The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 12

LET ME GO!

YOU WITCH'S MINION!

LET HANNA GO!!

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

HANNA!!

WHAT IS ALL THAT COMMOTION OUTSIDE?

HUH? THAT KID IS...!

Fred!

It has been so long!

HANNA!

DO YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER...?

YES! FRED WORKED AT THE SAME FACTORY AS ME!

HANNA! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

HURRY AND GET OUT OF THE WITCH'S DEN!

Come on~

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, FRED?

I SAW IT CLEARLY.

MY LADY IS NOT A WITCH~

SHE DID NOT EAT ME, AND SHE EVEN ALLOWED ME TO STAY AT THE MANOR...

NO!

THE FACTORY MANAGER SAID SO!

HE SAID THE WITCH IS KILLING PEOPLE!

DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT THAT BAD MAN SAYS.

I TOLD YOU! I'M A GOOD PERSON, AND I'M TELLING YOU SHE ISN'T.

MY LADY DID NOTHING WRONG.

...YOU

HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DECEIVED BY THE WITCH, HAVEN'T YOU?

LET'S GO! YOU CANNOT STAY HERE.

I SAID I AM NOT GOING! I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO BACK TO!

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!

OF COURSE YOU SHOULD GO HOME!

BRING ME SOME LIQUOR!

YOU USELESS BRAT!

DAMN IT, PRODUCTION IS GOING TO DROP!

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MACHINE COSTS?!

AS IF I AM USELESS!

I SAID I'M NOT GOING.

WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME?

I HATE HOME! I HATE THE FACTORY, TOO!

I LIKE IT HERE!

MY LADY TEACHES ME HOW TO STUDY,

AND SHE DOES NOT MAKE ME DO DANGEROUS WORK!

COMPARED TO THE PEOPLE WHO TOLD ME TO REPAY MONEY EVEN AFTER I WAS HURT,

AND TOLD ME TO SET FIRE TO SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE!

MY LADY IS A HUNDRED, A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER!!

COMPARED TO THIS TRASHY, VICIOUS WORLD...

COMPARED TO THIS UNFAIR, FILTHY, MESSED-UP WORLD...!!

THIS PLACE IS SO MUCH BETTER!!!

SOB...

HWAAAAH...

EAT SLOWLY. YOU WILL UPSET YOUR STOMACH.

THERE ARE TOO MANY BAD PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.

YES, THAT IS TRUE. I THINK SO TOO.

THAT IS WHY...

THAT IS WHY I AM SO ANGRY.

YOU DID WELL.

I DID... WELL? BUT I GOT ANGRY.

IT WAS SOMETHING WORTH GETTING ANGRY OVER.

IT IS MORE SURPRISING THAT YOU HAD NOT GOTTEN ANGRY ALL THIS TIME.

I KNOW VERY WELL TOO...

...THAT NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM HOLDING YOUR FEELINGS IN.

Haha...

YOU COMFORTED HER WELL.

FRED, YOU SAID YOU HAD SOMETHING TO SAY TO MY LADY, RIGHT?

...I AM SORRY.

FOR A CHILD LIKE YOU, WITH SO MANY TEARS AND SO MUCH FEAR,

WHAT COURAGE MADE YOU TRESPASS INTO MY MANOR...?

YOU ENTERED A NOBLE'S MANOR WITHOUT PERMISSION, SO I WILL PUNISH YOU.

QUIT THE FACTORY.

B-BUT I LIVE WITH MY GRANDMOTHER, SO IF I DO NOT EARN MONEY...

INSTEAD,

IF YOU PERFORM A PROPER ROLE AT THE MANOR, I WILL FORGIVE YOU.

I HAPPEN TO NEED AN ERRAND RUNNER TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO TOWN.

I WILL PAY YOU A LITTLE MORE THAN WHAT YOU RECEIVE AT THE FACTORY. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I, WELL... THAT IS, UM...

SNAP!

HURRY AND SAY YES!

HRK!

I-I WILL DO ANYTHING YOU ENTRUST TO ME!

I WILL WORK HARD!!

GOOD.

THEN, MR. BAUMANN, I WILL GIVE YOU MONEY,

SO PLEASE TAKE THE CHILDREN TO THE FACTORY AND PAY OFF THEIR DEBTS?

PARDON? YOU INTEND TO PAY THAT MONEY FOR THEM?

NO. IF I DO NOT RETURN THE CHILDREN IMMEDIATELY,

THEY MAY SEND ANOTHER INTRUDER TO THE MANOR, SO I SIMPLY WANT TO SETTLE THINGS CLEANLY.

I WILL GET THAT DEBT BACK SOMEDAY.

ALONG WITH HANNA'S HAND.

I'LL MAKE SURE THEY REPAY IT ALL.

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE THE INSIDE OF THE MANOR WAS THIS QUIET...?

EVER SINCE MY HOUSE ARREST WAS LIFTED AND MORE PEOPLE BEGAN LIVING IN THE MANOR,

EVERY DAY HAS BEEN CHAOTIC FROM EARLY MORNING...

NOW, WHILE THERE ARE NO POLICE OR OTHER PEOPLE AT THE MANOR, IS THE PERFECT TIME.

I NEED TO PROPERLY CHECK THE BASEMENT.

Name given by Hanna.

IT IS ALL RIGHT, SEBI-O. THAT PLACE IS NOT DANGEROUS TO ME.

Probably.

THE FIRST BASEMENT FLOOR AND THE SECOND ONE...

THE PIPES ARE STILL CUT.

AND JUST AS PEOPLE COLLAPSED IN THE FOG,

PEOPLE COLLAPSED IN THE BASEMENT TOO...

I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS FINE...

WAS IT JUST A COINCIDENCE?

HM?

WHAT IS THIS...?

WHY IS ONLY THIS PART OF THE FLOOR RAISED...?

THIS MANOR...

HAD ANOTHER UNDERGROUND LEVEL?