Chapter 8: Volume 2 - CH 1

P. 8

*****

Mayfair-it was a renown district where it housed the properties of wealth and prestige in London. It one of its corners, was Edgar Ashenbert's castle-like town house.

The young Earl, roughly around twenty, was said to have just returned to England, immediately bought the pale white building; and one of the rooms in it was Lydia's office.

P. 14

As the private fairy doctor coerced into being hired by the earl family, it had been two weeks since this seventeen-year-old had started to commute to his residence.

Edgar had the title of an English earldom, as the fief lord of Ibrazel (fairyworld), however, he was not from the true bloodline of the Ashenbert family; just a man with an unknown birth and lineage. There seemed to be no mistake he was born from an aristocratic family, but he doesn't have a clue about faeries.

Just as most people were, he also couldn't see faeries or hear their voices, but fairies lived on the lands that he inherited as the earl and since they accept him as their overlord, he must have thought that problems would arise where he would need the help of a fairy doctor, and so he decided to hire Lydia.

From the era when faeries and humans lived hand-in-hand, a fairy doctor, someone with the knowledge of fairies and experience of trading with them existed, and their job was to maintain the peace between the two species.

However, now, in the 19th century, the existence of faeries was pushed into children's books, and everyone has forgotten that they were their neighbors. Even the existence of fairy doctors was thought of as rare.

That was why when Lydia opened her services as a fairy doctor in her hometown, there were hardly any job offers, and she was only treated as a freak. It was those kind of times, yet, she was officially hired as a fairy doctor. 

P. 15

It was easily said that this honorary position was unbefitting for someone as fresh and inexperienced as Lydia, but the reason she couldn't think herself fortunate and feel grateful was because of her employer and the face that she didn't know what he was thinking. 

Like today, when she opened the door to the room that was supposedly her work room, she was enervated from what she saw and felt like she wanted to slump down.

The room was filled with flowers in vases.

"What is this?"

"Presents from the master," replied Tomkins, the butler, from behind her. 

With speedy and crisp movements, unimaginable from his stocky figure, he laid yet another flower vase by the window.

"The master had duties and is absent today, but he wished that Miss Carlton would please spend your day leisurely." Lydia was relieved to hear that Edgar was out of the house.

"Then, that means I won't have to go off anywhere today." Since, she was practically dragged around everyday, to accompany Edgar to plays, and tea parties and recitals. She wanted to ask how any of this was the job of a fairy doctor, but two weeks had already passed since she was talked her way into going to all of those.

Lydia still hadn't done any decent, honest work. 

P. 16

But did Edgar really hire Lydia to have her work under him in mind?

Lydia thought she was practically his doll.

Even this room, didn't look like a work office at all.

The carpet and wallpaper had a yellowish, light green tone to set off the beautiful sofa and cloths decorated with fine lace and embroideries and the graceful silk curtains made with plenty of pleats.       

P. 28

"All right. That's enough."

With a nod, Raven set down a glass of water and medicine on the table, as well as a tinned iron object.

"I also picked up this up which was dropped by Miss Carlton."

It was the tin can that Lydia threw at the dogs.

Edgar picked up the object and looked at it curiously, it had a corner of it bent-in.

"A can of fish?"

"No, it's a weapon. Most likely."

Raven wasn't the sort of person to make a joke, so that must mean he thought Lydia always carried around a tin can to be ready to throw it at something.

She felt a little embarassed for some reason, and glared at Nico who was curled up in a circle on the cushion pretending to be a cat.

As if saying it had nothing to do with me, Nico opened his mouth in a yawn.

"Hmmm, and how would you use it?" teased Edgar, after he saw Raven leave.

"Would you like to find out?" Lydia replied.

"No, I think I'll pass."

P. 29

Replying with a crack of a smile, he stood up to sit down on the sofa opposite of her. 

"By the way, Lydia, I would like to ask you not to walk outdoors by yourself from now on. If being with Raven makes you uncomfortable, then you could have the head maid accompany you, plus you can use our carriage to go from your house to here like always."

