The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 32

DECEMBER 31ST, LUNOS ESTATE

HERE, DRINK UP.

THANK YOU.

TODAY, I WILL BE CHECKING...

...IF YOU BOTH KEPT YOUR PROMISE TO ME.

YOU ARE PREPARED,

...I TRUST?

YOU'RE TOO SLOW!

CAN'T YOU DO IT PROPERLY?!

MOVE FASTER!

IF YOU DON'T DO IT RIGHT, YOU WON'T GET PAID TODAY!

HANNA!

AH, FRED.

DID YOU BUY THE NEWSPAPER?

YEAH, DID YOU BUY ALL THE GROCERIES?

I BOUGHT MOST OF IT.

I JUST NEED TO GO TO THE BUTCHER'S SHOP.

LET'S GO TOGETHER!

AFTER LEAVING THE FACTORY, FRED AND I BEGAN WORKING FOR HOUSE LUNOS.

SWEEPING THE MANSION'S COURTYARD,

OR RUNNING ERRANDS IN TOWN TO BUY THINGS...

...ON BEHALF OF MY LADY, WHO COULDN'T EASILY GO OUTSIDE...

...WERE OUR DUTIES.

I CONSIDER IT INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE THAT WE MET MY LADY.

BECAUSE WE COULD SPEND OUR REMAINING TIME PLAYING...

...OR STUDYING.

STUDYING.

IT WAS A COMPLETELY FOREIGN CONCEPT TO ME.

THERE WERE ADULTS WHO TOLD US TO HURRY UP AND EARN MONEY,

BUT IT WAS HARD TO FIND ANY WHO TOLD US TO STUDY.

CAN'T WE STOP AND PLAY NOW?

NO, MEMORIZE UP TO HERE FOR TODAY.

BUT MY LADY ALWAYS TOLD US TO STUDY.

This is so boring..

IT FELT LIKE I WAS WEARING CLOTHES THAT DIDN'T FIT.

OF WHAT USE IS STUDYING FOR A CHILD LIKE ME?

We still have to do it.

HOWEVER, SINCE MY LADY ORDERED IT,

I SIMPLY OBEYED.

HANNA!

HANNA!

WHY ARE YOU SPACING OUT?

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT KIND OF MEAT...

...GRANDPA BAUMANN TOLD US TO BUY?

AH, HE WROTE IT DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER.

THESE LETTERS SPELL "MEAT"... BUT...

...WHAT KIND OF MEAT IS IT?

SIR... LOIN?

BEEF...?

...WE CAN'T BUY THE WRONG THING,

SO LET'S JUST SHOW THE PAPER TO THE BUTCHER.

Y-YEAH. THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

EVEN WHEN I DID STUDY,

I WAS TERRIFIED THAT MY LADY WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF I DIDN'T DO WELL.

IF I FAILED TO MEET HER EXPECTATIONS AND WAS KICKED OUT OF THE LUNOS ESTATE,

I WAS AFRAID THAT, AS SOMEONE MISSING A HAND,

I WOULD BE TREATED EVEN WORSE THAN THAT KID WHO GOT SLAPPED.

AND BEFORE LONG, A CRISIS STRUCK.

WE WILL HAVE A TEST ON THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR.

A T-TEST?

YES, YOU TWO HAVE STUDIED WRITING QUITE A BIT,

SO SHOULDN'T I CHECK IF YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT PROPERLY?

I PLAN TO GIVE A PRIZE TO WHOEVER PASSES THE TEST.

WH-WHAT IF WE DON'T PASS?

WELL, I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT YET.

AND THAT IS BECAUSE I ONLY CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU BOTH PASSING.

UPON HEARING THAT WE WOULD TAKE A TEST...

...TO CHECK IF WE HAD BEEN STUDYING PROPERLY...

UGH...

...I WAS CERTAIN MY LADY WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IN ME.

UNMET... EXPECTATIONS? SLUMP?

PLAYER DRAFT PICK...

TH-THE GRANT ING OF

_DRAFT P-PICKS_ AND_ GRIEVANCES_

SLUMP? DRAFT PICK? GRIEVANCE??

WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?

BECAUSE THERE WAS A PICTURE OF ICE HOCKEY,

I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT EASY...

WHAT DO I DO?

I DON"T UNDERSTAND A SINGLE THING...

THE BLACK LETTERS WRITTEN ON THE PAPER...

...FELT HEAVIER TO ME THAN ANY PHYSICAL BURDEN.

I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO BECOME THAT KID...

...THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WHILE DRAGGING A HEAVY LOAD.

FRED, YOU PASS.

YOU DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING RIGHT,

BUT YOU CLEARLY STUDIED QUITE HARD.

REALLY? THANK YOU!

ALRIGHT, HANNA NEEDS TO TAKE HER TEST NOW.

SO FRED, GO WAIT IN YOUR ROOM.

YES...!

H-HE ALREADY PASSED?

I WAS SO DISTRACTED, I DIDN'T EVEN SEE HOW THE TEST WAS CONDUCTED...!

HANNA... GOOD LUCK!

AH...

ALRIGHT...

IT IS YOUR TURN NOW, HANNA.

OPEN THE BOOK IN FRONT OF YOU, READ IT,

AND TELL ME WHAT IT MEANS.

...YES.

U-UH...?

...CAN YOU PERHAPS NOT READ IT?

NO!

THAT'S NOT IT!

THE B-BOOK...

THE BOOK IS...

...TOO HEAVY...

SHE SEEMED TO BE STUDYING HARD WITH FRED THIS WHOLE TIME.

WHY IS SHE SUDDENLY ACTING LIKE THIS?

DID I ASK FOR TOO MUCH?

MY LADY, MAY I HAVE A MOMENT...?

WHAT IS THE MATTER?

WELL...

YOUNG MASTER PEJIN...

...IS HERE TO SEE YOU.