Poe no Ichizoku

Harukana Kuni ko Hana ya Kotori

When Edgar is watching beautiful roses in a garden, Elselli, the owner of the garden comes out. She says she'll cut roses for him if he wants them. "I've captured a unicorn in my garden!" says Elselli. She takes Edgar into the room and tells him to sing. Edgar sings. Some member of the choir in town, which she's established, visit her. She encourages Edgar to join the choir. Edgar says he won't stay so long in the town and he has to go. Elselli cuts roses for him and tells him to come again the next day.
Edgar asks Allan if he will go to Elselli's place with him. Allan doesn't want to go. Edgar visits Elselli again by himself. He sings and eats pie. He asks Elselli for roses. She says the garden used to be her aunt's. Edgar says she looks very happy being surrounded by what she is fond of. She reminds him of Marybell.

Allan: Is she so attractive?
Edgar: She's nice. Won't you go with me?
Allan: I have no interest in older women.
Edgar: She looks like a girl.

Some choir members don't like Edgar watching Elselli with romantic eyes, so two of them tell him not to be boastful. Edgar kicks their bicycles. Dr. Hills tell them not to make a fight. Elselli tells them to make peace. One of the boys tells Edgar Elselli wouldn't marry anyone because she has been betrayed by her love. He tells Edgar what he heard from his mother. About ten years ago, she fell in love with Harold Leigh, who was handsome but penniless. However, Harold married a tradesman's daughter for money. His mother says Elselli keeps being single for revenge.
Edgar visits her in a rainy day. Elselli doesn't expect anyone to come in that rainy day and feels very happy Edgar comes. "Because I'm a captured unicorn." says Edgar. Elselli is impressed with Dr. Hills going out even in rainy days. The maid says he always passes by Elselli's house wherever he goes. "I hear Dr. Hills has proposed to you many times." says Edgar. Elselli smiles. "Is it true that you keep being single for revenge?" asks Edgar. She smiles again.

Edgar: Tell me.
Elselli: I saw a chateau. I was 16 and he was 20. We fell in love that summer, a very beautiful summer. I got to know he had a fiancee afterwards. My aunt told me not to believe Harold because he was ambitious, penniless and had a lot of debts and his fiancee was wealthy. But Harold told me to wait for him. He said he would cancel the engagement and come back. I was very sad when he went back. I believed him, but I also believed in the destiny, so I was sure he wouldn't come back. In the night before he went back to his home town, we walked around the forest. We reached the top of a cliff, then I saw a chateau. I yelled, "Can you see a chateau?" But I realized it wasn't a chateau soon after that. I mistook some trees for a chateau. There was no chateau. However, he said "Yes, I can see the chateau." I loved him the most when he said so. He went back and he didn't give me a single letter. I finally heard he got married. But I didn't feel unhappy. I'm sure he loves his wife and children. But I'm very happy."

Edgar finds her amazing. He recalls Marybell said "We can stay children forever. So we can keep dreaming of flowers and birds of a faraway land forever."

Allan: She's weird. I bet Harold doesn't remember her at all.
Edgar: She's loved him for all that.
Allan: Are you going out?
Edgar: I promised, and I'll be given roses.
Allan: You go out every day. Do you love her so much? I prefer you to be with me sometimes.
Edgar: Why don't you go with me?
Allan: No way!
Edgar: She's a nice person. She'll be happy if you join.
Allan: I don't want to sing with kids and the old woman.
Edgar: Then you stay here alone.
Allan: You don't care about me. I'm a replacement for Marybell.

Edgar slaps Allan. Edgar makes an apology.
Edgar wonders why Elselli can be happy despite that she doesn't have someone who she loves.
Edgar borrows a bicycle to ride to the town where Harold Leigh is.

Edgar: Harold Leigh?
Harold: Yes. Who are you?
Edgar: Do you remember Elselli?
Harold: Elselli? Who's she?

Riding back, Edgar goes to see Elselli. He tells her he's just seen Harold and he remembers her. Elselli asks Edgar how Harold is. Edgar says, "You mustn't be happy. You actually hate your love, don't you? You must feel alone because he's not with you. You're dreaming. Why don't you wake up? Everybody confronts the reality. There's no faraway land. No one can live in such a land." Elselli says, "I don't want to hate someone or feel sad. "

Edgar: Why can you be so happy?
Elselli: Why can't you?
Edgar: Because my sister is gone. I can't become happy even if I recall her. Where has she gone? Is she going to be born again?
Elselli: Are the roses for your sister?
Edgar: No, the roses are for my friend. But he isn't my sister.
Elselli: Look at this rose. It is love that you can reach. You're lucky enough to have someone who receives the roses.

Edgar returns home and gives the rose to Allan and makes an apology. Edgar thinks he has come back to the reality and gives the rose to him. He wonders if Elselli will wake up from her dream some day.

Harold is wondering who Elselli is. He mistakes a boy riding for Edgar and tries to stop him.
The maid gets into the living room and tells Elselli there was Harold's funeral. She says Harold was hit by a carriage trying to help a boy who fell off the bicycle. Elselli thinks the world was hers until she heard the news. Saying "Let's call it a day. Sorry, I can't play the organ.", Elselli discontinues the practice of the choir. She cuts her wrist to avoid the sadness and sleep forever.

A boy in the choir tells Edgar Harold died. Edgar hurries to Elselli's place and finds her in the bed. Edgar encourages Dr. Hills to ask Elselli about a chateau when she wakes up. Edgar thinks it is selfish that Elselli goes on living only for herself. The boy in the choir says she should forget Harold and marry Dr. Hills. Edgar agrees with him. Edgar tells Allan they will leave the town right away.
On the train, Allan asks Edgar if he said goodbye to the lady. Edgar wouldn't look back to him. Allan asks him if he gets upset about him. Seeing Edgar weeping, Allan asks him why.

Elselli dies three years later. When Dr. Hills asks her about the chateau, she just smiles. After Harold's death, she quits directing the choir and spends every day watching flowers and meditating.
She was not able to become a human. She was a born fairy. She only sang love songs. She was thinking every day about someone very sweet. She was living in a faraway land in the dream.