Hakushaku to Yousei Vol 6 Chapter 7

P. 235

    He was watching the Wyrm’s movements, thinking that the moment the Wyrm faced his direction and opened its mouth wide was the moment to aim for. 

    He wondered if he was doing something reckless. But even Lydia said she was going to break the rose with her hands even though she didn’t know what that would do to herself.

    He might have approached her in the beginning with the aim to take advantage and use her, but he didn’t want to lost her ability and how she was stubborn and softhearted and strong-willed and serious and felt so fragile and soft and smelled like chamomile when he held her and how she would use her hands when she got angry at how he would try and get close to her.

    The Wyrm was coming towards him.

P. 236

    Edgar decided he should get by this and ran.

    When he moved his gaze, his eyes fell onto Lydia who was trying to climb up the rock wall.

    Or did she find the wild rose?

    He sensed a shadow come over him and he shot his eyes upward.

    He rolled across the ground and managed to evade it.

    At the end of its long tongue, he saw there was red fluorite that s.h.i.+ned so bright like it was a burning fire.

    The sharp fangs charged at him.

    In that short fraction of a second, Edgar recovered his balance and lowered his body and dodged the fangs.

P. 237

    He felt a resistance as he cut and the fluorite cracked and shattered.

    The Wyrm’s movements and the water sound that should have been ringing throughout the limestone cave; he was in a soundless world where everything didn’t make a sound.

    It made a cras.h.i.+ng sound and the Wyrm that fell down right in front of him didn’t show any more signs of moving.

    She wanted to make sure what the reason was that it suddenly fell silent after the earthquake, and she squinted to look. However, she couldn’t see past the area around her as it was blocked with a white dust that had blown up. 

    “Lydia!”

    “Edgar….., you’re all right?”

P. 238

    He knelt down on one knee and looked down at Lydia, but then he knit his brows and lifted up her hand.

    Edgar shouldn't be able to see the rose. Only, he opened up Lydia’s fist that had blood oozing out from between her fingers and his eyes gazed painfully at the cuts that were made by the thorns.

    And then he pulled Lydia’s head into his arms in a worried manner like he didn’t know what was going to happen to her because she had broken the rose.

    Lydia was also frightened. She didn’t know herself, what was going to happen to her.

    “You are not a changeling.”

    They stood up.

    Like fireflies, the fire spread to one and another.

P. 239

    Edgar pulled Lydia’s hand, who eyes were nearly taken away by the lights that were floating up into the skies.

    The noise sounded like waves, or something like a strong wind.

    “What are you saying. We are always together. For now on.”

    It was the same line that Edgar says on a whim. But they were in the fairy realm that was filled with magic, and because Lydia wasn’t able to figure out what her true self was, she thought that was a rare will-power. 

    If she was with him, then she might be able to return?

    However the sound of the wind was fast. Something warm came blowing up against them from behind them.

    The landscape of the limestone was changed in a instant.

    “What is going on?”

    “Anyways, let’s keep moving.”

    “In a fairytale book I read just a while ago, there was this kind of story. A man went into the fairy world to retrieve his lover who was taken away and a friendly fairy gave him a word of advice. In order to return to the human world, he must keep going straight no matter what he saw. Until he got outside, he must not, at all costs, let go of his lover’s hand. But the fairy’s magic showed them frightening illusions one after another and tried to pull the two of them apart.”

    “…….Was that so?”

    “How do I say it, children’s tales are cruel. But I won’t let go no matter what. In order to pa.s.s by the fairy’s delusions, we need to believe in each other and keep moving straight and not let go, isn’t that what it means? So in other words, that’s what I wanted to say.”

P. 241

    Logically, it was just as Edgar said. However, it wasn’t something easy. In order to dodge the delusionary magic, it mattered how strong the two of them were bonded together.

    Betty and Pino were sure to be all right. However, Lydia has never established an emotional bond with Edgar.

    She wondered when and what kind of opportunity was going to make him let go of Lydia. She was afraid of that moment and so she was overwhelmed with the urge for her to be the one to run off.

    “What is the matter?”

    “I-I don’t have any confidence that I will be able to win against the magic. Because, I don’t have any ground in the human world. In the beginning I didn’t know what kind of existence and which world I was from.”

