Hakushaku to Yousei Volume 18 Chapter 1

Prior to the wedding ceremony, the Earl’s household was faced with countless issues.

The All Saints’ Day celebration announced the arrival of fall. Since there would be two weeks of continued celebrations after that, London was getting more crowded than usual.

A flea market was set up around the corner of Birdsfield Lane. The outdoor stalls were selling a variety of goods.

While Claire was travelling back and forth between the booths and the crowd, her eyes were drawn to the porcelain brooch, but she immediately recovered her composure and looked around.

She was looking for an azure borderless soft hat with reddish-brown hair hanging from the back. When she found her target at the other end of the stalls, she hurried over to catch up.

The person Claire was following was a girl named Lydia Carlton. She was with a woman who seemed to be a friend. They were walking and looking around at the market.

Lydia’s sight would occasionally be diverted to a strange direction, such as a person’s foot or atop of a street vendor, and she was even smiling in a direction where there seemed to be no one.

When they stopped walking, Claire thought that it was her chance and approached them. She pretended to be selecting her goods as she quietly observed Lydia.

This was the first time she could observe the other party in such a close distance, and Claire realized that she wasn’t a perfect beauty like she had imagined. Having said that, she wasn’t an ordinary girl that you could see everywhere either.

In short, Lydia had an inconceivable atmosphere. That was probably due to the colour of her eyes.

Perhaps she felt that she was being watched, so she looked over. Claire quickly diverted her eyes.

Lydia and her friend left the stall and started walking again, and Claire continued to pursue once again.

Soon after, they pa.s.sed through the gap between the stalls and into an alley that lead to a deeper place.

Where are they going? Although she found it to be suspicious, Claire followed them into the alley. After making a turn, there was another plaza at the other end of the narrow path.

Claire did not know that there was actually a plaza at the back of these buildings. Although she was surprised, she still entered the lively plaza.

A huge tree stood in the middle of this area surrounded by buildings. The street stalls were crammed together with spread out floor mats as they did business. There were people playing musical instruments, and the people in the vicinity were dancing with joy.

This place was very similar to the market from earlier, but there were some differences.

However, Claire was only puzzled for a moment, and shortly after, she did not care.

Besides that, all the hesitations that were in Claire’s heart seemed to have vanished and her mood suddenly brightened.

“Miss, are you here alone?”

The owner of a street stall handed her a ripe plum. How could this plum be emitting such a delicious smell?

“Miss, what do you think of this? It really suits you. ”

As the other vendors started to talk to her, she was attracted as she immediately walked over. The white b.u.t.terfly sh.e.l.l hair ornament was s.h.i.+ning with a rainbow l.u.s.tre which she had never seen before.

Claire had forgotten her purpose of coming here, and had also forgotten that she had to keep watch of Lydia. She strolled along the fair in this alleyway without diverting her attention.

There was one thing that she didn’t know.

This place was a Fairy Market. Occasionally, humans that would accidentally take a wrong turn and get lost would sometimes would forget about the human world be unable to return in the end.

                                                                                                                                                 *

“Lydia, that’s incredible, the harp is playing by itself.”

This was the first time Lota had been to a Fairy Market, and she looked all around, as if she felt that the scene before her eyes was very strange.

As for Lydia, she hadn’t visited a Fairy Market in a long time either.

The fairies in London were unlike the fairies in the countryside who would want to be in contact with people. Perhaps that was the reason that even though she had heard rumors about this market, she had never seen it before. However, a while ago Lydia heard from a hobgoblin that there would be a fairy market held here. She was quite interested, and so today she came here for a stroll with her friend, Lota. 

“The Fairy Market is very lively, it practically doesn’t lose against human markets.”

Even though Lota knew that Lydia was a different girl who was close with fairies, she never looked at her strangely. Lota was a princess of the Grand Duke from a subjugated country, but she was raised by pirates. Although she was also a strange girl, she got along very well with Lydia.

“I originally thought that I wouldn’t be seeing this many fairies in London. I didn’t think that there would actually be that many fairies.”

(Fairy doctor of the Blue Knight Earl, that is not the case. There are many fairies from the outskirts and other places who are gathered here.)

A fairy who was selling medicinal herbs nearby interrupted.

Even though this fairy used magic to make himself appear more or less as tall as a human, his sharp ears protruded from under his worn hat that hung over his eyes. In fact, he seemed to know that Lydia was the fairy doctor of the Blue Knight Earl.

