The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 3

...YOU ARE...

GOING TO HAND ME OVER TO THE CHURCH.

THE PREVIOUS NIGHT.

YOU WORKED HARD UNTIL LATE, PEJIN.

YOU COULD HAVE LEFT SUCH MINOR MATTERS TO YOUR SUBORDINATES

AND COME STRAIGHT TO THE GRAND DUCAL RESIDENCE.

WHY DID YOU NOT?

...BECAUSE HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR'S ORDERS TAKE PRECEDENCE.

"ARREST APRIL AVA LUNOS."

WELL... EVEN SO, I DID ORDER THE GRAND DUCHY POLICE TO INVESTIGATE FIRST

AND THEN HURRIED STRAIGHT HERE, SO CUT ME SOME SLACK.

GOODNESS!

PEJIN, YOU LITTLE RASCAL. YOU ARE FINALLY HERE!

WELCOME.

LITTLE RASCAL? SISTER-IN-LAW, HOW OLD DO YOU THINK I AM?

ARE YOU GOING TO PAT MY HEAD NEXT?

Since you brought it up, should I?

What do you mean, should you?

SINCE HEIDI IS HERE TOO, LET US PUT OFF THE HEAVY TALK FOR NOW

AND DISCUSS THE PARTY PREPARATIONS AND YOUR BRIDE-TO-BE...

I DO NOT NEED A BRIDE-TO-BE.

WHAT?

DO YOU THINK ANY WOMEN IN THE GRAND DUCHY WOULD CATCH MY EYE?

WHEN I STILL CANNOT FORGET MY FIRST LOVE.

PFFT

HAHAHA!

DO NOT LET THE MOOD TURN SO HEAVY. IT WAS A JOKE.

I'M ALREADY BUSY ENOUGH TO DIE AFTER TAKING OFFICE AS SUPERINTENDENT.

WHERE WOULD I FIND TIME TO ENJOY A PARTY?

I BARELY MANAGED TO MAKE TIME TO COME TODAY AS IS.

YOU USED TO BE SUCH A CUTE LITTLE BOY

WHO FOLLOWED RIGHT AT MY HEELS.

BUT YOU GRADUATED FROM POLICE ACADEMY IN THE EMPIRE WITH EXCELLENT MARKS,

BECAME A SUPERINTENDENT, AND CAME TO THE GRAND DUCHY. I AM TRULY PROUD OF YOU.

STILL,

TO THINK THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT YOU RECEIVED AFTER BEING POSTED TO THE GRAND DUCHY...

...IS TO REVEAL THE TRUTH BEHIND THE FOG MURDERS.

CAN YOU KILL THE WITCH?

WELL, IF WE CANNOT PROVE THE MURDERS,

THEN EVEN IF SHE'S A WITCH, KILLING HER WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

HOW WOULD YOU PROVE A WITCH'S MURDERS? THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

SURELY... YOU ARE NOT GOING EASY ON HER BECAUSE SHE WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD FRIEND?

HER AND ME, CHILDHOOD FRIENDS? ARE YOU INSANE?

BACK THEN, OUR FAMILIES INTERACTED OFTEN, SO I ONLY PLAYED WITH HER.

FINE. THEN HURRY AND HAND THE TRIAL OVER TO THE CHURCH...

HAH!

IN A CASE INVOLVING THE POLICE OF RASA,

YOU TALK ABOUT THE CHURCH?

TRIALS ARE HANDLED BY JUDGES, NOT THE CHURCH.

AND INVESTIGATIONS ARE HANDLED BY THE POLICE.

YOUR GRACE DOES NOT NEED TO CONCERN YOURSELF.

ONCE SEVEN YEARS HAVE PASSED, I WILL COME FOR YOU.

WITHOUT FAIL...

I WILL NEVER LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS.

WAIT UNTIL THEN...!

MILLER DIEUS!

OH MY, MILLER!

WHY ARE YOU MAKING MISTAKES YOU NEVER MAKE?

Pejin, wipe it with this.

SORRY. I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE...

YOU DON’T LOOK WELL, BROTHER.

YOU SHOULD GET SOME REST.

OH MY, YOU ARE LEAVING ALREADY?

YES. BROTHER LOOKS TIRED,

AND I HAVE AN INVESTIGATION SCHEDULED TOMORROW.

PEJIN!

I AM SAYING THIS NOT AS YOUR BROTHER, BUT AS THE GRAND DUKE.

HAND APRIL'S TRIAL OVER TO THE CHURCH.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF HER!

DO NOT WORRY, BROTHER.

I HAVE SEEN EXACTLY WHAT THEY THINK OF HER...

OH, DEAR...

?

THE POLICE SEARCHED THE MANOR WHILE I WAS BEING INVESTIGATED.

...I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR THIS OLD MANOR ALL THIS TIME,

SO FIXING IT WILL COST QUITE A LOT.

I CAN BARELY MANAGE MYSELF, LET ALONE...

AT THIS RATE, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MILLER DIEUS KILLS ME.

I HAVE TO FIND SOME WAY

TO RECOVER THE LUNOS FAMILY'S ASSETS SO I CAN KEEP MILLER IN CHECK.

AND I NEED TO FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL STAND BY MY SIDE...

...WHAT?

JUDGING BY YOUR EXPRESSION, I THOUGHT YOU WERE UNHAPPY ABOUT THE MANOR SEARCH.

WHY NOT CHECK IT WITH US?

THERE IS STILL SOMEWHERE WE HAVEN'T SEARCHED YET.

...THE BASEMENT?

I HEARD THEY HAD QUITE A HARD TIME OPENING IT BECAUSE IT WAS BLOCKED BY AN IRON DOOR.

THE POLICE SEALED THAT PLACE RIGHT BEFORE MY HOUSE ARREST, SO IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FOG CASE. I could not get-in there either.

SEPARATELY FROM THAT, THE GAS PIPES ARE IN THE BASEMENT, SO WE NEED TO CHECK.

I TOLD YOU, MANY PEOPLE FIND IT STRANGE

THAT THE LIGHTS COME ON EVEN THOUGH THE GAS WAS CUT OFF.

ARE YOU GOING IN TOO?

SURELY YOU HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THAT I AM A SUPERINTENDENT?

My role is to command from above.

DURING THE TIME I WAS UNDER HOUSE ARREST IN THIS MANOR,

I NEVER ONCE ENTERED THE BASEMENT.

THE SECRET BEHIND HOW THE GAS LAMPS WERE LIT EVERY DAY FOR SEVEN YEARS...

...MUST BE IN THIS BASEMENT.

WHAT IS THIS...? SINCE IT IS THE LUNOS MANOR,

I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE PILES OF EXPENSIVE PAINTINGS AND FURNITURE DOWN HERE.

THERE IS NOTHING SPE—

ALL THE GAS PIPES ARE CUT?

ALL THE PIPES ON THIS SIDE ARE BLOCKED!

THE PIPES ON THIS SIDE ARE CUT TOO...!

THEY REALLY ARE... CUT?

THEN HOW ARE THE GAS LAMPS LIGHTING UP...?

Huh?!

THERE ARE STAIRS LEADING TO A LOWER FLOOR HERE!

EVERYONE, THIS WAY...!

!!!

S-SOMEONE COLLAPSED!!

HURRY AND CALL THE SUPERINTENDENT!!

THE W—

THE WITCH...!!!

IT IS THE WITCH'S CURSE...!