Volume 8 - CH 3

P. 64

*****

“Edgar, what is the meaning of this!”

Lydia, who had been waiting for him when he returned, came charging into the entrance hall, and pressed the young earl who was the master of this mansion for an answer.

“Oh, hello, Lydia, your angry face is such a charming sight. By the way, what are you talking about?”

“About the opera. I said I wasn’t going. And yet, I was told by Ms Harriett that I need to dress because that’s in my schedule. What’s going on?”

“Um-hmm, since you said that you wouldn’t go last week, I changed it to today.”

When I say I wouldn’t go, that means I won’t go whether it’s last week or today! Was what she really wanted to scream, but Lydia was made her keep her mouth shut every time she was met with Edgar’s quibble.

And besides, the reason he didn’t let her know until the last minute was so that he could force her to accompany him.

As rage boiled in her head, she thought it was pointless to be toyed by him, and so Lydia followed after Edgar into the gentleman’s room.

P. 68

“I told you that I’m not comfortable in going to lavish places. If you want a woman to accompany you, then you should just invite an aristocrat’s daughter. There wouldn’t be a girl who would refuse your invitation.”

He whipped around to face her.

“Then, why is it that you don’t want to go?”

“That’s because…., isn’t it in a foreign language? Then I wouldn’t understand it anyways.”

“It’s alright. It’s  Rossini’s La Cenerentola. Although it’s in Italian, the story is Cinderella that you’re familiar with. And I’ll interpret it for you by your side, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

“But….”

A place like the opera house was a place where aristocrats would gather and introduce themselves to each other, might be a place that was too heavy a load on a country girl’s shoulders like hers.

And yet, Edgar was apt to bring Lydia along to gatherings of the upper class. Apparently, he wanted to make a cognizance of her as the private fairy doctor of his earldom to the upper class, but she felt he just wanted to show her off because she was a rare sight.

Edgar Ashenbert had the title of Earl of Ibrazel. In the current 19th century, it was rare for someone to believe that the earl actually had his estate in the land of the fairy world, but at least, faeries who accepted him as their new lord were living on his estate that was in England.

P. 69

For Edgar who couldn’t see faeries, Lydia was hired as the fairy doctor who would handle everything dealing with fairies.

It hadn’t been that long since her employment, but Lydia had been escorted by Edgar since then and has been introduced to several aristocrats.

Fairy doctors were specialists who knew anything when it came to the fae, and it was their job to solve the troubles that erupted between them and humans, and they were once all over England, but now practically extinct. That’s why this job was difficult to be understood by people.

And most of the people would look at her like they were looking at the rare sight of a fairy.

Gradually, she began to think that there might be no point in forcing herself in come out in front of the public, and so she found it a great bother to go to the opera house.

But Edgar still seemed like he was going to continue persuading Lydia who was shrinking away from the idea.

“You’re going to make me go alone? You’re saying you’re okay with me being laughed at for being jilted by my partner? I need to enter the London high society for the first time without any support or patron. I agonized over how a fledgling like me could leave a lasting impression to the people of the upper class society, and I thought that if I had you by my side, then I could confidently go out, and yet you’re going to abandon me.”

This man’s level of coaxing people by threatening or pretending to cry wasn’t the average level. Furthermore this man had the looks like a prince and made any women become his puppet.

P. 70

For a man like him who was pasted the level of unreserved and confident, but more like became the center of the crowd whenever and whenever he went, it was hard to imagine that he would become faint-hearted just at the thought of going to the opera house.

“Please don’t say you won’t go.”

And yet, she was fully aware of what he was thinking, but Lydia some how wasn’t able to turn him away after he pleaded her like that.

“I won’t be able to act like a noblewoman.”

“All I ask is to sit and smile,” he said and immediately called for the head maid, which meant he took Lydia’s vague reply as her consent.

“Harriett, wasn’t there a lime green dress that I had ordered. The color the same as Lydia’s eyes. It’s troublesome if she goes as the same color as a certain noblewoman who dominates the ton, but we’ll be safe if we go with that.”

I can’t believe you have to consider such a detail like that. Lydia didn’t know if she should be in awe or shocked at how quick Edgar was to do his research.

“Lydia, will that one be alright?”

But now, Lydia could only give up and nod.

Lydia was being dragged along with Edgar to different places, and told that this was part of her job, so she was supplied with dresses to go out as many as a lady. However, even after it had been a while, she suddenly worried about something.

