Cry, Or Better Yet Beg
chapter 10

“How about Mr Remmer?”1

The Duke asked Leyla.

“Uncle go to city center for a moment. Is there a problem?"

Leyla managed to answer after wiping the biscuit crumbs from her lips.

With a brief nod, Duke Herhardt turned his gaze towards Kyle. The moment he met Kyle's eyes, his lips formed a friendly smile. It was then that Kyle dispelled his instinctive vigilance.

After asking to convey her gratitude and respect to Kyle's father who had taken good care of Norma's health, she then looked back at Leyla.

"missed. Lewellin could have brought the rose in Mr. Bill's name, right?”

He slowly spoke as the smile on his lips disappeared.

“Rose? You mean the roses in the garden?”

“Cut to taste some roses and bring to pavilion.”

With a slight nod, the duke left. He didn't even listen to Leyla's answer.

Leyla sighed in despair after seeing her blouse and skirt, which was covered with biscuit power. Even though he removed the powder, it was not enough to dispel his embarrassment.

"Stop. No more powder in your clothes.”

Kyle laughed out loud as he watched Leyla repeatedly rub her lips.

“Why should he appear like this?”

"Why not? Do you think the duke has never eaten a snack in his entire life?”

"But…"

Leyla involuntarily rubbed her mouth again.

“Why do you care if you always eat mess in front of me?”

"You are my friend."

“And Duke Herhardt is a stranger. You don't need to care more about him than your friend.”

“It's true but…. I don't know. It's very uncomfortable.”

Leyla scrunched her nose.

"Why? Did something happen?”

“No, not that, but... very uncomfortable and stifling with the Duke. Anyway, I don't like it.”

"What about me? I am comfortable and good right?”1

Kyle asked with subtle expectations. Leyla smiled and put on her hat.

“Of course, Mr. Etman.”

Kyle's grin was glowing hearing a satisfactory answer.

"As expected. I know it. Ah, should I help you with your duties?”

“No, this is not a big deal. You should go home now.”

“Then I will wait here.”

"I'm doing fine. Ms. Etman would be very upset if she knew you were hanging out here again. Don't let me get scolded with you and go study.”

Kyle's brows frowned at Leyla's reasonable reasoning. He wanted to argue but could not.

Kyle looked carefully at the direction the duke disappeared from.

I may have been too sensitive lately.1

It's just Duke Herhardt. The perfect nobleman who would announce his engagement to the public. But then…

“Leyla!”

Kyle tried to stop him. Imagining the togetherness of Duke Herhardt and Leyla still made him anxious. Meanwhile, Leyla was about to leave the terrace while saying goodbye while holding the scissors and basket in her hand.

“See you tomorrow, Kyle!”

Don'tgo.

Kyle simply waved his hand to swallow the words he wanted to say.

That's Duke Herhardt. What's wrong?

As Kyle repeated those words like a mantra, Leyla had moved to the other side of that path.

"Again."

Matthias' voice touched Leyla's back. Only after a moment of blinking did Leyla realize that her words were directed at her. Leyle turned to her while holding his breath. Matthias sat down, facing the butler at a table located near the window. He was checking the documents piled on the table.

“With an inconspicuous color.”

Matthias slowly said with eyes focused only on the documents he held in his hands.

"Again."

Before long, there was a ludicrous gentle smile on Matthias' face as he looked towards Leyla.

Leyla clenched her hands tightly to endure the pent-up resentment. So the rose is the problem. The rose he told to cut down 'enough'.

While Leyla stared intently at the rose, Matthias' gaze turned emotionless. The butler Hessen then continued his report, and Matthias, who was listening, replied with brief instructions. The presence of the insatiable errand girl was completely erased in the room.

To Uncle Bill.

Repeating her spell, Leyla quietly left the pavilion located by the river and returned to the park. That man, who bullied someone at 2pm in the middle of summer, should be a real man. He resolutely expressed his dissatisfaction over his unacceptable reputation.

Although she was not interested in the affairs of the mansion, Leyla was aware that the separate pavilion and the river belonged to Duke Herhardt. He rarely received guests in that pavilion and the number of servants going in and out was limited.

Leyla originally thought the reason why she wanted the flower in the pavilion was because of Claudine. Claudine would be engaged to him so there was a chance that Claudine would start using the pavilion as well. So Leyla, who knew Claudine's fondness for bright flowers, had cut the roses with the most striking color and gave them to the duke. Of course, only to be rejected by him.

As Leyla exited the forest, a shadowless garden was seen.

Leyla boldly walked over and cut the rose again with great care. In response to the duke's stress demands, this time he chose a delicate colored rose. Most of these are the types of roses Leyla likes.

