Hakushaku to Yousei - Volume 20 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 ♦ Inside the mirror and outside the maze

Apart from the silence and especially cheerful mood, Lydia wasn’t any different than usual.
In the morning, she would get dressed, then sit down at the breakfast table. Whether it was adding the amount of milk to the black tea or spreading thin jam onto the bread, she did it without a sign of hesitation.
The meals were sent by Raven to Edgar’s room. Edgar wanted to make Lydia not appear in front of people before returning to London as she was, and considered asking Paul to bring Lydia back to her room after the meal.
Obviously, it was himself that kept Lydia here overnight, and felt that it was too late to care now, but it was really noticeable during the day. Lydia would care about the gazes of other people, so he ought to be doing this.
“Lydia, it is delicious?”
Lydia put down her tea and smiled.
“Is that so? That’s great.”
Although dressing room illuminated by the morning sun was a little cramped, the two had enough space to eat. On the contrary, he could view Lydia closely when having a meal, even with a smaller table, so it wasn’t bad at all that way.
“After the auction ends tonight, we will return to London, so we don’t have to pretend that we aren’t in a relationship together......”
Edgar stopped halfway and put down his knife and fork.
Perhaps she felt that he had a serious attitude, Lydia also stopped eating.
“Lydia......what should I do? I am willing to do anything you say, so please let me hear your voice.”
But she merely looked at Edgar in a strange way.
He frowned, and Lydia pushed a plate filled with sausages towards him. Did Edgar’s expression seem like he didn’t have enough to eat? Lydia seemed to want to share her meal with him.
Edgar shook his head, expressing that it wasn’t like this, then held Lydia’s hand that was on the table.
“Whether you are discontent or have any complaints, I will listen to you, so please tell me how you are feeling.”
Although Lydia seemed a bit surprised at that moment and immediately gave him a smile.
“Are you disillusioned about me? Even if you say so it won’t matter, if you don’t respond, how will I have the chance to explain myself?”
He used both of his hands to hold Lydia’s hand, and she did the same.
“I love you.”
Lydia was unable to understand the pain in his heart, and simply smiled.
“Although there are times where I get emotional, and times when I will unintentionally say hurtful things to you, it doesn’t mean my feelings for you have changed. You understand that, don’t you? You are the same way, aren’t you? Although you won’t talk to me, you still love me, and I know that your smile isn’t the least bit fake.”
He grasped Lydia’s fingers and folded his hands together like in prayer.
“I love everything about you...... I don’t even want to lose the you that was genuinely angry at the time.”
Edgar poured out these words in pain, and didn’t hear the knock on the door. It was not until Raven came over and put his hands on his shoulder that he finally raised his head.
“Mr Paul is here.”
Edgar came to his senses and gently released Lydia’s hand, trying to reveal his usual smile towards Paul as he turned his head.
“Good morning, Earl.”
Paul, who stood at the door, looked like he still hadn’t woke up yet, as he was probably investigating information late last night.
“Hi, you’re really early. I thought that you’d still be sleeping, so I planned on calling you a bit later.”
“Well, it’s because......”
Paul scratched his head and a girl with brown hair tied in a bun came out from behind him.
“I woke him up.”
“Lota! Why are you here?”
Edgar’s face immediately stiffened and without a care in world, Lota walked up to him.
“Huh. Yesterday Raven said that Lydia told me to go back first, and I found it suspicious. As I thought, wasn’t that your idea?”
“Why are you still here?”
“I was taking care of my family’s house and helping fix the roof, and they were very friendly to me as a result. Aside from that, why won’t you let me get close to Lydia!”
“If you are here, then Lydia won’t pay attention to me.”
“You’re so honest that even I can’t complain.”
Lota put her hands on her hips as if she couldn’t bear it anymore, and stared at Lydia.
“Lydia, do you know me?”
Lydia looked at Lota and smiled, but her reaction was merely that, not even saying a word.
After smiling with Lydia, Lota looked up, seemingly having given up, and sighed.
“Yeah, I just heard the same thing from Paul. Edgar, what did you do to Lydia? Be honest.”
“Don’t presume that it’s my fault.”
“Then can you guarantee that you didn’t do anything?”
“This is our problem as husband and wife, it has nothing to do with you.”
“Yeah, I was originally relieved at having Lydia by your side after getting married, as a result something happened, and it’s because you haven’t been caring for Lydia properly that you don’t know what happened!”
“You’re saying that I don’t worry about Lydia? I’m thinking about Lydia all the time.”
“Your kind of concern is one-sided self satisfaction. The degree of harassment towards her clearly exceeded normal standards, and yet you were unwilling to do the things that Lydia hoped for you to do.”
