P. 235
Lydia let out a shrilling scream at the shadow figure that suddenly appeared standing in front of her.
When she took a look, it was Raven.
“Lydia, you might as well have clung onto me.”
“…..I’m instinctually avoiding!”
“Lord Edgar, a number of boats have come up aside the s.h.i.+p. I believe in due time, Graham’s men will come aboard.”
“Lady Doris is this way,” guided Raven.
“I asked one of Graham’s men who was yelling from the bottom of the s.h.i.+p. There was a commotion inside the s.h.i.+p so they had made her asleep and switched her to a place that wouldn’t be found by someone from outside.”
As he was walking, Raven handed Edgar a pistol. It was the one that he had supposedly left behind at Graham’s office. After that, Raven turned towards Lydia.
The thing Raven held out to her was the tin can from not too long ago.
But, Raven must have believed that it was something that she must accept and so he remained holding it out to her.
P. 237
After Edgar said that, he finally handed it over like he was convinced.
“Lydia, can you run?”
At the same time she replied, Edgar pulled her arm. The three of them dashed off in a sprint as the loud sound of voices slowly grew close.
“Lord Edgar, I will go keep them at bay.”
“At the end of this pa.s.sage. There is a door that’s hidden by cargo at the back of the storageroom.”
Lydia followed Edgar further down the corridor. The sound of loud voices had dimmed away probably because they chased after Raven.
At such a last minute, Lydia finally began to realize that she was trying to do an extremely reckless thing.
She couldn’t forgive Edgar’s self-centered way of thinking, but she was the one who messed up Edgar’s original plan of rescuing Lydia on top of successfully completing his revenge and safely escaping from the s.h.i.+p into a hit-or-miss, haphazard, by the chance kind of plan.
But, if she were to abandon the two of them then, she believed she was going to carry an unbearable regret for the rest of her life.
She didn’t like how Edgar didn’t feel any remorse at all in leaving behind the two of them.
“I’m not scared, this is the way I chose.”
“No, I’m not, I’m just reckless. ….I know, but I don’t want to live regretting.”
He said it in a way like it was nothing, but Lydia was taken aback at the heavy seriousness of his words.
“If I didn’t interfere, most of the members of my band would still be alive even now. Ermine too….. And Raven as well, I sometimes think there could have been a way not to put that instinctual killing drive of his in my hands, but find a way to properly control it with his own will.”
“Free…. Only Raven remains alive.”
Edgar, who remained looking straight forward, must have already thought of what Lydia could think up long ago, a number of times over.
“At one time I tried to think of it that way. But, sometimes, I felt like that was just my ego wanting to believe that….”
“This must be it. It’s locked.”
P. 240
He took out a pin from his inner pocket and easily opened the lock with it.
Peering through the crack of the open door, in a small s.p.a.ce more like a closet than a room, they immediately could see that Doris had been locked inside.
Lydia knelt down and tried to shake her awake, but it didn’t look like she was going to wake up at all.
“Oi, Lydia, we have a problem!”
“Nico! Where have you been?”
On the floor by Lydia’s feet, Nico kept on ranting on.
“Huhh? It’s something more troublesome than that! The bogey beast has come back, and it’s now controlling Rosalie with its master to kill the earl!”
P. 241
Lydia finally remembered.
“Fogman?”
“I have no memory of how something like that would hold a grudge against me.”
Now, even Nico was in a panic.
“A demon like that doesn’t have a weakness, even if it did, there’s nothing that we could do about it, right? Now that I remember, it said something like it had a nemesis, and the bogey beast was saying something like it was trapped in somewhere with leaves.”
“How would I know. No, wait, I think I heard something like that before…..”
There were voices coming from both directions, making Lydia on the verge of a breakdown.
P. 242
“Wait just a moment, there’s a fogman inside the ‘fairy egg’?”
“…..So, by me meeting Rosalie,”
“Then, what do you do when you’re attacked by a fogman?”
Even if I call myself a fairy doctor, I’m useless, she angrily thought as she scrambled to think up of something.
“But, Edgar isn’t the real heir. How would be have such a power.”
“Well, its life is depending on that, so it’s just going to give it a try and eat you regardless.”
“And, more than the power of the Blue Knight Earl, there could be more value in that it’s someone who carries the same name as him.”
It was also because she was relaxed and imagined that the bogey beast wouldn’t be reappearing this quick.
Ah! Cried Nico in a gasp.
“What are you talking about?”
