Volume 11 - CH 5

Chapter Five. The two of them with their misunderstandings

Lydia couldn’t fall asleep, as she was pondering over various incidents all night long. 

Edgar wanted her to return tomorrow. Although not one matter had yet been settled, she couldn’t give up on the gardener and Madame Oughtred. However, regardless of what circumstances she discovered in the end, she was unable to handle it sufficiently. 

Moreover, not only was Lydia losing the will to resist Edgar's words, as well as the determination to strive alone, she pondered that if she stubbornly persisted now, it may hurt Edgar more. Regarding this, she felt uneasy and hesitant. 

The reason why she spoke of annulling the engagement was because she hoped Edgar would refuse. Although he really did do this, Lydia also knew that her words hurt his heart.

“What are you thinking? Are you thinking of running away from me?”

She never thought about wanting to escape from Edgar's side; at the time, she thought that her knee was actually small enough for him to cover with his hand. 

What did she need to do in the end, in order to become the woman he was hoping for? 

Lydia believed that by she accepting Madame Oughtred's education, she would become that kind of lady. But although she tried hard, it was to no avail which made her feel increasingly unworthy of Edgar. 　

Granted that the sky began to turn white, Lydia's heart remained incapable of deciding whether she wanted to leave here or remain.

“Hey Lydia, wake up!” 

Nico beat the sunroof while calling her name. Lydia lazily sat up.

“....I’m up already.”

“I found the place where the Danish fairies are gathering. Come quickly.” 

Once Lydia heard these words, she hastily threw aside her blanket, immediately changed her clothes, and left the room. 

After that, she followed Nico who went to the courtyard, continued on from the patio and entered an elegant and refined study room.

“You see, this room has fairy footprints everywhere, and there are many new ones. Those guys seem to enter and exit this place frequently.”

For Lydia, completely catching sight of the fairy footprints was a little difficult, but because it was Nico who said that, it can’t be wrong.

Here, in the former Earl's study room, it seemed as if time had stopped. It was arranged very neatly as if not even a speck of dust remained. But from years of using the armchair and Victorian desk, one could infer the predecessor's character. 

“The Danish fairies seem to have contact with each generation's master of this household, so wouldn't they recall the previous master and only assemble here?”

Madame Oughtred had no children, so her deceased husband's title, the Earl, ought to be passed on to her husband's relative. Although Lydia didn't know whether that relative felt reminiscent of the land their ancestors' had lived in until now, for the fairies, acknowledging that the relative kept away from this piece of land due to the Earl family's master was very difficult. 

Regardless, perhaps the Danish fairies had previously thought that at any rate, they wanted to leave this residence.  

What kind of contract did Madame Oughtred and the Danish fairies agree upon? If the Madame let the fairy act as a substitute as they waited in the residence, then what was she doing there again? 

Whatever wish the Madame had, was it necessary for her to depart from the fairies beforehand to borrow their power to accomplish it?  

Lydia thought while she looked around the room.

The portraits that were arranged here, were they the people that formerly lived in this mansion, that the Danish fairies were extremely close to? If that's really the case, the possibility of fairies appearing here frequently wasn't strange.

Finally, Lydia’s line of sight stopped at a painting.

Within the painting was an upper-class woman, whose style of attire was slightly old-fashioned and even used a rose garland as a necklace. 

Unexpectedly, Lydia had the impression that each type of flower combined and became a necklace.

The gardener Virginia wore a garland necklace that was the same. Regardless of the type and size of flowers, even the colors’ arrangement order were also the same. 

What is going on? 

The decorative garland that was on the former lady, without the slightest degree of wilting, was worn on Virginia’s chest?

Was it Virginia who made a garland that was similar in appearance? Again, what was this for?

No, perhaps for those who simply saw it believed that they were real flowers, but in fact, those were fake flowers. 

“Could it be...the Regard necklace...?” 

Lydia murmured to herself. 

The roses were crimson rubies, the leaves were green emeralds, the amaryllis were scarlet garnets, not to mention, the grass were violet amethysts and the white roses were diamonds.  

Removing the first letter of each gem’s English name and putting it together became “REGARD” --- this message expressed respect and love. 

In that case, could this be Madame Oughtred’s secret necklace? 

