Hakushaku to Yousei

“Hang in there, Edgar!”
Lydia called out several times to Edgar, who laid on the gra.s.s, but he was unresponsive.
She gazed at him, stroked his cheek, and felt the temperature was much colder than usual.
She was worried whether or not he was breathing, and so moved her face closer.
As a result, his body suddenly moved, and his lips came across Lydia’s face.
“Wah!”
Lydia was surprised and hastily sat up.
While lying down, he opened his eyes. His ash mauve eyes were fixed on Lydia, as if he saw something dazzling, and then he smiled in satisfaction.
“Ahh, it’s the usual Lydia.”
Merely seeing him like that, Lydia’s cheeks began to warm up. She was worried that her thumping heartbeat could be heard, so she retreated back in embarra.s.sment.
But even if she maintained a distance that she was comfortable with, it was meaningless. Edgar sat up and quickly leaned over, covering Lydia’s hand with his.
“The matter from last time should have been a dream.”
The matter from last time referred to breaking up.
“......Although it was a dream, it was true.”
“I don’t intend on breaking up with you.”
Even though she tried to withdraw her hand, Edgar wouldn’t let go.
“Hey, don’t be absurd. It was fortunate that you were able to come here, but if that wasn’t the case, you could have died.”
Lydia tried to change the subject.
“And you? Were you worried about me?”
“W--well……”
“You don’t hate me…… I can believe it as such.”
“I had hoped that you wouldn’t take risks for me anymore, but I heard that you boarded the Blue Mens’ ghost s.h.i.+p, so I hurriedly went into the dream…… Kelpie came as well.”
“Kelpie? Where is he?”
“Um, he can’t enter this place. In short, after looking nearby, I saw the Standing Stone on the hill and heard your voice after approaching…… and then you suddenly appeared here.”
He reached out and embraced Lydia’s head gently.
“As long as I do this, I can really feel you, but you’re actually an existence of the dream, right?”
As his body practically seemed to lose strength, Lydia hastily pushed him away.
I am no longer Edgar’s fiancée. I must make him give up on finding the antidote.
But even if he was rejected, Edgar didn’t mind it. He may have thought that Lydia was just being shy like usual.
He stood up, and naturally held out his hand to help her up.
Edgar’s movements were as soft as the flowing air, he treated Lydia like a princess but also as a cherished lover. When she noticed this, her mood was unable to calm down. As Edgar extended his hand, she took it without the slightest hesitation.
I am not his fiancée anymore.
While she took a step forward, Lydia warned herself and let go of his hand.
Edgar merely glanced at her, but didn’t say a word.
After leaving the lone upright stone which stood in the middle of the fields, the scenery was all the same no matter where they looked, such that no matter which direction they headed, they were unable to distinguish it. The flat earth that was covered in gra.s.s continued on without end.
The sky was very blue, and the clean air was refres.h.i.+ng.
The Master’s dreamland didn’t appear to have anything that would frighten people, but this place only had broad monotonous scenery, which made people feel a little lonely.
“Where are we going?”
After walking for a while, Lydia finally felt suspicious and raised a question.
“I’m going to find the Master’s springwater, as long as you drink the water that comes from there, your injury will heal immediately.”
“Even if you find it, it can’t be obtained. Since this place is a dream created by the Master, the things of this dream cannot be brought back to the real world.”
“As long as the Master is awake, won’t his dreams be connected to the real world?”
“No, if that happens, the islands would be in disorder.”
“No matter what, as long as I am alive, the islands’ disaster won’t disappear, and the Unseelie Courts will continue to possess strength. Besides, the islands were already in chaos because of disease and famine, isn’t that so?”
“The situation now is already quite severe, and it will become worse.”
“Are they not suffering through the consequences of their mistakes?”
Edgar spoke with a harsh tone, different from before.
He stopped and looked at Lydia.
“Lydia, we can’t sympathize with the McKeel clan. We already agreed on this. I really do possess the Prince’s memories, but I don’t intend on making this island a stronghold for the Unseelie Courts, nor do I plan on challenging the royal family. The remaining problems should be resolved by the inhabitants of the islands.”
He suddenly pulled Lydia and embraced her tightly.
He embraced Lydia so tightly that it gave her a shock.
“However, they deceived you, deceived us, and got us involved.”
Lydia’s face had no other choice but to tightly press against his chest, and was practically unable to breathe.
He had always been very gentle. He would clearly hold Lydia softly, but now he hugged her as if he was unable to keep calm.
This unyielding embrace disturbed Lydia’s heart more than usual.
"We only want to leave this place, and purely took the necessary actions for this purpose. Even if it brings the McKeel clan trouble as a result, we’re both in the same boat, aren’t we?”
“......Edgar……”
Even though Lydia wanted to properly feel him and embrace him if possible, she still tried to dispel these thoughts.
