Reverse Corte

Template:Spoiler Template:Infobox Chapters Reverse Corte is the 50th chapter of Jun Mochizuki's Pandora Hearts.

Synopsis

Vanessa hands Elliot a piece of paper. Elliot asks what it was and Vanessa and Ernest explain that it was a list of potential valets for Elliot, as he had recently turned fourteen and was expected to have atleast one valet. Elliot thinks about having a lesser noble grovelling at his feet and hiding their malicious gossip behind a mask of meekness. This was what Elliot thought of all nobles and decided that the ones on the list Vanessa had given him were no different. Elliot thinks about how he'd rather die than keep one of them as his valet. Ernest sees that Elliot does not like the idea of a valet, so he gets up and tells Elliot to stop making such a displeased face. Ernest then tells Elliot to follow him so he could take Elliot some place nice. In a carriage, Claude asks why Ernest had brought Elliot with them, although Ernest tells Claude to relax. Elliot realizes that he was in Sablier before Ernest states that Elliot was a rightful heir to the Nightray Dukedom, and besides, Ernest didn't intend on telling Elliot everything about the House of Fianna. Whilst Elliot does not want a valet, what he has always wanted was someone whom he could speak with openly.

Upon entering the House of Fianna, Ernest and Claude speak with Mrs. Finn while Elliot wanders off on his own. Elliot comes across the House of Fianna's library, where he finds an orphan his age with shaggy hair reading a book.

Isla Yura apologizes to Oz for having left the room without saying anything to anyone. Oz states that it was okay before noticing that Yura looked different, asking if he'd changed his clothes. Yura states that because it was such a special event, he planned on changing his outfit atleast five times. Gilbert and Oz are relived to have found Yura, when suddenly a commotion is hear outside of the ballroom, prompting Yura to question what was going on.

As they enter the hallway, Oz, Gil, Alice and Yura find Leo pinning Elliot up to the wall. Elliot tells Leo to just tell him why he was talking to Yura earlier, asking why Leo hadn't said anything about him even after he'd told Leo about his mother. Leo states that eavesdropping is unbecoming for a son of one of the Four Great Dukedoms, which angers Elliot. Elliot frees himself from Leo's grip and throws Leo out onto the balcony. Oz runs to Elliot and tells him that he didn't have to hurt Leo, but Elliot responds by telling Oz to stay out of it.

Elliot asks if Leo didn't trust him even that much as Leo starts to get back on his feet. Gil notices that Break and Sharon had also come to see what was going on as well, as Break waves to Gil. Elliot yells at Leo, telling him that maybe if he'd told him about James, then they could've helped him before he died, statig that he thought Leo was supposed to be his valet. Leo punches through a vase of flowers, shattering it, starting to say that if Elliot would just let him explain. Leo tells Elliot that he's so annoying with his constant drabble, and Elliot asks how he could dare say such a thing. Elliot then states that it's Leo's fault that he's been talking so much. Leo tells Elliot that he's just shifting the blame onto him, before suggesting that Elliot use what little brains he had to sum up the main points before talking. Elliot says look who's talking, stating that Leo can't even carry a normal conversation of his own. Leo asks what Elliot was talking about, but Elliot retorts, telling Leo not to pretend to not know what he was talking about, meanwhile, Gil and Oz feverishly try to break up the fight. Leo tells Elliot to shut up, calling him an impulsive, inflexible, stubborn blockhead before throwing a chair at him. Elliot is stunned and confused by this before Leo throws another chair that only just misses Elliot. Leo then throws the table as well, which hits Elliot, before Leo stomps away. Oz is stunned and looks to Elliot, who asks what Oz was staring at. Elliot then marches off on his own as well, and Oz tells Gil to go after Elliot. Gil starts to object before Oz states that Elliot was his brother after all. Noting this, Gil goes after Elliot, and Yura states that it was all because of adolecence, enjoying the moment. Alice asks if adolecence was something to eat before Yura stares at her with his own intrigue. Yura asks if Alice wasn't one of Oz's friends, and Alice recalls how Oz told her not to tell anyone that she was a Chain, before she confirms that she was one of Oz's friends. Yura scoffs with curiosity, which confuses Alice.

