Hakushaku to Yousei:Volume 2 Chapter 1

Chapter 1:On the other side of the Darkness of the Mist Capital

"It's quite foggy out there," said the young woman, as she looked out of the carriage nervously.

The scenery of the streets covered in fog, as if an indistinct illusion. When she looked up, the Saint Paul Church jutted out from the buildings of the city like a tower, as if an outline of a giant looking down on the city of mist.

“Seems like something dangerous would happen today. It’s a day when a lady like you should not be waiting alone in the horse carriage.”

The young woman hesitated, then glanced at the voice’s owner seated beside her, but returned her gaze to her hands in her lap.

“Indeed. I was troubled as I had been separated from my maid. I am very grateful for your kindness, your Earlship.”

“I see. Do not worry about it. To be able to meet a lady as cute as yourself is my good fortune.”

“You flatter me…”

Even though she knew that it was empty praises, her heart lifted in reply to his words. The shy young woman was unable to meet the eyes of the owner of this carriage which was well-furnished even on the inside.

He was a beautiful young noble who had just returned from abroad. Even from a distance away, his vivid golden locks and graceful actions is eye-catching. With a refined (polished) art of conversation, he attracts gentlemen and ladies alike, charming and popular.

Even though it wasn’t yet the Season, the ladies of the upper classes had already flocked to London in response to rumors of this man.

She could not have believed that the Duke would recognized someone whom he had met only once and never had a single decent conversation, and sent her home just because he happened to pass by when she was having difficulty in securing a horse carriage.

Helping out at a charity bazaar, even though she thought stepping out of the house as a hassle, is not a role she willingly took on. Even though she knew that to a lady of the upper classes like herself, giving to the poor is considered somewhat her duty and part of the training to be a bride, being separated from her maid in a crowded place, and having the weather turn bad on her, makes it all a disastrous day.

As if she was trying to convince herself of the fact, she glanced secretively at him.

She wondered if Rosary will be jealous, for she remembered that the outspoken Rosary had fallen in love with the Duke at first sight.

“You’re very quiet.”

Even without raising her head, she could tell that he was smiling gently at her.

“Or are you regretting climbing into a horse carriage belonging to a man you don’t know well?”

“How can that be? Everyone says that Duke Ashenbert is a kind gentleman.”

“Lies appear and disappear like the fog. No one knows the truth, and is interested in it.”

She stiffened when he moved unexpectedly close to her.

He stretched out his lithe fingers towards her hair. But, perhaps purposefully, he moved away without touching her hair, holding only a leaf in his fingers.

“I beg your pardon, it seemed to have been a result of the strong winds.”

Without thinking, she looked up and their eyes met. She shuddered, for although his smile without any cracks, it seemed almost as if a dark shadow loomed over him.

He was someone she didn’t know very well. That much was true.

Even if he was of noble birth, whether he was a gentleman, whether he was a good person or not, she couldn’t have known.

“There is malice in this London fog. Do you know how many young men and ladies have disappeared in this fog, Lady Doris?”

“N…no, I don’t,” said the young lady without shifting her gaze away from him.

“Do take care not to be swallowed by the malice.”

The carriage rolled to a stop.

The door was opened by the coachman, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that they were outside her house. She felt rather foolish when she realized how close she had been to being taken away in the depths of the fog. But, as she saw the Earl’s carriage disappear over the line into the thick fog, she thought fleetingly that that may be where his territory is.

Duke Ashenbert’s official name was Duke of Ibrazel. Because he was rumored to be the lord of the fairy kingdom.

“Doris, where have you been? Did that horse carriage belong to Duke Ashenbert?”

“Rosary, yes, the thing is …”

Her sister, who had called to her in front of the door, looked to be rather angry.

“Did you intend to exclude me?”

“Of course not.”

“Do you think that I’ve become blind? You’ve been hiding something recently.”

“I’m not, hiding anything,” she denied hurriedly.

“Listen clearly, you can’t hide anything from me. Are you forgetting what you promised the fairies?”

“Of course not.”

“Then speak up. What on earth are those letters that you’ve been writing in secretly?”

“You – you saw them!”

“Why can’t I see them?”

From those words, it was clear that she hadn’t seen the contents. Doris breathed a sigh of relief, but that only made Rosary angrier.

“You’re definitely hiding something from me! If you break the promise, you’re going to be punished by the fairies!”

Doris recalled the time when she had made the promise with Rosary in front of the fairies. The promise that they would treat each other as the bestest of friends, and not hide anything from each other. If either of them broke the promise, the fogman would punish them.

“But Rosary, I wonder if the fogman really exists…”

“Of course he does! Oh, I give up. I won’t help you if you end up in demise. Someone like you should just be taken away by the fogman!”

The fogman was a fairy of the fog that all Londoners heard about from young. Though she was no longer of the age to believe in such fairy tales, to be fearful of it meant that she still believed in it somewhat.

She had seen a child that had been captured by the fogman. It was a fragment of her childhood memory, but she didn’t think that it was a dream. Because of that, even now when someone mentioned the fogman, it still gave her the unpleasant feeling of darkness and death.

What would happen to her if she was taken away by the fogman?