(Because of the wedding.)

(The market will be opened until the end of the wedding so that the fairies who came from afar have a place to go to.)

“A wedding? Is it a fairy’s wedding?”

(No, it’s your wedding.)

“Ohh Lydia, you’re a celebrity.”

Lota joked at the surprised looking Lydia.

(It has been a few hundred years since the last Blue Knight Earl’s wedding. It’s only natural that everyone is excited.)

“......In that case, let’s all celebrate together.”

The Blue Knight Earl is a legendary person who was said to have a territory in the fairy country; his official t.i.tle is the Earl of Ibrazel. Edgar Ashenbert, who had currently inherited this t.i.tle, was Lydia’s fiancé, as well as her partner whom she was about to marry.

It seemed that this matter livened up the fairy realm.

(There were many ancestors of fairies who came from the fairy country, and the Blue Knight Earl was a very special master to the fairies in England.)

(Everyone will be offering their blessings for the wedding.)

Unknowingly, the fairies gathered around and inserted flowers into Lydia’s borderless soft hat while saying that one after another.

“Um, thank you but please don’t get too rowdy, everyone.”

Although the fairies’ kindness made her feel happy, their actions were unpredictable by human knowledge.

Having said that, most humans couldn’t even see fairies, so even if the fairies caused a scene or pulled pranks, it probably wouldn’t cause serious problems.

“Lota, it’s about time for us to return.”

“What, you’re not buying “something blue?”

“It’s best not to buy anything from the Fairy Market. Like I thought, I think I might buy that silk ribbon I saw at that stall just before.”

Lota nodded and as Lydia was about to leave, a voice called out to Lydia.

“Hey-- Lydia, lend me a silver s.h.i.+lling. ”

There could only be one who would suddenly make such a shameless request, was Lydia’s fairy partner.

“Nico, you’re here too. ”

As she looked back, the one standing there was indeed Nico. A fairy who looked like a cat with gray fur stood with two hind legs.

“Yeah, it’s quite rare to come across such a grand market. And so, I found a very beautiful tie. I just need to spend one silver coin to buy it. ”

This fairy cat who pretended to be a gentleman couldn’t do without a tie. He extended his little paw in front of Lydia.

“Don’t you already have a lot of ties?”

“It’s in order to attend your wedding that I need to buy a new one. How could a family member dress too casually?”

His physical appearance definitely looked like a cat but he seemed to be attending the wedding ceremony as a member of Lydia’s family. Lydia forced a smile as she put the silver coin into Nico’s paw. His perked up in happiness immediately as he squinted his eyes.

“What does that beautiful tie looks like?”

As Lota asked, Nico puffed out the soft fur on his chest and answered:

“Like a flying fish.”

Not really understanding what he meant, both Lydia and Lota tilted their heads in doubt.

Right next to the tree that Nico was pointing at, there was a young lady sitting in front of an open stall.

Her light brown hair was carefully tied , and although her style was simple, it was fairly neat.

If the fairies used magic to turn into a human, some areas would be exposed, but she certainly was a human.

Furthermore, she went as far as to defenselessly eat the fairy food.

“Oh my, that’s bad!”

Lydia anxiously ran towards her and grabbed the ripe red plum from her hand.

“Don’t eat it, otherwise you won’t be able to return to the human world!”

She looked up at Lydia in surprise and then looked down at the plum, which fell onto the ground.

“That’s great, you haven’t eaten anything yet. You should go back with us.”

Although Lydia was smiling, she showed a puzzled look and retreated backwards, as if what happened was too sudden.

“Um, I’m not a suspicious person. I’m a fairy doctor, so I’m very familiar with fairy-related matters. The Fairy Market is an area not too far from the human world, so we should be able to get out quickly.”

“Fairy doctor......? Fairy Market?”

It seemed that she hadn’t realized that this wasn’t the human world. She thought that Lydia, who suddenly threw away her plum and said some strange things, was a weird girl.

What should I do? How should I explain in order to bring her back? Lota asked kindly in place of Lydia, who was helpless.

“What is your name? I’m Lota, and she’s Lydia. ”

“My name is...... Claire.”

“Did you get separated from your attendant?”

“N--no...... I came alone.”

Women who were above middle cla.s.s didn’t usually go out shopping by themselves, but Claire seemed to be from a decent family.

