Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 22 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 ♦ Twelfth Night Wish for Someone Special (Parts 1-3)

(1) Manan Island: The Twelfth Cake

“Lady Lydia, I heard that the traditional Twelfth Cake will be served tonight.”
Kelly, the lady attendant, said so as she came in to clear the tea table. Lydia had just been chatting with her father over tea until then.
“Oh, with fava beans?”
“Yes, as expected of the Earl family, which is one with a long and distinguished history; these days, fewer and fewer people are fastidiously keeping the custom of baking a cake for the Twelfth Night.”
Even for Lydia, this may be the first Twelfth Night with a Twelfth Cake ever since the time when her mother was still alive.
Lydia, who was welcoming her first Christmas season since marrying into the Earl family, had felt novelty even in each and every practice she was familiar with. But when she heard of the Twelfth Cake, together with a sense of nostalgia, she recalled the joy of having the cake before her eyes, and that alone already filled her with excitement.
Tonight, which was the twelfth night after Christmas, would truly mark the end of Christmas. It was also said that the banquet held on that day was also an exorcism ritual for the purpose of surmounting the dark winter.
One or two dried fava beans would be placed inside the cake. There were also times when metal or porcelain made into the shape of beans were placed instead. Whichever the case, if one’s slice of cake contained a bean, one would have a good year ahead.
“Speaking of which, I wonder why fava beans are used for Twelfth Nights.”
“Because beans are a symbol of good harvests.”
I see, so it’s a wish for a bountiful new year.
“Lady Lydia, I heard from the butler that here in the Earl family, the person who gets the slice of cake with the bean can make the first wish for the year.”
“Will that wish be fulfilled? Since it’s the custom of the Earl family, it sounds like there’s some efficacy.”
“I think so too. Moreover, beans are seeds, so it also has the meaning of being blessed with children.”
Startled, Lydia felt perplexed, but it seemed that Kelly thought that she was just being embarrassed.
“You can just wish for it in your heart.”
She whispered so smilingly.
“That’s… right. If I get it, I’ll try doing that.”
Kelly was probably worried for her because Lydia had asked about that before.
“How long does it usually take for married couples in the world to conceive a child after they get married?”
“You don’t have to be worried. Though there are married couples who conceive a child shortly after marriage, there are also others who take years. Things are only just beginning for the both of you.”
But for Lydia, she had a problem even before that of depending on the whims of God.
It was a problem which she couldn’t confide in anyone, not even her husband Edgar; she was told that she may not be able to conceive a child because of the effects of an ancient magic. Because she did not know if that were true, she also did not know what she could do.
Because of that, she felt inclined to depend even on small charms.
Should I try to wish on the Twelfth Cake?
Kelly had said that was if her slice contained the bean, but ever since she was a child, Lydia had practically always gotten the slice with the bean.
Her mother had said that she was liked by the fairy of beans.
She should definitely be able to get the slice with the bean, even if it was a Twelfth Cake which she had not had for some time.
“My Lady, after I have tided this place up, shall we begin preparations for dinner? Please wait for a moment.”
After Kelly left, Lydia got up. She stood by the window and let her gaze fall on the scenery outside absentmindedly.
The fava beans of the Twelfth Cake should also be the symbol of a budding spring.
Yet the long-awaited spring was still far off, and the winds mixed with snow blew strongly against the mansion. The scenery outside was that of grey seas as this was a castle atop a cliff.
Lydia was staying at a mansion on Manan Island, which was one of the earldom’s lands.
From the elevated windows, she could see ships sailing between wave crests. She could tell clearly that the waves were mysteriously gentler only in that region. The Merrows were protecting the ships.
Thanks to that, this island which had been isolated for three hundred years due to rough seas, was beginning to liven up as it served as a stopover for safe sea routes. 
This change had begun two years ago, when the Merrow living on the island welcomed a new Lord and recognized the new lord as the Blue Knight Earl.
The Blue Knight Earl was the Earl of Ibrazel; in the name of Edgar Ashenbert, the one who had inherited that peerage, the humans and fairies on the island co-existed while respecting each other.
With such a contract established, regardless of even such bad weather, ships approaching Manan Island would receive protection from the Merrows and arrive at the port safely without being shipwrecked.
“Lady Lydia.”
Being called by a voice other than Kelly’s, Lydia turned around.
“I have something I’d like to consult you about.”
It was the butler Tomkins who was standing at the doorway. The middle-aged butler, who had a small and stout body as well as rounded eyes, was part of the family which had guarded the lands during the Earl’s absence. He had the blood of Merrows running through his veins.
“What is the matter?”
Lydia left the window and seated herself on a chair in the middle of the drawing room.
If Tomkins had something he wanted to consult Lydia, instead of Edgar, it would in all likelihood be related to fairies. Lydia had been dealing with all fairy-related problems concerning the Earl household as a Fairy Doctor, and thought of that as her own job.
“I would like to prepare a Twelfth Cake for the dinner banquet, but the Gold and Silver fava beans are nowhere to be found.”
With an unusually quiet expression, the butler opened a small velvet covered box and showed it to Lydia.
Of course, there was nothing inside.
“The fava beans which had been passed down through the generations of the Earl family were two beans made of gold and silver. To think that the Tomkins were supposed to have been safekeeping these and this happened. Having said that, as you already know, these beans have not been used for three hundred years… Last year, because the Master was invited to an external party, there was no dinner banquet for our family. So I had thought that the beans would be used this year for sure but when I opened the box, the beans were nowhere to be found so I’m quite at a loss.” 
The Twelfth Cake could be said to be the main event in a party for the Twelfth Night. Though if one were to put it that way, the cake was something important, but it was the first time Lydia found out that there were fava beans passed down through the generations of the Earl family for that purpose.
Most probably, even Edgar the master was not aware of it.
“Erm, could it be that the Earl who used it three hundred years ago forgot to return it?”
“No, because the properties are properly accounted for every year.”
“Then, I wonder if it had been stolen at some point in time.”
If that were the case, there’d be no meaning in consulting Lydia.
Tomkins shook his head sideways quietly.
“I have been told that the Gold and Silver fava beans are fairies. That’s why there’d be times when they would disappear occasionally. But I’ve also heard that they should return in order to fulfil their duties for the Twelfth Night, so I wonder what happened since they did not return.”
“They’re fairies?”
Surprised, Lydia stood up.
“Yes, they are the King and Queen of Fava Beans.”
“I see. If that’s the case, they may have gone out on a whim and had carelessly forgotten about their role today.”
“That’s troubling…”
As he was troubled over it, Tomkins opened his rounded eyes ever wider as though he was clinging on to Lydia for help.
“Lady Lydia, I wonder if there isn’t a method to summon them back. The Twelfth Night of our family is special. Those two are the King and Queen of the fruits of the earth, so as to speak, so by offering a Twelfth Cake imbued with those powers, our family would be guaranteed the blessings of the earth for this coming year. If they are absent for the Twelfth Night banquet, it’d be the same as not having the guest of honour.”
Tomkins, who was faithful even to the Earl family’s customs, said so passionately.
Lydia, who couldn’t make a wish without the fava beans, nodded deeply as well.
Furthermore, the family of the Blue Knight Earl was one with a deep affinity with fairies. If they possessed fairies for the sake of the Twelfth Night, things may end in trouble if they did not use those fairies at the party.
When she remembered the trouble during her wedding ceremony, Lydia thought that it’d be foolish to hold the party without the bean fairies.
“I understand. I’ll try searching for them.”

