Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 5 - Chapter 7

P. 226
    “Jean-mary, I am at my end.”
    Marquis Barkston, still tied to a chair, peered up to a portrait on the wall.
    “I betrayed Prince. If Ulysses finds me, I’ll surely be killed. If I could get my hands on those two diamonds….., I believed you would appear wearing both of the two legendary diamonds and desire the same as I, but I only fell into the trap of my enemies.”
    The gaze of the noble lady in the numerous portraits surrounding him were facing his direction with a faint, silent smile on her face. 
    “Jean-mary, you didn’t desire the marriage with the duke, right? I thought you wouldn’t forget about me and I had planned to rescue you from the clutches of that duke, but I can't help but wonder if I only appeared like the devil to your eyes.”
    Everything must be meaningless to her now.
    He was a man who meant nothing more to her than a fiancé her parents decided, and now, it seemed like he wasn’t even worthy of being hated by her and instead ignored, which made him fall into despair deeper and deeper.

P. 227
    Just a little earlier in this room, Jean-mary was answering back to his love. But just like he had waken from a dream and realized that everything was just an illusion, the lady in the paintings no longer spoke back to him.
    “Oh, the Barkston family is doomed. Eventually, Prince will come to England. There will be a new rebellion. That should have been the day that our family who served Prince has been waiting for, and yet I am going to receive my death sentence.”
    There was a presence of someone behind him.
    “So if Prince were to rule over England, your family would have been given the reward of a senior associate position? However, not only has that become impossible but your doom is looming right before you. What would happen if the nation were to find out about the Barkston family’s plot?”
    Marquis Barkston turned around to the source of the voice and found the young blond-haired earl standing there.
    “…..If you loathe me, then go and kill me.”
    If he was able to die here, then he was fine with that.
    The survivor of the Blue Knight Earl family, who was go against Prince. That’s why Barkston was told by Ulysses to be careful about Edgar Ashenbert.
    However, it looked like the true identity of the earl was more complex. Ulysses knew that, yet, he didn’t reveal that to him. 

P. 228
    “There is still something that I would like you to do.”
    “I have no interest to do your bidding.”
    “I’m saying I’m giving you a chance. Pledge me your loyalty. Just like you, or your ancestor had once done to the exiled prince who called himself the Prince of Wales.”
    This young man must be the son of Jean-mary. He was the heir who carried the thick blood of the royal family that Prince so desperately wanted. 
     However, Prince failed in making this man fall into his grasp. 
    “That man in America is sure to die. I will kill him. That’s why your prince is me.”
    As the marquis looked up, he remembered how in the old times, it was believed that God was the one to bestow the throne.
    That’s why, even now, people still wished for that purity in royal blood. 
    His shining golden hair, his merciful smile, his ash mauve eyes that shimmered with sagacity. If he was blessed with those features because he was born into the duke family, then Prince, who was trying to make a replica of himself, had unbeknownst to him, created an entity that surpassed even himself?


    Edgar felt sure that Barkston, who peered up at him with his mouth hanging open, had lost all of his power to resist.
    He made Raven unraveled the rope that was binding the marquis. Raven restrained the man who tried to stand up and made him kneel down on one knee.

P. 229
    “What is it you want from me.”
    “I would like you to retrieve the ‘Daydream’ from Ulysses. If that is supposed to belong to Prince, then it is mine.”
    Edgar went on with an even more colder voice.
    “Once you’re done, I don’t mind if you go on to join Jean-mary. Although I can’t say that she would remember you at all.”
    The marquis, whose head remained hanging, couldn’t stop his shoulders from trembling either from anger or terror.
    “Are you implying that I kill myself?”
    “I shall take your life as your sign of allegiance. Isn’t it a reasonable price? Just with that alone, your family will be spared. Think about it clearly, you deceived Her Royal Highness and hid the ‘Daydream.’ That is a serious crime. You may be able to become a hero if Prince was able to take over the throne, but now you have betrayed him as well. So your only remaining option is to cling to me. Her Majesty and Prince wouldn’t forgive you with just your death, but I’m suggesting that I wouldn’t mind pardoning you.”
    “……That’s impossible. I wouldn’t be able to do something like getting back the diamond from Ulysses.”
    “I see. If you can’t, then that just means one marquis family is going to disappear.”
    And I don’t leave any stone unturned, added Edgar.

