P. 126
After getting off and on different steam trainlines, Lydia and the group finally arrived at a quiet town near the seashore. The Irish Sea was right in view, and from where Lydia was standing by the window, she could clearly see the ocean waters reflecting the round moon light.
But turning back into the room, she watched Edgar being poured a glass of wine by the owner of the house as he sat on a finely curved chair.
The owner of this house was a gentry of the town and completely trusted Edgar who introduced himself as Earl.
She was amazed as she heard him explain that we were attacked by thieves, injured, and were separated from our valet, and then how he asked for a doctor and new clothes. Then by mentioning how he knew the landlord's acquaintance who was an aristocrat, he managed to make a promise to spend the night at the gentry's house.
The landlord was delighted, saying that it was an honor to host an Earl.
"By the way my lord, were you going to Mannor Island? It's just a small island. There's nothing significant on it."
"That island happens to be mine. It seems that in my father's generation, no one had visited it, but since I've inherited the title, I thought I'd come and take a look at it with my own eyes. The estates we have are all over the country."
P. 127
She wondered if the wound he had the doctor treat hurt anymore. He was told to reframe from alcohol, yet he was happily enjoying it. His glistening golden hair, which hadn't lost its shine even as he laid in the dark shack, was even more brilliant under the chandelier light.
On the other hand, Lydia looked down at her own hair. She didn't like how the indoor light made her reddish brown hair appear duller. She became envious of Edgar's blond and wondered why she wasn't born with either one of the bright colors of her parents. At least, if she was black, then she might appear smart, but with this dull reddish brown, she was just plain drab. Of course, even if she was blonde, she couldn't create an air of grace like he could.
In this landlord's house in this countryside town, the numerous expensive furniture and art pieces normally wouldn't be able to show off their dignity and patronize their owner, but now, she had the absurd feeling like they looked as if they had been waiting for someone like Edgar to visit, and to think that was a disbelief to Lydia.
"Is that so. Please forgive my rudeness. By the way, I do remember that there was an old castle on that island. The rumour is that the ones living in it are all mermaids; is that castle also my lord's?"
Hearing the word mermaid, Lydia's ears perked up.
P. 128
"Most likely that castle was built in the 16th century. I heard that the Earl at that time loved the peaceful island scenery and built that building. But mermaids are living in it? I never heard about that."
"Well, it is only a rumor. Since that island is like a treasure chest of mermaid legends."
"What kind? What kind of legends are there?" Lydia couldn't stop from interrupting.
The landlord was taken aback at her seriousness.
"Well, uh..."
"She has an exceedingly high interest in fairies. I'd like to know about it if it's about my island," said Edgar.
"Uh, well, it isn't that I'm aware of all the details, but anyone here knows about the mermaid story. It's said that those who hear their song will be enchanted and lured into the sea. The tides around the island are extrememly severe, so every time a ship is sunk, the legend of the mermaids must have spread."
"It's hard to say that all the ship incidents were coincidental. Since mermaids are able to control waves and the tides. Furthermore, why are the Mannor Island mermaids that normally inhabit the sea living in the castle? Is there any information about that?
The more Lydia seriously questioned him, the more the landlord grew a confused and irritated brow. He must have thought that a full grown man shouldn't talk about fairytales.
That was the normal response of people who've met Lydia. She was used to her words being taken as incomprehensible and irritating.
P. 129
Don't worry about it. That was all she could think to herself.
But Lydia didn't have any information regarding the merrows. Honestly, she wanted to know all that she could.
"Was there someone who has seen mermaids in the castle?" asked Edgar, to which the landlord finally gave a reply.
"More like heard singing coming from somewhere deep in the castle, and the story is that when it comes morning, the island residents find dead bodies of thieves washed up on shore who broke into the castle. But, well, it's just groundless rumors about fairies and ghosts that only the childish would enjoy."
Being called childish, Lydia was furious. Just when she was about to open her mouth to retaliate, Edgar spoke up instead.
