Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Translation: godsn
"Uncle, this is... too much."
Leila's voice trembled as she stared wide-eyed at the box. Bill was equally astonished, unable to find the right words to counter her.
"Just how much did you spend?"
Leila now looked at Bill with accusatory eyes.
"What? No... I-I just spent what was necessary! Since when did you start worrying about such things?"
Bill finally gathered his wits and retorted.
The dress Mrs. Mona had prepared for Leila arrived at the cabin just in time for the party day. Bill had expected the postman to deliver it, but instead, a well-dressed young man who appeared to be an employee from the dress shop brought it personally.
He initially thought Mrs. Mona must have gone to great lengths to arrange a delivery from such a high-end dress shop—judging by the employee's refined attire. But when they opened the box, it was beyond anything he imagined. Even to Bill's completely untrained eyes—utterly clueless about women's clothing and accessories—the white dress adorned with gold embroidery looked exquisitely luxurious and beautiful. The shoes, gloves, and necklace were no exception.
Just how much had he given Mrs. Mona?
Bill began counting on his fingers, trying to calculate.
Wait, had she taken money for the necklace too?
As Bill puzzled over the numbers, Leila firmly closed the box lid.
"What? Don't you like it?"
"That's not it."
"Then why?"
"We're returning it. I can't let you spend so much money just for a party where I'll barely show my face for a single day."
Contrary to Mrs. Mona's confident prediction that Leila would be overjoyed, her face was clouded with worry.
"Leila, if you don't wear this to the party, I'll never see you again."
Bill's expression turned icy in an instant.
"You've always hated being indebted to others. I understand that. But Leila, human relationships aren't meant to have such clear-cut boundaries."
Slowly, Bill rose from his seat.
"They're all just convincing fakes and cheap imitations anyway. I'd love to give you the whole world if I could, but you know as well as I do that's not possible."
"Uncle..."
"If you don't take them, they'll just end up as kindling. And I'll never see you again, Leila."
His face flushed crimson, Bill stormed out the front door as if fleeing. Pacing in front of the garden, he lit one cigarette after another, only to be hit with belated regret for his harsh words to the child. No matter how upset he was, he shouldn't have said he'd never see her again.
As he debated whether to go back inside, Kyle, dressed in a miniature tuxedo, came striding down the path. Bill had always thought of him as just a kid playing at being an adult, but seeing him so dashingly dressed made him realize the boy was growing into a young man.
"Uncle, where's Leila?"
Kyle asked cheerfully, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Hmm. I don't know."
"What? Leila's not home? The party's about to start!"
"It's not that..."
Bill hesitated, unsure how to explain the situation, when the front door creaked open. Both men turned their heads and gasped in unison, their breaths catching.
A stranger stood there—yet it was Leila.
"Kyle, don't I look... strange?"
Leila asked with a frown.
"These clothes feel so awkward..."
"You're beautiful."
Kyle finally found his voice and cut her off firmly.
"You're beautiful, Leila. I mean it."
He repeated with conviction, his face flushing slightly as the boyish grin faded. He'd known Bill had prepared a gift for Leila, but he never imagined it would be something like this.
He'd been genuinely worried about Uncle's questionable taste—given his usual preference for things like rustic straw hats—but this was...
"Get a hold of yourself, Kyle Etman."
Bill clicked his tongue and gave the flustered boy a firm pat on the back.
"Today, you're standing in for me."
Bill looked at Kyle with uncharacteristic seriousness.
"That means you're responsible for looking after Leila. Think you can handle that?"
"Of course, Uncle."
Kyle, now equally serious, answered with conviction.
"I'll definitely protect her!"
Bill watched the boy making his vow with flushed cheeks before bursting into hearty laughter. Meanwhile, Leila cautiously stepped closer to Kyle's side.
After taking several deep breaths to calm his racing heart, Kyle extended his hand with an air of maturity.
"What's this?"
Though Leila questioned him curiously, Kyle didn't back down.
"It's a party today. We're partners."
"Yeah."
"So."
Summoning all his courage, Kyle guided Leila's hand to rest upon his arm.
"This is how it's done. Partners at parties."
He was so nervous he nearly stumbled over his words.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Leila nodded in understanding and lightly linked arms with him.
"Let's go, Kyle."
In that moment when Leila smiled as brightly as sunlight, Kyle thought: I'll never forget this moment for as long as I live.
Leila Lewellin arrived accompanied by the physician's son.
When Matthias turned his gaze while greeting guests, Leila was entering alone under Kyle Etman's escort.
Hessen's perfection as a butler was proven by Leila's appearance. Adorned with the items he'd provided, Leila Lewellin was beautiful. Though her attire wasn't particularly elaborate—just awkwardly draped gifts—there was no denying it.
Matthias's gaze traveled slowly upward from the shoes to the hem of her dress before stopping at the necklace resting against her pale, slender neck. It was a beautiful piece with pearls and emeralds intertwined.
While Hessen had prepared everything else, that necklace had been Matthias's choice. It hadn't been intentional. He'd seen it in a shop window along the route to a hotel where he had an appointment. The clear green hue of the delicately crafted emerald had been quite striking. That same day, in the carriage returning to the territory, Matthias had instructed Hessen to purchase the necklace.
As if sensing his gaze, Leila suddenly turned her head. Her eyes, resembling a summer forest, came to rest precisely on Matthias's face. Without her glasses, Leila had to squint slightly before seeming to recognize him.