P. 230
    As if he boiled up his last remaining courage so he could take one last look at the face of the devil, the marquis solemnly lifted up his gaze.
    “You are exactly like Prince. You are the same kind of human as the man you despise.”
    “Then you would understand how you don’t have any freedom in choosing, wouldn’t you?”
    How to make people do as you wish, fill them with fear, cornering and taking complete control over them. Edgar was well-aware of Prince’s methods.
    As Edgar used those methods in order to rebel, he always felt he was growing more and more similar to Prince.
    No, this is simply knowledge. I’m just using the same methods that I’m the most familiar with. It isn’t like my entity is changing. Even if he tried to think that, the doubt still lingered. 
    It was a sensation like a poison was soaking into him and staining him. 
    However, Edgar made the final blow in order to control the marquis.
    “Now, are you ready? After you leave here, your job will be to deliver the ‘Daydream’ to my palace mansion.”
    “…..Where you say?”
    “From the Buckingham Palace. If it was there, wouldn’t they surely keep it safely stored? And when you have successfully restored the Sylvainford family honor, I shall forgive you. Eventually, I will have your manor bought, so you must make sure to tell your whole family who their monarch is.”
    Edgar wasn’t sure if the marquis took his declaration of killing Prince and taking away his position seriously.

P. 231
    However, the marquis should be fully aware that his only path is to accept Edgar who was standing in front of him as the heir of Bonnie Prince Charlie. 
    For the marquis, who had the dream of winning Jean-mary, he also dreamed of reviving the English Royal Family deeply connected with his family line.
    The marquis narrowed his eyes in a dream-like stance, as if he was imagining the illusion of that coming true by Edgar’s hands and slowly bowed his head.
    Kneeling down on the floor, he unsteadily raised one hand to his heart.
    “Your Royal Highness Prince of Wales….., as you wish.”
    “Go.”
    Edgar watched Marquis Barkston stand up and wearingly walk out, and then sat down onto the sofa exhausted and disgusted.
    “Lord Edgar, do you not feel well?”
    Raven asked him with worry, as he must have become a little nervous from what just happened between Edgar and the Marquis just now.
    “No, I’m fine.”
    Edgar felt unsure. It was like there was already some part of that hateful man’s personality digging his way into himself.

P. 232
    Prince of Wales? Buckingham Palace? That was idiotic.
    Even if he was from the bloodline of Bonnie Prince, that wasn’t any different from how the Sylvainford family carried the blood of a prince or princess from the old times. 
    But when Edgar imagined the possibility that Prince, who was the root of all evil and terror to him, might have even been dominated by a powerful fate of the Royal Family, which made him unsure if he would be unable to escape from that as well.
    But Edgar’s only desire was to exact his revenge on Prince. His title as a noble and his bloodline with the Royal family didn’t mean anything to him at this point. 
    Earl of Ibrazel; that should be enough.
    And then, he would think of Lydia.
    If she would stay by his side, then he would be all right. 
    “I wonder if Marquis Barkston would be successful in retrieving the diamond from Ulysses,” said Raven.
    “Who knows? He happens to be the eldest son of a historically long and distinguished marquis family, so wouldn’t he desperately struggle to get it? Even if it was impossible to obtain the diamond, he should be able to think of how to satisfy me.”
    Even though the doubt about how the Sylvainford family stole the Royal family’s diamond didn’t have any evidence behind it and although there was no punishment, the suspicion still lingered. Even if he cleared the doubt, it was impossible that Edgar could reveal his identity as the eldest child of the duke family and he was aware that he wouldn’t be able to retrieve his family name, but at the least, he wanted to protect the honor of his deceased father.