"I actually like groundless gossip. I really need to grow up."
Seeing the landlord troubled at his retort and not knowing what to say, Lydia felt a little better.
"Oh, no, no, I didn't mean it like that. Ah, my lord, if you will excuse me, I feel like I need a bit of a rest," said the landlord, standing up, eager to leave.
"Go right ahead," replied Edgar.
"Um, may I ask a favor?" asked Lydia.
P. 130
Lydia decided to ask from him while she was upset.
"What is it?"
"May I make a pathway for the fairies here? Since this room is filled with them and they cannot get out."
Naturally, she was met with a wry face, but as for her, she couldn't be made any more upset than she already was.
"It's just a little game, landlord. If it is alright with you, could you let her do as she wishes?"
"You have quite the unique sister. Now, if you"ll excuse me." Making that his sign of approval, the landlord left the room.
"Hey, what did he mean by sister?" asked Lydia, not able to look over his words, and turned to scowl at Edgar.
"If I didn't say that, a man and a woman alone together would draw unwanted attention."
"Brother and sister would make us more suspicious! There's no way we look like siblings!"
"Really? Then should I go correct him? Should I tell him we are actually lovers secretly hiding."
"Th-that's even more further from the truth!"
"Oh, you wound me. You don"t have to hate me that much. Changing the subject. Are the fairies really lost?"
Lydia turned her head away and poured water into a glass with a lemon slice. With that in her hand, she walked to the corner of the room.
P. 131
"Then that means, in your eyes, you can see a shuffling crowd of fairies in this room?"
"That's right. It looks like this room just happened to be where they pass through."
Edgar put the glass on the table. When he did that, he coincidently avoided the spot where a fairy was laying down and sleeping.
Now that she remembered, he hadn't stepped on a fairy, not even once up until now. Even if he couldn't see, perhaps he must have a sensitive personality.
Unlike him, the landlord would sit down on them, squishing them down with a cushion, and kicked them aside as he walked. Seeing that, made Lydia want to do her part.
Most likely, the landlord must be getting the payback from the fairies every night.
Although he did seem to be the thickheaded type, even if his hair was pulled out, or he got purple bruises unbeknownst to him, he probably wouldn't realize how that happened.
Nonetheless, Lydia started with dropping a droplet of lemon water for the fairies by the windowsill.
She lined the droplets one by one as she inched from the windowsill towards the door.
Edgar came up to her like he was excited and looked down at the floor near the wall curiously.
"Is that the guiding path? So that means there are fairies lined up right here?"
"Yes."
P. 132
"What kind of fairies are they?"
"A species of brownies. They're brown and small, with a squashed face."
"Hmm. So would I be able to do it as well?"
"You want to give this a try?"
He smiled and nodded.
She handed him the glass of lemon water, and he dropped the droplets as Lydia guided him.
"Are they following?" He had a face like a playful boy.
"Yes. You can't see them, yet this is fun for you?"
"It's strange to imagine this. Is doing things like this also part of a fairy doctor's duty?"
"Yes, it is. We keep our eye out and make it easier for the humans and fairies to cohabit. If we aren't trusted by the fairies, then there is no way we can negotiate with them. And, just because no one can see them and they step on them and then get a payback from them is a pretty pointless cycle, isn't it?" Just by giving a little consideration to them, like tying a ribbon on your windowsill or door is enough to make them happy, but even those traditions have been forgotten."
She didn't know if he was really listening, but Edgar let out a snicker and dropped the last water droplet next to the door side.
P. 133
Opening the door just a crack, Lydia watched as every single fairy marched out of the room.
"But you still think that fairies don't exist, don't you?"
"They have never appeared in my reality. They exist only in dreams. But, you must have a wider open view of reality then anybody else. Just like how a person with great eyesight can see far away. When I heard your story, I see it like that."
"...You're so strange."
