Hakushaku to Yousei

Lord Constable was also going to be at the table of the evening banquet. Edgar, of course, knew that. 

That being said, there was no reason to shy away from it. Although Edgar was unhappy to see his face, he needed to wait for Madame Oughtred before the appearance of another important guest.
Therefore, before meeting, Edgar intended to rightfully go to the banquet in the dining room. First seated was Lord Constable who, with sharp eyes, suddenly glared at Edgar as he spoke. 
“Earl  Ashenbert, how unexpected it is to see you here. Have you changed your mind? If you plan to grovel to me, so that my elder sister and I could reconcile, you may as well speak your words.” 
-- --Oh goodness. Edgar laughed inside. 
“Speaking of which, you and Madame Oughtred are siblings. However, this was allegedly detested and ignored by the late Mr. Oughtred.” 
The Lord Constable obviously became enraged, but he also refuted. 
“It was only my sister who became estranged from me.” 
“But, now that you want to face her and reconcile with your estranged sister, what do you mean? Rumor has it that you took a fancy of Madame’s property.” 
"Did you just insult me?" 
“I’m merely speaking from rumors of the city streets.” 
“For what reason did you approach my sister? I heard that in this world, there are unscrupulous people who will seduce middle-aged widows for fame and fortune.” 
“My fiancee will be in Madame Oughtred’s care in a few days. So I came to say h.e.l.lo. ” 
Even though Constable heard rumors of a fiancee, when it was uttered as a fact by Edgar himself, Constable went silent. He was probably shocked that the rumors were true. 
In that moment, he thought he could quietly eat the meal. 
“So unexpectedly shameless!” 
Lord Constable again began to make noise. 
“Having a fiancee on one side while calmly flirting with my daughter--” 
“Or your daughter may not be writing down the truth in her diary? Speaking of diaries, because no one would see, there could also be casual imagination included.”  
“If nothing had happened, such as promiscuous matters, she would not have imagined it.” 
“Indeed. Since she has never done an indecent thing or have an indecent imagination, because your daughter must truly be on the proper side, doesn’t the side with imagination sound better in comparison?” 
Lord Constable’s cheeks flushed red. At that moment, he stood up. 
“Not pleased. Lord Ashenbert, I will not let this matter go.” 
Abandoning his speech, Constable suddenly stopped eating his meal to leave. 
Edgar didn’t like to make enemies in society, but there was no other way. 
All in all, regarding this matter, Edgar was purely innocent. And even if he wasn’t, for Edgar, it wasn’t difficult for him to remain on the proper side anyway.  
More or less, there were solutions to this. Even if the problem escalated, Edgar knew how to strike back and he could make the other party disappear from society. 
It was only because he didn’t want the event to spread to Lydia’s ears. 
Finally, with great difficulty, Lydia gradually believed in him and his sincere love, but it was likely going to be impossible now. 
However, there was still a few days before Lydia would arrive 
-- or Edgar so still believed. 
“I can finally enjoy the meal.” 
Edgar then called out to the butler to select him a gla.s.s of champagne. 
“Yes, this is fine wine. Worthy of Madame Oughtred’s mansion.” 
“You do me too much honor.”
“The dishes are also very good. However, since the widow withdrew from society, the banquet was not even held. Ah, what a pity. The skill of the chef and the hospitality of the servants, all of it cannot easily compare with other mansions!” 
“Despite the lack of a grandiose event, the flow of guests who come to respect and admire the Madame is ceaseless. We work in order to simply not tarnish the Madame’s reputation.” 
The butler, though modest, expressed a face of joy.  
If one wished to live comfortably in someone else’s home, other than the homeowner, obtaining a favorable impression from the servants was the right way to go.
Furthermore, Edgar calculated that, if their impression of him was good, he could insist on Constable being arrogant as well. 
Lord Constable’s impression could indeed become worse.  
Servants are not to be belittled. Opinions of the senior servants working for years could even influence the masters’ thoughts. Even if the content of Lucinda’s letters became a problem, he also wanted Madame Oughtred to feel that Edgar’s words were genuine. 
“Can you give me a little more of this basil sauce?”
The butler picked up the gla.s.s vessel and at the server, who stood blankly in a daze, he winked at him. However, the server did not immediately notice. 
“Billy.”
The server beside him cried out under his breath, surprised as he regained his senses. 
It seemed as if he was completely unused to work. 
The server finally came to the side. With the stiff movement of his hand gestures, the server’s spooning was also quite clumsy. 
Edgar stared at the firm hand, feeling as though the sauce was slightly not evenly spread. 
Those hands, not matched for servants, was a hand that was clearly used to handling weapons.
*
For Annie who was combing Lucinda’s hair, her sincere hand gestures carefully grasped the hairbrush. 
“Wait a minute, the pain!”
The young maid jumped in fright, slightly bowing her head. 
The movement was obviously slow, so what was so wrong? Lucinda worried as if it burned. 
