The Forest of Glass — Chapter 3

I REALLY CAN'T TODAY, MY LADY.

THE MASTER SAID HE WOULDN'T BE LONG.

IF YOU GO OUT AND HAPPEN TO RUN INTO HIM, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY.

BUT THE WEATHER IS SO LOVELY. I LOVE IT WHEN THE BREEZE IS THIS COOL.

STILL, YOU CAN'T. YOU HAVE SO MUCH HOMEWORK LEFT BY MRS. KLEINS.

HAA, YOU'RE SO MEAN...

AFTER SUFFERING FROM A FEVER AS A CHILD,

I BECAME BLIND.

THE MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD ARE STILL VIVID.

I REMEMBER RUNNING AROUND CHEERFULLY UNDER THE WARM SUNLIGHT,

CLUTCHING ARMFULS OF WILD FLOWERS.

THE LARGE DOG WITH FLUFFY WHITE FUR THAT GREW OVER ITS EYES

ALWAYS WAGGED ITS TAIL,

AND WHILE I SOAKED MY FEET IN THE STREAM THAT CROSSED THE ESTATE,

THE SIGHT OF FALLEN LEAVES AND PETALS TICKLING MY INSTEPS AS THEY FLOWED BY WAS CLEAR.

SO I DECIDED NOT TO LIVE A LIFE STEEPED IN DESPAIR.

BECAUSE IN EXCHANGE FOR TAKING MY SIGHT,

GOD GAVE ME MANY GIFTS.

MY HEARING, SMELL, TOUCH, AND INTUITION ARE MORE DEVELOPED THAN ANYONE ELSE'S.

THEY WERE USEFUL IN MANY WAYS.

EVEN IF I COULDN'T SEE AHEAD,

I COULD NAVIGATE THE MANSION I'D LIVED IN ALL MY LIFE WITHOUT A CANE.

AND I HAVE ONE SECRET,

AND THAT IS...

MY LADY-!

SHALL I PREPARE SOME TEA FOR YOU TO DRINK WHILE YOU DO MRS. KLEINS' HOMEWORK?

ALL RIGHT.

YOU WIN, DANNY.

I'LL HAVE IT READY IN NO TIME!

TO YOU, WHO WISHES TO LEARN THE WALTZ.

REACH OUT YOUR HAND WHILE LOOKING AT YOUR PARTNER.

A TWIRL, AND YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN FOR GETTING POWDER ON HIS TAILCOAT ONCE.

A TWIRL, AND YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN FOR STEPPING ON HIS FEET TWICE.

TODAY'S POEM IS ROMANTIC YET DELIGHTFUL.

MARRIAGE TALK.

ESTRICHEN AND EMILHEIM.

THIS EVENING, THE ESTRICHEN GRAND DUCHY'S HOUSE OF LORDS.

AND...

THE CELLAR OF SAWYER'S WINE WAREHOUSE, TEARS.

MY LADY, SURELY...

I'M SORRY, DANNY.

BUT COULD YOU TELL ALEXANDER I WANT TO SEE HIM TONIGHT?

AT THE USUAL PLACE.

THE GRAND DUCHY OF ESTRICHEN

TODAY WILL BE A VERY MEANINGFUL OCCASION.

DUKE WHITAKER

IN PARTICULAR, IT IS A PLEASURE FOR ME THAT THE MARQUIS OF EMILHEIM HAS JOINED US.

EVERYONE, TO THE LOYALTY OF VARGEN!

RAYMOND. I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE A TOAST.

TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY.

MARQUIS OF EMILHEIM, RAYMOND ETHAN EMILHEIM

AS A SUBJECT, I AM HAPPY TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD.

NOW... ARE WE TO BECOME FAMILY?

WHAT ON EARTH DOES THAT MEAN?

ESTRICHEN AND EMILHEIM ARE BECOMING FAMILY?

YOUR GRACE, MY DAUGHTER HAS A DISABILITY.

THAT IS WHY I AM LOOKING FOR A SON-IN-LAW TO MARRY INTO THE FAMILY, SO WOULDN'T A MARRIAGE TALK WITH THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSE BE IMPOSSIBLE?

A SON-IN-LAW MARRYING INTO THE FAMILY FOR ESTRICHEN...