P. 233
    Feeling someone’s eyes on him, Edgar turned his neck around. He saw that there was a gray-haired cat sitting on an armchair and staring back at him with suspicion.
    “Nico, that was an act just now, all of it.”
    “I was starting to think that you were really planning to become a real prince and start some war.”
    “War? But I have no army."
    So if you had one, you would start one, the fairy cat murmured.
    “Just like I thought, you’re fishy,” said Nico.
    The cat wasn’t mistaken about that. Since Edgar was thinking the same thing about himself.
    “Are you planning to oppose in my marriage with Lydia?”
    “In my opinion, I think you’re not that serious about it from the start."
    “I am serious.”
    “But you’re thinking it won’t come true. You just want to watch a peaceful and fun dream, that’s all."
    “I don’t want to end in as a dream.”
    “Even though you’re not making any actions to make it comes true? Even if you win Lydia with your flirting, it won’t come true. You’re not thinking about Lydia’s feelings or her future at all and just talking about marriage. At this rate, I pity the poor Lydia.”

P. 234
    With a quiet voice, he persecuted Edgar.
    But not taking any methods to make it come true? He thought that as long as Lydia was willing, then it would come true.
    “Are you saying that I have to stop my revenge?” asked Edgar.
    “It would be pointless to say you have to become a decent human being at his point.”
    So he didn’t look like a decent person even to a cat.
    Even as he contemplated that he should be depressed and seriously start to reflect on himself, Edgar had already reached the conclusion that there was no remedy and had given up.
    He wouldn’t be able to fight on with any honest, decent nerves.
    However if one were to ask if Lydia would still give Edgar love and not pity, well, he thought that it would be difficult.
    “Now, then, I guess I should head off. He’s started to get loud from a little while ago.”
    Nico hopped down from off the chair.
    “He who?” asked Edgar.
    “Kelpie. I guess horses aren’t very good with paths that turn and twist like this.”
    “Hold on, if Kelpie is still here, then what happened to Lydia?”
    “I was worried about that and that’s why I’m going to see. Even if the kelpie was wandering around here on his own, that has nothing to do with me.”

P. 235
    So, something could have happened to Lydia.
    Beyond the wall, there was the sound of grinding and digging. The room appeared like it was swaying and curling to Edgar’s eyes.
    He wondered if something was going to happen to this place which Lydia said was located in a space between the human realm and the fairy world.
    Ulysses is coming, thought Edgar.

*

    Carlton had been going on in dispute for thirty minutes with the gatekeeper of Madam Eve Palace.
    Only those who were members were allowed to enter, and on top of that, the gatekeeper wouldn’t let him know if the Earl Ashenbert was a member and if he was inside or not.
    Carlton wasn’t sure if a harem existed like the rumors or if there were women trapped inside, and if it were true he shouted that what they are doing was a crime, but the only reply was a polite ‘We have nothing further to discuss. Please leave these grounds.’
    They were taking an absolute, strict code of secrecy.
    “What are you going to do if my daughter was in there?”
    “There is no way that she would be.”

P. 236
    “Then let me make sure.”
    “Will you like to become a member? You will need a referral from a current member and present the enrollment fee.”
    There were two gatekeepers with sturdily built frames, so they also must have the role of bodyguards. Their tone was polite but they stood up blocking Carlton with stone-hard coerce.
    Even if he were to breakthrough, Carlton and his scrawny frame would easily be tossed back outside in a matter of seconds.
    Just then, one of the gatekeepers spotted a parked carriage. One of them quickly rushed over to it and welcomingly opened the door. The one who came out of it was a plump, black-bearded man.
    “Welcome, Mister Slade.”
    Carlton thought that name sounded familiar.
    He quickly rushed over to the man’s side. He yelled out before he could be pushed aside by the gatekeeper.
    “Mr. Slade? Are you perhaps the art dealer?”
    “I happen to be so,” said the man in a suspicious tone as he turned around to Carlton.
    “Umm, my daughter happens to be an acquaintance of the painter Mr. Paul Foreman, and I was told of you by Mr. Foreman. Oh, my name is Carlton. My 
daughter and Earl Ashenbert….”
    “What, the fairy doctor’s father?”
    Surprisingly, it seemed like he got through more quickly than expected.

