P. 8

*

Folding the letter back up and putting it away into a small wooden chestnut box, Lydia let out a small sigh.

Ever since she became the fairy doctor of the Earl of Ibrazel, Lord Edgar Ashenbert, it was the first time she was away from him for a long period of time.

P. 10

She forcibly got a long holiday break and was spending it in Scotland far away from London in her family home near Edinburgh, but Lydia was strangely not able to remain calm.

That must be because there were letters arriving practically every day from Edgar.

He was an earl who didn’t hesitate to treat Lydia as his bride-to-be, and she couldn’t completely believe his sweet words and she ran away, not know what to do from the fear that she might fall in love with him.

Because he was a renown philanderer who schooled himself with numerous relationships with women. Even with this letter, she didn’t how much she could believe it.

But once she read the letter that was sent, Lydia would relax the muscle in her cheeks at just the little happenings in London and feel pain in her chest when she felt Edgar’s loneliness of not having any family members, and her heart was wavered by his unusually serious words.

Edgar in the letter gave the impression of sincereness and honesty. He seemed like a totally different person than the Edgar she normally knew as bold and haughty and like a noble, and according to the person become a beautifully handsome malicious devil.

But Edgar had a delicate and lonesome part about him, and because of that Lydia was dragged into living in London and commuting to his estate there and had let it remained that she was his ‘fiancée.’

On her left hand, she wore the moonstone ‘engagement ring.’

It could only be removed by Edgar and yet she came back home here forgetting she was wearing it.

But still, this moonstone which apparently possessed fae magic was made so that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to see by the mining fairy Coblynau who was its caretaker.

P. 11

So it was able to go unnoticed by her father and the people in the town.

After Lydia’s father, who was her only family member had attended a party that was held from New Year’s Eve to the New Year, claimed that he wanted to do a geological survey while the university was closed and so was on a trip to Northern Europe.

Lydia, who was left to stay, was in a situation that if she felt like going to London she could leave anytime, but her feelings weren’t decided and so she was spending her time slowly.

She stepped away from her desk and approached the window and whipped the fogged glass with the tip of her fingers.

The sky outside was covered with low gray clouds and it appeared like the afternoon was going to approach daybreak from an earlier start.

The glass window that was out to take the open air was frozen over so cold like ice and when it came in contact with the air of the room that was warmed by the hearth, it didn’t take any time in becoming clouded again.

When she whipped away the fog one more time, she saw the faint reflection of herself with her reddish-brown hair set to flow down.

Her eyes were a golden-green, and could see fairies that ordinary people could not. Her eyes, which were spurned by the townspeople who also called her a witch, were glaring back at her through the mirror like they were ready to pick a fight.

Because she couldn’t believe that it was her that Edgar said he was thinking about in the letter he sent, and so Lydia wasn’t able to easily face him heart-to-heart.

“Lydia, are you perhaps waiting for a letter from him?”

The one who appeared in her doorway was a young girl who had her coffee-colored hair carelessly tied up in a ponytail.

P. 12

“What, oh goodness, Lota, what are you saying? That’s impossible.”

She rushed to deny it, but Lota still looked apprehensive.

Lota was a former pirate but decided to live in London for a while after meeting her real-life grandfather, but she appeared in Lydia’s town a few days ago by herself, saying she wanted to spend some time with her friend.

“But you know, at the same hour of every day, you go and stand by the windowsill. Right when it’s time for the mail to arrive.”

“Oh, really, I didn’t notice.”

“Look, it’s the postman!”

In a flash, Lydia pushed her cheek against the window, but realized what she was doing when the snickering Lota said “Jus----t kidding.”

Turning red, she pouted her cheeks.

“That’s mean.”

“Sorry, sorry, but it isn’t something you should hide.”

Lota patted Lydia’s shoulder, but she let out another sigh.

“It’s just a letter was arriving every day and lately none arrived, so I was a little worried. He might have gotten sick or injured.”

