Hakushaku to Yousei Vol 4 Chapter 5

P. 163

The sea was violent as usual, and there were waves that endlessly washed up onto the path like they would take out one’s feet. It was even more dangerous in the darkness of night to cross the thin path, but apparently a member of the‘Scarlet Moon’ had come all the way to the town with valuable information. Raven didn’t hesitate in saying that he would go.

“If they wanted to torture me in pain, then the enemies would use a slow and gradual method, so I’ll be fine.”

More than anything, if Lydia wasn’t possessed by Teresa constantly, then there was a chance that the enemy would have noticed them.

“Now is the time for Teresa. If the cause of this was because of Teresa’s fear, then she should be waking up pretty soon.”

P. 164

“It seems like when she remembers the time she died, that directly links to depleteLydia’s energy and nerves.”

“Hey, now, you have to do something about that. It’s awful to let Lydia have to go through the same experience of that kind of fear.”

But, wait a minute, thought Edgar. If Teresa had remembered about when she had died, then the trigger for that was last night’s incident. No, it wasn’t the incident itself, but what happened after it. He wondered what it was that she found and what she felt. 

“Nico, there might be a possibility that the person who killed Teresa is the mastermind behind all of this. If she could remember something, then we would be able to make the first move.”

Hold on, said Nico as he stood in front him, blocking his path.

He might be putting Lydia through the pain of being killed.

He picked up Nico who was trying to stop him and threw him aside.

He had every intention of thinking about Lydia’s sake. And yet, Nico, and even Lydia, would say to him that ‘you don’t try to understand my feelings.’

Making his mind, Edgar headed to Teresa’s room.

My body hurts. I can’t breathe. 

Help me. But she couldn’t make any sound. 

P. 166

She was filled with the water that spilled into her, and just at the moment she felt her body was going to explode, Lydia sprung up in her bed.

Suzy came rushing over to her, and stroked Lydia’s back as she coughed.

It looked like it was night already, and although Lydia did wake up, she was in a condition where she could only remain still.

When Teresa finally lifted her head, her eyes saw that there was Edgar.

“Lord Viscount…….”

Oh, my goodness, and I’m still in my nightwear! Thought Lydia as she became nervous from being softly embraced by his arms.

P. 167

Oh, lord, what are you doing.

You don’t have to be.

Suzy, who was standing a few steps back, nodded in agreement, which showed that she had come to completely trust Edgar. That probably could have been because she found out that he was lovers with Lydia and that she completely believed that Edgar was a faithful gentleman.

“Uh, so, I will be excusing myself, but if there is anything you need, please call for me.”

Lydia panicked, but Suzy only bowed her head and quickly rushed out to the small room for maids. 

If you do anything, I’ll clobber you, she thought, but even her left hand that she was just barely able to move had been moved by Teresa and was now resting around on his back, so she couldn’t do anything.

Oh, no, was this man seriously going to do something out of bounds so that he could make us established so that I won’t be able to annul our engagement…..

“What kind of dream did you see?”

“Why would you have a dream like that?”

Just remembering that, Lydia was starting to feel suffocated again.

Teresa turned her head up like she didn’t understand his question.

“I want to know all there is about you. And so that I can feel the reality of this miracle of being able to meet you even after you had died once.”

It seemed like Edgar wanted to know about the time when Teresa had died.

P. 169

Like it was impossible to call back the real soul of Teresa, and so it was needed to get one’s hands on someone’s soul who had just died.

If that were true, then it would mean she was killed in order to trick the mother of this house. 

“I think it was a man. But on one of his ears, he was wearing something that shined…., a small gemstone?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

He’s right, this hurts, so stop…..

What, ….wait, what does that mean?

Hold on a moment, so the only one in pain is me?

P. 170

Even if the cause of it was Teresa’s memory, it might mean that the one to completely take on the sickness of health was Lydia.

You have to be joking. I’m already suffering this much! Was what she was screaming inside herself, but even if he were to notice, this was Edgar. He was sure to not stop in pulling out useful memories from Teresa.

“You don’t have to hurry. Just slowly remember.”