Lota probably hit the nail on the head, as Edgar felt a surge of anger.
“What do you know!”
He stood up and glared at Lota as if he was getting ready to fight.
“Of course I understand! Because I am Lydia’s good friend!”
Lota also brought out an overbearing attitude, and at the same time, Paul came between the two in a panic.
“Ahh, please calm down. If you two fight, you will only make Madam Lydia troubled.”
Although Lydia just smiled, Edgar moved away from Lota towards the window while sulking.
“You see, Lydia has been a little down lately.”
Lota used a calm tone to speak, as if she was trying to cool her mood.
Edgar didn’t know that Lydia was down. Although it was inevitable that the two didn’t even have a good chance to talk to each other, he felt remorse and replied snappily:
“Then what did she come to you to discuss?”
“Nothing, it’s just that the day you said you were with everyone from Scarlet Moon discussing things until midnight, that day I happened to be with Paul and the Louis brothers.”
Lota would often go to the rooms that Paul rented, which was really quite problematic. Thinking about it carefully, revealing the hole in the theory in this kind of place was to be expected.
Edgar had a bad feeling about this as he buried his fingers in his hair and turned towards Lota.
“Lota...... you wouldn’t have told Lydia about this, would you?”
“Of course.”
How could this be?
“That way, wouldn’t Lydia think that I was lying?!”
“But you were already making up excuses to begin with!”
“That’s different. Lydia seemed to think that I was discussing things with the Scarlet Moon members, I just didn’t make any particular corrections, that’s all.”
Lota opened her mouth in surprise.
“A--are you stupid? What do you mean, ‘seemed?’ The way of a normal wife of society, would be to pretend she’s thinking that and investigate her husband in secret, am I not telling the truth?! Just because you’re lying in this kind of place, your unfaithful actions were exposed!”
At the moment Lota said the word ‘unfaithful’, Lydia’s head turned around, and Edgar hurriedly opened his mouth:
“Lydia, I wasn’t being unfaithful, please believe me. It’s just the usual social interactions, and it was only because I was keen on talking about insignificant topics and making bets that I lost track of time, but I wasn’t being unfaithful.”
As soon as he explained, Lydia smiled. Edgar’s expression relaxed for a moment, but he was aware that it was too early to be at ease.
Because the distrusting Lydia that was being embraced by Edgar’s lies would be the Lydia that wanted to run away on that night.
He was both late and broke the promise, while making excuses as well, and when Lydia wanted to approach him to explain the zircon’s significance, he treated Lydia as a stranger.
Lydia’s heart was probably quite uneasy all along, so she refused at that time.
“Ohhh, Lydia has become so lenient, not bad.”
Lota coldly ridiculed him, and Edgar became increasingly dejected.
“How is that any good!?”
Once he got angry, Lota looked at him sympathetically.
“If you don’t think this situation should continue as it is, then good. What are you going to do?”
Edgar shook his head.
“The cause isn’t clear, so I don’t know what to do......”
“Lord Edgar will likely have to extend his stay here. Last night, Mr. Nico said that there must be issues with this place.”
Raven said.
“What did Nico say? Did he find anything?”
“No, nothing as of yet.”
Is that so. Edgar collapsed onto the chair, and Lydia walked in front of him.
She gently reached out and brushed the blonde hair with her fingers.
Before, when Edgar revealed his fragile side, Lydia would do this. The only person he would completely reveal the profound wounds in his heart to was Lydia.
Lydia, just like that time, used both her hands to embrace his head, and pressed her cheeks against him.
She once promised that she would love him no matter what, and now Lydia was like herself from that time, trying to soothe Edgar’s pain.
He hugged Lydia, his heart merely feeling absolute affection.
“Hey, Edgar.”
He rarely immersed in Lydia’s love, yet Lota called out to him without the least bit of worry. Edgar intended to ignore this, but his shoulders were grabbed.
“Look.”
“Tell me after.”
“Lydia doesn’t appear in the mirror.”
Edgar couldn’t help but look.
Beyond his gaze, there was a marble washbasin. Placed above it was a mirror that reflected Edgar and Lota’s figure.
However, Lydia’s figure wasn’t among them.
Surely, Edgar was holding Lydia, but she wasn’t reflected by the mirror.
After Paul ran over and looked into the mirror, he gasped.
“This......what on earth……”
As Edgar was surprised, an idea came.
The reflected painting.
The mysterious painting of changing content was the traded item between the Blue Knight Earl and the former owner of this land, that is, the former Baron.
Also, this mansion had a room full of mirrors, and Lydia fainted there.
The mirrors had some important meaning.
