The Mansion Awaits Spring - Chapter 118

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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 118
In the Dieusz Grand Duchy in June, daylight stretched almost endlessly. Even at the darkest hour of night, the sky held the glow of sunset.
For those who loved their drink, it was paradise—they could justify staying at the bottle all day by insisting it was still light out, whether noon or midnight.
When Pejin returned to the Grand Duchy in summer, he usually lost all sense of time. That was why he thought April’s words, when she poured them out at the sight of him, were exactly like the Dieusz summer itself.
Words that were lies to him yet truths to her. Incomprehensible words.
Having heard that he’d grown honest because of the dye, April couldn’t hold back the moment she saw his face—she spilled everything she’d been keeping locked inside.
After such anguished deliberation, she stumbled as she spoke, and Pejin, searching for a response, quickly caught her arm. April murmured.
“That’s how the Empire’s scholars figured out how to create the Fog. They knew it was their doing all along.”
Leaning on Pejin’s arm, April looked up at him and asked.
“How could they? How could they let people die right beside them when they knew the reason?”
“……Because the dead weren’t Imperial citizens.”
“But still! People are dying right next to them because of them—how could they just stand by?”
Pejin wrapped one arm around her in her fury.
He couldn’t meet her eyes. He couldn’t hide his trembling body.
He had neither killed her as scheduled nor confessed the truth.
All he could do was draw a gun with one hand and watch their surroundings. He had to confirm there were no listening ears.
Pejin confirmed it.
“Only you and Kritz know what you just said, right? No one else?”
“Right.”
Pejin completely abandoned his assigned mission. It wasn’t a deliberate judgment. When the moment came, he simply realized he could never kill April, no matter what happened.
In a world of surfaces, only she felt like essence. That was the source of this clarity that seemed to burn his eyes.
This was different from love. It wasn’t emotion at all.
Since arriving in the Grand Duchy and encountering April Lunos, Pejin had been caught in an endless spiral of questions.
What was I trying to do?
What was I trying to become?
And this feeling was the answer to that question. It was like arriving before a shipwreck rumored to be laden with treasure.
She was his purpose.
At some point, she became the purpose itself.
Only the purpose of keeping April Lunos alive remained.
Pejin spoke.
“You haven’t launched an invasion of the Empire because you accepted maintaining relations until food supplies stabilize, didn’t you?”
“……Yes.”
“Right, just until then……”
April recovered her reason at Pejin’s calm voice, and her breathing slowed and steadied.
April spoke again.
“But we know the cause now. If we know the cause, we can solve it.”
“It will be difficult.”
“Right. It will be very difficult, but still.”
Pejin took April’s hand. He hooked his pinky through hers and spoke to her.
“If there’s something I want to do about this matter—I’ll do it. Whatever you ask.”
“How would I know what to ask?”
“You don’t. But it doesn’t matter.”
He lifted the hand locked with his and brought it to his own face.
“Even if it’s your revenge, I’ll help.”
“What?”
“What I mean is—just give me orders. Anything. Use me however you need.”
Just as April was about to question what he meant by helping with revenge, Pejin turned his head toward the door and spoke.
“Your uncle is coming.”
True to Pejin’s word, Jeff’s slow footsteps and the tap of his cane soon echoed, and he appeared on the patio.
Jeff’s lips curved upward the moment he saw April, then he grimaced upon seeing Pejin, then smiled again as he looked back at April. Having been shut away from the world for so long, he struggled to find middle ground between his extreme feelings toward these two guests.
Pejin murmured to April.
“I think his joy is overwhelming him.”
“Be quiet.”
April said this and pinched his side, so Pejin looked at her with an bewildered expression.
Jeff spoke to April, who was grinning.
“One more pinch for me? It’s quite satisfying.”
“Why just one? You can ask for more.”
April said this and pinched him again, so Pejin squeezed his eyes shut and let out a groan of pain.
Jeff, watching the two of them with concern, spoke to April.