“……Oh, I know, I was on top of a bridge. I was watching ripples on the surface of the water. And then suddenly, I was pushed over by someone from behind me…. When I was falling down, I heard that person say something. …..A sacrifice, for His Highness Prince…. Or something like that….”

Lydia made a fist with her left hand as hard as she could.

He must have felt pain, as Edgar made a small frown.

“He was smiling. …..I was so scared…..”

“Teresa, let’s take a rest.”

“I’m still fine.”

“No, this is enough.”

“No. It seems like there is more damage to your body than you feel.”

As her body went limp from exhaustion and she was taking heavy breaths, Edgar held on her left hand tightly and pressed it against his cheek.

She knew he was saying that to Lydia.

In the first place, Edgar would just say a light ‘sorry’ as he would use someone in every way he could.

Teresa was surrendering herself like she had grown completely relaxed.

“No such thing would happen to someone like you.”

“That’s what you remember?”

Lydia was listening to their conversation with a dazed mind, but that made her heart skip a beat.

But, Lydia thought her answer was the complete opposite of hers. 

If Edgar was serious, then would she be able to fall in love with him. If he wasn’t serious, then she wondered if she would absolutely not fall for him.

“Why do you think that I’m pretending in loving you?”

"You shouldn’t trust a man who would kiss you so easily.”

“You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”

“Then, give me a kiss that you won’t give so easily.”

As the both of them looked at each other closely, Teresa managed to somehow put strength in herself and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Don’t kiss me as you please.

She didn’t know which one she didn’t want.

From the bottom of her ears, she felt two warm hands hold her cheek.

That was what Edgar would call Lydia. She normally thought that is was overly-sweet and too embarrassing and someone hurry up and do something about him, but Lydia realized that he was talking to her straightly so that Teresa wouldn’t notice, and although she was tired and slumped down, her heart started to beat oddly fast.

Teresa remained silent. There was no way that she could realize that those weren’t words that were meant for her, but she might have felt she was in a distant position.

And yet, right now, he was going through the effort of calling out to Lydia and refused the offer from Teresa.

But, even so, she couldn’t believe she was on the verge of believing him.

“……I feel weary. I think I don’t have much strength left.”

“Yes…..”

“I want to be like this, just a little longer.”

Lydia didn’t know why herself. She thought she wouldn’t have such strength left in her, but she didn’t want to let go.

Their words and feelings weren’t able to communicate well. Lydia was always holding herself backwards and even if she thought that she wanted to step closer to him in the corner of her heart, she wasn’t able to act.

For an instant, she felt that if it was this hand, she might be able to touch deep into his heart.

And as they were like that, Lydia felt like there were no lies in the arms that were nervously holding Lydia in a more bemused manner than usual.

Until morning arrived, Edgar wasn’t able to even take a light nap.

What was saving was that she didn’t have any nightmares and continued to sleep peacefully. 

It was valuable information, but he was surprisingly down-hearted and his mood depressed from making Lydia go through such pain.

There was light, red lines left on his arm when Lydia had gripped him strongly.

He was well aware that she might feel pain, but he did choose to pull out the memory from Teresa.

Lydia said that he didn’t think about her feelings, but he was vaguely understanding what she meant.

Only, it wasn’t like there were not that many women to Edgar. He was aware that it was easy for him to come to like someone. And yet, the reason he proposed to Lydia wasn’t because of just a whim of his.

As he thought that and had his eyes closed, he heard the sound of Lydia waking up and stirring in her bed sheets.

Oh, that’s why. Because she would be so cautious, it made him want to joke around. Although that only made her lift up guard up around him, he wanted her to turn her attention towards him even if it was cautiousness. 

P. 178

The thing that Lydia was looking at was the red finger marks that were left on his arm. 

The one at fault was Edgar, and yet Lydia was the type who felt guilty from the bottom of her heart.

He wanted to hurry up and make her his. 

He thought if he were to kiss Teresa, that would be something emotionally unacceptable to Lydia, and so he reframed himself last night. 

And yet, he didn’t know if he should. He might be all too irresponsible and acting in a halfhearted way towards her. 

If he were to show any hints that he was awake, then she was sure to scamper off in an escape. 

He wondered what he was to Lydia. 