It was the first time that she spoke the words that were always said to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Um, it isn't that I'm making fun of you, it's just, well, I was surprised. It was the first time someone introduced me to that kind of perspective."
"Oh?"
Once the noisy crowd of fairies had left, suddenly Lydia realized she was alone with Edgar. She was made aware of that because he was looking down at her with his focused eyes and they stood right next to each other since they worked on making the pathway huddled together.
And Nico wasn't here.
"I, I kind of feel like I've babbled on. I never talked about fairies so much like this other than with my family...., because, normally I'll be teased. Ah, but, you must think of me as a strange girl."
P. 134
She became so embarrassed and kept talking, not wanting anymore awkward silence.
"I don't think of you like that," said Edgar.
"If you mean that, then you really are a strange person. But, remember how you didn't seem to dislike how I was talking about fairies to the landlord? It seems like that sort of thing makes me happy, unexpectingly. Thanks to you, I was able to say what I wanted. Normally, when I see fairies in trouble at other people's houses, I couldn't speak up, and yet, knowing that there's someone on my side, I feel a little headstrong. But, I'm fully aware that you are like that only to keep me in a good mood until we find the sword."
She slowly started to loose track of what she was saying.
"I'm perfectly aware that you're a liar, and even if you're just saying so, I know that you're just saying such things to make me feel better, but your acting nearly fools me. Because, just like now, it seemed like you enjoyed making that pathway, and I started to think that you were a kind person who considered my feelings."
Huh? What am I saying. It sounds like I'm confessing to him or something.
"Uh, but, don't be mistaken. I still don't trust you at all. It was just that, I wanted to say I was flattered, just a little. And, hey, stop touching my hair."
"It's so soft, like a cat's furcoat, yet it doesn't tangle, is that because fairies frequently comb it for you?"
P. 135
She wondered how he could come up with lines like that, but from how he smiled at her so soft and kindly, Lydia didn't know what to say.
"Fairies like blond hair. They're not interested in this rustic-iron color."
"Caramel."
"Huh?"
"That description suits you better."
She couldn't believe that just having this rude man, who was playing around with her hair, say something like that would make her not able to raise her hand on him.
"Is it sweet if I take a bite?"
I really can't be too careful around this man. Just as she was thinking that to herself, Lydia was confused, she didn't know if she was displeased or not about his interpretation.
There was a knock at the door.
Edgar shrugged his shoulders and stepped away from Lydia. He said "You can enter" towards the door.
Lydia let out a sigh in relief.
"Lord Edgar, I'm sorry for my late arrival."
The ones that were shown in by the maid was Raven and Ermine.
Edgar didn't seem to be worried about them even though he was separated from them.
P. 136
It was clear that their destination was Mannor Island, so they kept on going anticipating that the two of them would find them, but she was still amazed that they really did catch up with them.
If they've been through close call battles together, they must have known how each other would act when they got separated.
"Ermine, Raven! You're alright?"
Edgar happily opened his arms and hugged the two like a father embracing his children. She could tell Edgar cared for them deeply.
They didn't seem to have a normal master-servant relationship. Lydia thought, the three of them are family.
"Miss Carlton, were you not hurt?" asked Ermine kindly, but Lydia slightly still felt left out of the circle.
"Yes, I..." She actually felt responsible for getting Edgar injured, and felt apologetic towards the two of them.
"There was nothing to worry about. I protected Lydia safely."
"Is that true? Wasn't it more like she felt danger towards my lord?"
"Now look, Ermine,"
"Was I mistaken?"
P. 137
"No. But if you knew, then I'd hope the two of you would give us at least ten more minutes. It was just getting good."
"Oh, ten minutes was going to be enough?"
Aside from the two of their conversation, Lydia felt Raven's sharp eyes on her. Did he realize Edgar was injured? Did he realize that it was Lydia's fault?
"Um, I'm going to go get some rest. Goodnight."
Leaving behind the uncomfortable air between her and Edgar and the unnatural pounding of her heart, Lydia decided to escape from the room.
