Hakushaku to Yousei

Chapter 19

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P. 170
At the bottom of the large lake in the park, the jet-black water horse that had been laying down, opened its eyes.
It was still the time when the early-morning mist was clinging to the ground. There was hardly any presence of people in the park.
He rised up onto the water surface still in his water horse form and like he was combing his graceful mane, he made soft ripples as he gently swam.
The water birds that noticed his presence flew off all at once into the sky.
“I’m hungry,” he mumbled.
He didn’t want to eat the squirrels that were scuffling through the bushes around there. However, large animals in London were either humans or horses.
He wondered if it was all right to eat a horse, but most cases a human would be riding it, so it would be difficult to go and attack one.
“I guess I could grab a pig by the bay…”
Just when he stepped up onto the land, he heard the voice of someone talking.

P. 171
Kelpie was surprised at the human’s early morning walk in the park as he hid his presence like the trees and gra.s.s in his surroundings.
The humans who couldn’t see him would walked over to his direction without any caution at all and stopped in their tracks in the spot where the small many paths in the park gathered together.
It was the perfect opportunity for a hunt, but since he had chose not to eat, he decided to hurry up and leave that area. What made him stop was because he was familiar with one of the faces of the two figures.
It was that male painter who got in the way when he wanted to give the ‘moon’ ring to Lydia. On his right hand, the ring still lay secure on one of his
fingers.
“Kill, the earl?”
He heard the painter say that.
My, oh, my, humans never change. But for Kelpie who thought that, a human being killed by another didn’t mean anything to him, but if the earl they were talking about meant that b.l.o.o.d.y annoying human youngster, then there was no way he couldn’t not be curious.
The other man made a fist with only his forefinger pointing up like he was shhing.
“What are you saying. That man is the Blue Knight Earl. Isn’t he the one who stands as head of our a.s.sociation, the “Scarlett Moon”? Wasn’t the purpose of me to get into the earl house to reveal about our a.s.sociation to him and accept us?”
“That man is an imposter. He is not the Blue Knight Earl that we have been waiting for.”

P. 172
“But, he had the jeweled sword. I made sure and checked it, and it was real. The painting from three hundred years ago, that our a.s.sociation has been carefully looking over, that has the picture of the Blue Knight Earl of the time and the sword, is the only proof we have. There was no mistake, his sword was exactly the same as the one in the painting.”
“I know. At the present time, the only ones who can confirm if it is the real sword of the Blue Knight Earl is the Royal Family, the College of Arms and us. That’s why, when I heard your report, Mister made his decision. That man is an imposter and it is unforgivable that he even stole the sword as well.”
“How can you be sure that he is really an imposter? Hasn’t no one seen the descendant of the Blue Knight Earl who has been absent for three-hundred years?”
“But, Paul, you’ve seen that young Asian lad who works in the earl house. That lad had been going through training as an a.s.sa.s.sin to be the slave of Prince. I was told from ours that, however his memory was fuzzy, he remembers that face. It wasn’t just him, a number of our men who we took in after they escaped from Prince’s organization claimed they knew that Asian.”
“Prince’s…..?”
“Yes, in order to be sure of it, Mike went in posing as a dance instructor. He went out of bounds and now is in that state though, but we’re now sure that he isn’t any ordinary house servant. And I hear that the white slave that Prince particularly favored was a blond-haired beautiful boy, and however you see it, those two are Prince’s dogs who were sent from America ordered to steal the Blue Knight Earl’s sword.”
Kelpie didn’t quite understand, but as he was listening to their story he got the part about Edgar not being related in blood to the Blue Knight Earl but tilted his head in confusion at why that would make them believe he was an imposter.

P. 173
He thought since the man had the sword that held the magic of fairies, that should be enough to say he was real.
Besides, there are only two types of humans, those who can interact with fairies and those who can’t.
However the painter was surprised at something else than the fact that the earl was an imposter.
“What, the earl is working under Prince? Why didn’t you tell me this before!”
“You’re quick to show what you’re thinking on your face. You were able to successfully pull through this mission without them being suspicious of you because you believed that he was the real Blue Knight Earl, weren’t you? Thanks to your lack of malice towards the earl, we antic.i.p.ated that you would be able to obtain his trust and sent him the threat letter and try to put them in confusion.”
“You said that the man named Prince was the leader of the organization who killed my father….”
“That’s why we needed you to do one more job as a member of the [Scarlett Moon].”
“Are you saying I have to kill someone?”
“He is the henchman of the devil. Don’t think him as human. You know plenty already, the man named Prince will use any means in order to get what he wants. I don’t know if he wants to become king of the underside of society or if he’s after something more unimaginable. But we must stop that
by all means.”
The man continued on his heated conviction.

