P. 203
Ulysses must have targeted Oscar, who came from America to visit his uncle to study and approached him. He then took away Oscar’s possessions and life, and masqueraded as him and entered England.
By doing that, Ulysses was able to easily enter the house of Mr. and Mrs. Collins who was going to meet Oscar for the first time.
It turned out to be a sheet of copper the size of someone’s palm. The sailboat and angel motif on it was beautiful and one could see it as a pictoral, but what was important was the pattern inside the picture.
P. 204
“It apparently is a charm to ward off evil.”
“This copper sheet had been recently reproduced. The year of the original is unknown, but it was apparently made by the order of the Blue Knight Earl.”
Before Edgar had gained the name of earl, according to record, the last earl who appeared in England was a man from three hundred years ago, and he had a mistress who was a lady painter. From that connection, the ‘Scarlet Moon’ which was an organization of decorative painting artists had been investigating about the earl family ancestors by Edgar’s orders.
“Was there a necessity to protect someone from evil forces?”
“Then the original?”
Raven pointed to a part of the picture. It was a crest drawn on the sail of the sailboat that was crossing the rough waters.
P. 205
William I was the Norman King that entered this land, on the sh.o.r.es of Hastings. He won his battle and became the King of England and became the ancestor of the royal family that continued till now.
“It is possible.”
“However, why would the Blue Knight Earl make a charm for the land that the Conqueror came on?”
It was just recent that he was able to find out that Prince was the one who annihilated all of those who had the Blue Knight Earl’s blood running in them. He thought that Prince was frightened that the earl who was close to the fairies and could freely use magical powers would arrive.
“An invasion from evil, huh. What is that pointing to?”
“I cannot answer that, but, only in Hastings almost lies on the straight line that connects between London and Paris. It could be thought that the charm was useful as fortress to protect England from invasions from over the sea.”
That was hard to believe.
Sorcery was forbidden by the Church, but there were kings and feudal lords who secretly safeguarded and researched the art of sorcery.
“Then what does Prince want to do with the spell of the Blue Knight Earl?”
“……He wants to destroy it.”
“Ulysses said it was going to be destroyed.”
It was a silly and stupid joke.
“But, Prince was successful in the underground societies in America, so there could the possibility that he might be wis.h.i.+ng to conquer London. Either way, if he’s intending on coming to England, then he’ll need to cross the Channel, and he might just be comparing the Conqueror to himself.”
“If we want to prevent Ulysses and Prince’s motive, then we need to protect the Blue Knight Earl’s spells, but I wonder how on earth you would try and break such a thing?”
At Raven’s question, Edgar pointed out the window. They could see a hill that curved up over the sea sh.o.r.e.
“So, you mean that hill itself is…”
When he brought up Lydia in his mind, his worry and anxiety for her was increased inside him again.
P. 208
He did think that it wasn’t good to get Lydia involved in his quarrels with Prince, but on the other hand, Edgar was thinking of Lydia as a reliable military strength.
If it were comrades like Raven and Ermine who shared the same goal to fight, then danger and pain was a chance they were prepared for. Edgar made sure to pay every attention to detail he could for their lives, but he had required them to face dangers. That’s why he didn’t think about it every hard and had forced Lydiato bare it too.
If he wished to seriously have her stay by his side even if he used the option of a foul engagement, then she was not military strength. She was a girl who Edgar needed to entirely protect.
He suddenly realized that and was even disgusted at himself.
What giving your daughter out for marriage meant was that their daughter, who they raised up so preciously and her future was going to be entrusted out to someone. If her parent had that strong of a resolve, then the responsibility of the fiancé was heavy. To marry meant that they were in a position of taking over all of what the parent was responsible for.
Even though he claimed to be her fiancé, he didn’t give her what should naturally be given to her, so it was natural for Lydia not to be able to trust him, so she was sure to be deeply disappointed in him right now.
He wasn’t going to deny that it was the obvious att.i.tude of a man who had his fiancée taken as a hostage.
