P. 122
Lydia could hardly even sleep and stayed awake, waiting for dawn.
Even if Teresa fell asleep, it seemed like this body wasn’t able to return to Lydia’s control until the sun came up.
The clouded sky that hanged over them wasn’t able to let them feel like dawn had arrived, but in the midst of the faint sunlight, Lydia finally felt released from the bind of Teresa and got up from her bed and quickly changed her clothes.
And she had the dazed thought.
Edgar really is a true and genuine philanderer.
She should have known that, but when she remembered how she witnessed him use his techniques and charm to win over Teresa, she sort of became depressed. At the same time, she became furious.
She will never marry that kind of man. She made that clear to herself once more.
But another thing that was made clear to her was that Edgar was still holding himself back and going easy on Lydia.
P. 123
If he wanted to have Lydia no matter what, then in actuality, it would mean it would be easy for him to do that.
He was thinking that he could make their engagement certain and carry that into marriage anytime he wanted, and so he was enjoying himself as he was half joking around by flirting with Lydia.
She wasn’t going to lose. Lydia lifted her head and to her ears, she could hear the howling sound of the strong winds that were being blown in by the sea.
In comparison, inside the house, it was overly quiet.
Even though there was that incident last night, there was no noise of the servants making a commotion.
“Maybe the police haven’t arrived yet.”
“It seems like they can’t come.”
The one who said that was Nico, who appeared from out of the dressing room.
“Nico! You came?”
“I did come, but I’ve been hiding because I don’t want that ghost girl that’s in you to chase me around.”
Lydia knelt down and neared herself to match the height of Nico’s eyes as he stood on his hind feet to look at the face of her dear friend and relaxed in relief.
“It looks like things have gotten out of our hands.”
“Well, we’ll manage it somehow.”
P. 124
Like one would to a little child, Nico patted Lydia’s head with one of his small front feet.
Nico, who had been her mother’s partner, most likely was much, much older than Lydia. From his eyes, Lydia must still seem like a small infant of a child.
He would act only on whim and was self-centered, and would disappear when it was dangerous, and she could bash at him every day that he was such an unreliable fairy cat, but he was still her best friend and she did depend on him.
Unlike a normal cat, he didn’t let her touch him that much, but Lydia loved the furry and soft part of Nico.
“But, what do you mean about the police not coming?”
“Since the tides are so violent, they said it would be too dangerous if the waves came up even if it turns to low tides and the path opens up. So of course, they can’t use any boats and we can’t send out any messengers.”
When she went over to the window to look out to the sea, she saw the white waves splashing up against the rocks and roll and twist violently.
In between the waves, Lydia thought she saw some kind of black creature pop its head up above the surface and strained her eyes.
“A seal……? Could it be a selkie.”
“Ahh, the one working for Prince might have captured some selkies and using them to work for him. I heard what is going on from the Earl, but if so these waves might be because the selkies are roughing the ocean. All of this is just too good of a timing.”
P. 125
“Timing?”
“Unless the waves don’t calm down, there’s no way anybody can leave from here. It’s like we are practically deserted here together with the perpetrator of last night.”
He was right, if we couldn’t contact with the mainland, then this was the perfect situation for the culprit. So Ulysses might have controlled the selkies and making them do this.
“But I can’t understand something, if he had done such a horrible thing like kill a selkie, then he would have faced the rebellion of the selkies. Because their strength as a group is immensely strong. And so I wonder is the man Ulysses is all right.”
Nico stood on his hind legs and crossed his arms as he thought.
“He must have worked out something so that that can’t happen. Ones who try and use fairies need to know quite a lot about them in order to do that.”
“You’re saying that he knows of a way to evade being rebelled against?”
“Like he had done something to win the gratitude of the selkies in the past. When selkies come to the end of their long lifespan, you heard that they entrust their hearts to a human that they’ve put their trust with. It’s proof of their lasting friendship. The rest of them aren’t able to harm a human who has that.”
Selkies are a fairy that is close to humans. Their spiritual nourishment is their communication with humans and they feel happiness the more they’re able to maintain a good relationship with them. Especially, the feelings of love from a human who holds a selkies’ heart brings peace and prosperity, and that’s why selkies protect the safety of the people whose lives are supported by the sea.
P. 126
Although, it wasn’t that common for selkies to entrust their hearts, so they would not give it with just any kind of gratitude they felt.
The human who obtained the heart would have the power to control the selkies’ destiny, so it would only be restricted to those who could be trusted from generation to generation.
“But a human who would be given something like that wouldn’t try to use the selkies.”
“Well, there also is the case that the person concerned wasn’t the one who received.”
“…….You’re saying that he could have gotten it some other way?”
So it might not be someone who was the legitimate owner. If in case the one who hand the heart had evil purposes, then that alone would cause pain to the souls of the selkie clan, and they would become poisoned from the anxiety of not being healed.
She wanted to do something, but she didn’t know who Ulysses was could might be the one who has the ‘heart.’
“Anyways, I have to focus on their coats than the heart. It probably would be difficult to try and carry a whole number of them at once, so I think the coats would be hidden somewhere in this estate. Nico, you wouldn’t be eyed as suspicious not matter which room you’re in.”
“Whaaat, you’re saying that I have to search for them?”
“Of course, I’ll look for them too, but I have to pretend to be Teresa during the day, and I won’t have any freedom at night.”
Nico tsked with his tongue, but went down on all fours in a hurry when there was a knock on the door.
P. 127
The one who came into the room was Suzy the maid.
“Good morning, Miss Carlton.”
She lowered her head, and then she noticed Nico.
“Oh, my, a cat. I’m terribly sorry; someone must have let it in.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I love cat anyway.”
Nico acted like a cat so that he wouldn’t be thrown out and purposefully went over to Lydia and rubbed himself up against her leg.
“Oh, is that so. Um, to tell you the truth, last night, something terrible happened….”
“Yes, I know. I was being possessed by Teresa, but I still had my conscious.”
“Oh, my, then Miss. Carlton, you must have also witnessed that sight.”
When she nodded, the maid made a cross at her chest.
“But, um, I would like to ask you to please not let the lady of the house know about that. The young lord Oscar has also made sure that the servants wouldn’t let that slip either.”
“I understand.”
Indeed, this might be too much to handle for the mental unstable Mrs. Collins.
“And, one more thing, uh, I was entrusted this by Lord Viscount Middleworth. He asked him to give it to Miss. Carlton when she wakes up.”
The thing Suzy handed out was a letter.
P. 128
When she opened it up, it turned out to be a joke of a love letter which started out with the sweet ‘To my dearest” and went on to say about how this was a fated meeting and a love like this would never come again. Of course, he must have written it so that it wouldn’t be an unnatural letter sent to Teresa, but he must be aware that Lydia was the one who was going to read it.
It seems like the thing he wanted to let her know was the last few lines at the end of the letter.
[If possible, I would like to have our courting be officially acknowledged by Mrs. Collins as soon as possible. I’ll pay a visit to your morning room around the time when breakfast is over. I’m intending to get her official recognition in my courtship with you.]
Since there was that kind of incident last night, Edgar was trying to quickly categorize those who were he could trust and those who were suspicious.
Lydia as Teresa wouldn’t spare anytime to choose Edgar. And if Mrs. Collins was able to acknowledge that, then they would be able to keep the other suitors at bay.
So he would be able to keep Lydia at a close enough distance where he could see her always.
As long as they were going to be confined in this house along with the culprit because of the weather, then this must mean that they couldn’t sit tight and quietly wait for the enemy’s next move.
However, even if she was able to guess Edgar’s intention, it still was a letter so embarrassing that she couldn’t let anyone read it.
She hid it swiftly away from Nico who tried to peer over to read it.
More importantly, the thought of ‘that big fat liar’ was whirling around inside Lydia’s head.
P. 129
How dare he talk about an official courtship? It’s a big mistake to think that anyone would easily be completely enamored about him.
She thought, losing her coherence.
Edgar was only trying to secure the safety of this place by seducing and winning over Teresa and furthermore, and trying to keep Lydia close enough so that he could keep an eye on her.
In other words, this was a strategy and not a problem about becoming enamored or not.
She knew that, and yet she doubted his nerves after he went all that far and seduced Teresa last night and now he was rolling out sweet lines to Lydia this morning.
“The viscount must be a good acquaintance of Miss Carlton.”
“Huh? Ohh, ……I guess.”
Lydia somehow managed to show Suzy a twitching smile.
“I was told that you were a very important person, so to please take care of her. I thought that the lord was a little coercive and fickle person since he was making advances towards the Miss. Teresa as soon as he arrived here, but he was just worried sick about Miss. Carlton. I see that in order to save you, he had no other choice but announce his candidacy as the young miss’ marriage partner.”
That was not true. However she thought about it, he was enjoying making moves towards Teresa.
“Things had turned out like this, but he was kind enough not to blame the lady of the house and said that he was going to face the spiritualist in order to safely take you home. Ohh, he would do such a thing for the woman he loves without regard for his own safety….. He truly is a courageous gentleman.”
P. 130
Like I said, that’s not right.
It was true that he was coercive and fickle.
Lydia, who was a fairy doctor, was needed in order for him to continue to be the Earl of Ibrazel.
And yet, he would go to any lengths to protect the people he needs. He wouldn’t spare any compensation in order for those who work for him to do their jobs with warm content.
If I was to build up a relationship of trust as an ally or friend, then Edgar would respond without thought for his own life.
Why he treats Lydia as special, and why he tries to make her his fiancée is in order to secure her help into the future.
And that wasn’t just for show, but he was real about it, so it was difficult to deal with.
Even if it wasn’t true feelings of love, he was seriously trying to have her stay by his side all her life. In order for that to happen, he was thinking that marriage was the best and surest way to do that.
But that was a feeling that was difficult for Lydia to understand. It was just too self-centered and forceful.
Edgar might be thinking that there would no woman that would refuse to marry him, but Lydia only felt like her feelings were being ignored.
Because if she were to marry, she was thinking she wanted it to be someone who both of them would feel love for each other, just like her father and mother.
“I’m so envious that you’re being loved by a fabulous man like that.”
P. 131
It seemed like Suzy seriously thought so.
It was his specialty to make young women foster good feelings about him.
Lydia grew more and more furious about Edgar.
Opposite of that, Mrs. Collins was in a terrifically good mood.
In result of Oscar imposing everyone to stay silent about last night’s incident, the servants were very loyal and kept their mouths shut.
She was smiling like she was having a fabulous time like she had nothing to worry about.