P. 174
“Listen, Paul, once this is over, we’re going to have to live overseas until things cool down. Didn’t you say you wanted to learn in Italy? We have the money prepared in order to do that.”
The painter looked completely confused, and nodded in a half-hearted manner.
“You have been wors.h.i.+pping that imposter as earl. That man must have taken somewhat of precautious measures when you said you wanted to see the sword, but he was sure to not have sensed anything suspicious in your actions.”
“But, if they have investigated about my origins and found something questionable….”
“They would never suspect anything. We used all of organization’s power to erase your past and made you as the son of Mister Foreman. However much they investigate about you, there is nothing to link you to your father who was killed by Prince. Unless he knew you from the past.”
That man slapped the worrisome Paul’s shoulder as if to snap him back in shape.
“Prince has killed every last one of those who got in his way. There is no way that his young henchman would know anything about O’neill who was one of those men killed eight years ago.”
“But….”
“Is there still something?”
“I think I may have angered the earl. No, uh, I haven’t had a chance to talk to him since, so I don’t know how he feels about it. But, yes, he usually is an open-hearted, forgiving man, but I couldn’t help myself since the earl was forcing himself onto a young girl from a different cla.s.s.”

P. 175
“Paul, ……that man is already a famous lady’s man in London’s ton.
The reason he is quite open-hearted about things is because he only has an interest in women. What are you thinking in trying to steal his woman! It hasn’t been that long since it has been forbidden but they are the kind of people who perform duels, and the most common causes for those are women!”
“No, uh, it wasn’t like I was trying to steal….. And I could never be able to do a duel.”
“Are you an idiot! Why would a n.o.ble have a duel with a commoner! He would just shoot you on the spot.”
The man was apparently appalled at the painter who commented that he wasn’t killed on the spot at that time and dropped his head into his hands. However, he must have thought of something, as he lifted up his head.
“I know, if we go with that, then it would be harder for him to consider you as a spy. Yes, so go ahead and apologize so that the two of you are back on good terms. He will let his guard down with you. Aim when you are alone together.”
The man took out a small medicine bin from inside his coat. He shoved it into the still hesitant painter’s hand and quickly walked away.
The painter, who was left alone, looked down at the thing in his hand for a while. Then, he finally lethargically moved his arm to put it in his pocket, but perhaps because he was shaking, he dropped the medicine bin.
“Ah.”
He gasped as his eyes trailed after it which tumbled down to drop into the lake.
Suddenly, the painter turned around in his tracks and tried to run away from that spot. He didn’t have the courage to throw away the medicine bin himself, but he must have grabbed this lucky chance and escape from his duty.

P. 176
Hey, weren’t you going to kill the earl.
And things were finally starting to get interesting, thought the kelpie as he scooped up the medicine bin in the water and appeared himself in front of the painter.
“You dropped this.”
He looked up at him with terrified eyes, perhaps because a water horse had appeared before him or that he appeared with the medicine bin and faced with his duty once again.
“Do it right.”
Once the kelpie stared at him with his eyes filled with magic, the hatred of Edgar as the killer of his parent bubbled up inside the painter.
The painter timidly took the bin from from Kelpie and walked away with heavy feet, but he had a strong grip on the bin, never to drop it again.
Now, thought the kelpie, having the painter kill the earl was a good thing, but he was worried about the effect on Lydia who was near the two of them.
It was a problem if Lydia was involved in this happening by some mistake.
If it was her, and there was some sort of ruckus between the earl and the painter, then she was sure to but herself in.
“Tsk, this is no time to be looking for a bite to eat. Oh, geesh, humans are sure a handful,” mumbled Kelpie, putting aside his own action of encouraging the painter.

P. 177

With the investigation report on a painter named O’neill in one hand, Edgar closed his eyelid tightly.
Early this morning, this investigation report was delivered by the detective who was hired by him.
According to this, a painter Patrick O’neill, who specialized in painting a n.o.ble’s manor house that was located in a scenic area did exist. The paintings he produced were naturally hanged in the manor house of those who hired him and so there was no way they were sold to the public. By due to the Season, there were many country-side resident n.o.bles who were gathered in Londonthat knew about him.
He had one son. The son’s name was indeed Paul, and his age matched. Only, after O’neill’s death, it was completely unknown about where and how he was.
It was a common case when no one would know the location, or a sixteen, seventeen-year-old boy, who was left on his own stumbled into the great city was dead or alive.
O’neill death was caused by gas poisoning at his residence in Bath, Somersetwhere he was living at the time. It was declared an accident, but his son, who had survived from light poisoning, was apparently claiming that it was murder.
“Murder…..?”
At the least, after his father’s death, Paul lived as the son of Foreman, a different painter.

