Lord Blackwood Promised Me Death — Chapter 13

BELLA.

COME HERE.

WHY DID YOU COME DOWN? IT WAS DANGEROUS.

EVEN THOUGH HE WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD ME TO COME DOWN.

WELL, I...

NGH.

EVEN IF IT'S ONLY ONLY A GRAZE, IT'S STILL A GUNSHOT WOUND.

YOU SHOULDN'T TREAT AN INJURY LIKE THAT LIGHTLY.

I KNEW WE SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO THE OPERA IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FOR A LOVER IN THIS SITUATION WOULD BE...

...PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT.

IT WAS MY FAULT FOR RECKLESSLY JUMPING IN BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID YOU WERE IN DANGER.

...I'M JUST RELIEVED YOU WEREN'T SERIOUSLY HURT.

IT SEEMS THAT WOMAN WAS SHOT.

DID THAT WOMAN REALLY SAVE LORD BLACKWOOD...?

...TODAY'S PERFORMANCE WAS WRITTEN BY A NOVICE NOVICE PLAYWRIGHT AND SPONSORED BY THE PRINCESS OF BLANCH, WASN'T IT?

WHO DOESN'T KNOW THAT...?

AH, DON'T TELL ME...!

IT SEEMS THE REMNANTS OF VALONA WERE DESPERATE TO STRIKE AT BLANCH BY MEANS POSSIBLE.

THEY EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO SABOTAGE AN EVENT THAT A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY HAD WORKED SO HARD TO ARRANGE.

SO THAT'S WHY THEY CHOSE A PLAY SPONSORED BY THE PRINCESS AS THE TARGET...

SURELY THE REMNANTS OF VALONA WERE AIMING FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY, WEREN'T THEY?

WHAT A CLEVER WAY TO SPIN THE STORY...

PUBLIC OPINION CHANGED IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

THIS IS QUITE A PREDICAMENT.

THE WHOLE NARRATIVE HAS CHANGED.

THE PRINCESS WILL BE ABSOLUTELY LIVID...

FIVE DAYS LATER, AT HOUSE BLACKWOOD.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'VE GIVEN ME A ROOM OF MY OWN...

AT THIS RATE, I'M HARDLY A SERVANT ANYMORE...

YES, PLEASE COME IN.

EXCUSE ME, MISS WALKER.

THE WOUND HAS HEALED CONSIDERABLY SINCE I EXAMINED IT TWO DAYS AGO.

THOUGH A FAINT SCAR WILL REMAIN...

I HAVEN'T SEEN LORD BLACKWOOD ALL MORNING...

WAS HE SUMMONED TO THE PALACE TO ANSWER FOR WHAT HAPPENED AT THE THEATER?

THOMAS BLANCHESTEIN.

WHY WOULD THE SECOND PRINCE OF BLANCH...?

WHY WOULD I SIDE WITH LORD BLACKWOOD?

...YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'RE WONDERING EXACTLY THAT.

...YES.

I WASN'T SURE WHETHER I SHOULD ASK, BUT THIS IS HARDLY AN ORDINARY SITUATION.

I SUPPOSE YOU'RE RIGHT.

I AM THE SAME AGE AS IBRILLIAN,

SO I SPENT MUCH MORE TIME WITH HER THAN I DID WITH BROTHER LEO.

THAT MEANS I KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE.

WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING WHAT SHE WANTS,

JUST HOW CRUEL SHE CAN BE.

MY BROTHER AND FATHER INSIST THAT IBRILLIAN HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER,

BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SIGN OF THAT MYSELF.

SHE'S SIMPLY LEARNED TO HIDE HER FANGS.

THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT WILLIAM'S DECISION TO BREAK OFF THE ENGAGEMENT.

AS A PHYSICIAN, I SEE NO GOOD IN HAVING MORE PEOPLE GET HURT.

All Done.

HOW MUCH LONGER ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE?

HOW RUDE. WALKING INTO A LADY'S ROOM WITHOUT EVEN KNOCKING.

THIS IS MY HOUSE.

AND YOU HAD THE AUDACITY TO SUMMON YOUR PERSONAL PHYSICIAN, ONLY TO LEAVE HIM WAITING.

DID YOU EXPECT ME TO GREET YOU WITH OPEN ARMS? I'M A BUSY MAN, TOO.

BUSY DOING WHAT? YOU EVEN MANAGED TO SECURE AN EXTENDED LEAVE...

COME TO THINK OF IT, PUBLIC OPINION OF IBRILLIAN HAS TAKEN QUITE A HIT SINCE THE THEATER INCIDENT, HASN'T IT?

AS YOUR HIGHNESS KNOWS, HIGH SOCIETY IS MORE PREDICTABLE THAN PEOPLE THINK.

WILLIAM.

I UNDERSTAND THE IMAGE YOU'RE TRYING TO PRESENT AT THE BALL, BUT

THE QUIETER THINGS APPEAR, THE MORE CAUTIOUS YOU NEED TO BE.

A CORNERED FOX WILL EVENTUALLY BARE ITS FANGS.

IGNORE HIM. NAGGING IS THAT PRINCE'S FAVORITE PASTIME.

YOU INSOLENT BASTARD. I GIVE YOU SOUND ADVICE, AND THIS IS HOW YOU RESPOND...

MORE IMPORTANTLY, TAKE THIS.

WHAT'S THIS?

COMPENSATION FOR TAKING A BULLET.

CERTIFICATE OF FULL THIRD-PARTY DEBT SETTLEMENT FOR HOUSE WALKER.

LOSING YOUR ESTATE AND MANSION DOESN'T MEAN YOU'VE LOST YOUR NOBLE STATUS.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO ACCOMPANY ME TO VARIOUS EVENTS, WE NEED TO SECURE YOUR STANDING...

IN OTHER WORDS, BELLA WALKER

IS STILL A MEMBER OF THE NOBILITY.

NOW THAT YOU'RE FREE OF DEBT AS THE SOLE HEIR OF HOUSE WALKER,

SOCIETY, WITH ALL ITS OBSESSION WITH PROPRIETY, WILL HAVE NO GROUNDS TO OSTRACIZE BELLA WALKER.

...YES.

SHE'S TAKING THIS MORE CALMLY THAN I EXPECTED.

SHE USED TO GET SO WORKED UP WHENEVER HER FAMILY OR THAT MUSIC BOX CAME UP.

THERE'S A PARTY AT THE MARQUIS'S ESTATE IN TWO WEEKS.

THAT'S WHERE I INTEND TO OFFICIALLY INTRODUCE YOU TO SOCIETY AS AS MY LOVER—

YOU INSOLENT BASTARD. I GIVE YOU SOUND ADVICE, AND THIS IS HOW YOU RESPOND...