The Mansion Awaits Spring
Chapter 28
The children were disappointed by Paul’s decision to shave and Bauman’s refusal to join—claiming he had seen enough of the amusement park and needed to work—but the excitement of the trip soon pushed those minor concerns aside.
Since it was a day off for the police, Fezin had called for private carriages.
Fezin himself used the Grand Duke’s carriage, and April climbed in with him.
Once the carriage began to move, April asked, “How long are you going to keep me under surveillance?”
“Until we find out something about the mist.”
“So, indefinitely.”
“I’m being careful not to be a nuisance.”
“Knowing the people who work for me better than I do is already a nuisance.”
“It’s not all bad for you,” Fezin replied, pulling out his cigarette case. “Regardless of whether you actually have money or not, people are going to be very interested in your fortune. You’re the sole heir of a famous family. And a young woman at that.”
“…….”
“If word gets out that you’ve only got old men and children working for you, every bottom-feeder in the city will come swarming.”
He offered April a cigarette. She stared at him for a moment before shifting her gaze to the silver box.
Reaching out, April snatched the silver box from his hand and set it down beside her.
Fezin clicked his tongue. “Why?”
“I’ve never smoked before.”
“And?”
“I want to try it alone. I’m an adult too.”
“Give the box back later. It was my father’s.”
“I will.”
Having answered, April turned her gaze out the window. Suddenly, she burst into a small laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. Fezin narrowed his eyes.
“What are you laughing at?”
“Your expression is just funny.”
“I’m supposed to be a tragic figure; what’s so funny?”
“That ‘tragic’ look is what’s funny. I’ve never seen it before.”
“You truly have no sympathy, do you?”
“Sympathy isn’t exactly the emotion I’d feel for you.”
“Fair enough.”
While they talked, the carriage arrived at the amusement park.
They were granted use of the grounds after the general public had left for the day. Since the park was owned by the Grand Ducal family, it wasn’t difficult for Fezin to arrange a private opening, provided the dates aligned.
April couldn’t help but smile as she stepped into the amusement park, which was open exclusively for their group.
Because of the Grand Duchy’s climate—where winter lasted half the year—most of the rides were housed inside massive buildings designed to look like circus tents. The hot air balloons were the only major outdoor attraction.
April murmured, “They built such massive structures just for the sake of being happy.”
Unlike her, who stood in awe, the children immediately sprinted toward the roller coaster.
It featured carts reminiscent of coal mine wagons and strangely twisted rails. April, unfamiliar with any of it, simply watched as the children tried the rides they had only ever heard of in rumors.
Both the police officers and the children delighted in the nighttime park. Only April, caught in the seven-year gap of her life, remained still, simply listening to the sounds of their laughter.
Though he was a high-ranking police official, Fezin was still a twenty-two-year-old man. He enjoyed the park with the officers his age for a while before glancing over at April.
He clicked his tongue and eventually made his way toward her.
“The person who suggested coming here is the one having the least fun. Logan is worried.”
At Fezin’s words, April looked toward Logan.
Logan had been learning a simple magic trick from a circus performer who was entertaining the guests. Noticing her gaze, he waved enthusiastically with a bright smile.
“I’ll return as a master magician, My Lady!”
“Well, do your best if that’s what you want.”
Logan laughed cheerfully at April’s reply.
Fezin sighed. “Don’t encourage him. We’ll have to watch the same routine every single day until he actually succeeds at one trick.”
“Let him be, it’s cute.”
“Yeah, we thought it was cute at first too. You won’t understand our pain until you’ve heard the sound of a dropped coin two hundred times.”
Despite his words, a smile played on his lips, as it did on the faces of all the officers teasing Logan as they passed by. It seemed a spark of affection for the boy remained.
Fezin grabbed April’s arm as she turned back toward the rides the children were on.
“Let’s ride the carousel.”
“I’m fine. I’ll just watch.”
“Come on.”
“I said I’m not going.”
April shook off Fezin’s hand.
Fezin stopped and looked back at her.
“Are you just going to stand there with that annoying look on your face?”