P. 71

“Now that I thing about it, I never had myself measured, so how were you able to have them make them?”

“The tailor’s wife had nearly the same stature and height as you.”

“So she was the same size as me.”

“And so, I asked them to shorten the breast and waist seven inches.”

Huh?

“W-Why would you know something like that!”

“One could guess that somehow or other.”

One couldn’t normally guess that, somehow or other.

This philanderer man was absolutely unbelievable.

Lydia’s head felt dizzy from shock or maybe it was embarrassment.

The one who entered the room was a young man with hazel-colored skin. It was Edgar’s loyal servant.

“Lord Edgar, you had forgotten this in the carriage.”

Raven placed a small Margaret bouquet onto the table.

“Oh, yes. I had found a flower girl who was rumored at the Covent Garden whose flower game is said to have a great mark.”

“Was she as the rumors said?” asked Raven.

“Yes, she surpassed the rumors.”

“So you already tried it?” asked Lydia.

P. 72

“No, the flower girl was black-haired and tender-hearted, and very cute.”

So you were more interested in that part of the rumor?

“But unfortunately, she already had someone she fancied.”

He handed the bouquet to Lydia and plucked out a Margaret from it.

“Oh, well, I have you.”

“I’m just hired as a fairy doctor, and I’m not your toy.”

“You’re cold as already. Then let’s try the flower game. To test if you will fall in love with me or not.”

Lydia didn’t even want to reply and so turned her head the other way, but he started to pluck the white Margaret petals one after another.

As he alternately repeated ‘fall in love, not fall in love,’ she couldn’t help but be a little interested even though she thought lightly of this flower game.

“Falls in love.”

Right in front of Lydia’s eyes, he plucked the last petal and gave her a winning smile.

“Does it seem like the flower game’s magic is going to work?’

“……It would never work.”

It was just when she turned around to leave. Something wiggled up against Lydia’s foot.

S-Snake!

When she figured out what it  was, Lydia let out a horrified scream and jumped over to Edgar who was beside her.

P. 73

P. 74

“Noooooooo! Get it away, throw it ooooout!”

Raven was swift to capture it, but Lydia’s legs were still wobbled.

“You’re afraid of snakes?”

“Why is there a snake in a place like this!”

“It must have lost its way into here. But it’s alright, it’s just a small snake.”

She was about to lift her head, but seeing that Raven was still standing there with it in his hand, she swallowed down another scream.

“W-What are you doing! Hurry up and toss it out!”

“Lord Edgar, may I throw it out?”

He was conscientious and calmly asked his master.

“Hmmm, well, I’d like to stay like this a little longer,”

Hearing that, Lydia finally realized that she was clinging onto Edgar. But Raven was still beside them and holding onto the snake, so she couldn’t move.

“Hurry up already-------!”

Edgar gave his permission, and Raven finally tossed the snake out the window.

After breathing a sigh of relief, she rushed to left go and get away from him who she was gripping onto, but Edgar slipped his arm around her back as if reluctant to part from her and whispered to her:

P. 75

“Was it better if I had them shorten your measurement one more inch?”

“Huh?”

“Your waist.”

Lydia whipped her hand out to slap him, but Edgar, who let go of her, was swift to evade her attack.

“Miss Lydia, please let’s start the preparations,” said the head maid who returned with the lime green dress in her hands. Lydia flashed a glare at Edgar who was grinning at her and left the room along with the head maid.

“Oi, Lydia, there’s something I spotted,” said the fairy cat Nico by her feet.

He was Lydia’s partner, and normally walked up on his two hind feet and wore a necktie and cared about his appearance. However, right now, he deliberately was walking on all-fours to not make the head maid suspicious and whispered to Lydia.

“What?”

“I briefly saw a fairy come in from outside.”

“…..Did that fairy, perhaps, played the prank with that snake?”

“Maybe.”

Even if that were so, if it was a fairy that played a prank to that level, then it could just be a hobgoblin that lived around this area.

P. 76

It wasn’t an evil fairy. However, it was unforgivable to Lydia for releasing a snake.

“Nico, find that fairy and make sure to capture it.”

“No, I don’t want to, it’s too much work.”

Even if he was her partner, he was this kind of character.

“I let you know while I was at it, so be careful.”

The capricious fairy cat said those last words and in a poof, he vanished.

*

In the end, Lydia didn’t have any time to spare for the fairy who released the snake.

Right after she was done getting dressed, she was brought to the Theater Royal Covent Garden by Edgar.