“Help me hang more beautiful hair curls. I want to see Earl Ashenbert.” 
When the Earl needed to visit here, Lucinda had already investigated in advance. The relations.h.i.+ps between n.o.ble families were intricately linked. When he visits a family and his a.s.sociates, whenever there was a discussion, there were always some people who knew  of these things. 
Of course, because people pay attention to any notable affairs of the Earl Ashenbert, they could actually go inquire about ‘who were those he became intimate with’ or also ‘where servants go for exchanges, which were growing more and more complex’. 
Therefore, when Lucinda especially found out of Earl’s agreed arrangement to visit Madame Oughtred, Lucinda knew the news was a good opportunity. 
She hurriedly changed her travel schedule, all in order to run into the earl. 
“Annie, it’s not this hair ornament. I said it was coral!” 
Annie searched nervously for the coral hair accessories. 
Useless maids. However, Lucinda actually very much liked this recently hired girl.
“Indecisive” Annie was not so bad. The best thing was, this girl was not too talkative. 
Lucinda made up the whole matter regarding the story of the diary. She deliberately allowed her father to see, intentionally having him believe she and Earl Ashenbert were meeting each other. 
With such a secret, Annie would not expose it. 
Letting herself be marked in the Earl’s eyes, with an impression that someone cheated the pitiful girl. Just by being robbed of her lips made her quiver. That sort of face probably arouses more sympathy. 
Lucinda faced toward the mirror with a smile. 
A weak and fleeting smile was perfect. Lucinda very clearly understood that this smiling face would show herself to be quite beautiful. When venturing out to society, her beauty would surely arouse the attention of men. 
“Annie, though for you, you won’t have any luck, marriage is a compet.i.tion. It’s a victory to marry a girl who makes everyone else jealous. If the husband is outstanding, only then can you gain the respect of others in society.”
The maid who found the coral hair accessory quickly placed it in Lucinda’s hair. 
“Of course, not only status, but having good looks is also important. If so, Earl Ashenbert is impeccable. He is secretly admired by many women.” 
Lucinda stood up. This time, she was in front of the dressing mirror to inspect her skirt. With a swift spin, the organdy ruffles of the skirt rose and fell gently. 
“However, to wait will make it impossible for us to get acquainted. Especially with the Earl of Ashenbert, all the women he spoke to, one after another, he had only spoken a few words to them. Therefore, just relying on this brings me ahead of them by several steps.” 
Getting into a marriage envied by everyone, this could bring value to herself before anyone else.  
For the people who thought that those with mothers of inferior status would never have a good marriage, Lucinda was going to make them regret it. 
When she was informed that Earl Ashenbert’s fiancee held the same initials as her, it was in that moment that she fabricated the lies and opened up her opera play. Even just immersing herself in the vision of everyone’s envy was very satisfying. 
Anyway, it was too late for her to escape from this. In any event, she could only try to make this dream into reality. 
She initially planned for her aunt to act as a matchmaker. However, now she had no hope for that because her aunt then fell ill. Therefore, Lucinda could only then rely on herself to try.   
“The remaining problem now is his fiancee.” 
But Lucinda heard from rumors that she was not of n.o.bility. Therefore, she still couldn’t inquire who the girl Earl Ashenbert was going to marry from the rumors. 
“But against a low-cla.s.s woman, that is no compet.i.tion.” 
Regardless which side her mother was from, Lucinda was still undoubtedly the daughter of a Count. No matter what you think, you’re always valuable. Also, her aunt Countess Oughtred was part of the Royal Court as well.
A powerful person. 
Lucinda believed that the love of a gentleman could only depend on the appearance and status of the woman.
*
After Edgar finished his meal, he just returned to his room where he then saw Miss Lucinda was inside.  
Although it was used as a dressing room for meetings, this was still without a doubt a gentleman’s private quarter. Even with a maid, most daughters would not stay in this place. 
Bored, Raven stood in the corner of the room. 
“Excuse me, Earl Ashenbert, to disturb you at this time.” 
“I heard that you did not have dinner in order to rest?” 
Leaving the door open, Edgar stopped at the door.   
“In any event, I wanted to speak with you again. To be here and meet you must be what G.o.d intended.” 
It’s impossible to have that kind of G.o.d! Edgar thought.  
“I love you!”
“Thank you for your love, but I do not deserve it.” 
“It seems that I cannot give up...” 
“Even though the one you exchanged letters with, the one you fell in love with, it’s not me?”
“No, it was because I thought it was you who I was sending my reply to.” 
“I"m sorry, but I already have a fiancee.” 
Lucinda alone averted her eyes, but she did not hesitate to open her mouth again to speak. 
“I heard that Earl Ashenbert had many relations.h.i.+ps. Aren’t there many kinds of lovers in the world? Even though some are married, many men still have a lover out there. But you gradually stopped writing to me. Was it because  your fiancee did not allow it?”