She had no idea what he was talking about and tilted her head. But, they had no more time to spare in hearing Nico’s confusing explanation in this situation.
There was the pounding, stomping sound of approaching footsteps.
From the men who stood as a barricade, Graham stepped out to them.
Graham returned his consciousness and had apparently recovered his confident with the number of his men behind him and grinned at them.
“I wonder if you’re right about that.”
Sure enough, the plump, oily man who was suppose to be locked up by Lydia at the bottom of the s.h.i.+p was in the group of men.
The s.h.i.+p suddenly swayed enormously to the side.
A black figure of a man glided down on top of that.
Once he held a knife to his throat, the rest of Graham’s standing men couldn’t move.
“Lydia, they’re here!” yelled Nico who was crawling up onto the fallen piles of wooden crates.
The bogey beast on top of her shoulder gave them a grin.
But Lydia’s voice didn’t reach her ears.
Even with a small bit of magic, it linked with Rosalie’s feeling of love and hate towards Edgar and now had complete control over her will.
(There’s the Earl, get him!)
There was a small, tiny crack.
At the same time, a foul smelling fog bubbled and spilled out and instantly filled the inside of the s.h.i.+p.
Lydia could only see the faint outline of Edgar who stood next to her.
The fogman’s target was Edgar.
“Lord Edgar, where are you!” shouted Raven.
It’s the fogman.
A black, thick shadow stirred up and fused together in the fog.
A number of creatures created from the fog emerged; they were demon dogs that the fogman took along with it. They all circled around them as they growled.
Then, its body swelled up like a balloon and lunged towards them in attack.
“……No!”
At the same time, the two of them were enveloped by a clinging, viscous darkness all around them. It pressed down so hard that is was suffocating.
“Is this….., inside the fogman’s belly?”
She felt her strength leave her, like her life source was slowly being sucked out of her.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, this happened because of my inexperience. I’m so sorry for being such a useless fairy doctor. I’m so sorry for always saying such self-conceited things and not be able to rescue you.”
She finally realized she was handing onto him and being cradled by him as he stroked her hair kindly, but it was frightening to let go in this complete blackness, so she remained still
“I know it’s improper at a time like this, but I want you to tell me. Is it your responsibility as a fairy doctor that made you stay with me to the end? Or, are you letting me romanticize just a little?”
Tears were rolling down as she was amazed at his continuing frivolous behavior, but Lydia was slightly amused.
He had many comrades and friends with him if he were to look behind, but needed to look ahead and lead the way to guide them, which made him stand alone. Because in the leader’s vision, there was no one else.
P. 249
There was only the remaining doubt if he was able to be the hope for his comrades and friends, or if he was able to save them even a little, it was a feeling he wanted to believe but didn’t know how.
She had the feeling like she was shown a glimpse of that heart of his, but that could just be her imagination, and she could just be tricked again, but she knew she didn’t want to leave him alone.
“Hmmm, so is that pity?”
Even if they pressed their bodies together, it was so terribly cold, they could freeze to death.
“Huh, you’re not cold?”
“What is?”
Looking at it close, they could see that it was faintly glowing.
“What is this…..”
“I know that, but…..”
“Are you saying that a tin can talked?”
Perhaps, that was why Raven, had been saying from the beginning that this tin can was Lydia’s weapon.
A tin can, or, really, the thing inside the tin can that was calling for Lydia.
It was something that was sealed in a can, so it didn’t have that strong a power. But, if it could fight against the fogman adequately, then could it the element of nature that this thing possessed?
The answer suddenly occurred to Lydia.
It was a fairy who when it appeared, brought along the pleasant smell of the spring green, gra.s.s.
P. 251
“I don’t carry tools that open tin cans with me.”
Lydia was immediately disappointed.
“Ahh, dear lord, I’m such an idiot. I’m so hopeless.”
“Oh, no, at least if we can open a hole in it. I don’t think that’s fish inside.”
I wonder if what’s inside will be all right, but that worry didn’t apply to fairies, so she wasn’t bothered.
“Lydia, stay back.”
P. 252
There was the sound of bullet fire and the can burst open.
A powerful tornado erupted.
There was a groaning voice like rumbled like an earthquake, perhaps it was the fogman. An enormous black shadow looked like it was struggling to fight back the winds.
Because, when it touched the wind, its fog would melt and disperse. That was the rule of nature by the fairies.
They could hear screams that sounded like they came from Graham and his men.