P. 242

    Her grip of his hand became weak and nearly fell out, but he gripped hers tightly.

    It might be impossible.

    See, already, I’m this unstable.

    She had realized it, and yet to believe was something she couldn’t possibly do. 

    “All right? That’s horrible of you. If I lose you, then I wouldn’t be all right at all.”

    Even now, she wanted to believe him.

    But, does he really want that, she wondered.

P. 243

    “Lydia, don’t believe in that man’s words. You’re only going to be put through pain later on.”

    “Come with me. You now plenty already, that in the fairy world there is nothing there that would hurt you.”

    Her feet that were walking forward began to feel heavier. She was just barely able to be pulled along by Edgar.

    Is he really Kelpie?

    Then is that an illusionary magic?

    Even so, Edgar tried to pick her up and make her stand.

    When she squinted her eyes to look at the path at the bottom of the cliff, the one who lay unmoving there on her side was Ermine.

    At Lydia’s cry, Edgar peered down at the ground below them and it seemed like he also saw her. She could feel his tension through their hands which were held.

P. 244

    “No…., it’s impossible. There is nothing we can do for her now.”

    “I will be fine,” said Lydia, trying to be careful not to talk with a shaking voice.

    Edgar remained still like he was unsure as he looked at Lydia.

    If he lost Ermine like this, then that would deeply hurt Edgar again. Much more than Lydia disappearing.

    As she nodded, Lydia whispered Goodbye to him in her heart.

    Lydia lowered her face and took in a deep breath. When their hands separated, she felt the pressuring sensation of the magic that was going to come crus.h.i.+ng onto her.

    Suddenly, she couldn’t sense Edgar’s presence.

    At Nico’s cry, Edgar came to his senses.

    He felt that he grabbed it, and pulled her to him.

    “Lydia, what happened? Wake up.”

    “I was too late,” said Nico who came running to them as he was out of breath.

    He hadn’t realized it, but it looked to be night and the limestone cave where the moonlight came s.h.i.+ning into made the lime s.h.i.+mmer, making the area lit up enough to see clearly.

P. 246

    He finally realized that she was an illusion. He was tricked by the fairy’s magic and nearly made to let go of Lydia’s hand.

    Because Lydia told him that it would be all right even if they let go for just a little while. No, Lydia must have known this was going to happen before she said that.

    Even Edgar should have known that although it was just a second, he shouldn’t let his feeling or hand get separated from Lydia.

    “It was too late? But Lydia is here. She’s breathing and she has a pulse.”

    “Nico, you have to help her. Isn’t there anything you can do.”

    He placed his paws on his hips and let out a deep sigh.

    Then, this bank here must be right next to the border. In just a step, they were about to get outside.

    “You should leave that behind. It can’t be taken outside with you, and its just something that will disappear when you let go of it.”

    “…….I see, well, you’re free to do as you like,” lightly said the cat without any pity.

    Lydia told him to go save Ermine and that she was going to wait here, but at the same time she looked so lonely and sad. Maybe she might have wished, even just a little, that Edgar would realize her lie.

    Even as he tied her down using an engagement and if he were thinking of protecting her at all costs and seriously try to love in exchange, then he should have realized it.

    He wanted to keep her tied to the human world and support her because she had no attachments and because she was so soft-hearted that she would give up being able to go back home for the sake of others and so worked so hard for people and fairies.

P. 248

    Nico had said that her body here was just remains, but he didn’t want to leave her here alone and wanted to stay by her side for always, and so he combed her smooth caramel-colored hair.

    Edgar brought her hand that he clutched up near his mouth and let his eyes roam across to the moonstone engagement ring.

    He realized something. Couldn’t this ring act to stop Lydia’s soul from not leaving?

    The power of the ring should be fighting against the power that was trying to pull Edgar and Lydia apart.

    As he called to her, he closed his eyes.

    Dimly, he sensed the sight of her on his eyelids. She stood like she was completely lost and was looking around herself to see if anything was around her. 

    She heard Edgar’s voice in her ears, however because she wasn’t able to see where he was, she was tilting her head a little. He could even see that expression on her. 

    He sensed her voice.

