The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 9

AT 75 YEARS OLD, MY LIFE IS NEARING ITS END.

THERE WAS ONCE A TIME WHEN THE NAME "BAUMANN GRABNER"

WAS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE GRAND DUCHY AS AN ARCHITECT, BUT...

IN AN ERA WHERE IMPERIAL-STYLE ARCHITECTURE IS IN FASHION,

I AM NOTHING BUT A DISCARDED OLD MAN WAITING FOR THE DAY I DIE.

HAVING LOST MY WIFE AND LIVING ALONE WITHOUT CHILDREN,

LIFE HAD NO MEANING TO ME.

THEN I HEARD THE STORY OF THE "WITCH."

THE WEATHER WILL START GETTING COLDER AGAIN SOON.

WHAT IF THE "WITCH OF THE MIST" STARTS RUNNING WILD AGAIN?

COME ON, WOULD THAT REALLY HAPPEN WHEN THE EMPIRE

DISPATCHED POLICE THIS TIME TO CATCH THE WITCH?

Good grief, you fool.

DID YOU NOT HEAR? THEY LET HER GO BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE!

ACCORDING TO THE RUMORS, THE REASON SHE KILLS PEOPLE WITH THE FOG

IS SO SHE CAN TAKE SEVERAL LIVES AT ONCE.

WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THAT...?

SHE WANTED TO TAKE LIVES.

I THOUGHT OF A WAY TO USE THE LITTLE LIFE I HAD LEFT.

I WOULD GO TO THE WITCH AND ASK HER TO TAKE MY LIFE INSTEAD.

I THOUGHT THAT IF IT COULD SAVE EVEN ONE INNOCENT YOUNG PERSON'S LIFE,

IT WOULD BE WORTH IT.

AND SO, AS SOON AS I HEARD THAT THE FOG WAS ROLLING IN,

I HEADED TO THE LUNOS MANOR.

THE AIR IS BAD, SO CLIMBING UP IS EVEN HARDER...

...!

HOW CAN IT BE THIS BEAUTIFUL...?

IT HAS NOT BEEN MAINTAINED IN A LONG TIME, SO THERE ARE MANY PLACES THAT NEED REPAIR,

BUT THIS MANOR HOLDS THE BEAUTY OF RIGHT ISLAND

IN SUCH AN ELEGANT, OLD-FASHIONED WAY.

TO THINK A WICKED WITCH LIVES IN A PLACE LIKE THIS...

COME ON, WOULD THAT REALLY HAPPEN WHEN THE EMPIRE

DISPATCHED POLICE THIS TIME TO CATCH THE WITCH?

Good grief, you fool.

DID YOU NOT HEAR? THEY LET HER GO BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE!

ACCORDING TO THE RUMORS, THE REASON SHE KILLS PEOPLE WITH THE FOG

IS SO SHE CAN TAKE SEVERAL LIVES AT ONCE.

WOOF!

WOOF!

A DOG?

IS IT RAISED AT THIS MANOR?

SEEING AS SHE DRIVES AN ANIMAL OUT IN THIS WEATHER,

THE OWNER OF THE MANOR MUST BE A COLD WITCH, JUST AS THE RUMORS SAY.

LADY WITCH...!

WOOF!

PLEASE TAKE MY LIFE...!

WOOF!

WOOF!

PLEASE...!!

IN SUCH AWFUL WEATHER...

WHAT BRINGS YOU TO MY HOUSE?

WHEN I SAW THE WITCH'S FACE, ONE THOUGHT CAME TO MIND.

PERHAPS THE TRUE NATURE OF THE WITCH WE HAD HEARD ABOUT IN RUMORS

WAS ACTUALLY NOTHING MORE THAN OUR OWN MISUNDERSTANDING.

IS SHE NOT JUST AN ORDINARY LADY...?

NO, HOW DO I KNOW SHE IS NOT ONLY INNOCENT ON THE OUTSIDE?

WELL... IF IT WOULD NOT BE RUDE,

COULD YOU USE MY LIFE, THE ONLY THING I HAVE THAT IS OF ANY USE,

TO LESSEN THE FOG, EVEN IF JUST A LITTLE?

EVEN IF IT IS A VERY... VERY SMALL AMOUNT.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE HAS ASKED ME TO TAKE THEIR LIFE.

I AM NOT A WITCH,

AND THAT FOG IS NOT MY DOING.

AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE, BUT...

PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO GIVE UP YOUR LIFE SO EASILY.

