P. 203
"Lord Edgar, please forgive me," said Raven in his usual indifferent voice and kneeling down on one knee.
But even Lydia knew that he wasn't apologizing because he inevitably couldn't save Ermine.
He let go, for his sister.
For his sister who chose death, he went against his master's orders.
Raven was suppose to have put the spirit in him in Edgar's hands, so she thought that it must have been a very strong resolve for him to defy his master's orders.
"You're forgiven." That must have been why Edgar acknowledged his clemency.
Still slumped on the floor resting his elbows on his legs, Edgar buried his fingers into his golden hair, and to Lydia's eyes, he looked like he was trying to suppress the fuming rage in him.
P. 204
Most likely he was aiming that rage at himself.
"I am the one that needs to apologize to you, Raven. I wasn't able to accept Ermine's struggle. Even though, I could see that she was distressed," he uttered.
Following that, he murmured in a long breath that was barely audible "I should have taken her as she asked."
He must mean about last night, thought Lydia. At that same time, she remembered Edgar saying that he wanted to do everything he could to make Ermine happy.
It was Ermine's one-sided love. But even she should have known that Edgar thought of her as his family.
Even though, this was too much of a sad ending.
"In the end I am still Prince's slave. It is not a simple task to unravel the cursing bind the memory of when that man was everything and absolute to us. I feel like at the end of the long maze of our escape from that man, he would be standing waiting for us just when we were about to find the exit. However many years passed, that nightmare never left me. Even I was like that, so for Ermine who had lived as his woman, there must have been a deeper pain, and fear and worry always plaguing her mind."
To feel like you were losing yourself, despairing at the life of living like a doll, that feeling could only be understood by those who went through the same thing.
P. 205
Lydia couldn't imagine what it must have been like to live under the capture of that man named Prince and how they suffered because of him. But she was able to understand Ermine's feelings just a bit.
Lydia felt she could understand Ermine's true feelings, the feeling that were never controlled and deeper than her betrayal.
If she was able to take Lydia unwillingly with her, then there was no need for Edgar to kill Lydia. Eitherway, Ermine wouldn't be able to be by Edgar's side as a traitor. Until Edgar was captured by Prince, or until her betrayal was revealed, their escape was only a brief runaround.
It was a faint love that was meant to come to an end.
That's why, now, at this spot, she decided to end everything.
Edgar stood up, slowly like his body had become a heavy weight.
"Give me some time. I'll be right back."
Lydia watched his back disappear into the building; it looked so weak, like he was going to disappear.
If what drived her over the edge was him going after the Blue Knight Earl's sword for her sake, then this was all just wrong.
Edgar only wished for her to be able to live like a normal girl, growing her hair out, dressing up and be smiling.
"You're crying, for my sister?" said Raven and Lydia finally noticed there were tears streaming down her face.
P. 206
"Even though she tried to kill you.・She wondered if Ermine really tried to kill her. That puzzling thought passed by her. If she was planning to do that from the start, then there would be no need for Ermine to spill Edgar's plan to her. If she revealed everything to Lydia then she must have thought of the possibility that Lydia would survive and manage to guide them safely to the location of the sword.
She tried to have Lydia die with her, but if she was truly going to kill her, and if she knew Raven's speed, then there should have been an alternative that was more successful.
If they continued, and they didn't get the sword, then Edgar and Lydia would both end up dead. And Ermine could no longer continue betraying Edgar and wouldn't be able to escape from Prince.
So she chose death.
Her only wish was for Edgar not to sacrifice Lydia, and to have him change his feelings, and even if they weren't able to get the sword, she hoped they would be able to find another way to get their freedom. Or so Lydia imagined.
And in order for that, she could have decided to cut herself loose, as the tie between Edgar and Prince.
"Even though I only knew her for a few days. I feel like I know what she must have felt," You must be in more pained and sad than me."
P. 207
"Sad, do you really think so. I don't know if I am. At times, it is so difficult for me to conprehend what I am feeling. Even about my sister, the only sense I had about her was that she was my only family and she was someone who was always by my side and we helped one another and that someone like that wasn't never going to go away. I should have known she was a person too, with worries and concerns and troubled because of those, yet I am always at my limit at just understanding myself," he said, in his normal indifferent, cold manner.
"No, you do understand. Because, you have a heart. If you let her go because you thought of her pain, then that means you were the one who loved her the most, and deeply hurt."
His dark green eyes turned toward her. She still thought they were such a dark color that made people anxious, but right now, she didn't feel the sharp danger that could harm other in them.
"Miss Carlton, did my sister say anything to you?"
"Uh, what do you mean?"
"No, there is no need to answer that. Please keep it to yourself." Raven must have realized that Ermine told Lydia about Edgar's real plan.
But he was Edgar's servant. He must have decided to shift his efforts from worrying about his master committing anymore crimes to trying to make his wish come true.
P. 208
Even if that meant setting the trap to put Lydia in.
"Lord Edgar isn't trying to gain the sword for himself. The only thing on my lord's mind is his Noblesse oblige. That is all."
It was as if he was trying to vindicate his master's position.
But she could understand.
Noblesse oblige. The duty of a lord to protect and lead his subjects, their families and his people. From the times of the feudal lords, the social class where the spirit of chivalry had been passed down through, were not just a life of luxury, but as someone who stood above others, there was a heavy duty and responsibility that came along with it.
It was a position from the times of war and battles that did not allow one to abandon ones' subjects or people.
Edgar came all this way, fighting for the sake of Raven and Ermine. But most likely, right now, he still wasn't planning on backing down.
"Lydia, would you come here." Edgar, who had returned, didn't show signs of agony or heartache, but like nothing happened, called for Lydia.
"Wasn't it gold that the Lephrachauns hide in the basements?" he said, as he guided Lydia behind the staircase.
"Yes, that's right. But, what happened?"
P. 210
"Remember the Blue Knight Earl's golden coin? This. This coin that has the faerie riddle on it. And here, see how there's a hole in the wall? It's the same size as the gold coin."
"You're right!"
"Shall I put it in?"
Lydia nodded.
The coin slipped through the hold and dropped down through an thin opening in it. At that same time, there was the sound of ticking and turning, and then the stairway began to move.
Eventually, a large dark hole on the floor before them. In it, there were stairs that lead further down.
"Let's go."
Following Edgar's lead, Lydia stepped down the stairs. Behind her came Raven.
If they kept on going, then that meant danger was approaching Lydia. But in order to save her father, she needed the 'Merrow's star' so Lydia could only keep walking.
Lydia felt the group effort as Edgar and she both worked to solve the faerie riddles one by one, and by doing that she started to sense an undeniable excitement building up in searching for the sword together with him. However, on the other hand, she thought about Ermine's actions, by exchanging her life to try to stop Edgar from continuing to sacrifice other people was proof that Edgar was seriously going to let Lydia die.
She wished Ermine's feelings of not wanting to commit anymore crimes had reached him.
P. 210
But as she hoped for that, she felt denied of her wish by Raven's presence right behind her.
Without a doubt, sentimentality like that wouldn't be able to waver these two men's resolve.
Raven realized the meaning of his sister's death and her wish, yet he still decided to follow Edgar. And Edgar, must be resolved to go through with his nobles oblige even for the sake of Raven.
But just like them, even Lydia had someone she wanted to protect. Her father.
Going against these two who had survived through more life-threatening encounters than she has, she knew that a na・e girl like herself was no match, but she was only left to press on.
"Oi, why, if it isn't Professor. What are you doing here?"
The voice came from inside the room that Carlton was locked in. But there should have been no one else besides him in here.
He was puzzled and looked around the room, and saw that there was a gray-haired cat sitting on the windowsill.
Yes, it was a cat wearing a necktie, sitting on the windowsill like a human.
"Nico... Of course he knew that this feline wasn't any ordinary cat.
P. 211
P. 212
He knew, yet it always felt out-of-place to witness such a sight.
"Lydia has been taken by Gossam and his men. They're going to make her search for the gemstone."
The cat jumped down from the window and walked over to Carlton on his two hind legs, and cleverly crossed his arms, or his front legs.
"What happened? Last time I saw Lydia, she was with that blond noble."
To tell the truth, Carlton had to always fight the urge to want to pick Nico up and inspect and test him, but even though he had the body of a cat, if he was a gentleman as he claimed to be, then it would even be rude to stare curiously at him, so Carlton reframed yet again.
Nico was Lydia's mother's partner, and had watched over Lydia ever since she was a young child.
So he also knew Carlton for a long time as well. For Carlton who wasn't able to see faeries, Nico was the only faerie that he was able to come in contact with.
"She was, but she was captured by Gossam. I was also tricked by Gossam, and came along with him to find Lydia but...either way, Lydia is heading towards the hidden location of the sword."
"This is bad."
"It's bad? I was told by a woman dressed like a man that that nobleman would sacrifice Lydia to the merrows."
"Yes, in the promise between the merrows and the Blue Knight Earl, if you weren't the real decendant of the Earl family and got your hands on the sword, then apparently that means you will only come out dead."
P. 213
The sound of approaching footsteps made Nico close his mouth. And then he vanished.
At that same time, the door slammed open. The eldest Gossam brother entered the room; he was in a poor state, one could tell by first glance that he was punched in the face.
This man apparently introduced himself as Huxley to Lydia, and with an obviously irritated look like he was venting his anger out on Carlton and kicked the chair.
"Your daughter has been kidnapped by that thief again."
"Uh-huh, eitherway, that doesn't change the fact that I'm still in bad situation."
"As long as you're in our hands, your daughter can't allow the Merrow's star to fall into that man's hands. She would try to get the gemstone like we ordered, but that man is sly. He isn't someone that your little girl can handle."
"It looks like you can't handle him either."
Huxley's brow gave a twitch, but he contained his anger.
"Either way, we're going after him and getting that gemstone. And you are coming with us."
The second and third son went on either side of Carlton and pulled him up to his feet.
He searched for Nico, but he didn't see him. But he must be somewhere near me, he thought.
"It looks like we don't have time," said Nico.
P. 214
"Okay, I'll go ahead of you. Professor, keep this with you."
Hearing only the cat's voice, Carlton saw there was a mint leaf that flowed into his inner pocket.
"The brownies should follow that scent."
"Oi, what are you mumbling?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself." Letting out a sigh, Carlton followed the men out of the room.
Carlton didn't argue against his daughter when she said she wanted to become a fairy doctor like her mother. But because she didn't hide the special gift that she had, she had become involved in a dangerous incident like this.
He worried about Lydia in how by inheriting the ability to see fairies, how that would put her life through unwanted hardships and troubles. More than that, the biggest problem of her being like her mother was that she was weak against men who couldn't do nothing on their own.
