Chapter 39
39
To My Dearest Son
As expected, that child was clever.
Mrs. Etman felt relieved as she gazed at the firmly shut door of her son’s room.
A few days ago in the afternoon, Kyle had returned home looking utterly dazed and distraught after going to meet Leila. From the sight of her son holed up in his room with his lips tightly sealed, Mrs. Etman could read the conversation the two children must have had that day.
“Ma’am, the young master didn’t eat dinner again today either.”
The housekeeper reported with a worried face upon seeing her descend from the second floor.
“Just leave him be. When one’s heart is in turmoil, even eating becomes a chore.”
The housekeeper, Mrs. Becker, widened her eyes in surprise at this unexpected response from her, who would fret endlessly if her son skipped even a single meal. But knowing her mistress wouldn’t open up no matter how much she pried, she simply nodded and withdrew.
Mrs. Etman went out to the garden after a long time and tended to the flower beds.
The Etman house garden was filled with precious rose varieties brought from Arbis’s rose garden. These were ones that Elise von Herhardt gave only to her close lady friends, and Mrs. Etman had received quite a few.
She was the only one in Karlsvar without a title who associated with both ladies of the Herhardt family. She took immense pride in that fact. She had no doubt that if Kyle married a young lady from a lower noble family introduced by Lady Norma, the Etman family’s position would become even more secure.
She had worked so hard to get to that point, yet her husband and son were trying to ruin all her efforts for the sake of just one girl—Leila.
She had committed a grave wrong against that poor child.
Linda Etman readily acknowledged that fact.
But she had no regrets. For Kyle’s sake, she could endure something several times more ruthless without hesitation. Finding a suitable groom befitting her station would ultimately be good for Leila as well.
Mrs. Etman cut a beautiful bouquet of roses in harmonious colors and returned to the drawing room. As she was artfully arranging them in a vase, Dr. Etman came home.
“And Kyle? Still like that?”
“Yes. He must have a lot on his mind.”
“It seems something happened with Leila.”
“I’ll go meet Leila myself.”
Mrs. Etman said calmly as she placed the vase in the center of the table.
“You?”
“Have you forgotten? Kyle is my son too.”
She rose with a smile on her face.
“In fact, I love him several times more than you do.”
When Mrs. Etman arrived, Leila was sitting in the corner of the yard scrubbing a large pot. The forceful stream from the pump had splashed water everywhere, soaking not just her apron but her sleeves and the tips of her hair.
“Hello, Mrs. Etman.”
Leila stood up without much sign of fluster and greeted her.
“Come inside…”
“No. That’s not necessary.”
Mrs. Etman, who had looked Leila over from head to toe, shook her head and held out the leather pouch she had brought. Leila knew exactly what was inside without looking.
Thank you. Swallowing the words that nearly slipped out from habit, Leila calmly accepted the money pouch. Mrs. Etman’s brow furrowed in displeasure at Leila’s steady gaze, her lips pressed firmly together.
“You have a face that says you have a lot to say.”
“Yes.”
Leila answered without hesitation. Though her heart began to race when Mrs. Etman let out a scoff, she didn’t want to just bow her head like she had in that tearoom last time.
“I see. That’s understandable. I’ll let it slide.”
Mrs. Etman smiled as if bestowing a favor, but her lips remained stiffly set.
“It looks like you ended things properly with Kyle.”
“I assume you’re returning our money because you know that so well.”
“What did you say to him?”
The unease sparked by Leila’s markedly different attitude made Mrs. Etman’s eyes flicker.
“Nothing that would worry you.”
“Worry?”
“Yes. You’re worried that I told Kyle everything that happened that day, aren’t you?”
“Heh. I never realized you were such a bold child.”
“If it came across as rude, I apologize. I just wanted to convey that Kyle doesn’t know about what happened that day.”
Leila bowed her head to show her apology. But when she looked up at Mrs. Etman again, her gaze was even clearer and more resolute.
“I didn’t tell Kyle. And I absolutely won’t tell him in the future either.”
Just saying Kyle’s name made Leila’s chest ache. The sight of Kyle’s back as she left him by that stream that day might remain a lifelong, irremovable pain.
“I’ll do it for Kyle, of all people.”
“For Kyle?”
Mrs. Etman asked incredulously, but Leila didn’t waver.
“Yes. I know how much Kyle loves his mother. No matter what kind of person you are to me, you’re a precious mother to Kyle. So I want to protect the mother he knows.”
“How did such a cheeky, forward girl manage to live so innocently and obediently all this time?”
“If that’s how you saw it, I’m sorry.”
Leila bowed politely once more. It felt almost like mockery to Mrs. Etman, who flushed red in anger.
“But my feelings are sincere. That’s why I wanted to tell you not to worry.”
“Since you make such a confident promise, I’ll believe you this once.”
