p. 132

***

“Lydia, what are you reading?”

To the unexpected voice, Lydia slammed her book shut.

She hadn’t realized that someone had entered the room; the man who was standing by her side was the lord of this estate, Edgar Ashenbert.

P. 135

Lydia, who was a Fairy Doctor, was a girl hired by this man who had just recently attained the title of the Earl of Ibrazel (the fairy?world.)

It had only been a few months since she had come out of the?countryside in Scotland, and was now hired to help Edgar, who was completely?clueless when it came to fairies, by racking her brain on how the fairies who lived on his lands could coexist with humans in peace.

But putting that aside, Lydia constantly kept her guard up around?Edgar who was standing smiling pleasantly at her and then hid the book from his?sight by hiding it behind her.

“It’s nothing,” she said.

But the book was immediately taken away from her with one swift movement of his hand.

“A romance novel? Oh, so you read these kinds of books.”

“It isn’t mine. Someone dropped it here. I think one of the maids might have forgotten it.”

It was thought, nowadays, that it was improper for unmarried young women to be interested in the opposite sex. Lydia was aware that adults who had good common sense would frown at such things like this currently popular romance?novel.

But she also knew that it was very popular amongst young women.

Although she heard about it, because she spent more time with fairies than with people, she never had an opportunity to read the book.

That’s why she felt that it was even more improper to read it openly in front of others.

“Is it interesting?”

P. 136

“Huh? I-I don’t know. I flipped it open just now. Oh, someone might be looking for it, so I should hand it to Mr. Tomkins."

Lydia got it back from Edgar and tried to leave the room.

“Aren’t you curious? About if the two of them in were successful in their runaway?”

She stopped in her tracks.

Of course I’m curious. I just got to the scene when they?strengthened their resolve and promised to elope.

She was so engrossed in the story that she didn’t even notice that Edgar had entered the room.

But why did he know the plot of this book?

“Isn’t eloping dramatic? Even if they’re opposed by everyone?around them, don’t you think it means that they lived up to their love? It?proves how strong their bond was to each other.”

He wore a finely tailored flock coat with a silk necktie pinned?down with a sparkling yellow crystal. That man narrowed his ash mauve eyes and?peered over to Lydia with them. A strand of his shining blond hair dangled down?onto his forehead.

If an aristocratic with a handsome face like that smiled in front of a woman, even Lydia couldn’t help but for her heartbeat to beat rapidly.

“Wouldn’t you dream of something like this?”

P. 137

“Huh?”

“It’s really is a lot of work to make an elopement successful. There will be an even more difficult trial awaiting the two of them. If they were to fail...”

“Huh, what happens?”

“If it were me, I’d definitely succeed. Would you like to take a try?”

Edgar had his hands on her shoulders before she had realized it but Lydia snapped back to her senses.

“...You sure know a lot with what goes on in the book, don’t you? So the one who must have left it here..”

“If only you would become a little bit more curious about love; I thought you might understand how wounded my feelings would were.”

She gapped at him with her mouth wide open.

“But do try to read the rest of it. Once you know how such a?passionate love ends, then you might want to try and elope with me.”

“I would never want to elope, and never with you!” Lydia pinched the hand that was on her shoulder with all her strength.

It was normal for Edgar to always treat her like he was playing with her.

He’d treat Lydia like his lover and try to sway her by speaking sweet words to you, but she thought of it as something more like his?habit.

P. 138

It was in his nature to make advances towards women who he met, regardless of who it was. It wasn’t as if he seriously thought Lydia as?special.

She was fully aware of that, but Lydia couldn’t help but be swayed?around by what he said.

Like hell he would feel wounded.

Besides, Edgar wasn’t a man who was as serious and loyal like the hero in the story.

Lydia yelled out at him to stop joking around with her and pushed him away.

But I’m still a little curious the ending was...

Anyways, today is Sunday. I don’t need to commute to work to the earl house, which means it’s my day-off, so that I don’t have to see Edgar’s?face.

And yet why do I have to remember what went on between Edgar and I even though I’m here at home.