The letter Lydia had read earlier was a letter that had arrived a while back.

“Edgar? Sick? Injured? No such thing. More like this is sure to be one of his schemes.”

P. 13

Lota sat herself down on a chair and crossed her legs. Even if she decided to live with her grandfather, she couldn’t get rid of the masculine way she carried herself since she used to be a captain of a pirate crew.

“Scheme?”

“He knows that if he stops sending letters then you would get worried. Just like how you are now. So he’s trying to lure you to cut your holiday short and return to London.”

That made sense. Lota was an old-time acquaintance of Edgar and knew exactly how criminal and flirtatious he was.

I was about to be tricked.

Lydia tried to collect herself and stepped away from the window thinking she wouldn’t dare wait for anymore letters.

However, as soon as she heard the ring of the bell used by the post man, she went running out of the room.

She dashed out into the garden and shoved the wooden gate open to get to the mailbox. She saw a white envelope poking its head out and tried to pull it out, but a fluffy haired gray-colored cat snatched it away from her.

“It’s finally here, this is for me.”

“Nico, you write letters?”

Seeing Lydia giving him a look of surprise, the fairy cat standing on his hind legs on top of the post box puffed out his chest arrogantly.

“Writing letters is what gentlemen do.”

P. 14

He was a fairy who liked to wear neckties and groomed his fur with a comb and walked around copying the gestures of a gentleman.

He was Lydia’s childhood friend and partner, but because he spent so much time with humans he could read and write. Out of all the fairies Lydia knew, he was the most human.

However no matter how he tried to copy, he would always be in the body of a longhaired gray cat, and so the more human he acted, the more strange it appeared.

“Miss Carlton, Mister Nico, would you please listen?”

P. 20

If the noble, handsome Edgar, who was sought-after from women throughout London society, seriously claimed that he was only interested in her, then she wouldn’t mind considering it.... But after she came to her senses now and recalled how she had desired so much from him for even a second, she realized how vain and dreaming she was.

Every person is born with what they could and could not do. We should all live within our own capacity. Living quietly with fairies was the best life for Lydia.

“No Miss, a married man’s philandering is like a disease. As long as you treat him with deep love, his sickness will be cured and he will come to love only his wife....” said Coblynau as he continued to pull Kelpie’s hair.

Something like that could only happen in a million years. Besides, why do I have to be the generous one?

“If you are worried about his adultery, then it is best that you return to the earl. Miss shouldn’t be the one cheating with a kelpie.”

“Hold on, that’s a good idea. Lydia, if you want to get back at the earl then I’ll help,” offered Kelpie.

“You don’t have to!”

“Then please return to London,” argued the coblynau.

“Hey, shortie, don’t stick your nose into other’s affairs. Lydia isn’t going back to London ever again.”

Kelpie picked up the coblynau. The mine fairy must have feared he would be eaten. The blood rushed out of his face and he fainted.

P. 21

“Oh Kelpie, don’t be mean to him.”

“Hey everyone, tea is ready!” yelled Lota.

Nico was the first one to jump down from the mailbox and ran to the door. Small fairies came bustling out from some bushes.

Even Coblynau awoke and jumped out of Kelpie’s hand to escape to tea.

“Human food isn’t really that filling,” murmured Kelpie as he also entered the house.

*

When he woke up in the morning, Paul Foreman saw a young man with brilliant golden hair standing before him.

“Good morning, Paul,” said the visitor.

If this man didn’t speak, people would think he was a sculpture.

He stood with his back straight and held a top hat and walking stick in his hand. He was a perfect example of beauty. His soft, gentle smile enhanced his perfectly carved face and there wasn’t a crease or wrinkle in his high-end slick suit.

But the background behind him was terrible. Why was he was standing in such a cluttered room?

Paul was a painter so his artistic sense couldn’t allow such a beautiful specimen to stand in such a filthy room.

