Cry, Or Better Yet Beg
chapter 58. Play With Me

The Headmaster's lips conical into a thin line, his face frowning slightly as he looked at the woman opposite him. Leyla, on the contrary, sat quietly, yet firmly while waiting for her decision. From his eyes alone, the Headmaster could see that Leyla was determined in this matter.

“Are you sure of this, Miss Lewellin?” She kept asking Leyla, her eyes peeking out from behind her glasses to look at her. Leyla simply nodded in response.

"Yes. I want to do that.” He immediately replied, as if the thought did not just appear. He was not joking about his desire to move. To teach in a different school, a more distant school.

“I'm sorry for peeping, but,” The Headmaster hummed as he placed his chin on top of his clenched hand, observing Leyla again, “Isn't this school the closest to home? Why do you want to be moved?”

To his knowledge, Leyla just had to pedal her bike to go to school every day. He asked, not because Leyla was an experienced teacher, but because she was a hard worker. Of course, he was a beginner, often lacking experience in dealing with problems that would cause some headaches along the way, but he could see the potential the girl had.

In short, he liked Leyla even more. In fact, this school was also the best option he could have to develop his experience and career.

“Should I also point out that other Carlsbar schools do not have vacancies to hire you?” The Headmaster asked with a short sigh, “In addition, you have to move, find a place to live, and travel several times just to switch schools?”

“Ya, I understand, and I'm ready to do it.”

Leyla was thinking about those things. It's impossible not to do it. But he knew he needed to do this. The Headmaster hummed while thinking before leaning back in his chair.

“If there is a problem in school, I guarantee, this Leyla we can handle.” He said softly, “Is there a problem among your students? Colleagues?”

"NO! No problem.” Leyla vehemently denied, “The teachers have been kind to me, especially you. And the children are really angels, it's just that.” those words stuck in his throat. How does he explain why going out has nothing to do with work?

"Just…?" The Headmaster urged, his eyebrows raised towards him for further investigation. Leyla set her face, smiling politely.

“I thought about this not because of my problems at school, but rather because I felt I needed more experience outside my comfort zone.” Leyla explained, “I want to broaden my horizons, pass through my home so that I can improve my skills, for me and the kids I will teach.” she is done. The Headmaster was surprised to hear his reply, greatly impressed.

“How fluent.” He sighed resignedly, “If that's what you really want, then who am I to deny it?” He looked down at his desk and started rearranging papers, “Fortunately, there are many people who also want to gain experience here, at Carlsbar, so looking for your replacement shouldn't be too difficult.”

“Thank you very much for your consideration!” He said a big thank you. Leyla knew that her experience at Carlsbar was a good one. The school was quite prestigious, located in a flourishing city not too far from the capital of the Berg Kingdom. In fact, the main job opportunity was that he got a job in such a place even though he lacked experience.

But that was the only reason he had thought up that was enough for the Headmaster to request a transfer of the school, away from home.

“Although you still have to undergo a full semester before your transfer can be processed.” Headmaster continued, “However, if you change your mind, please go back and revoke your transfer.”

Leyla doubted she would revoke her request, even if she was given a semester to think about it. He was determined to move away from this place. Thanking her once again, Leyla got up and left the Headmaster's office, gently closed the door behind her, and walked back to her class before sighing in relief.

While confirming that she was alone, Leyla moved towards the window, observing the leaves of the oak tree outside that swayed gently following the wind before its trunk broke and flew to the ground. Autumn is almost over as winter slowly comes along.

Sunlight flowed between the nearly barren branches of the tree, filtering the light seeping through its windows, casting an elongated shadow on its face.

"I have to leave Arvis." he thought to himself, imagining what would be his last fall in school.

In fact, Leyla had thought about this carefully. It took several sleepless nights and busy days before he made such a decision. No matter how sad he had to leave and therefore could not spend more precious time with Uncle Bill, he did not want to repeat the events that happened with Kyle.

