SOMEONE...
SOMEONE PLEASE STOP THESE TWO...!!
ANRI!!!
WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?!
UGH... THEY JUST HAD TO COME OUT.
WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU— OH MY!
WHO COULD THIS... FINE GENTLEMAN BE?
EXCUSE ME, BUT I'M AFRAID I REALLY MUST BE TAKING MY LEAVE NOW.
OH, OH DEAR...
WHAT HAPPENED, ANRI?
WHO WAS THAT?
LET'S GO, JEFFREY
NOTHING MUCH...
AND HE NEVER TOLD ME HIS NAME.
I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT HIS NAME.
I HOPE HE STEPS IN HORSE POO.
IT'S NOT LIKE I'LL EVER SEE HIM AGAIN!
WELL, I GUESS WE'RE IN-LAWS NOW (1)
A FEW WEEKS LATER
I AM INTERESTED IN PURCHASING MARILYN FROM YOU.
-KIRISTAN'S GUARDIAN-
I ASSURE YOU THAT WE CAN OFFER A HANDSOME PRICE FOR HER.
I'VE ALSO BROUGHT SOME REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, SO WHY DON'T YOU READ THEM OVER?
Y-YOU'RE REALLY WILLING TO PAY THIS MUCH MONEY FOR JUST ONE HORSE?!
THIS IS ENOUGH MONEY...
TO BUY FIVE NEW HORSES, A NEW CARRIAGE, AND STILL HAVE PLENTY LEFT OVER!
SO, THAT GENTLEMAN WE MET EARLIER...
...IS INTERESTED IN BUYING OUR MARILYN?
YOU MEAN THAT FINE GENTLEMAN WE RAN INTO ON OUR WAY TO TOWN?
THE DAY OUR CARRIAGE STOPPED IN THE WOODS?
MY LORD WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASSURE YOU THAT MARILYN WILL RECEIVE THE BEST CARE.
HE'LL SPARE NO EXPENSE IN LOOKING AFTER HER.
OH MY
HOW GENEROUS HE MUST BE!
NO.
MARILYN'S NOT FOR SALE.
WHAT?!
H-HAVE YOU GONE MAD...?!
MAY I ASK WHY YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO SELL HER...?
ISN'T IT OBVIOUS?
AFTER HE SPENT ALL THAT TIME INSULTING HER? HE SAID THAT SHE WAS "JUST ANY OLD HORSE" TO HIM.
BUT NOW HE WANTS TO BUY HER FROM ME?
WHY SHOULD I TRUST A MAN LIKE THAT...?
HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THE COURTESY TO COME SEE US HIMSELF!
WHAT IF HE WAS LYING ABOUT TREATING MARILYN WITH CARE?
BUT WOULDN'T IT BE A SHAME TO LET KIRISTAN GET AWAY?
I ASSURE YOU THAT MARILYN WILL FIND NO BETTER MATE THAN HIM.
YOU KEEP GOING ON AND ON ABOUT HOW GREAT KIRISTAN IS...
BUT MARILYN'S NOT JUST ANY HORSE EITHER, YOU KNOW.
MARILYN IS...
...LIKE A PRECIOUS SISTER TO ME.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU OFFER US.
I CAN'T SEND OFF A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY TO A MAN WHO WON'T EVEN REVEAL HIS NAME.
BUT MAYBE IF HE WERE TO COME BEG FOR HER HAND IN PERSON, I MAY RECONSIDER.
I-I'LL BE SURE TO PASS THAT ALONG TO HIM.
I'M DEAD...
OH! WHY?! HOW COULD YOU TURN HIM AWAY LIKE THAT?!
ANRI...!! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!
WE COULD HAVE USED THAT MONEY FOR YOUR SISTER'S DOWRY!!
IF HE REALLY WANTS HER, HE CAN COME GET HER HIMSELF.
LIKE HELL HE WOULD!
WHY WOULD SUCH A WEALTHY MAN LIKE HIM...
COME ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE JUST FOR A SINGLE HORSE?!
HMM, BUT IT'S THE "SINGLE HORSE" HE'S WILLING TO SPEND A FORTUNE ON...
...SO I CAN SEE HIM BEING DESPERATE ENOUGH TO COME BY.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOO SASSY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!!
I WONDER IF HE'LL ACTUALLY COME...
I SENT YOU TO GET THINGS DONE...
...NOT PLAY THE PART OF A MESSENGER PIGEON.
HOW CAN YOU STILL CALL YOURSELF MY BUTLER, ALBERT?
MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES, MY LORD...
IT'S BEEN WEEKS SINCE KIRISTAN STARTED GOING WILD.
THAT MARE PROBABLY HASN'T SETTLED DOWN YET, EITHER.
IS THIS JUST A SHOW OF BRAVADO, OR DID SHE FIND ANOTHER SOLUTION...?
BUT I CAN'T JUST LEAVE KIRISTAN LIKE THAT. IT'LL BE BAD FOR HIS HEALTH.
WHAT A PAIN.
THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS
THAT GIRL'S TOO SASSY FOR HER OWN GOOD.
MY LORD...?
WHAT'RE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR?
GET READY TO HEAD OUT.
THE NEXT DAY
COME IN.
M-MY LADY!!!
WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY ARE YOU SO WORKED UP?
Y-YOU'VE GOT A GENTLEMAN CALLER...
HE TOLD US TO TELL YOU THAT "KIRISTAN'S GUARDIAN" IS HERE TO SEE YOU.
WHOA...
HE ACTUALLY CAME!
I APOLOGIZE IF...
MY SUDDEN VISIT HAS STARTLED YOU.
NOT AT ALL!
YOU HAD TO LEAVE SO ABRUPTLY LAST TIME THAT WE NEVER EVEN GOT YOUR NAME.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO PROPERLY RECEIVE YOU AS A GUEST.
HE'S SOOO HANDSOME...
WE MUST HAVE BEEN FATED TO MEET AGAIN!
SHE SURE IS ENJOYING HERSELF.
I'M GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE SUCH A WARM WELCOME.
WE HAD TO TRAVEL FOR A FULL NIGHT WITHOUT REST...
...BUT HERE I AM, VISITING YOU "IN PERSON," JUST LIKE YOU REQUESTED.
I SEE...
IS HE MOCKING US...?
SO...
...I HEARD THAT YOU WERE DISSATISFIED WITH MY PREVIOUS OFFER.
IS THIS TRUE, MY LADY?
Anri clashes with the handsome stranger she meets in the forest and they part without her even learning his name. A few weeks later, the owner of Kiristan's man offers a huge fortune to buy her horse Marilyn. Anri refuses the sale, saying the man insulted her horse and hid his name, and demands that he come in person. The next day, the mysterious lord actually shows up at her door.
