Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 20 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 ♦ If we could meet again at the water banks

“The man who almost killed Mr Darnley’s grandson might have sneaked into this auction.”
Edgar asserted to Paul and Nico, who were in front of him.
“Do you have any proof?”
Nico crossed his arms and asked, looking proud. This guy was scared of going into the mirror and thanks to him, Raven was captured on the other side, and yet his attitude towards the situation wasn’t modest in the least bit.
“This mansion had rumors of a ghost roaming about since the past, and the ghost was said to be Mr. Darnley’s granddaughter. The person who specially came to this place and wasn’t overly curious is the criminal.”
According to Kelpie, the fairy called “Luna” became a substitute for Phyllis. If that was the case, wouldn’t the criminal be unable to determine whether Phyllis was dead or not?
Fairies don’t have a corpse after death, so if Phyllis’ remains disappeared before his eyes, he would surely be filled with confusion and he might have believed that he saw a mirage. Even if he left the scene before confirming Phyllis’ death, upon hearing that the granddaughter’s ghost appeared in the mansion, rather than believing it to be a ghost, perhaps he would think that Phyllis might be alive.
“Not all of the people staying here are simply overly curious guys?”
“Yeah, because they are all members of the paranormal club. But I found it very strange, because if they simply wanted money, then they didn’t need to do such things. On the contrary, if they really cared about the mansion and the rumors of the ghost, they could only take advantage of the club. Mr. Chambers, who inherited the mansion, seemed to have recently joined the club, but made light of the rumours of the ghost, so I think he only joined to hold this auction.”
“Do you think he is the criminal?”
“There’s that possibility, besides, the right of inheritance is also involved…… but if the property manager found Mr. Darnley before he passed away, then he truly doesn’t know anything, and he couldn’t have targeted Phyllis from before.”
“Then could be it someone else?”
“It should be somebody who claimed to Mr. Chambers that he could make a profit from the guys who are interested in the haunted house, and moreover, this is an opportunity to stay here using the auction as a purpose while investigating all over the mansion. The criminal probably wanted to confirm whether or not Phyllis was really dead, so it was impossible for him to not take advantage of this opportunity.”
“How can we identify the criminal?”
Paul tilted his head and Edgar smiled at him.
“The person should almost be hooked, because I have already cast the bait beforehand.”
At that moment, there just happened to be a knock on the door. Raven responded reliably and opened the door, and three men appeared.
It was Mr. Chambers, the owner of the mansion, Mr. Beck, who was presiding over tonight’s auction, and Mr. Coen, who claimed to be a friend of Mr. Darnley.
“Earl Ashenbert, I heard that you informed everyone that it was best not to buy the goods at the auction, may I ask what is going on?”
Mr. Chambers looked quite distressed. This was understandable, after all, he put in a lot of money into the auction, and it could be a problem if the funds couldn’t be recovered smoothly.
“If you already heard about it, then you should be able to understand why, right? Mr. Chambers, you're not Mr. Darnley’s successor, no, I should say that it would turn out this way sooner or later.”
Edgar didn’t intend on getting up from his chair, and so he leisurely looked at him.
“There might be some misunderstanding, isn’t there? Lord Ashenbert, I don’t know who you heard this from, but Mr. Darnley doesn’t have any grandsons or granddaughters. I have met with him several times and visited here once.”
Mr. Coen asked Edgar in a steady tone.
“Yes, if there is an heir, then the trustee does not have to specifically look for Mr. Chambers, furthermore, he doesn’t have to worry about how to handle this unsold house...... As the sponsor of this auction, I cannot tolerate malicious nitpicking.”
Mr. Beck was angry to the point his face was red.
“Oh, so you were the one who suggested holding the auction? Were you the one who invited Mr. Chambers to join the paranormal club as well?”
“It was me who invited him.”
Mr. Coen answered.
Well then, who is the real criminal? They all fit in with the rather obscure criteria of being middle aged men. Perhaps the three men aren’t the criminals, but the person inevitably has to show up one day.
While Edgar pondered, he began to speak, casting out the next stage of the bait.
“This isn’t nitpicking, I have evidence as well. The one that Mr. Darnley carefully hid and entrusted to me is Mr. Phyllis Darnley.”
“You said ‘Mister’? Isn’t it a granddaughter?”
“He is a boy.”
The criminal should know that Phyllis is a male. Was Beck truly skeptical? Edgar observed him carefully.
“Why would he entrust it to you? I don’t think that a young person like you would be an acquaintance of Mr. Darnley’s. At least I haven’t heard him mention your name while he was alive.”
This time, Edgar raised his head and turned to Mr. Coen, revealing a leisurely smile.
“You should have heard it. The Earl, who Mr. Darnley was waiting for up until the last moment, is me.”
Edgar slowly got up from his chair. He stood up with a straight back; as long as he made a move, it gave off the impression of a noble, while reciprocating with a sense of intimidation. An elegant smile appeared from his refined face, and the people before him were immediately speechless.
“Earl of Ibrazel is my official title, also known as the Blue Knight Earl. Mr Darnley mentioned this before did he not?”
