Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 3 - Chapter 6

P. 207
Lydia left the earl house by herself and was running in a dash down along the street.
When she finally reached Hyde Park, she headed to the lake that was located in the center of the grounds.
It was the season when the sun went down slowly, so it wasn’t completely dark, with the sky still slightly lit, she was able to spot couples who were enjoying a walk in the park.
Trying to dodge people’s eyes seeing her, Lydia went over to a patch of bushes and yelled out over the lake. 
“Kelpie, I knew you’re there. There is something I want to ask of you.”
The water surface remained still.
Oh, no, what’ll I do….
“Kelpie, are you really not here? Did you go back to Scotland?”
It was her fault for yelling at him regarding Edgar.
“I came all this way for you, I’m not going back so easily.”
When she turned around, he stood up against a tree in his human form.

P. 208
“Weren’t you not going to speak to me again?”
It wasn’t the time for that; it was a selfish thing for her to say, but Lydia had nothing else she could do.
A kelpie in the water was the most dangerous thing. She had let him be by her side when he was on land with her as a water horse had hardly any strong magic on the lands, but Lydia had been taking particular caution in not getting anywhere near water when she was with Kelpie.
But right now, she took the opportunity of them being close.
She walked up close enough that he would hardly need to use any strength to pull her into the water if he were to change his mind and she looked up to his beautiful magic eyes.
“I want you to save Edgar. Please.”
“So which means, he hasn’t gone to hell yet.”
 “…………..”
“You know, for me, I think it would be great if he got out of the picture. Hadn’t you just lost your temper regarding that just earlier. And yet I can’t understand, why would you come and ask for something like that?”
“I’m the only one who knows a water horse.”
Probably because she watered her eyes like she was about to cry, Kelpie let out a heavy sigh and finally opened his mouth like he gave up.
“Are you saying a water horse could save him?”

P. 209
“A poison was used on him. Kelpie, you have the power to purify water. You know of a way to get rid of the poison that’s in his body, don’t you?”
“There isn’t anything good of telling that to a human. Because some time ago, there were humans who hunted down water horses in order to get their hands on the perfect antidote.”
Like she thought, there was something that could be done. Lydia stepped over to Kelpie even closer.
“Please tell me, I won’t tell a soul.”
“You’re a fairy doctor. That part of you I can trust. Only I won’t tell it for free.”
Of course, she knew that.
And she could predict what sort of condition this kelpie would bring up.
Lydia nodded silently.
“You said that you would cut your ties with me…. You haven’t forgiven me for instigating the painter, haven’t you. And yet, you’re saying that you’re able to do as I say?”
Even if he didn’t trade with her, he had the power to whisk her away, and yet he would go and think of her feelings like that, what a strange, kelpie.
“It feels unpleasant for you if I didn’t speak to you. So you wouldn’t do something that would frighten me or make me suffer, would you?”
“I have no such intention. I just want to see what it’s like to marry you.”

P. 210
To see what it’s like to marry; the sight of this kelpie who had a vague expectation that marriage was a good thing, appeared cute to her eyes.
She was originally someone who had spent more time with fairies than with humans. In the human realm, there weren’t that many things she could do as a fairy doctor, and if she was going to eventually end up withdrawing into the fairy world, then this means she was just going to do it faster than she had expected.
“Marriage…., was still a promise that we made when I said I’ll do it when you would ‘give me the moon.’ So for now, I will be able to live with you in the fairy realm…. Could that be enough?”
“That isn’t bad.”
However, Kelpie still looked down at her like he wasn’t satisfied yet.
“You won’t be able to see him who you want to save so much.”
He was a water horse and yet he’s such a sympathetic fairy.
“I want to reconcile with him. It’s fine as long as he’s saved and I can tell him that I’m not angry at him anymore. …..I don’t know what Edgar thinks, but for someone like me who only had fairies for friends, unusually, he was a person who I felt I could become friends with.”
Finally, Kelpie said ‘All right.’
Right in front of Lydia, he sank his teeth into his own finger, making red blood trickle out from the open wound.
Lydia gazed at it as she was amazed to learn that kelpie’s blood is red as well, but that was perhaps it was the only color she could associate with blood.

P. 211
With his other hand, he gentle held Lydia’s chin.
Lydia closed her mouth like she was waiting for a kiss.
What touched her lips was the tip of Kelpie’s finger. His smooth blood was cold as it ran down her throat, and tasted like the fresh water that soaked out from the rocks of the newly melted ice.
It was pure, untainted water that just woke from its slumber.
“Now, hurry up and go.”
Kelpie’s hand was moved away and Lydia looked up to him.
“What am I suppose to do with this blood?”
“Have him drink it.”
“…..Wh-what are you saying? That I have to give it to him mouth-to-mouth? I couldn’t never do such a thing…, ahh! goodness, you should have just made Edgar drink if from yourself directly.”
“I don’t want to stick my finger in that bastard’s mouth.”
So, it doesn’t matter what happens to me?
Even if the woman who you’re taking as your bride is going to kiss another man…..?
Regarding that aspect, kelpies must have a different sense of perception than humans. 
“Well, then, I guess anywhere is fine? But make sure and lick nearest the flow of blood on him. A kelpie’s blood loses its power if it comes in contact with air. There’s no other way but to make you the carrier and transfer it to him.”

P. 212
She didn’t know what to do when she was told anywhere was fine, but this wasn’t the moment to be mulling that over any longer.
Lydia nodded and dashed out of the park.