P. 237
    "To tell you the truth, my daughter hasn’t come back home. I happened to hear that she might be here.”
    “Miss Carlton? Here? Oh, no, that couldn’t possibly be true.”
    For some reason, Carlton felt like the man appeared a little unnerved as he desperately denied the idea.
    “Then I would like to make sure immediately. Isn’t she with the earl?” asked Carlton.
    “Ahhh, then let me go in and check.”
    This man, he might be going in and out of this place an acquaintance of the earl. Carlton became worried that Slade might not tell him the truth.
    “Would it be possible for me to enter?”
    “Oh, well, you see, about that,”
    “The earl should be inside, isn’t he? I would like to directly ask him. Even if Lydia is here or not, I couldn’t let the idea of an unwed young girl is being pulled into a harem pass even if it were just a rumor.”
    It was just when he finished that line.
    A tremendous sound of something exploding came from inside the building. 
    Even the startled gatekeepers turned around in surprise and dashed in a panic towards the building.
    Carlton thought this was his chance and stepped through the doorway, but even in the spacious entrance hall and the stairway that swirled up with a golden railing, there wasn’t any sign of damage or disruption.

P. 238
    However, the chandelier was the only thing that was swaying from side to side.
    Slade was beckoning Carlton over, as he must have become nervous of entering inside by himself, not knowing what could be happening.
    “The earl should be this way.”
    The hallway had a carpet rolled out over it and every inch of the walls and ceiling was covered with interior decorations. Slade stopped to stand in front of a large door that had a golden statue with jewels for its eyes. 
    He knocked the door, but there was no answer.
    Carlton felt like there might be no one and couldn’t bear to wait any longer and reached his hand to turn the knob.
     “It won’t open. Is it locked?”
    “There are no keys here.”
    However, even if Slade tried to open it, the door wouldn’t budge.
    Next, they decided to use their bodies to slam open the door.
    He and Slade used both their bodies at the same time to break open the door. 
    They fell down into the room from the running force and saw that the table and chairs in the room were turned over and there was a large gorge in wall so deep that you could see the plaster of the wall from the next room. The ceiling was crumbling and large pieces were hanging down.
    But there was no one.
    “What is going on?”

P. 239
    In the next moment, there was an enormous explosion sound and the building shook and trembled.
    The servants were all running around in the building in a panicked frenzy. 
    Carlton dashed off towards the source of the tremendous sound.

*

    Lydia kept on walking while surrounded by goblins.
    She felt the presence of Ulysess’ knife on her back as she followed Ermine who was walking ahead of them. The goblins were guiding the way.
    In the dark dirt tunnel, only the lamp held by the goblins was the source of light. 
    Eventually the path came to an end with an enormous bolder blocking their path. The path behind them was pitch black and impossible to make out anything, but seeing as the light didn’t reach the far end, it could mean there wasn’t any existing path. 
    The maze of the goblins was slowly evaporating and steadily shrinking. 
    Ulysess ordered the goblins with his chin and they started to pick at the rock bolder with their pickaxes.
    The rock cracked and crumbled apart to reveal a door.
    Ulysses ordered Ermine to be the one to open it.

P. 240
    After opening, there revealed a room filled with portraits hanging on the walls. All of the paintings were of Jean-mary.
    The room had such tall walls, and the wide ceiling was definitely one of the rooms from Madam Eve Palace. 
     Which means this must be the harem of Marquis Barkston, thought Lydia, as she was dragged into the room by Ulysses. 
    “It seems I kept you waiting, Earl Ashenbert.”
    “I was thinking about leaving because you were so late.”
    Like the master of the room, Edgar was sitting down on the center sofa with his legs crossed and turned his gaze to inspect Ermine and Lydia, then over to Ulysses, but he didn’t change his expression what-so-ever, so it was unknown what he was thinking.
    Beside Edgar was Raven.
    “Since this is such a rare opportunity, I would recommend you stay.”
    “I had intended on sending Lydia home first.”
    “I found her lost on her way so I brought her here.”
    “…….Um, I fell off,” explained Lydia.
    Edgar let out a sigh, as if he had understood while confused.
    Are you saying I’m a nuisance? Lydia felt somewhat disappointed.
    Because she wanted to think he made Lydia go home with Kelpie, but in truth, he really needed her help.