As she stared at the disappearing orange hair of her sister, she stood in the middle of the fog, she felt as lonely as if she had been left behind.

* * *

Even if it was London, it was Mayfair, one of the most prominent and luxurious streets. In that painting-like perfection was the palace of Edgar Ashenbert. The only-twenty-year-old Duke who had returned to England less than a month ago had bought the white palace, in which one of the rooms was Lydia’s workplace.

Lydia. The seventeen-year-old young woman who had been forcefully hired by the Duke as a fairy doctor has been coming in daily for the past two weeks.

Even though he held the position of a Duke of England because of his rule over the fairy kingdom, he was not truly of the blood of the Ashenbert family, but is of unknown parentage. It seems that he is of noble birth, but he knows absolutely nothing about fairies.

Like most humans, he is unable to see or hear fairies, but the land that he inherited as the Duke is a land of fairies, and in order to be recognized as their lord and master, he hired Lydia in her capacity as a fairy doctor to deal with potential problems. A fairy doctor, possessing the knowledge and ability to communicate with fairies. When the age of co-existence between fairies and humans had begun, her job was to ensure peace between the two species. But right now, in the nineteenth century, the existence of fairies has been limited to fairy tales, and everyone has forgotten that they had once been neighbors. Because of that, fairy doctors have also become a rarity.

That’s why, in Lydia’s hometown, even though she had called herself a fairy doctor, not to mention clients, she had been treated as a weirdo. It was then when she had been officially hired as a fairy doctor. She had felt that it was an honor for someone as inexperienced as herself, but she had lost that sense of gratitude after meeting her employer.

When she opened the door of the room that served as her office, a sense of exhaustion washed over her again.

Once again, the room was full of bouquets.

“What on earth is this…”

“A present from the master,” came the voice of the butler Tomkins from behind her. Short and stocky, with unexpectedly brisk movement, he added yet another huge vase on the window sill. “The master has left the house for the day, and has left word for Miss Lydia to spend the day leisurely.”

Lydia breathed a sigh of relief at the news that Edgar was not at home. “Then it means that I don’t have to go out today, right?”

For the past two weeks, Edgar had dragged her to the theatre, tea parties or recitals on a daily basis, without explaining to her satisfaction how those activities were part of her duties of a fairy doctor. That was why Lydia had not actually done any work until now. Had Edgar truly intend for Lydia to work when he had hired her?

As if I was his toy, thought Lydia.

Even the room she was in was not what you would call a workplace. With carpets and wallpaper in a light green theme, a sofa and cloths decorated with high quality lace and embroidery and even a frilled silk curtain. From the exquisite figurines of glass and earthenware in the cabinet, one could tell that this was a room for a lady. What on earth is his intention?

“Also, some of the gowns have been delivered, so please check if they fit you.”

“Eh, gowns?” she called after Tomkins, who made to leave the room.

“Yes. It’s for the outing to the Royal Opera House next month.”

“Opera? I’ve heard nothing about that.”

“I suppose you will hear about it soon. Other than that, I have gathered those that will most probably come in necessary in other reasonable occasions. Please do not think badly of it as this is one of the preparatory materials that the master will pay for.”

“Ah, but, what do you mean by reasonable occasions? Surely it is not related to my job? In any case, making a reservation for opera without consulting me will put me in a fix.”

In any case, women are only accessories to him. Because of that, Lydia found his presents of bouquets and attending grand parties repulsive.

“I have been ordered by Lord Edgar to dress you and drag you to the Opera House should you say that. Please, do take pity on my old self.”

Edgar was someone whose threats should not be taken lightly. Lydia wanted to pull at her hair.

“Mr. Tomkins, don’t you feel tired being ordered around by that Edgar?”

For someone like him whose family has served as the Earl’s butler over the generations, he must be happy to be able to serve Edgar ever since the Earl’s line disappeared for three hundred years, but Lydia found it mysterious how he can find satisfaction in such as a frivolous youngster.

“Ms. Lydia, it is the master who is able to order the butler around. The ability of a butler to make the master’s impossible demands possible determines his qualification.”

“… that’s just like a chess board, isn’t it.”

He smiled, as if it was all worth the effort.

“But I don’t intend to play any chess games with Edgar.” She pulled the shawl over her shoulders and left the room.

“To where are you bound?”

“Could you give me some time to myself? I’m just going to take a walk outside.”

If she stayed still, she would hate herself for going along with Edgar.

“The fog will get thicker this afternoon.”

“You can tell?”

“Yes. The fin on my back aches in the damp air.”

“All right. I’ll be back before then.”

Even though Easter was over, spring had yet to come to London. The fog lingered still, as if the spring air had eaten up all the grass. She wondered how long she’d be staying in London. She had left the rural village in Scotland and travelled to London with the intention of spending Easter with her father. Her father, a professor at the London University and therefore spent his time in London, had been worried about her living alone in Scotland and wanted her to stay with him. But to Lydia, the rural home was not only a faint reminder of the mother who had died when she was young, but also a place of plants and fairies. Even when her grandmother had died and Lydia become all alone, her father had not insisted that she moved to London with him.

