The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 22

I THINK I'D LIKE TO...

...HAVE A DANCE WITH YOU, PEJIN, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE.

WILL YOU ESCORT ME, PEJIN?

WILL YOU BE OKAY?

APRIL.

WITH WHAT?

IT'S ONLY PROPER ETIQUETTE FOR THE HOST AND A GUEST TO DANCE.

GO AHEAD.

I NEED TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL HERE, TOO.

YOUR GOAL?

...I HEARD YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HUSBAND.

EVERYTHING I HAVE BUILT...

...WAS BUILT ON A PRECARIOUS FOUNDATION OF SAND.

TO MILLER, APRIL WAS AN OBSTACLE TO OUR LOVE, YES...

...BUT HE VIEWED HER MORE AS A POLITICAL RIVAL FROM "HOUSE LUNOS".

BUT AS FOR ME...

I SIMPLY HATED APRIL.

BECAUSE OF HER VERY EXISTENCE...

...I WAS FORCED TO LIVE PRECARIOUSLY ON THAT FOUNDATION OF SAND...

...LABELED AS THE WOMAN WHO STOLE ANOTHER'S FIANCÉ.

...SUPERINTENDENT PEJIN DIEUS,

AND MISS APRIL AVA LUNOS.

ENTERING NOW!

SHE'S PRETTY.

THE FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD CHILD I ONCE DEFEATED...

...HAS REAPPEARED AS A MATURE LADY.

UGH... HEY, APRIL...!

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!

THAT WAY IS...!

HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED OVER THESE PAST SEVEN YEARS?

AH...

YOU'RE EXACTLY THE SAME.

UNABLE TO HOLD BACK YOUR ANGER,

YOU REALLY CAN'T HIDE PIRATE BLOOD.

HEIDI BASANTA.

THAT FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO INSULTED ME...

YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

BECAUSE YOU WANT TO REMAIN A GOOD PERSON TO THOSE AROUND YOU.

...IS STILL BURNING WITH ANGER.

WELCOME, APRIL. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.

NOW...

HOUSE LUNOS IS GONE,

AND ONLY THE PIRATE FAMILY REMAINS, HUH?

I COULD FEEL HER RAGGED BREATHING AS SHE DESPERATELY TRIED TO SUPPRESS HER ANGER...

...THE MOMENT I EMBRACED HER.

AT HER ANGER,

I COULDN'T HELP BUT SMILE.

NO.

SINCE I'M STILL HERE, LUNOS REMAINS LUNOS.

AND YOU REMAIN EXACTLY AS YOU ARE, DON'T YOU?

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.

COULD LOVE POSSIBLY RUN DEEPER THAN THIS FEELING?

AH...

I THOUGHT YOU WOULDN'T COME TO THE PARTY.

BUT YOU ACTUALLY CAME?

BROTHER CAME FULLY PREPARED SO I COULDN'T REFUSE. I HAD NO CHOICE.

YOU MEAN THE DAY MILLER CAME HOME COMPLETELY DRUNK?

DO YOU KNOW HOW UPSET MILLER WAS THAT DAY?

HEIDI...

I KEPT THINKING OF PEJIN AS A CHILD...

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

BROTHER SHOULDN'T SAY THINGS LIKE THAT.

YOU KNOW MILLER WORRIES ABOUT YOU A LOT.

HE JUST WANTS YOU TO GET MARRIED AND SETTLE DOWN.

WELL, I'M AN ADULT NOW TOO.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

DOES SHE BOTHER YOU THAT MUCH?

YOU HEARD ME SAY MEAN THINGS TO HER EARLIER, RIGHT?

I GUESS I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON, SAYING THOSE THINGS ON PURPOSE.

...HEIDI.

YOU'VE ALREADY WON, YOU KNOW.

YOU COULD AFFORD TO BE A LITTLE MORE GRACIOUS AS THE VICTOR,

BUT YOU WERE QUITE COLD TO THE LOSER.

IT WAS QUITE PETTY OF YOU.

I'M WORRIED ABOUT WHEN PEJIN WILL GROW UP SINCE HE'S SO YOUNG.

WILL HE BE ABLE TO GROW UP WELL WITHOUT HIS PARENTS?

WHO KNOWS?

ACTUALLY, WHEN PEJIN BECOMES AN ADULT...

...AND STARTS ASSERTING HIMSELF STRONGLY,

...THAT MIGHT BE AN EVEN BIGGER HEADACHE.

YOU THINK SO?

THANK YOU FOR DANCING WITH ME.

YOU'VE TRULY BECOME AN ADULT, PEJIN.

MAYBE...

JUST MAYBE.

THINGS MIGHT TURN OUT EXACTLY AS YOU SAID...

...MILLER.

SHE WAS AT THIS TABLE JUST A MOMENT AGO...

...WHERE DID SHE GO IN THE MEANTIME?

She Even Left Her Shawl...

DID YOU SEE HER RUN OUT JUST BECAUSE WE TALKED A LITTLE ABOUT A WITCH HUNT?

IF SHE WAS GOING TO ACT LIKE THAT, WHY DID SHE EVEN DRAG HERSELF OUT HERE?~

THE WAY SHE RAN OUT WITH HER FACE ALL RED...

...IT WAS SO RIDICULOUS!