“Oh, Teresa, wasn’t all of the guests fabulous gentlemen?”
“Yes, I think so, Mother.”
As the two of them were having breakfast together, Lydia was imaging how she was going to need to pretend like she and Edgar were deeply in love with each other and that made her melancholy.
She was prepared to make him agree to annul their engagement. And yet, on the contrary, she now needed to act like the two of them were in an intimate relationship.
She did have feelings of anger and irritation towards Edgar, but in a logical sense, she still was aware that his idea needed to be prioritized in this situation.
“I hear that at last night’s dinner, you had a lively conversation with Earl Ashenbert? You might not be able to go on that boat trip today, but would you like to go out to the shore later on?”
P. 132
If she were to go on an outing with the fake earl, she wondered if Edgar would be jealous. But Lydia panicked at herself for even thinking something like that for even a second.
She wouldn’t be happy at all if he were to be jealous for her what so ever. Yes, she wouldn’t be happy.
What was important right now was that they didn’t make any openings or weakness for the enemy. This wasn’t the time for her to be thinking about something so stupid.
“Um, Mother, I would like to start courting the Viscount, Lord Middleworth,” said Lydia boldly.
“Oh, with the viscount? He is indeed a fine, handsome gentleman, but you might want to spend more time and make your decision after you learn what kind of people all other men are?”
She swiftly shook her head. If she didn’t get carried by on her enthusiasm, then her feelings of distrust towards Edgar that she had been feeling since last night might interfere.
“It……it looks like the both of us have fallen in love with each other at first sight. We had a conversation after the dinner, and the viscount said that this was a fated meeting himself, and I also had the same feelings. I don’t think I’ll ever have a love like this.”
She realized that her words weren’t from the heart as she talked because she was repeating what was written on the letter that Edgar had wrote to her this morning.
If he were to have written and sent her that letter with that in mind, then he surely was an unbelievable man.
P. 133
“Oh, my goodness….., you’re in love with him that much?”
“He had said that he wanted to have a straight talk to you about this. He said he would come here sometime around after our meal.”
She inspected Mrs. Collins’ expression. Lydia grew nervous as she saw that the lady looked like she didn’t know how to respond.
What if she opposes?
But then she was flustered at why she would worry about that when they weren’t really in a relationship. Most likely, Lydia wasn’t able to imagine what a parent would feel or how they would react in this sort of situation.
“Then, he should be coming pretty soon,” said Mrs. Collins who glanced over to the clock stand. At just the perfect timing, Suzy came into the morning room and asked them if she could lead the viscount in.
Edgar appeared after a little while, and although he dressed plainly without decorating or putting on airs, it was apparent that he paid attention to detail, to every hair on his head so that he could give a faithful and sincere impression.
Mrs. Collins offered him a seat, but Edgar wanted her to first listen to his story and in a casual manner sat down next to Lydia.
“I would like to ask of your permission for me to court your daughter. Of course, with marriage in mind.”
“Oh, well, Lord Viscount, I did send out the invitations with the hope that one of you would marry my daughter. And if you would say that….”
P. 134
She might have mumbled her words because she might have preferred the fake earl more.
Lydia became worried, but Mrs. Collins opened her mouth to say something unexpected.
“It may be embarrassing for me to say such a thing at a time like this, but would you truly wish for my daughter’s hand in marriage?”
It was the lady of the house that brought up this marriage match with the goal of buying a noble’s title with a dowry. But she had been worrying if her daughter would be loved more than anything else.
Mrs. Collins’ eyes weren’t like usual, flying unsteadily around the room, as she was trying to determine if he was thinking of her daughter as a tool to exchange money with and were firmly fixed on Edgar.
“It is true that my family is not well-to-do. And it is true that was why I participated in the spiritual ritual, but right now, I would gladly welcome her just by herself.”
It was an act full of lies that Edgar specialized at, and Lydia, who was also taking a part in the act of being deeply in love with each other, was also full of lies. And yet, for some odd reason, she was so nervous and standing in her place as her heart was racing.
She was probably picturing Mrs. Collins like she was her mother, and could be imagining how it might be if her mother was still alive.
If it was Lydia’s mother, she was wondering how she would feel with Edgar in front of her.
She wondered if it was a mother’s eye when, like Mrs. Collins, she would try to determine if the man had feelings that he truly loved her daughter.
“May I trust you in that?”
P. 135
“If I were to be opposed by you, then I’ll slay her and run away.”
When Edgar said something like that in a joking way, Mrs. Collins also loosened the muscles in her cheeks.
And then, she softly hugged Lydia.
“I’m so happy for you, congratulations.”
At that moment, Lydia felt like she really was hugged by her mother and was under the strange feeling like her mother had accepted Edgar.
It was like her mother said that it would be all right to trust Edgar who Lydia couldn’t trust at all.
Even if her mother knew of all the lies that he made till now, and that he was the kind of person who will continue to make lies, she felt like her mother said to her that you shouldn’t decide that even his proposal was a lie?
Could that be so, she wondered.
But I can’t figure that out.
But don’t you want to believe in him?
When Lydia left the room with Edgar, Mrs. Collins made a satisfied face as she sat down in her chair.
P. 136
“Madam, this surely is wonderful.”
“Oh, yes, Suzy. The weight has gone off my shoulders. If that girl is happy, then I don’t have anything I have to worry about.”
As she smiled, she closed her eyes like she was thinking about something. Suzy felt relieved from the bottom of her heart at how she looked like she was released from the pain and suffering of losing her daughter.
“Oh, yes, Suzy, there still was something else I needed to do. I have to marry you off.”
“Oh, me? Oh, no, I plan to take care of ma’am from now on.”
“You are even like a daughter to me. I thank you so much for being by my side all this time. I don’t want you to marry feeling ashamed just because you lost your parents as I’m going to make all the preparations in place of your parents, so you have nothing to worry about.”
Both hands of Suzy were held tight and warm, which made her fight so she didn’t cry.
She was her ma’am she cared for so much. That’s why, even though she thought it was an unforgivable act of reviving her daughter Teresa, Suzy wasn’t able to stop her.
But, in the end, it didn’t turn out that Teresa was revived. Even if Teresa’s ghost was transferred onto someone, the girl was Lydia, and so Suzy knew that the viscount had tried to charm and attract Teresa’s affections in order to protect her.
P. 137
If true, Suzy should have tried to convince Mrs. Collins to not do something like a spiritual ritual for her sake.
“What is the matter, Suzy, don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry, ……I’m just so happy at madam’s words.”
That was her true feelings as well. But for now, she didn’t know what she should do and quickly left the room.
*
The spacious front garden of the estate continued off to a grove of mixed trees and down to the seashore.
Edgar, who invited Lydia to take a walk, slowly walked down the small path that cut through cypress trees.
The fog was thick but there were no signs that rain was going to fall. The damp sea breezes periodically shook the tree leaves and that noise mixed along with the unnatural sound of the sea waves, which made it feel like a notice before a storm.
“How strange. Mothers are happy when it’s the marriage of their daughter,” said Lydia quietly, as she was still carrying the warm and fuzzy feeling from the act they were just doing.
“Of course they would be.”
“But Father seems like he doesn’t want to think about it.”
P. 138
“Well, fathers, yes. But don’t worry, I’ll convince him. Don’t you think it’s about time he let him know?”
“NO.”
She told that to him so many times, but Edgar only let that go by with a grin.
“It would be all right as long as we show him that we are deeply in love with each other that we can’t stay away from each other.”
“That was just an act!”
When she said that, guilt started to bubble up inside Lydia.
“…..We are deceiving Mrs. Collins, aren’t we. She just believed that Teresa will be happy if she were to marry you.”
“That ghost isn’t Teresa. That’s why, either way, it won’t be like the madam’s wish is going to come true.”
“Eh, what do you mean?”
Surprised, Lydia looked up to the side of his face.
“The needlework she did on her handkerchief had the initial M. And besides, do you think that a daughter who passed away at five years old would be able to do needlework just because she thought it up. Lydia, are you good at needlework?”
“Umm……, I was taught by my grandmother.”
“Most likely, the ghost that was called out was a different girl than Teresa who was good at needlework.”
I never said that I wasn’t good at it.
P. 139
“Ghosts don’t remember about their life before death. I heard from someone who was an expert in that area, but in the land of the dead, souls are able to stay at any age they like unrelated to the age they died at, but if that were so, then wouldn’t that mean that the ghost that the spiritualist called out could be anyone?”
Edgar stopped at the bottom of a particularly tall cypress tree and turned over to face Lydia.
“If there was something that we could do, then it would be to stop Prince’s scheme and put everything back to normal. The soul of the deal back to the land of dead, and you back to me. There’s nothing for you to be worried about,” he said, cajoling her as he made a smile.
Lydia made a step back because she had a small feeling of irritation.
Because she remembered the smile he showed Teresa last night. At the same time, the irritated, angry emotions towards Edgar resurfaced inside her.
“I’m not your possession.”
“You’re my fiancée.”
“You don’t have to say that at every opportunity.”
“I’ll keep on saying it. Once you get used to it, then you’ll start to think it could have been so.”
I would never!
Shouldn’t I trust him? I would do no such thing.
As she remained confused, Lydia took another step back.
P. 140
“I don’t want to have a marriage where there’s no love.”
Like she knew what a real love was like, as it sounded like the lines of a child who heard it from somewhere.
She was irritated herself, so Edgar must have thought she was living in a dream.
“What, do you think that’s hilarious?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“You laughed, in your heart.”
“You’re being paranoid.”
“But you can live perfectly well without love.”
“Does that mean there isn’t any love on your side? It’s all right; you’ll be able to love in no time.”
I don’t know where that confidence comes from.
“There isn’t any from you either. I had a nice inspection of how you seduced Teresa last night. It really is so easy for you to make a girl fall into your hands and do as you say. You can say whatever you like that you don’t mean what so ever, and use any forceful means…..”
There was a small moment where she hesitated.
“Do you perhaps, have consciousness even while you’re possessed by Teresa?”
“Yes, it seems if I try really hard, I’m able to stay awake. That’s what happened last night.”
Hmmm, he replied, putting his hand on his forehead. It wasn’t like he was troubled, but just a pose he was taking.
P. 141
“You see, Lydia, I was just doing for your sake,”
“I know that. It’s for the sake of my well-fare.”
“Then please don’t be upset.”
“It’s not like I’m upset.”
Lydia turned her head away and walked off.
“I feel like you’re angry.”
“If I were to be angry, then it’s because you took the liberty of touching my hair and face and shoulder and back!”
