The Mansion Awaits Spring - Chapter 54

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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 54
That night, the two children entered the third-floor room where April was waiting.
It was a room April had arranged with Baumann’s help, furnished with bookshelves and chairs for the children’s studies.
April, seated at a table by the window, turned to regard the two children.
“Have you memorized all the letters?”
“Y-yes…….”
Neither child answered with much conviction.
April first poured tea for Hanna and Fred as she would for adults.
Since they had taken tea time like this during every study session, both children had grown quite practiced at conducting themselves with propriety during tea.
Hanna had by now grown adept at managing everything with her left hand—a blessing, April thought, that children’s adaptability was so remarkable.
April set a book in front of each child. Seeing that Fred’s expression seemed more at ease than Hanna’s, she spoke to her.
“You read second.”
“Yes…….”
Hanna, stiff with tension, nodded her head.
April assumed the girl was simply nervous about the test.
After lighting the Kerosene Lamp by the window, Fred began to read first. It was a Religious Text—by far the most widely read book among people from Right Island.
“What do you think that passage you just read means? Try to guess as best you can.”
At April’s words, Fred pondered the sentence he had just read.
There were many difficult words even for Fred, and though he could read the book, he struggled to grasp its meaning. Still, by gathering together the words he did know, he managed to infer the content. Whether it was correct or not, he could not say, but April’s expression brightened for the first time.
April stroked Fred’s hair and spoke.
“Well done.”
“D-did I get it right?”
“Not everything was correct, but it was logical reasoning. You worked hard.”
At April’s praise, Fred’s face lit up as suddenly as a Gas Lamp switched on in the Lunos Residence. But sensing Hanna’s tension, he quickly stiffened his expression.
He knew how much fear Hanna had carried while studying for today’s test. He could not simply smile and rejoice.
April turned to look at Hanna and spoke.
“Now it’s your turn to read, Hanna.”
Hanna, frozen with nerves, did not hear April’s words and sat with the book still closed, her expression vacant.
Fred quickly offered an excuse from beside her.
“Hanna studied hard too. She’s just nervous.”
At that, April narrowed her eyes and tapped Hanna’s book like knocking on a door—tap, tap—and the startled girl’s head snapped up.
Meeting Hanna’s eyes, April spoke.
“What good is studying hard if you fail the test?”
At her sharp words, Hanna’s shoulders hunched.
April had never thought Hanna was the type to be so greatly nervous before a test; rather, the girl was brave for her age. She suspected there was a reason Hanna was so thoroughly frightened.
She turned to Fred.
“You may go. You’ve passed, so I’ll send you to school.”
“Thank you.”
“Take the book with you. Read as much as you can before you enter school. If there are parts you don’t understand, ask Baumann or me.”
“Yes. Then I’ll take my leave…….”
Fred replied, but he could not rejoice fully. He bowed respectfully and departed.
April took a deep breath, rested her chin in her hand, and spoke to Hanna.
“Are you being greedy?”
“Pardon?”
Hanna looked up in surprise and met her eyes, and April continued.
“I’m not asking for you to do brilliantly. I’m only checking whether you can read the letters. If you won’t even try, how am I to know whether you studied or not?”
“I did study…….”
Hanna’s voice grew smaller, her fear making it hard to open the book. If she could not read now, it seemed she would be cast out of this house.
As worry consumed her, April heard Baumann’s voice from the entrance. A visitor had arrived.
* * *
He could not remember.
Pejin tried to recall why and when he had arrived at Lunos Territory, but he could not. He had simply arrived there. At some moment.
When he came to himself, Pejin was walking up the hill toward the Lunos Residence.
April, who had known from the start that no old man could maintain the hillside alone, had instead asked that the grass be left to grow freely.
For now, April intended to let the sinister rumors surrounding her protect the Lunos Family. The frozen overgrown grass, wild and tangled, wove the fabric of that very menace.
Pejin removed his gloves and touched the grass with bare hands. The grass, hardened by frost into blades sharp as knives, parted easily beneath his palms. Blood bloomed at once.
At the same hour each day, the light April Lunos had kindled still shone in the Lunos Residence.
Pejin, discovering the blood clinging to his hand only afterward, pulled his black gloves back on and stood before the mansion.
At the sound of his knock, Baumann opened the door and asked with some bewilderment.
“Was there not a Charity Event today?”
“It’s ended. A while ago.”
“……Did you walk here? In this winter?”
Now that he thought of it, today was December thirty-first, the last day of the year.
Heidi had pressed him to return the donations before the year ended to the Fog Victims.
She was a good person.
The first love of Pejin.
Had Miller been anyone but the most beloved in his world, the boy’s heart might never have healed. Perhaps he would have resolved to take her away even now.
But it was not so. It could not be.
Pejin spoke, his mind turbulent.
“Ah. I walked and before I knew it……. Where is April?”
“She’s in her bedchamber. I’ll inform her right away that you’ve come.”
“No. Please don’t. If she’s already retired, that’s fine.”
“But what shall I do? If you set out again at this hour, something terrible could happen. You must at least wait until dawn.”
Pejin, not wishing to wake April, tried to convince Baumann that he could make good time returning if he left at once.
But Baumann was already ascending the stairs to inform April of the visitor.

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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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