The Devil&#039;s Trill

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On another day, Miriam walks down the hall after exiting her room. She stumbles upon Veronica Forsythe yelling at the scarred maid, Bridget, who seems to be trying to explain something with a nervous smile. Another maid is dusting a fireplace in the hall and looking at the scene behind her with annoyance.
Miriam narration: While I was learning much about Florian, the staff of Rosenia remained something of an enigma to me. Save for perhaps Ms. Forsythe, who seemed a typical housekeeper, short temper and all.

After Forsythe has left the scene, the two maids and Miriam are left to gossip about what just happened. Bridget, smirking, is pointing a thumb towards where Forsythe went. Miriam giggles at something she said while the other maid appears to smile at her words too.
Miriam narration: The maids kept me dumbfounded with their gall, but I didn't have to watch my behavior around them, so I grew to mostly enjoy their company.

We've switched to a scene where Chloe the maid is helping Miriam dress. At this point she's helping her secure a pink corset over a chemise. Miriam looks back at her with a small smile as Chloe talks.
Miriam narration: Chloe was the easiest for me to speak with. At one point I asked her why she was the only Scottish maid among several Irish. She told me she hadn't arrived with them, and only came to join Rosenia's staff a couple of months ago, saved from a rough life on the streets thanks to Florian's intervention.

Miriam looks to the side with a wary expression.
Miriam narration: Had so many in Rosenia been "rescued" by him? Did Rosenia's cook once see desperate times? The gardener, perhaps? I wanted to admire his generosity... but I started to believe that once Florian grew bored of me, I'd be given a maid's apron.

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Chapter 3, Page 8: Cabinet of Curiosities

by SarahN on July 8, 2026 at 12:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

Florian, did you raid tombs? For shame.
I had planned to have titles on all of those books, but they were so small that only HD page viewers (at my Patreon) would’ve been able to read them, and even that would’ve still been a maybe.

Sorry for the delays everyone! It was due to a break and then needing a second week to finish a comic page.

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Miriam narration: Or often we simply talked. He told me of his travels and the many different cultures he had experienced and histories he had learned.
Florian shows Miriam his own personal cabinet of curiosities, featuring many artifacts from the far past, from various countries. There's also paintings involving other countries on the wall. Florian himself is holding up a small glass display case, and is pointing at it. In the case appears to be a mummified hand, complete with some tattered wrappings. Miriam looks aghast at the sight.

Miriam narration: He was courteous enough to ask about my interests as well, but my family saw so much as frivolous or blasphemous that what few fancies I had were dull compared to his (even if he was still kind about it).
Miriam and Florian are sitting at the end of a pair of couches, close enough to talk to each other easily. Miriam does a needlepoint gesture with her hands as she talks about embroidery. Florian is leaning forward to listen and has his chin resting in his hand. He's smiling, so if he's bored, he's not letting on that he is.

Miriam narration: However, when I told him that I enjoyed books, but had only managed rare, secret trips to the library since my father detested anything but the Bible...
Florian seems to perk up with excitement when hearing Miriam's story.

Miriam narration: ...suddenly he wanted me to read every book in the manor!
A shot of Florian plopping a pile of books on the coffee table that's in front of the couch Miriam is sitting on. He still has an excited grin on his face while Miriam looks stunned at the pile.

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Chapter 3, Page 7: Fancies

by SarahN on June 10, 2026 at 12:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

Nice guy?
I totally forget what card game I decided they were playing. XD

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A shot of Miriam walking into the music room, where Florian is standing. She's wearing a stylish forest green dress with light green lining and short sleeves. She looks shy about Florian's reaction.
Miriam narration: But I now know one thing for certain:

Florian smiles and lightly applauds her new look. He himself is wearing a very plum-colored suit.
Miriam narration: He never intended to let me go out and look for a job.

We see another night where Miriam and Florian are playing a card game by candlelight. Miriam is now in a deep blue dress and Florian's wearing a dark brown suit, black pants, a gray vest, and navy blue ascot. Florian has a glass of mostly drunk wine and Miriam has a cup of tea that's about empty too. Miriam appears to be making a funny comment about the game while looking at her cards while Florian has thrown his head back to laugh.
Miriam narration: I'd expected to rarely see him, but instead, he was with me for hours each day...