P. 241
    “Now then, lord, you should have the ‘Nightmare’ in your possession. Ever since it was taken away from me by you previously, I knew that you would use that black diamond whose whereabouts were unknown and use it to deceive Marquis Barkston.”
    Lydia was frighteningly nervous.
    Maybe she shouldn’t have come back.
    Edgar made Lydiago because he wanted to distance the black diamond from Ulysses and yet she came back bringing along the diamond with her.
    In order to fight with Ulysess, he should need a fairy doctor. But this might have been a bigger problem than that.
    Because Lydia was captured by Ulysess and she was unable to move.
    “All right. I’ll hand over the black diamond.”
    She realized that Ermine and Raven were signaling to each other by eye. Edgar must be aiming for the moment when Ulysses would be distracted with the diamond and try to restrain and hold him down.
    That might be possible if they were in the space of the human world. But that was impossible in this place. Ulysses was the master of this realm. He had the goblins under his subjection.
    If he were to get his hands on the diamond then he might immediately crush this space and make for an escape.
    “No, you mustn’t, Edgar, don’t hand him the diamond!” cried out Lydia, desperately.

P. 242
    “I’m sorry; I made the decision of coming back here on my own. It seems whatever I do, it all backfires. This might be the power of the curse…. But, no matter what, don’t give him the diamond.”
    “What a noisy girl.”
    In an irritated attitude, Ulysses pinned his knife against Lydia.
    Everyone’s focus fell onto that and Ermine used that opportunity to get close to Ulysses. She pulled out the knife she hid in her boot and tried to slash Ulysses with it.
    She tried to push Lydia behind her and break in between the middle of them, but Lydia still had her arm gripped by Ulysses and back away. 
    However, in the next instant, Raven jumped into Lydia’s view. Faster than Ulysses could react, a knife was thrown, aiming at his heart.
     Her eyes picked up the sight of blood flicking through the air.
    However, Lydiafelt the air around her and Ulysses loosen and warp for a moment.
    Raven was startled and drew his body back.
    As if they teleported, Lydia was still held under by Ulysses’ arm and was pulled away from Ermine and Raven.
    The one with blood on her arm was Ermine.

P. 243
    Ulysses snickered.
    Edgar wasn’t able to hide the shock on his face.
    “Do you understand now, lord earl. Your group won’t be able to adequately fight me in this place. Although I won’t stop you if you desire to cut up each other.”
    And then, like he didn’t care about Lydia any longer, he threw her aside. 
    Ulysses opened his mouth to speak in an icy, cold tone.
    “The diamond, if you please? If you don’t hurry up and bring it out, I’ll have all of you buried here and die together.”
    “We’re going to die even if we get out, aren’t we?”
    “If you bring it out willingly, lord earl, I won’t mind letting only you survive.”
    “Do you think I would wish to be saved?”
    “If you return to Our Highness’ side, then you’ll be sure to thank me.”
    Ulysses was calling Edgar, a traitor and an enemy who he loathed and hated, by an honorary title. But that wasn’t because Edgar was currently an earl or because he was the eldest son of a duke family, but because he was connected in blood with the Royal Family.
    She wondered if Ulysses really might not have the intention of actively taking a part in killing Edgar.
    But Lydia couldn’t think up of a way so everyone could survive without handing over the diamond.
    Edgar helped Lydia up on her feet and in a casual manner slid his hand over the pocket of the coat she was wearing.

