Chapter 29: Volume 5 - CH 1

P. 8

***

The tea party didn’t have any formality to it compared to the gatherings held within the upper class of the peerage, so it was very easy to get used to for Lydia. 

Even though Lydia felt that it wasn’t easy for a middle-class girl like herself - who came out from the countryside of Scotland- to enter into the ring of conversation that was going on between this group of noblewomen. 

To begin with, Lydia was the type who wasn’t good at being around with people. She was great at being around with fairies, but the manners and etiquette for fairies and the upper-class were completely different. 

P. 15

Even if you said what you meant to fairies, they wouldn’t care any less, but in order to get along with people, lying was justifiable. To begin with, society was filled with people who thought fairies were only characters out of children’s books, and because of that, Lydia was thought of as a stubborn oddball. 

Even so, Lydia came to this tea party attended only by women.

“I haven’t seen you-know-who recently.”

“I hear that she has eloped.”

Lydia just happened to be sitting at a table that was gathered by young girls who were all the same age, but she had no idea who they were talking about. She couldn’t keep up with the conversation at all. 

“But, did you know, when she went to the house of her suitor, the wife of the house was already there before her!”

The hostess of the tea party was the Duchess, Lady Macefield. Out of all the upper-class nobles that Lydia was introduced to by Edgar, she was a senior noblewoman who treated Lydia the most kindly. 

The Duchess believed in the existence of fairies, and was always excited to talk about fairies and the tales related to them with Lydia. She even acknowledged Lydia’s ability to see fairies that normal people couldn’t see and be able to communicate and become friends with them. 

Lydia was the same age that the Duchess’ grandchild would be, and felt dignified and esteemed to be called as the duchess’ friend. 

P. 16

That’s why she had received an invitation, and even though it was just a gathering of the duchess’ most closely acquainted women, there were thirty of them and it was natural that Lydia wouldn’t be allowed to converse with just the duchess. 

They were at the Duke family’s townhouse, on a terrace that was opened up to the outdoors and the family’s spacious garden, and not paying much attention to the ladies’ conversation about a rumor, Lydia put a large swab of cream on her scone. 

“But, then I heard that she ran out and went back to her family’s house.”

“Being tricked by such a man, such a fallen woman will be seen as ruined.”

“Oh, she probably won’t be able to show her face in the peerage.”

Since some time ago, there was a tiny fairy by a vase of lavenders who was peering over towards them with craving eyes. Lydia quietly placed her scone on the grass by her feet. 

“Oh, Miss Carlton, what do you think?”

“Huh? A-about what?”

Suddenly thrown the ball of the conversation, Lydia straightened her posture. The tiny fairies came to gather around the scone and then started to carry it off from under her chair. To the normal person’s eye, it would appear like a scone with cream was wobbling its way across the grass, but the young women hadn’t noticed. 

“In regards to how a lady should court a man. It’s naturally that one would have marriage in mind, but couldn’t there be cases when a lady could be deceived with a man’s promise by word of mouth?”

“….Yes.”

P. 17

“So, I guess that means its best to court a bachelor who is approved by the woman’s parents,” said one young woman.

“Oh, but, the head of Miss Carlton’s household is a university professor. So is your father very strict? Wouldn’t you have been told to be careful of men from the upper class?”

P. 24

“You really don’t have the ring on your finger. Are you still putting the reply of the earl’s proposal on hold?” asked the Duchess.

“Huh, uh, that’s….but-” mumbled Lydia.

“I heard from the Earl. That he isn’t able to get a good reply from you at the moment, and although he did present you with an engagement ring, you don’t any signs of wearing it.”

Lydia knew that this skirt-chaser wasn’t really serious about her. In order for him to remain Earl, he needed Lydia’s ability as a Fairy Doctor, and so his ulterior motive was to marry her so that he could keep her by his side for the rest of their lives. 

He surely couldn’t be satisfied with just one woman, and so there was no possibility that he would choose a marriage partner based just on feelings of love.       

Because Lydia believed in that, she was withstanding Edgar who was always trying to use any opportunity to treat her as his fiancée, and was feeling anger and fear at what he could have possibly said to the Duchess as she glared at him while he sat cool and composed.

Oh, no, could he have come up with something so I wouldn’t be able to refuse marrying him….

“I know your feelings are the most important factor, so please forgive me for putting myself in-between the two of you. But, he was seriously thinking about you and came to ask for my help. He says he was serious when he proposed to you and he has no intentions to dishonor you. So, he is asking if I could be a witness of that.”

At such an unexpected explanation, Lydia lifted her head up.

P. 25

“……A witness?”

“Since you’re working at the Earl’s house, it wouldn’t be strange if you were in a situation where you would be alone with him. Furthermore, if the Earl were to have feelings for you, then there would be people who would think impolite ideas, but he declared under oath that he would not treat you that way. Even if you were to refuse his proposal, then I assure you that your future will not be ruined.”

Society would label a young unmarried woman as fallen once she was alone with a man. 

