Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 22 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1​ ♦ A day long ago at Sylvainford

Sunny Little Devil

Mark was the woodcutter's son, and although he was only nine years old, he understood the many things about the forest very well.
Most of the children in the village wouldn’t approach the forest, because they were warned that after the sun sets, demons would appear there.
However, Mark’s house was in the forest. His father always said that they received God’s protection and were allowed to live in the forest.
This was an area that had several lakes and lush forests growing. The land in this region was called Sylvainford.
One day, Mark encountered a disaster in the forest. As he was walking in the forest as usual, the fallen leaves beneath his feet suddenly caved in, and he fell into the bottom of a pit.
The depth of the hole was similar to his height. When he fell, he wasn’t injured because of the fallen leaves, however it was quite difficult when he tried to climb up.
Just when he felt helpless, someone appeared at the edge of the hole. At first, he thought he was going to be saved, but this idea only flashed through for a split second, as the other person directed the muzzle of a rifle at him.
“G--God…… please save me!”
His entire body went stiff and he shut his eyes, trembling while speaking.
“What, it turned out to be a child.” 
Someone’s voice came from above.
Trembling with fear, Mark opened his eyes, but the person who directed the muzzle away and looked down at him was a child as well.
“I was hoping it would be a young deer at first, as a child is not suited for meat pie.” 
Meat pie?
Mark was scared to death thinking he would be eaten. He thought that this guy was definitely a demon, but this was because he had never seen this young boy before.
The youth seemed to be the same age as Mark, but he knew all the children in the village, and no one would wander alone in the forest.
The children of the village wouldn’t have rifles, and besides, the youth was completely different from Mark’s perception of a ‘child’.
Elegant blond hair that wasn’t greasy, but radiant and glossy, as well as very fair, clear skin that wasn’t dirtied by mud or filth.  
Not to mention that the youth had a pair of impressive ash-mauve eyes, a nose with a straight bridge, lips that had proper form, and completely lacked weak points. With these features, the young boy looked down at Mark and smiled, which gave him the frightening feeling of intimidation, so he couldn’t help but look away. 
The children in the village were afraid of the demon so they wouldn't approach the forest, even so, Mark still believed he didn't have to worry because he received God’s protection, and yet he came across the demon. 
Furthermore, it was still midday. Could it be because he went to bed without praying last night?
“Oi, I'm hungry, is your house close to here?”
After Mark subconsciously nodded, he immediately thought to himself that this was bad, but it was already too late.
“M--my house…… should have a bit of food.”
If he was stuffed with normal food, then he probably wouldn’t eat people, right? But are demons big eaters?
“I ask you, do you have an elder sister?”
“What! Uh, well……”
Could it be that he’s a demon that likes eating girls? 
No, if I take him home, my sister will be eaten.
For Mark, although she was quite a horrid elder sister who always quarreled with him, he didn’t want his family to be eaten.
However, being stared at constantly from that person above the hole made Mark quite fearful, so he nodded in honesty once again.
Finally, Mark climbed out of the hole with the help of the demon and led him to his home.
Although his father and mother were shocked to see the youth that Mark brought back, they immediately showed a cordial smile, then asked him to enter the house in an especially polite manner.
“Come, young master, please sit here.”
Young master?
“If possible, please sit by the fireplace.”
The youth walked towards the fireplace without any hesitation, then sat down in the best chair of this house, that is, the father’s chair.
Mark would have definitely been scolded if he tried to sit in that chair, but the child who was Mark’s age sat in it, as if it was proper and to be expected. Furthermore, Mark’s father and mother had smiles across their face and spoke with the youth in a polite tone that would almost never appear normally.
“Ah, that’s right, would you like to have a meal? My wife, the young master seems to be hungry.”
Have a meal?
“I--I understand, my husband.”
Husband? She usually calls him old man. 
Mark saw his mother pull her skirt to curtsy for the first time, and felt very surprised.
Not only that, but from among the things that his mother placed on the table for the youth was a cake muffin that they kept for special purposes. It was a butter cake muffin that could only be eaten on Sundays.
The most anticipated thing of this weekend had disappeared.
Even so, Mark remained silent because it was better than the family being eaten. But when he saw the teenager eat all the honey in the bottle, he couldn't help but wail.
That was something that could only be eaten under special circumstances, such as when you had a cold, or as a reward for something, but you could only have a tablespoon full no matter what it was. However, this guy smeared the entire bottle of honey onto the cake muffin.
As Mark’s emotions came out from the depths of his throat, the youth looked at him, as if he had just discovered that he was at the side.
“Aren’t you eating?” 
“What!” 
“Young master, you needn’t mind, this guy is not hungry, please eat as much as you want.”
The father completely ignored the growl of Mark’s belly.
“By the way, where is your elder sister?”
The youth inquired, as if he suddenly remembered. Mark's shoulders shook.
“Ohh, that’s right, she is different from my uncouth son, and should be able to act as a conversation partner for the young master. I will call her over.”
“That’s……! I--I’ll call her!”
Flustered, Mark stood up walked away to look for his sister.
What should I do? Neither Father nor Mother realized that the child is a demon, and if I bring Sister back, she will definitely be eaten immediately. I must tell her to run away quickly.
Mark went around to the back garden, where his sister was hanging clothes to dry. His sister was four years older, so she was taller and had more strength.
Although she quarreled with Mark, would hit and scold him until he cried out, and was an elder sister that didn’t have the smell of a woman at all, only her singing voice was pleasant to hear. She even joined the village’ choir group.
The laundry was swaying with the wind, and a cheerful singing voice came from the other side of the clothes. Mark ran towards his sister.
“Sister, it’s bad! The demon has come!” 
Mark’s sister stopped singing, looked at him and scoffed.
“Demon? What are you talking about, you really are a fool.” 
“It’s true, hurry up and run away! Sister, you’ll be the first to be eaten!”
“So you’re Mark's sister?” 
The voice made Mark's back stiffen instantly.
They were found by the demon.
“Your singing is truly pleasant to listen to, I’d really like to hear some more.”
Surprised, Mark’s sister looked at the blond demon who walked out from behind the laundry, but it definitely wasn’t in a cautious manner.
Not only that, she blushed a little as well.
Trembling, she took the youth’s outstretched hand, then was lead along by his hand in this way, practically like she was attracted by his ash-mauve eyes.
Even Sister has been affected by the magic. 
This is because she didn’t believe in what I said.
Mark remorsefully stood in place, watching his sister and the demon leave together.
I don't care, it’s fine if you all get eaten by the demon.
Mark wanted to turn and walk away, but he was still worried about his sister.
He walked in the direction where the two of them went and soon heard his sister's singing.
He hid himself behind the bushes and peeped.
The two were by the illuminated riverbank.
Eh, that demon guy is actually laying his head on Sister’s lap and listening her sing, like he’s entranced.
After his sister had sung, the demon whispered a few words to her, and she revealed a happy smile.
His sister was actually smiling. Mark usually saw the appearance of her stiff face.
The blond youth sat up close to his sister, pressing his lips close to her ears as if he were whispering sweet words.
Mark saw him kissing his sister in this way, and felt a burst of anxiety in his chest.
Ah, it's over, he wants to eat Sister.
He immediately rushed out from behind the bushes.
“Hey, you! Get away from my sister!” 
He was holding his only weapon -- a slingshot that could shoot acorns.
“Hey... Mark, hurry up and stop!”
He disregarded his own life and mustered up his courage, but his sister still shielded the demon.
Mark was so scared that he wanted to run away, but he resisted with great difficulty and planned to shoot the acorn, yet because he was trembling, he wasn’t able to take aim. 
As he did so, the demon stood up and walked up to him.
The demon used both hands to grab Mark’s hand which held the slingshot, and Mark was scared to the point that he quickly fainted.
Mark thought to himself, I saw through his true identity, so he’s going to eat me first.
“I see, you want to sleep on your sister's lap too?” 
However, the demon spoke to Mark with a perfect smile.
“What?”
His sister saw Mark stunned and chuckled.
“So that’s what it was. Mark, come over to my side. If that’s the case, it’s fine for you to say it.”
Come over to my side?
His sister spoke politely, which he had never seen before. Mark was lead by the blond youth and sat down next to his sister, then put his head on his sister’s lap along with the youth.
This feeling was different than leaning by mother's side. The hand that often hit Mark was now stroking his head for some reason.
Sister is actually being gentle, what kind of situation is this?
Mark, although confused, did not resist the feeling of happiness, and calmly lied down.
“I really envy you that you have a beautiful sister.” 
The blond demon said softly. This was the first time someone said that they envied Mark.
“Young master, you truly are troublesome, how am I beautiful?" 
You truly are troublesome…?
The sister today is really fishy, but not disgusting at all.
“I want an older or younger sister as well.”
“Older brothers aren’t good?”
Mark’s fear of the demon had already disappeared completely, as he began to ask.
“Compared to having a man around, wouldn’t it be better to have a girl accompanying you?”
Even though Mark didn't understand it, he had a strange feeling and believed that it truly was great to have an elder sister.
Mark felt very comfortable, and without knowing when, he had entered into a slumber.
When he woke up, the young boy was already gone.
That evening, Mark's house received a pot filled with honey, high-grade butter and tea, marmalade, raisins, as well as other goods.
Perhaps he wasn’t a demon, but an angel.
Mark softly recited the night prayers while thinking this and looked at the starry sky outside the window.