At any rate, with Lota’s help, Lydia wanted to take the opportunity to take her away from this place.

“In that case, would you like to come outside the market with us? When it comes to celebrations, there will be many people, and it’ll be dangerous for a woman to be alone, wouldn’t it?”

Although Claire was unable to understand the situation, she might have felt a little uneasy being alone, so she nodded her head.

In the meantime, both Lydia and Lota took her arms and left the Fairy Market.

After pa.s.sing through a short alley, they immediately arrived at the Birdsfield lane market. Lydia was relieved for being able to rescue someone who got lost. At that moment, Claire suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady. She grabbed onto Lydia and leaned against her, but she immediately recovered and hastily let go of Lydia.

Sure enough, she sees me as a strange girl, is she wary of me?

Claire stared at Lydia, who was a little dejected, then spoke very carefully.

“Excuse me, are you Miss Lydia Carlton?”

She spoke as if she has just realized who Lydia was.

“Yes.”

Even though it felt strange, Lydia still answered.

“So you’re Earl Ashenbert’s fiancée......”

Have I seen her before? Lydia couldn’t recall but still nodded her head.

“I apologize, Miss Carlton, I actually wanted to talk to you and therefore followed you to this place. But I forgot all about it until just earlier. I don’t know what happened to me......”

That was probably because of the fairies. Lydia almost said that but she managed to swallow it. If she said that, Claire would definitely fall into confusion. Compared to that, she didn’t expect that Claire actually followed her from behind.

“You said you wanted to talk to me, why?”

Standing in the middle of a crowd, she held up her hands like in a prayer with a desperate expression.

“Actually, I wanted to ask whether or not you could hire me as a maid. ”

Lydia was surprised and Lota stared at Claire from behind.

“Ohh, that’s right, the Ashenbert household is seeking a maid for Lydia.”

“But, this matter has been handed over to Edgar to deal with.”

“Is it okay letting that man choose? It’ll be meaningless if you don’t like her.”

“That is of course true, but….”

“Claire, why are you asking Lydia directly? It’s fine going to the Earl’s household and responding to the request.”

“Because I don’t have a recommendation letter and I’ve never worked as a maid before.”

Claire lowered her head and answered.

Indeed, the condition set by the Earl’s household is for women who had worked before in an aristocratic mansion.

“But I used to be a governess to a daughter of an aristocratic residence, so I am very familiar with matters of the upper cla.s.s, and I can quickly learn the responsibilities of a maid. I know that Miss Lydia is a daughter of a middle cla.s.s family and I thought you might be willing to listen to me.”

Lydia and Lota looked at each other.

“Governess? That being the case, there’s no need for you to force yourself to do the work of a maid.”

Generally, being a governess was a more credible job for a woman.

“My father used to be a school teacher, but he pa.s.sed away. I came here because my brother lives in London, but now I have no money at hand. If there’s no work, my life will be in trouble. I heard that the Ashenbert household was hiring a maid, and uh, because the salary is good......

The salary is better compared to that of a governess,” she added. 

Even if she was originally a middle cla.s.s woman who didn’t need to work, if she were to take up a job as a governess, it wouldn’t be detrimental to the face. Having said that, in terms of salary, it was also true that the salary of maids or housekeepers were higher.

Moreover, even as an attendant, aristocrats would usually employ women with a considerable degree of education to be a maid of a higher position.

For a girl like Claire, even though it wasn’t a very reputable career, she could perhaps bear with it.

“......My brother only cares about playing around and doesn’t do any proper work. There’s no way for me to only work as a tutor.”

“I see.”

Lydia felt sympathetic.

Speaking of which, in Lydia’s mind, her knowledge regarding the use of a maidservant was very thin. Her understanding of a maid was just someone that she could talk to about various things. In this regard, their social cla.s.ses were similar, and their age should be quite close, so she felt that it would be easy to get along with Claire.

“I will try to have talk about your matters. I don’t know if it’s possible to hire you, but you can come to the Earl’s mansion tomorrow and ask.”

“Thank...... thank you, Miss Lydia.”

Seeing Claire’s red face and happy expression, Lydia felt relieved as well.

This was probably because Lydia felt Claire’s impression of her as a strange girl had changed a little.

The day that Lydia will be married into the Earl household, that is, her and Edgar’s wedding ceremony, will be the following week.

