Hakushaku to Yousei Vol 3 Chapter 4

P. 125

“I showed him. He was earnestly admiring it, but that was all.”

“It could just be coincidental.”

Edgar mulled over if the threatening letter from the ‘Scarlet Moon’ ordering him to hand over the earl family sword and the fact that Paul wanted to take a look at it. 

When he was young, he was simple-minded and easily believed what people told him and was a young man whose face immediately showed what he was thinking. 

P. 126

Edgar believed that that part of him hadn’t changed, but who knows.

Large organizations would be the Freemasons and Rosicrucians. There were some nobles and educated scholars who held a seat in them. People from the outside only saw them as mysterious and severely creepy, and it was whispered in the shadows that they were plotting something unimaginable, but in truth, their anti-social sense of purpose was slim. 

If the ‘Scarlet Moon’ was a Robin Hood gang, then they would be heroes in the lower-parts of society. However, they only targeted dirty money that was connected to Prince. Which would mean, for someone who had a seat in that organization, they didn’t see themselves as committing a crime, but more like they were fighting for their ideal. 

“The information we have on him so far is he was born in Kanata, his parents divorced when he was young and although he had been living with his mother, when she passed away he came back to England and taken in by his father and painter Andrew Foreman. While he was attending art school, his father retired from painting and is currently living in Dover. Since then, Paul has been living by himself in London. He is known as a person with good conduct and there are no bad rumors about him from the school he went to or his neighborhood and is dedicated in his artwork.”

P. 127 

Raven saw that and stopped and silently waited for his master to speak.

“There is no information about that in my investigation. If it was a painting signed by Mister Foreman, then there are a number of them, but none of them with O’neill.”

But according to Edgar’s memory, his father was known as a painter by the name O’neill.

If a painter named O’neill existed and if he was the real painter that Edgar’s father had hired to make paintings for his house, then Paul, who was suppose to be O’neill’s son, would currently be assuming a false name.

“Understood.”

“Just as Lord Edgar had said, after I went around to a number of secondhand stores, there was someone who came to sell a violin.”

But Edgar imagined that if he lost four of his fingers, then he wouldn’t be able to play his violin any more.

“Yes. There was a scar on it that I made when I fought with him. Only, the one who came to sell it was a fat, black-beard man, so he must have been asked to go sell it or something like that.”

“Yes. All I found out was that he was dressed-well and wore a ring that had a red stone on it. That was all the store owner could remember.”

“Since it was a secondhand store, the owner was quite familiar with gemstones and so was curious if it was a red moonstone.”

“Lord Edgar, is there a red-colored moonstones?”

P. 129

As Edgar said that, he had a feeling like he saw a red moonstone somewhere recently.

There were sure to be a number of them that were stoutly built and black-haired.

Raven opened the window and a gray-haired cat slipped into the room.

“Hello there, Nico, did you need something?”

The cat that jumped up onto the sofa meowed his complaint as he leaned down onto it in a high and mighty attitude. Because he would act like that, he didn’t seem like a cat.

“Raven, is Lydia still modeling for Paul?”

“Look what time it is. Tell him to let her go home already.”

“I happened to hear that Mister artist might be a spy? On top of that, he might be connected to that dance instructor from that incident?”

“Is it safe to let a man like that get near Lydia.”

Nico moved his neck, like he was saying what a bother. 

“Nico, are you perhaps talking like a human?”

His feline-like cry sounded like he was doing it on purpose.

“Hey, do you think that Lydia trusts Paul more than me?”

“Could she like him more than me.”

“…..Would she be hurt if he was a spy.”

“That’s why, Nico, you should advise Lydia that she should choose me. And while you are at it, you should let her know about Paul’s bad side. Isn’t it a good idea?”

Edgar grabbed ahold of Nico by the scruff of his neck while he was still talking.

Raven came into the room that Paul was using to paint his art, and reminded him that it was late which made him rush to put down his brush.