Lydia stood up to try to shake away the sight his face that filled?her head.

She happened to see Nico come in from the window.

Nico was a fairy who had the form of a cat. He jumped down onto the floor and stood up on his hind feet, putting his paw on his hip and looked up at Lydia.

“Hey Lydia, there’s a strange trespasser?in front of the window.”

Nico, who was her friend, pointed with his fluffy gray tail?instead of gesturing with his hand.

P. 139

Beckoned, Lydia looked down to the ground from the window in her room, and saw that the crouching figure leaning against the wall of her house?was a pale-faced man.

But that wasn’t what Nico meant as strange. It was the one who was by the man, that figure had long, flowing hair and wore clothing that dragged?along the ground; it was a white-colored woman whose body appeared to be?transparent and floating in the air.

With fingers that were more colorless than white, she was stroking the crouching man’s cheek lovingly.

“..A fairy?”

Even if it was the kind of fairies who couldn’t normally be seen by people, they showed up clearly with Lydia’s yellowish green eyes.

She leaned over the windowsill to try to get a better look, but the fairy vanished like a cloud.

Lydia rushed out of her room, sprung down the stairs and out the front door, and when she got outside, she approached the man who was crouched?down on the side of the street.

It was a young man who was crouched down, looking sick in the face with cold sweat pouring out of him.

"Excuse me, are you all right?"

"Ah, I'm fine. I just felt dizzy all of a sudden," said the man?under a groan with his eyes opening just slightly.

He wore a dark red flock coat which seemed a bit on the gaudy side, but maybe?because of his kind androgynous face, he didn't give off any indecent impression.

"This house here happens to be my family’s, so you could come in to take?a rest. Staying here on the stones is awfully cold, isn't it? It won't?make you any better."

P. 140

He still showed a bit of hesitation, but the man eventually nodded and used the wall to steady himself up.

The man's name was Lloyd.

After drinking a sip of the mint tea she offered, that must have calmed him down and?he breathed a sigh in

relaxation.

"Thank you, you really saved me. I'm so lucky to have been rescued by?such a nice young lady."

"Even if it wasn't me, it would be normal to help others in need."

"Here in London, even if someone was extremely sick on the road, people would first be?suspicious of such a stranger."

Being reminded that, she realized that she might have been too careless. It was Sunday but?her father, who is a scholar in Gemology, was out of the house on his rounds to gather gem stones.

But Mr. Lloyd still looked so tired that he couldn't stand up, and when he?smiled, he gave a completely harmless impression and didn't look dangerous at all.

"Haven't you been feeling sick like this for a while now?"

He looked at her curiously.

"Yes, actually I did. How could you guess?that?"

The ghostly figure she got a peek at early, that was definitely the cause of his problem.

For now, there was a hobgoblin in this house so no other new fairy?could come in.

P. 141

P. 142

Lloyd was starting to look better now, probably because he was away from?the influence of that fairy.

But if she were to suddenly tell him that he was possessed by a fairy, he would be sure to think she was crazy.

Even now, there were fairies who lived alongside human as their neighbors, but times were coming into the middle of the

19thcentury, and there were no longer any people who believed in their existence.

But Lydia was a fairy doctor. It was her job to solve problems?between humans and fairies, so she could only tell him the truth.

“Your life source is being sucked away by a fairy.” It wasn’t?Lydia, but Nico who suddenly spoke out, as he lay on the sofa pretending to be?a cat.

As Nico was looked at from Lloyd like he wanted to believe it was his just imagination; Nico sat up straight on the sofa.

Just like a human, Nico smartly crossed his hind legs and proudly leaned back against the backrest and after fixing his necktie with his front paws, he grinned up at Lloyd.

“..A-a cat talked..?”

“I’m not a cat.”

“Uh, Mr. Lloyd, he’s actually a fairy. And uh, so..”

“If you were able to figure out that I was the one talking so quickly, that’s because you’re possessed by the fairy and that puts you halfway?into the land of the dead. It means you’re also tied to the fairy realm.”

P. 143

“What do you mean I’m possessed by a fairy..?” asked the confused Lloyd, but it looked like he had accepted that Nico talked.