Another day where Florian and Miriam are visiting an art gallery. Florian stares at some paintings at the wall while Miriam looks fascinated by a sculpture bust. Joseph is also there. He's standing next to Florian but is staring at Miriam. They're all wearing outdoor clothes: Florian in a top hat and holding a cane, Joseph in his hat and purple sunglasses, and Miriam in a bonnet and a pretty light pink dress meant for cooler weather.
Miriam narration: ...keeping me constantly occupied with some new amusement he thought I might enjoy.

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Chapter 3, Page 6: Food & Lodgings

by SarahN on May 20, 2026 at 12:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

The meal from the chapter cover is on the table there.
Also if you’re wondering why Florian got an outfit change but not Miriam in the first panel, that’s because Florian had evening wear to put on, but Miriam still needed some new clothes, so she stayed in the outfit they loaned her. (In the Victorian era, the upper class changed clothes a LOT.)

Also Miriam gets lots of new outfits from here on out, not just a few. So assume that Florian kept getting her new dresses as time goes on. XP

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There is no panel at the top of the page, only darkness, but a narration balloon is there still.
Miriam narration: As my time at Rosenia began...

Miriam and Florian enjoy a large meal, which includes duck l'orange, raised game pie, some other meat, a plate of fruit, etc. Florian is holding a glass of wine while speaking to Miriam, while Miriam is chewing up some food and clearly enjoying the taste.
Miriam narration: Florian provided me with food to eat... ...No. More like sumptuous feasts.

In the middle of the night, Miriam happily snuggles against a pillow in her new bed.
Miriam narration: A bed to sleep in...

Miriam at a dress shop being fitted for some new clothes. Chloe the maid and Rosenia's housekeeper, Veronica Forsythe, are also with her. Currently Miriam has on a stunning red dress, and an older shopkeeper woman is helping her with the fitting.
Miriam narration: ...and a new wardrobe, as promised. But I assumed his generosity would end there, and I'd be pushed to move on with relative haste.

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Chapter 3, Page 5: Unfortunate Accident

by SarahN on April 22, 2026 at 12:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

Bye, Cunningham. :\
FINALLY this scene is over.

In other news, I am currently uploading my completed webcomic, DANIEL, to ComicFury. I’ll be uploading pages little by little rather than all at once (two updates a week for starters, but there’s a chance I may switch to three later on, just wanted to give people a chance to jump in first), so if you never got to read it, or would like to re-read it but aren’t into binging through archives all at once, consider subscribing through there for regular updates!

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Neil, still with his head being pushed into the puddle, elbows back at the stranger in an attempt to fight him off. He seems to land a hit against his outer thigh with a loud "wock" sound. The stranger himself seems undeterred and has positioned himself solidly on Neil's back, his other hand is now on his shoulder.
Neil: Grlg!!

The stranger has now grabbed a hold of Neil's wrist in order to stop him from using his arm to hit at him, while his other hand still firmly holds Neil's face underwater. Neil himself is starting to slow in movement as many bubbles popping up in the water indicate his struggle to breathe. Rain has still been falling all this time, spattering around them.
Neil: Blrblrblrb

A closeup of Neil's eye, now starting to roll into the back of his head, with one final sound of "blrbl..." as he begins to lose consciousness. Everything is starting to blur.

A very blurry and very dark shot of Neil's eye fully rolled back into his head. Drowned.

The rest of the page shows only darkness.

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Chapter 3, Page 4: Unfriendly

by SarahN on April 1, 2026 at 12:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

O_o

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After a moment of silence, Neil glares up at the stranger who's standing perfectly still.
Neil: ...What're you grinning about? You think this is funn-

Suddenly the stranger slams his hand into the back of Neil's head and sends his face back into the puddle hard. So hard that a bit of blood leaks from his nose and into the water. The stranger is wearing black gloves that are just as shiny as his shoes.

As Neil struggles to breathe in the water with a "blrbl" noise, the man keeps his hand firmly planted on the back of Neil's head so that he can't lift his face out of the water, and also kneels down on top of his back, keeping Neil from getting up.

A closeup of Neil's horrified eye as he realizes what's happening. His panicked voice only comes out in underwater form.
Neil: GBLH?!