Upon returning to London from the Hebrides island of Scotland, Edgar immediately decided on the date.

Originally, it was necessary to announce the marriage notice three weeks in advance, but because he had already obtained the marriage license, he could get married anytime he wished without the need to announce it.

This license was very convenient, but also very expensive. But it seemed that Edgar had no intention of announcing the wedding from the start.

All in all, the Earl’s household was practically responsible in taking care of all the preparations. Even the things that were supposed to be prepared by the bride’s side were carried out by the Earl’s household. But because the backgrounds of both families were different, even if the bride’s side wanted to be extravagant, nothing could be done.

With grat.i.tude, Lydia and her father handed over these matters to the Earl’s household.

As long as it was handled by Edgar and the Earl’s household’s capable attendants, even the complicated preparations could be carried out quickly.  The head butler, Tomkins, also confidently expressed that everything was going smoothly.

Despite feeling somewhat rushed, Lydia felt happiness amidst the chaos.

When she first got engaged, the first thing that she felt was uneasiness. She was worried about whether or not there would really be no issue entering into marriage, but now, she was a lot more positive.

Because she realized that the only thing she could care about was her and Edgar’s future. 

“Were you able to buy ‘something blue’ today?”

Edgar put down his winegla.s.s and gave her a graceful smile.

Lydia stopped her hand, which was holding a knife, and slightly glanced at Edgar.

The two of them having lunch together wasn’t something rare anymore, but because they were about to get married, Lydia felt very nervous.

With great difficulty, she had recently started to show a lover’s att.i.tude but the next thing she would have to do is to behave like a wife. 

Would I actually be able to do it? Once they were alone, she couldn’t help but think about it.

“I did. With this, the bride’s five essential items are complete.”

In order not to show any unnatural behaviour, Lydia answered as she concentrated on her meal.

Lydia wanted to spend as much time with her father as she could before the wedding. So, in order to be understanding, Edgar decided to spend lunch time with her instead of dinner. 

Although they each had their own preparations to do and therefore, were very busy before the marriage, Edgar hoped to set aside as much time to meet as possible.

Lydia thought so as well. Having said that, she now realized that she couldn’t stop herself from loving Edgar, and even though they were already at this stage, she still felt embarra.s.sed about a lot things.

It was still okay previously, because she would only feel embarra.s.sed at Edgar’s words and att.i.tude, but now she couldn’t stop herself from staring at Edgar, or attempt to prolong the time they had together when it was time to separate. These things made her feel embarra.s.sed.

“This asparagus truly is delicious. ”

“I’ll tell that to the chef. ”

Ah, how could I only praise the side dish?

“Uh, of course this sautéed lamb is also very good, and it goes well with this Madeleine wine,” Lydia quickly added. 

Edgar laughed happily.

The head chef knows that you really like the simple taste of asparagus cooked with brine, so you can praise the cooking that you really like, and don’t have to worry about your home chef.”

A court chef who studied in France turning out to be her home chef, how could Lydia easily accept that?

“Th--that’s right, Edgar, what is your favourite food?”

“Plum and honey sorbet.”

“Is that so, I didn’t know that. ”

“That was the taste of your lips earlier.”

Lydia almost choked on the wine.

“Wh--what are you saying......”

“Within the holiday market, the vendor selling delicious food came out to do business, right?”

Yes, that’s right. Even though it felt a little humiliating, Lydia still bought sorbet with Lota and sat on a bench in the market to taste it.

Then she came to the Earl’s house......

Since the engagement, no, since before that, Edgar has been saying words that made it difficult to be regarded as a gentleman. That was the only thing that Lydia couldn’t ignore.

Instead, she felt that she blushed more easily than before.

Lydia thought that since they were lovers, it was strange that she was embarra.s.sed, but the more she thought about it, the more clueless she was on how she should behave.

“That being said, who came up with the thought of having five essential items that must be worn in order to be a happy bride?”

Edgar changed the subject in order to comfort Lydia, whose body went stiff.

After recovering her mood, Lydia reached for her napkin.

“I don’t know either, but it’s an old legend pa.s.sed down since ancient times. It will certainly bring good luck.”

It is said that during the wedding ceremony, the bride must wear something new, something old, something borrowed and something blue, and place a sixpence coin in her shoe.

Of course, Lydia intended to do so. 

