I Plan to End This Possession — Chapter 11

ALICE, DON'T CRY.

WHAT ON EARTH DID DANAE SAY TO MAKE YOU LIKE THIS?

I...

I WENT TO SEE HER WITH A MOONLIGHT FLOWER AS AN APOLOGY, BUT...

SHE SAID...

I GUARANTEE YOU, THE MOONLIGHT FLOWER BUSINESS WILL BE RUINED WITHIN A MONTH.

AND IT WILL BE ALL BECAUSE OF YOU.

HOW COULD SHE SAY SOMETHING SO AWFUL?!

WHY ARE YOU JUST TAKING THAT FROM HER?

YOU SHOULD TEACH HER A LESSON!

B-BUT...

HOW CAN I?

WHAT IF IT TURNS OUT JUST LIKE SHE SAID?

I DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT ANY OF THIS.

I TOLD MOM AND DAD I COULD DO IT, BUT...

THIS IS ALL DANAE'S FAULT TO BEGIN WITH.

IF ONLY SHE HAD LOOKED AT ME WITH ENVY AT THE ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY...!

OF COURSE, I NEVER WANTED TO HURT HER, BUT...

STILL!

AT LEAST A LITTLE..

COULDN'T SHE LOOK UP TO ME JUST A LITTLE...?

EVEN SHE WANTED A MOONLIGHT FLOWER,

SO THAT'S WHY I GATHERED THE COURAGE TO GIVE HER...

DON'T WORRY, ALICE!

YOU HAVE ME!

MIONA, YOU...?

AH.

MIONA'S FATHER,

VISCOUNT CRUISER, WAS THE HEAD OF A MAJOR TRADING COMPANY.

BECAUSE OF THAT, MIDNA WAS ALSO GROOMED AS HIS SUCCESSOR FROM A YOUNG AGE.

EVEN THOUGH A— FEW YEARS AGO...

THE SHIP CARRYING HER FATHER AND THEIR ENTIREFORTUNE SANK INTO THE SEA.

I FORGOT SINCE SHE'S MY MAID NOW.

SO, DO YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA?

YEAH, AS A MATTER OF FACT...

I HAVE A WONDERFUL IDEA.

SELL THE MOONLIGHT FLOWER BUDS...

YOU SAY?

WHAT KIND OF FOOLISH NONSENSE IS THAT, ALICE?!

SELLING THE ROOTS BEFORE THE FLOWERS HAVE EVEN BLOOMED?!

I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD SELL THE ROOTS.

I MEAN SELLING THE RIGHT TO CLAIM THEM...

ONCE THEY BLOOM IN THE FUTURE.

WE PROMISE TO DELIVER ONCE THE FLOWER BLOOMS,

AND SELL THEM IN ADVANCE WHILE THEY'RE STILL BUDS.

FOOLISH GIRL! WHERE DID YOU HEAR SUCH NONSE...

HOLD ON A MOMENT.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SPLENDID IDEA...

A RETAINER OF THE WINDSOR FAMILY,

AND MANAGER OF THE MOONLIGHT FLOWER OPERATIONS ERIC.

YOU ARE SUGGESTING WE IMPLEMENT A PRESALE SYSTEM.

THAT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY IDEA!

H-HUH?

IF WE FOLLOW LADY ALICE'S PLAN,

WE CAN PULL IN PROFITS FROM YEARS DOWN THE LINE AHEAD OF TIME!

YOU ARE TRULY BRILLIANT, MY LADY!

NO! IF WE START SELLING THE BUDS AS WELL...

THAT WILL MAKE IT EVEN HARDER FOR ME TO SIPHON OFF MOONLIGHT FLOWERS!

AND I PROMISED TO GIVE THAT WRENCH DANAE A GARDEN OF MOONLIGHT FLOWERS!

ONE WEEK LATER.

ALICE! HOW ON EARTH DID YOU COME UP WITH SUCH AN IDEA?

YOU'RE MARVELOUS, MY DAUGHTER.

TO THINK THE PRICE OF MOONLIGHT FLOWERS DOUBLED IN JUST ONE WEEK.

A SINGLE MOONLIGHT FLOWER THAT USED TO GO FOR 300 MILLION FRANCS SOLD FOR 600 MILLION FRANCS AT YESTERDAY'S AUCTION.

EVEN THE BUDS WENT FOR NEARLY THE SAME PRICE.

I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD GO THIS WELL!

ANOTHER WEEK LATER.

LADY ALICE, THAT DRESS SUITSYOU SO WONDERFULLY.

YOU LOOK JUST LIKE A PRINCESS!

YOUR PINK HAIR IS JUST LOVELY, ALICE.

IS LADY ALICE MERELY PRETTY?

SHE'S EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED, TOO!

ALICE.

YOUR HIGHNESS?!

YOUR HIGHNESS, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE WITHOUT ANY NOTICE?

BECAUSE I MISSED YOU, OF COURSE.

I'VE SEEN YOUR FACE, SO THAT'S ENOUGH.

I SHOULD BE GOING NOW, SO ENJOY YOUR TIME WITH YOUR FRIENDS.

OH MY GOODNESS.

THE CROWN PRINCE IS HEAD OVER HEELS FOR YOU, ALICE!

COMING ALL THIS WAY JUST TO SEE YOUR FACE FOR A MOMENT!

HOW ROMANTIC!

I'M SO ENVIOUS, ALICE!

THE WHOLE WORLD IS ROSY PINK.

AH, IT FEELS LIKE A DREAM!

JUST WHAT KIND OF MAGIC DID YOU WORK, ALICE?

YOUR BUSINESS IS THRIVING, AND...

I HEAR MOONLIGHT FLOWERS ARE NOW FETCHING 2 BILLION FRANCS A BLOOM, AREN'T THEY?

PARDON? TWO BILLION?

WITH THE PRICE CLIMBING EVERY TIME, IT'S GOTTEN NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO WIN ONE AT THE AUCTION.

SO, THE THING IS...

COULD YOU PERHAPS GET ME A MOONLIGHT FLOWER PRIVATELY?

PARDON?

I'LL PAY YOU HANDSOMELY! PLEASE!

THIS WOMAN IS...

SOMEONE WHO USED TO FOLLOW SISTER DANAE AROUND AND FLATTER HER ENDLESSLY.

JUST ONE PERSON SHOULD BE FINE.

ALL RIGHT. I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO.

THEN ME TOO!

COULD I BUY ONE AS WELL?

ME TOO, ALICE!

ME AS WELL!

HUH?

WAIT, HUH?!