The reason why Lydia is the way she is, definitely had something in relation to mirrors.

                                                                                                                                                 *

After Lota walked into the room full of mirrors, she looked around, unable to speak.
At a first glance it looked a child’s bedroom, but there were various sized mirrors crammed onto  the walls, perhaps it was the mirrors gathered from the mansion.
“So Lydia collapsed here.”
“Yes.”
Raven replied. He led Lota, who wanted to look at the room that was full of mirrors, to enter.
“Even if you examine it, nothing can be seen. I thought this place was suspicious before, so I surveyed the whole room.”
The voice came from the window. They turned around and looked at Nico who crossed his arms and stood there.
“That’s right, you were the first one to find that Lydia fainted, what was the situation at that time?”
“What do you mean?”
Nico stepped down from the window and walked towards Lota.
He looked at Lota with his hands on his hips. Lota crouched down to make it easier for him to speak.
“What I’m asking is whether or not the mirror reflected Lydia’s appearance.”
“Lydia is human. She isn’t like us fairies, so it's only natural that she would be reflected by the mirror. But, well, if a high-level fairy such as me is willing to, I can find ways to be reflected by it.”
Nico stood in front of the mirror on the wall, tidying his fur and necktie, and his appearance truly did appear in the mirror. But at that moment, Nico who was in the mirror, suddenly disappeared, and then turned towards Lota and puffed out in pride.
“Mr. Nico, you truly are amazing.”
Raven stared at him, and even Lota looked as if she saw a ghost,  but now wasn’t the time to be admiring someone.
“Hey Nico, in that case, would Lydia have become a fairy since she’s being reflected by the mirror?”
“Lydia turning into a fairy? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“However, her appearance didn’t reflect in the mirror. Right, Raven?”
Yes. Raven also agreed. As a result, Nico widened his eyes in surprise.
“What! You should have said that earlier!”
“I did say it.”
Although Lota refuted back, Nico was already in deep thought.
“That being said, then Lydia has lost her reflection. No, wait, although Lydia seems to have lost her will, I think that there isn’t something like a vessel here either, so could it be that her reflection……”
“Hey, you cat, I’ve been trying to find you for a while.”
Another voice came, but no one was near the window.
“I’m not a cat…… Ke--Kelpie!”
Nico shouted while pointing towards the direction of the largest mirror on the wall.
The mirror reflected a young man with black curly hair; he was a fairy who met with Lota from time to time, and was still revolving around Lydia’s side now. However, he wasn’t in the room.
While Lota was surprised, Kelpie came out of the mirror as if he was passing through water and stood in front of Nico.
“Hey, you come with me. Lydia’s waiting for you.”
“Lydia? Kelpie, is that Lydia the usual Lydia?”
After hearing Lydia’s name, Lota couldn’t remain silent. She stood in front of Nico, and Kelpie looked at her as if it were troublesome.
“What, so it’s the pirate woman. Yeah, only Lydia’s consciousness is running around in the mirror and she can’t get out. She said to bring this cat over first at any rate.”
“What?! She asked me to go inside the mirror?”
Nico hesitated.
“Good grief when it comes to Lydia, obviously I am by her side. And yet, is this cat really worth relying on? It’s all because of that owl rascal who misunderstood me that made her say that I can’t show my face and things like that.”
“Hey, I want to go too. Lydia is over there, right? Can’t you bring humans over there?”
“You’re really brave.” Kelpie laughed.
“Having me bring you over is quite simple, but it’s better you don’t. The mirror on the other side has accumulated disordered magic, a human without magic will be detained. Even if I take you there, it will be very difficult to bring you back.”
Nico felt even more afraid upon hearing these words.
“I--I’m not going! I don’t want to go into that kind of strange place!”
“Ha? You’re a fairy, fairies have ways to protect themselves from magic.”
“B--but, won’t Lydia’s future life be protected by the Earl? That’s right, I will call the Earl over.”
Kelpie grabbed Nico, who quickly turned around.
“Cause there’s a chance of not coming back, Lydia said that the only person that can’t be brought over is that guy.”
“But I want to be able to come out.”
“You’re so annoying. It doesn’t matter if you can’t come out, you’re making me work like a cow staying by Lydia’s side!”
Kelpie grabbed Nico, who struggled, intending to enter the mirror.
“He--help me……”
Raven acted immediately.
Despite him trying to stop Kelpie, he had already transformed into a dark horse in an instant. Raven was nearly swept to the ground, but he still managed to grab Kelpie’s mane, trying to pull Nico away.
But Kelpie jumped into the mirror.
“Hey, wait......”
Lota immediately grabbed onto Raven’s coat.