“The fairy is a beautiful woman. Mr. Lloyd, does that sound?familiar to you?”

He suddenly covered his face with his hands like he just remembered something.

“Now that I think about it.., but that was a dream.... I always see the same dream. There’s a beautiful woman with me, and she would say she loves me....”

“That would definitely be a Leanan sídhe. They are a fairy that becomes the spiritual lover of a human being and slowly drains them of their life force.”

“Then what’s going to happen to me?”

Lydia couldn’t answer right away as she was hesitant if she should tell him that he wouldn’t have that much time left.

Leanan sídhes were said to grant the human who became their lover a godly and inspirational talent in the arts. There could have been a number of renowned artists who had Leanan sídhes as their lovers and even though they met an early death, they left behind many marvelous pieces of art.

Even so, this lover was only a nuisance for men who had no?interest in the arts.

“Human, didn’t you accept the Leanan sídhe as your lover?” If you didn’t then the fairy should have moved on and wouldn’t appear before you,” said Nico again.

“Accepted..., but this was in a dream. If a man was approached by a beautiful woman, uh, well, it would be like being condoled when you’re depressed.”

P. 144

It seemed like he had accepted the proposal of?love from theLeanan sídhe. Although one could say it was very difficult for a normal human being to be able to refuse a fairy’s charm.

“Then all that’s left for you is to just live happily ever after with the fairy. Your life will be filled with total bliss, even though it’ll be a short one.”

All the blood drained from the man’s face, and he slumped down with an even more sick face than when they first saw him.

However, it was Lydia’s nature to not pass-by people who were in trouble with fairies.

*

“Mr. Lloyd is an employee of the cigarette shop on Kings Way. There is?no mistake that he is the man that is approaching the lady Norma of the Browser?family.”

Edgar, who arrived home, listened to Raven’s report who sent Lloyd home, and made a crease in his brow.

At Lydia’s house, when he heard the name Lloyd and remembered the story that Browser told him the other day, he had a bad feeling.

First of all, this with this man named Lloyd, and his acquaintance with the nub of the problem daughter was because he was squatting down in front of her house from not feeling well, which was exactly the same in Lydia’s case.

P. 150

Lydia’s?family, the Carltons, were not particular wealthy, but looking from society in?general they would appear to live in comfortable well-to-do circumstances. For?this man who was aiming to marry with a daughter from a wealthy family, there?was a possibility that she would become the next target in case he failed with?the Browser daughter.

“Thank god I stopped by Lydia’s house. That feeling of?wanting to see her must have been me sensing the danger she was in.”

“....Surely.”

Raven, who gave his responses with a blank look, knew that Edgar was listed on the blacklist at Lydia’s house.

It means that compared to the possibly sick Lloyd, Edgar, who came when the man of the house was absent, was actually the more dangerous?visitor.

Even the housekeeper had been checking in the room while he was enjoying a happy moment talking with Lydia in the drawing room to make?sure nothing was amiss.

“Raven, did you make sure and tell Lloyd that Lydia already has a man like me?”

“Yes.”

“Just to be safe, Lydia needs to be told to not get involved with Lloyd.”

“I’m to tell her?”

P. 151

“If I said it, then it’ll only sound like I’m jealous.”

“It sounds like jealousy.”

Although his emotions were still underdeveloped, he was sharp sometimes.

“...Raven, it looks like you still can’t tell the difference?between jealousy and the deep love I have for thinking what’s best for her.”

He, who humbled himself earnestly, wasn’t able to distinguish that which was his master’s sophistry.

*

The next day, Lydia came to work to the Earl house, and hearing that Edgar was no present, thought she would be able to spend the morning calmly.

When Edgar is around, she couldn’t make good progress in her work, and when he periodically had his schedule open, that was a disaster. All day, Lydia would become his playmate.

Of course Lydia wasn’t aware that it wasn’t that Edgar happened to have nothing in his schedule but he was opening his schedule to spend time with her.

Anyway, if he’s not here that was convenient.

Lydia looked over to Raven who was bringing her tea.