“Like I’ve said, that person was not me.” 
“If it was me, how many other people will forgive you?” 
Didn’t you hear what I said? Really, to be caught by this difficult daughter! Distressed, Edgar grasped his hair. 
“It"s because you do not like me.” 
“No, I love you from the bottom of my heart.” 
Lucinda quietly approached closer to Edgar. Immediately at his side, without her eyes facing him, she whispered.  
“At that time, that person was not you... just kiss me and I will understand.” 
“Who would’ve thought you were such a bold girl.” 
“I became bold because I fell in love.” 
To say that with just one kiss, she’d understand. But that was only an excuse to request for a kiss. However, Edgar was troubled. Even if it was at an excuse to be asked, he didn’t feel disgusted. 
Despite if it was only to indulge in love, the girls who wanted romantic meetings may have wanted to be spoiled.  
If they became real lovers, no matter when they’ve met or if they kissed together, which were all things that were required, there was no reason to hesitate. 
Seeing her close her eyes, with Lucinda slightly lifted her feet, why wasn’t she Lydia? Edgar sighed with regret. 
Even if it was a cute excuse, if it was Lydia who requested it, Edgar would be very happy to do so. 
Is it not Lydia who treats her own love as inferior to Lucinda’s, the person who says she likes Edgar?
Perhaps, instead of saying that she was in love, it would be better to say that Lydia, who knew Edgar’s weaknesses and pain, had strong feelings of concern and compa.s.sion for him.(或许，与其说是恋爱，不如说知道爱德格弱点和苦恼的莉迪雅，对自己关爱的感情比较重。)*
“Lord Edgar.” 
With a dignified voice, Raven suddenly spoke. Was he worried that Edgar would carelessly be kissed? 
However, as Edgar looked up, he noted Raven’s attention was outside the door.  
He inadvertently caught Lucinda who naturally came to lean on him. When Edgar turned his head back, he realized that at the doorway was a maid wearing an ap.r.o.n.  
No, it was not a maid. 
Her eyes widened in shock and currently standing frozen before him was Lydia.  
“....Um, I... excuse me.” 
She bowed her head and anxiously ran away.  
Lydia? Why? 
Although bewildered, he didn’t want to know except that he must catch up to her.  
“Raven, I want you here.” 
Edgar pushed Lucinda away as he chased behind Lydia.
Just now, what happened? 
Confused, as Lydia ran, she remembered the scene where Lucinda and Edgar were about to kiss.  
Could the fiancee that Lucinda mentioned be Edgar? 
It wasn’t impossible. In fact, Edgar, who had affairs with any woman, possibly could’ve exchanged contact with Lucinda through flirtatious talk. 
But, Edgar said to Lydia he had broken up with the other women already. 
Was it because Lucinda was so desperate that he did not break up with her? 
.....Voluntarily closing your eyes, with a real urging att.i.tude. 
At first, Lydia thought that Lucinda was not different from her because of their ages. But the girl had already been conscious of her ident.i.ty as a fair maiden, being able to elegantly show her appearance and mentally prepared herself for marriage.
Conscious of marriage and, perhaps, she already knew how to be a n.o.ble wife as well. 
Lucinda certainly knew how to socialize with men better than Lydia. 
Such as waiting for a kiss, that Lydia just couldn’t do. Having already lost a large portion in this battle, with her decisive defeat, Lydia felt the pressure weigh on her body. 
After running into a dark hall, with no one else around, Lydia gradually let out a sigh. 
Letting him see herself wearing an ap.r.o.n, Lydia’s mood suddenly dropped ice cold. 
It would be better to speak with a complete lack of sense already, perhaps this would be more honest.
But, with a naturally, beautiful lady compared to herself, that already was a problem. 
Moreover, even if it wasn’t that perfect woman who was in pursuit, Edgar’s heart would’ve probably been moved. 
With things like this, what should we do? 
Even as she thought all of that, Lydia was exhausted. She was depressed, and there was no way for that to disappear. 
And after marriage, it will become concrete. Lydia was still confused about a great variety of things. With this, Edgar must have certainly begun to feel that Lydia, as the bride of an earl, was unsatisfactory.  
“...Right. As Edgar always says sarcastically, nothing to marriage can be prepared, it is better to give up.” 
“It wasn’t that kind of thing!” 
That was Edgar’s voice. 
“In fact, as long as you"re here, I don"t need anything.” 
Edgar walked into the hall and stood face-to-face with her, forcing Lydia to retreat near the window. 
“Why do you wish to escape?”
Not only was it dark, they were the only two people there. She always felt that was dangerous. 
Even though it was improper to think such a thing was dangerous with a fiance, the tension in her body couldn’t help but feel this way. 
“I was startled, Lydia. I thought you were coming next week.” 
The fact that she was never even contacted, that might’ve hurt Lydia’s feelings.
