Chapter 65
65
Groom Candidate
“I’m fine now. I can go the rest of the way alone.”
Leila faced the man walking beside her, a slightly awkward smile on her face. He still showed no sign of backing off, pointing down the road ahead with a gentle, affable smile.
“No, we’re almost there. Let me walk you all the way home.”
“Really, I…… I’ll go alone. Uncle’s awfully strict, you know.”
Worried that someone might pass by, Leila kept glancing around.
Being seen with another man by the people of Arbis didn’t sit well with her, no matter what. Even if there was nothing between them, rumors had a way of inflating and spreading wildly once they passed through a few mouths.
“Ah. I see.”
The man let out a sigh, looking regretful.
“Then I’ll take my leave here for today. How about lunch together this Sunday instead?”
“No. I……”
“If this week is busy, next week is fine too! As long as you don’t hate me so much that you can’t bear to sit across from me and look at my face, let’s meet just one more time.”
He blushed with embarrassment but put some real conviction into his words.
“I regretted ending it after just a short cup of tea. I want to meet one more time and talk a little longer. If Teacher Llewellyn still feels the same then, I won’t force the issue or make things difficult for you.”
His expression was stubbornly determined, as if he wouldn’t leave without a firm answer.
She only knew him as the son of the general store that occasionally delivered supplies to the school—just a face in the crowd. So the embarrassment she felt when she was suddenly called to the principal’s office that afternoon and found him there had been even greater. When she learned the principal was a distant relative of his and was trying to play matchmaker, her mind had gone completely blank.
Leila looked around awkwardly once more. That was when the sound of a car came from behind her. No way. She wanted to believe it was a hallucination, but the sound only grew closer and clearer.
While Leila stood there dazed, the headlights of a car pierced the twilight on the street. The vehicle slowed briefly as it passed the road where the two stood, then rounded the corner at its original speed. It was the car carrying Duke Herhardt.
“Teacher Llewellyn?”
Only when the man’s cautious voice reached her did Leila realize she had lost herself for a moment.
“I’m sorry.”
Leila bowed her head to him in apology.
“I…… I don’t think I’m ready yet. I’m really sorry.”
She had been pushed into having tea with him by the principal, but Leila had no desire whatsoever to meet someone with marriage in mind. She might get married someday, but for now, she just wanted to work hard and live her ordinary days.
“Ah…… I see.”
Having heard a clear refusal, the man couldn’t hide his disappointment, but he respected and understood Leila’s feelings all the same. He even apologized, saying he was sorry for putting her in an uncomfortable spot by insisting on the introduction.
The man left with a dejected look. Leila felt uneasy at the thought of hurting a good person, but this was the best choice she could make. If she couldn’t refuse and let herself be led along, she’d only cause even greater hurt. Just like she had with Kyle.
At the sudden recollection of that name, Leila’s gaze deepened.
She often wondered how he was doing, but she knew the best she could do was wish him well. No matter how much she missed him, the days when she could walk this road with Kyle, laugh and chat and mingle freely, would never return.
Leila stood rooted to the spot until the man had gone and thick darkness fell over the road. She had barely shaken off the nostalgic memories when a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. What if she turned that street corner and ran into the duke? And that anxiety brought back memories of the first autumn she had spent with the duke, that strange season.
Leila breathed in the cold air slowly and deeply, envisioning the coming spring. A season to start anew in a new place, with a new heart.
If possible, she wanted a room with a large window. One that let in plenty of sunlight so she wouldn’t feel so lonely even by herself. Ideally, a tree visible beyond the window, but if not, somewhere near a park or forest would be nice. So she could smell the grass and trees whenever she missed Arbis.
As her thoughts wandered like that, her anxiously pounding heart calmed. Clutching the bicycle handlebars with newfound courage, Leila cautiously rounded the corner. Fortunately, the empty Platanus Avenue was filled only with white moonlight and the shadows of towering trees.
Leila let out a sigh of relief and mounted her bicycle with lightened steps. The lively sound of her pedaling echoed along the quiet road.
Kyle’s face was tense as always when he opened the mailbox. The faint spark of hopeful anticipation that had flickered upon finding a few letters quickly faded into a bitter smile. Kyle sent letters every week, but Leila had yet to reply even once.
With a quiet sigh, Kyle trudged wearily up the dormitory stairs. His room was at the east end of the third-floor hallway. The dormitory, with vacation just around the corner, buzzed with students packing to head home, but Kyle’s room was as quiet as ever.
Entering the dark dormitory room, Kyle set the letters down on the console table by the door. An invitation from the social club and a letter from home.
Leaving the unopened envelopes as they were, Kyle collapsed onto the bed. Moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, slanting across him like stripes.
‘How about going on a trip for your first vacation?’
A few days ago, Dr. Etman had casually suggested it over the phone. Traveling around the entire continent to broaden one’s horizons had become something of a trend among wealthy university students in the capital. Of course, his father’s reasons for suggesting the trip lay elsewhere.
