The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 17

I AM THINKING OF HOLDING A PARTY

UNDER THE NAME OF YOUR SISTER-IN-LAW, HEIDI.

IT IS ABOUT TIME YOU GOT MARRIED TOO.

MARRIAGE? I WILL HANDLE IT MYSELF.

YOU ARE NOT HANDLING IT YOURSELF AT ALL. You are 22 now.

I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF YOU DANCING WITH ANYONE.

I HAVE BEEN TO IMPERIAL PARTIES A FEW TIMES.

AND YOU ARE GOING LESS AND LESS OFTEN NOW.

Did you think I would not know?

I COULD NOT HELP IT.

ALL THE WOMEN FIGHT EACH OTHER TO GET ME.

This damn face is the problem...

HAH... PLEASE DO NOT SAY THINGS LIKE THAT WITH YOUR OWN MOUTH.

IF YOU JUST HURRY UP AND BECOME A MARRIED MAN, YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL THAT.

IT IS A PROBLEM THAT CAN BE SOLVED IF YOU FIRMLY LOOK AT ONLY ONE PERSON.

...BROTHER.

YOU SHOULD NOT BE SAYING THAT.

I LOVED ONLY ONE PERSON IN MY LIFE.

HEIDI BASANTA.

MY NANNY'S DAUGHTER, MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND,

AND MY FIRST LOVE.

BORN AS THE ELDEST SON OF THE FAMILY AND FORCED ONTO ONE FIXED PATH,

HEIDI WAS A GENTLE PRESENCE WHO COMFORTED ME WHEN I WAS EXHAUSTED.

BY CONTRAST, APRIL LUNOS WERE LIKE AN OBSTACLE.

HOUSE LUNOS, THE FAMILY WITH THE GREATEST INFLUENCE IN THE GRAND DUCHY AFTER THE GRAND DUKE,

AND THE PRECIOUS DAUGHTER OF THAT COUPLE.

I FORMALLY GREET YOU AS YOUR FIANCÉE.

I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TIME TOGETHER, YOUR GRACE.

HAVING LOST MY PARENTS EARLY AND BECOME GRAND DUKE AT A YOUNG AGE,

I NEEDED POWER AS THE SUCCESSOR OF DIEUS,

I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TIME TOGETHER TOO, LADY LUNOS.

SO AN ENGAGEMENT WITH AN INFLUENTIAL FAMILY WAS AN UNAVOIDABLE CHOICE.

THAT OBSTACLE,

STARTED FROM THE MOMENT SHE REALIZED MY LOVE WAS DIRECTED TOWARD HEIDI,

AND SHE BEGAN TORMENTING HEIDI.

HEIDI! WHAT IS THIS...?!

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?! I WILL PROTEST AT ONCE...

IT IS ALL RIGHT, MILLER.

IT IS JUST A CHILD'S SPITE.

HEIDI, WITH HER BROAD HEART, ONLY ENDURED IT,

AND AS I WATCHED HER, I MADE UP MY MIND.

ANGELIC HEIDI. FOR THE SAKE OF MY LOVE WITH YOU,

FOR THE ONLY LOVE IN MY LIFE,

I WILL GIVE EVERYTHING I HAVE.

IN THE END, JUST AS I HAD RESOLVED, LUNOS FELL,

AND I WON MY MARRIAGE TO HEIDI.

THE WHISPERS THAT I HAD BROKEN MY PROMISE AND COMMITTED ADULTERY WITH HEIDI

WERE NOTHING MORE THAN FUTILE ATTEMPTS TO TEAR DOWN ME, THE VICTOR.

AND YET...

YOU SHOULD NOT BE SAYING THAT.

TO THINK PEJIN WOULD SAY SUCH A THING TO ME...

DIEUS GRAND DUCAL RESIDENCE.

OH MY, MILLER.

WHY DID YOU DRINK THIS MUCH?

HEIDI...

HOW MUCH DID YOU DRINK WITH PEJIN...

AH!

