Volume 5 - CH 3

P. 87

*

The place that Lydia sneaked into was the butler’s office of Tomkins. 

It was the butler’s duty to manage the earnings of the estates and savings of the Ashenbert family. She came up with the idea that there may be some kind of record of who Edgar could have sold off or gave the diamond to.

If he was going in and out of a harem, then there should be some kind of clue of the address of that business.

Using the time when Tomkins was out of the building, Lydia searched the room, but when she realized that the pile of paperwork, which showed no signs of ever being organized was covering the desk, she gave up.

“Is something the matter, Miss Carlton?”

Lydia whipped herself around in a fury to face that voice. Raven was standing there. 

“Mr. Tomkins will be returning in the afternoon, do you have business that needs hurry?”

“Eh, no, uh……, oh, yes, there is paperwork that I asked him to help me with. It’s a written petition from one of the Earl’s estates; they said they needed the permission from the Earl to make a pathway for the fairies…..”

Even though she was in a panic, Lydia managed to come up with something related to work as her excuse. 

P. 95

“When did you ask him for that?”

“I think, it could have been three days ago.”

Raven walked over to the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper from the pile. 

“Here you go.”

It had today’s date and already had Edgar’s signature.

“…..Thank you, uh, it’s amazing you were able to find it in that mess.”

“It is not a mess. This is the perfect condition for Mr. Tomkins.”

“O-oh, so it is. Well, I could understand it if it was him who found it, but it’s surprising that you knew its location.”

“That is because I am learning how to work as a butler.”

“What, you’re going to be a butler?”

“If it is anything that will be useful to Lord Edgar, then I’ll learn anything.”

When she thought about it, Raven was only taught how to kill anyone who was close enough in his reach in the beginning. Lydia only knew the Raven who understood the proper behavior and conducts as Edgar’s valet, but that part must have been what he learned after he met Edgar.

He might have started to want to learn more for Edgar’s sake who became Earl, because in the future, when their war with Prince would end, his fighting skills would become meaningless.

Lydia felt that if he was pursuing to learn something new and be happy about that, then he just might be one step ahead of Edgar in becoming free from Prince. 

P. 96

“I see, I hope you’re successful.”

Raven’s expression didn’t change, as usual, but she thought she saw him smile just a crack. 

“Is there anything else you need?”

Raven opened up the door, and he must have naturally held it open for her, but since she didn’t show any signs of leaving, he must have asked that question. 

It would be awkward for her to stay in Mr. Tomkins’ room. But, there was something that Lydiawanted to know. 

Oh, no, what should I do, she panicked.

“Uh, Raven, where’s his harem?”

Still hesitant, she asked anyway.

Raven was unsure how to answer. Even if she couldn’t see the change in his expression, Lydia was able to tell he was unsure, because of his complete silence. 

Now that she could recall, Raven had the complete firm belief that Lydia was Edgar’s fiancée. He must consider her as the next important person after his master. Which means, he wouldn’t be able to ignore me?

This might be mean of me, she thought, but Lydia went on anyway.

“Isn’t there a business that Edgar goes to quite frequently?”

P. 97

Was he feeling it be rude to ask back a question in order to find out what the fiancée of his master’s intention was in her questioning that? 

“It is the Madam Eve Palace on Charing Cross.”

As soon as he answered, he must have not wanted her to ask him anything more, as he swiftly disappeared, as if escaping from her. 

And so, one hour later, Lydiawas standing in front of Madam Eve Palace.

It was a building that almost looked like a noble’s mansion with a marvelous, grand gate guarding the front.

Maybe because it was during the day, but there were no signs of people going in or out of the building.

Lydia climbed over the fence and headed around to the back of the building and looked for the backdoor.

“Young lady, are you not going to enter from the front door?” asked the coblynau who she brought along with her.

She couldn’t allow the cursed diamond to be as it was. Edgar didn’t show any signs of being worried about it, but if it was to be left un-dealt with, then terrible things were bound to happen, so Lydia brought along Coblynau so that this fairy would be able to calm down the power of the cursed diamond. 

In no way, was she thinking about meeting the harem princess and do something to her. 

She was also in a dangerous position, so if Lydia could talk to her, she was sure the two of them could come to an understanding. 

But, I wonder if she’s very beautiful. 

P. 98

So why would she be sense her motivation withering away when she thought about something like that. 

“Places like this won’t give you a warm welcome if you suddenly appear at their front door,” said Nico acting like the senior fairy. 

But, it was true what Nico said. That’s why Lydia borrowed uniform from a maid who worked at the Ashenbert mansion.

Maid clothing should look similar at any place. She wasn’t sure what exactly a harem or whatever it was, looked like, but it was sure to be a place that hired a load of workers, so she guessed that if she pretended to be a maid, then she could sneak in successfully.

“But, I cannot understand why the young lady, who is going to be the wife of the Earl, would need to enter through the backdoor like a servant.”

“More importantly, what’s the reason for you to have to come to a place like this?” asked Nico.

“Would you be quiet for a while? And, Coblynau, you absolutely, cannot, by any means, reveal to the woman in the harem that I’m the fiancée of the Earl.”

“Why is that?”

“Just because.”