In the silent earl house entrance hall, Nico stood standing, waiting for her.
It seemed he knew where Lydia went off to, as he stood twitching his whiskers in an irritating and furious manner.
“You smell of kelpie,” he grumbled as he stood in front of Lydia.
“Don’t do it, Lydia. It’s stupid to trade with a kelpie.”
“That kelpie is safe. He said he wouldn’t do anything to harm me.”
“That isn’t the problem. First of all, even if that human Edgar died, that wouldn’t cause us any trouble. We’ll go home to Scotland and just live the life that we had been living.”
“If there’s a way to save him and I didn’t do it, then I’ll live a life of regret.”
“He’s the filthiest of humans out of the dump. The reason he puts on a good face in front of you is because he thinks you have value that he could use. Are you going to give up your dream of being a fairy doctor for the sake of a man like that? You’re too soft-hearted.”

P. 213
“He may have a filthy dump like part of him, but I also know the part of him that isn’t like that. That’s why…. Nico, do you think I would be able to become a useful fairy doctor for people if I didn’t do anything now?”
Lydia lowered her body down to kneel in front of Nico and held out her hand.
He was a noble gentleman so he didn’t allow Lydia to pick him up or stroke him that easily. 
He was a friend that stood side-to-side to her from her childhood.
“Nico, thank you, for all this time. For being by my side.”
She took Nico’s hand as he remained grumpy and silent. His hand was soft and fluffy, like that of a cat’s paw, she squeezed that hand that was able to pick up a teacup much more gracefully than a human and amazingly crafty enough to use a knife and fork and let it go. 
“What are you going to do about the professor?”
“I’ll write a letter to him later. Nico, after I’m gone, if you could, please try to share some drinks with him for a while.”
Nico still put on a grumpy face and didn’t reply to her.
Lydia stood up and quickly headed to Edgar’s room.
Marygold and Sweetpea sat atop of a vase that sat on the decorative stand in the hallway and looked over to her with nervous, frightened eyes. 
Lydia didn’t spare any time to talk to them and whisked by the front of them.

P. 214
She told Raven, who opened the door to his room for her, to let her have some time with him alone one more time as she dashed in the room. 
He only nodded to her and let her have her way.
Lydia immediately went over and knelt by the bed side. She breathed in and out, to try to calm herself down. 
Ohhh, now what do I do.
She was told anywhere was fine, but to touch a man with her lips by herself was not what Lydia ever imagined she would do in her life.
That alone made her nervous. At least the good thing was he was unconscious.
Somewhere close to the flow of blood?
The heart? That was impossible. She would have to undress him.
It was embarrassing that she had even thought about it, which made Lydiawant to run out of the room. She could hear the beat of her heart as she remembered the reassuring thought that blood runs all over a person’s body.
I know! his hand…
Lydia, nervously, took his hand into hers.
And pressed her lips against his wrist, where she felt the beating of his heart.

Lydia spent some time waiting as she was unsure if Kelpie’s blood had any affect on Edgar’s body.

P. 215

P. 216
Just when she was starting to get worried if the amountof blood wasn’t enough or if she shouldn’t have stopped herself and made him drink it mouth-to-mouth, his body twitched.
Slowly, his eyes opened. His ash mauve eyes looked around the air around him and finally settled at Lydia.
“Edgar…..”
She was so relieved that she forgot that she was holding onto this hand tightly.
“Lydia, why are you here……”
He must have had no idea what was going on and not able to grasp the situation as he twisted his brows together like he was trying to come up with an answer.
“It’s all right now. You’re better.”
“I was having a dream about you.”
Lydia grew panicked at the thought that he might have been watching her even though he was supposed to be asleep. 
“I had grown old and in my death bed. There were people gathered around me and I was searching for you. But I couldn’t find you and I was shocked. Why? At that time, I was thinking that there was no way you wouldn’t be there and I was convinced that I had spent so many decades with you.”
As Lydia listened to his story, she finally realized that she was holding his hand.
It would be awkward if she suddenly let it go. And besides, he was sure not aware about how his hand was and not paying any attention to it. She decided to softly let it go while he didn’t notice and slowly relaxed her grip.

P. 217
However, Lydia’s hand was suddenly gripped tightly back by Edgar.
Opposite of the slow, weak words that were spilling out of him, his grip was so strong it didn’t let her go.
“And, then, I desperately tried to remember when and where I had lost you. …..Then I finally remembered. I forced my advances onto you and made you come to hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. You just always play those jokes on me, so I was just pretending like I was angry at you. ….I just wanted to say that I’m not angry at you anymore.”
After she gave up trying to pull away her hand, he must have felt relieved and relaxed his grip. Oh, well, thought Lydia, and let her hand remain there.
“I wonder if that was what you said to me in my dream. Just when I was discouraged that I couldn’t see you again, you appeared in front of me. Just in the form like you are now. And you had said something to me but I couldn’t hear……”
In his softly clenched hand, warmth was starting to come back. Gradually, Kelpie’s blood looked like it was purifying the poison in his body.
“And yet, I was just simply relieved. Just having you by my side, put’s me in a peaceful, happy feeling. At that time too, when I was about to meet my death as a lowlife, filthy human being, you held my hand and kissed it like you were forgiving me.”
She was glad she chose the wrist.

P. 218
“…..It's just a dream.”
Edgar narrowed his eyes and smiled. It was the first time Lydia ever saw such an innocently pure smile, not with anything hiding behind it or covering up what he was really thinking, and it naturally overlapped with the happy little boy from his peaceful past that Paul had talked about.
“Lydia, I wouldn’t be troubled.”
“Eh?”
“Even if you become serious about me and if you become completely absorbed about m and followed me like a shadow, I wouldn’t be troubled. …You said you didn’t want to mistake the distance between us, but even if you become totally mistaken and came so near that I could reach you, so close that you’re practically falling into my arms, …..I wouldn’t be troubled at all.”
For an oddball girl like Lydia to fall in love with someone, anybody would be troubled. That’s what she thought all her life.
Edgar was just enjoying the game of running after Lydia who all the more so refused him, that’s why she thought he would be troubled if she were to turn serious about him. 
And yet, he says he wouldn’t be troubled.
“So, would you try and fall in love with me.”
Lydia felt like the deep core of her heart was softly stroked and that surprised and confused her.
But, she held down her trembling emotions somehow.
Goodness, as soon as he starts feeling well, he’s back to himself.

