Father, he actually said that.
“You should not have said that you wanted to postpone the wedding ceremony. Go and apologize to the Earl.”
As one would expect, Lydia felt depressed.
But Lydia came to a realization after being admonished by her father.
Even though this was a wedding which she was not forced into and had decided upon together with Edgar, there were many matters which cannot simply be resolved between just the two of them. In particular, because Edgar was an aristocrat while Lydia wasn’t, things had to proceed with prudence.
It can’t be helped that Edgar was infuriated.
Edgar had tried to avoid getting into a direct confrontation, so no matter how one thought about it, Lydia was the one at fault.
As she recalled what had happened, Lydia sighed in the carriage.
But if a postponement was out of the question, then Lydia must find some way to fend off the fairy’s obstruction.
Lydia, who had that in mind, headed towards the monastery ruins in the suburbs in order to find the dwelling of the sixth fairy.
The fairy had said that.
“What the G.o.ddess sees can all be seen. The disappearance of the hateful archangel’s monastery was also witnessed.”
The monasteries which used to exist in England were entirely dissolved by Henry VIII in the sixteenth century when he established the Church of England. The Catholics were then banished. What the old lady had seen should have been from those times.
Although there were many monastery ruins, in any case, Lydia headed out towards the suburbs with the word ‘archangel’ as the clue.
Alighting from the carriage and heading into the forest along the narrow path as the driver had told her, Lydia’s field of vision suddenly widened.
The crumbling stone building exposed its corpse-like appearance through the gaps in the greenery.
As she proceeded deeper where it was deserted, Lydia felt more unnerved than lonely, and started to regret coming by herself.
Under the slightly cloudy skies and being surrounded by the ruins of buildings, it even felt as though she had lost her way into the Middle Ages.
As she looked at the pillars and arches which were barely standing, she could make out the words of “St Gabriel’s Monastery”.
The Archangel’s Monastery. This was probably where the sixth fairy had referred to.
Lydia proceeded further in.
Based on Lydia’s knowledge, there was only one way to know the names of the spinstress fairies.
That was, to peek into the fairy’s dwelling. If one were to observe quietly, there were times when fairies would mention their own names as they talk to themselves.
Although this was a dodgy saying that depended very much on whether the fairy happened to be talking to itself at the same time as one was peeking, Lydia could not think of any other way.
In any case, the only clue that Lydia had about the fairy’s dwelling were the words concerning the G.o.ddess which the fairy had unwittingly mentioned.
“But I wonder if there will be a statue of a G.o.ddess in a monastery.”
From what the fairy had said about a G.o.ddess, it was probably referring to one of the ancient G.o.ds. But there was no way that a Catholic monastery would wors.h.i.+p the statue of a G.o.ddess.
No, we can’t be entirely certain of that.
At that moment, Lydia found a stone statue about the height of a child, standing by itself in the shadows of the stone wall.
One could barely make out the facial features on that statue which appears to be older than the rest of the monastery ruins. Looking at the form of its body, there was no mistake that this was a statue of a woman.
Could it be Virgin Mary? The statue was holding a cross in its right hand.
But Lydia was focused on the statue’s other hand.
“This… isn’t this a spindle?”
Since the past, spindles had been small items used by G.o.ddesses.
Come to think of it, Lydia had heard of Virgin Mary being a.s.sociated with the ancient G.o.ddess as one and the same when Christianity first came to this island country. If that were the case, then this statue would not be a statue of Virgin Mary, but it could be a statue of a G.o.ddess from more ancient times.
This could be the original appearance of the spinstress fairies’ ancestors, or of the fairies themselves.
If that’s the case, then the fairy’s dwelling would be nearby.
But, even if Lydia knew that it was nearby, where and how should she go about searching?
As Lydia fell into deep thought, she heard the sound of footsteps on gra.s.s. As she felt taken aback and turned around, she saw that the other party also looked at her in shock.
“…Claire?”
“Ah…, Miss Lydia…”
Although Claire looked troubled at this unexpected encounter, at the same time, with frightful eyes, she was also wary of what was behind her.
“Is someone there?”
“Erm … I am being followed by strangers.”
Hearing that, Lydia also became uneasy immediately. If something happened at such a deserted place, they would not be able to call for help.
“Let’s go together.”
Lydia thought that they should leave this place and head towards the street quickly.
“Erm, but…”
Urging Claire who was hesitating, Lydia started to walk briskly.