Although, Lydia was also thinking about something so she lost track of time as well. She was trying to think of a way to deal with the problem between the fairies once the ‘moon’ ring came off.

P. 133

But in the end, she couldn’t come up with anything, and so Lydia knocked on the door of Edgar’s office so that she could go home. Because she asked Raven and he told her that Nico was there.

“Nico, what happened?”

There was a chair and lamp table that was lying on the floor on their side, probably from Nico who knocked them over while he was struggling to get away, and Edgar was still sitting down with those in between him and Lydia and gave her a smirk.

“I was just playing with him.”

“I said I’m not a cat, but he treated me like a bloody feline!”

“I couldn’t help it! This cat body would naturally respond….”

“Don’t be stupid! You bloody moron! Listen good, don’t ever touch me, pet me and make me purr!”

P. 134

But to be able to anger Nico who hates to be treated like a cat that much, must mean.

“I’m confident in how to handle women too.”

His fierce flirtatious attacks that had been dying down recently. But, by the time Lydia was feeling dangerous, Edgar was already standing right in front of her and obstructed Lydia from being able to move to go home.

Why. Weren’t you tired of me already?

“Yes, today, I also had sort of forgotten how much time flew by.”

“……Yes, I guess so. He brought up many things to talk about so that I wouldn’t grow bored.”

He sure was questioning today.

“What is that?”

P. 135

“Paul gave it to me. As thanks for being his model.”

“An iris, huh. That flower’s message is the message of love. So it is a love letter to you.”

“What would you do if you were wrong?”

Or rather, I said I was so happy and accepted it gladly.

Huh? What does that mean…..?

He saw her. How she acted on the night of the ball.

Even Lydia didn’t know that. But for some reason she suddenly felt suffocated and unbearable.

P. 136

“It doesn’t matter to you who I like. You said you would back down.”

“What?”

“You lie so easily like that, that’s why I can’t trust you.”

“Enough already, move aside.”

“But, you, you always forgive me. It was like that from the start. When you found out that I was a thief, you forgave me for trying to deceiving you. Because of how you were like that, I want you by my side. The crimes I committed won’t disappear, but if you wouldn’t run out on me, then I feel like I am forgiven for living with the earl name.”

“You know about the rotten part of me. But you also understand the circumstances that left me no choice but to be that, right? This is how I really am, my true self that you said you didn’t hate. From now on, I’m sure there will be secrets that I would have to carry on that I can’t open up to anyone, but only you accepted my feelings with sincerity which I thought only my comrades who went through the same experience as me would understand. Couldn’t just that be a reason for me to think of you as special? Do you consider this as not serious and a lie too?”

P. 137

“Even if it isn’t a lie, it isn’t serious.”

“There isn’t serious love anywhere in you. The only thing that takes up your heart isn’t women but your nemesis. Even if I was able to be useful by soothing and comforting your heart, it isn’t love. It’s just me being useful.”

Even Lydia had learned her lesson a little. He would cleverly say anything in order to obtain what he thought was needed for him. 

“Couldn’t this be friendship? I’m fine if I can be of any use. Even I am able to do work as a fairy doctor thanks to you. If we can be considerate and thoughtful to each other as friends, then we shouldn’t need anything more than that. I want to believe that you aren’t just using me as a simple useful tool.”

P. 138

“That goes against my principle. It’s over when a man to be friends by a woman.”

Because of things like that about you, I’m not able to trust you more and more. 

She had the feeling like he suddenly changed to a bad mood or more like he was furious. 

But the tone of his voice that he hushed down to a whisper was a meltingly-sweet one.

“A-about what….?”

She suddenly felt like she wanted to cry.

“…..Like I said, it isn’t like that with Paul.”

If I knew, I wouldn’t have wanted him to refrain himself. Since she had let her guard down, now she was cornered.

“Is the reason you don’t open up because you were confessed by the extended part of a game when you were young?”