"You don't have to over-do everything like that, I'll just be more careful from now on."

"I'm not over-doing this. All the daughters from respectables homes do the same."

"But I'm not a peer. I'm used to traveling by myself and I prefer to."

"This isn't Scotland, but the capital of Her Royal Highness. People judge you by the way you dress and act. Your father is a member of the Royal Academy and a known professor among the upper class. You are his daughter, so you should be aware of the social etiquette of a proper lady."

"Father doesn't mind any of that."

"But would he oppose for you to become a proper lady? It isn't that strict or formal. As long as you don't miss the basics, saying something odd or acting a little strange wouldn't become an issue. Even if you see fairies, or hear them, and talk yourself tired about their existence, people will just think that is a characteristic of your personality."

I'm not sure if that's true. 

In the countryside town, Lydia was treated as a lunatic because she went around claiming that she could see faeries. On the other hand, Edgar announced his title of Earl of the fairyworld, and yet he was accepted without any troubles.

That didn't mean that the upper class believed in the existence of faeries, but they only accepted the seasonal sense of humor of the family that had inherited that name from generation to generation; but the reason society accepted him so readily was probably because of how Edgar was able to act like the ideal, perfect nobleman that no one could find fault in. 

P. 30

"So that's why a former gang member like you is able to walk around with that proud upper class face."

"Yes, that's why."

However, Lydia didn't wish to act like a peer. Even if that benefited her, she was stuck about the point where she would be doing what Edgar wanted.

"The reason you want to dress me up like a lady is because it would take away your boredom, wouldn't it? You must be out of your mind to supply this office and send these flowers."

"You didn't like it? I chose everything with your image in mind."

"Huh? How would I?"

"Like this rose, it's a rare species that blooms an ice-green flower. If you look at it under the lamp light, you can see it shines in golden green, just like your eyes."

He pressed his lips lightly against the rose that was near him. He looked at her with his heated, luring eyes, and they made Lydia be under the impression like she was the one getting a kiss on her eyelid.

Edgar stood up and continued his conversation as he walked over to Lydia.

"And you are the fairy in the flower garden. By having you sit here, this room is completed like one marvelous painting. Just like I thought; it's a beautiful sight. Ahh, yes, would you allow a small violet to bloom beside you. To stand in my place so that I can always be watching you; I think it will highlight that beautiful caramel hair of yours."

*****

Escorted by Edgar, Lydia entered the salon facing the south of the house to see that the visitor was a woman, who stood up to greet her with a nervous expression.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms Marl. This young lady is my Fairy Doctor, Lydia Carlton."

P. 39

Hearing his introduction, the woman let the anxiety roll off her shoulders.

"Oh, my, so she is, I had imagined that I would be meeting an old woman like some sort of witch. I'm a little hesitant to relay my story to such a young lady, it might frighten her."

A fairy doctor isn't a witch. She raised her eyebrow as she thought that, but it was a common mistake, however on second thought, she decided that it wasn't something to make a fuss about.

"There is nothing to worry about. If it's about faeries, then she is perfectly aware of their ferociousness."

Edgar invited Ms. Marl to take a seat.

"And so, weren't we talking about how the late Baron's daughter Miss Doris Worpole had been taken away by a fogman?"

Ms Marl sat herself down, and at Edgar's question, she drooped her head.

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"Yes, that is correct. My lady hasn't returned home for three days. She had left the house to help out at the charity bazaar and according to the maid who accompanied her, they had gotten separated somewhere at the site, and they do not know of her whereabouts since."

A baron's daughter went missing. And, the story seems to be that she was kidnapped by a fogman. Lydia tightened her expression at the seriousness of the situation.

According to Ms Marl, the sixteen-year-old Doris' parents had passed away and she currently lived with her ward uncle and her female cousin who was one year older than her.

