Volume 3 - CH 5

P. 170

*

With the investigation report on a painter named O’neill in one hand, Edgar closed his eyelid tightly.

Early this morning, this investigation report was delivered by the detective who was hired by him.

According to this, a painter Patrick O’neill, who specialized in painting a noble’s manor house that was located in a scenic area did exist. The paintings he produced were naturally hanged in the manor house of those who hired him and so there was no way they were sold to the public. By due to the Season, there were many country-side resident nobles who were gathered in Londonthat knew about him.

He had one son. The son’s name was indeed Paul, and his age matched. Only, after O’neill’s death, it was completely unknown about where and how he was.

It was a common case when no one would know the location, or a sixteen, seventeen-year-old boy, who was left on his own stumbled into the great city was dead or alive. 

O’neill death was caused by gas poisoning at his residence in Bath, Somersetwhere he was living at the time. It was declared an accident, but his son, who had survived from light poisoning, was apparently claiming that it was murder.

“Murder…..?”

At the least, after his father’s death, Paul lived as the son of Foreman, a different painter. 

*

“What is going on!” shouted Lydia as she finally blew her top.

As it were, when she woke up in the morning, Kelpie was taking up a spot in her room.

She complained that there was a female sleeping in the room! And kick him out, but after she dressed and prepared herself and came downstairs to have breakfast, he was still there.

Her father must have heard from Nico that this young man with a tall figure and big attitude was in fact a fairy as he sat across from him with a puzzled look on his face as he watched the fae throw uncooked eggs, still with their shell, one by one into his mouth.

P. 181

Of course, Nico didn’t favor being with the barbaric kelpie, so he must have had no intention of having a meal with him at the table. Like he was rotating with Lydia, he snorted through his nose grumpingly as he left the room.

Ever since then, Kelpie was always in a proximity close enough that Lydiaalways had him in sight. 

When she rode the carriage to the earl house, he was right next to her. At this rate, till when Lydia would go home, he might intend to stay in her office room. 

It didn’t seem like he had any particular business with her and was just standing or sitting there, so Lydia was finally starting to get annoyed.

“Don’t be bothered.”

Kelpie would only reply with that.

When they reached the earl house and the driver opened the door, Edgar stepped up into the carriage as he pushed Lydia back in as she was getting ready to step out.

“Good morning, Lydia.”

She hadn’t seen him since that incident and had been avoiding him for three days so she was taken aback at his appearance.

“G-good…., wait, more like, what do you want?”

Lydia was obviously leering away from him, but Edgar didn’t seem bothered at all.

“Let’s have a talk. Mr. Kain, this carriage is for two. Would you mind going somewhere.”

P. 182

“Why do I have to move.”

“This carriage runs for my house. So does the driver and horse.”

Hmph, snorted the kelpie through his nose.

“Fine, then. Since you’re in a pitiful state.”

What do you mean? She wanted to ask him, but Kelpie vanished in a blink. 

But, that means, I’m left alone with Edgar in this cramped place?

As soon as she realized that, Lydia became frightened again. 

“Wait a moment, I’m getting off!”

“Lydia, I pledge I won’t lay a finger on you, so please stay here.”

Perhaps because he said it like an earnest, urgent tone, or because it was better not to entice him if he wasn’t going to let her off, for now, Lydia had no choice but to sit back down on the carriage seat.

He told the driver to circle around the area, then like he was finally relieved, he commented in a leisurely manner “what good weather it is today.”

“It’s completely cloudy.”

“This is the best it gets in London.”

“Well, yes.”

“Are you still upset about what happened?”

P. 183

Lydia herself wasn’t sure if she was upset or not. If she thought about it hard, it felt like something you shouldn’t have gotten bothered with that 

much.

Just because she was kissed on her wrist, Edgar was sure to have taken the hands and kissed all the near-by daughters and lady’s hands already. 

It was like a form of greeting to noblewomen. He might have just fooled around and played a joke on Lydia by doing it to her.

It was usually done on the back of the hand, but there really wasn’t that much of a difference. 

Even if she thought that, at the time, the air felt lascivious and the how he acted, how he looked at her, everything was completely unfamiliar with Lydia, and she was scared so much she wanted to bolt out and run.

But that was because she didn’t have any experience with other people, it especially came from her childish fear and nervousness because didn’t know that much about men, so it might have not been Edgar’s fault. 

Even if she thought that, she didn’t want to end up forgiving him and turning back into his puppet again.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m angry or not. Besides, you just probably wanted to joke around.”

“What would make you forgive me?”

“If you just let time go back, maybe I’ll just forget about it in some time?”

