Chapter 81

Matthias felt himself grow enraged at her words. His hand came up behind her head, grasping her hair
tight in his hand.

He wanted to make her afraid, to intimidate her once more to submission. He wanted her to look at him
and know that he could destroy her beneath him without having to lift a finger.

He wanted to see her cry and beg for his mercy before he’d callously toss her aside like the trash his
mother sees them as!

But when he imagined that all happening, he couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his gut. His grasp on her
loosened up, losing his will to do those terrible things to her.

Instead, he pulled her closer, pulling her up flush against his warmth. He cradled her in a gentle way, and
Leyla went along with no resistance. He knew she told him she wouldn’t disobey him any further, but
something was unsettling by how easily she always complied with his wishes.

He then stood up from their seat, and carried her towards the bed, gently placing her down over the
covers. He tucked a stray lock behind her ear, and kept her gaze on him as he took off her clothing one by
one; her shawl, her coat, were the first to go.

Somewhere in losing her clothes, Leyla’s eyes wandered all around the room once more, refusing to
keep eye contact with him. She resembled a doll, with her strings cut off. She knew by the way her sight
blurred he’d taken off her glasses, then the chill bit her fingers as her gloves were taken off as well.

She gasped when he gently interlocked their bare hands together, making her look back at him in shock.
He then gathered her in his arms, seeing the way the goosebumps ran up her arms once the coldness
returned.

Leyla looked back at his deep blue eyes, and felt a different kind of warmth fill her as he stared at her
with those tender eyes she’d seen him look with before. Her heart fluttered at the knowledge it was now
directed at her, filling her with an odd sense of relief.

Matthias held themselves together, content at their current contact as he busied himself with keeping
her warm. Leyla wanted to look away from him again, but found herself unable to. She was drawn to
him. She’d always been drawn to him.

She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks the longer they kept eye contact, filling her pale face with a
healthy complexion once more. Matthias found himself so captivated by her, he’d let go of her hand,
making her gasp.

Whether in shock or relief, Leyla couldn’t know. He surged towards her, capturing her dried lips into his
warm mouth, and began to kiss her without meaning to.

It just felt right to do so.

Leyla moaned at the feel of his lips against her, feeling his tongue prod at her lips to gain entrance. She
gasped as she tried to pull away, only to let his tongue in, making her feel dizzy as the kiss gave her
newer sensations.

“Ah..”

Her body quivered under his roaming touches. One of his hands was busy fondling her, rubbing friction
against her skin in a bid to keep her warm, while the other fisted in her hair, tightening in a pleasurable
way as she let out a wanton moan in response.

These feelings were making her uncomfortable, it was like she had to succumb into his ministrations. She
squeezed her eyes shut, but it only heightened her sense of touch, and taste. She must remember why
she’s even allowing herself to be taken like this so helplessly!

Yes, memories of the hurt she felt by the Duke, his blackmailing, and the immense betrayal she felt when
he demanded her to do this was enough to save her from drowning in the tenderness he was showing
her.

It was as though he was trying to suck the life out of her, with how long he kept making out with her.
When he finally pulled away, Leyla could tell her lips were swollen from the kiss, but at least her body
was no longer freezing, instead there was a heat pooling under her stomach. She looked up, half-ready
to be disappointed.

“Are we done?” she asked him in a breathy whisper, they were both gasping for air, their chests heaving
in tandem. Matthias just kept staring at her, “Does that mean I get to go home now?”

When he still remained silent, Leyla took it as a go-ahead, and began to leave the bed, when Matthias
grabbed her by the arm, stopping her from leaving. He then snaked an arm around her waist, and pulled
her flush until her naked back pressed against his chest. His warm breath grazed the back of her ear…

“Be more like your body Leyla,” he whispered against her ear, “It’s been so honest so far.” his husky voice
encouraged, making her shudder against him. She could feel her cheeks flush once more at the intimacy
of their position, feeling his index finger caress her cheeks.

She could feel herself getting wetter the more she spent in his arms.

Matthias appeared at ease with himself, confident in the way he’d molded her body to respond to him…

And she hated it. She hated how her body did respond to him whenever he’d touch her. How she’d lean
into it and respond so readily to him.

“I-I can’t control how my body responds!” she protested, gasping when he rubbed up against her, “It’s
similar to how you shiver when you’re cold or grimace in pain when you’re sick…… It will be the same no
matter who touches me. This is not what my heart wants.” she finished. Matthias only hummed, nosing
against the nape of her neck…

“Is that really the truth? Or you’re just denying it?” he couldn’t help but ask her. His aloofness made
Leyla more nervous in his hold…

“Believe me,” she hissed at him, the flickering flames of the fireplace catching her vision despite its
blurriness as the fire reflected in her eyes, “I meant it with all my heart that I hate you!”
The memory of Claudine’s maid giving her money for her services, was burned painfully in her mind…

“And that will never change!” she declared, feeling the tears well up in her eyes, but she didn’t dare let
them fall.

‘I can’t keep living like this!’ she screamed in her head as she desperately wished for time to fast forward
where she was past all this!

The anger in her surged through the surface with her wish. All the pent up resentment and hatred she
couldn’t express towards Claudine because of her guilt in her affair, reared its ugly head towards the
Duke who was the main reason why her life’s been tumbling down the wrong road.

“Aren’t you prideful enough to not let a woman berate you like I do?!” She hissed at him, and Matthias
nodded in agreement,

“You’re right.”

“Then just let me go and no woman ever will again!” she exclaimed. Matthias just clicked his tongue.

“I told you already Leyla,” he stood up, peering down at her with an intense gaze as he gathered her up
in his arms until they’re pressed chest to chest with each other, ignoring the way she squirmed in his
hold. “I also find your rebellious ways so endearing,” he teased.

He then laid her on the bed, glancing at her naked body in greedy lust as he hovered above her, trapping
him within his arms. “You’re so captivating, it’s driving me crazy to be around you,” he whispered to her,
his voice dropping into a low octave, sending shivers up her spine at how hot and bothered she currently
felt.

She bit her lips, forcing herself to not make a sound. She just needed to endure it, it will be over soon
enough, just like the previous times. And then she can go home again and forget.

And so she turned away from him, and caught sight of the wall paneling on the side instead. She kept her
eyes trailed on it as she heard the ruffling of clothes, and felt Matthias’ warm body close to hers.

She squeezed her eyes shut whenever he’d brush up against her sensitive spots either intentionally or
not.

In Matthias’ eyes, she was absolute perfection. The way her pale skin was in sharp contrast against his
dark satin sheets, framing her so erotically as they rumpled beneath her nakedness. Her hair framing out
of her head like a halo…

She was his own sculptured glass bird ornament, that hovered sensationally in his mind.

He remembered stopping by a jewelry shop on his way to the train station. He had custom ordered a
piece earlier, and came to pick it up. It was the crystal bird ornament, fashioned into a jewelry piece
made only for Leyla.

Just the sight of it was enough to send him back on a trip down memory lane, when Leyla had tried to
reach up to touch the same ornament in the Natural History Museum. It was such a small thing, for
Matthias it was trivial, but it was lodged into his memories.
Nothing significant happened there, so why was he able to remember her smile so clearly?

Matthias eyes went further south of Leyla’s body, wetting his fingertips with his saliva, before dipping
two slender fingers into her moist folds between her legs. Leyla gasped out at the intrusion, arching her
back beautifully, her legs unconsciously spreading further to accommodate his body between hers.

And yet Matthias’ expression remained cooled and unchanged, so different from how any other man
would be when presented with a woman’s spread legs. His gaze kept watch of the way his fingers
disappeared knuckle deep inside of her, before trailing up to her slender stomach, her pert nipples, and
up to her sweaty face…

Beads of sweat were forming on Leyla’s temples, as she stared at him in a dazed manner. Matthias
leaned closer, pushing his fingers persistently back and forth, while his thumb rubbed up against her clit.
Leyla released a sweet moan, rutting against his fingers in response…

“Look at how accommodating you’ve been to me lately, Leyla.” Matthias breathed into her ear, before he
began to remove his clothes this time.

Leyla mewled as he rubbed circles against her, legs quivering when he curled the fingers in a come hither
movement, scraping gently her inner walls. She couldn’t help but watch in captivation the way his shirt
slid off to reveal his tanned skin, and sinewy form, bracing his broad shoulders over her as he swiftly
removed his fingers to shuck off the rest of his clothes.

She gasped at the suddenness of his movements, letting out an instinctive whine when she was left with
an emptiness. Leyla felt her heart thumping hard against her chest, watching him strip his underwear
down, joining her in bareness.

A shiver ran up her body at the sight of his picturesque beauty, before she caught herself and looked
away in shame. But Matthias was quick to return to her, situating himself back comfortably between her
legs, hiking them up on his shoulders to get closer…

She could feel his blunt tip brush up against her opening, making heat pool into her gut once more,

And then he pushed…

Deeper, and deeper he went in,

Leyla could feel herself opening up, stretching herself to embrace his girth. The sound of their bodies
rubbing together was coupled with the creaking of the bed. Their breaths mingled with each other’s and
she mewled again when he brushed up against that sweet spot deep inside her until he was fully
sheathed inside her…

“I guess there’s nothing else I can do to resist you too.” Matthias piped up, staring down at her as he
braced his shoulders on either side of her head. “I quite like you being docile like this too.” he confessed,
before swiftly pulling out and then thrusted in.

Leyla gasped, arching her back against the bed, pressing her chest up at his. Matthias kept up his slow
paced thrusting, gradually increasing the speed with a gentle circling of his hips.

“Tell me, Leyla.”

He pleaded against her neck, as he dipped his head, suckling into her sensitive skin to leave a mark, the
first of the many he planned to leave her with. He grunted when she felt him clamp down around him,

“Ugh, tell me the truth.” He hissed right at her ear, soaking it with saliva before pulling away, “If you hate
me, really hate me as much as you claim… then why do you stare at me in such a way that tells me
otherwise?!”

Leyla only moaned, shaking her head in denial, as her hands clambered to embrace him, pulling him
closer to her as they continued to rut against each other…

“Tell me!”

She could hardly be bothered to answer him, her mind muddled with intense pleasure as she
desperately tried to shake the feeling away, rendering her speechless. Any sound she could make could
only be incoherent, even if he demanded her for an answer.

She bit down on her lip, and would have bitten it until it bled if he hadn’t taken her lips into his and
locked themselves in a kiss as he hoisted her up until she sat firmly on top of him, bouncing her in his
lap, hitting deeper inside her in the most heavenly feeling she ever felt!

She let out sobs when he pulled away from the kiss, leaving more marks on her skin as he busied himself
with suckling on her collarbone. As their skins slapped against each other, Leyla couldn’t help but
reminisce about the time she’d seen this man with a glimmer of hope around him…

It was back when she’d locked eyes with him as he entered the drawing room. Claudine had been with
him, hanging off his arm as a noble lady should. She had been ashamed during that moment, but the
sight of him gave her some hope everything would be alright soon…

Yes…hope…

And like a fool, she thought he would be that kind of man again.

Now he instilled in her no hope, just more shame in herself. But she can’t deny the intense pleasure he
was indeed giving her.

His hips began stuttering, he dropped them back into the bed, her legs unconsciously tightening around
his waist to aid his thrusting as they both chased their own pleasures.

Her hands tightened in their grip on his shoulders, nails digging into his skin in forming half crescent
marks. It was like she was begging him to pleasure her further, to which he happily gave into.

‘How could I let this happen?’ she asked in despair to herself, before backtracking…

‘How could I have avoided this?’

“Ahh, ngh…” she moaned, turning her head away from him, when Matthias’ hand gently gripped her jaw,
to make her look back at him. He grinded up against her, making her moan in ecstasy and shame at how
wantonly she responded to him…
She looked so erotic, with a flushed face and tears by the corner of her eyes. The sounds she made were
music to Matthias’ ears as he groaned at how she tightened up around him, engulfing him in her warmth
he desperately craved…

He trailed his tongue up her cheeks to wipe the tears away, before diving his tongue deep into her
mouth to get another taste of her. And then she came.

Matthias knew he wouldn’t be able to hold on any longer when she coated him with her juices, and
pulled out, just in time to release himself in spurts of white. Leyla watched as his hands drowned in
white, unable to hold back the sigh of pleasure from her lips.

It was like she was nailing down her own heart.

She was a nobody. She was supposed to be just nobody to him. She was an orphan, with no riches to her
name, nor future prospects. And once he’d had his fill of her, she’d go back to being just that.

Nothing.

She could still remember that moment in the drawing room.

Claudine had thrown her arms around him so easily when he’d appeared for her, while she had been in
her shabbiest clothes, and not in her best looks compared to the girl. And yet he saw her…

And she regretted acknowledging how her heart fluttered at that fact.

Untangled thoughts formed as she let a loud moan. Ecstasy and humiliation mixed with pain and
pleasure in her thoughts and body. Although she tried a gallant effort to turn her head, Matthias refused
to let her keep her last shred of pride.

He firmly grasped her chin and redirected her gaze toward him. Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks
from her twisted, innocent eyes. She gasped and moaned, and the look on her face as she did so set his
heart aflutter.

He’d known she’d begun to take over his thoughts for a while now. How could he not realize it when she
was all he could think about when he’d been away from Arvis? She became a constant presence in his
thoughts at all hours of the day and night. It was a strange sensation, something he’d never felt before,
and he couldn’t place a finger on it.

It was what led him to ordering something so intricate, so expensive that he knew she would appreciate
it over anything else he could give her. A feeling that resurfaced whenever he’d open up the box, and see
that jewelry made only for her.

When he’d seen her, serving so lowly as Claudine’s maid, in his own mansion , something surged in him.
A need to rectify a situation that does not even affect him because it was Leyla. And he’d never felt that
way before.

‘Why?’

Why did he? It was a question he couldn’t ask anyone but himself, yet he was unable to answer.
He shook the thought away, opting to focus instead on the after care of their intercourse. He pulled
Leyla’s limp, and oversensitive body closer, making her whimper as he brushed up against her. She was
so exhausted by their coupling, she couldn’t even lift a finger against him.

All she wanted to do was to curl up beneath the covers, or go home and do that and cry. She had grown
warm during their activity, and now with the sheen of sweat on her skin, she could clearly feel the cool
air against her skin, cooling her body down.

Matthias pulled away from her, and headed to the showers, leaving her alone. She heard the faint sound
of running water, and thought he was taking a shower when it shut down, and Matthias came back.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, closer to where she was. She wondered what he was planning to do
now, and tried to open her eyes to glare at him. She saw him sitting beside her, with a basin filled with
warm water, and some cloth in his hands.

He set them down on the bedside table, and reached out for her hand, pulling it closer towards him.

“N-no, I-” Leyla began to protest when he hushed her gently. Looking at her with an indecipherable
expression.

“Stay still.” He commanded her, and Leyla watched as he dipped the cloth into the warm water, wringing
out the excess water, and began wiping her down, gently pressing the warm cloth against her skin as he
cleaned her body.

She grabbed his hand instinctively in panic, when he softly patted her head, whispering sweet nothings
at her. Her grip on his wrist loosened up, allowing him to continue.

“Just lie still and be quiet Leyla,” he whispered softly, as he scrubbed away the drying fluids all over her
body. “This will all be over soon.” he finished.

Gently, he wiped her down, her inner thighs, her stomach, her arms…

Even her neck and face got taken care of. Each brush against her skin was purposeful and gentle. He was
diligent, and his touch didn’t stray, or made her feel like he was doing this as a precursor to another
round of intercourse.

It was enough to make her heart skip a beat, before her eyes fluttered close, as his gentle strokes lulled
her to sleep.

Lub-dub … lub-dub … lub-dub…

She faintly wondered if she dreamed that musical laugh of his as she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Chapter 82

Once Matthias was content she was fully clean, he tossed the used cloth into the silver basin, before
tucking himself behind Leyla, and hugged her back to his chest. It was crystal clear to him that he’d left
marks against her porcelain skin. He opted out of covering them with a blanket, wanting to admire her
body some more as the warmth from the fireplace adequately kept the biting cold away.

She was sleeping soundly in his arms, and he couldn’t help but admire the hickeys left on her body. They
had been fading since, and he made sure to mark the same spots as before.

She shuddered when a strong gust of wind breezed past them, before snuggling closer into him, letting
out a satisfied smile when he tightened his arms around her. Still, she remained asleep.

Matthias continued to pet her, rubbing some friction on her skin whenever she’d shiver, and smiled to
himself when she’d calm down at his touch. It was nice seeing her so content with him for a change,
even if she was asleep.

His hands drifted down, snaking past her waist and down between her legs.

Leyla frowned when he brushed up against her still sensitive nub, and her eyes fluttered open, looking
over her shoulder to glare at him. “Stop!” she hissed, trying to twist away from him, causing Matthias to
chuckle in amusement.

