Hakushaku to Yousei Vol 4 Chapter 2

P. 51

Her body wasn’t able to be found from the heavy and rapid waves of the merrow’s sea. 

But if she did survive, then why didn’t she return to Edgar’s side?

If that spiritualist was Ermine, then that would mean she was still being used by one of the subordinates of Prince.

Raven, who carried in the tea into the study were Edgar was deep in his thought, and said his opinion with the first step he came in as if he had been thinking about it all the way here. 

“Even if her face and voice was familiar, I have a feeling that it wouldn’t be my sister.”

P. 52

Edgar crossed his fingers atop of his desk and looked up to Raven.

“Even if she had survived, would you think that she would work for Prince again? She would have a reason to do that no longer and even if she were to be taken captive, I don’t think she would value her life that she had once thrown away.”

During their escape, the only reason they were able to retain the strong bond between them that the only ones they could trust were themselves and those around them were all enemies, but once Edgar was able to get his hands on the peerage, then she had thought she would lose that special connection. 

No matter how long and how much they escaped, Edgar was always on the palm of Prince’s grasp. 

And so then, Ermine brought Prince’s control over Edgar to an end by the end of her own life.

“There is a way to confirm if it’s Ermine or not.”

“It’s the invitation from Mrs. Collins. I had treated her spiritualist as a fake and yet I wasn’t taken off her invitation list.”

“If I were to go to her estate near Hastings, then I’ll be able to meet her daughter Teresa. It seems the spiritualist is also taking up her residence there.”

“Of course.”

As Raven replied in a composed manner, he held out a newspaper that had once been crumpled up with an expressionless face.

It was the tabloids. On it was the idiotic gossip article that Earl Ashenbert was head-over-hills about a ghost. Good grief, it wasn’t Edgar who was calling himself as earl at that ritual and yet this. 

“….This is bad.”

As he slumped down, Edgar sank his fingers through his bangs.

In the first place, this was something that the working class would read and it wasn’t something to read for someone like her from a middle-class family. He was aware that there were quite some things written about him, but since there wasn’t going to be an opportunity for her to read it, he wasn’t bothered by it, but it was sure specific.

That feline.

“It seems there are many fairies who like the idiotic gossips of humans.”

Just when Edgar stood up, the gossip-loving cat, who they were just talking about, came dashing into his study on his hind legs. 

He had a bad feeling. This was the time when Prince’s subordinates were moving about.

“Morning. She had supposedly gone off to the park saying that she was going to devise a plan, but the small fairies at that park said that Lydia

“Devise a plan? For what?”

Nico scratched his head trying to pass it by, but Edgar walked over to him. Nico had his guard down and was immediately scooped up. 

“What plan?”

“Stop, a-all-right, I-I’ll tell you, so stop!”

“It feels so good, and yet you refuse, that disposition of yours really makes you end up with a bad deal.”

“I said to not treat me like a cat!”

“The way to cancel her engagement with you!”

P. 56

“More importantly, hurry and search for Lydia!”
“Oh, of course. Raven, call for my butler.”

When she came to, she was sitting in a dark room that was only lit by one candle.

The reason she was able to guess that it was a woman was because she felt the hands to be slender and soft. 

Teresa, could that be her name, she thought in confusion.

“You were just reborn right now. You have returned to your loving family once more in the world of the living.”

But the one who was talking to her was the old woman beside her. The beautiful woman just nodded to the old woman’s words. 

Now that she thought about it, she had the feeling like she was in another place that wasn’t here. It wasn’t this dark, a place that was bright and warm.

She tried to lift up her right hand. The slender young woman’s hand was smoothly covered in the candle light.

“Ohh, Teresa!”

“Finally, finally you came back to me. It’s your mother dear, can you tell?”

Mother? Is that true?

“……Uh, I….”

“Mrs. Collins, it is difficult for a ghost to remember what happened in their life before their death. Please remind her gently and with plenty of patience,” spoke the old woman once more.

“My, mother….?”

