CHARLES.
WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?
WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE DID YOU CAUSE IN THE SHORT TIME I STEPPED AWAY?
I DIDN'T CAUSE ANY TROUBLE. THE HORNET DID.
HORNET...?
WAIT, ARE YOU HURT?
AH, YEAH... IT'S NOTHING MUCH, BUT—
YOUR ARM'S SWOLLEN UP LIKE A BALLOON, AND YOU CALL THAT NOTHING MUCH...!
?
WORKING ON MISSIONS, YOU'RE BOUND TO GET HURT SOMETIMES.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S MY FIRST TIME EXPERIENCING IT, SO WHY IS HE MAKING SUCH A BIG FUSS?
Ah!
IS IT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY EYES WATCHING?
WELL, SINCE WE'RE SET UP AS STAR-CROSSED LOVERS, IT'S NATURAL FOR HIM TO WORRY, I SUPPOSE.
THEN, SHALL I PLAY ALONG A LITTLE BIT...?
SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WORRY, LOU.
I CAUGHT IT ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT, BUT HONESTLY, I WAS SO SCARED...
COUNT, I APOLOGIZE, BUT WE MUST HEAD BACK FOR NOW.
I BELIEVE I NEED TO TAKE MY FIANCÉE TO A PHYSICIAN.
AHH, RIGHT. GO ON AHEAD, THEN.
THANK YOU. THEN, PLEASE EXCUSE US FIRST.
LADY CHARLES LOOKED SO CALM EVEN AFTER BEING STUNG BY A HORNET...
BUT IN TRUTH, SHE WAS JUST PRETENDING IT DIDN'T HURT SO WE WOULDN'T WORRY!
I'm quite alright, young ladies.
AH...!
TH-THE TWO OF THEM ARE LEAVING ALREADY?
WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO THANK LADY CHARLES...!
IF WE WANT ANY HOPE OF MEETING AGAIN...!
L-LADY CHARLES!
J—
JUST YOU WAIT—!!!
...IS THAT A DECLARATION OF WAR...?
"Just you wait"?
LET ME SEE THE WOUND.
THIS IS A FIRST-RATE RECOVERY POTION, SO IT WILL HEAL QUICKLY.
Ah,
IT'S FINE. A LITTLE SPIT ON THIS WILL FIX IT RIGHT UP.
IT'S JUST A BIT SWOLLEN, ANYWAY.
YOUR ARM IS ALL SWOLLEN UP AND YOU SAY IT'S FINE?
JUST HOW BADLY DO YOU HAVE TO BE INJURED BEFORE YOU'LL SAY IT'S NOT FINE?
...JUST HOW DEEPLY HAS HE IMMERSED HIMSELF IN THIS ACT?
STOP TALKING NONSENSE AND LET ME APPLY THE MEDICINE.
UGH, FINE. WHY ARE YOU SO IRRITATED?
YOU ALWAYS TAKE YOUR IRRITATION OUT ON ME ALONE.
THAT'S BECAUSE CHARLES, YOU-!
...FORGET IT. NEVER MIND.
IT'S GOING TO STING, BUT BEAR WITH IT.
BY THE WAY, YOU DO KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF YOU, CHARLES, I WASN’T EVEN ABLE TO TALK PROPERLY WITH THE COUNT, RIGHT?
Ahem
TO BE PRECISE, IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE WASP.
IT’S NOT LIKE I WANTED THINGS TO TURN OUT THIS WAY, EITHER.
STILL, AS A RESULT, I SAVED EVELYN.
SO WOULDN’T THE COUNT’S HOUSEHOLD SHOW SOME SORT OF REWARD?
ISN’T THIS A GOOD OUTCOME OVERALL?
BY ANY CHANCE, DID YOU INTEND TO WIN OVER THE YOUNG LADY’S FAVOR LIKE THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING?
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU KNEW A HORNET WAS GOING TO APPEAR, IS IT?