P. 40

Ms Marl had been the tutor in the past for the Worpole family, but she left her post due to her marriage, but had been keeping in touch with the baron daughter even after that. Since she was a distant relative of the baron family, she was searching for the whereabouts of the baron daughter and worried for her safety as her friend. 

However, because this sort of incident would be seen as a disgrace and could possibly negatively affect the future prospects of marriage for an upper class young debutante, her search was secretly managed within the baron family, but when Ms Marl brought up the possibility of the fogman, she was laughed at and it was never brought up again.

Well, Lydia was also frequently laughed at for bringing up the topic of faeries, so she knew how she felt.

That was when Ms Marl mulled over on what to do, and in the end, aware that she would be revealing the secret that Lady Doris may have been unintentionally involved in some sort of dangerous incident, and came to pay a visit to ask for help from Edgar.

Apparently she felt he was sincere, trustworthy and so she could rely on him. But, Lydia's thoughts on that were, she has sure been tricked into thinking that. 

Even though she was married, Mrs Marl was still a young woman, and quite attractive, so Lydia could understand how Edgar would want to put up a good face in her presence.

"Yes, I remember the fog that day was so thick you couldn't see two steps in front of you," said Edgar.

But just because of that, normally no one would jump to the claim that it was a kidnap by a fogman.

P. 41

"Then, why do you think it's a fogman? Even if she did disappear on a foggy night. These days, there aren't that many people who take the fogman seriously," said Lydia.

"Yes, honestly, I still don't really believe in it. I'm so sorry, even though I'm here to ask for your help about it. But, we have no clues, like she had disappeared into the fog. And, my lady seemed to seriously believe in the existence of the fairies like the fogman. She was absorbed in the 'fairy egg' game. I heard that it's like a fortune-telling game and if you break your promise to the faerie, it's said that the fogman would come to punish you, and so I remembered she was quite frightened about that, and I was bothered at how panicked she seemed."

"Fairy egg?"

"You don't know, Lydia? It's very popular amongst the young ladies."

Why would you know a game that's favored amongst girls? Lydia really wanted to question that at him, but decided it was only silly.

"You lay a piece of paper that has all the alphabets written on it on a table and lay a glass ball and coin on top of it. With a few members, you put your finger on top of the coin and call out to the faerie that's supposedly in the glass ball. There's two ways of doing the game, one or two friends would make a promise and swear an oath to the 'fairy egg'and the other is where you ask questions and the faerie would answer them. For the question game, the faerie uses its invisible power to move the coin and point to an alphabet, so you can find out if the person you're interested in shares the same feelings as you, or you can find out if there is someone who likes you."

P. 42

"So you've tried it."

"I have. It's quite fun. All the girls were thrilled and were screaming with joy. When you move the coin on top of your own initials when they asked who their future lover would be, the girl would really grow conscious of you, it's so much easier than trying to win her over."

You good-for-nothing man.

Lydia glared at him with loathing eyes, and he only turned the corners of his mouth upward. But when he turned his face back to Mrs Marl, he quickly shifted his expression to the look of worry.

"So, Mrs. Marl, that fairy egg is just a simple game. Even if there wasn't a fairy, one of the participating members must have purposefully, or even unconsciously moved the coin. Only those young ladies must all believe it was the power of the fae, so if they broke their promises or let go of the coin in the middle of the questioning, they are overly worried and scared that they would anger the fairy."

"But, you can't be for certain that there wasn't a fairy. They love to play pranks. If there was something inside the glass ball that would interest them, then there could be the possibility that they got near it and something interfered with the fortune-telling."

The lady bent herself forward in a worried gesture.

"Which means, if you were to offend or upset the fairy, then there's the possibility you could be taken away somewhere by them?"

P. 43

"Perhaps, we can't be certain to deny that possibility, but a fogman is surely not the kind of fairy to be interested in a coin game. Its body is like a mass of evil and malice clumped together with a demon spirit. It's not the type to trade or negotiate with humans."

Oh, my lord, uttered the lady, shivering.

"Edgar, is it true that the fogman would punish those who participated in the fairy egg game?"