He's learned his lesson. He could no longer hold on to impractical desires and desires. It would only make things more complicated, make it more difficult in the long run, and destroy everything he had worked so hard for.

So Leyla decided to focus on her original plan.

Moreover, just because he became a teacher in a neighboring town or in a more distant place did not mean he could not come visit Uncle Bill from time to time. He thought he could even turn it into a weekly visit if he did it on the weekend.

And perhaps lodging and lodging will become expensive in a foreign place and delay the further preparation he does when continuing his college education. Still, it's a much better alternative than staying longer here in Carlsbar.

He would do anything just to get away from the man and Arvis.

“All will be fine,” Leyla muttered softly to herself, “Everything will be fine soon. You'll see." he repeats.

Perhaps after repeating that sentence over and over again, he would start to believe it. With a smile, he returned to his desk.

After all, he was no stranger to moving. His entire childhood consisted of moving from one place to another, living with relatives, one after another. This makes him feel miserable as a child, but of course this provides some valuable life lessons, which he finds useful today.

Yes, he is an adult now, with a loving uncle who supports his every effort. Everything will be okay in the end.

Unknowingly, his fingers raised gently rubbed his lips in a back and forth motion. He took a deep breath before standing up to put on his coat. He fixed his things and packed what he needed into his bag for the next few days before his breath faltered upon seeing a simple white cloth.

There, innocently stuffed into one of the inner pockets of his bag, was Duke's handkerchief. Memories of their last kiss assaulted his mind before he put it away and took a deep breath.

He couldn't let her influence him any further. So, without further ado, she locked her classroom as she left and exited the building. He headed straight for his bike, lifted himself up onto the chair as he had done thousands of times before, and began paddling past Arvis.

He knows where he's going next.

Riette von Lindman obediently drove her car, her eyes fixed on the road. His grip on the steering wheel died down as he turned slowly, entering the road to the Arvis Estate. As soon as he crossed the line, he caught a woman around him, taking shelter under a tree.

He slowed to a stop, his eyes glancing towards him. He noticed the bicycle propped up in the tree as he stood silently waiting for someone.

'Who is he waiting for?' Riette hummed in surprise upon seeing it. This was certainly quite surprising, and he wanted to know what he was there for. He removed his seatbelt and got out of the car, locking the door behind him. As he approached the woman, he blinked as he recognized her.

“Good afternoon, Miss Lewellin.” she greeted once she was close enough to be heard.

Leyla, who was busy daydreaming, gasped at the unexpected presence of the Marquis. In his uneasiness, he staggered backwards as the man stopped in front of him.

“Marquis Lindman, a good day for you too.” he replied politely after a full minute, although the nervousness in him was still there. Nervously he looked around, realized they were alone, and subconsciously moved away from him, making a further distance between them.

He was already feeling nervous about being on the estate; he did not need any nobles to figure out why he was here either. But of course, he was never that lucky.

"What are you doing here?" Riette asked him.

Leyla tried hard to answer. What can he say? The more he thought about why he was here, the more he felt stiff and frozen in place. He can't answer it.

Riette, on the contrary, watched as she slowly paled, silence enveloped them after her question. It didn't take long for him to solve the puzzle, and he laughed amusedly at his fear.

“Hmm, let's see, it's impossible doctor's child,” Riette chuckles, his eyes are watching him closely, “He's not on the estate at the moment.” He pretended to think about it for a while longer before panting heavily in the mock drama, “Could it? You're here for Duke Herhardt himself?”

Leyla's eyes looked back at him due to his mocking tone. She could feel her cheeks flushed red, her brows furrowed in response, the shame she felt hidden in her eyes due to the glasses she was wearing.

Riette approached, hands folded behind her back, lowering her mouth near her ears... “The man Miss Lewellin was waiting for must be Matthias, right?” He whispered before straightening up, making a distance between them once more.

Upon hearing her suspicions once more, Leyla felt her palms become wet, cold sweat running down her temples, her knuckles turning white as the grip of her bag grew tighter with frustration.

