I Plan to End This Possession — Chapter 14

THE EXACT SAME CLOTHES.

THE EXACT SAME WORDS SPOKEN TO ME.

THIS CONFIRMS IT.

JUST A MOMENT AGO...

I SAW THE FUTURE.

WHILE PICKING UP THE DOCUMENTS, I READ THE MEMORY OF THE 'GROUND'.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I LEARNED OF THE HOLY RELIC'S EXISTENCE...

DANA?

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? ARE YOU COMING DOWN WITH A COLD?

I NEED TO KILL JUAN.

CUT HIS LIFE SHORT.

THE NIGHT AIR IS CHILLY, SO I WAS JUST ABOUT TO HEAD INSIDE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN.

IT GIVES ME THE CREEPS.

BEHIND SUCH A BEAUTIFUL,

DASHING,

AND GENTLE FACE...

LIES YOUR DECEITFUL TWO- FACED NATURE!

GOOD IDEA. HURRY INSIDE AND GET SOME SLEEP.

GOOD NIGHT TO YOU AS WELL, UNCLE.

BY THE WAY, WHEN WILL BROTHER LUMIERE BE RETURNING?

AH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I HEARD HE'S ALREADY ON HIS WAY BACK.

HE SHOULD ARRIVE AT THE ESTATE SHORTLY.

THAT'S WONDERFUL NEWS.

THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE CLEAR.

JUAN... THAT BASTARD SLIPPED SOMETHING INTO MY TEA.

I'VE HEARD OF IT BEFORE.

THAT BARBARIAN SHAMANS SELL THINGS LIKE "LOVE POTIONS."

IF YOU DISSOLVE A STRAND OF HAIR IN IT AND HAVE SOMEONE DRINK IT...

THEY SUPPOSEDLY FALL IN LOVE WITH THE OWNER OF THAT HAIR.

EXCEPT IF TAKEN IN EXCESS, IT CAN TURN THEM INTO A HALF-WIT—

YOU SON OF A BITCH.

I NEED TO GET RID OF JUAN ROLAND RIGHT THIS INSTANT.

CONVENIENTLY ENOUGH, ALL MY PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE.

THE MANANNÁN, LED BY LUMIERE WINDSOR,

BRINGS HOME VICTORY YET AGAIN!

TA-DA~!

A PRESENT FOR YOU, ALICE.

YOU’VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD ON THE BUSINESS LATELY, SO I GOT THIS FOR YOU.

WOW! IT’S SO CUTE. THANK YOU, DAD!

HUH?

IS THAT ONE FOR ME AS WELL...?

HM?

AH, THIS IS A DIAMOND FOR DANA.

IF I ONLY GAVE YOU A PRESENT, DANA MIGHT SULK, YOU KNOW.

BESIDES, SHE LOOKED COMPLETELY DRAINED YESTERDAY.

GOING TO COMFORT HER AT A TIME LIKE THIS...

WOULDN’T DANA RELY ON ME EVEN MORE?

AH, DANA...

WHENEVER I THINK OF DANA’S FORTUNE,

MY HEART FLUTTERS JUST LIKE A YOUNG BOY’S.

WELL THEN, I’M OFF TO SEE DANA.

DANA? ARE YOU IN THERE?

...DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SHE'S IN.

WELL, WHILE I'M HERE, SHALL I SEARCH HER ROOM?

ALL TO PROTECT MY FORTUNE, OF COURSE.

THIS LEVEL OF SURVEILLANCE IS ONLY NATURAL.

SWEET CANDY IS BOUND TO DRAW ANTS.

ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE CROWN PRINCE, WHO USED TO MONOPOLIZE IT, HAS TURNED HIS EYES ELSEWHERE.

NOT JUST FEARLESS ANTS,

BUT EVEN BOTTOM- FEEDING PESTS COULD SWARM AROUND IT....

TIMES LIKE THIS CALL FOR EVEN TIGHTER PROTECTION.

HM? THE DOOR ISN'T LOCKED?

DANA ALWAYS KEEPS HER DOOR LOCKED...

WAS SHE IN THAT MUCH OF A RUSH?

To Dana, my eternal flower. Please generously forgive my mistake yesterday. I suppose I was anxious that twenty-three, your most beautiful years, would pass you by.

PLEASE GENEROUSLY FORGIVE MY MISTAKE YESTERDAY.

I SUPPOSE I WAS ANXIOUS THAT TWENTY-THREE, YOUR MOST BEAUTIFUL YEARS, WOULD PASS YOU BY.

I PRAY HIS HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE HAS LEFT YOUR PURITY INTACT.

I WISH TO BE YOUR FIRST MAN.

JUAN ROLAND.

...JUAN ROLAND?

TO THINK THAT WENCH DANA WOULD CALL ME OUT FIRST.

THE LOVE POTION MUST HAVE REALLY WORKED!

SHE DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE TURNED INTO A HALF- WIT LIKE I'D HOPED, BUT...

WELL, I CAN ALWAYS SLIP HER MORE OF THE POTION LATER!

AFTER ALL, THE DUMBER A WOMAN IS, THE BETTER!

DANA! DID YOU WAIT LONG?

?

...PLEASE, JUST STOP THIS ALREADY!

I HAVE NO DESIRE TO ELOPE WITH YOU!

JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, PLEASE!