“But you also threw yourself into my arms….”
“Stop it! That wasn’t me!”
“Then it wasn’t you who I touched.”
Oh, I see, then you can treat anyone as your lover.
Lydia took her steps faster as she grew more furious.
“No, it was more like, I was thinking it was you. I was so happy that you didn’t run away and looked back into my eyes, so it was like I didn’t want to let you go.”
“I…..If it was me, I would have hit you.”
She knew that she was turning bright red from embarrassment herself, and she kept her back to Edgar, with her head down as she continued to walk.
P. 142
“I thought so. I wanted to try other things while I wouldn’t be hit.”
Do what?
“I’m glad I reframed myself.”
“………..”
“Or, should I have not held back? Oh, I know, if we went to the very limit to our relationship, then that might convince you that all that’s left for you is to marry me.”
“I would never be convinced!”
“But, it could have been a chance for us to become intimate. If it were Teresa, she wouldn’t run off. But with you, you have your own consciousness. If we spend a romantic time together, then you might come to understand my feelings not just with your mind but also your body.”
B-b-body?
Blood rushed to Lydia’s head which made her stopped in her tracks.
“In your head, you have a certain conviction about what like and love is. Even if I say that I’m serious about you, since it isn’t just like how you imagined, you won’t believe me, but you really are special to me.”
“Stop it, this isn’t the time to be joking! I will not forgive you if you do as you please to do something improper!”
Lydia faced him as she protested at him in a serious manner, but he only gave her an insolent and arrogant smile.
P. 143
“Then, let’s test it right now.”
“Huh?”
“I think you’ll be able to near the feelings between lovers.”
The wind from the sea blew up against Lydia’s back. Her hair that was let down loose flew to the sides and they got in the way of Lydia’s sight and she rushed to try and hold her hair down.
Then, she felt a warm hand touch her cheek. When she looked up, right in front of her was Edgar’s ash mauve eyes.
He looked at her with slightly painful, longing eyes and touched her so soft like she could easily be broken, which made her feel like she was someone special, but when she quickly came back to her senses, she was able to realize that that wasn’t possible.
He looked with the same kind of eyes at Lydia, no Teresa last night.
She knew she had to run, but she wasn’t able to move at all, and just when she thought she might actually want this, Lydia fell into complete hatred for herself.
Oh, my goodness, was I a woman with such loose morals?
“Close your eyes.”
She couldn’t fight back against his gentle voice which sounded like a spell.
“I love you. I really do.”
She could nearly take that seriously. If she were to believe him, then something might change. Even if she thought that, from the bottom of Lydia’s heart, there was a voice that rose out in denial.
P. 144
“You’re lying.”
“Please believe me, my kiss than my words,”
“……But you, even just now, aren’t thinking about my feelings at all.”
Oh, that’s right. He always does as he pleases and tries to make things go as he wants.
That’s why she keeps holding her own ground.
Lydia gently opened up her eyes. Edgar had narrowed his eyes and appeared a little saddened.
His hand slowly and quietly let go of her. But that wasn’t because of what Lydia said, but because he felt a presence in the depths of the grove of trees.
Edgar inspected the shadow of the trees and said “Whose there?”
The shadow of the person swiftly turned around and broke out into a run.
He thought he saw the white face of Ermine that took an instant look towards him.
He had the feeling like it was Ermine dressed in her usual male attire.
“Lydia, return to the house.”
Just saying that, Edgar went followed the shadow in a dash.
P. 145
The figure that wore a black male coat but definitely had the feminine curve of a woman rushed up the hill. Edgar followed after the person, but had the feeling like he had been lured out.
However, the spiritualist that had been locking herself up and come out on her own. He wanted to make sure if she was really Ermine or not.
Eventually, with the inclined slope of the sea against her back, the women dressed like a man stopped her run and turned around.
Brown eyes that were close to black looked at him as if they were provoking him. When her shortly-cut hair that had the same color was blown in the wind, then her silhouette close to her ears was revealed.
She was a woman that Edgar knew well.
She had the gallant and chivalrous facial features that went well with male clothes. But she still had the feminine shine that could only bring the description of a beautiful woman to one’s mind. Even if she had covered herself in male clothing, one could tell at one look that she was a woman and Edgar walked slowly over to her direction.
“Lord Edgar.”
From her red lips, a familiar voice to his ears was spun out.
“It has been a long time.”
“Ermine, if you had survived then why didn’t you return by my side.”
“I, right now, am the servant of Ulysses. I cannot go against his will.”
“Because you were saved by him?”
P. 146
For an instant, she lowered her eyes. She didn’t respond to Edgar’s question.
“I see that you are still with Miss. Carlton since then. It may be a ridiculous thing for me to say, but when I found out that she was safe and alive and that she was giving you her hand, I was relieved.”
“Lydia had also been worried about you.”
“I had done such a horrible thing to her as well. And yet, would she forgive me.”
“She had even forgiven me even though I was deceiving her.”
The expression she made in an instant where she loosened the corners of her lips was Ermine herself.
“Lord Edgar, ever since you brought back Miss Carlton without harming her, I had a feeling like something was going to change. She was so honest and had such passionate devotion and is so kind and soft-hearted that it could amaze you. If there was someone who could save you, then I thought it would be someone like her.”
The woman in front of him knew things that only Ermine would know.
He wondered if she really was Ermine. He was still half in doubt, but at the same time he wanted her to be her.
“Ermine, there is no need for you to serve under Ulysses. Please return to my side.”
“Are you saying you’ll trust a traitor?”
“I know that your heart doesn’t hold any feelings of betrayal towards me.”
Prince was the one who used the weakness of her heart that had feelings for Edgar and used it for his advantage.
“What my true heart holds isn’t the problem right now. I was given the order to kill you.”
P. 147
“Kill me, huh.”
He didn’t feel any malice from her at all.
She was so swift and fast in her movements and had a light frame of body and experienced with weapons, so if she felt like it, it would be possible for her to kill Edgar.
However, he walked up to her even further.
“Prince has given up his hope for you. It is too late now; you have become too famous as an England Earl. If you cannot serve him any use, then I was told to torture and give you pain through and through and then kill you…”
The hand that she lifted up was gripping a pistol.
Edgar didn’t pay any attention to that and reached his arm out to touch Ermine.
Just when his hand reached up to her ear, she flinched for an instant. He didn’t let that instant go to waste and grabbed ahold of her arm. The aim of her pistol went off and the bullet cut the top of the grass.
Like he thought, he couldn’t feel any determination from her.
He ripped the pistol away from her, and pushed her down to the grass and Edgar looked down at her as he took his hand to her shirt.
“I’m sorry, for this.”
She realized what he was going to do, but he didn’t give her any opening to sit up and opened of the buttons of her shirt.
The brand of a slave that was painfully burned onto her white skin was nowhere to be seen.
P. 148
It was something that should have been on Ermine.
“Who in the world are you?”
Instead of a reply, she pointed a knife at Edgar’s throat.
“Why do you talk like you know everything about Ermine?”
She frowned with her eyebrows as she put strength in her arms. Backing away from the knife, Edgar let her go.
She lifted herself up and swiftly stood up and attacked him.
This time she was serious. It was a malice that had sadness mixed in it.
Perhaps the secret that Edgar just found out right now was something that could have painful tormented her.
She carried out an attack one after another like she was trying to send him to his grave along with herself that had no brand which was burned into Edgar’s eyes.
If she were to be in dismay about being an imposter, then he wondered what that meant.
Even if he wanted to fight back, even her movements of how she handled a weapon was so alike with Ermine. To Edgar, she was a friend and ally that he didn’t want to lose once more.
Just then, there was a dark shadow that cut in between her and Edgar.
Going against a woman who looked exactly alike his sister, Raven didn’t hesitate at all in holding out his knife ready for attack.
“Wait……Raven.”
Edgar tried to stop him, but the woman slashed out with her knife first.
P. 149
P. 150
It was a life-sacrificing act to go out against Raven. If it was a woman who knew about Ermine, then she should have known that there
would be no one who could win against Raven one-on-one.
However, it was too late, as a highly-charged malicious atmosphere was awakening inside Raven. If it was to protect his master, then the spirit that would turn to a cold-blooded and brutal demon was taking control over him.
Raven, who had an immeasurable high level of combat skills, set out with just the intent of killing his enemy.
He had spent no effort in avoiding the blade of her weapon and threw down his knife which sank itself deep into her shoulder.
The woman wobbled back weakly. She tried to build a distance between them.
The woman stepped back to the very edge of the steep slope that stuck out over the sea, and then her foot caught on one of the rocks and she went down on one knee. Her face twisted in pain as she tried to pull out the knife.
Raven didn’t change his expression at all and when he walked over to her, he reached out his arm.
It was a slender arm of a young man, but it was surely able to snap a human neck in an instant.
“Stop it!”
Edgar ran over to her so that he could help her up.
“That’s enough; you don’t have to kill her.”
However, at that time it was too late, as even Edgar’s orders didn’t reach Raven’s ears.
Raven didn’t show any emotions and yet at the same time, he carefully avoided Edgar and reached out to her.
At that time, for some reason, Raven’s movement stopped.
P. 151
“Please stop…”
It was Lydia. She had her arms wrapped around Raven to try to stop him.
Oh, no, thought Edgar. It was difficult for even Edgar to try and stop Raven. There was no way that Lydia could do it.
And there were many cases when Raven, when he was ready for combat to not be able to tell the difference between his enemies and allies.
He tried to move as quickly as possible to protect Lydia, but it was too late.
Raven shook and tore off her arm without going easy on her what-so-ever that sent the flying Lydia slamming down into the slope.
The one who reached her arm out to her as she was close to tumbling down the slope was the woman who looked just like Ermine.
She wasn’t able to support her completely and so the both of them went tumbling down the slope. However, the woman held Lydia as if she was protecting her from the rocks that they came in contact with periodically as they poked out of the ground.
When they finally managed to stop near the middle of the slope, the woman wobbled up onto her feet.
Edgar rushed over to Lydia who still was lying on the ground. The woman slid down the slope trying to escape from them and disappeared from the coastal cliffs to the glove of trees.
Lydia had just gone through a slight concussion to the head and she awoke from being unconscious as she was being carried by Edgar into the estate, but since she was in such an embarrassing state, she pretended to still be asleep.
P. 152
She was laid down onto a bed, and she could sense that he was peering down at her worryingly and didn’t seem like he was going to go, so she opened her eyes as casually as she could.
“Lydia, are you all right? Can you tell who I am?”
“…..Yes.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t move so soon. You had hit your head.”