As long as Edgar said that with a distinctive tone, people would presume that he was a man with a complex background. For Edgar, it wasn’t difficult to try and make others believe that he was an enigmatic man who couldn’t be contended against; this was only the first move in order to gain victory.
“......However, why have you come here now? After Mr. Darnley passed away, why did you continue to hide the matter of his grandchild?”
Mr. Coen was very calm.
“Did you know? Baron Rochester, who lived in this mansion, was close with my ancestors, and this land has many unfathomable legends, so he needed to borrow the abilities that the Ashenbert family possessed.”
Edgar also replied calmly.
“Mr. Darnley’s grandson, Phyllis, is in the mirror. This is because the land possesses magic. If you wanted to come out of there, you would need special abilities. Mr. Darnley knew this and so he waited for someone from the Ashenbert family to appear.”
“In--inside the mirror?”
Their reactions were of course shocked beyond the level of surprise, but Edgar continued to talk leisurely.
“I am the Earl of Ibrazel who returned to England after three hundred years, and I received Her Majesty’s approval to rule over the fairy territory belonging to the British Empire. Mr. Darnley’s grandson was entrusted to me, so I must respond to his request, in order that Phyllis could be fairly considered as Mr. Darnley’s successor.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Although Mr. Beck spat that out, it could be seen that he was trying not to get caught up in what Edgar was saying.
“Mr. Darnley’s grandson will come out of the mirror, so you want me to stop the auction?”
“Oh my, Mr. Beck, you need to calm down first. Lord Ashenbert, regarding the situation about the rights to the inheritance, it wouldn’t hurt even if you reconsider while waiting for that Mr. Phyllis to appear, right? Tonight the auction will start as scheduled, because he might not appear.”
Edgar smiled at the reactions of the three people.
“Then I will bring the real successor before the auction.”
There was no need for the talk to continue.
Edgar urged Paul, and the two of them left the parlor. Raven silently followed behind, and Nico unknowingly disappeared.
“Earl, do you have a way of bringing Mr. Phyllis out of the mirror?”
Paul asked after hearing the whole conversation, as if he found it inconceivable.
“There is no way unless we find the criminal and know of Luna’s whereabouts. But on one hand, the criminal will probably act before the auction.”
That person knew Edgar was not fooling around. Since that was the case, he would likely be afraid if Edgar really brought Phyllis back.
“Paul, please don’t let Lydia or Lota get close to me for the time being.”
Paul looked surprised with a taut face.
“......But Earl, aren’t you in danger right now?”
Paul turned his head back towards Raven, as he was worried about Edgar’s safety.
Although Edgar intended to become the bait by provoking those who had the suspicion of a criminal and making them attack him, they did not know whether or not the current Raven was perfectly guarding Edgar like usual. That being said, if the criminal was killed, then everything would have amounted to nothing, so it should be better to tell Raven to leave first, right?
“I might be.”
He wanted to see Lydia.
These were his sincere thoughts. As long as he could hear Lydia’s voice, hear her speak, a little danger was nothing.
After going past the grand staircase, there were mirrors hanging on the wall. How was she getting by on the other side of the mirror now? Although his eyes were fixated on the scenery in the mirror, he could not see Lydia.
Although the mirror reflected Edgar and Paul, it did not reflect Raven’s figure.
Edgar looked out from a nearby window.
The vast swamps that surrounded the mansion reflected the scenery all around. Since that was the case, then he should be able sense Lydia’s presence somewhere over there.
“I’m going to take a breath of fresh air outside.”
After Edgar said that he went down the stairs.

                                                                                                                                                 *

“Kelpie, where are you going?”
Lydia asked Kelpie, who was walking ahead. He called Lydia to come out alone, and was now silently walking along the swamp.
“Aren’t you willing to take walk with me?”
“No, that’s not the case, but if you made it clear that you wanted to take a walk, then couldn’t the three of us enjoy ourselves?”
“Three..... wait, why did you come along?!”
After Kelpie turned his head around and chided him, Raven still followed behind Lydia’s back, remaining unmoved.
“I cannot leave Master’s wife alone with a horse.”
Kelpie tutted.
“Since they’re already married, can’t you loosen up a bit?”
“Due to the matters Lord Edgar encounters that are in relation to Madam Lydia, he can never remain calm.”
Is that so? Lydia felt doubtful. In Lydia’s eyes, Edgar was always going at his own pace, and never seemed to panic either. Furthermore, he was always self-centered regardless of the situation so Lydia was could only be bewildered by it every time.
Upon mentioning that, perhaps Lydia should be more calm regarding her role as a wife.
With regards to Edgar’s excuses and lies, as well as the intimate relationship between them as husband and wife, she was making a fuss over small things, while being unable to give up her childish side.
“Lydia, aren’t you more or less disappointed in marriage?”
Kelpie asked that while looking ahead and walking.
There were sounds of three people’s footsteps on the grass coming over. This was obviously the mirror world, and yet it was practically the same as reality. Lydia found this inconceivable.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You’re still the same, being involved in troublesome incidents, and the Blue Knight Earl who merely possesses the name is basically useless.”