A man who was an aristocrat, and a thief and kidnapper; Carlton imagined in his mind of the man who was probably with his daughter now, and that miserable thought made him downhearted.
P. 216
The stairs went down and down, like they would never stop. The underground passageway had curved passages and stairs that alternated after another, and if they didn't have a candle with them, it would have been pitch black.
Perhaps anticipating that there would be an underground chamber, Raven had a candle with him. Lead by that light, the three of them pressed on.
"Does it still go on?" Lydia was starting to feel out of breath in that trapped, insular space.
As she took a step after another, it felt like she was nearing the horror finale. In truth, she still wasn't able to come up with a way to steal the what it was that Edgar had with him that would grant them the sword, and she was literally being carried to where she's be sacrificed.
Being in this dark underground passage must have made her start to think like that.
The human-made space they were in didn't show any signs of life and that made Lydia even more anxious. She wondered why the faeries that fancied the undergrounds were no where in sight. There being no sight of them also built up the unnatural impression onto her and increased the worry in her.
They could be in the area that was under the merrow's control, but she never even met a merrow so it was only another increasing factor to Lydia's anxiety.
P.216
Her resolve to save her father was disappearing, and unwanted negative ideas kept on coming up in her mind.
Right next to her was Edgar, and behind was Raven; there was no where to run. She knew she was going to be killed by them, and yet she wondered why she was coming along with them.
She felt even more suffocated.
Edgar turned around to her. For some reason, that made her flinch.
"Lydia, are you tired?"
"Do you feel like the air has thinned out?"
"The fire is lit fine. There should be no problem," uttered Raven.
As she hear Raven's voice, Lydia felt dizzy and light-headed, and losing the balance on her feet, she fell to the side.
Edgar catched her and held her up. She couldn't tell what he was talking to her about.
"No, don't touch me."
She just didn't want to be touched right now. But that only made her more out-of-breath, and cold sweat run down her. She was in complete disorder.
"Calm down, Lydia."
If she tried to made a ruckus, her hand would be held down. On top of that, her nose and mouth were blocked by his hand, and she couldn't breath.
P. 217
What's happening? Am I going to be killed?
Lydia became even more desperate and struggled to get free.
"Stay still and let out a breath of air slowly."
But I out of air right now.
If she tried to thoughtlessly fight-back, her foot slipped from the stair step.
She fell down the stairway in Edgar's arms.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Surprised at the sudden fall, she let out an ear-splitting scream with all her might. By doing that, she must have been able to let out the air that had built up in her like a ball of lead, and Lydia was able to relax a little, because she didn't feel out-of-breath anymore.
"That's right, don't hurry, and breath in-and-out slowly."
In the darkness where the candle light didn't reach them, she heard the voice of Edgar who had her in his arms. It looked like they fell only a few ways down.
The stairs that looked to have no end, had apparently ended right there.
"Lord Edgar!"
"I'm fine, Raven," said Edgar towards the candle light that was fastly approaching them.
P. 218
"Lydia, are you all right?"
"Y-yes...."
Of course she would be, since Edgar had taken the impact of their fall.
"Ah, are you?"
"I'm perfectly fine. Thank goodness it was only a distance of a few steps."
When the candle light reached them, he let go of Lydia, and kindly smiled as he looked down at her with a caring expression.
"Do you still feel out-of-breath?"
"I feel a little better."
"It looks like you had taken in too much air. You must have been anxious and being in this overbearing darkness must have tired you out."
Being told so, Lydia realized that she was struggling with more nervousness than she could handle about herself.
"No one would feel alright after something like that. I'm sorry to force you pass your limits."
She could tell he meant about Ermine. Lydia was also about to fall at that time. Even that was a shocking experience, but more than that, there was something else that was making her nervous.
She was terrified of what was to come.
P. 219
Of the worst that was going to happen to her.
Again and again, Lydia was saved by Edgar.
When Huxley was about to attack her, he stood in her place and got injured because of it. Even when Ermine was about take her along with her suicide, and even just now, he had saved her.
He always worried after Lydia, and spoke to her soft and kindly. She knew perfectly well that he wasn't to be trusted, and yet she must have come this far because she wanted to believe in him.
That's why, she wasn't scared of dying, but terrified of being killed by Edgar.
Imagining what sort of cold, merciless eyes that he would look at her with made her shiver.
Edgar was someone who accepted Lydia, who had been called an oddball and not understood by anyone, as who she was, and she felt that he complimented her not having any flattery behind his words.
But if she were to be killed by him, then the kindness and smiles and compassion that were given to Lydia would all mean they were lies.
When she found out Edgar was a thief, Lydia tried to run from him. He knew that and yet he didn't try to force her into submission using violence. He just pleaded that she don't leave him, claiming that he needed the help from her as a fairy doctor.
Didn't that mean he respected her wishes and rights?
P. 220
From that time Lydia wasn't used by him but felt that she was on the same level and cooperated with him, but that wasn't the case.
What she feared the most was Edgar overturning everthing.
Lydia clinged on the hope that perhaps that such a thing wouldn't happen and kept walking on.
"It would be better to take a rest."
Even those words of his weren't really him being compassionate, but might eventually be denied.
Lydia fixed her eyes hard onto Edgar's ash mauve eyes.
He must be used to having women look at him steadily and so he looked back at her with a soft smile.
"Are you going to kill me?" she couldn't stop herself from saying that.
He didn't react with surprise, or look away, but kept his eyes onto hers, which petrified.
"What are you saying suddenly."
"If you're planning to kill me, then don't me nice to me. Be the villian and show off your knife and make me do as you say by shouting or hitting me."
"Are you still disordered?"
"This is unfair. I can't see you as a villain and so who am I suppose to blame when I'm killed? I wanted to be a help to someone as a fairy doctor. I thought that even if you were a theif and liar you really needed my ability and that's why I came this far..."
P. 221
"I do need you."
"And you also need my life, don't you?"
"Why would you think like that? There is no reason for you to die."
"I'm not a member on your side. You wouldn't be hurt if you cut loose of me or my father. That's a perfectly good reason."
Edgar looked as if he was troubled and lowered his head to look into Lydia's eyes as he combed his fingers up through his front bangs.
He seemed like he was thinking about something, and then made up his mind and reached out his hand towards Lydia.
He hesitated at her flinching in reaction to his hand, but he didn't give up and reached out to place his hand on Lydia's head.
He stroked her hair with his hand soothingly, as if he was trying to calm down a small child.
"Like you said, we've done everything we could to protect ourselves. I considered myself a fighter, but I'm really only a pathetic man, and only could think about running away. I was scared, so I didn't look at what was behind me, trying to forget about my past, and so I wasn't able to realize that I hadn't completely escaped from that man. That's why....I paid a big price... I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I think of you as my comrade. Please believe me."
P. 222
If she was told that with straight eyes, she almost believed him.
But, everything was surely a lie.
He was a person who could make a lie seem serious.
Mixing a little hint of truth, he would manage to make a huge lie. And just like that, he would move the hearts of people. He was aware of how he appeared to other people, and it was his forte to grab people’s hearts.
But all Lydia could do was just be deceived. To be deceived and betrayed was her only option, and she realized that there was nothing she could do about it by how Edgar’s lie was all too serious.
His resolve to obtain his goal was firm and unswayable.
“Please, I want to save my father.”
Then at least, Lydia wanted him to hear just one of her serious wishes.
“Of course, I understand.”
She prayed that those words of his were lies, and she gathered up the strength in her body and stood up.
Beyond the door was a wine cellar. But one could tell it wasn’t a wine cellar for humans. To have it situated in such a deep underground place, meant the person who built the castle had it prepared those that lived down here.
P.223
The wine cellar was the sleeping bed for the wine-loving faerie Clurichaun. She didn’t spot the Clurichaun-like resident there at all, but she was suer that the riddle was pointing to this location.
From somewhere beyond the walls they could hear the sound of water.
The sound of waves, and most likely, there was the artery of the underground water running out to the sea near-by.
If the dwellings of the merrows were close, then this might be the wine cellar for the merrows.
And in the back of the cellar, there was a road that separated into three ways.
“Which one should we take,” uttered Edgar.
“I will go check what it in them. Please wait here,” offered Raven.
He lit the lantern that had been left hanging on the wall, and that light brigtened up the inside of the cellar much more brighter than the one candle and made the large open space took away the feeling of being in a dark emtrapment.
That’s must have been why Raven decided not to take Lydia along with them into the narrow passageways and instead offered to go look by himself.
“Be careful,” said Edgar clearly.
Raven disappeared into one of the passages, and the bored Edgar started to tap the wine barrels that were lined up.
“It looks like all the barrels are empty.”
If the lord of the castle was gone, then that must of meant there was no one to offer the merrows their wine.
P. 224
Lydia went over to the wall and sat down with her back against it. Then she felt something furry sweep by her chest.
“Lydia, it’s me.”
The whispering voice was Nico. Nico, still remaining invisible, jumped up onto Lydia’s lap.
“Listen to what I’m going to say. The brownies that live on this island said they were told this from a male merrow that they drank with. The merrows are tired of waiting for the Earl who hasn’t returned for hundred of years. At this point, they’re wishing that someone would be able to take the sword. The brownie told the merrow that it would be a problem if anyone took it, but the merrow said [It’s alright as long as that human has met the same conditions of the promise they made with the Earl to exchange it with the star.][Star, as is a star from the sky?][The ones that shine in the merrow’s sea are the souls of the humans that died at sea.] By meeting the conditions, he must have meant that the human reaches the hidden location of the sword. And if that human sacrifices another human life to the merrows, then even if they were a thief, it means there is a chance that the merrows would hand over the sword.”
What goes on between faeries and humans, most of the time, the most important thing is the contract. Sentimental feelings and obligatory duties are only considered important between humans. Even if the merrows accepted the Earl as their lord, that was only the result of the contract held between Lord Blue Knight, and the only reason they are protecting the sword is because they are under the contract.
They wouldn’t dare break the contract. However, they wouldn’t do anything more than what’s stated in the contract. If the way to verify how was the Earl’s descendant was if that human had the gold coin and silver key and that they reached the sword’s hidding place, then for the merrows, they wouldn’t doubt the identity of the person who came to claim the sword.
Lydia made sure Edgar wasn’t looking at her, and made a small nod. Nico spoke on.
P. 225
“So the hidden sword is close, right? If you find it, make sure to get it before that aristocrat does. And use it to cut him.”
Eh? She nearly let out a gasp, but she managed to hold that in.