If seemed like she was the daughter of a wealthy family.

“You can chose anything you want out of the closet. If there isn’t anything you like, we can go buy something new. I have prepared dozens of accessories for you as well.”

As she had that honest thought, she was hugged by her mother. During that time, she was able to see another figure in the shadows. 

Of course, she couldn’t see the outline of his face as well as his expression, but when she felt like he had his eyes fixed on her, she suddenly felt like the reunion with her mother was ruined and nervousness prickled up her spine. 

P. 59

The young lively voice was different from the veteran housekeeper that her family hired, which forced Lydia to be dragged out of her deep sleep.

She hurried to sit up onto of the bed to see through the tall and wide glass window that there was the blue, sparkling ocean and wondered if she was still watching a dream.

“……Oh, yes, I was made to smell some chemical from somebody…..”

If that was the case, she sure was treated with hospitality.

What is the meaning of this?

P. 60

And the, Lydia was captured by the one who killed that selkie. 

She stood up as she was confused. 

Lydia’s widened in disbelief at the maid who came into the room with clothing in one hand. 

Was this girl in the same group as her kidnapper?

When Lydia stood in front of her, the maid whose face was covered in freckles dropped the room wear cloths and they fell to the floor. 

“…..Um, are you, perhaps, Miss Carlton?” she asked as she was flustered in dismay.

P. 61

“You aren’t Miss Teresa?”

You’re not making any sense, mumbled Lydia as she tried to pass-by the maid and leave through the door. 

“I’m so sorry, please forgive me. …….I knew it was a terrifying thing to do, but there was nothing I could do to stop it…… But, I beg of you, please remain here for just a while longer. If you were to try to leave here, then you’ll be killed.”

And at how desperate the maid was, Lydia felt that she wasn’t the one at fault and so was able to calm down a bit. 

She knelt down and took the girl’s hand to calm her. 

“Suzy…..”

She rushed to call for help, and then the spiritualist appeared and told her to quickly leave the hotel.

In order to revive Mrs. Collins' daughter, Teresa, who, if alive, would be seventeen years old, the spiritualist said that they needed a young woman who was the same age and use her body as a container. 

And then, Lydiawas carried to Mrs. Collins’ estate that was located in a town that was near Hastings and was currently in the condition where the ghost of the daughter Teresa possessed her body. 

But the daughter Teresa didn’t really know how she really was and so was just going along with the story as she was told that she was once dead but was reborn. 

She wondered if that Seraphita was the one who held the selkies captive. But, Miss? Lydia thought that the one who called her incompetent was a man. 

But, why would that person do that to selkies?

If she was able to pretend to be Teresa, then she’ll be able to walk around freely. So then, she’ll be able to investigate about the spiritualist and the selkies. The estate that that female selkie was talking about must have been here. 

She was asked for help by a fairy. She needed to do this, even by herself, in order for a fledgling like herself to become a fully-fledged fairy doctor.

“All right, Suzy. Then can I have you at least be one my side?”

“Thank you.”

Lydia remembered the female selkie telling her that her fellow selkies were being put to work as servants in a different estate. However, in the servants, there could be those connected with the spiritualist and so Lydia nodded as she decided that she needed to take precautions since she wasn’t able to decipher whose side each servant was on.

Right in front of Lydia’s eyes, Mrs. Collins was looking at her with a wide, happy smile. 

There were many times when Mrs. Collins, who was mentally unstable to be asleep or look off in a daze probably due to her medicine. On that day, Lydia could only meet Mrs. Collins for tea only in the afternoon. 

And then, Mrs. Collins’ eyes watered up with tears. 

She took Lydia’s hands into hers and gripped them like she was trying to make sure this was real. 

P. 65

Lydia’s heart pained as she felt like she was doing something deceitful. 

It looked like she had already forgotten about the spiritualist. And yet, for some strange reason, Lydia wasn’t put in an unpleasant feeling. 

To Lydia, who lost her mother at a young age, the lady’s reaction made Lydia think that this was how a mother was. 