Mrs. Etman hid her relief by narrowing her eyes slightly.
“Since you care so much for Kyle, I trust you’ll explain the broken engagement in a way that causes him as little harm as possible.”
“Yes. I will. But Mrs. Etman.”
Leila, who had been looking down at the pouch of money, slowly raised her gaze.
“Please apologize for one thing.”
“…What? Apologize?”
“Yes. Even if what you said to me wasn’t true, I could accept it all. But what you said about Uncle Bill—I’d like you to apologize for that.”
Her hand gripping the pouch turned deathly pale, but Leila didn’t back down.
“You said that it was a tragedy that Uncle Bill took me in and raised me, and that you pitied him for it.”
When Mrs. Etman snorted as if she had no idea what she meant, Leila repeated word for word the last thing she had said that day.
“Please apologize for those words.”
Leila’s voice, infused with gentle strength, carried on the cool evening breeze.
Having unexpectedly overheard an amusing conversation, Mathias leaned against the wall with a smirk.
He had been on his way back from swimming. He had impulsively changed course toward the cottage just to see Leila crying. Meeting a spectacle more entertaining than tears had been a pretty good choice.
He wanted to see Mrs. Etman’s expression, but Mathias decided to exercise patience. If he appeared, this delightful play would come to an abrupt end.
Leaning against the window of Leila’s room that faced the back yard, Mathias gazed at a white pigeon perched on the windowsill pecking at some feed as he waited for Linda Etman’s response.
“This is why you can’t hide your true roots.”
After a stretch of silence, Linda Etman’s voice came, trembling with irrepressible anger.
“An apology? I’d rather pity Mr. Leamer. That poor man who took in and raised a child like you.”
As expected. Mathias, satisfied with his prediction hitting the mark again, stroked the docile pigeon.
The image of Leila he had glimpsed through the window that day suddenly came to mind. Soaking wet with cold sweat, sobbing so pitifully. Barely able to breathe, trembling all over, looking utterly wretched.
Pathetic.
Mathias’s lips curved in a sneer, gleaming red.
Go ahead, she says all that big talk, but if she just tells him, that’s it.
“Right?”
Whispering lowly to the pigeon, Mathias left the now-boring entertainment behind and departed the cottage.
If Leila wouldn’t provide amusement, he would create some himself.
The rumor started with Madam Mona.
“Everyone heard about it, right? Why Leila and Kyle’s engagement fell through.”
Whenever she ran into the duke’s mansion servants, Madam Mona would recount the astonishing story in an indignant voice.
“It turns out Mrs. Etman was the one who stole the tuition money from the Leamer house! Mr. Berger, the postman, just told me. She had someone steal the money. She planned to force Leila to give up university and marriage to Kyle!”
For dramatic effect, Madam Mona paused to catch her breath before bursting out with the revelation like a firecracker, prompting disbelieving chuckles from everyone. Of course, the gossipy Madam Mona, who never let rumors die, had a counter ready.
“I know, it’s hard to believe. I thought so too at first. But the man who stole the money on Mrs. Etman’s orders was caught by the police. Mr. Berger saw it himself when he delivered to the station and heard the details from the officers. If you knew who the man was, you’d be shocked.”
At the most tantalizing part of the tale, Madam Mona deliberately lowered her voice.
“You all know Mr. Rayner, right? The businessman, Mrs. Etman’s cousin. Turns out he’s the thief.”
“Mr. Rayner? You mean Daniel Rayner?”
“Yes! That very Mr. Rayner!”
When surprised voices asked back, Madam Mona’s tone grew even more fervent.
“And get this—after pulling that stunt, Mrs. Etman called Leila aside and cornered her, saying, ‘Even if I stole that money, do you still dare marry my son?’ A gentleman who overheard it thought it suspicious and tipped off the police, leading to the arrest.”
From there, the story exploded like fireworks dazzling the night sky.
To think she harbored such vicious intentions and did that to that poor child!
As Madam Mona’s voice rose in outrage, her listeners’ faces grew more and more astonished.
“I knew it. There’s no way Leila would give up university and marriage for no reason.”
“How could she do something so cruel? And that refined Mrs. Etman, of all people.”
The excited crowd chimed in one after another. Soon, they became as fervent as Madam Mona, spreading the “truth” of the incident.
It took less than half a day for the story to spread throughout all of Arbis. Around late afternoon, as Madam Mona was catching her breath, feeling her anger somewhat assuaged, she spotted Bill Leamer working silently.
That dull man probably had no idea yet.
Even for Madam Mona, delivering news that would drive a nail into someone’s heart wasn’t pleasant. But who was Bill Leamer? A man no different from Leila’s father. More than anyone, he needed to know this clearly.
“Fine. Looks like I have no choice but to tell him myself.”
With her resolve firm, Madam Mona hurried toward the garden.