This mansion on Manan Island, which could also be considered as the Earl family’s country house, was a castle built three hundred years ago and had numerous renovations done to it.
After Edgar became the Earl, the mansion was prepared to be in line with the current times and became a place with a splendid atmosphere which was comfortable to live in.
And so this winter, Lydia left London to spend the Christmas season in the earldom’s lands and stayed at this mansion together with Edgar.
On days with fine weather, she experienced fishing for the first time and strolled the endlessly broad gardens together with Edgar while thinking of plans to refurbish the gardens.
Edgar had said that someday, it’d be nice to leave the bustle of London and stay in the countryside.
For Edgar, who was born and raised in a manor house with extensive grounds, an aristocrats’ life was one in the countryside such as this.
Lydia also liked places which were abundant in nature. As Manan Island was also a place which was comfortable for fairies to live in, for Lydia as a fairy doctor, she even found Manan Island livelier than London.
Though she nodded in agreement to Edgar’s words, she did not know if such days would truly arrive for them, so her smiling face may had been clouded.
She wondered if the two of them could continue to spend their lives together slowly like this.
The more she felt that things were going smoothly as the two of them progressed together as a married couple, the more uneasy she felt.
She herself may have a problem that was likely to cause this marriage to break apart.
Driving away those depressed feelings, Lydia exited the drawing room and started to search through the mansion for clues on the bean fairies.
If the magic of real fairies were imbued in the Twelfth Cake which was said to fulfil the wishes for the year, she definitely wanted to get a slice of cake that contained the fava beans. Even if it was nothing more than for a peace of mind, Lydia, who felt like depending on something, fully intended to find the fairies before the dinner banquet.
“Even so, I wonder where Nico is.”
If one had questions on fairies, one ought to consult a fairy. Lydia searched for her fairy cat partner as she thought that.
“Seriously, he is never around when I need him.”
Since it’s Nico who was greedy for food, he must be somewhere where there’s food.
But she couldn’t find him. She wondered where he was enjoying himself.
“Things like Bean Fairies don’t have much magical powers. It’s no big deal even if you can’t find them.”
There was no one in the room she peeked into. Yet she heard a voice when she was about to shut the door. As she turned back to check through the room once more, she saw a man with black curly hair standing by the window side.
“Kelpie!”
Exasperated, Lydia walked towards him.
Although he was a frightening and demonic kelpie, Kelpie was a fairy who was close to Lydia. But Manan Island was the Merrow’s territory, so if they found out that Kelpie was here, they would be enraged.
“You can’t come to a place like this, right? You won’t be let off easily if the Merrows find you.”
“I’ll retreat before they find me.”
Even if you say so.
“So you heard what I was talking about earlier? Where did you start listening from?!”
Don’t tell me he heard all those things about wanting to conceive. Lydia thought so in a panic.
“If you ask where I started listening from, it was from the part about the gold and silver fava beans being fairies.”
Lydia patted her chest down for the time being.
“Even if you made a wish, there’s no way those guys have the power to grant the wish. Lydia, forget about the fava beans and go out with me. Nothing beats running through the snow.”
I hope he wouldn’t force a kelpie’s preferences onto me. Glancing at the snowy landscape with the strong winds outside the window, Lydia shuddered as she thought about how cold it looked.
“Kelpie, in any case, I want to do everything I can properly if it’s something that is for the good of the Earl family’s future. The same goes for the Twelfth Night’s customs. So long as it brings good luck, it’s fine.”
They had just begun their journey as a married couple. Lydia sincerely thought that it’s sufficient if their futures could be brightened even by a little.
Peering into Lydia’s earnest eyes, Kelpie shrugged his shoulders as if he had given up.
“Earlier, that cat was walking with fairies who were wearing gold and silver crowns.”
 After he said that, he vanished.

