Cry, Or Better Yet Beg
chapter 15. Friendly Hunting

After dispatching his entourage first, Matthias stopped his horse midway between the woods. As he took off his hat, tangled hair covered his forehead. The forest that was swept away by the bloody disturbance felt calmer than usual.

The hunt today was quite fun. Matthias hit every target he aimed and every moment felt thrilling as ever. But somehow he felt dissatisfied that a bird desperately tried to fly away.

While looking towards the cabin, Matthias slowly turned his horse. The little girl who lived in her hunting ground came out of the forest crying when the hunt was over and buried the dead birds. He still remembered his actions because it was so unreasonable.

But what about the woman who is no longer young?

Pondering his curiosity, Matthias pointed his weapon at the little bird resting on the edge of the branch.

Bang.

With a feisty shot, the bird fell to the floor.4

Matthias kept moving his horse to move while leaving behind the prey he hit.

Once. And once again.

Go after and shoot, Matthias headed for the night forest. One by one the blood-soaked birds fell along the way.

I hate him.1

Leyla dug a hole and repeated those words every time she buried every bird.1

I hate the duke's bad hobbies. I hate him so much.

Wiping her sweaty forehead, Leyla swallowed her grief. He thought he was almost at the end when just a few meters away, another bloody bird was lying there. Leyla grabbed her shovel and approached the bird.

He did not blame the killing of the animal. Uncle Bill also hunts food and Leyla raises livestock. But it is difficult to understand why the duke killed for the sake of entertainment and mindlessly abandoned his hunt.

When will this summer end?

Sighing deeply, Leyla prayed that her favorite season would end soon as she buried the other birds. It was a red crowned bird with a beautiful pattern.

Leyla suddenly felt something strange after she went deep into the night forest. Duke Herhardt loved to hunt and Leyla buried the birds he hunted every year. But for some reason, Leyla never had any previous memory of the making of tombs in sequence. It felt like he was creating a path consisting of dead birds.

Should I turn around now?

Leyla was shocked when she felt an unpleasant feeling. The sky he saw was bright red. As he turned his gaze from sunset to behind the thickets. He's seen.

Duke Herhardt, who was sitting on the chopped down trump tree, stared back at him.

Leyla almost tripped when her mind went blank. He greeted her in a carefree manner.1

“Halo, Leyla.”4

Matthias von Herhardt's voice was as smooth as the feathers of the bird he shot and killed.

“By the way, Matthias is late. I think the people who dated her are back.”

Elysee von Herhardt's eyes narrowed as he laid down his cards. The card games he played were getting boring. He wanted to start dinner early but Matthias had not returned from the hunting grounds.

“She said she would take a walk in the forest.”

Claudine replied with a friendly smile. His expression was not like that of a person who had just lost.

The women, who were well aware that it was a deliberate defeat, looked at Claudine with a pleasant smile. The next Duchess of Arvis is a smart man and has courtesy and elegance. Claudine knew she was highly praised among the noble ladies.

“Matthias really likes that forest.”

Elysee von Herhardt lightly rang the bell and the waiter began to set the table.

The bored women who sat around the reception table enjoyed a simple snack and chatted. They talked about the clearest and most formal stories.

“Oh, Claudine. Why don't you invite your friends and open a party?”

Claudine's eyes widened upon von Herhardt's recommendation from the Elysee.

"I? Here in Arvis?”

“You will get tired of dealing with us every day, so don't you need a change of heart?”

"NO. Not at all."

“Why are you so surprised. I was just kidding Claudine.”

Elysee's relaxed and smiling face was so young and beautiful, it was unbelievable that she was the mother of an engaged son. He looks like Matthias.

Although Duchess Elysee von Herhardt was praised by the imperial people for her highly respected beauty, she failed to win the love of her husband. When Claudine thinks of Elysee's tragic love life, she believes the woman obsessed with love is ridiculous.

Predecessor Matthias had a mistress like any other man in his position, but he did not cause any problems for his next successor by bringing a child out of wedlock. Although not in love with each other, the Duke and Duchess of Arvis respect each other and remain faithful to their respective duties. There is no greed or meaningless hope that undermines the tranquility of the household. Claudine expects a similar relationship with Matthias.

“You don't need to feel pressured Claudine. Think of it as an exercise. We will also have fun if this mansion is filled with young people.”

Elysee's smile became brighter.

“Don't you guys think so too?”

Everyone in the room knew that the question was not really asking their opinion.

“Duchess it is really generous and attentive.”