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There was an elegant white mansion, by the clear lake which was surrounded by the vast forest.
This house, which seemed to be built to watch over the forest, was very spacious, and was worthy of being called the Duke of Sylvainford’s country house. Inside, there was a dining room that could fit many long dinner tables, a hall where you could practically ride horses into, as well as countless rooms. Furthermore, the décor of these places were all extremely luxurious, and the visitors would all gasp in admiration.
The youth lived in this mansion.
He lived with his father, mother, and many attendants.
“Pardon me, Duchess, but the young master’s actions constantly exceed our imagination.” 
The middle-aged governess said. The young, beautiful Duchess sighed and looked at the teachers headed by this governess; the teachers that were hired for her son. 
“Is it a serious problem for my Edgar to go into the forest?” 
“The young master took his father's rifle and went out without permission.” 
“He’s a boy after all, he would surely be a little interested in hunting. I will ask the head butler to strictly lecture the attendant who didn’t look after the rifle properly.”
“......The young master even ordered the handyman to dig a trap to try new pranks in the forest, he really didn’t happen to be lost.” 
“The young master sent us away and ran out by himself to play……”
The Duchess closed her eyes that had long eyelashes, and her cheeks slightly trembled in anger.
Of course, the object of her anger wasn’t her son, but the teachers who were talking nonsense.
“Please do not speak as if Edgar is the cheeky one, don’t tell me that you want to cast your own thoughtlessness behind your heads and push your responsibilities onto a young child?”
As his mother, the duchess was completely unaware that the young master was a very mischievous youth. For her, her child was honest, clever, well-behaved, as well as a perfect heir to the dukedom.
Moreover, even if the tutor disagreed, it was impossible to refute the Duchess.
“Please take care of the appropriate gift as gratitude for Edgar’s tutor.”
After the Duchess directed the head butler, she opened the door of the room next door.
It was her son’s bedroom, which was located beside the study.
The blond boy lay on the spacious bed, then sat up, coughed lightly and said:
“Mother, I’m sorry to have worried you.”
“Edgar, you don’t have to worry about these things.”
When the Duchess walked over, the youth embraced her like a spoiled child.
The nanny who was by his side looking after him took pity and said:
“Getting lost in the forest must have been quite dreadful. His asthma had clearly stopped flaring up recently, but now he is beginning to cough again.” 
“This isn’t the teachers’ fault, please ask Father to scold me…”
“Things aren’t so serious that I need to tell your father. Edgar, you have a good rest, no one will punish you.”
The boy smiled. The smile used for that day would even fascinate his mother, not to mention that the other women in the mansion were all obedient to the young master, whether it was the nanny or maids.
As for the men in charge of education, they had already vaguely sensed that the young master was a completely healthy child who had fully recovered from his asthma and was quite familiar with the forest, but if they informed the Duke of this, then it would be equivalent to them confessing that they were neglecting to report the young master’s condition up until now.
Moreover, even if the young master pulled pranks that they found troublesome, he was still excellent at his schoolwork, as well as a remarkable student from the tutor’s point of view.
Thus, the Duke was satisfied with everyone.
This time was the same, there was no need to make it a major deal.
In short, the young master of the Leeland family, who ought to be inheriting the Duke of Sylvainford’s title in the future, was very much loved by everyone.
​
~
​

Miniature Love
​
“I say, Earl Ashenbert, there aren’t many splendid single nights left, and you’re hanging out with just men, is that okay?” 
A gentleman sitting on the side, whose eyes didn’t leave the cards in his hands, spoke.
Edgar exchanged gazes with his friends that were looking over with malicious intentions, and smiled: “My fiancée wanted to spend time with her father before the wedding ceremony, it can’t be helped, I could only find you guys to relieve my boredom on this dull night.”
“Oh, so it turns out you were left behind by the Madam.”
“Didn’t you often say that you should take the opportunity to meet with many girls?”
“If it’s now, you wouldn’t feel so guilty.”
“If the Madam is in strict control, then it probably won’t be possible to go out as you please either.”
In a room of a London high-ranking, members only club, the luxurious ceiling and crown chandelier encircled the tobacco smoke.  Now, seated around the round table playing cards in high spirits were people who gathered together often and understood each other.
Knowing that Edgar was very restricted prior to the wedding, they made fun of him.
“If she could restrict me like you said, it would actually be better.”
However, regardless of how passionate Edgar was as he said this, everyone merely believed that it was a joke.
“Previously, wasn’t there a dame that entrusted me to pass a letter onto you? How was it in the end?”
“I wasn’t careful and dropped it in the fireplace.”
“That’s right, just now someone made me pass this on, the female singer from last time will open her window and wait for you when Big Ben strikes twelve.”
“She is indeed a good lass.”
“You can still make it.”
“What are you going to do, Edgar?”
Supposedly these guys wanted to make their friend give in to temptation before the wedding, and looked forward to a good show of the marriage entering a crisis.
“This game still hasn’t ended, can I stop playing?”
“......I see. Then do we want to gamble on the stories of our first love?”
“I want to hear Edgar’s story. In any case, the other guys’ stories will only be big talk.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Then, can you guys beat me?”  
“Of course.”
“I will make you all reveal your past affairs before me.”
“You’re quite enthusiastic.”
But contrary to the surge in atmosphere, Edgar sighed quietly.
In truth he had no recollection of his first love at all. Although there were more than enough interesting girls that he had a favourable impression of, he couldn’t remember each one of them, and what was more important was that he couldn’t recall the first person that he liked.
Unable to remember, perhaps it didn’t deserve to be called a first love.
But within his childhood memories, there was a woman that left a strong impression.
Even if he forgot the names of his past lovers, he couldn’t forget about her.
As his friends earnestly stared at their cards in silence, Edgar, who was freed from their teasing, absent-mindedly recalled the distant past.
At the time, Edgar was still a child, and he was holding a portrait that covered his entire palm.
On the delicate ivory, it depicted a black-haired woman.
Her supple hair unfurled onto her shoulders, and long, thick eyelashes covered her gray eyes. Her mysterious gaze, which was slightly sullen, as well as her slightly opened vermillion lips, seemed to be whispering her lover’s name.
The edges of the portrait were decorated with a gold picture frame that had pearls and enamel paint, and the woman’s glamour emerged.
A miniature portrait --- it was something especially made in order to keep one’s beloved close to them.
By the shining windowside, Edgar carefully scrutinized the woman in the drawing.
This was something that his uncle threw into the lake yesterday.
He left in a hurry, and didn’t notice that it had unexpectedly been stopped by the thick tree leaves, which had then fallen onto the roots.
Edgar, who escaped from the tutor that would only speak depressing words, fortunately hid nearby, so he took it back.
The name that was engraved on the ivory was Beatrice.
The provocative impression under the lights from yesterday evening had gradually disappeared, and in the morning sunshine, the woman in the miniature portrait had a somewhat shy appearance.