“That’s the sign for the merrows. It’s fine as long as you can cut his skin just a little bit. The blood that touches the sword would apparantely become the one to fall victim to the merrows. In no time, Huxley and his brothers will reach here with the Professor, so it would be convenient if they made a disruption. While that aristocrat is busy dealing with Huxley and the his brothers, you have to make sure and find Lord Blue Knight’s sword and take it, do you understand?”
She felt the soft, velvety hair of Nico touch Lydia’s hand, but he vanished in an instant, since Edgar was walking over to her.
“Do you hear something?”
“Huh, no, nothing…isn’t it the sound of the water. It’s constantly making that sound.”
As she tried to dodge his suspicion, Lydia also listened closely to the water sounds, and then Edgar spoke up again.
“There, I just heard the sound of a girl’s cry.”
“Crying…? That’s it, it must be a banshee.”
Lydia stood up.
The sound they faintly heard could have been the wind running through the rock walls. But it did sound like a Banshee’s cry as well.
P. 226
It’s said when one sees the sight of a Banshee crying by water, that soon someone would die. The eerie faerie cy was said to be the premonition of someone’s death.
She had to cut Edgar with the sword. That was the only option left for Lydia to save herself.
She wondered if she would be able to aim a weapon at someone. But if she couldn(t do it, then he would aim that sword at Lydia.
“When you say Banshee, that’s the next faerie in the riddle.”
“Yes, that must be the hint.”
Lydia pressed her ear against the wall and listened for the spot where she could hear the sound of the wind the loudest. That sound came from the middle opening out of the three passageways.
Just then, Raven returned from the passageway on the right.
“This one was a dead-end.”
“It’s this way. I think this is the right way to go.”
The three of them walked on yet again.
The road didn’t go that far. After walking for a while, they came to a crevice-like opening in the dark rock walls and there was a bridge suspended between, and after they crossed that, they saw that there was a door built into the rockface.
Lydia was about to approach the door, when Edgar stopped her.
“Next after the Banshee is the merrows. Then we should take more caution from here.”
P. 227
“Caution of what?”
“Weren’t we told that all who got near the sword ended up dead? There must be traps laid out beyond here. And look, you can see part of a wheel here.”
Like he said, you could see there was some sort of device built into the rock wall that the suspension bridge was connected to.
Edgar took out a card from the inner pocket of his coat. It was made of a thin sheet of silver. One side of the sheet wasn’t flat and had random bumps on it, and she noticed that there was something craved on it’s surface just like the riddle that was on the gold coin, but she couldn’t tell what exactly it said. Perhaps it was the thing Edgar was hidding that Ermine said was related to the mystery of the Blue Knight Earl’s sword.
“What’s that?”
“The magic key to open this door.”
By the doorknob, there was a slight indentation that was just the right size to fit the silver slab into. So it was the keyhole.
Suddenly, they heard the boisterous noise of footsteps from the direction of the wine cellar. In the distance, there was the light of a lamp hovering over a number of dark figures, and as they were neared their location, the light lit up their faces and shined over to their standing.
“John, hold it right there! You’re not going to have your way any longer!”
“I’m really starting to get tired of seeing your face, Huxley.”
“Hey, go catch him.”
Still taking caution of Edgar and his insolent attitude, Huxley gave out his order to his brothers.
P. 228
Still keeping his eye on the brothers that were cautiously approaching him, Edgar stepped over to the door.
At that moment, there was a deep roar that erupted from somewhere around them. The Gossam brothers stopped in their tracks. The roaring sound echoed against the stone wall’s hollow cavities and sounded like it was getting closer to them.
“……What in the world……?”
The murmer of one of the men turned into a scream just when a sudden wind hit them.
“It’s the merrows, the magic of the merrows……,” gasped Lydia.
The suspended bridge swinged violently and nearly threw off the ones that were clinging onto it.
Along with the wind that didn’t hint of dying down, there was the sound of singing voices.
At first one would think it was just their imagination, but it wasn’t like you heard the singing, more like the voices were ringing deep inside your body. The voices sounded so mystical and soothing, making those that heard it fall to sleep.
Barely managing to hold on to the suspension bridge’s rope, Lydia felt her body begin to slump down.
Just when Lydia was thinking about the many lives of the thieves who fell from here and washed up dead on the shore, Edgar grabbed her arm.
“Lydia, Raven, come over here. Hold onto the door.”
Going against the wind, Edgar pulled the two of them to him. And then swiftly he slid the silver slab into the crack of the door.
P. 229
Abruptly, the violent winds died out. At the same time, the singing merrow voices stopped.
Edgar pulled Lydia, who was stunned and slumped down, into the door he opened up. At the same time, the wheels to the contraption started to move.
Without allowed any time to figure out what was going to happen, the middle of the suspension bridge came apart.
What was left of their side of the bridge was sucked down into the black bottomless hole. Huxley and his brothers swiftly jumped back onto the other intact side of the bridge.
But one of them that had made his way too close to the side they were on, decided he wouldn’t be able to go back and jumped over towards the door.
“Ahhhhh!”
Lydia screamed because the man who had nearly fallen down had grabbed ahold of her ankle.
Edgar put his arm around Lydia’s waist and making sure that she wasn’t going to be dragged down, used his foot to knock off the man’s arm who was desperately trying to climb up.
“Don’t touch her, you dirty low-life.”
In a blink of an eye he had kicked him off.
The fallen man had just barely grabbed onto the rope of the bridge, and dangling in mid-air shouted cursing words up at him, and Lydia was in utter shock as she watched that happening, and thought that Edgar was surely a frightening man.
He lived in a world where you do not give mercy to your enemies.
P. 230
Lydia, who wanted to believe that he really wasn’t a bad person and swallowed his kind words whole and was quick to sympatize, must have looked utterly unguarded to him.
She wasn’t beginning to lose hope that she’d manage to steal the sword and swing it at him.
“Hey, don’t forget what could happen to the professor!” yelled Huxley from the other side of the rock wall separated from the fallen bridge and the deep, dark hole that was left between them.
“Father!”
Huxley pulled Carlton out in front of him.
“Young lady, make sure to bring me that gemstone. Or else I’ll shove him down from here.”
Edgar must have judged that it didn’t matter how Huxley bickered, since he was so far away he couldn’t touch them, and didn’t give him anymore time and started to head in the opposite direction of the door.
“Wait,” begged Lydia and scrambled to grab his arm.
“Please save my father; didn’t you promise?”
“Even if we handed him the gemstone, I wouldn’t think he would hand over your father in one piece. Even you would be a witness to his crimes. The both of you would be killed.”
“But, at this rate……”
“We haven’t gotten the sword yet.”
P. 231
Edgar looked straight ahead like he didn’t have time for what she was asking for.
They were in a wide-open, natural, cave-like place.
The rocky bludges in the wall were in the way so they couldn’t see past them into the back, but they could tell there was something lighting up the inside of the cave.
One might think that the light from outside was shining through, but that was wrong. There was something giving off a glowing light.
Edgar slowly walked deep into the cave. Lydia followed, walking right by him. But the two of them stopped at the same time.
Because they thought they saw something moving in that place filled with the glowing light.
The thing that was giving off the glow was all the rocks around them. They were covered with a thin line of mold, and it looked like that was what was giving off the faint glow.
There was a shallow pool in the middle of the cave that was surrounded by the rocky walls, and water drops fell down from the ceiling to make circular waves on the pool’s surface below, making the light flicker in its reflection. The whiteish-blue light that filled that space gave the illusion like they were at the bottom of the sea.
There was a figure that stood on the pool; it was a young girl. The blueish white light wrapped around the girl’s hair and it was so long that it covered her body and dragged along the floor if she were to walk.
“A merrow…”
Edgar heard Lydia’s whisper and turned to look at the girl curiously.
P. 232
“A merrow? But she has legs."
“It isn’t any trouble for them to shift to human form.”
“But, even I can see her, and she looks human to me.”
“She’s showing herself so even you can see her. And besides, are you saying that a human would be traped alive in this place just till now?”
Edgar looked around them and made sure they were in a place without any secret passages.
“That seems to be impossible.”
“At least this place doesn’t have any of the mechanical contraptions that you were imagining.”
“And so you’re saying I should surrender? But I can’t see how the merrows would be able to tell me apart from the real Lord Blue Knight.”
He’s right, even the merrows wouldn’t be able to tell if the one who made it to this location was in fact carrying the blood of the Earl family in him. That’s why there should be some sort of condition to determine if that person has the qualifications of a Earl.
Most likely, that condition was hidden somewhere in the contract made between the Blue Knight Earl and the merrows. Then that means the one who would be determined as the inheriter should know about fairies, had solved the mysterious riddle, as well as had possesion of the entrance key, and understood the meaning behind the [Exchange a star for the merrow's star.]
In that sense, it was just as Edgar thought; the one who met the conditions would gain possesion of the sword. It was the same as there being a contraption.
P. 233
“It is a honor to welcome you,” said the merrow. “So, who is the one I shall hand it to?”
“Where is it?” asked Edgar.
“Can you not see it?”
Lydia squinted her eyes to search.
The light swayed and flickered.
Where is the sword?
A blueish-white image loomed in the shade of one of the rocks.
Edgar saw it too. He moved before she did.
“Lydia, it’s just the shadow.”
But she realized what it was from Nico’s voice.
It was just the glowing image made by the light reflecting off of the sword. Then the real sword was.
Lydia bolted-to the opposite direction of where Edgar was heading.
Kneeling down at the edge of the pool, she plunged her arm into the water.
The light was disrupted and made the glowing sword image by the rock disappear.
P. 234
“……What?”
By the time Edgar turned around, Lydia had pulled the shining silver blade out of the water.
It was Lord Blue Knight’s sword.
There wasn’t a speak of rust on it; it was a double-edged blade that shined as if it was forged just now. There was one blue gemstone embeded in it.
Lydia gripped its hilt and turned back to face Edgar.
“Don’t move.”
To Lydia’s serious demeanor, he looked back at her showing no resistance.
“…I already know. That you have to trade a human sould with this sword.”
Edgar showed no signs of surprise and only smiled lonesomely.
“Alright. It looks like I’ve lost. You can do as you please.”
Responded with such quick surrender, Lydia grew hesistated. She had to go with the flow of the moment in order to be able to cut him. If he didn’t come after her to take away the sword, then she would never be able to throw such a thing around.
“Raven, don’t stick your hand into this.”
On top of that, he even stopped Raven who was inching little by little to find an opportunity.
But he was fully aware of Lydia’s hesitation.
P. 235
P. 236
He knew perfectly well of her worry that she never handled a sword before and was scared to harm someone.
That’s why even if Lydia thought he seemed timid, she couldn’t bring herself to move.
Nico tugged her sleeve to instigate her.
“Don’t hesitate over this, Lydia. If you don’t kill him, he’ll kill you. Or do you plan to join him in becoming pray of the merrows?”