And since Lydia wasn’t a peer, her position was the weaker one. That was where that Edgar was trying to get the Duchess’ support by having her become Lydia’s patron. 

The Duchess originally had a good impression towards Edgar and regarded him with good opinion. And her husband, the Duke Masefield had a close acquaintance with Lydia’s father, so that could mean she was just the person to stand in as the patron between the two.

And with this, through society’s eyes, it would look as if Edgar had gone through the Duchess and proposed to Lydia and by doing that and that she would be considered a lady who he was seriously courting with marriage in mind, so if he were to touch her without first making preparations for an engagement, that would only bring dishonor to the Duchess’ name. 

Indeed, from the outside, it would look like he was thinking about Lydia. 

“And then, what’s left is in the case that you do agree to marry him, then I would arrange everything for that, so there is nothing for you to worry about.”

P. 26

“Huh,”

“Your father, Professor Carlton is a renowned scholar who England takes pride in, and you are also an admirable daughter, and so, I think there is no problem in recommending you as a bride for the Ashenbert family. More than that, if you are fearful of becoming a Lady, then I’ll be your help. Even socializing with the peerage is nothing once you get used to it.”

It looks like he even asked the Duchess to educate her about what’s needed to become a proper lady. She knew that in this man’s case, it was never purely just for Lydia’s sake. 

“I don’t, but, marriage isn’t…..”

“Anyhow, I’m only wishing that one of the obstacles that is making you hesitate about marrying me would disappear,” explained Edgar.

Regardless of what he was saying, he was just acting so that Lydia wouldn’t be able to escape from this. 

At least by doing this - the fact that Edgar had proposed to Lydia and the fact that she had possession of the engagement ring with her – it wouldn’t end as ‘just between the two of them.’

“But if this was under normal circumstances, the proper method would be for him to first ask the Professor if he could have your hand in marriage.”

“I-I said don’t you dare do that! I won’t forgive you if you go to father!”

She yelled at him like she usually did, but then she realized where she was. They were in the presence of a Duchess.

P. 27

“That’s right; I can understand that you wouldn’t want to worry your father while your feelings aren’t sure yet.”

*

“Now I can seduce you without worrying about anything,” said Edgar in the carriage and then took the liberty of getting closer to Lydia.

In the end, she was left with the option of escorted home by Edgar, but Lydia let out a sigh thinking maybe it was better if she had refused.

He smiled victoriously, and stretched his hand out to her hair and untied the ribbon in her hair without her permission. 

P. 28

And then he even took out her pins, making her hair - that was woven up into one bun - fall down over her shoulders.

“Wait, what are you doing!”

“That was a little bit of a dull way to put your hair up. I like it more if you just leave it down.”

“Your preference doesn’t matter to me.”

She snatched back the ribbon from his hand, and Lydia used her fingers to comb her ruffled hair as she turned away from him. 

“It wouldn’t hurt to hear the opinion of your fiancé.”

Like I said, you aren’t my fiancé. 

It seems he doesn’t understand that no matter how many times she said it.

“Since we’re already out, let’s stop by somewhere.”

“I want to go home.”

“I hear that there’s an air balloon flight show that’s going to take place at Hyde Park.”

And their carriage had to passing by Hyde Park.

“A walk just around sunset is quite a nice thing in itself. It would help make you feel a little more interested in our romantic relationship.”

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Lydia tried to get away from him in the carriage where she had nowhere to run by scooting herself to the very end of the seat but he followed to get right up next to her. 

“You made an oath to the Duchess that you wouldn’t lay a finger on me.”

“That was just said for the sake of principle.”

“Huuhh?”

P. 29

“Whatever happens won’t be a problem after we get married.”

“I said that I refuse…”

The carriage suddenly rocked to the side. She was thrown against Edgar and didn’t think about not hanging onto him.

She nearly bit her tongue and just when she braced herself, the carriage stopped as it was still leaning slightly on its side. 

“…..Wh-what just happened?”

“Sir, are you all right!”

The driver opened the door in a hurry. 

“Somehow. Lydia, are you all right?”

“Yes….”

She realized that Edgar had protected her so that she wouldn’t hit her head, but since she was being embraced tightly by him, she jumped away from him as fast as she could. 

“I’m sorry. A black cat came jumping out, and one of the wheels got caught in the ditch…”

“Well, that’s quite ominous.”

Edgar got down out the carriage that was leaning towards its side, and checked the situation but shrugged his shoulders at Lydia.

“The wheel is nearly coming off. It looks like it will take time to repair it, so let’s walk home.”

He told the driver - who said he would go and call for a hack in place of the carriage - to not bother with it, and held his hand out to Lydia to help her down out of the carriage.

P. 30

He picked up his hat and stick that had dropped down to the floor of the carriage and started to walk down the street. Lydia could only follow after him, and she ended up taking a walk through the park with him which was starting to turn dark. 

She wondered which was more dangerous, a young woman walking home by herself or walking with this flirt. 