                                                                                                                                                ***

The official residence of Sylvainford, which was famous for its fertile forests and lakes, welcomed the visit of autumn.
Passing through the Baroque arches, which were entangled with grapevines, there was a narrow and winding path that extended to the hill, which was dyed red by the maple leaves.
Across the forest, there was a vast lake, with a white skiff floating on the surface; contrasting with the golden grass, the lake appeared golden as well.
The flower garden of Duke Sylvainford’s mansion was surrounded by this kind of lake.
Phillip’s right hand covered his forehead as he looked down at the lake. He had a cigarette in his mouth, wore an outdated coat, was dressed sloppily, and strolled on the small path.
He hadn’t returned in three years. Ever since his father passed away, his elder brother became the Duke, inheriting the Sylvainford’s vast territory and official residence, so he kept away from this place. Although he would return once in a while, compared to leisurely passing the days in his homeland, he would rather embark on a hasty journey.
I won’t be back for long this time as well, thought Phillip, as he couldn’t get close to his brother anyways.
His loose hair drooped down listlessly; if he returned with patches on his clothes, he would surely be scolded because he didn’t have the appearance of the Duke’s family.
It definitely wasn’t necessary to act pretentious when returning home, but his elder brother didn’t seem to think so.
The excitement from the past had completely vanished now, and the silent mansion was stifling. He wanted to take a stroll in the courtyard, yet he was unwittingly further and further away from the mansion. Only then did he feel his heart gradually calm down.  Nothing had changed here compared to the past.
The sound of a child’s laughter came from somewhere. His past memories emerged unceasingly, and he stopped.
A boy and a girl were chatting while walking into the depths of the forest.
The young maiden was dressed very ladylike, but the youth, who was wearing a blue evening coat, caught Phillip’s eyes more.
His blond hair was similar to the water surface that contrasted the sunlight and shade, and was so beautiful that it attracted everyone. It wasn’t hard to believe that the child had changed after a year, yet he, who had matured quite quickly not even after three years, was still an angel-like youth.
He was called Edgar, and was the son of his elder brother, as well as the important heir to the Duke of Sylvainford’s family.
“Hey, Judy, is it okay that you didn’t invite Helen? Aren’t you guys always together?”
The maiden, who was bashfully being questioned by the youth, was the daughter of the guest that was temporarily staying with the Duke’s family.
At the moment, many of the Duke’s friends that liked hunting were gathered here. However, those that were able to become his elder brother’s friends, for the most part, were aristocrats who liked to play dainty games.
For the first time, his father’s generation had a guest from a different class. The more he reminisced of the grand occasion from that time, the more he was unsuited to his brother.
In short, among the guests visiting here, there was a child that followed their parents, and with regards to his nephew, it was considered as a lively time.
A child similar in age, it wouldn’t be unimaginable if they were close. Phillip also once had the experience of casting away his wet nurse and tutor, who were glued to his side, and only playing with children.
Recalling the past, Phillip couldn’t help but listen attentively to the conversation that faintly came through.
“......I wanted to invite her as well, but Helen is with Mother.”
“Is that so, but that’s truly fortunate. I wanted to speak with you alone sooner. When it’s the three of us with Helen, you practically don’t talk to me. Could it be that you don’t like talking to me?”
Even in the eyes of the young girl, this youth with an angel-like appearance was the ideal knight in shining armour.
The maiden’s cheeks were dyed red.
“It’s...... it’s not like that.”
“I’m glad.”
Edgar, who was completely aware of his own charms, had already mastered the secrets of how to rob a girl’s heart.
Like someone in particular.
Phillip laughed bitterly, and continued to look at them while full of interest.
“But Helen is very good at conversing, it would appear that you prefer to talk with her.”
At that moment, another maiden rushed towards under the shade of the tree where the two of them were hidden.
“Judy! You clearly said that you had no interest in him, why on earth are you in my way?”
“Helen...... what are you talking about, getting in the way......”
“Listen well, you know that I’m much more beautiful than you, right? Don’t enjoy being the centre of attention.”
“......It’s true that you are more beautiful, but he said that compared to a fashionable girl like you, he likes clever girls instead.”
Edgar stood at the sidelines, with an expression of “I said that?” But during these sorts of moments, boys naturally couldn’t only be spectators.
“What did you say! Is that true, Edgar?” 
She inevitably looked towards his nephew for an answer.
“Make it clear, Judy and I, who will you marry?”
Contemplating with a distressed expression for a moment, Edgar said: 
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to marry either of you.”
Oh dear, even though he appears to be mature and earnest, he is a child in the end, as his way of thinking truly is naive. Phillip thought and suddenly there was the sound of a smack.
Helen slapped Edgar’s face.
“Judy, you can’t involve yourself with men who like to play around with girls! Let’s go!” She pulled her good friend’s hand, turned around and left.
Edgar didn’t have the least bit of a reaction, and simply watched the backs of the maidens leave, finding it somewhat unimaginable.
“Hey, Edgar.”
Although he was a child, as a man who had just lost his love, perhaps there was a sense of intimacy felt towards them.
The youth looked back, and without a trace of surprise, an adult-like forced smile merely emerged.
“Hey Uncle Phillip.”
“How old are you?”
“Almost eleven.”
Phillip leaned against a tree on the side, puffed out a smoke ring, and looked up at the sky like his nephew.
“Which kid do you like?”
“I like both of them.” 
“Haha...... I understand your feelings, Edgar. But you can only have one marriage partner.”
“In short, both Helen and Judy cannot get married with me. Not matching the status of the Duke family --- I had already been reprimanded by Father yesterday.”
“Oh, so you accepted it?”
“I haven’t thought about the future. I only felt the two were quite cute, and only wanted to get along with them.”
So that was it. But girls of nobility look forward to the day they become a bride from an early age.
“Brother is too impatient. It’s merely a game between children, yet he’s bringing up the family status.”
“It’s because I kissed Helen.”
“Eh---”
Stunned, Phillip’s hand relaxed without knowing, and his cigarette fell to the ground, thus he frantically put out the flame.
“Although this is also considered to be an issue, she wouldn’t lose her chastity as a result. No no...... but why do such a thing? It isn’t because you like Helen the most, right?”
“Uncle, when you are faced with a girl that likes you and have every opportunity to make a move, could you endure it?”
Is this guy really only ten years old?
“You’d have to endure it. It’s called being unfaithful. Girls hope that she is the only one you like.”
“So only then was I slapped.”
It seems that he completely lacks the awareness to reflect on himself, Phillip sighed.
“If the girl you like says that she likes another boy, you would get angry too, right?”
“Who knows. I’ve never met that kind of girl before.  Everyone is infatuated with me.”
It was a frank and unperturbed tone. That confident attitude was truly aggravating.
But without knowing why, Phillip was unexpectedly quite interested in his conceited nephew.
He was like Father --- Edgar’s grandfather.
They only met once in a while, yet he had this kind of feeling, and resembled him more and more as he got older.
The former Duke of Sylvainford was unruly and brazen, his words and actions always surprisingly gave rise to controversies.
Thinking about whether or not he tried to squander money and make the entire family strapped for cash, he would somehow earn all the money back the following month. The sounds of quarreling all day long never stopped, and coming into contact with the law was practically becoming more of a common occurrence.
Father always did what he wanted.
It seemed that although he was impulsive and reckless, he possessed an outstanding intuition. He was clearly a frightening person, yet sometimes, he was like an innocent child. He treated people cordially, and never lacked supporters or assistants.
From very early on, his nephew manipulated his tutors and the surrounding adults at will, and concealed this inner quality.
“But do those kinds of girls exist? It’s truly hard to imagine.”
“A girl that can captivate you?”
“No. What does it feel like when they can make me like them to the extent of getting angry?”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
He was sometimes arrogant, yet sometimes an unpolluted innocence would appear. He was born with the ability and appearance that could bewilder his surroundings, to the extent of not realizing that teasing others was bad behaviour.
He is a child that grew up pampered under Brother.
Lacking the awareness as an uncle, Phillip pondered from an observer’s point of view.
“Your cheek has become quite red, your mother would frown if she saw it. Have you prepared you explanation?”
“I will stay here until the swelling goes down. Uncle, please don’t tell her.”
“That can’t be promised.”
Hearing the other person’s joking tone of voice, Edgar smiled happily.
“Please, I’ll give you this.” 
He spoke and took something out of his pocket.
--- A miniature portrait.
Phillip gazed at it in astonishment, then desperately tried to look away from the woman in the portrait.
“I threw it away.”
“Because you broke up?”
“Yeah, carrying it would be more painful.” 
The other person was clearly a child, yet he couldn’t help but tell the truth.
“Sorry, I thought that you truly didn’t want to throw it away.”
Watching his nephew perceive his feelings sensitively, Phillip put a hand on his shoulders.
“Even so, not forgetting is something that won’t work.”
“She truly is a beautiful person.”
“You truly do have a keen eye for distinguishing women.”
“Cheer up, Uncle. There are still many other beautiful people.”
“......There aren’t, Edgar.”
Unable to suppress his own feelings, he painfully said that.
Edgar lifted his head and looked at him, as if he was doubtful.
“Did you only like that person? After that, you didn’t think that other women were beautiful?”
“Probably.”
“Why did you break up?”
For Phillip, this ought to have been a secret buried deep in his heart, so he didn’t want to speak much about it.
Even if they were born into nobility, boys apart from the eldest son were unnecessary. But because of this, he wasn’t bound by his family, and could be his true self.
So he didn’t want to tell his nephew. Although Edgar had no choice but to survive for the family, Phillip didn’t want him to merely be satisfied by the things given to him, and hoped that he could use his own two hands to find the vast colourful joys of life.
“Listen well, Edgar. A glass marble is different from a diamond. A girl’s beauty can only be seen when you have sincere intentions, and if you don’t know the light of a dazzling diamond, then don’t be under the impression that all girls are infatuated with you.”