P. 178
That hide-up was quite clever. It was hard to think that Paul had thought up this on his own, which makes it easy to believe that there was the work of some kind of organization behind the curtain.
Could that organization be the “Scarlett Moon”?
O’neill painted Edgar’s family house. His family, and Edgar himself.
His painting was destroyed along with the house in the fire, but perhaps, he might have retained one or two sketches or a practice piece of it somewhere.
It would be troublesome for Prince if there was someone who saw Edgar and reminded of the Duke family. Or perhaps, while O’neill was in the Duke family house, he might have found out something that got in the way of Prince, which lead to him being tracked down and killed.
And if it means that after that, the “Scarlett Moon” secretly hid Paul who happened to survive….
No longer could he say that Paul was still the same as he was in the past.
However, Edgar placed the report between his books as if to hide it. Because just then, Raven entered into his office.
“Raven, do you think I resemble Prince?” asked Edgar, as he watched his servant pour him tea.
“What are you saying, sir.”

P. 179
“Not about my looks. He tried to mold me into someone just like himself. The education I was forced through, the knowledge and doctrine and my choice of gestures and words, even how I thought and felt was corrected. I feel that how I am now is similar to Prince than how I was in the past… I know how to dominate and control people. I can become as ruthless as I need to. My heart doesn’t ache. Before I knew it, I became self-righteous,
shameless and unscrupulous, and I can tolerate it if everything doesn’t go my way, and I want to tear apart anyone who messes with me. On top of that, I’m a philanderer.”
“No, you are not him. That man was just l.u.s.ted for women, and had no gift in philandering them,” replied Raven with a serious face.
“So you could only correct about me on that part. Thanks.”
As he was still mulling things over in his head, Raven opened his mouth to speak.
“You are nothing like him. If you were, why was there so many others who trusted you and came with you to fight?”
He felt honestly happy at those words, however, Edgar still thought they were alike.
From now on, as long as he lived, they would remain alike. If he was going to fight him as he had that man in his mind, then that means he would have to cut off his former self.
For example, like how he would have to erase Paul, who knew him from his peaceful, happy times with his very own hands.
“Lord Edgar, that’s why, I’m worried. You are very kind to those you feel you have made an understanding with even a little.”

P. 180
Could he mean Paul. Even if he was a spy from that Robin Hood gang, he could be worried that Edgar might not be able to go through with his decision.
“Raven, you’ve grown.”
He came all this way with the intention of protecting this young man who was treated like a human-killing machine. However, in truth, Edgar felt that he was in fact saved by his presence all this time.
As long as he had someone to protect, he still might not become like Prince.
Even if he was going to hurt those who he came to respect and understand….

“What is going on!” shouted Lydia as she finally blew her top.
As it were, when she woke up in the morning, Kelpie was taking up a spot in her room.
She complained that there was a female sleeping in the room! And kick him out, but after she dressed and prepared herself and came downstairs to have breakfast, he was still there.
Her father must have heard from Nico that this young man with a tall figure and big att.i.tude was in fact a fairy as he sat across from him with a puzzled look on his face as he watched the fae throw uncooked eggs, still with their sh.e.l.l, one by one into his mouth.

P. 181
Of course, Nico didn’t favor being with the barbaric kelpie, so he must have had no intention of having a meal with him at the table. Like he was rotating with Lydia, he snorted through his nose grumpingly as he left the room.
Ever since then, Kelpie was always in a proximity close enough that Lydiaalways had him in sight.
When she rode the carriage to the earl house, he was right next to her. At this rate, till when Lydia would go home, he might intend to stay in her office room.
It didn’t seem like he had any particular business with her and was just standing or sitting there, so Lydia was finally starting to get annoyed.
“Don’t be bothered.”
Kelpie would only reply with that.
When they reached the earl house and the driver opened the door, Edgar stepped up into the carriage as he pushed Lydia back in as she was getting ready to step out.
“Good morning, Lydia.”
She hadn’t seen him since that incident and had been avoiding him for three days so she was taken aback at his appearance.
“G-good…., wait, more like, what do you want?”
Lydia was obviously leering away from him, but Edgar didn’t seem bothered at all.
“Let’s have a talk. Mr. Kain, this carriage is for two. Would you mind going somewhere.”

P. 182
“Why do I have to move.”
“This carriage runs for my house. So does the driver and horse.”
Hmph, snorted the kelpie through his nose.
“Fine, then. Since you’re in a pitiful state.”
What do you mean? She wanted to ask him, but Kelpie vanished in a blink.
But, that means, I’m left alone with Edgar in this cramped place?
As soon as she realized that, Lydia became frightened again.
“Wait a moment, I’m getting off!”
“Lydia, I pledge I won’t lay a finger on you, so please stay here.”
Perhaps because he said it like an earnest, urgent tone, or because it was better not to entice him if he wasn’t going to let her off, for now, Lydia had no choice but to sit back down on the carriage seat.
He told the driver to circle around the area, then like he was finally relieved, he commented in a leisurely manner “what good weather it is today.”
“It’s completely cloudy.”
“This is the best it gets in London.”
“Well, yes.”
“Are you still upset about what happened?”