As he looked out the window, Edgar let out a sigh.
“Yes, she would.”
But when he was told that so easily, it was a mystery how that made him change to the feelings that he wanted to recover himself.
“Lord Edgar, would it not be best to first think up a way to rescue Miss. Carlton.”
“You seem like your usual self so I’m relieved.”
“Now, as long as he isn’t killed, then it would allow us to move around more easily,”
“Viscount…..” came a weak voice on the verge of tears.
“Perfect timing, what are your results?” asked Edgar.
To end up using Palmer who came begging for his own life, must mean that Ulysses was acting on his own for this mission, determined Edgar.
P. 211
The chained selkies are secretly desire Lydia’s help. If he didn’t want to have them get near her, and since there was n.o.body else, then he would use Palmer for the time being.
Edgar knew that Palmer might be killed and yet he used him in order to get an idea of Ulysses and Lydia’s situation, and he was aware that that part of him was what appeared too cold-hearted that Lydia couldn’t accept, but he changed his mind because he was in the middle of a battle right now.
“Uh, but….., are you really going protect me? Since I’ve done this kind of thing, if I’m spotted by Oscar, then I’ll be killed.”
“Either way, you were next in line to be killed. Since Oscar seemed like he wanted to kill me last. Besides, there is no advantage for him to have you seriously come to his side.”
“That’s right. In order to save yourself, you’re only left with contributing to my victory. Of course, I’ll put my efforts in making sure you come out alive and can return home.”
P. 212
“Although I can’t guarantee it. Raven, let’s go.”
Palmer quickly returned to make a tragic expression, but when his shoulder was pushed, he finally started to walk.
“Suzy, it sounds very quiet.”
The sea was rough and turbulent as usual. They could hear the endless beating sound of the wind. And yet it felt so quiet.
“Yes, you’re right, my lady.”
“The color of your face looks well this morning.”
“It could be because the young miss’ suitor has finally been decided.”
As she made a smile, the Mrs opened the palms of her hand and looked down at the cameo brooch.
Suzy was suspicious and wondered if she had taken it out of her daughter’s room.
Suzy widened her eyes in disbelief.
“What?”
“She is Teresa, is she not?”
Even though Suzy said that, she had the feeling that her lady really did know what was going on. She was gently stroking the faint pink cameo like she was reminiscing about her daughter.
“I understand very well how my lady loves your daughter. No one would want to believe that they had lost the one they loved so much… But, my lady, Miss Lydia Carlton also has her family and a lover. They are people who care and love her deeply.”
The lady c.o.c.ked her head, but Suzy didn’t let that stop her and continued.
Mrs. Collins looked down to Suzy nervously, then she gently stroked her cheek.
“Oh, no, my lady.”
“Yes, right away.”
Suzy was away from the room for just a short while, but when she returned with the milk, Mrs. Collins had disappeared from the room.
I’m so stupid. Lydia pounded on the door as hard as she could.
When she realized it, the skin on her fingers were sc.r.a.pped and tinged in pain.
There was only one think candle lit. In time, it would burn out and this underground room was sure to turn pitch black.
She started to think that it was all Edgar’s fault that her hands hurt and that it was dark and frightening.
When she was thrown into this room, Ulysses told her:
That would have been so for Edgar when he was hunted down by Prince and having his battles when he was living in the underground society.
He had said that he lost so many fellow comrades.
Give up? That would mean he would abandon Lydia.
Even if he worried about her and tried to save her, it wasn’t that he emotionally thought of her as special.
P. 216
If Edgar were to give up on her, then Ulysses would just kill Lydia who had no value.
One more time, something rustled and she even heard a faint voice.
Could it be?
She opened the lid and saw there was a gray-colored ball of fur inside it.
She rushed to get him out of the box.
“What happened, Nico! Pull yourself together.”
“I’m so hungry.”
P. 217
P. 218
“Since I was locked up, I didn’t eat anything…”
“Ohh, I’ve lost the s.h.i.+ne in my tail coat.”