(2) Sylvainford: Memories

The Duke’s mansion, with its grand salon modeled after a Gothic cathedral, had a Christmas tree so tall it was about to reach the ceiling.
The fir tree which was carried in from the forest stood tall in the centre of the room. The colourful candies, confectionery and fruits hanging from the branches made it seem like a magical tree from the eyes of young children. 
Edgar, who was turning thirteen this year, had already passed the age of such innocence and also thought of himself as no longer being a child; yet he still found the large tree gorgeous as he looked upon it.
He felt so even more strongly when he heard his relatives who had gathered say that the tree in the Sylvainford mansion was more impressive than the tree at Buckingham Palace.
Yet it was about time he took a last look at this year’s tree.
For the Christmas season would come to an end once the Twelfth Night had passed. Be it the tree, the wreaths or the other Christmas decorations, they would all be disposed of.
It was about time that the dinner banquet for the Twelfth Night commenced.
Although Edgar was past the innocent age yet he was still not old enough to participate in parties with the adults, this was a separate matter when it came to a party with his family. Donning a formal attire comprising of an evening coat and a white tie for tonight, he watched on as the towering tree was decorated with candles.
When night came, there was nothing more brilliant than a tree which was lit up. That’s why he came to the salon by himself and watched the servants at work, as he did not want to miss them skillfully using the ladders and lighting up the tree.
“It’s a wonderful tree. As expected of the Duke family.”
As he stood along the passageway on the second floor of the atrium, someone came beside him and whispered so. When he turned around, he saw a lady with reddish blonde hair smiling at him.
“Have you taken a liking to the Sylvainford mansion? Viscountess Norrish.”
When Edgar returned the smile, the Viscountess suddenly tightened her smile.
“My Lord, you’re aware of my name?” 
It was a lady whom he had met for the first time. But if it were about the guests tonight, Edgar had already heard various things about them.
Even this lady, she herself was also aware that the one before her was the son of the Duke. She probably felt that she couldn’t be negligent in gathering information on the Sylvainfords whom she was visiting for the first time.
“Because only the Viscountess and Mr Goldin the tutor are the new faces tonight.”
The ones who would be joining the party for the Twelfth Night, were the Duke family and its relatives, as well as the few tutors. Even if it was Edgar who was not exposed to the adult’s social circle, these were all still people whom Edgar knew well.
“You have a keen insight. If so, you should have also heard of the various rumours surrounding me.”
Of course he had. Because she was the lady who was the topic of all conversations for his relatives who had gathered here.
She had recently married Viscount Norrish, one of the Sylvainfords’ relatives and so this year was the first time she was attending the Twelfth Night party organized by the Duke family.
However, though the Viscount was rather advanced in age and on top of that was bedridden, he had married a young lady for the third time, so it was said that the marriage was for the sake of taking over a lover of someone from the royal family.
Women such as the hetaerae* who were able to climb up to even the royal court, would often be installed as the wives of aristocrats on paper. Even if they became widowed someday, they’d probably be able to wander about the social circle with the status and wealth they obtained.
Obviously the bedridden Viscount did not turn up. The Viscountess had visited the Sylvainford mansion alone. 
If he did not recall wrongly, she was only twenty five years old. Though it seemed like the Viscount had intended for her to stay on at the Sylvainford mansion for some time as she could be bored, that again drew up strange speculations amongst the relatives.
“May I ask one question regarding those rumours?”
“What is it?”
“Are you my father’s mistress?”
Edgar had overheard the rumour that the real reason why she came here was because of that.
Unfazed and appearing to find it interesting, she smiled.
“What do you intend to do after finding out about that?”
“Don’t you find me more charming than my father?”
This time a tinge of childish curiosity dwelled in her smile. Edgar found her likable.
“Do you mean that you would make me your lover?”
“I see that you’re not laughing at me for saying that even though I’m a child.”
“Because there are children who become adults earlier than their age. I too had known about the adult world when I was around your age.”
“I see, so someone like me is still far from being able to satisfy you.”
“No My Lord, you are more charming than any of the other men whom I had known.”
She boldly turned her seductive eyes, which had probably charmed countless men, towards a young boy in his early teens.
She may not be a beauty, but her eyes which brimmed with confidence, were captivating.
And yet Edgar also saw it as her appearing to carefully act only as a seductive woman.
“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Norrish.”
“Do call me Rachel, as a mark of our friendship.”
The pleasure is mine, said Edgar smilingly.
“Then please call me Edgar.”
They exchanged handshakes and parted.
That was his encounter with her.
The Twelfth Night. When he thought back about it, that was when the tragedy which snuck into the Sylvainford household, started to become something certain.

