𝓐𝓶𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂

👑 chapter two 👑

《Uncle Jones was not allowed to finish his sentence. Instead, I heard a powerful impact sound: "Bang!" What could it be?》

Edward fist-hit the table and muted his intrusive friend for overstepping his bounds.

Edward spoke threateningly, his index-finger pointing at Jones's face, almost touching his nose, "You! I warned you to keep my daughter's name off your lips. If you persist, you won't see where my fist might land."

《A cold atmosphere between them, a deadly silence. I did not hear a response from the other side. Before things got worse, I seized the opportunity and entered the room like I did not know about their chit-chat 》

《I put firewood on the stove, set fire, prepared tea, and put my efforts into making it taste so good that they forgot their skirmishes. The adorable smell spread throughout the place once I poured the tea into their cups. After taking a sip, my father felt satisfied, showering me with his compliments.》

Edward complemented with a warm smile blooming on his face, "I admire your tea-making skill; it tastes great."

《I peeked at Uncle Jones, who remained silent; he did not say a word despite having finished his cup until the last drop. It seemed that vanity was another of his qualities, I wished I had put the toxic tulip flower that causes diarrhoea in his tea.》

Jones looked away rolling his eyes, he spoke in disdain, "It's just ordinary tea, just boiled flowers. .... What's the big deal about it? ... Anyway, I'm leaving."

《He gave my father a serious look and then told him to take care of himself.》

《I cleaned the house quickly to have our breakfast. Then we went out to visit my mother, Marianne's, tomb. The cemetery was a little distant. A quarter of an hour's walk away. My father remained silent and distracted all the way. At that moment, I remembered their conversation and what the uncle wanted to say about me—what was meant by "she's not..." And talking about a woman.》

Annie grabbed the hem of her dress and started picking up the flowers that she saw along the way until her skirt looked like a flour bag.

Edward was leading the way, deeply lost in thoughts when he turned to discover Annie trailing behind him instead of walking beside him.

《I ran towards him quickly. I could see his face laughing at my appearance, with a fat paunch like a corrupt nobleman and dust covering my face. He took a clean handkerchief out of his pocket and started wiping my dirty face while chuckling.》

Edward chuckled, and patted her head while asking "What do you want to do with that amount of flowers?"

Annie explained excitedly, "I want to make flower crowns—one for you, one for me, and the other one for my mom."

He smiled at her and said, "I'm sure she'll like it."

They enjoyed the day outdoors, it was a great idea to bring along their basket of treats. Her father lay on the green grass, hands behind his head, gazing at the sky. He recalled Annie's childhood when they used to spot shapes in the clouds together and play hide and seek where Annie tended to hide in the closet because she did not know any better place. While he looked on with amusement his happiness was evident as he spoke.

It was a new day, and they set off to the village to run their bakery, which was located in a converted barn owned by a kind elderly woman. As they strolled in the morning, they were welcomed by the crowing of roosters and the gentle caress of the morning breeze, filling them with a sense of rejuvenation. Annie gathered fresh ingredients to craft an assortment of baked goods for sale. She always brought a small basket to gather blueberries and strawberries to enhance their cakes and boost our profits. The place was crowded with customers as soon as Edward opened, and as always, everything was bought.