“It is my duty to settle those matters. This is what I ought to do, one way or another, for the sake of the Earl family.”
For Lydia, the choice of becoming the Earl family’s fairy doctor, as well as the determination to make this choice wasn’t difficult. However, the matter of having to act as the good wife in Edgar’s mind was actually something that she couldn’t accomplish smoothly.
So every time Lydia thought of this, her mood would become heavy. Compared to the possibility of not returning, she felt that this aspect of the issue was more serious.
“Hey Raven, has Edgar said anything about me?”
“Yes, he said he loves you.”
Kelpie tutted again and Lydia blushed.
“That was said towards the gentle and tender me, right?”
“Both are the same.”
Lydia felt that it was not the same. The “Lydia” over there likely wouldn’t slap Edgar on the face.
How was he looking at Lydia now, whose body was here? Lydia didn’t understand Edgar’s way of thinking, so her uneasiness began to increase.
Regarding the clues of the man who tried to kill Phyllis as well as Luna, she had already entrusted Kelpie to inform Edgar of this.
Will Edgar go and find that man? For the time being, Lydia could only wait for the results of his search, but if he had to find a man whose whereabouts were unknown, he would undoubtedly need manpower. Edgar might also leave here in order to investigate matters regarding Phyllis’ mother.
Thinking up to this point, Lydia couldn’t hide the loneliness in her heart.
If he left the mansion then she would not be able to see him.
“It’s better if you confirm it with the person himself for that sort of thing.”
Kelpie suddenly said that as he stopped.
He pointed towards a small bridge ahead of the path.
The sunshine was pouring down. The branches of the giant trees hanged down, seemingly covering the bridge floor. While the sunshine filtered through the leaves, and on the bridge reflected by the surface of the water, there was a figure.
There wasn’t anybody on the bridge before them, but the scenery reflected by the water had someone. It was Edgar, standing on the bridge on the other side of the mirror.
“That guy rarely comes to find me, just when I wondered what was going on, he said he wanted to see you no matter what, even if it was from across the mirror.”
Although Kelpie was the only one who had the freedom to go in and out of the mirror, Edgar asking Kelpie for a favor was truly unexpected.
“Although he wanted me to bring you out quietly, I have no obligation to listen to him. However, I feel that if you want to see him, then you can’t ruin this chance.”
Will Edgar think that if the two met, Lydia would run away again, just like that night?
Lydia stopped, with both her legs shaking, but it wasn’t because she felt that Edgar was terrifying, rather she didn’t know what to say in order to restore their relationship to before, so she was very afraid.
Even his desires to touch and kiss each other couldn’t be followed, if she assumed an awkward attitude, would it make the misunderstanding between them worse?  
Even so, Lydia took a step towards the bridge.
He must have wanted to see Lydia before leaving this place, because there were matters that he had to return to London to settle.
When is the next time I can see him? I want to see him, then I want to apologise for last time, and tell him that I will wait for him.
I want to tell him that although I spoke selfishly, please don’t hate me.
Edgar was probably staring at the surface of the water all along. He turned his head slowly, and seemed to see Lydia’s figure on the bridge.
Lydia was shocked and stopped.
“Lydia? …...It’s Lydia, isn’t it? There is fine, please don’t leave, stay where I can see you.”
After he hurriedly said that, he added anxiously,
“Can you hear what I’m saying?”
Lydia nodded.
“.....Listen Edgar, I.......”
The words that she originally wanted to say had already disappeared from her mind completely and she couldn’t go on, but he smiled gently.
“That’s great, I can hear your voice clearly. Lydia, can you come a bit closer? Please let me see your face properly.”
Although Lydia tried to lift her head, she was unable to look at Edgar calmly.
“Hey Earl, you have to capture Lydia’s heart properly, otherwise I’ll take her away immediately.”
After Kelpie turned around and intentionally kicked the water, he disappeared.
As the water surface was disturbed by the ripples, Lydia couldn’t see Edgar’s figure for a moment.
But after the rippling disappeared, Edgar appeared right in front of Lydia’s eyes, which made her flustered.
“Wh--why did you suddenly come so close!”
“I’m glad. It’s the usual Lydia.”
He looked over, seemingly gazing at the water surface. As soon as Lydia became aware of the person she wanted to see, she didn’t want to leave even if she was embarrassed.
“No......you’re making it as if I’m always angry.”
Maybe I am always angry.
At least for now, if I show him a smile….
“Lydia, there is something I want to say to you.”
However, Edgar began speaking with a solemn face, so Lydia couldn’t smile.
He was probably going to say that he was leaving this place. He will take the obedient “Lydia” back with him, so perhaps the feeling of leaving was faint for him.
Lydia didn’t want to actually feel this, thus she took the initiative to speak.
“I understand, Edgar, as soon as the auction finishes, you will return to London, right? Don’t mind me, Lota and Raven are here, so I won’t be lonely.”
Edgar revealed a troubled expression.
“Even if I am not by your side, will you mind?”