WHAT KIND OF SERIOUS CONVERSATION DID YOU BROTHERS HAVE

FOR YOU TO DRINK UNTIL YOU CAN HARDLY STAND?

I KEPT THINKING OF PEJIN... AS A CHILD,

BUT WHILE HE WAS IN THE EMPIRE, HE BECAME AN ADULT.

I NEVER THOUGHT HE WOULD POINT OUT MY SORE SPOT...

I THINK PEJIN HAS SPENT TOO MUCH TIME WITH LUNOS.

LUNOS?

DO YOU MEAN APRIL?

...WHAT KIND OF CHILD

WAS APRIL LUNOS TO YOU?

AN ARROGANT, ILL MANNERED CHILD.

ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF,

FOOLING AROUND WITH MY FIANCÉ?

YOU CANNOT HIDE YOUR PIRATE BLOOD, CAN YOU?

HEIDI BASANTA.

DID YOU THINK I WOULD NOT KNOW

THAT YOU ACT PITIFUL AND INCITE MILLER DIEUS?

IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BECOME A FILTHY MISTRESS,

YOU HAD BETTER BEHAVE PROPERLY.

...SHE WAS AN ARROGANT, ILL MANNERED CHILD,

BUT SHE WASN'T ENTIRELY WRONG.

IF EVERYTHING THAT CAME OUT OF THAT PRETTY MOUTH HAD BEEN WRONG,

I WOULD NOT HAVE HATED HER.

BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERS NOW.

I HAVE EVERYTHING BY MY SIDE...

AND THAT CHILD HAS NO ONE BY HERS.

HMM...

THE WEATHER IS NICE.

THE MANOR IS BUSTLING AGAIN TODAY.

AH, MR. BAUMANN.

IS IT VERY NOISY?

NO, IT USED TO BE THIS CROWDED BEFORE TOO.

MERCHANTS AND SAILORS CAME AND WENT OFTEN, AFTER ALL.

SINCE YOU AND YOUR SKILLED WORKERS HAVE BEEN REPAIRING THE WORN PARTS,

THE MANOR IS GRADUALLY BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE IT DID BEFORE.

RATHER THAN CALLING IT NOISY, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO CALL IT LIVELY.

THE PROBLEM IS...

INSTEAD OF THOSE POLICE OFFICERS, THERE SHOULD BE NOBLES OR PEOPLE FROM MERCHANT GROUPS HERE...

Huh?

WAIT,

DOES IT SEEM LIKE THERE ARE MORE POLICE THAN USUAL...?

SIR PAUL SOAR.

MY LADY, IS SOMETHING THE MATTER?

YOU SHAVED YOUR MUSTACHE...?

AH, WELL...

THEY ARE UNCLE PAUL SOAR AND UNCLE LOGAN!

WHEN I PLAYED WITH THE CHILDREN AT THE AMUSEMENT PARK,

I STARTED THINKING I MIGHT LOOK OLDER THAN I EXPECTED...

U-Uncle..?

SO I TRIED CLEANING IT UP A BIT.

WELL, BECAUSE OF THE MUSTACHE, HE DID LOOK OLDER...

I thought he was older when he is actually my age..

ANYWAY, WHAT DID YOU CALL ME FOR?

AH, IT SEEMS THERE ARE MORE POLICE OFFICERS THAN USUAL.

TODAY, INVESTIGATORS FROM DIVISION 3 HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED,

SO THERE WILL BE TESTS ON THE SOIL AND WATER QUALITY AROUND THE LUNOS MANOR.

DIVISION 3?

UNLIKE DIVISIONS 1 AND 2, WHICH ARE MADE UP OF REGULAR POLICE OFFICERS,

DIVISIONS 1 AND 2

DIVISION 3

YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS AN INVESTIGATION TEAM MADE UP OF EXPERTS FROM VARIOUS PROFESSIONS.

I WAS NOT TOLD THAT MY HOUSE WOULD BE INVESTIGATED.

WHERE IS PEJIN?

THE SUPERINTENDENT IS...

ON SICK LEAVE BECAUSE HE IS NOT FEELING WELL.