"Who knows, when I participated, there was no mention of the fogman. We just called it 'Mr Fairy.' And I don't think that the punishment was that severe enough to make the young girls worry so much about it."

"That would make sense. Or else, it wouldn't be a game. Then the only thing that bothers me is the fairy egg game and the fogman and how they are connected with Lady Doris mentioning about them."

"But, Lydia, couldn't there still be the possibility that she was taken away by a different fairy who likes to play pranks."

"That's...hard to say at this point."

"Then what should we do? Is this in your area of work?"

It was also important to decifer if this was the act of a fairy or human. Lydia didn't hesitate and faced the lady.

"Of course, I will search for her. If I can be of any use."

"Uhh..." uttered Mrs Marl with a dubious look.

P. 44

"Couldn't you be able to summon out a fairy now and ask them the location of my lady, or look into a crystal ball?" 

It looks like she had mistaken the role of a fairy doctor with a psychic or fortune-teller. 

"Umm, I cannot solve mysteries using any magic. It's just that I'm a little educated about fairies is all, and all I can do is look for any clues that any faeries have left."

At her answer, Mrs Marl didn't hide her disappointment.

Her reaction also depressed Lydia.

The lady had come here hoping for an answer. Even if her only help was someone who could use magic, she must have be looking forward for someone to clearly indicate where the baron daughter was and if that place was here on earth or in a different realm.

A fairy doctor's dull performance wasn't something lavish like using magical powers in front of the clients so they weren't usually well understood and depended on.

That's why most of the time, they were seen as oddballs to the rest of society.

"Would that be meaningless for you? Mrs Marl. Like how you ask around to different people, Lydia here would ask around to different faeries. If something happened to Lady Doris in a deserted, empty area, then maybe a fairy could have been there and seen it."

P. 45

Edgar softly spoke to the lady. Apparently that reassurance had worked and she had a satisfied, happy look.

"Yes, you're right. Please Miss Carlton, please find my dear friend."

Lydia showed her gratitude and nodded.

Edgar turned to hide one side of his face from the lady and gave her a wink. Lydia understood that he just gave his timely hand of help for her, but she couldn't help think he was kidding around when they were in a serious situation

But, amazingly, Edgar was well aware of what a fairy doctor was. That could have been because he himself had hoped for knowledge about fairies than magical powers from Lydia in the past, but from the start, he didn't regard her with excessive curiosity or overly be fearful of her.

The reason she couldn't brush him away even though she knew he was a dishonorable man, probably came from that part of him.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      .   

Since there hadn't been anyone in the past who had decently understood and accept Lydia's ability, so that made her look over Edgar's flaws. 

Maybe that was the reason why she would be thrown around. 

"My lord, thank you very much. You were the only one who honestly listened to such a laughable story about fairies."

Mrs. Marl looked over to Edgar with a some what calmer expression.

"On top of that, you were kind enough to encourage me that your fairy doctor would be able to solve this problem. Since there's nothing I can do when it comes to fairies."

P. 46

What? Edgar was the one who came up with that offer?

Lydia was certainly surprised about that.

However you think about it, there was no way this man thought this was the work of a fairy. He claimed that the fairy egg's fortune-telling was a simple game that had no tricks behind it. And yet, it was irresponsible of him to claim to her that a fairy doctor would be able to do something.

She had the small feeling that he was purposefully trying to drag Lydia into this case.

"Not at all. I had met Lady Doris before, so naturally I got a little worried."

He gave the lady a crack of a smile, as Lydia coldly stared from the side with dubious eyes.

Now that she thought about it, would this man really offer his help in an innocent attempt to help another?

Or, did he just want to act like a kind gentleman in front of a lady?

She didn't know the answer, but she felt like she was conviniently being used by him.

Perhaps, he might be planning on doing something against the law again.

At that moment, the thought that drifted across Lydia's mind was maybe he was the culprit, which was a doubtful suspision, that wasn't based on anything, against this former criminal who didn't think or feel anything against breaking the law.

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