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The next day, by the time Edgar got up, his uncle had already left the residence.
“He won’t return for several years again.” 
His mother said.
His uncle lived a leisurely life and received an annuity from home. Compared to making his own life better, he was rather more willing to help young poets or artists.
It is seen as giving up on oneself if the person mingles with those people.
There was no one in this residence that had a good opinion of his uncle Philip.  It was also the case with Edgar’s father, who was his biological brother, as well as his mother and other relatives.
But Edgar didn’t dislike his uncle, who would suddenly appear once in a while.
Nor did he think that he was a strange person.
Perhaps it could be said that he was some kind of indifferent person. His uncle calmly looked at people with grotesque appearances, understood them and interacted with them.
He ought to have thrown away the miniature portrait.
Edgar had clearly placed it by his bedside, yet it wasn’t there when he woke up; it was probably taken away by his uncle.
Closing his eyes, the woman in the miniature portrait appeared in Edgar’s mind.
The woman called Beatrice was the one and only person for his uncle.
“......With Beatrice? They broke up?” 
Edgar heard his mother’s voice. Underneath the window where he was located, the figures of his father and mother appeared, who seldom spent afternoon tea together.
“Yes, how could I possibly allow him to marry that lowly woman? Not unless he severs ties with the Duke family.”
Due to the opposition of his elder brother, Philip broke up with her.
Edgar found it somewhat peculiar.
“Previously in London, I met her by chance, she was an inconspicuous woman.”
It just happened to be contrary to the miniature portrait, which was brimming with a gorgeous atmosphere; what Edgar’s mother said made him quite surprised.
“Seriously, she is clearly a woman, yet she always mixes with men and keeps chatting around. She isn’t a beauty either, I really don’t know what is good about her.”
“She used to have a pretty good temperament.” 
Mother rolled her loose blond hair and smiled elegantly, without the slightest bit of hate. She was a woman that was from a different world than him --- Mother was a typical lady, only this could be recognized. No matter when, she was like an unpolluted maiden, but she was ignorant.
Even so, with regards to Edgar, she was a perfect mother. And with regards to the noble children, his mother was the ideal wife. In any case, the people that taught the child were the wet nurse and tutor.
Even wearing loose house clothes that lacked decorations made people feel her dazzling beauty.
Edgar had never seen a woman more beautiful that his mother.
This absolutely wasn’t the wishful thinking of a son, but every guest that visited the mansion would whisper this in awe.
She was someone born with the brilliance of a diamond. Edgar clearly had such a beautiful mother by his side, why did his uncle say that he didn’t understand a diamond’s brilliance? Edgar remained perplexed despite much thought.
--- There will inevitably be one day where he will know the answer.
Uncle Phillip, who made everyone believe that he wouldn’t be back for another several years, unexpectedly returned after less than three months. 
On a snowy night, he returned quietly --- it was said that he had an incurable disease.
Edgar found that miniature portrait in the remnants. Sure enough his uncle couldn’t forget; it wasn’t because of his father’s condemnation at all, rather his uncle knew about his illness, so he parted ways with her.
He avoided the gazes of the adults and quietly hid the portrait in his pocket.
Regardless of who, none of the relatives wanted to put this portrait in his uncle’s coffin, so Edgar planned to do it himself.
But in the end, Edgar couldn’t do it.
During the burial, at the corner of the cemetery slightly away from the crowd, amongst the snow swirling in the air, he saw a woman hiding underneath the shade of a tree, quietly standing in place.
After everything concluded, the people scattered from the cemetery one after another, yet she still hadn’t moved.
As if she was fused to the side of the tree, she stared at his uncle’s grave from there.
When he came to his senses, Edgar had already walked over to her.
The sounds of walking in the snow made her turn her head slowly. A black robe covered her tall figure, and she looked Edgar up and down through the black veil that covered her face.
“Beatrice?”
She was still silent, but Edgar felt a strong gaze from the depths of the veil.
“This was something that Uncle Phillip could not let go of until the end.”
Her gaze subsequently moved, and she stared at the miniature portrait that Edgar handed over. Not knowing whether or not it was due to her motionless expression, her high nose bridge and delicate thin lips gave off a cold impression.
She was different from the portrait, and was simple like his parents said, as the allure of a woman couldn’t be felt.
“This, I am quite clear of.”
Edgar himself found it very strange, and from a mere glance, he determined that she was the woman in the portrait.
She only had his Uncle in her eyes, and a diamond-like light glittered within; only this gaze was exactly the same as the portrait’s.
“Phillip suddenly suggested that we break up, he knew that someone proposed to me, so he urged me to marry that person...... I knew that it would be like this.” 
She sighed.
“Hey, can I see the smile in that portrait?”
“Are you proposing to me? Kid...... No, you’re the young master, right?”
“If I propose to you, will you smile?”
She smiled. It was much more beautiful than the rigid face from before, but this wasn’t the smile within the portrait.
“......No, this isn’t something that can be seen so casually. Only Phillip could see the me within the portrait.” 
After speaking, she took the miniature portrait from Edgar’s hands and slowly turned around.
“Thank you, young master......I hope you find a gem that belongs to you.”
Looking at the back of the woman leaving, Edgar thought about the words that she said just now.
Perhaps that smile disappeared along with his uncle’s death.
Like the momentary beauty of a rose blossoming, it closed forever. That moment, Edgar seemed to sense her radiance like his uncle did, and compared to the girls that were infatuated with him, compared to the beauty of his mother, it was an even stronger beauty.

                                                                                                                                                ***

​
“Straight flush.”
Edgar spread his cards open on the round table.
“Ehh, Edgar, how did that happen?”
“It’s a loss this time.”
“Then, the last one is......” 
Looking at the chips in his hand, the outcome was obvious at a glance.
“Morris, it’s you.”
“Do you guys want to hear about my first love?”
“I don’t want to hear about it, but there’s no choice.”
Everyone shrugged their shoulders, and Edgar stood up.
“Hey hey, are you trying to run?”
“I suddenly recalled something urgent, please excuse me first.”
“Earl, you want to go to that female singer this time, right?”
“Who knows.” 
Smiling vaguely, Edgar left the room.
Under the gazes of the pretentious servers, he left the club.

​“Edgar? What’s wrong?”
Before the doorbell sounded, Lydia had already ran to the entrance; the fairies had probably informed her about Edgar’s visit.
His fiancée was a maiden that was quite close with fairies, and it appeared that this wasn’t strange at all.
“I only wanted to wish you a good night.”
Gazing at Edgar’s smile, Lydia blushed and walked out the door. Against the contrast of the lights, her caramel-coloured hair and rosy cheeks were even more beautiful. Edgar narrowed his eyes.
“Come in.”
Only a light was flickering in the darkness; she was just like a radiant diamond that shone like a rainbow. This was the dazzling radiance that his late uncle once spoke about. This was the true love that his uncle Phillip taught him to not let go of.
“No, it’s already quite late. I just wanted to see your face.” 
As soon as Edgar’s hazy eyes approached, her cheeks became even more scarlet.
“How troublesome...... I haven’t brushed my hair properly, and the leaves together with the fairies have blown the room into a complete disarray.”
A sudden visit wouldn’t make a girl happy. Although Edgar was fully aware that a maiden that wasn’t dressed to perfection would be unwilling to meet with her lover, he merely wanted to see the unguarded Lydia. Lydia, who had a perplexed expression like usual, was also very adorable.
“It’s all dried leaves.”
Lydia patted away the leaves from her hair and clothes in a panic.
Watching her act flustered, Edgar couldn’t help but whisper in her ear: “You needn’t mind it, you have always been the most beautiful.”
“Don’t force yourself to compliment me!”
“Even if you are buried in leaves, it won’t be able to conceal your diamond-like radiance.”
“Are you drunk?”
“Yeah, I’m drunk on you.”
“......Then you had better come in, rest a little......”
“He isn’t drunk, isn’t he the same as usual?”
The fairy cat, Nico, sat on the roof and spoke coldly.
“Nico is right. Even if I am completely drunk, I will immediately become sober in front of you.”
“Really..... I don’t know what to do with you.”
Only the shy Lydia who had enough of him, was regarded as his sparking supreme gem.
​
~
​