P. 183
Lydia herself wasn’t sure if she was upset or not. If she thought about it hard, it felt like something you shouldn’t have gotten bothered with that
much.
Just because she was kissed on her wrist, Edgar was sure to have taken the hands and kissed all the near-by daughters and lady’s hands already.
It was like a form of greeting to n.o.blewomen. He might have just fooled around and played a joke on Lydia by doing it to her.
It was usually done on the back of the hand, but there really wasn’t that much of a difference.
Even if she thought that, at the time, the air felt lascivious and the how he acted, how he looked at her, everything was completely unfamiliar with Lydia, and she was scared so much she wanted to bolt out and run.
But that was because she didn’t have any experience with other people, it especially came from her childish fear and nervousness because didn’t know that much about men, so it might have not been Edgar’s fault.
Even if she thought that, she didn’t want to end up forgiving him and turning back into his puppet again.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m angry or not. Besides, you just probably wanted to joke around.”
“What would make you forgive me?”
“If you just let time go back, maybe I’ll just forget about it in some time?”
“How much is some time? It would be my last regret if I remained in an uneasy position to you.”

P. 184
“Last regret?”
“My mistake. Concern.”
She thought, what a weird mistake, but she didn’t let it bother her.
“I don’t want you to forget, but forgive me. I don’t want to forget. I may have caused you to have an unpleasant experience, but I haven’t felt that close to you like I had at that time before.”
Edgar right now, didn’t try to touch her like he promised, but Lydia again, had the feeling like she was stroked over.
But, because he was like that, it was more difficult for her to forgive him.
Not only at that time, but it felt like she was going to allow him to get close to her from now on as well.
From confusion, Lydia was made to turn her head down, and looking at her like that, he must have given up trying to make her say she forgives him, and so he changed the subject.
“Were you courted by Paul?”
But, he chose an even more peculiar subject.
“He rescued you like a knight in armor; it would be natural that he must have said something to get your affections.”
That’s only natural for someone like you to do.
“You’re mistaken. Paul didn’t save my, he was saving you. He wanted you to remain as someone he respects.”

P. 185
“Did he say that?”
“He did.”
“……He surely is a natural fool. It was just the opportunity when you were being enamored by his valiant deed, and yet he goes and says something like splas.h.i.+ng cold water on you.”
It may have been true that she felt a little disappointed, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.
“The reason you are scared of love, could be that naturally gentlemen would seem to show interest in you but then innocently reject the notion.”
“It’s kind enough that to be told that they have no interest in you before you build feelings for them. It’s much more preferable than someone like you who messes around with people’s feelings…”
Edgar looked like he made a faint frown, like he appeared hurt, which made Lydiashut her mouth. But, she still thought he was just acting the part.
“You’re right. Paul isn’t a man who would deceive others. But he may be hiding something. Something very important to me.”
He spoke in a serious tone, perhaps because it was related to something that might affect the friends.h.i.+p that Edgar felt towards him.
“I want to ask him. I want to talk and if we can, I want to come to an understanding. But, it may turn into a fight. Lydia, if the two of us start fist-punching fight, whose side would you be on?”

P. 186
“Punching? However I thing about it, I can only imagine the scene where you are the one who is one-sidedly punching the other.”
“I see. In that case, it would make you want to side with Paul. But if you go with that reasoning, and if I lost, then would you switch to my side. Then, it wouldn’t be so bad to be beaten to a pulp.”
She didn’t know what he meant in what he said.
But, she could feel that it wasn’t going to be nice and pretty.
“……Hey, don’t go to fight. He treasures the promise that he made with you in the past. He said it was thanks to you that he became a painter, and when he became famous, he wanted to have you see his paintings more than anyone else. Paul believes that the Duke’s young son has died, but he put the image of the young son onto you. However much you try to pull a fight with him, I don’t think he could bring himself to hit you.”
He had his head held down slightly and a strand of his golden hair slipped down over his nose. From the beautifully sculptured side of his face, she wasn’t able to imagine what he was feeling or thinking at all.
Did he really have the intention of fighting with Paul. But, for what reason.
He lifted his head once again and made the driver stop the carriage.
“Lydia, thank you for sharing your time with me.”
“Are you going somewhere?”
“Just a little ways.”

P. 187
For some small reason, Lydia was thinking that she should say something or listened and clearly accepted what he had to say.
“Um, Edgar, whether I side with you or not, you won’t lose. You’re able to craftingly make luck turn to your side. Even with Paul, if you wish it, you’ll be able to understand with each other.”
He had stepped off of the carriage, but he turned around to smile at her.
“You’re so kind. That’s why I build expectations. That you really do have feelings for me.”
During the time when Lydia didn’t know how to response and her cheeks turned red, the door was shut and the carriage had started off again.
The sight of Edgar who put on his top hat had instantly disappeared into the crowd of people.