While she gripped Raven’s coat tightly, she charged into the mirror. She thought that she would bump into it, but she didn’t feel any impact, as if she was flying in the sky. Not long after, Lota fell to the ground, like she was tossed aside.
She endured the pain and lifted her head, and saw Raven and Kelpie standing up quickly. At the same time, she realised that the room’s belongings appeared symmetrical to the arrangement from just a moment ago.
The large mirror was now behind her, she saw Nico on the other side, anxiously grabbing the fur on his head, with her and Raven collapsed by his feet.

“.....Wait, Kelpie, what’s going on!?”
Lydia saw Kelpie, who brought Lota and Raven, and couldn’t help but cry out.
“There was a small mishap.”
Kelpie murmured with disappointment.
“Lydia!”
Lota ran towards Lydia and hugged her, as if she couldn’t wait.
“Ahh, it’s great to see you. I was worried about your situation all along.”
Lydia also hugged Lota, whose dimples were now in a position opposite from usual.
“Lota, I’m sorry that I couldn’t contact you. I’m glad that you were worried for me, but I didn’t imagine that it would turn out like this.”
Then Lydia did the same to Raven, who stood still, and he immediately stiffened, as if he was shocked.
“Raven, I have also brought you trouble. Was it because of Nico?”
Raven looked troubled for a moment, then shook his head and said:
“......Lord Edgar would perhaps commend me for coming here, because I can protect you from Kelpie this way.”
“Hey, don’t blame everything on me.”
“Nevertheless, Lydia, you spent the night here.”
Lota looked around at the cabin where they were with keen interest.
Although this small cabin, that was located at the corner of a courtyard slightly apart from the mansion, was narrow, it had the feeling of a house, as it was probably a cabin that a gardener or a guard lived in.
After all, Lydia stayed here alone last night.
“Well, yes, because I was driven out of the mansion by Owl.”
“My lady, was Kelpie with you?”
Raven glared at Kelpie and stood on guard.
“Kelpie was staying outside, and also Raven, he isn’t human, so you don’t have to worry about having to tell Edgar.”
Although Raven nodded with a blank expression, he was loyal to Edgar more than anyone else, so it wasn’t known whether or not he would obey Lydia’s request to not tell him. However, within time that he was staying here, it was impossible to tell Edgar even if he wanted to.
“Good grief, I brought a troublesome guy in, that useless cat is practically so much better.”
Kelpie moved away from the doorway, and Lydia also urged Lota and Raven to go outside. The cloudless sky clearly reflected the swamp.
“Although it was foggy in the morning, it’s already cleared up now.”
Even if the weather was clear during the day, the night sky would definitely be covered by clouds. This was the situation of the moon not appearing for six years.
Lydia, Lota and Raven walked along the swamp. The water didn’t reflect anyone, and only reflected the surrounding scenery.
After walking to a place where the mansion was visible, Lydia stopped.
“I have to see Phyllis. Owl should have already gone to bed.”
“Who is Phyllis?”
“The girl that was thrown into the mirror. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Darnley, who used to live in this mansion, but she hasn’t been able to get out up until now.”
“The owl hasn’t appeared, but the girl wasn’t in the room with mirrors, did she wander off somewhere?”
Kelpie said.
“I hear a voice, it seems that someone is crying.”
After Raven said that, Lydia listened carefully.
However, there was only the sound of the wind swaying the withered grass.
“I think it should be here.”
Lydia was led by Raven into a garden that was piled with dried leaves.
Finally, Lydia heard the voice too; it really was someone sobbing.
“Lydia, there’s someone over there.”
There was a orange-haired maiden sitting by the rock wall Lota was pointing at.
“It’s Phyllis.”
She ran over towards Phyllis, who raised her head in surprise.
“Lydia.......”
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“......Because I thought you disappeared, and that I was going to be alone again……”
“Oh my, please don’t worry. Thinking of a way to get out isn’t that easy after all.”
“But Owl said that the dark fairy from yesterday ate you……”
After Phyllis said that, she noticed Kelpie on the side and gasped.
“He said that I ate Lydia? Looking for trouble are we?”
“Kelpie, don’t glare at her.”
Lydia then pushed Kelpie behind her back, then smiled at Phyllis and said:
“Don’t worry, he won’t eat people. That’s right Phyllis, I will introduce them. There two are my friends, they ran into a little bit of trouble, so they’re in the mirror.”
Lota smiled at Phyllis, but tears appeared in her eyes once more as she cried, then covered her face with her hands and said:
“Someone came in again, once someone comes in they can’t get out anymore...... it’s all because of me, it would have been better if Luna wasn’t dead, but me.”
“W--what are you saying Phyllis? Didn’t you say not to give up?”