“Earl, how soon it is that it’s already the Twelfth Night. Even such a magnificent tree will have its final day tomorrow.”
It was Professor Carlton who stood beside him. That was when Edgar was gazing upon the decorated tree in the hall from above the grand staircase.
He had spent his first Christmas together with Lydia at the castle on Manan Island. Although the tree may appear plain when compared to Sylvainford’s, it was one which Lydia said she wanted to decorate with her own hands and Edgar had also helped out.
When he thought about how, together with Lydia who had become his new family, this tree was a symbol of the happiness which the two of them built, this tree was more magnificent than any other extravagant tree.
Although, just as the Professor said, he felt that it was a pity to dispose of the tree, it couldn’t be helped as this was an old practice.
“We’ll be able to see it again next year, Father.”
The Professor who appeared not to have gotten accustomed to being addressed as ‘Father’ by Edgar yet, had an embarrassed expression.
“That’s right. Lydia is a fortunate person.”
Most probably, those words contained the Professor’s wishes. He wished that Lydia would continue to be happy for the next year as well as the year after.
“I’m the one who is fortunate.”
When he thought about the extent of what Lydia had given him, he felt that he may not be able to repay her even if he spent his whole life on it.
“That’s very kind of you. But Earl, erm, how’s Lydia? I wonder if she appears even more ordinary when she stands beside you and does not appear to be a Lady…”
Even though Lydia was married, it seemed like his worries towards his daughter were still endless. Edgar answered smilingly as he felt he had to reassure the Professor.
“There’s no such thing. Doesn’t Lydia resemble Mrs. Aurora? I’m being looked at with envy wherever I go.”
“Resemble my wife? Yes… recently, she does seem to begin resembling her more. But that’s an overstatement. Lydia tends to be described as being unique.”
Even on the topic of his late wife, the Professor scratched his head in embarrassment. 
“From the first time I met her, I knew that she had sweetness and brilliance hidden in her strong will. It’s probably just that she herself and her surroundings did not realize that charm of hers.”
Edgar, who said that with a serious face, thought so honestly.
“Thanks to that, I was able to win her heart. Because honestly, I find it amazing that she was never courted.”
“Well, they do say that love is blind.”
“Women who are truly wonderful will only show their brilliance to those who understand their value. This was a teaching from my uncle in the past, but Father, you too understand this fully right? For example, it’s like how emerald is covered by a host rock of common limestone.”
“Erm, do you always behave like that even in front of Lydia?”
“Certainly. Even though countless praises come to mind when she’s before me, isn’t it a waste not to say them?”
The Professor had a bitter smile on his face but he should not have ill feelings when his daughter was praised; the tip of his eyes were pointed downwards.
“That’s right, Father, I would like to ask you about the secret to matrimonial happiness, since Lydia’s ideal is a married couple like her parents. What do you pay attention to normally?”
“Erm, what I pay attention to? No, I didn’t do anything in particular. After all, I had no luck with women apart from my wife.”
The Professor had probably unconsciously struck Edgar where it hurt the most.
“Oh I see, the secret is not to be friendly with other women.”
Though this was an obvious point, it may be something which Edgar found the hardest to do.
“No, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I wonder if I should show restraint in my social greetings and usual dealings.”
“…For that, so long as it’s not infidelity…”
“That’s the problem. For ladies, the recognition of which point onwards it counts as infidelity is truly multifarious. I wonder if you could clarify with Lydia on that.”
Edgar had wanted to find out about that from some time ago, but he couldn’t ask her directly. Edgar leaned forth with a serious expression, but the Professor scratched his head as if he was troubled.
“Hmm, but now, I think that Lydia’s ideal is different from what it was in the past. She was a girl who did not know love, and since she has chosen you, she probably realized that parents will not be a model or an ideal.”
While it was questionable whether he was being encouraged, Edgar accepted the Professor’s words of encouragement that even if he was not the perfect husband he was able to satisfy Lydia.
“Is Lydia in the drawing room?”
Suddenly, he wanted to see her.
When they spent their days on this island, even though more often than not she was by his side, if possible he wanted her to stay where he could see her all the time.
Even so, when he heard that she was chatting with the Professor privately, he restrained himself.
For Lydia who had worked hard every day in order to become more like a Countess, this holiday on an outlying island was a precious time during which she could spend time only with her family. He wanted her to be able to relax and return to being simply father and daughter without being troubled by aristocratic socializations.
“Yes, I think that since it’s about time for Lydia to get ready for the dinner banquet, she had just stepped out of the room.”
There was probably still a little time. Thinking that he would check on her, Edgar excused himself from the Professor and left the hall with the eye-catching tree.