    ……So, you’re very far.

    “Lydia, I’m feeling really hurt. In how you went and made a lie so that I would let go of my hand.”

    She murmured weakly.

    Yes, it wasn’t fair of me.

    I didn’t want to make it painful for you.

    ……You wouldn’t let yourself die for my sake.

    Suddenly, Lydia lost her composure with nervousness.

    From the moment they first met, she wasn’t able to abandon Edgar who was in trouble. Even if he was going to take advantage of that kind part of her, he wanted to get her back that much.

    …..I was wis.h.i.+ng that I could return.

    If it was all right in believing in you, then I had wished to go home together.

    With his eyes closed and still feeling Lydia’s heart, Edgar gripped her lifeless hand tightly.

P. 251

P. 252

    Lydia was troubled at how to respond, but Edgar didn’t pay any heed and continued to speak.

    In the next second, the moonstone gave out a s.h.i.+ning bright light.

    Edgar felt her hand softly grip his hand back and he opened his eyes.
    He was feeling how Lydia, in his arms and her golden-green eyes that were facing him were like a precious treasure.

    “Yes, I mean really, I have no idea how it happened, but in the next moment I was standing in front of the landlord’s house.”

    “That’s because the changeling magic was broken. Remember, Lota how you exchanged with Betty and was made the changeling. That’s why you were naturally returned to the place where you were meant to be,” said Lydia as she dried her hair that was just washed with a towel.

    Betty let out the hot water that was in pail out onto the top of Lota’s head. Lota smartly lifted up one of her arms so that the light of her cigarette wouldn’t go out.

    “Yes. I finally found out what his true feelings were. Although it was quite a long roundabout way to it.”

    “It took too long.”

    The three of them who returned from the Wyrm’s nest washed off the dust and dirt on them and were just finally settling down in relaxation. 

    “Hey, Lydia, would you brush the fur on my back.”

    Their eyes met each others and Lydia, who said “You look awful”, instead of reacting in rage, he just was appalled at her.

    He only said that he wanted to hurry and get washed, and went ahead to go back home. 

    She wondered if she might not be a changeling. Or she didn’t know if this was the result of the moonstone of the guardian fairy protecting her so that the changeling magic casted on her wouldn’t be broken.

    “Misses, shall I add more hot water?”

    “Martha, you don’t have to work so hard at a time like this. Please stay by your baby’s side.”

    “My baby is sleeping right now so I am all right. And besides, I wanted to show my thanks to the earl and everyone. Even the villagers, after they learned that they don’t have to do as the mayor and the fake landlord tells them, they are here because they want to do something to help.”

P. 255

    Just a little earlier, the dobie mother also appeared and was carrying her baby and looked so happy and had thanked Lydia.

    But still, that didn’t mean all the problems were solved.

    Edgar said that they could only wait.

    However, they couldn’t rest easy until they saw her themselves, and Edgar looked calm at first glance, but when Lydia imagined how worried he was, that made her heart ache.

    But because it was such a realistic-looking illusion, the ominous feeling couldn’t be wiped away from her mind.

    Lota and Betty let out thrills of joy.

    “Well then, I’ll be going off to the banquet of the dobies.”

    Seeing Nico off and turning back around, she saw that Lota had gotten out of the tube and was getting ready to change.

    She was quite swift in doing it. Lydia could easily imagine that the two of them had set each other’s hairs ever since they were young children.

    Betty grabbed Lydia by her shoulders without giving her anytime to object and made her sit down in a chair.

    Her own clothing had become so filthy and she didn’t have any other change of clothes, so Lydia was dressed in the rich-daughter like dress that she was wearing when she first arrived here.

P. 257

    As her hair was being fixed, Lydia felt that more and more convincing.

    “Now that’s perfect. But, Lydia, you really are not living up to your worth with that man.”

    “But, well, you can say that he has become a little bit more worthy? I thought that when he came back bringing you along.”

    “W-we aren’t in that kind of…..”

    “Telling you the truth, even if he had a woman he was courting, he always had a number of others he was fooling around with, and it looked like he didn’t have a grain of feeling guilty about that. But, I hear that even as he is proposing to you, he feels guilt towards fooling around. Don’t you think that quite a step forward?”

