The Forest of Glass — Chapter 5

WHO ARE YOU?

BROAD, STURDY SHOULDERS.

A STRAIGHT BRIDGE OF THE NOSE ABOVE DEFINED LIPS AND A SHARP JAWLINE.

AND...

A SHARP SCENT OF MINT WAFTING THROUGH THE HEAVY AROMA OF A CIGAR...

EX-

EXCUSE ME...

IS IT A LITTLE GIRL?

WHAT?

A child?

"A CHILD"?!

A heart-fluttering height difference?

W-WELL, OF COURSE, FROM THIS MAN'S PERSPECTIVE,

IT'S NATURAL THAT I'D LOOK SMALL, BUT...

?

EVEN SO, TO CALL ME A CHILD...!

EXCUSE ME, I AM...!

OH, MY APOLOGIES.

SHE'S WITH ME. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET IN FRONT OF LAMER PARK...

BUT IT SEEMS SHE TOOK A WRONG TURN.

ALEX!

VIRGIN SHELL

...PRESSING YOUR EAR AGAINST A BUILDING IS A SURE WAY TO DRAW SUSPICION.

I HOPE YOU WON'T BE SO RUDE AS TO EAVESDROPPING ON OTHERS' CONVERSATIONS IN THE FUTURE.

IT WOULD BE BEST FOR THE YOUNG LADY TO LEARN SOME MANNERS.

RUDENESS?

ISN'T IT RUDER TO SUDDENLY HOLD A BLADE TO SOMEONE'S THROAT?

Hahaha,

WE'RE NOT EVEN NOBLES, SO WHY BOTHER WITH FORMALITIES?

ANYWAY, WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INTRUSION.

HOWEVER,

IF YOU SWING A SWORD AROUND LIKE THAT ANYWHERE YOU PLEASE, YOU'LL BE MISTAKEN FOR A THUG.

WELL THEN, FAREWELL.

VIRGIN SHELL

THAT GUY WAS A BIT OF A JERK, WASN'T HE?

YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT...

HE WAS A TRULY STRANGE MAN.

JUST WHO COULD HE BE?

VIRGIN SHELL

VIRGIN SHELL

VIRGIN SHELL...

NEVER AGAIN.

I'LL NEVER EVEN BRUSH PAST THAT AREA AGAIN.

LUSON EVERTOWN SECURITY GUARD FORCE

THAT WAS TOO DANGEROUS EARLIER, ALICIA.

ALEXANDER PERSBRANDT, CAPTAIN OF THE SECURITY GUARD FORCE

THAT MAN MISUNDERSTOOD.

I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF A CARRIAGE.

YOUR MAID IS THE SAME AS EVER.

WRAPPING YOU UP SO TIGHTLY EVERY TIME.

DANNY IS A 'SAFETY FIRST' KIND OF PERSON.

I REALLY LIKE THAT I CAN WALK AROUND WITH PEACE OF MIND THANKS TO HER.

YEAH, I SEE.

There.

ALL DONE, ALICIA.

THANKS, ALEX.

ALEC?

...YOU SAID AN INSTRUCTION WAS ISSUED?

YES.

SAWYER'S WINE WAREHOUSE BASEMENT, TEARS.

COUNT SAWYER?

COUNT SAWYER, HUH...

...ALEX. ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME YOU TOLD ME?

THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON GIVING YOU THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

I CAN TELL FROM THE NEWSPAPERS DANNY READS TO ME.

THAT AN INCIDENT OCCURS EVERY TIME AN INSTRUCTION IS ISSUED.

IF YOU KEEP DOING THIS, YOU'LL BE IN DANGER... RIGHT?

ALEX, IF IT MEANS YOU'RE IN DANGER, THEN I...

NO, ALICIA.

WE WILL NEVER BE IN ANY DANGER.

SO YOU JUST NEED TO HELP ME OUT A LITTLE BIT, LIKE YOU'RE DOING NOW.

FOR NOW, I COULDN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE, ALICIA.

THANK YOU, AS ALWAYS.

...I UNDERSTAND.

I WON'T ASK ANYMORE.

ALICIA...

ALWAYS SHINING SO BRIGHTLY,

MY GIRL, ALICIA...

I FELL FOR YOU AT FIRST SIGHT, FROM THE MOMENT I FIRST SAW YOU.

I BECAME A SOLDIER JUST TO STAND PROUDLY BY HER SIDE,

AND ROSE TO THE POSITION OF CAPTAIN OF THE SECURITY GUARD FORCE.

AND SOON, I WILL EVEN OBTAIN THE TITLE OF BARON.

BUT...

A MERE BARON OF GENTRY ORIGIN

COULD NEVER SEND A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL TO THE GREAT NOBLE HOUSE OF MARQUIS EMILHEIM.

BECAUSE I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS REALITY...

I AM FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF 'R'.

AND WHEN THE TIME COMES...

I WILL TELL ALICIA HOW I FEEL.

...ALEX.

ACTUALLY, THERE WAS ONE MORE INSTRUCTION.

ONE MORE?

'MARRIAGE TALK. ESTRICHEN AND EMILHEIM.'

'THIS EVENING, THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSE OF ESTRICHEN, HOUSE OF LORDS,' IT SAID...

...MARRIAGE TALK?

MARRIAGE TALK...!

YOU MEAN ESTRICHEN IS PROPOSING MARRIAGE TO YOU?

WHY SO SUDDENLY...?!

I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS EITHER,

BUT SURELY IT MUST BE A FLAWED MARRIAGE ON THEIR END TOO.

WHAT MAN WOULD WANT TO TAKE A WOMAN WITH A DISABILITY AS HIS BRIDE?

DON'T SAY THAT, ALICIA.

THAT'S NOT WHY PEOPLE GET MARRIED.

IF HE TRULY LOVES YOU, YOUR DISABILITY WON'T BE AN OBSTACLE.

MY HEART

MY HEART HURTS SO MUCH.

TO SEE THE WOMAN I LOVE FEELING SO SMALL IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD...

IT'S NOT THAT EASY FOR A MARRIAGE TO BE FINALIZED.

SO DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH, ALICIA.

...I SHOULD HEAD BACK NOW.

I HAVE TO GET HOME BEFORE MY FATHER RETURNS.

THANKS FOR COMFORTING ME, ALEX.

...I'LL WALK YOU TO THE SHORTCUT.

SO THAT ALICIA ISN'T FORCED INTO MARRIAGE.

SO THAT THE WORLD WOULDN'T BREAK ALICIA'S HEART.

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE...

MARQUIS EMILHEIM? IS THAT TRUE?

THEO HAWKINS (EXECUTIVE OF VIRGIN SHELL) · INFORMATION GATHERER ·

KENNETH BARNETT (EXECUTIVE OF VIRGIN SHELL) · ACTION LEADER ·

YES.

I'M GOING TO MARRY THE DAUGHTER OF MARQUIS EMILHEIM.

LUHAN AB ESTRICHEN (LEADER OF VIRGIN SHELL)

• LEADER OF VIRGIN SHELL •