AS LONG AS THINGS TURN OUT WELL, THAT'S WHAT MATTERS, SO WHY IS HE ALWAYS PICKING FIGHTS?
DO YOU MEAN TO SAY I EVEN ANTICIPATED A WASP FLYING INTO THE BANQUET HALL?
NOT EVERYONE MOVES ACCORDING TO A WELL-CRAFTED SCRIPT LIKE YOU DO, YOU KNOW?
HUH?
ACTUALLY, IF IT HAD GONE ACCORDING TO MY PLAN, I SHOULD'VE EARNED PLENTY OF HATRED FROM THE YOUNG LADIES,
BUT INSTEAD, I ENDED UP SAVING THEM-SO I'M THE ONE WHO'S IN A TOUGH SPOT!
DON'T SIMPLY JUDGE HELPING SOMEONE WILLINGLY
AS SOME KIND OF SCHEME TO GAIN FAVOR.
...CHARLES, YOU REALLY DO SEE THE WORLD SO SIMPLY.
SUCH KIND PEOPLE DON'T JUST EXIST OUT THERE IN THE WORLD.
"WANTING TO HELP OTHERS" IS NOTHING MORE THAN A PRETTY EXCUSE.
THERE'S A REASON BEHIND EVERY TIME SOMEONE REACHES OUT A HAND TO ANOTHER.
WHEN YOU SAVED THE YOUNG LADIES, CHARLES,
DIDN’T YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND, HOPE THAT ACTION WOULD BENEFIT YOU IN SOME WAY?
...WELL, WHO KNOWS. IF YOU CALL IT A PURPOSE, THEN I DID HAVE ONE.
SEE THAT—
THE PEOPLE RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES—
I HAD TO SAVE THEM. THAT WAS THE PURPOSE.
AN UNEXPECTED SITUATION PRESENTED ITSELF,
AND SINCE I HAD THE POWER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, I SIMPLY STEPPED UP.
IT'S ONLY NATURAL FOR A HUMAN TO SAVE ANOTHER HUMAN.
CHARLES, EVERY TIME YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT...
I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK YOU ARE TRULY A DIFFERENT PERSON FROM ME.
WHAT IS IT.... HE GREW UP IN COMFORT UNDER THE HIGH PRIEST, YET HE'S TRYING TO ACT ALL PROFOUND.
Ahem...
IF YOU'RE STILL SUSPICIOUS THAT I PLANNED THE INCIDENT, FEEL FREE TO INVESTIGATE.
I HAVE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE, SO I DON'T CARE.
Whew...
WELL... FINE. ANYWAY, HANDLE THE COUNT FLORIA SIDE OF THINGS FROM NOW ON, CHARLES.
YOU SAVED EVELYN, SO IT SHOULD BE EASY TO GET CLOSER TO THEM.
...RIGHT.
AND NEXT WEEK, A PARTY IS BEING HELD AT THE MARQUIS OF BIDEN'S HOUSEHOLD.
THEN TOO...
JUST ACT LIKE YOU DID TODAY.
AT LEAST THE LOVERS' ACT WAS QUITE GOOD.
...ALRIGHT.
I WAS STARTLED BECAUSE HE SUDDENLY CAME AT ME SO INTENSELY....
THAT EVENING, LOU VANZEN'S MANSION
I FIGURED CATACLE WOULD CONTACT ME AROUND TODAY.
IS IT TOO EARLY?
I DIDN'T EVEN DO MUCH, BUT I'M TIRED.
THIS IS WHY BANQUETS ARE THE WORST.
WHO IS IT—!!!
...IT'S BEEN A WHILE,
CAPTAIN BAILER.
After a wasp sting leaves his arm swollen, Charles is met with Lou's worried reaction. To keep up their role as star-crossed lovers, he apologizes and, as her fiancé, gets permission from the Count to be taken to a physician. While young ladies hail him as a hero, Lou applies a first-class healing potion to his wound. The pair argue over whether the rescue was planned and his reason for helping people.