Until the promise is fulfilled

Although London has many social venues for gentlemen to go in and out of, this club, known as “Moonshine” was a high-ranking club whose members were painters or sculptors that were absolutely known.
If one was able to go through this place, then there would be a way to find an upper class sponsor, and if they were able to get a first-class job, they would become the envy of artists who were not yet known.
Not long ago, Paul began to enter this club as a painter, and although he still wasn’t mature enough, his paintings were slowly being acknowledged, which made him feel very successful.
Naturally, he used to study painting with great effort. Although he did not have a particularly outstanding talent, he really enjoyed painting, as long as he began to paint, he would forget about all other things, even eating.
Paul believed that painting was his everything, and wasn’t good at other work anyways. The most important point is the agreement that he wanted to fulfill. 
Fulfill his agreement with that young man.
He harbored this thought in mind and forged onward until now.
If it came to him believing when an agreement can be considered to be fulfilled, it ought to be the moment he became a first-class painter. Paul felt that he still hadn’t repaid the favour, but his name can be at the top of the painting world that way, all thanks to that young man.
Currently, the young man was called Earl Ashenbert. After nearly ten years had passed, he  appeared before Paul as a young Earl, and had already become a celebrity in the society of London.
Today, Paul was invited by that Earl to a club he hadn’t appeared in for a long time.
The Earl recently scheduled a marriage ceremony to be held, and Paul heard the boss of the club say that the Earl seemed to have spoken about the Countess’ portrait needing to be arranged in the mansion.
If the Earl was willing to hand it over to him to paint, then there really wouldn’t be anything more pleasing than that.
Paul left the atelier quite late, so he hurriedly rushed over. Although his tie was crooked and the ends of his shirt was stained with paint, the club’s doorman could only let him in with a distressed face.
It seems I’m finally on time.
The reception room was as noisy as it used to be. Paul took the brandy glass that the waiter quickly handed over and peered inside.
The Earl still hasn’t arrived?
In this dimly-lit reception room, if one didn’t slow down a little to confirm the appearances of the people aside, then it would be quite difficult to tell who was who.
As Paul took a step, planning to walk while looking around, it wasn’t long before he found the conspicuous blond young man, who was by the glass door connected to the balcony.
Even if the light was dim, his sense of existence would not fade into the crowd. It was not because of his bright blond hair, nor was it because of his handsome appearance which people would admire greatly; it was something that could only be described using a sense of existence.
The Earl seemed to be chatting with someone.
He’s seen that man before, a Dutch painter who recently began to rise as a topic in the painting world.
The man was good at portraiture, was said to have many aristocrats across Europe as his clients, and came to England to sell himself.
Such a painter was speaking with Earl Ashenbert.
That being said, was he recommending himself to the Earl? Indeed, if he was good at portraiture, then Earl Ashenbert’s handsome appearance would probably be the subject of a painting that he would enjoy.
Paul heard that there were endless aristocrats commissioning that painter to create portraits. With regards to the Earl, if a custom-made portrait of his fiancée was to be painted, there was absolutely no better candidate than him.
At the thought of this, Paul couldn’t help but stop.
“Paul, come here.” 
If it wasn’t for the Earl finding Paul and waving for him to come over, he definitely wouldn’t have taken the initiative to call the Earl.
“Mr. Ferman? I’ve heard that you are an outstanding young novice.”
The Dutch painter responded, after the Earl introduced Paul as a friend, but this was probably an exaggerated greeting.
“Oh that’s right, Earl, aren't you getting married soon? May I ask if you need a custom newly-wed portrait painted?”
A painter who had self-confidence, even the way he recommended himself was quite bold.
“A popular painter like you would surely have a lot of work coming to your door, and I've heard that even if I wanted to ask you to paint, you wouldn't be able to accept it.” 
Faced with this clever rejection, the painter was still full of confidence.
“How on earth can a painter finish several paintings in such a short life? At the thought of this, one should take priority for drawing portraits of the noblemen that they want to paint the most, don’t you think so, Mr. Ferman?”
Of course, Paul only nodded.
“......Earl, isn't this wonderful? If you can ask a famous painter like him to paint, Miss Lydia would definitely be very happy.”
He was a very famous painter in many European countries, and with regards to the Earl who completely adored his fiancée, even believing that his meaning in life was to make her happy, it was probably a good deed that he had exactly been looking for.
“Well, let me think it over, thank you for proposing such a rare request.” 
After listening to the Earl, the Dutch painter bowed his head in satisfaction.
When the painter left, Paul sighed secretly.
He thought to himself that he wouldn’t be able to paint a portrait of the new Countess.
“Paul, you truly are unsuited to be a businessman.”
The Earl said as he took a glass from a nearby waiter.
“You should have known why I was looking for you.”
“Ah... yes, but when it comes to portrait painting, it's quite difficult for anyone else to surpass that painter.”
Paul grabbed his curly hair, which had just grown long, while replying honestly. Surprised, the Earl laughed out loud.
“You are clearly more enthusiastic than anyone else, but it never goes as you wish.”
Enthusiasm and strength were two different things, furthermore, when it ultimately comes to commissioning a painter to draft a painting, this would be decided by the Earl.
What’s more, in order to present the most beautiful portrait to the future Countess, the Earl won’t arbitrarily compromise.
Paul felt that since he wasn’t convinced he could paint something better than the Dutch painter, recommending himself to the Earl would only disappoint him.
“Since you're here, do you want to go to the billiards room?”
The Earl suspended the topic of work and spoke to Paul this way. He seemed to have already switched Paul over as a friend from his current standpoint.
Paul believed that he was able to have today thanks to Earl Ashenbert. He was worried about the future, where if he hadn’t met the Earl, he definitely would have given up on continuing painting.
Due to this, Paul was dismayed by his lack of ability, and only gloom remained in his mind.

                                                                                                                                                ***　

Blond hair contrasting with ash mauve eyes, the youth was so handsome that he seemed to come out from a mythical world.
In the eyes of Paul, he was like Adonis, whom the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, loved. At that time, the youth was only wearing an old shirt underneath a vest, and his worn-out boots were stained with mud, but he didn’t resemble an ordinary child at all.
“What are you doing in this forest?”
The youth approached Paul and inquired.
In fact, Paul unknowingly got lost in the forest without proper roads, and wasn’t sure what to do.
“You wouldn’t have lost your way from the flower garden and came here, right?”
“Ah... well, yes.” 
He looked about twelve or thirteen years old. Even in the sixteen-year-old Paul’s eyes, he was still a very young child, but his steady tone made him seem very reliable.
“The White Lily House is in this direction.” 
The youth seemed to know this land quite well. Paul sighed in relief and followed behind.
The White Lily House referred to the Duke of Sylvainford's mansion. This place is within the confines of the Duke’s territory, and if the youth lived nearby, then he was probably from a family of servants, but was this really the youth’s identity? Paul pondered while inquiring.
“Do you live nearby?”
“Sort of. What about you? Are you a painter?”
The youth seemed to notice that Paul’s clothes were stained with paint.
“Ah... no, my father is a painter, and he came here because he was given a commission, I am merely a lowest-ranking apprentice.”
Although Paul recalled a difficult experience, he still replied.
Not long ago, he ran out of the atelier because he hated painting. The paint wasn’t mixed properly, so he was scolded by his senior, Wally.
Paul was completely incompatible with him, and he always looked down on him, criticizing his flaws.
Although the saucer that Wally threw gashed Paul’s forehead, when Paul’s father entered the entered the adjoining workshop from the atelier, he merely glanced at the injured Paul then asked him to mix the paint for the colour he needed.
Since he let Paul help with work, his father seemed to treat him completely as a disciple. Concerning how his son was treated, he only stood on the sidelines.
His father was reserved to begin with, and was a person who wouldn’t pay attention to other things as soon as he started painting, nor would he care about his son, so this couldn’t be helped.
Regardless of this point for the time being, Paul was actually puzzled about everything. In the world of professional painters, it’s only natural to refine oneself starting from the basics, but he didn’t even know whether or not he had the passion to be a painter even if he studied hard.
“As long as you pass through here, you’ll reach the back of the mansion.”
Just as the youth said, a building appeared at the other end of the forest not long after.
“It’s true! Thank you, you’ve been a great help.”
Paul smiled in relief, and the youth followed with a smile as well. It was a seductive smile.
After the youth stopped, he suddenly stared at Paul's face, then took out a white handkerchief from his pocket.
“Your forehead is bleeding.” 
His bruised spirit sensed this familiarity, so Paul took the handkerchief, but upon carefully looking, he realized that not only was it a woman’s handkerchief, it was made from expensive quality silk as well. No matter how he thought about it, it wouldn’t have been the youth’s item.
“But it won’t be good if it gets dirty.”
“I’ll give it to you. This was merely given to me by someone else.”
“…...Given by someone else?”
A woman’s handkerchief? Women will only send such items to a man they admire.
Paul, who frequently read many ancient poems, thought of this immediately. However, if one was going to consider this youth as a man, he seemed too young.
“This was given to me by a lover, but we have already broken up.”
Could it be that this kind of precocious joke was quite popular amongst the children who were around his age? Paul thought while worrying about how he should respond to this joke.
“Then, this ought to be something filled with memories, right?”
“If you don't throw away the thing that is filled with memories, and if it’s found by the next lover, they would definitely get angry.”
Is that a joke, too? As Paul mused, the lad turned away.