"Ermine, because you said something strange like that, now you made Lydia leave."
Hearing his words drifting away, she quickly sped out of the drawing room.
****
(Hey, did you see that? That was a fairy doctor.)
(Yes, it's been a hundred years since I've seen one in this town.)
(I heard her say that she was going to Mannon Island.)
(If she's going, then maybe that means we can go home too?)
P. 138
(If the merrows are released, then we can go home.)
Hearing the whispers from the crowd of brownies, Nico stopped in his tracks as he was walking on his hind legs through the garden of the house.
"Hey, shorties. What do you mean going home?"
(Wah, oh, it's just a cat.)
"I'm not a cat. I'm the fairy doctor's partner."
(Whatever. If you're the partner of the fairy doctor, then could you tell her to help the merrows.)
"What's happened with the merrows?"
(They have been in grief for so long. Because the master of the island hasn't returned.)
(When the merrows grieve, it disrupts the sea. We used to live on Mannor Island and had been going back and forth between the mainland and the island, but because of the merrows, we've haven't been able to cross the sea. We haven't seen our family for three hundred years now.)
"That's unfortunate. But to save the merrows, wouldn't that be impossible unless it was the absent island master?"
(A fairy doctor should be able to solve human problems.)
"Don't speak such nonsense. Well, still, I'll tell her about the merrows. But in exchange, I want to know about the thing they are protecting."
P. 139
P. 140
(The thing they're protecting? What's that?)
"They should have been handed something from their master who left."
(Hmm, I think I've heard something like that. But we've been away from the island all this time. We don't know what's going on over there.)
Hmm, thought Nico, combing through his whiskers.
"You said you had family over there. Then I'd like to ask them some questions. I'll let you get on our boat, so why don't you come to the island with us?"
(On a human boat? Is it alright for us to get on?)
The fairies were thrilled and overjoyed. Even if the traditional charms to ward off evil have been nearly forgotten in this era, a boat was needed to go out onto the terrifying and untamable waters of the sea. There was protection in those waters to ward off fairies and evil spirits unseen to the human eye, and so they couldn't cross the water by using a human boat.
"I'll tell the fairy doctor about your request. In exchange, introduce me to your family."
The deal was sealed.
All that was left was to find out how many of the small fairies on the Mannor Island knew about the precious information about the merrows.
"Geez, Lydia really is blind to danger," mumbled Nico to himself.
She has never seen a merrow before, yet she is calmly resolute in facing them.
P. 141
It wouldn't be a problem if she was accompanied by Blue Knight Earl, the real master of the merrows, but being a thief along, he couldn't tell what she was thinking.
"She really is a handful, geez."
Nico had been watching over Lydia ever since she was a newborn. He didn't plan on spending his days peacefully on the sidelines. He was going to support her from the shadows, or he planned to.
"It would be great if the merrows would just take the thieves to the bottom of the sea,"he said, slipping into the house from the crack of an open window.
In a room with only the light from the hearth, Edgar was sitting on the sofa, alone, not moving at all.
He wasn't the same nonchalant man who was always teasing Lydia, he had a serious face, the kind he wouldn't show her, thinking about what was ahead.
"Lord Edgar, it would be best to get some rest," said Ermin, entering the room.
"Why don't you have a seat. Would you join me for a drink?・
P. 142
However, Ermine remained standing and worryingly said to him "Uh, there's something I would like to ask you."
He guessed what the questions she wanted to ask from how she asked so orderly.
"Ahh, is it about Lydia? Do you want to know how I was able to bring her along after we got separated?"
She knit her brows with a sad face.
"Don't make such a face. You know I'm a man who can do anything ruthless."
"You pretend to be indifferent. But you're always suffering from the decisions you make."
Edgar breathed out a small sigh.
"Don't worry, Ermine. I haven't done anything to Lydia."
"Is that true?"