P. 219
It was like it was his born instinct to flirt with women. It would be stupid to seriously take in what he said every time.
But perhaps the reason why she repeated that to herself was if her feelings did turn serious, then she would know that it would be useless.
 “….I’ll think about it.”
“The first thing you say isn’t ‘no’. Unusual; a positive response.”
“You were just recovered from a dangerous state.”
“Are you going easy on me because I’m recovering?”
“Get some sleep. …..See you tomorrow.”
He nodded back to her earnestly, and closed his eyes like he was relieved.
Her heart tinged with pain just a little at the thought that maybe she was deceiving Edgar.
However, Lydia didn’t think that she was that important to Edgar. If it was him, then after Lydia was gone, he would be able to turn his feelings and get back on track.
He was a person who could cut through more dangerous situations.
Good night. After she whispered that to him, Lydia stood up.

*
 

P. 220
Feeling the morning sunshine, Edgar woke up, feeling like it was just like any other morning.
Unless he didn’t realize the wound on his waist, he was sure to be vague about yesterday’s occurrence, if it was real or not.
Putting on his gown, he left his bed chamber and entered his dressing room to sit down on the sofa and saw that his shoes that were shining after they were brushed and placed where they always were.
Because he was going through such an ordinary morning scene, he was beginning to wonder if he was really alive or not. 
How did I get through that alive.
He expected that the one he was going to face was Paul alone. If it was him, he thought that Paul was someone who he could come to an understanding that they were not to fight each other after he had a talk with him, and he took that bet.
Paul changed his stance and opened up to him and talk. Even if it meant that he was revealing that there was poison in the tea, the moment he hit the cup out of Edgar’s hand, he must have chosen to believe Edgar in front of him than what he was told by the members of the organization.
For Edgar, he was targeted at the moment when he put his guard down after the long moment of tension.
It looked like Paul didn’t know that the housekeeper was a member of the ‘Scarlett Moon’ organization himself.
Right after he was stabbed, pins-and-needles felt like they ran over his skin. He realized that he was poisoned and tried to pull out the knife, but his body didn’t respond to his will.
He had watched so many other people’s deaths and through his intuition, he figured out that what just happened to him was going to lead to his death.

P. 221
And yet, right now, it was like all the poison was drained out of his body.
“My lord, are you all right to be walking about now?”
His butler appeared.
“Ahh, good morning, Tomkins.”
“Will you prefer the doctor examine you just to be safe?”
“No, I feel wonderful. There is nothing wrong. Could you pour me some hot tea.”
“Right away.”
His calm demeanor was like he knew that Edgar was going to recover.
“Tomkins, what is the name of the doctor who saved me? It isn’t that bald-headed doctor, was it?”
“It was the fairy doctor.”
He was right, it wasn’t a dream. 
He gently touched his wrist and recalled what happened with Lydia. She was his fairy used to mystical powers and brings him good luck.
It was definite, she was irreplaceable.
“Good morning, Lord Edgar.”
Not seconds after the butler exited, Raven came in with the tea.

P. 222
Like nothing happened, he greeted him with the usual morning greeting, which was a little disappointing response and made Edgar smile sourly.
“Raven, I think I may have put you through quite some worry.”
No, he softly whispered and silently placed a cup on the table.
“I kept quiet to you because me myself was still undecided.”
“I know, my lord. If I was at that scene, I would have killed Mister Foreman. Even if he, who had you carried here, had no malicious intent, I would have killed him along with the woman who aimed her knife at you.”
Edgar still had his conscious up till Paul had pulled him up and put him onto the horse-drawn carriage. But he didn’t know what happened after that. He hadn’t said a word about what happened at Paul’s boarding house room to Raven.
“Woman you say, how would you know?”
Raven unraveled something wrapped in cloth and set it onto the table. What was wrapped inside was the knife that tormented Edgar. Blood, and it was stained with the toxic chemical that had changed color. 
It was a thin, folding knife, the kind that maids carry around with them as they worked.
“Mister Foreman had sneaked this into your clothing as well. He must have thought we could use it to determine which toxins were used.”
“Did you determine it?”

P. 223
“No, I knew it was useless at first glance.”
For a second, Raven made a painful face, which could make one imagine how much despair he must have gone through at that time.
Just because he didn’t say any outspoken remarks, there was a part of Edgar who was being too dependent and taking advantage on his loyalty.
When he grabbed his arm, he looked back at him with slight surprise.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to take care of my business with Paul by myself. But that, was just like what you were worried about, it lead to me delaying my decision.”
Raven, in an unusually flustered gesture, knelt down in a somewhat fumbling manner.
“Lord Edgar, please do not apologize to me who is your lower. I am always prepared to accept whatever decision you chose. You don’t always think of your own safety as your first priority, but because of that, you are not Prince, but my master.”
The master that the blood-thirsty spirit in Raven obeys to.
Prince got his hands on Raven in order to become that, but the sprit didn’t accept him as its master, and only released its massacring, bloody nature, and Raven’s heart had locked up his emotions and he appeared like a lifeless doll and didn’t laugh or cry.
In his home country, children of the spirit who were the fighters of kings, in other words, children like Raven must have periodically been born.
Their ingenious religious belief and traditional culture which bounded the blood that possessed the strength to fight in wars.