                                                                                                                                                 *

Edgar had always kept the matters concerning Sylvainford to himself.
Be it the innocent and happy times, the ominous turn of events, that incident in which he lost everything, though there were many things which he could tell his trusted comrades, but because those were ultimately a past which he shouldered by himself, those were not things he could share with others.
He had fought thus far by taking care not to show anyone the places where he was weak and vulnerable.
But it’s different now.
Lydia was striving to take in his pain together with him and support him.
She was the one and only woman to whom he allowed himself to open up the depths of the pain in his heart and to seek for warmth in order to fill up his lonely past.
After he married Lydia, Edgar finally felt that he was able to come to terms with what happened in the past.
If he could continue to focus only on bringing happiness to Lydia, it would probably become less difficult for him to look back on his past calmly. 
This year, they celebrated Christmas on Manan Island and also experienced the Hogmanay*. It was the first winter he had spent with Lydia. So even the Twelfth Night banquet should turn out to be memorable.
And in doing so, that Twelfth Night ten years ago would become just another night in the past.

From Edgar, the son’s viewpoint, his father and mother did not have any particular issues as a married couple. He had not heard them quarrel and while his father was stern and a man of few words, his father had also shown a gentle side to his mother.
But he also observed that his parents’ relationship started to change from the moment when Rachel came into the picture. At the very least, his mother was clearly doubting the relationship between Rachel and his father.
In actual fact, Edgar had known about the other parties whom his father had affairs with, but it was either because his mother had not noticed or his mother was a woman who was able to close an eye to matters to a certain extent, that no problems arose. Yet this time round, the fact that his mother was so conscious of Rachel that she could not overlook matters, may be precisely because her relationship with his father had started to change.
That’s right. Now that he thought about it, the Sylvainford dukedom had already fallen into the hands of the enemy before Rachel appeared.
The ominous winds started blowing upon them from the time his father received the Queen’s order to proceed to Rome.
His father was ordered to head to Rome for negotiations to bring back the treasured diamond which had been discovered after it was taken out by the banished king at the time of the Glorious Revolution.
However, that diamond was stolen under his father’s watch on the return journey, and in the midst of various speculations flying about, there were also murmurs of conspiracy theories.
Obviously, the fact that the diamond was taken away by James II during the Revolution was kept from the public. Though as a result of that the incident this time round was not made public, a group of aristocrats still did know about it.
It was not only that it was a large diamond, but also the legend that it was a symbol of the divine right of kings. So it was even suspected whether the one who had stolen the diamond had plans of rebellion.
To begin with, the descendants of James II had declared their divine right and waged war twice on England. There were also people who believed that those descendants were the ones who had the rightful claim to the throne.
As time passed, the Stuarts from James II became a thing of the past and even as the Hanoverian Dynasty became cemented in the present, the organization known as the Jacobites were still smothering like the remnants of fire.
The majority of the Jacobites had been purged, but considering that it was not impossible for the diamond to rekindle the conflicts of the past, this was probably a troublesome problem for the English royal family.
The blood of the Stuarts flowed in the Sylvainfords. Though the same could be said for many of the other aristocrats, with the way things had turned out, this fact only moved towards deepening the suspicions towards his father.
Of course, his father was innocent. The Queen should also have accepted it so, and his father was not punished for it. Only that, because it was not so easy for the cloud of suspicion to be lifted, it seemed that his father was being isolated by the royal court.
From that point on, rather than his father, it was his mother who was more worried. His mother should have realized her lineage; the fact that she was a survivor with the blood of the Stuarts who were exiled to France.   
She should have been reminded of the fact that when she was a young girl, at the convent in France, she had been warned that she must not give birth to a boy.
Edgar figured that it was probably Rachel who told his father about his mother’s lineage.
Because they shared a common secret, his father and Rachel appeared more and more intimate with each other, and his mother started to be suspicious about their relationship.
At such a time, his mother started receiving letters from her ex-fiancé and perhaps that too irritated his father, as a cold atmosphere started to hang around both his parents. But from knowledge procured from mature women, Edgar had understood it as something which happens often between aristocratic married couples.
Now Edgar understood that there was nothing more unfortunate than a marriage breaking apart when one simply treated such matters as something which happens often, but to the Edgar then, he had thought that the marriage of aristocrats was one which no one would get hurt so long as they kept up with appearances.