"I couldn't. For some strange reason," he admitted, almost embarrassingly. And Ermine, still having a sad face, relaxed as if relieved.
"Then, Ms Carlton knows that we have been deceiving her, yet she's still helping us?"
"She doesn't have any intention to take part in a burglary. She wants to prove that it't impossible to get the sword unless it was the real Blue Knight Earl, and make us come to our knees in shame by showing us that reality."
P. 143
Edgar rested his head on his palm, and smiled like he was mocking himself.
"Lydia is an interesting girl. She would appear like she was under my control and yet she's not. Then she shows me how soft-hearted she can be and how she doesn't have any other intentions then what she shows, and only says what she means. On top of that, it seems she can't abandon a criminal like me if I hang onto her and beg on my knees."
Not able to imagine such a scene, Ermine tilted her head.
"I confessed to her a little about my past. It was strange. Like I wanted to see what kind of reaction she would take."
"How did she respond?"
"She must have thought I lost my mind after getting my brain removed."
As he remembered, he chuckled to himself.
"But, she believed me, she believed in something more unbelievable than the existence of fairies. She said she hates liars. She must look past other people's flattery and lies with those mystical eyes of hers. But I'm made up with falsehood. A false name, a false life, everything is false. All there is to me is an earnest lie and a lie that's not. Probably those earnest lies are my truth, and she must have understood that."
To claim as the Blue Knight Earl was his last resort of an earnest lie. Saying that was the only hope left for Edgar and to say that he would die than give it up, was also an earnest lie.
P. 144
"Then, you're planning to reveal everything to Ms Carlton?"
"No, I can't do that."
That was what he was mulling over just now. But however much he thought it over, he couldn't change his mind.
Lydia wasn't on Edgar's side. Even if she didn't go along with Edgar's plan and was staying with them at her own wish, that wasn't because she understood his objective.
It was the unchangeable fact that to Lydia, Edgar was still just a despicable criminal. In order for an imposter to get his hands on the sword, he had to rely on despicable options.
"I'm going to have Lydia solve that fairy riddle. Beyond that, whether merrows do exist or not, we'll go along with our original plan."
"Why? Lord Edgar."
"Why? Because. I'm not the descendant of the Blue Knight Earl. I'm just a thief. We need Lydia's help in order to find out the location of the sword, but her purpose ends there. We must get that sword at all costs."
He stood up and walked over to Ermine.
"Ermine, are you that worried about Lydia?"
"She's an innocent girl. So honest, and suited to walk on the peaceful side of society. I don't want to hurt someone so privileged."
P. 145
"I know. Even for me, it's not like I enjoy dirtying my hands like this."
"But, even Lord Edgar has become attached to Ms. Carlton, haven't you?...That's why, even though she found out that you were an imposter, you revealed everything and spoke out to her sympathy then trying to use violence, didn't you?"
He curved up the side of his lips and narrowed his ash mauve eyes which were mixed with a sad blue and heartless red.
"You give me too much credit."
Just then, Edgar spotted a movement behind the curtain and turned his head to it. He saw a furry gray tail peeking through the shadows of the curtain by the window.
It was Lydia's cat.
Just as he realized that, he rushed over to the window and more quickly than the cat could dash off, he grabbed the scruff of the cat's neck, pinning him down.
"Nico, were you eavesdropping on us?"
The cat replied with an angry growl.
Even though he thought there shouldn't be a problem if a cat overheard them, however, remembering how Lydia was saying that this cat understood human language, he felt he shouldn't left him go.
And for some reason this cat seemed humanly.
Even if it was a stupid idea, Edgar turned the frustration in him that he didn't know what to do with, towards Nico.
P. 146
He wanted to make sure he could act cold and heartless when necessary.
Walking over to the hearth, he attempted to throw Nico into it like he was fuel for the fire.
"Uow, stop, hey!"
"Lord Edgar, what are you doing?!" Ermine tried to stop him, throwing her arms around him.