“I said stop! We’ve done enough already!”

She grabbed tightly onto his wandering wrist and pulled it away from her nether regions and glared back
at him in defiance. Even now, he still confused her by the sudden changes in the way he’d treat her back
and forth.

There had been previous times they had gone on for more than just one round, but Leyla loved to forget
it, quickly washing the memories off her mind whenever she’d shower once she got home.

It wasn’t that having sex was painful for her, in fact it was the opposite that made her worry.

It was getting increasingly difficult to deny herself the pleasure she was feeling during the activities. And
every time they’d do it, she found her body more and more into it.

Fortunately, Matthias did stop attempting to push his fingers into her, instead wrapped his arms around
her waist, while casually tucking her head against the nape of his neck as he turned her body towards
him.

They were both locked into an intense stare-off with one another, making her look so petite compared to
him. She was looking up at him with wide eyes, as a blush rose on her cheeks by how close they were.

He was looking at her with those soft eyes once more. And it made her heart skip a reluctant beat.

His hands moved back to her waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. He hiked himself up, and looked down
on her face, tracing her features with a finger, before pulling away when he saw it made her
uncomfortable.

“Come with me to the capital.” he whispered softly to her, a twinkling look in his eyes as though he was
begging her to say yes. His hand stroked at her gently as Leyla refused to believe it was anything but a
demand from him.
“Why should I?” she asked rather harshly, narrowing her eyes at him in contempt. It must be increasingly
difficult for him to keep his mistress in Arvis, especially with the wedding drawing closer.

He probably wanted to move her quickly to the capital too, which would be best to do while he’s not yet
tied down to Claudine.

“I remember you told me once you wanted to go to college there.” he supplied helpfully, and Leyla
couldn’t help but scoff at him.

“So what? You want to send me off to college?” she asked incredulously, and Matthias nodded without a
second to hesitate.

“If you wished to, I would.”

“Ha, no thank you.” Leyla huffed at him angrily, “I don’t want to add up my debts to you, and make you
use it against me further.” she reminded him, turning away from him successfully, pulling the covers
around them to cover her body.

Despite her bravado, Leyla couldn’t help but shudder at the animosity he was emitting behind her.

It was like she just stabbed him, by the way she casually threw his good intentions into his face, and
implied she was selling him her body. A tense smile came over Matthias’ lips as he stared icily at Leyla’s
back.

She knew exactly where he would hurt, and how to make it hurt worse. Such a clever bird he has, but
Matthias was not her master for nothing, and he’d make her see it! If she wanted to believe they were in
a give-and-take transaction, then he’d make it so!

“You think our bedtime activities would be enough to pay for college education? With your pisspoor
performance?” he spat back harshly, before grabbing her by the head of her hair and slowly pulled him
back towards him, making her gasp as she grabbed onto his wrists, looking positively frightened…

“Don’t grow cocky of yourself Leyla, it doesn’t suit you.” he warned. Her eyes blinked back unshed tears
and she gulped.

“Then why are you even offering?” she asked him in frustration, face flushing in embarrassment.
Matthias hummed as he thought deeply how to answer her.

Truth be told, he didn’t have any ulterior reason why he wanted to fund her education. He just thought
she would appreciate the opportunity, and he had the means to make it true. He could have just as well
given her a mansion of equal value, but she wouldn’t appreciate that as much as a chance to be
educated in her dream school.

“Believe it or not, I wanted to give you something out of kindness for a change.” he told her plainly,
looking at her with cold eyes when she barked out a laugh in disbelief, refusing to believe him.

Deeming she had enough of his farce, she moved to get out of bed when he held her back, keeping her
in place.

Matthias couldn’t believe just how brazen she’d become. While she grated at his nerves with her
persistent rebellion against him, he much preferred it to the puppet-like behavior she had when she had
been serving as Claudine’s aide, or in her death-like state as she curled in on herself in a cold, and
darkened room.

Yes, she does possess a bull-headed stubbornness, but he liked this better than her helpless demeanor.

But that was just amongst the many things he couldn’t even begin to comprehend whenever he was
with her.

The whole matter with Claudine was unavoidable, he knew that. She was his fiancé, she had every right
to be irked, and he had every duty to put Claudine’s needs above Leyla’s…

But it was unbecoming of him to openly embarrass Claudine in front of their noble acquaintances, even
if it had been in an underhanded manner. After all, no matter what she did to Leyla during those past
few days was less worse than what he’d been doing to her for weeks!

But even his entire deal with Leyla wasn’t going as smoothly as he wished. And he didn’t know how to
make it so.

So he just kissed her, then and there, despite the way Leyla tried to dodge his advances, he just took, and
took until the lust returned to him because it was all that made sense to him right now.

Leyla felt that warmth pooling in her once more as he spread her legs around his waist. Instinctively she
grabbed him around the neck as he adjusted them, and in one swift move, buried himself balls deep
inside her, making her moan against his lips.

But instead of resisting him this time, Leyla allowed his slow and gentle thrusts to continue as he pulled
away. He rested his forehead against hers, and they locked eyes on one another. She knew deep down,
the Duke was ever doing things that would give him pleasure. This was no different.

But to send her to her dream college out of the kindness of his heart? Ha! The thought was ridiculous, it
made her laugh.

“You’re lying…” she gasped out, when he hit into her deeply, moaning at the contact. “All you do is lie…”
she protested, stifling back the escaping sounds of pleasure from her mouth.

Matthias’ hips stuttered in their movements, before resuming at a quicker pace as he held onto their eye
contact, trying to rid her of that hateful gaze directed at him. Her hold on him tightened, as her anger
was blanketed with a wave of increasing pleasure…

She threw her head back in an unstoppable mewl, her hips moving in tandem with his, before she looked
back at him resolutely with her own icy stare…

“I know everything about you now Duke.” she gasped against him. She thought she saw a hint of hurt in
him when she called him a liar, and she wanted to drive that nail further into him even as he had her
caught up in pleasure.

“You’re a liar by heart.” she moaned, biting into his shoulder, before pulling away when he hit her in that
sweet spot once more. “All of you is a lie…” she sighed and began to lose herself in the pleasure.

Matthias smirked disdainfully over her shoulder, his thrusts quick and deep into her, before swallowing
whatever words she had for him next with a hungry kiss.
Perhaps she was right. Maybe he was lying. Maybe his entire persona was just a lie. But he’d been living
in the pretense of that lie too long now…

He didn’t even know where the real him lies, or if it was even there anymore.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The next day, Leyla woke up early in the morning, and washed her face. She stretched her limbs to get
rid of the lingering soreness from last night’s events as she changed her clothes and got ready for the
day.

Just as she was about to begin her chores, a knock came at her door, startling her. With a frown, she
went to open the door, and was greeted by the sight of Claudine’s maid.

Leyla stood there in shock, unaware of what she should do, when the maid suddenly bowed down in
front of her.

“I’d like to apologize, Miss Lewellin, for my indiscretions.” the maid began, before straightening up, to
present her hand, which presented Leyla with a healing gash. “I lied to my mistress that I couldn’t work,
and that led you to be inconvenienced because of me.” She explained, though there was a stiffness in
her.

Even when she was a child, Leyla could tell there was something a little bit off about the maid, despite
having done her no wrong and continuously being polite towards her.

She was a little perplexed by the apology she was receiving now, but she wasn’t entirely surprised by this
turn of events. She suspected something along the lines of this, but even if she did turn out right, Leyla
had no will in her to confront Claudine about it.

In her mind, she deserved that little bit of unkindness from Lady Brandt. And nothing would have
changed if she insisted on them to check if the maid was really unable to do her job.

As children, Leyla grew to fear Claudine because she knew she was a countess’ daughter. Had she in any
way disobeyed the girl, she feared the repercussions her Uncle Bill would take because of it.

But now she was in trouble instead, and it was a stronger fear to someone else.

And the whole thing about making her a temporary servant, well, it wasn’t worse than the fact she was
sleeping behind her back with the woman’s fiancé. Leyla felt like a thief in the night, stealing something
that isn’t supposed to be hers. It didn’t matter that she was blackmailed into it.

She still did it of her own volition, and in her eyes, and the rest should they discover it, it is still,
undeniably, an affair.

The rest of the maid’s apologies to her were very polite and courteous towards Leyla. But she couldn’t
hide how stiff her movements were, as if she’d rather be serving her mistress than be apologizing to
Leyla.

And as Leyla looked into her eyes, she saw something more.
When the maid was finished explaining, Leyla accepted the apology, and the maid went on their way.
Leyla shut the door once she was back on the road, before it clicked in her mind what she saw in the
maid.

A hint of anger and disdain…

She knew it because she’d lately seen it reflected in her eyes. But it wasn’t directed to the duke, no… this
was directed towards her.

Lost in the thought, wondering what she could have done to offend the maid, she found herself sitting
on top of her bed, when a sickening feeling came over her…

‘Don’t tell me….,’

Leyla gasped, bringing a hand up to her mouth,

‘Does Claudine know after all!?’ she thought in absolute panic.

Her stomach churned uncomfortably the more she mulled over the thought. Just then, something bright
was reflected at her, and Leyla winced when the light hit her eyes. She turned to look, and saw it was the
jewelry box the Duke had given to her last night right before she left the annex.

There it lay innocently on top of her bedside table.

“What’s this?”

Leyla remembered asking when he’d given it to her. She had turned it over in her hand inquiringly,
refusing to open it.

He’d taken it out of his coat pocket when she started clothing back up. She was busy picking her clothes
and looked up in shock when he’d suddenly stood in front of her, with the box in an outstretched hand.

“Open it.”

He implored her, grabbing her hand to put the box gently in her palms, closing her fingers around it. She
then reached out for her glasses and wore it on her face to see it clearly.

She gasped in shock when she opened the lid, and revealed an intricately designed bird, with golden
wings. It was a pendant, clipped to a chain that could be worn. It was laid artistically against the red
velvet box, as though it was nesting in it, ready to take flight.

It oddly reminded her of those crystal birds she’d seen decorated over the arched aisle of the Museum
back in Ratz. They were so beautiful to look at too!

She almost dropped the masterpiece when the implication came over her. She refused to believe he was
giving this to her because of that day!

She looked up at him in disbelief, and saw the way he also regarded the intricate design in a fond
manner, before they locked eyes. And not a second later, the emotion she read from him was gone,
making her believe she just imagined it.
“Why are you giving me this?” she demanded from him, but it came out in a wobbly voice, just above a
whisper.

Did he really remember that moment? Did he make it because of that? For her?!

“I know you like it.” he answered plainly to her, bringing her an odd sense of disappointment when he
elaborated no further. Leyla only grew more confused, desperately stamping out the blooming hope and
adoration in her chest.

He can’t do these things!

He can’t just expect her to swoon back into his arms, as though the past weeks were nothing! She won’t
let him! She refused to let him!

Her breathing grew ragged, worrying Matthias who stepped closer to look at her, and see why she was
reacting in such a way to his gift. She tried to look away from him, but he’d grasped her chin, and made
her look up, searching her for an answer…

‘No!’ she had thought at the time, and swiftly shut the box to a close and handed it back out to him.
Matthias’ eyes narrowed at that action, but remained silent, not moving to take it back.

“I don’t like it anymore.” she had spat back at him, holding her chin up high as she glared up at him, “I
don’t even need it. So just take it back.” she told him, “Throw it away if you must, cause I don’t want it.”

Memories of the cool crystals beneath her fingertips rushed to her mind. There were so many of them in
that museum, and she had been so happy when she found that the Duke had lifted her up so she could
reach out and enjoy them.

But that moment was meaningless in the face of recent tragedies. It was gone, and she could never go
back to that foolish girl before.

Matthias had stared at the velvet box in silence for a long time before he finally turned away from her,
before he turned back. There was a tension in his body that Leyla hadn’t noticed before.

“Then why don’t you throw it away yourself?” Matthias challenged, glaring right back at her in that
indifferent stare. He then turned on his heels and left her alone in his room with a loud bang, echoing
throughout the empty halls of the annex.

And then they parted ways after that.

She didn’t know why she didn’t throw it away when she’d left the annex. By all rights, she should. But
something in her wanted to keep it.

She couldn’t just let it go, that Leyla that had been so carefree before, she wanted her back. She wanted
to be her once more…

“You’re going to be a pretty good adult.”

Uncle Bill had once told her, so confident in her future. She’d believed him when he told her that, but
now it was like she was being choked up by her shame and disappointment in what she’d become.
Not wanting to look at it anymore, Leyla grabbed the box, and hid it deep under her bed. She may not be
able to throw it away, but she can keep it out of sight, and out of mind until she would forget about it.

Chapter 83

Back in Arvis mansion, was Claudine. She was currently sitting in front of her vanity, her aide brushing up
her beautiful locks, and making sure there were no tangles in them. Things were silent between them for
a while, until Claudine broke it.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, Mary.” Claudine began and met her aide’s eyes in the mirror.
Immediately, Mary gently put the brush down on the table, before kneeling beside her mistress and took
her hands in hers.

“Oh please don’t say that my Lady,” she said to Claudine, looking up at her with tearful eyes, “It was my
fault really, I should’ve behaved more properly, and have not troubled you so!” Claudine only smiled
kindly at her.

“It wasn’t anyone’s fault but mine,” Claudine replied calmly, “And yet I let you take the blame, when it
shouldn’t have been you who got in trouble.” she sighed, and then stood up gracefully.

She went in front of the floor-length mirror, Mary following her dutifully, as she assessed how she
looked. She was preparing to greet the Crown Prince and his wife. She must look elegant in doing so,
even if she was just one of the hostesses in the estate.

“Truly, I won’t forget what you did for me back there,” Claudine told her when she turned back around,
“Thank you so much Mary, I mean it.” Mary’s eyes welled up with tears at how kind and beautiful her
mistress was to her.

Mary had been one of House Brandt’s servants who’d been with them for many years. Though in all her
years of servitude, this was really the first personal gratitude she received from her ward. It broke her
heart to see her mistress so helpless back there.

Her Lady, Claudine Brandt, should have the right to hold her head up high, as she belonged among the
proud noble family of a Count. Which was why she couldn’t hold back her thoughts on the matter…

“It’s all because of Leyla, isn’t it?” she asked her mistress, who blinked at her before shaking her head in
finality.

“Don’t bother thinking about it Mary.” she dissuaded, because really, it wasn’t like it should matter much
to her. Satisfied with her appearance, Claudine and her aide exited her chambers to walk around the
mansion, inspecting some last minute preparations.

It would be a while before the royal couple would actually arrive, but Claudine couldn’t stay cooped up
in her guest room as she waited for them. So she decided to go strolling along the still-renovating
greenhouse, careful not to dirty her clothes among the dirt and debris.
The general sight was still the same, but at least the new repairs were beginning to take shape, as the
framing of the wrecked parts were almost in completion. She turned towards the solarium afterwards,
wanting to visit the place where the plants and birds that survived had been moved to.

The sight of the greenhouse only served to rile her up, her anger at the careless gardener returning,
when a familiar voice caught her attention amidst all the noise around her. She turned around, and saw
Riette, smiling expectantly at her…

“My Lady, it’s so good to see you!” he greeted her, lightly grabbing her hand, to press a kiss on her
knuckles, “Are you feeling better today?” he asked her in genuine concern. They hadn’t seen each other
in a while, and Claudine could only smile at him.

They both sat down at the table in front of the solarium, where the sweet scent of the flowers wafted
over them, and the soft singing of birds replaced the incessant construction noises.

“I’m feeling much better, thank you for asking.” Claudine replied sweetly at him, he only beamed right
back at her.

“It was my pleasure.” he then sat himself down from across her, and they began conversing. Each of
them was regaling the other with tales of what they did when they were away, Riette more so than
Claudine, when she steered the topic to something else.

“To be honest, I think the entire problem was because of Leyla.” she admitted to him, “The rest of it was
simply a stupid idea.” Riette sighed, and looked around them, before leaning closer to her, and lowered
his voice.

“I think you worry too much,” Riette tried comforting her, “Us men do crazy stuff when it comes to
women, believe me, sooner or later his appetite will curb.” Claudine couldn’t help but laugh dryly.

“If he were like other men, I wouldn’t be this worried.” she pointed out, “But this is Matthias we’re
talking about.”

At that, Riette couldn’t form any rebuttal, because it was true. Matthias wasn’t like any other man Riette
knew or met before. His early arrival had been unexpected. And to the rest of their companions that day,
Matthias had only acted like a true gentleman should with his fiance, and defended her honor
successfully against the deceitful maid.

That brought a bitter taste to Riette.

“Have you ever seen him so attached to anyone before?” she asked him curiously. Riette sighed tiredly at
the question.

“No,” he answered without hesitation, “I don’t even think he’s attached to his mother.” Riette pointed
out. It was a bit of an exaggeration, Riette would admit to himself, but never out loud.