P. 152

“Excuse me, Raven but didn’t you drive Mr. Lloyd home yesterday? Could you tell me where his house is?”

She was worried about Lloyd who was still possessed by the Leanan sídhe.

From her observation yesterday, she was sure Raven had said?something to Lloyd by Edgar’s order, and although Lloyd didn’t come to see?Lydia, at this rate, he won’t be safe.

“I cannot tell you,” responded Raven in a rigid tone.

So Edgar ordered him this too.

“Why is that? He is someone I am helping.”

“I think its best to not get involved with him. He made rumors?with women that are not pleasant to the ears.”

He did have the looks and aura that could make women warm up to him; but.

“Does your master have the right to judge the rumors of other women? And besides its not like I’m curious about him in that way, I’m just worried about him as a Fairy Doctor. He’s possessed by a fairy sprite!”

“Lord Edgar only wishes that Miss Carlton doesn’t get hurt out of his deep love for you.”

His reply was so dignified which could mean that Edgar had taught him to lie in order to camouflage.

And because she could guess that, Lydia became furious.

P. 153

“Where in that man is any deep love? And besides, the fact that he didn’t take you with him when it’s morning proves that he’s off playing with a woman!”

It must have been the truth, as Raven was silent for a few?seconds, and quickly said “He was busy,” and played ignorant.

Busy? But being Edgar’s valet was his job.

“Why does he not like that I’m around other men so much? I am not his possession!”

“..Excuse me.”

The young man whisked out of the room, he must be taking precaution so that he wouldn’t widen the tear in his story any further.

So he was with a woman.

Lydia became even more enraged.

Lloyd is a poor man that’s been enchanted by a fairy. I can’t let Edgar get in my way!

Lydia’s zeal must have worked, because Lloyd unexpectedly came to pay a visit to Lydia’s house.

P. 154

“Ah Miss Carlton, it was just as you said. A fairy appeared!”he cried out, as soon as he saw her. He looked to be in frantic distress, and?seemed like he rushed here as soon as he was done working.

“Uh, please calm down. Let’s talk inside, please come in,”said Lydia trying to calm him down and invited him into the drawing room. He had more strength in the way of his walk but still had a white tired expression on his face.

“Oh yes, I’m sorry about the last time. Did the servant of the Earl Ashenbert say something threatening to you?”

But he didn’t seem to be scared at all, and as if he had forgotten about such a thing as he tilted his head.

“Oh yes, right, right. I was told that if I played any tricks on you, I would be made into a stuffed animal and put on display at the British Museum. He has quite a good sense of humor.”

Humor? She was sure that half of it was serious.

“The Earl must have special feelings for you. But there should be no need for him to be jealous of me just because you treat him?coldly.”

His tone didn’t sound sarcastic, so he was either bold, or?insensitive.

If Edgar were to hear this, Lloyd wouldn’t be pardoned with by being made into a stuffed animal.

But whatever anybody said, Lydia was the only one Lloyd could rely on after he became aware that he was possessed by a fairy.

P. 155

He must have had no time to spare worrying about the threats from the Earl.

“More importantly Miss Carlton, the fairy! I was trying not to sleep yesterday but she appeared again. Even if I hid in the closet, she’d pass right through the door. What should I do?!”

Not giving time even to sit down in a chair, as soon as he entered the room Lloyd went back to the topic.

Lydia decided that they wouldn’t have time for gossip so she also replied.

“I thought about it but what would be best to ward off the Leanan sídhe would to get married. I recall that you said you were a bachelor.”

“Yes, but..marriage?” There was confusion swirling in Lloyd’s?pleading eyes.

Even though there was no other option, Lydia gave a deep sigh thinking it over. Getting married wasn’t something that could be done at first thought.

“So there isn’t any other way?”

“There are cases when the Leanan sídhe would shift their attention to another man, but I’m sure we can’t wait for that to happen? What’s definitely?sure is that they only attached to bachelors.”

Slumping down, he pondered over that in his head.

P. 156

“I’m sure the biggest problem would be a marriage candidate.”