P. 224
It was unsure if the existence of those spirits gave birth to those legends or if legends created those spirits. However, in that perhaps, there must be something that surpasses that of human knowledge. 
Edgar was beginning to feel that the fairies that Lydia could see, must also been something of that.
And it is at those times, where he comes to have a thought.
What was the goal of that secretive, devilish organization of Prince that was doing experiments with magic?
It didn’t seem realistic at all, but it seemed like Prince seriously was lusting after some sort of magical power that was able to change the impossible to possible. 
Which means, the ‘Scarlett Moon’ that is fighting against Prince goes by the name of the guardian fairy from the legend of Lord Blue Knight might be because they are after some sort of magical power to use to fight with.
Are they wishing for the real Blue Knight Earl?
If that were so, what method should he use?
“Raven, will you lend me your strength again?”
“Yes, your wish is my command.”
Just when Edgar was trying to think of something, the butler entered the room once again.
He said that Professor Carlton was asking to see him.
In a normal aspect, if he were to think about it, it was a visit without any promise and he came at such a senseless time of the day, but Edgar didn’t mind at all since surprisingly he felt he had a particularly close relationship to Lydia’s father.

P. 225
He asked Raven to make his preparations and put his lips to the thick milk tea. 
At that time still, he didn’t think hard and clear about the reason why Carltonwould pay him a visit so early in the morning.


“Quit? Lydia is quitting?”
“Yes. I’m very sorry for saying of such a sudden request, but Lydia will not be coming here any longer. I’ve come to ask if you would dismiss her from her position.”
Carlton spoke in a businesslike manner, but he appeared obviously in low spirits.
“For what reason? This is all just too sudden.”
“……I too, am not aware of the reason…. The only thing which is clear is that Lydia has chosen the other side.”
The other side? Edgar tilted his head in confusion to which Carlton curled his lips sadly.
“My lord, the other day, I had talked with you about how I would accept the day when Lydiawould make her natural decision. It seems that that time was unexpectedly yesterday.”
“I don’t understand.”
He offered the man a seat but Carlton didn’t bother to sit down, so Edgar drew near to him. 
“Lydia, and her mother as well, had a difficult time adjusting to the human world, that’s why they were not that attached to their life here. The world of fairies and the world of humans, for those who can go back and forth through both of them, in a way, are able to do that because they have no root to bind them here. But if they do not have an attachment to the human realm or have some sort of desire, then it is difficult to live a life here. You may already know, but there are winners and losers on this side. For a carefree girl like Lydia who doesn’t know to suspect others, the life on the other side, I don’t know how kind the unchanging, boring life may be for her…..”

P. 226
“You are saying she chose to live in the world of the fairies? Because she grew displeased and tired of this side?”
Edgar who was on the verge of death. He wondered if she was hurt when she found out about the plot that Paul was carrying who she was growing friendly with. 
Did she give up hope on the human world that was filled with fights and wars?
“But, Professor Carlton, weren’t you able to tie your wife over onto this side? Then you should have been able to keep Lydia bound to the human world.”
“The one who can do that is not me. And my lord, neither was it you. It was not humans, but fairies, that spurred Lydia’s decision.”
The fairy who wanted Lydia, could it be the work of that black horse?
“Getting her back…., can we not even see her and talk to her?”
“There is nothing we can do. Just, only accept,” said Carlton flatly and quickly left.

P. 227
He, himself, was probably unable to accept it, and from his unnerved feelings, he must have feared he might spill out his emotions in front of other people and decided to leave before that happened.
Edgar crumbled down into a chair and sank his fingers into his golden blond hair.
So it was difficult for even the love of family to bind Lydia to the human world. Just like it was with her mother, unless she found someone in the human world that she shared a bond stronger that of blood, then nothing could hold her back.
The words ‘it wasn’t you’ that Carlton said to him, pierced Edgar’s heart. 
But, he couldn’t let it go. If Lydia had despaired over the human world, then why would she go and rescue Edgar.
And she even went through the trouble of reconciling their relationship that was being put in the background. She said to him that she wanted to tell him that she wasn’t angry with him anymore.
As he silently thought, he whipped his eyes up to follow something. Because he thought he saw Nico’s long, gray tail pass by the windowsill.
“Nico!”
He dashed over to open the window. The cat who was apparently jumping from one balcony railing to another turned around to face him.
“Tell me, Nico. You know of the real reason that Lydia has gone, don’t you?”

P. 228
“I don’t have any business here anymore, but I wanted to have a last drink of Mister Tomkins tea.”
“I’ll have him pour some immediately. Come over here. There’s chocolate.”
“Is it the round chocolate?”
“Yes, the ones with liquor in them.”
With each glum step, he came into the room.
On his two back legs, he walked over to the chair near the table and sat down on it.
No longer did Edgar disbelieve that Nico was an existence from the other side.


With the help of hot milk tea and chocolate, he managed to pull out the story from Nico. It surprised Edgar and filled him with unbearable, crushing pain. 
“So Lydia agreed to the marriage with Kelpie in order to save me?”
“I think it wasn’t like she was saving you, more like it was her responsibility as a fairy doctor and Lydia’s personality that made her do it.”
“I can’t believe she went into the hands of that barbaric fairy as she thought of me.”
“Didn't I say it’s not like that.”
“But normally, someone wouldn’t go so far for a man they didn’t have any feelings for?”
“Lydia isn’t the normal kind. And surprisingly, I guess she had a liking towards that kelpie. It may have not been like she went out of her will?”