                                                                                                                                                 *　

That night, Paul had a dream.
The moonlight shone on the Sylvainford lake. The light that reflected on the surface of the lake seemed overflow onto the shores, which made the surroundings glitter mysteriously, although it was night.
A white horse trotted along the shore of the lake. A man was sitting on the horse, and the wind brushed against his blond hair, which was more brilliant than the moonlight. In Paul's imagination, the young knight wearing a white cape, equipped with a gold shield and a silver sword, was the same boy he had met in the forest, with the appearance of having grown up.
If he shifted his proud gaze towards the depths of the forest, darkness would recede and make a path appear.
The lush green forest was a place that human knowledge couldn’t comprehend. He fearlessly entered the place where the monster from the legends dwelled, and where humans wouldn’t approach.
Ahhh, he is the master of everything that exists on this land.
Even an evil monster would kneel down and revere him.
Paul likened himself to an ancient wandering bard, looking at this sight from somewhere, while trying to find a verse that perfectly conveyed the scene before him.
Usually he would have words overflowing and that he would be able to write a wonderful poem.
I should take the opportunity to record this immediately. 
Where is the notebook?
I recall it was underneath the bed…...
Paul reached out and fell down from the bed, waking up as a result.
Even so, he crawled to the windowside and wrote his notes under the faint moonlight while lost in thought, in order not to forget the dream he just had.
At the same time, he was undoubtedly convinced about the youth’s identity from yesterday.
He once heard that the Duke of Sylvainford’s family had a young heir.
Whether it was his refined good looks or the smile that could topple people over instantly, it proved that he wasn’t an ordinary young man.
The Duke family, who inherited the ancient royal bloodline, also included the majestic knight that previously wandered as a bard and created poetry. At the thought of meeting　the descendant of bards, his pulse couldn’t help but quicken.

As a painter's assistant, Paul began to live in the corner of the country house since a few days ago.
In order to draw the commissioned painting, his father came to the Duke’s mansion, proposed applying for a school suspension without permission, and brought Paul here. Apart from saying that he had to come and help, his father didn’t explain anything, but because his father always acted on his own initiative, Paul could only obey.
Nevertheless, painting was something very close to Paul, who was born into a painter’s family. Even though no one was guiding him, he understood the methods from mixing paint to fastening the canvas quite well, and like breathing, he naturally understood how to sketch and draw still-life.
However, his father always said to him:
“Your work is quite dull, simply drawing what you see directly.”
Paul felt that he had no talent, so he was given up on by his father and was quite worried about his future. But why did this father specially bring his son, who was not fit to become a painter, to take part in this work?
He was brought here in an unenthusiastic state, but on the other hand, he was filled with interest regarding the mansion and life of the higher aristocracy.
What sorts of people live here? If he could see the nobles that were admired in all kinds of poetry, then perhaps his mind will produce some beautiful verses as well.
Compared to painting, Paul was more interested in poetry at this time.
He never told anyone that he wanted to be a poet, and he didn't know if he had the talent, but as long as he took last night’s dream and the young man as the basis of his imagination, he felt that he could write a great poem.
Although he was being ignored by Wally while helping his father, he was in a very good mood today.
“Paul, what are you laughing at?” 
“Uh, nothing…”
“You’re always laughing foolishly, if the correct color can’t even be mixed, you can’t become a painter.”
Today, his father used Wally’s paint as well.
The apprentice's job was to mix all kinds of color pigments together, so that the powder granules were evenly distributed, and then fully blend it with turpentine to make paint. However, the paints made by Paul were always returned because of the lack of oil mixing, the colour being too dark, and various other reasons.
Although they were fellow apprentices, the two were the same age, and compared to Wally, Paul’s exposure to painting was relatively longer.
Even so, father acknowledged him rather than Paul.
“I didn’t want to be a painter anyway.”
When he blurted that out, his father just happened to enter the workshop.
“If you’re not in the mood to work, then give it back to me.”
After his father said that, and took the paintbrush, he returned to the atelier again.
Paul stood still, and Wally spoke to him, adding fuel to the fire:
“See, Master said so as well. If you don’t want to paint, then leave immediately.”
He had also thought about leaving yesterday. Although Paul felt that it would be good if he really did so, he hesitated to leave. This was because although he yearned to become a poet, he had never thought of putting down his paintbrush. He didn’t realize his own mood, and merely felt overwhelmed.
“It’s hindering my work!”
Wally threw a toolkit towards him, and the notes and sketches that were inside had scattered on the floor.
Paul hurriedly tried to pick it up, but there was someone in front of him picking it up.
He looked up and realized that it was the youth from yesterday.
Although the youth was wearing sloppy clothes like yesterday, his dazzling blond hair and refined features overlapped with the impression of the knight in Paul's dream.
He is the young master of the Duke family. At the thought of that, Paul immediately drew back, flustered, and held the toolkit stiffly.
“Did you draw this? It’s pretty good.”
The youth said, and looked at several sketches that were picked up just then.
“Eh…… it isn’t.”
Those were merely works where he directly drew what he saw.
“I think this one is the best.” 
The youth said and picked up a sheet. Rather than saying it was a drawing, it would be better to say that it was actually a mere piece of paper that Paul used to portray his dream last night. A young knight fearlessly entering the forest that wasn’t understood by human knowledge. He took the opportunity of the time when he still hadn’t forgotten and hurriedly drew the scene that emerged before him, but it really wasn’t a work that was perfect enough to be taken out and shown to people.
“Hey, you don’t think so, Paul?”
The youth probably read his signature and called out while looking over. Paul blushed at the compliment and tried his best to respond.
“N--no, my drawing isn’t that good at all.”
“Hey, this isn’t a place for kids to play! Paul, take him out!”
Wally roared, so Paul opened his mouth while at a complete loss, but the youth didn’t seem to mind, as he invited Paul outside with a smile and said: “Let’s go out.” 

