The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 14

WHAT'S THE MATTER?

SUPERINTENDENT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK BROUGHT ME HERE?

I CAME TO WARN YOU BECAUSE I COULD HEAR ALL OF YOUR CHATTER FROM OUTSIDE.

WHAT...?! YOU COULD HEAR US TALKING?

NO ONE HAS COME DOWN HERE THIS WHOLE TIME, SO WE DID NOT KNOW.

We will be more careful.

UM, SUPERINTEN- DENT.

WE WERE CONTACTED FROM OUR SIDE TOO.

THEY ASKED WHEN THE SAMPLE COLLECTION WOULD BE DONE...

SHH, BE QUIET.

MM?

PEJIN! ARE YOU SURE YOU WENT DOWN PROPERLY?

YEAH, I CAME DOWN PROPERLY! WAIT A SECOND!

TELL THEM NOT TO WORRY. I WILL SEND THE SAMPLES SOON.

AH, SUPERINTEN- DENT...?

SUPERINT...

PHEW...

APRIL, YOU CAN COME DOWN NOW.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING THAT TOOK SO LONG?

YOU SAID YOU HEARD SOMETHING.

I CHECKED WHETHER THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE MADE THAT SOUND.

IT'S WIDER THAN I EXPECTED... AND THERE'S SO MUCH HERE.

THAT IS...

THE DRESSING TABLE MOTHER USED?

SO THIS WAS HERE.

WHEN WE WERE DRAGGED OFF TO PRISON,

I THOUGHT PEOPLE HAD STOLEN EVERYTHING...

HAVE I BEEN UNDERGROUND TOO LONG?

WE HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING THERE IS TO SEE, SO LET US GO BACK UP NOW.

NO, I WANT TO STAY A LITTLE LONGER.

IF YOU COLLAPSE, I WILL CARRY YOU UP,

BUT IF I COLLAPSE, YOU WILL PRETEND NOT TO SEE AND LEAVE, WILL YOU NOT?

My head hurts. Why do we not just go up?

WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?

We can just go up, can we not?

NOW, HURRY AND LEAD THE WAY.

YOU'RE THE ONE INSISTING WE LEAVE, YET SOMEHOW YOU'RE MAKING IT SOUND LIKE IT'S MY IDEA...

THE GRAND DUCHY POLICE SAID THEY WISHED TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE FOR THE LIFESAVING RESCUE.

REALLY? THE POLICE MUST BE IN QUITE A STATE.

SINCE THEY THANKED A WITCH.

...WELL. SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

STILL, THEY SAY THEY WANT TO REWARD YOU.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT?

...MM.

AN AMUSEMENT PARK.

YOU WANT AN AMUSEMENT PARK AS YOUR REWARD?

THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN.

Who are you calling a child?

Are you a child?

I AM ASKING YOU TO LET ME GO TO AN AMUSEMENT PARK.

HANNA TOLD ME SHE'D ALWAYS WANTED TO GO,

BUT MR. BAUMANN IS TOO OLD FOR ME TO SEND HIM.

THEN I WOULD HAVE TO GO, BUT PEOPLE WILL HATE THAT, WILL THEY NOT?

BECAUSE I'M A WITCH.

SO EVEN IF IT IS ONLY DURING THE EVENING,

MAKE IT SO WE CAN GO COMFORTABLY.

I WILL MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS.

CHANGED BECAUSE SHE GOT A LOT OF DUST ON HER.

DID MRS. LUNOS HIDE THESE HERE FROM THE BEGINNING ON PURPOSE...?

THE JEWELRY IS ALL STILL HERE.

SHE MUST HAVE HIDDEN THEM KNOWING PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET IN THAT FAR.

EVEN I DID NOT KNOW A SPACE LIKE THAT EXISTED.

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS?

YOU USED TO WEAR THIS NECKLACE ALL THE TIME.

APRIL, AFTER YOUR EIGHTH BIRTHDAY HAD PASSED...

WHEN I WAS STILL SEVEN.

YOU AND I WERE DANCE PARTNERS.

OW! HEY, DO NOT STEP ON ME!!

IT WAS A MISTAKE...!

MMPH!

PEJIN, YOU! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE, DID YOU NOT?

THE STEPS GOT TANGLED BECAUSE YOU STEPPED ON ME, YOU KNOW?

HEY! MY NECKLACE GOT CAUGHT ON YOUR BUTTON!

WAIT, DO NOT PULL...!

I-IT HURTS!!

APRIL, YOU REALLY!!!

I CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE!!

PLEASE CHANGE MY PARTNER!

HE IS TOO SMALL!

SHE IS TOO TALL!

RIGHT, THAT DID HAPPEN.

OH, REALLY? YOU STEPPED ON MY FEET DOZENS OF TIMES BACK THEN, AND NOW YOU'RE LAUGHING?

YOU WERE THE ONE CRASHING YOUR HEAD INTO MY FACE AND MAKING A MESS.

...SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED.

I WAS ALONE FOR SO LONG THAT I MUST HAVE FORGOT- TEN THEM ALL.

BACK THEN, YOU PUT MY NECKLACE ON FOR ME, REMEMBER?

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW TERRIBLY SLOW YOUR HANDS WERE, AND HOW YOU FUMBLED SO MUCH?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

HAVE YOU GOTTEN

A LITTLE FASTER NOW?