The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 28

...HOW LONG DID I SLEEP?

IN THE MORNING, MRS. EVE SEEMED TO HAVE COME BY TO NURSE ME...

I bought cake, so hurry up and wake up, Young Master!

Is the Superintendent not waking up?

Is he very sick?

AND IN THE EVENING, IT SEEMS HANNA AND FRED WERE FOOLING AROUND IN THE ROOM...

Wh-What if he can't get up like this?

It shouldn't be this easy to get knocked out by a cold.

IT SEEMS APRIL AND MR. BAUMANN...

...CAME BY TO NURSE ME FROM TIME TO TIME AS WELL...

TO THINK THAT JUST A SINGLE SWIM IN THE WINTER SEA...

...WOULD LEAVE ME BEDRIDDEN FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS.

Damn it, how humiliating.

IS IT AROUND MIDNIGHT? EVERYONE MUST BE ASLEEP.

SHE SAID THIS WAS USED AS A STUDY.

THE CHILDREN USED THIS BEDROOM AS A STUDY,

SO IT SHOULD BE WARM SINCE THE HEATING IS ON.

EDUCATION WAS A "POSSIBILITY" DISCOVERED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE RIGHT ISLAND...

...THAT ALLOWED THEM TO LIVE WITHOUT RESORTING TO PIRACY.

TO THE PEOPLE OF RIGHT ISLAND,

IT WAS ONLY NATURAL FOR CHILDREN TO STUDY.

HOWEVER, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GRAND DUCHY, FACTORIES REQUIRED A GREATER WORKFORCE.

ULTIMATELY, EDUCATION WAS PUSHED ASIDE...

...AS AN IMPRACTICAL CHOICE THAT HINDERED IMMEDIATE GROWTH.

EVEN SO, IT MUST BE ONLY NATURAL FOR HER TO HAVE CHILDREN STUDY.

SHE HAD APPEARED AT A PARTY WEARING AN OUT-OF-FASHION DRESS.

WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WAS BUSY EMULATING THE EMPIRE,

APRIL, WHO EMERGED SEALED IN THE PAST LIKE CANNED VEGETABLES...

...MADE ANTIQUATED OLD CUSTOMS FEEL LIKE ROMANTIC TRADITIONS.

IT'S... FASCINATING.

WHILE SOME VIEW IT AS A PLACE TO BE TRAMPLED,

THE FACT THAT SOMEONE CONTINUES TO PROTECT SOMETHING WITHIN IT...

GRR-RUMBLE~

AH...

I NEED TO EAT SOMETHING.

WHY IS THERE LIGHT COMING FROM THE KITCHEN...?

APRIL?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT THIS HOUR?

OH, YOU'RE AWAKE?

SINCE YOU'D BEEN SICK FOR TWO WHOLE DAYS AND WEREN'T EATING ANYTHING,

I WAS BOILING SOME VEGETABLE SOUP TO WAKE YOU UP AND FORCE YOU TO EAT.

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME?

...SO YOU WANT ME TO EAT THIS AND COLLAPSE AGAIN?

NATURALLY, YOU NEED TO EAT MEAT TO REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH.

WHY DID YOU SLICE IT SO THIN?

YOU HAVE TO COOK IT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE SO YOU CAN EAT MORE.

And some wine on the side.

BACK WHEN YOU WERE A KID, YOU MADE SUCH A FUSS ABOUT NOT EATING...

YOU REMEMBER THAT?

TRY SPENDING TIME AT THE ACADEMY WITH GUYS GOING THROUGH A GROWTH SPURT.

TASTE AND TEXTURE ARE LUXURIES; YOU END UP EATING LIKE A STARVING BEAST.

IF YOU'RE EVEN A LITTLE LATE, THERE WON'T BE ANY LEFT FOR YOU.

ALL DONE.

IT LOOKS DELICIOUS.

YOU SHOULD EAT TOO. I ROASTED PLENTY SO WE COULD EAT TOGETHER.

HERE, TRY SOME.

IT'S DELICIOUS.

RIGHT?

WERE YOU A COOK IN THE MILITARY ACADEMY?

THE MILITARY? WHY WOULD THERE BE A COOK AT THE MILITARY ACADEMY?

...HUH?

THAT PERSON IS... MRS. EVE?

Oh dear...

I THOUGHT I HEARD SHE WOULD REST AFTER FINISHING HER NURSING SHIFT,

BUT WHAT IS SHE DOING?

SHE SEEMS RATHER STRICT, SO IT'S HARD TO APPROACH HER.

GOOD DAY, MADAM. WHY AREN'T YOU GOING INSIDE YET...?

SHHHHHHHHH

SHOULD I BUTT IN AND SAY A WORD, OR SHOULD I NOT...?

WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON...?

IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO DIG INTO A WHOLE CAKE WITH A FORK LIKE THAT?!

HOW CAN HE NOT EVEN PROVIDE A SINGLE PLATE FOR A LADY?

YOUNG PEOPLE THESE DAYS SEEM TO BE LIKE THAT.

IN OUR DAY, WE COULDN'T EVEN IMAGINE SUCH A THING...

ABOVE ALL ELSE, DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE FOR SOMEONE FROM THE GRAND DUCHY

TO CATCH A COLD JUST FROM GOING INTO THE SEA?

TH-THAT IS THE PART I FIND MOST BAFFLING AS WELL.

IN OUR DAY, THIS LEVEL OF COLD WASN'T EVEN CONSIDERED COLD, WAS IT?

EXACTLY. IN THIS WEATHER, IT'S PRACTICALLY SPRING.

HEARING THAT THE YOUNG MASTER CAUGHT A COLD, I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE IT...

OH MY! THE TWO OF THEM MIGHT BE COMING OUT.

LET'S HURRY BACK...!

...DID THEY LEAVE?

YEAH, THEY LEFT.

GOOD GRIEF, TO MAKE SUCH A FUSS OVER CATCHING A COLD...

YOU WOULD CERTAINLY BE THE LAUGHINGSTOCK OF THE RIGHT ISLAND FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

CUT ME SOME SLACK. IT'S BEEN AGES SINCE I WENT SWIMMING.

Did they really think they wouldn't get caught?

PFFT!

SNICKER

BAHHAHHAHA!

WHAT, HAVE THE CANDLES BURNED DOWN?

WE MUST HAVE BEEN CHATTING FOR A LONG TIME.

IT CAN'T BE HELPED.

LET'S HEAD BACK TO OUR ROOMS.

HERE, TAKE MY HAND.

I CAN'T SEE BECAUSE IT'S DARK...

IT'S RIGHT NEARBY, SO JUST GRAB HOLD OF ANYTHING.

AH, GOT IT.