“In order to maintain the refined silver color in my coat, I need my meals….. Oh, right, Lydia, why on earth are you here?”
In reality, even if this empty-headed fairy cat was here, it didn’t mean that Lydiawas going to be saved.
Nico showed his disappointment and slumped back down again.
“I found a suspicious room. It was made so fairies couldn’t get into it. Which means it’s a room that was made so that the selkies in this house couldn’t enter it, right? When I was hanging around it, I was found by him, and ended up here.”
P. 219
“That’s right, Lydia! The culprit is Lady Collins’nephew. Oscar’s the one behind this! He knew right off that I was a fairy and locked me up in this tin box.”
“We know that already.”
Disappointed once more, he slumped down.
As she said that, in Lydia’s mind, she started to raise her awareness as a fairy doctor.
This wasn’t the time to be irritated at Edgar and pouting in disappointment.
Lydia stood up.
“How? I can’t move a muscle.”
P. 220
“Fairy doctor, are you in there?”
“….Who is it?”
The sound of rus.h.i.+ng water sounded like it was approaching.
When it turned quiet and she lifted her head, the things that were piled up was made into a mess and crushed up against the wall behind her. The door that was destroyed was pushed up against it, but there was no sign of any water anywhere, and Lydia wasn’t even wet.
I thought you couldn’t move a muscle.
The one who appeared was the old woman who was with Ermine.
“Yes. I’m terribly sorry for not being able to do anything, while I was asking for your help.”
“I came here while I made sure he didn’t notice. I had no other choice but to transfer the soul of the dead onto you at his order. I was only able to work around his order by letting you have your freedom during the day, but that was all I could do.”
They were putting their lives at stake and trying to tie their hopes onto Lydia.
“If you destroyed the door and made this much noise, then he’ll know right away that a selkie did it.”
And then, the old woman held out her hand with something in it.
“I removed it from you so that Ulysses wouldn’t take it away.”
When she was thinking that, the old woman said:
Lydiahadn’t taken a direct look, so she didn’t know what kind of gem it was, but she nodded to the sudden information that the old woman gave her.
“Eh.”
She was just talking with Nico that if he had some way to protect himself even though he abused the selkies, then he might have a selkie’s heart.
Because he had a ‘heart,’ Ulysses was able to get close to a selkie that had it’s guard down and captured it. And so he collected more selkies, and stole their coats and put them in submission, but the rage of the selkies was still faced towards him who had the valuable stone.
“Beyond that is unknown to us. Now, hurry, you have to get out of here. Before he finds you.”
P. 223
“Where’s the room you were talking about?”
“Just right now, you were moving just fine!”
“Forget you.”
It seemed like the old woman was going to guide her.
She could see that the selkies who were working as the servants were looking at her from the shadows with a worried look on their face.
Lydia was able to figure out immediately that the selkies that were guiding them were the ones who gathered their powers in trying to break down the door.
He was the type of person who had ill intent and using the selkies’ heart for his benefit. And furthermore, he probably had much more knowledge as a fairy doctor and experience than Lydia.
“It’s here.”
Lydia gripped the doork.n.o.b that the fairies couldn’t apparently touch at all.
She pushed it open gently to a crack, but it seemed like no one was inside.
It was a room which didn’t look at all fit to hide any fur coats.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Lydia had been imagining that the selkies’ coats, which should be quite a number of fur coats-for a dozen or so, and she was going to find them piled up like a mountain, but she was confused as to where such a thing could possibly be hidden.
Since their ‘hearts’ were something that were as small as a gemstone, then they might be in some sort of unexpected form.
She was surprised at the voice and turned around. Mrs. Collins had just walked in with a vase of live flowers in her hands.
She didn’t pay any heed to Lydia who quickly corrected herself and she walked over to open the window.
She spoke like she was talking to herself, and the Mrs picked up a doll of Teresa’s.
Teresa, who was swallowed up by the waves and taken away. This room must have been sealed away from that day.