Nico was right.
[Exchange a star for the merrow’s star. Or else the merrows will sing their song of lament.]
If they didn’t hand over the promised item to the merrows here, then the merrows will sing their song. That meant everyone here would be dragged into the sea.
Slowly, Edgar stepped over to her.
“I said don’t move!”
“If I’m not close you can’t cut me.”
“He’s right, that man was planning to kill you, Lydia!”
Edgar paid no heed and continued to close up on her.
“Were you really planning to kill me?”
“Are you frighetened? You’re trembling.”
“Was it a lie when you said you wouldn’t? You said that you would save my father. Was that a lie too?”
P. 237
“That’s wasn’t a lie.”
You big liar. Even as she thought that, Lydia was still hesitating.
“Tell me, was there any truth in any of your words?”
“What’s the use of knowing that?”
“Because, you protected me all this time. I don’t want to think all of that was a lie. After losing Ermine, I thought that I had shared even a little of the same pain as the both of you. That’s why I thought you would understand my feelings of wanting to save my father……”
Of course, saying such a thing now was pointless.
Edgar made a wry face, either because he was irritated or befuddled by her.
“Why are you hesitating? Wouldn’t the man who tried to kill you deserve to die. Even if you cut me, no one will blame you.”
“Lydia, ahh, geesh, what are you doing!” said Nico impatiently.
“……What am I suppose to do!”
Most likely, there was no way Lydia was ever going to be able to harm Edgar with a sword.
P. 238
Edgar, who had been staring at her steadily, suddenly chuckled like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Even if it was a criminal like me, you’re still scared of cutting me with that sword? Then, let’s do this.”
He took a hold of Lydia and grabbed the sword out of her hand before she knew it.
He narrowed his eyes and for some reason looked at the sword sadly.
“You’re too soft-hearted, Lydia. Even though there are villains in the world who can be more sadistic and cold-blooded than you can imagine.”
He slowly turned the sword. Lydia’s body was frozen and she couldn’t move it.
However, Edgar abruptly changed the course of the sword. He placed the blade against the palm of his hand.
And he slid it through.
“Eh……”
Blood trickled from his palm and ran down the blade. And dripping down to hit the ground.
Standing in front of the dazed Lydia, he gave her a faint, tired smile.
“I wonder why. I can’t seem to make a good lie to you.” He turned to face the other dazed young man standing in the cave. “Raven, I’m sorry.”
“Lord Edgar……”
They felt the rumbling sound of violent, crashing waves approaching them. And then, from the pool surrounded by the rocks, water erupted from up into the air.
P. 239
In no time, the water became a massive wave and crashed into them.
Lydia clamped her eyes shut from the rush of the waves which was an amount that could fill the cave in seconds.
But she never felt her body being engulped by the water; she only heard the sound of the passing sound of the waves, and then it was gone.
When she opened her eyes, the massive wave was no where in sight, and the pool was just a pool, and the sword lay on the ground by Lydia’s feet.
Only Edgar was no where in sight.
The merrow slowly walked over to her.
She picked up the sword and held it out to Lydia.
“The one who was not harmed by the sword. Please accept this sword.”
“……Is this alright? Didn’t all of you protect this sword for the Earl family’s descendant all this time?”
“The Earl has passed away. Long ago, by the sea so far that we were unable to save him.”
“Are you saying that the Earl family line has perished?”
“We are not sure. Only that from that time, however long time has passed, since no one appeared who could correctly solve the riddle, so that is what it must mean. All of the inheritors of the Earl family have gone back and forth between the fairyworld and no longer than one hundred years would pass during their absence. But if there are no more alive in the Earl family, we belived that only a fairy doctor would be able to make it to here. And you being here must mean you are one.”
P. 240
“So all of you were waiting for a fairy doctor?”
The young female merrow nodded sadly.
“The one to allow our merrow clan to live in this sea was the Earl. The Earl was the one who bridged the gap between humans and us so that we all could live in peace. But after the Earl had left, and time had passed, the blood in the island people has faded, and there is once again a disparity between us. To protect the sword, we have made the waters around the island constantly stirred, but the only ones we toss into the sea are thieves; we originally had been sending signals between the island residents so that no one on the island or visitors who came would be harmed. But as time went on, that tradition has been forgotten, and now we are unable to tell the difference of the ships that approach the island if-they are thieves or fishermen or merchants.”
“And that’s why this island is secluded.”
“The number of merrows have dropped as well. There were even quite of number of us that have despaired of the living here and returned to our homesea. But the most of us could not bare to break the promise between the Earl.”
The female merrow took Lydia’s hand and had her grip the sword.
“But now, we have fulfilled our promise. The sword belongs to the human world. This island, is also land of the humans. We will leave this place. Even if the one to govern the human land is not the descendant of Lord Blue Knight from the fairyworld, all will be fine. We wish to leave it in your hands now.”
P. 241
Lydia’s gaze was pulled to the large sapphire that was embeded into the hilt.
And she noticed that there was no six-rayed light inside the sapphire.
The star sapphire, a noble blue-stoned sapphire crystal that looked as if it had a star taken rom the night sky trapped inside it, was a rare gemstone that had a milky white light placed radially in the middle of the stone like the hub and spokes of a wheel. And yet, this sapphire, which had the sheen of fine silk, was missing the brilliant star. This wasn’t the star sapphire, but just an ordinary sapphire.
“……The star is missing.”
“That should be with the Earl. The tradiion in the Earl family made it so that whenever they left the sword with us, they would take out just the star in the sapphire and ingrain it somewhere on their body. If there was no inheritor that had that star passed down to them, then the there is no way to return the star to the gemstone.”
[Exchange a star with the merrow’s star.]
So that’s what that meant. That was originally meant about the light inside the sapphire that the Earl’s descendant should have been passed on. The Blue Knight Earl’s sword attained the star not by a human soul but the [star] that the Earl had taken out of it and then returning it back to the stone. But the true Earl hasn’t returned. And the merrows would continued to be binded to their promise. That’s why they were only left to alter the interpretation.
The thing that shines bright like a star in the land of the merrows are the souls of the dead. The merrows decided that exchaning with that would fulfill their promise.
P. 242
Then, that means……
Lydia felt like she had nearly onto something important, but unable to fully grasp it, continued to search for it in her head.
But her thought was cut short by the noisy sound of something from the direction of the entranceway.
“Ms Carlton, Huxley and his brothers are coming.”
They must have crossed over a plank they took out from the wine cellar and placed over the part of the missing bridge. And now after they all crossed it, the Gossam brothers came pushing through the entranceway.
The merrow quickly vanished.
Raven stood ready in front of the entranceway. She wondered why since Edgar wasn’t here anymore.
His prescious master has been taken away by the merrows. Why doesn’t he take revenge on Lydia who was the cause of that.
But unlike what she thought, he looked as if he thought he needed to protect Lydia who Edgar was unable to cut with the sword.
Huxley and his brothers stopped in front of Raven. However, he opened his mouth bravely.
“Hey, hand over the sword. Or else your father will be……”
Just then, Nico sudden appeared out of no where.
He jumped on top of Huxley’s head with ease. And stomped with all his might on his hat.
P. 243
“Nico, that’s dangerous!”
“Hey, chaps, you’re late! Over here, get them!”
A high-pitched roar erupted from behind Huxley and his brothers.
It was an army of brownies. They crowded together and swarmed over to their direction.
Lydia spotted some of the faces that she helped at the landlord’s house.
“Make them all go bald!” shouted Nico, stirring them on as he swinged his tail around with the ends of it burnt.
The tiny faeries raced on their feet, along with those that rod on top of mice, and those that hanged from bats as they attacked the Gossam brothers.
Climbling up their feet, they started to bite them all over and pull out their hairs.
Most likely, the men weren’t able to see the faeries. They had no idea what was going on, yet Huxley and his men all gave out terrified screams.
“Father, this way!”
Lydia called her father, who had faeries climbing up him but not getting attacked, over away from the ruckus.
“Lydia, thank goodness.……you were safe.”
After they hugged each other tight, happy over their reunion, Lydia made her decision.
P. 244
The feeling of wanting to protect your loved ones, and the feeling of hesistating because of that, and the sad feelings of when you couldn’t protect, was all the same for everyone.
Lydia was lucky not to have lost anything. But she couldn’t let things end like this.
She stepped out of her father’s arms, and walked over to Raven who stood not knowing what was going on and what to do.
“There’s one thing I want to know. Do you remember what was written on the silver key that Edgar had?”
“Only a little.”
“It didn’t exactly say that the merrows would hand over the sword in exchange with a human soul, did it?”
“Yes. At the very end, it only said that [The one who gains the sword must test the sword. The merrows will take the blood that was run to the sea.]”
There was no mistake that the [Exchange a star with the merrow’s star] written on the gold coin, and that inscription written on the silver plate, was pointing at the important part of the promise between the Blue Knight Earl and the merrows. By tying the two together, you could interpret it as sacrifying a human soul to the merrows would gain you the sword.
However, it the star meant the light inside the sapphire, then that had nothing to do with shedding blood with the sword-there was a different meaning.
That was where Lydia was caught in a bind.
P. 245
“Can I leave this situation to you?”
Confused, Raven tilted his head.
Lydia looked over to check what was happening with Huxley and his brothers, but they had lost the fight and were close to rages thanks to the faeries.
“It looks like they aren’t left with any more spirit or strength to fight, but still be careful, and get out of here with my father.”
“Miss Carlton, but what about you?”
“There may be nothing I can do. But I’m still going to try what I can.”
And she faced her father who looked at her worringly.
“Father, I’m a fairy doctor, so,”
“I know. You be careful.”
Gripping tight onto the sword, Lydia walked over to the shining mold rock where the merrow had just been standing.
“Nico, would you please.”
“Lydia, don’t say that you’re planning on talking with the merrows……”
Nico, who came over to her, made a furrow in his brows, and twitched his whiskers irritatingly.
“Isn’t this pool connected to the merrow’s sea? Since you’re a fairy, you’re able to guide me through the fairy’s path.”
P. 246
“Yeah, well…, but still, if you fail in negotiating with them and anger the merrows in their waters, then you’ll drown at the bottom of the sea in no time.”
“I know that.”
“Is it for that aristocrat?”
“He didn’t lie to me.”
“That was just him on a change of whim. Just before the last moment, he was going to kill you for sure, and he’s bound to be regretting that he didn’t kill you right now. Of course if he’s still in a state where he could regret.”
“Nico, if you’re not going to guide me, then I’ll go by myself.”
“Oh, geesh, alright!”
Nico strectched out his tail towards Lydia. “Hang on tight.”