“No, it’s already too late...... Lydia, I thought that I might change after meeting you, but I understood after being alone again that things cannot change.”
Lydia’s heart felt a burst of pain.
Lydia encouraged Phyllis, but it was because she didn’t have the power to change the mirror world. Phyllis knew that Lydia was unable to get her out, was she disappointed?
Of course, Lydia knew from the beginning that she didn’t have the ability to rescue Phyllis, but she believed that as long as they worked together to find a way, there would definitely be hope.
“You’re clearly a boy, yet you love crying so much.”
A bellow suddenly came from the top of the stone wall.
It was a youth standing on top that was wearing beautiful ancient styled clothing.
“Owl.....” So it wasn’t that he was unable to move during the day. When it came to whenever he was seen at night, only the brown wings on his back weren’t there.
Owl glared at Lydia, Kelpie and the others, and was urging Phyllis to return to the mansion.
“Did you just say…… that she’s male?”
Lota muttered, as Lydia was full of confusion as well. Although Owl’s appearance made her a little frantic, surely he did say that.
“You’re.....a boy?”
Phyllis had pale skin and a gentle appearance, and regardless of the slim figure and elegant long hair, it all gave the impression of a girl. For Lydia right now, the Phyllis in front of her looked like a girl.
Phyllis looked flustered and cried out again.
“Didn’t I just say to not cry? Come, hurry back to the mansion, these guys can’t be trusted. If you don’t listen to what I say, I won’t save you if something happens.”
After Owl said that, he immediately turned around.
Phyllis also stood up, staggering.
But she, no, it should be he, didn’t take a step.
“Owl, in truth, you hate me, don’t you?”
Owl stopped, turning his head unwillingly.
“You know that Luna isn’t going to return, and so you hate me?”
“You said that she will never come back?”
He look up and raised his eyebrows in question.
“Because she is dead, she died in front of my eyes.”
“No, Phyllis, she likely isn’t dead. If a fairy loses its body, it isn’t necessarily dead.”
Lydia interrupted, trying to ease the unstable atmosphere.
As Phyllis has predicted, Owl seemed to have been already been aware of what could have happened to Luna. He replied in a firm tone, without the least bit of surprise:
“That is why I am going to protect this place until the day Luna returns. As long as I am alive, I will protect this place and not let those vile Unseelie Courts take over.”
Owl clenched his fist.
“However, you simply said that Luna won’t come back again, yet for six years, you only knew how to cry incessantly and not do anything. Even if you were nearly killed, dressing up as a girl, hiding in here and pretending nothing happened, is there any meaning to that?”
Then he turned around again.
“Coward.”
After Owl spat that and left, Phyllis slumped down to the ground.

​
The person who wanted to kill Phyllis, was the one who killed her, no, his mother. Because Phyllis saw that person’s face, he was targeted.
Phyllis only knew the person’s appearance, but not their identity. However, his mother was said by surrounding people, to have been followed around by some man.
Phyllis’ father was her mother’s fiancé, but he suddenly went missing before Phyllis was born. His mother worked in her friend’s variety store while raising Phyllis. At that time, he still didn’t know the existence of his grandfather.
The night his mother was killed, Phyllis was being chased by a strange man and desperately fled. He borrowed girl’s clothes from a house that was hanging laundry, and ran on a small path in the fields. He felt that he passed the side of a carriage and saw the criminal’s face. He thought that if he wore men’s clothes, he wouldn’t know how it would end, and so he felt afraid.
Later, he hid in an uninhabited church, but the next morning, the janitors handed him over to the orphanage.
Phyllis didn’t know who the criminal that killed his mother was after all, so even though he saw the face, he couldn’t give a careful description because he was too young, and if the criminal himself didn’t appear before him, he wouldn’t be able to help.
Although he was under the care of the orphanage after the loss of his guardian, Mr. Darnley, who claimed to be his grandfather, appeared soon after and brought him to this mansion.
Phyllis believed that the man who killed his mother would surely come to take his life again, so he has been unable to stop the act of wearing women’s clothes.
He hoped that when the murderer would appear again, they wouldn’t realize that he was the child from that time.
However, the man finally appeared. He noticed that Mr. Darnley took a child under his wing, concealed him and that the child was a boy.
After those six years had passed, Phyllis still dressed as a girl. Being in the mirror yet fearing the criminal was basically meaningless, moreover the man already knew that Phyllis dressed up as a girl.
If that person killed Luna, who was pretending to be Phyllis and felt at ease thinking that he had already killed Phyllis, then it would be unlikely for him to enter into the mirror.