“Our wishes are not identical to that of the McKeel clan’s. If we wanted to do anything, we can only find ways to retreat and not interfere with each other, can’t we? I don’t think it’s good as long as they are sacrificed, but is it right for us to become the victims? This is unfair.”
“Edgar….. even if you obtain the medicine, I won’t take it, so getting it is meaningless, correct?”
“You might want to take it.”
“No…...”
“Because you haven’t escaped from my embrace.”
Lydia was surprised. She didn’t know when Edgar relaxed his strength but her body still leaned on him.
While she was pondering what to do, a kiss suddenly fell on her ear.
His hand caressed Lydia’s neck, and she lifted her head at his action. And so, a series of kisses fell on her cheeks and eyes.
She already decided that she wanted to break up with him, and that she couldn’t do these things anymore.
Although Lydia thought that, she didn’t have the strength to push him away. She felt her lips overlapping with his and couldn’t help but close her eyes.
He still embraced Lydia tightly.
The tender yet pa.s.sionate kiss made her feel at a loss.
“Stop……”
Despite wanting to say more, her words were immediately sealed once more. Her lips were gently bitten, then overlapped again after parting.
“We’re already…..”
“You still love me.”
Edgar touched Lydia’s cheek, whispering with a very confident expression.
“It’s not like that.”
“If you had been unfaithful and fell in love with another man, then you wouldn’t have accepted me like that. The only one you promised to kiss was me, saying things such as liking Fergus is a lie.”
“........That’s not it.”
After barely managing to escape from Edgar’s embrace, Lydia pressed her neck.
The kiss mark left by Fergus remained on the surface. Every time Lydia saw the mark and remembered, it would disturb her heart.
She felt humiliated at herself, and thought that she already lost the qualities to say that she loved Edgar like before.
“Didn’t I say this before? I…… I am not a sincere girl that deserves your love. so, it’s not only you……I also made Fergus kiss me.”
Edgar shook his head, like he wasn’t convinced.
“He forced you.”
“........The mark has remained for a long time…… and this wasn’t forced. Every time I see him, my chest gets really hot. Even though it wasn’t your kiss, I also……”
Edgar stared at her neck attentively. Although Lydia didn’t understand what he was thinking, she felt that there was no harm in him being disappointed in her.
Rain drops gently fell on her face.
She didn’t know when the clouds covered the sky. The raindrops fell continuously, drenching Lydia’s eyelashes, lips, and hair.
“Let’s find a place where we can take shelter from the rain.”
Edgar looked up at the sky and turned around silently.

                                                                                                                                              *

When Fergus came to, he had already been washed up to the lakesh.o.r.e. The young person named Paul was also lying nearby, but as he yelled out, Paul regained consciousness.
Neither of them were hurt.
However, Earl Ashenbert disappeared.
Paul hastily ran along the lakeside, trying to see whether or not the Earl was sent ash.o.r.e somewhere.
Fergus sat on the ground, not intending to help Paul.
The stones that suddenly appeared and joined to create a slender pathway extended to the centre of the lake like before, and a Standing Stone towered ahead.
Although the distance was too far to see clearly, there didn’t seem to be traces of damage.
Maybe Edgar’s sword wasn’t able to destroy the Standing Stone.
Soon after, there was a big wave heading towards him.
Because Edgar was an unwelcome guest to the Master, he ought to have sank down to the bottom of the lake by now.
Or was there a possibility that he was alive and entered the other side of the stone?
Was it possible that he was together with Lydia?
Despite Fergus finding it difficult to believe, he felt that Edgar was alive.
Whether it’s  the “Master” or the “Prince of Calamity”, I can’t sever the relations.h.i.+p between Lydia and that guy. Having these kinds of thoughts is truly unfathomable.
Even though he clearly wanted to obtain Lydia, he also felt that he couldn’t beat Edgar no matter what.
Even with the kiss in the dream, Lydia still used her whole body to accept Edgar, using her own skin and blood to sense him.
Fergus didn’t understand that sort of love, and had never loved a woman in that way.
He was just about to sigh when someone from behind him sighed first.
Paul seemed to have already circled the lake and came back depressed.
He sat the same way as Fergus did, held his head and didn’t move.
“Hey, you spoke of the Earl’s vengeance, what’s that about?”
Paul was said to be the Earl’s friend, so questions were bubbling forth from Fergus to this young man.
“This isn’t a subject I should speak of.”
“Had that guy always been fighting with Prince until now? Doesn’t he belong to that organisation, and then became the Prince’s successor? He hid everything from Lydia, so…..”
“No, Miss Lydia already knew about the Earl’s past and suffering and is fully willing to stay by his side.”
Paul seemed a little angry as he used a firm tone to say this.
Fergus felt that this was unbelievable.
Paul looked like a very kind-hearted man.
He said that he supported Edgar, who was indifferent in selling his soul to the devil, and despite Fergus listening to Paul, baffled, why was Paul so loyal to Edgar?
“Are you like Lydia as well? Knowing all of the Earl’s past and sufferings.”