P. 229
You have to br joking, thought Edgar.
Just like Nico said, Lydia may be more soft-hearted than the average person. The reason she went and traded with Kelpie in order to save Edgar could just be because it was her personality.
If she thought that she could live more peacefully by Kelpie’s side more than being by Edgar, then it could have just been a deed of helping someone while she was at it for her.
But, you have to be joking.
In the end, Edgar wasn’t nearly killed by Paul. Even if Kelpie encouraged Paul and urged a human to poison another, there was nothing in that where Lydiahad to feel responsible for. 
And he wondered if he could bear having Lydia taken away from him by a horse.
“Nico, even you don’t want to have Lydia go away, don’t you? And that water horse isn’t a gentleman like us.”
Called a gentleman, Nico combed his whiskers like he wasn’t denying what he said.
Edgar was thinking of dragging Nico onto his side. For one thing, Kelpie is a fairy. He would need the help of a fairy on his side as well.
“Please tell me, isn’t there a way to bring back Lydia?”
“Hey, earl, Lydiamade the decision on her own and went. What right do you or I have in saying you want to bring her back?”

P. 230
“I think she was reluctantly made to do it. If it was Lydia’s soft-hearted character that made her decide, then I’m going to go through with my character.”
“Your flirtatious character?”
“That’s right. I can’t bear to give up when I haven’t won her over.”
How would I know, mentioned Nico by shrugging his shoulders. Edgar didn’t lost by drawing himself near.
“Aren’t you able to go back and forth between the fairy realm and this side? If you don’t want to do anything, that’s fine, just show me the way.”
“I can’t take any other human besides Lydia through to the fairy world. Fairies have their boundaries and rules we have to abide to.”
“How about for a top hat and boots?”
Mnn, thought Nico as he crossed his arms. However, like he was batting away the temptation, he shook his head.
“I can’t do what I can’t do. If it was some other way, then well maybe, I can lend a hand if it didn’t involve forcing anything on Lydia.”
Edgar tried to think of something.
“And besides, even if you were able to find Lydia in the fairy world, are you saying that there is a way to break the promise that she made with Kelpie.”

P. 231
That was another problem. However, if he found Lydia, wouldn’t something work out? He was thinking about it too positively. This kind of thing depended on vigor. If one thought about it too much, then that would make it seem like there was no path.
Just then, he thought of something and stood up.
“Those two, Marygold and Sweetpea, are they still here?”
Nico turned his head towards the window. 
“Hey, the earl is calling for you.”
He turned and watched the window, thinking they would appear from there, but suddenly, there was a voice that spoke up from his feet.
“What business do you have with us?”
In the form of a young girl, the two field fairies were kneeling down before him.
“I’d like for you to take me to your Queen.”
“What, hey you, what are you saying, are you planning on accepting the marriage with a fairy?”
Before anything else, there was nothing he could do unless he entered the fairy world. In order to do that, he was using the preposterous idea of pretending to accept the marriage with the queen just for that, which made Nico jump up onto his shoulder with an irritated look.
And then he whispered into Edgar’s ear.
“However good a con-artist you may be, the method you would use with humans doesn’t work on fairies. Instead of bringing back Lydia, you’ll end up captured by the fairy queen.”
“Excuse me, Mister Nico, please do not interfere with our business. My lord has finally just brought himself to marry Our Highness.”

P. 232
Marygold grabbed Nico’s tail and tried to pull him down.
“Hey, this human has no intention of…..”
Edgar grabbed Nico who tried to reveal the truth and covered his mouth.
“So, ladies, will you be able to depart immediately?”
“Ahh, but my lord, we will need the moon ring. The previous Blue Knight Earl had said that the promise of engagement can only be fulfilled when we exchange the ‘moon.’ That is why we will need for you to wear the ‘moon’that Her Highness has given to you as proof of your promise.
Still carrying Nico, Edgar thought hard.
Exchange the moon with the promise. That would mean, that images the marriage between the Blue Knight Earl and his Lady, Gwendolen? The marriage of the lord of the earl house might have had some sort of tradition as proof of the promise with the moonstone.
At any rate, Paul had the problematic ring.
He must be under the watch of the ‘Scarlett Moon.'
What perfect timing. Then I’ll make the first move, thought Edgar as he lifted up the edge of his lips. 
“All right. Let’s get back that ring. Ladies, Nico, I assume you’ll lend me a hand.”
“Of course, my lord.”

P. 233
“More like, what are you plotting to do!”
Getting back Lydia, he whispered into Nico’s ear, and called for Raven.
“Prepare to leave. Oh, and bring me my sword.”

*

The club house that finally was able to spit out its last customer who kept up residence all through the night had its doors tightly closed until the hustle and bustle of the night arrived.
Along with Raven, Edgar stood in front of its doors.
“Lord Edgar, is this the headquarters of the ‘Scarlett Moon’?”
“Highly likely. But I don’t think I’m mistaken.”
It was the club that held that exhibition where Edgar and Paul first met.
The club owner, was a man named Slade who sold paintings. This place’s main members are the wealthy who are interested in paintings and the painters who want to sell their talent to them.
Because Paul’s father O’neill, and his other father Foreman, were both painters who accepts job offers from nobles, there was a high possibility that they were members of here. To begin with, it was the work of the owner of this place who introduced Paul to Edgar and made it work out so that the young painter would win his interest.