She was escorted to a box seat along with him, and she found out that that was a special seat for the duchess, Lady Masefield, of course, after she was escorted to that seat.

She fumed ‘You kept this away from me as well!’ in her head, but it was too late to do anything about that now.

If there were going to join the graceful lady duchess of the opera house, then they would draw the attention from the other seats.

P. 92

“Lydia, are you hurt?” asked Edgar turning around as if nothing happened and throwing away the knife in the ditch.

“I’m fine….” You must be the more dangerous one to look out for. She took his offer and used his hand to stand up.

Just then Lydia spotted the pixie from the shadows of the crates. The fairy threw away the rock it was holding with its hands and raced after the escaped man.

“More importantly what happened? You just suddenly ran off like that.”

“It’s that pixie. It was the one that threw the rock at the man to scare me off.”

Now that she thought about it, Nico said that the snake from earlier appeared along with the presence of a fairy, which could mean that it was that pixie who could have done it.

That just made it even more confusing for Lydia to know why she was chosen as a target. 

“Pixie?”

“The fairy that was messing with Hugh. I wonder if this could be related to the flower girl?” mumbled Lydia in thought.

P. 93

“It must be. Even Hugh said he played the game with the Margaret he bought from the same flower girl. Which means that the flower girl whose always accurate must have the help of a fairy whose doing all this after-care.”

“So the fairy plotted this situation just like the game where you would fall in love with me?”

“It’s quite a forceful approach.”

Either way the prank toward Hugh doesn’t look like they were to help his love. In his case where however many times he does the game, the fairy might have been fooling around so that the love never blossoms.

But then why would it need to do that sort of thing to Hugh.

“Oh no. That means I should have protected you from the danger by getting injured? Then you could have fallen for me.” Lydia was being serious but Edgar was being optimistic.

“I would never fall for you!”

“Anyways, could you sit down right over there.”

Why? But then she noticed that the shoe Edgar picked up was hers. She realized that one of them must have slipped off when she tripped. 

After having Lydia sit down on one of the stone steps of the building, he knelt know in front of her.

“Did you get cut by a rock? There’s blood.”

"Uh, it’s nothing.”

P. 94

Paying no heed, he took her ankle into his palm and wrapped a handkerchief around the cut.

As she had him slip on the shoe she gazed at the golden eyelashes that were facing down, and she couldn’t help for her heart to start beating faster.

If he just wouldn’t say anything to tease others, and if he wasn’t a rake and woman chaser, she could honestly have thought him as attractive.

But then again, that wouldn’t be Edgar.

“This is like one of the scenes of Cinderella. The moment they find the owner of the shoe that was found.”

Yes, Edgar was someone who would say something like this at any opportunity.

“You are the one, the princess I’ve been looking for.”

“…Please stop with the silly acting.”

“You’re not going to play along.”

You expect me to call you prince?

That kind of embarrassing play was impossible for Lydia.

It was a weird feeling, being gazed up by him who was kneeling down before her and chuckled to her reaction.

It was as if she really was a princess. The one he was looking at wasn’t her usual self, but felt as if it was a special girl under magic.

But his sweet words were not from his heart. If she were to succumb to it, it was obvious that she would end up in some unimaginable state. 

P. 95

“There was no glass slipper or pumpkin carriage for the opera Cinderella,” said Lydia, somehow managing to fight off the giddy feeling. 

The prince in the opera didn’t look for the girl he fell in love with a slipper, but one of the matching pairs of a bracelet.

That was a promise that came out on stage, that he would surely find Cinderella, no matter who she was, or what she looked like.

It was the true, loyal love between two people that didn’t use the power of magic, something that achieved the destined love of the Cinderella story.

“It’s bad to be under the influence of magic. Wouldn’t you agree? I wouldn’t want my love to be toyed around by a fairy who’s playing pranks.” Her voice ended up being strong because she didn’t want to be swallowed up by the air around the two of them.

“Yes, I can’t look away when Hugh’s love is being interrupted by a fairy too.” I’m a Fairy Doctor. It’s my job to help those who are in trouble because of fairies.

“So you’re going to ignore about us right now?”

“More important, we need to find that fairy and capture it…”

But fairies are so fast, they wouldn’t be easy to capture.

P. 96

When it comes to fairies, Lydia’s mind tended to be occupied with only that and she had already forgotten about the sweet air that was between them and was engrossed in deep thought.

Edgar decided to give and stood up, then looked up as if he spotted something.

“Hey, here comes Nico.”