P. 244
    The black diamond was there.
    Since Lydia wasn’t wearing the black diamond necklace, he must have wanted to make sure if she might have put it in the coat pocket.
    And then Edgar turned back to face Ulysses.
    “If Lydia will be saved, then I’ll do as you say.”
    “Huh, …..what are you saying, Edgar..” sweated Lydia.
    “You can kill me or hand me over to Prince, do as you wish. But Lydia had nothing to do with this from the start.”
    Even if Raven and Ermine themselves didn’t have any hopes of getting through this, they didn’t show any sign of grief or protest.
    It was unknown at what point they arrived, but she saw Paul and members of the Scarlett Moon at the doorway.
    The shrinking maze of the goblins must have gathered all the people in it to this place. And Ulysses was planning to gather everyone and kill them. 
    And yet, Edgar was only asking for Lydia to survive.
    “If you would release Lydia out of here, then I’ll tell you the location of the diamond.”
    In other words, he was going to have Lydia, as well as the diamond, escape from here.

P. 245

P. 246
    “And I should believe you?”
    “If you can’t trust me, then do as you want. The diamond won’t be delivered to the hands of Prince for eternity. Even before, you weren’t able to find what I hid.”
    Lydia suddenly vaguely understood what she had to do if she were able to escape with the precious diamond.
    And after that, she was just going to have to negotiate with Ulysses. So that everyone could be saved.
    But Lydia wondered if she would be able to do such a thing. What if everyone were to be killed before that? 
    It was just too much of a dangerous gamble.
    To begin with, she wondered if Ulysses would be interested enough to accept that deal. Lydia wondered if she should do as Edgar wanted her to.
    Still unable to decide on what she should do, she held her breath and watched at what Ulysses’ reaction would be.
    “Don’t get tricked!”
    The voice that abruptly disrupted them was Jimmie who came walking out from Paul’s side. 
    The young boy apparently had came with them let out his voice in a desperate manner. 
    “Lord, you’re being deceived by this witch! She works for the enemy so you shouldn’t let her escape while she has the black diamond!”
    Jimmy knew that Lydia had the black diamond. And his plea had revealed everything to Ulysses.

P. 247
    Edgar pushed Lydia to hide her behind his back, however, it wasn’t Ulysses but Jimmie who came charging towards their direction.
    “Give back the Earl’s diamond!”
    He grabbed ahold of Lydia but his strength was not the power that a normal child could possess.
    “Stop it, Jimmie!” shouted Edgar.
    The boy was pushed aside and there was a moment of escape but Jimmie picked up a fruit knife that was in the room and held it out while glaring at Lydia. 
    Ulysses let out his voice in laughter.
    “Oh, now I see, so that’s it. Jimmie, you are correct. You better kill her for the earl’s sake.”
    “Lydia!”
    When she turned at the sound of Edgar’s voice, right next to her was Ulysses. He grabbed ahold of Lydia and held her tight so she couldn’t move and turned her in Jimmie’s direction.
    It was like he was offering her at the target of the knife. 
    In that instant, Lydia witnessed Jimmie and Ulysses looking at each other and making a grin.

P. 248
    This boy….., he’s strange. Maybe he isn’t a member of the Scarlett Moon?
    Just when she thought that, she noticed that the color of Jimmie’s eyes abruptly turned red.
    Oh, my god, he isn’t human?
    It was the red eyes of a demon hound.
    “You’re…., a Black Dog?” gasped Lydia.
    The boy was discovered of his identity and tutted his tongue as he transformed into a dog. 
    “So you’re working for Ulysses!”
    The large dog covered with ruffled fur shifted his burning red, creepy eyes at her. 
    He was a powerful fae that was known to ripe and tear apart humans. What was the way to ward them off?
    But Lydia couldn’t come up with something, and before she knew it, Ulysses gave out an order to the Black Dog.
    “Do it.”
    Kicking back the ground, the Black Dog jumped high in attack. 
    There was no way to escape.
    In that instant, to Lydia’s eyes, there was another black figure that jumped in between them.
    A black horse, with a body that was well more enormous than a Black Dog clashed and fought with the dog.
    “Kelpie!”

