Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Translation: godsn
The sunlight was scorching, but beneath the shade of the trees where the breeze blew, it was pleasantly cool. Leila sat on a blanket, hugging her knees to her chest. Bill and the other gardeners were engrossed in uprooting the rosebushes that had already bloomed and planting new ones that would flower later.
The garden at the back of the estate seemed to contain every variety of rose in existence. Roses were not only the national flower of the Berg Empire but also particularly cherished by both ladies of the ducal household.
The sound of gunfire from the forest had left Leila unable to stay still, pacing anxiously inside the house. Seeing her like that, Uncle Bill had abruptly extended his hand. Before she knew it, she had taken it, and he had led her out to this garden. Only when the gunshots faded into the distance did she finally relax.
Is it really okay for me to rest here while Uncle Bill and the others work in the heat?
With an uneasy expression, Leila glanced at Bill before sighing softly and closing her eyes. Uncle Bill had sternly warned her that he would be angry if she followed him—he couldn't stand disobedient children. So, even if she felt guilty, she had no choice but to wait here.
Resigned, she opened her eyes again—only to flinch in surprise. A strange boy stood right in front of her. Neatly dressed, he looked about her age.
"Hi."
When their eyes met, the boy smiled and greeted her. He had platinum-blond hair and a charming smile.
"Do you live here?"
The boy glanced around before asking seriously.
"Yeah. With Uncle Bill."
Leila narrowed her eyes slightly as she answered.
"Uncle Bill? You mean that scary gardener?"
"Uncle Bill isn't scary."
"Really? I think he is."
Tilting his head, the boy casually sat down beside her.
"Do you live here too?"
Leila asked, somewhat guarded. The boy shook his head with a laugh.
"Nope. I came with my dad. He's the family doctor for this household, and today's the day he examines Lady Norma. I sometimes tag along when my dad visits. Lady Norma said it was fine."
"Oh."
"How old are you?"
"Twelve."
"Same as me. But you're really tiny."
The boy stared at her intently before bursting into laughter again. Leila's cheeks flushed slightly in irritation.
"You're not that big either."
"I'm the tallest in my class!"
Indignant, the boy straightened his back. Whether he was exaggerating or not, he did seem a bit taller than most kids their age.
"Well... you're still shorter than Uncle Bill."
Leila added in a smaller, less confident voice. The boy blinked at her before chuckling again. He seemed like the cheerful type.
"Hey, what kid isn't shorter than that man? Even among adults, I doubt there are many taller."
"I wouldn't know about that."
Feeling awkward, Leila plucked at the grass outside the blanket for no reason. The tips of her fingers quickly turned green. She wished he would leave soon, but the boy showed no sign of getting up.
"Want some?"
On impulse, Leila gestured to the peach resting at the edge of the blanket. The boy readily nodded. As cheerful as he was, he seemed easygoing too.
Leila pulled out a pocketknife from her bag and unfolded it to cut the peach. Watching her, the boy let out a quiet snicker.
"You're funny. What kind of girl carries something like that in her bag?"
"Uncle Bill gave it to me. Don't make fun of me."
With a slight scrunch of her nose, Leila handed the boy one half of the peach. As the two sat side by side sharing the fruit, a breeze carrying the sweet scent of its flesh drifted between them.
"By the way, why do you look so down? Did something happen?"
After finishing the peach, the boy cautiously asked,
"The Duke and his friends keep hunting birds."
Leila answered gloomily. The boy tilted his head as if he couldn't understand.
"Why is that bad?"
"They kill birds just for fun."
"Isn't that what hunting is?"
"Do you think so too?"
Leila lifted her serious green eyes to look at the boy. Though the boy in front of her hardly seemed strong enough to lift that large, terrifying hunting rifle.
"Uh... no."
The boy, who had been blinking, shook his head vigorously.
"I don't. It's sad."
He answered with emphasis on each word. A smile gradually spread across Leila's face, which had been sullen all this time.
"Want another peach?"
Leila asked, her voice noticeably brighter now. Again, the boy nodded eagerly.
Leila handed him a much larger piece this time. The boy's cheeks were slightly flushed, perhaps because his layered clothes were stifling.
"Kyle! Kyle!"
A faint voice, likely calling for the boy, drifted over. The boy, who had been fiddling with the peach pit, abruptly stood up.