He was only here to return Duke's handkerchief, but how did he feel as if he was tied up with a time bomb? He didn't want to be stuck alone with her in the pavilion, so he instead waited here, by the side of the road…

“Cats understand your tongue, hmm?” Riette mused, “Why? Is my punch too close to home?”

“Pardon my rudeness, but I have to leave now, Marquis.” Leyla forced herself to say it, quietly moving her bag backwards as she turned to leave the place. He'll meet the Duke at a different time.

However, Riette was taller and nimble than him. He managed to catch up to her quickly, herding her to a stop as he blocked her exit.

“Ah, will you wait a minute for my dear cousin?” he asked, “You haven't seen him, and you must have waited a while now. It would be a waste of time if it went now.”

“I'm sure it wasn't in vain, excuse me.” Leyla dodged once more to pass through it, but Riette instead grabbed her shoulder and held her back.

“Oh, but I insist!” He exclaimed, “By the way, did you know that Duke is actually not home at the moment?” She told him informally, “Actually, she went to control her fiance!” He emphasized, “Does that upset you, oh poor Miss Lewellin?”

Leyla frantically tried to break away from her clutches, which in turn also started to make Leyla even more nervous as she struggled even more. Couldn't he see beyond her fear that she was trying to help!?

When Riette first stopped and approached her, she only intended to tease her a little. However, when he found out or guessed correctly that he had indeed been waiting for Matthias, the taunts turned to pity. The poor girl did not even realize that the precious Duke had left and left the estate.

She was deeply sympathetic; after all, she was also in her tragic love story. Riette strongly believes she also suffered from heartbreak upon hearing the news, just as she suffered watching Matthias walk out of the mansion to escort her fiance, Claudine, this morning.

The painful longing still felt heavy in his heart, so of course he understood it. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't mind playing with her any longer for her pleasure.

“Although come to think of it, Matthias is a simple person isn't he?” Riette continued to hold him back, her grip on her shoulder getting tighter before she even held onto her bike, effectively stopping him from leaving. “Also, your relationship with him, isn't it similar to a savings relationship?”

“Ap what?!” Leyla hissed, her breath heaving upon hearing the accusation.

“Ya, yes, that's the right word.” Riette insisted, straightening up while keeping her bike away from him, “You're almost like Duke's mistress, aren't you?” He blinked innocently before grinning at the growing anger on his face, “What? Too vulgar for your taste, Miss Lewellin?”

Leyla was angry because of the blatant humiliation on her face. He wanted to remove the arrogant expression from his face in response to the baseless accusations. Although it didn't help ease her embarrassment as she recalled the last kiss that Duke and she had done, let alone the fact that she was reluctant to do so.

“Ya, right?” Riette found it funny to keep pushing the button. “If so, then I deeply apologize for using such a word.” He continued to mock, tilting his head to add to the effect, but complacency was still there.

“Restore my bike!” Leyla demanded angrily, her hands outstretched to pull her possessions away from her, but she avoided them quickly, effectively keeping her bike out of reach.

“Now, I feel a little disappointed because you, the esteemed Miss Lewellin, who liked the son of the doctor and Duke Herhardt, can't even stand to be near me! Oh, how you hurt me!” Riette pretended to be dramatic as she fainted from pain. “Alright, this is your bike.” and he let it go.

Leyla immediately moved to retrieve her bike, but in a hurry to retrieve it, she took off her bag, letting the Marquis pick it up quickly. He flinched frantically, instead leaving his bike as he started running after the Marquis, who was now busy with the contents of his bag.

“Maybe I can find something here for me.” he teases her once again. Twisting and dodging around him to be out of Leyla's reach. “I don't know about the doctor's child, but I'm sure I can be more interesting than Matthias.”

“Restore my bag!”

“In retrospect, even Matthias and I look very similar.” He pointed, pausing as he touched his chin and looked down at her, lifting his bag high above her, “Don't you think so, Miss Lewellin? Although I cannot give you as much affection as Duke Herhardt, I believe I can still make you happy.”