Without knowing she was present, Edgar felt regret and nervous after meeting with Lucinda. Even so, although he was unhappy, Edgar miraculously  s.h.i.+fted the mood of blame, which made Lydia slightly uncomfortable. So unconsciously, Lydia put it in the past. (所以不知不觉，莉迪雅背了过去。)* 
“.....It was urgent. The d.u.c.h.ess Masefield’s eldest daughter had fallen critically ill, therefore I came to stay here ahead of time.” 
“Oh.” He finished saying, as Edgar placed his hands on Lydia’s shoulders. 
“Oh, about the Miss.” 
“Well, it seems that she likes you very much!”
“It is a little misunderstanding. It was only to confirm if I was the one who spoke with her, E.A., a man with those initials.” 
Isn’t that you? She swallowed the words she wanted to say. 
“Although I denied it with her, she wouldn’t understand. It was very troublesome. She also intruded into my room without permission.”  
Well said, very close! 
“And it’s Madame Oughtred’s niece. So, it cannot be said that there shouldn’t absolutely be no compa.s.sion, right?” 
It was as if his preemptive excuse was getting more and more suspicious. 
“That was only the case. Don’t suspect that I am being anything unfaithful. Because in my heart, I only think of you.” 
“...I know.” 
Lydia only said so because she thought that, in any case, the moment she had decided to get married, she had to trust in his words. 
“You’re not angry?” 
“This isn’t any matter that will make a person angry.”
Edgar tentatively gazed at her in place. 
Do you want to kiss? 
She couldn’t close her eyes and wait like Lucinda. Not knowing what to do, her anxiety grew. 
It was both dim and there were only two people, so Edgar would not hesitate. However, kisses between two people was too breathless and she was afraid. 
She couldn’t bury away her panicked feelings. Her feeling of wanting to escape was probably very explicit as well. 
Edgar then removed his hands from Lydia. 
She was only afraid. But because she was too surprised and confused that Edgar did not kiss her, she took a peep at his face. 
He still held an unhappy expression. 
“Why are you not angry? That kind of situation, you can be suspicious of me.” 
She didn’t understand what Edgar was saying, so Lydia didn’t speak. 
“That’s not a place to only say an apology and then leave. If a woman were to appear in a lover’s room, it’s common sense to beat hard at the man and chase away the lover.” 
Common sense, did he think this was normal? 
“If you’re angry, I will apologize until you forgive me. Then, we can make up (be reunited) again.  Shouldn"t it be like this?” 
“But, but, it"s not your fault...” 
“You’re not jealous?” 
It wasn’t that kind of meaning. 
“Because... it’s so strange for a servant to do so.” 
Edgar then realized Lydia was wearing the maid uniform. 
“Yes, why is your appearance like this? Through d.u.c.h.ess Masefield’s introduction, you should be coming here as guest?”
“Well, I do not know, for it was Madame Oughtred’s idea.” 
“Madame? Did she ask of you to do maid work?”
“Because of the Madame’s current situation, it seems she was unable to speak privately. Perhaps prior to that, she informed the head maid, Mrs. Boyle, to let me in as a maid.”
Edgar sighed, placing Lydia’s braids in his hand. 
“This is also lovely. However, I do not approve of you to work. Return immediately.” 
“No, oh no, Edgar. I cannot return without permission.” 
“The Madame is ill and in bed now. She cannot teach you anything in any case. You are here to learn society etiquette, so it doesn’t make sense for you to be a maid.” 
“But even if I do not understand the Madame’s intentions, I can’t be disrespectful. This may make her think I am a girl who cannot learn manners.” 
Edgar would also be turned into a scandal. 
“But your hand is wounded.” 
The innumerable abrasions were caused by picking roses. 
“It’s all right. These are only minor injuries.” 
Lydia hurriedly hid her hands. At the same time, she supposed that her clothes may be the reason why Edgar did not kiss her as he usually did. 
Perhaps it was hesitation on the gap between the dazzling Miss Lucinda and Lydia. (或许是犹豫於莉迪雅和耀眼的露辛达小姐的差距吧。) *Yes. Even her fiancé was not in the mood. 
“I have something else to do.” 
Gradually wanting to leave this place as soon as possible, Lydia intended to go back. 
Edgar took her wrist to stop her. 
At this time from the upper floor, like a rusty wheel grating, a hoa.r.s.e calling of grief resounded.
The sound dragged on for a while and soon disappeared.  At the same time, they could hear an intense noise, probably issued from Madame Oughtred’s room. 
When Edgar and Lydia hurried to the scene, Lord Constable came, too. Most likely it was because his guest room was near Madame Oughtred’s room. 
Although the Lord Constable was going to open the doors at the end of the waiting room, the doors seemed to be locked. 
“Sir Constable, what happened?” 
He shot Edgar a brief and slightly unhappy look. Nevertheless, while it was rude, he replied to Edgar.   
“I don’t know! I came immediately and called out to her, but there was no response. No sound.” 
“What’s the problem?” 