“Actually there is a woman I’m in love with. But her family won’t approve of our marriage..”

*

Mr. Browser watched satisfyingly as his daughter Norma was invited by the Earl Ashenbert and was leaving to go out happily.

For his introverted daughter whose only hobby was horse riding, it seems she finally understood that a man from the aristocracy would willingly go along with her hobby.

With Lloyd, he was sure he never even rode a horse.

P. 161

In his eyes, it looked like Norma was surrendering to the Earl’s charm. Of course she would. The Earl was much more suited for his daughter than that a greedy man like Lloyd.

“I wonder what the Earl thinks of Norma. Have you heard of?anything?”

Browser asked Norma’s governess who just appeared before him.

“He spoke of her as an honest and pure young lady.”

“Does that mean we have a chance?”

“She is a lady that I educated. There is no gentleman that?wouldn’t be pleased with her,” she replied proudly. Of course that’s true,?thought Browser.

“But the Earl has so many female acquaintances.”

“All of them are just playmates. It doesn’t look like there is one to make him consider marriage.” Once she cuts off her train of speech, the governess meaningfully lowered her voice. “Although, there is one, I hear that he is courting a young woman the same age as my lady.”

“Is that true?”

“It’s only a rumor, but it’s the daughter of a professor that the Earl deeply admires, and she was even written in the gossip papers as his true love. But she isn’t from the high society, so I don’t think he’s?serious.”

The governess said so, but the part about her being the same age as Norma, was a worry for Browser.

P. 162

The Earl Ashenbert had only recently arrived aback in England, and as?he lived overseas for a long period, he didn’t seem to priority the family?background to his marriage partner. And, if it was a daughter from a family who?had ties with the Earl, then it isn’t a terrible difference in their social?class to make it hard for marriage.

“What is that woman’s name?”

“I think it was Miss Carlton.”

Browser snapped up and darted his eyes to the table beside him.

All the letters addressed to Normal were first sent to him, her father. Of course that was because he planned to slip out the letters that were from Lloyd.

There was an unfamiliar addressee’s name on one of the letters in the pile, but since it looked like the name of a woman, he thought it may be a new friend of Norma’s.

Once again he picked up that letter.

The addressee’s name was Lydia Carlton.

He didn’t hesitate to cut open the seal. In it, there was a letter from Lloyd asking Normal to meet him.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Did Lloyd have some kind of ulterior motive by approaching this girl who was acquainted with the Earl?

It would have been great if Lloyd would just give up on Norma and go off with this girl on a runaway wedding or something, he thought, and was about to rip the letter, when he stopped to think it over.

P. 163

Maybe this could be useful. I’ll go to the meeting place of the letter and see Lloyd, thought Browser.

*

It wasn’t long for Lloyd to come to Lydia’s residence, who completely believed that his letter arrived safely to the hands of Miss Norma, to report that she agreed to his plan to elope.

Even through all of this, Lloyd was still getting drained of his life force by the fairy; the quicker the marriage the better.

Hearing that their departure was tomorrow night, Lydia breathed a deep sigh of relief for now. All that was left was to watch over and hope that the elopement of the two were successful. Of course she did want to answer to Lloyd’s hope as he thought that Lydia’s assistance was absolutely necessary.

That day, Lydiamade up her mind and sneaked into Edgar’s study. She wanted to look for the romance novel from earlier to get information that might help Lloyd’s elopement. As she searched the shelves of the bookcase, she quickly spotted the familiar blue book cover.

She was relieved as she gripped the cover to pull it out from the shelf, but as soon as she yanked it out all the books that were on the same shelf came falling out like an avalanche.

P. 164

“Ahhh!”

Lydia jumped back in surprise and at the spot where her feet were, a small pile of books came crashing down. Lydia stood in shock and disbelief but then came the number one voice that she didn’t want to hear.

“Welcome to my study.”

It was Edgar, who was supposed to be gone and not in the house.

Lydia panicked at being discovered of her entry into his study without permission.

“Uh, I’m so sorry, I..., I had just barely touched it. Umm, I?couldn’t help it, the door was open a crack...”