Break tells Oz to go after Leo, Oz asks what about Yura, but Break states that he'd watch Yura, stating that his biggest worry was Leo's connection to Yura, before telling Oz that he had a better chance of getting information from Leo than he did. Oz states that he's do as Brak said, but only because Leo was his friends, whcih Break says was fine as long as Oz remembered the reason they came to the mansion in the first place. After Oz runs after Leo, Yura questions where Oz went, and Break simply smiles at Yura in response.

Gil approaches Elliot, and Elliot asks what he wanted, asking if Gil shouldn't be taking care of Oz instead of there with him, before ordering Gil to go away. Gil starts to object before breaking into silence. Elliot then barks at Gil, telling him to sit down already if he wasn't going to leave. Gil sits on the opposite side of the couch Elliot's on, stating that he didn't want to bother Elliot. Gil asks if Elliot really carried around his sword with him everywhere, saying that he had a gun on him today, but only because he had to. Elliot tells Gil to shut up, explaining that the sword was entrusted to him by his father to symbolize his place in the Nightray family, which was why he carried it with him always. Gil reaches out to touch the sword, but Elliot tells him that if Gil touches it , he'd kill him. Gil states that Leo was really something for talking to his master like that, stating that he'd always thought Leo was more subdued. Elliot laughs at this explaining that Leo was always violent and ready to snap, and that Leo hadn't changed at all since they'd first met.

Oz catches up with Leo, calling after him, to find that Leo was embarrassed, apologizing to Oz for what he'd done. Oz asks if Leo was okay, which Leo confirms, stating that it had just been a long time since he'd gotten mad like that, so he was feeling down, explaining that things like that had been happening less frequently since he had become Elliot's valet. Leo explains that because Elliot has such a short temper, he usually didn't have any chances to get angry himself, as seeing other people angry usually helps hm regain his control by contrast. Leo then states that he'd have to apologize to Elliot later. Elliot and Leo then begin to tell Oz and Gil the story of how they met eachother.

Elliot greets Leo in the library, asking what he was doing there. Leo asks if it wasn't obvious that he was reading. Elliot asks himself what was wrong with Leo, observing his messy hair, questioning how he could even read through it, noting how Leo didn't get up when he saw Elliot coming, as well as how Leo wasn't even looking at him now. Elliot introduces himself and Leo asks why he should care, stating that Elliot was distracting him, or maybe Elliot wasn't going to leave him alone until Leo kissed his feet, much like the main character of the book Leo was reading, stating that Elliot was a bore. Elliot angrily yells at Leo, asking if he couldn't see that he was a noble. Ernest comes in and asks what was going on, having Claude apprehend Elliot. Elliot demands to be let go of, because he could take care of Leo himself. Mrs. Finn scolds Leo as Claude drags Elliot out of the room. Elliot thinks of how the House of Fianna was a shelter for children who had lost their parents to cases involving Illegal Contractors. As well as how suprised Elliot was that people had settled in the restricted area of Sablier, although there was something else that was bothering him about the House of Fianna.

Elliot asks Ernest why they had built the orphanage in the restricted area of Sablier of all place. Ernest explains that people who are connected to the Abyss in some way are believed to be easy prey for Chains, which was why it was safer to have the orphanage in Sablier, as it was a lawless district where Pandora could easily intervene if a Chain happened to attack, as it would been much more difficult to hide the existence of the Abyss if something like that happened in the middle of Reveil. Ernest then asks what Elliot would like to do about Leo, suggesting expultion from the orphanage. Elliot just tells Ernest not to bother, thinking of how Leo pissed him off, but for some reason, Elliot had become curious about Leo.

Leo was doing laundry when he comes across Elliot again. Leo asks if children of nobles weren't supposed to be in boarding schools, before stating that Elliot must not have been able to get in. Elliot playfully tells Leo to shut up. Elliot states that since then, he'd been going with his father, Bernard on his routine inspections of Sablier, mentioning how Bernard had wanted to wait to tell Elliot about Sablier, and so he'd scolded Claude and Ernest severely for taking Elliot too soon. Elliot remarks on how he gradually go to know Leo, and how as long as no one got between Leo and his books, he was usually in a good mood. While the other orphans were generally afraid of Leo, when Leo played the piano, everyone would stop talking, close their eyes and listen. Elliot thinks of how he really hated how good Leo was at piano, as Leo was self-taught. Leo sees Elliot listening to his music, and so he asks if Elliot had finished the piece he was working on for his mother. Elliot explains that he'd finished it, and so when Leo asks what it sounded like, Elliot began playing it. Leo remarks on how it was such a nice melody, asking if Elliot had already thought of a name for it. Elliot calls it Statice, which Leo identifies as meaning 'something that never changes. Leo asks if Elliot liked the language of flowers, calling it a girl thing. Elliot tells Leo to shut up, stating that Vanessa liked that stuff, before saying that Leo had pretty good knowledge on the language of flowers as well.