(3) Manan Island: The Doll House

(Are you searching for Mr. Nico? My Lady, if so, it’s this way.)
Feeling as though she heard a voice coming from the lined up paintings, Lydia came to a stop.
When she strained her eyes to confirm that, she saw Coblynau, with his shaggy beard, seated on a complexly sculpted forehead. It was a fairy with an affinity with the Ashenbert family and who would sometimes appear like this.
“Do you know where? I heard that the fava bean fairies are also with him.”
(Yes, I heard that they would treat me to any of the prized wine. I’m just about to head towards the castle myself. Shall we go together?)
“By castle, do you mean the fava bean fairies’?”
(That’s right. Since you’re the consort of the Blue Knight Earl, the fava bean king would also welcome you.)
In any case, Lydia decided that she would follow Coblynau.
Passing through the long gallery and climbing up the stairs at the end, the two of them finally arrived at a cozy room. While it looked like a living room, the only furniture it had was a bulky and heavy table placed in the middle of the room. And on top of that table, was a miniature house with a green coloured roof.
The closer she approached it, the more she realized that it was constructed to the smallest detail. The external walls really seemed to be made up of bricks stacked one on top of another and the windows had small glasses encased in it. When she peeked in, she also realized that there were curtains hung on the interior, as well as a sofa and mantelpiece.
“Wow, it’s a doll house. How amazing, it’s so intricate.”
She didn’t know that there was such a thing in this mansion. Lydia circled the table and looked upon the building as she walked around it.
Although it was a simple three-storied building, there were things reminiscent of flowers growing in the pot placed on the bay window, as well as even smoke rising out from the chimney.
Huh? Even smoke? Seriously?
Lydia was about to rub her eyes in surprise but Coblynau spoke up beside her.
(Everyone’s inside this.)
“Inside? Don’t tell me that this is the fava bean fairies’ castle?”
Coblynau ran towards the entranceway at the front of the building and sounded the extremely small knocker that had a honey bee ornament attached to it.
(Come, My Lady, the door is opening.)
But she couldn’t enter such a small house. Though she thought so, the moment the toy-like wooden door creaked, Lydia found herself standing inside the doll house.
More accurately, she found herself in an unknown building. Running along the walls of a hall with a blue carpet laid out, was a flight of stairs. It must be the work of magic for her to arrive at an unfamiliar place in an instant. In other words, she must be inside the doll house which was the fairies’ castle. Though she thought so, she could see blue skies and white clouds through the windows which were located high above her.
“Coblynau? Where are you?”
Lydia looked around her, but the mine fairy was nowhere to be found. She wondered if he had gone on ahead because he wanted to get started with the wine drinking.
In any case, she had to search for Nico and the fava bean fairies.
Lydia started to walk towards the inner parts of the building.
Climbing up the stairs, she opened the door that came into view; that appeared to be the dining room.
The candle sticks were lit up while the plates and cutlery were set up neatly on the table. The atmosphere felt as though a dinner banquet was about to begin.
As she gazed on, that scenery slowly faded away, and transformed into a different dining room.
[Come, the Twelfth Cake is ready!]
The moment she thought she had heard that voice, her mother appeared before her carrying a plate with a cake.
With her blonde hair and blue eyes, the mother in Lydia’s memories smiled. By the time she noticed, that was her home in Scotland; she found the wallpaper and arrangement of the furniture in the dining room, as well as the curtains and cloths, familiar.
Her father and grandmother were also seated at their usual seats.
This was a scene from the past. A Twelfth Night in which the Carlton family had gathered together.
[Lydia, let go of Nico won’t you? You take a seat too. You were looking forward to the cake right?]
While she was surprised, Lydia gazed upon the situation before her. When the nostalgic voice of her mother reached her ears again, a young girl playing with a ball of grey fur in the corner of the room lifted up her face.
[Ye-s, Mother.]
Be it the dull reddish brown hair or the green eyes with a tinge of yellow, it was the same. Lydia immediately realized that it was herself, with her ruffled hair, her red Sunday Best full of creases and also her crooked ribbons pointing in every single direction.
Even though it was herself, Lydia thought, I’ve not been an adorable child even when I was young, and sighed. But the gazes of her family on her were warm and that filled her heart.
Nico, who was released from the child Lydia, let out a sigh as he stood up on his hind legs and approached his seat while brushing his ruffled fur gently. Lydia sat down beside her mother.
[Come Lydia, choose your slice. I wonder if you’ll get the slice with the fava beans.]
In this scene of the past that was laid out before her, young Lydia chose a slice after being terribly perplexed. The hobgoblins gathered on top of the table were confusing her by telling her that that piece was the one or no this piece was the one.
Her mother giggled as she watched Lydia. When she sliced the cake she chose nervously, a dried bean peeked out. Lydia let out a cry of glee.
[I wonder how Lydia knew which slice contained the bean.]
Her father tilted his head to the side in amazement.
[This child must be extraordinarily fortunate.]
She wondered if that was her mother’s wish.
Mother…
Even though she knew that her voice would not reach the illusion of her family who were gathered, Lydia murmured.
“Mother… I am really fortunate. I’m able to stay by the person I love as a fairy doctor.”
As she thought how great it’d be if her late mother could hear her, she rubbed her teary eyes.
“What Lydia, are you crying?”
When she came back to her senses at Nico’s voice, the illusion of the past faded away and a grey long haired cat with a necktie stood at the doorway.
“Oh… Nico, oh dear, I remembered Mother.”
“Ahh, because this is a mansion which reflects memories. See, the moment you came in, the room layout became the same as our house in Scotland.”
Just as Nico said, even though the illusion of her family had disappeared, the scene of the dining room was still the same as that of her home in Scotland.
Even when she exited the dining room and went towards the corridor, the familiar white walls and narrow stairs continued from there.
“Everyone’s here. Come on.”
To think that it’s a house which layout would change suddenly.
Lydia anxiously followed Nico so as not to get lost.
“Hey, I heard from Coblynau that this is the castle of the fava bean fairies.”
“Yeah, it seems that they like this place. But this house had been here since the past and it seems like it’s the Blue Knight Earl’s collection. It’s probably a present from fairies, though it doesn’t seem to be of much use.”
I see, so it’s not simply a doll house.
When Nico came to a stop suddenly, the atmosphere in the mansion changed once more.
It was a room in which a large fireplace made of stone caught one’s eye. The room was dim as the windows were small. In the centre of such a room, a silhouette vaguely came into view.
A girl was seated on a rug with her legs sprawled.
Her light blonde hair was ruffled and her skirt was also full of creases. Lydia recalled her young self from earlier, but the young girl before her was a little older. As she read a book, she lied down and got up suddenly back and forth, and took on postures as she pleased without caring that her ribbons were becoming crooked.
Beside her, slept a grey cat.
It’s Nico. As she thought so, Lydia took a closer look and saw that the young girl’s face had traces similar to her mother’s.
Perhaps she was tired of reading, for the girl lied down facing upwards and yawned. Burying her face in the back of Nico, who laid at the tip of her nose, she smiled contentedly.
Lydia knew as well, that Nico’s tufty fur smelled like the sun and was comfortable.
Though Nico opened one eye, appearing to find that a bother, Nico kept still, perhaps so as not to disturb the young girl’s nap. 
The scene of just that gradually faded away. Lydia shifted her gaze towards Nico, who stood beside her at her feet and probably saw the same scene.
“… Seriously. Because you thought of Aurora, that made me think of her as well.”
Nico murmured so as he gazed on absentmindedly at the empty room.
Nico loved her mother.
“I can’t believe myself. Even though I’m a fairy, because I had spent a long time with humans, I ended up becoming like humans.”
Because it was only humans who immersed themselves in memories.
But if Nico who said such a thing felt sorrow in getting involved with humans, then Lydia felt sorrowful as well.
Because she wished for Nico to always be a fairy who was close to humans, she sat down instinctively and held Nico’s hand.
“… Isn’t that fine!? You don’t hate the human world right? Since there are also fairy doctors amongst humans who like fairies, it’s wonderful to have a gentlemen like you even amongst the fairies.”
Looking surprised, Nico turned to face Lydia.
“Lydia.”
And then, he narrowed one eye in a haughty manner.
“I like humans. It was the humans who thought of the virtue of behaving like a gentlemen. That’s why I’ll even place my hopes on the Earl that he’d be able to persevere with the virtues of humans.”
Nico had once left Lydia’s side because of the problems Edgar shouldered. Although Lydia had the resolution to accept Edgar’s choices in its entirety, that was not the case for Nico.
Even though Nico had returned for Lydia’s sake at the current moment, he was guarded towards Edgar because of his fairy nature. That’s why Nico had probably recalled the times he spent by her mother’s side as the peaceful and happy times he had spent with humans.
“Edgar is a splendid Blue Knight Earl. He will not betray the wishes of the Seelie Courts.”
It was Lydia’s wish to support him for that purpose. 
In doing so, perhaps someday, in this dollhouse, Nico would come to recall the days he spent with Lydia and Edgar. 
“Hey, everyone’s in the room there.”
Nico turned the direction of his body in a bid to pull the hand which Lydia held.
She could see a door at the end of the corridor.
Lydia stood up and proceeded towards the fava bean fairies while being pulled along as Nico held her hand.