Paul had returned to the boarding house on Fleet Street, and he breathed out a deep sigh as he held the medicine bin that was handed to him from one of the men in the organization that he had a seat in.
He didn’t know about the scheme his organization had been planning for Edgar all this time and had the strong belief that he was the true Blue Knight Earl.
Edgar had taken a liking to Paul’s paintings and possessed both the charming features of a peer-like n.o.ble spirit and a friendly down-to-earth characteristic.

P. 188
Paul wanted to create a painting that the young earl would be satisfied with and by doing that, he had the feeling like he was fulfilling the promise he made with the Duke family’s deceased young son.
But, if he, who called himself Edgar Ashenbert, was someone close to the leader of the organization who killed his father, then his duty was very important.
He didn’t have any time to spare in being sentimental.
“Mr. Foreman, you have a visitor.”
The one who spoke to him was the middle-aged housekeeper who managed and ran the boarding house he was staying in.
To the he one who came in through the door she opened for, Paul went frozen and nearly dropped the medicine bin in reaction.
“M-my lord…..”
“What is the matter? You have the tragic look of someone who facing the end of the world.”
“Oh, no, nothing is the matter. More than that, thank you for coming to such a foul and squalid place like this….”
“I have an interest in what a painter’s studio was like.”
He realized that remaining sitting down was rude and rushed to stand up.
“It’s just a regular room. Although, it’s covered with splotches of paint here and there.”
Paul thought that he should offer him a seat, but everyone of them was covered with smeared oil and paint that it made him worry that it might dirty the earl’s expensive fine frock coat.

P. 189
He also must have had no intention of sitting down on a dirty chair, as he walked over to the window and stood looking out.
“Are you moving?”
“Eh.”
The Earl’s eyes stopped on the trunks that were piled up in the corner of the room. He couldn’t possibly answer that he was preparing for his escape overseas.
“No, ah, I was asked by an acquaintance, if my room could be used to store them for a while.”
It was a desperate and sad excuse, as there were other open trunks that were left out with clothes thrown into them.
“I see. The reason I came by today, was because I had something that I wanted to ask you.”
He was looked at with a faint smile and sharp, piercing eyes, which made Paul go stiff once again. The medicine bin that was in his hand felt like it could slip out of his hand, wet from sweat.
“….What might that be.”
“The moonstone ring, why are you lying that it still doesn’t come off?”
His eyes whipped down to his right hand and saw that there indeed was no ring on his finger. He had switched it onto his left hand from time to time as he thought it got in the way of when he wanted to hold a painting brush. He had made sure and paid attention so that he wouldn’t be noticed, but since this was his own room, he had completely forgotten about it.
“You were able to take it off from some time ago, weren’t you. But if you said that it came off, then there would be no excuse for you to stay in my house. I thought you were keeping quiet because you didn’t want to lose the chance to get friendly with Lydia. But even though you protected her from me, you let her return home without doing anything. That is strange. There would be no man who wouldn’t miss such a golden opportunity. If he did, then he must be some unsociable coward or has a different goal for keeping on wearing the ring.”

P. 190
Putting aside how it would be normal to take that opportunity or not, it was just as Edgar said.
Since Paul was unsociable and on top of that had a different goal.
“Did you have a necessity to remain in the house for some more time?”
How much has he figured out?
“……Because Lydia had purposed that it would be safer if I stay at the earl house, you offered me a painting job. The ring came off more quickly than I expected, and if I lost the reason to remain in your house, then I became worried that you might take back the painting offer.”
That part was true. Paul had the duty of reporting about Edgar to his comrades, but since he was under the belief that he was the real earl, he thought of his painting job above all else.
“I’m surprised to see you’re good at making up a quick excuse. I thought you were a man who couldn’t lie.”
“That wasn’t a lie.”
“Your name isn’t Foreman but O’neill. Are you saying that this isn’t a lie as well?”
Why. Paul was shocked and his mind flew into dismay. His comrade had said that even if Foreman was investigated, the name wouldn’t lead to O’neill.

P. 191
‘Unless he knows of you from the past.’
The housekeeper knocked on the door. It seems she came to pour them tea. In reflex, Paul went to open the door, and said that he would do it and took away the tray.
“O’neill was also a painter. He was killed eight years ago. At least, you thought so, and because you thought so, so must have sensed your life was in danger at the time.”
Like he was driving him into a corner, Edgar continued on.
Paul’s mind was slowly strengthened and coldly made up.
This young beautiful man was also a part of the group that killed his father. He had to do it.
“What are you talking about? I always was Foreman. My father has retired but still alive.”
He took care so that his voice didn’t come out shaken, and carefully took off the lid of the medicine bin that he had in his hand all this time.
A white-colored grained powder that was inside dropped into the teacup. From the corner of his eye, he made sure that Edgar wasn’t looking towards him.
If he had thought about it with a straight mind, there was no way that he would put his lips to a drink that was poured for him in the room of the man who held distrust towards him. However, Paul was worked up and couldn’t think about such a detail.
“Where did this name of O’neill pop out from?”
He placed the teacup right by Edgar’s side.
“I knew about him. He was a good painter. The manor house that was built next to the lake was the White Lily. It was always a question to me on what part of it was a white lily but I finally understood when I saw his painting. It was the elegant white lilies themselves that were blooming near the edge of the lake.”