P. 258

    Betty tilted her head.

    “Huh, why do you know…..”

    “That was you Lota?”

    “R-really?”

    She wondered if how he said that he was at Slade’s club till morning was actually true. 

    She didn’t know, but she was a little relieved.

    Lota had finished pulling on her boots and energetically stood up.

P. 259

    Lydia was familiar with the figure who stepped out of it, and she let out a gasp.

    “Who is it?”

    What, said Lota and Betty and they looked at each other.

    It seemed like the Grand Duke was inside, but they couldn’t hear very clearly. When Lota opened the door a crack, the delicious aroma of sweets came flowing out and it tinkled Lydia’s appet.i.te.

    Even though she thought it was improper of her, when they peeked inside, they saw that the old gentleman was shaking hands with Edgar.

    “Lydia, come on inside.”

    Because the Grand Duke looked at her with such gentle eyes, she relaxed with relief and bobbed.

    “Oh, no, no, have your wounds healed? I had heard that you had rescued my granddaughter, and I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

     However, when it came to now there was no fluorite ring so she wondered if the Grand Duke would accept her as his grandchild.

    Now that she recalled, Edgar should be under the impression that Betty was the princess.

    Lota was saying that she might want to meet her grandfather. However, for Lota who was raised by pirates, her fear of being rejected should be strong. 

    “Is something the matter?”

    “Oh, I know that.”

P. 261

    “Although I was also deceived for a long time.”

    Lota and Betty both came walking into the room.

    Since there was no crested ring as proof, it seemed like Lota was going to silently wait until the Grand Duke would realize who his real granddaughter was. 

    “The right is Lota and the left is Betty. Can you tell who your granddaughter is?”

    “It is really you.”

    “I’ve lost the crested ring. But would you still think me as your grandchild?”

    “If it was a child around three-years-old, then it wouldn’t be a surprise that she would say her name when she was rescued,” said Edgar and smiled at Lydia who was making a confused face.

P. 262

    “He said that she was Charlotte. They speak Italian in Cremona, so that would make it Carlotta. Which means her nickname is Lota. So when she was young, she remembered others calling her by her nickname they normally used.”

    “Lota, although your country doesn’t exist anymore, would you stay by my side from now on. I had thought that I didn’t have anyone who I could call family left, but you were the only one who remained alive.”

    “They were the people who raised you up till now didn’t they? I only have feelings of grat.i.tude to them.”

    And Lydia as well, was urged by Edgar and left the salon.

    Right next to her, Edgar was eyeing her readily.

P. 263

    “I wonder what Lota is going to do from now. Can one abandon one’s post as the head of a crew of pirates that easily?”

    Oh, I see. So Betty was a daughter of a pirate.

    As she was having a strange feeling like she understood now, and when she brought her eyes up, she met with Edgar’s eyes again.

    “I’m tasting the sweet happiness of being by your side again.”

    That was because she was at quite a disadvantage.

    She had broken the wile rose and the fact itself of escaping that place was absolutely saying that she had perfect trust towards Edgar already.

P. 264

    “Lydia, it is all right for me not to have to give up on you, right.”

    Edgar took away the cup from Lydia’s hand while she was silent and put it back on the table. 

    All this time, Lydia had thought of Edgar as a skirt-chasing cheater. That he wasn’t a person who could love just one woman.

    Perhaps, just like Betty in the past, he might be putting a bet on Lydia to see if he could become serious about her.

    Most likely, there was no necessity for that one person to be Lydia, but because he was having a dim feeling of love towards her and so he might be trying to build up from those feelings into seriousness.

    If he became a man who could care for someone so hard that he would seal away his feelings for the one person he loved, then she might just fall in love with him.

P. 265

    Even now, she was thinking that as she was watching Edgar press his body forward.

    His eyes were bordered with golden-colored lashes and reflected Lydia in them kindly and his finely sculptured lips gently held a smile.

    “Eh…..”

    “Well, then, could you close your eyes. Then you won’t be scared.”

    …….Or was that a stupid question to ask.

    “Lord Edgar, my sister has returned.”

P. 266

    When they saw Ermine bowing her head in the doorway, he rushed to walk over to her and wrapped his arms around her like he would to a family member.