“I just can’t get my head around why he’s so invested with a servant girl.” she exclaimed, making Riette
look at her tiredly.

“Technically speaking, Leyla isn’t a servant in Arvis.” he pointed out dryly, making Claudine roll her eyes
at him.
“Details.” she scoffed, “It doesn’t matter what she is, my question remains the same.” She took a deep
breath to calm herself down. “I should have realized sooner he’d lied back then, I can’t believe I’d been
so blind.” she muttered softly, scolding her past self for her incompetence.

On that past summer morning, Claudine had seen Matthias walking alone, on that day someone had
broken into the gardener’s cabin. She initially thought he’d be headed to the annex, which was along the
way. She had been there earlier, cutting some roses for that flower arrangement she wanted in the
garden, when she decided to follow him, curious as to what he was doing so early in the morning.

All she knew was that Matthias didn’t want anyone to visit him when he went by the annex, which only
made her curiouser to what he really did back there. So with a basket full of roses, she followed him.

He moved quickly through the forest, and Claudine struggled to keep up with him, when she saw the
most unexpected sight in front of her. Matthias had halted in his tracks, and so she followed his gaze, and
found out why.

Walking towards him was an unfamiliar man. She’d never seen him before as any of Matthias’ associates,
and quickly hid behind one of the trees. Something was telling her she should not have witnessed this.

It wasn’t out of character for Matthias to meet with random strangers, Claudine knew she couldn’t know
everyone he made business with, but she could tell this was different. And then Matthias resumed
walking, not even stopping again when the man passed him by.

She had stayed there for a while, confused as to what she just saw before she opted to return back to
the mansion instead. It wasn’t long until they received word that Leyla’s money, which was for her
tuition, had been stolen.

The officers had come by asking questions around the Duke’s residence, and Claudine found herself
invested in the matter as well, when she saw them questioning Matthias. When they asked him if he’d
seen any suspicious individual around the estimated time of the crime, Matthias denied having seen
anyone.

She knew he’d seen that man, but she couldn’t piece together why he had lied. She opted back then it
was best not to contradict him, but she did suspect it was because of Leyla. Which she now believed was
the right and only assumption to what happened back then.

After all, the real culprit had been revealed as Mrs. Etman, who was against her son’s marriage with the
poor girl from the very beginning. And she’s certain her fiance wants Leyla for himself.

Claudine had laughed mirthlessly to herself when she found out.

Her fiancé, the Duke, was wasting his time devising elaborate schemes, just to keep a servant girl by his
side? She shuddered at the thought. He even went as far as destroying one of Leyla’s best prospects.

She had thought Matthias von Herhardt was going to be different from the other men she had the
displeasure of knowing. But alas, he’s just another one of those sleazy types, who thought they could get
away with a mistress on the side. How dare he try and compare her to Leyla?

She felt absolutely mortified and humiliated when she realized he sought things she could not give from
someone of a lower stature than her!
As though sensing her growing turmoil, Riette broke the silence between them, to get her to listen to
him.

“Fret not Claudine,” Riette called out to her, pulling her from her thoughts as she looked back at him,
“Even if he is attached to the girl, Matthias is practical. He knows she’s not fit for the role as his Duchess.”

“You really think so?” she asked him softly, the worry imminent in her eyes, and Riette reached out to
clasp her hand comfortingly over the table.

“I know so.” Riette told her, “He’d be a fool to choose her over you as the Duchess.”

But Claudine still seemed convinced that something was bound to go wrong. And Riette couldn’t have
her getting in trouble like she did just a short while back then.

“I get that you’re worried, but I advise you to let them be.” Riette pleaded with her. “Matthias doesn’t
get love!” he pointed out, making Claudine frown at him.

“What do you mean by leaving them alone?”

“Look,” he sighed, “Sooner or later, his actions will make him lose her. So just let their affair exist as is,
don’t bother trying to break them apart sooner.”

“Are you that confident he’s that unaware of his feelings for her?” she asked him sharply, and he nodded
confidently.

“How could he? He’s never been in love before.” he rebutted, “All his life, he’s been given what he wants
without really having to work for it, and then quickly discards it when it’s no longer his fancy.”

“I still don’t think he’s that unaware of his feelings.” Claudine scoffed, when Riette held onto her hands
tighter.

“Claudine please, I tell you this with utter concern for you,” he held her gaze, hoping she will understand
he’s only saying this for her own good, “Don’t try to provoke Matthias, it won’t end well.”

He wants to see his most beloved succeed in her life, even if it means she has to be his cousin’s wife,
he’d make sure nothing would stand in her way.

He couldn’t help but laugh dryly at himself at how pathetic he was becoming. Nevertheless, he truly
wanted her to be happy. And as she was determined it would be as the Duchess Herhardt, he’d be happy
to spend time with her in whatever way she can spare for him.

Just like at this moment.

“Don’t do what you did to Leyla again,” he warned her, “That could only push Matthias to see what she
truly means to him.” Claudine stared at him curiously, prompting him to elaborate, “A person’s heart is a
fickle thing, my Lady,” he smiled ruefully towards her, “Once you realize you’re in love, you can’t stop
loving them so easily.”

‘Just like I can’t stop loving you.’ he confessed to her in his mind.
Suddenly, there was a rush of commotion outside, making Riette pull his hand away from her. Not a
minute later, Matthias strode in, all dressed in his best suit and nodded towards his cousin, before
holding a hand out to Claudine.

“We must make haste, my Lady,” Matthias told her urgently, “The Crown Prince and his wife are about to
arrive.”

Gone was that cold look he’d thrown at her when he cornered her in front of their noble acquaintances.
He now wore a graceful smile and polite gestures for her instead, and Claudine couldn’t help but flutter
her eyes beautifully up at him in response.

She took his gloved hand with a smile.

“Of course, my Duke.”

Matthias nodded to him briefly, and quickly, the pair walked out of the solarium, leaving Riette to smile
bitterly to himself at their retreating backs.

What a pair they made.

He shook the unbidden thoughts of Claudine and his cousin together, opting to just get up and get ready
for the royal couple’s arrival as well. He arrived shortly after the engaged couple, joining the line of
nobles who were there to greet the prince as well.

Somewhere off to the side, Riette caught sight of Leyla, amongst the other commoners, who were out to
greet the prince as well.

The royals’ car came to a stop right in front of the mansion, and flashes went flickering left and right as
photographers fought to get a good angle in capturing the Crown Prince’s arrival.

Despite being a friend of the Duke’s, the visit was an official event, as the Crown Prince was officially
touring the entire Empire. They had to follow some protocol to welcome him officially into Arvis.

Leyla had been to many of these official visits before, but never one as extravagant as this one. Case in
fact, the larger crowds gathered around her, and the amazing reception prepared for them.

Though she was among many people, Leyla stood with the crowd in anxious tension. She anticipated
she’d see the Duke of Arvis, along his arm would be Lady Brandt. And she did see them when they
arrived. They were front and center of the Prince’s welcoming committee after all.

They looked graceful, and poised. All powerful and calm in front of the raging crowd. It was difficult for
her to connect him with the passionate man she’d been with every night, as opposed to this dignified
persona of his.

Tonight, he was a nobleman.

Something was stinging in her eyes the more she watched Matthias and Claudine standing there
together, welcoming the Prince with happy smiles. They descended the steps, hand in hand as they
exchanged pleasantries with the Crown Prince.
She could tell they were close, never mind she couldn’t hear what they were saying from where she
stood. Even Lady Brandt seemed well acquainted with the Prince’s wife.

She glanced down on her uniform, adorned with the Herhardt’s insignia. She unclasped her hands in
front of her, and tucked them behind her instead as she felt herself beginning to tremble.

She wasn’t holding onto anything, but they trembled as she felt the ghost of a feeling beneath her
fingers. It was achingly similar to when she’d stroke them against those crystalline figures in the
museum.

It also achingly reminded her of the coin purse’s heavy weight in her hand when Claudine had the maid
pay her.

She kept her head bowed down low, staring intently on her shoes, as the Crown Prince and his entourage
climbed up the steps. She sighed in relief when they passed her by, and finally looked up, before freezing
in place…

Lady Claudine was looking right at her. She was smiling brightly in her direction, and Leyla’s hand
tightened around her fingers as the ghost weight felt heavier and heavier in her hands.

She could even hear the loud way the coins jingled as she moved.

And so she stood there, amongst the crowd in the pale afternoon sun, casting long shadows over her
frozen form.

Chapter 84

Mrs. Grever’s house was located a little farther from the Capital city. During its rapid development, much
of the neighborhood was turned into an idyllic rural setting, equipped with well-maintained roads for
ease of transportation. Flanking the roads were rows of beautifully made houses, constructed with
wooden frames and paneling.

Leyla decided that today was as good as a day to pay her a visit. She had bought a beautiful array of a
bouquet to bring with her as a gift, along with a jar of jam that was made with the best summer fruits
harvested in Arvis.

She drew closer to Mrs. Grever house as she commuted towards the center of the boulevard, where she
could see the green-roofed house. She had her transport stop a few blocks away, before she gathered
her gifts into her arms.

She then rang the doorbell as soon as she got in front of the door. She waited for a few moments,
hearing muffled sounds of footsteps getting closer, before the door swung open to reveal Mrs. Grever.
The older woman beamed at the sight of her, ecstatically inviting her inside.

“Oh Leyla! I’m so glad you finally arrived!” Mrs. Grever greeted, “When you told me you would be
visiting, I couldn’t help but get up earlier than usual.” she immediately began telling Leyla, “I apologize in
advance if I seem a little tired.”
Leyla only smiled at her pleasantly, before she looked around.

“Am I the last one here?” she couldn’t help but ask consciously, before looking down on her wrist-watch.
She didn’t think she arrived too late, in fact, she was ten minutes earlier than the appointed time of their
meeting. Mrs. Grever only waved her worries away.

“Oh, don’t worry, you’re not even late.” she told Leyla, and waved her over to follow her to the dining
room, where everyone was gathered, “The others just got here a little too early, they’ve all been eager
to hear about the Crown Prince’s arrival from you.”

Leyla blinked in surprise, before she saw her fellow young teachers gathered around the table, chatting
amicably with one another. Upon her arrival, they all turned to look at her, before greeting her excitedly,
immediately making space between them for her.

Even Mrs. Grever seemed to anticipate her tale about the Crown Prince’s arrival with his wife. Leyla
couldn’t help but feel a little bit overwhelmed by the expectation. She wasn’t really paying attention to
the prince and his family as much as she was looking at the Duke in anticipation.

When she asked them what they wanted to know about the Crown Prince’s arrival, they wasted no time
bombarding her with questions, one after the next like excitable little children.

“Tell us about the Crown Prince! Did you really see him?!”

“Did you see his wife?”

“I heard they had twin babies! Were they there?!”

“Oh I wish I could have gone, you’re so lucky Miss Lewellin!”

“Yeah, I only saw the pictures in the newspaper, it must have been a sight to see in person!”

Leyla looked from one person to the next, before she laughed awkwardly, holding her hands up in a
placating manner as she tried to get them to calm down a little bit.

“I’m not sure how much help I could be, I was some ways away from the entourage after all.” She then
held up one of the newspapers lying on the table with the pictures of the Prince’s arrival, “The pictures
here though seemed really detailed, I couldn’t even see this much from where I was standing.” she
pointed out.

“Oh boo-hoo!” piped up one of the younger teachers, “What matters is you got to be there in person!”
they squealed.

“Yeah!” The others agreed readily.

“Oh, aren’t the Duke and the Crown Prince best friends or something?” another piped up in the middle
of the conversation.

Leyla’s stomach dropped at the mention of the Duke, and cold sweat began to escape her temples at the
anticipation of where this conversation was going. Fortunately, Mrs. Grever had the foresight to give her
a glass of water when she had sat down on the table.
She grabbed it nervously, staring at it resolutely while she took a sip of water. The other teachers
seemed to be content letting her be for now, which she was thankful for. The conversation between the
teachers flowed easily between the Crown Prince, the Duke and even Marquis Lindman.

“Well personally, I think the Duke’s the coolest between the three.” Mrs. Grever haughtily declared
among the young teachers, “Don’t you agree so too, Leyla?”

“Huh?” Leyla blinked, finally back to the conversation, as she noticed the others were now quiet as they
waited to hear her answer.

“I said the Duke’s the coolest among the three, don’t you agree too?” she prompted, looking expectantly
at Leyla.

“Oh, now that I think about it, Leyla’s met them all in person now!”

“Hey, that’s right!”

“She could tell us better who’s cooler between the Crown Prince, Duke Herhardt and Marquis Lindman!”

Leyla looked like a deer caught in headlights. She looked back and forth at them with a nervous smile on
her face as she struggled to formulate her words.

“I, I…” she began to stutter, when one of her fellow teachers answered on her behalf.

“I think Leyla’s opinion is a bit biased Mrs. Grever,” they pointed out, “There’s no question she’s going to
choose Duke Herhardt, after all, he practically saved her uncle.”

She quickly nodded along to the teacher’s words. She knows they mean it well, and they were all just
having pleasant fun, but at the mention of her uncle, the conversation shifted into praising the Duke’s
action for dropping the charges.

Her heart sank the more she listened in on them.

‘A savior they say?’ she couldn’t help but think rather bitterly in her mind. ‘If only they know why he
dropped them.’

The rest of the visit went by without a hitch, allowing Leyla to enjoy the company and food when the
conversation about the Crown Prince and Arvis died down, and shifting to school and their student
shenanigans.

They all parted ways with light hearts and a full stomach, bidding their host, Mrs. Grever goodbye, with a
promise to return sometime soon.

Upon her way back home, Leyla decided to stop by at a grocery store along the way. Supplies for home
were running short, she should stock up while she’s still outside.

As she passed through the entrance, she wasn’t surprised to see another one of those newspapers with
the Crown Prince’s arrival as a headline displayed in the front rack. However, the picture on it made her
heart flutter, along with an unfamiliar pang in her heart…

On the centerpiece of the headline, was an image of the Crown Prince and Duke Herhardt shaking
hands, while smiling towards the cameras. Beside the prince was his wife…
And beside the Duke, was Lady Brandt.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

In the few days that the Crown Prince and his wife were in Arvis, it was filled with a long life of parties
and dinners to attend. Fortunately, the Prince had stated he wouldn’t attend more gatherings until the
dinner event to be held in the Herhardt Family’s mansion.

This allowed the busy atmosphere to die down in Arvis, giving the servants some room to breathe, as
well as their hosts. Come luncheon time, the Crown Prince was accompanied by both Matthias and
Riette.

The Crown Prince regaled them with the current events around the parts of the continent he recently
toured. Riette had been lying languidly across the sofa, while the other two sat on wing chairs. As he
listened attentively, he couldn’t help but interrupt the Prince politely.

“Forgive my interruption, your highness,” Riette began and the Prince nodded for him to continue, “I
can’t help but realize that most of the noble families in the continent are bound by blood.”

“Yes, that is true.” the Prince nodded.

“Well then, shouldn’t the discord between their families be easily resolved, taking that fact into
consideration?” Riette asked in all seriousness, despite the ease of his current position. The prince could
only smile, albeit a little sadly at his opinion.

“You would think that would be the case, but the opposite is true in this case,” the Prince explained, “In
most of history, it’s the arguments between families that end up having brutal aftermaths.” he sighed
resignedly, before looking over at the Duke.

Matthias had been content to sit out of the conversation. He just remained sitting on his wing chair, as
he stared intently into the flames cackling in the fireplace. The melody of the waltz danced around them
in soft volumes. His feet tapping along with the beat, head swinging along as he relaxed.

But the Crown Prince had a keen eye, and he’s been observing the Duke for some time now. He knew the
more quiet the Duke got, the more his mind was being troubled.

“And what of your thoughts Captain Herhardt?” the Prince called out, making Matthias snap his eyes
over to his two companions.

“You’ve been on the frontlines before, what do you think about the looming threat of a war in the
continent? Are we able to win it this time around as well?” Riette asked, finally sitting up, genuinely
curious about his cousin’s thoughts on the matter.

Matthias breathed in deeply, running simulations in his head as he also straightened up in his seat. His
finger drummed on the arm rests, staring into the flames with a frown, before he turned back to his two
companions.

“I don’t think things will be as easy as the previous ones this time around.” Matthias admitted calmly.

“The tensions between Berg and Lovita are simple, and we do stand a good chance of winning,” Matthias
began to elaborate, “But the scale of a war between the two won’t be kept small.”
The Crown Prince hummed in dry agreement, having already known about that, the royal family’s war
council already making the same predictions.

“I thought as much.” the Crown Prince sighed, as a sullen air settled around the three of them.

Riette hadn’t been wrong when he pointed out all the nobles had some blood relations with each other.
If you’d trace them far back enough, you can tell which side they’re connected to.

