The Forest of Glass — Chapter 6

VIRGIN SHELL.

VIRGIN SHELL

VIRGIN SHELL IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT DEMANDS EQUAL VOTING RIGHTS

AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION FOR THE WORKING CLASS, INCLUDING THE MIDDLE CLASS.

THEY WANT A WORLD THAT IS NOT SWAYED BY A SINGLE WORD FROM A NOBLE,

BUT A WORLD WHERE ANYONE CAN RAISE THEIR VOICE FOR AN IDEAL LIFE.

BY RECRUITING MEDIA OUTLETS, PRINTING HOUSES,

PORTS, AND HOSPİTALS, THEY GRADUALLY SOUGHT TO CHANGE CİVİC CONSCİOUSNESS

AND PUNISHED NOBLES WHO COMMITTED CRIMES WITHOUT BEING PENALIZED.

THE "INSTRUCTIONS" FOR THESE ACTIVITIES WERE DELIVERED BY SOMEONE.

SOMEONE AT THE VERY TOP OF VIRGIN SHELL,

SOMEONE WHOSE IDENTITY REMAINS UNKNOWN...

WE CALLED THEM "R."

IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

THIS IS A REAL PAIN.

THE MARQUIS AND HIS WIFE ARE FAMOUS ENOUGH...

BUT ALMOST NOTHING IS KNOWN ABOUT THE LYERVINE MANSION.

INFORMATION IS TOO SCARCE.

AT THIS RATE, WE MIGHT END UP GETTING NOTHING AND JUST BEING TOYED WITH BY THE GRAND DUKE...

SO, ARE YOU PLANNING TO GIVE UP?

GABY...!

GABY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "GIVE UP"?

WHO DO YOU THINK I AM!

CAREFUL...

SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU GET MARRIED, LUHAN?

GABY SINGLETON «VIRGIN SHELL EXECUTIVE» PERFUMER • OWNER OF VIRGIN SHELL

HE SAID IF I MARRY THE MARQUIS'S DAUGHTER, HE'LL HAND OVER THE CAPITAL MANSION, THE SERVANTS,

AND 40% OF THE RAILWAY BUSINESS RIGHTS FIRST.

THEN, WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE MARRIAGE?

I HAVE TO PRODUCE AN HEIR.

IF IT'S A BOY, HE'LL EXECUTE THE TRANSFER OF ALL OF DEANNE'S PROPERTY,

AND IF I HAVE A GIRL THEN A BOY, IT'LL BE SPLIT 50-50.

HA, HOW PATHETIC!

DON'T THINK OF IT SO NEGATIVELY.

THIS MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US.

AN OPPORTUNITY...?

THE EMPEROR SEEMS TO THINK MARQUIS EMILHEIM IS HELPING US FROM BEHIND THE SCENES.

WHAT? HOW DID SUCH A MISUNDERSTANDING HAPPEN...?

I SEE.

IF WE CAN DIVERT THE EYES OF THE EMPEROR AND THE GRAND DUKE THAT WAY...

EXACTLY. THE VIRGIN SHELL WILL BE ABLE TO OPERATE MORE FREELY.

BUT WILL THE MARQUIS EVEN ACCEPT THIS MARRIAGE PROPOSAL?

SURELY HE'LL REALIZE THIS PROPOSAL IS SUSPICIOUS.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.

THE MARQUIS'S DAUGHTER HAS A DISABILITY.

SHE'S BLIND, JUST LIKE GABY.

EVEN FOR A HIGH NOBLE, THERE WON'T BE A BETTER MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FOR A DISABLED NOBLEWOMAN THAN THIS.

SO, WE MUST USE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

BECAUSE THERE WON'T BE A BETTER CHANCE THAN THIS.

NOW, THEN.

A NEW INSTRUCTION HAS COME DOWN FROM R.

SAWYER'S WINE WAREHOUSE BASEMENT, TEARS.

LUHAN, THAT INSTRUCTION... COULD IT BE...!

YEAH.

IT'S AN INFILTRATION MISSION, THE FIRST IN A WHILE.

EVERYONE, GET READY!

YES, CAPTAIN!

VIRGIN SHELL

SHAWN.

AS SOON AS THE REPLY COMES FROM THE MARQUIS, I'M GOING TO PROPOSE TO THAT BLIND WOMAN.

I'LL PREPARE A GIFT THAT WOMEN WOULD LIKE.

GOOD.

VIRGIN SHELL

SHE WAS A WOMAN WHO LOOKED QUITE FUNNY

AND EVEN CUTE WHEN SHE WAS STARTLED AND FLUSTERED.

THOUGH I COULDN'T SEE HER FACE AT ALL.

LUHAN, WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT WOMAN?

WHAT ABOUT HER?

I'M ASKING WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT BLIND WOMAN, THE MARQUIS'S DAUGHTER,

AFTER OUR WORK IS DONE.

A DAUGHTER OF A PACIFIST WHO CHOSE NEUTRALITY, OCCASIONALLY PERFORMS RELIEF ACTIVITIES FOR CITIZENS,

AND POSSESSES A GOOD CHARACTER THAT KNOWS NO EXCLUSION.

