The Mansion Awaits Spring — Chapter 4

THE WI...

THE WITCH...!!!

IT'S THE WITCH'S CURSE...!

SUPERINTENDENT, THIS IS BAD!!

THE PEOPLE WHO WENT INTO THE BASEMENT COLLAPSED...!

CALL A DOCTOR!

HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO COLLAPSED LIE DOWN OVER HERE!

THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FINE, HURRY AND GO SUPPORT THEM!

HEY.

WHERE IS APRIL?

APRIL?

...DID SHE GO DOWN TO THE SECOND BASEMENT FLOOR ALONE?

...PEJIN.

IN THE FIRST BASEMENT FLOOR,

AND THE SECOND BASEMENT FLOOR, ALL THE GAS PIPES ARE CUT.

THEN WHY

ARE THE GAS LAMPS IN MY HOUSE LIT?

WHY ARE PEOPLE COLLAPSING?

WHY...?

WHY AM I FINE?

SEEING IT LIKE THIS REALLY DOES MAKE ME...

WORTHY OF BEING CALLED A WITCH.

SO THIS IS WHERE YOU WERE.

THE OFFICERS WHO FAINTED HAVE WOKEN UP.

ACCORDING TO THE DOCTOR'S EXAMINATION, THERE IS NOTHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THEM.

THEY ALSO SAID THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL FINDINGS

CONCERNING THE HEALTH OF THE HEAD OF HOUSE LUNOS.

THINGS ARE GOING BETTER THAN PLANNED.

THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH PRETENDING TO INVESTIGATE, SO SHALL WE HEAD BACK?

NO. WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHY APRIL LUNOS WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO DID NOT COLLAPSE.

DOES THAT REASON MATTER?

JUST FROM WHAT WE SAW EARLIER...

IT SEEMED DIFFICULT TO SAY SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FOG.

EVEN IF WE ARREST HER RIGHT NOW...

IF YOU PUT IT THAT WAY, THE PERSON WHO SHOULD BE ARRESTED FIRST IS ME.

WHY? AM I WRONG?

I KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE FOG, YET PRETEND NOT TO...

AND I AM THE ONE DRIVING AN INNOCENT

PERSON INTO BEING BRANDED A WITCH...

A FEW DAYS LATER,

THE NEWSPAPERS MADE A HUGE HEADLINE OUT OF THE INCIDENT WHERE THE POLICE COLLAPSED AT THE LUNOS MANOR.

BECAUSE OF THAT, EVEN MORE PEOPLE BEGAN CONDEMNING ME AS A WITCH,

AND THE VOICES CALLING FOR ME TO BE TRIED BY THE CHURCH GREW LOUDER.

TO PROTECT MYSELF,

I HAVE TO BEGIN BY CHECKING HOW MUCH OF THE FAMILY'S FORTUNE REMAINS.

HOUSE LUNOS, WHICH HAD BEEN TRADING FOR A LONG TIME,

HAD AMASSED TREMENDOUS WEALTH ON RIGHT ISLAND.

AND THE FAMILY OF BANKERS WHO MANAGED OUR FAMILY FORTUNE

WAS NONE OTHER THAN HOUSE BIRTA.

SO I VISITED THE BANK

AND SOUGHT OUT THE HEIR OF HOUSE BIRTA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVEN YEARS, BUT...

PLEASE VISIT OUR BANK AGAIN NEXT TIME, DEAR CUSTOMER!

THAT RECEPTIONIST IS THE HEIR, MILLE BIRTA.

TO THINK MILLE IS WORKING AS A RECEPTIONIST INSTEAD OF IN BANKING.

THERE IS NO WAY HOUSE BIRTA FAILED TO EDUCATE HER AS A BANKER.

THE DOWNFALL OF HOUSE LUNOS PROBABLY CAUSED HOUSE BIRTA ITSELF TO LOSE ITS STANDING.

THERE MUST BE MANY FAMILIES THAT FELL ALONGSIDE OURS LIKE THIS.

IF I CAN SORT OUT MY FAMILY'S FORTUNE,

THEN THEIR HONOR TOO CAN BE RESTORED...

MY LADY...!

I AM SORRY. YOU WAITED A LONG TIME, DID YOU NOT?

My receptionist duties ended late..

IT IS ALL RIGHT. I REQUESTED "A BANKER FROM HOUSE BIRTA," SO THIS IS UNDERSTANDABLE.

SO, WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF LUNOS'S ASSETS?

AH, WELL...

HERE IT IS.

THIS MUCH...

MONEY WAS DRAINED OUT?

SINCE I HAD NO GUARDIAN AND COULD NOT TOUCH MY ASSETS DURING MY HOUSE ARREST,

I EXPECTED THE FAMILY'S CLOSE ASSOCIATES TO HAVE EMBEZZLED SOME OF IT.

BUT THIS IS NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE MY PARENTS PASSED AWAY

AND THE FAMILY'S FORTUNES DECLINED...

MILLER DIEUS INTERVENED

TO TAKE EVERYTHING FROM LUNOS.

ALL THAT BARELY REMAINS ARE PROMISSORY NOTES THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO COLLECT...

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

UM... MY LADY.

THERE IS MORE PROPERTY LEFT.

THIS IS...

A MERCHANT SHIP THAT HOUSE LUNOS PAID A DOWN PAYMENT ON SEVEN YEARS AGO AND BEGAN HAVING BUILT,

BUT COULD NOT TAKE POSSESSION OF BECAUSE THE BALANCE WAS NEVER PAID.

IF YOU DISPOSE OF THIS SHIP, IT WILL NOT BE A HUGE AMOUNT, BUT IT SHOULD BECOME A LUMP SUM.

DISPOSE OF IT...?!

...CAN WE NOT PAY THE BALANCE WITH THE REMAINING PROMISSORY NOTES?

...SINCE LUNOS IS KNOWN FOR TRADE,

I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SHIP.

BUT... BECAUSE THE OVERDUE BALANCE IS QUITE SUBSTANTIAL,

IF YOU DO NOT DISPOSE OF IT, IT WILL INSTEAD BECOME A DEBT TO YOU, MY LADY.

FOR NOW, THIS IS THE BEST OPTION.

AH...

I HAVE TO REPAIR THE MANOR,

AND TO PROTECT MYSELF, AND TO GATHER THE FAMILY'S PEOPLE AGAIN...

I NEED A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY...

BUT THE SHIP IS...

PRACTICALLY A SYMBOL OF LUNOS.

BECAUSE WE WERE THE ONES WHO SAILED AND CROSSED THAT VAST SEA,

BRINGING BACK GOLD, SILVER, TREASURE, AND TRADING.

BUT REALITY IS... SUCH IMAGINATION IS NOTHING BUT A LUXURY.

...ALL RIGHT.

I WILL SELL THE MERCHANT SHIP.

MY HEAD HURTS...

EVERY TIME I LEAVE THE MANOR,

I FEEL THE SEVEN-YEAR GAP PAINFULLY.

CAN I... REALLY DO THIS?

CAN I COMPLETE MY REVENGE

AND RECLAIM MY HONOR?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PUTTING YOURSELF IN DANGER?

DO NOT WALK AROUND WHILE SPACING OUT.