However, Phyllis had always continued to be afraid, not thinking of a way to get out of the mirror. Even though his grandfather was bedridden and passed away later, he would only weep towards him.
The reason for leaving his hair long and dressing up like a girl perhaps wasn’t to flee from the criminal who murdered his mother, rather to escape reality altogether.
Whether it was Owl hoping to find Luna, or Phyllis’ grandfather hoping that he would one day come out of the mirror, he had attitude like it had nothing to do with him, and could only sigh at his own helplessness.
“.....Owl was right, I am a coward. ”
Phyllis muttered to himself, and even the tone of his voice was still that of a woman’s.
“Phyllis, I believe that people can change themselves. From now on, no matter what kind of person you want to become, you can definitely do it. I am the same, although I would give up on things that I couldn’t do before, but now I understand that there are things that aren’t impossible.”
Since meeting Edgar, Lydia had changed.
“Don’t you want to fall in love?”
“But.....”
He almost said something pessimistic, and so he quickly shut his mouth. Lydia thought that as long as he had hopes and dreams, then he would definitely be able to change.
“I have always been dressed like this, don’t you think it’s strange?”
“It’s okay Phyllis, I think boy’s clothes would suit you.”
“Do you want to fall in love as a man?”
Lota interrupted unexpectedly.
“That is the case, isn’t it, Lota?”
After all, he is a boy. Lydia was absolutely convinced of this. Phyllis blushed as he stared at his hands that were being held by Lydia. Lota laughed after discovering his reaction, but Lydia did not realise this.
“I see, you still have the feelings of a man. Then there isn’t any problem with that, Phyllis you need to be confident in yourself!”
Phyllis’ shoulders were slapped hard, and so he released Lydia’s hands, flustered.

                                                                                                                                                *

The painting that was the portrait yesterday had become a landscape painting once more.
Edgar and Paul wanted to carefully investigate the painting that was taken down from the wall of the grand staircase, and so they asked someone to bring the painting to the parlor.
“That being said, Paul, she truly is still clingy with you.”
Paul was about to remove the painting from its frame, but because Lota wrapped around him, it was difficult for him to move.
Lota followed Paul around like a child, it was not known whether she was tightly hugging him, as she would pull his hair and clothes. She was also in a ridiculously good mood.
“What! I--is that so? Lota was originally the kind of woman who would easily mingle with others.”
“Honestly, what progress have the both of you been making?”
Once Edgar asked, Paul looked away, flustered.
“Pr--progress? ......What do you mean?”
“In any case, she doesn’t have anyone. If you’re interested then you don’t have to be modest. Honestly speaking, I really don’t want to recommend that savage person to a friend, but there are people in this world who like peculiar things.”
“Earl, what are you saying? Lota isn’t a peculiar thing.”
You wanted to correct that point? Edgar said this with a smile, finding it amusing.
“If by any chance other people know that your lover is that type of person, normal women won’t pay attention to you. But you don’t seem to need my advice.”
Lota brought her face close to Paul, and after their eyes met, he blushed and looked away. It seems that the normal women of this world were insignificant in his eyes.
Compared to this, Paul asked Edgar, revealing an impatient expression.
“Um, does Lota really have five lovers?”
He still seemed to care about that rumor.
“How could that be possible?”
“......Right.”
He revealed an expression of reassurance. He was clearly someone whose mind could easily be seen through, and yet there wasn’t any progress with Lota, which was practically unimaginable.
“She has fifty lovers.”
“What?!”
“It’s all those strong guys in the East End of London. Having so many rivals is really exhausting.”
Although they likely weren’t lovers, but friends, there really were a lot of men that adored Lota. Despite being favored without using the status of a woman, she had other endearing qualities since the beginning.
Paul revealed a complex expression, but Lota naively put her head against Paul’s back.
“Is that so......Lota has a personality that treats everybody equally, and even if she gets drunk,  she would still act this way regardless of who it is.”
He truly was a man who loved to cherish people. Edgar felt disgusted at Lota’s current personality, because he would get the annoying feeling of being hugged by a man.
So from the beginning, he made sure to not approach Lota while helping Paul.
On the other hand, Raven was waiting for orders at the corner of the room, expressionless.
“Raven, could you help in holding it up here?”
As Edgar opened his mouth, Raven complied perfectly. He usually won’t say anything unnecessary, so even if he didn’t speak, there wasn’t any difference.
But to say that there is no problem, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Whoa! Lota, stop!”
Edgar suddenly cried out loudly as he was almost hugged by Lota. Raven immediately grabbed Lota by the neck and pinned her to the ground.
“Wait, Raven! Lota isn’t an enemy!”