“That one won’t do. You know that, yes?”
“Of course. Pejin knows it even better.”
“Yes, you’ll handle it well. And Eleonore is searching earnestly for your future husband.”
At that, Pejin interjected.
“I hear she’s been rejecting suitors quite firmly.”
Jeff seemed unwilling to answer that remark and instead narrowed his eyes in a pointed look at Pejin.
Though a man who’d spent his life far from conflict and thus incapable of truly intimidating anyone, for some reason Pejin felt a chill of fear.
Jeff spoke to April with a suddenly gentle face, as if nothing had happened.
“Eleonore says ordinary men don’t satisfy her. Which makes sense—look at what family you come from.”
Hearing of Eleonore’s rejection of suitors for the first time, April looked at Pejin with a questioning expression, and he answered.
“There’s no shortage of fools who overreach themselves. I hear she rejects them quite fiercely.”
“Fiercely?”
“According to someone I know, she even chased after one fellow who was running away, pointing at him.”
At this, Jeff nodded with visible satisfaction and spoke to April.
“Elle has such discerning eyes, doesn’t she? You can leave life’s major decisions to your aunt. No need to worry. Speaking as someone who’s entrusted her with my entire life, I can guarantee it.”
Jeff seemed utterly delighted that his wife was turning away unsuitable suitors.
Pejin wanted to joke along or make some remark, but knowing he was already disliked enough that Jeff wouldn’t even answer him, he had no choice but to choose his words carefully.
As Jeff lavished affection on April while treating Pejin as if he didn’t exist, he finally, reluctantly, asked Pejin a question.
“You said you had something to tell me.”
“Yes, you haven’t seen me, and I’ve been waiting for three hours——”
Pejin, speaking carelessly about his hardship, was rebuked by April.
“This is exactly when you should have pinched him.”
“Oh, should I do it now?”
“No, please, let’s move on. It really hurts.”
Pejin pleaded and turned back to Jeff.
“I believe you’ve heard that I’ve been having my brother investigated.”
“Haven’t heard a thing. I’m not interested in you.”
“But you have a longstanding friend at the Grand Duchy Police, don’t you?”
“Longstanding? Are you calling me old?”
“That’s not what I meant—surely you’ve heard anyway?”
“Why waste precious time with a dear friend talking about you?”
In April’s memory, Jeff was a man who’d loved books his whole life, someone quiet and gentle. So seeing him pick apart everyone else’s words this way, twisting them, was a shock.
Watching his sharp, neat face as he spoke like that, she realized—ah, so he really is father’s brother after all.
Pejin was discouraged and couldn’t bring himself to respond, so he sighed. Only then did Jeff answer.
“Come to the study. April, you go rest in the bedroom, yes? You look pale after visiting the dye factory.”
“I’m going to the Grand Duke’s Residence. To conduct some business with dyes.”
At her words, both Pejin and Jeff fell silent.
Pejin spoke urgently.
“Come with me.”
“Talk it over, then come. Your uncle wants you two to talk, so go ahead. I have my own business to conduct.”
At April’s words, both men’s faces turned pale. But Jeff recalled what Eleonore had told him—that April had gathered the entire family for the funeral. She was strong; let her make her own decisions.
So he was able to speak to her before Pejin could.
“Very well, go ahead. You rascal—Pejin will follow to the Grand Duke’s Residence soon enough.”
Though Jeff had called him a rascal and then corrected himself with the name, Pejin could only laugh and say nothing.
He’d never been this patient with himself in his life. Though he had no idea why.
At any rate, the two men left April, though it pained them to do so, and entered the study.
As they shared a strong drink, Jeff spoke.
“I didn’t go looking for your information particularly, but I heard it all the same. Pejin Dieusz has been rummaging through the police department and making quite a nuisance of himself.”
“Yes, as you’ve heard.”
“You want to know about Miller?”
In response to Jeff’s question, Pejin answered.
“More precisely, what my brother has done.”

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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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