“Paul, have you seen Lydia?”
Edgar, who had peeked into the small salon and found Paul, called out to him.
Edgar had treated Paul, who didn’t have a family, as part of his own family, and so invited Paul here to spend the Christmas season together.
It seemed that Paul also enjoyed spending the New Year on quiet lands away from London. Being on an island where Merrows lived seemed to have stimulated his creative desire as an artist of fairies and so he spent his time painting.
Even now, he lifted his face up from his sketchbook with an expression as though he had just woken up from his dreams.
“Huh? Ah, yes… what is it?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
With Paul like this, even if Lydia had passed by Paul would not have noticed. When Edgar was about to turn back, he heard a voice from the sofa beside him.
“Aren’t you going to ask me?”
A silver-haired man’s face peeked out from the back of the sofa. The Frenchman with an eyepatch over one eye, who was either old styled or eccentric, had sworn his loyalty to Edgar in accordance to the knights’ Code of Chivalry.
“Francis, you were still napping until just a moment ago weren’t you?”
“I was woken up from my sleep by your valet. Do tell him not to glare at me with such a fearsome expression won’t you? Isn’t it just fine for me to sleep a little longer?”
Even as he said that, he let out a large yawn. The coat which he was probably made to wear by Raven somehow still hung over his shoulders, but the front of his shirt remained exposed.
“You’ll probably take two hours for that half-asleep face of yours to straighten up. And I do not want you to expose a foolish face in front of the Archduke. As long as you claim to be my retainer, my calibre as your master will be called into question.”
“The Archduke?”
Suddenly, Paul let out a cracked voice.
“Erm, Earl, by Archduke you don’t happen to mean Lota’s…”
“Of course, I’m referring to Lota’s grandfather, the Archduke of Cremona.”
“I did hear that Lota would be coming today but…”
“Yeah, as expected, it seemed that she had decided to spend the Christmas season together with her grandfather privately but Lydia had invited her as Lydia thought that it’d be fine for at least the Twelfth Night to be lively.”
Perhaps Paul was abstracted, as he scratched his head while his eyes drifted about.
“Th-that’s right. I guess we can’t leave Lota and the Archduke behind on this long-awaited Twelfth Night.”
“Speaking of which, Paul, this is going to be the first time you meet the Archduke isn’t it. Isn’t it just nice? It’s a chance to get him to take a liking to you.”
When Edgar said that, perhaps because Paul acted anxiously in order to deny that, he dropped his sketchbook dramatically.
“How could I…!? Someone like me is out of the question! Even though the Archduke is in exile, he is still relatives with the royalty and titled nobility in many places in Europe. Even for Lota, if it were not for the revolution which happened in her country, she’d be a princess… She is not a lady whom a commoner can hope for.”
“Oh? You’re referring to that? I simply thought that it’d be a chance for you to market yourself as an artist.”
Paul dropped the sketchbook he just picked up once more.
Although it was bad taste, Edgar secretly found it amusing to see Paul flustered.
Yet, it was Francis who was worse.
“Paul, although you don’t appear to have any shortcomings in particular, your taste in women is hopeless isn’t it.”
Francis grinned, appearing not to have any ill intentions. Leaving aside Paul who was gaping, Francis changed the topic.