Raven couldn’t control himself currently, so he was a dangerous existence that might kill people that he saw, as in the past. As long as it was someone who was planning to harm Edgar, he would attack them ruthlessly.
Edgar held Raven from behind, trying to pull him away from Lota.
Paul quickly helped Lota up, and as a result, she hugged Paul, not knowing what happened.
“Lota, are you hurt?”
“She seems to be alright.”
Edgar was relieved and released Raven. With a calm face, he went back to the painting in accordance with Edgar’s orders.
“Paul, could you tell Lota to leave for a moment? She should listen to what you say.”
“What? I doubt it.”
Despite Paul looking confused, he still stroked Lota’s head like a child.
“Lota, it’s dangerous here, so could you move away for a little while?”
Lota blinked as if she was thinking, then smiled and left the paintings.
Sure enough, Lota trusted Paul deeply.
Having said that, not only Lydia, even Lota and Raven had the same disease, what on earth was going on?
About an hour ago, they fainted in the mirror room, and although they regained consciousness quickly, they soon turned into such a state.
Moreover, the mirror didn’t reflect their presences.
The situation unexpectedly turned out this way, and after taking Lydia’s condition into consideration, Edgar thought that the only reason could have something to do with this place and the mirrors.
At any rate, he needed to solve this painting first. Edgar carried out the investigation once more.
After removing the fixed frame on the painting, the inside of the painting was revealed.
“There is a signature. It reads Ashenbert. I don’t know whether or not it is the child of ‘Scarlet Moon’s’ founder.”
According to the era, it seemed that it could be the child that Julius Ashenbert’s lover gave birth to. His lover was also is a painter, who was said to be under the protection of the Blue Knight Earl’s artist organization, Scarlet Moon.
“Julius Ashenbert used this painting as a trade, and obtained the map of the fairy land, correct? Are there any other clues?”
After a closer look on the inside, there was a white object in a gap between thin plates.
“There seems to be a scrap of paper inside.”
In order to not tear the paper, Paul carefully removed it; it seemed to be a letter.
“It is.....a letter written to the Earl.”
Edgar took the letter, surprised, and the written recipient was indeed the “Earl of Ibrazel”.
The piece of paper wasn’t very old, so this letter shouldn’t be written to the Earl from three hundred years ago; at most, it seemed like an item from a few years ago.
However, the owner of this mansion passed away two years ago, so the letter shouldn’t have been written for Edgar, but in hopes that a member from the Blue Knight Earl’s family from somewhere could find it.
This strange painting was drawn by someone who inherited the lineage of the Earl’s family, so perhaps he believed that this painting might be handed over to the Earl’s home after his death.   
Reportedly, after Mr. Darnley had said “the Earl still hasn’t come?”, he took his last breath. The one he was waiting for was the Blue Knight Earl’s successor, who was said to have once appeared on this land and made the moon reappear.
Edgar hesitated, he worried about whether or not he could read this letter.
He wasn’t the person that Mr. Darnley was waiting for, but other than him, the Blue Knight Earl’s successors, who were qualified to take the letter, have already been severed.
He looked over towards Lydia’s direction. Lydia sat on the chair and gave a gentle look, revealing a smile.
She encouraged Edgar many times, saying that he would definitely become the true Blue Knight Earl. Edgar didn’t possess fairy-related abilities, but as long as Lydia was around, then he could accomplish it.
Edgar opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.
The signature was indeed Darnley’s, and the date was two years ago. He likely wrote it not long before his death. Darnley began to write the letter, hoping that the Earl would help his grandson, Phyllis.
“What’s written in the letter?”
Edgar quickly skimmed over it then frowned. Regarding this kind of content, if the recipient wasn’t the Blue Knight Earl, it wouldn’t have been odd if it was considered as prank mail and thrown out.
“Mr. Darnley’s grandson seemed to have entered the mirror.”
Paul opened his mouth, speechless.
According to the letter, the incident happened six years ago, and afterwards Mr. Darnley could see his grandson in places with mirrors.
The reason why Mr. Darnley was able to accept and treat this strange matter as a fact was because he knew such things had happened before.
“I heard that the fifth generation Baron of Rochester once traveled to other side of the mirror by the power of the Blue Knight Earl. However, Phyllis is different, I hope that you can make him return to this side. He is my only heir, the document of proof is with this letter. After I have passed away, please handle the formalities to make Phyllis inherit all the property.”
The person in the portrait is the fifth generation Baron of Rochester.
This is a reflected portrait, and he traveled to the other side of the mirror borrowing the power of the Blue Knight Earl.
Mr. Darnley’s grandson is there currently.
“ ‘He’? Mr Darnley has a grandson and not a granddaughter?”
Paul was puzzled.