A gray colored cat was walking on his two back legs along the top of the brick wall. Usually when in open sight, he would pretend to be a regular domestic cat, but this happy gray feline must have been in the company of spirits, stopped in his tracks as he noticed the two of them and sat down on the wall and craftingly crossed his legs.

“You’re cat sure is different.”

Even though he witnessed Nico walking on two feet he still just thought of him as a cat that plays tricks.

“Hey Lydia, isn’t it a beautiful moonlit night.”

It must have only sounded like a cat meowing to Edgar, but Lydia breathed a heavy sigh at Nico for periodically forgetting to act like a cat.

He must have been drinking with his fairy friends at some pub, but if it was realized that he was a talking cat and cause a commotion, she worried that he might end up being sold off to circus.

Nico loved to drink and usually took caution in his appearances to look like a gentleman, but right now he only resembled an old man as he yawned and straightened his necktie.

P. 97

Although Lydia wanted to discuss a few new matters, she changed her mind since she couldn’t waste time dealing with a drunk.

“Edgar, let’s go.”

“What about him? Don’t you need to take him home as well?”

“He’ll manage on his own.”

“Hey Lydia, I just remembered that earlier this morning I spotted someone entering the Earl’s mansion. It was definitely a pixie.”

Lydia stopped dead in her tracks.

“Pixie?"

“Yup. According to the story of the hobgoblin at the pub, that fairy is in love with a flower girl. When a man who buys a flower from her and tries to woo her, it tries and sticks that man with another woman.”

That means, Edgar really did flirt with her. Lydia flashed a glance at him. 

If that was why Lydia ended up being the target then it was all because of Edgar.

“It sticks onto a Margaret, and apparently does other nasty things too. It was with the flower girl over there just earlier, but it messed around with the girl’s flower she was using and changed her result by pulling out the petals.”

“That one! Where did you see that fairy?”

Lydia rushed off in the direction Nico pointed. And Edgar was right behind her.

P. 98

“Lydia, where are you going?”

“To find that pixie. It was that fairy who was messing around with the results of everyone’s flower game. Yours and Hugh’s.”

“If only you would spend half of the spirit you have for your work for me.”

Lydia wasn’t paying attention since she was in a hurry.

“There it is.” They stopped in the alleyway leading out to the main street.

The customers that came out of the opera house had already left the area and so the place was nearly deserted so they had no trouble spotting the girl who was sitting down on the foundation of the colonnade. 

The flower girl had her basket of Margarets placed beside her, and it seemed she was playing the flower game as there was a small pile of white petals scattered around her feet. 

The pixie was sitting on top of the girl’s lap.

Obviously she didn’t see the creature.

The fairy arbitrarily plucked out a petal from the flower in her hand, and when the girl got to the last petal she breathed a sigh.

“That’s the girl who the popular flower game girl, right?”

“Yes. Is there a fairy with her flower?”

P.99

“There is. It has feelings for her so it messes around with the results of the flower game for itself. But what I don’t know is why it would fool around with Hugh’s game and make the results come out as bad.”

“Wouldn’t that be because he’s wishing for mutual love between him and the flower girl.”

“Eh? But then the girl that he’s in love with is…”

“I think it’s her.”

“Re-really? But he said he didn’t see her face. And why would you know that.”

“She had on the same red ribbon that came into the hands of Hugh. I saw her hair tied up into two ponytails when her hat flew off from the wind, but one of her tails didn’t have a ribbon tied on. That’s why I knew right away that she was Hugh’s love when we were shown the ribbon at the opera house.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything about the ribbon to Hugh!”

“It’s much more fun to watch others in a lost to look for each other.”

….This man is unbelievable.

“I’m just kidding.”

“It sounded like honesty to me.”

Edgar hunched up his shoulders in a ‘really?’ tone.

P. 100

“No matter what, I figured that Hugh already knew it was her. He’s a singer you know. Even if he didn’t remember the face, wouldn’t he remember her voice? And remember he said that however many times he did the game it came out as love not. If it says he was dumped then doesn’t that mean he has playing the game with only one person in mind?”

“Then why doesn’t he introduce himself?”

“He’s afraid of her reaction. He seems to be aware that he doesn’t give a good impression to ladies, and the game always came out not in his favor, and so he has no courage.”

“I see...... Either way, since she looks so distressed while doing the game, that must mean she must have someone she’s thinking about as well.”

“It could be Hugh you know.”