​“​So, Edgar, why are you looking for Lydia? Did you anger her again or something?”
“Please don’t speak such foolish things. It’s only because she isn’t in her drawing room.”
“You do appear rather desperate for just that.”
“Of course. To think that I can’t see her when I want to see her right now. After this and that, it’s been one hour since I’ve last seen Lydia’s face.”
“Yes, yes, please don’t spill such words meant for winning a woman’s heart onto us, when even your wife is bothered by such words.”
“As if I’ll do such a wasteful thing. All my words of courtship are meant for Lydia’s ears only.”
The fact that he was spending pointless time here was what was wasteful.
“Lydia may also be yearning to see me. I need to get to her quickly.”
Yes, that’s right. He thought that recently, Lydia had also begun to express her affection towards him without being embarrassed.
Even though it was just like her not to do so in a passionate manner, she had looked upon him naturally with affection in her eyes.
And so, Edgar was able to hold on to the belief that she, like him, felt happiness in their life.
Their feelings were overlapping with each other, always.
When Edgar yearned for Lydia, Lydia should also be feeling that way too.
Edgar, who left the salon behind him quickly, pressed on with hurried footsteps once more.
Even though he searched high and low, he wasn’t able to find Lydia. Edgar moved on to even the blocks which weren’t used very much.
As he climbed the stairs at the back, there was a door which was left ajar at the corner of the second floor.
If someone had left it open, it was probably Lydia. Edgar ran towards it expectantly.
“Lydia.”
He peeked inside the room while calling her, but there was no one.
There was an intricate dollhouse standing alone in the middle of the room. In this ancient castle of the Ashenberts, there were many small rooms which original usage was unknown; for such places, he had left them as it is without doing any remodelling. According to Tomkins’ advice, those rooms may be rooms for fairies.
But Edgar’s concern at the current moment was not the usage of this strange room.
“… She’s not here huh. I wonder where she went.”
“If it’s Lydia, she’s in there.”
In this room which was supposed to be empty, Edgar turned his head towards the voice. The one who revealed himself suddenly, was Kelpie. When Edgar saw this fairy, he would naturally frown.
“What did you say?”
“If you want to enter, you can just open the door to the entrance. A small handle is attached right?”
“Why don’t you enter? You came all the way here in order to meet Lydia right? Regardless of it being the Merrow’s territory, you still made a special trip here.”
“Because the magic possessed by that thing clashes with me.”
Edgar glared at Kelpie while being guarded against him. This guy who liked Lydia had no reason to advise Edgar for Edgar’s sake.
“It doesn’t make sense for you to tell me that specially.”
Kelpie too, sullenly furrowed his brows deeply.
“Hey Earl, you brought Lydia to the Merrow’s island in order to harass me right?”
“That’s exactly it.”
When Edgar told him that plainly, Kelpie raised his voice such that his black curly hair stood on its ends.
“Don’t be so proud of petty tricks!”
“Petty tricks are more than sufficient for someone of your level.”
If they were in London, even now, this guy would try to approach Lydia. That’s exactly why Edgar chose a location which was difficult for them to be interrupted at least during the Christmas season.
Certainly, this island was Edgar’s lands and it also had an elegant castle. It was a place which was suitable for them to welcome their first New Year together since they got married.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Leave quickly won’t you? This is my island.”
Perhaps he acknowledged that, for Kelpie breathed deeply through his shoulders, appearing to be trying to compose himself.
“Yeah I’ll do just that. Even for me I’d be satisfied with a petty harassment. That thing there, is a mansion which reflects the past. You probably don’t have the guts to enter that.”
“… It reflects the past?”
“Hey Earl, you’re a human who won’t achieve salvation no matter how much you struggle. Even with Lydia by your side, you won’t be saved. The truth is, you’ve probably realized that haven’t you?”
Leaving that parting remark, Kelpie vanished.
And that parting remark was more than enough to shake Edgar.
If he did not fight against the root of all evils inside him, nothing will come to an end. The peaceful days now were nothing but a transient phase.
If he died, everything would probably be resolved. Even so, Edgar tried to discover hope in living on together with Lydia.
He wanted to believe that he could be reborn by overcoming his past and fate.
Edgar stared hard at the dollhouse.
There was no way he would be able to stand up against his fate if he stayed like this, unable to even overcome his past.
He wanted to put an end to him being tormented by what had already passed.
Edgar touched the small door at the front of the doll house.
It was not the past which he will find inside it; it was his beloved wife, Edgar thought.

To be continued...

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[1] Hetaerae: a courtesan or mistress, especially one in ancient Greece akin to the modern geisha. (from Google)

[2] Hogmanay: the Scottish word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of New Year's Eve. (from Wikipedia)