“Well, I don’t understand to that extent, but the Earl had helped me several times in the past. He is someone I am proud of.”
“Proud huh. He wants me to be one of his servants. Of course, I am an eyesore of a man who wants to take Lydia away from him, and I know full well that he loathes me, but at least a gentleman will keep up his appearance.”
Paul looked at Fergus in dubiousness.
“The Earl saved you.”
“Is it because of him that I didn’t become bones at the bottom of the s.h.i.+p? Hmph, if he wanted to save me, then he would have immediately untied the rope. If that was the case, then even I would know to be thankful.”
“If he released you immediately, you would have become a slave of the Blue Men again. Even now, if they saw that you had been freed, it will be bad.”
Paul’s words made Fergus widen his eyes.
“What! Is that true?"
Fergus subconsciously stood up and looked at a distant place towards the curved lakesh.o.r.e, then hastily hid behind a rock.
“It’s them!”
“What?”
Fergus pulled Paul behind the rock, whilst explaining quickly.
“It’s the Blue Men, if we’re found we’ll become bones.”
“I don’t think that we’ll become bones right away.”
How is that any better?
“Think of a way to drive them out.”
“B--but, I’m not different compared to the Earl’s belongings……”
If Edgar wasn’t here, will the two be taken away as servants?
While they were talking, the Blue Men had already come close, and they could hear rustling sounds.
They seemed to be responding to the large waves and the cavern’s vibrations, and came to see what was going on.
If this continued on, they would be discovered.
“Wh..What do we do?”
“We can only run.”
Fergus started running, and Paul hastily followed behind him.
(Hey, it’s those humans.)
They were immediately noticed by the Blue Men.
(Master isn’t here, they’re both slaves.)
(So it doesn’t matter if we capture them?)
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Fergus whispered as he ran into a narrow cave.
They continued to run into the depths of the cavern, but the Blue Men chased after them, unwilling to give up.
“There’s two routes!”
If they hit a dead end, then it would be over.
“Over here!”
At that moment, there was a sound of a woman’s voice.
“Lota?”
Paul followed the sound and Fergus followed him from behind. There was Lota waving at them.
“You know Lota?”
“What, you too?”
“Over here, you two. If you go up, you’ll be able to exit.”
“Ahh, the Blue Men are still chasing us.”
Paul called out anxiously after looking back.
“Fergus, aren’t you the clan head’s son? You should know how to get rid of them.”
“I know, but I don’t know!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
Fergus and Lota ran while arguing.
“It’s possible as long as you say the “finis.h.i.+ng blow words!” But I don’t know what they are.”
“Hah? That’s not helpful!”
“It seems to be a rhyme. That’s all I know.”
“A rhyme…..what’s that?”
Lota t.i.tled her head.
“Well…… in short, I’m not an expert in poetry.”
“Poetry? Paul, I remember that you were good at writing poetry.”
“What, um…… no, I don’t have any talent.”
“Hey, Fergus, do the “finis.h.i.+ng blow words” require talent?”
“I don’t know, you’d probably need a destructive force.”
“You heard him, Paul.”
“What? Shouldn’t it be fine as long as you’re creative……?”
“There’s no choice but to try it!”
Despite everyone still running, they had reached a verdict. Everyone’s fate rested on Paul; he was already gasping for breath to begin with, but now, his face seemed paler.
“Hurry up and think of something!”
Fergus saw the distance between them and the Blue Men shortening, thus he urged Paul.
Paul made up his mind and stopped running.
He was face to face with the Blue Men, who were in pursuit. It was at this time that he wanted to say something.
A ray of light shone from above.
There seemed to be a hole above which lead directly to the surface, so perhaps it was because the clouds suddenly dispersed that the sunlight shone directly into the cave.
They hastily turned away while colliding and entangling with each other as they left.
After the Blue Men disappeared in front of Paul, the noise they created in the cave also stopped.
“You did it, Paul! You’re amazing!”
Lota hugged Paul, who was dumbstruck.
“I haven’t said anything……”
Paul muttered, leaning against the rock wall powerlessly. Fergus found this very funny, as he sat on the ground and laughed aloud.

                                                                                                                                                *

A flash cut through the sky, and the vibrating atmosphere like sound immediately echoed. Lydia couldn’t help but cover her ears and shut her eyes.
“The sky is getting brighter now, the rain will definitely stop soon.”
Edgar said this while looking out the window. In reality, it was merely a square-shaped hole dug out from a wall that he walked away from and sat on a chair slightly apart from Lydia.
Not long after it started raining, they found a lone house in the middle of the prairies. This stone house had a straw roof, and seemed to be an ancient structure, but there was no one inside.
This was the “Master’s” dreamland, so humans couldn"t live here. That being said, it was surprising that this place had a cabin. Lydia couldn’t help but feel that this came from the Master’s kindness.
Or was it that the Master intended on trapping them here in order to stop them from finding the spring water?