And while she was mulling that over in her mind, Edgar went further into the park.

“There is less people this way,” she pointed out.

“It’s a short-cut.”

He turned around and smiled at her. That smile of his was a suspicious one. 

“Don’t worry, I won’t attack you.”

That’s what I can’t trust you about.

For one thing, the more they walked, the more they went into an area where there were male and female couples who were hiding behind the shrubs off the stone pathway into the far depths of the trees and bushes. 

But, he wouldn’t possibly do something like that, she reassured herself. 

Edgar did say quite some things that were out of proper bounds, but lately, Lydia was beginning to feel that he wouldn’t do something that would pressure her or go out of her limits. Because, he was beginning to stop pressuring her for a kiss. 

He might have gotten tired of trying because Lydia was not changing her firm attitude. 

But, after gaining the Duchess’ approval and having someone who could prove that this wasn’t just a game for him, then Lydia worried that he might be thinking he could do anything he wanted from now. 

P. 31

He even went and said that it was sake of principle that he wouldn’t touch her.

Lydia desperately tried to erase that crazy delusion in her head. When she started to walk as quickly as she could, in order to get out of that dark area, her arm was suddenly grabbed by Edgar. 

He pulled her into the dark shadow of a tree where there was hardly any light reaching them from the outdoor lamp posts. 

“Wh-what are yo….”

“Quiet. They’ll find us.”

Huh?

In the direction that Edgar was looking, there were two people. She was familiar with one of them. 

Ulysses…..

The young man with light blond hair was the one who was targeting Edgar in order to kill him. He had the same ability as her - to communicate with fairies. 

He was the spy sent from America by a man named Prince, a man who had killed Edgar’s family and made him into his slave, and Ulysses’mission was to give Edgar punishment for escaping from Prince. 

Edgar was deepening his confrontation with Ulysses and must have been investigating his movements. 

Even if it was a coincidence that their carriage had broken down, she guessed that the reason he invited her to Hyde Park was because he knew Ulysses was going to appear here. 

P. 32

“Get closer to me. If we pretend to be lovers, then they won’t suspect us.”

That’s easy for you to say. 

He didn’t wait and pulled the hesitant Lydia up against him.

“What is the meaning of this?” came an unfamiliar man’s voice.

The voice who asked that question was another man talking to Ulysses. 

He wasn’t young, a middle-aged man. He looked like a gentleman, as he was dressed in a fine, nice suit. 

The man’s voice had unexpectedly ringed out around them, and Ulysses gave a worrying glance around them. 

Lydia rushed to turn her head down, which made her end up burying her head into Edgar’s chest. 

Edgar looked down at her tenderly, like she was his beloved lover and he embraced her around her shoulders. 

“It was true that I was late in contacting you, but that’s because His Highness has something in mind. I’d prefer that you wouldn’t but your mouth into my business,” uttered Ulysses. 

His Highness was a title that was used to call a prince. She wondered if they were talking about Prince. Which means that man could also be working for Prince. 

Lydia was nervous, but for the moment, Lydia and Edgar were at a close enough distance that they could hear the men, but not enough to be noticed by them. 

The lovers who were also in this area were so absorbed in their own little worlds, so the men must have decided that no one would be listening to what they were saying. 

P. 33

“But isn’t it rude of you to order me to hand over the gemstone? When His Highness comes to England, the plan was that I was going to be the one to hand it to him personally.”

“His instructions were that I am to take care of it.”

Lydia kept her breathing as quiet as she could as she listened to the two men’s conversation, but she felt Edgar’s finger play with a lock of her hair for no reason. 

“Stop that,” she whispered, lowering her voice and proponing to him. 

“But we need to pretend to be lovers.”

“They aren’t looking in our direction right now!”

When she nearly raised her voice, a finger was pressed up against her lips. 

“It’s for the sake of safety. You are aware that the Blue Knight Earl was appeared in England, don’t you?” spoke Ulysses once more.

That was another name for the Earl of Ibrazel, in other words, Edgar. 

“Blue Knight Earl….., but, is that young man who appeared in the peerage truly the Blue Knight Earl? I heard that the Ashenbert family bloodline has died out, and the new heir wouldn’t ever appear in England again.”

They looked like they were having a seriously heated discussion, and yet, Edgar looked like he wasn’t listening at all, as he gazed at Lydia with melting hot eyes. 

P. 34

He had his finger still resting on her lips, then softly let his finger trace along her lips, which made Lydia feel more fearful than nervous.

Am I really standing on the ground? She questioned herself that because it felt like the ground under her was shifting and unsteady. Her body felt so feeble and weak like her whole body was being cradled in his arms she was leaning up against. 

“Don’t, stop it already….”

She could only let out her voice in a sigh.

“You may have not noticed, but when you say stop, you look at me with such longing eyes. And that makes you look so luscious to me.”

“No-now isn’t the time for that…”

Isn’t eavesdropping on the men the purpose why we came here?

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