“I’m fine, there’s nothing wrong with me.”
It wasn’t calming to remain on her side, so she slowly sat up. It seemed like he offered his hand out to help her, but he must have noticed that she help but flinch and unexpectedly was quick to back down.
It was because she just remembered how she was nearly kissed by him earlier. But it wasn’t because of her guard towards Edgar, but because Lydia didn’t have any faith in herself as she might have actually accepted it.
There was no way that she could allow the kiss from a frivolous man like him, no way.
What if she felt like that again. And when she became worried like that, her heartbeat increased rapidly and Lydia took deep breathes.
“I’m terribly sorry, Miss. Carlton.”
Raven was standing straight right behind Edgar, and said his apology with his head titled down. For him who didn’t normally show any emotions, he appeared like he was quite depressed.
“Don’t worry about it. It was my fault for sticking my head in someone else’s business.”
P. 153
“I made a fetal mistake.”
“You don’t have to exaggerate….”
“I have every intention of accepting any kind of punishment.”
It seemed like Raven was serious.
“Your duty is to protect Edgar, so you don’t have to drive yourself into a corner about me.”
“No, it is not something to be excused to cause you any injuries who will become the future wife of my lord.”
Wife? Lydia made a furrow in between her brows and looked over at Edgar.
“Wait, Edgar, did you say that to Raven?”
“Well, of course, I would need to let my most trusted valet know about this.”
“Look at him, he’s taken it completely seriously!”
“It’s naturally since I am serious.”
He is going to any lengths to seriously say that.
Because of that, Raven is anxious and worried sick.
“……Anyways, you tell himself yourself that he shouldn’t worry himself.”
“He doesn’t seem to be convinced. That’s why, yes, could you hit him once yourself. Then I think he would be satisfied.”
“I-I couldn’t possibly hit him!”
P. 154
“I’m always close to being hit.”
“That’s because you always making a joke of everything!”
“Raven, you should try and do some sort of joke. And then, just like you wish, Lydia says she would hit you.”
Wh-whaaat?!
“Some sort of joke, my lord?”
“Like a kiss.”
She wasn’t able to figure out how Raven, who was the especially serious type, took in Edgar’s practical joke and when Lydia timidl turned her head eerily over towards to Raven, she met his eyes which were looking straight at her.
Lydia went stiff from nervousness, but after some time, Raven drooped his shoulders like it was out of his hands.
“I cannot, Lord Edgar. Please forgive me.”
“All right. But instead, you need to give up on your punishment.”
With a sigh, he replied “Yes, I understand.” She wanted to say why they would come to that, but regardless, it seemed like Edgar was able to make the stubborn Raven withdraw.
“And, so, Lydia, are you hurt anywhere? Is there anywhere that hurts?”
As she shook her head, Lydia noticed that there was some sort of sparkling grain of sand stuck on her hair.
P. 155
She wondered if it was because she fell down. But it looked like fine glass beads and was light blue and too clear to be called sand.
“It looks like I don’t have a scratch on me. It’s probably because Ermine had protected me. Even though she was the one who had the more worse injury.”
“She wasn’t my sister. She tried to kill Lord Edgar,” said Raven in a definite tone.
Because it was Ermine who ran into betrayal because of her feelings towards Edgar, he was saying that she shouldn’t be able to end Edgar’s life.
Sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, Edgar thought deeply.
“She herself said that she couldn’t go against Ulysses. He apparently was ordered by Prince to inflict as much pain on me and then kill me. Instead of just killing me, the woman who looked just like Ermine seemed like she had appeared before me because she was ordered to do so.”
“So you’re saying that she planned to attack you so that she would be the one who gets killed?”
At the arbor in the garden, she had said to the old woman that she was surely going to die.
“She should have been able to foresee that Raven was going to rush to the scene.”
If it turned to a situation that he was going to let Ermine die. Then Edgar could not go on without blaming himself.
P. 156
She was unable to rebel against Ulysses and was given the order to attack Edgar and kill him. Even if she was or wasn’t the real Ermine, no one would want to witness someone dear to him be used by the enemy and die in front of his eyes again.
If it was for the sake of tormenting him who shouldered the pain of surviving through the sacrifices of so many of his friends, then it truly was a cruel plan.
“No matter what kind of aim they had in attacking you, she wasn’t my sister. Lord Edgar, if you pity her, then it’s just as the enemies were hoping for.”
“You’re right….., there was no brand of a slave that should have been on Ermine.”
What? Thought Lydia and lifted her head. Since Edgar was desperately trying to stop Raven, she had thought that he was convinced that she was the real one.
“Then, why did you try and stop me? At that time, you should have made the final blow.”
“I wonder why.”
Just when she thought that Edgar made a stale, deflated reply like it was someone else’s business, then he made a serious frown.
“I was definitely sure that she was Ermine. She knew things that only Ermine would know, and her facial expressions and the habits when she talked, everything else about her, besides the brand, was Ermine.”
“But that brand isn’t something that can’t be taken away that easily.”
P. 157
“Mine was taken away.”
That was right. The brand of a slave that was burnt onto Edgar’s body was taken away by the merrows.
And then, he asked Lydia a question.
“In my case, it just happened to be so because of special circumstances. I wonder if there could be such a chance for that kind of thing to happen to Ermine as well. And another thing, it’s just a strange a mystery that she is alive just as much as the disappearance of her brand.”
Ermine, who fell into the sea of the merrows. Her body wasn’t found, but the waves were so rapid and violent that it didn’t seem strange for a thing like that to happen.
As Lydia was thinking about that, she focused her attention on the little objects that were sparkling like tiny shades of glass.
Not that she thought about it, Lydia had been cradled by Ermine who was injured, but there wasn’t any signs of blood on her.
Not blood, but clear crystal-objects came falling out of her hair and clothes.
But, wait, maybe this was blood?
What if she wasn’t a human?
And then she realized something.
Selkies were embodiments of those who died at sea. And so Ermine was……
“Ermine might be a selkie.”
P. 158
It must have sounded like something completely out-of-the-blue. Edgar and Raven turned to look at each other.
“I have heard that people who died at sea turn into selkies. I don’t think it can definitely happen every time, but since the person named Ulysses has the knowledge of a fairy doctor, he might have gone through the trouble and had her revived as a selkie.”
“That sort of thing is possible…. Can you do that as well?”
“I don’t have any powers to control selkies. But if Ulysses is a powerful fairy doctor, then I think he could have made the selkies search for Ermine’s body and made her be brought in as one of their kind>”
Like he was trying to organize what Lydia had said in his head, Edgar pressed his temple.
“Are seal fairies able to transform back into the form when they were human? Would they have their memories?”
“I think there were instances like that. A fisher who had died at sea had arrived back at his house, but since he was a selkie, he would bid farewell to his family and return to the sea. Humans who become the residents of the fairy realm would come to forget about the human world, but Ermine is still,”
“Since she just became a selkie, then she still has her human memories,” he whispered with a difficult expression.
“Lydia, if it were like you are imagining, then why does she, as well as the other selkies, have to submit to the wishes of Ulysses?”
P. 159
“That’s because their selkie coats had been hidden. Selkies take off their coats to turn into their human form. But if they don’t have their coats, they can’t return to the sea, and are left to do the biddings of the person who had hidden their coat and knows where it is. Since their coats are like their souls.”
“Then, as long as we’re able to find the coats that he has hidden, there the situation of Ermine being held under control would end.”
“That’s….”
Lydia held back on her answer, because if she still had the memories of when she was a human, Lydia was worried if she might still be carrying the after effects of being under the influence of Prince.
Of course, Edgar, and Raven too, must have that thought as well.
“If she was forced to return as a fairy, then my sister has indeed died. The one who is here is the servant of Ulysses, and even if the control over her was taken away, she is only an existence that was revived as Prince’s tool.”
At Raven’s words, Edgar let out a deep sigh.
“Most likely, it’s just as you say. But, Raven, she’s your sister.”
Even if he was told that, Raven only tilted his head like that was mystery to him.
Even if he understood the words of being a family, he didn’t know what kind of feelings he should have.
Of course, Raven cared for Ermine as his sister. But after she had betrayed Edgar, and as long as she was an existence who might continue to be a danger, then more than being a sister, she was an enemy.
P. 160
However, Edgar was thinking about the feelings of Ermine than her betrayal. If she was still under the curse of Prince, then he wanted to rescue her out of there.
“She isn’t my sister.”
“Because she isn’t human? Haven’t you ever thought that you would like to meet those you lost even if it was a dream? Even if it was a ghost or anything else, have you ever wished that you could exchange words with that person one more time?”
Most likely, it wasn’t like that for Raven.
Because he possessed such a specially high combat skills, he grew up as a man-killing tool, and wasn’t able to develop feelings as a human being, was finally able to open up his heart only to Edgar.
Even if he was beginning to show consideration and think about the people who were around Edgar, it was still difficult for Raven to understand the feelings towards those who passed away and why those left behind cling onto them.
And yet, Edgar still continued to speak like he tried to talk him into it.
“I wanted to meet Ermine. I don’t care what kind of situation, and even if she hated me, I wanted to see her.”
That was the same feelings that Mrs. Collins had that made her call back the ghost of her daughter. It was the same how Lydia felt towards her mother.
If she was able to see her one more time. Since Lydia could understand those feelings that one couldn’t help but wish for, she wasn’t able to hate Mrs. Collins.
“Ermine had saved me. It wasn’t like she was ordered to do so, and yet she saved me by her own decision. I think that her heart still stands in a position where she is your friend and ally.”
P. 161
Raven fell silent like he was still undecided. Edgar was silent as well.
When everything turned silent so quickly, there was a small sound that came from outside the door. The three of them that were in the room immediately turned their attention to that.
Someone was eavesdropping?
Just when they thought that, Lydia felt a cold shiver run up her spine, and cradled her arms in a crouch.
“What’s the matter, Lydia.”
“I just feel a little unwell…”
She started to have difficulty breathing and cold sweat started to sweep out of her.
As she watched as Raven stepped over to the door without making any sound, Lydia thought that this was just like last night.
Teresa was writhing in painful agony. That was the only thing she could figure out.
“No…., help me….”
Edgar took and held Lydia’s hand which she was left to hold herself with.
“It’s all right, I’m here with you.”
“It’s Teresa, ….she’s remembering about the time she was dying….”
Raven opened the door with great force. But he remained standing in that spot.
P. 162
“Was there someone there.”
“No. But the person might have heard what we were talking about.”
As she heard those words, Lydia lost her consciousness.
