P. 10
That was the start of a troublesome day.
The letter that was tucked along with the child read that message written with poor handwriting and there was a stork’s feather, said to bring good fortune that was tucked inside the envelope.
She was the private fairy doctor of this earl house.
In the England estates that were bestowed to the earl family who had ties with fairies from the old times there were many fairy dwellers and so it was easy for friction or misunderstandings to occur between humans and fairies. In those circ.u.mstances, it was the job of a fairy doctor to come stand in-between those two parties and solve the problem.
And yet that young earl declares that he will marry Lydia.
This morning, she once more made her way through the house cautiously so that she wouldn’t b.u.mp into Edgar in the hallway.
This amber skin-toned young man was Edgar’s valet. He remained sitting in a chair placed in the sun-lit terrace under the light and was looking down, without moving an inch, into the basket that was resting on his lap. It was like he was under the idea that he wasn’t allowed to move not one inch.
If it was Edgar’s orders, it was normal for Raven to silently obey anything and everything. She wondered if he was being made to do something unreasonable.
When Lydia spoke out to him, he snapped his head up. She must have startled him.
She walked over to him just the basket nearly fell down from his lap and he scrambled to hold it back up.
“Huh? Why is that?”
“What is it, something dangerous?”
When one is told that they couldn’t see something, it was natural to want to see all the more. If it was the instructions of the butler, then it wasn’t something as absolute to Raven like an order given by Edgar.
When she peered down into it, she saw that there was a small infant sleeping inside peacefully.
“Oh my, why it’s a baby. How cute.”
That’s why Lydia moved closer to him and allowing her cheeks to soften up and take all her delight in gazing at the baby.
The baby’s eyelashes twitched and the child opened its eyes just a little. The baby looked up at Lydia and closed its eyes again, as if it felt relaxed. It even appeared like the baby was smiling.
Raven, who probably wasn’t good at lying, thought about it for a bit, but then honestly gave a reply.
“What, an abandoned child?”
He sure seemed to sound like he was slurring his words.
In it, it read:
Oh, heavens no……could this be..
Even if she were to include all the male servants, and even if she were to include both the next-door houses on either side, he was the only one that had the most possibility.
Without mistake, he loved women and was an absolute flirt.
But to go and make an illegitimate child.
When Lydia didn’t think to hold back and cried that out loud, Raven murmured “I’m sorry.”
“Because it seems that Miss Carlton was angered from my doings.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Then Lydia, we need to hurry and get married.”
Lydia turned to face the terrace with the same emphasizing power that was boiling in her to where the sudden interrupting voice came from, and when she saw the irresponsible man who she was talking about, more hot blood boiled up in her head.
P. 15
She couldn’t help it, because he was making his usual fearless smile and letting his blond hair bask that was so bright and glowing that it seemed sarcastic, out to the rays of the sun as he stood with one of his arms propped up against the gla.s.s door of the terrace.
“I understand. That’s why we should hurry and get married.”
She was never able to become completely used to this style of greeting. That was because for a greeting, he would look at her with hot eyes.
“You have the wrong person. The one you need to propose marriage to is the mother of this child.”
“Wh-what on earth are you saying?”
“Lydia, this is our baby. The hasty stork that couldn’t wait looks like it has sped up the time when the baby should have been delivered, but there should be no problem since we are eventually going to get married.”
P. 16
“Yes, there was this stork feather inside the basket. Even the storks are showing proof that they agreed that it is our unwavering destiny that we are going to become husband and wife.”
“Let’s raise our baby together.”
Lydia started to feel faint from their gently holding hands and not being able to escape from the impression of his unusually warm ash mauve eyes.
……..wasn’t what she was thinking.
“Oh, is that so? I had no idea.”
“Then, where is it that babies come from.”
Even if she knew that he was having fun with her, she couldn’t stop from having her face turn red.
He is making a complete fool out of her.
“Excuse me, ….would you mind letting go.”
What why?
Oh, there is no helping this man.