“A new wedding dress, mother’s old veil, the d.u.c.h.ess of Masefield lent me her beautiful pearl earrings, and as for ‘something blue’, I will put on the new ribbon I bought on my wrist.”

“Are you starting to look forward to marrying me?”

Edgar was smiling happily.

“......Y--yes, after all, it’s a once in a lifetime grand ceremony.”

“Do you not look forward to living together with me?”

“What, of course......that too......”

While Lydia was racking her brain on how to answer, Edgar leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Raven approached them without making any sound and distributed the newly served dish.

Even though they were having a meal by themselves, they weren’t completely alone.

He definitely saw the kiss earlier.

Edgar noticed Lydia’s concern about Raven, who was serving the meal, and laughed out loud again.

“Even though there are attendants on the side, it’ll be fine as long as you behave as if they don’t exist. This also shows that their performance in their job is flawless.”

“......Okay......”

“You’ll get used to it soon.”

Having an attendant around was something normal among the n.o.bles, not just in getting dressed, but it was the same when taking baths as well, they didn’t mind the stares of the attendants at all.

Although Lydia was currently learning the etiquette and customs of the upper cla.s.s, it would be a lie to say that she wasn’t overwhelmed by the differences in lifestyles.

However, once she thought about getting married to the person she loved, those things became insignificant.

The sun was s.h.i.+ning in through the opened window as Edgar smiled happily. His hair seemed to have been cut slightly, and it made him look more like a n.o.ble.

He has bright blonde hair and aristocratic features. Even when he was wearing common clothes, his perfectly tailored coat would make him appear very n.o.ble. Even his movement of putting the fork to his mouth seemed like a painting.

If you stand beside someone like that, thinking about it again, the groom would definitely receive more attention compared to the bride.

Although she thought about these things, Lydia still revealed a smile.

In this afternoon tea room that exuded a quiet atmosphere, the two of them were enjoying the lunch that was prepared. The small table covered with a simple linen tablecloth gave out a strong atmosphere of living at home, and made one feel extremely comfortable.

Edgar knew Lydia’s preferences very well.

Lydia’s heart felt a surge of happiness.

It’s great to be able to return to London.

She had once given up on the idea of marriage, but because Edgar was unwilling to give up, so she was able to stay here now. 

This probably isn’t a dream.

In the end how many times had she asked herself this question?

“We can really get married, right?”

“Are there any other options?”

“......No. ”

She answered lowering her head and felt a little embarra.s.sed.

Edgar’s hand took Lydia’s hand that was on the table.

Once again, she couldn’t help but mind Raven’s presence and Edgar whispered to her:

“Before you get used to it, it’s alright to remove the attendants.”

This youth who was devoted to Edgar, just by receiving a glance from him, put down the wine bottle and was preparing to leave.

If they were completely alone, there was no way to concentrate on the meal. At the thought of that, Lydia hurriedly called out to Raven.

“Th--that’s alright. Raven, you stay!”

Raven confirmed it again with Edgar’s expression and returned to his place. Sure enough, he could tell what his master was thinking just by reading his glances.

Although it would be unlikely to find an attendant who was as faithful as Raven, Lydia will have to hire a maid to take care of her daily needs.

It would be great if there was someone whom she could get along well with.

Oh right, I should first inform him about Claire’s matters.

Just when Lydia remembered and planned to speak, the butler, Tomkins walked into the room.

“Master, Duke Glenn is here.”

Edgar glanced at the clock and then whispered: “He came very early.” But he still stood up.

“I’m sorry, Lydia. I have an appointment with the Duke. I will excuse myself so you should slowly enjoy your dessert.”

The guest was a n.o.ble of a higher cla.s.s, so even if he didn’t follow the appointed time for the visit, one couldn’t let the guest wait. Lydia was aware of that.

“I understand, you don’t have to worry about me.”

He bent down and kissed Lydia on the cheek.

“Thank you, my fairy.”

Edgar left the room in a hurry but turned his head again.

“Ah, that’s right, Tomkins seemed to have something to discuss with you. Can you have a chat with him after your meal?”

“Okay.”

After Edgar left, Lydia called out to Tomkins, who was going to shut the door gently.

“Mr. Tomkins, what is it that you wanted to discuss? You can tell me now if that’s alright.”

Although she was in the middle of a meal, Tomkins was probably in a hurry as well. He took a step into the room again and bowed.

