Garden of May — Chapter 12

HAA...

HAA

I WANTED TO ASK HER:

"WHY ARE YOU SO DIFFERENT?"

UNLIKE ALL THE OTHERS WHO'VE DESIRED ME,

SHE'S NOT HORRIFYING,

OR BORING,

OR REPULSIVE.

WHY IS IT THAT I END UP CRAVING HER, AND ONLY HER,

NGH

R-RIVER...!

LIKE A COMMON LUSTFUL MAN?

AH...!

PERHAPS

I KNEW INSTINCTIVELY FROM THE VERY MOMENT I SAW HER

THAT SOMEDAY,

THIS WOMAN

WOULD TURN MY ENTIRE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN.

AND NOW...

THAT THOUGHT

IS A WELCOME ONE.

SO, COUSIN.

YOU’RE REALLY TELLING ME YOU’RE COMFORTABLE LANGUISHING IN A PLACE LIKE THIS?

EDGAR LOWELL MARLBOROUGH, THEODORE'S COUSIN

IT’S FINE, MORE OR LESS.

BUT IT’S SO SHABBY,

CRAMPED, AND GRIMY.

YOU TURNED DOWN A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FROM THE PRINCESS

TO HOLE UP IN THIS BACKWATER TOWN?

I MEAN, I’D GET IT IF YOU HAD A SECRET LOVE CHILD STASHED AWAY HERE, BUT THAT’S HARDLY THE CASE.

I CAN SEE WHY GRANDMOTHER IS THROWING SUCH A FIT.

MARRYING THE PRINCESS BRINGS ME NO BENEFITS.

AT BEST, I’D JUST BE THE EMPEROR’S SON-IN-LAW LIVING IN HIS HOUSE.

IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO KEEP GOING ON LIKE THAT, EDGAR, YOU CAN GO HOME.

HMMM.

SOMETHING’S DEFINITELY STRANGE.

SOMETHING IN OUR LOFTY DUKE’S DEMEANOR

IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT

FROM LAST TIME.

I WONDER WHAT IT COULD BE?

...AH.

YOU WANT AN INTRODUCTION?

WHAT?

THAT WOMAN OVER THERE.

THAT'S HAILEY MORTON, MARQUESS MORTON'S DAUGHTER.

THE MARQUESS MORTON...

IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOUR BUSINESS INTERESTS.

AND SURELY THERE'S NOT MUCH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HER LOOKS, EITHER.

A MATCH LIKE THAT WOULD PROBABLY EVEN PLACATE GRANDMOTHER.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO HIDE THAT LOOK ON YOUR FACE WHEN YOU SAY THAT.

SHE HAS A NICE NECK, I SUPPOSE.

KNOCK KNOCK

WE’VE ARRIVED, LORD EDGAR.

WHAT?!

...I’M SURE SHE’D LOVE TO HEAR THAT.

I’LL BE IN TOUCH SOON.

THEY'RE NOTHING ALIKE.

I'M CLEARLY STILL...

J-JUST A LITTLE SLOWER...

PLEASE...

NGH...!

...INTOXICATED, LOST IN HER SMALL EMBRACE.

HOO...