“Edgar, even if that baby was your child, it has nothing to do with me! Let’s raise our baby together?! You must be out of your mind. To think that you were such an irresponsible person, I…, well I knew that, no, no, anyways I am disappointed in you! And besides, I will never get married with you!”
“Am I a trouble to you? Momma.”
Lydia turned around and slowly looked around the room to search who the voice belonged to, but then eventually her eyes fell to the basket that Raven was carrying.
P. 18
“Please don’t say you won’t get married. Please, Momma.”
On top of that, the baby propped himself up over the basket and jumped down onto the floor from Raven’s lap.
“W-what are you..”
Lydia felt a faint coming on and swooned but Edgar caught her and she didn’t have the strength to push him away.
“A stork…..?”
They resembled the same kind of wings that of a young chickling and was covered with white plumes, but at their tips stuck out the black flight feathers exactly like a storks.
“I-is that true?”
However, Lydia wasn’t able to believe that so easily.
“Then you aren’t my illegitimate child,” murmured Edgar, like a relief.
Lydia’s strength disappeared even more.
He had quite the nerve to say such a thing as a man who could have made an illegitimate child. What was even more pushy than that was he still held Lydia in his arms and wouldn’t let go.
“I don’t know about that. I actually don’t know who it is Momma is going to marry.”
“That’s right. That’s why if Momma were to lose her feelings of being in love, then I won’t be able to be born into this world.”
“My friends told me. My Momma distrusts men terribly and at this rate she wouldn’t be able to get married. That’s why I thought I must convince my Momma…”
“Then if it was a different person, you would marry?”
“Now little boy, Lydia is my fiancée. If other men were to try and win her affections, then I’ll make sure they are driven away. In other words, this is what I mean. If she doesn’t come to love me, then you won’t be able to be born.”
“Excuse me, Edgar, don’t go and say what you like.”
said Edgar, without paying any heed to Lydia.
Please don’t get convinced.
Oh, yes you’re the one to say that, thought Lydia. He himself represented how good-for-nothing a man can be.
“I don’t want that.”
“All right, Poppa.”
“It’s Father. Like a n.o.ble.”
“Uh, more than that, am I really the mother? How can you tell that its me.”
P. 22
“I can tell. I had the feeling the first time I saw you.”
“I had heard that she was in this house, so there’s no mistake, Momma.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Wow, that’s such a wonderful name!”
Edgar gently stroked the baby’s head and then turned to face Lydia.
“I’m not going, I’m busy,”replied Lydia.
Edgar picked up Til once more and pushed him towards Lydia.
P. 23
P. 24
The fairy baby smiled at her with a little embarra.s.sment and grabbed ahold of Lydia tightly.
When he told her something like that, then she wasn’t able to bring herself to say he had the wrong person.
“But, you see…..”
His big blue eyes became wet and s.h.i.+ning with tears, which made Lydia panic.
“Raven, make the preparations,” said Edgar without giving a pause.
Still holding the basket, Raven had been silently watching how everything was going, but at that, he bolted up to stand.
It wasn’t like she hated Edgar. Even Lydia acknowledged, for the time being, that he had good traits to him beside his looks.
He was someone who proposed to her for the first time in her life, and when she thought this was going to be the first and last opportunity for such a thing, then it wasn’t like she didn’t feel any beating of her heart.
To Edgar who had been juggling and switching many women up till now, love must be something that quickly cools down. She guessed that it wasn’t feelings of love but more that he was using the option that would tie down the fairy doctor who was an important figure to the earl family to this house forever.
That’s why in order to get married with Lydia, even if Edgar were to declare that he ‘cut his ties with his female “friends”,’ she couldn’t possibly believe him.
“So, I was just being fooled around with.”
It was the voice of a young girl.
There was no mistake that the voice who she was talking to in that conversation, that sounded like he was soothing and coaxing with his talk, was Edgar.
“Cla.s.s has nothing to do with it when falling in love. But, because thinking of your sake, it means that ending the relations.h.i.+p is the only option. Making you into a mistress wasn’t the wish is the reason. Could you understand that?”