P. 203
"Lord Edgar, please forgive me," said Raven in his usual indifferent voice and kneeling down on one knee.
But even Lydia knew that he wasn't apologizing because he inevitably couldn't save Ermine.
He let go, for his sister.
For his sister who chose death, he went against his master's orders.
Raven was suppose to have put the spirit in him in Edgar's hands, so she thought that it must have been a very strong resolve for him to defy his master's orders.
"You're forgiven." That must have been why Edgar acknowledged his clemency.
Still slumped on the floor resting his elbows on his legs, Edgar buried his fingers into his golden hair, and to Lydia's eyes, he looked like he was trying to suppress the fuming rage in him.
P. 204
Most likely he was aiming that rage at himself.
"I am the one that needs to apologize to you, Raven. I wasn't able to accept Ermine's struggle. Even though, I could see that she was distressed," he uttered.
Following that, he murmured in a long breath that was barely audible "I should have taken her as she asked."
He must mean about last night, thought Lydia. At that same time, she remembered Edgar saying that he wanted to do everything he could to make Ermine happy.
It was Ermine's one-sided love. But even she should have known that Edgar thought of her as his family.
Even though, this was too much of a sad ending.
"In the end I am still Prince's slave. It is not a simple task to unravel the cursing bind the memory of when that man was everything and absolute to us. I feel like at the end of the long maze of our escape from that man, he would be standing waiting for us just when we were about to find the exit. However many years passed, that nightmare never left me. Even I was like that, so for Ermine who had lived as his woman, there must have been a deeper pain, and fear and worry always plaguing her mind."
To feel like you were losing yourself, despairing at the life of living like a doll, that feeling could only be understood by those who went through the same thing.
P. 205
Lydia couldn't imagine what it must have been like to live under the capture of that man named Prince and how they suffered because of him. But she was able to understand Ermine's feelings just a bit.
Lydia felt she could understand Ermine's true feelings, the feeling that were never controlled and deeper than her betrayal.
If she was able to take Lydia unwillingly with her, then there was no need for Edgar to kill Lydia. Eitherway, Ermine wouldn't be able to be by Edgar's side as a traitor. Until Edgar was captured by Prince, or until her betrayal was revealed, their escape was only a brief runaround.
It was a faint love that was meant to come to an end.
That's why, now, at this spot, she decided to end everything.
Edgar stood up, slowly like his body had become a heavy weight.
"Give me some time. I'll be right back."
Lydia watched his back disappear into the building; it looked so weak, like he was going to disappear.
If what drived her over the edge was him going after the Blue Knight Earl's sword for her sake, then this was all just wrong.
Edgar only wished for her to be able to live like a normal girl, growing her hair out, dressing up and be smiling.
"You're crying, for my sister?" said Raven and Lydia finally noticed there were tears streaming down her face.
P. 206
"Even though she tried to kill you.・She wondered if Ermine really tried to kill her. That puzzling thought passed by her. If she was planning to do that from the start, then there would be no need for Ermine to spill Edgar's plan to her. If she revealed everything to Lydia then she must have thought of the possibility that Lydia would survive and manage to guide them safely to the location of the sword.
She tried to have Lydia die with her, but if she was truly going to kill her, and if she knew Raven's speed, then there should have been an alternative that was more successful.
If they continued, and they didn't get the sword, then Edgar and Lydia would both end up dead. And Ermine could no longer continue betraying Edgar and wouldn't be able to escape from Prince.
So she chose death.
Her only wish was for Edgar not to sacrifice Lydia, and to have him change his feelings, and even if they weren't able to get the sword, she hoped they would be able to find another way to get their freedom. Or so Lydia imagined.
And in order for that, she could have decided to cut herself loose, as the tie between Edgar and Prince.
"Even though I only knew her for a few days. I feel like I know what she must have felt," You must be in more pained and sad than me."
P. 207
"Sad, do you really think so. I don't know if I am. At times, it is so difficult for me to conprehend what I am feeling. Even about my sister, the only sense I had about her was that she was my only family and she was someone who was always by my side and we helped one another and that someone like that wasn't never going to go away. I should have known she was a person too, with worries and concerns and troubled because of those, yet I am always at my limit at just understanding myself," he said, in his normal indifferent, cold manner.
"No, you do understand. Because, you have a heart. If you let her go because you thought of her pain, then that means you were the one who loved her the most, and deeply hurt."
His dark green eyes turned toward her. She still thought they were such a dark color that made people anxious, but right now, she didn't feel the sharp danger that could harm other in them.
"Miss Carlton, did my sister say anything to you?"
"Uh, what do you mean?"
"No, there is no need to answer that. Please keep it to yourself." Raven must have realized that Ermine told Lydia about Edgar's real plan.
But he was Edgar's servant. He must have decided to shift his efforts from worrying about his master committing anymore crimes to trying to make his wish come true.
P. 208
Even if that meant setting the trap to put Lydia in.
"Lord Edgar isn't trying to gain the sword for himself. The only thing on my lord's mind is his Noblesse oblige. That is all."
It was as if he was trying to vindicate his master's position.
But she could understand.
Noblesse oblige. The duty of a lord to protect and lead his subjects, their families and his people. From the times of the feudal lords, the social class where the spirit of chivalry had been passed down through, were not just a life of luxury, but as someone who stood above others, there was a heavy duty and responsibility that came along with it.
It was a position from the times of war and battles that did not allow one to abandon ones' subjects or people.
Edgar came all this way, fighting for the sake of Raven and Ermine. But most likely, right now, he still wasn't planning on backing down.
"Lydia, would you come here." Edgar, who had returned, didn't show signs of agony or heartache, but like nothing happened, called for Lydia.
"Wasn't it gold that the Lephrachauns hide in the basements?" he said, as he guided Lydia behind the staircase.
"Yes, that's right. But, what happened?"
P. 210
"Remember the Blue Knight Earl's golden coin? This. This coin that has the faerie riddle on it. And here, see how there's a hole in the wall? It's the same size as the gold coin."
"You're right!"
"Shall I put it in?"
Lydia nodded.
The coin slipped through the hold and dropped down through an thin opening in it. At that same time, there was the sound of ticking and turning, and then the stairway began to move.
Eventually, a large dark hole on the floor before them. In it, there were stairs that lead further down.
"Let's go."
Following Edgar's lead, Lydia stepped down the stairs. Behind her came Raven.
If they kept on going, then that meant danger was approaching Lydia. But in order to save her father, she needed the 'Merrow's star' so Lydia could only keep walking.
Lydia felt the group effort as Edgar and she both worked to solve the faerie riddles one by one, and by doing that she started to sense an undeniable excitement building up in searching for the sword together with him. However, on the other hand, she thought about Ermine's actions, by exchanging her life to try to stop Edgar from continuing to sacrifice other people was proof that Edgar was seriously going to let Lydia die.
She wished Ermine's feelings of not wanting to commit anymore crimes had reached him.
P. 210
But as she hoped for that, she felt denied of her wish by Raven's presence right behind her.
Without a doubt, sentimentality like that wouldn't be able to waver these two men's resolve.
Raven realized the meaning of his sister's death and her wish, yet he still decided to follow Edgar. And Edgar, must be resolved to go through with his nobles oblige even for the sake of Raven.
But just like them, even Lydia had someone she wanted to protect. Her father.
Going against these two who had survived through more life-threatening encounters than she has, she knew that a na・e girl like herself was no match, but she was only left to press on.
"Oi, why, if it isn't Professor. What are you doing here?"
The voice came from inside the room that Carlton was locked in. But there should have been no one else besides him in here.
He was puzzled and looked around the room, and saw that there was a gray-haired cat sitting on the windowsill.
Yes, it was a cat wearing a necktie, sitting on the windowsill like a human.
"Nico... Of course he knew that this feline wasn't any ordinary cat.
P. 211
P. 212
He knew, yet it always felt out-of-place to witness such a sight.
"Lydia has been taken by Gossam and his men. They're going to make her search for the gemstone."
The cat jumped down from the window and walked over to Carlton on his two hind legs, and cleverly crossed his arms, or his front legs.
"What happened? Last time I saw Lydia, she was with that blond noble."
To tell the truth, Carlton had to always fight the urge to want to pick Nico up and inspect and test him, but even though he had the body of a cat, if he was a gentleman as he claimed to be, then it would even be rude to stare curiously at him, so Carlton reframed yet again.
Nico was Lydia's mother's partner, and had watched over Lydia ever since she was a young child.
So he also knew Carlton for a long time as well. For Carlton who wasn't able to see faeries, Nico was the only faerie that he was able to come in contact with.
"She was, but she was captured by Gossam. I was also tricked by Gossam, and came along with him to find Lydia but...either way, Lydia is heading towards the hidden location of the sword."
"This is bad."
"It's bad? I was told by a woman dressed like a man that that nobleman would sacrifice Lydia to the merrows."
"Yes, in the promise between the merrows and the Blue Knight Earl, if you weren't the real decendant of the Earl family and got your hands on the sword, then apparently that means you will only come out dead."
P. 213
The sound of approaching footsteps made Nico close his mouth. And then he vanished.
At that same time, the door slammed open. The eldest Gossam brother entered the room; he was in a poor state, one could tell by first glance that he was punched in the face.
This man apparently introduced himself as Huxley to Lydia, and with an obviously irritated look like he was venting his anger out on Carlton and kicked the chair.
"Your daughter has been kidnapped by that thief again."
"Uh-huh, eitherway, that doesn't change the fact that I'm still in bad situation."
"As long as you're in our hands, your daughter can't allow the Merrow's star to fall into that man's hands. She would try to get the gemstone like we ordered, but that man is sly. He isn't someone that your little girl can handle."
"It looks like you can't handle him either."
Huxley's brow gave a twitch, but he contained his anger.
"Either way, we're going after him and getting that gemstone. And you are coming with us."
The second and third son went on either side of Carlton and pulled him up to his feet.
He searched for Nico, but he didn't see him. But he must be somewhere near me, he thought.
"It looks like we don't have time," said Nico.
P. 214
"Okay, I'll go ahead of you. Professor, keep this with you."
Hearing only the cat's voice, Carlton saw there was a mint leaf that flowed into his inner pocket.
"The brownies should follow that scent."
"Oi, what are you mumbling?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself." Letting out a sigh, Carlton followed the men out of the room.
Carlton didn't argue against his daughter when she said she wanted to become a fairy doctor like her mother. But because she didn't hide the special gift that she had, she had become involved in a dangerous incident like this.
He worried about Lydia in how by inheriting the ability to see fairies, how that would put her life through unwanted hardships and troubles. More than that, the biggest problem of her being like her mother was that she was weak against men who couldn't do nothing on their own.