She had indeed felt that there was someone watching. As she turned around without stopping, she felt the presence of a person in the shadows of the trees. That person was probably observing them while staying hidden.
Lydia felt the footsteps closing up behind them as the sound of the footsteps were mingled with their own. As Lydia walked quickly, the footsteps also quickened.
When she glanced at Claire, she saw that her expression was frozen, and when their eyes met, Claire averted her eyes uneasily.
“Hey, is there a reason why you are being followed?”
She only shook her head to the sides even as she turned pale. She hastened her footsteps so much that she might had left Lydia behind.
When they went through the ivy arch hurriedly, a human figure appeared in front of them and Lydia nearly let out a scream in shock.
“Lydia!”
At the same time as her name was called, she was suddenly embraced.
“Eh… Edgar...?”
As she looked up, his ash mauve eyes peered into hers. As if he were desperate, he furrowed his brows slightly.
“Lydia, that’s great… I rushed over to come after you after finding out where you were headed from the Professor.”
The footsteps and presence of someone she felt behind her had disappeared. Lydia took a breath in relief.
“I was shocked…”
“Me too. Because you came rus.h.i.+ng out suddenly.”
Edgar held Lydia in a stronger embrace and rested his cheeks against her hair.
Lydia was still perplexed at being treated like this when they were not alone together.
“Erm… Edgar, I happened to run into Claire here.”
That’s why Lydia, who escaped from his arms, ended up saying that because she wanted him to realize that Claire was present as well.
Claire greeted him with a curtsey, and Edgar suddenly turned to face her with a smile.
“Miss Florey, are you by yourself at such a place? What were you doing?”
Hearing that, Lydia also started to find it mysterious.
“…Erm… that.”
“Edgar, it seems like she was being followed by someone suspicious, though I think that the person is already gone.”
“Hmmm, is that so? Do you have issues that cause you to be followed?”
“Earl…”
“There is no need to force yourself to speak, Miss Florey. But if you are a person who would come to such a place alone and have issues that cause yourself to be followed, I can’t help but be worried if you were to become Lydia’s lady attendant.”
Claire may had been about to give an explanation. But Lydia felt that Edgar had deliberately interrupted Claire even though he was speaking smilingly.
“Edgar, about that.”
“I heard that Lydia wanted to employ you for a trial period. What do you intend to do?”
To think that Edgar was asking for a reply here and now. Although Lydia thought that, before she could voice out, Claire replied.
“… I was thinking, that I would withdraw. I appreciate Miss Lydia’s considerations.”
Being overtly treated as a nuisance by Edgar, there was no way Claire would be able to say that she wanted to work.
No, either way, Lydia thought that Claire would still have turned down the offer. With regards to Lydia, Claire appeared to find it difficult to work hard and get along with Lydia.
Earlier, even though she was afraid because she was being followed, she did not appear relieved when she met Lydia. Although it could just be that Claire felt that with only girls, it did not matter whether there was one or two of them as there would be no change to the danger they face, Lydia felt that it was inevitable that Claire would turn her down.
Even for Lydia herself, rather than saying that she needed Claire, she was thinking about the ribbon.
“Is that so? Well, we’ll leave the matter at that. I’ll have my valet escort you.”
After saying that, Edgar prompted Raven by looking towards him and left the area while pulling Lydia’s arm.
Lydia was being dragged off rather forcefully. Edgar appeared to be visibly displeased.
That’s to be expected. Be it about Claire or her suggestion to postpone the wedding ceremony, recently Lydia had only been going against Edgar.
Edgar, who had been walking on in silence, suddenly stopped and turned to face Lydia.
“I’m sorry, but it just can’t be Claire. …As for the reason, I still can’t say anything for now.”
When Lydia furrowed her brows out of surprise at these unexpected words, Edgar anxiously added on.
“I get it, how about this? In exchange, I’ll listen to anything you say. Ahh but I can’t postpone the wedding. If it’s anything else…”
“You’re not… angry?”
When Lydia asked that, he tilted his head in surprise.
“You were very angry yesterday right?”
Then, seeing as how he was suppressing his feelings, he should have been quite infuriated. Lydia realized that after being scolded by her father.
“Was my att.i.tude yesterday that horrible?”
“It was different from usual.”
“Is that so?”
“…You didn’t … when you left...”
“Huh? What?”
Being unable to say “kiss me”, Lydia panicked.
I can’t believe myself, what on earth was I about to say?