She felt shocked at hearing such a frank word used, but Lydia thought it wasn’t right to be listening to such a thing like this, and so she rush to get away from that spot. However, just when she heard the sound of a door slamming open with a loud force, a girl in a maid uniform went running out with her hands covering her face.
P. 27
Lydia was dumbfounded at how he could fool around even with a servant, but as time went by, gradually she felt anger build up inside her.
Edgar was showing himself like he had affections for Lydia, but his proposals and everything else must be just a temporary whim of his. If she were to take it seriously, then there was no mistake that she would be put through a terrible experience.
And yet.
She wondered why things could have turned out like this, and took a glance over to him beside her with a feeling of resignation.
Compared to Lydia’s hair which was described as dirty, rusted-iron, his bright blond hair, which she envied so much, floated in front of her eyes by a breeze.
P. 28
“It’s quite the pleasant suns.h.i.+ne we’re having. Even the singing of the birds sound like they are congratulating us,” he whispered to Lydia in a quite personal close distance as they sat themselves down on a blanket that was laid out in the shadow of a tree.
“Um, Edgar, shouldn’t we stop in trying to use that little boy? We don’t have any sure idea of what lies ahead, and it’s questionable if I’m really going to become a mother anyway. And besides, he still isn’t a human, so he should return to where it is he belongs.”
Lydia wasn’t able to escape from the deceitful crook that snuggled up to her. That was because she couldn’t allow herself to push Edgar away as usual while they were in front of Til.
I guess I have no choice, but if she let herself give in like that just a little, he would take advantage of that opportunity.
If it were a real couple in love then this area near this small lake that was located beyond the forest out of the city, then they would be able to submit themselves to a romantic mood.
P. 29
It was a perfect place for a small picnic that was near enough to London.
Till was enjoying himself by chasing after a b.u.t.terfly and running around. If she were to start a fight with Edgar here then he wouldn’t want to go home at all.
“Lately, we haven’t had that much time to spend together.”
“Going out together has been a long while. I’ve been having small affairs and didn’t have any time. But you know, please don’t think that I’ve been ignoring or forgetting about you.”
“I’ll make sure to compensate for everything, so you can cuddle up to me all you want.”
However, like he aimed for the timing when Till was looking towards their direction, he removed Lydia’s bonnet and placed a kiss on her head.
His att.i.tude was if a light kiss was a daily part of their lives in such a natural way, as he called for little Till.
Till, who came running over to them, held out a white flower to Lydia.
It was an adorable lily flower. It was an early bloomer, but that could be Till using fairy magic to make it bloom. Of course, she didn’t dislike it at all, but it must be a flower that Till like instead. As Lydia was thinking that, she quickly changed her expression that was made sour because of Edgar into a smile.
Edgar took Lydia’s hand and helped her up and in a mastered natural movement, he escorted her to the table.
There was cold meat, herbed sausage and cheese, pickles and oiled herring and colorful gooseberry gam and honey.
P. 31
“Oh, Mother, what is this?”
That’s right, if this boy can feel relieved, then he is sure to return back to his friends. Even if she really was or wasn’t his mother, that was the only thing that Lydia could do right now.
“Oh, no, I’m still not a human yet, so I’ll just have milk.”
“I want to hurry up and get born so that I can eat the same foods as Father and Mother.”
“Eh? Oh, yes….”
Just for an instant, Till made a sad, lonely expression. Perhaps he couldn’t fight back the fear that that kind of time might never come.
Lydia said that so that she could relieve him.
“And so, Lydia, when do you want to have our wedding?”
“Oh, you know, we still are only engaged and still haven’t made anything specific, but I’m starting to feel like I want to hurry up and get married. Since we have this opportunity, wouldn’t it nice if we decided on the date in front of Till here?”
Since Till would look up to Lydia with eyes filled with expectations, so even as she was made irritated at Edgar’s doings, she could only make a stiff smile.
I’ll get even with you once Till goes home.
When she looked up, she saw there were hazy clouds pa.s.sing by in the blue sky. If she were to exclude Edgar’s plot, it was quite the peaceful picnic.
