Volume 1 - CH 7

P. 247

P. 264

“It is my pleasure to welcome you back, my lord.”

So many of the butlers in his family must have waiting for the day to be able to say that. Because, he looked that emotional.

“Please excuse for being in such casual wear. The owner of this house informed me you were here, but it was so sudden, I rushed here as quick as I could when I heard that the lord of the house had returned alive.”

“It’s alright, don’t fret over it.”

“Hold on just a moment. …..So that means, this gentleman is,” questioned the policeman, still with a suspicious face.

“This gentleman is the the Earl Ashenbert, lord of this Mannor Island,” replied Tomkins.

“Is that certain? I have never heard that the lord was living on this island.”

“Yes, since he has been away for a long time.”

“Tomkins, could you fetch me a glass of water,” ordered Edgar, as if he didn’t care about the police’s questioning and gave an order to the butler as if that was usual. Of course, he must be used to ordering people around.

“Yes, immediately,” replied the butler, and happily headed to the kitchen.

“Then, my lord, could you explain how you came to meet Ms. Carlton, and how you both ended up on the shore? A report was filed that she had been kidnapped.”

P. 265

“Uh, this man just saved my life!” She blurted that out without thinking why she would have to cover up for a criminal like him.

But in the end, Lydia made the decision by herself to come along with Edgar. Without realizing that he was hiding a terrifying plan for her. And even after she found out, she couldn’t run away.

To top it off, she went after him to the merrow’s dwellings to save him, and so she didn’t have any intention of handing him over to the police now.

“The one who tried to kidnap me was the eight sibling brothers of the Gossam family, and I think they are still laying unconscious underground the castle. Please put them under arrest.”

“Eight men are passed out in an underground room? My lord, were you the one to bravely face such a number?”

Edgar shook his head and looked at Lydia like he also wanted to know the answer to that.

“Umm, …..that would be my friends.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, we’d like to ask them some questions.”

Lydia didn’t know how to answer that. If she told them they were faeries, then they’re bound to laugh at her. 

Seeing Lydia like that, Edgar figured it out and replied to them instead.

“That would be impossible. Since they’re faeries.”

And he smiled towards Lydia. Like friends sharing the same secret.

P. 266

The policeman looked at the both of them dubiously.

There was another noisy commotion by the doorway.

The one who came scrambling in was Carlton. Raven was also with him.

“Father!”

Lydia ran over to her father and jumped up into his arms.

As the both of them were overjoyed in their safe reunion, she also managed to sneak a peek out of the corner of her eye of Edgar and Raven shaking their hands tightly.

She knew that for the both of them, this wasn’t an ending that they could wild with joy over. The sorrow of losing Ermine must be great.

But Lydia managed not to be killed by Edgar. Perhaps Ermine’s death was able to teach Edgar the feelings of Lydia who desperately wanted to save her father.

That’s why, most likely, the reason why Edgar didn’t cut Lydia but himself, was not only because he despaired over there not being a star in the sword.

Maybe, everything wasn’t a lie.

Like when he said he couldn’t lie like his usual self to Lydia as he cut himself with the sword.

Not wanting to hurt others as much as possible must have also been Edgar’s true wish, and that’s why he must have kept his promise that he’ll help Lydia and her father. Or so she hoped.

P. 267

“Oi, Lydia, go outside and look.”

At Nico’s voice, she finally stepped away from her father.

Carlton was stopped by the policeman who was eagerly waiting for the two of them to end their happy reuniting and bombarded him with questions. After Lydia listened as her father explained to him that both Raven and he tied up the Gossam brothers to the gatepost of the castle, she took a step outside of the house.

The view of the sea shore spread out in front of her.

Completely different from when they first arrived on the island, the waves were calmly washing up onto the shore. 

She could spot a bunch of brownies rowing out a log like a ship onto the waves.

She felt that they would surely be able to go back and forth between the mainland and island safely now like they had in the past.

Lydia watched Nico run down to them after he told her that he was going to see the brownies off, and she turned to step back into the house.

She picked up the Blue Knight Earl’s sword that had been placed up against the wall near the fireplace, and looked to see that there was a crossed-shaped star that shined brightly in the middle of the sapphire.

“That was so magical. I’m still thinking that what went on was all a dream, yet this gemstone proves this is reality.”

She didn’t notice that Edgar was standing next to her.

If he stood so close to her like that, she remembered how they were in each other’s arms just earlier, and her heart began to race for no reason.

P. 268

For Edgar, that must have been just a part of the dream he was in, but for Lydia, it completely happened in reality.

“So, are you repenting even a little now?”

Even if it was just to reduce her embarrassment, she knew she said it in a way that wasn’t cute at all.

“Yes. I’ve learned that if you’re with someone soft-hearted, then you can’t expect what could happen. I’ve found out that being with those kinds of people can make nothing go according to plan, and they somehow make you not feel right, and nearly kill you.

But Edgar wasn’t cute at all in how he said that with that grin of his. It almost sounded to her like he was trying to pick a fight.

“Wait just a minute, are you making fun of me by saying I’m gullible and easily taken advantage of?”

“No, no. I’m really grateful. Plus, I’d like to think there was something special between us. It seems like you could never be able to desert me.”

He gave Lydia a seductive look which made her stagger back even more.

“Ah….., didn’t I tell you to not to get the wrong idea.”