Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Translation: godsn
Matthias was awakened by the song of the canary. The bird trilled brightly, flitting about its cage as if in particularly good spirits.
Still drowsy with sleep, Matthias watched the bird for a long while.
Having sung its fill, the canary now hopped down into the water dish placed at the bottom of the cage. First dunking its beak and head to preen, it soon flapped its wings vigorously, splashing water over its entire body.
A faint smile touched Matthias's lips as he finally pushed himself up to lean against the headboard. His gaze remained fixed on the cage even then. The canary, having finished its bath, perched on its swing and shook off droplets of water with a shiver. It busily groomed itself, using its beak to tidy its spread wings—a picture of industriousness. Such a tiny creature, always bustling about. How very alike they were in temperament.
As the bird returned to its nest, Matthias rose from bed. He had barely pulled the bell cord when Hessen entered bearing the morning paper and coffee. The butler calmly reported on the progress of preparations for receiving the Crown Prince and Princess, along with the finalized guest list for the upcoming party.
"Young Lady Claudine von Brandt is expected to arrive at Arvis this afternoon," Hessen informed him.
"I see."
"Marquess Lindman has also indicated his arrival tomorrow afternoon. I've already conveyed your regrets to both households regarding your inability to personally receive them due to your absence over the next few days."
Matthias set aside the folded newspaper to take his teacup, giving a slight nod to acknowledge he was listening. Liet, the Crown Prince, and he—all of the same age—had naturally grown close after sharing similar life trajectories. As one of the ladies closest to the Crown Princess in high society, Claudine would be staying at Arvis to spend time with them during their visit.
"Departing around ten should allow you to make your train. Shall I arrange accordingly, Your Grace?"
"Yes. Do so."
Matthias nodded with his customary polite smile. Bowing, Hessen stepped aside to clear his path. A business trip to the capital for several days awaited him. To return before the royal couple's arrival would require a rather tight schedule.
After showering, Matthias dressed with his usual unhurried movements, his expression as composed as ever.
Kyle Etman had returned.
The news spread through Arvis in less than a day. With so many chattering mouths about, one needn't even strain to hear it.
But so what?
Matthias let out a light chuckle, brushing aside the name he'd rolled thoughtfully over his tongue.
Whatever reason had compelled Kyle to cancel his travels and return home was none of Matthias's concern. Even if Kyle still held lingering feelings for Leila—or she for him—it mattered not. As his mistress, Leila Lewellin was no position to entertain the physician's son. That was all that needed to be said.
A gentle smile now played about Matthias's lips as he fastened the decorative buttons of his cuffs. He found himself rather taken with Leila's foolishly fastidious nature. The occasional doubts that had visited him—wondering whether claiming her in this manner had been a mistake—could now be cleanly swept away.
It had been the right choice.
With this clear conclusion, Matthias left the dressing room. Kyle Etman—a name that no longer warranted any attention—had already been thoroughly dismissed.
"It must be because of Leila, don't you think? Could they have reunited?"
Even amidst the hectic preparations for the imminent royal visit, servants gathered in the staff parlor found their conversations inevitably drifting toward the latest gossip. Huddled in small groups, they exchanged theories about Kyle and Leila as naturally as breathing.
"But it seems quiet for now. Though, perhaps Kyle had another reason for returning?"
"The Etman family said Kyle was supposed to travel across the southern continent all winter break. What reason would he have to suddenly return home if not for Leila?"
"That makes sense. After all those years together. You can't just sever those feelings so easily."
"Those two always got along so well since they were children. I even thought it was a match made in heaven, but..."
Their gossip, initially fueled by curiosity, eventually gave way to sympathetic sighs. Most of the servants at Arvis had watched Leila and Kyle grow up side by side over the years. It was impossible to be so cold-hearted as to treat the two merely as entertainment.
"Sigh. I should go check on Leila later."
Mrs. Mona, the cook, muttered with a deep exhale. As warm-hearted as she was nosy, and as skilled with her hands as she was with her tongue, she was the type who could never let such matters slide.
"With Mr. Remmer away from home too, someone ought to worry whether that girl's doing alright. I'll bring her something to eat and check on her—that'll put my mind at ease."
"Leila! Leila, are you home?"
Mrs. Mona's crisp voice echoed across the cabin's yard.
"Leila!"
Leila, who had been sitting blankly at her desk, startled at the sound. Before the embarrassment of her dazed state could even fade, Mrs. Mona's booming voice called out again.
"Yes! I—I'm coming, ma'am!"
Flustered, Leila hastily replied before straightening her appearance and rushing outside. Only after ushering Mrs. Mona into the kitchen and setting water to boil did her mind finally clear.
"Are you feeling unwell? You look awfully pale."
Mrs. Mona studied Leila carefully as she set down the teacup, her tone probing. Any clumsy excuse would only invite more suspicion, so Leila simply nodded.