"I should go now."
"I see. Bye."
"Kyle Etman."
The boy suddenly thrust out his hand.
"My name. And you?"
"I'm Leila. Leila Lewellin."
Leila awkwardly took his hand. With their small hands still sticky from peach juice, the two children shook hands quite solemnly.
"Bye, Leila. See you again. Next time, I'll bring something tasty."
The boy, already running off into the distance, turned back and shouted.
Leila hesitated to say she might be leaving this place soon, and instead simply gave a small wave. She didn't want to voice those words. She was afraid that just speaking them might invite bad luck.
Once Kyle was gone, Leila's world grew quiet again.
Breathing in the rose-scented breeze, Leila waited for Bill to finish his work. She must have dozed off at some point, because when she blinked awake at the sound of Bill calling her name, the long summer sun was already sinking low in the sky.
Leila sprang up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and gathered the blanket. Her steps were noticeably lighter as she hurried toward Bill.
"Uncle, earlier I met a kid who..."
Just as she was about to tell him about the boy she'd shared the peach with, Leila froze at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was Duke Herhardt and his companions.
Matthias paused briefly in the center of the rose garden. The gruff gardener, Bill Remmer, bowed his head toward him. It took a moment longer for Matthias to notice the small child hiding behind Bill.
"It's been a while, Mr. Remmer."
Matthias gave a slight nod. The group following him stopped at a respectful distance behind.
"For the time being, I'll be keeping this child at Arvis."
Bill Remmer spoke with a somewhat awkward expression.
When he gave her a firm pat on the back, the girl hesitantly stepped forward. Her shimmering golden hair helped Matthias recall her—the absurd little girl perched in a tree, whom he had nearly mistaken for a bird and shot.
"Though I've already sought permission from both Her Ladyships, I thought it proper to inform you as well, Your Grace. I apologize for the impropriety."
Bill Remmer bowed his head once more. The child beside him did the same.
Matthias slowly lowered his gaze. When their eyes met, the girl flinched but studied him intently. Narrowed eyes and tightly pressed lips—the exact same expression she'd worn when she'd spied on him hunting in the woods.
"So it's you. That girl who lives in the woods."
Matthias's cousin Liet chuckled as he spoke up from behind him. The girl's face flushed bright red, and she ducked back behind the gardener. She had done the same thing in the hunting grounds—staring at him intently one moment, then darting behind a tree the next. And when the hunt was over, she would wander around, sobbing as she buried the dead birds.
"Very well. As you wish, Remmer."
Matthias answered with a faint smile. What the gardener chose to raise in the woods was none of his concern.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
Bill bowed once more. Matthias gave the slightest dip of his chin before resuming his halted steps.
Only after he had passed by did Leila finally lift her head. The duke's relatives and friends soon followed in his wake. Despite the sweltering weather, all of them had shed their jackets and rolled up their sleeves—yet Duke Herhardt remained impeccably dressed in full hunting attire. The only breach of decorum was his slightly tilted hat.
Leila, who had been staring fixedly at his retreating figure, flinched backward when she caught sight of the servants trailing behind him, carrying guns and the spoils of the hunt. The thick metallic scent of blood brushed against her nose. She squeezed her eyes shut and hunched her shoulders.
Just as her body began to tremble, she felt the large, warm touch of Uncle Bill's hand. Awkward but kind, he patted her shoulder in reassurance.
Claudine sat with her chin propped on her hand, exhaling exaggerated sighs. Her chestnut curls swayed with each dramatic breath. Countess Brandt narrowed her eyes at her daughter in disapproval.
"You must act like a lady, Claudine."
Her whispered voice carried an unmasked impatience. Though Claudine was still a little young to be called a lady, this was a place where she had to behave like one. But her young daughter, oblivious to such concerns, let out another long sigh, as if to spite her.
"I'm so lonely and bored."
The noblewomen seated around the tea table shifted their gazes at Claudine's complaint.
"Then go play with your brothers."
Countess Brandt, her face reddening, tried to smooth things over, but Claudine refused to back down.
"They act like I don't exist. They just talk in words I can't even understand."
The noblewomen exchanged quiet laughs at Claudine's pitiful expression.
"Well, no wonder she's bored. She doesn't have a single friend her own age."
