The Forest of Glass — Chapter 12

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

DID YOU KNOW?

LADY SUMMERHILL?

LORD ESTRICHEN...

AH, YOU MUST MEAN LORD LUHAN.

OF COURSE I KNOW. I EVEN KNOW WHO HE PROPOSED TO.

OH, AS EXPECTED. YOUR INFORMATION IS FAST, LADY SUMMERHILL.

TO BE HONEST, I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BECOME THE MISTRESS OF THE GRAND DUCHY,

SO THIS IS RATHER A RELIEF, ISN’T IT?

ARE YOU... SAYING YOU FEEL SORRY FOR LORD LUHAN BECAUSE HE HASN’T RECEIVED A TITLE YET?

W-WELL, THAT IS...

LORD LUHAN IS THE SOLE HEIR TO THE GRAND DUCHY.

THAT TRUTH REMAINS UNCHANGED EVEN IF HE HASN'T OBTAINED A TITLE YET.

"IF AN HEIR IS BORN BETWEEN THE COUPLE...

THAT CHILD WOULD NATURALLY BECOME THE NEXT GRAND DUKE ESTRICHEN.

IT'S FINALLY QUIET.

NEWSPAPER NAME

TWO WALNUT BRANCHES FROM LAMER, 45 GOLD.

GOOD NEWS

TO PUBLISH SUCH A NONSENSICAL ARTICLE THAT MAKES NO SENSE...

IT DOESN'T HELP MY MOOD AT ALL.

IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO ORDER A NEW HAIR ORNAMENT, SO I'LL BE LEAVING FIRST.

I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY MOTHER.

OH, WHAT A SHAME!

TODAY'S MEETING WAS FAR TOO SHORT, LADY SUMMERHILL.

I FEEL THE SAME WAY.

NEXT TIME, LET'S GO TO THE BOUTIQUE TOGETHER TO LOOK AT DRESSES.

CERTAINLY, LADY SUMMERHILL!

LISA.

I HEARD LORD LUHAN PROPOSED TO SOMEONE, SO WHY DIDN'T I KNOW ABOUT IT?

TO THINK I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHAT EVERYONE ELSE KNEW...

I'M QUITE DISPLEASED.

FIND OUT WHO LORD LUHAN PROPOSED TO, THE REASON WHY,

AND WHEN HE DID IT.

BY THE END OF THE DAY.

...YES, MY LADY.

I FIRST MET LUHAN ESTRICHEN EIGHT YEARS AGO IN THE SUMMER.

IT WAS IN OZARK, THE SITE OF THE GREATEST CONFLICT.

AT THE TIME, MY FAMILY HAD OFFERED ALL FOUR OF OUR VILLAS IN OZARK TO BE USED AS MILITARY HOSPITALS,

AND LUHAN WAS THE POWER PLAYER WHO LED THE UNIT

IN PLACE OF THE WOUNDED COMMANDER.

DRESSED IN HIS OFFICER'S UNIFORM, HE WAS BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH TO FALL FOR AT FIRST SIGHT,

AND HE POSSESSED A NOBLE DIGNITY.

TO THE POINT WHERE ONE WOULDN'T THINK HE CAME FROM A COMMONER BACKGROUND.

HE WAS A MAN WHO SUITED THE TITLE OF ARISTOCRAT

FAR BETTER THAN DEANNE ESTRICHEN, WHO STOOD BY HIS SIDE...

USUALLY, HE SEEMED TO HAVE NO INTEREST IN WOMEN AT ALL.

THAT'S WHY IT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME

TO STAND BY HIS SIDE UNDER THE NAME OF A FRIEND...

FOR ANOTHER WOMAN WHO ISN'T ME TO STAND BY HIM...

IT IS SIMPLY ABSURD.

THANK YOU AGAIN TODAY, VISCOUNTESS KLEINS.

YOU’VE WORKED HARD TOO, LADY ALICIA.

VISCOUNTESS KLEINS ALICIA'S BRAILLE TEACHER

COME TO THINK OF IT, I HEARD YOU RECEIVED A PROPOSAL.

CONGRATULATIONS, LADY ALICIA.

THANK YOU.

I TRULY HOPE YOU’LL COME TO THE WEDDING.

ALTHOUGH I DON’T KNOW WHERE THE CEREMONY WILL BE HELD YET.

OF COURSE, I WILL CERTAINLY ATTEND.

WELL THEN, SEE YOU NEXT TIME, LADY ALICIA.

YES.

I WONDER IF VISCOUNTESS KLEINS KNOWS.

THE INSTRUCTIONS PASSED THROUGH BRAILLE IN THE BOOKS SHE GIVES ME...