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Chapter 3, Page 3: Followed

by SarahN on March 11, 2026 at 12:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

You could see the shadow of the man following Neil in the first panel of the previous page. So few noticed! 😛

Sorry for the delays. I just needed a bit of a break simply due to burnout and wrist pain issues.

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The Devil’s Trill at Webtoon!

Neil now lies unmoving with his face submerged in the puddle's water. Bubbles are popping out in droves, signifying his attempts to breathe.

Neil suddenly pulls his head out of the water and takes a deep breath.
Neil: PFHAHH!
He was apparently unconscious for a moment whilst under the water, and had just awakened before drowning.
In the background, we a see a man, or just his lower legs, walking towards Neil.

Neil, now coughing and still lying on the ground over the large puddle, appears to be gaining some sense back, while the unknown man walks up on to the sidewalk behind him. We see only the stranger's legs with black pants and shiny black shoes, and the bottom tip of a long, black coat.
Neil: *koff* *huff* Can't-*koff* sleep here.

The man is now standing beside Neil, who hadn't even heard him, but now notices his leg.

Neil looks up towards the man, but we don't see what he sees. His expression tells of mild annoyance at the individual, too out of it for a stronger reaction.
Neil: Oh... it's you. Didn't ye leave the club earlier on?

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Chapter 3, Page 2: Woozy

by SarahN on February 5, 2026 at 1:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

Thank you for looking at this page of a man falling down.

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Neil, now alone, is shakily walking down the street as rain continues to pour down. Street lights keep the area hazily illuminated, and there appears to be a silhouette of someone in the distance behind him.

From Neil's point of view, we see that his vision of the street is beginning to double and blur.

A closeup of Neil's face as his eyes roll into the back of his head, struggling to stay conscious.

With a "flump", Neil falls face first into a large crevice full of water on the sidewalk. His hat flies off his head in the process, but he somehow keeps a slight grip on his cane.

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Chapter 3, Page 1: Dunderheid

by SarahN on January 15, 2026 at 1:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

The drunk guy is Mr. Spill-the-Beans Neil Cunningham! His biggest moment in chapter 1 is this page and on, where he reveals Miriam’s scandalous past.

“Dunderheid” is basically just “dunderhead” in Scottish and means “idiot”.

And we’re back and into a new year and a new chapter! Thank you for your patience, all.

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Patreon is ahead in pages for both The Devil’s Trill and Knell!
You can see the early pages for $1, WIP shots for $2, and HD pages for $5.

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A shot of a gentlemen's club (not that kind). A place for upper class men to converse, gamble, etc. Two men are standing outside of it talking, one is holding an umbrella that's protecting them both from the rain. Another man is descending the steps to the entrance of the building.

The man exiting the building is in fact Neil Cunningham, who he appears to be very inebriated. He's in outdoor attire a wearing a top hat and overcoat that's not quite pulled on all the way, and is carrying a cane. He appears to miss the last step and barely stops himself from falling face first into the sidewalk.
Neil: Guh!

The two men taking shelter under the umbrella notice Neil's predicament, and one of them, a man with a mustache, comments on it.
Man1: You hold your liquor as well as you gamble, Neil.
Neil points a finger at him, still staggering.
Neil: Ugh, yer a dunderheid. Roulette's my game anyway. I'll sh... show ye next time!

The other man with grayish brown hair shows a bit more empathy.
Man2: Haha, do you need help getting home, Cunningham?
Neil walks away (wobbily).
Neil: Nahh, iz just *hck* few blocks from 'ere.

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Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

by SarahN on November 26, 2025 at 1:00 am

Chapter: Chapter 3: I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls

Chapter title song! As always, they’re based on old songs that would’ve been a thing in the Victorian era.

Accidentally seasonally appropriate cover art! XP Though that’s duck l’orange and raised game pie that’s front and center.
Also the heart border could be hinting at… something? :3

It’s going to be some random art and previews (keep an eye on my BlueSky page) through December, but most likely little else until January. Thank you as always for sticking around and reading, everyone! Happy Holidays and upcoming new year! 🤍

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Patreon is ahead in pages for both The Devil’s Trill and Knell!
You can see the early pages for $1, WIP shots for $2, and HD pages for $5.

Read this comic at other sites!-

CHECK OUT MY OTHER WEBCOMICS!