WOULD BE A DISGRACE TO THE FAMILY.

MARQUIS OF EMILHEIM.

THERE SHALL BE NO DISGRACE IN ESTRICHEN.

I INTEND TO PROPOSE A MARRIAGE TO THE HOUSE OF MARQUIS EMILHEIM.

?

DID YOU SAY EMILHEIM?

RAYMOND ETHAN EMILHEIM WAS A NOBLE WHO CHOSE NEUTRALITY

AND SERVED AS THE COURT COUNT FOR THE PREVIOUS EMPEROR.

A MAN OF GOOD CHARACTER AND A PACIFIST WHO KNEW NO EXCLUSION.

AFTER THE COUNT, WHO SHARED THE SAME VIEWS AS THE PREVIOUS EMPEROR, BECAME A MARQUIS

AND NOT LONG AFTER THE CURRENT EMPEROR INHERITED THE THRONE,

RAYMOND EMILHEIM WITHDREW FROM POLITICS FOR SOME REASON

AND WAS QUIETLY FOCUSING ONLY ON HIS BUSINESS.

WHY WOULD THE PRO-EMPEROR ESTRICHEN APPROACH SUCH A FAMILY...?

AS YOU KNOW, MY SON INTENDED TO BEQUEATH EVERYTHING TO YOU.

BUT THAT WON'T DO...

I WANT TO RESPECT MY SON'S WISHES,

BUT I ALSO NEEDED TIME TO EVALUATE YOU.

FORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE NEVER ONCE DISAPPOINTED ME.

YOU HAVE DONE VERY WELL.

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL CONDITION.

...PLEASE TELL ME MORE.

AS YOU KNOW,

THE EMPIRE IS CURRENTLY IN A STATE OF GREAT POLITICAL TURMOIL.

COMMONERS ARE SHUNNING THE NOBILITY AND COMMITTING TREASON,

AND WORKERS ARE BABBLING NONSENSE ABOUT WANTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

I THOUGHT IT WAS NOTHING, BUT FOR SOME REASON, THEIR MOMENTUM ISN'T DYING DOWN.

I BELIEVE THERE IS SOMEONE BEHIND THEM.

ARE YOU SAYING THAT SOMEONE IS PLANNING A COUP?

YES.

IN FACT... WE SUSPECTS THE MARQUIS.

YOUR MISSION IS TO BECOME THE MARQUIS'S SON-IN-LAW AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIM.

IT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER IF YOU COULD FIND EVIDENCE OF A COUP.

ALSO, IF THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSE APPEARS TO JOIN HANDS WITH EMILHEIM PUBLICLY,

THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT MIGHT CALM DOWN A BIT.

THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND.

IS IT OKAY TO JUST ACCEPT SUCH A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL?

IF THERE'S ANOTHER SCHEME, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE A PARTNER I CAN AT LEAST TALK TO.

IF IT'S PUBLIC SENTIMENT YOU WANT, WOULDN'T THE HOUSE OF COUNT SUMMERHILL, THE CURRENT COURT COUNT, BE BETTER?

COUNT SUMMERHILL OFFERED HIS MANSION AND VILLA AS HOSPITALS DURING THE WAR,

AND SPARED NO SUPPORT.

ALSO, I HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF FRIENDSHIP WITH THE LADY OF SUMMERHILL...

HAHA.

THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE, LUHAN.

EVEN IF YOU ARE MY SON...

THERE'S NO WAY THE HOUSE OF COUNT SUMMERHILL WOULD ACCEPT YOU.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE MARQUIS OF EMILHEIM'S DAUGHTER HAS A MAJOR DISABILITY.

EVEN IF DEANNE WERE STILL ALIVE, I WOULD HAVE MADE THE SAME PROPOSAL.

IT IS THE FATE OF THE HIGH NOBILITY. THERE IS NO CHOICE.

THE FATE OF THE HIGH NOBILITY...

NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WRAP MYSELF IN THE SHELL OF A NOBLE, MY ESSENCE DOES NOT CHANGE.

DEANNE.

IN THE PLACE WHERE YOU SHOULD BE RIGHT NOW,

MY FEET, STAİNED WİTH DİRTY BLOOD, ARE RESTİNG.