P. 234
Even from that connection, he had thought that the ‘Scarlett Moon’ would be lurking behind the scenes of this club. 
“Now, time for checkmate.”
Holding his long sword, hidden in his cane, Edgar knocked the door of the clubhouse.
After a moment, the one to pop out his head was a man who looked to be a servant. 
“We haven’t opened yet, so please come back around dusk, Sir.”
“I have business with Mister Slade.”
“Uh, yes, what kind of business?”
“I was nearly killed by his woman. Tell him that I won’t mind talking to him before I make it public.”
The servant stared at Edgar with a puzzled look. He must have thought it was some sort of secret passage word.
“Pardon me, but you are?”
“Earl Ashenbert.”
As soon as he said the name, the man widened his eyes. He didn’t hide his trembling, and escaped back behind the door.
It’s like he witnessed a ghost, thought Edgar who felt offended and took the liberty of entering.
He went up the stairs that connected from the entrance hall. Raven was right behind him.
Just when he reached the top, he looked down the hallway that had an expensive carpet laid out over it and saw a man who came running  down in his direction.

P. 235
It was Slade. A portly man with a black beard. So, he was the one, Edgar remembered him as Edgar looked to check the scarlett red moonstone he wore on his right hand.
“My lord, this is a members-only club, so we cannot have you entering the premises. Could I have you wait in the waiting room?”
So he means it would be troublesome to have me walking about.
“Then I will become a member. I should meet the requirements.”
“Yes, but, ah….”
He looked quizzically up at Edgar’s face which hid under the shadow of the brim of his hat as if to check if he was the real one.
“Are you saying a dead man doesn’t qualify?”
He took off his hat and grinned at him. The man wobbled back a few steps in shock, however tried to stand his ground and stopped.
“Yo-you do not look dead to my eyes.”
“That’s right, your organization failed.”
“…..What are you talking about?”
“Where is Paul?”

P. 236
“Please visit his residence.”
“He wasn’t at the boarding house. The owner said another problem was that the housekeeper had also suddenly disappeared.”
“That is out of my knowledge…”
“Raven, Mister Slade appears to have bad blood flow from just staying up all night. You should help him wake up.”
Raven walked up to Slade and grabbed the scruff of his shirt and pointed a knife to forehead.
He saw in one glance that the knife was the one with poison on it that the housekeeper used and cold sweat seeped out of his forehead.
Edgar cruelly peered down at him as he was unable to move.
 “Are you awake now?”
“……………..”
“I can’t hear your reply. I think it wasn’t enough.”
“No, I-I’m awake.”
“Good.”
The club’s servants gathered around them from a far distance. From the look of their confused noise, it seemed like they weren’t members of the ‘Scarlett Moon.’
There weren’t that many members of the Robin Hood gang that they could identity. 
The man urged the servants to return to their work posts.

P. 237
“M-my lord, if we could please talk in the back,” spoke Slade in a rather high voice, signifying that he didn’t want Edgar to say anything unnecessary at this spot.
He lowered his voice and whispered into the man’s ear.
“I’m not interested in talking with you. I would prefer to annihilate every last one of you Scarlett Moon members, but as long as you have Paul, then there’s room for you to negotiate. I don’t imagine you have any intention of having him take the crime for killing an earl and throwing him into the Thames River.”
“…….We don’t just simply kill off our men just because they screwed up a job.”
As he finally admitted to it, he replied back sarcastically by comparing with Prince’s organization.
Only Edgar couldn’t have cared less. If he says that they’re different from Prince, then that was all the better. 
Slade slowly stepped away from Raven’s side who released his grip.
He guided Edgar and his servant to the back as they went on down winding hallways. The location must be a place where normal servants couldn’t enter. Before they knew it, there was no body else around them.
Just then, in the corner of his vision, he thought he saw someone’s figure move. Before Edgar could turn around, Raven pushed his shoulder. 
In the next moment, the sound of gunfire overlapped with the sound of shattering sound of the nearby lamp shoot. 

P. 238
Slade took off.
“Catch them!”
At his shout, men of the ‘Scarlett Moon’ who were hiding jumped out from behind the doors one by one.
“Raven, this way!”
The both of them bolted to a run.
Paul should captured so that he wouldn’t be witnessed and so hidden somewhere deep in this building.
Which means, that place should be around here, and so he checked the rooms here and there as they ran about.
But every room looked like it was unused.
Eventually, they came to the end of the hall where there was a large double door and they opened and went inside and locked the doors. Raven grabbed the decorative spear that was hanging on the wall to prop it up against the door so it looked like that would buy them some time.
The room turned out to be some gathering hall for the secret organization as it was a large, open hall.
From the high ceiling, there was a gothic chandelier hanging over above them. Right below it, there was a mosaic of a scarlett crescent moon painted on the floor. 
Taking a closer look, the mosaic turned out to be made of red moonstones, and each one of the stones had blood-red colored alphabets inscribed onto them.
He wondered if they used this place for ceremonies for new entries in order to strength the fellowship between the members.
Most likely, they were moonstones that had the first alphabet of the member’s names inscribed on the moonstones and like it was looking down at them, there was a more than evident throne that sat atop of an altar facing them.

P. 239
There was a painting that hung on the wall behind the throne. Walking up to it, Edgar looked up to take a close look.
“The Blue Knight Earl…..?”
It was a portrait of a man with chestnut-colored hair and blue eyes like the sky and in his hand was the sword with the star sapphire in it.
Guessing from his clothes, he must be Julius Ashenbert who was said to have appeared in the palace of Elizabeth I. 
There was no portrait painting in the Ashenbert house as far as Edgar knew. Even Tomkins, who had been keeping storage of all the possessions of the earl family had said there was no painting-like artifact left.
They came to the conclusion that since the family had such a strong bond between fairies, they wanted to avoid the danger of having a portrait that had their features stored on it to be used for cursing purposes.
Edgar wasn’t an expert in that area, but in some areas of magic, he was told that there are spells that can harm the person if a curse was placed on their portrait.
Then, why did this earl have his portrait created. And why was it in a place like this.
In any case, this ‘Scarlett Moon’ worshiped the Blue Knight Earl and chose to go with the guardian fairy Flendolen’s name, which was just as he expected.