The man who appeared was Billy who was handling the tea. It seemed that he had also heard the sound, but right now, it was almost the time for all servants to gather in the lower quarters. Perhaps he was trying to wander off, too lazy to work. Lydia was surprised.
She was thinking. 
Will he not be fired? 
“The door won’t open. It’s as if something had happened to Madame Oughtred. Do you have a spare key?” 
“Call the butler.” 
It was unclear why Edgar watched with such a menacing look in his eyes at Billy who had hurriedly rushed out.
The butler came right away. 
Opening the door lock, a red-burning stove flame illuminated a room that was nearly too horrendous to look at. 
The chairs and tables were turned over, carpets torn apart. Clocks, vases, cosmetic case, slippers, everything was scattered all over the floor. 
However, there was n.o.body here. 
Lord Constable, whose expression was unexpectedly calm, went towards the end of the room and opened the bedroom door, saying. 
“Oughtred, Madame?” 
Even though they were brother and sister, he actually spoke with the etiquette of an outsider. The reason was because they had become so estranged. 
There was no response, and the bedroom was also messy. 
Edgar headed for the edge of the bed, looking down at something unbelievable. Lydia looked as well, a rabbit corpse with a knife laid on the bed. 
“Madame Oughtred turned out to be a rabbit.” 
Although Edgar joked, no one laughed. 
“S-stop joking. Where’s my sister?” 
“The Madame couldn’t have left the room. The door was locked from the inside.” 
“Perhaps from the window?” 
Billy looked outside the open window. 
“If you jumped off the roof of the second floor, you can escape.” 
“Then, she escaped from the window.” 
Edgar said. 
“Escape? My sister killed a rabbit, why is it necessary to escape?” 
Constable suddenly snapped impatiently. 
“I’m not saying that Madame escaped.” 
While checking the rabbit and knife, Edgar asked. 
“The knife is the Madame’s?” 
“No, I don’t remember seeing it.” 
The butler answered. 
“This rabbit is cold, so it does not seem to have just died. However, the handle part is warm. It seems that a person had grasped it firmly just now.” 
“I don’t get it! Then, who sent out the sad cry?” 
“That must certainly be a fairy.”
Lydia unwittingly opened her mouth. 
Startled eyes focused on her face which made her almost ashamed. But because Edgar was on her side, nodding in agreement, Lydia continued on with courage. 
“I think it was probably a fairy pretending to be Madame Oughtred. It had been living in this house. These pa.s.sing days, the Madame was different than usual, right?  Closed in the room. Responding, eating the food  and tea is the fairy.” 
“Then, the strange sound just now is a fairy cry?” 
Only Edgar had listened carefully. However, she still had to convey what she knew to everyone. 
Because they were things only fairy doctors would understand, Lydia decided to continue talking with dead determination, refusing to stop. 
“Well, it was because someone entered in here. Perhaps, the a.s.sumption that ‘only the black-haired woman remains’ is a fabrication set up by the thief. Nevertheless, even the guests were having their doubts. Therefore, the fairy made that kind of sad song. Because it became the model of the Madame, the fairy tried to cause trouble by messing up the room. The offender was so startled and thus fleed.” 
“Ridiculous! What fairy!? My sister is suffering from a sudden onset of strange behavior, and you’re saying it’s not a disease, right? It isn’t unreasonable that you would want to hide the person in the room, but I do not think a fairy tale can deceive us.” 
Lord Constable angrily glared at Lydia and then the butler before walking out of the room.  
Well, rather than a rabbit, isn’t it a fairy corpse? 
Billy seemed excessively startled, which was a bit unusual. 
“This is a fairy wearing fur. Because it was hurt, it became angry and wild, and then it vanished.” 
“What about the Madame?” 
Even though Lydia spoke little, for fear of spouting nonsensical gibberish, she was still asked about Madame Oughtred’s whereabouts. 
“It is not clear. But in general, with a fairy circle exchange, perhaps she is in the fairy world.” 
“....Fairy circles... are you sure?” 
“.....If a fairy is living in the house because the Madame agreed, then to disturb the fairy, you would a.s.sume the contract had been destroyed. Destroy the contract. Those were words fairies do not forgive easily. Also, there is a possibility they will harm the Madame.” 
The butler lowered his shoulder in dismay. 
“Then this is how the fairy tale will end. Precisely because someone, with the purpose of using a knife, walked in here.” Billy said. 
“Wasn’t it for the intentions of murdering the Madame? Wasn’t the goal for this was to commit a robbery? Was anything stolen?”
Edgar asked, and the butler made a slight tour of the room, opening the side drawer of the bed. 
“The Regard necklace is gone. It was carefully placed in here.”
“Is it possible that the Madame is wearing it?” 
“The necklace is huge. It was so eye-catchingly extravagant that it seemed to completely cover the low neckline of her evening gown, therefore she rarely took it off...” 