P. 179

She also said that she didn’t want marriage that had no love in it.

He thought that it wasn’t like there wasn’t any……

“Miss. Carlton, are you awake?”

“Yes, what is it, Suzy?”

“Pardon me, Lord Viscount. At such an early hour,” she said towards Edgar when she opened the door. 

“Uh, the earl is frantically looking for you.”

P. 180

It was an annoyance, not only to Edgar, but to Lydia. 

Recalling how he was making the same kind of ruckus when the incident happened yesterday evening, made Lydia have a bad feeling. She thought it was best not to get separated, and came along with Edgar. 

“Lord Viscount! Thank goodness. You’re alive. Oh, Teresa, and you as well.”

“What do you mean in alive?”

“You have to calm down and explain to us first.”

Edgar led Lydia to sit down on a chair and he calmly asked his questions.

“That’s because our rooms were close and I heard noise….”

“It was much too disturbing, so I had it changed.”

“I-I wouldn’t know that even if you asked me. But, the next victim could be me, or even you. Please let me stay with you. Since, well, you have an excellent reliable servant with you.”

But it was sure that Ulysses had made another move. In a situation where they couldn’t escape from this estate, he might be trying to slowly put Edgar to a corner. 

Edgar, of course, must have been thinking about that. He abruptly went up to the imposter. 

After he said that, he really did the rude thing and grabbed ahold of the man’s head in his hands. And like the man’s head was an object, Edga turned the man’s head side-to-side and after he had confirmed something, he let go.

Edgar cast another glance at the fake earl who had no idea what the meaning was in what he just done. 

P. 182

“Culprit? Isn’t this the work of a ghost?”

When Edgar put his back to the man, he rushed to circle around him. He clamped his hands together and begged him. 

“You were asked?”

Saying that much, he shut his mouth in a hurry, and looked over towards Lydia. 

Lydia looked back at him dumbfounded and pretended like she wasn’t listening.

“Palmer…. Uh, you see, I was in a little trouble with money. The Lady I was being under the care of went overseas, and so,”

P. 183

“Well, I do have confidence in my looks, and I’m experienced with handling women, so it was quite an easy job,”

Edgar seemed pretty outraged, but Lydia thought that his kind of type was perfect for the job.

But, she was worried for Teresa. 

But, in the sense that he was deceiving her, then Lydia was guilty for the same crime. 

“Yes, the spiritualist. That woman is controlling a ghost and making it do such a thing!”

“Oi, Viscount, we all should catch that woman and question her.”

Oscar was standing at the salon entrance way.

P. 184

Yesterday, which means, it could have been because Raven caused an injury to her. 

“I thought no one could go across the path because of the high tide?”

If it were a selkie, then there would be no problem at all, thought Lydia. But, she couldn’t think up of a reason for Ermine to run from here. In the first place, if she was being controlled by the man named Ulysses, then that would mean it was his order for her disappearance. 

“She’s gone.”

Palmer tilted his head.

As he listened to Oscar, Edgar leaned up against a display shelf. He made a painting drop with his elbow, but it was sure to be on purpose. 

He said that but he didn’t bother to pick it up, which could be said to be the arrogant attitude of a noble. 

Lydia watched as Edgar peered himself over the young man from above, and then realized why he had done such a thing. 

He leaned down which made his faint blond hair fall down over his cheeks to reveal his ear. Lydia wasn’t able to see from where she was sitting, but Edgar casually moved away from Oscar and walked over towards Lydia. 

Edgar placed his hand on Lydia’s shoulder and when got the feeling that it was a sign to be careful and on intuition realized that it was ‘him.’

This young boy of a man was the one sent in by Prince? She couldn’t believe in it so easily because she had imagined him to be a more elderly man. 

“Let’s do that. I’ll take Teresa under my care.”

P. 186

“That would be a little problematic.”

“Teresa is my relative.”

“I am her fiancé. Mrs. Collins has acknowledged us.”

Lydia panicked. She didn’t want to be left alone with one of Prince’s men.

“Don’t be a child now, Lydia,” said Oscar with a grin.

But even Oscar himself must have realized that he was found out by Edgar. That line he just said was like he was announcing that he was Ulysses. 