WHEN I FACED THE WITCH I HAD ONLY HEARD ABOUT IN RUMORS UP CLOSE AND SPOKE WITH HER,

THE THOUGHTS THAT HAD BEGUN TO WAVER LITTLE BY LITTLE STARTED COLLAPSING COMPLETELY.

YOU SHOULD GIVE UP ON THIS CONSTRUCTION METHOD.

WHY IS THAT? IT IS THE STURDIEST METHOD FOR WITHSTANDING SEA WINDS.

IT COSTS TOO MUCH.

YOU KNOW IT TOO, DO YOU NOT?

THE METHOD NEWLY INTRODUCED FROM THE EMPIRE IS FAR MORE ECONOMICAL.

BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED WHETHER THAT METHOD IS SUITABLE FOR THE GRAND DUCHY'S CLIMATE...!

BAUMANN, YOU STUBBORN MAN.

SOMETIMES, FOR THE SAKE OF PRACTICALITY,

YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO GIVE UP TRADITION.

GIVE UP.

IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GIVE UP.

OLD PEOPLE LIKE US SHOULD GIVE UP...

PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO GIVE UP YOUR LIFE SO EASILY.

PERHAPS THE REAL WITCH WHO KILLS PEOPLE

IS NOT LADY APRIL...

BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WHISPERED INSIDE MY HEART,

AND MYSELF.

I SEE... I WAS MISTAKEN. I APOLOGIZE.

AT MY ACCEPTANCE, THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE

SIMPLY LET OUT A SHORT SIGH, AS IF SHE WAS USED TO IT.

I SUPPOSE THERE MUST HAVE BEEN MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO CAME AFTER BELIEVING THE RUMORS THAT SHE WAS A WITCH.

I AM SORRY FOR TAKING UP YOUR PRECIOUS TIME.

THEN I WILL TAKE MY LEAVE...

THE FOG...

LEAVE ONCE THE FOG DISAPPEARS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF EMPTY ROOMS.

N-NO! I CAME HERE BECAUSE OF A MISUNDERSTANDING. I CANNOT IMPOSE ON YOU AS WELL...

KEUH.

AH...

THEN... I WILL ACCEPT YOUR HOSPITALITY ONLY UNTIL THE FOG WEAKENS...

DID THAT DOG COME WITH YOU TOO?

PARDON? I THOUGHT IT WAS RAISED HERE... WAS IT NOT?

NO. IT SEEMS TO BE A STRAY DOG.

THIS WEATHER IS HARSH EVEN ON ANIMALS, SO THERE IS NO HELPING IT.

YOU COME INSIDE TOO.

SEEING AS SHE DRIVES AN ANIMAL OUT IN THIS WEATHER,

THE OWNER OF THE MANOR MUST BE A COLD WITCH, JUST AS THE RUMORS SAY.

I have a little milk. Would you like that, at least?

TRULY, PEOPLE'S PREJUDICES

KEEP STRETCHING IN THE DIRECTION THEY CHOOSE TO BELIEVE.

SHAMEFULLY, I REALIZED THAT AGAIN AFTER TURNING 70.

IMPERIAL POLICE? ARE THEY KEEPING WATCH...?

Hanna was one thing, but you really let anyone in, do you not?

This is my house, so mind your own business.

THIS IS TRULY A SPLENDID MANOR.

IS IT? IT MUST BE A MESS SINCE I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT.

I SAW IT WHEN I ENTERED THE MANOR.

SILVER OSMANTHUS PETALS WERE CARVED INTO THE FRONT GATE.

...THAT IS SILVER OSMANTHUS?

I HAVE LIVED IN THIS MANOR ALL THIS TIME AND NEVER KNEW.

WHY SILVER OSMANTHUS?

IN THE GRAND DUCHY, SILVER OSMANTHUS IS A FLOWER THAT WELCOMES GUESTS.

YES, THAT IS CORRECT.

MOST LIKELY, THE ARCHITECT WHO BUILT THIS MANOR

CARVED IT AS A GIFT FOR THE MEMBERS OF HOUSE LUNOS, WHO WOULD WELCOME GUESTS TO THE MANOR.

AS AN ARCHITECT MYSELF, I CAN FEEL IT.

JUST HOW MUCH AFFECTION

THE ARCHITECT WHO BUILT THIS MANOR POURED

INTO THE MANOR AND THE PEOPLE OF HOUSE LUNOS.

...YOU ARE RIGHT. THIS WAS A HOUSE FULL OF AFFECTION.

OFFICER!

THIS IS... THIS IS BAD!

IN THE FOG...

THERE HAS BEEN... AN ACCIDENT!