“……It’s not like I’m scared of falling in love. I did fall in love once, although it was my one-sided feelings. But, it’s impossible for love to happen between us. Because, if I were to love you, you would be troubled. Think about it, you would be troubled if I were to become serious and be completely enamored about you and follow you around, wouldn’t you? I would be in the way even more once a marriage was brought up between a noble’s daughter. However you look at it, there is no way you would sincerely accept a woman who grew serious about you when she doesn’t suit you. That’s why, if I was treated coldly, I might sell off your secrets to the tabloids in revenge. That itself wouldn’t be any good for you at all.”

See, I thought so. 

“If you understand, then get out of my way.”

It isn’t disappointment.

Because to that boy, Lydia wasn’t a human, but more like a fairy friend.

Since friends in your dreams aren’t real, she was someone who he was able to easily open up his troubles with.

And yet she misinterpreted that and troubled him.

If she were to be frightened of something, it would be to be influenced and disordered by lies.

P. 141

“It isn’t that I don’t want to be disappointed, I just don’t want to mistake the distance that should be between me….”

She realized that Edgar was inching closer to Lydia.

He whispered in a hush to her as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Lydia felt pressed up against the wall and couldn’t budge.

She tried to push him away but he grabbed that arm of hers and pressed his lips on her wrist right in front of her eyes.

“Uh, my lord,”

Lydia felt saved and relieved, but that was only for a moment, as Edgar’s eyes remained fixed onto her and calmly replied as he caressed her hair like he was playing with it.

Huh, Huuhhh?

“I’m just having an in-depth chat with Lydia.”

She wanted to cry out to Paul to wait, but since a pair of ash mauve eyes were right in front of her, she hesitated to open her mouth.

“But, Lydia is trembling, my lord.”

Edgar made a deep frown. His face wasn’t one that looked like he was in outrage, but more saddened and painful.

“What a gallant knight. It looks like he came to rescue you.”

“You’re free to go home. Our chat is over.”

Lydia returned to her house in a dazed state, then dashed into her room and sat down onto her bed without even turning on the lamp light.

She felt like there was still Edgar’s warmth was still lingering on her shoulders and hair.

Even if she screamed out loud, she couldn’t shake it off.

And for some reason, he seemed a in a bad mood.

Edgar just didn’t like the fact of a woman who was by his side to become friendly with another man.

But Paul didn’t have the feelings for Lydia that Edgar could make a fuss and be angered over.

Paul escorted Lydia to the carriage parked in front of the entrance door as she was still trembling and said to her without hiding his righteous indignation.

P. 144

Of course, it wasn’t like Lydia couldn’t make a run for it because he brought up their relationship of the difference in their social position and the fact that she was hired by him. To begin with, she didn’t see Edgar as an earl when he was suspicious from the first place and continued to talk to him like an equal. 

Like he didn’t want Edgar to be a man who would force his way on a pure young woman ranked below him by any mistake.

Which means, the reason he was being kind towards Lydia, could perhaps be he saw her as a woman who was specially treated by Edgar?

“Oi, Lydia, aren’t you going to eat dinner?”

However, Lydia’s mood didn’t recover. She held her knees as she sat on her bed and replied “I’m not hungry.”

In the carriage on their way home, he asked Lydia who didn’t speak a word ‘if she was also petted around by the earl?’ which made her temper grew worse and so she tied a not in his tail. That must have been why he wasn’t approaching her.

Wasn’t he going to offer to cheer her up? Lydia grew tired and angry at everything.

“Hey there, I heard you won’t have dinner, did you eat something and upset your stomach?”

Lydia hoped that he would have gotten food poisoning and went off running back to his country home as she replied to him.

P. 146

“Geesh, it took me hours to get the poison out of me. It wouldn’t take time at all if I were in the Highland waters, as the waters here are polluted.”

Even if he had a human form, he still was tall and had a strong build, but he cleverly slipped his body through the small window. He leaned up against the window sill and set his seductive eyes at Lydia.

“Were you diving in the Thames River?”

Guessing from the direction he was pointing to, it must be Hyde Park. If she recalled, it had quite a large lake.

