WHEN I ESCAPED FROM FRANZE, I MANAGED TO GRAB SOME CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS.
REPORTS OF A NEW REVOLUTIONARY GROUP IN PADANIA.
NOTICE OF THE CREATION OF THE PADANIA REVOLUTIONARY ARMY.
POTENTIAL FOR INTERNAL CONFLICT AMONGST ARMED FORCES DUE TO REBEL ACTIVITY.
ALL THINGS THAT TECHNICALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO MARQUESS ROZENBERG...
BUT NOW I WANT TO BRING HIM DOWN.
FROM: ANONYMOUS. I HAVE ATTACHED INFORMATION ON THE PADANIA ARMY...
...AS WELL AS CONFIDENTIAL DETAILS REGARDING MARQUESS ROZENBERG.
TO: PADANIA REVOLUTIONARY ARMY
MAY YOU DESPAIR AS MUCH AS I DID.
MAY YOU LOSE AS MUCH AS I HAVE.
SINCE YOU EXISTED IN MY MOST UNHAPPY MOMENTS...
...MAY I ALSO BE IN YOURS.
AS LONG AS MY LIFE HAS BEEN ENVELOPED BY DARKNESS...
...MAY YOUR LIFE ALSO BE THE SAME.
YOU MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, NO MATTER HOW.
YOU ARE THE REASON I'VE BECOME LIKE THIS....
ANNETTE ROZENBERG.
Episode 29
NEXT.
HEINER WALDEMAR, LIEUTENANT.
MY APPOINTMENT CEREMONY TOOK PLACE.
I AM NOW A TRUSTED CONFIDANT OF THE MARQUESS...
...AND I SOON BECAME A YOUNG OFFICER WITH MUCH POTENTIAL.
I AM NO LONGER A SHABBY ORPHAN BOY.
MR. WALDEMAR.
BUT WHY IS IT THAT I STILL...
...FEEL SO LOWLY AND INFERIOR...?
ANNETTE ROZENBERG...
...IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND DIGNIFIED WOMAN IN RONCHESTER, THE CAPITAL OF PADANIA.
THERE IS NO MAN SHE COULDN'T HAVE IF SHE PUT HER MIND TO IT.
SHE HAS PROBABLY DATED MANY MEN ON A FLING...
...ONLY TO END THINGS WHEN SHE GOT TIRED OF THEM.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS I WON'T BECOME ONE OF THOSE MEN.
BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WAY.
WHEN WE FIRST MET, I COULD EASILY TELL THAT SHE TOOK A LIKING TO ME.
OH MY!
ARE YOU HERE FOR THIS PIANO RECITAL TOO?
THE NEXT STEP IS TO BECOME HER IDEAL MAN.
HAHAHA!
SO...
MS. ROZENBERG, ARE YOU FREE THIS WEEKEND?
NOT A SMALL, SHALLOW CRUSH, NOR A MERE CURIOSITY...
IF IT'S ALRIGHT WITH YOU...
I WOULD LOVE TO TREAT YOU TO A MEAL.
...BUT AN IRREVERSIBLE, DROWNING INFATUATION.
OH! SO YOU'VE ALSO READ THAT BOOK!
THE TWISTED MINDSET OF THE MAIN CHARACTER WAS SO FASCINATING TO ME.
YES, IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS TOO.
IT'S NOT A VERY WELL-KNOWN BOOK, BUT I SEE YOU'VE READ IT...
WHAT A COINCIDENCE.
YOUR HOBBIES, YOUR TASTES, YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS.
EVEN YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS. I DID MY RESEARCH.
I KNOW, IT'S A PLEASANT SURPRISE.
NOT MANY MILITARY MEN ENJOY LITERATURE.
HALF THE MEN I'VE MET, INCLUDING MY FATHER, ARE IN THE MILITARY, YOU SEE.
THEY ALL SAID THAT LITERATURE MAKES THE WORLD PESSIMISTIC.
WELL, IT'S THE JOB OF WRITERS TO EXPOSE THE SHADOWS OF SOCIETY.
SUCH LITERARY CHOICE OF WORDS, MR. WALDEMAR.
PERHAPS YOU'RE SECRETLY A WRITER?
AH... YOU'VE CAUGHT ME.
I ANALYZED THE TYPES OF MEN YOU HAD MET...
AND WHY YOU ENDED THINGS WITH THEM.
YOUR PREFERRED FOODS, YOUR PREFERRED PLACES, YOUR PREFERRED BEHAVIORS.
I CRAFTED MYSELF INTO YOUR IDEAL MAN.
AFFECTIONATE, ATTENTIVE, ROMANTIC, WELL-DRESSED...
...DRIVEN, WORLDLY.
A MAN WHO KNOWS HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF.
BEING THE LOVELY, SWEET, KIND-HEARTED WOMAN SHE IS...
...SHE IS AN ARISTOCRAT WHO IS USED TO SUCH ATTENTION.
THE OPPOSITE OF A MISERABLE LIFE FILLED WITH MURDER AND VIOLENCE...
I WANT TO RUIN YOUR LIFE...
EVERYTHING
WENT
SMOOTHLY.
MR. WALDEMAR. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?
OH...
I APOLOGIZE. I'VE BEEN BUSY LATELY.
I DIDN'T SLEEP WELL LAST NIGHT EITHER.
I DID HEAR YOU'RE BUSY.
I GUESS TODAY TECHNICALLY ISN'T A DAY WE NORMALLY MEET. YOU SHOULD GET SOME REST...
NONSENSE.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE YOU.
IS THAT SO?
DID I...
SAY SOMETHING WRONG?
MR. WALDEMAR.
WHY HAVE YOU NOT ASKED TO COURT ME?
This chapter recounts the founding of the Padanian Revolutionary Army with secret documents smuggled out of Franze, and an anonymous letter cursing Marquis Rozenberg. It then shows Heiner Waldemar's commissioning ceremony as a lieutenant and his rise as the Marquis's confidant, along with his feelings of inferiority toward Annette Rozenberg and his obsessive passion, and his plan to impress her by posing as her ideal man.