Oh no, I’ve done it again.
Why can’t I honestly say anything charming?
“I--It’s not that, I just don’t want you to worry about me. Although the bogey beast will pull pranks, I still have Kelpie here......”
“I see, having Kelpie by your side will make you feel at ease, won’t it?”
Saying that wasn’t great either.
“Ah! But he is a fairy...... so, uh...... Edgar, you will find clues about Luna, right? I will wait for you.”
Edgar’s expression didn’t ease up at all.
“Are you really going to wait for me? I have already made you wait several times, and my senses have already become sluggish.”
When small disputes keep accumulating, it will become a fierce quarrel. But Lydia didn’t want to think about that.
“......I have also done many things that have troubled you. But I won’t be selfish anymore, so rest assured.”
Although Lydia managed to squeeze out a smile, his eyebrows furrowed even deeper.
Have I said something that I shouldn’t have? What should I say to make Edgar happy? Lydia was confused and very anxious.
“Has the me over there given you any trouble? I think she probably won’t hide like me...... so…… um, be a little gentle with her tonight.....”
Oh no, what am I saying?
“I won’t do that.”
“What?”
“Your heart obviously isn’t there, I can’t ignore your will and have an intimate relationship with you, or it will the same as last time.”
Edgar’s face was seen in pain. Lydia began to worry again.
“Y--yes. As long as you see me, you will recall memories you don’t want to remember, nor will you be in that kind of mood.”
Edgar sighed. The gap between the two shouldn’t be getting any closer the more they talk.
“Lydia, I didn’t come to talk about these things. Please say what you really want to say, tell me about your current feelings.”
My true feelings? Once Lydia pondered, perhaps she would act selfishly again.
“Even if it is a slight disagreement, I had thought our relationship wasn’t affected.”
Ah, that’s right.
The two’s relationship had collapsed after that matter.
Did Lydia not want to admit it?
She was afraid of facing the matter from that time. Being separated to two sides by the mirror made her feel like they were at a constant standstill, unable to forgive each other and naturally restore their relationship to its original state. Therefore, she was unable to understand Edgar’s feelings.
She didn’t know what sort of attitude to assume either.
Edgar must be the same as well.
“...Has my selfishness hurt the feelings you have towards me?
Lydia spoke, repressing her trembling.
“No, you weren’t selfish at all. I wasn’t thinking properly at the time. But, you’re still afraid of me even now, right?”
Her love towards Edgar hadn’t changed, and she hoped that they could interact like before. If she could show her feelings honestly like the Lydia without her consciousness, she wouldn’t know how much happiness there would be.
On the other hand, if he made that request again next time, Lydia wasn’t confident that she could produce the same feelings as before.
“I don’t know because I can’t touch you right now, so I don’t know your true feelings.”
Now, she could only say the most sincere words from her heart, and they were words that wouldn’t make Edgar happy.
Even so, he finally relaxed the expression on his face.
“If that’s the case, as long as we touch each other then we can understand. I promise you, I won’t make you feel afraid of me anymore, I want to hug you, and make it so that your heart will only be filled with joy and a peace of mind. For that day to come, I will get you out of the mirror.”
His strong tone made Lydia’s heart skip a beat.
Lydia felt her chest burning up, and she wanted to cry. As long as these feelings emerged, the confusion and misunderstandings of his thoughts became completely insignificant in her heart.
The thing she wanted to do the most was running into his embrace immediately.
This was an impossible thing to do. Lydia covered her face with her hands.
“Lydia I won’t leave your side. We’ll return to London together.”
Just when she heard his gentle words, his tone hardened again.
“Raven, Lydia will be in your care.”
Not knowing when, Raven’s presence was by her side.
Although Kelpie had already left, he seemed to be staying at the same place; was it because he wanted to see Edgar? Lydia raised her eyes and saw the gazes between master and slave meeting each other between the world reflected by the water.
The grass by the bank of the river seemed to sway, and that faint vibration seemed to be flowing to  the grass growing in the swamp as well, making the water suddenly ripple.

Edgar’s figure shook, and Lydia barely managed to see someone approaching him from behind.
It was a man holding an axe.
He raised the axe, and just when Lydia screamed, Edgar dodged it.
Have they already shown up?
Edgar thought as he got up. He also heard the sound of the wind; it was the sound of the axe slicing the air.
The man struck and missed, he stumbled for a moment, but he turned towards Edgar again. Although Edgar acted first, grabbing and blocking his raised arm, he was pushed back by the man’s strength.
Amidst the struggle, Edgar took off the man’s hat and revealed his face.
He was the man that Edgar noticed as the most good-natured gentleman of the three men.
“Coen.....”
“......You, what is your intention? You said that you’re the real Blue Knight Earl? That’s just a fairy tale!”
While Coen said that, he felt a sense of crisis to the point of feeling the need to kill Edgar.
He saw Raven, who was reflected in the water, dashing over, but he couldn’t do anything, as he was in the mirror.
But Raven still tried to say something. The water was disturbed, making Edgar unable to hear clearly, but he noticed that Raven’s attention wasn’t on Coen.