But the fighting between the powerful families in the continent was growing day by day. Each one has
garnered multitudes of connections through the generations. They’ve cultivated these connections, and
treaties have interlocked with each other.

It was just one mess growing bigger the more it spread down the line, affecting many more families and
businesses within the empire. Soon enough, the war between two regions would become a war for the
whole continent.

“Well, look on the bright side, Your Highness,” Riette interjected when he noticed the gloomy
atmosphere, “This threat has been going on since my father’s time. Still there’s been no actual war
happening. I’m sure we’ll breeze past through this until we’re all old and gray with nothing ever really
happening.” Riette joked about, before he stopped and sighed.

“Although in the event it does happen, we’ll be there in the middle of it, aiming to return as war
heroes!” Riette proudly declared, making the Prince chuckle good-naturedly at his attempts to lighten
the mood.

“By the way Riette,” the Prince began as he regarded the Marquis with a thoughtful look, “You’re looking
a little too serious there yourself. Where did our Riette go?” he exchanged looks with Matthias who only
shrugged back at him, “You’re making me all nervous with being all proper!” the Prince teased.

Riette gasped in an exaggerated manner, before mockingly swooning on the couch as he shook his head,
while he lay back down on the sofa.

“I wouldn’t dare to show my disgracefulness in front of such an esteemed figure!” Riette gasped out
loudly, making the Prince bark out in laughter at Riette’s dramatics. And just like that, the air was lifted
around them as the Prince was thrown back in pleasant nostalgia.

Even when they were children, things were always like this. And though many years have passed, and
they spent time less and less with each other as their responsibilities grew, the Prince was glad that they
could still behave like this around each other as though they were kids once more.

Matthias had smiled and responded accordingly with the conversation, before leaving them both to their
own devices as he decided it was more interesting to look out the window. He had noticed Leyla had
gone out in the late morning, and was eager to catch sight of her return.

She had been dressed beautifully today, that was enough to make him forget about their last
conversation. That one had been grating across his thoughts painfully and insistently since she left him.

‘So she didn’t like the gift, huh?’ Matthias thought, as a tension settled in his jaw. She wasn’t happy with
the gift he presented her with.
If it was true that being useful and pleasurable in company was the true worth of a mistress, well, Leyla’s
been the farthest example of that by far. He could dig deeper into his thoughts as to why he’s so
reluctant to let her go, but it doesn’t seem worth it to him.

All he knew, and was comfortable to understand, was that he just wanted to keep her beside him for as
long as possible. Even if it meant enduring the endless hate she spewed at him. He’d keep her by his side
until his dying breath.

She was his alone, and his to use. No one else’s. His little canary.

A devious smirk gave way to his lips as he took a careful sip of the lukewarm tea.

He could still feel the ghost of her locks running across his palms; still see the silhouette of her quivering
form due to his ministrations; hear the echoes of her voice as she gasped and moaned because of him…

The more he got to know the inside and out of Leyla Lewellin, the prettier she got in his eyes.

Especially if she was in tears. Which reminded him, it had been a while since he last made her cry for
him.

Just the thought was enough to make him grip his cup tightly, as the urge to seek her out and see her
tears grew inside him. Matthias couldn’t understand his obsession with her. It was like he was going crazy
without her, and he had no will to stop it from happening.

Their first night together had been pure bliss for him. All of his senses drowning in her essences,
embracing him in a way he always sought for, yet so much better!

His thoughts and feelings drowned in her, and he happily let it overtake him if it meant he’d get to have
her for himself. At that moment, she was all he could process, as though she was the only thing in the
world he needed to be alive…

To feel alive.

In his research in taking care of a bird, he’d stumbled upon the knowledge of covering the bird’s eyes,
and cutting off their feathers from their wings. The bird would tremble in your palm as you prevented
them from seeing you trim their wings…

And when it’s all over, they would flap to fly, but found they could no longer go that far away from you.

Matthias had perfected it on his little canary bird. He’d dutifully covered the little canary’s eyes with a
soft piece of handkerchief, as he trimmed the feathers. He’d watch as they fluttered to the ground with
satisfaction before blowing it a kiss and removing the blinds as he showered it with clear affection,
before letting it rest inside its cage.

Lately he found the strange urge overcoming him. When his canary nestled lovingly in his palm, he
wanted nothing more than to close his fingers around its trusting form…

And then squeeze it. But then he’d catch himself, and focused on the beautiful songs his canary would
chirp for him, and the urge would go away.
The same urge kept coming whenever he’d hug Leyla. But unlike his canary, who’d sing to ease him, she
endlessly refused him. She kept struggling to escape him, and that just made him want to see her cry,
and stop time just so he could cherish those tears flowing out of her…

The only ones she seemed to freely give him.

But he desired to have her, take all of her and keep her for himself. If he could, he would have swallowed
her all up in one go during their sexual intercourses.

“Matthias?”

Matthias was brought back to the present at the sound of his name. He looked to the sides, and saw his
companions looking at him inquiringly as they both stood beside him. Only then did he notice the
gathered servants in front of the open door.

It seemed he got a little too distracted by Leyla after all. He didn’t like being caught unaware like this.

He put the cup down gently, before standing up, brushing off their inquiring gazes at him as though it
was nothing.

Finally, it was dinner in the Arvis Mansion, and the servants began to escort them towards the dining
room, while Matthias waited in the back to lock his study.

Just before he’d close the door behind him, a stray thought wandered into his mind.

‘Had Leyla come back?’ he couldn’t help but wonder, feeling a strange worry come over him at the
thought she hadn’t returned yet. Which didn’t make sense to him. After all, where else could she return
to but here?

He swiftly shut and locked the door before he decided to go back to his room to prepare for dinner.

As he walked through the long hallways, with the fading sun casting orange hues in the walls, he can’t
help but think about her again. A cold dread settling in his gut at the thought of her not coming back…

‘What if she decides it’s not worth it coming back?’

Reaching his room with his attendant, Matthias wasted no time changing as he mulled over that thought.

Leyla couldn’t dare leaving Bill Remmer on his own. She looked up to him her whole life, she couldn’t
just up and leave him behind.

‘But if it meant she could leave me, then… could she?’ Matthias wondered instead.

Would she really leave? Because of him?

His movements halted just as he was about to secure his cuffs. The cold feeling grew inside him. He
could tell it was anger, or nervousness. He’d felt those before, and this wasn’t it.

“Master?” his attendant called out worriedly when he noticed Matthias’ movements paused.
Immediately, his master’s movements resumed, quickly finishing securing the cuff links and turned
around, to have his coat buttoned up.
Once Matthias had buttoned up the coat around him, the attendant busied themselves with brushing
some stray dust and flint all over Matthias as his master stood still in front of his floor-length mirror.

Matthias was thinking about the first time he tried trimming his canary’s feathers. The little bird
struggled incessantly in his grasp, making him cut more than he should, causing blood to ooze out its
wings.

He’d been worried at first, but was relieved to find his canary alive by the next day. He liked knowing it
couldn’t fly away from him. Adored the pitiful sight of its struggles in fact. It wasn’t until it fluttered
nervously towards him, and chirped beautifully for him that he got the sense the bird loved him.

Its feathers would grow back, but even if he were to accidentally cut more than he should, the bird loved
him. It regarded him as their home. It wouldn’t want to leave him.

Though he can help but think it would be better if the bird couldn’t fly permanently too. He wouldn’t
need to put it in a cage, he’d just let it wander free forever in his sights. They’d be freer that way too.

“You’re all set, master.” The attendant called out to him once more, bowing his head dutifully at
Matthias.

Matthias took one last glance of his appearance in the mirror’s frame, before nodding to the attendant in
satisfaction. He casted another glance outside his bedroom window, looking over the fading shadows of
the trees that stretched across the road the further the sun set in the skies…

Leyla was still nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 85

Mark Evers was Duke Herhardt’s current attendant. As he followed after his master, he couldn’t help but
feel a little perplexed by his recent actions.

He’d been working in the Arvis Mansion for many years now. He’s filled up every position, from a lowly
servant to an apprentice to the head butler, Hessen, down to the Duke’s attendant. He’d been them all.
He’d witnessed many things about them too, but not this.

This wasn’t the Duke he was accustomed to.

He’d noticed it for a while now, how unfocused his master had been, even in the presence of the Royal
couple. It wasn’t like him. The Duke had always been attentive, even though he pretended not to be
interested. So when he spaced out back there, Mark could tell something was amiss for his Master.

Suddenly, Matthias stopped, startling Mark by his sudden change.

His master was turned towards the window, his gaze resolutely looking out the window with an intense
look in his eyes. Mark couldn’t help but follow his gaze.
And there, he spotted her just as she was passing through the garden, basking in the fading light of the
sun as the skies gradually darkened, was Leyla. She was headed for the forest path, located just behind
the mansion as she carried a large bag in her arms.

Mark opted to wait for his master patiently, instead of breaking his reverie for them to get to the dining
room promptly. Leyla must have gone grocery shopping, and was now just returning. Though her load
looked rather heavy. It mustn’t be, for she was walking at a leisurely pace, neither in a hurry nor
struggling.

‘She’s back,’ Matthias thought with a certain relief, ‘Leyla’s returned.’ Matthias remained looking at her
beautiful figure, enamored by the sway of her French braid with every step she took further into the
forest.

It didn’t escape Mark’s notice how the stiffness in his master’s form slowly eased out of his shoulders the
longer he stared at the unsuspecting girl. She didn’t even bother looking towards the mansion.

Matthias gaze trailed over her body, taking in every detail. Like the way her coat and skirt fluttered with
the winter breeze, revealing some of her porcelain leg’s fair skin. He watched as she paused for a while,
shaking something off of her before continuing on her path.

Belatedly, he remembered it was supposed to be colder than usual today, and he couldn’t help but frown
at her carelessness. She must have been commuting too, because she wasn’t pedaling her way back
home, which meant she walked all the way from the entrance of the estate.

‘What a foolish woman, trying to brave the cold with such a heavy load on her shoulders.’ Matthias
mentally berated her. Deciding he’s had enough, he resumed his pace, and continued on his way to the
dining area.

But even though he walked away, his mind stayed resolutely on the retreating woman.

Even the sight of her was enough to call attention to those unfamiliar sensations he’d been feeling
around her lately.

“There you are, my Duke!” Claudine greeted him brightly as she came forward to welcome him into the
lounge area, where their other guests were currently assembled at. Matthias politely smiled back at her,
offering her his arm before she snaked her own over his forearm.

His arrival drew the attention of the crowd as they all welcomed him back.

“You were taking too long, so I decided I should go look for you.” Claudine informed him, “I got worried
something happened, it isn’t like you to be late to these events.” she pointed out. Matthias
absentmindedly patted her gloved hands.

“I apologize, my Lady, for worrying you.” he said, looking down at her indifferently, “I took longer than
expected to be prepared for dinner.”

Claudine regarded him carefully for a moment, before giving him a small smile.

“Well, I’m glad to know you’re alright, after all.” she then turned back to their guests, pulling away from
him. She conversed with each and every one of their guests naturally with ease. Matthias observed her
in a pensive manner.
She was going to be the perfect Duchess. A fact he was glad for, and couldn’t deny. Still, his thoughts
kept returning to Leyla. His eyes kept trailing to Claudine, following her movements in the room as she
drew closer to his mother, and grandmother, who were close to the Crown Prince and his wife.

The light from the fireplace casted a faint orange glow all over the lounge’s occupants.

Marriage was just another business transaction in their circle. The more powerful or influential the
family, the better. This was true for him as it was with anyone in his shoes and Claudine was the best
candidate he was presented with.

A marriage to her would just cement the Herhardts more into their place of power. But was that all
marriage was?

He wasn’t one to question his decisions, so why was he starting now?

There was a flickering of light from the room’s chandelier, before it brightened up the room indefinitely.
Matthias, along with the other guests, squinted at the sudden brightness. Seconds later, Hessen came
into the room, announcing that dinner had been served.

One by one, their guests made their way to the dining room, leaving Matthias as the last one to leave.

There in the middle of the lounge, he could see clearly the portraits of his predecessors, as though they
were staring at him.

As though they sensed how he was wavering.

“My duke?” Claudine called out, who looked back at him, and Matthias wasted no time in catching up
with the rest of his guests, escorting his fiancé down the stairs and through the long halls leading up to
the dining room.

It was fortunate that Matthias had enough foresight to have the generator as one of the first to be
repaired. It made the chandelier in their dining room look more majestic, showing off it’s exquisite shine
as it basked their guests in a bright white glow.

On the long table were rows of their best silverware and cutlery. In the middle of the table was lined
ornate candelabras, along with a few cut orchids in vases and some sculpted desk ornaments.

All this served as reminders for Matthias that he was a powerful person. He’s the Duke of Arvis, and is
well-respected, and highly regarded in both society and among royalty. He had all this in his possession…

And yet his mistress walked in freezing temperatures on uneven ground. He could almost imagine her
back in her cabin, sitting alone in front of a shabby table, with a poor excuse of a fireplace illuminating
her.

“Duke Herhardt.” Claudine’s voice called out for him, taking him out of his reverie, and looked over to
her. She wordlessly gestured over to the seat in front of him.

It was odd. He’d known her since they were children, yet all of a sudden, it was like he was in a room
filled with strangers.
“Matthias?” Claudine called him softly once more, looking up at him in a confused manner. He
acknowledged her once more, before finally taking his own seat, along with a few others.

Dinner was just beginning.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The royal couple stayed in Arvis for a total of five days before they finally moved on.

On their last day, all of Arvis’ employees lined up in front of the mansion as they all bid the royal couple
and their entourage goodbye. Leyla had been part of the group and stood with the same crowd she was
with on the day of their arrival.

The security made things such a hassle to move along, but there was also a sense of dismay in the air
once they realized their guests would be leaving.

In all that time the Crown Prince and his wife were in Arvis, Leyla had not been visited by the Duke, at all.
It was almost like he even forgot about her. He sent her no note, not even from Phoebe. There was also
no summon for her.

She just got to live her recent days worry and stress free from the Duke. The past few days made her feel
like she did before this whole affair started, back when she was just Leyla, her uncle’s ward. The days
were peaceful for a change.

And she loved it.

She couldn’t help the hope blooming in her chest. Perhaps these few days were enough to make the
Duke rethink about keeping her as his mistress. Maybe he’s finally grown tired of her! After all, his
obsession with her made absolutely no sense!

Maybe he was just taken with her because he finally found something he couldn’t have for himself, and
now he finally did, he’d gotten bored once more.

She couldn’t help the smile on her face, believing this would be the day she’d be free of him at long last!
He was a prideful man after all. He couldn’t bear to stay with her ungrateful disposition and terrible
bedside manner towards him for too long.

In her relief at the prospect at the end being within reach, she failed to look away, just as the Duke
turned his eyes towards her direction. She knew he was looking at her, and he knew she saw him back.

There was that odd sensation running over her body once more, finally making her lower her gaze from
him in trepidation. After a few more seconds, she looked back up to him, and saw he was no longer
looking at her.

Instead, he was busy exchanging farewell with the Prince, with Lady Brandt by his side. Another familiar
feeling welled up in Leyla, but she couldn’t put her finger in it.

Soon the procession of the Prince’s farewell ceremony ended, and they all left Arvis. Leyla watched on
the sidelines as Matthias offered Claudine his arm, and began escorting her inside, with their own
entourage following them in suit.
The rest of the employees sighed in relief now that their important guest was gone, and things could
return back to normal. Leyla remained rooted in place, as the buzz around her grew louder when they all
began chatting amongst their respective groups.

Somewhere behind her, Leyla could vaguely hear a couple maids gossiping with each other in whispers.

“I just think they should have stuck with the schedule.”

“I know, they shouldn’t have to push back the wedding.”

“Lady Brandt is practically the Duchess already, isn’t she?”

Leyla felt uncomfortable with their conversation, feeling her heart beating fast at the new information.
She silently stepped away from them, and returned back to her own cabin. It didn’t matter what news
about the Duke’s wedding was.

She fully believed that their time together was running out, and that almost made her skip in her steps
for joy! Soon, she can finally work on convincing her uncle to leave Arvis, and she could forget this whole
kerfuffle had ever happened!

Yes, they would move to the farthest place from Arvis, one where no one knows her, or has even heard
of Arvis. Maybe she won’t get to go back to the way things were entirely, and maybe she’ll have to work
twice as hard to get their new life in order, but no hardship could hold a candle to the suffering she was
now facing.

With her world starting to fall in place, Leyla wasted no time in diligently doing her chores, humming
happily as she scrubbed the stain out of their laundry, brushed their floors clean. She even baked herself
some jam cookies! She hadn’t felt that urge in a long time now.