IF YOU WANT TO HELP ME, PLEASE DON’T TRY TO KNOW ANYTHING.

IF YOU KEEP WANTING TO KNOW, I WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCEPT YOUR HELP.

THAT'S FOR ME... AND FOR US, ALICIA.

I SHOULD TALK TO ALEXANDER WHEN I SEE HIM TODAY.

I NEED TELL HIM TO STOP FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS...

EVEN IF IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE,

I CAN'T JUST STAND BY WHILE A FRIEND IS IN DANGER.

MY LADY, THE MARCHIONESS HAS ARRIVED.

PLEASE, COME IN.

I'M SORRY, MY LESSON JUST FINISHED.

IF I HAD KNOWN YOU WERE COMING, I COULD HAVE AT LEAST ERASED THE PENCIL MARKS.

IT'S FINE, I CAN'T SEE THINGS LIKE THAT ANYWAY.

...I SEE.

MOTHER...?

LET US RECONCILE.

HOW ABOUT WE FORGET EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED AND GET ALONG WELL?

...PARDON?

YOU'RE ABOUT TO BECOME A DUCHESS,

AND IF PEOPLE FIND OUT OUR RELATIONSHIP IS AWKWARD,

IT WILL BE TIRESOME FOR BOTH YOU AND ME.

THE MOMENT YOU BECOME THE SUBJECT OF GOSSIP AND PEOPLE FIND A WEAKNESS,

YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO DREAM OF THE MARRIED LIFE YOU DESIRE.

YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M SAYING, RIGHT, ALICIA?

MOTHER IS AFRAID.

AFRAID THAT PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT US AND POINT FINGERS.

MY DISABILITY MIGHT BE MAKING MY FAMILY SUFFER.

ESPECIALLY MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MOTHER MIGHT BE BEYOND REPAIR...

...OF COURSE, MOTHER.

YES, I KNEW YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND. YOU'RE A SMART GIRL.

ALICIA, MARRIAGE IS THE BEGINNING OF A VERY COMPLICATED TRANSACTION.

LOVE IS BASIC, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE OBSESSED WITH IT.

AFTER YOU GIVE BIRTH TO AN HEIR, IT'S BETTER TO HAVE A HOBBY OR ENGAGE IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES.

YES, I KNOW.

AND ON THE FIRST NIGHT, YOUR HUSBAND WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING, SO YOU JUST HAVE TO FOLLOW HIS LEAD.

YOU MIGHT BE SCARED, BUT YOU MUST NOT RESIST.

SCARED...?

AND WHY SHOULDN'T I RESIST?

IF I DON'T FOLLOW ALONG OBEDIENTLY, DO MEN RESORT TO VIOLENCE?"

THESE DAYS, THERE ARE NO FOOLS WHO CHOOSE SUCH A DIFFICULT PATH.

THEY'LL SIMPLY... FIND AN EASIER WOMAN AND START WANDERING OUTSIDE EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.

BUT THERE'S NO NEED TO BE HURT OR JEALOUS.

NO MATTER WHAT, YOU ARE THE MISTRESS OF THE HOUSE OF ESTRICHEN, ALICIA.

I HOPED FOR A MARRIAGE WHERE WE RESPECT EACH OTHER, EVEN WITHOUT LOVE...

I SUPPOSE WISHING FOR A NORMAL MARRIED LIFE IS GREEDY.

EVEN IF MY HUSBAND WERE TO KISS A MISTRESS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME,

I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO NOTICE...

MY HEADACHE AGAIN...

MEDICINE DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP.

ARE YOU ALRIGHT, MOTHER?

IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE WORRYING TOO MUCH.

SHALL I CALL THE FAMILY DOCTOR?

NO, IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS. I SHOULD BE GOING NOW.

LET'S HAVE A MEAL TOGETHER TOMORROW.

COME TO THE MAIN HOUSE, ALICIA.

YES, MOTHER.

WILL IT REALLY... BE LIKE THAT?

WILL I COME TO FEAR THAT MAN TOO?

A MAN WHO WEARS THE FACE OF A NOBLE ARISTOCRAT BY DAY,

BUT TURNS INTO A MAN WITH EYES LIKE A WILD ANIMAL AT NIGHT.

IT STILL FEELS SO VAGUE.

IF THAT MAN

COULD ALSO BE A GOOD FRIEND, LIKE ALEX IS...

TWO WALNUT BRANCHES FROM LAMER, 45 GOLD IN THE TOWN? DIVASCANS.ORG

SO YOU'RE SAYING THIS...

IS SOME KIND OF MESSAGE?

YES.