“In that case, please forgive my intrusion. Raven, please serve the dessert.”

After Raven took the plate away, Tomkins came to the side of the table and stood there as he raised the subject.

“The truth is, I don’t know how to deliver the wedding invitation to the fairies and am very troubled because of that.”

“What, do we need to invite fairies to the wedding too?”

Tomkins blinked his round eyes and gravely said:

“The Tomkins family has been the butler of the Blue Knight Earl’s family for generations and therefore, we have kept a list of the names of fairies. It is said that these are the five fairies that must be invited to attend the Earl’s wedding.”

Tomkins took out an old rolled up parchment from his coat.

When he opened it to take a look, there were some strange words and symbols written on it.

“How do you read this?”

“I’m not quite sure, but I heard that it would work as long as you write according to this around the area of the recipient. However, I don’t know whether I can drop the invitation into a mailbox.”

“It should be fine as long as it’s dropped into a fairy’s mailbox.”

I see, Tomkins clapped his hands. But he immediately looked disturbed.

“But where is the fairy’s mailbox?”

“Well, I don’t think I’ve seen one in London.”

“Is it something that is visible?”

“There is one near my hometown.”

Even Tomkins, who was a descendant of the Merrows, widened his eyes in surprise.

“Oh...... if that’s the case, Manan Island should have one too. Alas, it’s truly a pity that I didn’t notice.”

“I think I saw one at the Fairy Market...... that’s right, let’s ask Nico to send it.”

“What? Go to the Fairy Market again? I came here because I was hungry.”

A gray cat who came in through the window spoke discontentedly, then sat on Edgar’s seat.

“Hey -- Raven, give me a dessert too. There should be an extra portion left from the Earl, right?”

Raven came back, carrying the plate with the dessert, and Nico cheekily waved at him.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Nico, Lord Edgar’s portion is for me.”

Raven’s tone was firm, and it seemed that he wasn’t willing to compromise even towards his only friend -- Nico.

“What......is that so?”

Nico lowered his head in disappointment.

“Raven, do you like desserts as well?”

“Yes, because Mr. Nico likes it, I like it too.”

Lydia felt that this was mistaken for friends.h.i.+p, but since Nico didn’t notice, she didn’t point it out. 

Nico slumped his shoulders and tail, and glanced at the chocolate cream tart that was in front of Lydia.

“You can have it.”

“Really?”

Nico finally restored his spirit, and pulled the chocolate tart towards him as he swayed his tail happily.

But, are you willing to help Mr. Tomkins to run this errand?”

“It really can’t be helped.”

As he said that, he took a big bite of the chocolate tart.

“Thank you, this way, we should be able to make it in time for the wedding.”

Tomkins seemed to have unloaded the burden on his shoulders.

“Ah, that’s right, Mr. Tomkins, I met a woman who wanted me to hire her as a maid. She handed her information to me. Could you please hand it to Edgar to have a look?”

“Oh -- is she a friend of yours, Miss Lydia?”

“No, I met her for the first time. Although she had no experience, she seemed like a nice person. I was hoping to at least give her an interview...... she should be coming tomorrow.”

“I understand, I will convey it to Master.”

Lydia handed the information to Tomkins and hoped that Claire would be able to find work with better conditions.

                                                                                                                                                 *

“Miss Claire Florey found Lydia and talked to her directly?”

By the time Edgar was informed of this from Tomkins, it was already the next day. However, he didn’t even read the doc.u.ments which Tomkins handed to him yesterday. 

“Is she someone you know?”

When Tomkins came into Edgar’s office, he noticed Claire’s resumé was still on the table where he left it yesterday and there was no sign of it being touched. So, he raised the topic. 

“Yes, she used to work as a governess at Lord Bourton’s residence whom I was acquainted with.”

“Yes, it was mentioned in her resumé. Lord Bourton left London due to some unfortunate events in his family, so she resigned as a governess.”

“......Is that so? No wonder she is looking for work.”

Tomkins coughed in a manner that hinted at something, then walked to the side of the table and whispered to Edgar:

“Master, if you have previously made a move on her, you will need to tactfully refuse her.”

“I didn’t.”

Although Edgar denied it immediately, but when it came to this woman...... he was thinking as he tried to recall.

She was a cute girl with light brown hair who showed enthusiasm in her work. The Bourton family liked her very much, and the young Bourton daughter also admired her greatly.