Escaping from his grip just nearly, Nico jumped up onto the mantelpiece.
Edgar fell down onto the floor with Ermine and turned just his face up towards Nico.
"I was just kidding, Nico."
"I wouldn't think so, you'll pay for this!"
To Edgar, it looked like Nico vanished. But it may have just been that the cat sliped into the darkness.
Edgar let out a sigh. Still remained sitting on the floor, he stroked Ermine's short hair as she still clinged onto him.
She lifted her head and looked up at Edgar with sorrowful eyes.
"Sometimes, you purposefully try to act callous. Like you're trying to throw away the kindness and compassion in you."
"That's in order to protect you two. We can't survive unless I become indifferent."
"Please treasure yourself, not just for me or Raven's sake."
P. 147
"I know."
Ermine's lips touched his. They quickly parted, but her body still leaned up against Edgar.
"...I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize about."
"Lord Edgar, is there no way we can give up searching for the sword?"
He could tell that she had been mulling that option in her head. But for Edgar, it only looked like Ermine was loosing her courage.
He understood her feelings, that she didn't want to bear any more sacrifices, but they couldn't bare to lose their way now.
"In order to get our freedom, we have to do this. If we give up, then we can never escape from that man's clutches."
"Either way, we might not be able to get the sword. And it might be better if we don't continue committing crimes for it's sake. I have the eerie feeling like we are never going to be able to really escape that man, like that's my destiny."
"Prince isn't indestructible. You're no longer his slave, but my dear friend. Forget about the past."
P. 148
Ermine softly leaned away from him and knit her brows impatiently.
"Then, please make love to me."
Edgar hesitated from the pressured look in her eyes.
"Please make every part of me yours. It's not that I wish to become your lover. I just want to make sure that you are my master. Or else I'm terrified. Like I will always be chained to Prince."
"You're not an object. You're no one's slave. Your master will always be me even if we don't do such a thing."
"Really? Or do you just think dirty of me because I was Prince's woman?"
"Don't be stupid."
"Because, we are always by each other, and you know how I feel about you, yet you pretend not to notice."
Edgar pulled Ermine into his arms.
A pitiful girl. She was one of the young, beautiful female slaves that Prince owned. From when he became friends with Ermine and her brother and wanted to protect them, he resolved to become a different person. If there was anything his weak self could do, he wanted to help them.
P. 149
P. 150
He wondered if it was that difficult to grant her her wish.
He pressed his lips against her white neck. Her arms softly wrapped around Edgar.
But just as he was about to touch her, he could feel the chain deep inside himself as well. Just as Ermine still felt chained to Prince, Edgar may be chained as well.
Edgar was Prince's possession, but his position was completely different than the other slaves. Because he was groomed to be the next replacement for Prince, the leader of that twisted, immoral organization.
He was pounded up with information of that man's thought process, how he made his decisions, his gestures and demeanor, every single one of traits. He was forced to learn everything that that man had learned. By covering that wide range of academics, he came to know that Prince was no ordinary man, but he wasn't given the chance to think who that man really was.
That unfair reality. Being cornered mentally and physically, being robbed of your own free will, and the feeling of slowly being molded into a different person. The fear of gradually forgetting who you were and what you were like.
Ermine too, was brought before Edgar in order to learn how to become Prince. It was disgusting how they tried to teach him even those preferences.
But from that, Edgar realized the stupidity of the situation he was in.
What the men around him were trying to do was like an absurd magical occult ritual.
P. 151
From there he convinced Ermine, who had given up on everything at that point, and attempted to rebel against the ones with power in that organization.
His first rebellion was going against their orders. That was why he never laid a finger on her. Ermine also didn't leak Edgar's insubordination to her superiors. Since then, he felt a strong trust bond between them and thought of her as a fellow ally.
Just because she had been Prince's woman, he never viewed her as beneath him. But he was certain he didn't want to take control of her like that man and so, even if they were a free man and woman now, if he took her to bed now, he felt like that would continue Prince's domination, and that frightened him.