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Holding a basket full of flowers, Leyla returned to the pavilion under the scorching summer afternoon sun.

Why don't you just tell me the color you want?

Leyla vented her anger by kicking the stones to the floor instead of throwing out the words she had in mind for the duke.

Ihate you.

The words that Leyla could never say directly to him, were left behind along with the stone that she had deliberately kicked.

Just as she was about to feel dizzy from the scorching heat, Leyla arrived in front of the detached house.

The beautiful pavilion located next to the pier was built as if it was half floating on a river. On the first floor there is a boat hangar and a kitchen containing simple drinks, and on the second floor there is a reception room, bedroom, bedroom, and the dining room was reserved for the duke to rest and eat.

Leyla climbed the outer stairs leading straight to the second floor while holding a basket of roses in her hand. The middle-aged butler and servant were about to leave the pavilion.

After saying goodbye to them, Leyla turned to the living room. Matthias was still sitting in his chair, with his eyes closed and his head tilted back.

Should I wait?

“I brought you a new rose, Your Grace.”

Leyla slightly lifted the basket full of flowers.

The Duke simply stared at the whiskey cup placed in front of him and did not bother to open his mouth. He had taken off his horse-riding jacket and loosened some buttons on his shirt. Because of her appearance, she seemed much more helpless and lethargic than before.

“Should I....... come back again?”

Leyla's voice trembled as she asked cautiously. If he had to go to the garden once more, he felt like he could hit the duke with a rose.

“If I tell you to go, will you go?”

He asked with a hint of drowsiness in his voice.

“If I make a mistake again, I will go, but please tell me the rose color you like this time.”

Yes, thy mercy.

It was the answer he had originally planned to say, but his mouth said another.

Matthias, who was leaning away on the back of the chair, improved his posture and sat up straight.

"Sit down."

Matthias pointed to the chair that was placed across the table with his eyes.

“No, if my master is satisfied, now I will......”.

“If you bring flowers, isn't it your job to arrange them in a vase? Miss Lewellin?”

“But Your Honor, I'm not very good at flower arranging.”

“Then are you expecting me to do it?”

Matthias looked around the room and then turned his gaze back to Leyla. Leyla did not find it difficult to recognize what the brief gesture meant. He and Leyla were the only people in this separate house. He had no choice but to do something he was unsure of.

He took a careful step forward. The seat opposite him was too burdensome for him that he carefully sat on the wooden chair in front of the window facing the river.

As Leyla began to prune the roses, Matthias turned to her pile of documents scattered all over the table. The sound of scissors cutting through fresh flower stalks and the flapping of document paper seeped into silence.

By the time he finished signing the final document reviewed, Matthias suddenly recalled the birds living in his mansion room. Wasting the words of the zoo keeper that the canary is a hard-to-tame type of bird, the canary in Matthias' bedroom follows him well. He sat on his finger and sang without hesitation.

He looked at her for a long time, amazed at the fact that the amazingly small bird could sing so beautifully. The bird flapping its wings that perched on its finger even slightly cried, as if it was chatting about its day.

As she was arranging the documents, Leyla quietly went to the bathroom and filled the vase with water. His steps are light and fast.

It was soon proved that Leyla's words did not lie. The flower arrangement is a mess.

"Do you like it?"

Leyla hesitantly asked as she brought the vase of roses to Matthias.

“This is terrible.”

Matthias' tone was not condescending, but dry. Leyla's eyes flickered in shock and her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. I'll bring in a qualified waitress.”

"Sit down."

"I'm sorry?"

“Sit, Leyla.”

As his voice dropped, the tension in the atmosphere increased. His fingers pointed right at the sofa located across from his seat.

Leyla placed the criticized vase of roses on a nearby console table and rigidly sat down at Matthias' designated spot.

"Eat."

Matthias turned his gaze toward the silver-colored dome plate placed near the sofa.

Leyla awkwardly opened the cover. There's a sandwich and a glass of lemonade for one person.

Matthias looked at the bewildered Leyla. He thought if Leyla liked that type of food, she would give Leyla the right amount of cost for her job. His work was poor but he tried hard enough.

“Thank you, Your Grace. But I'm fine.”

Leyla placed down the dome-shaped plate with trembling hands. His face, which had been smiling brightly in front of the doctor's child, now looked confused.

“If you don't want me to do anything else, I'll go...”.

“Leyla.”

Matthias' voice was almost whispering.

Leyla slowly blinked while Matthias took a sip of cold whiskey in front of her. The droplets on the surface of the crystal glass slowly descended onto his long fingers.

“Do my words sound like a request to you?”

Matthias smiled as his lips turned red from the wet whiskey.