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.
Instead, there were two attendants [waiters] who seemed to be part-time workers (footmen? AKA those who work under butlers).
Lydia still didn’t understand the situation and was surrounded by Billy and those two men.
“Hey, Lydia, your identity as a maid is fake, right?”
Was I discovered? Although, she still didn’t understand why Billy had to show such an awful expression.
“Where is Madame Oughtred?”
“What?”
“Madame Oughtred and the Regard necklace’s whereabouts, spit it out.”
“....Who are you guys [in the end]?
“Our matters aren’t important, hurry up and answer my question.”
Because the manner of the other party’s speech was too rude, it still made Lydia, who was forced to the side of the wall, unable to reply.
“You, your identity as a meal waiter is a scam.”
“That’s right, it’s a scam, so you shouldn’t underestimate me.”
Billy raised his arm.
“Yet [Still], the person in the room using strange limb movements was you.The rabbit is a fairy’s ghost? Hmph, you actually succeeded in enticing the head housekeeper, who is easily fooled by superstitions.”
Lydia looked up at Billy, surprised.
“That, I didn’t do that.”
It was some person who was fixated on the Madame’s gems that did it...
“I know you were chasing after the rabbit all over the flower garden, and that night, the rabbit corpse appeared in the Madame’s room. It was your doing. Certainly it wasn’t just one person? Who are your accomplices? How is the Madame?”
“I don't know.....”
“Saying that you don’t know is a matter that can’t be helped.”
The other man swayed the knife in front of Lydia.
“I also know that you were sneakily investigating in the mansion during your spare time. Was it because despite involving the Madame, you couldn’t find the Regard necklace? You were looking the place that the necklace was hidden in, that’s for sure.”
I was looking for the Danish fairies.
However, Lydia seemed to be considered as the thief who was fixated on the Madame’s gems. Moreover, they were also very concerned about the gems’ whereabouts.
“Billy, are you guys... the group of thieves? For the purpose of the gems, pretending to be servants...”
The man holding the knife seemed to have wanted to say something, but Billy stopped him and stated:
“Is your comrade that blonde Earl? No, that is a swindler calling himself an Earl. A noble bringing an attendant, who emits such an unconcealed murderous aura all over. That was very suspicious from the beginning.”
Lydia thought desperately.
It seems the person who held the knife and infiltrated the Madame’s room was not their comrade at all.
In other words, there were still other thieves who wanted to steal the gems.
“Hey Lydia, if you want, I can also distribute some of the gems to you. Overall, compare it to being killed here, okay.”
Billy’s tone was a little gentle as if to appease Lydia, peering down at her.
Lydia glared at him, keeping her mouth shut.
“I heard that the reason why you were expelled from your former household was because you went and seduced a man? Still, that’s truly an action that’s inconsistent with your face and character.”
All of those things were Lucinda’s fabricated lies. And for a woman, it was the ultimate insult, so Lydia was really unresigned(?).
Because she was angry and shook, Billy seemed to believe that she was afraid.
“I don’t dislike this kind of woman, moreover I won’t use a woman to handle matters. So long as you become my woman, I'll make you even happier compared to that blonde guy.”
He caressed her cheek, giving her goosebumps.
“Don’t touch me!”
Although she raised her hand, it was easily grabbed.
He pressed her against the wall of planks, proceeding to speak words, not knowing whether they were persuasive or threatening.
“I won’t let the guy who plundered our prey have an easy time. After all, your companion will become fertilizer for the garden. Is that a partner worth risking your life to obey? Even if you suffered that kind of treatment, your companion won’t mind at all, right?”
Because of yesterday’s punishment, the bruises were still bright red on Lydia’s hand. Billy seemed to take pity, as he gazed at Lydia’s hand.
Lydia felt Billy loosen his grip and, at this moment, so she tried to push him away.
She desperately struggled, wanting to escape, but she wasn’t successful. The other man took her from behind.
Billy’s hand grasped Lydia’s throat.
“You better do according to what I say. That superficial guy, in any case only has his looks...”
At that moment, Billy suddenly cut his statement short in surprise, and quickly moved back.
The man(or men) grabbing Lydia collapsed on the spot. A brown-skinned boy supported Lydia simultaneously, who almost immediately fell together [with the other men].
“Raven...?”
Just by him using his line of sight, Billy and the other men felt intimidated.
“Eh, did you believe that using these kinds of stubborn mannerisms could attract girls?”