Mrs. Collins, who was plump and gave a friendly impression wasn’t anything similar to her mother that she could faintly remember. But Lydia felt like they shared the same sort of air about them.

“Teresa, you’ve grown to be such a beautiful daughter.”

If her mother was right in front of Lydia who was grown-up then would she hug Lydia and tell her that she’s grown up so beautifully. 

“I won’t let you have to bear with anymore loneliness. I’ll make sure that you’re the happiest daughter in the world.”

Lydia thought about her mother as her head was stroked like a little child. 

When she turned to an age she could marry. Items like that which are passed down from mother and from grandmothers were bonds between mother and child that don’t disappear even if the daughter goes off to marriage. 

She might have dropped it or it could have been stolen. 

P. 67

P. 68

She fought against the tears that was welding up in her eyes and lifted her head to see that there was a young man around fifteen or sixteen years old standing in the doorway.

“Oscar, your cousin. My school starts from fall and so I came along to my aunt’s trip in place of uncle who couldn’t leave Manchester because of work.”

“But, I never imagined that I would really be able to meet Teresa. I still can’t believe that a ghost can be revived though.”

“Do you think that I’m not Teresa?”

“……I don’t remember anything.”

Her heart skipped a beat. She panicked if she had acted like her usual self too much. 

P. 69

More like if she was found out not to be Teresa, then they would think of her as a common con-artist.

“Hey, do you have a lover?”

“It’s fine to become the daughter of this family, but if you were to do that, then you’ll end up having to marry a different man.”

Lydia was remembering the article about how a wealthy married woman had called back the ghost of her deceased daughter and was looking for a marriage partner. Could that be about Mrs. Collins, she wondered. If that were so.

If that article was true, then could there be the possibility that he would come here as one of the candidates?

She wondered how much of an extent did she not believe in Edgar. 

But that was because he had use in Lydia’s ability as a fairy doctor. 

However, her hope about Edgar was destroyed in a matter of time. 

Lydiawas looking down from the window of Teresa’s room over to the entrance porch and hunched her shoulders in disappointment when she saw the unfamiliar young man get out of his carriage. 

He must have used the famous name of Earl Ashenbert because it allowed him to get smoother access to the wealthy middle-class people who he wasn’t acquainted with.

Clouds spread out to cover the sky and hid the faint light of the sun that was leaning over to the west.
Once the gray-colored sky started to soak up around the sky and ocean and this estate, Lydia was suddenly hit with a strong doziness.

P. 71

Taking a dip in the sea, which was popularized by the reason that it was good for one’s health had already become established as one of the entertainments of the people of England, and during the summer times, all of the towns on the southern shores which had beautiful white sandy beaches were overflowing with tourists.

This estate was built on a place which only could be entered by going across a long, narrow road that stuck out to the ocean and located on an island-like piece of land that was at the end of the road. This island-like place was only connected to the mainland with just one road, but apparently this road would disappear under the waves that rose up at high tide, so it could practically be called a separated island. 

Because, Lydia was supposedly there.

Because, their daughter, who was just only five years old, had died in the ocean near that estate.

That was the information that the ‘Scarlet Moon’ had researched about the Collins family husband and wife. 

Nico told him that Lydiahad disappeared, and after using all of his servants of the earl house to find her, they found a hackney driver that had picked up Lydia and a woman who was crouching in an alleyway. 

They had already checked out of the hotel and so he determined that Mrs. Colllins had departed to Hastings along with the spiritualist, which made Edgar become overwhelmed with defeat of being out-done by his enemy.

But, he couldn’t allow himself to continue to lose.

When he looked outside from his carriage, he saw that the blue sea was so bright that it was reflecting the sunlight which didn’t seem 

Beyond that sea was France. From the past, there were many people, things and wars that crossed the English Channel and came into England.

In front of him, going up beyond the road that continued from the seashore, he could see an isolated island that rose abruptly from a flat plain. The long road that connected it to the mainland which disappeared at high tide stuck its narrow head out from the peaceful ocean waters.