“Why are you in a bad mood? Ahh, is it that. The time of the month when human females grow most irritated….”

“Don’t get so grumpy. I’ll give you something good.”

He held out his fist faced up in front of Lydia’s eyes as she made a frown and opened his hand.

“What, a chick? How adorable….”

“I found it.”

“In a barn shed in the outskirts of the city.”

“…..You ate there.”

Even Kelpie needed to eat. And yet, ever since he got to know Lydia, he had been refraining from eating people, so in a way, he could be quite faithful.

“It’s too small. It’s too much work to try to take out its organs.”

“How does it feel?”

Most likely, he had a difficult time understanding how it felt to love and tenderly cherish another creature.

“You don’t feel like you want to eat it.”

“Hmmm, so it’s the same as this.”

Am I something like a chick?

And this kelpie wanted to keep that kind of small, weak creature by his side so he must really be strange and different as a waterhorse.

“Boring? Aren’t waterhorses not as talkative as you are?”

P. 149

He put his arm around Lydia’s shoulder in a friendly manner.

If it were Edgar, she would never be able to remain this quiet and still.

What humans were thinking was hard for Lydia to understand, but she could tell what a fairy was thinking. At the least, she knew that if Kelpie deceive Lydia in order to eat her, he would use his magic than words or behavior.

Lydia knew that he wasn’t thinking of anything under this attitude of wanting to cheer her up and so she was able to remain relieved.

Oh, yes, he really says it like its nothing.

She had her father. She had the dream of wanting to carry on after her mother as a fairy doctor. She still thinks that there are many wonderful, great things in the human world. 

Even she thought so.

“You’d get tired dealing with humans. All fairy doctors do. Even if they were human, they are close to fairies. And humans can’t see fairies, so as long as there are no problems, they are quick to forget about fairies, and their appreciation towards fairy doctors. From long ago, I hear that there are many fairy doctors who leave the human realm and live in the fairyland.”

Did she have to continue living in the human realm not able to fit-in since her ties with fairies were so strong.

But her mother had her father. That’s why she spent her whole life in the human world. 

She wondered if some day, she was going to give up with the human world and go to the fairy realm.

For a immortal fairy, a few decades was indeed no time at all, but for a human, it was quite a lifetime.

When she was touched by the water fairy, she felt wrapped in a slightly cold but clear and pure presence.

He was a waterhorse that possessed a ferocious quality to him, but since they only lived in clean water, they are said to have the power to clean and purify the waters. That’s why the rivers and lochs they lived in were praised for being filled with clear waters and the people and animals were indebted to their favor.

Then, she thought she shouldn’t be upset when something upsetting happened or she was burdened with a trouble or made mistakes in the human world.

“You actually are quite a good fellow.”

P. 152

If you looked at them individually, it was clear that Edgar was the worse of the two. 

Edgar was the two sides that he went wave around in was extremely different. He was aware of that himself as he periodically made a disturbed, painful expression, and so, at those kinds of times, Lydia saw him, who was usually arrogant, the same as the little chickling in the palm of her hand. 

But he said that he didn’t need friends. He claimed that he needed Lydia, and yet in truth, he might just be joking around and thinking of her only as someone to play around with to pass the time.

The one who knocked on her room door was her father who had just arrived home. 

 “Oh, no, father, it was just a fairy. It’s gone now.”

“Yes….., I wasn’t that hungry. But, maybe I could take a few bites. Since you are at the table."

The hard-working hobgoblins immediately came out and surrounded the little creature. 
“Please look after this little one.”

Paul pointed out that Lydia was trembling and he didn’t back down at that time. 

Which means, Paul is indeed unrelated to the “Scarlett Moon?”

As Edgar was fumbling that over in his head, he quickly overwhelmed with self-hate and let out a sigh.

Raven, who was sitting near the door, looked over to him as he asked.

He wanted to organize his thoughts on if Paul was connected to the Robin Hood gang, but however much he started a new train of thought, the image of Lydia’s face would pop up. 