Edgar had talked with her several times before. Moreover, it wasn’t a difficult matter for Edgar to impress ladies that were interested in him, and he felt that Claire had a favorable impression of him.

Having said that, since Lord Bourton suddenly encountered misfortunes and cut off his ties with everyone, Edgar had neither seen her nor had any contact with her.

To Edgar, Claire was just a tutor who was staying at the house of a friend. She should understand her own position.

No, maybe she didn’t understand. After all, Claire approached Lydia and requested her to hire her as her maid. It’s possible that this was because she couldn’t forget her feelings for Edgar.

Although this thought was too narcissistic, Edgar often encountered these kinds of situations.

Moreover, Claire could be a bold and unpredictable girl. When it came to men, she expressed her feelings more frankly than Lydia. As he thought of that, this incident made Edgar concerned.

“Then, can we include Miss Florey into the list of candidates? Even though she doesn’t have any experience working as a maid, her experiences and background are very decent. She also has a good upbringing and should be able to get along well with Miss Lydia.”

At first, Edgar was contemplating, but suddenly shook his head as if he came to his senses.

“She won’t do.”

“......As expected, you and her......”

“That’s not the case. Tomkins, listen carefully. We are looking for a personal maid, not selecting a friend for Lydia. We need a woman who will be responsible for taking care of Lydia’s daily needs. This is the first time for Lydia to have a personal maid, and hiring someone with no experience is inappropriate.”

“I understand, then we’ll do according to your wishes.”

Although he didn’t know if Tomkins really understood or if he still misunderstood Edgar, but after he had said that, he left the room.

In exchange, the next to enter the office was Raven.

Edgar sat weakly on the chair, and muttered towards Raven who was setting down the teacup on the desktop:

“Raven, it isn’t my fault if a woman who’s interested in me appeared, right?”

“Yes.”

“Even if she held my hand, the fault shouldn’t lie with me, right?”

“......Probably.”

“What if she kisses me without permission?”

“That cannot happen. Even if a woman takes the initiative to try and kiss you, you have the means to do your utmost to prevent it.”

“Raven, if you had the opportunity to experience it, you would understand. Men simply wouldn’t do their utmost to prevent it.”

Edgar sighed.

“Ahh, but it was forced at that time. When Lord Bourton hosted a tea party at his residence, I went to the garden for a bit and dozed off on the bench.”

At that time, Claire appeared. She looked around quietly as she leaned over, pulling her face towards Edgar, whose eyes were closed.

When her lips lightly touched Edgar’s, she quickly fled.

After listening to that, Raven said flatly:

“In other words, you weren’t asleep at all, were you?”

“It was luck that appeared unexpectedly, wasn’t it? It had nothing to do with pretending to be asleep.”

“Lord Edgar, in my opinion, I think it was a seed of disaster, but was that actually luck?”

“All in all, I did not pursue Claire, and furthermore, it seemed like an accident, please understand!”

“You should say that to Miss Lydia......”

“No, that won’t do. She is innocent and fastidious, so even if it was an unavoidable situation, she would definitely mind.”

If it were his former lovers, it mustn’t be discussed, but now, a woman who shouldn’t have any ambiguity towards him had unexpectedly appeared.

The day of the wedding was approaching soon. He didn’t want Lydia’s mood to be affected by this matter, and if a mistake turned into a fight, it might be difficult to even have a wedding.

“Master.”

Tomkins appeared again.

“Mr. Florey is here to visit, would you like to see him?”

“Mister? It’s not Claire?”

“It seems to be her brother.”

Even though Tomkins’ tone was calm, he frowned slightly.

The other person wasn’t the virtuous kind. He secretly conveyed this message,

“He expressed that he hoped for you to hire Miss Florey. ”

The person claiming to be Claire Florey’ brother was a skinny and pale man.

Edgar remembered seeing him several times before in Lord Bourton’s mansion, but they had never spoken to each other.

Mr. Florey’ soulless eyes kept drifting until Edgar entered the reception room, then he broke into a smile.

“I truly apologize for visiting suddenly, Earl Ashenbert.”

“You want me to hire Miss Florey, how considerate of you towards your sister.”

“Yes, because she is a sister that I’m proud of. I hope you will hire her. I even brought a recommendation letter.”