“I’m enjoying myself in my own way. Don’t worry about how I have fun. And besides.”
“Besides what?”
“What do you mean, ‘annoying look’?”
When April looked up at him and asked, Fezin reflexively swallowed hard.
Instead of leaning down to her level, he merely shifted his eyes to the side and spoke.
“The fact that I can’t tell what you’re thinking is annoying.”
“You mean it’s not that I’m an eyesore?”
“When did I ever say that?”
“I just assumed. Since you and your brother have the same taste.”
April laughed as if it were a trivial matter, but Fezin’s brow furrowed with an inexplicable sense of displeasure.
The meaning behind her words was painfully clear.
Both brothers had met April Lunos first, and both had ended up falling in love with Heidi Basanta later.
April said, “I don’t hate myself. You’re the one who should stop making that annoying face.”
“What’s annoying about it?”
“You’re pitying me.”
“…….”
“It’s unpleasant. Especially coming from you.”
April’s voice was like a raindrop sliding down a perfect sculpture.
It could have flowed freely, yet it found its own precise path and moved with a deliberate, effortless perfection. Fezin sometimes hated that voice, and sometimes he loved it.
Fezin stared into April’s eyes, his face becoming unreadable.
“I don’t pity you. Do you think I have so few people to feel sorry for that I’d waste it on you?”
“Then why the look?”
“Who do you think you are? You think you know all my expressions? Do you really think you know me that well?”
“I suppose not.”
April nodded, accepting his point.
Fezin felt a strange sense of relief at her nod and continued.
“When we were kids, if anything didn’t go your way, you made sure to get revenge. Even though I was from the Grand Ducal family, you looked down on me just because I was the second son. Did you even treat anyone else like a human being?”
“I told you not to pity me; I didn’t say I wanted to be insulted.”
“And yet, there were so many idiots who liked you.”
“…….”
“Good grief, I never knew there were so many insane people in the world.”
Fezin spat the words out.
April faltered at the unexpected turn of the conversation. “Why are you bringing that up?”
“Because no matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand those bastards. What was it about you?”
“My face?”
At April’s answer, Fezin was suddenly struck dumb, unable to find his next word.
From April’s perspective, it was a joke.
Fezin had brought up the men who used to like her because he was worried she might think the downfall of her family was due to some lack of charm on her part.
April had never actually seen any of those ‘insane people’ Fezin mentioned, but she recognized that he was making an uncharacteristic effort to be kind.
So she had made a joke to lighten the mood, only for Fezin to look completely shell-shocked.
She wondered if what she said was really that absurd.
Was that the kind of joke only someone as dazzlingly handsome as him was allowed to make?
Hiding her embarrassment, April raised her eyebrows and spoke sharply.
“I was just imitating you. I wondered where that kind of confidence came from, so I gave it a try.”
When Fezin still didn’t respond, April eventually gave his arm a light shove.
“It’s fine when you do it, but so shocking when I do?”
Only after that physical touch did Fezin react, as if a spell had been broken.
“Ah… I should stop saying things like that. Hearing it from someone else’s mouth is quite a shock.”
“I’m glad I could be of help.”
After her sarcastic retort, April casually glanced toward the carousel.
Arguing and talking with Fezin had actually helped her relax. She felt like trying at least one ride before going home and started walking toward it.
Fezin wasn’t so tactless as to ruin her change of heart. He followed beside her in silence and offered his hand to escort her onto one of the model horses.
Fezin sat sideways on a horse nearby.
“We are starting now!”
The park employee rang a bell to signal the start, and the carousel began to move.
As they circled, offering a view of the brilliantly decorated park, April looked at Fezin and spoke.
“I was afraid I’d be too overwhelmed.”
“What?”
“Because there are so many things I’m seeing for the first time.”
April murmured, thinking half her voice would be carried away by the wind, and turned back to look out at the park.
“I’m glad I tried it.”
It seemed like a small thing, but she felt strangely exhilarated.
April told herself it was simply because the ride was fun.
That the joy of this moment was entirely due to the novelty of the experience—and not because Fezin was by her side.