    “I am terribly sorry. I had lost my way.”

    Lydia also felt relief and stood up.

    “No, it was my duty. The most important thing was that Miss Carlton would be safe.”

    Lydia happened to notice there was a red-colored stain on one of her cuffs.

    But as she nearly said that, she remembered that her selkie blood would instantly turn into something like clear sand.

    “…….I had found the mayor’s corpse,” she said, turning to face Edgar.

P. 267

    “They must have been searching for the freya,” said Edgar with a stern expression.

    The fire fluorite, or freya turned out to be the Wyrm’s weakness and might have been very close to magic itself that a fairy would posses.

    “They managed to escape.”

    “…..Most likely.”

    “You have been through so much trouble.”

    “Ermine, you don’t look well.”

    “It’s all right for you to retire to your courters. It’s best you let your body rest.”

    “I wonder if she’s all right.”

    Seeing the side of his face that looked a little worried, the rapid beating that was filling Lydia’s heart turned into pain.

    Edgar reached his hand out to Lydia like he was going to continue where he had just left off. But he looked unsure as he did so, which made Lydia turn her face away.

    “Are you also tired?”

    “I see. Then you had better take a good rest tonight.”

    Is that all?

    And you said that you would never let go of my hand.

    I wonder if he was worried about how Ermine seemed.

    That’s how life is, but as she thought that, she suddenly became depressed.

    For Ermine’s sake, Edgar nearly let go of Lydia’s hand.

    That’s why, for tonight, Lydia was thinking on being honest with her own feelings. 

    Like if he were to desire a kiss from her, she would try and think about not hitting him or run away.

    “What are you yelling out about?”

    “…..Nothing is wrong.”

    “In the end, you’re still a human. It’s too bad, but it can’t be helped.”

    “Do I look like I have any problems?”

    “Well, that’s that. So, are you having tea by yourself? How unusual.”

    Edgar……might be where Ermine is.

    But, I was always like this.

    “Then, I’ll spend time with you.”

    Even as she thought there were no manners at all in his behavior, Lydia still chuckled.

    That’s why it might have been better that she wasn’t been made advances by Edgar tonight.

    But when she thought about it more closely, if she did come to love him, then Lydia’s feelings would be one-sided forever.

    I have to be calm.

    It wasn’t Edgar’s fault that she was put in sad feelings.

    Unlike fairies who went through no changes, the human world was easy to s.h.i.+ft and people’s heart would sway and move on.
    Even if she knew that, Lydia might not have been that strong enough to think she liked him.

    In the old days, the Blue Knight Earl was begged by villagers and sealed away a dragon Wyrm.

    The one who came later was the brothers that carried the earl’s blood. They knew where the dragon’s freya was and that if they used it, it would once again awaken the dragon.

    However, the younger brother was different.

    The mayor claimed that it was the stone of immortality and it could only be handled by those who carry the blood of the Blue Knight Earl, but Edgar didn’t know what kind of method it was to gain such an outcome, so didn’t know if it was true or not.

    The older brother who sensed the danger in that had entrusted the only fluorite that was able to revive the dragon to the far away Cremon dukedom.

    Before he was killed by his younger brother.

    He gave the impression like he had gone through special education and brain-was.h.i.+ng, but he still must be a part of the bloodline.

    And then he searched and found the fluorite that was sent to the Cremona dukedom in secret, and revived the dragon.

P. 273

    If that stone ends up in the hands of Prince then I wonder if that would make him not die.

    Putting that aside, mysteries kept on increasing.

    And it still was unknown what he should do with Lydia.

    It just when Raven came in to announce that the morning meal is ready.

    “Postal office? To do what?”

    “Who is the letter addressed out to?”

    “To her father, Professor Carlton. It seems she is informing him that she will go back to Scotland from here and will be spending the holiday with him.”

    “She said she got the approval already for an early Christmas holiday. Did you not approve of it?”

    With his coat in his hand, he tried to hurry out of the room.

    “You let her go?”

    “I haven’t approved for time off for the holidays. Why didn’t you give me any word of this?”

    Without giving a knock, Lota came into the man’s private courters. And then she held out a piece of paper in front of his eyes.

    &