Countess Brandt praises Elysee. Soon, other women joined in and made complementary comments with a little extra exaggeration.

Claudine timidly smiled as she lowered her head gently. He was thinking about the names of the friends he wanted to invite until he set his gaze to the window. The girl flashed through her mind as she looked at the forest behind the sunset garden.

Leyla, the poor orphan who lives in the woods.

He was polite and very considerate of his own circumstances but he was still a bit arrogant.2

“Can I invite Leyla?”

Claudine's cheerful question raised the eyebrows of the women.

You mean an orphan raised by a gardener?

"Hey. Claudine.”

The embarrassed Countess Brandt glared at Claudine but Claudine was not bothered.

“That sad girl must have never attended a formal party before. I want to give Leyla an unforgettable experience.”3

Claudine did not lose her modesty and dignity even as she blurted out such an impressive statement.

“After hearing your words, it does make sense.”

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A satisfied smile was seen on the face of Duchess Norma Catarina von Herhart, who had been watching Claudine.

“Do as you please, Claudine.”

Leyla looks back at the buried bird path. When he turned his head and examined the duke, there was only one conclusion he came to.

Crazy person.

There is no other word to explain this situation.

Leyla's gloves were bleeding with sweat. His heart began to pound with anger mixed with fear.

Escape.

That was all he could think of and was about to return to the cabin when he heard his voice.

“Leyla.”

His expressionless expression while he was constantly saying his name.

“Leyla Lewellin.”

The name he spoke softly sounded like a song.

Leyla used the shovel in her hand as a stick to straighten her posture. He firmly closed his lips and exerted strength on both of his legs.

There is no point in running away. As long as he was determined, the duke could easily capture Leyla. His mind became clear and cold.

Leyla raised her twitching eyes and looked at the man. The sound of the forest swaying in the wind was heard while a calm gaze remained.

"Continue."

Matthias broke the silence first.

“You have to do your job.”

On the side of the bushes he pointed at with his eyes, lay a bird that seemed to be his last hunt. Leyla trudged closer to the bird. There was a red thread tied around the bird's bloody ankle. It was a thread Leyla tied to a baby bird that hatched near the Schulter River last year.

Leyla dug a hole without saying anything and buried the bird. He was now used to his actions due to the butchery of the beautiful bird.

“Utas it. Did you tie it?”

He asked while observing.

"Yes." Yeah."

"Why."

“I want to see the birds that leave their nests to migrate..When they return.”.

Leyla replied while patting the ground.

“I don't want a reunion like this.”

As she felt asphyxiation, Leyla saw Duke Herhardt's indifferent face.

“Do you want to criticize me?”

He asked while sitting cross-legged. At that moment, the ridicule that was uttered from her lips made Leyla's patience run out.

“I can't refuse to say no.”

"What's the problem?"

His eyebrows frowned.

“I only hunt my birds, in my region, and in my hunting grounds.”

“But the birds didn't know it.”

Think about Uncle Bill.

Leyla finally opened her mouth even though those words were repeated in her head.

“For birds, this is just a forest. The place where they were born and raised. This is also the place where they want to return after migration.”

“Do I need to bother understanding it?”

“Not really, but.. ..”

Leyla took off her bloodstained garden gloves and regulated her breathing.

“You don't need to ruthlessly hunt them down.”

To get those words out of his mouth, he had gathered a lot of courage. There was a regret that came too late afterwards, but the duke did not show any displeasure or anger. The strange calmness made Leyla feel even more suffocated.

“Leyla Lewellin, a woman who knows the heart of birds well.”

Matthias opened his mouth after a long silence.

“What do you think hunting is?”

"What?"

“Do you want me to do a friendly hunt?”

His ridicule clawed at his heart. Leyla endured her insults just by twisting her skirt.

"…… I'm sorry. I've said something sassy. Please forgive my disrespect.”

“Why do you like birds so much?”

“I don't think that's an interesting story for you.”

Leyla lowered her head because she did not want to see him again. The duke stood still.

“Now after I finish my work, I will leave.”

He bowed deeply while he was still silent.

Leyla relievedly turned her body. And just as he was about to step forward, a loud shot sounded.

Leyla quickly turned around with a horrifying expression. The duke had fired a shot towards the end of the tree branch and looked at him with a gun in his hand. Another bloody bird lay between him and Leyla.

“What to do, Leyla.”

The Duke sat leaning against the tree trunk as if nothing had happened.

“I don't think your job is done yet.