Lord Blackwood Promised Me Death — Chapter 6

EVER SINCE THE DAY I MADE A 'CONTRACT' WITH WILLIAM BLACKWOOD,

I ENTERED INTO A "CONTRACT" WITH WILLIAM BLACKWOOD.

AND I WAS APPOINTED AS HIS PERSONAL VALET.

"DO YOUR BEST. I'LL SET THE STAGE FOR YOU."

"IT'S A RATHER CLEVER COVER FOR PLAYING LOVERS."

HE'S COMPLETELY BEWITCHED, I TELL YOU.

HE NEEDS TO PUT AN END TO THIS LITTLE FLING SOON...

ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME THE YOUNG MASTER SETTLED DOWN WITH THE PRINCESS?

WALKER MUST HAVE SOME NERVE, GOING AFTER THE YOUNG MASTER UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

ACTING SO PURE AND INNOCENT ALL ON HER OWN.

TO POINT OUT ONE MINOR ISSUE...

NO SERVANT IS EVER PLEASED

TO SEE A NEWCOMER RECEIVE AN UNPRECEDENTED PROMOTION.

EVEN I- AFTER TURNING EVERYTHING INTO SUCH A MESS,

HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO "DO MY BEST"?

OOPS, SORRY~! YOU SHOULD'VE STEPPED OUT OF THE WAY.

UGH, IT REEKS LIKE A DIRTY RAG.

PFFT... HEY, THAT'S HARSH.

WHAT A HASSLE...

STILL,

I'D RATHER AVOID THINGS GETTING ANY MORE TIRESOME...

WH-WHAT THE?

IT'S NOT LIKE I'M WRONG—

PFFFT—!

WASH IT AGAIN YOURSELF.

WH-WHAT?!

I WAS TRYING TO PLAY ALONG NICELY AS A MAID...

BUT A BUNCH OF PESTS HAD TO GO AND RUIN IT.

—!!

YOU LITTLE WENCH! WHO KNOWS WHAT GUTTER YOU CRAWLED OUT OF...!

I DID CRAWL OUT OF SOMEWHERE.

CIRCLES FAR HIGHER THAN YOURS.

WHY YOU...!!

HEY, HEY! LET'S JUST GO.

DON'T YOU KNOW?

THE RUMOR THAT WALKER USED TO BE GENTRY...

PEOPLE LIKE THAT ALWAYS TUCK THEIR TAILS AND RUN THE HARDER YOU PUSH BACK.

THOUGH ON RARE OCCASIONS,

THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE QUITE THE OPPOSITE.

"TO GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE IN OUR CONTRACT, YOUNG MASTER,

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE CONDITION."

"ONCE I BURY THE MUSIC BOX AT MY MOTHER'S GRAVE,

I INTEND TO FOLLOW MY FAMILY INTO DEATH."

"WHEN THAT TIME COMES, I WANT YOU TO KILL ME, YOUNG MASTER."

"...HUH?"

"IT WILL SPARE YOU THE TROUBLE OF SILENCING ME, SO I TRUST YOU WILL NEVER BETRAY ME."

"WAIT, HOLD ON A SECOND."

"I DON'T FOLLOW."

"WHY DO YOU NEED TO ASK ME, OF ALL PEOPLE?"

"JUMPING OFF A CLIFF WOULD BE MUCH CLEANER."

"BECAUSE THIS TIME,

I WANT TO BE CERTAIN I DIE."

"...I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND YOU."

YOU HAD BETTER MEAN IT.

THIS IS A CONTRACT, AND THERE'S NO TAKING IT BACK.

YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, MUST KEEP YOUR WORD, YOUNG MASTER.

IT WON'T EVEN BE DIFFICULT.

AFTER ALL, THAT NEW CONDITION YOU SET...

IS SOMETHING I'VE DONE TO DEATH ALREADY.

THEN I'LL BE IN YOUR CARE UNTIL THE ENGAGEMENT IS BROKEN, MISS BELLA WALKER.

DID HE MAKE ME HIS VALET EXPECTING THIS KIND OF SITUATION TOO?

...DID I HAVE A SPARE CHANGE OF CLOTHES?

UM, EXCUSE ME, LADY BELLA?

MY LADY. EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT.

THE MADAM WILL RECOVER FROM HER ILLNESS, AND SURELY EVERYTHING...

SO PLEASE...

DON'T GIVE UP.

...PHILIPPA.

YES, IT'S ME! PHILIPPA BEANS!

OH, GOODNESS, WE SHOULDN'T JUST STAND HERE...

SIT DOWN AND DRY OFF! YOU'RE COMPLETELY SOAKED.

THANK YOU, PHILIPPA.

DON'T MENTION IT!

UM, BUT MY LADY... SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AS A MAID...?

...THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WORKING AS A MAID.

BESIDES THIS, I'VE TAKEN ON JUST ABOUT ANY JOB I COULD FIND TO EARN MONEY...

AH... I HEARD THE NEWS ABOUT THE MASTER AND MADAM TOO.

I'M SO, SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS...

H-HOW ARE YOU FINDING YOUR WORK AT THE DUKE'S ESTATE?

IT'S FINE.

IT'S ONLY BEEN ABOUT TWO WEEKS SINCE I ARRIVED.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, PHILIPPA, IT SEEMS YOU'VE WORKED HERE FOR A WHILE. WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN YOU UNTIL NOW?

AH...!

I WAS AWAY ON AN ERRAND FOR THE YOUNG MASTER.

LORD WILLIAM WENT SO FAR AS TO BUILD THE EAST ANNEX JUST FOR IT,

HE'S THAT DEVOTED TO COLLECTING ANTIQUES.

SO WHEN HE CAN'T ATTEND AN AUCTION IN PERSON, HE SENDS SERVANTS IN HIS PLACE.

BUT AFTER I ARRIVED, HE SENT A LATE MESSAGE TELLING ME NOT TO BOTHER BUYING IT.

WHY?

RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I WONDERED.

HE'S NORMALLY SOMEONE WHO BUYS UP EVERY SINGLE ANTIQUE HE WANTS.

TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE RUMORS GOING AROUND...

TWO MONTHS AGO, AT AN AUCTION HOUSE IN THE CAPITAL OF BLANCHE...

800,000!

NOW, WE HAVE 800,000.

900,000 FRANCS!

900,000!

DO I HEAR 1,000,000?

1,000,000 [ILLEGIBLE] A 100-CARAT SAPPHIRE VINTAGE MUSIC BOX, CURRENTLY GOING AT 900,000-

2,000,000.

T-TWO MILLION...!

ANYONE HIGHER THAN 2,000,000?

THEN THIS ITEM AS WELL-

SOLD TO LORD WILLIAM BLACKWOOD!