As soon as they finished, she took them out to cool on the rack as she grabbed her book, and poured
herself some tea to enjoy the cookies with. She sat leisurely for the first time since the accident at the
green house, and read her book as she gobbled up the cookies with no problem.

She paused reading after a while, deciding to pen some of her friends who had recently sent her letters.
When she just finished sealing the last of her letters, a knock sounded in front of her door, followed soon
by a familiar voice.

“Leyla! Are you in there?”

It was her friendly, yet equally nosy neighbor, Mrs. Mona. Leyla went out to greet her with a beaming
smile.

“Ah, Mrs. Mona!” Leyla greeted before gasping at the large basket her neighbor was holding, “What a
feast you got there!” she exclaimed, and Mrs. Mona smiled sheepishly.

“Oh, I was a bit worried about you dear,” Mrs. Mona sighed and went in as soon as Leyla stepped aside,
“After all, you’re a grown woman now, you should be eating a lot more by now.” she then breathed in,
sniffing the faint smell of cookies in the air, “Ah, but I see I shouldn’t have been too worried.” she smiled
at Leyla, who only laughed good naturedly.
“Well, I did learn from the best.” Leyla praised at Mrs. Mona, who preened at the implication. Leyla led
her to their kitchen, and began preparing her some tea.

Mrs. Mona did take it upon herself to teach Leyla how to cook when she had been younger. She taught
her what to do around the kitchen, following her instructions as best as she could until she became a
very skilled housekeeper.

It felt as though the warmth was returning in their small cabin, and Leyla couldn’t be happier.

They sat across from each other, sharing stories as they chatted back and forth between tea and their
sweets. Mrs. Mona was doing the most of the talking, while Leyla took her sweet time listening and
enjoying the food.

Mrs. Mona moaned as she took another bite from Leyla’s baked cookies.

“These ones really came out delicious, dear.” She praised, “Any man who marries you would be very
lucky!” she added as an afterthought, before pursing her lips as she looked back over at Leyla, “Speaking
of, about Kyle-”

Leyla quickly cut her off.

“Oh, that’s because you taught me so well yourself, so really this is all you!” Leyla exclaimed, grabbing a
snack from the basket, “Perhaps you can come over next time when I’m baking cakes, and then you can
tell me if they’re of any good!”

Mrs. Mona eyed her carefully, knowing full well Kyle was still a sore topic on the girl. And she looked so
happy today, she didn’t have the heart to be the reason it disappeared, not when she was looking so
relaxed the last couple of days.

“Well then, you’ll have to let me know when you decide to bake them so I can make sure to stop by.”
Mrs. Mona conceded, taking another bite of the cookie, moaning at the deliciousness.

Everyone was curious and worried at the slow progress of Kyle and Leyla’s reconciliation, but perhaps
that was a worry for another day instead, Mrs. Mona decided.

So she proceeded to complain to Leyla about the intricate and picky dishes the aristocrats had her
cooking in the mansion. They were very picky and snobbish. The kitchen staff never had to worry about
so much before, but alas, they had to. They were hosting very important people after all, and nothing
but the best should be served!

Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t bemoan the stress they had put on her.

“Pity that the Brandt girl decided to stay behind,” Mrs. Mona grumbled, “I thought she’d be leaving by
now, along with all the guests.” she huffed in a pout. “In all honesty, I don’t know why she insists on
staying in Arvis, when the master isn’t even around to entertain her.”

“Oh?” Leyla piped up at the mention of Matthias, “The Duke is not in Arvis now? What for?” she asked
curiously and Mrs. Mona nodded.
“Yes, I think it was something about a business, I wasn’t too privy with the information.” Mrs. Mona was
quick to answer, “But he left for the city, just after the Crown Prince and his entourage did. He won’t be
back for a few days, I’m afraid.” She informed.

Leyla tried to subtly breathe a sigh of relief at the knowledge.

The Duke would be gone for a few more days! Oh this was just the best piece of news she received in
forever!

“Unfortunately, the Duchesses Norma and Elysee insist on Lady Brandt remaining in the pretense of
discussing wedding arrangements.” Mrs. Mona scoffed, “In all honesty I’m sick and tired of having that
snobbish lady around! She’s the pickiest eater I’ve ever met! Doesn’t she know how to just eat what’s
being served? Honestly.”

They continued to chat, until Mrs. Mona noticed how late it was getting. They bid each other goodbye,
and finally, Leyla was back alone in her cabin. But unlike the aftermath of Mrs. Mona’s visits, Leyla
remained in a good mood, and easily finished the cookies left of the place.

Each crunch had crumbs breaking off the cookie, and Leyla just dusted them off from her clothes,
deciding she’d sweep them clean later. Today was a good day, and would continue to remain good in the
following days after all.

‘Thank god!’ Leyla sighed in relief as she resumed humming to herself in unabashed bliss.

Chapter 86

The schedule was tailored to be finished within four days at the least, but Duke Herhardt was able to
finish it all within three. To do that, he took on more work within shorter time frames, and even less
breaks over the past few days.

Mark Evers had never felt as exhausted as he did as soon as he sunk into one of the hotel’s plush chairs
as he waited in the lobby. His master was currently in a lunch meeting, which was the last of their
meetings.

He glanced out of the hallways’ window, looking outside.

The Duke had received invitation after invitation from prominent businessmen and nobles located in the
city. Oddly enough, he made sure to instruct them to make his time free after his schedule was done.
Though it didn’t take long for Mark to figure out just what he planned to do in his free time…

Or rather, who he was planning to spend time with.

The answer always pointed back to Leyla Lewellin.

Just this morning he received summons from his master, commanding him to send a car over to Arvis
with specific orders to be discrete, and bring the gardener’s foster daughter to him. He didn’t know what
it was for, and Mark wouldn’t dare question his master.
It wasn’t proper after all.

The car would have reached Arvis by now, so it won’t be long until Leyla would arrive.

Mark didn’t know why he had to be discrete, and he didn’t want to assume anything. Though he
wondered how long he could hide his master’s activities? He can’t help but be filled with nervous energy
at how precarious his current situation was.

Bill Remmer was a force to be reckoned with, and Mark was intimidated by him, but he doubts the
gardener knew what his foster daughter had been up to. The same could be said for his mistresses, the
Duchesses Norma and Elysee, along with the soon-to-be-duchess, Lady Brandt.

The recent events were nerve-wracking!

What should he do if they were to be found out? What should he say? Was he even supposed to say
anything?!

It didn’t even seem like his master was at all concerned about being found out though. He might have
been told to be discreet, but overall he had been calm and relaxed when giving the order. What had
Leyla gotten herself into?

Mark knew this thing happened all the time, but it was a different thing knowing about it, and becoming
unintentionally involved because of employment. Additionally, this was Matthias von Herhardt he was
talking about!

He had been the perfect gentleman all this time and now Mark was seeing a growing scandal in his
master’s clean slate! He’d known him long enough to believe he had nothing to worry about on his
master’s behalf, but now he was utterly so!

Mark couldn’t help but chuckle to himself softly in despair. What a predicament he’d entered. He leaned
his head back to rest against the back of the chair as he looked up at the ceiling.

His master would be fine, Mark was sure. But the one who would take the brunt of the scandal, should it
be revealed was Leyla. If his master was planning on exposing themselves, what did he plan to do with
Leyla?

Mark pushed himself forward, and hunched in on himself, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at
the ornate pillars around him, and the marble sculptures being displayed. His gaze landed on a green
patch in the garden.

In the flowerpot, fresh green leaves bloomed beautifully, despite it being in the middle of winter.

Bill was just around his father’s age too. They aren’t really close, so to speak, but he was well aware most
of the servants employed were in good standing with the man. He was in no doubt the same could be
said about Leyla.

After all, among them servants, she was dubbed as the beloved child of Arvis.

A little too grand for a mere orphan who ended up being raised by their well-respected gardener, but it
wasn’t like anyone minded. Never mind, Leyla wasn’t the only child who grew up among their
community. There were plenty others.
But no other servant’s children were as highly regarded as they were with Leyla.

They grew up together, raced and played in the muds of the garden and forests; bathed in the river and
ran through the fields of Arvis together. She was beautiful though; Mark could faintly admit. He
sometimes thought of her as a fairy whenever they’d run into each other as children.

He vaguely remembered wondering if she found happiness in the prospect of marrying Kyle? Would she
be happy living as his wife? But then things went wrong, and their engagement broke off.

He remembered voicing his thoughts on the matter with Hessen.

“Choose your words carefully, Evers,” Hessen had softly warned him back then, “It is not in our place to
hold judgment over their actions.”

And Mark never brought it up again.

Shortly after, he was appointed as the Duke’s attendant, by courtesy of Hessen’s recommendation. But
when he met with his superior, Mark knew what Hessen really meant, and why he was placed as the
master’s latest attendant.

“Do nothing but your task, Evers.” Hessen had reminded him once more, “Nothing more, nothing less.”
The ominous warning rang through his head, and he’d kept it to heart even to this day.

Did Hessen know? Was this what he meant when he implored Mark to not ask questions?

Suddenly, the group of men he had been waiting for entered the lobby, and Mark immediately stood in
attention and walked over dutifully to the Duke’s side. The last meeting was finally done for the day.

Mark could tell his master was also feeling quite fatigued, despite his cool and calm demeanor. Matthias
turned to him, quirking up a brow, wordlessly asking for an update about his task.

“I sent for Miss Lewellin just before lunch had begun, master.” He quietly informed. “I expect them to
arrive around teatime.”

Matthias gave him a terse nod. Mark thought he saw some color return to his master’s cheeks, but he
wasn’t too sure.

“I’ll send her up to meet you in private as soon as they arrive, master.” Mark quickly added, “Why don’t
you take this time to rest your feet as we wait?” he calmly suggested.

Matthias swiftly bid his companions goodbye, before nodding back to answer Mark’s question. “Send her
up to my room, where I’ll be waiting for her then.” he ordered, to which Mark bowed to him in
acceptance.

“As you wish, master.”

He must have been more tired than usual because of how hectic the last three days had been, yet
Matthias remained tall and proud as they returned back to their place. Mark couldn’t help but feel a little
bit ashamed at thinking badly about his master.

Perhaps this wasn’t anything but a casual meeting between acquaintances?

This was Duke Herhardt and Leyla he was talking about after all. They were both respectable people in
their own fields, they couldn’t be doing that. It was downright insulting to even entertain thoughts about
their perceived infidelity!

“Oh, that’s right, Evers.” the Duke interrupted his thoughts, bringing Mark back to reality as he hurried
closer to his master’s side, “I have one more request for you.”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Leyla’s eyes had turned cold as she looked outside the window as soon as the car rolled to a stop. She
expected something would happen with the Duke when he returned, she just didn’t expect him to send
over for her.

The chauffeur had come with instructions from Mark Evers to bring her over as soon as possible. And so
when all was set, he drove as fast as he could to return without garnering any attention from the
onlookers as he delivered his cargo…

And that cargo was Leyla.

When he first arrived, Leyla was ready to get into an argument, and even refused a couple of times to go
with him. Unfortunately, he also came bearing a letter from the Duke, which left her with no choice but
to comply in the end.

What neither Mark Evers, nor the driver knew, were the contents of the letter, and how it convinced
Leyla to go along.

The chauffeur had been curious initially, but that curiosity soon went away as he rushed through traffic
on the road back to Carlsbar. He didn’t know how soon was “too soon”. The attendant never specified.

Mark waited anxiously for their arrival, wondering why they took so long to return. When he finally saw
the car rolling in, he hurriedly met them at the bottom of the steps. The chauffeur immediately got out
of the car.

“Mr. Crook, I was getting a little worried because you were running late!” Mark exclaimed, “Where’s
Leyla?” he asked right after. The chauffeur only bowed to him in apology.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Evers.” he then opened the door, to reveal Leyla in the back seat.

Leyla had been amazed by the extravagant sight in front of her, quickly thanking the chauffeur for
opening the door before she resumed sight-seeing.

Mark on the other hand, felt flabbergasted by the sight of Leyla.

She was dressed poorly! He couldn’t help but internally scream aghast at her state of dress!

First off, it was winter, hence it would be colder than usual. So what wasn’t she in a coat? Instead, she
only has a small, flimsy shawl wrapped around her shoulders! And the apron, don’t even get Mark
started on the apron. It was visibly dirty, having dark stains across its yellowed white fabric!

It seemed even the driver was embarrassed at how poorly she was dressed, to meet with their master as
he avoided the attendant’s gaze.
“Miss Lewellin…” Mark trailed off, unable to voice his disbelief. Leyla seemed unbothered by her clothes
as she finally looked at Mark with a steely gaze.

“So this is the place he wants me to be in?” she asked Mark, who was still too stunned to speak, “Am I
even allowed to enter the premises?”

Mark had to reluctantly give her an affirmation, still worrying about her clothes.

“Well, then, what are we waiting for?” Leyla asked no one in particular and just began to walk towards
the entrance. Mark almost cried in despair as he hurried after her.

“Wait, Miss Lewellin!” he urgently exclaimed, wincing when his cry garnered the attention of the
doorman, who also looked flabbergasted by the state of Leyla’s clothes.

Mark wasted no time in removing his long coat, and hurriedly draped it over Leyla’s clothes. It wasn’t
that Leyla didn’t look like she could be royalty, it’s just that she wasn’t dressed at all appropriately to
enter the premises.

He thought she would have at least changed out of her work clothes before coming over, it was only
proper. But at least, wrapped up in his long coat, she at least looked a little more respectable with it on.

The doorman at least had a little decency to say nothing about what he’d seen, and allowed them to
enter, before giving Mark a questioning stare. Mark only bowed apologetically before rushing to lead the
girl up to his master’s room.

Leyla was nervous about being in such a high societal place, but she couldn’t back down from Matthias.

Mark proceeded to expertly dodge the crowds, carefully making twists and turns in a way that hid Leyla
from the view of any passerby and made sure to cover her face with some of the attention she caught.

In no time at all, they reached the Duke’s hotel room.

Mark Evers straightened up and knocked on his master’s room.

“Master, we have arrived.” He called out softly. He listened in on the door, lightly pressing his ears
against it, and heard a faint murmur coming from inside. “Master?” he called out once again, a little
more loudly, but enough to not disturb any nearby tenants.

“Come in.” His master’s voice sounded through the door. Mark straightened up and took his copy of his
master’s door key and let themselves inside the room.

Upon their entry, they saw Matthias lying haphazardly on the couch, with his eyes shut, before he
opened them to look at his new guest. Mark could tell he was still a little drowsy from his sleep.

With a sigh, Matthias then sat up on the couch, before he swept a hand from his face, and up to his hair,
trying to rub the sleep off his face. When he looked up, he locked eyes almost immediately with Leyla.

He frowned upon seeing another man’s coat wrapped around her.

Mark’s eyes darted nervously back and forth from his master, and then to Leyla. He could tell there was
some tension between them, and he could also tell he didn’t want to be anywhere near them when it
blew up.
With a gulp, Mark bowed to Matthias in an attempt to excuse himself. After all, he’s done his task,
Hessen told him to do nothing more than what was being asked of him. He could finally leave right?

“I shall leave you alone now, master.” he politely informed, before slowly backing up and turned to leave
the room.

“Oh, Mr. Evers!” Leyla called out, halting him from his retreat. Mark reluctantly turned back around, just
in time to see Leyla removing the coat around her and handing it back to him with a smile. “Thank you
for this.” she said to him.

Mark blinked back as he internally screamed. He tried so hard to keep her presentable for his master. But
the Duke has seen it now, there was no point in keeping up with further pretenses.

“You’re welcome, Miss Lewellin.” Mark replied with a stiff smile, before successfully leaving them both to
their own devices to escape the thick tension in the room.

As soon as they were alone, Leyla reluctantly turned around to face Matthias, who was still looking at
her with a deepening frown. She felt blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment and clasped her hands
in front of her.

“Forgive me for my clothes, but you said to come immediately.” she haughtily excused, refusing to
appear nervous in front of him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t hide the way her hands shook under his
gaze.

Matthias took a deep breath as he leaned back on the sofa. He placed a hand beneath his chin as he
continued to look at her.

Aside from the less than presentable clothes she had on, her hair was also wrapped in a loose braid.
There were even a few strands that managed to escape its hold. And her apron, well, it hardly matched
the cleanliness of her current surroundings.

His eyes trailed down and saw the creases on the bottom of her brown dress. Further down, on her feet
she wore loose woolen socks, sagging around her ankles, and stained leather shoes. He couldn’t help but
chuckle in amusement over her poor state of dress.

Leyla winced at the sound of his laughter.

Matthias languidly got up from the couch and stood on unsteady feet as he walked towards her. Even in
his less than perfect gait, Leyla couldn’t help but freeze in intimidation.

“You never really fail to surprise me Leyla,” he told her in a husky voice as he stopped just a step away
from her, “That’s what I like about you.”