Perhaps the rain won’t stop.
Ever since Lydia told Edgar that she was kissed by Fergus, he had kept a certain distance from her.
Lydia felt that this was no longer a distance between lovers.
“Are you cold?”
He was still concerned about Lydia, and his gaze towards her wasn’t cold at all. However, this place clearly only had two people in it, and yet he sat in an area where he couldn’t reach her.  
“Yeah…… you’re more important. My body isn’t here.”
“Yes, but I don’t feel cold nor hot, probably because this isn’t the real world.”
Lydia suppressed her sadness and exposed a smile.
She told herself that this was okay. It was Lydia who suggested breaking up, and perhaps Edgar would give up on finding the antidote.
“After the rain lessens, I’m going to leave.”
However, he said this.
“Wh--where are you going?”
“Of course it is to find the spring water. You have to return immediately to the place you’re staying at…… when I find the antidote, I will ask someone to give this to you. Even if you don’t take it, that’s up to you, it’s not necessary for you to act according to a goal that I agreed upon without permission.”
Lydia couldn’t help but stand up.
“Why? Even though I said I wasn’t going to take it, you still insist on obtaining it?”
“Yes.”
Edgar nodded calmly with a lonely face.
“Are you shocked? You think that I arbitrarily said that it won’t matter even if the islands are faced with a crisis?”
Even so, his eyes didn’t tremble in the slightest.
“But this is me.”
As long as it is something that needed to be protected, he would do whatever it takes. This was Edgar. Lydia thought that perhaps this was because he was an aristocrat.
Even the McKeel clan head who was leading, he thought that for the sake of its people, sacrificing Lydia cannot be helped.
Edgar fought for the same reason. It wasn’t for himself, nor was it for the world, rather it was for someone he decided to protect, so he fought alone.
Merely speaking pleasant words were useless; Lydia’s words were unable to reach his heart.
Lydia wanted to stop Edgar, but it wasn’t out of consideration for the island. She just…...
“......I don’t want you to approach the Prince even more.”
She had to say that, as she couldn’t say that she liked him.
“Yeah, I have a crisis as well, but even if it’s the Prince, I plan on making use of him. Because if you aren’t here, it’s meaningless for me to keep on living even if I have the Prince’s memories.”
However, if Edgar stayed by Lydia’s side, he might use the Prince’s power everytime he encounters something in future.
In the end, no matter what Lydia wished for, she was unable to stop Edgar.
“So Lydia, if you miss this island and want to protect this place, it doesn’t matter to me if I disappear. If that’s the case, even if the Master is awakened, it won’t only be the Unseelie Courts who will possess power.”
Lydia anxiously approached him.
“What do you mean by disappearing? Even if you disappeared, you’d want me to take the antidote as well?”
Despite looking up at Lydia, who stood beside him, he didn’t reach out like earlier.
“If you lean this close, I’d want to strongly kiss you again.”
But he didn’t force her. The only one that Edgar liked was Lydia. However, she told him that she liked Fergus.
Even if it was so, she still received Edgar’s kiss, so wouldn’t Edgar hate her?
Lydia lowered her head shyly.
“If you can obtain happiness, then it doesn’t matter what happens to me. However, I will definitely obtain just the medicine.”
“I don’t understand, why must you do this?”
“Because I want to redeem myself.”
He had also said this when he tried to destroy the Standing Stone. He also said he would abandon Lydia, which hurt her.
However, this was done in order to save Lydia. Up until now, Lydia understood that she was simply unable to calm down at the time, and raised a fairly willful request towards him.
“There isn’t anything that you have to compensate for.”
“I really regret it, because I wasn’t able to fulfill your wishes at the time. So, my wish now is to just obtain the spring water.”
“That was just my selfishness.”
“That was your sincere selfishness, you said that you wanted to stay by my side.”
Lydia was surprised and shut her mouth.
“Perhaps the wish from that time is already no longer important to you, but if I don’t obtain the medicine, then I will a become a terrible fiancé who didn’t listen to your wishes, was unable to convince you or make you feel at ease, and who deceived and abandoned you.”
Was it because of that?
No matter what the current Lydia says, Edgar won’t listen. But why? Lydia finally understood; it was because she made a stronger wish in the past.
Compared to the current request of wanting to stop Edgar, her frame of mind at the time while making a wish from the bottom of her heart was stronger, which drove Edgar.
Edgar was determined to leave Lydia behind, his mood was even more unbearable.
Even though Lydia always acted like a child towards his display of feelings, and was merely a clumsy lover, Edgar surrounded her with his huge affection. For this reason, Edgar at that time, painfully chose to make her receive treatment, believing that if there was medicine, then he simply had to get ahold of it.
The Lydia who did not understand love, chose the option of breaking up for Edgar’s sake, but to him, this held no meaning.
No matter who Lydia’s heart was with, Edgar was merely trying to achieve the wish that she truly made to herself.