He then released Coen immediately, and wanted to turn around.
But someone grabbed Edgar from behind, and this time, he collapsed and was wrestling with this man on the grass.
This man was Chambers.
“Don’t let go, keep him down!”
Coen commanded. Chambers was extremely desperate, because he was afraid that if Phyllis appeared, he would have to surrender his unexpected inheritance, so he complied and agreed to help him.
Edgar felt that he heard Lydia’s scream. He didn’t want her to see him in a miserable state.
Edgar struggled to kick Chambers’ abdomen, but Coen’s axe already approached his eyes.
At that moment, the person with the axe was suddenly thrown back unnaturally.
The axe flew in the air and Coen fell into the swamp. As soon as the dark skinned teenager standing in front of Edgar saw Mr Chambers crouching down to the ground, he kicked him. After Chambers became motionless, Raven grabbed him by the neck.
“Raven, that’s enough.”
Raven reacted to Edgar’s words and let go of Chambers, but the petite man was already unconscious.
“Hmph, luckily I brought Raven along Earl, because I saw you walking out on your own.”
Nico appeared in front him as he spoke. Towards this gentlemen standing on his hind legs and swaying his graceful ash-grey tail, Edgar rarely expressed his gratitude frankly.
“Yeah Nico, thank you for your help.”
“If you want to thank me, Scotch whisky will do.”
The one that did the work was Raven. Edgar forced a smile while nodding.
Compared to this, Coen had to be dealt with now, as he fell into the swamp and couldn’t move from his foot being stuck in the mud.
The more he struggled, the more his body sank into the deep mud accumulating in the water.
“Hmm, I didn’t expect the swamp to be this deep.”
Edgar looked down at Coen from the shore and said that coldly. Coen’s thick eyebrows twisted in a complicated expression.
“......He......help me......”
He had probably already reached a dead end, to go as far as to say that to the person he tried to kill.
The water was muddy and in disorder; Lydia’s figure couldn’t be seen, which annoyed Edgar even more.
“Ha? What did you say? You wanted to harm me, it’s only a matter of fact that I’d have you go down to hell.”
“Wait...... is your goal money? H--how much do you want…...”
Edgar pretended to think for a bit.
“I have something to ask you.”
After Edgar finished speaking, Coen had a sly look on his face. Perhaps he thought that if it came to making deals, he could find ways to gain the upper hand compared to this youngster.
But Edgar merely made the other person think that way. He knew that as long as he crushed the hopes that barely sprouted in their hearts, then he could control them as he pleased.
“You killed Phyllis’ mother, and you also want to kill him, right?”
“......I don’t know anything…...”
He was still playing dumb even now, which was within Edgar’s expectations. Edgar picked up Coen’s axe and revealed a snigger while standing on the shore.
“Then I’ll let you choose. Do you want to slowly sink underwater while having mud fill your stomach and die under these circumstances, or is it better to have your skull immediately split open with this? You should have a careful think about that. Your weapon isn’t really suitable. Due to where it’s split, a long time will pass until you take your last breath, perhaps you can enjoy the two pains of having your head getting cracked open as well as the muddy water filling your lungs and stomach.”
Coen’s face looked pale. There was the sound of his mouth mumbling, but it didn’t seem like a reply at all.
“What? I can’t hear you. Then I can probably be the one to decide, right?”
Edgar raised the hand holding the axe.
“I--I’ll speak, I’ll say anything, please help me!”
He fell into the trap so easily. Although Edgar lowered his hand, he played with the axe while asking him.
“That’s good. Oh that’s right, when you tried to kill Phyllis, you broke into his room and chased him, who was trying to run away, then strangled him, correct?”
“Ye…...yes.”
“After killing Phyllis, how did you dispose of him?”
“That…...he disappeared. Believe me! It’s true! After I took him out of the room, he just disappeared and turned into a stone…...”
“Stone?”
“I’m not lying!”
He explained desperately. He scoffed at the matter regarding Phyllis being in the mirror, and yet he now had to think of a way to persuade other people to believe that a dead body became a stone; Coen seemed quite miserable that way.
“It was a strange yellowish stone, because it felt creepy, I ran away just like that……”
Yellow stone. Edgar unconsciously touched his coat pocket to check that he was touching the golden zircon that the fairy brought.
This didn’t seem to be an ordinary zircon crystal, and it was believable that Luna was involved.
“Hurry up......hurry and help me......”
Coen began to groan.
Edgar revealed a slight smile while thinking to himself that it wasn’t easy to pull up a man who was chest deep in mud.
“Co--could it be that......you want to see me die?”
“You don’t have to be so afraid, if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t have to get my hands dirty. I will save you.”
Even if Coen was saved, he wouldn’t be able to prevent the collapse of his social status. While Edgar felt sorry for him, he turned towards Raven.
As he was instructing Raven to deploy the rope and for people to come……
Coen screamed.
He suddenly went mad, struggling with all his might. His bloodshot eyes widened from fear, merely knowing that something strange was happening to him.
“Le--let go of me!”