He could clearly see the fire in her eyes as she stared up at him. Her face was less pretty with a frown on,
but he still found himself pleased to see her.

“You think this is funny?!” Leyla hissed at him, and Matthias shrugged before humming in agreement.
She wasted no time in throwing the letter he sent her in his face. Matthias scooted away in immediate
response, and watched the letter fall onto the floor.
“Now, now Leyla,” Matthias tutted, “How could I not find you fun? You’re so pretty all riled up, after all.”
he teased. Leyla scoffed at him, her body now shaking with brimming rage at him!

How dare he smile as if it was nothing!? She wanted to swipe that smirk off his face permanently!

Matthias then moved forward to touch her when she slapped his hand away!

“Don’t you dare touch me!” she exclaimed, stepping away from him as she looked up at him with tears in
the corner of her eyes. She had been shocked at how she managed to do that, but she couldn’t let that
stop her.

“How can you stand there smiling at me as if it was nothing!?” she asked him, “As if your threat was
nothing but a joke to you!?”

Matthias blinked at that, before looking down at the crumpled letter on the floor. He frowned, before
looking back at Leyla.

“What threat are you talking about?”

Leyla barked out a laugh hysterically.

“What do you mean ‘what threat’?” she asked him incredulously, “Those threats you made in that
letter!”

Matthias could only stand in front of her as he stared at her raging form.

Chapter 87

They both stood in front of the other, Leyla in shaking rage, while Matthias was calmly regarding her,
before his posture relaxed. He put a hand in his pocket before brushing his hair up his forehead as he
remembered the letter’s contents.

“Oh, you mean that.” he finally said, breaking the silence between them. He let out a sigh, before giving
Leyla an amused smirk, cupping her cheek with his free hand, and gripping it tight when she tried to
brush him off once again. “It wasn’t even a threat.” he lightly informed her.

Leyla’s eyes widened in incredulity before she scoffed up at him.

“If that wasn’t a threat then how should I have taken it?!”

Matthias shrugged at her.

“Maybe advice?” he calmly suggested, “Or maybe a reminder?” he hummed in thought. Leyla only
laughed partially in hysterics and disbelief at his audacity.

She had been in a great mood these past few days, being away from him and his presence. Even the day
had started out beautiful with their clear blue skies, with a warmer temperature in the middle of winter.
So she had gone on with her business, enjoying her time away from any problems, a time she hadn’t had
much these past weeks with her being at the beck and call of the Duke. She didn’t even receive as much
of a note when he left so abruptly after the Crown Prince’s visit.

And all of a sudden, it didn’t seem far-fetched for her to think that their time was coming to an end! Life
was finally beginning to return to her usual peaceful days.

She went out to pick some excellent dried sagebrush, and had gone to bake herself some fresh bread.
Right after baking and eating, she had decided to clean her stove, airing out the kitchen as the smell of
bread wafted out and about the cabin’s kitchen.

All in all, her day had been going great!

Up until the time the inconspicuous car rolled in front of her cabin, sending alarm bells ringing in her
head when she recognized the Duke’s chauffeur stepping out, and headed for her front door. What else
could he be here for, away from the Duke, if it wasn’t for her?

She tried blinking back his existence to her imagination, and might have pinched herself in the process.
But he was real, and he was in front of her cabin. Hurriedly she answered the door, confirming the
dreaded feeling in her gut what this all was for.

“Good day, Miss Lewellin,” the chauffeur had greeted her when she came to the door, “I’d like to inform
you that the Duke has requested your presence at the earliest time possible.”

“What?”

“You can prepare yourself for a while, but I’m afraid we are in a bit of a hurry.” the chauffeur told her
kindly, but Leyla’s heart was thundering in her chest.

“Where did he want to see me?” she quickly demanded, narrowing her eyes at the chauffeur, who
blinked at her in shock.

“I’m to take you to the city, that’s where he’ll be waiting for you. It’s why he sent me here to get you.” he
supplied helpfully, which immediately got Leyla to shake her head.

“No,” she whispered, before finding her voice again, “No! I refuse to go there!” she exclaimed. “I’m not
going anywhere with you!”

The chauffeur regarded her carefully, before he gently pulled out a sealed note from within his breast
pocket, and gave it to her as an offering.

“I’ve been given instructions to give this to you as well Miss Lewellin.” he told her as she accepted the
envelope. Leyla quickly unsealed the letter, glancing through the contents at incredible pace.

His message was clear to her. He was asking her, no, he was demanding her to remember why she’s in
this predicament in the first place.

Do it for Mr. Remmer.

An overwhelming sense of rage and humiliation came over her, neatly tucking the note back in the
envelope before it crumpled in her shaking grip. He was treating her like nothing more than a toy,
demanding her to do things according to his wishes, to go places he ordered her to go without further
ado!

It was supposed to be a relationship between just the two of them, but it seemed like he had no qualms
revealing it to others after all. She never expected him to disregard her feelings as if they did not even
matter.

And it hurt her.

She didn’t want to go. She wanted to defy him, and make him wait for nothing! Except…

Do it for Mr. Remmer.

She was left with no choice but to do it. For her uncle’s sake, she will have to come to him, no matter
how humiliated she was feeling right now. And that’s why she moved, with no further ado, she got in the
car despite the chauffeur questioning her appearance.

She thought it was better for him to see him in such a measly manner. He’d bore of her quicker once he’s
reminded just how different and below she was of him. It’s her last act of pride before she’d be fed to
the lion for slaughter.

Though she couldn’t help but think of him cackling in amusement at her pathetic state too, and that
made beads of sweat roll down her back.

“Shouldn’t a noble man like you be knowledgeable of things such as honor, dignity and common
decency?!” she spewed at him, “How callous can you be?! Using Uncle Bill like that against me!?”

Still, Matthias seemed to be unbothered by her ire, and it stung her.

“I know if I didn’t remind you, you wouldn’t have gotten in that car and come to me.” Matthias explained
coolly, still looking at her in that soft, unfamiliar gaze in his cerulean eyes. “It wasn’t meant to be a
threat, Leyla. It never was.”

“Oh, forgive me for jumping to conclusions! How very gentlemanly of you to remind me!” she replied
sarcastically. Matthias only chuckled in amusement at her and gave her a once over.

“Well, you’re looking quite the exceptional Lady right now, my mistress.” he smirked at her, “So it’s only
proper I become the perfect gentleman for you.” he said in the low baritone, sending shivers up her
spine at how husky he sounded.

‘I should stomp on his foot to make a point!’ Leyla thought belatedly to herself.

She held his wrists tightly with both hands, resolute in glaring at him straight in the eye, until a knock
resounded in the room. Fear seized Leyla’s heart as she immediately thought to hide from the incoming
guest, yet Matthias had no such qualms.

“Come in.” He invited coolly, ignoring Leyla’s look of panic, and casually sat back down on the sofa. Not a
moment later, a maid swung the door open, pushing into the room a food-filled tray cart. Leyla
immediately scooted towards the windows to retreat further into herself.
Her movement caught the maid’s attention, who seemed to flush in embarrassment at her dirty state.
Fortunately, she made no comment, and continued to set out their food in a timely and efficient manner.

When she was done, she excused herself right away, smiling gently as she bowed respectfully at them,
leaving them alone once more. Leyla couldn’t help but scoot closer to Matthias after the maid had gone
away.

“What’s this for?” she couldn’t help but ask him.

On the table, there was food set. It had warm tea, along with an array of delicious food, that could be
enough for two people to share. Matthias only gestured at the table.

“What else do you think?” he asked her in faint amusement, mixed with a little teasing. He caught sight
of the single piece of cake he had ordered Mark to add. It had a pink cream filling, and elaborately
designed with pink and white icings.

Mark Evers was getting more efficient in his job. He did well today.

Matthias went to grab the plate and held it out for Leyla to take.

“This one is for you.” he told her plainly, making Leyla grab it dumbly, “Make sure to eat it this time.” he
ordered her before he laid back down on the sofa.

“What are you doing?” Leyla wondered in confusion as she watched him throw an arm over his eyes as
he settled on the sofa.

“Wake me up in two hours.” he ordered her, while Leyla could only continue to watch him.

“What?”

When she received no reply, she put the cake down on the table and got around the sofa to hover over
him.

“What are you doing right now?!” she hissed at him in confusion. Matthias only hummed in reply,
content in letting her go unanswered, but she hovered persistently over him.

“Well, seeing as you’re my beautiful Lady right now, I should only treat you like one.” He answered
plainly, still keeping his eyes closed in an attempt to catch up on some much needed rest.

“I don’t even want to be your lady!”

“It’s a nice thought though, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You’re not making any sense!” Leyla complained, “What are you talking about?!”

“Well, if you’re so adamant on not being my Lady, then I shouldn’t have to act like your gentleman
either.” he told her in a drowsy manner, “Isn’t that the unspoken rule between us?” he finally opened up
an eye to stare up at her.

Leyla felt her body freezing in response despite his vulnerable position. How could he have this much
power over her?
“You’re staying rather suspiciously over there,” Matthias commented lightly, “Planning to kill me while I
sleep?” he inquired. Leyla only frowned down at him as she took a deep breath.

“I’m thinking about it.” she glared at him haughtily.

“Well, make sure you succeed then.” He softly challenged, “Because once you fail, it’s my turn next.” He
gave her a miniscule grin, before shutting his eyes closed once more, finally falling into a world of sleep,
with the warm afternoon glow basking them both in its fading light.

Leyla could only stand there in hopelessness as she watched him drift into sleep. She could never
understand him, not his words, nor the actions he’d done. He was beyond her comprehension. He was
the one who invited her over, even reminded her why she had to come.

And now he sets out a table filled with her favorite food, and falls asleep.

She half expected this to be just another ploy to get her to lower her defenses, but it seemed like he
really was asleep by the way his breathing slowed down to a rhythmic sound.

He really was an unbelievable person.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Claudine had spent the time alone with her maid embroidering. Something about the measured
movements gave her a sense of calm despite how stormy her thoughts had become lately. Her
movements then stilled, as a new thought came to mind.

“I’ve decided I want to go see Leyla after all, Mary.” she calmly told her aide, whose eyes widened in
surprise at her mistress’ words. Claudine had then set aside her embroidery as she demurely laid her
hands over her lap, to listen to Mary’s thoughts on her decision.

“But what for, my Lady?” Mary inquired worriedly, “Has she done something again?” Claudine just
smiled at her and shook her head.

“No, she hadn’t done anything,” she patted her aide’s hand to calm her down, “I just want to invite her
over to apologize.” she said in a warm voice, but her eyes held an icy look.

The thought just wouldn’t let her be.

The Duke had outwardly embarrassed her, just because she had Leyla be temporarily employed as her
aide. The others might not have seen it that way, but Claudine could tell he wanted to humiliate her. And
now, despite the outward pleasantries they showcased around other people, he was mostly indifferent
to her.

If Matthias would really bore of her soon, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. Which made her
believe he did in fact, figured out his growing attachment to the girl.

“Do invite her over for some tea with me here.” She smiled at Mary. “I would like to properly apologize
for that last incident.”

“But my Lady, I’ve already apologized! You don’t have to lower yourself for her-” Claudine held a hand up
to silence her aide.
“Do understand me,” she held her aide’s hands in hers, “Do this for me, please?” she stared at Mary
imploringly.

Mary searched her mistress’ eyes for an unspoken meaning, before she finally understood her mistress’
wishes. Mary shut her protests down firmly and bowed respectfully at her Lady.

“If you wish it so, my Lady.” she solemnly promised, before dismissing herself to quickly do her task.
Claudine smiled to herself at seeing her servant’s retreating back, before resuming in her stitching.

Matthias might be difficult to read, but Leyla was the easiest. She wore her expressions as plain as day,
which is why so many are so entranced with her. She was absolutely transparent. She was looking
forward to seeing her again.

Upon her servant’s arrival, Claudine paused, and set her stitching aside once more, looking for Leyla.
Mary looked at her apologetically.

“I’m sorry to have failed in bringing her, my Lady,” Mary began as she bowed to her, “But it seems Miss
Lewellin is away.” Claudine looked rather shocked by that piece of information.

“Oh?”

“I’ve stood outside her cabin and knocked multiple times when I couldn’t get an answer.” Mary nodded
immediately, “I even went around the back, thinking I could see her outside, but it seemed like the cabin
was empty.”

Mary looked up nervously towards her mistress, whose face turned dark momentarily before she gave
Mary an understanding smile.

“Well, it seems like she really is away for the moment.” Claudine sighed, and leaned back on her chair,
tapping her fingers on the arm rest. “Perhaps you can try some time later, see if she’s back by then and
invite her over.”

“My Lady, must you really see her today?”

“Yes.” The reply came colder than expected, before Claudine smiled at her stiffly, “Yes. I will see her
tonight if I have to.” she replied calmer this time.

Unbidden thoughts came to mind at the implications of Leyla being away. But if she wasn’t to return
even if the night fell upon them, then she didn’t know what else to think.

‘Matthias couldn’t be so brazen. He wouldn’t!’ Claudine hissed to herself as her grip on the armrest
tightened.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Sometime in the middle of her thinking, Leyla had fallen right asleep after the Duke had. When her eyes
snapped open, the room had gone completely dark. She was certain it had been way past the two hour
mark the Duke told her to wake him in.

She carefully got up from the seat across the Duke, and tiptoed towards the lamp. She hesitated for a
moment, before turning the lamp on, wincing when light flooded into her eyes.
She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the brightness before her eyes fell on the Duke, still sound asleep,
even as the light blanketed him in its soft glow. He was still in the same position he’d been when she last
saw him.

She couldn’t help but wonder if she should wake him up now?

She quickly glanced at the wall clock in the room, before quietly returning to the seat she had slept in.
Waiting around for him to wake up made her restless. But she also didn’t want to disturb the tranquility
she felt around this quiet time she gained.

Quietly, she removed the apron around her waist, folding it neatly on an empty surface, before looking
around. She rubbed her arms as she hugged herself, feeling the biting cold seeping into her frame.

Her eyes were drawn back to the food-filled table, the tea having gone cold so long ago.

She refused to eat it in a foolish act of defiance, now all the food prepared had gone cold. Her eyes then
glanced at the single piece of cake he specifically set out for her, making her heart skip a beat as she
stared at it.

Suddenly, her stomach rumbled, making her remember that breakfast was the last thing she ate before
being whisked away to the central city. She could just as well go out and eat something to warm her up,
but she had left without much thought but to come here so she had no money.

She was also unfamiliar with the area, so that idea was terrible from the start.

But she also didn’t want to stay waiting for him to wake up.

She thought about why he specifically asked her to wake him up in two hours. What was he planning to
do in two hours? Suddenly, she found herself in a predicament, but decided not to pay much attention to
it.

Why should she care what he was planning about? He wouldn’t even bother thinking about her own
plans, and just kept making her life miserable! If she worried about him too, she’d just drive herself
insane.

Her stomach grumbled again, finally making her give in to eating the cake. It would be a good
compromise, now that she thought about it. It might have been from the Duke, but eating it would keep
her mind off him.

However, keeping an eye on him as she ate also seemed a little counter productive. She licked the cream
off her lips, as well as the fork, before setting the half-eaten cake back on the table, when the Duke
finally tossed in his sleep, making her freeze.

She waited in bated breaths, before sighing softly in relief when his eyes resolutely remained closed. She
dropped her hands unthinkingly, before she hit the fork by the edge of the table, making it fall on the
floor with a soft thud.

She cursed herself softly for her carelessness before kneeling down in front of the Duke to pick up the
fallen utensil without a second thought. Belatedly, she thought about how pitiful she looked right now
and glanced back at the Duke’s sleeping face in panic!
As if sensing her presence, Matthias’ eyes suddenly fluttered open making Leyla freeze just when she
was about to grab the fork.

Matthias woke up a little unfocused. He could see Leyla right in front of him, but with the lamp behind
her, he could faintly see her in the dark. Why was it so dark? He belatedly discovered night had fallen
between them.

His eyes narrowed at wondering why he wasn’t woken up earlier.

His immediate response was to grab onto Leyla’s wrist, who immediately squealed in fright as she
struggled to stand up, grabbing onto the fork as she tried to get away from him! The fork glinted harshly
in Matthias’ eyes, before falling back on the floor once more.

Matthias refused to get up though, opting instead to hold Leyla down as he regarded her critically. Leyla
felt flushed with his eyes upon her, feeling as though she was a child whose parents caught her hand in
the cookie jar.

She began to avoid his gaze.

There was that amused glint in his eyes once more as he stared at her. Her flush deepened in
embarrassment. All she does is bring him more amusement!

She struggled to rip her hand off his grasp, but Matthias gave her a strong tug, making her stumble on
top of him, her body sprawling over his prone form. He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her,
sighing contentedly in her ear.