P. 122
Lydia could hardly even sleep and stayed awake, waiting for dawn.
Even if Teresa fell asleep, it seemed like this body wasn’t able to return to Lydia’s control until the sun came up.
The clouded sky that hanged over them wasn’t able to let them feel like dawn had arrived, but in the midst of the faint sunlight, Lydia finally felt released from the bind of Teresa and got up from her bed and quickly changed her clothes.
And she had the dazed thought.
Edgar really is a true and genuine philanderer.
She should have known that, but when she remembered how she witnessed him use his techniques and charm to win over Teresa, she sort of became depressed. At the same time, she became furious.
She will never marry that kind of man. She made that clear to herself once more.
But another thing that was made clear to her was that Edgar was still holding himself back and going easy on Lydia.
P. 123
If he wanted to have Lydia no matter what, then in actuality, it would mean it would be easy for him to do that.
He was thinking that he could make their engagement certain and carry that into marriage anytime he wanted, and so he was enjoying himself as he was half joking around by flirting with Lydia.
She wasn’t going to lose. Lydia lifted her head and to her ears, she could hear the howling sound of the strong winds that were being blown in by the sea.
In comparison, inside the house, it was overly quiet.
Even though there was that incident last night, there was no noise of the servants making a commotion.
“Maybe the police haven’t arrived yet.”
“It seems like they can’t come.”
The one who said that was Nico, who appeared from out of the dressing room.
“Nico! You came?”
“I did come, but I’ve been hiding because I don’t want that ghost girl that’s in you to chase me around.”
Lydia knelt down and neared herself to match the height of Nico’s eyes as he stood on his hind feet to look at the face of her dear friend and relaxed in relief.
“It looks like things have gotten out of our hands.”
“Well, we’ll manage it somehow.”
P. 124
Like one would to a little child, Nico patted Lydia’s head with one of his small front feet.
Nico, who had been her mother’s partner, most likely was much, much older than Lydia. From his eyes, Lydia must still seem like a small infant of a child.
He would act only on whim and was self-centered, and would disappear when it was dangerous, and she could bash at him every day that he was such an unreliable fairy cat, but he was still her best friend and she did depend on him.
Unlike a normal cat, he didn’t let her touch him that much, but Lydia loved the furry and soft part of Nico.
“But, what do you mean about the police not coming?”
“Since the tides are so violent, they said it would be too dangerous if the waves came up even if it turns to low tides and the path opens up. So of course, they can’t use any boats and we can’t send out any messengers.”
When she went over to the window to look out to the sea, she saw the white waves splashing up against the rocks and roll and twist violently.
In between the waves, Lydia thought she saw some kind of black creature pop its head up above the surface and strained her eyes.
“A seal……? Could it be a selkie.”
“Ahh, the one working for Prince might have captured some selkies and using them to work for him. I heard what is going on from the Earl, but if so these waves might be because the selkies are roughing the ocean. All of this is just too good of a timing.”
P. 125
“Timing?”
“Unless the waves don’t calm down, there’s no way anybody can leave from here. It’s like we are practically deserted here together with the perpetrator of last night.”
He was right, if we couldn’t contact with the mainland, then this was the perfect situation for the culprit. So Ulysses might have controlled the selkies and making them do this.
“But I can’t understand something, if he had done such a horrible thing like kill a selkie, then he would have faced the rebellion of the selkies. Because their strength as a group is immensely strong. And so I wonder is the man Ulysses is all right.”
Nico stood on his hind legs and crossed his arms as he thought.
“He must have worked out something so that that can’t happen. Ones who try and use fairies need to know quite a lot about them in order to do that.”
“You’re saying that he knows of a way to evade being rebelled against?”
“Like he had done something to win the gratitude of the selkies in the past. When selkies come to the end of their long lifespan, you heard that they entrust their hearts to a human that they’ve put their trust with. It’s proof of their lasting friendship. The rest of them aren’t able to harm a human who has that.”
Selkies are a fairy that is close to humans. Their spiritual nourishment is their communication with humans and they feel happiness the more they’re able to maintain a good relationship with them. Especially, the feelings of love from a human who holds a selkies’ heart brings peace and prosperity, and that’s why selkies protect the safety of the people whose lives are supported by the sea.
P. 126
Although, it wasn’t that common for selkies to entrust their hearts, so they would not give it with just any kind of gratitude they felt.
The human who obtained the heart would have the power to control the selkies’ destiny, so it would only be restricted to those who could be trusted from generation to generation.
“But a human who would be given something like that wouldn’t try to use the selkies.”
“Well, there also is the case that the person concerned wasn’t the one who received.”
“…….You’re saying that he could have gotten it some other way?”
So it might not be someone who was the legitimate owner. If in case the one who hand the heart had evil purposes, then that alone would cause pain to the souls of the selkie clan, and they would become poisoned from the anxiety of not being healed.
She wanted to do something, but she didn’t know who Ulysses was could might be the one who has the ‘heart.’
“Anyways, I have to focus on their coats than the heart. It probably would be difficult to try and carry a whole number of them at once, so I think the coats would be hidden somewhere in this estate. Nico, you wouldn’t be eyed as suspicious not matter which room you’re in.”
“Whaaat, you’re saying that I have to search for them?”
“Of course, I’ll look for them too, but I have to pretend to be Teresa during the day, and I won’t have any freedom at night.”
Nico tsked with his tongue, but went down on all fours in a hurry when there was a knock on the door.
P. 127
The one who came into the room was Suzy the maid.
“Good morning, Miss Carlton.”
She lowered her head, and then she noticed Nico.
“Oh, my, a cat. I’m terribly sorry; someone must have let it in.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I love cat anyway.”
Nico acted like a cat so that he wouldn’t be thrown out and purposefully went over to Lydia and rubbed himself up against her leg.
“Oh, is that so. Um, to tell you the truth, last night, something terrible happened….”
“Yes, I know. I was being possessed by Teresa, but I still had my conscious.”
“Oh, my, then Miss. Carlton, you must have also witnessed that sight.”
When she nodded, the maid made a cross at her chest.
“But, um, I would like to ask you to please not let the lady of the house know about that. The young lord Oscar has also made sure that the servants wouldn’t let that slip either.”
“I understand.”
Indeed, this might be too much to handle for the mental unstable Mrs. Collins.
“And, one more thing, uh, I was entrusted this by Lord Viscount Middleworth. He asked him to give it to Miss. Carlton when she wakes up.”
The thing Suzy handed out was a letter.
P. 128
When she opened it up, it turned out to be a joke of a love letter which started out with the sweet ‘To my dearest” and went on to say about how this was a fated meeting and a love like this would never come again. Of course, he must have written it so that it wouldn’t be an unnatural letter sent to Teresa, but he must be aware that Lydia was the one who was going to read it.
It seems like the thing he wanted to let her know was the last few lines at the end of the letter.
[If possible, I would like to have our courting be officially acknowledged by Mrs. Collins as soon as possible. I’ll pay a visit to your morning room around the time when breakfast is over. I’m intending to get her official recognition in my courtship with you.]
Since there was that kind of incident last night, Edgar was trying to quickly categorize those who were he could trust and those who were suspicious.
Lydia as Teresa wouldn’t spare anytime to choose Edgar. And if Mrs. Collins was able to acknowledge that, then they would be able to keep the other suitors at bay.
So he would be able to keep Lydia at a close enough distance where he could see her always.
As long as they were going to be confined in this house along with the culprit because of the weather, then this must mean that they couldn’t sit tight and quietly wait for the enemy’s next move.
However, even if she was able to guess Edgar’s intention, it still was a letter so embarrassing that she couldn’t let anyone read it.
She hid it swiftly away from Nico who tried to peer over to read it.
More importantly, the thought of ‘that big fat liar’ was whirling around inside Lydia’s head.
P. 129
How dare he talk about an official courtship? It’s a big mistake to think that anyone would easily be completely enamored about him.
She thought, losing her coherence.
Edgar was only trying to secure the safety of this place by seducing and winning over Teresa and furthermore, and trying to keep Lydia close enough so that he could keep an eye on her.
In other words, this was a strategy and not a problem about becoming enamored or not.
She knew that, and yet she doubted his nerves after he went all that far and seduced Teresa last night and now he was rolling out sweet lines to Lydia this morning.
“The viscount must be a good acquaintance of Miss Carlton.”
“Huh? Ohh, ……I guess.”
Lydia somehow managed to show Suzy a twitching smile.
“I was told that you were a very important person, so to please take care of her. I thought that the lord was a little coercive and fickle person since he was making advances towards the Miss. Teresa as soon as he arrived here, but he was just worried sick about Miss. Carlton. I see that in order to save you, he had no other choice but announce his candidacy as the young miss’ marriage partner.”
That was not true. However she thought about it, he was enjoying making moves towards Teresa.
“Things had turned out like this, but he was kind enough not to blame the lady of the house and said that he was going to face the spiritualist in order to safely take you home. Ohh, he would do such a thing for the woman he loves without regard for his own safety….. He truly is a courageous gentleman.”
P. 130
Like I said, that’s not right.
It was true that he was coercive and fickle.
Lydia, who was a fairy doctor, was needed in order for him to continue to be the Earl of Ibrazel.
And yet, he would go to any lengths to protect the people he needs. He wouldn’t spare any compensation in order for those who work for him to do their jobs with warm content.
If I was to build up a relationship of trust as an ally or friend, then Edgar would respond without thought for his own life.
Why he treats Lydia as special, and why he tries to make her his fiancée is in order to secure her help into the future.
And that wasn’t just for show, but he was real about it, so it was difficult to deal with.
Even if it wasn’t true feelings of love, he was seriously trying to have her stay by his side all her life. In order for that to happen, he was thinking that marriage was the best and surest way to do that.
But that was a feeling that was difficult for Lydia to understand. It was just too self-centered and forceful.
Edgar might be thinking that there would no woman that would refuse to marry him, but Lydia only felt like her feelings were being ignored.
Because if she were to marry, she was thinking she wanted it to be someone who both of them would feel love for each other, just like her father and mother.
“I’m so envious that you’re being loved by a fabulous man like that.”
P. 131
It seemed like Suzy seriously thought so.
It was his specialty to make young women foster good feelings about him.
Lydia grew more and more furious about Edgar.
Opposite of that, Mrs. Collins was in a terrifically good mood.
In result of Oscar imposing everyone to stay silent about last night’s incident, the servants were very loyal and kept their mouths shut.
She was smiling like she was having a fabulous time like she had nothing to worry about.
