The Mansion Awaits Spring - Chapter 100

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 100
April remained there as the sun descended and the sunset tilted through the window. Only when the blue sky slowly began to stain yellow did she finally rise.
As she stepped from the room, she noticed Pejin standing in the corridor and her eyes narrowed slightly.
“When did you get here?”
“About three hours ago?”
You should’ve said something.
“What kind of fool would disturb a daughter mourning her parents.”
Pejin spoke and extended his hand toward her.
When April placed her hand on his arm, Pejin guided her toward the Dressing Room.
April opened her mouth.
“Why did you come so early?”
“I thought you’d be doing this.”
“What does it matter to you?”
“I wanted to play house just for today.”
She didn’t understand what he meant, but before she could ask further, servants of the Dieusz Family appeared in the Dressing Room as he opened the door.
“I’ll step out.”
After Pejin spoke and left, Eve guided her to a chair and began loosening the hair April had tied carelessly, saying:
“I knew you’d be like this.”
“Do I need to look beautiful even at a funeral?”
“Is this just any funeral? From what I heard from Pejin, it isn’t.”
As Eve continued to comb through the loosened strands with her fingers, she went on:
“You must be beautiful today. So beautiful that all the world knows it. Strong-seeming but pitiable, and yet pitiable enough that no one in this world looks upon you with mockery.”
“…Does Pejin say such things?”
“He does.”
April nodded.
How many people had come outside? The Merrow family would surely have come, and the Grand Duke… he’d likely come as well. A Grand Duke couldn’t refuse to attend the funeral of such an old, distinguished house as the Lunos Family, not with his family’s honor at stake.
Eve braided April’s now-loosened hair up and pinned it securely in place.
She attached a black ribbon to the hat, adorned the neckline with black lace, fastened earrings and a necklace, added black gloves and black shoes—all trimmed with pearls.
After the preparations were complete, April left the manor. Pejin was nowhere to be found; instead, her uncle Jeff Merrow waited for her.
“Uncle.”
“Pejin is moving the Burial Urn with Kayani. He insisted on doing it himself.”
“I see.”
April nodded, and Jeff continued:
“That boy… he’s doing so much work today.”
“Work?”
When April asked, confused, Jeff replied with a complicated expression.
“Yes. He’s greeting mourners and going around with Bauman to ensure nothing’s been overlooked. Earlier, I saw him pluck out even a single withered flower—he couldn’t stand to see it.”
“He must have been quite busy.”
“That the Dieusz are here… I don’t like it, but what can I do? He’s been far more helpful than I ever could be, so I can hardly say anything against it.”
April deliberately offered a smile. She ventured carefully:
“Did many people from the Lunos Family come?”
“Many?”
At her question, Jeff laughed—a cheerful laugh April hadn’t seen in a very long time. He continued:
“You can see for yourself how many came.”
At his words, April tilted her head to one side with a puzzled expression.
With Jeff’s escort, April arrived at the Grand Banquet Hall and soon understood the meaning of his laughter, stopping in her tracks.
The Grand Banquet Hall was filled with chairs arranged in two rows like a chapel, and between them, every space was decorated with Hyacinth.
The Chandelier, which had gathered dust for seven years, had been polished until every crystal gleamed, dividing 1000 candles into tens of thousands of rays that illuminated the mourners.
The funeral hall was full of people. Most of those who had received her letter—members of the Lunos Family—had come. And they had brought their families.
April found herself asking Jeff:
“Why… why did so many come? It shouldn’t be like this. These people know me as a Witch.”
“April.”
Jeff gazed at her with eyes full of affection and spoke:
“You don’t truly understand how much your parents loved you. Not even half. They lived for you. They gave for you, and they grew bitter for you…”
“…”
“So from the day you were born, everyone in the Lunos Family knew—no matter what hatred and distrust and misfortune existed. Whenever you had need, they must gather here.”
April stared for a long moment at the light reflecting in the hall through her two eyes, which still held the redness of weeping.
* * *
When the carriage carrying Miller and Heidi entered the Lunos Family Territory, the great manor began to come into view.
Heidi gazed at the great manor and spoke:
“It’s huge. Really huge.”
“Isn’t it? I’m always amazed when I see it.”
Miller was thinking whether it was even right to be attending the funeral of the couple he had executed, but refusing the invitation April had sent was a difficult thing to do.
She had bowed deeply and asked that he and Heidi attend the funeral.
He had come reluctantly to an invitation he could not refuse, but the unease in his heart did not easily fade.
Upon arriving at the Grand Banquet Hall, he heard musicians playing a Requiem from within.
Never before had string instruments grated on Miller so harshly. It was beautiful music, and yet he felt an abnormally intense sense of revulsion.
Heidi seemed to feel the same way. The softness that usually graced her eyes had grown noticeably colder.
The two guided their two sons quietly as they entered the funeral hall.
Heidi eventually found it absurd and laughed bitterly, and Miller’s expression grew grim.
What funeral was ever this lavish?
What funeral brazenly solicited such vast amounts of Condolence Money?
In one corner of the hall stood bankers, and they were mostly of Lunos Family origin, accepting enormous sums of Condolence Money from the mourners who made up the assembly.
Those mourners who drew out Bills of Exchange and wrote down figures seemed wholly unsurprised by the situation.
Not one of them was ignorant of what frame of mind April Lunos had in giving the chance to mourn to those who had betrayed her parents.
Kayani Merrow, too preoccupied with welcoming guests, approached the two.
“Thank you for coming. Please allow me to show you to your seats.”
“Quite a number of mourners have gathered.”
Heidi answered in place of Miller, who had fallen silent.
Kayani guided them to their seats, and immediately behind them was a place prepared for Pejin.
Not long after, April Lunos arrived and took her seat across from them.
Pejin returned to his seat just before the funeral began, and Miller seized his brother’s arm and pulled him outside the hall briefly.
Even in the empty outdoors, Miller seemed to have much he wished to hide, and he seized Pejin and whispered low in his ear:
“Why have you brought so many of the officers?”
“They said I was coming, so they all just followed along.”
“Lunos Family people shouldn’t gather. Not in such numbers.”
At his anxious tone, Pejin narrowed his brow and shot back:
“If you hated that so much, why didn’t you just kill them from the start?”
“What?”
“You didn’t spare April out of pity, after all. You just didn’t want to hear that you’d killed a child.”
Pejin spoke while regarding Miller, who was grasping at his collar without meaning to.
“Did I ever tell you that I was being kind to April because I wanted something? Did I?”
At his younger brother’s expressionless question, Miller faltered.
Pejin continued:
“Even if it were actually true—what gives you the right to say such things?”
“You want something. The orders you received from the Empire, you’re executing them by staying at April’s side. You’re supposed to make April into a Witch. The cause of the Fog…”
Miller, who had been speaking carelessly, stopped.
But Pejin could not let the words he had already heard pass.
“What did you just say?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“Brother.”
“Let’s talk about it later.”
“About the cause of the Fog…”
“I don’t know.”
“You do know?”
Pejin’s eyes began to tremble with rage.
“You know where that Fog came from. You knew from the beginning… didn’t you?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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