Unlike the unshaken Matthias, Leila startled and averted her gaze. Clutching the boy's arm beside her, she almost imperceptibly hid herself behind him.
"Long time no see, Duke Herhardt."
At the greeting from a familiar face approaching with a smile, Matthias finally turned away.
With an appropriately polite smile, he welcomed the guest and exchanged brief pleasantries. Even with all his senses focused elsewhere, Matthias could perform this duty flawlessly.
When he turned his gaze again, Leila and the boy were already moving toward the far end of the hall. Kyle Etman was proudly leading Leila along. The woman enveloped entirely in his possessions—as if she were his own.
"This is Leila. My friend."
Claudine led Leila toward another group of ladies.
"Hello. I'm Leila Lewellin."
Once again, Leila fulfilled her role with a polite greeting. Her demeanor was as if she'd become a doll devoid of will or emotion.
Claudine smiled even more radiantly as she earnestly introduced Leila Lewellin—how pitiable she was, yet how kind, clever, and diligent she remained.
"Leila is preparing to become a teacher. Isn't that wonderful?"
At Claudine's proud praise, the ladies unanimously voiced their admiration. Of course, these praises were directed toward the young Countess Brandt, who had taken a poor orphan raised by servants as her friend. Everyone knew that no matter what they called each other, the two could never truly be friends, and thus this fact did nothing to tarnish Claudine's dignity.
"By the way, Claudine, I heard you'll be engaged soon."
As if the topic of the orphan becoming a teacher had run its course, one lady elegantly shifted the conversation. From that point onward, everyone's attention focused solely on the impending engagement of the young Countess Brandt.
Claudine adopted a shy and modest demeanor. Since the engagement hadn't been officially announced yet, acting like she was already the mistress of Arvis would undoubtedly seem frivolous.
"Ah, the Duke of Herhardt has arrived!"
One of the young ladies standing opposite Claudine exclaimed with slightly exaggerated admiration.
All eyes turned in the direction she indicated. Even Leila, who had been dragged around by Claudine all this time with only a formal smile plastered on her face, widened her eyes to look that way.
Matthias, who had passed by Leila without a glance, naturally took his place beside Claudine. And Claudine, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, linked arms with him. A fleeting glance revealed that Leila's complexion had grown noticeably paler than before.
"These are my friends, Duke Herhardt."
At Claudine's introduction, Matthias exchanged greetings with them in an elegant manner. As his gaze moved from one person to another, it came to rest on Leila's face at the very end of the group.
"That's Leila."
Claudine tightened her grip slightly on Matthias's arm.
"You don't recognize her, do you? She looks so different from usual—I almost didn't recognize her myself."
Under the guise of a joke, the remark made Leila fluster and blush. The girl who had remained as calm as still water despite any insult was now visibly shaken—all because of Matthias's presence.
"Excuse me."
A warm voice broke through the sudden silence. It was Kyle Etman, the boy who had been circling the area with a displeased expression ever since Claudine took Leila away.
"I apologize for interrupting, but may I take my partner with me now?"
Without hesitation, Kyle took Leila's hand. Though she seemed slightly startled, Leila didn't pull away. Instead, her expression was one of relief, like a lost child who had finally found her parents.
"My friends have been eagerly waiting to meet Leila too."
Despite his cheerful demeanor, Kyle's gaze as he looked at Claudine was cold and unyielding.
"Well then, I suppose we must yield. We can't monopolize Leila, after all."
Claudine nodded graciously and glanced at Matthias. He was watching Leila and Kyle with indifferent eyes.
"Thank you, Young Lady Brandt. And you as well, Your Grace."
Kyle bowed deeply with perfect courtesy.
"Let's go, Leila."
Only when he faced Leila directly did Kyle finally break into a bright smile. Just looking at that affectionate, fresh smile made it obvious—this boy loved Leila.
Standing beside Kyle, who was nearly as tall as Matthias, Leila looked even smaller and more delicate. And the boy treated her as if she were a precious treasure.
Then what about Leila?
Claudine narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Leila carefully. The girl was smiling at Kyle too. Leila Lewellin had always maintained a smile in front of her, but this was the first time Claudine had seen her look so relaxed and genuinely happy. One might even say she looked like a girl in love.
The son of a physician, not the Duke of Herhardt?
As Claudine wrestled with this puzzling thought, Leila and Kyle turned to leave.
Could it be that this boy was the one who had turned Leila Lewellin into a princess?
"Ah, Leila!"
Impulsively, Claudine parted her lips as the question gnawed at her. The light from the chandelier spilled over Leila as she turned back.
"You look lovely today. Especially that necklace."
"Huh? Oh... Thank you, miss."
Flustered, Leila touched her own nape.
The long necklace draped over her chest suited her perfectly. The emerald, the same color as her eyes, was framed by petal-like decorations, and the gemstone at its center was unmistakably a diamond. The faintly glowing pearls were no exception. Every piece was far too exquisite and beautiful to dismiss as mere imitation.
Could Kyle Etman—a boy from a physician's family, wealthy though they might be—really have given Leila that necklace?
"Don't you agree, Duke Herhardt?"
Claudine smiled sweetly as she turned to Matthias.
"She does look lovely."
Matthias answered without a moment's hesitation. His expression was perfectly composed.