P. 73

“Thank you so much for coming such a long way. Viscount Middleworth.”

“I’ve come at such a hurry. I hope that didn’t trouble you at all.”

“Oh, my, who was it that was hastier than I?”

“Ahh, since he is rumored to be a lady’s man.”

It’s only just a silly rumor, softly defended Mrs. Collins. Edgar sensed that it looked like the fake earl had won her favor.

“Uh, there’s still time until dinner. Shall I escort you to your room? Or would you like to……”

“If I could, I would like to pay my greetings to the earl.”

“I understand. He would be in the salon, so please follow me.”

Of course, Edgar didn’t plan to show any consideration towards the imposter. He was planning to probe the man who claimed his name if he was working under Prince.

Lydia, he wondered if she was somewhere in this estate. He tried to think of a way to try to find her and safely get her out.

Outside the windows, the sky was near dark and the evening rain showers were starting to come down, but in that room that was brighter than the ritual, Edgar finally was able to face the man who was his imposter.

Edgar made a pleasant smile and held out his hand, to which the man shaked back in a generous manner which let Edgar see that he was able to put up the act of a proper noble.

“By the way, my lord, it seems like we are rivals going after the same lady, but I would like to ask if you really do have the intention of marrying Lady Teresa?”

Edgar replied with an innocent smile.

The man made a smile that included a hint of sorrow. He was sort of making himself appear theatrical.

That’s strange. Edgar was rumored to be a frivolous man who loved women but he never had that kind of thought or opinion before.

Could this man who couldn’t come up with a smart retort really be working under Prince? Edgar thought this man was not fit for the job enough if he were trying to provoke him knowing that the real one was right in front of his eyes.

“My lord, pardon me.”

That was quite fast, I wonder if he was able to take care of it already. Edgar excused himself with the fake earl and left the room with Raven.

“I found Miss Carlton.”

Raven thought about how to reply and said “I don’t know.”

“I cannot decide. That’s why I thought Lord Edgar would be best to determine that.”

When he saw the brown-skinned Raven standing near one of the decorative plants that had its enormous leaves spread out, it made him feel like he had lost his way into one of the tropical southern countries.

It looked like the person was trying to hide themselves, but the person’s dress skirt was hanging out from the sides and showing. Raven whispered into his ear.

“A game of hide-and-seek?”

“You can’t catch me that easily, Mr. Crow.”

She had knocked herself up against him, and looked up in surprise.

And then she glanced over towards Edgar.

“Young lady, he is not a crow, but a raven.”

The face that turned around to face him was lit up by the lamp light.

It was Lydia. Her body and face was Lydiano doubt. She didn’t appear hurt and looked in complete health, but there was indeed a problem.

For now, Edgar introduced himself by that name.

“…….Which means you are the young daughter of Mrs. Collins?”

The girl, who had the appearance of Lydia, lifted the sides of her skirts with her fingers and bobbed an awkward curtsy with a satisfied smile, like she thought she did it perfectly.

He inspected her hard and well to the point that it could be considered rude, but she didn’t appear like she was bothered by a man’s hard look at her. She came over to Edgar and looked back at him like she too was curious about him.

She even was aware about that part of herself.

“Oh, my, so we had met before? I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything while I was a ghost or before I died.”

It looks like that was the only believable state of this situation. Edgar nodded.

“It’s wonderful. I can’t believe I was the daughter of a rich family like this. I have so many dresses and jewels. Plus, I’m going to become the wife of a noble!”

“Yes, very much.”

Putting that aside, he wondered if there wasn’t any way that he could speak with Lydia. As he was trying to think of a way, there was a voice that was calling for Teresa.

Edgar blocked her path to try to keep her there.

“But, to tell you the truth, I was told by my mother that I mustn’t meet with any of the guests yet. She will yell at me.”

P. 80

He took the liberty and pulled her arm so that the both of them could squat down behind the Relief together. 

“Quiet, they’re coming.”