P. 192
It was like Paul could see the sight of that scene, the painting which his father had painted right in front of his eyes. It was the manor house of the Duke family of Silvainford.
It was a lake out of a dream, surrounded by the rich countryside and mystical forests. The n.o.ble people who lived there were all kind and beautiful….
He felt dizzy. Why would he, the henchman of Prince, know about such a thing.
If he knew about Paul in the past….
No, that was impossible.
“Your painting has the same delicate sensitiveness as O’neill. You were indeed meant to become a painter.”
The impressive ash mauve eyes, the golden-blond hair that s.h.i.+ned like it was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with suns.h.i.+ne, his perfectly straight nose and lips that wore a soft smile, could there be another human being who could be blessed with such looks that could mesmerize anyone in an instant?
Edgar picked up the teacup. He appeared unaware and innocent like a child. He made it seem like he didn’t come to confront Paul’s feelings of distrust towards him but came to talk and open up about something important and valuable.

P. 193
And then, he had the feeling like he was being tested.
If Edgar had realized that Paul had investigated his surroundings and sneaked into the earl house to harm him, but if there was still the friends.h.i.+p that previously existed between them, could he have come to confirm that?
That’s why he could be trying to drink the tea that he really should be cautious about.
Previous friends.h.i.+p?
That’s right, if this person, was really him.
“……If I wasn’t recommended onto this path by someone, then I don’t know if I would have come this far.”
“Because you wanted to be a poet?”
Oh, so he was. There was only one person he opened up to about his dream of making poems.
No longer was there anything to doubt, so Paul didn’t think but slapped the teacup out of Edgar’s hand.
The cup shattered and the tea spilled all over the floor.
The hot tea had surely splashed onto Paul’s hand and as well as Edgar, but both of them weren’t bothered by that.
When the housekeeper came rus.h.i.+ng in, surprised at the sound of things breaking, they weren’t bothered, even when she realized that the visitor was a noticeably a n.o.ble at one look and walked over to him with a worried look.
Paul remained standing and barely managed to place his hand on his chest.

P. 194
“Paul, you really haven’t changed.”
“……Please forgive me, my lord. …..no,”
Just when he was about to say ‘your grace’ the housekeeper approached Edgar in an unnaturally close distance.
She held a knife in her hand. Edgar saw it and tried to swing away but the thin point sank into his waist.
In the same instance that she swiftly backed away, Edgar felt to the floor in a crouch.
There’s poison on the knife. Paul realized that immediately, but the housekeeper grabbed his arm as he tried to rush over to him.
“Hurry and get out of here. Tell your comrades and have them clean up this body.”
He isn’t a body yet. But.
“You’re….one of the ‘Scarlett Moon’?”
“That’s right, I’m a member of that group. It was perfect timing for this man to come here. Now why would you go and reveal that you had put poison into his drink like that. If you didn’t kill him, he would have killed you.”
She was wrong. Edgar had no intention of killing Paul.
“Give me the antidote. This man isn’t one of Prince’s henchmen!”
“What are you saying of all things. Hey, are you planning on turning your tail on us?”
When she looked at him with distrustful eyes, the housekeeper turned around and was about to dash off. It seemed like she was going to go and quickly call others in the group.

P. 195

P. 196
Without thinking, Paul grabbed ahold of her shoulder.
To use the first simple stages of self-defense, or in another one’s view, violence to a woman was a first for Paul and a shameless act in itself, but there was no other option.
After he knocked her unconscious, he searched her, but she didn’t carry anything that looked like an antidote.
Should he call a doctor? But if he did that, it would put in question the existence of the organization. His father was a member. The ‘Scarlett Moon’ had protected Paul all this time and he made a pledge to become a member to fight those responsible for his father’s death.
He didn’t know what he should do, and slumped to the floor.

Before she realized it, the number of people in her work office, no the number of fairies had seemed to increased, which made Lydia feel like a headache was building up.
First of all, it was no mistake that Kelpie and his big, overbearingly tall figure was the reason that made this room feel so small and crowded.
To top of the annoying part, Nico was walking around the room without any apparent reason. And he was bothering with the fluffy fur on his chest to any excessive degree.
Finally, Marygold and Sweetpea were beating their wings and flying about the room and she saw that there was a busy crowd of all the hobgoblins who resided in this grand house.