A man who was an aristocrat, and a thief and kidnapper; Carlton imagined in his mind of the man who was probably with his daughter now, and that miserable thought made him downhearted.
P. 216
The stairs went down and down, like they would never stop. The underground passageway had curved passages and stairs that alternated after another, and if they didn't have a candle with them, it would have been pitch black.
Perhaps anticipating that there would be an underground chamber, Raven had a candle with him. Lead by that light, the three of them pressed on.
"Does it still go on?" Lydia was starting to feel out of breath in that trapped, insular space.
As she took a step after another, it felt like she was nearing the horror finale. In truth, she still wasn't able to come up with a way to steal the what it was that Edgar had with him that would grant them the sword, and she was literally being carried to where she's be sacrificed.
Being in this dark underground passage must have made her start to think like that.
The human-made space they were in didn't show any signs of life and that made Lydia even more anxious. She wondered why the faeries that fancied the undergrounds were no where in sight. There being no sight of them also built up the unnatural impression onto her and increased the worry in her.
They could be in the area that was under the merrow's control, but she never even met a merrow so it was only another increasing factor to Lydia's anxiety.
P.216
Her resolve to save her father was disappearing, and unwanted negative ideas kept on coming up in her mind.
Right next to her was Edgar, and behind was Raven; there was no where to run. She knew she was going to be killed by them, and yet she wondered why she was coming along with them.
She felt even more suffocated.
Edgar turned around to her. For some reason, that made her flinch.
"Lydia, are you tired?"
"Do you feel like the air has thinned out?"
"The fire is lit fine. There should be no problem," uttered Raven.
As she hear Raven's voice, Lydia felt dizzy and light-headed, and losing the balance on her feet, she fell to the side.
Edgar catched her and held her up. She couldn't tell what he was talking to her about.
"No, don't touch me."
She just didn't want to be touched right now. But that only made her more out-of-breath, and cold sweat run down her. She was in complete disorder.
"Calm down, Lydia."
If she tried to made a ruckus, her hand would be held down. On top of that, her nose and mouth were blocked by his hand, and she couldn't breath.
P. 217
What's happening? Am I going to be killed?
Lydia became even more desperate and struggled to get free.
"Stay still and let out a breath of air slowly."
But I out of air right now.
If she tried to thoughtlessly fight-back, her foot slipped from the stair step.
She fell down the stairway in Edgar's arms.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Surprised at the sudden fall, she let out an ear-splitting scream with all her might. By doing that, she must have been able to let out the air that had built up in her like a ball of lead, and Lydia was able to relax a little, because she didn't feel out-of-breath anymore.
"That's right, don't hurry, and breath in-and-out slowly."
In the darkness where the candle light didn't reach them, she heard the voice of Edgar who had her in his arms. It looked like they fell only a few ways down.
The stairs that looked to have no end, had apparently ended right there.
"Lord Edgar!"
"I'm fine, Raven," said Edgar towards the candle light that was fastly approaching them.
P. 218
"Lydia, are you all right?"
"Y-yes...."
Of course she would be, since Edgar had taken the impact of their fall.
"Ah, are you?"
"I'm perfectly fine. Thank goodness it was only a distance of a few steps."
When the candle light reached them, he let go of Lydia, and kindly smiled as he looked down at her with a caring expression.
"Do you still feel out-of-breath?"
"I feel a little better."
"It looks like you had taken in too much air. You must have been anxious and being in this overbearing darkness must have tired you out."
Being told so, Lydia realized that she was struggling with more nervousness than she could handle about herself.
"No one would feel alright after something like that. I'm sorry to force you pass your limits."
She could tell he meant about Ermine. Lydia was also about to fall at that time. Even that was a shocking experience, but more than that, there was something else that was making her nervous.
She was terrified of what was to come.
P. 219
Of the worst that was going to happen to her.
Again and again, Lydia was saved by Edgar.
When Huxley was about to attack her, he stood in her place and got injured because of it. Even when Ermine was about take her along with her suicide, and even just now, he had saved her.
He always worried after Lydia, and spoke to her soft and kindly. She knew perfectly well that he wasn't to be trusted, and yet she must have come this far because she wanted to believe in him.
That's why, she wasn't scared of dying, but terrified of being killed by Edgar.
Imagining what sort of cold, merciless eyes that he would look at her with made her shiver.
Edgar was someone who accepted Lydia, who had been called an oddball and not understood by anyone, as who she was, and she felt that he complimented her not having any flattery behind his words.
But if she were to be killed by him, then the kindness and smiles and compassion that were given to Lydia would all mean they were lies.
When she found out Edgar was a thief, Lydia tried to run from him. He knew that and yet he didn't try to force her into submission using violence. He just pleaded that she don't leave him, claiming that he needed the help from her as a fairy doctor.
Didn't that mean he respected her wishes and rights?
P. 220
From that time Lydia wasn't used by him but felt that she was on the same level and cooperated with him, but that wasn't the case.
What she feared the most was Edgar overturning everthing.
Lydia clinged on the hope that perhaps that such a thing wouldn't happen and kept walking on.
"It would be better to take a rest."
Even those words of his weren't really him being compassionate, but might eventually be denied.
Lydia fixed her eyes hard onto Edgar's ash mauve eyes.
He must be used to having women look at him steadily and so he looked back at her with a soft smile.
"Are you going to kill me?" she couldn't stop herself from saying that.
He didn't react with surprise, or look away, but kept his eyes onto hers, which petrified.
"What are you saying suddenly."
"If you're planning to kill me, then don't me nice to me. Be the villian and show off your knife and make me do as you say by shouting or hitting me."
"Are you still disordered?"
"This is unfair. I can't see you as a villain and so who am I suppose to blame when I'm killed? I wanted to be a help to someone as a fairy doctor. I thought that even if you were a theif and liar you really needed my ability and that's why I came this far..."
P. 221
"I do need you."
"And you also need my life, don't you?"
"Why would you think like that? There is no reason for you to die."
"I'm not a member on your side. You wouldn't be hurt if you cut loose of me or my father. That's a perfectly good reason."
Edgar looked as if he was troubled and lowered his head to look into Lydia's eyes as he combed his fingers up through his front bangs.
He seemed like he was thinking about something, and then made up his mind and reached out his hand towards Lydia.
He hesitated at her flinching in reaction to his hand, but he didn't give up and reached out to place his hand on Lydia's head.
He stroked her hair with his hand soothingly, as if he was trying to calm down a small child.
"Like you said, we've done everything we could to protect ourselves. I considered myself a fighter, but I'm really only a pathetic man, and only could think about running away. I was scared, so I didn't look at what was behind me, trying to forget about my past, and so I wasn't able to realize that I hadn't completely escaped from that man. That's why....I paid a big price... I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I think of you as my comrade. Please believe me."
P. 222
If she was told that with straight eyes, she almost believed him.
But, everything was surely a lie.
He was a person who could make a lie seem serious.
Mixing a little hint of truth, he would manage to make a huge lie. And just like that, he would move the hearts of people. He was aware of how he appeared to other people, and it was his forte to grab people’s hearts.
But all Lydia could do was just be deceived. To be deceived and betrayed was her only option, and she realized that there was nothing she could do about it by how Edgar’s lie was all too serious.
His resolve to obtain his goal was firm and unswayable.
“Please, I want to save my father.”
Then at least, Lydia wanted him to hear just one of her serious wishes.
“Of course, I understand.”
She prayed that those words of his were lies, and she gathered up the strength in her body and stood up.
Beyond the door was a wine cellar. But one could tell it wasn’t a wine cellar for humans. To have it situated in such a deep underground place, meant the person who built the castle had it prepared those that lived down here.
P.223
The wine cellar was the sleeping bed for the wine-loving faerie Clurichaun. She didn’t spot the Clurichaun-like resident there at all, but she was suer that the riddle was pointing to this location.
From somewhere beyond the walls they could hear the sound of water.
The sound of waves, and most likely, there was the artery of the underground water running out to the sea near-by.
If the dwellings of the merrows were close, then this might be the wine cellar for the merrows.
And in the back of the cellar, there was a road that separated into three ways.
“Which one should we take,” uttered Edgar.
“I will go check what it in them. Please wait here,” offered Raven.
He lit the lantern that had been left hanging on the wall, and that light brigtened up the inside of the cellar much more brighter than the one candle and made the large open space took away the feeling of being in a dark emtrapment.
That’s must have been why Raven decided not to take Lydia along with them into the narrow passageways and instead offered to go look by himself.
“Be careful,” said Edgar clearly.
Raven disappeared into one of the passages, and the bored Edgar started to tap the wine barrels that were lined up.
“It looks like all the barrels are empty.”
If the lord of the castle was gone, then that must of meant there was no one to offer the merrows their wine.
P. 224
Lydia went over to the wall and sat down with her back against it. Then she felt something furry sweep by her chest.
“Lydia, it’s me.”
The whispering voice was Nico. Nico, still remaining invisible, jumped up onto Lydia’s lap.
“Listen to what I’m going to say. The brownies that live on this island said they were told this from a male merrow that they drank with. The merrows are tired of waiting for the Earl who hasn’t returned for hundred of years. At this point, they’re wishing that someone would be able to take the sword. The brownie told the merrow that it would be a problem if anyone took it, but the merrow said [It’s alright as long as that human has met the same conditions of the promise they made with the Earl to exchange it with the star.][Star, as is a star from the sky?][The ones that shine in the merrow’s sea are the souls of the humans that died at sea.] By meeting the conditions, he must have meant that the human reaches the hidden location of the sword. And if that human sacrifices another human life to the merrows, then even if they were a thief, it means there is a chance that the merrows would hand over the sword.”
What goes on between faeries and humans, most of the time, the most important thing is the contract. Sentimental feelings and obligatory duties are only considered important between humans. Even if the merrows accepted the Earl as their lord, that was only the result of the contract held between Lord Blue Knight, and the only reason they are protecting the sword is because they are under the contract.
They wouldn’t dare break the contract. However, they wouldn’t do anything more than what’s stated in the contract. If the way to verify how was the Earl’s descendant was if that human had the gold coin and silver key and that they reached the sword’s hidding place, then for the merrows, they wouldn’t doubt the identity of the person who came to claim the sword.
Lydia made sure Edgar wasn’t looking at her, and made a small nod. Nico spoke on.
P. 225
“So the hidden sword is close, right? If you find it, make sure to get it before that aristocrat does. And use it to cut him.”
Eh? She nearly let out a gasp, but she managed to hold that in.