Indeed, the rumors including the ghost all mentioned a granddaughter.
“According to the content, he should be a boy.”
Why was it not a girl? The room of mirrors was decorated in a feminine style. Was it because something happened that he entered the mirror?
Then what about Lydia, Raven and the others?
Everyone fainted in the room of mirrors.
“Could it be that Lydia and the others have entered inside the mirror......”
Edgar turned around towards Lydia’s direction. She was currently sitting next to Lota, both smiling at each other. Then Lota suddenly kissed Lydia on the cheek.
“Hey, what are you doing to my Lydia?”
Edgar ran over in dissatisfaction, pulling Lota’s face away from Lydia, then embracing his beloved wife.
Even so, Lota still held onto Lydia’s hands, and Lydia also smiled towards her friend.
Even if Lydia was in an unconscious state, did she still prefer Lota over him? Edgar got angrier the more he thought that and shook Lota’s hands off, but Lota glared at him, unwilling to let go in defiance.
“Hey, why on earth are you guys fighting over Lydia like children?”
Nico, who appeared from the window, stood in front of Edgar.
“Nico, where have you been? Raven and Lota have….”
“I know. Kelpie appeared and took them into the mirror.”
“What did you say! Kelpie?”
“It seems that guy saw Lydia. The world on the other side of the mirror appeared to have accumulated abnormal magic, so when humans are caught it’s hard to leave. Because of the bogey beast, Lydia ran into the mirror, but the magic on the other side is keeping her imprisoned, and even if the bogey beast’s magic disappears, she still can’t come back.”
Edgar managed to take Lydia back from Lota’s arms, but upon hearing Kelpie’s name, he embraced Lydia, as if he wanted to protect her even more.
“In other words…… Lydia and Kelpie are in the mirror, right? It’s just like with Mr. Darnley’s grandson.”
“You said grandson?”
There was another voice that came from the direction of the window once more.
“Ohh, that little girl, no, I should say little boy. He is with Lydia and the others.”
Kelpie appeared and Edgar held Lydia more tightly. The current her, regardless of who it was, would straightforwardly display real emotions, and even if she faced Kelpie, she definitely wouldn’t hesitate to show a smile, that Edgar viewed as a treasure.
Such a waste. Edgar glared at Kelpie while not letting Lydia turn around and look.
“Have you seen Lydia? You wouldn’t have done something strange, would you?”
“Hmph, aren’t you happy with that Lydia? Seeing you satisfied with an obedient wife, Lydia was really upset, so what’s wrong with me comforting her?”
Kelpie said that he comforted Lydia. At the other end of the mirror, the one that Lydia was most dependent on was perhaps this fairy.
Although it was inevitable, Edgar could not to keep calm. Besides, that was not the only thing that was inexcusable.
“Can Lydia see us?”
“Yeah, if people on this side are reflected by the mirror.”
Would the Lydia on the other side of the world believe that Edgar was quite welcoming of the current situation?
He didn’t really think that Lydia was very willful. It was only because he should get what he wanted by request, and yet he was rejected that day, so he was a little angry.
What was Lydia from the other side of the mirror, thinking, when looking at Edgar who was like this?
“Is there no way…… for me to see Lydia?”
“Lydia’s body is here, do you still have to see her?”
Kelpie said that coldly.
“The most important part of her soul is gone, I’m not satisfied at all.”
Lydia twisted around in Edgar’s arms, as she seemed to have been scared by him talking loudly.
He faced Lydia like a child and smiled at her, expressing that it wasn’t serious. Despite him finding it contradictory to his own actions, he didn’t want to ignore the Lydia on this side.
Obedience wasn’t equivalent to being cute.
“Kelpie, even if Lydia sees me like this and is upset, it can’t be helped. However, the Lydia here is also very important to me, and it is my duty to protect all of her.”
Kelpie tutted and didn’t know whether or not to acknowledge Edgar’s feelings.
“I’ll think about it. But I have something that I want to you to investigate on this side.”
“What is it?”
“If you want Lydia and the others to return from the mirror, then Luna must be found. The one named Luna seems to be a fairy related to the moon, but I’m not sure what kind of fellow it is. Phyllis’ life was being kept watch by the man who murdered his mother, and when he was almost killed, Luna seemed to have come out from the mirror as a substitute. In other words, that guy currently might know of Luna’s whereabouts.”
“......You want me to go and find the murderer?”
“Yeah.”
“And the clues?”
“He’s a middle aged man.”
Kelpie finished, and prepared to turn around, so Edgar had to stop him.
“Wait, is it only that?”
“Yeah.”
“How am I going to find the murderer with only that?”
“This is for Lydia, think about it.”