“Now, let me have you drop your weapon.”

P. 187

“What if I said no?”

Lydia couldn’t believe her ears for a moment. When you have faced with a hostage, wouldn’t you normally do as the person says?

See------?! I knew it would come to this.

Wh-what was that.

Right behind her ear, Lydia heard the faint sound of the trigger being pulled, and she held her breath.

Ulysses and Edgar’s silent and tense stand-still continued for a while. Just when Lydia was starting to feel like it was hard to breath, Ulysses made a smile like he was unplugging the tension from this situation.

Ted. He purposefully called Edgar by his nickname. But Edgar looked like he terribly hated it, so Lydia thought that he must have copied the way Prince talked.

“Oh, it great, how you look. The more you fight back, the more I’m excited. The final act starts from here. I’ll keep her with me so that I can have you uselessly struggle to resist.”

This person, he’s scary. Just when she felt that, the memories of when Teresa died rose up in her mind. Lydia trembled from a terrified chill and went into a panic.

But she was pinned down by Ulysses and threatened with a pistol. She grew even more furious at Edgar who just stood silently watching. 

But, Lydia wouldn’t have known that. You murderer, yelled Lydia once more. 

“It’s not that. Lydia, I will definitely save you so don’t do anything reckless.”

P. 189

P. 190

“You shouldn’t make a promise like that so easily. But, yes, if you do have a particular liking to her, then at least I’ll will kill the two of you together. Why don’t you try and come to save her?”
Lydia was taken out of the room like she was being dragged by the grinning Ulysses, and since she was pointed to by a pistol, she had no choice but to start walking.

Around that time, Raven, who was going off to the town alone, had finished his business and was rushing back the way to the estate. 

The thin path that appeared after the sea waters went down, was endlessly getting invaded by the waves and appeared and disappeared like it was battling with the heaving sea. 

He might be easier to spot by the enemy, but he had to hurry back to Edgar’s side. 

He headed for the house that was built all by itself on the hill that came up out at the end of the path and stepped on the path that separated the ocean waters. When he came across to the middle of the road, he saw something black floating in between the waves.

It was a seal. When he took a good look around him, he was surrounded by countless number of seals. No, they weren’t normal seals.

He learned about selkie seal fairies from being told by Lydia, but when Raven felt the spirit’s nerves start to stand on its end, then he was able to know that he was being targeted by something that wasn’t human. 

He kicked with his stirrups and hurried his horse. 

There was no place for him to run as he was engulfed by the waves. He was dragged down to the depths of the waters. 

He pulled out his dagger. 

P. 192

But the red color quickly mixed and disappeared into the gray sea. 

There were too many of them. He couldn’t move in the water as free as he wanted. 

Just then, he thought he heard someone say stop.

From behind, his arm was steadied and he was pulled up. The twisting, rough waves that had been circling him died down and disappeared, and Raven was released back up to the top of the water surface without any resistance, and as he took in deep breaths for air, he felt the hand that had saved him slowly let go, but more quickly then that, he grabbed the wrist.

“Go to the hill on that sea shore. You better get back on land before the waves get rough again,” she said, in a way like she gave up trying to escape from Raven.

“What’s different?” asked Raven as he took and threw away his coat that sagged heavy from soaking up the salt water.

”You said that I was different to the selkies.”

“Ulysses.”

“So the selkies in the sea aren’t under the control of Ulysses’ will.”

On Ermine’s shoulder who leaned up against the rock, the knife that was jabbed in by Raven remained stuck in place.

He was made to know that she wasn’t human at all. Then she wasn’t his sister. She was just an enemy.

P. 194

“…..Just like you can see, I’m not the person who I was before.”

“Miss. Carlton said that you might be a selkie.”

“Was it part of Ulysses’ plan for you to save me?”

“Since I have an injury, I was told to stay low for a while. Right now, I’m not given an order other than that. ….But he is going to drive Lord Edgar to the edge and is probably going to keep using me from now on.”

Because Ermine was that kind of person, the enemy was thinking that she would become Edgar’s weakness.

“Why did you return when you should have died. Going so far as to become something not human.”