Even though she realized his determination, Lydia still didn’t know what to do. She just stood there motionless, holding her trembling hands at her chest.
Edgar stood up and hesitated as he reached out to Lydia. But he lowered his hand halfway and  said:
“I should get going.”
Lydia had no choice but to stare at his back as he opened the slanted wooden door.
It was still raining outside the cabin, and beams of light would occasionally appear in the sky. And yet, Edgar left by himself.
From now on, I won’t see him anymore?
I don’t want that.
But Lydia couldn’t stop Edgar.
She hoped that this would be Edgar’s last time approaching the Prince and encountering danger, so she couldn’t pursue him.
……Was that really the case?
No, I am merely afraid of the Prince.
Edgar believed that even though he obtained power from the Prince, he would also able to turn it into the Blue Knight Earl’s power and try to fight. But this was clearly a very reckless action, and may incur an unfortunate result.   
…...If it’s like that, then I can only fall with him together.
Regardless of the things he shouldered or the results that were incurred, I can only bear it with him together.
If we can’t obtain happiness together, then it will be meaningless.
I must go with him.
Lydia still hadn’t responded to the love he showed.
Edgar was trying to obtain the thing that Lydia wished for from the bottom of her heart, but she tried to escape, and this was wrong.
What she ought to do isn’t to stop Edgar.
“Edgar!”
No matter what happens, no matter what he does, I’m going to stay by his side. If this is his only wish…..
“Edgar, wait!”
Lydia ran in the rain and chased after Edgar.
After he noticed her, he stopped and turned around.
Lydia ran while feeling confused.
Can I embrace him? I told him that I liked Fergus, would he consider me a frivolous woman?
Because she thought too much, her initial vigor became weak. Just when she was about to stop in front of Edgar, the thunder rumbled loudly.
“Ah!”
She hugged Edgar immediately.
Although she immediately came to her senses and tried to get away, Edgar’s arm tightly embraced her waist.
“.......Please take me back!”
I won’t be able to say it if I hesitate. Lydia took the opportunity to speak.
Although it was only a brief moment, his silence scared Lydia. Lydia felt his gaze stopping around her neck, and recalled that there was a kiss mark on her neck, so that place started to burn up.
It was only Lydia’s consciousness here now, so it was impossible to see the mark. Her mind clearly thought this, but Edgar frowned as if he saw it.
“Are you willing to choose me again?”
Although he said this in a gentle tone, the Lydia now was already no longer the same as the Lydia before who asked him to take her back.
Lydia herself hadn’t changed, but to Edgar, she was already different. As soon as Lydia thought this, she became more afraid.
“Do you hate me?”
She asked, panic-stricken. After all, she said that she liked someone else, would it be too late now?
“How could I hate you……? You choosing me who is like this, is it possible?”
He embraced her tightly.
Despite this, Lydia still felt that he was a little apprehensive.
The reason why he controlled the kisses on Lydia’s forehead, was it because he was worried that she would take back her words from just now? Or were there ill-feelings existing in Edgar?
However, I want to stay by his side. Lydia was no longer confused.
If Edgar was planning to obtain the antidote, then even if he was a little disappointed in Lydia, and even if he didn’t love Lydia like before, as long as he didn’t say that he didn’t need her, she would follow him.

The rain soon stopped and the clear sky appeared again. Edgar and Lydia walked in the prairies endlessly.
They really didn’t have a goal. While walking, Edgar noticed a strange phenomenon.
A floating cloud wasn’t anything strange, but the clouds seemed to be floating in a radial motion. Upon carefully looking, one would notice that the clouds seemed to be coming out from a point in the sky.
Was that the centre of the Master’s dreamland?
If that was the case, then the spring water, which was said to be the source of the dreamland, was definitely nearby.
He realized he was holding hands and looked at Lydia. As their gazes met, she smiled.
Edgar never wanted to let go of Lydia again.
Although Edgar couldn’t help but want to hold her tightly, he was as gentle as possible as he pulled her hand along.
He was planning to be like a lover holding hands for the first time and start over from the beginning with Lydia. He hoped that Lydia would be able to slowly have eyes for only him again.
Even though he urgently wanted to get back to the distance they were once at, if the uneasiness still remained in her heart, perhaps she would recall the feelings of preferring Fergus previously. Edgar was afraid that this would happen.
As long as he wasn’t hasty, he will surely be able to take Lydia back.
She was unconditionally a little sad regarding Fergus’ matter. Even if he had to spend some time, Edgar was going to make Lydia forget him.
“Edgar, look over there.”
Lydia pointed ahead.
Her cheeks flushed red and she blinked incessantly, as if she found something. Watching her like this really was too cute.
“Hey, what are you looking at? It’s over there.”
Puzzled, Lydia’s face grew even redder, as she was pointing at something. She truly was cute.
“Edgar…..”
“Is that thing worth more of my attention than you?”
“Ugh, seriously?!”