Anyway, if it was the coblynau, then he should be able to revert the diamond back to its harmless state. Since she had the perfect fairy for the job, Lydia felt she needed to do something about this situation as a Fairy Doctor. 

From behind the corner of the building wall, she peeked around to check on the back door as she swiftly put on the apron and white cap.

P. 99

Just then, a maid came out the back door, and Lydia watched her go around the corner towards the street and then rushed to the open back door and slipped into the building. 

Inside was quiet. She would periodically walk past another maid, but they went by her in hurry, so no one ended up paying any attention to Lydia.

“Young lady, I feel the energy of a jewel. It’s this way.”

The coblynau went ahead and lead the way.

He was a fairy skilled in finding where minerals were buried.

After they passed through a door way at the end of a corridor, the grade of the interior suddenly changed.

It was a hall with a magnificent, bright chandelier hanging from the ceiling and statues lined up against the wall, with high ceilings and long curving staircases that connected to the floor above.

The colorfully designed mosaics tiles covering the entire floor added an irregular feel to the symmetric design, making visitors feel like they were suddenly thrown into a dream.

It wasn’t just lavish but very man-made and the decorations confused visitors’ senses.

“Such bad taste.”

Nico, who was invisible ever since they entered the building, suddenly appeared out of nowhere to voice his opinion.

And then, he twitched his nose and started to wobble off in another direction.

“Wait, Nico, where are you going?” asked Lydia.

P. 100

“I smell something delicious coming from this way.”

“Oh, geesh….., you always go off on your own at times like this.”

“Young lady, this way.”

Lydia let Nico go, and followed the Coblynau deeper into the back of the building. 

They passed by countless doors, and eventually the fairy stopped in front of a particular door. 

“Is it here?”

Lydia softly and slowly opened the door. 

The inside of the room was brightly decorated with gold and silver. 

There didn’t seem to be anyone in the room, so she stepped in.

P. 112

She said that in a hurry as she took off her apron and cap and rushed out of the building through the back door. 

“My Lord, when your affair is found out, you shouldn’t go and do something rash like coming up with an excuse.”

The invisible fairy had taken one feather accessory from the doll's veil and tried to show himself by waving it back and forth in front of Edgar. 

“……Uhh, you were,”

“Coblynau.”

“Oh, yes.”

Because he didn’t anticipate Lydia disguising herself as a maid and sneaking into here, Edgar was experiencing a small shock and was left standing in the doorway.

“The best thing to do is just keep apologizing.”

“Did you give that kind of advice to one of the Blue Knight Earls in the past?”

“I have indeed. I just cannot understand why on earth human men would go and have an affair when they know what kind of storm they have to go through when their wives find out.”

So the Ashenbert family tree had henpecked husbands.

“I have to ask you one thing; did Lydia come here because she was worried about the cursed diamond? Or to find out the truth behind my rumored affair?”

P. 113

If it was the later, then he thought he might have a chance.

“She came because of the cursed diamond. But, it is impossible for a lady not to be worried about the unfaithfulness of her fiancé. Well, I hear there are those kind of cold engagements within society.”

That was the problem. 

The positive feelings Lydia felt towards Edgar was under the categories of pity and kind meddling, and the root was her soft-hearted personality, so he wondered if her feelings had changed or grown into something different. 

He had the feeling perhaps her feelings haven’t changed.

And it looked like Edgar ended up making Lydia cry and hurting her. 

He thought it would be easy to make their engagement official. When he spent his time with her on a daily basis, he felt he wasn’t being disliked, so he thought that he would be able to pull it through somehow. Even in regards to the doll, if he just explained its reason, she might come to an understanding. And yet, Edgar let her run off because he also lost his calm composure. 

Because he could still feel the twisting sound of the bone in Lydia’s slender arm near braking and it made him loathe himself.

*

P. 114

“Miss Carlton, what is the reason you have that on?”

The Duchess, Lady Masefield had noticed the thick bandage wrapped around Lydia’s left ring finger and made a worried frown.

“Oh, this, I was just a little clumsy. It isn’t anything serious.”

Since the ring couldn’t come off, hiding it was her last resort. By doing this, she would be able to carry on without causing anyone to become suspicious. 

“Oh, my goodness. You bone isn’t broken is it? It is your ring finger, so if your finger thickens, you won’t be able to wear your wedding ring.”

“I-I’m completely fine. And I don’t have any plans to marry  anyway,” replied Lydia in a hurry. 

She had been invited along with her father to the duchess’mansion today. 

Her father’s former teacher, who he respected, was the duke’s cousin and was apparently paying a visit to London from Cambridge, so they were holding a very small tea party, and Lydia had come straight from the Ashenbert house to here, but it looked like her father had arrived before her.

“I’m so happy that Miss Carlton was able to attend today. When it’s all scholars, you know how the conversation immediately turns to a technical topic, yes? That is much too boring for me.”

Perhaps, because of that reason, Lydia was first guided to the drawing room of the duchess and saw how she looked to have been eagerly waiting for Lydia as she closed the book she was reading.

P. 115

The duchess escorted Lydia and they headed to the salon. As they walked, the duchess made a pleasant smile like she had just remembered something.

“So, you still don’t have any intention of marrying. Ha-ha, it is such a spoil for me to be the only one to know that Lord Ashenbert is having such a difficult time.”