“Then, there is the possibility of the goal was aimed at the lesser expensive things. To confirm, let’s see whether the other gems are still fine.” 
“All the other gems are behind the door.” 
In the corner of the bedroom, there is a rose sculpture. One could also see that the door was made of bronze relief. For adults, they must buckle their body in order to pa.s.s through the small door. 
“But it’s locked.” 
Edgar seemed to turn the door handle, but it didn’t turn. 
“I heard that the Regard necklace is the key.” 
“I see. So, they needed to steal the Regard necklace. Although there is no other way to open this here, is it not a problem to tell the other guests of this information?”
“This was well known, but only the Madame knows how to unlock it.” 
Edgar once again gazed over the bed and then headed towards the window, putting his hand to the window clasp. 
“How many maids with dark hair are there? You see, there are a couple of long black hairs hanging here. Perhaps they escaped from the window, which caught the hair strands. Madame Oughtred’s hair is not black, is it?” 
The butler obediently nodded. 
“The maid thing, ask Mrs. Boyle. Right, Lydia, you ask her to come here.” 
“Yes, Sir.” 
Edgar seemed as if he wanted to say something to the housekeeper who had ordered Lydia around but quickly shut his mouth when Lydia shook her head. 
“I will also go. There’s a thief. With a woman wandering around, I will worry. Also, call the police as soon as possible.” 
Edgar angrily glared at Billy in disbelief upon hearing his words. However, he did not oppose Billy’s words. 
“The knife holder is indeed likely to wander around. Isn’t it better to call the police? Whether the Madame is somewhere in the house or was kidnapped, it is necessary to investigate either way.” 
But the butler thought for a moment and then spoke cautiously. 
“No, Earl Ashenbert, this degree of matter is foreign outside... Can you allow us to conceal it for a while? Of course, the Government would investigate. However, the Madame usually had said to us, when by chance she should suddenly go missing, she wanted us to keep quiet for at least a month. Because otherwise, there is a possibility she may be unable to come back.” 
“These sudden disappearances were often?” 
“Although with the Madame, this was the first time, the Oughtred family ancestors and previous late owner had many [disappearances].” 
There was a feud with the Denmark fairies for generations. Lydia thought. 
And with fairy exchanges, even if one thought that it was only about an hour, at home they were actually gone for a few days. 
“But, perhaps there’s a dangerous person out there, do you want to leave it alone?” 
“Let it go, Billy, this is what the Earl Oughtred’s tribe has been protecting for generations. If we don’t deal with it calmly, things will go bad.” 
“I think this is better.” 
If she was taken away by fairies, it was indeed not appropriate to make a scene. This mansion, all of its land and fields used to be the place where the [tribe] would play; if a great number of people were to carelessly enter, it would be as if the place was intruded upon.
The worst part was if the fairies were to leave this place, they would block the entrance. Then, humans cannot go back. 
“Then, I will thoroughly investigate it. Let me catch this petty thief. Perhaps the clue ‘only black-haired women’ is concluded to be the criminal’s disguise. ” 
Towards the troubled butler, Edgar gave a sad, guilty expression. 
Billy was about to lead Lydia out. 
“You’re only supposed to be minding the tea, but you create quite a sensation!” 
Edgar gave a faint smile, clearly unsatisfied with Billy’s att.i.tude. What was following
Lydia made him angrier than being doubted. 
“If the criminal is not a female, you are one of the suspects.” 
Billy pretended not to hear it.
(PS: each time the "デーン" translated into Denmark, felt strange, who is interested please check it for me, I"d be grateful. ) **original note from chinese raw, the t/n
In conclusion, the only item that disappeared from Madame Oughtred’s room was the Regard necklace. 
Who was the black-haired woman? It was still a mystery. Although there were several maids with black hair, they were all confirmed to be in the worker’s lower-level housing at that time. Moreover, it was not even a suspicious place. 
Even with the Regard necklace, was it truly stolen? Perhaps a lady was wearing it.
Even if the whole house was searched, the whereabouts of that woman would be impossible to determine.
Because it was early in the morning, Lydia began to tidy up Madame Oughtred’s room, while carefully looking for the fairy who was able to let her have contact in this room, but it seemed that nothing could be found.
“Hey, Lydia, I finally found you. What are you doing in here?” 
Lydia sat slumped on the floor, making a potpourri of flower petals, and she heard Nico’s voice. 
The gray fairy cat slipped in from the window. Putting his hand on its waist, he stood before Lydia with a grand att.i.tude. 
“What? You came!” 
“What do you mean ‘what’? I was afraid that you would be lonely.” 
Although it was lonely, a lot of things had happened and now was not the time to have such feelings. 
“Why do you want to dress like a maid? Is this how a bride studies?” 
“That is... ” 
“But this room, it’s filled with fairy footprints! The ceilings and walls have trails of something walking up and down.” 
Nico said, as he quickly jumped onto a high quality chair. 