“That’s the sign for the merrows. It’s fine as long as you can cut his skin just a little bit. The blood that touches the sword would apparantely become the one to fall victim to the merrows. In no time, Huxley and his brothers will reach here with the Professor, so it would be convenient if they made a disruption. While that aristocrat is busy dealing with Huxley and the his brothers, you have to make sure and find Lord Blue Knight’s sword and take it, do you understand?”
She felt the soft, velvety hair of Nico touch Lydia’s hand, but he vanished in an instant, since Edgar was walking over to her.
“Do you hear something?”
“Huh, no, nothing…isn’t it the sound of the water. It’s constantly making that sound.”
As she tried to dodge his suspicion, Lydia also listened closely to the water sounds, and then Edgar spoke up again.
“There, I just heard the sound of a girl’s cry.”
“Crying…? That’s it, it must be a banshee.”
Lydia stood up.
The sound they faintly heard could have been the wind running through the rock walls. But it did sound like a Banshee’s cry as well.
P. 226
It’s said when one sees the sight of a Banshee crying by water, that soon someone would die. The eerie faerie cy was said to be the premonition of someone’s death.
She had to cut Edgar with the sword. That was the only option left for Lydia to save herself.
She wondered if she would be able to aim a weapon at someone. But if she couldn(t do it, then he would aim that sword at Lydia.
“When you say Banshee, that’s the next faerie in the riddle.”
“Yes, that must be the hint.”
Lydia pressed her ear against the wall and listened for the spot where she could hear the sound of the wind the loudest. That sound came from the middle opening out of the three passageways.
Just then, Raven returned from the passageway on the right.
“This one was a dead-end.”
“It’s this way. I think this is the right way to go.”
The three of them walked on yet again.
The road didn’t go that far. After walking for a while, they came to a crevice-like opening in the dark rock walls and there was a bridge suspended between, and after they crossed that, they saw that there was a door built into the rockface.
Lydia was about to approach the door, when Edgar stopped her.
“Next after the Banshee is the merrows. Then we should take more caution from here.”
P. 227
“Caution of what?”
“Weren’t we told that all who got near the sword ended up dead? There must be traps laid out beyond here. And look, you can see part of a wheel here.”
Like he said, you could see there was some sort of device built into the rock wall that the suspension bridge was connected to.
Edgar took out a card from the inner pocket of his coat. It was made of a thin sheet of silver. One side of the sheet wasn’t flat and had random bumps on it, and she noticed that there was something craved on it’s surface just like the riddle that was on the gold coin, but she couldn’t tell what exactly it said. Perhaps it was the thing Edgar was hidding that Ermine said was related to the mystery of the Blue Knight Earl’s sword.
“What’s that?”
“The magic key to open this door.”
By the doorknob, there was a slight indentation that was just the right size to fit the silver slab into. So it was the keyhole.
Suddenly, they heard the boisterous noise of footsteps from the direction of the wine cellar. In the distance, there was the light of a lamp hovering over a number of dark figures, and as they were neared their location, the light lit up their faces and shined over to their standing.
“John, hold it right there! You’re not going to have your way any longer!”
“I’m really starting to get tired of seeing your face, Huxley.”
“Hey, go catch him.”
Still taking caution of Edgar and his insolent attitude, Huxley gave out his order to his brothers.
P. 228
Still keeping his eye on the brothers that were cautiously approaching him, Edgar stepped over to the door.
At that moment, there was a deep roar that erupted from somewhere around them. The Gossam brothers stopped in their tracks. The roaring sound echoed against the stone wall’s hollow cavities and sounded like it was getting closer to them.
“……What in the world……?”
The murmer of one of the men turned into a scream just when a sudden wind hit them.
“It’s the merrows, the magic of the merrows……,” gasped Lydia.
The suspended bridge swinged violently and nearly threw off the ones that were clinging onto it.
Along with the wind that didn’t hint of dying down, there was the sound of singing voices.
At first one would think it was just their imagination, but it wasn’t like you heard the singing, more like the voices were ringing deep inside your body. The voices sounded so mystical and soothing, making those that heard it fall to sleep.
Barely managing to hold on to the suspension bridge’s rope, Lydia felt her body begin to slump down.
Just when Lydia was thinking about the many lives of the thieves who fell from here and washed up dead on the shore, Edgar grabbed her arm.
“Lydia, Raven, come over here. Hold onto the door.”
Going against the wind, Edgar pulled the two of them to him. And then swiftly he slid the silver slab into the crack of the door.
P. 229
Abruptly, the violent winds died out. At the same time, the singing merrow voices stopped.
Edgar pulled Lydia, who was stunned and slumped down, into the door he opened up. At the same time, the wheels to the contraption started to move.
Without allowed any time to figure out what was going to happen, the middle of the suspension bridge came apart.
What was left of their side of the bridge was sucked down into the black bottomless hole. Huxley and his brothers swiftly jumped back onto the other intact side of the bridge.
But one of them that had made his way too close to the side they were on, decided he wouldn’t be able to go back and jumped over towards the door.
“Ahhhhh!”
Lydia screamed because the man who had nearly fallen down had grabbed ahold of her ankle.
Edgar put his arm around Lydia’s waist and making sure that she wasn’t going to be dragged down, used his foot to knock off the man’s arm who was desperately trying to climb up.
“Don’t touch her, you dirty low-life.”
In a blink of an eye he had kicked him off.
The fallen man had just barely grabbed onto the rope of the bridge, and dangling in mid-air shouted cursing words up at him, and Lydia was in utter shock as she watched that happening, and thought that Edgar was surely a frightening man.
He lived in a world where you do not give mercy to your enemies.
P. 230
Lydia, who wanted to believe that he really wasn’t a bad person and swallowed his kind words whole and was quick to sympatize, must have looked utterly unguarded to him.
She wasn’t beginning to lose hope that she’d manage to steal the sword and swing it at him.
“Hey, don’t forget what could happen to the professor!” yelled Huxley from the other side of the rock wall separated from the fallen bridge and the deep, dark hole that was left between them.
“Father!”
Huxley pulled Carlton out in front of him.
“Young lady, make sure to bring me that gemstone. Or else I’ll shove him down from here.”
Edgar must have judged that it didn’t matter how Huxley bickered, since he was so far away he couldn’t touch them, and didn’t give him anymore time and started to head in the opposite direction of the door.
“Wait,” begged Lydia and scrambled to grab his arm.
“Please save my father; didn’t you promise?”
“Even if we handed him the gemstone, I wouldn’t think he would hand over your father in one piece. Even you would be a witness to his crimes. The both of you would be killed.”
“But, at this rate……”
“We haven’t gotten the sword yet.”
P. 231
Edgar looked straight ahead like he didn’t have time for what she was asking for.
They were in a wide-open, natural, cave-like place.
The rocky bludges in the wall were in the way so they couldn’t see past them into the back, but they could tell there was something lighting up the inside of the cave.
One might think that the light from outside was shining through, but that was wrong. There was something giving off a glowing light.
Edgar slowly walked deep into the cave. Lydia followed, walking right by him. But the two of them stopped at the same time.
Because they thought they saw something moving in that place filled with the glowing light.
The thing that was giving off the glow was all the rocks around them. They were covered with a thin line of mold, and it looked like that was what was giving off the faint glow.
There was a shallow pool in the middle of the cave that was surrounded by the rocky walls, and water drops fell down from the ceiling to make circular waves on the pool’s surface below, making the light flicker in its reflection. The whiteish-blue light that filled that space gave the illusion like they were at the bottom of the sea.
There was a figure that stood on the pool; it was a young girl. The blueish white light wrapped around the girl’s hair and it was so long that it covered her body and dragged along the floor if she were to walk.
“A merrow…”
Edgar heard Lydia’s whisper and turned to look at the girl curiously.
P. 232
“A merrow? But she has legs."
“It isn’t any trouble for them to shift to human form.”
“But, even I can see her, and she looks human to me.”
“She’s showing herself so even you can see her. And besides, are you saying that a human would be traped alive in this place just till now?”
Edgar looked around them and made sure they were in a place without any secret passages.
“That seems to be impossible.”
“At least this place doesn’t have any of the mechanical contraptions that you were imagining.”
“And so you’re saying I should surrender? But I can’t see how the merrows would be able to tell me apart from the real Lord Blue Knight.”
He’s right, even the merrows wouldn’t be able to tell if the one who made it to this location was in fact carrying the blood of the Earl family in him. That’s why there should be some sort of condition to determine if that person has the qualifications of a Earl.
Most likely, that condition was hidden somewhere in the contract made between the Blue Knight Earl and the merrows. Then that means the one who would be determined as the inheriter should know about fairies, had solved the mysterious riddle, as well as had possesion of the entrance key, and understood the meaning behind the [Exchange a star for the merrow's star.]
In that sense, it was just as Edgar thought; the one who met the conditions would gain possesion of the sword. It was the same as there being a contraption.
P. 233
“It is a honor to welcome you,” said the merrow. “So, who is the one I shall hand it to?”
“Where is it?” asked Edgar.
“Can you not see it?”
Lydia squinted her eyes to search.
The light swayed and flickered.
Where is the sword?
A blueish-white image loomed in the shade of one of the rocks.
Edgar saw it too. He moved before she did.
“Lydia, it’s just the shadow.”
But she realized what it was from Nico’s voice.
It was just the glowing image made by the light reflecting off of the sword. Then the real sword was.
Lydia bolted-to the opposite direction of where Edgar was heading.
Kneeling down at the edge of the pool, she plunged her arm into the water.
The light was disrupted and made the glowing sword image by the rock disappear.
P. 234
“……What?”
By the time Edgar turned around, Lydia had pulled the shining silver blade out of the water.
It was Lord Blue Knight’s sword.
There wasn’t a speak of rust on it; it was a double-edged blade that shined as if it was forged just now. There was one blue gemstone embeded in it.
Lydia gripped its hilt and turned back to face Edgar.
“Don’t move.”
To Lydia’s serious demeanor, he looked back at her showing no resistance.
“…I already know. That you have to trade a human sould with this sword.”
Edgar showed no signs of surprise and only smiled lonesomely.
“Alright. It looks like I’ve lost. You can do as you please.”
Responded with such quick surrender, Lydia grew hesistated. She had to go with the flow of the moment in order to be able to cut him. If he didn’t come after her to take away the sword, then she would never be able to throw such a thing around.
“Raven, don’t stick your hand into this.”
On top of that, he even stopped Raven who was inching little by little to find an opportunity.
But he was fully aware of Lydia’s hesitation.
P. 235
P. 236
He knew perfectly well of her worry that she never handled a sword before and was scared to harm someone.
That’s why even if Lydia thought he seemed timid, she couldn’t bring herself to move.
Nico tugged her sleeve to instigate her.
“Don’t hesitate over this, Lydia. If you don’t kill him, he’ll kill you. Or do you plan to join him in becoming pray of the merrows?”