There was a large possibility that Ulysses had hidden the furs in this unopened room antic.i.p.ating that even the Mrs wouldn’t come into it.
“Oh, it’s full of dust. But, that can’t be helped, since twelve years have pa.s.sed now.”
It looked like it was a make-up kit. When she opened the lid, there were a number of small walnut-sized gla.s.s b.a.l.l.s in it.
Oh, could this perhaps, be the fur coat of the selkies?
Lydia’s heart jumped and she kept the box in her hands as she turned around to face the lady.
“Uh, this really is a beautiful vanity case.”
She made a smile as she let her eyes fall to the floor.
“What….”
P. 227
With her plump hand, she stroked the coral decoration.
Mrs. Collins who said that appeared like she knew what happened with everything.
“Um….”
But she slipped back into her dream once more.
“My lady, oh, here you were.”
“Oh, thank goodness, the misses was here with you.”
P. 228
“Mother, this room is so dusty. Let’s go to the garden.”
“Fairy doctor, Ulysses has-!”
At the same time, the door was slammed shut and she could tell that the door was locked from outside.
Lydia pounded the door, but there was no reply. She could sense the selkie was gone as well.
Suzy stepped over towards Lydia. Mrs. Collins tilted her head in confusion but it didn’t seem like there was any danger yet. However, if something were to happen while they were locked up, then it wouldn’t be any good to her mental state.
“Did you find out who the culprit is?”
Suzy gulped down her air in surprise.
Suddenly, they could smell something burning.
“It’s a fire!”
But from the window, something was thrown in.
When Lydia crouched down in reflex, her eyes saw the sight of the curtain which was engulfed in flames came slowly spreading out down over her.
But her foot caught onto something. A bird cage came falling down onto her.
“Suzy!”
The Mrs had rushed over to Suzy who was on her side and after she put out the fire on her skirt, she hugged the girl in her arms and dragged her towards the wall where the fire hadn’t reached to yet.
P. 230
She dumped the water from the vase on her gown. She then placed it on top of Suzy’s head and desperately tried to stand her up.
Mrs. Collins seemed to have completely forgotten about Lydia and about Teresa.
This is what’s best, thought Lydia. Mrs. Collins was surely going to stop obsessing over Teresa. Because she has realized that she had a ‘daughter’ who cared so much for her, even if they weren’t related by blood.
Oh, that’s right, I need to do something about myself.
When she realized it, she was holding onto the aquamarine pendant.
Lydia finally lifted up herself.
P. 231
And, to put it off, when she fell down, the vanity box flew out of her hands.
“It’s not enough….”
Oh, no. If the coats were burned up, then the selkie would die.
She tested if she could jump through the flames. But the wind that blew in from the window made the flames suddenly rise up.
In that position, she was dragged along.
“Lydia, thank goodness I made it in time.”
“…….Edgar……?”
He pulled her arm and started to walk. When her eyes came to adjust to the light, it was somewhat dark, but she found out that she was in the pa.s.sage way that was used only by the servants.
“Suzy and Mrs. Collins are…”
“And, the coats of the selkies,”
Lydiastood still and was able to turn back the way she came, but Edgar stopped her.
“No, I don’t want to give up!”
“But, … I know, Ermine’s selkie coat might be in one of them. This coat, if this coats gets burned, the selkies will die!”
She remembered how Ulysses said that Edgar was able to make the decision of giving up.
Even if she talked about ideals and dreams, he knew from experience that there were situations where there was nothing one could do. Lydia understood that he was pressured to make an agonizing decision in the past, and then lost his comrades because of it, and just how much he suffered because of that.
How she felt like she was abandoned by Edgar and the loneliness that she felt as she was about to be engulfed in the fire made her closed-minded.
He pulled her shoulder. She knew she had said too much. But he just spoke in a calm manner.
“What?”
You’re kidding….
Then she went in a hurry to go after Edgar.
P. 234
The fire had started to reach the corridor. She could see the flickering light of the flames in the beyond. Just when she thought that, the speed of the fire suddenly increased and it lit up everything around her.