He felt remorse for making Lydiatremble in his arms, but Edgar had sensed the presence of Paul near at that time, and in order to see how he would move, he purposefully didn’t let Lydia go.

There was a cold side of him who was calculating Lydia’s worth and an emotional part of him who was just seeking for Lydia.

“Raven, there’s no doubt that I’m using Lydia for my benefit, and yet I wonder why I don’t want her to think that I am.”

“Like, I’m deeply in love with her so I don’t want to let her go at all costs.”

That’s why I’m troubled, thought Edgar as he crossed his arms. No matter how much he said that, Lydia wouldn’t believe him. 

“Yes, I don’t want to let her go at all.”

“If I’m deeply in love? The problem is if everything would turn out wonderful if that were seriously the case, then I can get serious.”

“But, Lydia wouldn’t approve of that kind of seriousness.”

“I’ve never heard of that kind of serious love.”

“I can’t believe you. I knew I couldn’t leave Lydia in your hands.”

Edgar stopped Raven with only a glance as he was about to react. 

“Human rules don’t apply to me. And besides, Lydia just wants to become a fairy doctor and doesn’t care about you at all. Don’t misunderstand that.”

“I don’t consider myself refused. Humans quickly grow old and incompetent and they come to hate each other and kill each other and deceive one another. If one was a fairy doctor, then eventually they are sure to choose a life with fairies than those kinds of creatures.”

P. 156

“I would never eat her. A kelpie’s will is strong.”

Kelpie didn’t hide his frown. 

Edgar chuckled and raised his eyes. 

“It’s because she doesn’t fear me. Of course, she sees me as dangerous since I’m a water horse. But, she sees me not as my species, but just as myself. Even if I get near her and talk to her, she doesn’t run away. I never met a human like that.”

“Lonely? Water horses are like that. We don’t group even with our own kind and live in solitude.”

Kelpie stared back at him, like he was observing inside his heart. He had such beautiful, black pearl eyes.

P. 157

Like they saw passed anything, which made you feel that there was no use in hiding anything, hence, put you in a relax.

“I’m the same. She didn’t fear what I had done in the past. She wasn’t swayed by the label that society would put on someone like me, but listened to what I had to say and pitied me. She helped me. She helped me remember the human part of me that no one should lose. As long as I have Lydia, I believe that I would remain relatively decent from now on as well.”

Kelpie made a devilishly happy smirk. It made one dizzy, perhaps that was his magic as a fae. Now that I remember, his kind doesn’t choose and eats both man and woman. So men are also influenced by this mysterious beauty as well.

“Lord Edgar!”

“Don’t get all steamed up, little boy. ….No, is that a snake? Or is it a bird?”

“I’m all right, Raven.”

P. 158

“You could say that. Although I don’t believe in hell. ….That’s why, Mr. Kain, I have no intention of letting her free. That is definitely certain.”

“Challenge accepted.”

The place Edgar came to was the UniversityCollege, a London university.

There was something he wanted to ask and discuss with him, so he had the professor open up his schedule between his private lessons.

“Welcome, my lord. Pardon this room for being in such a state of chaos,” said Carltonas he slipped through a tall stack of paperwork and his desk, but the hem of his coat was caught on his chair and made the mountain of papers crashing down with a loud noise.

He finally realized that there was another pile of paperwork that crowded on top of the sofa for guests and rushed to move them aside.

“Uh, so then, you said you have something to discuss, did Lydia cause any sort of trouble?”

“Oh, no, Miss Carlton is brilliant in her work. My business was not in that regards, professor, I came to ask you about a certain gemstone.”

Mineralogy was his area of specialty. Just like Lydia would call him a mineralogy-mania, his face instantly switched the serious face of a scholar.

The reason why he was interested in learning about moonstones was because he felt like the gemstone was related to the name of Blue Knight Earl.

The thought that came by Edgar’s head about how the Blue Knight Earl said that cliché, was that perhaps in truth, he just said it in order to refuse the marriage.