Even if she were to think that, she wasn’t able to take her eyes off of Edgar all this time.
P. 33
A breeze pa.s.sed by the tops of the trees. As she watched the apricot flower petals dance dancing around, but then suddenly a trickster gust blasted through and blown off Lydia’s bonnet.
“Oh, no, in such a high place.”
“It’s all right, we’ll go and get it.”
“Till, will you give me a hand for your Mother’s sake?”
He carried the infant on one arm like he was a feather, and that made him appear unusually masculine.
His treatment of her as a lover and his sweet words always made Lydia nervous. It could have been the first time that she felt such a relaxing, comforting masculinity from him like this.
What on earth was he thinking, thought Lydia as she hastily took a deep breath.
P. 34
“How is it? Can you reach your hands to it?”
Till stood up on his shoulders. It would be a disaster if his feet were to slip.
“You know, it’s all right. Edgar, make him stop.”
“Oh, I think I can reach it.”
“Ahhh, watch out!”
Lydia kicked herself off the chair to stand up. However, Edgar’s hand had grabbed a tight hold on Till’s body that appeared like he was going to fall.
Even when he was hung upside-down, he was enjoying himself. He had complete trust that Edgar wouldn’t drop him.
P. 35
P. 36
“Edgar….., what were you doing? What were you going to do if he got hurt!”
“But he nearly fell!”
The little boy came das.h.i.+ng over to where Lydia was and puffed out his chest and held out her hat.
His face was that of a boy who had pulled off a small adventure. He was feeling pride in his success after defying danger.
She wanted to give him a hug, but Lydia couldn’t allow herself to let go of her worries and do such a careless thing.
Because Edgar and Till looked like a real father and son.
Lydia put Till on top of her lap after he fell asleep on the gra.s.s getting exhausted from playing, and she even let him stay on her inside the carriage on their way home. If it was while he was sleeping, she felt like she could be allowed to hug him even though she couldn’t acknowledge him as her future child.
When Lydia came to work the next day, Till came into her work office immediately.
The one who spoke up in a puzzled voice after seeing Till was Lydia’s partner, a fairy cat who could walk on his hind feet.
“Whoa, a baby talked!”
“Uh, just to let you know, Nico, he is a sprite of a stork. He isn’t a human baby yet.”
“You’re right, so he’s a stork fairy baby. Why is he here?”
“Mother, you mean Lydia?”
Because she was made to accompany Edgar yesterday, she wasn’t able to finish her work at all.
“Mother, I can play with this cat.”
“I am not a cat! Be careful about that, Stork.”
“Huh? A fairy becoming a human? I never heard of such a thing.”
“So you’re a runt fairy who just got born. If you can keep up with me then I’ll play with you.”
“Be nice to each other!”
In their place, a maid came into the room. She placed a new letter asking for the help of a fairy doctor on the corner of the desk.
As Lydia said that and looked up, she realized that the young maid was the girl who was in Edgar’s office yesterday.
And then, as the girl was about to leave the room, she suddenly stumbled and crouched down on the floor like she was going to fall.
However, she grabbed ahold of Lydia’s arm as if to stop her.
Lydia figured that if the head maid were to find out the girl would be yelled at, so she decided that the girl should rest here for now.
“Where shall I set her down?”
“Oh, could you lay her down on that sofa.”
“Thank you, Raven. Um, I’m going to have her rest here for a bit.”
“What? Is that true?”
“Why do you know something like that?”
In other words, by Edgar?
“What is that, what do you mean? It’s distasteful to monitor the woman he casted off.”
P. 41
“That is not true.”
Raven didn’t move one inch keeping a face like he was upset. He was a young man, who had a small build and of Asian descent, but before this job, he was an exceptionally skilled bodyguard. When she was glared by him, it made Lydia a little nervous and she eased her body back.
It seemed like he was thinking things over in his mind for quite some time as he remained silent, but eventually, he opened his mouth.
“Huh?”
“Y……You were with Connie?”
