The Mansion Awaits Spring
Chapter 119
Chapter 119
* * *
Because of the eldest son of the Dieus family, Jeff had spent the last seven years in silent, hunched-over despair.
Therefore, he had never imagined that he would share this story with Fezin Dieus—the younger brother of Miller Dieus, whom he so bitterly loathed. It was a story he had never told anyone to this day, not even his wife.
Jeff quietly studied Fezin Dieus.
For a brief moment, he recalled the pitiful child he had seen at the funeral of the late Grand Duke and Duchess. Fezin Dieus, who had once collapsed from exhaustion while crying in his older brother's arms, now stood between the truth and the lies held by his sole guardian.
Jeff spoke heavily.
“I do not know why you wish to learn about Miller Dieus, nor do I have any reason to trust you and speak of this.”
“Yes, I agree. You have absolutely no reason to trust me.”
Fezin nodded as if it were only natural, then took a sip of the strong liquor Jeff had offered him. It was a harsh drink that burned his throat as if he were swallowing fire.
Fezin continued.
“So, I will speak first of a matter that no one must ever know.”
“A matter that no one must ever know?”
Fezin nodded.
Sensing the weight of the story he was about to hear, Jeff locked the study door and drew the curtains, shutting out the bright light.
Returning to his seat, Jeff did not rush him. Instead, he emptied his own glass.
Fezin emptied his glass in tandem, and the two men refilled each other's glasses to the brim.
Then, Fezin began to speak.
“As you know, under my brother's advice, I attended the Military Academy in the Empire. It was plausible advice. Neither the Empire nor the Grand Duchy has a school solely dedicated to police training—they are all military academies. But at least the Empire's Military Academy had a separate police department where I could receive formal training.”
Jeff did not offer any response, but neither did he urge him to get to the point.
Fezin continued.
“In the Empire, the Emperor's power is absolute, but on the other hand, a system of checks and balances is quite systematically established. There is a strong Parliament, the Chief Justice, and the Police Commissioner. I did everything I could to become the Police Commissioner. Truly, everything.”
“……”
“And His Majesty the Emperor held me in high regard, and one day…”
Fezin paused for a moment, then continued with the exact same expression as before.
“He showed me the Fog.”
Jeff's hand tightened around his cane.
Fezin continued.
“That factory, which shares a border with the basement of the Lunos Mansion. The gas buried alongside the dye when it is extracted there was mixing with the soot generated in the Grand Duchy—where people must heat their homes intensely in winter to survive—and it was killing the citizens of the Grand Duchy.”
“……And your mission was.”
“To shift the blame to April Lunos for the honor of the Empire.”
At Fezin's answer, Jeff's eyes trembled with fury.
Fezin looked into the red eyes characteristic of the Lunos family, which April had inherited.
When April was angry, fine red veins would appear in her sclera just like that. That was why he always thought he shouldn't anger her, yet he had no idea how much he would anger her in the future.
Jeff picked up his glass and threw it at Fezin's face.
Fezin did not dodge the most violent act of the older man's life. The porcelain, painted with a beautiful design, shattered to pieces on the floor.
Even after doing so, Jeff clawed at the wooden table with both hands as his rage grew wilder.
Fezin bowed his head.
“I am sorry.”
“I hate…… myself so much. More than you.”
“……”
“That I was of no help whatsoever……”
After taking a long moment to suppress his rage while blaming himself, Jeff asked.
“But why are you telling me this first, and not April?”
“I just missed my timing. I didn't know April would find out first.”
“You are deceiving her.”
“April has always suspected me to some degree. That is how she found out the truth. She must have confided in me because she still had some trust left…… but one thing is certain.”
Fezin clenched his teeth before continuing.
“She will find out today. Because my brother will tell her.”
“……”
“I still believe I must become the Police Commissioner of the Empire. I have lived for that single goal, and I cannot think of any other way to keep the Empire in check. I……”
“……”
“So, I will probably live my life acting as a spy from now on.”
Fezin slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again as he continued.
“If April refuses to see me again after learning the truth, you and the Morrow family may use me. Since you are no different from her parents…… Now then.”
Fezin slowly raised his head to look at Jeff.
“Please tell me, Elder. About my brother.”
Jeff closed his eyes tightly.
He swallowed his wails and exhaled his resentment in several ragged breaths.
After thinking it over many times, he slowly opened his mouth.
“The reason that problematic factory could be moved close to the Lunos Mansion was, of course, because the head of the Lunos family passed away.”
“Yes. I suspected as much.”
“But that discussion……”
“……Had it been ongoing since the late head of the family was still alive?”
When Fezin asked, catching the unsaid words as Jeff trailed off, Jeff nodded.
“There were constant disputes with Miller Dieus. There is no way those disputes did not affect the downfall of the Lunos family. Your sister-in-law was keeping a close eye on the fact that people kept dying at the dye extraction factory, and she hired an investigator to find answers. The reason the wallpaper in the Lunos Mansion is currently mixed with a dye that protects the house from the Fog is probably because…… she obtained that answer before she passed away.”
A long moment after hearing his words, Fezin slowly smiled and spoke in an incredibly quiet voice.
“I understand. Thank you for telling me.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
When Jeff asked, Fezin replied.
“Now that I know about my brother, I must join April's revenge.”
“……”
“You have nothing to worry about. Her hands will never have to get dirty.”
Jeff stared at him, then slowly nodded. His intentions had been fully conveyed.
* * *
It was late, just past ten in the evening, when April arrived at the Grand Duke's Residence.
It was by no means an hour to receive guests, but April believed that the truth she knew was something that didn't care about the time of day.
“If there is something you want me to do, I will do it. No matter what you order me to do.”
At that moment, she recalled Fezin's voice. And she leaned on that voice.
With that thought, she walked toward Miller's office, but stopped in the middle of the grand hallway.
At the Empire's Academy, April had seen a potpourri jar that looked exactly like the one Fezin had bought her.
She had thought it was endearing of him to buy such a thing when he knew nothing about porcelain. Perhaps that was why it had lingered in her mind so much back then.
Of all things, a jar that looked so similar had been there as well.
Such coincidences exist in the world. After all, much of life is made up of coincidences.
April shielded her vision with that thought. She snipped away her doubts. Then, she took her steps toward Miller.
Standing in front of his office, Miller gestured for everyone around him to dismiss as soon as April appeared.
Miller opened the door, and April stepped inside.
Once April sat at the office table, Miller spoke.
“How much are you selling it for? Just tell me that and leave.”
At that, April showed him the dye and said.
“I will sell forty bottles of this size. I plan to charge a thousand gold coins per bottle.”
“……A thousand?”
Dumbfounded, Miller scoffed.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Of course I am in my right mind. If I weren't, I would have asked for more. You can get that much money from Parliament anyway.”
“It is only forty bottles of that size. You want me to spend that much money on them?”
April shifted her gaze to the dye on the table.
The deep green dye was incredibly familiar. It was the color that had protected the Lunos Mansion for a long time. Furthermore, Irsa had once told her. On a ship, green meant the right side.
April spoke calmly.
“But I can also donate it.”
“It seems you have an ulterior motive.”
“Yes, I do.”
April nodded and shifted her gaze back to Miller.
A warm blue.
There was a time when April had perceived Miller's eyes that way. Although the only emotion she held for him now was pure rage, to the point where it felt surreal that such a time had ever existed.
April had called upon her clan and hired sailors out of necessity, but it was not easy to steel her heart against this mortal enemy of hers.
Still, desperately accepting what she had to do, she opened her mouth.
“Shut down the Empire's factories in the Grand Duchy.”
At April's words, Miller's brow furrowed.