“You really don’t want to be a painter?” 
After walking out of the building, the youth followed along and inquired. He probably heard the conversation just now.
Paul couldn’t answer, and asked a question in place of a response.
“Excuse me, did you have any business coming to the atelier…?”
“I came to take a look, because I wanted to know what kind of work you were doing.” 
“For you, the lord, this shouldn’t be something interesting.”
Paul responded with a slightly self-defeated tone, and the youth stopped at once.
“What, so you know who I am.” 
“I didn’t realize yesterday, but thinking carefully, the way you speak isn’t like a commoner.”
“Is that so, no wonder I thought that you were different from yesterday, speaking formally to a child.”
The youth looked a little dismayed. At first, Paul thought he might have been planning to pull a prank, hiding his identity and then being happy with the other person’s reaction.
“I wasn’t trying to deceive you. If I don’t wear these kinds of clothes, almost no one will talk to me.” 
He lowered his head after he said that.
Only then did Paul understand. Speaking with the young master of the Duke’s family would presumably be quite terrifying. Just as Paul felt, if it wasn’t a guest who had an equal status, a tutor, or such people where having conversations were necessary, they likely wouldn’t be allowed to speak with the youth.
If they were a servant or a family member, they would even take care to not appear in front of the young master.
Even if there were many people surrounding him in this spacious mansion, the youth probably didn’t have many close friends that were similar in age.
He couldn’t completely hide his noble blood just by wearing commoner clothes, even so, did he secretly come to the atelier to simply talk with all kinds of people?
“Paul, I apologize, I came to see you and yet caused you trouble.”
Being looked up at by those impressive ash-mauve eyes, would there be anyone who wouldn’t fall in love? The charms that the young master possessed could make all kinds of people become his captive, and Paul faced him with the same attraction.
“......I seem to have mistaken you for the wrong person, you can’t be the young master, right?!”
Although Paul felt that this was quite deliberate, he still took over the conversation with a smile. Puzzled, the youth tilted his head slightly, and by the time a smile slowly emerged. from his face, Paul sighed in relief.
But the youth frowned again with worry.
“But are you going back already? We finally managed to become friends.” 
Friends. He said this word with ease, which was actually frightening, but Paul felt a little glad.
“No...... in any case, I don’t have the courage to go against my father, and I can’t even tell him I don't want to be a painter.” 
Paul spoke sincere words towards a child who was younger than him, who was also someone that was impossible to talk with from an equal position. Perhaps because he and the youth were from different worlds, he felt better talking.
“Do you hate drawing?” 
The teenager took a step again, and Paul followed along while pondering.
“Since I was young, I was inevitably surrounded by paintings, and I was in contact every day, so I wasn’t sure whether I liked or hated painting. Recently, I’ve been quite interested in poetry.”
He had never spoken about poetry to anyone, but he even said this out loud.
“Ohhh, poetry? Let me read the work you’re most confident in.”
“Eh, but……”
“You think that a child won’t understand?”
“Of course not.” Paul answered while remembering last night’s dream.
If he turned that scene into the subject of the poem, he would surely be able to write great content. If there was a way to complete it, he would certainly want to present the poem to the youth that inspired him.
“Then, after I finish writing, are you willing to take a look?”
The youth nodded and revealed a charming smile to him.

                                                                                                                                                 *　

Just because what happened boosted Paul’s morale, he no longer felt that his work brought him pain.
Even though he was sworn at and continuously avoided by Wally, as long as he recalled that he still had poetry, his mood would become better. 
The young master would occasionally come to the atelier to watch Paul work, and because his father had already consented, Wally seemed to have given up on driving out “children who were a hindrance”.
Paul’s father must have become aware of the youth’s identity. He usually isn’t willing to let unrelated people enter the atelier, and yet he now agreed to let the youth go in and out, so he absolutely knew.
Of course, the youth never hindered the painter’s work, as he merely sat in the corner and watched quietly, speaking to Paul absolutely only during their rest time.
That time was the only time that he interrupted the work.
It was when Wally sent the mixed paint to Paul's father.
There were two kinds of paints, one was Paul’s modulation, and the other was Wally’s modulation. It was a tense moment for Paul whenever his father chose which paint to use.
Despite thinking that his father didn’t approve of him, he still hoped his father would select his paint this time.
Even if Paul felt that he had no talent and didn’t want to become a painter, he still couldn’t abandon the feelings of wanting to obtain his father’s approval.
But Wally, who returned from the neighboring room, spoke coldly to Paul again.
“Master said that yours won’t do.”
Wally poured the paint from the palette in front of the frustrated Paul.
“You truly are useless, Master is excessively tolerant of you because you are his son, regardless of what you think, you’re clearly unsuited to be a painter.”
Although he was mortified, he couldn’t refute.
Did his father bring him to take part in the work this time in order to make him receive this kind of blow?
At the thought of it, he couldn’t even help but resent his father.
“You’re more suited to playing games with children.”
Although he clenched his fists until they shook, he knew he was a coward who wouldn’t even dare to escape.
Just then, the youth who was sitting quietly in the corner chair stood up.
He walked over towards Wally and extended his hand, turning over the paint palette.
“Hey! What are you doing!” 
The boy turned the container entirely upside down, not minding at all that the blue paint would get his hands dirty.
The letter W was written on the back of the plate.
“Wally, this is your paint, right? Master chose Paul’s paint. Do you always swap your paint with Paul’s and then bring them to Master?”
Paul was shocked and tried to think about what on earth was going on. Despite Wally being flustered, he still snatched the paint palette from the youth’s hands.
“Wh--who wrote this kind of thing……”
He rubbed the charcoal writing with his fingers, probably trying to erase it, but the letters written on the rough bottom of the pottery wouldn’t come off by rubbing it.
“I wrote it. It’s hard to distinguish by using the same white plate, and so I wrote yours and Paul’s initials. The plate that is with Master should have the letter P written.”
As Paul listened to the youth, he dipped his fingertips into the paint that was scattered on the ground.
“Th--that being said, I recall the pigments that I mixed should have been more viscous…”
Even if the color was similar, as long as he confirmed the texture, he would definitely know, because the degree of the meticulous mixing of the paint and oil was not the same.
Wally switched the paints. No, he claimed that his father had chosen the paint he mixed.
But rather than feeling angry at this, Paul sighed in relief without knowing why.
Since this was the case, it meant that Paul’s father used his paint. Perhaps his father had already chosen his paints before. He even felt happy at the thought of it.
But soon, he didn’t have the time to be happy.
Because Wally suddenly grabbed the youth.
“You’re just an outsider, and you have the nerve to do this! New apprentices can’t have complaints no matter how they’re treated!”
First, he grabbed the youth’s clothes by the chest while cursing in rage, then pushed him away roughly.
The youth’s head just happened to bump into the table, and then he fell to the ground.
“Lord!” 
Paul promptly ran over to the youth’s side to try and help him up, but found the golden hair soaked with blood, so he cried out with a pale face.
“S--someone…… hurry and call a doctor!”
Paul turned to Wally, but he merely stood in a daze. Paul addressed the youth as “Lord”, so his mind was in chaos.
Paul carried the youth in panic, and at this time, a big hand was on his shoulder.
“Paul, find someone to come over.”
It was his father. He took over in supporting the youth, intending on assessing the injury.
Paul nodded and got up, but the boy's hand grasped the corner of his clothes and stopped him from leaving.
“There’s no need to find someone... it’s just a little scratch, that’s all.” 
The impact seemed to have caused a slight concussion. The youth pressed against his head after regaining consciousness, but his tone was still quite heavy.
“That's not going to work.” 
However, Paul’s father was very insistent.
“Mr. O’Neil, I don’t want your work to be suspended.” 
That's right. It was quite possible that he would be driven away because the young master was harmed, but the young master, who was still a child, actually considered this much, which surprised Paul greatly.
“I must take responsibility for what my apprentice did.”
“In short, I ask that you currently do according to what I say first.”
After he said that, he looked at Paul.
“Help me a little, Paul, take me to Mrs. Lante’s house, who lives a distance from here.”
Paul hurriedly supported the young master’s hand, and he stood up cautiously.
Presumably because of the movement of his body, blood flowed from the gaps between his fingers that were pressing against his temple and dropped to the ground. The youth didn’t mind Paul’s shocked reaction, as he looked up at Paul’s father and smiled calmly.
“Sir, please continue working.”
Even though he was a child, the heir to the Duke family was well aware of his position and influence, as he shouldered the responsibility of everything that was related.
The cause of this was due to him concealing his identity and going in and out of the atelier, so he couldn’t let the painter lose his job for this reason. He earnestly thought about this point.
The teenager who was walking while leaning on Paul was fairly petite, but even so, he was actually a true nobleman.