Coen cried among the screams.
“Someone’s grabbing my feet, le--let go……!”
All of a sudden, he sank deeply into the swamp.
“Wa...... wahhhh!”
Another scream came from behind; the voice came from Chambers who seemed to have already woken up. He was confused at what was happening to Coen and looked frightened, barely managing to use his legs to crawl away from the area.
When Edgar looked back to the swamp, he saw a struggling hand coming out of the mud, but it immediately sank and vanished. The surroundings the became silent again.
“It’s the bogey beast! That man was taken over to the other side!”
Nico waved his limbs and called out.
“You said the other side, meaning the world inside the mirror?”
“Yes, but the problem is more serious than that, because the man’s evil intentions extended the bogey beast’s powers. If his physical body dies here, his soul will be captured, and it might become a monster manipulated by the bogey beast.”
He said that as his hairs on the back immediately stood up.
“What did you say? Lydia and the rest are on the other side.”
Edgar began to panic, and Nico became anxious as well.
“What about Lydia......? Oh no, I can’t see her. If she’s still nearby then she might be in danger...... Oi, Earl, where are you going?”
“The water on the other end of the duckweeds is very clear, we might be able to see Lydia.”
But as Edgar took a step, raindrops fell from the sky. It was sunny a moment ago, but without knowing when, the clouds covered the sky. The falling rain became more intense, and the swamp water had been completely disrupted by the raindrops.
If it was like this, then it couldn’t be used a mirror.
Edgar felt that it was someone deliberately separating him from Lydia.
“Nico, is this the work of the bogey beast?”
“Yeah, upon receiving the malice from that man named Coen, the bogey beast’s magic would surely increase as a result.”
Will Raven protect Lydia? However, being unable to stay by Lydia’s side made him anxious to the point where it was almost unbearable.
“......I also want to go to the other side.”
Edgar whispered.
“Wh--what are you saying, you don’t know whether or not you’ll be able to return.”
Nico waved his limbs again in panic.
“As long as I am with Lydia, it doesn’t matter to me where I am.”
“To begin with, how on earth do you plan on getting over there? It’s impossible for me. You must have a fairy who has powerful magic in order to do it. ”
Only Kelpie had a way.
(Right now, the mirror and the water haven’t merged, and that Kelpie must have also been stopped on the other side from coming over.)
There was a sound coming from the air.
“Arrow.”
As soon as Edgar called out, Arrow appeared by his feet in the form of an impressive star sapphire-embedded sword.
“My lord, please think of me every now and then.”
Despite him saying that, Edgar, who was normal, wasn’t able to see this fairy. Moreover, the fairy’s real body was a long and heavy sword, whose outer appearance were like that of an period where it was used to fight against dragons, but there weren’t many situations where it came in handy.
“How about you? Will you be able to take me to the other side?”
(My deepest apologies.)
“Then what are you doing out of the sword?”
(Please do not panic. I can temporarily transfer your consciousness into your own image reflected by the sword.)
“Then please do that.”
(However, your reflection will be a different image that doesn’t exist in the mirror world, so please do not touch people who are imprisoned on the other side. As they are magically detained, if you touch them, my magic will disappear, and you will return to this side.)
“......Is there no way for me to touch Lydia?”
However, he had no leeway for choices.

                                                                                                                                                 *

The man who attacked Edgar was the criminal who tried to kill Phyllis. Although the surface of the swamp water rippled, Lydia did not understand what happened however, she heard Edgar’s voice as he was questioning the man.
Then, something different happened suddenly.
The red-eared bogey beast appeared, dragging in the man who fell into the swamp.
This place is very dangerous.
After Raven said that, Lydia planned on leaving the bridge with him.
But just when she thought that, a shadow-like black mud spouted out of the swamp.
The red eared bogey beast stood on the tree, laughing loudly as he called that object to come out.
The black mud became a man with a dreadful appearance, who stood up from the swamp.
The red-eared bogey beast took the evil intentions of the man who wanted to kill Phyllis and pulled him in, and he no longer possessed the consciousness of a human.
Lydia ran along with Raven. Her foot was tangled by a dried branch that the bogey beast threw, causing her to fall.
(You're a hindrance, loathsome fairy doctor!)
Lydia heard that and tried to stand up, but the dark figure charged towards her.
The hands full of mud caught her neck.
Compared to that, the bloodshot eyes approached her face as if an object which embodied malice stared at her, making her entire body tremble.
Lydia recalled Raven immediately charging towards the man and rescuing her. However, she appeared to be affected by the miasma and so she collapsed, unable to move.
“Edgar…...”
Unconsciously, the name of the person occupying her heart changed into a voice as it spilled out.
“Lydia, I am here.”
She heard a voice. Lydia thought that she was dreaming, and if she opened her eyes, her dream would disappear.
So she shut her eyes just like that and whispered.
“I beg you, stay by my side......”
Lydia felt that making selfish demands in her dreams didn’t matter.
“After returning to London, you will forget me, right?”
“How could I possibly forget you?”
“......I’m scared of waiting.”