“Erm, that, yesterday, I only thought about myself. Even though there was no way we could postpone the wedding. That’s why… if there is anything you want to say you can go ahead and say it. If you dote on and give in to me like Father does, I’ll end up being a willful wife.”
Although she had said that in order to erase what she had said earlier, because she still ended up saying things that sounded like she was acting spoilt, Lydia even felt like she wanted to run away.
At times like this, Edgar would look down upon Lydia with a happy face.
“With you apologizing to me in such an adorable manner, rather than getting angry I feel more like pus.h.i.+ng you over.”
There’s no one in the ruins of the monastery.
Because she did not know the extent to which Edgar was joking, Lydia nervously tried to walk away.
But Edgar placed his arms around her waist so as not to let her do so.
“Don’t think that I will dote on and give in to you more than the Professor does. I’m much more narrow-minded than the Professor.”
And then suddenly, Edgar adopted a serious tone.
“I’m also the one who is acting spoilt towards you. I heard from Nico subsequently, that a fairy is trying to wreck the wedding and you were troubling over that. Yet, I just objected to it without hearing your side of the story properly.”
As he peered into her eyes and smiled in a gentle brilliant manner, Lydia wondered when he came to be able to have such an expression.
Lydia thought that he may had smiled like this during the times when he was the Duke’s son, being brought up in a carefree manner, without having gone through any hards.h.i.+ps or known any of the darkness that lurked in this world.
And she felt that it was sweet that he had shown this innocent side of his to her.
“I won’t postpone the wedding, even if it’s because of fairies. Lydia, if you want to make our wedding wonderful then all the more so, I can’t wait any longer than this.”
Lydia blushed and looked downwards.
To begin with, weddings are a major event for brides. Even though Lydia had not once said that she wanted to get married quickly, it was only natural that she was looking forward to it.
Lydia felt embarra.s.sed that her feelings were seen through.
“But, if the ceremony gets disrupted, you’ll be troubled too won’t you?”
“I heard that because you lost “something blue”, we aren’t able to prevent the fairy’s obstruction?”
“Yes, it seems like the magical blessings can’t be cast a second time. If the fairy raised its objection during the ceremony, there is nothing we can do about it.”
I see, Edgar muttered, but he soon flashed an optimistic smile.
“Don’t worry. I’ll have the ceremony go through no matter what it takes.”
Ahh, that’s Edgar.
Even if he was going against a fairy with unknown powers, he will not back down. Even though it seemed like his self-confidence was dangerously baseless, in the end, he was always able to make everything go his way.
That’s why if Edgar said that, Lydia felt vaguely that things will somehow turn out alright.
Moving his face close towards hers, Edgar whispered.
“Let’s go and buy “something blue”.”
“A “something blue” that does not have the magical blessings will not be useful.”
“That’s not true. After all, to begin with, the charm of wearing the five items has been believed to work regardless of whether magic has been cast on them isn’t it?”
“That’s true…”
Edgar was looking at Lydia at a distance that was too close to hold a conversation. Because it felt as though their bodies were about to press against each other, Lydia tried to push against his chest somewhat, but with his arms wrapped around her back, there wasn’t much change in the distance.
““Blue” represents a sincere love. Even if there’s no magic, there are sincere feelings between the two of us aren’t there?”
There wasn’t a person who was further away from the word ‘sincerity’ than him. But now, Lydia believes in his feelings.
“It will definitely be a wonderful day.”
“Yes… It will.”
Lifting her face up a little, Lydia smiled.
“You’re finally smiling.”
Edgar narrowed his eyes while gently moving aside her hair by her ear.
“Do you still find it troublesome even now?”
“Huh?”
“Because I tend to touch you excessively.”
“…I never thought for once… that it was troublesome.”
I only felt that it was always a little embarra.s.sing.
As she thought about that, Lydia remembered and voiced out an “ah”.
“You mean what happened that time…? Th-that’s not it. I was thinking about something else at that time. Because fairies keep bringing about trouble…”
“What. So it wasn’t about me.”
He made a happy face like a child. Handsome, aristocratic and causing Lydia to blush unknowingly, Lydia never thought the day would come when she thought that Edgar’s smiling face was adorable.
He kissed Lydia’s forehead while still carrying a smile on his face.
“If that’s the case, then I don’t have to show restraint right?”
“Eh, but if we are outside, then some restraint is…”
“That’s great. I was just thinking that it was impossible not to kiss you even once when we are together.”