Raven went over to the maid and as he came up with the lie to her that no one was here, the two of them sneaked out of the gallery. 

“If I’m able to be assertive, then I would want to slay you away.”

That was true, Edgar and the fake earl was invited here for that purpose. Which means, there will be four men who will be trying to court Lydia.

Lydia was his fiancée. Even if she didn’t have any intention to be so, for Edgar who was having a good, pleasant feeling in keep on saying that he was her fiancé, he wouldn’t dare be able to bear having another men approach her. 

P. 81

It even should be against Lydia’s will to have to be forced to get closely acquainted with men she didn’t know while she was being possessed by Teresa.

Edgar pulled the young girl up to him.

However, Edgar’s heart pained at the identity of an obviously different personality other than Lydia.

There was no Lydia who knew that Edgar was a good-for-nothing man and had her guard up around him and yet would seriously be worried about him.

“Can you tell? I’m here to rescue you.”

“My fairy, I promise I’ll protect you, so you don’t have to worry anymore.”

It could have been the lighting blot that flashed against the gallery glass window and shined brightly in her eyes. 

The four men who were chosen at the spiritual ritual the other day were going to all gather by tomorrow night.

But there was no reason for him to wait patiently till then.

“For the time being, the ones who are currently in this estate are Mrs. Collins and her nephew, Miss Carlton who is Miss Teresa, the earl imposter, the spiritualist and the old woman who is her assistant. The young maid who is Mrs. Collins attendant looks to be a close servant who she brought along with her from Manchester, but the other servants appear to be hired only during the period while the Madame is taking up residence here, so it is unclear whose control each one is under.”

“The ones to arrive tomorrow is Lord Sir Stanley and Lord Sir Clark, both men have a peerage of Baronet.”

His side had long ago managed to lure Edgar into the mouth of his trap. Even if he was anticipating that Edgar came in knowing that it was the enemy’s trap and not intending to remain calm and quiet, then he was sure to make his next move. 

“……..Prince does control the movements of his organization like the conductor of an orchestra. In order to reach the perfect finale, all of the instruments need to be set and organized so that every note wouldn’t miss a beat or melody. So Ulysses would move only according to how he was ordered to do. The problem is how my part is calculated and decided into that perfect score.”

“Most likely, they would have an approach in dealing with every one of the patterned movements I could think up of.”

“At that time, I intended to make a move before them in order to shake them up, but now that I think about it, there wasn’t any kind of result like that.”

“That’s the thing. If that was the only thing that was coincidental….”

Even if they needed a young woman in order to call back the spirit of the daughter Teresa, there was no reason that it had to be Lydia.

In any event, if it was completely out of their imagination to the enemy that Lydiacame falling into all of this, then they would be forced to make changes to their plans.

“It’s Lydia. She is the only thing that was unforeseen to the enemy. That’s why I was able to gain the sword of the Blue Knight Earl thanks to her help. And I gained the title of earl.”

What he didn’t expect was that just with her extremely soft-heartedness and the pride and responsibility as a fairy doctor, she would act in ways that normally wouldn’t be thought up of.

“At the least, it is a plan that the enemies could expect.”

“Please forgive me, what part of what I said sounded sarcastic?”

After he had his fill of laughs, he was able to feel much more relaxed. It might be foolish for him to take his focus away from the attack of his enemies after he came climbing into the nest of his enemies.

“Now that I think about it, where’s Nico? He said to leave open the window, but we can’t in this much rain.”

When he turned towards the voice, he saw that there was a grey-haired cat sitting on top of the sofa which was covered with plenty of cushions.

“Every grand house has one or two servants who like cats. Once I meow cutely and rub up against them, then they won’t hesitate to let me in. But I did secretly throw away the bowl of milk they poured for me.”

“I went to go see how Lydia was, but she doesn’t recognize me at all. She chased me around and tried to pet me. I’ve said that a gentleman like me doesn’t want to be treated like a cat, and yet.”

P. 86

“Leave to me about her.”

“For now, I’m going to go pay my respects to her.”

Chapter end