But, more than that, the sight of the fog, that had absorbed them, was kicked and tossed up mercilessly by the wind, carrying the fog and the people and debris with it was enough to send s.h.i.+vers down one’s spine.
P. 253
P. 254
She looked for Nico as the wind was still blowing, and saw Rosalie and Doris, as well as Raven and was relieved to see that he was showing them away from the hungry grasp of the fog and leading them toward the safe area of the winds.
She was steadied by Edgar, and felt herself embraced in his arms, and heard the curses and d.a.m.ning words of the bogey beast as it was swept up by the wind and blown away out of sight.
The storage room’s ceiling had been broken through. The wind swirled around the fog carrying further up into the vast skies.
“Sylph…..” whispered Lydia.
It was the coming of the spring winds.
Feeling the heavy roll and sway but sensing that they were being protected by the sylphs, Lydia felt like she was inside a plesant cradle.
“Edgar, we’re all right, now! We managed to escape from being swallowed up by the fogman!”
“Yes, it looks like it.”
I’m so glad I didn’t leave him alone.
It was Edgar’s arms that were steadying Lydia who nearly slumped to the floor from relief.
Perhaps, it was because he was unusually smiling at her with a peaceful look.
This distance and atmosphere seems, a little, dangerous.
No, no, it’s all right, Raven had said that Edgar wasn’t that kind of person.
P. 256
Wait, hold on a minute.
His lips softly touched Lydia’s forehead. And then he smiled at her happily.
The winds that blasted through London, blew away the smog that had been taking residence in the town, making the refres.h.i.+ng morning sun spread the spring air all around.
It was unimaginable to Lydia what happened to those men who disappeared to the land of the dark along with the fogman.
With Graham’s disappearance, Edgar had lost his chance to declare war against Prince, but unexpectingly, he appeared like that didn’t matter any more.
Only, the one that Edgar wanted to exact his revenge on for the sake of his comrades, should have not been Graham, who was one of Prince’s men but only the tip of the iceberg.
Anyways, the countermeasures and dealings that came afterwards were swiftly taken care of by Edgar, and the only thing that was made public was the news that Graham was the one who used up the Worpole baron family a.s.sets and confided Lady Doris who had found that out and tried to make it appear like Rosalie was behind all of that.
The ones that came out alive were the hired sailors who weren’t aware of the hidden details, and even if they knew they couldn’t reveal about the smuggling, the ones left could only keep their mouths shut forever, said Edgar.
P. 258
However, Lydia took Edgar’s recommendation of taking three days off work for the sake of recovering from the horrifying case, but after that, she commuted to the earl’s house in the usual state of no work waiting for her.
Doris, who was put to sleep, of course didn’t know about the rampage of the fogman, and Rosalie was manipulated so she didn’t remember anything.
She kept apologizing so much that it was getting annoying, and Doris didn’t witness the sight of Rosalie clinging onto her, but there was no doubt that the two of them reconciled after that.
“Since London is quite the boisterous face,” said Doris, with a pleasant smile.
“I didn’t agree to the countryside at first, since I hate being bored, but since Doris keeps saying that it’ll be too lonely. She never grows out of acting like a child….”
P. 259
“Uh, I’m sorry for all the things. And, thank you for saving us. …I just came to say this.”
“I wasn’t able to save you on my own. But, Miss Rosalie Worpole, I think it’s best you don’t get yourself involved with fairies anymore.”
Oh, well, thought Lydia. The reason Rosalie came in contact with the bogey beast was because she got her hands on the ‘fairy egg.’ Since she wasn’t born with the power to see fairies, there should be no more worry that she would be caught by evil-spirited fairies like that bogey beast.
“Huh?”
It seemed Rosalie was serious, as her eyes were twinkling.
“Hey, what is the real truth? Are you being threatened by Edgar? If you’re being forced to work for him, then we were thinking that we need you rescue you out of here.”
“N-No, I’m fine. Nothing like that is happening.”
“Uh, I really am not being threatened, so you don’t have to worry.”
When Doris said that, she looked like she wasn’t satisfied, but she backed down.
“Yes, of course.”
At the voice coming from the doorway, Rosalie and Doris went rigid.
“Welcome, ladies. Please take your time.”
“Oh, no, we’ll take our leave now!”
“I’m sorry, Miss Carlton But we don’t have that much time. We’ll send you a letter in due time!”
Once she pa.s.sed through the door, they dashed off without looking back.
“That’s because they’re scared.”
“Of course, she must have gotten a good lecture from Doris just how much of an evil criminal you are.”