Even now, if Lydia chose to live in the countryside, she was sure that he would give his consent.

But, there was the problem.

Since she had been hired by the Duke’s family, she could not leave London without Edgar’s consent. From in Lydia’s point of view however, she had been forced into employment, and she had no need to fear if she was fired. Since a job that dealt with fairies was rare, and going along with Edgar could not possibly be counted as a job, and wouldn’t it be possible to stay as a fairy doctor in the countryside? While thinking about how to get Edgar to accept that argument, Lydia strolled towards to park.

“My goodness, the fish here tastes terrible,” said a cat that appeared out of nowhere. Well, technically it was a fairy in the form of a cat, but it was walking on the brick wall on all fours just like a cat.

“Nico, you should stop pinching food from the shops.”

“Now I understand why even the stray cats don’t bother with them. It’s not my cup of tea.”

Waiting until there were less people, Nico jumped down from the brick wall and stood on two legs. With a thick luxuriant gray fur and wearing a necktie, he pulled back his shoulders just like a gentleman.

“Then what is that?” Lydia pointed to the important looking package hanging on his tail.

“Canned food. A hobgoblin taking a nap under the eaves said that it was the most delicious food in London.”

“But that’s canned fish.”

“What!? Fish!? I’ve never seen this kind of fish before.”

“The fish is inside the can. The label says ‘pickled fish’.”

“Eh, is this stuffed? That’s impossible, there’s no opening to stuff things in.”

“Well, that’s true. The lid has been sealed close, so you can’t open it without a proper tool.”

Nico stared at the can from all angles, even knocking on it to confirm its hardness. As understanding came to him, the fur on its back stood.

“Damn that hobgoblin, how dare he lie to me! Saying that he can’t open it by himself and exchanging it for my walnut bread! And the contents are fish!?”

Lydia caught the can as he attempted to throw it away.

“Well, it’s all right. Let’s get someone to open it later. Even if it’s fish, it must have been caught far away.”

She entered the path into the lush green park with Nico by her side. Though fog had begun to gather again, she was able to relax among the trees. Because of the weather, there were little people out, and among the squirrels and birds in the branches, she caught sight of fairies. Though it could not be compared to the forests of Scotland, fairies still lived in the city of London. As if they understood that Lydia could see them, and knowing that it was rare for a human to see fairies, they gathered around her. She sat down on a bench and listened to the fairies talking. There were few who understood that it was like listening to the music of chirping birds, instead of trying to figure out the meaning of their words.

As she enjoyed the calm and quiet, the visibility suddenly dropped. Thinking that it was a thicker portion of the fog, Lydia heard the sound of dogs howling in the distance. The fairies fled instantly. The howling of the dogs seemed to get closer.

“Oh dear, Nico. I wonder if there’re stray dogs.”

“No joke. I’m going to disappear.”

“Eh, wait, Nico!”

As he disappeared, the bushes near her rustled.

With a howl, a huge hound stalked towards Lydia. One by one, they surrounded her.

“Don’t come near me!”

Without thinking, Lydia threw the can towards the hound that leapt towards her. It was a direct hit, and the hound fell to the ground, but it only served to agitate the rest of the hounds. As she bent to pick up a branch, a human figure detached itself from behind a tree. As if it rose from the fog itself, a dark huge figure.

“Fogman…”

She muttered unconsciously, for it resembled the ill-omened fairy that was said to be able to command the fairy hounds. The man stretched out a hand towards Lydia and she caught the smell of strong medicine.

What? A kidnapper?

Suddenly, the man stiffened and collapsed onto the ground. As the blood dyed the ground a bloody red, a young expressionless man with dark skin stood there. Lydia knew him. A foreign warrior, a walking weapon. Edgar’s loyal retainer.

“Kyaaa!”

The ferocious teeth of a hound flashed before Lydia. Startled, the young man struck out with his knife and ripped out the throat of the hound. In no time, he cut down the rest of the hounds that leapt towards Lydia.

“Let’s go, Miss Lydia.”

“But, Raven, why are you here?”

“Please hurry, we should leave this place.”

At his urging, she followed in his footsteps. At last, when they reached the streets where a few lone souls walked, Lydia suddenly felt sick. It might be the combination of sudden relief and the smell of medication that had gotten to her. She felt as though she had been splashed with blood, even though her clothes and hair were not at all dirtied after a surreptitious check. Though she had been saved by Raven, instead of gratitude, she felt fear at his lack of regret. She wanted to say that he should have spared them, but Lydia knew that his judging basis was different from here.

“Lady, are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Lydia straightened her back and stood up on her own, for she did not want to be touched at the moment.

She had known that the city was a dangerous place, but she had not expected to be attacked even in broad daylight. In crowded places, one had to be careful of purse-snatchers and thieves, but in places without people, there would be robbers and perverts. For Lydia, who was not used to the streets of London, it was not strange that she would be the prime target when she was wandering the streets alone. Despite that, Lydia could not be comfortable with the idea that Raven was following her.

As a faithful follower of Edgar, he was a predator-like killing machine. To Lydia, he was a mysterious person. But he wasn’t the only one who was mysterious. His master, Edgar, was the same.

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