P. 160

He wondered what kind of meaning there was behind ‘moon’that they, who apparently couldn’t tolerate an imposter, posing as the Blue Knight Earl had.

However, Edgar didn’t know a thing about the earl family, where the family estate was in the fairyland, if it really existed and how all the lords of the family had dealt with the fairies. 

“So, it really is just a matter of impression, and its lighting isn’t actually shifting.”

For example, continued Carlton, as he searched in the back of his mind.

“Are there other stories like that?”

Which means, the thing that was wished by the Blue Knight Earl, and found by the fairy queen, was just a stone that possessed a high degree in its fine reflective light amongst all the moonstones and didn’t have any kind of magical power. 

After a thought-over, Edgar continued on.

“It’s more like a hobby of mine.”

And, so, he was going to get to his real business.

“Perhaps it was to search for a marriage partner?” chuckled Carlton, in a some what embarrassed manner.

“I didn’t know that. Does mineralogy research such romantic aspects as well?”

“Oh, no, professor, you told me such a wonderful story. I dream that I could present a moonstone to the woman I love someday.”

“My lord, you’re still so young, you don’t have to rush. I’m sure there are plenty of women for you, and there could be the case that you might regret it if you rush into it…..”

His frantic reaction is so humorous, thought Edgar inappropriately.

“I was just generally speaking.”

“But, professor, it must be worrisome for you for having such an adorable daughter. There might be a man who would show up one day and win her heart with just one romantic gemstone.”

And when he came to, he forced the topic back on track.

That was unexpected news.

“The Lord’s Lady, you mean, the master archer that was said to be his guardian fairy.”

As he nodded, Carltontook out a book from a bookcase and flipped through its pages.

In any case, since Lydia knew fairies, she said it couldn’t all be fiction.

I see. The goddess of the moon Diana was the goddess of hunt. I wonder if it is because the cresent moon resembles a bow. The moon and bow were periodically used with the same meaning in literature and paintings from the old ages. 

“Name, ……..the Lady fairy was Gwendolen, the other was Flandolen.”

“In other words, white moon and scarlett moon…..”

Ah, that’s it. 

Edgar wondered if the earl was really looking for a marriage partner or if it was necessary to find a relative of the guardian fairy.

P. 165

It was impossible to know if the moonstone ring on Paul’s finger originally belonged to Gwendolen or not, and even if that were so, since the fairy with that name no longer exists, the queen only found just the ring. 

If the Robin Hood gang who sent him the death letter, called themselves ‘Scarlett Moon’ based off this story, then that would mean they considered themselves the guardians of the Blue Knight Earl. 

However, what was their connection with Prince?

It was Edgar’s personal job to investigate that. 

“Thank you very much, Professor. You were a great help.”

As they shook hands, he suddenly thought up of something he wanted to ask Lydia’s father. 

“Yes, of course.”

P. 166

Like she could see through everything, your truth and weakness, however much you tried to cover that up.

He replied to Edgar with a calm smile.

“I’m sure for anyone, that time would come unexpectedly. Even if you don’t have courage, it would just be natural for us to step out into a dangerous path. At that time, I prepared myself for something. Just like I had taken away my wife from her family, Lydia would eventually find someone more important than me. But I think that has to be a natural choice for Lydia so much that she wouldn’t even have to think or worry about it.”

Carlton was somewhat clumsy and good-hearted by nature, but he was a sharp, quick-witted man.

P. 167

P. 168

It was useless for him to approach Lydia on a whim of a feeling.

But right now, unexpectedly, it made him depressed.

But it was like that enthusiasm and scheme was easily pulled out by the root, which surprisingly just made Edgar simply want to see Lydia.

Even if he deserved it, it looked like she wasn’t going to talk to him for a while. 

He had the confidence that he could make yesterday’s ordeal be swept under the carpet. 

He sensed that he quite, really liked Lydia, and yet, he felt he was rebuffed and dismissed in that he was missing something conclusive.

Chapter end