“Lord Edgar has a fiancée already.”

“But, you gradually wanted to have him all to yourself, and leaked our information to Prince.”

“Yes, you’re right, at that time I had forgotten my feelings from when we started. It was true that there was feelings that went beyond loyalty for Lord Edgar inside me, and that part of me was taken advantage of by Prince…..”

“Raven, you have to kill me. In the end, that’s the only way there is. You must make sure and kill me so that I will never be brought back to the living world. I don’t want to be used to torment Lord Edgar any further.”

“As long as I’m in human form, then it seems like I can die like a human. The selkies are more close to a living creature than a fairy.”

P. 196

If she says she was the same as a human, then he would be able to let her die without any pain.

“Please forgive her,” said a voice all of a sudden.

“Are you not her only brother? Even if she has turned into something not human, she continued to worry about you.”

“Yes, my coat has been stolen and quite some time has passed since I was forced to take a human form by Ulysses. I am nearly at the point where I’ve forgotten about my selkies ways, but I am definitely a selkie.”

Lydia had said that selkies who had their coats stolen aren’t able to fight against the one who had it.

“I was the one who was ordered by Ulysses to give the life of a selkie to your sister who was wandering the seas as a dead soul. She is still like an infant as a selkie. I am watching over her like a mother.”

P. 197

“Could you, for even just a little, think yourself as if in her position. You were the one she wanted to protect the most, more than herself and her master.”

To me, what was the most important was his master Edgar. When asked what was next, all he could say was it would be what Edgar felt important to him, something that he needed more than anything.

He thought everyone felt the same way. They were comrades who believed in Edgar and followed and served him. There were those who were friendly and those who weren’t to Raven, but they helped and saved each other out because they were part of the team that Edgar organized.

“Grandmother, ……you don’t need to talk about that.”

What are siblings? It just means that they had the same mother.

Now that he thought about it, Raven remembered something that he was always wondering about.

But, during the time when they were in escape, he couldn’t recall when there could have been a period of a long enough time that she could leave Edgar’s side.

It was when Raven was captured in the enemy’s hands.

Edgar would naturally think that that was possible and he knew that he needed to concentrate on the large number of his comrades than just on Raven.

Later on, he found out that she was acting alone, but since it turned out all right, they weren’t blamed for anything. 

If they felt that Raven was having a hard time, then eventually Edgar and his men would come to his rescue. But he wondered if that would have made it in time.

If, in case, she had already been under the control of Prince from then….

Most likely, Edgar too, thought that that was the time which started it. That’s why he said that ‘she was your sister’ to Raven who blamed Ermine for her betrayal.

Although it was connected to betrayal her friends, even if there was that danger, because she was a ‘sister’ she couldn’t help but go.

He swiftly grabbed Ermine’s arm who hadn’t finished talking.

She yelled out in pain, and when she slumped down weakly, Raven slinged her on his back and turned around to face the old woman.

“It will head when the one who stabbed with the knife pulls it out. There is nothing to worry now.”

“Ermine, I will have Lord Edgar judge how to treat you.”

It looked like the blood of Ermine on his back had stopped right after the knife was pulled out of her but she was just slumped on him right now.

He ran into the room, but there was no signs of anyone there. Just after he set down Ermine on the sofa and was about to go off to search for Edgar, the door opened.

“Raven, you were all right!”

By being by Edgar’s side, Raven was finally able to feel how it was to be treated as a human being. He didn’t thing that his dangerous missions were anything compared to what this person had shouldered. 

P. 201

But, right now, there was just one thing that he wished for.

“Lord Edgar, I would like to ask you to please forgive my sister. She may still be under the influence of Prince’s control and she may become a hindrance to you. But, I will take responsibility for that. I’ll make sure to keep an eye on her. If it turns to the worst, then I’m prepared to end her life. So please, please save her…..”

When he went over to her, Ermine tried to sit herself up.

“Welcome back, Ermine.”

“Welcome back.”

At the same time, he could sense from Edgar’s unusually hard expression that this wasn’t the time to remain overjoyed at the two of their return. 

P. 202

“Ahhh, …..Lydia has been taken captive by Ulysses.”

Chapter end