The Forest of Glass — Chapter 11

FURTHERMORE, PRIVATE SOLDIERS WERE DISPATCHED WHEN A ROBBERY OCCURRED AT COUNT SAWYER'S WINE WAREHOUSE,

BUT THEY WERE FRAMED AND ARRESTED BY THE SECURITY GUARD FORCE.

SINCE THE ROBBERS ARE STILL BOLDLY ROAMING THE CITY STREETS,

THE SECURITY GUARD FORCE MUST STAKE ITS LIFE ON CAPTURING THE CRIMINALS.

THE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF ALEXANDER PERSBRANDT, CAPTAIN OF THE SECURITY GUARD FORCE, IS IN DOUBT.

THE NEWSPAPERS DELIVERED TO THE MANSION ARE FOR THE NOBILITY.

I KNEW THE NOBLES DISLIKED ALEXANDER, THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD,

BUT TO CRITICIZE HIM SO BITINGLY...

I HOPE ALEXANDER

DOESN’T SEE THIS PAPER...

MY LADY, IT’S MARSHA.

YES, COME IN.

LORD ESTRICHEN HAS ARRIVED AT THE MANSION WITH AN ATTORNEY.

THEY ARE IN THE STUDY WITH THE MASTER...

MR. BERTO SAYS THEY CAME TO RECEIVE THE ENGAGEMENT CONFIRMATION.

AND THAT THE WEDDING DATE WILL BE SET SOON...

THAT MAN I SAW LAST NIGHT

IS HERE AT THE MANSION NOW.

UNDER THE BRIGHT LIGHT–

WHAT KIND OF APPEARANCE WILL HE HAVE?

HELLO, LORD ESTRICHEN.

GOOD MORNING, MISS EMILHEIM.

LET'S WALK FOR A MOMENT.

AH...

I WILL ESCORT YOU.

SHALL WE?

YES.

WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE SO EARLY IN THE MORNING?

ISN'T IT PROTOCOL TO ASK HOW ONE IS DOING FIRST?

FOR THAT... YOUR VOICE SOUNDS FAR TOO HEALTHY.

SINCE I'LL BE LIVING HERE SOON,

I THOUGHT IT WOULDN'T BE A BAD IDEA TO LOOK AROUND IN ADVANCE.

IS THAT TRUE? WILL YOU AGREE TO MY CONDITIONS?

YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MADE THAT A CONDITION OF THE MARRIAGE.

THE ANNEX ISN'T THAT LARGE.

THE WALKING TRAILS ARE SHORT, TOO,

AND I SPEND MOST OF MY DAYLIGHT HOURS IN THE TEA ROOM.

AH... THERE IS ONE MORE PLACE...

MY LADY.

DO YOU REALLY THINK I CAME HERE BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PLACE?

I'M SORRY FOR STARTLING YOU YESTERDAY.

SO YOU ONLY... CAME TO CONFIRM IT.

WHETHER I HAD SEEN YOU.

LET'S CALL IT AN APOLOGY.

AS YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW, I CANNOT SEE.

EVEN NOW... I CANNOT SEE YOU.

YESTERDAY, I SIMPLY CAUGHT THE SCENT OF BLOOD.

IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR MEN TO GET INTO FIGHTS WHILE DRINKING,

SO I HAVE NO INTENTION OF INTERFERING OR NAGGING.

I HAVE NO REASON TO GO AROUND TALKING ABOUT IT,

SO YOU NEEDN'T WORRY ABOUT YOUR REPUTATION.

IT WASN'T THAT I WANTED TO CONFIRM YOUR BLINDNESS.

YOU ARE SO DIFFERENT FROM THE BLIND PEOPLE I'VE SEEN

THAT I ALMOST MADE A FOOLISH ASSUMPTION.

...ARE THERE MANY BLIND PEOPLE IN THE CITY?

IT'S NOT JUST THE BLIND.

THERE ARE THOSE WHO CANNOT WALK,

AND MANY WHO CANNOT SPEAK OR HEAR.

AND THEY...

I KNOW.

YOU WANT TO SAY THAT UNLIKE ME, THEY LIVE LIVES OF SUFFERING.

I... KNOW AT LEAST THAT MUCH.

IT SEEMS THERE IS WATER NEARBY.

WE MUST HAVE REACHED THE VICINITY OF THE LAKE.

IT'S NOT LARGE,

BUT THE WATER COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINS IS COLD AND CLEAN, MAKING IT A GOOD PLACE FOR A SWIM.

...IS THAT SO.

MY LORD.

WOULD YOU LET ME TOUCH YOUR FACE JUST ONCE?

...MY FACE?

YOU HAVE SEEN MY FACE, BUT I DON'T KNOW YOURS.

THAT'S... UNFAIR.

IS SHE PLANNING TO GUESS MY APPEARANCE BY TOUCHING MY FACE?

THE SCENT OF CRUSHED ROSES

IS THIS THE FRAGRANCE FROM A GARDEN DEEP WITHIN A LUSH FOREST?

OR IS IT...

THE PUNGENT SCENT OF SUMMER...

“CAFÉ DE RUNDEL,” LUSON CITY

IS THIS THE NEW TOBACCO?

THE AROMA IS VERY UNIQUE AND PLEASANT!

YOU’RE RIGHT, IT’S NOT HARSH AT ALL!

HERE ARE THE CHOCOLATE FINANCIERS YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

LADY SUMMERHILL.

THANK YOU, CLARKS.

ROBERTA SUMMERHILL 《DAUGHTER OF COUNT SUMMERHILL》

COULD YOU BRING AN ASHTRAY?

YES, MY LADY.

I'VE BEEN DILIGENTLY PREPARING FOR TODAY FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

THE FAMILY OF COURT COUNT SUMMERHILL.

THEY OPENED THEIR PRIVATE VILLA DURING THE WAR TO SERVE AS A MILITARY HOSPITAL,

AND SINCE THE WAR ENDED, THEY HAVE BEEN RUNNING A SPONSORSHIP BUSINESS TO HELP SOLDIERS’ REHABILITATION.

A VERY PRESTIGIOUS FAMILY.

ESPECIALLY LADY ROBERTA, WHO IS SAID TO HAVE VISITED THE BATTLE- FIELDS HERSELF WITH RELIEF SUPPLIES...

THEREFORE, IT IS NATURAL FOR A CITIZEN OF THE VARGEN EMPIRE

TO HOLD A HEART OF RESPECT FOR THE COUNT’S FAMILY.

THE SAME MUST BE TRUE FOR THE YOUNG NOBLE LADIES AND THE DAUGHTERS OF THE GENTRY GATHERED HERE.

LADY SUMMERHILL, WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO HAVE A NEW DRESS MADE?

IT WILL BE GETTING HOT SOON...

IF YOU DON'T MIND, MAY I VISIT YOU WITH SOME NEWLY IMPORTED FABRICS?

OH, LADY CANON.

WOULDN'T MISS ROBERTA HAVE HAD HER DRESS MADE ALREADY?

THE SUMMERHILL FAMILY IS ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD.

HOWEVER, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE NEW FABRICS.

THEN, SINCE I'LL BE HOSTING A TEA PARTY, WOULD YOU VISIT ME SOMETIME SOON?

I'D LOVE TO!

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING BARON CANON'S COLLECTION AFTER SO LONG.

BY THE WAY, MISS ROBERTA?

I HEARD THE MOST PROMISING AND FAMOUS LORD ESTRICHEN IN LUSON HAS PROPOSED.

WERE YOU AWARE?