Surprised to hear an idea she would have never imagined, Lydia looked up at Edgar.

But now that she thought about it, it wouldn’t be difficult to not fall in love with the one who helps a girl from a drunk without hesitating for their own safety. 

“So there’s a chance that the two of them could be deeply in love with each other? Oh, but she doesn’t know who in the world Hugh not seeing his face.”

“It’s just a speculation if they love each other, but I think that since he comes to buy flowers from her so often, she might have already figured it out that the man who helped her was actually Hugh. Because remember there was a wound on his hand made from that incident. It’s the wound that she wrapped her ribbon around, so she could have speculated the possibility already.”

“Since she’s not coming out to him even though she’s noticed, then she must have been frightened as well.”

P. 101

If she didn’t have feelings for him at all, wouldn’t you want to make sure who it was who rescued you and say your thanks?

“The fact that she only ties on the one remaining red ribbon but hides it with her hat does seem like she wants him to realize it’s her but she’s too 

afraid.”

If that’s true, then if only one of them would take the first step then their love might be united.

I see! Both of them are being interfered with the fairy and only don’t have enough confidence. Then as a Fairy Doctor Lydia must do something about this situation. 

“No matter what, I have to stop that fairy from making any more trouble.” 

Lydia stepped out into the street and approached the flower girl. The pixie disappeared in a flash again but she didn’t bother and cautioned the girl. 

“Excuse me. You really shouldn’t believe the results of that game. A fairy’s playing tricks with it.”

“Fairy?” The girl eyed suspiciously to Lydia.

“Uh, you know how you always get the same result no matter how many times you repeat it? Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“….Who are you?”

“I’m a Fairy Doctor. I’m here to tell you that you’re being followed around by a pixie fairy. It looks like the fairy cares for you but at this rate whoever you fall in love with the fairy will come in between you two and tear you apart.”

P. 102

“Fairy Doctor?”

“She’s a specialist in fairies. She can see them and knows how to handle them too,” spoke up Edgar from behind. 

“Ah, the sir from that morning…. Oh yeah, I forgot to hand you your change.”

“That’s alright Sara. Thanks to your flower fortune game I was able to spend a wonderful day with her.”

The flower girl, whose name was apparently Sara, looked at Lydia curiously. 

“Oh I see, she’s quite the beauty but her head’s hollow. Then it must be a lot of trouble for you Sir to try to tell her your feelings.”

“Hey, I am not at all stupid! I just came to talk to you to help you. If it’s a pixie then there’s no trouble trying to scare it away. All you have to do is give it something that belongs to you.”

But the girl only stood up angrily. “Are you trying to mess with me?”

“I’m not, it’s the truth.”

“Even so, it’s none of your business. If there’s a fairy that’s looking after me, then it’s trying to tell me with through the game that I should give up, right? If I have to give it up anyway, then it’s better that the results always tell me so.”

P. 103

“Wait, so you’re not going to find out his feelings and give up?” shouted Lydia grabbing onto Sara’s flower basket to not let her go. 

“I said it’s none of your business. I’m planning to quit selling flowers and go back home in the countryside anyway.”

“Oh so you’re really giving up. Then it would be alright if I asked you out?”

“Edgar, what are you saying at a time like this!”

“Sir, didn’t you prefer this fairy something lady?”

“Yes I do. But she’s never returned my feelings. If you’ll be with me then she might become jealous.”

“I will never be jealous!”

*

It was just around the time when the night was soaking in; Sara was standing under a street lamp watching a shadow come out from the back door of the Opera house.

“Young lady, do you have any flowers left?”

Feeling her heart speed up to the usual voice, she turned around. 

“Yeah I do,” and she handed out a Margaret, which was accepted by a hard-faced man no where near matching to have an elegant white flower.

But he was cute when he smiled and his voice was soft and kind.

The two of them only exchanged words of thanks and goodnight. But for tonight Sara took the plunge and asked a question.

“Is that flower, for your lover?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I live by myself so I thought of taking a flower by with me.”

“Oh,…I see.” 

After that Sara didn’t know what to do, and even he spoke no more. She regretted asking such a thing and was about to take off. 

P. 106

“Well, goodnight…”

“You really don’t take off your hat, even at night.” 

It was so sudden. Sara wondered for an instance if he wondered if there was a red ribbon under this hat. 

But there is no way. If so, it would be normal to just ask.

He hadn’t noticed about Sara, and that she was the girl from that time, so there was nothing to worry about. 

Because he must have the company of finely dressed ladies every day. 

