The Mansion Awaits Spring
Chapter 109
Pezin peered out of the carriage for a moment before speaking.
「You stay in the carriage. I’ll go find out why he’s following us.」
「It looks like he’s following me, though. Shouldn’t I be the one to ask?」
「Normally, the subordinate goes to check things out first.」
「Since when were you my subordinate?」
「I’m so obedient, how could you not notice?」
Pezin stepped down from the carriage, feigning a look of lament.
Shafer’s men—a mix of Imperial Police and soldiers mostly from the Grand Duchy—faced off against their counterparts in the fields northeast of the Lunos estate.
Pezin asked, 「What is it? Did I not hit you hard enough last time?」
At Pezin’s words, Shafer let out a forced, awkward laugh.
「Who? Me? Ah, are you talking about yourself?」
「No, I heard a rumor. That I beat you in a fight.」
Shafer’s temper flared at Pezin’s nonchalant remark, and his voice rose.
「That’s only because the bastards watching were all cops!」
「Unlike some people, we police officers are quite objective.」
「If someone cut out your tongue, you’d drop dead on the spot. You can’t survive without yapping, can you?」
「Well, the world seems to adore me even when I don’t say a word.」
Suddenly, Paul chimed in from the side.
「That is true. In fact, you would be even more charming without a tongue, Superintendent-nim.」
April’s laughter drifted out from inside the carriage, suggesting she had overheard.
Pezin scowled deeply and turned to Paul.
「Whose side are you on?」
「My apologies. I suffer from a disease where I die if I don’t speak the truth.」
「Start running.」
「Yes, sir. I shall run ahead. Please come pick me up later.」
With that, Paul began to bolt forward.
Shafer grumbled with a sour expression.
「I didn’t come here to fight. On the contrary…」
「On the contrary?」
「I came to apologize.」
「To me?」
「Not to you! To April! I heard my father arrested her by teaming up with that ridiculous gas merchant from the Empire!」
As he shouted, April beckoned Pezin from the carriage window. Pezin ran over, listened to her, and then returned to Shafer.
「Miss April says you two aren’t close, so don’t use her first name.」
「What are you talking about? We were close when we were kids.」
「She says don’t flatter yourself. She says she hates you.」
Whether Pezin added that last part himself or not, April’s hand reached out of the window and shoved him away. Pezin made a show of being pushed back before returning to escort her as she stepped down from the carriage.
April walked toward Shafer with a bewildered expression and stood before him.
「What caused this sudden change of heart?」
「Your talent for getting under people’s skin hasn’t changed a bit.」
「You said you came to apologize. Is this how you apologize?」
When April asked coldly with her arms crossed, Shafer realized his mistake, shook his head, and spoke.
「I heard my father, Devin Meyer, the Police Commissioner of the Grand Duchy, gave the order to arrest you.」
「Yes. And?」
「And that you were kidnapped by the Empire.」
「…How do you know that? Isn’t that a secret?」
「I saw it by chance. I saw my father receiving the Empire’s order to bring you in.」
「Your security isn’t very good, is it?」
Ignoring April’s mutter, Shafer continued.
「Seeing you get taken away so easily made me realize you aren’t a witch. Of course, there are a few other reasons besides that. Anyway, if that’s the case, then my visit to your house was…」
「Just a plain old case of trespassing. And then you got arrested and lost a fight to Pezin, right?」
「I didn’t lose!」
Shafer Meyer had always been simple-minded, possessed by a terrifyingly blind devotion to the justice he believed in.
April had once thought that Shafer stood at the polar opposite end of the spectrum from Pezin.
One was like a creature in the twilight that could not be distinguished as either a dog or a wolf, while the other was like a hound that ran looking only at its prey.
No matter how much she looked at Pezin, she could never tell what he was thinking, but Shafer wore everything on his sleeve.
April spoke.
「I understand what you’re saying. But why follow us all the way here just to apologize?」
「Aren’t you going to attack someone? I came to help.」
Shafer pointed to the rifles the police had brought along.
「It looks like you’re going to war.」
「We’re going to hunt a wolf.」
「Then take me with you. I’ll help. There aren’t many marksmen in the world as good as me.」
Pezin interjected from the side.
「Except for me, of course.」
「Shut up, Pezin Dieus.」
「Sorry, I won’t bruise your ego anymore.」
Pezin continued to needle him, and though Shafer looked ready to snap again, he settled for a click of his tongue to express his annoyance.
April looked toward Pezin as if unsure of what to do.
「What should we do?」
「It’s true that, excluding myself, his hunting skills are somewhat useful.」
「I see. Then.」
April nodded.
「I’ll accept your apology. Come with us. But you have to come alone, without your men.」
「…Just me?」
「Yes.」
At April’s words, Shafer signaled for his subordinates to leave without further argument.
With one more marksman in their ranks, the group continued their journey toward the Twin Mountains.
After traveling for a long time, the road grew rougher and more dangerous as the mountains loomed closer. Eventually, they reached an incline so steep that neither the carriage nor the horses could go any further.
Half of the police officers who had come with Pezin stopped at the base of the slope, and the rest halted near the Twin Mountains.
As they reached an elevation overlooking the Twin Mountains, Pezin muttered.
「What on earth brought the ancestors of the Lunos family to a place like this?」
「It’s an ancient family. Even if the records seem strange now, there must have been a reason back then.」
「I suppose that makes sense.」
Pezin nodded and gestured toward the remaining group.
「Now, pick who goes from here. You don’t want the path to the mineral vein leaking to anyone outside your family.」
April nodded at Pezin’s words. She looked around and gestured to Pezin first, then turned her gaze to Shafer.
Ever since Shafer had confronted her, April had felt his gaze shifting between her and Pezin.
She was certain that Shafer hadn’t told her everything he knew. Even the word ‘reasons’ he mentioned earlier suggested as much.
It seemed he had gleaned more information about April and Pezin through his father, the Police Commissioner. And he wanted to share that information with April.
「You.」
April pointed at Shafer and asked.
「You’re going to run away if things get dangerous, aren’t you?」
「What do you take me for? I won’t.」
「If I take you, Sebio might bite you when I’m not looking.」
「That scrawny mutt…」
Shafer started to ask how that dog could possibly bite him, but his voice trailed off.
Over the past six months, Sebio had become a completely different dog.
He still had patches of white fur where his old fur had fallen out due to stress, giving him a spotted appearance, but his build was different, and so was his aura.
The last time Shafer saw him, the dog had done nothing but bark while unable to hide his fear, his tail tucked between his legs. But not this time. This hunting dog was prepared to tear Shafer apart at any moment to protect April.
Shafer glanced at Sebio before continuing.
「Regardless, take me along. I’ll be of help.」
「I will.」
April spoke to Shafer without hesitation.
Pezin detested Shafer, but he understood that keeping the group small was the best option, so he didn’t object.
In the end, it was those three who began the ascent up the mountain.
