Cry, Or Better Yet Beg
chapter 43. Lovely Song

After swimming back to the hangar, Matthias changed his clothes and left the pavilion. The sky turned dark as the sunset descended from its peak. But Leyla was still there, crying on the tree, unaware of her arrival.

Matthias sat under a tree. It was not long before Leyla turned her head and looked at her from above.

He did not seem surprised, nor did he attempt to escape from his gaze. He also showed no signs of fear or worry.

'Why'

Matthias soon discovers the reason: he's not really looking at her. His dim eyes seemed to wander somewhere far away, perhaps toward the place where the doctor's son had gone.

By the time Matthias tilted his lips, Leyla's eyes had already refocused. His green eyes were immediately filled with shame. His shoulders lifted, and his face became stiff. He returned to the Leyla Lewellin he knew.

Matthias casually looked at her teary eyes with folded arms. She had a relaxing night and was not tied to any schedule, so Matthias had plenty of time to wait for her to stop crying.

She saw Leyla's eyes glittering in disdain when she had no intention of leaving, yet her scathing arrogance only made her giggle.

“You know, Leyla. The boy will not come.”

Matthias stepped closer to the tree where he was sitting.

“Kyle Etman's. The boy you were waiting for. Uh! Should I now call him the one who left you?”

His lips smiled at him. His tone was gentle and calm, although his words did not dim in the slightest.

Leyla cried at those words. The twilight sky above her revealed herself—without the birds returning to her nest. His vision of the slowly swelling scene immediately turned into steamy tears and flowed down his cheeks.

Leyla bit her lower lip, she remained silent until darkness slowly enveloped her surroundings. He patiently waited for his departure but the evil Duke was still standing under the tree. So Leyla decided to go down to the back of the tree, which her gaze could not reach. His head was a little dizzy because of all the crying. Luckily he did not stumble and could tread the ground safely.

Leying on the tree, Leyla wiped her teary face with her apron. She tidied up her tangled hair and straightened her posture. Only then did he look back, and the duke was still blocking the path to the hut.

After gathering courage, Leyla approached him step by step. She did not care about her messy face as her unstoppable tears still stuck to her face. Since she could not hide her tears, Leyla chose to show them off confidently.

This time he was determined to no longer be his toy.

“I'm sorry for my impoliteness. Goodbye, Duke.”

Leyla bowed her back very politely from a distance of two steps. At this point, giving the nobility the decency they wanted, it became as easy as breathing for him.

“Leyla.”

Matthias called out his name as he was about to cross it. Leyla flinched, but her steps were not interrupted.

“Leyla Lewellin.”

Matthias laughed and turned around. But Leyla ignored him and continued walking as if she was deaf.

His brows furrowed due to his roughness that had crossed the line. He was about to stop her when Leyla suddenly fainted.

“Arghh.”

He sat down slumped on the ground, unable to get up. Her little, slouching shoulders and her weak back quivered occasionally.

Matthias snorted and slowly approached him. Leyla Lewellin, the honest girl whose eyes never lost courage despite tears, is now sobbing after a fall.

Matthias crouched down in front of him, bent one knee and picked up his fallen glasses.

Still, Leyla did not raise her head.

The tears that always comforted her this time no longer flowed. Matthias is now learning how to mention these feelings after seeing him cry over a boy named Kyle Etman.

Abhorred…

Emotional feelings that he never had.

“Do not cry.”

Matthias grabbed his chin. Leyla tried to dodge but could not escape her clutches.

"Let me go!"

“Do not cry.”

Matthias ignored his protest and repeated his request. With just one hand, he was able to tame it completely.

“Are you not supposed to be happy to see me cry?” Layla throws scorn at him. The drops of dew in his eyes became thicker and hotter as he endured the humiliation from his grip.

“Since when have you been interested in my pleasure?” Matthias sneered at him, who sobbed in front of his nose. "Why? You don't like me having fun?”

"NO."

Leyla shook her gripped face, stubbornly trying to hold back her sobs.

“Like it or not Duke, it has nothing to do with me. My tears have nothing to do with you.”

“What is Leyla?” Matthias tilted his head. “It does have something to do with me.”

“So, don't cry.”

Again. Matthias' gentle gaze held him for longer. Leyla was stunned, and she grumbled.

“Do I need your permission to cry?”

"Maybe?"

"Why should I? You have no right to do so.”

“I have no rights..?”

“You don't have me just because you are the owner of Arvis!”

"really?"

After frowning for a while, Matthias' face immediately beamed with excitement.

“Then.... Should I have you now?”