"I'm sorry, Ermine."
In the end, Edgar could only push Ermine away.
*****
Lydia swiftly backed away from the door.
She dashed quietly down the dark hallway. She wondered why she had to be the one to running away, but after witnessing Edgar and Ermine together like that, she could only say that it made it awkward for her.
She couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were definitely embracing each other.
Are the two of them lovers?
P. 152
If he did have a lover and he was still flirting with others, then he definitely was a rake.
"But it has nothing to do with me,"said Lydia to herself, trying to brush away the disappointment that was in her for some reason, and was about to dash down a flight of stairs. But at the landing a dark figure stepped out.
"Ahhhh!!" she screamed, falling back down on her bottom.
"Pardon me, my lady. Are you alright?"
It was Raven. Lydia quickly stood up.
"Um, I, I was about to go to the kitchen. I thought some warm milk before bed would be nice."
She wasn't asked anything, yet she was rushing to come up with an excuse. She had the feeling like Raven was keeping an eye on her, like he saw her as a threat to Edgar.
Of course, it was natural if he hated her, after getting thrown at with hot tea, and getting injured, but after he'd say unsettling things with no expression on his face, and showed that he had combat skills far more dangerous than a regular street thug, she would naturally feel intimidated around him.
"Then, I shall prepare it for you. Please wait in your cabin room."
"Oh, no, that's alright. I don't want to be poisoned...., no, I mean,"
"Poisoned?"
He looked at her with sharp eyes. She remembered how he snapped a man's neck instantaneously.
P. 153
When they were surrounded by Huxley and his men at the train station, the victim was the man who stuck a knife to her throat. But, after hearing the hair-raising sound of bones snapping right by her ear and after the thought of whether she would hear that same sound when it happened to herself crossed by in her head, that thought horrified Lydia and sent her into a panicked state of mind.
"No, don't come near me, don't kill me!"
"I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
Met with a sudden apology, Lydia, surprised, looked at him.
"You're frightened of me. I apologize for not noticing that."
He said it in his usual expressionless face, but all of a sudden, Lydia felt extremely guilty.
She became worried if she hurt his feelings. Besides, it wasn't like Raven was going to do anything to her, yet she rushed to conclusions, raised her voice from her own made up fear and called him a killer.
Even at that time at the train station, he was just protecting Lydia from that scoundrel and his knife. Changing her mind, she called Raven to stop him, as he was starting to walk off.
"Um, I'm sorry. It was terrible of me to say such a thing. I didn't mean to criticize you."
He turned around to look at her with a curious expression.
"It's natural to be frightened of a murderer."
"But, it wasn't like you were going to kill me."
P. 156
"And yet, Lord Edgar never deserted me, and taught me many important things, since I was ignorant as a baby. From then, I was able to grasp freedom as a human being. To serve my lord is my purpose. Because if I lose my master, my soul will fall under control of that savage spirit."
"Then Edgar doesn't have to be the one to rule you, couldn't anybody be your master?"
"Then, for example, would you be able to take responsibility for me? Would you be able to carry all the crimes committed by a monster, who'd attack anyone when let free, and teach it what was good and evil, and tame it? And then, never give the order to kill anyone to such a dangerous creature?"
She could never be a beast tamer. But that meant that Edgar had taken up the task of carrying another human's life on his chest, on top of what Raven had just said.
Having the possession of a servant that would erase any one that got in one's way when ordered to do so. But to be able to never give such an order. Protecting Raven's soul like that, seemed kind, but it was also extremely difficult.
A perfect bond of trust, built on not demanding too much from one another.
She thought that that must be the reason why Raven wouldn't hesitate to dirty his own hands, if it was for Edgar's, even if he hadn't given the order.
"Ms Carlton, it's natural to feel uneasy around me. That's why I ask you, please don't do anything that will cause trouble for Lord Edgar."