Not listening to anything that Lydia was saying, his kisses continued on to the eyelids and cheeks.
Well, I guess it’s fine…
From now on, this person will always be by my side. As Lydia felt that strongly, her feelings also became calm.
She felt happy at being able to walk side by side with Edgar like this.
As she thought that she no longer had to give up on Edgar, Lydia finally felt that she had broken out from those painful days at the Highlands.
Even after she returned to London and had the wedding just on the horizon, because Lydia wasn’t able to believe the reality of it, when it came that the fairy would obstruct the wedding, there was nothing she could do but be fl.u.s.tered and this troubled Edgar.
But, things were definitely going to be alright now.
At some point in time both of them had exited the area where the monastery ruins were, and were walking along a tree-lined path.
Lydia naturally rested her hand on Edgar’s arm.
As Edgar said that he wanted to continue walking for a little longer, they continued onto the path where the residential estates were spread out.
As a result of the increase in the number of mansions from the affluent cla.s.s, the high end residential district in the suburbs had become a beautiful town. Unlike central London, it seems that the fact that it was possible to have s.p.a.cious gardens made suburbs popular.
Because Edgar paused in his tracks unexpectedly, Lydia stopped as well and she saw that there were lovely purple flowers blooming at the hedges by the side of the path.
“There’re heliotropes. I thought I smelt a fragrance from just now.”
“Ahh, that’s right.”
As he said that, Edgar was looking beyond the flowering hedges, behind where the tree branches overlapped.
Because the building was further in, Lydia could only see a black shadow vaguely.
Not realizing that it was a house that met with a fire, Lydia returned her gaze towards Edgar.
“It’s mysterious. I had thought that what’s lost cannot be recovered.”
And then he muttered as if he had something on his mind.
“Everything had turned into ashes. Even my name. But now, the name Earl Ashenbert has revived me.”
Looking at Lydia, Edgar narrowed his eyes painfully.
“I had lost the name of the Duke of Sylvainford, but because I met you, I was able to regain myself. Having been tortured under Prince and placed in the dirty world, although I had become someone who is unfit to call himself the son of the Duke, I am now able to feel happiness every day, just like I had in the past.”
At some point in time, Lydia’s hands were being held by him.
“There is no longer anything to fear. The flames and the conspiracies from that time were unable to rob me of everything so it will be the same from now on.”
They will no longer have to let go of each other’s hands anymore.
“Lydia, I will protect you with everything I have. So, I hope that you will protect the n.o.blesse oblige that I have been given once more together with me.”
For the sake of the new Earl family. Lydia nodded as she felt with certainty that she was needed.
~*~*~*~
As the large doors opened before her, the music of the pipe organs resonated in Lydia’s ears as they flowed towards her.
Finding Edgar’s figure at the end of the wedding aisle which was laid over with white cloth, Lydia felt her heartbeat soar.
The scenery that Lydia was seeing through her mother’s wedding veil, was enveloped by a gentle light, and felt somewhat dreamlike.
s.h.i.+ning through the stained gla.s.s, rainbow-coloured light fell onto the altar. Lydia felt as though her mother was watching her right by her side.
The dress which her father had splurged on to prepare, was comfortable to wear and light; the reserved ornaments brought out the delicate lace such that anyone who saw it would see Lydia as befitting the bride of the Earl family.
The bouquet was made of lilies and olives. The pearls dangling from her ears were also arranged with flowers, and when Lydia looked at herself in the mirror at home, she felt that she was able to like her dull reddish brown coloured hair and her witch-like golden green eyes.
And with that, Lydia rested her hand on her father’s arm and moved along the aisle one step at a time while being led by an adorable bridesmaid.
Lydia saw Lota and Paul’s smiling faces. Nico was also present. The Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Masefield, as well as the n.o.ble ladies who took care of Lydia as she prepared for the wedding were all present, and they filled the seats for the bride’s side with brilliance.
At the same time as she felt happy, Lydia also pulled herself together and checked the corner of the benches.
There were five grannies who sat side by side with each other.
They were the spinstress fairies, who probably couldn’t be seen by human eyes.
There was also another one who sat a little apart from them. The problematic sixth fairy.
Fairies would usually not enter churches, but those five grannies who were formally invited were probably special. But for the sixth fairy, the church should be an unpleasant place. Yet perhaps it was her fixated hatred towards the Earl family that made the sixth fairy take her seat on the bench.