Edgar appeared from the other side of the stables, also pulling a man whose hands were bound.
It seemed that he was also one of Billy’s companions. That man already seemed quite beaten up, just by seeing his unsteady walk and reluctance to stand.
Edgar, as if he wanted that man to be seen clearly, took him and exposed a cold smile to Billy.
“Still, to go as far as wanting to chase after my fiancee, you’re actually quite courageous.”
The man that Edgar brought was ruthlessly kicked by him, and after he fell to the ground, Raven regarded that as a signal to push Lydia towards Edgar’s direction.
Then, he [Raven] rapidly threw himself towards Billy.
Billy moved his hand towards his chest in his clothes, as if he wanted to take out a weapon, but Raven’s movements were clearly much quicker.
In the moment that Raven lifted his foot, the pistol bounced(?) out from Billy’s hand.
Lydia passed through Billy’s side, wanting to run towards Edgar whom she extended her hand to.
But she suddenly felt a spell of dizziness.
Her surroundings spun, and subsequently her footsteps became unsteady.
“Lydia!”
The sound of Edgar calling her sounded especially distant.
*
Her whole body lacked strength, probably due to the tense mood suddenly relaxing.
The recent tension and fatigue seemed to come out, and although it was hard for Lydia to support her body that wouldn’t listen to her, she still tried to maintain her consciousness.
She was in the state of being unable to open her eyes, pondering over where she was.
There were clean linens and feather cushions, with a soft bed to the touch, giving the sense that it wasn’t her rough bed in the attic. Moreover, there was someone holding her hand.
Edgar?
Her lips only slightly moved, and no sound was made.
In spite of that, her body’s strength was still slowly beginning to recover in this way, and she continued to open her eyes slightly.
Edgar caressed Lydia’s hands while gazing at her with a solemn expression.
Lydia recalled that her hands had bruises from being whipped, and thus she bashfully wanted to pull her hands back immediately, but she still didn’t have the strength to even move her hands.
It seemed like this was the guest room that Edgar used, but it was also his bedroom.
What should I do? Although she was unable to move, Lydia was absolutely flustered.
At this point, Edgar suddenly stood up. Lydia was startled, but from him turning his head and looking towards the doorway, apparently it seemed as if there was someone entering the room.
“The doctor? Still not here?”
“Earl Ashenbert, I’m sorry for causing you trouble. We will take Lydia back to her room, so you don’t need to worry any more.”
Lydia, who was finally able to turn her head, saw the head maid, Mrs. Boyle, calling the male footman to enter the room.
“Don’t speak nonsense. I will not allow you to casually move her.”
“But we cannot let a maid sleep in the guest’s bedroom. ”
“In short, call a doctor to come.”
“This is a common matter. Once tomorrow arrives, she will recover.”
“She will recover?”
Faced the head maid, who was unwilling to call a doctor, even stating that she wanted Lydia to be taken out, some part of Edgar’s mind snapped. He muttered in a peaceful and indifferent voice.
Even so, he did not emit an agitated voice. Perhaps he took into consideration that Lydia was still sleeping.
“Listen clearly, Lydia is not a maid. Lydia is my fiancee. If something happens, I might not virtuously stop and let matters rest. I will take you, as the person in charge, and the maids who bullied her, and bury everyone alive in the cemetery.”
Edgar hindered them in front like this, not allowing the male worker to approach even one step towards Lydia. Edgar said this, seemingly at the end of his patience.
The head maid exposed a sympathetic and complex expression. She seemed puzzled about Edgar, why would he treat the maid so well, as she felt it was inconceivable.
“Earl… No matter what, she is entirely a maid of this mansion. Um… If you give special treatment, then it will not serve as a good example for the other people.”
“Concerning Lydia’s matters, I’m not sure what you heard from Madame Oughtred, but I did not give her to you. Rather, because I believed in Madame Oughtred, I entrusted Lydia to her. Since the Madame is not here, I should have told her earlier to stop the maid’s work. However, I didn’t expect her to go as far as to receive such excessive treatment.”
“The maids are considered as Madame’s personal servants, so the responsibilities and limits to authority basically belong to me.”
Fundamentally incapable of communicating with her, this made Edgar increasingly impatient.