“Oh, Teresa, wasn’t all of the guests fabulous gentlemen?”
“Yes, I think so, Mother.”
As the two of them were having breakfast together, Lydia was imaging how she was going to need to pretend like she and Edgar were deeply in love with each other and that made her melancholy.
She was prepared to make him agree to annul their engagement. And yet, on the contrary, she now needed to act like the two of them were in an intimate relationship.
She did have feelings of anger and irritation towards Edgar, but in a logical sense, she still was aware that his idea needed to be prioritized in this situation.
“I hear that at last night’s dinner, you had a lively conversation with Earl Ashenbert? You might not be able to go on that boat trip today, but would you like to go out to the shore later on?”
P. 132
If she were to go on an outing with the fake earl, she wondered if Edgar would be jealous. But Lydia panicked at herself for even thinking something like that for even a second.
She wouldn’t be happy at all if he were to be jealous for her what so ever. Yes, she wouldn’t be happy.
What was important right now was that they didn’t make any openings or weakness for the enemy. This wasn’t the time for her to be thinking about something so stupid.
“Um, Mother, I would like to start courting the Viscount, Lord Middleworth,” said Lydia boldly.
“Oh, with the viscount? He is indeed a fine, handsome gentleman, but you might want to spend more time and make your decision after you learn what kind of people all other men are?”
She swiftly shook her head. If she didn’t get carried by on her enthusiasm, then her feelings of distrust towards Edgar that she had been feeling since last night might interfere.
“It……it looks like the both of us have fallen in love with each other at first sight. We had a conversation after the dinner, and the viscount said that this was a fated meeting himself, and I also had the same feelings. I don’t think I’ll ever have a love like this.”
She realized that her words weren’t from the heart as she talked because she was repeating what was written on the letter that Edgar had wrote to her this morning.
If he were to have written and sent her that letter with that in mind, then he surely was an unbelievable man.
P. 133
“Oh, my goodness….., you’re in love with him that much?”
“He had said that he wanted to have a straight talk to you about this. He said he would come here sometime around after our meal.”
She inspected Mrs. Collins’ expression. Lydia grew nervous as she saw that the lady looked like she didn’t know how to respond.
What if she opposes?
But then she was flustered at why she would worry about that when they weren’t really in a relationship. Most likely, Lydia wasn’t able to imagine what a parent would feel or how they would react in this sort of situation.
“Then, he should be coming pretty soon,” said Mrs. Collins who glanced over to the clock stand. At just the perfect timing, Suzy came into the morning room and asked them if she could lead the viscount in.
Edgar appeared after a little while, and although he dressed plainly without decorating or putting on airs, it was apparent that he paid attention to detail, to every hair on his head so that he could give a faithful and sincere impression.
Mrs. Collins offered him a seat, but Edgar wanted her to first listen to his story and in a casual manner sat down next to Lydia.
“I would like to ask of your permission for me to court your daughter. Of course, with marriage in mind.”
“Oh, well, Lord Viscount, I did send out the invitations with the hope that one of you would marry my daughter. And if you would say that….”
P. 134
She might have mumbled her words because she might have preferred the fake earl more.
Lydia became worried, but Mrs. Collins opened her mouth to say something unexpected.
“It may be embarrassing for me to say such a thing at a time like this, but would you truly wish for my daughter’s hand in marriage?”
It was the lady of the house that brought up this marriage match with the goal of buying a noble’s title with a dowry. But she had been worrying if her daughter would be loved more than anything else.
Mrs. Collins’ eyes weren’t like usual, flying unsteadily around the room, as she was trying to determine if he was thinking of her daughter as a tool to exchange money with and were firmly fixed on Edgar.
“It is true that my family is not well-to-do. And it is true that was why I participated in the spiritual ritual, but right now, I would gladly welcome her just by herself.”
It was an act full of lies that Edgar specialized at, and Lydia, who was also taking a part in the act of being deeply in love with each other, was also full of lies. And yet, for some odd reason, she was so nervous and standing in her place as her heart was racing.
She was probably picturing Mrs. Collins like she was her mother, and could be imagining how it might be if her mother was still alive.
If it was Lydia’s mother, she was wondering how she would feel with Edgar in front of her.
She wondered if it was a mother’s eye when, like Mrs. Collins, she would try to determine if the man had feelings that he truly loved her daughter.
“May I trust you in that?”
P. 135
“If I were to be opposed by you, then I’ll slay her and run away.”
When Edgar said something like that in a joking way, Mrs. Collins also loosened the muscles in her cheeks.
And then, she softly hugged Lydia.
“I’m so happy for you, congratulations.”
At that moment, Lydia felt like she really was hugged by her mother and was under the strange feeling like her mother had accepted Edgar.
It was like her mother said that it would be all right to trust Edgar who Lydia couldn’t trust at all.
Even if her mother knew of all the lies that he made till now, and that he was the kind of person who will continue to make lies, she felt like her mother said to her that you shouldn’t decide that even his proposal was a lie?
Could that be so, she wondered.
But I can’t figure that out.
But don’t you want to believe in him?
When Lydia left the room with Edgar, Mrs. Collins made a satisfied face as she sat down in her chair.
P. 136
“Madam, this surely is wonderful.”
“Oh, yes, Suzy. The weight has gone off my shoulders. If that girl is happy, then I don’t have anything I have to worry about.”
As she smiled, she closed her eyes like she was thinking about something. Suzy felt relieved from the bottom of her heart at how she looked like she was released from the pain and suffering of losing her daughter.
“Oh, yes, Suzy, there still was something else I needed to do. I have to marry you off.”
“Oh, me? Oh, no, I plan to take care of ma’am from now on.”
“You are even like a daughter to me. I thank you so much for being by my side all this time. I don’t want you to marry feeling ashamed just because you lost your parents as I’m going to make all the preparations in place of your parents, so you have nothing to worry about.”
Both hands of Suzy were held tight and warm, which made her fight so she didn’t cry.
She was her ma’am she cared for so much. That’s why, even though she thought it was an unforgivable act of reviving her daughter Teresa, Suzy wasn’t able to stop her.
But, in the end, it didn’t turn out that Teresa was revived. Even if Teresa’s ghost was transferred onto someone, the girl was Lydia, and so Suzy knew that the viscount had tried to charm and attract Teresa’s affections in order to protect her.
P. 137
If true, Suzy should have tried to convince Mrs. Collins to not do something like a spiritual ritual for her sake.
“What is the matter, Suzy, don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry, ……I’m just so happy at madam’s words.”
That was her true feelings as well. But for now, she didn’t know what she should do and quickly left the room.
*
The spacious front garden of the estate continued off to a grove of mixed trees and down to the seashore.
Edgar, who invited Lydia to take a walk, slowly walked down the small path that cut through cypress trees.
The fog was thick but there were no signs that rain was going to fall. The damp sea breezes periodically shook the tree leaves and that noise mixed along with the unnatural sound of the sea waves, which made it feel like a notice before a storm.
“How strange. Mothers are happy when it’s the marriage of their daughter,” said Lydia quietly, as she was still carrying the warm and fuzzy feeling from the act they were just doing.
“Of course they would be.”
“But Father seems like he doesn’t want to think about it.”
P. 138
“Well, fathers, yes. But don’t worry, I’ll convince him. Don’t you think it’s about time he let him know?”
“NO.”
She told that to him so many times, but Edgar only let that go by with a grin.
“It would be all right as long as we show him that we are deeply in love with each other that we can’t stay away from each other.”
“That was just an act!”
When she said that, guilt started to bubble up inside Lydia.
“…..We are deceiving Mrs. Collins, aren’t we. She just believed that Teresa will be happy if she were to marry you.”
“That ghost isn’t Teresa. That’s why, either way, it won’t be like the madam’s wish is going to come true.”
“Eh, what do you mean?”
Surprised, Lydia looked up to the side of his face.
“The needlework she did on her handkerchief had the initial M. And besides, do you think that a daughter who passed away at five years old would be able to do needlework just because she thought it up. Lydia, are you good at needlework?”
“Umm……, I was taught by my grandmother.”
“Most likely, the ghost that was called out was a different girl than Teresa who was good at needlework.”
I never said that I wasn’t good at it.
P. 139
“Ghosts don’t remember about their life before death. I heard from someone who was an expert in that area, but in the land of the dead, souls are able to stay at any age they like unrelated to the age they died at, but if that were so, then wouldn’t that mean that the ghost that the spiritualist called out could be anyone?”
Edgar stopped at the bottom of a particularly tall cypress tree and turned over to face Lydia.
“If there was something that we could do, then it would be to stop Prince’s scheme and put everything back to normal. The soul of the deal back to the land of dead, and you back to me. There’s nothing for you to be worried about,” he said, cajoling her as he made a smile.
Lydia made a step back because she had a small feeling of irritation.
Because she remembered the smile he showed Teresa last night. At the same time, the irritated, angry emotions towards Edgar resurfaced inside her.
“I’m not your possession.”
“You’re my fiancée.”
“You don’t have to say that at every opportunity.”
“I’ll keep on saying it. Once you get used to it, then you’ll start to think it could have been so.”
I would never!
Shouldn’t I trust him? I would do no such thing.
As she remained confused, Lydia took another step back.
P. 140
“I don’t want to have a marriage where there’s no love.”
Like she knew what a real love was like, as it sounded like the lines of a child who heard it from somewhere.
She was irritated herself, so Edgar must have thought she was living in a dream.
“What, do you think that’s hilarious?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“You laughed, in your heart.”
“You’re being paranoid.”
“But you can live perfectly well without love.”
“Does that mean there isn’t any love on your side? It’s all right; you’ll be able to love in no time.”
I don’t know where that confidence comes from.
“There isn’t any from you either. I had a nice inspection of how you seduced Teresa last night. It really is so easy for you to make a girl fall into your hands and do as you say. You can say whatever you like that you don’t mean what so ever, and use any forceful means…..”
There was a small moment where she hesitated.
“Do you perhaps, have consciousness even while you’re possessed by Teresa?”
“Yes, it seems if I try really hard, I’m able to stay awake. That’s what happened last night.”
Hmmm, he replied, putting his hand on his forehead. It wasn’t like he was troubled, but just a pose he was taking.
P. 141
“You see, Lydia, I was just doing for your sake,”
“I know that. It’s for the sake of my well-fare.”
“Then please don’t be upset.”
“It’s not like I’m upset.”
Lydia turned her head away and walked off.
“I feel like you’re angry.”
“If I were to be angry, then it’s because you took the liberty of touching my hair and face and shoulder and back!”