“My, my hair, I didn’t fix it.”

“…..Sorry, it was weird of me to ask.”

“It’s nothing, I’m not bothered.”

“…Well then,” 

Goodnight. He said awkwardly and quickly walked off.

Sara took a deep breath.

It won’t matter since she won’t see him anymore. In time she’d forget about him.

She looked up to the impressive building and repeated to herself that as long as she could see him singing on stage, then that would be the best happiness she could hope for.

P. 107

*

It was sad to think that even though they thought for each other they have to keep it in their hearts and give up.

Lydia thought to herself that she couldn’t stay silent and watch as everything was messed around just for the whim of Edgar.

But then, what would make Hugh Hogarts not be deceived by what Edgar plans to do and make him want to tell his feelings to Sara.

Sara may also have feelings for Hugh, is only a speculation of Edgars, and Lydia doesn’t have any relationship with him to be able to say something so rash.

At least if Hugh didn’t believe in the game that was being played by the fairy and could build his confidence. 

After much thought, Lydia decided to go and visit Hugh the next day. 

Hugh came out in between his practices to meet Lydia, and she told him that there was a fairy that is on the flowers of the flower girl and that the fairy was the one playing with the game to make only the bad results end up as the last petal.

Being told about fairies again, he was her a suspicious look, but remembering that she was in the company of the Duchess, he must of thought he couldn’t say anything rude to her and made the effort to listen to her story.

If she were to seriously try to give advice about fairies, people would think of her as a freak.

But Lydia was used to that. 

P. 108

Whatever they thought of her, if it was necessary she would still tell them.

“So my lady, what do you propose I do?”

“I believe that you’re being too quick to decide that your love will never prosper. If you wouldn’t rely on the flower game…, no, if you are so worried about the flower game, then please try doing it with a different flower. If it’s a flower without the fairy with it, then there shouldn’t be bad results that come with it.”

“A different flower? So you’re saying to not use a flower that was bought from that flower girl?”

“That’s right. I have one right here.”

Lydia took out a Margaret that she bought earlier from a different flower girl. There was no mistake that the pixie was no where in sight.

He took the flower silently, and plucked out one petal, and started to chant love me, love me not.

When he said ‘loves me’ along with the last petal, Lydiatook a deep sigh of relief. 

“See, you shouldn’t be determined by the pranks of a fairy.”

But he didn’t change his glum expression.

“Do you know, my lady, that apparently most Margaret flowers have an odd number of petals. If you start with ‘loves me’ then most of the time it ends with same ‘loves me.’”

Eh?! Lydia was shocked and rushed to count with her fingers.

Sure enough, if the numbers of petals were an odd number then it would be ‘loves me not’ when you start with ‘loves me.’ 

P. 109

If you were to test your fortune to see if they loved you or not, then most everyone were sure to start with ‘loves me.’

“That’s why I always start with ‘loves me not’… It isn’t the fairy’s fault that it comes out not in my favor. It could be that I just haven’t come across an odd numbered Margaret, and I’ve been selfishly thinking that it may somehow bring me luck just like a four-leafed clover.”

Lydia realized that Hugh was rather relieved that the game’s results always came out bad.

Being in the daily life of battling for a part as a singer would give no one time for love. On top of that it was unimaginable for him, as a man who was feared at first glance by women, to be the one to tell his feelings first.

The flower game’s bad results distanced him from the agony of worrying about how he would tell his feelings or if he would be refused.

She wondered if the fairy’s pranks harden his negative feelings even more.

Even though he probably could have already used an even numbered Margaret.

“But even when you finally found an even numbered Margaret but she’s already gone, then wouldn’t be lucky at all…”

“Gone?”

“Ah, nothing…. I meant in case.”

Once Lydia became silent because there was nothing else she could say, Hugh excused himself since he was in the middle of practice.

P. 110

“Miss Carlton, is there anything wrong?”

When she was standing by herself, the Duchess called out to her from the window of her carriage.

“I happened to spot Hugh and you from the main street.”

With invitation, Lydia climbed onto the carriage of the Duchess, and told her about the fairy being in love with Hugh’s love and interfering with them. 

And yet he still thinks that he would never catch his love. He’s become negative so much that he’s purposefully making bad results because of there being odd numbers in the flowers of a Margaret.

She breathed a heavy sigh as she spew it all out. The Duchess smiled kindly to her.

“One’s opportunity isn’t from a game or fairy or the words of others. In the end people can only act upon what they decide on.”