P. 197
All right, now this is strange, thought Lydia and stopped her writing.
“Nico, is there something the matter?”
“It’s like my body feels tingling all over.”
“It feels like the air is billowing,” “The magic is surging around like wild currents,” said Marygold and Sweetpea in a nervous tone.
“Isn’t the merrow’s sword in this house? That’s what is howling,” interrupted Kelpie.
“The sword? Why?”
“How would I know that?”
“So, why are all of you in this room?”
“Being near a fairy doctor is somewhat better than nothing.”
I guess that’s the way it is.
But I didn’t know that the sword could howl. As she thought,Lydiathought it might be best to notify the butler and stood up.
Just at that time, Raven came in.
“Miss Carlton, have you heard anything about where Lord Edgar had gone?”

P. 198
He said it in an even leveled voice, but the tone sounded like he hadn’t the calm that he usually had.
“I had a short talk with him in the carriage, but he got off alone and walked off somewhere. I don’t know where he headed.”
The sight of Raven in a restless state may be related to the sword howling. He had something like a letter crumbled in his fist.
“…..And Foreman……?”
After he mumbled that, he turned around like he was about to leave, and she felt it was unnatural for him not to put a mister to Paul’s name.
“Mister Foreman has not come today.”
The one who said that was the butler, Tomkins.
“He said he was going to return to his residence. He claimed he needed to let the air through or the paint he had in stock was going to mold. Raven, what is the matter. Is there some sort of problem?”
“Well, now, so the man isn’t coming today. Then it isn’t necessary for me to keep watch and guard any longer.”
Lydia looked over to Kelpie who said that.
“What does that mean?”
“It would be trouble if you were involved.”
“Involved? In what?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Oh, good, so he isn’t here. Then, I don’t need to be in this noisy house, so I’m leaving.”

P. 199
“Wait, Kelpie, explain properly!”
Lydia stood in front of him and blocked his path.
“If you don’t say, then I’ll cut all ties with you!”
“Cut ties? Do you think that would keep me away.”
“If you want to hang around, then do so, but I’ll never open my mouth to speak to you ever again. However much you speak to me or hang around, I’ll never respond.”
He fell silent like he was thinking that over. Then he finally combed his bangs up like he was frustrated.
“I just happened to hear something. When that painter was told to kill the earl by one of his comrades.”
“WH-WHAT! Why does Paul have to kill Edgar?”
“Because he is an imposter.”
“There was a possibility that Foreman was a member of an organization that the dance instructor was also membered in who attacked me. We fell suspicious and investigated, and it was indeed…” whispered Raven in a regretful tone.
“Mister Tomkins, I will go to the boarding house where Foreman is staying.”
Raven hurried out of the room in a dash. The butler must have decided he couldn’t just stand around and also left the room.
“Kelpie, why did you not say anything! You knew that Edgar’s life might be in danger…”

P. 200
“It has nothing to do with me. And besides, with that man out of the picture, you’ll be able to return to Scotland. And yet, that painter, he looked so pathetic like he was too scared to commit murder, that’s why I placed a spell on him so that he would have the confident to do it.”
Hearing that, Lydia lost her temper.
“I’m cutting off from you! Hurry up and leave!”
“Hey, Lydia,”
Like she didn’t want to hear any excuses, Lydia ran out of the room.
Just then, she heard a commotion coming from the entrance hallway.
She heard the shouting voice of Raven calling Edgar’s name. The sound of the worried and panicked voices and sound of the servants moving about by Tomkin’s orders could be heard.
Lydia came to the bottom of the steps of the stairways and saw Edgar, who was carried by Tomkins with his eyes completely shut and froze in her tracks as she felt the strength in her legs nearly fall out.

The driver of a horse-drawn carriage said that he was asked by a young man to drive the man to the Ashenbert Earl estate in Mayfair because he was in a seriously dangerous state.

P. 201
The young man’s profile matched that of Paul’s.
It was a mystery why Paul, who had supposedly tried to kill Edgar, would end up sending him to his home.
The doctor remained in Edgar’s room for a long period of time. However, when that doctor left when it turned to dusk, the inside of the house turned eerily still and quiet.
It appeared like the merrow’s sword was still howling as if moaning over the danger that befell over its master, but humans couldn’t hear it.
Around that time, Lydia finally was able to hear Edgar’s condition from Raven, but was only told that he remained unconscious.
“Symptoms of paralysis appear, so I believe they used some sort of nerve poison.”
“Nerve….?”
“It’s similar to the venom of a snake.”
He wasn’t a doctor, yet he knew so much, probably because the knowledge about poison was part of the training he went through while he was growing up as an a.s.sa.s.sin monster.
“There isn’t an antidote?”
“There is not. It may well be a combination of several sorts.”
Lydia gulped down the words oh, no.

