Cry, Or Better Yet Beg
chapter 42. There is No Place in the World

Leyla stood gawking. His eyes quivered as he stared at Kyle's pale face with disheveled hair and tangled clothes.

“Don't be like this, Kyle. We now..”

"Let's go anywhere. Let's go somewhere where only the two of us can be happy. Let's do that.” Kyle roughly grabbed his hand and dragged it while muttering like a lost person, covering his ears.

Leyla's fierce resistance only made Kyle widen his steps forward without flinching.

"Trs. Remember that! Mr Remmer! Look over there! Leyla dragged away!”

A gardener who happened to be nearby witnessed the incident and exclaimed. Bill turned his gaze in the direction he pointed.

His face warmed up.

Bill throws his garden scissors and frantically chases after Kyle. The confused employees together immediately followed.

“Kyle Etman! Release her hands right now!?”

bill shouted, while anger peaked at the top of his head, grabbing like thunder. He slapped a punch into Kyle's face without delay. Kyle slumped and fell, but he did not dare to let go of his grip on Leyla's wrist.

In the middle of the wind, Leyla's body hit the ground in a bed of roses.

“Leyla!”

Bill screams in shock and rushes to help Leyla wake up. She got scratches on both her cheeks and the back of her hand from the thorny rose.

Kyle's wide-eyed eyes slowly began to regain his focus. He stood up, with a horrifying face, after seeing Leyla's face covered in blood in his line of sight.

“Leyla! Are you all right? Blood…."

"I'm fine."

Leyla pushed Kyle's hand away from her face.

“You look more hurt.”

"NO. I don't...”.

Kyle then looked at his shirt and his bloody hands. He felt a throbbing pain in his cheek and the back of his neck, but he ignored it.

"Uncle. Don't worry, I'm fine.”

Leyla rushes to stop Bill before he approaches Kyle again.

“Kyle.”

He spoke carefully. Her swollen and teary eyes caught her face.

“There is no such place.”

Leyla's smiling lips trembled slightly in her corner. Her soothing tone of voice hid her red eyes and her heated cheeks.

“There's no such place in the world, Kyle. There is no place in this world where only the two of us can be happy.”

“Leyla..”.

“Too hard for me if you insist like this. I don't know how much longer I can last.”

“Please, Leyla...”.

“So take good care of yourself. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine too.”

“How can I be fine without you?”

“Log lectures as planned...learn hard, and stay healthy. Then, be a good doctor.”

Leyla stared intently at the injured Kyle's eyes. The bitter tears dripping down her cheeks made her face sparkle with sadness.

“Kyle-ku. My good friend, Kyle Etman. I want to see you in that light.”

A drop of sadness emerged from the corner of his eyes. Kyle swallowed his sobs with gritted teeth and looked at him with flushed eyes.

“If you're okay, I'll be fine too. We might be able to greet each other with a smile as time goes by.”

"…Sorry.I'm sorry, Leyla..”.

Kyle's heart-wrenching sobs ripped his chest out from between his lips.

“A, it's all my fault. Because of me, you.. I'm sorry.”.

The piercing sunlight shone down on him like shards of glass. Kyle fell to his knees like crushed rose petals strewn on the ground.

Leyla shook her head and crouched down before him.

“No, Kyle. Don't say that. I don't hate you. How can I hate you?”

“Leyla.”

“So, be careful. You're gonna do it, right?

Kyle flinched as if he was being strangled and hugged him tightly.

His fear overflowed in uncontrollable sobs. The blood and tears dripping from her wound damaged Leyla's white blouse.

Bill took a long breath. He retracted his gaze, unable to see the two young men hugging. Workers a few feet away did the same.

With his eyes thick, Bill glanced at the sun that was shining on him in the heat. She desperately longs for this bitter summer to pass soon.

Kyle Etman leaves for the capital ahead of schedule.

Etman's family put forward the weak excuse that they should prepare for college, but no one believed it.

On the morning of Kyle's departure, Leyla woke up earlier than usual.

Kukuk….

Birds were heard from outside. Leyla turned to follow the cries and saw Phoebe sitting on the window sill.

He put on his glasses, walked to the window and opened it.

The bird's ankle was tied with a piece of paper. Phoebe is trained as a cozy pigeon to fly between her window and Kyle's room. Leyla did not need to know who the letter was addressed to.

He hesitated for a moment before opening the letter carefully.

Leyla, I'm leaving for the capital today.

I'm traveling where I should be with you. But like a coward I go alone.

I closed my eyes to the chaotic reality and left you. I don't have the courage to convince you that everything is okay.

I'm sorry.

I know very well my apology cannot erase your wound. Still, I want to say these words.

I'm sorry for all the pain my mother gave you and for my inability to stop it. I was too naive to think that everything could be solved easily, deaf to your feelings, I ended up hurting you.

Ii'm sorry….I realized my mistake.