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“For I can be your owner.”

Matthias stroked his lips with his fingertips. Leyla shuddered in fear as the man's touch rekindled his bad memories last summer. His burning heart, which had been fluttering in grief from the loss of Kyle, suddenly seemed frozen.

“...T-no, I don't want.”

Leyla lifted her body with all her might. He was fed up when he saw himself humbling at the man's feet. Matthias then let go, like a child bored with his toys and threw them away.

Matthias got up first and stood there watching him crawl standing under his shadow. Ground dust and tears ruined its shape, but not on his eyes.

“Duke, I really don't understand you. You already have a fiancee but you always do inexplicable actions..

"Continue?"

Matthias asked back, playing his loose glasses.

“What is your heart related to me?”

His tone contained no hostility.

“I just want to have you.”

He wanted it; then he had it. The principle is that simple.

Matthias von Herhardt wanted Leyla Lewellin. He wants it, and he'll have it. He believed; something could be thrown away only after having that 'something. And he had to leave her after he had her in order for his life to be complete again.

Matthias gently pressed the glasses onto Leyla's sad face.

"Continue."

He let go of her hand, and Leyla lost her balance and fell back in place.

Matthias stood looking at him for a while before he left the riverbank to continue his journey.

Leyla stayed there alone for a long time, even after she was nowhere to be seen again.

“Leyla! Leyla! Come and see this!”

Bill Remmer greets Leyla excitedly after she returns to the cabin.

Leyla approached Bill cheerfully as he sat on the porch. He knew he could not deceive his uncle with a careless laugh, but he did not want to show his stupid face that was crying.

“What happened, uncle?”

“A telegram arrives. That's for you."

"Telegrams?"

Leyla was confused when Bill gave her the telegram. It was a notice letter about a job vacancy for a teaching position at a rural school not far from the Arvis estate. Starting the next semester, she could work at school instead of having to travel to a neighboring town.

"That's weird. They said no more vacancies in Carlsbar..”.

This good news confused him. Bill raised his hand and gently patted his head.

“It's hard for me to send you all the way, Leyla, but I'm glad luck like this comes.”

Seeing Bill's relief-filled gaze, Leyla giggled as she nodded. He could come every weekend to visit his beloved uncle even though he was working in a nearby town. However, his heart was agitated every time he left Uncle Bill alone in the cottage.

But…

Leyla was unable to enjoy her happiness once Duke's face appeared in her mind. She was grateful she didn't have to part from Uncle Bill. But on the other hand, he hated living one roof with the Duke.

What a stupid thought.

“Leyla, what's up?”

Bill looked worried, and Leyla realized his face looked gloomy.

"NO. It's okay."

A brilliant glimmer of moonlight illuminated his smiling face.

“It's like a coincidence, so I'm a little surprised.”

"really?"

"Yes." Yeah."

She sparkled, and her smile grew brighter.

“Uncle, are you not hungry? Let's have a nice dinner.”

The curtains in the bedroom, which partially cover the open windows, swell in the night air before repeatedly sinking.

Inside the room, the twang of a piano tone plays a transitional piece of music. The chords of his beats flowed melodiously, creating a very subtle and striking symphony but, to a certain extent, sounded depressed.

Matthias leaned against the window seat, the tin scissors and the handkerchief in his hand.When he snapped his finger, the canary swooped down and alighted in his hand. He learned that canaries, like humans, can improve their singing skills by being trained frequently.

His lips lifted up smiling as the bird hummed in rhythm with the piano being played. The canary wiggled its small body covered in soft feathers and tilted its head as if it was studying deeply.

Matthias gently wrapped the bird in the handkerchief he carried after his singing stopped.

Knowing that the bird will be afraid of the person cutting its wings, the zoo keeper always closes the bird's eyes before cutting its wings. After a long time entrusting the job to the zookeeper, Matthias can now easily trim the overgrown fur.

The first few times he cut his wings too short, the bird spewed blood. He was not seriously injured, but seeing his golden wings covered in blood was not a pleasant sight. Matthias didn't like it, so he became more cautious.

Matthias skillfully stretched and grasped the branches of the bird that believed him. He took out the scissors from his lap after deciding which feather to cut. Strand by strand, the feathers scattered along the slashed area. His feathers fluttered in harmony and fell on top of his perfectly polished shoes.

Matthias then rolled up the handkerchief that had been protecting the bird's eyes after he finished cutting the last wing. The canary flaps its wings several times before sitting on its fingers.

As if nothing had happened, the canary began to chirp again

It was a beautiful song