P. 122

*

The spacious front garden of the estate continued off to a grove of mixed trees and down to the seashore.

Edgar, who invited Lydia to take a walk, slowly walked down the small path that cut through cypress trees.

The fog was thick but there were no signs that rain was?going to fall. The damp sea breezes periodically shook the tree leaves and that?noise mixed along with the unnatural sound of the sea waves, which made it feel?like a notice before a storm.

“How strange. Mothers are happy when it’s the marriage of?their daughter,” said Lydia quietly, as she was still carrying the warm and?fuzzy feeling from the act they were just doing.

“Of course they would be.”

“But Father seems like he doesn’t want to think about it.”

P. 138

“Well, fathers, yes. But don’t worry, I’ll convince him.?Don’t you think it’s about time he let him know?”

“NO.”

She told that to him so many times, but Edgar only let that go by with a grin.

“It would be all right as long as we show him that we are?deeply in love with each other that we can’t stay away from each other.”

“That was just an act!”

When she said that, guilt started to bubble up inside Lydia.

“....We are deceiving Mrs. Collins, aren’t we. She just?believed that Teresa will be happy if she were to marry you.”

“That ghost isn’t Teresa. That’s why, either way, it won’t be like the madam’s wish is going to come true.”

“Eh, what do you mean?”

Surprised, Lydia looked up to the side of his face.

“The needlework she did on her handkerchief had the initial M. And besides, do you think that a daughter who passed away at five years old would be able to do needlework just because she thought it up. Lydia, are you good at needlework?”

“Umm...., I was taught by my grandmother.”

“Most likely, the ghost that was called out was a different girl than Teresa who was good at needlework.”

I never said that I wasn’t good at it.

P. 150

It was a life-sacrificing act to go out against Raven. If?it was a woman who knew about Ermine, then she should have known that there

would be no one who could win against Raven one-on-one.

However, it was too late, as a highly-charged malicious atmosphere was awakening inside Raven. If it was to protect his master, then?the spirit that would turn to a cold-blooded and brutal demon was taking?control over him.

Raven, who had an immeasurable high level of combat?skills, set out with just the intent of killing his?enemy.

He had spent no effort in avoiding the blade of her weapon and threw down his knife which sank itself deep into her shoulder.

The woman wobbled back weakly. She tried to build a distance between them.

The woman stepped back to the very edge of the steep slope that stuck out over the sea, and then her foot caught on one of the rocks and she went down on one knee. Her face twisted in pain as she tried to pull out the knife.

Raven didn’t change his expression at all and when he walked over to her, he reached out his arm.

It was a slender arm of a young man, but it was surely able to snap a human neck in an instant.

“Stop it!”

Edgar ran over to her so that he could help her up.

“That’s enough; you don’t have to kill her.”

However, at that time it was too late, as even Edgar’s?orders didn’t reach Raven’s ears.

Raven didn’t show any emotions and yet at the same time, he carefully avoided Edgar and reached out to her.

At that time, for some reason, Raven’s movement stopped.

P. 151

“Please stop..”

It was Lydia. She had her arms wrapped around Raven to try to stop him.

Oh, no, thought Edgar. It was difficult for even Edgar to?try and stop Raven. There was no way that Lydia could do it.

And there were many cases when Raven, when he was ready for combat to not be able to tell the difference between his enemies and allies.

He tried to move as quickly as possible to protect Lydia,?but it was too late.

Raven shook and tore off her arm without going easy on her what-so-ever that sent the flying Lydia slamming down into the slope.

The one who reached her arm out to her as she was close to tumbling down the slope was the woman who looked just like Ermine.

She wasn’t able to support her completely and so the both of them went tumbling down the slope. However, the woman held Lydia as if she was protecting her from the rocks that they came in contact with periodically as?they poked out of the ground.

When they finally managed to stop near the middle of the?slope, the woman wobbled up onto her feet.

Edgar rushed over to Lydia who still was lying on the ground. The woman slid down the slope trying to escape from them and disappeared from the coastal cliffs to the glove of trees.

Lydia had just gone through a slight concussion to the?head and she awoke from being unconscious as she was being carried by Edgar into the estate, but since she was in such an embarrassing state, she pretended to still be asleep.

P. 152

She was laid down onto a bed, and she could sense that he?was peering down at her worryingly and didn’t seem like he was going to go, so?she opened her eyes as casually as she could.

“Lydia, are you all right? Can you tell who I am?”

“....Yes.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t move so soon. You had hit your head.”

“I’m fine, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

It wasn’t calming to remain on her side, so she slowly sat up. It seemed like he offered his hand out to help her, but he must have noticed that she help but flinch and unexpectedly was quick to back down.

It was because she just remembered how she was nearly kissed by him earlier. But it wasn’t because of her guard towards Edgar, but because Lydia didn’t have any faith in herself as she might have actually accepted it.

There was no way that she could allow the kiss from a?frivolous man like him, no way.

What if she felt like that again. And when she became?worried like that, her heartbeat increased rapidly and Lydia took deep breathes.

“I’m terribly sorry, Miss. Carlton.”

Raven was standing straight right behind Edgar, and said his apology with his head titled down. For him who didn’t normally show any?emotions, he appeared like he was quite depressed.

“Don’t worry about it. It was my fault for sticking my head in someone else’s business.”

P. 153

“I made a fetal mistake.”

“You don’t have to exaggerate...”

“I have every intention of accepting any kind of?punishment.”

It seemed like Raven was serious.

“Your duty is to protect Edgar, so you don’t have to drive yourself into a corner about me.”

“No, it is not something to be excused to cause you any?injuries who will become the future wife of my lord.”

Wife? Lydia made a furrow in between her brows and looked?over at Edgar.

“Wait, Edgar, did you say that to Raven?”

“Well, of course, I would need to let my most trusted valet know about this.”

“Look at him, he’s taken it completely seriously!”

“It’s naturally since I am serious.”

He is going to any lengths to seriously say that.

Because of that, Raven is anxious and worried sick.

“....Anyways, you tell himself yourself that he shouldn’t?worry himself.”

“He doesn’t seem to be convinced. That’s why, yes, could you hit him once yourself. Then I think he would be satisfied.”

“I-I couldn’t possibly hit him!”