Chapter 44

✧The First Autumn✧

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“Oh my goddess! Leyla! what are you doing up there!”

A high-pitched screech from below the tree nearly made Leyla drop her half-bitten apple.

She snatched the fruit before it fell. Mrs. Mona appeared in her sight as she lowered her gaze. She was glaring at Leyla with her arms firmly crossed.

“Hello, Mrs. Mona. Isn’t the weather really nice today?”.

After a simple greeting, Leyla hurriedly stuffed the apples and books into her bag. Mrs. Mona’s brow knitted as she watched Leyla fluidly glide down the tree trunk. At the same time, Bill Remmer returned to the cottage.

“It’s all because of you, Mr. Remmer!”

Mrs. Mona growled at Bill Remmer moments after he ditched his cart.

“I warned you to raise her like a modest lady! I’ve advised you many times, with my experience of raising three daughters, and yet you consistently ignore what I say! Take a look at her now!? A grown lady and a teacher who’s supposed to educate children, climbed a tree like that!”

“Is there a rule that school teachers can’t climb trees? A good teacher should be capable of doing everything!”

Bewildered by the matter, Bill raised his voice and was ready to debate her. Ever since Leyla’s stay in Arvis, the pair’s parenting styles had never been in agreement.

Leyla wanted to say that she was now a grownup, instead, she wittily approached her uncle.

“Look at her! It’s all your fault! You should’ve gotten rid of her bad tomboy habits by at least spanking her ass when she was a child!”

Mrs. Mona’s ghoulish grumble made Leyla gasp and impulsively caressed her bottom. Bill and Leyla both had their feet freeze in place, as if they were being punished for making a mistake.

After a few minutes of nagging, Mrs. Mona suddenly remembered her original reason for being there and handed a basket of food to them before leaving. Bill and Leyla met eyes and exchanged guffaws.

“I feel like her scold has smacked me in the butt.”

“I can’t handle this anymore, Leyla. You’ll have to climb trees secretly from now on. Don’t get caught by her. I’m afraid I’ll become deaf if I hear her blaring voice.”

“Okay uncle, I’ll do that for you.”

After nodding, Leyla picked up the heavy basket and sauntered into the home. The old sling bag on her shoulder shook, making a clattering sound as it moved in time with her steps.

“Anyway, that junk bag needs to be burned soon.”

Bill tutted as he gazed at the crap bag, which she refused to throw away.

His worries didn’t seem to have a bearing on Leyla’s everyday life; she lived gallantly. After the new school semester started, she began teaching the children as a new primary school teacher. She was sometimes careless and couldn’t avoid making a mistake, but she quickly overcame them.

School seemed to have gotten pretty interesting for her lately. Bill, who had been worried if she could do well in teaching the child, could now relax. But he was keenly aware of Leyla’s pain and sadness that she was hiding in the depths of her heart.

She was a child who could hardly throw away the worn bag because of her attachment to it. He knew what Kyle meant to her better than anybody else. It was hard for her to mend her wounds from losing Kyle. He was her closest friend, before he became an innocent lover so fast. She was much too frail to be able to heal herself.

‘It’s not time yet.’

After a long thought, Bill shoved Kyle’s letter back into his pocket.

Even after moving to Ratz, Kyle sent a letter to Leyla once a week. Bill had explicitly asked to deliver the letter to only him. The postman had understood his intentions, and willingly complied with his request.

Bill knew he was cruel, and his cowardice didn’t represent an adult’s attitude. But, his need to protect Leyla trumped his regret and guilt over that boy.

“Uncle!”

Leyla waved at him, and Bill came to her.

They sat next to each other on the porch and shared an apple while enjoying the cool weather as the forest was resplendent in the colors of autumn.

“Oh, I forgot. I have something to say to the butler. Uncle, would you please relay my message to him?”

“Butler? Do you mean, Mr.Hessen?”

“Yes. Because of school work.”

Leyla wiped the juice drop on her fingers with the handkerchief she took out from her apron.

“I’d like to ask the Duke if the children can have an autumn picnic in the Arvis forest.”

“Ah that’s right, you must tell Hessen first, since you cannot directly approach the Duke. Sure. I’ll ask instead of you.”

“I’m a bit worried if it’s a discourteous request.”

“Discourteous? Don’t worry; the Duke is notoriously generous with such things, and I’m sure he’ll gladly allow it. Besides, Duke Herhardt is a sponsor of the school.”

“Sponsor?” Leyla’s eyes grew three sizes. “Duke Herhardt is the sponsor of my school?” A look of shock crossed her face.

Bill nodded, “Did you not know that yet? Duke Herhardt funds virtually almost all schools in this district.”

“I see….”