The recommendation letter that was handed over had Lord Bourton’s signature on it. Did he intentionally contact Lord Bourton, who was staying somewhere far away, to write this recommendation letter? Or was this a forgery?

“Shouldn’t you be working to support your sister instead?”

Instead of spending the effort to obtain a recommendation letter to help his sister get a job, a brother should play his part by taking the responsibility of caring for his sister until she marries. 

“But Earl, no matter what, my sister wishes to come here, that is, to work by your side.”

“What I need now is a maid for my wife and besides, I am recruiting a woman who is familiar with maid duties.”

Even though Edgar responded in a displeased manner, the man was still showing a frivolous smile.

“She doesn’t meet your criteria exactly, but for the areas that she lacks in, let her make it up to you by being your partner. What do you think, Earl?”

After saying that, he observed Edgar’s reaction.

“Me?”

Edgar slightly showed a look of consideration, and the other man started to push ahead.

“You can do anything you like to her. Claire is fond of you. As long as you hire her, no matter what the order is, she will obey. Ah -- having said that, I won’t try and use this as a pretext to raise her salary, it will be fine as long as you pay a tip occasionally...... uh, in short, this should be a very cheap commodity, right?”

Edgar smiled as he threw the recommendation letter in front of the man.

“I never use money to buy women. Men like you really make me sick.”

He turned his back at the stunned Florey.

“Raven, send him out.”

Raven was already standing behind Florey, and he immediately went in front of Florey, threatening him.

“Please leave.”

“Wh--what? Putting on airs now......”

“Please leave.”

Raven tried to grab Florey’s shoulder, but he lost his temper.

“Don’t touch me with your dirty waiter’s hand!”

Raven grabbed the fist that was thrown at him and twisted it.

Florey let out a scream and after Raven loosened his grip, he fell to the ground.

“Brother!”

At this time, a woman yelled from the door.

She was Claire Florey, who was lead in by the maid.

“Brother, what are you doing here...... what have you done to the Earl?!”

The brother glanced at his stunned sister, then stood up and spat on the floor.

“I was a.s.saulted yet you’re worried about the Earl.”

“That’s because......”

Florey pushed his sister and ran away. Claire blankly stood in place.

“Long time no see, Miss Florey. It’s great to see you in good spirits.”

Edgar spoke to the pale looking Claire.

“Y--yes...... uh......”

“It’s not good to stand and talk. Please, have a seat.”

Edgar told Claire not to stand and sat himself down as well. He began to think about how to reply next. Lydia was unable to come over today. This might have been a lucky thing for him.

“Excuse me, did my brother do anything rude......”

“You don’t have to worry about that. ”

Claire probably wasn’t aware that her brother was planning to sell her off. Edgar thought that at the very least, she wasn’t a woman who would accept such a thing.

“Oh yes, I heard that you met with Lydia and that you wanted to be her maid?”

“I have great respect for you, Earl. I found out that this place was hiring a maid, so I was hoping to work for someone that I respect. ”

“I am grateful for your kind thoughts, but rather that respecting me, what we need is a woman that respects Lydia. ”

She widened her eyes as if she had just realized the naturally expected request.

“Th--this is only natural. I believe I am able to share the same preferences and habits as the mistress. ”

She was the same as Lydia, who wasn’t of n.o.ble birth. Was Claire trying to express this point?

But this would be troublesome, because a maid and her master couldn’t be equals.

Moreover, it seemed that she couldn’t let go of her feelings for Edgar, thus he was worried that she might do something to harm Lydia.

“What do you think of Lydia?”

“......She’s very sincere and fantasizes the existence of fairies...... No, it’s because she is such a person that I feel I am suited for this job even more. I love fairy tales. When I was a governess, the little mistresses used to pester me to tell them stories.”

She seemed to see Lydia as an ignorant child.

Edgar sighed deeply.

In short, the conclusion was very clear. Compared to the point of Claire being interested in him, she wasn’t fit to be Lydia’s maid at all.

He hoped to hire someone who could naturally accept Lydia’s abilities.

Edgar stood up to put an end to the conversation.

“Regretfully, I can’t hire you. Miss Florey, I hope you can find a good job.”

After he finished this sentence with a smile, Claire could only nod.

This way, she wouldn’t approach Lydia again. It would be great if she could seal away her subtle feelings for Edgar.

Edgar prayed as he watched Claire leave.