Just when she was about to slump to the floor, her arm was grabbed.
He said to her in a somewhat angered tone and urged her on, to which Lydia honestly followed.
It seemed like Ulysses had lit fires all over the house.
Edgar had stopped and was standing as he looked down to her.
On the palm of his hand that he opened, there was one selkie coat.
“How many are you missing.”
P. 235
P. 236
“You were able to save half of them. But you may think I should say that so lightly.”
The one who was only talk was Lydia.
“I said I would definitely save you.”
“Even if you don’t believe me, I’ll go anywhere for you.”
It wasn’t like he did the impossible for Lydia’s sake. He guessed that there still have enough time and that was why he was able to return.
“What you did must have been easy for you. Otherwise, you would have given up.”
He said it so easily that it was for Lydia, but it couldn’t have possibly been that easy.
P. 237
“It’s all right for you to be angry.”
“I’m saying such unreasonable, horrible things.”
“When I think I got a step closer to you, you always take a step back,” he said and made a sad smile.
He was talking in an unusually serious tone.
She felt him move to sit down next to her, but Lydia still remained with her head down.
“That’s impossible. We are too different.”
Why do you, why are you like that.
He leaned his head to the side, like he didn’t understand.
If Edgar didn’t come and save her, then there was nothing Lydia could have done in the fire.
In that moment, as Lydia was trying to rouse herself into action, she was practically in complete despair.
She only had the pride of a fairy doctor, and didn’t have enough knowledge and experience and there was no one to support her like her mother had.
P. 239
And yet he came.
“That’s why it’s impossible for me. I’m a coward, and there so much that I can’t do on my own. I’m just bluffing, but really I’m frightened out of my mind. Even if I think that I need to help the selkies, it’s impossible for me to face Ulysses. I just want to hurry and run out of here!”
If she was going to face the enemy with him by her side, then she felt like something could be possible.
She wasn’t aware that she was counting on Edgar, so when she felt that he had given up on her, she suddenly became so terrified and fell into despair.
“…..Why are you apologizing?”
“I-I didn’t mean that I wanted that.”
“Ever since I met you, a path of freedom has opened up for me. I would be happy if you would continue to stay with me, and in that case, I want you to count on me. I may not know about fairies, but I think I could support you. …..I feel that I want you to lean on me.”
She stole a glance at him.
Without thinking about what she was doing, Lydia reached out her arm. She brushed his burnt hairs to the side with her fingers, but then he looked at her.
When she realized what was going on, Lydia’s hand was gripped by Edgar’s tightly.
“Wa-wait just a…..”
“….Hmmm, the mood just now was an okay one no matter how you think about it.”
P. 241
He really was unbelievable. We were in the middle of having a serious discussion just now.
“Well, roughly.”
The country house that stood beyond the trees was swallowed up by even more flames.
People were saved by it and she wasn’t scared anymore.
Would you want to marry me?
“What?”
Maybe because she was tired, her consciousness was started to drift away even though it wasn’t evening yet.
She just had the feeling, so she leaned up against Edgar’s shoulder.
P. 242
It could have not been Lydia, but Teresa’s influence that was taking over. And as she was s.h.i.+fting the blame, no matter how much she cuddled up against Edgar, she realized that she felt displeased about it.
When she imagined that it was a hug towards Teresa, she was a little irritated, but if it wasn’t like that, Lydia would be running off in a dash, but in turn, when she thought that she was the one that was reflecting in his eyes, then she thought highly of herself and thought that she was the one receiving all of this in this embrace.
“Teresa?” asked Edgar when he noticed that she made a little fidget.
She was flurried at Teresa and how she placed her hand so casually and easily on his lap, and so Lydia used her influence and made her left hand life up from him.
P. 243
His hand was much more delicate than father’s.
“The house is on fire.”
Teresa turned around to look and became even more surprised when she saw the fire that engulfed the house.
“The wind has changed direction. Let’s move upwind.”