No matter how she looked, Leyla grabbed her arm as she jumped up to retrieve her stolen bag. He could feel a growing sense of frustration that threatened to explode inside him as his eyes blurred and his lips began to tremble.

“Let the boring Duke hang out with his boring fiancee, and in the meantime, play with me, Miss Lewellin.” Riette said in a singing voice while keeping the bag out of her reach.

Undoubtedly, it was very funny for him to see the woman jumping up and down to grab his bag, as if the bag was storing all the treasures in the world. Ah well, his hands started to feel numb, so he immediately dropped it back and let it take it back as well.

"Returned!"

Leyla wasted no time in retrieving it from her fingers, wrapping it near her chest protectively. He sniffed and picked up his abandoned bike, fixed it and lifted himself up, then pedaled it away.

In a hurry, he did not realize his striped shoes were coming off.

“Oh, come on, I'm just teasing!” Riette called her, “Oh Miss Lewellin, I promise to be a good boy!”

However Leyla no longer listened and began to keep some distance between them. Riette only sighed in pity before realizing her shoes were left behind.

He picked it up, flipped it in his hand before groaning resignedly, and began to run in the direction he had left before disappearing in the corner.

A SCREEEEECH!

He did not go too far before he heard the alarming sound of a collision between a metal object and another object. Riette slowly began to add speed as an alarm bell rang in her head!

As soon as he turned the corner, he stopped in a daze when he saw the sight of a woman who had fallen in the middle of the road in front of a familiar black car, which seemed to be slipping to a stop.

Riette stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do when someone immediately got out of the car. It seems that the driver was the first to check on the woman who was still on the ground, and soon a couple appeared from behind…

Matthias and Claudine.

"Yes God! Leyla!” Claudine exclaimed in panic as she looked at the woman. Riette could only stand foolishly as she stared at the scene before her, observing the disheveled figure of Leyla and her dented bicycle at the front of the car.

Riette's eyes were then fixed on Matthias, who looked at Leyla's prone form with indifference. In Leyla's arms, she was still holding onto her bag like a precious artifact. Matthias stared at him before his gaze turned to the side to meet with the gaze of Riette, who was standing vainly in front of the overhead lights.

Luckily the accident looked worse than it really was. Despite being hit by a car, Leyla was only lightly injured, so she was still able to stand up and walk quite well. Matthias had suggested taking her to the hospital to confirm it, but Leyla stubbornly rejected it.

After making sure he was okay, Matthias considered it appropriate to forget the incident.

“Come back to the mansion now.” He announced, while glancing towards the servants who were with them, who were guarding Leyla. Although the servants were worried about Leyla greatly, they did nothing while watching her until she disappeared from their sight.

“Ya, that's a good idea.”

Claudine immediately agreed after saying goodbye to Riette. So that's the end of it. Matthias obediently drove him back to the car. Riette, who looked flushed, immediately followed behind them as she returned to her house, at the entrance of the path of platanus.

Claudine watched outside the car window, her eyes staring anxiously as the two of them passed by Leyla. Inevitably he remembered how Leyla rushed to the front of the car. Normally, Claudine was a calm woman, but when Leyla appeared out of nowhere and was hit by a car, she assumed the worst!

“I think he got hit pretty hard. I'm glad he's okay.” Claudine breathed a sigh of relief. Speaking of Leyla, she recalled the way Riette held Leyla's shoes moments after she turned the corner where Leyla was hit.

He had to admit, he almost lost his composure right then and there. He had not expected Riette to be so rash and impatient. Claudine's eyes turned to her device, silently observing her fiance. She expected something after Leyla's near-death fear, but she couldn't read it at all.

Even after this, he was still indifferent.

If he didn't know anything better, he would have thought that man didn't care about Leyla at all. Matthias didn't even look angry because the driver hit him accidentally, or asked Riette why she was holding his shoes.

It's typical of Duke Herhardt.

When they reached the front door of the mansion, and the car stopped, Claudine felt sorry for Leyla