Elliot remarks on how Leo talked to him as if he wasn't noble, and oddly enough, Elliot liked the way Leo spoke to him, because Leo's words were addressed to him rather than a 'scion of the Nightray family'. Leo asks what Elliot thought of the melody he'd made, Elliot asks if Leo liked it, and Leo explains that he'd thought it was going to turn out to be a great song when it was finished. Elliot announces that Statice would be a present to Leo, and Leo notes how it was a symbol of their eternal friendship, which Leo thought was cheesy. Elliot playfully strangles Leo, telling him to stop with his foul mouth, although Leo pretended not to know what he was talking about. Elliot then states that there were things about Leo that he didn't understand, one time Leo had almost killed someone with a vase who tried to cut his hair. If Elliot hadn't of stopped Leo, Leo would've killed the man, and so Elliot didn't understand why Leo would go to such lengths merely to hide his eyes. Elliot questions how scary Leo's face could be, and notes that his eyes were such a beautiful colour.

Leo once told Elliot that hiding wasn't the point, more over, Leo didn't want to see. Elliot asks what Leo didn't want to see, and Leo simply states that he didn't want to see the world, which Elliot didn't need to know the reason for. Elliot then states that he'd made up his mind, that he wanted Leo to be his valet. Leo asks what was with the sudden choice, but Elliot assures him that it wasn't just a snap decision. Elliot states that he wanted his valet to be someone like Leo, who he could talk to openly, as his equal. Leo tells Elliot that there was no way in hell he'd be Elliot's valet.

When told this, Oz and Gil are shocked. Oz asks repeats Leo's statement that Leo had refused Elliot's request, but Leo confirms this as he's not fit to serve, or atleast that's wat he'd thought.

After refusing Elliot, Leo states that he was interested in the Nightray library, wanting to read all those books as he thought they'd be great. Leo then states that he had to admit that Elliot wasn't so bad, and so Leo accepted his master's request. Elliot asks if that was it, explaining that if Leo wanted anything, he'd better speak up. Leo then says that it'd be great if Elliot could buy him a pair of glasses, prompting Elliot to ask if Leo wanted to hide even more.

Elliot states that persuading his family to accept Leo was a different story. Eventually, Elliot had managed to convince Claude, Ernest and Vanessa, however Bernard was completely opposed to the idea of having a commoner as a personal valet. However after an incident in Sablier where Elliot and Leo went after four orphans who'd wandered into The Hole, where Elliot slipped and fell, and Leo brought Elliot and the orphans back safely, Bernard changed his mind and accepted Leo as Elliot's valet for some reason. Elliot questions whether back then, Leo saw something in Sablier. Leo is shown covered and blood and crying in Sablier suddenly, as Leo tells Oz that he holds Elliot at very high esteem, explaining that they're both so different, but that was why Elliot was so important to him. This was why Leo would kill any of Elliot's enemies without a second thought, even if it was Oz or him himself who were opposing Elliot. Leo grabs Oz by the wrist and tells him that he may one day forget this like Phillipe and the other orphans and should he put Elliot in danger, he didn't want Oz to show him any mercy, and help Elliot by killing him with Oz's own hands. Oz is shocked by this and goes to object when suddenly a scream echos through the halls of the mansion. Oz and Leo run to the source of the scream, Oz asking the maid what had happened before seeing that she was kneeling before a headless corpse.

Characters in order of appearance

(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.

Terms

Vessalius Family
Nightray Family
Rainsworth Family
Coming of Age Ceremony
The House of Fianna
Sablier
The Head Hunter

Trivia

The Reverse Corte, the name of the chapter, is a type of waltz.

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