Although Lydia with puffed out cheeks was very cute, Edgar turned to look in order to not go too far in provoking her anger.
Upon gazing at the gra.s.slands that was only at the horizon, a hazy rock could be seen.
The place where clouds seemed to be rus.h.i.+ng forth from was beneath that rock.
Edgar and Lydia exchanged a glance, and then started running.
After closing in, they discovered the rock was so large that they had to look up. It was an egg-shaped rock, and would probably need a few minutes to circle around.
The dreamland’s egg. Did the Master’s island boundaries emerge from here? This thought came to mind.
“Is this the source of the dreamland?”
“But I heard that it took the form of a gemstone.”
The surface of the rock appeared to be like that of an ordinary stone, moreover, there wasn’t any spring water.
“Edgar, there’s a big crack over here.”
Edgar went over to where Lydia shouted at, and saw a split crack on top of the egg-shaped rock.
The width of crack was enough to be able to let humans enter, and it seemed to lead into the inside of the rock.
“Let’s go in and have a look.”
After walking several steps towards the inside, the scenery before them suddenly changed.
The walls were like polished mirrors, which reflected Lydia and Edgar’s appearances.
The inside and outside of the rock were completely different, as the inside was made up of a black rock.
“......Onyx……?”
The glossy black surface was like a mirror, as their appearances were reflected in many layers.
“Edgar, this is the Master’s gemstone.”
Edgar realized that Lydia wasn’t beside him. He could hear her voice and see her figure a little, but it was all an image reflected from the mirrors.
“Lydia, where are you?”
“What……? Oh no, are you not there, Edgar?”
The cracks extended into the rocks intricately, and sounds would echo, making Edgar unable to find out where Lydia was.  
“Don’t move, I’ll come to you.”
“Got it.”
Edgar concentrated on his gaze and tried to find Lydia’s figure that was reflected in the agate. He thought that he seemed to catch a glimpse of her caramel colored hair.
Although his eyes hastily tried to followed it, he lost sight of it. But at this time, Edgar stopped, where he was, because he noticed one side of the rock wall faintly reflecting scenery that this place didn’t have.
What on earth is that?
He tried hard to see it clearly, and found that there were several swaying figures.
The depths of the black stone wall and the figures combined into one area; it seemed to be a chapel.
The men and women dressed in black clothes were weeping at the coffin.
Is that a funeral? Whose is it?
Edgar was pulled into that mirage while he was in a daze, and felt himself walking towards the coffin.
As he walked, he tried to find people that he knew among the attendees, but he couldn’t see anyone’s faces clearly.
There was a person beside the coffin who looked towards him. He could only see that face clearly.
Professor Carlton……
Don’t tell me.
“It’s your fault.”
The professor spoke, blaming Edgar.
“Didn’t you…… vow that you would protect her?”
Lydia…… because of me…...
“And yet, that child even said that she’d fall together with you…… she was merely taken advantage of by you.”
Taken advantage? How ridiculous.
He tried to run towards the coffin, but the image disappeared in this moment.
This was just an illusion. Edgar tried to think that. Or was this the Master’s desire? Perhaps the Master wanted to drive away the unwanted intruders.
In short, he wanted to get to her side. Edgar worriedly tread forward.
However, the onyx rock wall drew Edgar’s attention again.
The chapel appeared before his eyes again, but the atmosphere was different from before. Edgar saw Lydia’s back in the chapel.
Lydia was wearing a wedding dress, but the man beside her wasn’t Edgar.
He could see that the man had red hair and wore a Scottish kilt.
Fergus?
Lydia looked at him, revealing a happy smile.
She lightly shut her eyes, waiting for the kiss of oath.
That should be an expression that she had only shown to Edgar. No, had Fergus already seen it?
What on earth is this vision? Was it an illusion that the “Master” wanted to show him? Or was it showing the future?
The scene before him was like expressing Edgar’s inability to bring Lydia happiness. Waiting for them would lead to an unfortunate ending, and this made him feel uneasy.
“Lydia!”
He couldn’t help but call out.
But this mirage didn’t seem to have the leeway for Edgar to get involved, and the image slowly faded away.
“Edgar, I’m here. Do you see me?”
Lydia’s response came, and he was able to see her figure. Despite Edgar breathing a sigh of relief, his anxiety didn’t disappear.
It would be nice if that were merely an illusion. However if it continued on like this, and he used the power of Unseelie Courts to obtain the medicine, would he really be able to make Lydia’s future bright?
“Hey Edgar, there’s light up ahead. I saw an orange light.”
“Lydia, don’t move yet.”
Lydia was probably driven by a strong curiosity, and peeped a little into the depths of the cavern.
She seemed to have moved a little, and her figure disappeared from Edgar’s field of vision again.
Edgar sped up, and took a glimpse at the orange light coming out from the depths of the onyx tunnel.
Lydia must be there. Edgar quickly moved towards the area of light.
“Is this carnelian?”
“I heard Father say that before.”
