The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 11

AFTER RUNNING SEVERAL TESTS,

YOU ONLY SHOW THE SYMPTOMS COMMONLY SEEN IN PEOPLE BRIEFLY EXPOSED TO THE FOG,

AND THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANYTHING SERIOUSLY WRONG.

I RECOMMEND TAKING A REST UNTIL THE FOG SUBSIDES.

SO IT WAS NOT THAT THE FOG HAD NO EFFECT ON ME...

BUT IT DOES SEEM TRUE THAT I CAN ENDURE IT LONGER THAN ORDINARY PEOPLE...

WHY IS THAT...?

IN THE OLD DAYS, A WITCH LIKE THAT

WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNED AT THE STAKE WITHOUT QUESTION, YOU KNOW?

DIE!

DIE!

DIE!

DIE!

I LOVE YOU.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE IS A PRIME SUSPECT IN THE FOG CASE,

SO PLEASE DO NOT BEHAVE STRANGELY...!

!!!

WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

WHAT IF I AM NOT A WITCH?

PARDON?

IF I WERE BURNED AT THE STAKE AS YOU SAID, DESPITE NOT BEING A WITCH,

COULD YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE WORDS?

W-WELL...

PLEASE CALM DOWN...!

OFFICER, WHETHER I AM A WITCH OR NOT IS NOT WHAT MATTERS TO YOU, IS IT?

THE HEAT.

THE PAIN.

THE RIDICULE...

YOU SIMPLY WANT TO SEE ME TERRIFIED BY THE WORDS "BURNED AT THE STAKE"

SO YOU CAN FEEL SUPERIOR, DO YOU NOT?

IN THE MOST VULGAR WAY.

I DOUBT THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WHO COULD REFUTE THE LADY'S WORDS.

SOME TRULY FEARED THAT THE LADY MIGHT BE A WITCH,

BUT OTHERS SIMPLY ENJOYED MAKING VULGAR JOKES

AT THE EXPENSE OF A YOUNG NOBLEWOMAN THEY FOUND EASY TO MOCK.

DIE!

DIE!

THE YOUNG LADY, WHO HAD TO FIGHT PREJUDICE ALL ALONE,

MUST HAVE BEEN TERRIBLY LONELY.

AFTER THE FOG CLEARED, EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL.

HOUSE HESHAN, WHICH RUNS A NEWSPAPER COMPANY,

PUBLISHED ARTICLES WITH A TONE CONDEMNING THE YOUNG LADY.

REPORTS FLOOD IN OF THE RUMORED “WITCH” SEEN IN THE FOG!

THERE IS ALSO NEWS THAT SHE WAS FOUND AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT...

BUT I HOPE YOU WILL KNOW THIS, AT LEAST.

Bochumer Stadtanzeiger

EVEN IF THE WORLD LOUDLY SHOUTS THAT IT HATES THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE,

THERE ARE SMALL VOICES SPEAKING IN DEFENSE OF THE YOUNG LADY.

Bochumer Volkszeitung Nr. 277

I WISH TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE PERSON WHO SAVED ME.

THAT PERSON IS NOT A WITCH!

THAT LITTLE KID RECOVERED SAFELY, THEN.

That is a relief.

COME IN.

UM... MY LADY, I THINK I SHOULD RETURN HOME NOW.

YOU ARE LEAVING ALREADY? YOU CAN LEAVE AFTER LUNCH.

H-HOW COULD I SHAMELESSLY DO SUCH A THING...

...SO BEFORE I LEAVE, THERE IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO YOU, MY LADY.

COULD YOU SPARE ME A MOMENT?

I INTRUDED INTO THIS HOUSE BECAUSE OF MY OWN PREJUDICE.

YOU TOOK IN AN OLD MAN LIKE ME AND A STRAY DOG,

AND YOU RAN INTO THE FOG TO SAVE PEOPLE.

I WAS SO ASHAMED

THAT I, OLD AND USELESS AS I AM,

WAS SOMEONE SO WRAPPED UP IN PREJUDICE.

I DO NOT ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS.

BUT...

I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT I AM SORRY.

I DO NOT INTEND TO FORGIVE YOU EASILY.

MY FORGIVENESS IS RATHER EXPENSIVE.

MR. BAUMANN, YOU SAID THE ONLY THING YOU HAD LEFT WAS YOUR LIFE, DID YOU NOT?

BUT I HAVE NO INTEREST IN THAT.

I WANT YOU TO PAY THE PRICE OF YOUR RUDENESS WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

REPAIR THE LUNOS MANOR,

AND PAY THE PRICE BY DESIGNING THE BRIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN RIVER.

...PARDON?

YOU ARE AN ARCHITECT, AND YOU HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF RIGHT ISLAND'S ARCHITECTURAL STYLE.

BUT I AM NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE EMPIRE'S LATEST CONSTRUCTION METHODS...

ON RIGHT ISLAND, WE SHOULD USE RIGHT ISLAND'S ARCHITECTURE.

THIS PLACE IS NOT THE EMPIRE, IS IT?

THIS OLD MAN...

BEFORE MY LIFE RUNS OUT,

I WILL BE SURE TO DESIGN IT.

THE WORLD CRIES THAT THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE IS A WITCH WHO KILLS PEOPLE,

BUT I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND.

BECAUSE YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO SAVES LIVES,

I WILL ADD MY SMALL VOICE, FAINT THOUGH IT MAY BE,

TO THE WORDS DEFENDING MY LADY.

OF COURSE,

THERE IS STILL A LONG ROAD AHEAD.

LET ME GO!

YOU WITCH'S MINION!

LET HANNA GO!!

DO NOT LET THE WITCH DECEIVE YOU. COME BACK TO THE FACTORY!

HANNA!!