“If it was you, then you’re always welcome to come into my study, or my bedchamber.”

As he had approached her, he must have noticed the book that was in Lydia’s hands. He smiled with a grin like he found something signifying.

“That was booby-trapped so when you pull that book out, the rest of them come falling out all at once.”

Huh?

“..For what purpose?”

“In the case you become interested in eloping, I thought that you would naturally be curious as to what happens in the rest of the story.”

“Wh-what are you thinking?!”

“So, if I heard a loud commotion, I could arrive at the scene of the crime immediately and catch you.”

P. 165

Catch me?!

Lydia felt like he compared her to some wild bird caught in a trap. He walked right up to her and she tried to back away but he only cornered her into the bookcase.

“Who are you casting for your eloping partner?”

He spoke in a deep, melting voice to her, as he played with?Lydia’s reddish-brown hair, twirling around with his finger.

“You have to say me, or I won’t let you borrow that book.”

“I have no interest in eloping. A friend, yes, my friend is?thinking about eloping, so I thought I should know the process so that I could?think of anyway I could do to help.”

Edgar’s expression suddenly became very forbidding.

“You didn’t happen to meet Lloyd again did you?”

Why did he know?!

“It doesn’t matter to you. I decided I’m going to celebrate his?marriage. That’s right, Mr. Lloyd loves a woman who he is seriously considering to marry. You surely did talk bad of him, but he isn’t that bad of a?person.”

“Lydia, if a man said he had a lover then most women would let?their guard down. You can’t fall into a trap set by a man who says that he isn’t doing well in his relationship and tries to be alone with you seeking for your advice.”

“Tha-that’s something only someone like you would think up!”

P. 166

“I’m worried. You’re so soft-hearted and so kind to others, I’m worried you might be deceived by a bad man.”

There is no more of a bad man than you.

“You look at yourself. Why don’t you stop tricking young?women?”

“I’m not tricking anybody.”

“Fine, then the marriage arrangement between the daughter you’ve been seeing for a while must be going well, congratulations.”

Saying her fill, Lydia slipped past him. But he rushed to grab Lydia’s?arm with a worried expression.

“Wait, I don’t know who you heard it from, but there’s no such marriage arrangement.”

“The maids here were rumoring about it. An impressive gentleman came here directly with a gracious dowry, asking you to take his daughter’s hand in marriage, didn’t he? And so that’s why you’ve been seeing that daughter every day now.”

“You’re wrong, I was just asked to cheer up a daughter of an?acquaintance of mine. I already told them that I have someone I have serious?feelings for...”

“Oh, I didn’t know you had someone like that.”

“Lydia.”

He looked unusually troubled which made Lydia feel victorious.

“But telling a lady that you have a lover, is just a step in?trying to win her down, right? Then, good luck.”

P.167

For Lydia who was always being talked down, she thought she was successfully able to counter-argue with him.

Shutting the door forcefully, she exited the study refreshed but once she returned to her office, she suddenly felt her anger rising.

He really is such a womanizer.

But I wonder if it’s a real marriage arrangement.

It wouldn’t be any surprise for Edgar, who was now an Earl, to have however many marriage arrangements lined up before him. No matter what kind of sweet talk he threw at her, Lydia didn’t think that she had a special attraction that could win against an aristocrat’s daughter.

And thinking those things in her head, the more and more she?thought about it, she wasn’t feeling any bit refreshed but for some reason?started to become depressed.

More importantly, she needed to learn a bit more about eloping. Lydiasoftly opened the book.

On a shining moon night, the two of them slipped out of their homes and meet up with each other. From there, their long escape journey began.

The carriage pulled by four horses galloped across the town?streets.

How many more miles is there till we reach Scotland? The pursuing party that followed them to break them apart slowly crept up behind them in their carriage.

By engrossing herself in the story, Lydia tried to take her mind away from her depressed feelings.

P. 168

*

It’s unbelievable how soft-hearted Lydia is to want to help out on an elopement, mumbled Nico, as he slipped through the fence. Getting down on all

fours pretending to be a feline, he passed by -->>

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