“Then, do you believe that he’ll end up giving up till it’s too late.”

The Duchess looked out to the far skies.

“Do you remember about how I told you I chose my marriage on a flower game? The result that came out because of the fairy’s prank always came out as the other man, the soldier.”

“Eh…, is, is that true? Then why did you end up marrying the Duke?”

P. 111

“I came to figure it out as I was playing the game. That I was hoping for the result to be my husband.”

One’s true feelings couldn’t be changed from your fortune told or by a fairy.

Then what is there that I can do. Does this mean I can’t do anything more. There’s no doubt that a fairy’s the one that butting in.

“I heard you say that the duty of a Fairy Doctor is to help those in trouble with fairies. Then Miss Carlton, there’s nothing for you to feel bad about, even if you couldn’t solve a couple’s quarrel. You just need to watch over them.”

“Watch over…?”

The old noblewoman chuckled softly. 

“Hugh has another part to perform the day after tomorrow. Would you care to accompany me?”

Lydia didn’t have the experience to refuse an offer of invitation from a Duchess.

Besides that day was surely when Edgar was going to take Sara to the Opera house. 

At the very least I could keep my eye out on Edgar and the fairy, those who dare to interfere with a couple’ love. So that the fairy doesn’t interfere with Hugh’s performance and so Sara doesn’t fall victim to Edgar. 

“Thank you, I would be delighted,” replied Lydia, brimmed with determination.

P. 112

On the day of the performance, Lydia asked the Duchess to hand a hawthorn seed as a charm to ward off fairies to Hugh.

Apparently the Duchess told him that it was a lucky charm for him on stage and to make sure to keep it with him until the stage was over, so the fairy shouldn’t be able to harm him.

Not having to worry about that, Lydiaturned her eyes to the box seats that were on each side of the theater.

She didn’t see Edgar yet but the seats were nearly full. 

“If it’s about the Count, then you don’t have to worry.”

“Eh” jumped Lydia turning to face the Duchess.

Lydia took it into consideration and decided it was best to hide the discrediting rakish character of Edgar and so she hadn’t revealed about how he had invited Hugh’s secret love.

Yet it was as if the Duchess was aware of everything.

“I was asked by him to invite you to today’s opera.”

“By Edgar? But, but, he’s….”

“He’s bringing the girl who Hugh is in love with? If you think of the Count as a frivolous woman chaser, then he said he wants you to have a better opinion of him.”

P. 113

But it’s an unchangeable fact that he’s a frivolous rake. 

“He’s says he wants me to look up to him, but how could one give him good marks when he’s flirting with the woman Mr. Hogart cares for? Whenever Edgar sees an attractive woman he needs to dress her up and escort her around,” said Lydia sourly. 

“Was bringing you along also his amusement?” chucked the Duchess.

“I, I may not be cute, but it must be because I just happen to be conveniently in his reach.”

“I don’t know about that. If you weren’t around I think he would flirt with her whether she was Hugh’s love or not.”

In the box seat that she turned her eyes to, there was a familiar blond hair young man who appeared.

Edgar was wearing a gray evening coat flawlessly and was easy to spot even in a place like this that was filled with people. Naturally one’s eye went to the woman by his side.

Sara was wearing a red dress; it didn’t hide her vivacious nature, yet showed off her grace and charm.

One could expect as much from Edgar who was always confident that he could make his escort become the greatest lady; no one in this crowd could imagine that Sara was a flower girl from the lower district. 

P. 114

Watching them from afar, she could tell that people’s eyes were focusing on Sara.

Lydia was amazed at herself for being able to stand to be by Edgar’s side up until now. But at the same time, she did feel envious of Sara.

It wasn’t anything like jealousy though.

“Look, do you see how her hair is?”

Directed by the Duchess, she focused her eyes to see that a red ribbon was decorating Sara’s glossy black hair. That was the only accessory for her hair and it felt like it was a little on the plainer side, but that rather drawed more attention.

It was the ribbon that she didn’t want Hugh’s eyes to see by hiding it from him under her hat. Edgar must have smartly convinced her and had her put the ribbon on, but Lydia thought that that wasn’t enough to make her rethink that he was doing it for the sake of Sara and Hugh.

Hugh might notice her red ribbon but would that make him more positive towards this love.

He was so determined to keep his feelings away from her.

“Now Miss Carlton, let’s wait and hear the song for the destined lovers.”

Paying no heed to Lydia’s worry, the opera 'La Cenerentola' began.