He heard Lydia’s voice.
“He said that the onyxes and carnelians belong to the same kind of chalcedony minerals. Jasper, Bloodstones, and prase are also the same, as they were precious gemstones in Scotland long ago.”
Then the egg-shaped rock that was covered in chalcedony was the source of the “Master’s” dreamland.
The magic that covered the islands, regardless of whether it was good or evil that was concentrated here, the Master created the islands as part of the human world.
If the Master awakens, the dreamland’s egg will disappear. The magic will cover the islands, creating a situation that will be hard for humans to handle.
Edgar pondered while looking around. The carnelians overlapped to form what looked like pillars, and he saw Lydia, who was in the depths of the cavern, looking up surprised.
“Lydia.”
Edgar rushed over. She noticed him too, and planned to run towards him.
At that time, a shadow suddenly fell in front of Lydia.
“Kelpie!”
“Thank G.o.d, I finally found you.”
“How come you’re able to enter?”
“I don’t know either, it’s probably because the Earl came in with the Prince’s memories, so the Master allowed everything that could possibly drive him out into here.”
After Kelpie finished speaking, he immediately turned into a dark horse. He swung his mane and Lydia sat on his back.
“What are you doing? Let go of Lydia.”
Edgar called out, but Kelpie merely gave him a quick look.
“I’m sorry Earl, but there isn’t any time left. Lydia can’t leave her body for a long time.”
“Wait, Kelpie, just a little longer. I can hear the sound of water.”
After hearing Lydia’s words, Edgar carefully listened. Indeed, he could hear a faint sound similar to water. The spring water must be nearby.
“Lydia, I’ll get the antidote at once.”
Edgar ran towards the sound of the water.
“Get the antidote? Seriously! Hey Lydia, aren’t you going to stop him?”
Kelpie’s voice reached her ears.
“It doesn’t matter, I have already decided to do things according to Edgar’s wishes.”
“It doesn’t matter if that guy becomes the Prince either?”
“Even so, if he still likes me, then I will still stay by his side.”
Even if…… he becomes the Prince?
Lydia had already considered this possibility, but was she prepared for it?
While running, the mirage that Edgar saw in the onyx caves appeared in his mind.
As long as she stayed by Edgar’s side, Lydia’s future will turn out like that……
It won’t, he planned to give it his all to make her happy.
I won’t become the Prince.
Pursuing the sound of the water, he pa.s.sed through a s.p.a.ce made of carnelian, and not knowing when, he arrived at the end of a path.
The sound of the water echoed all around; it sounded like it was nearby, but he didn’t know where the spring water actually was.
Edgar lowered his head worriedly, and noticed that the rock by his feet became the color of deep water.
It was a bright green that would appear when light shone onto the clear and calm water.
Edgar leaned over and touched the rock that was beside his foot.
“......Is this a prase?”
It was said to be a kind of chalcedony, as well as the same kind of mineral as carnelian and onyx.
If one pressed their ear against the prase, they could seemingly hear the distant sound of water coming from the spread out bedrock beneath their feet.
Was the spring water coming out from below?
“There isn’t any spring water.”
Edgar heard a voice and turned around.
It was Fergus. He was with Paul, and Lota was also there for some reason.
“Earl, you’re okay!”
Paul was about to run over towards Edgar, but was stopped by Lota. This was because Fergus glared at Edgar as he drew his sword.
“You said that there wasn’t any more spring water, what do you mean?”
While Edgar returned Fergus’ glare with an expression full of hostility, he put his hand on his sword.
“I heard Patrick say that the spring water had already turned to stone.The Master gradually turned that strong magic into crystals, sealed it in the sh.e.l.l of the dreamland, then fell into a deep sleep. A long time ago, the Master made the islands and gave it to humans, like making it an agreement that it was place for humans to live in. The sound of water is a memory of the Master.”
“......I see. But the Master’s dreamland has cracks, and the Blue Men responded to the dreamland’s crystals slowly splitting open.”
When Edgar saw the shaman, the sh.e.l.l of the Master’s dreamland was already completed, but perhaps that wasn’t it.
So, the Unseelie Courts took the opportunity to acquire power when the “Prince of Calamity” was born, which produced a bad influence on the islands.
This situation further weakened the powers that kept the Master asleep.
“Not everything has been turned to stone, the sh.e.l.l of the Master’s dreamland isn’t completed yet, if I’m not wrong. There might be spring water remaining at the bottom of this rock.
“Are you going to shatter that rock? What do we do if the Master awakens?”
“I heard that if the Master awakens, then the spring water can be obtained.”
Fergus gritted his teeth in rage.
“I will not allow you to do this. This is the island of us Highlanders!”
He rushed over.
Edgar pulled out his sword and stopped him. The iron clashed against each other.
Fergus spared no effort in pus.h.i.+ng it over, while Edgar deflected the force and pushed the sword away. Fergus, who retreated backwards, grasped his sword once more and a.s.sumed his position.