Why is a noble like him in such a horrible place like this? No, maybe I’m still asleep. So Paul closed his eyes tightly, but when he opened to glance up to see the man’s mesmerizing ash-mauve eyes staring back at him, he finally realized that this man was the real life Lord Ashenbert.

“M-My Lord..., why are you..., no, I mean, forgive me for being dressed like this,”

P. 27

Paul jumped out of his bed covers.

Even if he stood up on his mattress, his naturally wavy hair was in a straggly mess and since he slept in the clothes he wore from the previous night out with his drunkard friends, he was in complete disorder.

“Since I didn’t get a reply at the door, I took the liberty and came inside. You didn’t lock the door so I was worried that you might be dead.”

Dead?! That opened up his eyes.

“Uhh, I’m terribly sorry to make you worry. I had a little too much to drink, and I returned at day-break and had been asleep all this time.”

“I see. You saved yourself by not being home last night. I heard there are some violent robbers breaking into homes recently, and there was a chance they were targeting you.”

P. 38

The girl didn’t stop crying as she nodded back to the earl’s question.

“Then would that mean your master is also a fairy?”

She shook her head, but it was unclear if she meant no or she couldn’t remember.

“My lord, I think it’s best to ask for Miss Carlton’s help.”

Paul didn’t become surprised when he’d see a real fairy now-a-days, but even if he was a painter who specialized on fairies, he wasn’t an expert about them.

He knew that the fairy doctor Lydia was taking a long holiday to enjoy Christmas in Scotland, but the end of the holiday was approaching.

“Are you saying that I call her back to work? Then no.”

“Huh, but why?”

“If its work, then the responsible Lydia would gladly return, but I don’t want that, I want her to return because she misses me.”

“But she hasn’t shown any signs of coming b..”

Paul nearly finished his sentence but clamped his mouth shut.

This was a man could have any woman he beckoned for, any girl would be dazzled if they spent a minute with him, but for some reason Lydia was the only girl who he couldn’t win over.

The earl was going around exclaiming that she was his lover, but they were anything but that.

P. 39

Paul wasn’t aware why the earl permitted her return to Scotland, but he wasn't using his usual forceful approach like go getting her himself ?but seemed to be planning his next move extremely carefully.

Paul felt cold sweat after remembering what happened when people pointed that out to him this past month. What followed was a ticked-off, bitter man.

He would fool everyone with a friendly smile at first but when he opened his mouth he unleashed cold, stinging remarks.

However at the moment, it didn’t look like his temper was sullen. He overlooked Paul’s comment.

“Anyway I’m on my way to meet Lydia. But I don’t want to talk about work.”

“So you finally decided to go and see her?”

Paul wanted to jump from joy.

“I received a report from my investigator that Lydia is heading to Mannor Island. Since it's one of my estates, she’s practically saying to me she wants to see me.”

He hired an investigator. That means he’s having someone report to him what she’s doing.

If she wasn’t the one who told him, then she must have no idea that the earl was planning to greet her.

In contrast, she might have not told him because she didn’t want to see him...

Paul didn’t have the courage to say that out loud.

“Then could you take along this young lady and have Miss Carlton talk to her?”

“I said I wasn’t going to take about work, didn’t I? Besides, what if Lydia misunderstands me bringing along another woman?”

P. 40

“Uh, then I will accompany you,” offered Paul.

“No. I’m going to spend some time alone with Lydia. I have to use this opportunity and make amends.”

It seemed like he could only become brave when he was walking on his own territory.

“Paul, until Lydia returns it’s your responsibility to look after this girl.”

“What, bu-but, she’s a fairy. How am I supposed to take care of a fairy?”

“I’ll leave that to you to figure out. Oh, it’s almost time for my train.”

The earl took out his pocket watch and checked the time with the happiest smile no one had seen for a month.

“Now then, make sure to take caution just in case Ulysses is still after you. You must hurry and pack your things. If you need anything, go to my head-maid Harriet, she will take care of the rest.”