Forced to work as a maid by her two older sisters, Cinderella happened to meet and a prince and fell in love. 

P. 115

P. 116

But she wasn’t aware that he was the prince and thought of him as a regular servant. 

Lydia recalled that when Sara and Hugh met, they also didn’t know anything about each other. 

This story reminded her of the two’s situation.

Eventually, Hugh made his appearance for his part in the chorus.

There were no pranks made by the fairy today, so the play went along smoothly. 

Hugh also looked like he was performing well and sang joyfully. 

Sara gazed at him intently. Hugh must have noticed as well. He kept on glancing over to the direction of where she sat in the box seat.

The scene switched to the royal court. 

Cinderella made her appearance beautifully dressed. The two sisters couldn’t have imagined that it was their younger sister.

The fake prince prevented Cinderella from leaving, but then Cinderella revealed that she was in love in the servant. Then the servant that appeared in front of them was of course the real prince. She removed one of her bracelets, one of an exact pair.

P. 126

Just as usual he ends up just playing around with Lydia’s reaction. But. Oh, well. 

“Oh yeah. I still had work to do,” remembered Lydia stopping with the ribbon in her hand. And she moved her head around in search. 

“Pixie, you’re here aren’t you? I have a present for you from Sara.”

A small red haired creature appeared on a tree near the streetlamp. Even when Lydia approached it, the fairy didn’t try to escape.

It tilted its head slightly sad, and after accepting Sara’s red ribbon, it disappeared.

“Is it finished?”

“Yes, that fairy will no longer cause any more trouble with the flower games.”

“Then let’s hold hands.”

“Huh, what are you talking about?”

“About how you would comfort me.”

I thought that topic was over?

Paying no heed, Edgar took Lydia’s hand into his and started to take a walk.

Oh well, thought Lydiawho was already starting to be soft on Edgar.

She had forgotten all about how he was a man who would take advantage of any opportunity if she would go easy on him. 

P. 127

***

The next day, when Lydia went to work at the Ashenbert house, immediately Edgar came into her office.

“Lydia, let’s go to the boat race at Thames river,” he said so optimistic as usual. 

“Edgar, how many times do I have to say that I’m here to do work?”

“People need breaks every now and then you know.”

“…..Will you let me work for once!” Lydia suddenly was overwhelmed with melancholy. But that was nothing to make Edgar stop there.

“Then do you want to try a game with a flower?”

“Again? There are no more magical flowers.”

“Even better then, we can decide equally.” He pulled out a Margaret from a vase that was set in the room.

"For you to go along with me for a whole day today. Or for me to listen you whatever you say. Which do you want?” asked Edgar, smiling devilishly and awfully confident somehow.

P. 128

With a startle, Lydia remembered. Hugh had said that most of the petals of a Margaret have an odd number. Does Edgar know about that as well?

“All right, but I’ll be the one to do it!”

Surprisingly Edgar said ‘Go ahead’ without a struggle and handed the Margaret to her.

Lydia cautiously started from ‘Do as I say.’

But the last petal was,

“Do as you say?”

Eh? Why is it even-numbered?

“Edgar you tampered with this flower!”

“I haven’t done anything.”

“Couldn’t you have pluck out one petal before you handed it to me?”

“Then do you want to try it again?”

Lydia exited the room and chose a Margaret from a flower vase that was set on the table in the hallway.

And she did the game again, but the result was still the same.

In desperation, she kept on trying with one flower after another in a different room. For some reason, every single one of them had an even-number of petals. 

P. 129

“Lydia, it’s useless however many times you do it. You have to do as I say. As promised,” chucked Edgar standing in front of Lydia, blocking her as she was running round to different rooms. 

“This is strange. There isn’t a fairy anymore, but the number of petals are all even-numbered.”

“Are you referring to how most Margarets have an odd-number of petals? I heard that Hugh told you that. The Duchess told me. I was aware that there was such a rumor, but you shouldn’t swallow everything. When all were counted, there was the same number of evens and odds.”

Counted?

“Good god, then all the Margarets in the house…”

“All of them are even-numbered, so it’ll be the same however many times you do the game.”

Most likely all the servants in the house were made to count them since morning.

I can’t imagine what he’s thinking.

“Margarets are a fair flower. That’s why the game’s also fair. So then Lydia, let’s go.”

“You’re the most unfair!”shouted Lydia. But it was no doubt that another day of Lydia was going to be spent away by Edgar.

END