The Forest of Glass — Chapter 15

EVEN IF IT'S JUST A FRIENDLY MATCH,

HOLDING IT ON THE DAY OF THE ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT...

IS BASICALLY A DECLARATION THAT I'M EXPECTED TO BE NAMED THE BEST PLAYER.

THAT'S NOT DIFFICULT.

EVEN IF THE YOUNG NOBLEMEN SHOW OFF, NONE OF THEM CAN MATCH ME.

BUT...

THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF THIS MAN PARTICIPATED.

CAPTAIN WHITAKER, IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

NATHAN WHITAKER.

THE ONLY SON OF THE DUKE OF WHITAKER,

UNLIKE DEAN, HE SURVIVED THE WAR AND HAS HELD ON TO HIS POSITION EVER SINCE.

WE FOUGHT IN THE SAME WAR, BUT NEITHER OF US PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THE OTHER.

I THOUGHT HE SIMPLY RESENTED ME FOR TAKING DEAN'S PLACE.

SO WHY BOTHER ATTENDING A SOCIAL GATHERING LIKE THIS?

I'D HEARD HE WASN'T THE TYPE TO ENJOY EVENTS LIKE THESE...

Oh my! LOOK OVER THERE!

YOUNG DUKE WHITAKER AND LORD ESTRISEN ARE TOGETHER!

GOODNESS...!

WHY DO THE TWO OF THEM LOOK SO ALIKE?

NOT JUST THEIR FACES, BUT THEIR HEIGHT AND BUILD, TOO!

EXACTLY.

THERE'S EVEN A JOKE THAT IF LORD ESTRISEN HAD BLOND HAIR...

HE WOULD'VE BEEN LEHAN WHITAKER INSTEAD OF LEHAN ESTRISEN!

LORD ESTRISEN SCORED.

I SEE.

Hmph.

HE MUST BE EXCEPTIONALLY ATHLETIC, AT LEAST.

I WONDER IF ALEX IS ALL RIGHT?

MY LADY...! LORD ESTRISEN JUST SCORED ANOTHER POINT!

REALLY? ANOTHER ONE ALREADY?

THE SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS.

THE SCENT OF SWEAT FROM THE PLAYERS—

THEY CONVEY THE ENERGY OF THE GAME TO ME.

IF ONLY I COULD ACTUALLY SEE IT...

Miss!

THIS TIME, IT'S YOUNG DUKE WHITAKER...!

...ALICIA.

I NOTICED THE LIGHTS WERE ON IN THE ANNEX EARLY THIS MORNING. HAVE YOU BEEN HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING LATELY?

AH...

I COULDN'T SLEEP BECAUSE I KEPT THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH ALEX...

I CAN'T TELL FATHER ABOUT THAT...

I WAS JUST TOO EXCITED ABOUT TODAY'S MATCH TO SLEEP WELL, SO PLEASE DON'T WORRY, FATHER.

HMM. WELL, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT...

THERE YOU ARE, MARQUIS EMILHEIM.

WHY AREN'T YOU WATCHING FROM THE SEATS I PREPARED? WHY ARE YOU SITTING HERE?

I WANTED US TO ENJOY THE MATCH TOGETHER...

I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT, BUT...

WE'RE MORE COMFORTABLE HERE, YOUR GRACE.

MISS EMILHEIM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE MET BEFORE.

YOU'RE FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN I'D IMAGINED!

SO THAT'S THE MAN..!

TO SEE HIM IN PERSON...

HIS EYES ARE JUST LIKE...

WITH SUCH A BEAUTIFUL FACE, YOU'LL BE A PERFECT MATCH FOR MY SON.

DON'T YOU AGREE, MARQUIS?

YOUR GRACE, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING...!

MISS ALICIA.

LORD ESTRISEN...?

THERE'S STILL ONE FINAL CHUKKER LEFT.

I'M DRENCHED IN SWEAT AND A COMPLETE MESS, SO I'LL RETURN AFTER WINNING THE GAME.

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD LUCK, LORD ESTRISEN.

OF COURSE. I INTEND TO WIN.

COUNT SAWYER'S RESIDENCE

HOW EXTRAVAGANT.

THERE'S NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT NOBLES ACCUMULATING WEALTH,

BUT WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT IT MIGHT HAVE TAKEN TO AMASS ALL THIS...

THE BLUE TEAM WINS!

LET'S GIVE THE YOUNG NOBLEMEN A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THEIR EFFORTS!

AND ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR LORD ESTRISEN, TODAY'S MVP!

WELL, I BELIEVE THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW.

I'LL SEE YOU ALL AGAIN AT THE BANQUET BEING HELD AT MY ESTATE THIS EVENING.

BE SURE TO BRING YOUR INVITATIONS.

OTHERWISE, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ALLOWED IN!

W-WAIT A MOMENT, COUNT SAWYER!

INVITATIONS?

I WASN'T TOLD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS...!

OH.

THE AFTER-PARTY BANQUET IS EXCLUSIVELY FOR NOBLES.

HOW COULD YOU...!

NO ONE OBJECTED TO THE COUNT'S WORDS.

IN FACT—

MOST OF THEM SEEMED DELIGHTED.

ALL DONE, MISS.

THANK YOU AS ALWAYS, DANI.

IT'S NOTHING, MISS! IT'S YOUR ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT DAY. YOU HAVE TO LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ANYONE ELSE!

MY ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT...

ARE YOU NERVOUS?

NO, IT'S MORE LIKE—

I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I REGRET...

IT'S NOT THAT I REGRET DECIDING TO GET MARRIED.

AFTER ALL, I'M THE ONE WHO MADE THAT CHOICE.

IT'S JUST—

IF ONLY I COULD SEE NORMALLY,

MAYBE THINGS BETWEEN US COULD HAVE TURNED OUT A LITTLE BETTER...

I THINK I SMILED A LITTLE TOO BRIGHTLY EARLIER.

HE PROBABLY DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF WHAT HE DID,

BUT THERE I WAS, GETTING ALL EXCITED OVER IT...

I'VE HEARD PLENTY OF RUMORS ABOUT LA MER PARK.

IF HE CAME OUT OF THERE, THEN SURELY...

IT MEANS THERE'S ANOTHER WOMAN.

I WONDER WHAT KIND OF WOMAN HE LIKES.

I WAS GOING TO KNOCK BECAUSE I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH MISS EMILHEIM...

BUT THE DOOR IS OPEN.

BUT...

WHY ARE ALL THE LIGHTS OFF?