“How much is some time? It would be my last regret if I remained in an uneasy position to you.”

P. 184

“Last regret?”

“My mistake. Concern.”

She thought, what a weird mistake, but she didn’t let it bother her. 

“I don’t want you to forget, but forgive me. I don’t want to forget. I may have caused you to have an unpleasant experience, but I haven’t felt that close to you like I had at that time before.”

Edgar right now, didn’t try to touch her like he promised, but Lydia again, had the feeling like she was stroked over. 

But, because he was like that, it was more difficult for her to forgive him.

Not only at that time, but it felt like she was going to allow him to get close to her from now on as well.

From confusion, Lydia was made to turn her head down, and looking at her like that, he must have given up trying to make her say she forgives him, and so he changed the subject.

“Were you courted by Paul?”

But, he chose an even more peculiar subject.

“He rescued you like a knight in armor; it would be natural that he must have said something to get your affections.”

*

Paul had returned to the boarding house on Fleet Street, and he breathed out a deep sigh as he held the medicine bin that was handed to him from one of the men in the organization that he had a seat in.

He didn’t know about the scheme his organization had been planning for Edgar all this time and had the strong belief that he was the true Blue Knight Earl.

Edgar had taken a liking to Paul’s paintings and possessed both the charming features of a peer-like noble spirit and a friendly down-to-earth characteristic.

P. 188

Paul wanted to create a painting that the young earl would be satisfied with and by doing that, he had the feeling like he was fulfilling the promise he made with the Duke family’s deceased young son.

But, if he, who called himself Edgar Ashenbert, was someone close to the leader of the organization who killed his father, then his duty was very important.

He didn’t have any time to spare in being sentimental.

“Mr. Foreman, you have a visitor.”

The one who spoke to him was the middle-aged housekeeper who managed and ran the boarding house he was staying in. 

To the he one who came in through the door she opened for, Paul went frozen and nearly dropped the medicine bin in reaction.

“M-my lord…..”

“What is the matter? You have the tragic look of someone who facing the end of the world.”

“Oh, no, nothing is the matter. More than that, thank you for coming to such a foul and squalid place like this….”

“I have an interest in what a painter’s studio was like.”

He realized that remaining sitting down was rude and rushed to stand up.

“It’s just a regular room. Although, it’s covered with splotches of paint here and there.”

Paul thought that he should offer him a seat, but everyone of them was covered with smeared oil and paint that it made him worry that it might dirty the earl’s expensive fine frock coat.

P. 189

He also must have had no intention of sitting down on a dirty chair, as he walked over to the window and stood looking out.

“Are you moving?”

“Eh.”

The Earl’s eyes stopped on the trunks that were piled up in the corner of the room. He couldn’t possibly answer that he was preparing for his escape overseas.

“No, ah, I was asked by an acquaintance, if my room could be used to store them for a while.”

It was a desperate and sad excuse, as there were other open trunks that were left out with clothes thrown into them. 

“I see. The reason I came by today, was because I had something that I wanted to ask you.”

He was looked at with a faint smile and sharp, piercing eyes, which made Paul go stiff once again. The medicine bin that was in his hand felt like it could slip out of his hand, wet from sweat.

“….What might that be.”

“The moonstone ring, why are you lying that it still doesn’t come off?”

His eyes whipped down to his right hand and saw that there indeed was no ring on his finger. He had switched it onto his left hand from time to time as he thought it got in the way of when he wanted to hold a painting brush. He had made sure and paid attention so that he wouldn’t be noticed, but since this was his own room, he had completely forgotten about it.

“You were able to take it off from some time ago, weren’t you. But if you said that it came off, then there would be no excuse for you to stay in my house. I thought you were keeping quiet because you didn’t want to lose the chance to get friendly with Lydia. But even though you protected her from me, you let her return home without doing anything. That is strange. There would be no man who wouldn’t miss such a golden opportunity. If he did, then he must be some unsociable coward or has a different goal for keeping on wearing the ring.”

P. 190

Putting aside how it would be normal to take that opportunity or not, it was just as Edgar said.

Since Paul was unsociable and on top of that had a different goal.

“Did you have a necessity to remain in the house for some more time?”

How much has he figured out?

“……Because Lydia had purposed that it would be safer if I stay at the earl house, you offered me a painting job. The ring came off more quickly than I expected, and if I lost the reason to remain in your house, then I became worried that you might take back the painting offer.”

That part was true. Paul had the duty of reporting about Edgar to his comrades, but since he was under the belief that he was the real earl, he thought of his painting job above all else. 