She thought, as she watched Raven walk off: Yup, either way, I'm still going to be threatened.
P. 157
As a fairy doctor, perhaps, it was a much more difficult task for Lydia to prove the impossibility in Edgar and his group's plan, than how to deal with the merrows.
Perhaps it was a mistake to feel sympathy towards these people who had survived walking on the dark side of society, which was unimaginable to Lydia.
Spending time alone with Edgar, Lydia thought she had come to understand him just a bit. She realized that he wasn't a rotten person at his core, and he showed kindness and consideration that Lydia had never received before. She knew it was just a simple ingratiation, but he effortlessly saved Lydia from harsh or hurtful words that were aimed at her.
She thought that it wasn't a calculation of his but a fundamental part of his character.
But from witnessing him with Ermine and talking with Raven, Edgar started to become a mysterious person to Lydia again.
"Am I being deceived?"
"Ah geez, that's why I told you not to trust them."
She didn't notice that Nico had suddenly appeared, sitting on the stair railing with an irritated expression.
"Just as I thought, they are dangerous. Look at this, the end of my tail is burnt."
"Oh, my goodness, what happened?"
P. 158
"I was nearly thrown into a fire by that idiot Edgar! It looks like I overheard something that they didn't want us to know about."
"Overheard? What?"
"I didn't hear them clearly, but it looks like they're still hiding something from you. In order to definitely get their hands on that sword, they're planning on doing something bad."
"Oh."
"Anyway, just like you thought, there are merrows living on Mannor Island protecting that sword. But the problem starts from there."
"Are you sure that they are protecting the sword?"
"The small fairies who came from that island said the merrows are taking care of something their master entrusted to them. And now they're longing for their master who hasn't returned."
"The landlord said the merrows are living in the castle. Which means, the sword is hidden somewhere in that castle."
"You know, Lydia, you don't have to face the merrows for their sake. You know that right?"
"Yes. ...You're right."
Either way, Lydia wasn't on their side. If Edgar didn't share the blood of the real Blue Knight Earl, then all she was left to do, was make it clear that the merrows wouldn't hand him somebody else's sword.
P. 159
However, she didn't intend to back down from him and planned to face the merrows head on, but that meant Lydia will become involved in their strife.
"If it turns dangerous, we're left with only one option, to run. We're no match against merrows anyways."
Merrows are clever and beautiful creatures, however, at times they are deadly. They are the dark omen that appear above the ocean's surface before a storm. They are also said to favor human souls and collect ones that have died at sea. Their temperament is much like a human's and there are cases when they befriend us, but there are clans that lust for blood.
But the biggest problem is their beautiful singing. Humans become captivated by it and enchanted, and are said to be lured to the bottom of the sea at the merrow's command, and there is no power that could match their magic, which was why they were so petrifying.
If they used their full-strength, humans had no way of defending themselves, like a little boat thrown out in the middle of a storm.
For the newbie fairy doctor like Lydia, who just had a little bit of knowledge about them, this would be the first time meeting them, and she didn't think she could manage a negotiation.
Ideally, she hoped that she could show the danger of the merrows to Edgar and have him give up the sword, but apparently he wasn't that simple a person.
When push-came-to-shove, she wondered if she was going to be left with the decidsion of abandoning Edgar.
(Caramel. That description suits you better.)
Just those simple words of his had already sank down deep into Lydia's heart, and she was worried if she would be able to let herself watch him die.
P. 160
He was a criminal, and a liar, and a man who was still hiding something important from Lydia.
And yet, she thought, if she was able to convince the merrows, and make him Blue Knight Earl, she would be able to give him back the right to walk on the sunny side of society that was his position to begin with.
Like she would have such an ability to do that.
"They deserve to be drowned in the sea by the merrows. They're criminals. It would be good riddance for society to get rid of them," said Nico in a some what violent manner, perhaps caused by the bald spot on his tail.
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