But Leyla, I'll be back.

I won't be late. I'll make sure to get back to you soon.

You may be right when you say that there is no place in this world where only the two of us can be happy.

But Leyla, if there's no such place, I'll make sure I make it myself. And I'll take you there.

Until that day comes, I will do good, as you have asked of me.

So take care of yourself too.

My beloved Leylaku, goodbye.

Leyla read Kyle's handwritten letter slowly. The dawn breeze ruffled her dense blonde hair, which covered her cheeks politely.

After a long pause, Leyla turned away from the window. He kept the letter in his desk drawer and hurriedly started his morning activities.

It was a very busy day. Leyla meticulously cleaned the entire house as if a speck of dust would not be allowed to stick to the surface of any place. His kitchen was full of delicious food that he cooked by himself.

Shortly after, Bill returned to work after lunchtime, and some of the Arvis workers close to them came to the cottage.

“Leyla, are you okay?”

Madam Mona asked anxiously while handing out a basket full of delicious cookies and pastries.

"Yes I'm fine." Leyla smiled and happily accepted the gift. "Thank you ma'am. Please come in and drink tea.”

"Tea? Oh. no need to bother.”

Madam Mona shook her head. The other co-workers nodded along with him.

"That's right! We just want to know if you're okay.”

“Iya Leyla, don't be sad. First love is not always a reality. I'm sure you'll find a better man than Kyle.

“Hey, it's almost time! Let's get back soon. I must prepare for the time of drinking tea of the nobleman.”

Madam Mona quickly cut him off while staring intently at the servant whose words were almost over the line.

Leyla drove them away and returned to the kitchen with a heavy basket. He carefully took out the cakes and cookies from the basket one by one and arranged them neatly on the table.

Suddenly his hand stopped. He was silent for a moment when he saw the roasted crackers stuffed with peach jam.

It was Kyle's favorite cake.

Leyla blankly looked across the table at the chair where Kyle usually sat. The day the three of them ate together at this table would never return.

That one-of-a-kind chair evoked fond memories in his mind. It was time for their delicious party, warm dim lights, and loud chatter on the table. All of that now gradually vanished into the abyss of silence.

Leyla blinked and hurried to tidy up the basket before leaving the cottage. He picked up his used sling bag and the hat hanging in front of the back door and walked towards the path in the forest.

Fennel. Yorkshire Fog. Buddleia.

Tonggeret. Green Linnet. the tail of a swallow.

Layla walked down the path while whispering the names of the blooming flowers. The clinking sound of the items in her bag echoed along with the muttering of the mother earth's name as a cradle song.

After a long journey, Leyla stopped at the foot of a beautiful tree standing on the banks of the Schulter River. He immediately began to climb it to the top and perched among the thick branches of the wooden trunk.

Leyla gazed towards the corner of the blue Schulter River through her blank stare.

The sparkle of the water scales made his eyes feel cold.

“As you said, Sir, this has been handled well.”

Hessen, who returned after a short phone call, said. Matthias nodded as he had understood the meaning of the word without any explanation from the butler. His gaze remained fixed on the river behind the giant window.

“They will tell us via telegram today.”

After concluding her report, Hessen went on to the next agenda; a dinner scheduled for the following week and a guest list. The visit of Prince Brandt. Issues of labor expansion. Matthias' daily reports and short answers were compiled in sequence.

“Then, Sir, I will leave now.”

Hessen left the pavilion after everything was finished.

After being alone, Matthias went down the stairs that connected to the bottom floor.

This pavilion was built in the form of a floating stage house. Half of the land surface is devoted to boat hangars, designed to be installed openly into rivers. Matthias could easily cross the river whenever he wanted by removing their rope and rowing.

Matthias stripped off his clothes on the hangar floor and dived into the water. As he swam across the arched foyer, the dazzling sun immediately devoured his naked body bathed in its light.

Matthias let the gentle stream of the river cling to his flesh. Through his flexible punch, at first glance he looked like part of a river.

The attachment he could not have would definitely grow into a greater and stronger desire beyond his control, even if he believed, he would soon be bored once he had one. And Leyla is no exception.

Breathing loudly, Matthias reached that conclusion. He felt ridiculous from being carried away by a momentary desire. Even so, he gladly accepted the desire to have it.

And now, nothing could stand in his way.

He is free to do whatever he likes.

The male lead who fails to protect the love of their puppy finally leaves, and Leyla is left in the woods at the end of their fairy tale.

Everything in his world had returned to its original place, in perfect lines, as he wished.

By the time he turned around and started swimming back to the pavilion, the rays of the setting sun had dyed the sky with a warm orange color.

Matthias' eyes narrowed to the riverbank when he saw the beautiful and familiar tree. Silly, there was a woman present, where she casually turned her eyes away.

Leyla Lewellin's.

He shouted his name without sound like a spell, sending ripples to the surface of the water