Chapter 75
75
That Choice Was Right
It was the canary’s song that woke Matthias. In high spirits, the bird trilled clearly as it hopped around its cage.
Matthias gazed at the bird for a long while, still languid with sleep.
After singing its fill, the canary hopped down into the water dish on the floor of the cage. It dunked its beak and head first, shaking vigorously, then flapped its wings to soak its entire body.
Matthias let out a soft chuckle and sat up against the headboard of the bed. Even then, his eyes remained fixed on the cage. Having finished its bath, the canary perched on its swing and shook off the water droplets with a shiver. The way it preened its spread wings with its beak was remarkably diligent. So small, yet hopping about just like that. Its temperament was exactly the same.
Once the bird returned to its nest, Matthias got out of bed as well. Not long after he tugged the bell cord, Hessen entered with the newspaper and coffee. He calmly reported on the progress of preparations to welcome the crown prince and his wife, and how the list of invited guests for the party had been finalized.
“Lady Brandt sent word that she’ll arrive in Arbis this afternoon.”
“I see.”
“Lindman Marquis said he’ll arrive tomorrow afternoon as well. I’ve already informed both families that Your Grace won’t be able to greet them personally since you’ll be away for a few days, and obtained their understanding.”
Matthias, who had set the newspaper aside and taken hold of his teacup, gave a short nod to show he was listening attentively. He, the crown prince, and Riet—being the same age—had naturally grown close while treading similar paths in life. Claudine was one of the ladies closest to the crown princess in high society, so it had been decided that she would spend time with them in Arbis during their stay.
“If you depart around ten, you should make the train on time. Shall I prepare accordingly, sir?”
“Yes. Do that.”
Matthias nodded with a ceremonious smile. Hessen bowed his head and stepped back to clear his path. He had to go to the capital for a few days on business. It seemed he would have a rather tight schedule if he wanted to return before the crown prince couple’s visit.
After showering, Matthias dressed impeccably. His expression and movements were as relaxed as ever.
Kyle Etman had returned.
The news spread through Arbis before even a day had passed. With so many people chattering here and there, there was no need to seek it out—it came to him on its own.
But so what?
Matthias rolled the name around slowly on his tongue a few times before dismissing it with a light scoff.
Whatever the reason for canceling his trip and coming back to his hometown, it was none of Matthias’s concern. Even if Kyle Etman still harbored feelings for Leila, or Leila for Kyle Etman, it made no difference. Leila could not take in the doctor’s son while she was his mistress. That was the end of it.
As he fastened the cufflink on his sleeve, a gentle smile played on Matthias’s lips. He quite liked Leila Llewellyn’s foolishly pure and uncompromising temperament. The occasional doubts that crept in—whether possessing that woman in this way had been the wrong choice—now seemed to have been cleanly erased.
That choice was right.
With that clear conclusion, Matthias left the dressing room. Kyle Etman. He had already wiped the name from his mind, with no reason left to care.
“It must be because of Leila, right? I wonder if they’ve reunited?”
The conversation among the servants gathered in the staff lounge naturally drifted to that rumor today as well. Even amid the frenzy of preparations for the crown prince couple’s imminent visit to Arbis, they still gathered in small groups to talk about Kyle and Leila.
“It’s been pretty quiet so far. But maybe there’s another reason Kyle came back.”
“I heard the Etman family said he’d be traveling through the southern continent the whole vacation. What other reason could there be for coming home early other than Leila?”
“Can’t blame him. After all those years together. How easy is it to cut off those feelings?”
“Those two kids always looked so good together since they were little. I thought it was a match made in heaven, but…”
They’d chatter excitedly at first, but in the end, they all sighed with pity. Most of the Arbis estate staff had watched Leila and Kyle grow up together over the years. It was hard to be so heartless as to treat those two children merely as entertainment.
“Sigh. I should go check on Leila later.”
Madam Mona muttered with a deep sigh. Overflowing with compassion as she was, she was also brimming with curiosity, and her skill at gossip matched her talent in the kitchen. She could never just let something like this pass by.
“Mr. Leamer’s away from home, so I’m worried about that girl on her own. I’ll pack some food, see her face, and then I’ll feel better.”
“Leila! Leila, are you home?”
Madam Mona’s shrill call echoed across the cottage yard.
“Leila!”
Leila, who had been sitting blankly at her desk, snapped to attention at the sound. Before the embarrassment of realizing she’d been spacing out could fully fade, Madam Mona called her name again in her booming voice.
“Yes! C-coming, ma’am!”
Leila hurriedly replied, straightened her appearance in a rush, and dashed out to the front door. Only after ushering Madam Mona into the kitchen and setting tea to steep did her mind finally clear.
“Are you feeling ill or something? Your complexion looks awful.”