“Oh, Nico, you know fairy traces better than I do. The Madame may have been kidnapped by the Denmark tribe. I would like to talk to them. You have a solution?” 
“This... Is this the Denmark tribe? 
Nico stroked his whiskers, squinting with difficulty, as he pondered over the situation. 
“The fairies loathe mankind due to their greed and vainly wanting their treasures. Once you approach, you will be treated as a thief.” 
“However, the fairy was in the Madame’s room. They must’ve have spoken with Madame Oughtred.” 
“With the Danish, having an impartial dialogue is impossible, for they only know of secrets. They will only tell you their secrets if they are hara.s.sed or tricked.” 
“Secrets?” 
“The location of their treasure, of course.”
“But, what if by chance someone overheard them talking?” 
 
From this, if the secret wasn’t leaked, would she be able to obtain their trust? 
“Speaking of which, in this room, there was a person that one of the Denmark tribe had made a contract with.” 
Lydia then overlooked the scenery outside the window. There was a rose garden in front of the path. 
Along the side of the hedge, something was moving. She could see Edgar walking. 
Also, a girl dressed in a red skirt came running by the houses. She called Edgar to catch up with him, and it seemed that they were talking happily.  Then, in this way, the two people were walking side-by-side. 
Edgar’s face couldn’t be seen. However, he was certainly showing a very kind smile. 
Yesterday, Edgar said that Lucinda mistook him for someone else in a letter. Was that true? 
Though he [normally] has love for a girl, when a girl gets close, it has always been impossible for her to break through his tough sh.e.l.l. 
Edgar was probably very proud. Both walked together, smiling at each other. But, Lydia felt something different, it was not unpleasant feelings. She didn’t understand why, but each time Lucinda was in his room, she would angrily force them out.
Kissing was not a joke. 
However, different from the unpleasant feelings, her overall feeling was just depressed. Because the women generally close to Edgar were self-confident and dazzling, Lydia seemed to not be like this. 
“What, did the Earl also come?” 
Nico seemed to stick his head out the window to take note of Edgar. 
“So, the Earl and the woman wearing a red dress are walking gracefully. Did you actually become a maid to learn to be a bride? 
“Eh, no way! It seems such girls like Lucinda had already completed their education early on, leaving them to cross the final bridge into society, only appearing in social circles.” “Right! Nico, you help me. Hurry up and get the work done, I have a place to go.” 
“Oh? You want this gentleman to be the maid’s helper?” 
“I want to borrow a cat’s hand! (original T/N: j.a.pan proverbs "cat の も borrowed りたい" busy as a bee.)” 
“I’m not a cat!”
Lydia, after finis.h.i.+ng the Madame’s room, went to see the gardener, Virginia. So, with Nico, she walked toward the rose garden. 
Just like yesterday, from the rose garden of Oughtred’s Mansion and into the bushes. Soon, they came to a mist hanging like a layer of gauze, in full bloom was the incredible fairy rose garden.
Because she couldn’t see the figure, Lydia stepped toward the log cabin.
“h.e.l.lo! Virginia.” 
After the greeting, the door opened. 
“Oh Lydia, you came again. Oh? The kitten also wanted to come?” 
“I’m not a cat. I’m a fairy.” 
“Oh, it can talk. It can also stand up and walk with very high-spirits.” 
Nico, who was being softly caressed on the head began to feel his anger dissipate from Virginia’s tone. 
“The gardener’s wife must truly be a spontaneous person to want to live in the fairy rose garden.” 
“Come in and let’s talk about it. It’s going to rain.” 
After a while after entering, just as she said, it began to drizzle outside the window. 
Nico sat down in a chair, re-grooming the knots of his hair.  It was only when Lydia watched Virginia brew the rose tea did she begin to talk. 
“Actually, I was thinking of asking the Denmark tribe about a few things. So, I thought the reason why you and the Denmark tribe had contacted each other several times was because you were familiar with fairies.” 
Virginia tilted her head to the side, vexed. 
“I can’t be as close to them as you are. While they took a fancy to me to let the roses bloom, but they often only make a sound and never appear.” 
“Then, situations like asking them to come out and asking for information won’t do?”
“After the call, there was sometimes a response, sometimes not. However, the situation is a little strange today. I bloomed a new rose this morning, but they didn’t say anything. And yet, I still cannot leave the rose garden.” 
The gardener placed the rose tea on the table and pointed to the window of the potted plants. 
There were Dwarf Golden roses in full bloom. 
The golden-yellow roses looked like a piece of art carved from crystalline amber. If you touched one of the soft petals, it would immediately bounce back against your fingertip. 
“How beautiful!” 
“Thank you.” 
“But it seems the fairy did not appear because of the incident.”
“Incident?” 
“A thief went into the Madame’s room. But, it looked like the fairy was in the room for they’ve only left a rabbit with the thief’s knife. Because I do not know the Madame’s whereabouts, I thought that the fairies may know.”
The gardener pondered over the situation with a pained expression. 