Kyle had brushed it off with a vague “I’ll think about it.” He knew that returning to Leila’s side in his current state would be pointless, but taking off on a trip like that would be just as meaningless. Maybe it would be better to hole up in this dormitory like he had all semester, burying himself in his studies like a half-madman.
‘There’s no place in this world where just the two of us can be happy, Kyle. No such place exists.’
Closing his eyes brought back Leila’s words, accompanied by her sad smile, as vividly as ever. His own helpless self, unable to muster any response. And as always, that memory ended in horrific self-loathing. Kyle hated his own powerlessness. Hated how he was nothing without his parents’ shadow, unable to protect even that one girl.
If he became a doctor, could he find a place where the two of them could be happy? But that day felt so far away. How was he supposed to endure that long time without her? Even a few months stretched on like an eternity, driving him mad.
Kyle lowered the arm he had draped over his eyes and stared at the ceiling.
Now that he was of age, he could freely dispose of the inheritance his grandfather had left him. Why hadn’t he thought of that sooner? Before he knew it, Kyle sat up, perching on the edge of the bed and running a hand through his tousled hair.
After staring blankly into space for a while, Kyle sprang to his feet and hurried to his desk. His hands fumbled impatiently for a pen and paper.
“Why is everyone suddenly so desperate to find you a groom?”
Bill Lemmer watched Leila set the dinner table, his face puzzled. She had just finished telling him about the general store son the principal had forced on her today.
“Everyone, you say?”
“Lady Norma from the duke’s household suddenly asked Hessen if there wasn’t a suitable man for you to be your groom. Madam Mona, that chatty woman, told me today.”
“Why would Lady Norma say something like that?”
“Who knows. Well, looks like she took a liking to you.”
Bill spoke with a face that didn’t bother hiding his pride.
“No way.”
Leila set the bread she had just taken from the stove on the table and sat across from Bill, laughing as if she couldn’t help it.
“That’s not it, or else she wouldn’t go out of her way to find a groom for me herself. Hmm. What do you think, Leila?”
Bill sneaked a glance at her expression.
“Uncle, you’re not saying I’m a bother or anything, are you?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“If that’s not it, then I want to live with you forever.”
“You’d turn down even a groom introduced by Lady Norma?”
“If he’s finer than you, I’d happily meet him, but sadly, no such man exists in this world.”
Leila laughed brightly and nonchalantly, but that only made Bill’s heart ache more. He suspected the reason she kept turning down all these prospective grooms might be because of Kyle. No— it definitely was because of Kyle.
Kyle was still sending letters. As the number of letters Bill secretly intercepted grew, so did his guilt. Breaking up such a devoted pair was a terrible thing, but there was no way to reconnect the two either—it was enough to drive him mad.
“What if, Leila.”
Bill spoke on impulse.
If Leila still had lingering feelings for Kyle, maybe he should help them marry by cutting ties with the Etman family, no matter what. There’d be a huge uproar, but Kyle and Leila could set up house in the capital, so it’d be fine. If that happened, he wouldn’t be able to keep living as the gardener of Arbis anymore, but for Leila’s sake, he didn’t care about that now. Time would pass, and if they had a plump grandson to show off, even that stubborn Mrs. Etman might come around.
“Uncle?”
Leila’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him, gone silent.
“I mean, uh…… right, the chicken! Chicken.”
“Chicken?”
“W-what if we slaughter one tomorrow. Yeah. That’s what I was going to ask. Must be getting old. Keep forgetting what I was about to say.”
Bill clumsily patched it together. Better to sort out his thoughts before making any impulsive decisions. Fortunately, Leila didn’t seem to notice anything suspicious and nodded with a chuckle.
“Yes, Uncle. Let’s have roast chicken tomorrow!”
Mathias turned after raising the volume on the phonograph slightly. The bedroom, with all the lights off, was filled only with the glow of the fireplace.
As he leaned deeply into the warm wingchair, warmed by the fire’s heat, the bird perched on the arm of the opposite settee flew over. When Mathias whistled along to the waltz melody from the phonograph, the canary soon trilled back in clear response.
His bird was clever.
Though he had never taught it, from some day on, it would naturally sing whenever music played. Thanks to that, there were many nights spent listening to music with the bird. Mostly waltzes. Sometimes symphonies or piano pieces, but as far as Mathias knew, his canary sang waltzes the most beautifully.
When the music stopped, the bedroom filled again with the crackle of burning logs.
Mathias stroked its small head with his fingertip, as if praising its song. Familiar with the touch, the canary rubbed its beak against his hand like it was acting spoiled.
With a soft chuckle, Mathias approached the birdcage with the canary perched on his finger. When he lowered his hand, the bird naturally flew inside and settled into its nest.
Mathias locked the golden birdcage’s door and turned off the phonograph as the next track began. Lying in bed and facing the ceiling, a languid sigh tinged with fatigue escaped him.
“Good night.”
He turned his head to bid the bird goodnight. As if understanding, the canary slept soundly in its cozy nest. The eyes with which Mathias regarded the bird no longer smiled.