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That evening, Paul tried his best to reflect on the contents of the poem.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be long until he would have to leave this place, so no matter what, he wanted to write a poem praising the young master beforehand, then offer it to him.
The person who visited the injured young master was an old lady named Mrs. Lante, who was a year-round maid for the former Duchess, and lived in the distance after retiring.
She seemed to know that the young master was out walking around wearing commoners’ clothing, so she often helped to look after the young master.
Receiving a minor injury was nothing out of the ordinary for the young master, so she would help with the treating during those times, but Mrs. Lante said the injury shouldn’t be completely hidden from the Duke this time, because although the blood had already stopped, it was necessary to ask the doctor for a diagnosis.
Although the young master repeatedly urged Paul, telling him not to worry, his father had already decided to report the matter that occurred to the Duke.
Paul didn’t know what the result of the adults’ conversation was, and so three days had passed, then he gave a letter he had written for the young master to Mrs. Lante.
He asked her to pass on his poem, which he had completed after much difficulty, to the young master.
One day after another, his father still painted in the atelier. Wally was probably quite uneasy, so he became very well-behaved, and no longer cursed at Paul.
The young master didn’t appear. It wasn’t known if it was because the condition of his recovery from the injury wasn’t good, or if he was forbidden from going out and having fun.
Did the Duke not criticize his father and Wally harshly? Or was it because the young master’s condition was still uncertain, and so the disciplinary actions weren’t made for the time being?
Although he was very worried, Paul was only a painter's apprentice, so it was only natural that he wasn’t able to find out about the Duke’s considerations and the young master’s circumstances. He could only continue to concentrate on the work under this situation.
After one week passed...
Paul entered the mansion under the guidance of Mrs. Lante. The private room where the Duke family resided in was in a corner of the mansion was where he was brought to.
After passing through several doors and rooms, he arrived at a spacious bedroom that had towering French windows that were side by side.
At first, the youth was reading in bed, but as soon as he looked up, he revealed an angelic smile.
“Paul, it’s great that you were able to come!”
“Lord, how is your injury?” 
“It’s nothing, it just needed a stitch and nothing more, but Mother fainted, so I have to know my place for the time being.” 
Sure enough, it was quite serious.
“......Sorry, it was all for me……”
Perhaps it was slightly presumptuous to say such things, but Paul couldn’t not apologize. It was because he usually got by without being organized, not even thinking that he should have verified how his own paint wasn’t good, what differences there were from Wally’s paint; only then did he not find out that the paints were switched.
The young master was an amateur in painting, but even he noticed that something was fishy after visiting the atelier several times, and so he secretly marked the paint trays in order to confirm it.
“By the way, thank you for the letter, that poem is quite wonderful.”
Did he read my poem? Although Paul was glad, he was also aware that he currently wasn’t able to write a poem that could satisfy the youth.
Although he was older than the young master, he had always been childish, and regardless of whether it was surrounding matters or his own matters, he never understood it clearly.
“You put that drawing into the form of a poem, right? I prefer the drawing, let me see it again.” 
This was quite an unexpected remark, because it was merely a drawing that was hastily completed, but if the young master wished for it, then it certainly wasn’t a problem. Paul took out the notebook that he always carried with him, and handed the drawing that was inside to the young master.
“Yes, as expected, it’s a great drawing.”
“But this is merely drawing directly what comes to mind.” 
It was merely a simple line drawing that was drawn casually, and lacked a three-dimensional feeling as well as the degree of distinction between light and dark. It was drawn quite negligently, and simply couldn’t be compared to a still-life or a landscape painting, which was usually drawn carefully.
“This drawing has some kind of vigour, and I can see that your paintbrush moves with your heart. Some things that you can’t even imagine are the stirring in the depths of the woods, however the people on horseback forge on ahead without the least bit of fear.”
“That’s right... I really wanted to draw this scene so that I wouldn’t forget it. But this is my dream, it’s just imagined, what I drew wasn’t something from the real world.”
“Compared to speaking, it is also very good to show things that are imagined through paintings, because paintings don’t only depict the world that the eyes can see, right?”
Paul was so surprised that he widened his eyes.
Yes.
This simple reason, why didn’t he realize it until now?
At first, the reason why he believed that he was attracted to poetry was because it could express his inner thoughts, but before Paul wrote poems, he always automatically portrayed the things that he felt by painting.
He didn’t realize that the main point was to be able to recreate those things onto a canvas. 
“I think your imagination shouldn’t be able to fully rely on real things to be expressed, furthermore, you would use paintings to portray the things you call to mind and not writing, so it truly is unfortunate that you in this way aren’t suited to be a painter.”
The youth laughed, finding it amusing.
I’m truly fortunate to have met this person. Paul thought, yet he couldn’t express the feelings that were lumped in his heart, and tried to smile to suppress the tears.

“No one will be punished.” 
Later, when Paul asked Mrs. Lante about the outcome of the incident, this was her reply.
“The Duke will request Mr. O’Neil to draft the painting according to the original plan, because the young master told the Duke about everything truthfully, and asked the Duke for forgiveness. The Duchess will become emotional as soon as she comes across her son, so the young master confessed to the Duke before the Madam knew of his injury and was severely reprimanded, then it all safely ended.”
Compared to his own injury, the young master considered the painter more, so he dealt with this it quickly.
Although he was very thankful towards the young master, they would no longer be able to meet each other at will in the future. Paul felt somewhat lonely.
However, this only lasted a few days.
Not long after, the youth visited the atelier. He calculated the time, appearing just in time for break to invite Paul out.
This time, he was wearing civilian clothes again.
“Excuse me, can you go out like this? Won’t you be scolded by the Duke?”
“This is the third time already, and Father knows that I will do the same thing anyway.” 
The young master was unexpectedly rebellious.
Paul’s expression relaxed. He thought to himself that if he could become a painter one day, he would like to draw by this person’s side.
“Young master…… thank you very much.”
“Huh?”
“Can I ask you to take a look at my painting next time? If I can paint a work that I can confidently show others, I hope I can present it to you.”
“I will look forward to it.” 
Paul nodded, and he sensed the feeling of being worthy to be depended on from the young master’s friendly and encouraging smile.

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Paul ran out of a rented house in Strand street early in the morning and hurried to Earl Ashenbert’s mansion in the Mayfair district.
Yesterday, he couldn’t get rid of his gloomy mood at all, and so morning arrived as he was unable to shut his eyes all night.
After that, Paul couldn’t calm down for even a moment.
It was the Earl’s decision about who to order the painting from, and although he had friendly relations with Paul, he wasn’t a person that would spend money on paintings that didn’t interest him.
Besides, the reason why he wanted to commission Paul to create a painting in commemoration of the marriage wasn’t because Paul was a friend, but because he wanted Paul’s paintings.
If he really wanted to have the Dutch painter's painting, regardless of whether or not the person involved had the desire, the Earl would definitely find a way to get ahold of it, and it would be impossible to commission Paul from the beginning.
The Earl knew that some paintings could only be drawn by Paul, and only then would he call Paul over and plan to commission him. Paul had to respond to the Earl’s expectations.
After he burst into the Earl's mansion and gasped for air while being unable to speak for a moment, the head butler did not say anything and informed the Earl about him. While he waited in the reception room, he caught his breath and adjusted his crooked tie, but he couldn’t do anything about the messy hair.
However, he didn't have the extra energy to care about that sort of thing.
“Earl, please let me draft the couple’s portrait. I understand the troubles and joys of marriage that you two experienced up until now more than any famous painter. Because you, Earl, have once encouraged me in the past, I found a way to become a painter now, and I can only paint in return. In any case, I want to paint!”
As soon as the Earl entered the room, he spoke in one breath.
The Earl sat down in the chair and smiled in acceptance, regardless of the impolite visit by Paul early in the morning as well as the sudden declaration.
“I knew you would say so.” 
He looked at Paul with the same charming ash mauve eyes as before. Although his title was originally the Duke of Sylvanford, even if he lost that family name, he met an irreplaceable woman now, so he looked very happy.
The Earl beckoned to him, so Paul sat down, and then the Earl began to speak again.
“What I saw wasn’t your talents, I was merely attracted by the things that your spirit sees.”
Did he recall the memories that he had of Paul again? His eyes were seen squinting, as if he was reminiscing about the past.
“So, I didn't know if you could become a painter at the time, but I simply believed that if you liked to paint and were willing to continue painting, then I would have subsidized you all along.”
“My work at the time was truly quite terrible.”
“That’s absolutely right.”
This blunt remark made Paul laugh. He was aware and knew that his poems were so bad that it made his paintings seemingly more pleasing to look at.
“But I don’t dislike your paintings at all.”
A hint of the youth from that time remained in this honest smile, and it encouraged Paul.
He made Paul understand that painting didn’t rely on skill alone to be accomplished, so only then was Paul able to open up new horizons in the world of fairy painting, be attracted by the Earl, and want to paint for him.
“Paul, the humans who were skeptical about whether or not fairies exist were only able to see half of Lydia’s charms, but you are a fairy painter who can vividly depict the existence of a different world. You are willing to draw the most beautiful Lydia, right?”
“Yes, definitely.”
His depressed mood had finally been swept away, and his joy along with his creative desire were aroused at the same time, so Paul nodded vigorously.