"I haven't been sleeping well. I think I'm just tired."
"Not sleeping? Tsk. Leila. You stayed up studying again, didn't you?"
Mrs. Mona's voice was thick with certainty.
Leila offered an awkward smile, adjusted her glasses, and quickly placed a teacup in front of her. She also cut a generous slice from the dried fruit cake Mrs. Mona had brought.
"Studying is fine, but you must take care of your health too. Seeing you this pale would break Mr. Remmer's heart. Speaking of which, he won't be back for a while yet, right?"
"I got a letter yesterday—it seems he'll need another fortnight or so."
"That's to be expected. Those rare flowers aren't easy to find again. Poor Mr. Remmer. Still, it's a blessing he was shown mercy and allowed to work at Arvis again."
"...Yes."
"Only our Duke would grant such kindness. Any other noble wouldn't have even considered it."
While Mrs. Mona happily praised Duke Herhardt, Leila listlessly chewed on the cake, barely tasting it. The conversation soon turned to the grand party being prepared for the Crown Prince and his wife, who would arrive at Arvis next week—a dazzling, distant world that had nothing to do with Leila.
"Oh, right. I heard Kyle's back in town. Have you... heard anything?"
When Mrs. Mona finally broached the subject, Leila actually felt relieved.
"Yes. I heard."
"I see. Well, with everyone talking about it, it'd be hard not to. Have you two spoken?"
"No."
Fiddling with the teacup's handle, Leila smiled faintly. Though Mrs. Mona gazed at her pallid face with pity, she couldn't quite suppress her itching curiosity.
"If I were you, Leila, I'd grab Kyle's hand and run away with him. Of course, it's something you couldn't do to Mrs. Etman, but if that boy truly can't live without you, what other choice would there be?"
"Kyle and I aren't in that kind of relationship anymore, Auntie."
"I know. I know that. But Leila, if Kyle really returned to his hometown because of you, then think carefully again. If it were any other man, I'd talk you out of it, but it's Kyle. That boy... Kyle is different, isn't he?"
After a long moment of hesitation, Mrs. Mona ultimately couldn't find any expression beyond that superficial one. And yet, that was precisely the phrase that described Kyle Etman best.
"Truth be told, I've often had this conversation with Mr. Remmer too. Whether it's truly right to let you two part ways like this."
Though Mrs. Mona still wore an expression full of unspoken words, Leila merely smiled in silence.
There was nothing she could say.
How could Leila Lewellin, now serving as another man's mistress, dare to say anything about Kyle?
Just thinking about it brought a pain so sharp it felt like her heart was being wrenched apart. And that pain sank deep into her heart, layer upon layer, steadily building into hatred toward Matthias von Herhardt.
"Look at me rambling. I should be going now. I've gone on far too long about nothing."
When Leila showed no sign of speaking, Mrs. Mona rose to her feet at last.
"With Young Lady Brandt coming, things are bound to get hectic. She's staying at Arvis until the Crown Prince and his consort's visit is over. If she's going to be in and out this often, I don't know why they bothered postponing the wedding."
Grumbling, Mrs. Mona hurried out of the cabin.
Leila saw her off all the way to the yard. From the moment Claudine's name was mentioned, her mouth had gone dry. To hide it, Leila had to force herself to smile brighter than usual.
Once Mrs. Mona left, the cabin nestled in the silvery-white winter woods returned to its original stillness.
Back in the kitchen, Leila slowly began eating the remaining cake. Her appetite still hadn't returned, but she had to eat something. She didn't want to worry Uncle Bill, and above all, she hated the thought of wasting away because of that man.
Who do you think you are?
Washing down the cake with gulps of cold tea, Leila also scooped small portions of the other food Mrs. Mona had brought onto a large plate. After chewing and swallowing repeatedly for a while, the once-plentiful food was nearly gone. The Duke's crude remark about her thin body surfaced in her mind, making bile rise like bitter water, but she swallowed it down.
Leila did her best to live out an ordinary day. She closed the book that refused to hold her attention and cleaned her room. Seizing the momentum, she even finished the laundry, and her muddled mind cleared somewhat.
The Duke, who had left for the capital, had said he wouldn't return until this weekend. The relief of being free from him for at least a few days left her feeling melancholy.
When will it end?
Disliking how she kept sinking into despair, Leila hurried out of the cabin. Though the weather was cold, pedaling her bicycle faster made it easier to breathe.
She stopped by the library to return books and visited the general store to buy powdered soap and a cleaning brush. She even treated herself to a dizzyingly sweet cup of hot chocolate, and by the time she headed back, she could manage a cheerful smile. That is, until she reached the path leading to Arvis, where she came face-to-face with the one person she missed terribly yet never wanted to see again.
"Leila..."
Into the silence where the bicycle's wheels had stopped, a warm, quiet voice seeped. It was Kyle.