Nico was right.
[Exchange a star for the merrow’s star. Or else the merrows will sing their song of lament.]
If they didn’t hand over the promised item to the merrows here, then the merrows will sing their song. That meant everyone here would be dragged into the sea.
Slowly, Edgar stepped over to her.
“I said don’t move!”
“If I’m not close you can’t cut me.”
“He’s right, that man was planning to kill you, Lydia!”
Edgar paid no heed and continued to close up on her.
“Were you really planning to kill me?”
“Are you frighetened? You’re trembling.”
“Was it a lie when you said you wouldn’t? You said that you would save my father. Was that a lie too?”
P. 237
“That’s wasn’t a lie.”
You big liar. Even as she thought that, Lydia was still hesitating.
“Tell me, was there any truth in any of your words?”
“What’s the use of knowing that?”
“Because, you protected me all this time. I don’t want to think all of that was a lie. After losing Ermine, I thought that I had shared even a little of the same pain as the both of you. That’s why I thought you would understand my feelings of wanting to save my father……”
Of course, saying such a thing now was pointless.
Edgar made a wry face, either because he was irritated or befuddled by her.
“Why are you hesitating? Wouldn’t the man who tried to kill you deserve to die. Even if you cut me, no one will blame you.”
“Lydia, ahh, geesh, what are you doing!” said Nico impatiently.
“……What am I suppose to do!”
Most likely, there was no way Lydia was ever going to be able to harm Edgar with a sword.
P. 238
Edgar, who had been staring at her steadily, suddenly chuckled like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Even if it was a criminal like me, you’re still scared of cutting me with that sword? Then, let’s do this.”
He took a hold of Lydia and grabbed the sword out of her hand before she knew it.
He narrowed his eyes and for some reason looked at the sword sadly.
“You’re too soft-hearted, Lydia. Even though there are villains in the world who can be more sadistic and cold-blooded than you can imagine.”
He slowly turned the sword. Lydia’s body was frozen and she couldn’t move it.
However, Edgar abruptly changed the course of the sword. He placed the blade against the palm of his hand.
And he slid it through.
“Eh……”
Blood trickled from his palm and ran down the blade. And dripping down to hit the ground.
Standing in front of the dazed Lydia, he gave her a faint, tired smile.
“I wonder why. I can’t seem to make a good lie to you.” He turned to face the other dazed young man standing in the cave. “Raven, I’m sorry.”
“Lord Edgar……”
They felt the rumbling sound of violent, crashing waves approaching them. And then, from the pool surrounded by the rocks, water erupted from up into the air.
P. 239
In no time, the water became a massive wave and crashed into them.
Lydia clamped her eyes shut from the rush of the waves which was an amount that could fill the cave in seconds.
But she never felt her body being engulped by the water; she only heard the sound of the passing sound of the waves, and then it was gone.
When she opened her eyes, the massive wave was no where in sight, and the pool was just a pool, and the sword lay on the ground by Lydia’s feet.
Only Edgar was no where in sight.
The merrow slowly walked over to her.
She picked up the sword and held it out to Lydia.
“The one who was not harmed by the sword. Please accept this sword.”
“……Is this alright? Didn’t all of you protect this sword for the Earl family’s descendant all this time?”
“The Earl has passed away. Long ago, by the sea so far that we were unable to save him.”
“Are you saying that the Earl family line has perished?”
“We are not sure. Only that from that time, however long time has passed, since no one appeared who could correctly solve the riddle, so that is what it must mean. All of the inheritors of the Earl family have gone back and forth between the fairyworld and no longer than one hundred years would pass during their absence. But if there are no more alive in the Earl family, we belived that only a fairy doctor would be able to make it to here. And you being here must mean you are one.”
P. 240
“So all of you were waiting for a fairy doctor?”
The young female merrow nodded sadly.
“The one to allow our merrow clan to live in this sea was the Earl. The Earl was the one who bridged the gap between humans and us so that we all could live in peace. But after the Earl had left, and time had passed, the blood in the island people has faded, and there is once again a disparity between us. To protect the sword, we have made the waters around the island constantly stirred, but the only ones we toss into the sea are thieves; we originally had been sending signals between the island residents so that no one on the island or visitors who came would be harmed. But as time went on, that tradition has been forgotten, and now we are unable to tell the difference of the ships that approach the island if-they are thieves or fishermen or merchants.”
“And that’s why this island is secluded.”
“The number of merrows have dropped as well. There were even quite of number of us that have despaired of the living here and returned to our homesea. But the most of us could not bare to break the promise between the Earl.”
The female merrow took Lydia’s hand and had her grip the sword.
“But now, we have fulfilled our promise. The sword belongs to the human world. This island, is also land of the humans. We will leave this place. Even if the one to govern the human land is not the descendant of Lord Blue Knight from the fairyworld, all will be fine. We wish to leave it in your hands now.”
P. 241
Lydia’s gaze was pulled to the large sapphire that was embeded into the hilt.
And she noticed that there was no six-rayed light inside the sapphire.
The star sapphire, a noble blue-stoned sapphire crystal that looked as if it had a star taken rom the night sky trapped inside it, was a rare gemstone that had a milky white light placed radially in the middle of the stone like the hub and spokes of a wheel. And yet, this sapphire, which had the sheen of fine silk, was missing the brilliant star. This wasn’t the star sapphire, but just an ordinary sapphire.
“……The star is missing.”
“That should be with the Earl. The tradiion in the Earl family made it so that whenever they left the sword with us, they would take out just the star in the sapphire and ingrain it somewhere on their body. If there was no inheritor that had that star passed down to them, then the there is no way to return the star to the gemstone.”
[Exchange a star with the merrow’s star.]
So that’s what that meant. That was originally meant about the light inside the sapphire that the Earl’s descendant should have been passed on. The Blue Knight Earl’s sword attained the star not by a human soul but the [star] that the Earl had taken out of it and then returning it back to the stone. But the true Earl hasn’t returned. And the merrows would continued to be binded to their promise. That’s why they were only left to alter the interpretation.
The thing that shines bright like a star in the land of the merrows are the souls of the dead. The merrows decided that exchaning with that would fulfill their promise.
P. 242
Then, that means……
Lydia felt like she had nearly onto something important, but unable to fully grasp it, continued to search for it in her head.
But her thought was cut short by the noisy sound of something from the direction of the entranceway.
“Ms Carlton, Huxley and his brothers are coming.”
They must have crossed over a plank they took out from the wine cellar and placed over the part of the missing bridge. And now after they all crossed it, the Gossam brothers came pushing through the entranceway.
The merrow quickly vanished.
Raven stood ready in front of the entranceway. She wondered why since Edgar wasn’t here anymore.
His prescious master has been taken away by the merrows. Why doesn’t he take revenge on Lydia who was the cause of that.
But unlike what she thought, he looked as if he thought he needed to protect Lydia who Edgar was unable to cut with the sword.
Huxley and his brothers stopped in front of Raven. However, he opened his mouth bravely.
“Hey, hand over the sword. Or else your father will be……”
Just then, Nico sudden appeared out of no where.
He jumped on top of Huxley’s head with ease. And stomped with all his might on his hat.
P. 243
“Nico, that’s dangerous!”
“Hey, chaps, you’re late! Over here, get them!”
A high-pitched roar erupted from behind Huxley and his brothers.
It was an army of brownies. They crowded together and swarmed over to their direction.
Lydia spotted some of the faces that she helped at the landlord’s house.
“Make them all go bald!” shouted Nico, stirring them on as he swinged his tail around with the ends of it burnt.
The tiny faeries raced on their feet, along with those that rod on top of mice, and those that hanged from bats as they attacked the Gossam brothers.
Climbling up their feet, they started to bite them all over and pull out their hairs.
Most likely, the men weren’t able to see the faeries. They had no idea what was going on, yet Huxley and his men all gave out terrified screams.
“Father, this way!”
Lydia called her father, who had faeries climbing up him but not getting attacked, over away from the ruckus.
“Lydia, thank goodness.……you were safe.”
After they hugged each other tight, happy over their reunion, Lydia made her decision.
P. 244
The feeling of wanting to protect your loved ones, and the feeling of hesistating because of that, and the sad feelings of when you couldn’t protect, was all the same for everyone.
Lydia was lucky not to have lost anything. But she couldn’t let things end like this.
She stepped out of her father’s arms, and walked over to Raven who stood not knowing what was going on and what to do.
“There’s one thing I want to know. Do you remember what was written on the silver key that Edgar had?”
“Only a little.”
“It didn’t exactly say that the merrows would hand over the sword in exchange with a human soul, did it?”
“Yes. At the very end, it only said that [The one who gains the sword must test the sword. The merrows will take the blood that was run to the sea.]”
There was no mistake that the [Exchange a star with the merrow’s star] written on the gold coin, and that inscription written on the silver plate, was pointing at the important part of the promise between the Blue Knight Earl and the merrows. By tying the two together, you could interpret it as sacrifying a human soul to the merrows would gain you the sword.
However, it the star meant the light inside the sapphire, then that had nothing to do with shedding blood with the sword-there was a different meaning.
That was where Lydia was caught in a bind.
P. 245
“Can I leave this situation to you?”
Confused, Raven tilted his head.
Lydia looked over to check what was happening with Huxley and his brothers, but they had lost the fight and were close to rages thanks to the faeries.
“It looks like they aren’t left with any more spirit or strength to fight, but still be careful, and get out of here with my father.”
“Miss Carlton, but what about you?”
“There may be nothing I can do. But I’m still going to try what I can.”
And she faced her father who looked at her worringly.
“Father, I’m a fairy doctor, so,”
“I know. You be careful.”
Gripping tight onto the sword, Lydia walked over to the shining mold rock where the merrow had just been standing.
“Nico, would you please.”
“Lydia, don’t say that you’re planning on talking with the merrows……”
Nico, who came over to her, made a furrow in his brows, and twitched his whiskers irritatingly.
“Isn’t this pool connected to the merrow’s sea? Since you’re a fairy, you’re able to guide me through the fairy’s path.”
P. 246
“Yeah, well…, but still, if you fail in negotiating with them and anger the merrows in their waters, then you’ll drown at the bottom of the sea in no time.”
“I know that.”
“Is it for that aristocrat?”
“He didn’t lie to me.”
“That was just him on a change of whim. Just before the last moment, he was going to kill you for sure, and he’s bound to be regretting that he didn’t kill you right now. Of course if he’s still in a state where he could regret.”
“Nico, if you’re not going to guide me, then I’ll go by myself.”
“Oh, geesh, alright!”
Nico strectched out his tail towards Lydia. “Hang on tight.”