“You don’t act scared. Didn’t you hear from Rosalie?”
Of course, it wasn’t like she heard the details, but if a man with a warm, friendly demeanor suddenly changed his att.i.tude completely, then it was natural not to want to go near him. Depending on the situation, even Lydia might be put through the same experience. But now..
P. 262
“However, you cried and dived into the arms of that criminal.”
“Oh, now, you don’t have to dismiss the possibility so hard like that. Since that time, I’ve been thinking up something about you.”
“Yes, about the mysterious part about you. Didn’t everyone come out safe and alive thanks to you in the end. I used you with only my revenge in mind. And, yet, you still helped me, and even saved Doris and Rosalie who were nearly made into the victims of Grahams’s crooked scheme. In the long run, with those two coming out safe, I felt like I was twice saved by you. I think you indeed are my fairy of good fortune.”
Good fortune….was unlikely. Lydia was a helpless fledgling.
“Now that I remember, I also had something I was thinking about since then.”
“I realized from this incident. That I’m much too much inexperienced and unprepared.”
P. 263
“In this state, I shouldn’t be privately hired by the earl family…”
“I’ll go back to Scotland and study much more.”
“Why do you make it sound like a lover’s end.”
“Oh, stop fooling around!”
“I’m not fooling around. Won’t you understand how much you’re needed to me?”
“You saved us all from the fogman.”
“I need your honest and pure side probably more than you as a fairy doctor. If you, who taught me that I don’t have to hate anyone anymore, left me, then who is going to comfort me?”
“Lover! That sounds great. If you stay by my side, you’ll change your mind.”
However, the biggest flaw of Edgar was that there wasn’t any serious feelings behind those eyes.
His kiss on her forehead, was just his usual play, or perhaps a sign of friends.h.i.+p towards his comrade, or maybe….. At any rate, she remained confused and Lydia ended up accepting.
She was curious about what his intentions were, but she was also irritated at that part of herself, so she took the liberty and focused on thinking about herself as a fairy doctor.
“If you want to study to be able to stand on your feet, then couldn’t you do that here?”
“Do you perhaps want to work?”
What was this man thinking of me?
"Why didn’t you tell me that earlier.”
And he made his butler bring a box that he could barely carry in his arms and set it down in front of Lydia.
“Pet.i.tions.”
“To put it simply, as soon as word got out to all of my small private estates that I am the heir to the earl family, letters came from numerous people who had been suffering and enduring from the troublesome relations.h.i.+ps they had with fairies during the long absence of their lord writing appeals about the current state of affairs they were in. As might be expected, there surely are many fairy residents still living in the lesser estates of the Blue Knight Earl family instead of the fairylands.”
There was a ma.s.sive pile of letters written about the various kinds of troubles that fairy doctors were involved in from the old days.
“I was worried that you might get fed up and quit from the mountain of work that waited for you as soon as you started.”
The time she was lecturing him seemed wasteful so Lydia immediately transferred the whole box near the table by the window. Sitting down in the brightly lit area, she concentrated on running her eyes over the letters.
“Sorry, but can you wait till later?”
“It’s all right, there’s still plenty of time for the two of us. Since as long as I’m earl, I can’t allow you to run away.”
Raven walked in with tea prepared. Watching the young man set out the tea cups with dutiful, practiced hands, Edgar smiled in a cheerful way.
“Very well, my lord.”
He looked over towards Lydia by the windowsill like he was concerned if she was listening.
“It was a tie. Because, Lord Edgar had ended it in such a half-hearted way.”
“No. I have the heart to follow any order I am given. Only, I cannot think that it is that difficult for you to win a kiss from Miss Carlton by going through the trouble of making me bring up a bet and lowering her guard.”
“It’s plenty evil.”
“Oh? I just wanted to get more closely acquainted with Lydia. Don’t you think a man and a woman can get more intimate with just one kiss than a hundred words?”
It seemed like Raven was indeed a little bit frustrated. He had worked so hard in carrying out the silly order he was given by Edgar and managed to get Lydia to agree to a bet, but that child-like kiss made all of his efforts go down the drain. However, for Raven who couldn’t quite convey his feelings that well, this was a well-welcomed silver lining.
“I do feel sorry for putting you through such trouble in a field you are most weak in. But, how do you say it, Lydia at that time was unusually wide open, it made me feel like it was the bad thing to do to pander into that."
It really was a feeling like he just couldn’t waste something at some casual opportunity. Like the best timing to open your favorite wine was the moment that was just right