“But you also threw yourself into my arms….”
“Stop it! That wasn’t me!”
“Then it wasn’t you who I touched.”
Oh, I see, then you can treat anyone as your lover.
Lydia took her steps faster as she grew more furious.
“No, it was more like, I was thinking it was you. I was so happy that you didn’t run away and looked back into my eyes, so it was like I didn’t want to let you go.”
“I…..If it was me, I would have hit you.”
She knew that she was turning bright red from embarrassment herself, and she kept her back to Edgar, with her head down as she continued to walk.
P. 142
“I thought so. I wanted to try other things while I wouldn’t be hit.”
Do what?
“I’m glad I reframed myself.”
“………..”
“Or, should I have not held back? Oh, I know, if we went to the very limit to our relationship, then that might convince you that all that’s left for you is to marry me.”
“I would never be convinced!”
“But, it could have been a chance for us to become intimate. If it were Teresa, she wouldn’t run off. But with you, you have your own consciousness. If we spend a romantic time together, then you might come to understand my feelings not just with your mind but also your body.”
B-b-body?
Blood rushed to Lydia’s head which made her stopped in her tracks.
“In your head, you have a certain conviction about what like and love is. Even if I say that I’m serious about you, since it isn’t just like how you imagined, you won’t believe me, but you really are special to me.”
“Stop it, this isn’t the time to be joking! I will not forgive you if you do as you please to do something improper!”
Lydia faced him as she protested at him in a serious manner, but he only gave her an insolent and arrogant smile.
P. 143
“Then, let’s test it right now.”
“Huh?”
“I think you’ll be able to near the feelings between lovers.”
The wind from the sea blew up against Lydia’s back. Her hair that was let down loose flew to the sides and they got in the way of Lydia’s sight and she rushed to try and hold her hair down.
Then, she felt a warm hand touch her cheek. When she looked up, right in front of her was Edgar’s ash mauve eyes.
He looked at her with slightly painful, longing eyes and touched her so soft like she could easily be broken, which made her feel like she was someone special, but when she quickly came back to her senses, she was able to realize that that wasn’t possible.
He looked with the same kind of eyes at Lydia, no Teresa last night.
She knew she had to run, but she wasn’t able to move at all, and just when she thought she might actually want this, Lydia fell into complete hatred for herself.
Oh, my goodness, was I a woman with such loose morals?
“Close your eyes.”
She couldn’t fight back against his gentle voice which sounded like a spell.
“I love you. I really do.”
She could nearly take that seriously. If she were to believe him, then something might change. Even if she thought that, from the bottom of Lydia’s heart, there was a voice that rose out in denial.
P. 144
“You’re lying.”
“Please believe me, my kiss than my words,”
“……But you, even just now, aren’t thinking about my feelings at all.”
Oh, that’s right. He always does as he pleases and tries to make things go as he wants.
That’s why she keeps holding her own ground.
Lydia gently opened up her eyes. Edgar had narrowed his eyes and appeared a little saddened.
His hand slowly and quietly let go of her. But that wasn’t because of what Lydia said, but because he felt a presence in the depths of the grove of trees.
Edgar inspected the shadow of the trees and said “Whose there?”
The shadow of the person swiftly turned around and broke out into a run.
He thought he saw the white face of Ermine that took an instant look towards him.
He had the feeling like it was Ermine dressed in her usual male attire.
“Lydia, return to the house.”
Just saying that, Edgar went followed the shadow in a dash.
P. 145
The figure that wore a black male coat but definitely had the feminine curve of a woman rushed up the hill. Edgar followed after the person, but had the feeling like he had been lured out.
However, the spiritualist that had been locking herself up and come out on her own. He wanted to make sure if she was really Ermine or not.
Eventually, with the inclined slope of the sea against her back, the women dressed like a man stopped her run and turned around.
Brown eyes that were close to black looked at him as if they were provoking him. When her shortly-cut hair that had the same color was blown in the wind, then her silhouette close to her ears was revealed.
She was a woman that Edgar knew well.
She had the gallant and chivalrous facial features that went well with male clothes. But she still had the feminine shine that could only bring the description of a beautiful woman to one’s mind. Even if she had covered herself in male clothing, one could tell at one look that she was a woman and Edgar walked slowly over to her direction.
“Lord Edgar.”
From her red lips, a familiar voice to his ears was spun out.
“It has been a long time.”
“Ermine, if you had survived then why didn’t you return by my side.”
“I, right now, am the servant of Ulysses. I cannot go against his will.”
“Because you were saved by him?”
P. 146
For an instant, she lowered her eyes. She didn’t respond to Edgar’s question.
“I see that you are still with Miss. Carlton since then. It may be a ridiculous thing for me to say, but when I found out that she was safe and alive and that she was giving you her hand, I was relieved.”
“Lydia had also been worried about you.”
“I had done such a horrible thing to her as well. And yet, would she forgive me.”
“She had even forgiven me even though I was deceiving her.”
The expression she made in an instant where she loosened the corners of her lips was Ermine herself.
“Lord Edgar, ever since you brought back Miss Carlton without harming her, I had a feeling like something was going to change. She was so honest and had such passionate devotion and is so kind and soft-hearted that it could amaze you. If there was someone who could save you, then I thought it would be someone like her.”
The woman in front of him knew things that only Ermine would know.
He wondered if she really was Ermine. He was still half in doubt, but at the same time he wanted her to be her.
“Ermine, there is no need for you to serve under Ulysses. Please return to my side.”
“Are you saying you’ll trust a traitor?”
“I know that your heart doesn’t hold any feelings of betrayal towards me.”
Prince was the one who used the weakness of her heart that had feelings for Edgar and used it for his advantage.
“What my true heart holds isn’t the problem right now. I was given the order to kill you.”
P. 147
“Kill me, huh.”
He didn’t feel any malice from her at all.
She was so swift and fast in her movements and had a light frame of body and experienced with weapons, so if she felt like it, it would be possible for her to kill Edgar.
However, he walked up to her even further.
“Prince has given up his hope for you. It is too late now; you have become too famous as an England Earl. If you cannot serve him any use, then I was told to torture and give you pain through and through and then kill you…”
The hand that she lifted up was gripping a pistol.
Edgar didn’t pay any attention to that and reached his arm out to touch Ermine.
Just when his hand reached up to her ear, she flinched for an instant. He didn’t let that instant go to waste and grabbed ahold of her arm. The aim of her pistol went off and the bullet cut the top of the grass.
Like he thought, he couldn’t feel any determination from her.
He ripped the pistol away from her, and pushed her down to the grass and Edgar looked down at her as he took his hand to her shirt.
“I’m sorry, for this.”
She realized what he was going to do, but he didn’t give her any opening to sit up and opened of the buttons of her shirt.
The brand of a slave that was painfully burned onto her white skin was nowhere to be seen.
P. 148
It was something that should have been on Ermine.
“Who in the world are you?”
Instead of a reply, she pointed a knife at Edgar’s throat.
“Why do you talk like you know everything about Ermine?”
She frowned with her eyebrows as she put strength in her arms. Backing away from the knife, Edgar let her go.
She lifted herself up and swiftly stood up and attacked him.
This time she was serious. It was a malice that had sadness mixed in it.
Perhaps the secret that Edgar just found out right now was something that could have painful tormented her.
She carried out an attack one after another like she was trying to send him to his grave along with herself that had no brand which was burned into Edgar’s eyes.
If she were to be in dismay about being an imposter, then he wondered what that meant.
Even if he wanted to fight back, even her movements of how she handled a weapon was so alike with Ermine. To Edgar, she was a friend and ally that he didn’t want to lose once more.
Just then, there was a dark shadow that cut in between her and Edgar.
Going against a woman who looked exactly alike his sister, Raven didn’t hesitate at all in holding out his knife ready for attack.
“Wait……Raven.”
Edgar tried to stop him, but the woman slashed out with her knife first.
P. 149
P. 150
It was a life-sacrificing act to go out against Raven. If it was a woman who knew about Ermine, then she should have known that there
would be no one who could win against Raven one-on-one.
However, it was too late, as a highly-charged malicious atmosphere was awakening inside Raven. If it was to protect his master, then the spirit that would turn to a cold-blooded and brutal demon was taking control over him.
Raven, who had an immeasurable high level of combat skills, set out with just the intent of killing his enemy.
He had spent no effort in avoiding the blade of her weapon and threw down his knife which sank itself deep into her shoulder.
The woman wobbled back weakly. She tried to build a distance between them.
The woman stepped back to the very edge of the steep slope that stuck out over the sea, and then her foot caught on one of the rocks and she went down on one knee. Her face twisted in pain as she tried to pull out the knife.
Raven didn’t change his expression at all and when he walked over to her, he reached out his arm.
It was a slender arm of a young man, but it was surely able to snap a human neck in an instant.
“Stop it!”
Edgar ran over to her so that he could help her up.
“That’s enough; you don’t have to kill her.”
However, at that time it was too late, as even Edgar’s orders didn’t reach Raven’s ears.
Raven didn’t show any emotions and yet at the same time, he carefully avoided Edgar and reached out to her.
At that time, for some reason, Raven’s movement stopped.
P. 151
“Please stop…”
It was Lydia. She had her arms wrapped around Raven to try to stop him.
Oh, no, thought Edgar. It was difficult for even Edgar to try and stop Raven. There was no way that Lydia could do it.
And there were many cases when Raven, when he was ready for combat to not be able to tell the difference between his enemies and allies.
He tried to move as quickly as possible to protect Lydia, but it was too late.
Raven shook and tore off her arm without going easy on her what-so-ever that sent the flying Lydia slamming down into the slope.
The one who reached her arm out to her as she was close to tumbling down the slope was the woman who looked just like Ermine.
She wasn’t able to support her completely and so the both of them went tumbling down the slope. However, the woman held Lydia as if she was protecting her from the rocks that they came in contact with periodically as they poked out of the ground.
When they finally managed to stop near the middle of the slope, the woman wobbled up onto her feet.
Edgar rushed over to Lydia who still was lying on the ground. The woman slid down the slope trying to escape from them and disappeared from the coastal cliffs to the glove of trees.
Lydia had just gone through a slight concussion to the head and she awoke from being unconscious as she was being carried by Edgar into the estate, but since she was in such an embarrassing state, she pretended to still be asleep.
P. 152
She was laid down onto a bed, and she could sense that he was peering down at her worryingly and didn’t seem like he was going to go, so she opened her eyes as casually as she could.
“Lydia, are you all right? Can you tell who I am?”
“…..Yes.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t move so soon. You had hit your head.”