P. 240
Something slammed heavily against the door. The lock was bound to be broken through and the prop up spear was going to give out pretty soon.
“Lord Edgar, shall we go out through the ceiling window?”
“No, let’s finish this here.”
Just when he said that, the door was banged open. 
Men came pouring into the chamber. From behind them, he could see Slade.
Beside Edgar, Raven made ready by pointing his pistol. 
Slade realized that the pistol was aiming at his forehead without any hesitation and he stopped in his tracks.
Raven purposefully missed his mark and shot right by Slade’s ear.
Slade let out a scream and all the men froze like time stopped.
“Yes, it’s best you don’t move. Because the first to move will be the first to die.”
As he said that, Edgar took the opportunity to have a good look at each one of them. 
“Now, gentlemen, you all are members of the ‘Scarlett Moon’? If you say you all pledged a blood oath to the Blue Knight Earl, then that makes you all my slaves.”
Purposefully, he took a glance at the portrait on the wall.
“…….You mere imposter.”

P. 241
He heard Slade’s whisper and walked over to him.
“But you all are imposters as well. A mere imitation of Flendolen.”
Grabbing his arm, Edgar took off his ring roughly.
“This is a red moonstone, but a run-of-the-mill piece of work. It has a dull shine and I couldn’t believe it once belonged to a fairy.”
He carelessly threw it away.
“However, don’t you all call yourselves by the guardian fairy of Lord Blue Knight and made a pledge of loyalty to the earl in this portrait? Well, yes, secret organizations like to make legendary figures like Paracelsus or Rosenkreutz as their founder. They differentiate and specialize their ceremonies and give a mysterious impression to society and make its members think that the bond they have as something noble and dignified but really is just a game, isn’t that right?”
“We did not start this thinking it as a game? This is to protect ourselves and to fight.”
“Then do you seriously intend to become the right-hand-man of the Blue Knight Earl? Of course, I would like to make sure if all of you are any good use.”
Somewhere in the corner, someone moved.
Raven fired. His bullet knocked the man’s gun out of his hand.
But that disrupted the tension that was straining everyone’s nerves and another different man tried to attack and grab ahold of Edgar.
But he swiftly evaded his attack and quickly stepped back to make some distance between them and took the bold step of jumping up onto the altar.

P. 242
He drawed out the sword from its sheahe that he had been holding in his hand. 
He held the silver-shining sword, which was exactly like the one that was painted in the portrait behind the altar straight up against it.
“I am the Blue Knight Earl. The master of this sword. If you don’t like it, then come and get me. That is, if you have the courage to face your weapon to this sword.”
As expected, everyone recoiled.
It was nothing for him to pretend like he was courageous and dignified even if he was surrounded by enemies. Since Edgar was well aware of his blessed beauty and how he appeared to other people’s eyes, he  willingly used it. 
“Hey, all of you, what are you doing! Get that sword away from the imposter!”
Slade broke the silence.
Such a persistent man. Just when he was thinking if he should just make him permanently quiet, a familiar young man came running into the room.
“Everybody wait!”
Paul, who came running in up to the altar that Edgar was standing on, turned around to face his comrades.
“You all need to stop. This man isn’t the henchman of Prince. He’s the same as us, a victim.”
“Paul, even if your story is true, there’s no mistake that that man and that Asian was in the hands of Prince. There is a chance they could be brain-washed, and it would be different if they were positioned somewhere lower in the organization, it is unthinkable that someone who was stationed so close to that man would be able to move about freely. Those who escaped are tracked down and killed.”

P. 243

P. 244
It was exactly as he said. The reason Edgar wasn’t killed, was because he was someone who needed to be captured alive for Prince.
He didn’t know the reason why he wasn’t killed. Prince killed off Edgar’s comrades in order to corner him and had used all kinds of methods so far, but using his one weakness of not killing him, Edgar managed to escape this far.
“But, would Prince allow one of his men to win the name of Blue Knight Earl? Even if we accept it or not, this man is officially acknowledged by Her Majesty the Queen. Wouldn’t someone like that just only be a hindrance to Prince?”
Slade titled his head in silence as he must have been trying to think up of an objection. 
“That part I would like to know as well. Is there some kind of history behind Prince and the Blue Knight Earl?”
Paul turned his head around slightly with a hesitant look, as if he was undecided if he could tell Edgar or not.
Slade only glared in his direction and remained quiet.
“Let’s tell him.”
The one who said that was another voice.
From the doorway, an old man came in. From how the members opened up a path for him, he must be one of the leading members.

P. 245
He held his back straight up but he apparently was blind as he came walking up with a cane in his hand.
“Foreman…” said Slade in a worried tone. 
Which means, this was the man who took in Paul as his son. It seems he wasn’t in Dover.
“Slade, could you leave this to me.”
It seems like the two of them were a much more friendly relationship than just a mere art dealer and painter.
“I’m terribly sorry for all the rudeness, my lord. No, should I call you your grace?”
“That name is no longer mine.”
“Then my lord, to tell you the truth we also don’t really know what the history is between Prince and the Blue Knight Earl. We only know that he uses all his power to completely obliterate the bloodline like he is afraid of the existence of the Blue Knight Earl.”
“The bloodline? But there hasn’t been one heir of the Ashenbert family who has appeared for the last three hundred years.”
“Yes, that is so, however, even if he didn’t have the right to succeed the earl title, there was one who descended from the earl.”
And then he looked up to the portrait.
“We believe that this is the only one that portrays the figures of the Blue Knight Earl family. The one who painted this was his lover and a woman who gave birth to his child…”