“I already said she’s not a maid! I, in order to let a maiden to enter society, hoped that Madame Oughtred would give her guidance, so I put forward a request through Duchess Masefield. Although Madame Oughtred readily agreed, you cannot undertake the responsibilities and limits to authority, right? She, however, is my fiancee. Not only did she receive the Madame’s recommendation, she promised that she would put in good words and let her visit Her Majesty the Queen. I originally believed that letting her be a maid was also Madame’s method and kept silent all this time, but I can’t continue to endure this any longer!”
Lydia glimpsed at the butler(?) who was passing by from the outside. Because he didn’t know what was happening, he stopped at the doorway, scared, but Edgar continued to protest against the head maid.
“And you’re saying that this is how it goes? (再说这是怎麼一回事*) Was it you who whipped her hand like punishing a thief? The matters of Miss Lucinda’s stolen brooch, wasn’t Lydia already cleared of suspicion at that time? How did this happen! Do you have any idea whose hands have such lasting bruises?”
Until now, the head maid righteously(?) spoke strictly to refute Edgar’s words, but her facial expression became increasingly uneasy.
“Uh, isn’t that young lady scheduled to arrive tomorrow?”
“Because Duchess Masefield had an urgent matters, the trip was shifted to an earlier date, so the duchess ought to have notified you.”
“Earl, I’m extremely sorry.”
The butler nervously interrupted.
“It seemed we have received a telegram, but it was already delivered to the Madame's room and the Madame might not have read its contents yet. The telegram is still in the room with unopened letters, so I’m afraid that the Madame was not in the mansion since that time.”
“...So, who wanted Lydia to be a maid? It wasn’t Madame Oughtred’s instructions?”
How strange? Saying it like that, it seems it wasn’t.
Lydia also blankly pondered in her mind.
“Um...That is…”
Mrs. Boyle stammered, not knowing how she ought to reply. However, it seemed she was still unable to completely grasp the situation, tilting her head.
The butler began to speak instead of her.
“The new maid arrived just now. She said that due to damage on the main bridge, she was unable to go through the road for the time being.”
The head maid, who had heard this, nearly fainted. Had it weren’t for the butler who supported her from behind, she would have been in danger.
Madame Oughtred had not considered Lydia to be a maid at all, but because her identity was replaced by the fairies and she was brought to the fairy rose garden, only then would she not know that Lydia had came over ahead of time.
Moreover, since Lydia just happened to appear on the day that the new maid was scheduled to arrive, the head maid misunderstood.
It looked as if the matter was like that.
“What? Why was this not confirmed properly? Lydia fainted. Do you think that everything will be okay after saying that it was a misunderstanding?”
“...Edgar...”
Lydia managed to let out a voice and tried to sit up a little.
“It would have been good if I also careful to confirm it. I myself believed that this was a bridal course.”
“Lydia, don’t force yourself. You have to lie down and rest.”
“I’m alright. This isn’t Mrs. Boyle's mistake.”
Carefully thinking about it, this was also inevitable. Young ladies of ordinary households wouldn’t come alone without bringing a maid, but also regardless of any reason, they wouldn’t obey the order of other people wanting them to be a maid.
As a result, it was due Lydia not being of the upper class, that this type of misunderstanding was able to occur.
“It was me...”
“Okay okay, I understand, I will not blame her anymore, so rest well. Your complexion still isn’t too good.”
“I’m not unwell, it’s only… slightly caused by my lack of strength(只是……有点使不出力气而已。*) that’s all.”
Edgar worryingly bent down and gazed at Lydia.
“Could it be that it’s because you haven’t eaten properly for three meals?”
Saying it like this, that seemed to be it.
“No, I’ve eaten the biscuits that you’ve given me but I only ate a little.”
Edgar caressed Lydia’s cheek. Held her soothingly, and then he proceeded to order the butler and head maid.
“Right now, please prepare the doctor and a meal immediately.”
Edgar went out of the room when Lydia was receiving the doctor’s diagnosis and treatment. He finally relaxed as he sighed, yet he felt a part of him that was unable to suppress his impatience.
He was clearly by her side, but he couldn’t protect her. When their positions are different, even proposing an idea would be difficult.
Edgar, who had the Earl’s status, was practically unable to do anything for Lydia, who found herself in the position of a maid.
The more Edgar paid attention to her, the more he made her suffer from the maids’ jealousy, even from the spread of vulgar gossip. In the end, Edgar had no choice but to reveal Lydia’s identity. Otherwise, making the head maid find a doctor to come would be impossible.
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