She squirmed on top of him, her body writhing on him in a futile attempt to get away, but he held onto
her tighter. He twisted them around, before Leyla found herself on her back against the sofa, trapped
beneath Matthias’ broad body.

She looked up, ready to give him more pieces of her mind, when she fell speechless with his intense look
on her. She struggled to avert her eyes, but it proved to be difficult, when she just kept getting
hypnotized in the blue pools of his gaze.

Chapter 88

How was it that this man could always invoke so many feelings inside her?

How was it, that his mere presence was enough for her walls to crumble, and let loose those feelings she
so desperately tried to keep out of her heart?

Suddenly, Leyla could feel that overwhelming urge to cry. She didn’t want to have to speak first, to break
this silence between them. Just thinking at how scared she’d acted right in front of him made her heart
ache in humiliation.

And yet Matthias could see straight through her, pry open her heart and see what she was trying to hide.
His eyes landed on the fallen fork, noticing the icing smeared on its surface, before his eyes darted up to
the half eaten cake on the table. He barked out a laugh.

He had been wondering why she had a fork in hand when he woke up. She must have finally decided to
eat the cake he had ordered to be prepared for her. And just like that, all his suspicions on her
disappeared, and his heart felt infinitely better having his worries laid aside.

These past few days without her was maddening. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, how she was,
what she was doing. Day in and day out, his thoughts were filled with her. That’s why he pushed through
the meetings, took little rest, just to free up some time to be with her.

He would do anything, as well as buy things she liked, just to keep her beside him. And seeing her eat
something he specifically had for her filled him with an unfamiliar satisfaction. So instead of questioning
her why she hadn’t woken him up when he told her to, he pulled her to him in a kiss.

He could still taste the cake in her mouth, and though he generally disliked sweets, it tasted like heaven.

He hadn’t planned so far ahead what he wanted to do once she arrived. He just wanted to be with her.
He wanted to do mundane things with her for a change, like go out for walks. Or maybe they could even
dine together in a beautiful restaurant, and then drink tea to soothe their stomachs.

He found it ridiculous to have to go through the trouble of bringing her here, when he doesn’t even have
a proper plan for her. But he opted out of questioning her thoughts about that, for now, he wants to
focus on her…

To drown in the feel and taste of her against his tongue.

The kiss between the two deepened as Matthias’ arms pulled her further up, settling her more
comfortably against him.

As his arms wrapped around her body tight, he could feel something settling deep inside him. Like all his
time feeling nothing as she was apart from him finally made sense. He wanted nothing more than just to
stay like this, with just her.

Because Leyla wasn’t just anyone for him, and she was all he could ever want.

She was his. His little bird.

Finally, he pulled away from her, Leyla gasping as he released her lips. Their chests heaved in tandem as
they grappled for air. He could see the flush on her cheeks deepening, making her all the more adorable
in his eyes…

He couldn’t help but laugh in unbridled joy at the sight of her.

‘Why is he laughing?’ Leyla couldn’t help but wonder in bewilderment. She was currently anxious and
nervous about what he was doing, but she kept her eyes shut, afraid of what she’d see. All she wanted
was for everything to be over quickly.

But she was also intrigued.

He wasn’t acting like his usual self. Normally he would have stripped her off their clothes, and they
would do their dance beneath the sheets, but he wasn’t doing that now. Instead, he just kept planting
soft kisses all over her face. He would leave sporadic pecks on her cheeks, the tip of her nose, but
nothing more.

His hands never wandered away from her waist.

He turned her head to the side slightly, leaving a muted kiss on the back of her ear, making her look at
him in fright as the contact sent tingling shivers through her body. Their ragged breathing matched each
other, and he was still looking at her in that intense gaze of his.

“Don’t do that.” she whispered pleadingly; her palms splayed on his chest as she tried to push him away.
“Stop being weird and just do what you always do.” she demanded him, looking up at him with complete
confusion and terror.

He was doing things to her, things she couldn’t understand. And it frightened her more than usual.

Matthias’ movements stilled, before he regarded her carefully. He stared into her eyes, and he could see
she was begging him to go back to how things were between them. After a tense moment of silence
between them, Matthias gave her a nip in the ears, making her cry out in painful pleasure…

Soon the world faded around them, as nothing but their ragged breaths surrounding them in the
darkness.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Claudine lied in the guest bedroom, eyes staring resolutely on the ceiling right above her head as she
rested on the bed. Memories from when she had been thirteen years old, barely into her teens, came
flooding vividly in her mind.

It had been summer when it had been decided she would be the next Duchess of Arvis, Duchess
Herhardt.

It wasn’t their first time visiting the mansion in Arvis. It wasn’t the first time she was meeting with the
Herhardts either, but her mother made quite a fuss on her looks, making sure she would be absolutely
perfect when she would arrive.

“You’re not a child anymore Claudine,” Her mother admonished her as she harshly brushed the strands
off of Claudine’s face back then, “From now on, you must be the perfect lady, do you understand?” she
asked, after another harsh tug on her scalp, brushing away stubborn tangles.

They had gotten ready with the help of their aides and rode the carriage without further delay. Her
mother’s grip on her tiny shoulders had been tight. Claudine could’ve sworn her nails would have dug
deeply into her skin if only her mother wasn’t so concerned how messy she would be if she bled.

As they grew closer to Arvis, the tighter her mother held onto her. Claudine had looked up at her mother
in worry, and saw her mother’s eyes glinted with unshed tears.

A few days prior to their visit, her mother gave her a crash course on what it really meant to become
society’s lady.
Claudine knew she was young, too young to fully understand how heavy the responsibility would weigh
on her shoulders, but she was no idiot. She could infer it from the way her mother talked, how harshly
she’d scold her from time to time, instilling painful yet memorable lessons as she lived her day to day.

It was her quick wit that made her understand that a match with Matthias was inevitable between them.

“Does that mean that Matthias and I will be wed soon?” she asked her mother after one of her lessons.
It was her first week in Arvis, and out of the blue, she couldn’t help but question her mother about it
while they were in a communal space.

Countess Brandt grew embarrassed by her daughter’s brazen inquiry and gracefully grabbed Claudine
tightly by her arms, discretely dragging her to their rooms. Once the door shut behind her mother, she
shook Claudine by the shoulders, forcing the little girl to look up at her.

“It is what we have agreed upon, but you should also make sure you accept this engagement, do you
understand me Claudine?” her mother quietly hissed at her, “Once you do this, you will show all those
other girls you’re the best candidate for the job! Nothing less than perfect, and they won’t think twice
about choosing you to be the Duchess of Arvis!”

Claudine remembered pouting at her mother’s implication.

“But I’m already the smartest girl amongst my friends, mother.” She reasoned out, “Even my teachers
keep telling me that. I’m so observant I never miss anything!” She proclaimed rather proudly back in the
day, “I even mastered all the dances they taught and all the etiquette they made us remember.”

“Yes, yes, I get that, but that’s not what’s important here Claudine!” her mother interrupted, quickly
making the proud smile on little Claudine’s face fall, “What you must focus on from now on, aside from
being the best, is to get along with Matthias. You hear me, child? That’s the most important thing here.”

Little Claudine felt self-conscious. Had she been prioritizing wrong this whole time? If Claudine could go
back, she would have quickly shut those self doubts quickly. It wasn’t that she was doing the wrong
thing. She was just born a woman.

And so Claudine resolved to build a better relationship with Matthias, to allow their marriage to pass by
smoothly when the time came. But unlike the other boys she had managed to tame, Matthias was
different.

Firstly, he was already the Duke, and at such a young age. Every girl that wasn’t her coveted him, and so
badly they did. But it wasn’t like she hated Matthias. She didn’t.

In fact, her first impression of him was that he was handsome and a wonderful boy. She likened him as
the Herhardt’s crown jewel, more valuable than any works of art the Herhardt house possessed.

But she found it difficult to imagine being happy around him.

Matthias was on the cusp of adulthood back then, never mind they were close in age. Still, whenever
he’d look at her, she couldn’t help but feel inadequate in his presence. And Matthias had always been
different from the other boys.

He might have treated her respectfully, but she was always invisible in his eyes. And she didn’t like that.
It didn’t help that her mother was expecting her to be the best Lady in all of Berg. The responsibilities
just grew on Claudine. She no longer wanted to be the best, instead, she needed to be the best.

“Show everyone that only you, Count Brandt’s sole daughter, is the best! And make those people forget
about your father’s sons!”

Her mother might be Count Brandt’s wife, but she wasn’t the only woman to give him a child. In fact,
they bore him sons, while his mother was shamed for bearing a daughter.

“If I’m to become the Duchess of Arvis, does that mean I’ll be the most powerful woman in the Empire?”
she thought curiously.

There was a proud glint in her mother’s eye at her question.

“Without a doubt, my child. You’ll be part of the Empire’s elite families. No one will ever think nothing
but the best of you!”

“And all this, this will be mine?” she asked meekly, and her mother nodded excitedly.

“Yes! Yes, all of Arvis will be yours!”

Present day Claudine got up from her bed, and she looked out the window in deep thought. In front of
her were rows and rows of freshly trimmed bushes, and perfectly preserved colorful flowers blooming as
the vast estate stretched far and wide in front of her…

She had been in this very same position at thirteen.

“I like Arvis!” little Claudine beamed at her mother, “I’ll do it mother, don’t worry!”

And so her mother praised her for being the best girl, and Claudine had learned to perfect her poses and
responses for the crowd to see, and for people to judge. And the days just keep closer until that dream
would soon turn into a reality.

Her reality, no one else’s.

So how dare her fiancé do this to her?!

Unable to sleep, Claudine grabbed her sleep robes, wrapped them around her small frame and began to
pace around the bedroom.

After Mary had returned a second time today to invite the peasant girl over, she still returned to the
mansion alone. At this point, Claudine could safely say that Matthias had gone crazy about the girl!

His recent actions further proved her correct!

Just the thought of them together made her seethe. He probably sent for her, Leyla, and brought her to
where he was staying.

She probably wouldn’t be very bothered if it had been anyone else, perhaps a lowly court lady or anyone
with a more respectable birth, but to replace her, Claudine von Brandt, with an orphaned girl?!

‘How dare he humiliate me like this?!’ Claudine seethed in her mind.

But there was nothing she could do against him. As long as he favored that girl as his mistress, she would
have to endure it. It was annoying, sure, but it wouldn’t be like she couldn’t tolerate it. She doesn’t want
to earn Matthias’ love. She wanted his status.

So long as she secured her position as his wife, and the mother of his heir, she would let them tumble in
their sheets no matter how long. She knew Matthias felt the same way about her. He could care less
about what she does.

But the foreboding sense of danger refused to leave Claudine. There was a threat to her, and she
couldn’t stand by idly and watch it wreck her ambitions.

Dawn broke through the skies, chasing the darkness as the sun slowly woke to a rise. Another memory
came to Claudine’s mind.

Matthias was looking a little suspicious at the last dinner party held in Arvis, the dinner they held to
commemorate the Crown Prince’s visit with them. He was acting rather differently, and when she looked
at him…

He was staring at her like he was seeing her for the first time, making her uneasy.

He had never been affectionate with her, aside from when there were other people around. But he also
never looked at her like that. And all of a sudden, she feared he would break off the engagement.

She feared he’d abandon her in exchange for a lowly peasant. But that was also a baseless fear because
Matthias was the Duke of Arvis first and foremost. It would be a grave mistake of his to do that just to
take his mistress as a wife.

But that was the old Matthias. This Matthias, this was someone she never knew.

She apologized mentally to Riette, knowing she couldn’t just stand aside anymore. She had a feeling
Matthias was close to figuring out his feelings. She must make a move now to end them before he ever
reached that point.

Things were different from when she’d been thirteen, but at the same time, her circumstances never
changed. Just now, her fears didn’t stem from being imperfect as a Duchess. It was because she wasn’t
born as Leyla, and yet she must marry Matthias.

It was the only reward she sought in life. It was the only way to justify all the sacrifices she had to make
all those years ago. The turmoil slowly disappeared the longer she stared at the frozen plains in front of
her, the moonlight illuminating her soft, yet harsh features.

She can’t do anything about Matthias, but perhaps she could do something about Leyla. Leyla must
disappear for her to secure her goal. But how could she push Leyla to the breaking point? Enough that it
would want to make her leave the Duke despite his hold on her?

A grin made its way on her smile as a single person came to mind.

“Kyle Etman.” she hummed to herself in a whisper, cold puff of air escaping her, fogging up the glass.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Leyla drunkenly blinked awake, feeling warm all over, before her eyes landed on the sleeping man beside
her. She was perfectly content right now, and she wanted to bask longer in the mood around them. She
breathed in and out softly, rolling over to face him properly.

She could see the way his lips were kiss bitten, all red and swollen against his pale complexion. His sharp
features are more prominent, even in the dim lighting around them as the dawning light filtered through
the glass.

She couldn’t deny how beautiful he was. But something about him was familiar.

‘Ah,’ she thought with a wide smile as his name clicked in her head, ‘It’s the duke!’ she thought
ecstatically.

He’d gone with her to school! She could remember him vividly! She also remembered how intimidated
she was of him, but she was also in awe of him. Especially when she’d met him by the forest.

But something was strange right now though. Leyla frowned as she looked at him with a pout. He looked
younger in her memories, was he stressed? Or maybe he looked older when asleep?

She hummed, pulling the blanket over her head down as her head peaked out from under the covers.
She gingerly reached out a hand, and cupped his face. She giggled when she managed to do it
successfully, squishing his cheeks before frowning.

He felt warm to the touch. But then again, should she be feeling him? Wasn’t this a dream? She usually
never felt them in dreams.

She blinked back, her vision slowly becoming clearer by the second. Her eyes zeroed in on her
surroundings, belatedly noticing how different the walls were. She groggily looked around in confusion,
before realizing she wasn’t even in her own room!

And that was enough for Leyla to sober up, and immediately withdrew her touch on the Duke as though
his skin burnt her! She tried to put a distance between them, but Matthias’ arms tightened around her.

She was lying on her stomach, head pillowed on his arm. He threw his legs over her, entwining them
together, making it more difficult and uncomfortable for her to move. She tried wriggling away, but soon
gave up, when his grip remained tight around her waist.

One by one, last night’s events flooded her brain, painting one clear picture in Leyla’s mind. She
frantically tried to shake the memories away, and back into their forgotten places as she was stuck
looking at the Duke.

It was strange how she fell asleep so easily beside him. All she did was try to get away from him
desperately, escaping from his private touches when she could, and yet he’d come back at her with an
equal force, pulling her closer and closer with each step she took farther from him.

He was such a crazy person in Leyla’s eyes.

And now, instead of being his usual, greedy self, he took the time to ask her about things she liked.
Almost as though he valued her opinion. And when he took her last night, he took her gently, coaxing
her softly to open up for him.
She must have fallen asleep at some point, because she didn’t remember pushing him away from her.
She didn’t even remember how last night ended. All she did remember was the sounds they made as he
called out for her…

“Lewellin…” he cried out in passion from time to time, the sounds of their flesh slapping against each
other accompanying it, before her memories faded black.

She didn’t want them to resume that activity so soon after she woke up, and decided to lie still in his
arms instead. She couldn’t bring herself back to sleep, and thus was left no choice but to stare at him
until he woke up.

Looking back, nothing much changed in his appearance, but his features grew sharper the older he got.
The times had also made him rougher. As dawn crept in their window the more the sun rose in the sky,
Leyla could only imagine that day she first arrived in Arvis.

It had been so long ago, yet the memories remained as though it was like yesterday.

She’d come to Arvis, riding a small mail wagon. She was so little back then too, all thin and gangly, with
her shoulder blades jutting out of her skin. When she had met Matthias once more later in the years, she
remembered releasing a shuddered breath at the sight of him.

Because his eyes resembled the deep blue colors of the night sky.

Chapter 89

When Matthias opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Leyla. Immediately, his mind flashed back to
when she first witnessed the snow. But this vision here, there was also something ethereal in this
moment between them.

That strange feeling in Leyla was back, causing her to squirm away from him in an effort to look away
when his hand went up to cup her cheek, refusing to let her go and look away from him.

Fear flashed in her eyes, thinking they were about to resume last night’s activities, but nothing like that
came.

He just kept her in place, staring at her, and making her feel unfamiliar things. His fingers began to caress
her cheeks soothingly, pressing lightly on her skin. Leyla stilled under his touch, letting him feel her face
as they locked eyes with each other, their breath intermingling in the air…

‘Why does he do this to me?’ she asked herself.

Her head tilted in wonderment, as Matthias just kept staring at her without an outward response.
Instead, he seemed to be looking for something. He kept searching her eyes for an answer to a question
she didn’t know was being asked.
She likened this feeling between them to witnessing the first morning after winter came. Like a sudden
clarity had washed over her as she looked at the snowy white plains, just as vast and beautiful as the
sky…

The sun peeked through the gaps of the curtains, lightly hitting their skin, basking them in a warm glow
as Matthias kept caressing her face. The sun beams moved, perfectly framing Leyla’s emerald orbs,
redefining Matthias’ definition of a crowning jewel.

