The Mansion Awaits Spring - Chapter 109

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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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Episode 109
Pejin glanced out of the carriage for a moment, then spoke.
“You stay in the carriage. I’ll go ask why they’re following us.”
“They seem to be following me. Shouldn’t I be the one asking?”
“Ordinarily, a subordinate goes first to scout things out.”
“Were you my subordinate?”
“I follow orders so well—how could you not know that?”
Pejin sighed theatrically and stepped down from the carriage.
Shaper’s subordinates—composed largely of Empire Police and Grand Duchy Military personnel—faced their counterparts in a field northeast of the Lunos Fiefdom.
Pejin asked him, “What’s this about? Did I not beat you badly enough?”
At Pejin’s casual remark, Shaper let out a laugh—though it came out awkward and forced.
“Me? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I’ve just heard rumors. That I fought you and won.”
At Pejin’s unruffled words, anger flared in Shaper, and his voice rose.
“That’s only because everyone who was watching happened to be police, that’s why. Our officers are far more objective than most.”
“Cut out your tongue and you’d drop dead on the spot. You can’t help running your mouth, can you?”
“Well, I don’t need to say anything—the world already finds me beautiful.”
Then Paul interjected from the side.
“That’s correct. The Inspector General would be even more attractive without a tongue.”
April’s laughter could be heard from inside the carriage.
Pejin’s face twisted into a scowl as he turned to Paul. “Whose side are you on?”
“I apologize. I have an illness—I die if I don’t speak the truth.”
“Run.”
“Yes. I’ll get a head start. Please come collect me.”
Paul said that and started running ahead.
Shaper spoke, his face crumpled and grumbling.
“I didn’t come to fight. Rather… ”
“Rather?”
“I came to apologize.”
“To me?”
“Not you—April! Our father arrested her alongside that ridiculous Empire merchant and his gas business nonsense!”
As he shouted, April inside the carriage gestured at Pejin through the window.
Pejin ran over, listened to what she had to say, and returned to tell Shaper:
“April says you’re not close, so don’t use her name.”
“What are you talking about? We were close when we were children.”
“She says not to mistake that. She says she hates you.”
The last part was added by Pejin—and from the window, April’s hand shot out and shoved him.
Pejin made a show of being pushed back dramatically, then returned to escort April as she stepped down from the carriage.
April approached Shaper with a bewildered expression and stopped before him.
“Why the sudden change of heart? What’s all this about?”
“You certainly haven’t lost your talent for exasperating people.”
“That’s your apology?”
With arms crossed, April replied coldly, and Shaper immediately realized and shook his head before speaking.
“Our father, Devin Meyer, the Grand Duchy Police Chief, supposedly gave orders to have you arrested.”
“Yes. And?”
“And I heard you were kidnapped by the Empire.”
“… How do you know that? Isn’t it supposed to be secret?”
“I saw it by chance. I witnessed Father receiving orders from the Empire to bring you in.”
“Your security isn’t very good.”
Whether April was muttering or not, Shaper continued: “Seeing how easily you were taken proved you’re not a witch. Of course, there are other pieces of evidence as well. Anyway, given that, my visit to your home…”
“…was just a common breaking and entering. So you got arrested and lost a fight to Pejin?”
“I didn’t lose!”
Shaper Meyer had always been simple, blindly devoted to what he believed was right.
April had once thought of Shaper as standing at the extreme opposite end from Pejin.
One was like a creature in twilight—indistinguishable as dog or wolf. The other was like a hunting hound that saw only its prey and charged forward.
No matter how long she watched Pejin, she could never tell what he was thinking; with Shaper, he laid bare everything in his heart.
April spoke: “I understand what you’re saying. But why follow all the way out here to apologize?”
“Aren’t you going after someone? I came to help.”
Shaper gestured with his hand toward the rifles the police had brought.
“It looks like you’re heading to war.”
“We’re going hunting wolves.”
“Then take me along. I’ll help. There aren’t many hunters as good as me in the world.”
Then Pejin interjected from the side: “But none as good as me.”
“Be quiet, Pejin.”
“Sorry, I won’t prick your pride anymore.”
Pejin was deliberately needling him, and Shaper’s expression flared again, but he conveyed his displeasure with a single click of his tongue.
April looked at Pejin uncertainly and asked, “What should we do?”
“He’s right that aside from me, he’s probably the best hunter we have.”
“Is that so? Then…”
April nodded.
“I’ll accept your apology. Come with us. But only you—not the rest of your men.”
“… Only me?”
“Yes.”
At April’s words, Shaper waved his men off without hesitation.
Pejin disliked Shaper intensely, but he understood that traveling light was the best option and said nothing.
In the end, the three of them set off up the mountain.
They rode hard for some time, and as the mountain range drew near, the path grew treacherous and dangerous. Carriages and horses could no longer climb the steep inclines that appeared before them.
Half of the police who had come with Pejin stopped at the base of the uphill path; most of the rest halted near the Twin Mountains.
When they reached a height from which the Twin Mountains looked down upon them, Pejin muttered:
“How did the Lunos ancestors ever end up in a place like this?”
“They’re an old family. Even if it seems strange by current records, there must have been a reason back then.”
“That’s fair enough.”
After Pejin nodded, he gestured to the remaining party. “All right, from here on, you choose who comes. You don’t want to reveal the path to the ore vein to anyone outside your family.”
At Pejin’s words, April nodded. She looked around, then first gestured to Pejin, and then looked at Shaper.
From the moment April and Shaper faced off, she felt his gaze moving between Pejin and herself.
She received a certain conviction: Shaper hadn’t told her everything he knew. Just that word “evidence” was enough to give her that sense.
Through her father, the Grand Duchy Police Chief, he seemed to have learned more information about April and Pejin. And he wanted to share that information with April.
“You,” April said, pointing at Shaper.
“If things get dangerous, you’ll run away, won’t you?”
“What do you take me for? I won’t.”
“If I take you, Sebiyo will tear you to shreds when I’m not looking.”
“That mangy mutt…” Shaper began, but his voice trailed off.
Over the past half year, Sebiyo had become a completely different dog.
His fur still bore the marks of past nervous shedding, patches of white growing in where he’d once been bare, giving him a patchy appearance. But his frame had changed, and so had his bearing.
The last time Shaper had seen him, the dog would only bark and tuck his tail, unable to hide his fear. This time was different. This hunting hound was ready to tear into Shaper at any moment to protect April.
Shaper glanced at Sebiyo like that, then continued: “Take me anyway. I’ll be useful.”
“Fine.”
April agreed without hesitation.
Though Pejin despised Shaper intensely, he understood that traveling with a smaller group was the best choice and said nothing.
In the end, the three of them began to climb the mountain.

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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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