I wonder how Edgar intends to make the fairy keep quiet.
Early this morning, on the message card delivered from the Earl household, was a handwritten message from Edgar saying that there was nothing to worry about.
Because they were unable to meet each other before the ceremony on the wedding day, Lydia remained clueless as to the details. Even so, Lydia was able to tell herself that things will turn out fine.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe.
Lydia had all the good luck charms that were needed in order to become a happy bride.
The blue ribbon which was tied directly to her wrist inside her gloves, may not have the magical blessings from the fairies, but Edgar had cast magic on it.
Because sincere feelings truly exist between the both of them …
When her father stopped around the middle of the wedding aisle, Lydia stopped as well. As she lifted her gaze, she saw Edgar standing right in front of her.
Looking at her, he smiled.
Even though it was through the veil, Edgar, whom she gazed upon at a close distance, was simply too dazzling.
Donning a pure white morning coat, with a light violet coloured ascot tie that matched the colour of his eyes, Edgar also had b.u.t.tonholes of the same flowers as those in Lydia’s bouquet.
Edgar’s white attire and flowers matched his brilliant blonde hair so well that he was too dazzling. The sighs that could be overheard had come from the attendees who were looking at Edgar.
As I thought, no matter what kind of dress I wear, Edgar is the one who stands out more.
Even as she thought that, he was the only one who looked at Lydia and let out a sigh.
“Ahh, you’re so beautiful.”
No matter how others saw her, if Edgar said so, Lydia was able to be confident with herself.
And so, Lydia, who was the daughter of the Carlton family, will become part of the Ashenbert family from now on.
Her hand which had rested on her father’s arm, was now rested on Edgar’s arm. Lydia started to walk onwards once more.
With Edgar by her side, her nervousness until then had subsided, but when she stood in front of the priest, Lydia suddenly got worried.
What should I do if the fairy speaks out and makes a mess out of the wedding? I wonder if everything will really be alright.
While she was thinking about that, the wedding ceremony began.
After talking about matrimony, the priest looked out over the attendees.
Here. This is where the problem is.
The priest will probably say it. The line “if anyone objects to the union of these two people, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
If the fairy speaks out there, the ceremony will be suspended.
Edgar, how do you intend to stop the fairy?
Lydia waited as she stiffened her entire body.
But the priest did not speak those problematic words.
Instead, what entered Lydia’s ears were the songs of hymns.
In the midst of the sounds of the pipe organ resonating with the chorus, Lydia looked at Edgar, surprised.
When Edgar noticed her, he winked at her lightly.
Is this, Edgar’s strategy?
Before long the songs ended and even as the recitation of the Bible began, the priest did not appear to return to the sequence he skipped.
The fairy kept silent.
Edgar had probably asked the priest to remove the step of asking for objections. I wonder if the fairy will realize and fly into a rage.
As Lydia troubled over it, the ceremony continued to progress smoothly.
The attendees’ seats remained silent. It did not feel like the fairy was about to do anything awful.
Is that so? Did the fairy not realize? Is the fairy just going to continue to wait for the priest to speak those words?
As she thought about it calmly, Lydia felt that there was a good chance of that happening.
Fairies are generally inflexible beings. They will follow established routines stubbornly.
To that sixth spinstress fairy, if her disrupting the Earl family’s wedding and being unable to get in the way because of the magical protection from the five fairies were all established routines, then similarly, it was also an established routine for her to follow the priest’s words and raise her objection during the wedding.
This was a blind spot for Lydia.
Because she was preoccupied by the fact that that was a fairy which uses magic, she could only think of countering it with magic.
To begin with, Lydia can’t even think of something as sacrilegious as changing the procedures of a sacred ceremony.
Lydia did not expect that a priest, being a servant of G.o.d, would agree to skip an important portion of a ceremony.
“…in sickness and in health…”
But it was Edgar who made the priest do that.
I wonder if he threatened the priest. Or did he bribe the priest?
“…to love her and to honour her …”
As she listened to the priest’s words which pa.s.sed by quickly, Lydia was seriously troubled over whether she should be happy or be shocked.
But she had been protected so far by such an Edgar. It’s because Edgar was such a person, that he was able to bring Lydia back from the Hebrides.
Even from now onwards, no matter what Edgar did, no matter what choices he made, as long as he was doing it in order to protect what was important to him as the Blue Knight Earl, then it was Lydia’s role to accept him.