P. 249
    At the collision of powerful magic crashing against each other, Lydia fell back onto Ulysses who was standing beside her. At the same time, her eyes caught a glimpse of a necklace chain dangling out of the pocket of his frockcoat.
    It’s the white diamond necklace. 
    Lydia reached her hand out. She grabbed ahold of the necklace as she got up to stand.
    Ulysses noticed that and tried to get it back, but Lydia unthinkingly threw it away from him. 
    There was no one in the direction of where the necklace flew to. 
    A number of the Scarlett Moon members moved to go pick it up, but someone already managed to get ahold of it ahead of them as he swapped it up. 
    It was the one more person who had supposedly entered this maze, Marquis Barkston. 
    Oh, no, that wasn’t supposed to go to him. 
    The marquis dashed out through the exit door.
    However, no matter what he did, he wouldn’t be able to escape from the maze of the goblins. Perhaps that must have been why no one went running after him. 
    Kelpie and the Black Dog eyed each other menacingly once more. Breaking the air of tension, the both of them jumped at each other in attack. 
    Taking that opportunity, Lydia’s arm was grabbed by Edgar and she managed to get away from Ulysses’ side, but strong winds were created by the tail of the water horse as he was thrashing about and that made Edgar and her both go flying up and banged against the wall.
    Just when she came to, Lydia saw someone gray-colored creature come tumbling down right in front of her eyes.
    “Nico!”

P. 250
    “C-couldn’t he have done that after he let me down…..”
    The fairy cat wobbled up onto his feet, and from the looks of it, he must have been hanging on to Kelpie’s mane but was shaken off.
    After he combed down his fur with his claws and fixed his necktie, he looked over to Lydia.
    “Phew, did I make it in time?”
    “Nico, where were you all this time?”
    “Oh? Would you mind explaining it to her, Earl?”
    “More than that, Kelpie,”
    The Black Dog who had got back on its feet and let out a threatening low growl over towards Kelpie.
    And then he sprinted in attack.
    Kelpie evaded the fangs of the Black Dog and sank his teeth into the dog’s front legs. He swung the dog up around in the air and thrust him aside.
    “Did you think that the likes of a lowly canine like you would be able to match a fae as I?”
    It seemed like a bite was taken out of Jimmie as he was slammed up against the wall since his body spurted out a dangerous amount of blood and he momentarily returned to his human boy form, but he apparently went unconscious because his body faded away.
    However, Lydia wasn’t allowed enough time to relax, as the entire room shook like an earthquake.
    The ceiling and walls began to bend and curve and started to make cracking and snapping sounds. It looked like it was going to collapse any second. 
    “It’s unfortunate, Lord, but this doesn’t change your defeat.”

P. 251
    Even as he said that, Ulysses’ mood became foul because his Black Dog was defeated and he stood up.
    “I’ll have all of you buried along with this place. The two diamonds will have to be dug up after that, but that can’t be helped.”
    After he said that, at the same time his body vanished, they could feel an invisible airy pressure weigh down on them and the glass windows began shattering into pieces. 
    Lydia’s head and body was protected as she was pulled into his arms, but just witnessing small glass shards cut small scars onto Edgar made her nerves shake and cringe.
    “O-oh, no,…..”
    “Does this mean the goblin’s tunnel is disappearing?”
    “Yeah, that’s right. Hey, hand over Lydia. I can take out just one more person.”
    Kelpie, unbeknownst to her that he had changed into human form, said that to them like it was normal.
    “Only one out of all of you. But I don’t have any intention of helping anyone else than Lydia.”
    No one made an objection. Nico was the only one to mumble ‘That’s too bad.”
    “No!”
    Lydia wasn’t in any state where she could think straight, so she could only desperately cling onto Edgar.
    “I don’t want to go just by myself. Kelpie, don’t help only me but save everyone!”
    “You’re asking for the impossible.”

