The Mansion Awaits Spring
Chapter 35
Fuel deposits were buried beneath the grounds of the Lunos mansion and various parts of the Grand Duchy.
As soon as Miller Dieus realized the Grand Duchy lacked the technology to extract that fuel, he invited factories from the Rasa Empire that possessed the necessary expertise.
That decision brought significant revenue to the Grand Duchy, leading to dazzling development over the past seven years.
However, the problem arose several years later.
It was discovered that during the fuel extraction process, toxic gases buried alongside the fuel were being released.
The amount was small enough to be negligible normally, but during the onset of the cold season—when both the Empire and the Grand Duchy consumed massive amounts of fuel—the volume of gas surged.
Mixed with the exhaust emitted by the Grand Duchy, this gas eventually formed the fog that blanketed the city.
A researcher spoke.
“It will take another five years. To find a way to liquefy that gas and prevent it from escaping. We need to lower the temperature. We are looking for a method.”
“Five years at the longest, then.”
“Until then, we just need the Witch of the Fog to exist.”
“And after that?”
“The witch will lose her power.”
“She can’t stop being a witch.”
“Yes. Because this fog has never been the Empire’s fault. It has always been the witch’s fault.”
The citizens of the Grand Duchy, ignorant of the fog’s cause, suspected April Runos. Since the factories were nearby, perhaps it was inevitable.
The gas that leaked in minute amounts became the fuel that made the Runos family’s gas lamps burn brilliantly, and that light led people to believe April was the culprit behind the fog.
The Emperor organized the Special Investigation Headquarters.
The second command was humanitarian: minimize casualties within the fog during the five years of research. The first command, however, was to ensure the stigma of the fog’s origin remained on April Runos instead of the Empire.
Fezin stared at the flames burning within the fog.
The researcher added, “And this liquefied gas will also make excellent fuel. It’s a pity we won’t be able to collect the fuel costs from Miss April for all this time.”
The researcher laughed pleasantly at his own joke. To the people of the Empire, sacrificing a single woman from the Grand Duchy for the sake of the Empire was not something that warranted even a shred of pity.
Fezin also smiled.
To prove his loyalty to the Empire.
April looked out the window at the falling snow.
She wondered if the ship that had gone to the Left Island might not be able to return. The ship Fezin was on.
She looked at the jewels she had selected and the Dahlia frozen in a cold place.
Perhaps it was for the best. Her heart felt as if it were shriveling just at the thought of entering that party.
She didn’t have the confidence to face Miller Dieus or Heidi Dieus.
As April sat by the window in the fading light, sipping tea with a heavy heart, a rumbling sound like the precursor to thunder echoed from outside.
Opening the window, she realized it was the sound of an engine.
As she watched the car approach, it stopped near the porch and Fezin stepped out.
He had the servants from the Dieus family begin unloading luggage.
“What is all that luggage?”
April muttered to herself and turned around. She almost rushed down the stairs but caught herself and sat back down in her chair.
A moment later, Bauman spoke.
“Madame Eve from the Dieus household has arrived.”
“Tell her to come in.”
At April’s word, Madame Eve entered through the door Bauman opened.
She was a woman whose hair was just beginning to turn gray, a familiar face April had seen since she was a child.
Originally having entered the Grand Ducal Residence as a lady-in-waiting to the previous Grand Duchess, she had been living a life of leisure in the Dieus household—which now consisted only of two men—after the Grand Duchess passed away.
Since the new Grand Duchess had brought her own ladies-in-waiting, Madame Eve had been living a life that was more than just leisurely; it was bordering on tedious.
April greeted her.
“It has been a long time.”
“It has indeed,” Madame Eve replied with her characteristic expressionless face.
She still couldn’t believe she had been asked to dress April, the woman who had once tried to harm Miller Dieus, the eldest son of her former master.
If anyone other than Fezin had made the request, she would have spat out an insult and refused.
Though her face was etched with disapproval, she gestured to the maids to unfurl the dresses brought from the Empire to carry out her task.
Since the Dahlia was the centerpiece of the sponsorship party for fog victims, Fezin had returned with a dark red dress to match. A black fur coat to wear over it was included as well.
April checked the dress and opened her jewelry box.
Madame Eve looked down at the contents and said, “The jewels won’t be an issue.”
“Yes, you would know the Runos jewels better than anyone, Madame.”
There was a sharp edge to April’s words, causing Madame Eve to snort.
Since the previous Grand Duchess and Madame Runos had always kept each other in check within high society, it was only natural that Madame Eve had a perfect grasp of Madame Runos’s jewelry collection.
As Madame Eve roughly pinned up April’s hair and helped her into the dress, she remarked, “As you know, the previous Grand Duchess disliked Madame Runos very much.”
“My mother said she didn’t dislike her.”
“Yes, because in a way, she loved her too.”
April turned to look at her at those words.
Madame Eve kept her eyes strictly on the dress as she continued.
“The previous Grand Duchess both hated and admired Madame Runos. It isn’t much different from love.”
“My mother…”
“She neither hated nor admired her. I know… but could there be anything worse than that for the previous Grand Duchess?”
April fell silent and simply nodded.
As she lowered her head, lost in thought about the two women, Madame Eve narrowed her eyes and firmly gripped April’s chin to tilt it up.
“A woman of the Runos family must never lower her head anywhere.”
“I wasn’t lowering it. I was just thinking.”
“Then keep your chin up while you think.”
Madame Eve spoke coldly.
April was beginning to feel annoyed by Madame Eve’s stubborn and even coercive attitude.
However, it wasn’t the attitude that truly bothered her.
When Madame Eve finished the styling, April couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh upon looking in the mirror.
The woman in the mirror resembled a portrait of her mother in her youth.
She took after her father more, so their features differed, but from head to toe, she looked exactly as Madame Runos did when she was the unrivaled star of high society.
“Is this really the trend now? It looks just like my mother’s portrait.”
“Yes. Trends have a way of returning.”
Madame Eve said so, but April couldn’t help but feel that Madame Runos’s presence still occupied a place in the woman’s heart.
Madame Eve was gazing at April’s reflection in the mirror.
April couldn’t be certain what that gaze meant, but she knew it wasn’t filled only with negative emotions.
As Madame Eve fastened earrings that dangled precariously just above her shoulders, she said, “In some ways, you do resemble Madame Runos.”
“In what way?”
“Your expression, quite a bit.”
Neither Madame Eve’s hands nor the earrings were cold.
April realized Madame Eve was being careful not to let anything cold touch her. Her attitude was infinitely cold and rude, but at the same time, it held a sense of longing.
That was worse.
April found she could not bring herself to criticize Madame Eve’s behavior.