Elise von Herhardt nodded in agreement as she stroked the white puppy resting on her lap.
"See, Mother? Lady Herhardt understands."
Claudine's face lit up with a triumphant smile now that she had found an ally.
"Who is that girl?"
She pointed toward the garden, where she had been stealing glances for a while. The noblewomen's eyes followed her finger to where a small girl trailed behind the gardener tending to the roses.
"Can't I play with her? She looks about my age."
"Hmm. I heard she's an orphan from abroad. Not exactly the kind of playmate you should have."
"I don't mind. It'll be more fun than playing with a puppy."
Claudine's tone was oddly composed and bold for a child.
Countess Brandt's face burned red all the way to her ears, but Elise von Herhardt, amused, rang the bell with a laugh.
"Bring that girl here."
She gave the order to the maid who approached quietly.
"The one being raised by the gardener."
The maid led Leila into an unfamiliar world—a place beneath fluttering white canopies where people dressed in candy-colored, extravagant clothes sat.
"What a rather adorable child."
A stunningly beautiful noblewoman slowly parted her lips.
"How about it? Do you like her, Claudine?"
Her gaze, which had momentarily left Leila, now settled on the chestnut-haired girl sitting beside her. The girl called Claudine smiled brightly and nodded.
"Thank you, Lady Herhardt."
Leila, who couldn't comprehend their conversation at all, now felt dizzy enough to faint. She desperately wanted to return to Uncle Bill's cabin, but no one seemed the least bit interested in how Leila felt.
When the noblewoman—probably the one they called "Madam"—issued some command, the maid grabbed Leila's hand again.
Without understanding what was happening, Leila was dragged from one hand to another.
She was washed in an extravagantly luxurious bathroom she'd never seen before and dressed in astonishingly white, soft clothes. The maid's rough hands hurt as she brushed and braided Leila's tangled, messy hair, but Leila bit her lip hard and endured. It seemed like the right thing to do. If she said even one wrong word, Uncle Bill might face trouble.
"Miss Claudine is the young lady of Count Brandt's household. That means she's someone you must never treat carelessly. Understand?"
The maid, who had dragged Leila up to the mansion's second floor, warned her sternly.
When Leila nodded blankly, the maid slowly opened the drawing room door. Claudine greeted them with an intentionally mature demeanor.
"Hello. What's your name? How old are you?"
Claudine lowered her head to meet Leila's eyes.
"Leila Lewellin, miss. I'm twelve years old."
"Really? I thought you'd be younger. You're so small."
It was the last thing Leila wanted to hear, but she resolved to endure it. For Uncle Bill's sake. Repeating it like a mantra seemed to make her patience grow stronger.
Showing no interest in introducing herself, Claudine turned away at that point. Leila followed stiffly behind her.
Piano. Singing. Flower arranging.
Claudine suggested various activities, but Leila couldn't do any of them.
Dice games. Word games. Chess.
The alternatives Claudine proposed were no different.
Claudine's gaze alternated between the table full of toys and Leila's face before an ambiguous smile appeared on her lips.
"How pitiful."
Claudine sighed in disappointment as she slowly rose. Leila felt utterly powerless, like she'd been turned into a fool, staring wide-eyed at the unfamiliar objects.
"You really don't know anything, do you?"
Claudine spoke in a resigned tone as she approached the chair where Leila sat. Her soft voice, clearly trying not to show disappointment or irritation, only made the humiliation worse.
Leila knew she ought to say something in response, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She had no idea what words would be proper in this situation. Fortunately, Claudine didn't wait for an answer before turning away.
Before closing the door, Claudine muttered a sighing remark to herself.
"What is this? She's no better than a puppy."
After Claudine left, Leila was left alone in the dazzling drawing room.
She wanted to leave immediately, but Leila decided to wait. The young lady might return, after all. Yet as the afternoon sunlight gradually deepened into gold, Claudine never came back.
The maid who had brought Leila here didn't reappear until evening had nearly fallen.
"You should go back now."
The maid's voice was noticeably softer than before.
"The young lady said you may keep those clothes. And this too."
The maid held out a single gleaming gold coin to Leila, who bowed her head. When Leila didn't move, the maid pressed the coin into her hand herself.
"Take it. It's proper manners to accept gifts from your superiors with gratitude. Understand?"