“A knife... That’s very dangerous!” 
“That’s right. Someone seemed to want to take the Madame’s life, or the Madame’s precious stones and invaded the room.” 
“Is it the Regard necklace?” 
Why did the gardener know that the gem was the Regard necklace? Lydia’s mind vaguely flickered some doubts but that vanished immediately because she then heard the voice of a fairy. 
(Virginia, that person is a liar!) 
Startled, the gardener and Lydia were silent. 
But Nico kept the position of picking up his teacup, his ears moved slightly. 
(Breaking the contract, they took us from the room in a rush.)  
(Although this household had been in contact with us for a long time, they are already untrustworthy. After this place is filled up, we will leave!) 
“... Oh, wow.” 
The gardener sighed, as she mumbled. She probably understood that it was difficult to keep the fairies still by words and feelings. Likewise, it was hard to change their minds.  
However, Lydia is a fairy doctor. Even if it was difficult for humans and the fairies to bargain, it was still part of her work. 
“Danish fairy, this is a misunderstanding. Madame Oughtred has not destroyed the contract. It was only a thief that had broken into the house.” 
(Thief? Don’t joke around. If it were this, it is more critical. If you don’t leave, the rose garden will be taken away.) 
This would be asking for trouble. 
Lydia’s anxiety impatiently burned as she tried to think of a way. She then spoke to the Danish fairy. 
“What about Virginia? New roses bloomed this morning. Please let her leave out of here.” 
(The contract was destroyed last night. Virginia cannot leave. )  
So you’re saying Virginia and the rose garden would be buried together? 
That’s not possible. We must be sure to save her. 
Moreover, Madame Oughtred’s whereabouts were still unclear. If the fairies vanished, won’t the Madame be stranded in the fairy realm then?
Determined, Lydia turned to face the direction where the sound came from. 
“Listen clearly, Danish fairy. I am a fairy doctor. I know the secret which you value so much.” 
“Hey, Lydia!”  
Nico, with a panicked look, banged his teacup down with a clatter. 
(Say what? Really?) 
Sure enough, the Danish fairy’s voice became anxious again.
(.... There is no way. You can say a wish. You know, we are a family of secret exchanges, we can make your wish come true. )  
Because Lydia didn’t actually know the secret, she certainly wouldn’t immediately make a wish.  
In short, it was to buy time. 
“This, I have to give it a bit of thought.  Therefore, before then, you must stay in this room. If you just leave, perhaps I would tell the secret to someone else.” 
(......Five days after, before the dawn of the full moon.  After that, I will not wait. )  
“I understand! I have already set it up.” 
The agreement was established. As if running into the ceiling, the fairy left behind faint footsteps which gradually disappeared.
Upon noticing that the atmosphere had settled, Nico spoke. 
“Lydia, what did you say! If your lies get exposed, this could be a big blow!” 
“But Nico... There was no other way. In short, if we know before the lies were revealed, if we know of their buried treasures, isn’t that fine?”
“That’s impossible to know!" 
Nico stood on the chair, grasping the hairs on his head which left it in disarray again. 
“You are really reckless! You must think clearly!" 
“But Nico, in any case, the only way to obtain their secrets is through their cooperation.” 
Then, Lydia smiled to Virginia. 
“Rest a.s.sured, I always find a way.” 
“Lydia, you don’t have to worry about me anymore. Because I clearly know that a.s.sociating with fairies is very dangerous, but I still frequently pa.s.s in and out here. Unfortunately, I was unable to meet with my friend.” 
“Friend?”
With nostalgic eyes, Virginia narrowed her eyes and stared off into the distance. 
“It should be coming soon. Since the time for the nice roses to fully bloom, I went and sent out the letter. Based on certain matters, we had not seen each other in ten years. However, even if we were separated, for a friend’s bond was not forgotten. I promised that one day I will have a blue rose bloom for her. She and I agreed that, at that time, no matter what happened, we would come.” 
Blue Roses. 
Lydia had also heard that people now were still unable to make it fully bloomed. 
“Have the blue roses been in full bloom before?”
The gardener stood up and gestured to Lydia to go outside the room with her hand.
The rain had stopped. 
A rainbow now appeared in the rose garden. Mounting on the stone steps, arriving at a place that was slightly higher than the rest, there was only one planted rose tree. And attached to it were a few swollen flower buds.  
“Five days later, on the night of the full moon, it will rise up along with the moon and bloom.”
The woman began to feel that she was unable to leave this fairy rose garden. 
Perhaps it was because only in here could she make blue roses go in full bloom.
Lydia suddenly thought. 
In order to realize the agreement with her friend, even if it was dangerous, she continued to come here repeatedly. 
“Lydia, do not come to here again. ......Madame"s matter, you can only allow nature to take its course. If any person visits to ask of the blue rose, I only want to ask you to convey to her ,‘It has really already gone in full bloom.’” 
The women said decidedly.