Cry, Or Better Yet Beg
chapter 56. Phoebe

“I thank you, Dr. Etman.”

Norma Catharina von Herhardt's eyes were full of appreciation as she watched her pack her medical bag.

“Oh, don't mention it! I'm glad you're back to your peak health condition.” Answer Dr. Etman was warm while smiling as usual.

“Given my old age.it is not surprising that my health began to deteriorate.”.

“Please, don't say it.”

Dr. Etman left his job early to re-examine Norma's health. The Duchess caught the flu and could potentially be serious given her youth has passed.

“It's all thanks to you this old lady enjoys these years in good condition. Isn't that right, Elysee?” He asked his daughter-in-law who had been standing by the doctor.

"Of course!" Elysee von Herhardt agreed, gladly taking the opportunity to praise their family doctor. “You did well, Dr. Etman.”

"Thank you madam. I have to go now.” Dr. Etman replied as he picked up his prepackaged medical bag, intending to leave the room.

“Oh yes, how is Kyle?”

When she hears Elysee asking about her son, Dr. Etman twitched, but he immediately regained his composure and replied with a bright smile. “Kyle is fine. He is currently learning.”

"So so. He will be a great doctor in the future because he is very similar to you.”

“I'm honored Madam thinks like that.”

“Will he return to Carlsbar during winter holidays?” Elysee tried to investigate.

“I'm sure he hasn't made up his mind.”

“True, she may prefer to stay and hang out with her new friends as this is her first vacation and there is also the option to explore the southern region.”

“Ya, after all, I want to respect Kyle.”'s wishes

“Tell me his decision; if he decides to spend his winter holidays in the capital then I will introduce him to a good social club or if he chooses to travel, I will introduce him to a good social club, I will help him as much as I can.”

Elysee proposes without hesitation, leaving the other two shocked at his unexpected concern and kindness, especially Dr. Etmanl.

“Please send my greetings also to Mrs Etman.” Elysee added while accompanying her towards the bedroom door.

Hearing Elysee's attentive words despite his deteriorating relationship with his wife, a satisfied smile is seen on Dr. Etmanl.

After his departure, the servants also came out of the room, and the duo Herhardt was left unattended.

“You pay enough attention to Kyle, Elysee.” Norma vaguely praised her daughter-in-law as she leaned against the cushion with a gentle smile on her face.

“After pondering for a while, I realized that your words were indeed true. Elysee further stated, “If Kyle becomes a great doctor, he could be useful to our Matthias. Etman's mother and I have separated, but I try to respect the Etman family as our family doctor.”

“I'm glad you agree.”

Norma replied with a passionate nod. Kyle Etman will replace his father's role as Herhardt's family doctor after he graduates, if things go as expected.

A gradual conversation between the couple that started with Kyle Etman eventually diverges back to Matthias, the honor of Herhardt's family life.

“Matthias attended a board meeting at a city school recently.” Elysee told me happily. “His attention to such things amazes me.”

“He is on the right track to become the head of the household. I'm impressed with how fast he's growing.” Norma said, praising her granddaughter wholeheartedly, which made Elysee von Herhardt happy forever. After all, Matthias was his son.

"of course! He will be the best Duke Herhardt ever had!”

So you could say, it was a coincidence.

Riette proposed attending a social gathering because no schedule was set up for the day, and Matthias agreed.

Social meetings are fun, yet boring. They finally say goodbye and meet Leyla on the way home.

Matthias instantly recognized Leyla from a distance as the car entered the mansion. She pedaled her bicycle along the Platanus road in the winter of October, wrapped in the white coat her husband had given her.

“Isn't that Leyla Lewellin?” Riette watched him as the distance from the woman on the bike slowly grew shorter. “Birds lovers who live in Arvis hunting grounds?” Her eyes shifted from Leyla to her cousin who was staring at her unblinkingly with her sharp blue eyes.

Matthias nodded without taking his eyes off her. He could see how tired he was but he held on and pedaled his bike as usual.

Realizing that a car was following her, Leyla parked her bike on the side of the road to make way for a larger vehicle. Matthias could catch a glimpse of it as soon as his car passed; he also wore a new pair of shoes he bought for him.

“If it's not wrong, you told me he was a village school teacher. She was supposed to be on her way home from school.” Riette grinned as she continued to stare at her cousin, whose eyes never escaped the girl.

"Maybe."

Matthias mengalihkan pandangannya dari Leyla di akhir jawaban samar-samar itu, bibirnya masih memiliki senyuman tipis di sudutnya. Riette tidak bisa mengalihkan pandangan dari wajah sepupunya, yang tampak seperti anak kecil yang baru pertama kali merasakan cinta.

“...There's something I want to say?” Matthias asked mischievously as he turned to face Riette who had made a hole in his body with his gaze.

“We will hunt today. I hope you can join us.” Riette replied with reason. “I've invited some guests and it is inappropriate if the owner of Arvis is not present.”

After Riette announced her weekend plan to hunt in the Arvis forest, requests for invitations flooded in. Matthias has given the green light on his cousin's request to invite guests to his home.