“I’m surprised to see you’re good at making up a quick excuse. I thought you were a man who couldn’t lie.”

“That wasn’t a lie.”

“Your name isn’t Foreman but O’neill. Are you saying that this isn’t a lie as well?”

Why. Paul was shocked and his mind flew into dismay. His comrade had said that even if Foreman was investigated, the name wouldn’t lead to O’neill. 

P. 191

‘Unless he knows of you from the past.’

The housekeeper knocked on the door. It seems she came to pour them tea. In reflex, Paul went to open the door, and said that he would do it and took away the tray. 

“O’neill was also a painter. He was killed eight years ago. At least, you thought so, and because you thought so, so must have sensed your life was in danger at the time.”

Like he was driving him into a corner, Edgar continued on.

Paul’s mind was slowly strengthened and coldly made up. 

This young beautiful man was also a part of the group that killed his father. He had to do it. 

“What are you talking about? I always was Foreman. My father has retired but still alive.”

He took care so that his voice didn’t come out shaken, and carefully took off the lid of the medicine bin that he had in his hand all this time.

A white-colored grained powder that was inside dropped into the teacup. From the corner of his eye, he made sure that Edgar wasn’t looking towards him.

If he had thought about it with a straight mind, there was no way that he would put his lips to a drink that was poured for him in the room of the man who held distrust towards him. However, Paul was worked up and couldn’t think about such a detail.

“Where did this name of O’neill pop out from?”

He placed the teacup right by Edgar’s side.

P. 196

Without thinking, Paul grabbed ahold of her shoulder.

To use the first simple stages of self-defense, or in another one’s view, violence to a woman was a first for Paul and a shameless act in itself, but there was no other option. 

After he knocked her unconscious, he searched her, but she didn’t carry anything that looked like an antidote. 

Should he call a doctor? But if he did that, it would put in question the existence of the organization. His father was a member. The ‘Scarlett Moon’ had protected Paul all this time and he made a pledge to become a member to fight those responsible for his father’s death. 

He didn’t know what he should do, and slumped to the floor.

*

Before she realized it, the number of people in her work office, no the number of fairies had seemed to increased, which made Lydia feel like a headache was building up.

First of all, it was no mistake that Kelpie and his big, overbearingly tall figure was the reason that made this room feel so small and crowded. 

To top of the annoying part, Nico was walking around the room without any apparent reason. And he was bothering with the fluffy fur on his chest to any excessive degree. 

Finally, Marygold and Sweetpea were beating their wings and flying about the room and she saw that there was a busy crowd of all the hobgoblins who resided in this grand house. 

P. 197

All right, now this is strange, thought Lydia and stopped her writing. 

“Nico, is there something the matter?”

“It’s like my body feels tingling all over.”

“It feels like the air is billowing,” “The magic is surging around like wild currents,” said Marygold and Sweetpea in a nervous tone.

“Isn’t the merrow’s sword in this house? That’s what is howling,” interrupted Kelpie.

“The sword? Why?”

“How would I know that?”

“So, why are all of you in this room?”

“Being near a fairy doctor is somewhat better than nothing.”

I guess that’s the way it is.

But I didn’t know that the sword could howl. As she thought,Lydiathought it might be best to notify the butler and stood up.

Just at that time, Raven came in.

“Miss Carlton, have you heard anything about where Lord Edgar had gone?”

P. 198

He said it in an even leveled voice, but the tone sounded like he hadn’t the calm that he usually had.

“I had a short talk with him in the carriage, but he got off alone and walked off somewhere. I don’t know where he headed.”

The sight of Raven in a restless state may be related to the sword howling. He had something like a letter crumbled in his fist.

“…..And Foreman……?”

After he mumbled that, he turned around like he was about to leave, and she felt it was unnatural for him not to put a mister to Paul’s name. 

“Mister Foreman has not come today.”

The one who said that was the butler, Tomkins.

“He said he was going to return to his residence. He claimed he needed to let the air through or the paint he had in stock was going to mold. Raven, what is the matter. Is there some sort of problem?”

“Well, now, so the man isn’t coming today. Then it isn’t necessary for me to keep watch and guard any longer.”

Lydia looked over to Kelpie who said that.

“What does that mean?”

“It would be trouble if you were involved.”

“Involved? In what?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Oh, good, so he isn’t here. Then, I don’t need to be in this noisy house, so I’m leaving.”

P. 199

“Wait, Kelpie, explain properly!”

Lydia stood in front of him and blocked his path.

“If you don’t say, then I’ll cut all ties with you!”

“Cut ties? Do you think that would keep me away.”