And besides, she had clearly stated that there was a cla.s.s difference between them.
P. 42
“Anyhow, would you mind bringing her some warm milk?”
“I’m terribly sorry, Miss.”
“Why do know about that?”
"…..I see.”
Was the only ba.n.a.l thing she could say. Connie drooped her head and dabbed the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief.
Lydia’s eyes were completely locked onto the girl’s handkerchief.
More than getting upset at Edgar, Lydia felt an unrecognizable pain in her chest and then her eyes fell to the embroidery on the handkerchief.
P. 43
It was the flower that Till gave to Lydia. He said that he thought Lydia would like it.
A girl who distrusted men. Who lived and worked in the earl manor. The conditions were met.
“Here is the milk.”
“Raven, Edgar has come back hasn’t he?”
Just as she heard that, she went rus.h.i.+ng out of the room.
Lydia just barely made a knock on the door before opening it, but then Edgar just made an unaffected, pleasant smile as usual and stood up to greet her.
P. 44
Huh? A nanny?
“You don’t need a nanny? But you will have the duty as a countess, so you aren’t going to be able to spend all of your time with our baby.”
“Connie? The newly employed maid?”
“Lydia, what on earth are you talking about?”
“Hold on just a moment, I have nothing to do with her.”
Ohh, he said as he made a sigh like he felt exhausted, which made Lydia feel like something was tearing in the center of her chest.
P. 45
“If it’s about that, then you’re mistaken. Lydia, I’m not the one who was in a romantic relations.h.i.+p with her, but it seemed like their breakup was getting complicated and tangled up, so I served as the go-between ….”
“Raven said that? He said that he was the one who was her lover?”
“So, it was because I told him to keep quiet. ….Well, well, he sure has come quite a ways to be able to think up something so daring as that.”
And furthermore, it isn’t the sort of time to be pleasantly surprised.
Lydia was even more irritated at Edgar’s nonchalant att.i.tude, and couldn’t help but speak in a harsh, threatening tone.
“Do you seriously think that?”
“So you believe that I’m that kind of man? You couldn’t think that it was some kind of mistake?”
She was backed up against the wall by Edgar who came walking over to her. If she was approached by him in this situation, it was dangerous. Lydia instantly thought that she needed to run and she tried to step backwards, but Edgar grabbed her arm with a tight grip.
“If I did as you said, then would that make you satisfied? I have been saying that I attracted to you, and yet you say that I should marry a different woman? Does that mean you don’t care about my feelings?”
“You are the one who isn’t thinking about my feelings at all. I’ve been refusing so many times, but you went ahead and said I am your fiancée and pulled Till into this…. But, that does mean that you were in a relations.h.i.+p as you were putting on a good face to me, right?”
“You just want to make a girl who happened to catch your attention to do as you want. You are sure to become tired of me in a matter of time. If we were to get married, you know that it won’t be easy to separate, right? Even if your feelings die out, do you think that there wouldn’t any harm since you could tie down a fairy doctor? And besides, are you saying that you want me you quietly watch as you go around and fool around with other women?”
Suddenly, he let go of her hand like he became exhausted.
Those words of his that sounded so cold, brought a sharp pain to Lydia more than her arm that was just gripped very tightly.
“If that’s what you really want!”
Connie was nowhere on the sofa, and so Lydia slumped down to sit on the sofa by herself.
This way Connie won’t remain hurt, and eventually Till will be born as the child of the earl family.
P. 48
It wasn’t going to be Lydia anymore that was going to find out about an unexpected side of Edgar at an unantic.i.p.ated moment.
And yet, Lydia became heavily depressed and hung her head. And then someone tugged at her hair that was hanging like that.
“Till, what is the matter? Weren’t you playing with Nico?”
“Eh…., no, nothing like that.”
It isn’t right to have a fight in the presence of a child, she thought and made a troubled smile. She was completely under the mindset of a parent.