“I can't act like your landowner, Matthias.” Riette added just as the car stopped in front of the mansion door.

'Leyla will definitely roam the woods over the weekend, right?'

After pondering for a moment, Matthias happily agreed to it.

"As expected."

Riette got out of the car, looking delighted at the familiar Matthias.

“Now you're acting more like Duke Herhardt, my cousin!”

Laughing, Riette hugged Matthias' shoulder, which Matthias let her do, though she disliked such an act of intimacy.

The two men walked side by side, entering the mansion's porch, which was illuminated by the light at night.

Phoebe is an intelligent pigeon.

Smart enough to know how to plan to regain her freedom after she feels dissatisfied from being locked up in a backyard cage.

It all started with Bill Remmer. He forgot to lock his cage properly after voluntarily feeding the bird on Leyla's behalf one weekend morning while he was busy preparing breakfast for them.

The greedy pigeon did not immediately realize the door was unlocked as he was more interested in filling his stomach. It was only when Bill and Leyla were busy sweeping away the leaves that enveloped the entire backyard that the bird realized something unusual in its cage.

“Don't go to the forest today, Leyla. Duke is hunting with his friends.”

Leyla sighed deeply as she cleared the ground. “She's been quiet for some time but it looks like her hobby hasn't changed.” His disappointment rang out as he vented his frustration with a sweep.

“What kind of sniper wastes his skills?” In fact, Bill showed it.

“I feel you're siding with Duke.”

“I... I'm not on anyone's side! It's just..I'm just telling the truth.”

Leyla smirked as Bill hurriedly turned his words around. “It looks like everyone in Arvis loves Duke.” He declared his observation and his uncle shrugged. “There is no reason not to like it. Instead, he was the noblest man Arvis ever had. The saucy noble lady was lucky to be engaged to a man like Duke Herhardt.”

"…Yes.Yes."

Leyla swept the backyard with a brighter smile as she enjoyed the back and forth conversation with her uncle. He occasionally glanced at the birdcage and felt comfortable seeing Phoebe safe and sound; everything was fine.

However, the mischievous bird finally dares to escape when Bill leaves for work and Leyla starts cleaning the house.

Wooden door cage creaking in the wind. Following the sound Phoebe tried her luck by pecking at the swinging door. He sped up his pace and the rickety cage door fully opened not long after.

Phoebe felt perplexed for a moment as she stared at the open door of the cage, thinking it was the perfect opportunity to avoid the unfair punishment Leyla gave her for delivering the Duke's letter.

The fat pigeon flapped its white wings firmly and flew towards the forest, the same place where the Duke's hunting party would head for their session.

Leyla stopped mopping when she heard voices outside and peered out the window. A familiar scene unfolds before him: dogs lead the way and nobles follow on horseback. He flinched in a tense pose out of fear. Repeated flashbacks of the gunshot sound with a terrifying light reappeared in his head.

Leyla was surprised when Matthias turned to look at the cabin and caught her gaze. Faced with overwhelming fear, he retreated from the window, his heart pounding.

Restlessly, Leyla closed the window and immediately closed the curtain.

'This isn't the first time I've seen them, why am I acting more cowardly than before?'

His heartbeat had just returned to normal even after the hunting party was finished. The sound of the first shot rang out as Leyla massaged her cold, stiff shoulders, followed by a loud dog barking.

'That's her! The crazy duke who casually kills birds.'

The small, motionless bird was covered in blood, wounded by bullets.

Blood aroma…

All those memories started to come back to life in his mind.

Leyla hurriedly took her bag and left the house to bury the dead birds in the forest after the hunting session was over. He went to the backyard to check on Phoebe first, as if it was a routine, to make sure the pigeon was still there before leaving.

“February.”.

Leyla's face turned pale with fear as she stood in front of an empty and open cage. Trembling, he held onto the bag rope and ran as he heard the sound of gunfire again in the forest

Matthias was the first to shoot. The bullet instantly ended the life of the roe deer that ran through the bushes.

“Are you considering hunting on land as well?” Riette asked amusedly while praising Matthias' success. “It will be a little disappointing, I really want to watch Duke Herhardt's bird shooting ability.” Continue commenting on Matthias' sudden change.

Riette stops her nonsense and picks up her weapon as the dogs take her to new prey; a gray-haired rabbit.

The deeper they went into the forest, the more intense the hunting took place. However, Matthias did not take action against any of the birds even though other birds added them to the catch.

'As long as it's not a bird, it's okay, right?'

Matthias did not understand the reason for such random thinking but he soon realized:

He didn't want to see her cry.

He would rather the hunt be boring than piss him off by targeting a bird.

The sound of horse treads crossing the thick layers of fallen leaves shook the tranquility of the forest. Hunting troupe departs for captivity at Schulter River – Matthias favorite hunting location.

On the way to the river, Matthias accidentally saw a familiar white-haired bird sitting on a long branch. His feet were tied with familiar red thread.

“Febes.”

His unwitting mutterings attracted the attention of others. Together, they turned their heads towards the twig and saw the white pigeon perched casually without a care