Madam Mona eyed Leila closely as she set down the teacup and asked casually. Leila figured any flimsy excuse would only arouse more suspicion, so she nodded honestly.
“I haven’t been sleeping well. Must be the fatigue.”
“Couldn’t sleep? Oh, Leila. You stayed up all night studying again, didn’t you?”
There was conviction in Madam Mona’s tone.
Leila smiled awkwardly, adjusted her glasses, and quickly placed the teacup before her. She also cut a generous slice from the dried fruit cake Madam Mona had brought in her basket.
“Studying’s fine, but you need to take care of your health too. Seeing you so pale would break Mr. Leamer’s heart. Oh, speaking of which, he’s still got a ways to go before he gets back?”
“A letter came yesterday. It’ll probably take another fortnight or so.”
“That makes sense. With all those rare flowers, it’s not easy to replace them. Poor Mr. Leamer, working so hard. But still, to receive such leniency and be able to work in Arbis again—truly something to be grateful for.”
“…Yes.”
“It’s because he’s our duke that he did it. No other noble would’ve let it slide.”
As Madam Mona praised Duke Herhardt with a pleased expression for a good while, Leila merely nibbled at the cake, which tasted like nothing to her. The gossip then turned to the crown prince couple arriving in Arbis next week and the grand party being prepared for them. It was a story from a distant, dazzling world that had nothing to do with Leila.
“Oh, right. I heard Kyle’s back home. Did you… hear about it too?”
When Madam Mona finally brought up the main topic, Leila felt a strange relief.
“Yes. I heard.”
“I figured. With everyone talking about it everywhere, hard not to. Have you said hello?”
“No.”
Leila fiddled with the teacup handle and gave a wry smile. Madam Mona gazed at her pallid face with pity but couldn’t hold back her twitching lips.
“If I were you, Leila, I’d grab Kyle’s hand and run away. Of course, it’d be awful to Mrs. Etman, but if that boy can’t live without you, what choice is there?”
“Kyle and I aren’t like that anymore, ma’am.”
“I know, I know. But Leila, if Kyle really came back home because of you, think it over carefully one more time. If it were any other man, I’d tell you to steer clear, but Kyle… Kyle’s different.”
After much deliberation, Madam Mona could only come up with such a superficial expression. And yet, it was the phrase that best described Kyle Etman.
“I’ve even talked about this with Mr. Leamer sometimes. Whether it’s really right to let you two part like this.”
Madam Mona looked like she had more to say, but Leila only smiled silently.
There was nothing she could say.
What could Leila Llewellyn, now the mistress of another man, possibly say about Kyle at this point?
Such thoughts brought a pain like her heart was being torn apart. And that pain sank deep into her heart, steadily piling up as hatred toward Matthias von Herhardt.
“Look at me, rambling on when I need to get going. I’ve talked too much about nothing.”
When Leila showed no sign of opening her mouth, Madam Mona stood up.
“With Lady Brandt coming, things are going to be a madhouse. They say she’s staying in Arbis until the crown prince and princess’s visit is over. If she’s going to be coming and going so often, why even delay the wedding?”
Grumbling all the while, Madam Mona hurried out of the cottage.
Leila saw her off to the yard. From the moment Claudine’s name was mentioned, her mouth had gone dry. To hide it, Leila had forced a brighter smile than usual.
Once Madam Mona was gone, the cottage—nestled in the silver-white winter forest—returned to its original silence.
Back in the kitchen, Leila slowly began eating the remaining cake. Her appetite hadn’t returned, but she had to eat something. She didn’t want to worry Uncle Bill, and above all, she hated the idea of wasting away because of that man.
Who do you think you are?
Leila gulped down the cold tea to wash down the cake, then portioned out small amounts of the other foods Madam Mona had brought onto a large plate. She chewed and swallowed deliberately over and over until the sizable amount was gone. The crude words the duke had tossed at her about her slender frame rose in her mind, bringing a nauseous bitterness like bile, but she endured it.
To live an ordinary daily life, Leila did her best. She closed the book that wouldn’t stick in her mind and cleaned her room. Once she’d even finished the laundry, her foggy head cleared.
The duke had gone to the capital and wouldn’t return until this weekend at the earliest. The relief of being free from that man for at least a few days filled her with a sad pathos.
When would it end?
Hating how she kept sinking into despairing thoughts, Leila hurried out of the cottage. It was cold, but pedaling her bicycle at full speed opened up her chest.
She stopped by the library to return a book, then the general store for powdered soap and a scrubbing brush. She even bought and savored a dizzyingly sweet cup of hot chocolate. By the time she was heading back, she could even manage a spirited smile. Until, that is, just before entering Arbis, when she came face-to-face with that face she had so longed for yet never wanted to see again.
“Leila…”
In the silence after the bicycle wheels stopped, a low, warm voice seeped in. It was Kyle.