“It’s all right with me that I won’t be born into an earl family if Mother isn’t going to be happy. Even if it wasn’t a rich family, as long as it’s a father who doesn’t treat Mother badly…”
P. 49
P. 50
“Even yesterday, when Mother wasn’t here, he played with me. We played pirates - when I came with a slayed pretty lady, the captain would give me a reward.”
“Father.”
“Edgar likes you as well. That’s why it’s all right even if he isn’t your father.”
He was a flirt and irresponsible, but there were times when she could admire him. That’s why, she faintly realized that she wasn’t able to completely push him away.
However, that could be why she couldn’t forgive the part of him that fooled around with women.
“To tell you the truth, your real mother isn’t me. I actually don’t live in this house, you heard that your mother lives here and came here, didn’t you?”
P. 51
“There’s a girl named Connie who works as a maid here. I think she is the one who you came to see.”
“She almost near complet distrust with men, but I think it will be all right. She happens to have feelings for Edgar. And well.. it seems like he also bending towards getting back in a relations.h.i.+p with her, so I’m going to go and tell her that in just a little bit.”
Ohh, I still have my work from this morning left unfinished. It would be all right that I do it after I get that work done first, I’m sure.
I have been saying that I was attracted to you, and yet you say that I should marry a different woman?
What he said sounded like it came from his heart - without any time to act.
P. 52
I thought that when I"m born, the first moving thing I see would be my mother. Till was still a stork spirit and wasn’t a human baby, but when he awakened in this earl manor and opened his eyes a crack, the first thing he saw was Lydia and in that one glimpse, he immediately liked her.
However, Lydia said that wasn"t true.
But more than that, Till felt pain at seeing how Lydia looked. She appeared so happy yesterday, but today she seemed in pain.
He never heard the name Connie.
And the one who seemed in pain was Mother Lydia.
If Connie was Till’s mother, then he needed to make sure that she doesn’t lose her feelings of love.
“Connie, if you’re going on an errand, then make sure to come home without making any other stops.”
“Yes, Miss Rain.”
She must be Connie who Lydia was talking about.
He didn’t know if a human baby was able to recognize any blood relations.h.i.+p just by looking at someone.
Till followed after Connie.
P. 54
The people pa.s.sing by on the streets had their hats on deep to hide from the rain and didn’t pay any unnecessary attention as they walked with hasty steps.
In the moment Connie stopped before crossing a road, Till approached her from behind and sprinkled some fairy magic powder on her.
While she was lost, he was going to have to ask for Father Edgar and Mother Lydia to reconcile with each other again.
The area around his wings felt unusually heavy, probably wet from the rain.
Even when it turned to afternoon, Lydia still wasn’t able to bring herself to talk to Connie and she made it seem like she wasn’t able to put a stop to her work, yet her work pace wasn’t moving along at all, she made a sigh as she gazed at the garbage bin that was filled with rolled up papers with her writing mistakes.
P. 55
“Miss Carlton, there is an emergency. The young mister Till was found lying on his side by the kitchen door……”
When she went das.h.i.+ng after Tomkins where he guided her, she saw that the small baby was laid to rest down in a wide, open bed.
“Till, what"s wrong? Do you not feel all right?”
“Mister Tomkins, where is Edgar?”
“Oh, no, what do I do…, oh, a doctor…”
Tomkins rapidly blinked his eyes that were set far apart with a look of confusion as he knew that Till was a fairy. There was no way a human doctor would know about any fairy illness.
She was the Fairy Doctor and yet she had no idea of what to do and that was infuriating for her.
There had to be a reason why this happened to Till. If she were able to pinpoint that, then she was sure he would recover.
“Mister Tomkins, I’m sorry but could you go call for a maid named Connie.”
“Connie has left on an errand and still hasn’t returned.”
“And I had said so many times for her not to go and make any stops. I’m sure she has gone to the manor that she was previously working at and prowling around that area. My goodness, it’s always like this when I send her out on errands.”
“She won’t be able to return because she was fired. If a maid has come to be close with the son of the house, then it’s natural that the lord of the house would kick her out.”
“Connie, she was with the son there….?”
“Oh, why, yes,