Virginia once said that, as long as you wore the garland around the neck, you could enter the fairy rose garden. Furthermore, the flowers and the fairies’ essence were originally very similar in meaning, in other words, through the flower’s power, it was relatively easy to find the entrance to the fairies’ rose garden. 

However, if that rose garden was this household’s secret [necklace] handed down from generation to generation, then even if the necklace was ready to permit one to enter the Danish fairies’ rose garden as proof, it wouldn’t be strange.

Lucinda once said the flowers were used as a theme for precious stones. The butler also said that it was usually worn on the body, as it would be a very conspicuous article. 　

"Nico, I got it.”

"What? Got what?" 

The gardener Virginia, is Madame Oughtred. 

Therefore she, because the fairy driven her away from the room and replaced her identity, was unable to leave the rose garden.

The Regard necklace was not stolen. Rather, it was Madame Oughtred who was wearing it all along. 

“About the Madame’s Regard necklace, I already know where that thing is, let’s go and confirm it.”

An upper-class woman personally tending to a garden and considering it as a hobby wasn’t uncommon, let alone she still possesses the ability to make the roses bloom. Presumably, she used a calm hand to personally manage the rose garden. 

“Wait, Lydia, where do you want to go?

If Virginia is Madame Oughtred, the things that Lydia should do here ought to be very clear.

Lydia had the mind frame of taking everything and placing it onto this one clue and ran out. As a result, she nearly bumped into a figure who suddenly appeared at the study room door. Therefore, she stopped. 

“Good morning [or You’re early], are you working already?”

That person was Billy.

He used his hands to block the door exit, as if to prevent Lydia from leaving.

Not knowing whether or not he heard the dialogue from a moment ago, Lydia minded this a little. Although Nico's speech sounded like a cat calling for the majority of people’s ears, Lydia unexpectedly was thought to be speaking strange thoughts to herself by people.

“You're very early, too.” 

“I just wanted to call you, can you follow me for a bit?” 

“Uh, I have a little work before that. ” 

“It’ll be quick.  In fact, there was a maid who picked up Lucinda’s brooch. She said that it was probably because she didn’t return it immediately that caused you to be suspected, therefore she would like to apologize to you.” 

“Ah, so it was like that…”

“Can you go and see her?”

A maid who was in charge of various jobs only had this current moment of freedom before work, thus Lydia nodded her head.

She used her eyes to hint at Nico to wait a bit for her, and proceeded to walk out of the room together with Billy.

“Mr. Nico, breakfast has already been prepared. Did you want to sleep in this kind of place?" 

Once he heard the word “breakfast”, Nico immediately opened his eyes. 

He was by the edge of the study room’s window and waited for Lydia until he fell asleep. It was because the chairs here were quite comfortable. 

“Engg~~ it’s Raven... My belly is hungry. How strange. What about Lydia? She still hasn’t returned?” 

“I am also trying to find Miss Lydia.” 

“Oh that’s right, she was called out by the servant known as Billy. He said something about a maid picking up Lucinda’s brooch.”

“What did you say?” 

The voice was not from Raven. Rather, Edgar appeared at the doorway. He seemed to be looking for Lydia together with Raven.

“Nico, after Lydia was taken away by Billy, it should be unlikely that she wouldn’t return, right?”

Edgar’s expression drastically changed as he grabbed Nico.

“Stop it, put me down... Argh, really, you, with that kind of jealous man attitude, not excusing anyone who gets close to Lydia, you should also restrain yourself a bit.”

“Did they say anything else? Did it have anything to do with the matter of Madame Oughtred’s gems?”

“She did, she said it. Lydia, that girl, she suddenly said something, that she knew where the Regard necklace was.” 

After hearing Nico’s answer, Edgar clicked his tongue.

He proceeded to release Nico, as if he were throwing something out.

“Raven, find Billy and Lydia. Go now, immediately.” 

“Yes.” 

“What are you doing?! Don’t throw me out! This love-jealous petty man!” 

“I’m not being jealous, Lydia is in danger.” 

Edgar seemed to be very anxious as he said this.

Lydia followed after Billy and arrived at the rear of the stable. However, there was no maid who allegedly picked up Lucinda’s pins.