P. 246
“I see, for the sake of his lover and child, he permitted her to paint his portrait. What a romantic story. So, the blood of the earl family was succeeded 
into that female painter’s family.”
“Yes. That was the family of our teacher that I and this Slade here went into as apprentices.”
So the art dealer originally had aimed to become a painter. Because he wasn’t able to sell his name, he must have gotten ahold of some kind of fortune and came up to his position.
“So, was the teacher of you two killed by Prince?”
With a painful face, he lowered his head as if he was mourning for the dead.
“Most of us are ones who were close with the clan of our killed teacher. Not only as painting acquaintances, but as artists from the old ages who had experience in decorative artworks like hanged paintings and sculptures. Long ago, our people had jobs that involved knowing the secrets about the lord of the family and his castle, and we became an organization from the necessity to protect ourselves and the clan of our teacher and their network was situated as our central force.”
“So that was the formation of the ‘Scarlett Moon’?”
“We were the ones who decided that we should go under the name of ‘Scarlett Moon.’ The clan of our teacher came to succeed the name of Flendolen as their middle name which was given to the child of the Blue Knight Earl and so we decided it as that. All of them were killed off, and the artist in the organizations were all separated, and these are all the ones who were could gather.”

P. 247
“So in the end, you don’t know why they were targeted?” asked Edgar.
“We were unable to find out. Our teacher might have known, but our teacher was killed before the reason was revealed. We, who were left strengthened our bond of our hatred towards Prince and had been solely waiting for the return of the Blue Knight Earl to England. If Prince hates his family blood, then we thought that only by his appearance are we able to equally oppose him….”
“And yet it was an imposter, so you were disappointed?”
Foreman distorted his mouth in an ironical manner.
“Several years ago, when O’neill was killed, we grew suspicious of the duke family he was residing at and started to investigate about them. But we were only able to find out that there was just a fire, and never thought to think that the family’s young son was alive in the hands of Prince. My lord, if he, who had painted your family, was killed and your family was obliterated by Prince, then I would like to find out the reason. O’neill might have known something about the duke family.”
Why Edgar’s family was targeted. That was something that he himself had been trying to think of why. 
However, there still was no exact answer. Only, more than that the duke family was targeted, Edgar had the feeling like they were after Edgar himself. 
“I don’t know myself. But, I don’t think that the Blue Knight Earl’s blood is related to that. My family tree was hammered into my brain ever since I was 
young, but there was no connection with the earl family who may or may not appear once in a hundred years.”

P. 248
Foreman breathed in and let out a deep sigh.
There were so many things that were still a mystery.
To Prince’s organization which was obsessed in experimenting with magical elements, they may have seen the mysterious powers of the Blue Knight Earl as a menace. 
There was that possibility. However Edgar didn’t have the mysterious power that was succeeded in the Ashenbert family.
But now, Edgar was the Blue Knight Earl. As long as he took up the name, he was aware that he was shouldering everything of the ancient family line.
Either way, he was unable to break away from the path of confronting with Prince.
“My lord, there is nothing more that I can speak of. I promise that you will not be caused any trouble from now on. Could you please not speak of our organization and leave this place?”
“So you’re saying that you don’t need an earl that doesn’t have the blood nor the godly power that can fight against Prince?”
But Edgar had no intention of leaving empty handed. This ‘Scarlett Moon’ should be useful. 
That’s why he wanted it.
“Most likely, I am the one in Prince’s organization that knows about Prince more than anyone else. I know the methods he uses, the way he thinks and his underhanded, cruel attacks. That’s why I would know how to counteract that. Don’t you want a brain? I could bet that your operations are not that amazing enough that it makes Prince ignore you. That’s why your organization was able to survive this far, but are you satisfied with that?”

P. 249
Slade made an offended expression probably because he himself must have been feeling impatient and irritated about that as well. Foreman didn’t change his expression and continued to speak in an even-leveled tone.
“Are you saying we should have you join us?”
“You’re wrong, ‘Scarlett Moon’ gentlemen. I’m saying you should become mine.”
Edgar made an open-hearted smile and walked with long strides atop of the altar and went over to sit down on the throne that was the symbol of the organization prepared for the Blue Knight Earl. 
There was a moment of bursting voices and commotion, but there was no one who spoke up in objection.
“In order to fight, I want to get my hands on the scarlet bow, Flendolen and the white bow, Glendolen. A fake scarlet bow for a fake earl. Goodness, if your group is just using the name of the fairy archer in liberty, then that should be fine. Don’t you feel like you might be able to win?”
There was no answer. But he felt the effect he made. 
So, one more push.
Because they were a fake scarlet moon with just a name and enthusiasm, so that’s why they desired the real Blue Knight Earl.
However there was no meaning for them to do that. From the position of the real Blue Knight Earl, this ‘Scarlett Moon’ would always be a sham. 
Even if they tried to shine like the real thing, they wouldn’t be able to be the same thing. If a fake was able to become the real thing, then it had to shine even brighter than the real one.

P. 250
Edgar looked over to Paul’s direction.
“By the way, Paul, the reason I came to see you because I wanted you to return that white moonstone to me.”
Oh, gasped Paul in surprise and quickly took off the ring. Raven accepted that and handed it over to Edgar who was on the throne.
He then handed the sword to Raven and he stood up with the ring in his hand.
“Raven, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Yes.”
“Now, gentlemen, I’m going to go search for my white bow, Glendolen, so try to think about your decision carefully.”
He took a good look around all of them who didn’t know what to do, and then Edgar called for Marygold and Sweetpea.
The 'Scarlett Moon’ members couldn’t contain their surprise at the sudden appearance of the two little girls who came out of nowhere, but if he didn’t do that, then there was no point in doing this extravagant act.
“Then, my lord, let us make our way.”
The two fairies in the form of young girls took Edgar’s hand.