his face softened immediately as Anje’s touch reached him. She gently stroked his face from his eyes to his cheeks and asked.

 

“You still look a bit… down. Are you still having a hard time because of the seizure?”

 

“The seizures are…nothing now, thanks to you coming so quickly. It’s just… that you had to come to the inn because of me…”

 

He hesitated, unsure how honestly to express himself.

 

“Are you upset about not being able to enjoy the last dance time?”

 

“Well… something like that.”

 

In reality, he was upset about not being able to participate ‘with her’. He regretted not providing a romantic experience for her or even having a chance to give her a ring.

 

‘But if I say I’m sad that you also had to leave halfway because of me, you’d probably laugh and say it doesn’t matter since you’ve danced enough already.’

 

Was he truly deserving of being with such a kind person? He clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Was he really that eager to dance? Anje was surprised to find this unexpected side of him. However, seeing Jean-Pierre dance so passionately, she wondered if there were many people who lived with such enthusiasm for dance…

 

Anje pondered what to do. She was still a bit worried about his condition and whether she should take him back to the square.

 

‘It’s a bit too awkward to comfort him by saying there will be a festival next year.’

 

There was no guarantee she’d be here next summer. Moreover…

 

‘If Aiden comes to the summer fair without me, he’d probably dance with another woman, Right?’

 

Thinking this made her want to dance with him even more. She wanted to end the festival she enjoyed with him together.

 

So that he, who had so many bad memories, would have one more good memory.

 

“…In that case.”

 

After a long period of contemplation, Anje made up her mind, stood up, and pushed open the large window leading to the main street.

 

Creeeak—

 

With the creaking of the hinges, the wooden window swung open to the outside. The faint music grew louder and more vivid.

 

She walked gracefully over to him and extended one hand with a polite gesture, showing off her dance etiquette for the first time in a while.

 

“Shall we have a dance here?”

 

* * * *

 

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