P. 252
    “Edgar, don’t let me go. Please don’t give up yet. You normally don’t let go of me no matter what when I ask you, so you’ll come to regret it later!”
    She didn’t know what she was saying herself.
    Edgar was confused as to what to do. But he made a small sigh and then cradled her shoulders with his hands.
    And then, she suddenly began to feel relieved.
    That’s right, she thought, there should still be another way.
    “Damn it, me alone won’t have enough power to open up an exit.”
    As he said that, Kelpie looked around them.
    “Hey, you, seal and bird, can’t you use magic?”
    He laid his eyes on Ermine and Raven, but they could only respond in confusion. Ermine had just been revived as a Selkie - a seal fairy - but didn’t have the conscious as a fae yet. As for Raven, even if he had a sprite dormant inside him, he was still just a human.
    “Damn, all of you are so useless. Any other fairies here…..is just a useless cat.”
    “I was useful. I’m just not fit for strength.”
    Nico rejected as he stomped on Kelpie’s foot, but in return he was lightly bucked and went flying into the air. Since he was a cat, he was able to turn around and land on his feet, but when he stood up-right on his hind legs, he made a displeased huff with his nose.
    Just then, Lydia noticed that the moonstone ring she was wearing was faintly glowing.

P. 253
    It was the moonstone of the guardian fairy of Lord Blue Knight.
    “I know, shouldn’t there be some magic stored in jewels? I think we could use this.”
    Kelpie glanced at the ring on Lydia’s left hand that she held out towards him and began to think.
    “It’s most likely going to crumble into pieces.”
    “It’s pointless if we don’t survive. Edgar, please take this off.”
    Lydia asked him since Edgar was the only who had the power to take it off. 
    However, he only made a hard face and shook his head to the sides. 
    “I don’t intend to annul our engagement.”
    “Th-that isn’t the problem right now!”
    “Now and whenever, this ring is the symbol of our love. I can’t bear to let it crumble into pieces.”
    Love he says, …..oh, you have to be kidding me.
    “If you need a jewel, then just use this. If you need magic, it should have plenty.”
    Saying that, Edgar took out the black diamond from the coat Lydia was wearing.
    “What are you saying, that has much more importance to you…”
    “Lydia, if it means you’ll be taken away from me, didn’t I say that I would hand over any diamond to Kelpie.”
    The black diamond that Edgar threw over and caught by Kelpie looked like it fidgeted for a moment in his hand.

P. 254
    “So you’re all right with this, Earl,” asked Kelpie.
    “Hurry. We don’t have time,” replied Edgar.
    “Well then, don’t get dragged in by the Nightmare.”
    In the next moment, the diamond was shattered and Lydia saw the Nightmare come jumping out of it.
    It had the form of a giant black panther.
    It darted through the air along with Kelpie who transformed into his horse form once again.
    For an instant, she felt like she saw a small young girl with dark skin riding on its smooth back, but then the Nightmare hadn’t drag along anyone with it and headed up into the sky.
    Was that, perhaps, Jean?
    Could that have been the little black girl that protected the black diamond for Edgar?
    Breaking open the ceiling, Kelpie and the Nightmare went galloping into the night sky.
    What they saw beyond the ceiling was indeed the night sky.
    The stars softly twinkled down to them. It was the dimly clouded night of London.
    At the same time, when they felt the cold night breeze blowing in, the pressure that felt like it was about to crush the room and the snapping of the walls and the vibration that nearly shook them off their feet had faded away and stopped.
    “The exit has opened. We came back to the human world.”

P. 255
    As Lydia breathed out in relief, she shivered from the cold wind and her body suddenly wobbled over to the side.
    She wasn’t able to stand herself up and fell down onto the floor.
    Her eyes fell up to the night sky.
    She wondered about the reason why Edgar was safe even though he had the cursed diamond with him, and that could have been because Jean’s feeling for him was dwelling in it. As that thought crossed her mind, she watched that small, little feeling slip off from the back of the Nightmare and slowly float up into the heavens.
    Lydia heard Edgar calling her name and felt his warm arms pick her up and his hand touch her forehead and while hearing everyone’s worried voices panic around her, she slowly let her conscious drift away.