BUT SHE PROBABLY KNOWS NOTHING EITHER.

HOW THE PEOPLE IN THE SLUMS LIVE,

OR WHAT KIND OF PAIN THEY SUFFER DAY BY DAY.

JUST LIKE THOSE CRACKERS ON THAT PLATE...

THE ONES GABY WORKED SO HARD TO PLATE DESPITE BEING UNABLE TO SEE.

THAT'S...

...NONE OF MY CONCERN.

ESTRICHEN... THE GRAND DUKE?

YES. FIRSTLY, HIS MAJESTY COMMANDED IT.

AND SECONDLY, ESTRICHEN HIMSELF DESIRED IT.

AH...

BIG SISTER, BIG SISTER!

WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS COVERING YOUR EYES?

CAMILLA W. EMILHEIM • SECOND DAUGHTER OF THE MARQUIS OF EMILHEIM

CAMILLA, IT'S BECAUSE I LOVE PLAYING HIDE-AND-SEEK.

I WAS THE SEEKER JUST NOW, BUT FATHER CAUGHT ME.

REALLY?!

BIG SISTER, CAMILLA TOO! CAMILLA WANTS TO PLAY HIDE-AND-SEEK TOO!

NEXT TIME, I'LL TELL DANNY AND INVITE YOU TO THE ANNEX, CAMILLA.

LET'S PLAY THEN, OKAY?

HMPH... BUT...

CAMILLA, SHALL WE TAKE A WALK TO THE ANNEX WITH MARSHA?

DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WANTED TO EAT THE COOKIES MARSHA MADE LAST TIME?

MARSHA "ANNEX MAID"

THE COOKIES MARSHA MADE?

YES, THE ONES WITH LOTS OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS.

LET'S GO QUICKLY, MOTHER!

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO.

BIG SISTER!

YOU MUST INVITE ME NEXT TIME!

YES, I WILL.

IF MOTHER ALLOWS IT.

...LET'S GO, CAMILLA.

YES, MOTHER.

ALICIA...

FATHER.

I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD MY DEBUTANTE YET... THIS MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FEELS A BIT SUDDEN.

IT SEEMS SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

YES, IT IS A VERY SUDDEN PROPOSAL.

YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT THE YOUNG DUKE OF ESTRICHEN WAS KILLED IN ACTION,

AND THE GRAND DUKE'S FAMILY TOOK IN A FOSTER SON.

YES.

DANNY TOLD ME HE'S A SOLDIER FROM A COMMONER BACKGROUND AND WAS A HOT TOPIC ON THE FRONT PAGES OF SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS.

HIS NAME IS LUHAN AB ESTRICHEN.

EVEN THOUGH HE BECAME THE GRAND DUKE'S FOSTER SON, HE HASN'T RECEIVED A TITLE.

THAT MEANS HE HASN'T BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE GRAND DUKE,

AND HE HASN'T INHERITED DEANNE ESTRICHEN'S PROPERTY EITHER.

HE'S CLEARLY TRYING TO FULFILL THOSE CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS MARRIAGE.

NO MATTER HOW MUCH HE TRIES TO COAX US WITH SWEET WORDS,

HE CAN'T HIDE HIS CUNNING INTENTIONS.

I CANNOT GIVE MY DAUGHTER TO SUCH A MAN...

DON'T FORGET, MARQUIS EMILHEIM.

WHAT KEEPS YOUR...

AND OUR PEACE ALIVE.

NOW...

PERHAPS THE TIME HAS COME TO MAKE A DECISION...

WILL OUR FAMILY BE HARMED IF I DON'T ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL?

ALICIA, YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT SUCH THINGS.

FATHER,

YOU SAID THAT MAN IS ONLY AFTER THE INHERITANCE.

I FIGURED I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE A NORMAL MARRIAGE ANYWAY... SINCE I HAVE A DISABILITY.

IF HE INHERITS THE GRAND DUKE'S PROPERTY, THEN I'LL HAVE A WEALTHY HUSBAND.

HAVING A LOT OF MONEY WILL LESSEN THE WORRIES OF YOU AND MOTHER.

ISN'T THAT RIGHT?

ALICIA...!

AS A NOBLE LADY, I CAN'T AVOID MARRIAGE FOREVER.

FOR SOMEONE BLIND LIKE ME, THERE WON'T BE ANY BETTER CONDITIONS THAN THIS, FATHER.

IT SEEMS... I'M NOT READY TO LET YOU GO YET.

PLEASE DON'T WORRY TOO MUCH, FATHER.

HE MIGHT BE A GOOD PERSON.

ALICIA, YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL AND LOVELY CHILD.

SOMEONE WHO TRULY LOVES YOU WILL SURELY APPEAR.

EVEN IF THIS MARRIAGE DOESN'T HAPPEN, DO NOT WORRY.

I WILL MAKE SURE TO FIND YOU A GOOD MATCH.

...THANK YOU, FATHER.