“I’m fine, there’s nothing wrong with me.”
It wasn’t calming to remain on her side, so she slowly sat up. It seemed like he offered his hand out to help her, but he must have noticed that she help but flinch and unexpectedly was quick to back down.
It was because she just remembered how she was nearly kissed by him earlier. But it wasn’t because of her guard towards Edgar, but because Lydia didn’t have any faith in herself as she might have actually accepted it.
There was no way that she could allow the kiss from a frivolous man like him, no way.
What if she felt like that again. And when she became worried like that, her heartbeat increased rapidly and Lydia took deep breathes.
“I’m terribly sorry, Miss. Carlton.”
Raven was standing straight right behind Edgar, and said his apology with his head titled down. For him who didn’t normally show any emotions, he appeared like he was quite depressed.
“Don’t worry about it. It was my fault for sticking my head in someone else’s business.”
P. 153
“I made a fetal mistake.”
“You don’t have to exaggerate….”
“I have every intention of accepting any kind of punishment.”
It seemed like Raven was serious.
“Your duty is to protect Edgar, so you don’t have to drive yourself into a corner about me.”
“No, it is not something to be excused to cause you any injuries who will become the future wife of my lord.”
Wife? Lydia made a furrow in between her brows and looked over at Edgar.
“Wait, Edgar, did you say that to Raven?”
“Well, of course, I would need to let my most trusted valet know about this.”
“Look at him, he’s taken it completely seriously!”
“It’s naturally since I am serious.”
He is going to any lengths to seriously say that.
Because of that, Raven is anxious and worried sick.
“……Anyways, you tell himself yourself that he shouldn’t worry himself.”
“He doesn’t seem to be convinced. That’s why, yes, could you hit him once yourself. Then I think he would be satisfied.”
“I-I couldn’t possibly hit him!”
P. 154
“I’m always close to being hit.”
“That’s because you always making a joke of everything!”
“Raven, you should try and do some sort of joke. And then, just like you wish, Lydia says she would hit you.”
Wh-whaaat?!
“Some sort of joke, my lord?”
“Like a kiss.”
She wasn’t able to figure out how Raven, who was the especially serious type, took in Edgar’s practical joke and when Lydia timidl turned her head eerily over towards to Raven, she met his eyes which were looking straight at her.
Lydia went stiff from nervousness, but after some time, Raven drooped his shoulders like it was out of his hands.
“I cannot, Lord Edgar. Please forgive me.”
“All right. But instead, you need to give up on your punishment.”
With a sigh, he replied “Yes, I understand.” She wanted to say why they would come to that, but regardless, it seemed like Edgar was able to make the stubborn Raven withdraw.
“And, so, Lydia, are you hurt anywhere? Is there anywhere that hurts?”
As she shook her head, Lydia noticed that there was some sort of sparkling grain of sand stuck on her hair.
P. 155
She wondered if it was because she fell down. But it looked like fine glass beads and was light blue and too clear to be called sand.
“It looks like I don’t have a scratch on me. It’s probably because Ermine had protected me. Even though she was the one who had the more worse injury.”
“She wasn’t my sister. She tried to kill Lord Edgar,” said Raven in a definite tone.
Because it was Ermine who ran into betrayal because of her feelings towards Edgar, he was saying that she shouldn’t be able to end Edgar’s life.
Sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, Edgar thought deeply.
“She herself said that she couldn’t go against Ulysses. He apparently was ordered by Prince to inflict as much pain on me and then kill me. Instead of just killing me, the woman who looked just like Ermine seemed like she had appeared before me because she was ordered to do so.”
“So you’re saying that she planned to attack you so that she would be the one who gets killed?”
At the arbor in the garden, she had said to the old woman that she was surely going to die.
“She should have been able to foresee that Raven was going to rush to the scene.”
If it turned to a situation that he was going to let Ermine die. Then Edgar could not go on without blaming himself.
P. 156
She was unable to rebel against Ulysses and was given the order to attack Edgar and kill him. Even if she was or wasn’t the real Ermine, no one would want to witness someone dear to him be used by the enemy and die in front of his eyes again.
If it was for the sake of tormenting him who shouldered the pain of surviving through the sacrifices of so many of his friends, then it truly was a cruel plan.
“No matter what kind of aim they had in attacking you, she wasn’t my sister. Lord Edgar, if you pity her, then it’s just as the enemies were hoping for.”
“You’re right….., there was no brand of a slave that should have been on Ermine.”
What? Thought Lydia and lifted her head. Since Edgar was desperately trying to stop Raven, she had thought that he was convinced that she was the real one.
“Then, why did you try and stop me? At that time, you should have made the final blow.”
“I wonder why.”
Just when she thought that Edgar made a stale, deflated reply like it was someone else’s business, then he made a serious frown.
“I was definitely sure that she was Ermine. She knew things that only Ermine would know, and her facial expressions and the habits when she talked, everything else about her, besides the brand, was Ermine.”
“But that brand isn’t something that can’t be taken away that easily.”
P. 157
“Mine was taken away.”
That was right. The brand of a slave that was burnt onto Edgar’s body was taken away by the merrows.
And then, he asked Lydia a question.
“In my case, it just happened to be so because of special circumstances. I wonder if there could be such a chance for that kind of thing to happen to Ermine as well. And another thing, it’s just a strange a mystery that she is alive just as much as the disappearance of her brand.”
Ermine, who fell into the sea of the merrows. Her body wasn’t found, but the waves were so rapid and violent that it didn’t seem strange for a thing like that to happen.
As Lydia was thinking about that, she focused her attention on the little objects that were sparkling like tiny shades of glass.
Not that she thought about it, Lydia had been cradled by Ermine who was injured, but there wasn’t any signs of blood on her.
Not blood, but clear crystal-objects came falling out of her hair and clothes.
But, wait, maybe this was blood?
What if she wasn’t a human?
And then she realized something.
Selkies were embodiments of those who died at sea. And so Ermine was……
“Ermine might be a selkie.”
P. 158
It must have sounded like something completely out-of-the-blue. Edgar and Raven turned to look at each other.
“I have heard that people who died at sea turn into selkies. I don’t think it can definitely happen every time, but since the person named Ulysses has the knowledge of a fairy doctor, he might have gone through the trouble and had her revived as a selkie.”
“That sort of thing is possible…. Can you do that as well?”
“I don’t have any powers to control selkies. But if Ulysses is a powerful fairy doctor, then I think he could have made the selkies search for Ermine’s body and made her be brought in as one of their kind>”
Like he was trying to organize what Lydia had said in his head, Edgar pressed his temple.
“Are seal fairies able to transform back into the form when they were human? Would they have their memories?”
“I think there were instances like that. A fisher who had died at sea had arrived back at his house, but since he was a selkie, he would bid farewell to his family and return to the sea. Humans who become the residents of the fairy realm would come to forget about the human world, but Ermine is still,”
“Since she just became a selkie, then she still has her human memories,” he whispered with a difficult expression.
“Lydia, if it were like you are imagining, then why does she, as well as the other selkies, have to submit to the wishes of Ulysses?”
P. 159
“That’s because their selkie coats had been hidden. Selkies take off their coats to turn into their human form. But if they don’t have their coats, they can’t return to the sea, and are left to do the biddings of the person who had hidden their coat and knows where it is. Since their coats are like their souls.”
“Then, as long as we’re able to find the coats that he has hidden, there the situation of Ermine being held under control would end.”
“That’s….”
Lydia held back on her answer, because if she still had the memories of when she was a human, Lydia was worried if she might still be carrying the after effects of being under the influence of Prince.
Of course, Edgar, and Raven too, must have that thought as well.
“If she was forced to return as a fairy, then my sister has indeed died. The one who is here is the servant of Ulysses, and even if the control over her was taken away, she is only an existence that was revived as Prince’s tool.”
At Raven’s words, Edgar let out a deep sigh.
“Most likely, it’s just as you say. But, Raven, she’s your sister.”
Even if he was told that, Raven only tilted his head like that was mystery to him.
Even if he understood the words of being a family, he didn’t know what kind of feelings he should have.
Of course, Raven cared for Ermine as his sister. But after she had betrayed Edgar, and as long as she was an existence who might continue to be a danger, then more than being a sister, she was an enemy.
P. 160
However, Edgar was thinking about the feelings of Ermine than her betrayal. If she was still under the curse of Prince, then he wanted to rescue her out of there.
“She isn’t my sister.”
“Because she isn’t human? Haven’t you ever thought that you would like to meet those you lost even if it was a dream? Even if it was a ghost or anything else, have you ever wished that you could exchange words with that person one more time?”
Most likely, it wasn’t like that for Raven.
Because he possessed such a specially high combat skills, he grew up as a man-killing tool, and wasn’t able to develop feelings as a human being, was finally able to open up his heart only to Edgar.
Even if he was beginning to show consideration and think about the people who were around Edgar, it was still difficult for Raven to understand the feelings towards those who passed away and why those left behind cling onto them.
And yet, Edgar still continued to speak like he tried to talk him into it.
“I wanted to meet Ermine. I don’t care what kind of situation, and even if she hated me, I wanted to see her.”
That was the same feelings that Mrs. Collins had that made her call back the ghost of her daughter. It was the same how Lydia felt towards her mother.
If she was able to see her one more time. Since Lydia could understand those feelings that one couldn’t help but wish for, she wasn’t able to hate Mrs. Collins.
“Ermine had saved me. It wasn’t like she was ordered to do so, and yet she saved me by her own decision. I think that her heart still stands in a position where she is your friend and ally.”
P. 161
Raven fell silent like he was still undecided. Edgar was silent as well.
When everything turned silent so quickly, there was a small sound that came from outside the door. The three of them that were in the room immediately turned their attention to that.
Someone was eavesdropping?
Just when they thought that, Lydia felt a cold shiver run up her spine, and cradled her arms in a crouch.
“What’s the matter, Lydia.”
“I just feel a little unwell…”
She started to have difficulty breathing and cold sweat started to sweep out of her.
As she watched as Raven stepped over to the door without making any sound, Lydia thought that this was just like last night.
Teresa was writhing in painful agony. That was the only thing she could figure out.
“No…., help me….”
Edgar took and held Lydia’s hand which she was left to hold herself with.
“It’s all right, I’m here with you.”
“It’s Teresa, ….she’s remembering about the time she was dying….”
Raven opened the door with great force. But he remained standing in that spot.
P. 162
“Was there someone there.”
“No. But the person might have heard what we were talking about.”
As she heard those words, Lydia lost her consciousness.