The voice paused, as if he hesitated. Not being able to hear a reply made her uneasy, and just when she almost opened her eyes, she heard him apologize.
“I’m sorry, I won’t make you wait any longer. I will stay by your side.”
“......Liar.”
“I’m not lying to you.”
“But I’ve done selfish things. ”
“That’s all my fault.”
Lydia gradually woke up, and felt that she seemed to be lying flat. She was probably lying in the same place where she slept yesterday, that is, the bed covered with straws.
This isn’t a dream. However, Edgar’s voice was near her ear.
Could it be that something is wrong with my head?
“Lydia, I remember you said that you couldn’t understand my heart. Although I can’t touch you at the moment, I can get close to you.”
The presence of Edgar wasn’t even by her side, but his soothing tone made Lydia recall him stroking her hair.
“Close to me.....?”
“Can I kiss you?”
You don’t usually ask this sort of question.
“Let me kiss you in my heart.”
She understood, this was said in order to touch each others hearts.
She remembered the cautious kiss of those lips as well as the gentle, soft feeling that nearly made her melt.
Lydia wanted to hurry and return to that embrace as she held back the feelings of wanting to cry.
“You’re not afraid, right?”
After she nodded her head, she heard Edgar whisper, as if he was relieved from the bottom of his heart: “I’m glad.”
“Open your eyes and take a look.”
Won’t the dream disappear? Nevertheless, she was already unable to bear the thoughts of confirming it.
She opened her eyes, and a pair of ash mauve eyes were in front of her. He smiled as his blonde hair swayed lightly.
“Edgar....how come you’re here?”
Although Lydia’s mind was in confusion, she still tried to think. She looked around; this place was certainly the cabin in the corner of the courtyard, so she was still in the mirror world.
“Don’t tell me that Kelpie brought you in......”
She quickly got up from her straw bedding.
“It definitely wasn’t me.”
At that moment, Kelpie appeared at the door looking angry.
“Good grief, the rain is falling heavily, even I couldn’t enter in and out freely when the swamp water was messed up.”
Now that he mentioned that, Lydia had only just noticed now that it had been raining all along.
“I used Arrow’s magic to get here. Coen was pulled in by the Unseelie Court, and I was really worried about your safety. However, my image reflected by the sword seems to be quite weak, so if I touch someone on this side, then I will be pulled back into the real world.”
“Then there is a way for you to return.”
After Lydia was relieved from the bottom of her heart, Edgar had a complicated expression and said,
“Aren’t you displeased at not being able to touch me?”
Come to think of it, it was certainly the case.
But as long as she saw Edgar’s face, the pain from the miasma gradually faded.
Just by having him by her side, the feeling of anxiety and fear also weakened.
Although her heart was nearly defeated because of the trivial matters, as long as she had reliable support, she could become strong.
“That’s right, Edgar, the zircon crystal!”
It was too soon to feel happy from meeting again. Lydia naturally resumed the awareness of a fairy doctor, which made Edgar smile wryly.
“After waking up, you turned back to your original self. Just a moment ago, you were undoubtedly acting extremely spoiled towards me.”
Of course, Lydia remembered what she said while half-awake, so she looked away from him.
She thought to herself that the current situation of Edgar not being able to touch her was perhaps a good thing, otherwise he would probably hold her stubbornly and stare at her face.
“Mo--more importantly, if we can awaken Luna, then we’ll be able to go back. I already knew that the zircon was Luna, then if you......”
How can we resurrect the zircon into the fairy named Luna?
“However, the zircon can’t be brought into the mirror.”
If that was the reincarnation of Luna, then the mirror can’t reflect it. In other words, she doesn’t exist in this world.
“You’re holding the zircon over there, right?”
However, concerning Edgar who came here, this meant that only Paul and Nico were left over there.
“Regarding what happened after, I have already asked Nico. I think Paul will help out as well, but I don’t know how things will turn out.”
Edgar, Lydia as well as Lota were unconsciously moving over there.
“Lord Edgar, there are not any other young women apart from Madam Lydia at the other side. Therefore, even if your desires cannot be stopped, you need not to worry about extramarital affairs.”
The person who said this was Raven. Lydia noticed that he was in the corner of the room, but didn’t expect him to say such things, and so her face turned red.
Edgar coughed intentionally.
“Raven, I am not a man without integrity. As I am a real gentleman, I wouldn’t do those kinds of things even if I am unconscious.”
There was nothing more doubtful than that.
“But, that pirate girl is also a young woman.....”
“That is out of the question.”
As soon as Kelpie interrupted, Raven quickly cut him off.
The me over there should be okay. Lydia restlessly aimed a glance at Edgar.
He grinned.
“Lydia, we are husband and wife now, you wouldn’t bother about little things happening, right?”
“Be--besides that, in regards to Luna...”
Lydia went back to the topic and decided not to think about it again.
“The zircon decorated on Diana’s locket is also a part of Luna.”
“The previous Blue Knight Earl gave a painting to the owner of this land in exchange for the magic map. That was what happened in the first place wasn’t it? Turning the fairy kingdom map into something unique ought to be that gem, that is, Luna’s magic.”