“If it’s for Lydia, then stop this at once.”
“You still dare to speak, you clearly used despicable means to try and take her away from me.”
“I didn’t do anything despicable…...”
“You acted rudely to her, who has a fiancé, hurt her, and made her be at her wits’ end.”
Fergus was confused at first, but he raised his eyebrows as if he immediately realized it.
“Are you talking about the matter of me kissing her? …...If a lie to this extent could destroy your relations.h.i.+p with her, then that’s what you’ve just done.”
“That was…… a lie?”
“Yes, that’s right, the mark on her neck was made by someone she met in her dream. I... I said that I did it because I didn’t want Lydia to keep thinking about that guy!
In her dream?
It shouldn’t be…… Edgar thought, would such a thing happen without touching the body in reality?
Even so, Edgar still accepted this answer immediately. He was the only one who would kiss Lydia like that.
Surely Lydia didn’t actually expect a mark to remain on her body from things that happened in a dream, so she believed Fergus’ words with certainty.
Edgar’s anger silently rose.
Lydia wasn’t moved by Fergus at all, it was merely because she didn’t feel unpleasant regarding the kiss mark, and so she lost confidence in her own feelings.
But regarding the reason why she had these kinds of feelings, was it not because she still unconsciously understood that it was a mark left by Edgar in her dream?
But it’s because of that guy!
“If that’s the case, regardless of what method I use and whether or not I will make your clan perish, I’m going to take Lydia back.”
“Even if it will hurt Lydia, would you still do it? She is a fairy doctor, and is very close to the Seelie Courts, but while you say that it’s in consideration for her, you obtained the power of Unseelie Courts on the other hand. There won’t be a happy future like this no matter what you think!”     
The illusion reflected from the onyx suddenly reappeared in Edgar’s mind.
Fergus took advantage of this gap and attacked. Although Edgar was slightly late, he was still able to barely avoid it.
The sword swung and hit the cornelian pillars, and the fragments suddenly scattered out and flickered an orange light.
“You’re wrong Fergus! This is my wis.h.!.+”
Lydia voice intervened.
Fergus drew his sword back in astonishment.
“I beg you, please stop…… I want to be with Edgar.”
Lydia, who was sitting on Kelpie’s back, looked down from the protruding carnelian rocks.
Fergus was probably unable to see Lydia, who was an image of the dream, as he looked all around and answered:
“Lydia, even if the Earl becomes the Prince, does that not even matter? If he destroys this place, whether he’s willing or not, he will become the Prince who will turn these islands into a lair for all kinds of evil things!”
Even if he became like that, Edgar didn’t want to make use of that position. But what if there was no other way but to use that power? He himself didn’t know.
Even the sword’s power, Edgar had originally intended on using it only once, but as long as he encountered matters that had to do with fairy magic, he couldn’t not use it.
Granted that it was like this, he didn’t want to lose Lydia. He had to obtain the spring water.
“Edgar, I’m fine……”
Fergus tried to find Lydia and was distracted as a result. Edgar kept a distance from him as he stared at the prase by his feet. Then, he raised his sword.
“It’ll be fine…… as long as you don’t regret it.”
Regret?
Edgar couldn’t help but stop.
Do I not regret it?
“It’s your fault,” said the Professor.
Would he become a person who wouldn’t regret it when confronted with that kind of situation?
“And yet, that child even said that she’d fall together with you……”
Does Lydia think that way?
Edgar couldn’t help but be shocked after realizing this.
Lydia, who suggested breaking up, had become the Lydia who changed her mind and decided to choose him once more.
Lydia hadn’t changed at all. She was willing to let Edgar kiss her, and was not tempted by other men.
Because of this, she expressed that she would follow Edgar no matter where. Whether it was bearing the fate of the one known as the “Prince” with Edgar, or drinking from the cup of sin, she was prepared to do so.
Making Lydia accomplish these conditions, would he still be able to say that this was for her?
Was it not for his own wishes?
Compared to anything else, the most important thing he should be doing is protecting Lydia. It was crazy making her prepare to bear the pain and sorrow.
Edgar lifted his sword and lost the will to fight.
Fergus noticed Edgar’s movements and thought that he was going to break the prase.
“Stop, Fergus!”
Lydia cried out. Her figure floated in the air, and Edgar saw her descending to Fergus’ side.
But Fergus didn’t lose his momentum and waved his sword towards Edgar, trying to stop him.
Fergus’ sword had already approached Edgar’s eyes, who lost the will to fight.
“Edgar!”
He heard Lydia’s shriek, but he didn’t have the strength to dodge. This time, another illusion appeared in his mind.
It was a wedding that Lydia greeted with a smile.
Yes, I will already no longer be in this world by then.
Thinking about it, it’s fine even if it’s like this. If the Master showed these illusions for me to see, and choose one, then I would rather disappear.
Sorry, Lydia.
I broke the promise of bringing you back again.