P. 202
Raven appeared like his usual self, calm and composed, but he was the closest thing to a family Edgar had, so he must be the one in the most pain.
Lydia and Tomkins, all the ones working in the earl house have only known Edgar for just three short months.
That’s why, even if she wanted to cheer Raven up, no words came to mind.
More than that, Lydia herself was filled with feelings of disbelief.
“I had a bad feeling,” he murmured.
“Even when Lord Edgar clearly knew that Foreman was a spy from the ‘Scarlett Moon,’ he didn’t allow me to cause any harm to him.”
“Scarlett Moon?”
“It is the name of an organization that is fighting against Prince. It seems like they are only doing charitable work, but they claimed that Lord Edgar was the henchman of Prince and an imposter posing as the Blue Knight Earl, and threatened him that they will go after his life unless he handed over the sword.”
Lydia knew nothing of this.
It couldn’t be helped since there was no necessity in revealing that to Lydiaif it had nothing to do with fairies. She was only hired as a fairy doctor, and was not a part of their fellows.h.i.+p.

P. 203
But she still felt left out of the circle.
Because, she considered herself a little bit closer than just someone hired.
Even if she thought that what Edgar was saying was filled with lies, there was a part of her that was happy when he displayed signs of friendliness.
Not only was he asking for her work as a fairy doctor, but because she wasn’t an honest member of their group, she remained out of their battle, and felt that she was able to support the part of him that was lonely.
More than anything else, she wanted him to have told her.
Because there could have been something Lydia could have done.
At that time in the carriage, she wouldn’t have said things that sounded more siding with Paul and might have been able to think about Edgar’s feelings.
“Since he didn’t let me know, Lord Edgar must have sensed that things would turn out like this when he went to see Foreman.”
“Are you saying that he was going to abandon you? There is absolutely no way he would think that.”
“Foreman is the only person who knows about Lord Edgar from the past.”
That could have been why he wasn’t able to bring himself to harm him. If Paul was gone, Edgar might have felt that he would come to forget who and what kind of person he was.
He was grieving over how he has changed.

P. 204
That’s why he could have been clinging on to Paul who knew him from before he changed.
“Raven, …..It’s my fault too. I had said to Edgar that if he wished, he would be able to come to an understanding with Paul. If I think about it now, Edgar could have been confused to as if he should see him as his enemy and cut him loose or not…. Because, he didn’t seem himself. If I didn’t say anything out of my position, then he might have not let down his guard when he went to see him….”
Lydia covered her face with her hands.
“This isn’t your fault. Lord Edgar always makes his decisions by himself.”
Yes, he was right, Edgar said that he wanted to reconcile with Lydiaand said that it was a ‘last regret.’ He must have already made his decision.
But, could there be a person who doesn’t get confused in their decision. Even as they made their resolve, hearts are made to linger.
Lydia’s overly-peaceful way of thinking would soften the hard tension of Edgar who continues to battle. He might turn his attention to Lydia to seek that, but she could have numbed his sense of smell that sensed any kind of danger.
“Miss Carlton, would you like to see Lord Edgar?”
“……Wouldn’t I interfere his rest?”
“I believe he would want to see you.”
It was as if he was offering a chance for Lydia to say her last goodbyes to him.

P. 205
She was lead into the room and walked over to his pillow side and the housekeeper who was watching over him was polite and left the room.
The color of Edgar’s face was pale and white, and his breathing was barely noticeable unless you got up right up to him.
Lydia softly took his hand into hers. They were so cold and when she remembered how they weren’t usually this way, she wanted to cry.
At the least she wanted to warm them up and blanketed them with her palms.
She didn’t want to never be able to talk with him again. She hadn’t reconciled their friends.h.i.+p back together yet.
Since Lydia didn’t say she forgave him.
It wasn’t like she was all that mad at him. Since Edgar unusually looked like he was sorry for his actions, she was only being bold and thought it would be good if he in good behavior for a little longer.
Since she was always tossed around by him, she thought this was fair enough.
She didn’t know how serious he was and why he would think it his ‘last regret’ for this stupid misunderstanding to continue between him and Lydia, but if things continued at this rate, then this would end as an unbearable regret for Lydia.
And Kelpie. If he didn’t but his head into things then Paul would have thought things over and stopped from trying to kill Edgar.
That part also made Lydia feel responsible as a fairy doctor.
“Pull yourself together. You aren’t a person who would go done easy like this.”

P. 206
If it was usual, he would be opening his mouth to say to half-jokingly to flirt with her.
I have to do something.
Overflowed with a strong emotion, Lydia stood up.
She had been thinking over of a way to save him. There was one way that might be possible.
Unexpectedly, she didn’t have any hesitation. Once she decided that that was the only way, she rushed to leave the room.

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