Lydia nodded in agreement with Edgar’s words.
“So, as long as Luna returns...... the map will also change, and might go back to the state where it wasn’t blank.”
“Is Luna the key to solving this mystery? Lydia, do you know how to wake up Luna?”
Lydia began to worry, as she tried her hardest to think.
“......Maybe we can only return the zircon back into Luna’s source of life, because the link between the fairies, land, and natural environment were quite deep to begin with. If it’s her birthplace, then surely, it might be able to breathe life into the zircon.”
“Doesn’t she come from the sky? Carrying the zircon to a place as high as the moon is quite difficult.”
“Yeah.”
Kelpie agreed.
“The moon is indeed in the sky. So it might be a flower that will bloom on a moonlit night, or some kind of spirit that loves the moon.”
“Could we work it out if we knew what kind of fairy she is?”
Wouldn’t Owl know?
But, how could he be convinced that Lydia and the rest weren’t enemies?
“Lydia, you’re here! I’m glad.”
As she was thinking, she heard Lota’s voice. She ran through the doorway, which had ruined planks, and brought Phyllis as well.
“Those tiny black fairies are constantly making noise, what’s going on?”
“Yes, in fact there are strong evil intentions flowing into the world here, so the Unseelie Courts’ vitality has increased.”
“Is it because of Coen?”
Edgar frowned.
Lota appeared to look at Edgar in astonishment, but she mumbled: “As I thought, you came.”
“Lydia, have the Unseelie Court done anything horrible to you? They told me that they’ve already defeated the fairy doctor.”
Phyllis worriedly ran over towards Lydia and hugged her knees, his orange hair swaying lightly.
“They also tried to attack me.”
“But I drove them away.”
Lota raised her fist.
Whether it was the thin shoulders, pale face or the slender-waisted dress, Phyllis looked like a girl. Lydia touched his hair, still thinking that he was like a younger sister.
However, Edgar was different. He looked down and called out “oi”, to Phyllis.
“You’ve stayed in the mirror for many years, so you might not understand the common sense of society, but a man who makes a move towards another person’s wife can’t complain even if he were to be suddenly shot dead.”
He glared at the astounded Phyllis, then used his index finger to beckon Raven to come over.  Raven nodded after merely exchanging glances with Edgar, then pinched Phyllis’ cheeks.
“Edgar! W--what are you doing!”
Although it was Raven who pinched Phyllis, he was doing so because of Edgar.
“But you don’t seem to be a grown man at all, so I will pardon you.”
Raven loosened his hands.
Phyllis was probably scared of the sudden situation, so although his eyes were glistening with tears, he didn’t cry. Lydia got up and protested against Edgar.
“Why are you so jealous?”
Edgar shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unable to endure it.
“Oh dear, you really don’t understand men. Originally, I thought that you were strangely fastidious but in regards to this, you are too defenseless.”
“The only person whom Madam Lydia is guarded towards is Lord Edgar.”
Raven interrupted calmly.

“Now that I think about it, that’s true.”
Even Lota agreed, and that made Edgar angry.
“What? You’re mistaken. For me, it doesn’t matter no matter how unguarded I am, but opening up your heart towards other men is out of the question.”
“B--but…… That……”
Lydia was confused and didn't know how to answer.
“You’re the most dangerous. If she relaxes her focus, I won’t know what you’ll do.”
Lydia almost nodded to what Lota was saying, but quickly went resumed her upright posture.
It was already her habit to let her guard down while being away from Edgar, but even after becoming lovers, and later a married couple, she still had a guarded heart. Perhaps it was because prior to sensing her own feelings, she was being closely pursued by Edgar.
“Umm, Edgar, Phyllis isn’t what you think, he is merely dependent on me as a fairy doctor.”
“Lydia, your way thinking is also unguarded. Even if he is a young boy now, he will have a beard in a few years, so I can’t tolerate him rubbing his face affectionately against your knees.”
Phyllis quickly stroked his own face, but Lota intervened, as if she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Besides that, everyone move to the mansion quick. Paul and Nico are waiting in the mirror room, and because he said that he wanted to discuss something with everyone, I came to find you guys.” 
“Can we enter the mansion?”
“Owl seems to sleep before sunset, so if we go in quietly, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“That’s good. Let’s go before we’re discovered by Coen.”
The reason why Edgar suddenly went from being happy to speaking solemnly was perhaps because he heard someone’s howls mixed within the sound of the rain.
The evil intentions of that man seemed to still be prowling around the swamp.
His goal must be Phyllis. The inside of the mansion is Owl’s territory, so it’s definitely safer.
“I’ll take a look at that monster’s situation.”
After Kelpie said that and disappeared, everyone went hastily walking onto the small path.
Although they were surrounded by a sense of tension, Edgar still didn’t forget to make fun of Phyllis.
“You really do have the gaze of choosing the opposite sex.”
Phyllis glanced at Lydia, then looked away and blushed.
“While you disguise yourself as a woman to escape, you’re not even fit enough to be my rival in love.”