Leyla muttered a little. She clamped her eyes shut, wanting to block off the Duke’s face from her thoughts.

Duke Herhardt’s name followed her wherever she went in Carlsbar, and Leyla was bound to accept that unavoidable reality.

The King of Carlsbar.

That was the moniker bestowed to Duke Herhardt by the citizens of this city. An imperial nobility on a par with the emperor’s family in terms of wealth and power. He served both as a symbol and a source of pride for Carlsbar society.

“Why? Is there a problem with the Duke? Did his haughty fiancee bother you again?”

Layla shook her head, taken aback by Bill’s question. “No. How could that be?”

Once again, the Duke’s face, his stare, and their suffocating moments sequentially seared into her memory, robbing her of her speech.

“Let’s have a cup of tea, uncle.”

Leyla stood up and fled to the kitchen before Bill could answer. She poured the tea into the cup and placed the cake from Mrs. Mona on the serving plate after slicing it.

The daytime was winding down, and the night was creeping into the house. But Leyla hesitated to switch on the light as if she wanted to conceal her wariness in the dark.

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There was no need to rush.

Matthias’ opinion of Leyla Lewellin was as follows. He had a burning urge to have her, but he didn’t want to jump the gun.

“Oh, Miss Lewellin is over there.”

Mark Evers giggled when he spotted Leyla marching down the Platanus road with her students. After Leyla established herself as a decent grownup and schoolteacher, Arvis residents started addressing her as ‘Miss Lewellin.’

The driver chipped in. “Today must be their picnic day.”

His grandmother granted the children from the local school to have an autumn picnic in Arvis forest. His mother gave a cool nod to the idea as well. In essence, such consent came under the hostess’s purview, which explained why Matthias raised no objections and respected their decision.

The excited students surrounding her reminded Matthias of the first time Leyla came to Arvis. She was still a child at heart who loved roaming the forest, who knew she could act so maturely in front of her students.

A smile crept on Matthias’ lips as he gazed from the car window. In the following moments, his car passed by Leyla and the children. But her afterimage clung onto his thoughts for quite some time after that.

These days, toying around with Leyla Lewellin had been his favorite pastime.

The more severe he bullied her, the more vivid her reactions became. Her emotions didn’t stray from embarrassment, anger, shame, and fear, but he savored every change in her emotions. Watching her flinch, get enraged, and speak back to him was much more entertaining than seeing her docile face with a polite smile.

Last weekend, they bump into each other in the mansion’s glasshouse. She was helping her uncle in tidying up the flowerbed when she saw him. The color quickly drained from her face. Leyla dropped her garden basket, and the soil-stained tubers were strewn over the paving stone. Bill Remmer, a few feet away, was busy tending to another flowerbed and didn’t seem to notice the fuss.

He calmly approached and stood in front of her. When he stomped on the tubers with his shoes, Leyla raised her head in a fit of fury. She looked nervous if anybody saw them, but her eyes were filled with an uncontrollable hatred.

Matthias chuckled, remembering how the people regarded Leyla Lewellin as a kind and gentle lady who never spoke ill of anybody. However, it didn’t stop him from being satisfied. As he had never learned to share his things with others, he was elated when Leyla acted sharp-tempered just to him.

The majestic birds living in the Arvis’ heavenly greenhouse made a loud chirp. Leyla quickly scooped up the tubers as if she didn’t want him to touch them, and then stood up.

As she bowed and was about to run, he tripped over her leg. The basket in her hands toppled, and the tubers were scattered again on the paving stones. Leyla stumbled, but he had already hugged her waist to save her from falling.

Matthias recalled how frightened Leyla was and how she quickly covered her mouth to prevent a scream. Even though the flowering season had withered away, he could still taste the faint scent of roses wafting from her skin.

After letting her go, he took a step back and pointed to the falling tubers with his gaze. Leyla scowled, loathing visible in her eyes, but she had no option but to follow with his demand.

Gnashing her teeth, she knelt to collect the tubers. When he kicked some tubers with the tip of his shoe towards her, a blush of heat bloomed on her cheeks.

Its crimson color beautified her skin tone perfectly.

Matthias wondered how beautiful it would be if he could paint her whole body with that hue. A lovely shade of red. The color of him.

“What’s my afternoon schedule?”

Matthias queried when their car moved closer to the city center.

“Today’s last schedule is to attend the board of directors meeting.”

Matthias gave a satisfied nod and checked his wristwatch. He’d be able to return home earlier this afternoon.

After getting out of the car, he took a moment to admire the cloudless high blue sky. The late-afternoon sun bathed the buildings in its warm light and the wind kept everything crisp.

The weather was perfect to enjoy autumn picnic.

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