Because that’s what her eyes were to him, despite the lingering fear they held, a persistent curiosity
shone through them too.

But there was no answer provided to him, and it made Matthias feel dejected, chuckling mirthlessly to
himself, before he moved his hands to tangle them through her golden locks instead. They looked like
golden threads, gifted by the heavens.

Yet Leyla’s eyes narrowed with his movement, reminding him that she would always doubt his
intentions. But the way she squirmed in his arms was also maddening. He couldn’t bear it any longer-

“I’m hungry!” Leyla immediately exclaimed, having enough of this moment between them as his hands
shifted to touch her bare back. He blinked at her.

“What?” he frowned, displeased at her interruption.

“I said I’m hungry.” she repeated, before firmly pushing away his hand from her.

She wasn’t hungry. But it was the only excuse she could think of at the moment. Though demanding
something that ridiculous was a little embarrassing, she would rather face that kind of embarrassment
than have intercourse with him at such an early morning.

“I-I want to eat some breakfast.” Leyla haughtily added, giving Matthias a firm glare as he stared at her in
a dumbfounded manner.

Leyla’s stomach churned in terror. Had she provoked him after all? The longer the silence persisted from
him, the more she feared she did provoke him.

But alas, laughter like music echoed against the walls, making Leyla look at him in bewilderment. She’s
heard him laugh so many times now, yet every time she hears it, it never ceases to amaze her how warm
his laugh would make her feel.

She could almost believe this was a different person, but she knows this was still Matthias.

Matthias laughed on his back, hands clutched on his stomach as he threw his head back onto the pillows
as he chuckled to his heart’s content. His eyes squeezed shut as laugh lines creased the skin of his eyes.

An insecurity assaulted Leyla’s thought.

Was he laughing at her ridiculousness? Did she make herself look stupid in front of him?!

She quickly pulled up the blankets, wrapping them around her naked frame, pulling it up to her nose
securely. Matthias’ laughter died down as he finally sat up on the bed, before he turned to her with a
soft smile.
At this angle, Leyla could witness the way the sunlight rolled off his frame beautifully, hitting his sharp
features as they casted dark shadows on his other side, making his blue pools shine. His overall image
was softer like this, much like those marble sculptures she used to see in art books and museums…

It made her heart skip a beat.

“Okay, let’s do that.” Matthias hummed with that soft smile on his lips. His eyes held hers hypnotically,
making blood rise in her chest, “Let’s have breakfast together.”

As he left, still chuckling to himself for unknown reasons, Leyla couldn’t help but wonder how such a
cruel man possessed such beautiful laughter? It didn’t make sense. But at the crucial moment, he looked
like any other man Leyla saw.

He wasn’t a duke, he wasn’t powerful, he wasn’t cruel. Just a normal man she would have met randomly
at the street, and that image sent shivers inside her.

He was an uncanny man. He was acting so strange lately, it confused her greatly. So Leyla grabbed on
tightly on the blanket, and brought it up over her head, refusing to look at him any longer, but it didn’t
block out the sounds of his laughter still ringing in her head.

She was beginning to feel weird as well.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Kyle stood outside of the most expensive cafe in Carlsbar with clammy palms.

He took a deep breath, before he thanked the doorman for opening the door and searched the tables.
The cafe was crowded with many noblemen and ladies, given its prestigious reputation, it came as no
surprise to him. It was also located in the center of the city, so naturally, it attracted a lot of customers.

Finally, his eyes landed on the reason he was here in the first place.

He’d received an invitation from Lady Brandt, which he interpreted as a demand for him to meet up in
the city. And just as she said, Claudine was seated by the window seat, overlooking the occupants by the
second floor of the cafe.

It was quieter up there after all, plus, she had the bonus view of the city’s shopping district and its
beautiful park.

Kyle wasted no time to approach her, wishing for their meeting to be over as soon as possible. He had
more important things to do than waste it with her.

Claudine beamed at the sight of him, flashing him that sweet smile she used on everyone.

“Ah, Kyle! I’m so happy you accepted my invitation.” She greeted him. Kyle bowed his head at her, before
taking the seat across her. “For a moment I thought you wouldn’t come.” she lightly remarked, eyeing
him in scrutiny.

“Yes, I apologize for the delay,” Kyle said with a stiff smile, “But you weren’t very specific on the time of
our meeting, I’d been afraid I have missed you.”
His words were pleasant at best, but Claudine could tell there was a hint of dismay in his tone at their
meet-up.

“So, why have you invited me out today, Lady Brandt?” Kyle immediately asked, quick to the point, his
posture going taut. Claudine could only lightly tut at him in his brazen manner.

“Watch that tone Kyle,” she softly warned, “There are many eyes around us, who knows what rumors
would surface at them spotting us together.”

“If you were so worried about so much attention on us, then why did you arrange for us to meet here?”
Kyle asked her in confusion, and Claudine only smiled at him, before taking a dainty sip out of her cup.

“Because I have the perfect vantage point in this spot.” she answered plainly. “Also, meeting up here is
wiser if we are to remain inconspicuous instead of a shady place that hardly anyone knows.” She
explained to him with a pointed stare, “Just think of the scandal.” she sighed.

Kyle could only shoot her back with a wry smile.

He wanted to be anywhere but here with her. However, he also knew she had the answers to several of
his questions. He knew because she had her aide personally deliver him her letter of invitation.

[I need to discuss something with you.]

[Don’t you wonder why Leyla’s changed so much after you’ve gone?]

[I’ll see you in the cafe, in front of the central station in Carlsbar city. I’ll be eagerly waiting for your
arrival tomorrow.]

Those were some lines directly found in her letter, and it did make Kyle curious. And he couldn’t believe
that Lady Brandt, who had always despised Leyla since they were children for unknown reasons, had a
better understanding of her than him.

Something in him unsettled with that piece of information.

He could have just ignored her. He had no reason to attach himself with Leyla anymore, but he wanted to
help her. Even if it meant subjecting himself to feeling pathetic as he faced the soon to be Duchess of
Arvis.

It was as though she saw something in him give in, making her grin toothily at his resignation.

“I knew you would come,” Claudine hummed, “After all, you love her too much just to ignore something
this important.”

“Please tell me what I need to know quickly, Lady Brandt.” Kyle prompted, feeling his patience running
thin by the second. “I’d like for this to be over soon.”

“Oh?” Claudine smirked, raising a brow in a challenge, “Why, that would be so improper of me to not
even bother asking you about your day!” she gasped softly. Kyle could feel his jaw stiffen, stopping
himself from snapping at her.

Claudine seemed unbothered by his discomfort and proceeded to flag a nearby waiter. They nodded at
her immediately, before rushing down. Kyle saw no words exchanged between them. Claudine only shot
him an innocent smile, before the waiter came back with a handful of coffee, balanced precariously on a
silver tray.

He set their cups down in front of them, taking Claudine’s cold cup of tea with him before leaving them
back to their privacy.

“Trust me, Lady Brandt,” Kyle spoke dryly to her as the waiter disappeared, “I won’t talk of your
improperness if you just say it now.”

“Well, alright then.” Claudine smiled victoriously at Kyle.

She had thought about this carefully after all. She needed to reveal her fiancé’s affair with Leyla, but to
someone who cared greatly about Leyla, and had some power over her too.

Kyle was the perfect candidate. She could have gone with the gardener, after all, he was the most
important person in Leyla’s life, but she found that scenario too pitiful.

“First, let me clarify a few of my suspicions.” Claudine declared, making Kyle frown at her.

“Lady Brandt, I insist-”

“Did you or did you not return to Arvis in hopes of rekindling your love with Leyla?” Claudine
interrupted, making Kyle snap his mouth shut at the unexpectedness.

When Kyle resolutely remained silent, she could only smile at him in pity.

“Oh, poor you. I assume by your reaction Leyla rejected you, no?”

Kyle still kept silent as he glared at Claudine, who was unbothered by him.

“Yes, she did, didn’t she?” she hummed, tutting at him in pity, “Well, I can’t blame her for doing that.
After all, how could she juggle two men vying for her attention at the same time?” she said plainly as she
stared at her nails.

It was like a bucket-full of ice had been poured down on Kyle upon her words. He refused to believe this
was true, but the grin on Claudine’s face as she stared at his frozen form made him feel otherwise.

“What do you say Kyle?” Claudine leaned forward, resting her chin on her clasped hands, “Are you still in
such a hurry for our conversation to be over?”

“Who?” Kyle couldn’t help but ask after freeing himself from his frozen shock, before Claudine’s eyes
turned ice cold, but her smile remained.

“Why, it’s no one else but my fiancé,” Claudine practically hissed, “Matthias von Herhardt, Duke of Arvis.”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The rest of their day together had gone smoothly, just as Matthias hoped.

Their breakfast together was splendid and went beyond his expectations. It was every bit enjoyable as
he’d imagined and more!
The only downside so far was that Leyla refused to even look up at him. All day long she kept avoiding
seeing him, so instead he watched her. He drank in the sight of her rosy cheeks, the sunlight haloing
around her crown as she took small bites.

He watched her plump lips moisten up with the food and their drinks. It made him want to devour her all
the more. Especially when she’d bite down on her lips in that nervous manner.

But that was just typical Leyla to him.

It made him feel like bursting out into another fit of laughter with how high he was currently feeling, and
he didn’t care how it made him look.

She’d glance back at him every now and then, but when she’d catch him looking at her, she’d get frazzled
and immediately avert her eyes. He especially enjoyed seeing her face grow red, and because of him!

But, he was done just watching her, instead, he lightly gestured to the corner of his lip, finally catching
her attention. Leyla paused, as she frowned at him.

The crumbs on her face looked more appealing than the ones on his plate.

Eventually it dawned upon her what he meant and fumbled around to wipe the crumbs off her face with
a napkin. Her flush grew deeper, the red running down to her neck.

Once she was done, she proceeded to continue with their meat, albeit with a slower pace this time, still
blushing beautifully for him.

Every move she made was so delicate for him, even as she tapped on the egg to crack its shell. Matthias
couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, making her look up at him in even more confusion.

Leyla gingerly scooped out some of the egg, before it disappeared into her mouth with a frown and a
pout as soon as he chuckled at her once more.

When breakfast was over, they both took their sweet time in doing nothing but just being around each
other.

Of course, while Matthias reclined himself leisurely on the bed, Leyla refused to sit still and kept pacing
and mumbling nothings to herself around the room.

She was arguing with herself to keep it together quietly, afraid that the duke would hear. She didn’t know
why she felt so jittery around him lately, was it because she was afraid and uncomfortable with him? Or
was it something else!?

The next time Leyla looked at the Duke, his hair was damp just as he was finished dressing up. Fit to go
out.

Was he going out and leaving her?

‘Good!’ Leyla thought to herself, before she picked up the morning paper on the table and sat herself
firmly by the windowsill. She was intent on reading while he’d gone away, unaware he’d approached her.
Matthias stared over her shoulder, quietly standing behind her as he read with her. He blinked back as
soon as he realized what it was she was reading on the paper. It was one of those serialized novels the
papers published, something he never really bothered to pay attention to whenever he’d read the news.

Leyla gasped, immediately flushing red in embarrassment once she realized he’d been standing behind
her reading all this time! In her rush to get away, she dropped the newspaper between them, looking like
a child who was caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

Matthias laughed in amusement once more! Who would’ve thought that Miss Prim-and-proper, Leyla
Lewellin, was the type who could read such riveting novels with a straight face?

She was looking at him as though he was crazy, but Matthias can’t seem to think it’s such a terrible
picture. He was having fun right now, and what’s a little fun without being crazy?

They left the hotel room as soon as noon struck.

Leyla had been against the idea at first, but Matthias was insistent, making her accompany him
reluctantly. He had his attendant bring them another one of his coats, before firmly wrapping his own
coat around Leyla as he eyed his attendant.

Mark Evers never rushed out of sight as fast as he did after that moment.

The tailcoat ended up being bigger than expected at Leyla. The ends of the coat were almost touching
the floor, but Matthias loved seeing her in something of his.

“Where are we headed?” Leyla asked him in a meek voice, just as they passed the hotel’s main entrance.
Matthias gave no answer. Instead, he just kept walking, making Leyla run after him.

Matthias slowed down from time to time, careful not to lose sight of her as he led them towards one of
the city’s most prominent boutiques. Leyla’s eyes narrowed at the sight of it in front of them.

“No.” she said, glaring at Matthias, “I don’t want it.”

But Matthias held her gaze steadfast in a wordless demand. Leyla shook her head adamantly, but
Matthias wasn’t budging.

It was inevitable of her to give in to him.

So with great reluctance, Leyla followed him into the boutique. The entrance clanged with a soft chime,
indicating new customers had arrived. Once they entered, almost every pair of eyes in the store turned
on the new arrivals.

Chapter 90

Upon their entrance, every customer and employer were left confused by the new arrivals. Even the
boutique’s owner took a while to recover before she went up to them with a bright smile.

“Welcome!” she greeted jovially, giving them both a once over.

The man looked wealthy. He was tall and handsome and had a regal air around him as he escorted the
petite woman inside, who looked around the store nervously. She had a tailcoat on, which he assumed
to be from her companion’s.

The man then went up behind her to remove the coat. As soon as the coat came off, the owner’s eyes
widened, before he narrowed his eyes on the two of them.

She was beautiful, the owner would admit, but she had such ghastly clothes on her! Not appropriate
when she’s with such a classy man. But judging by the way the man was looking at her, she would wager
a guess that they didn’t have a master-and-maid relationship between them.

‘A mistress would be most likely.’ She thought to herself as she gave them a welcoming smile. She
politely conversed with them, sending a smile towards the skittish woman as she continued to assess
them.

She knew many noblemen took on mistresses, but for this man to bring her in here, of all places. Wasn’t
that just asking for trouble on his part?

She noticed how the woman would scoot away from him, even going as far as shrugging off his touch
from her. They must have been at odds with each other for a while now.

It was a scene she’d seen many times. Being a boutique that boasted many things of luxury, it wasn’t
uncommon for quarreling lovers to bring their women here to buy them something. It was her job to
gauge out her customers in what they could potentially like, and convince the man into buying them for
her.

But these two were different, she could tell.

She didn’t even look like she’d like anything in store. She looked around as though she wished she were
anywhere else but in her store. She might even be a little bit afraid of her companion. But why would she
be afraid?

She’d seen many women who would have given anything to be in a position like her. They would even be
willing to sleep with men twice their age just to enjoy luxuries in life.

But it wasn’t her place to pry, even if she’d been itching to ask them a million questions. For now, she will
just have to wait for them to pick out what they want, and then help them make a purchase.

Another thing that surprised her from watching them was how incredibly stubborn the woman was! She
looked soft, and a pushover, but she was acting very headstrong with the man. Her companion, instead,
was the one who kept compromising, giving her suggestions here and there on what would look good on
her.

The owner loved meeting people who would obviously bring sales into her business like this man, but
the woman’s attitude was a little bit off-putting. Perhaps she should help them make a decision.

Did she want something more expensive? She just has the thing for them!

She made quick work around her store, choosing clothes just around the woman’s size with an expert
eye, and picking out some of their most beautiful products that would complement her greatly.
She hoped this would be enough for her. She didn’t know what was wrong between them, but she was
certain about one thing.

The man with her was absolutely taken with her. Surely she couldn’t be so blind to see the way he looked
at her?

And that made her confident the man would buy her just about anything, no matter the price!

With several items on hand, she approached them once more, politely asking them to try the items out
and to not hesitate in asking her for more.

The turquoise coat she got for her looked absolutely good on her!

Matthias made Leyla try them on, the shop owner beaming at her when she got the correct size. Leyla
wanted nothing more but to leave the shop, but she reminded herself she needed to do this. Matthias
had control over her after all.

She mustn’t deny him what he wants.

The shop owner did a good job in praising Leyla with lines she knew have been used multiple times with
other wealthy customers. She led Leyla towards their shoe display, prompting her to choose the one she
liked, before making her sit on the sofa nearby.

The other shop attendants came by to assist them, bringing some suggested shoes for Leyla to try on.

Leyla looked lost, not knowing what to do and looked away from their suggestions, staring resolutely on
the floor instead.

‘My, what a stubborn woman.’ The store owner pouted to herself. At that moment, the man chuckled,
before he approached them. He gave a glance over to the shoes, then back at his woman, before looking
back at the owner.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” she apologized, bowing her head at his approach, “These were the only shoes I made
that would be a perfect fit for her.” she explained.

With how busy she had gotten lately, she didn’t have the time to make more shoes and clothes that
would fit all kinds of customers she got with the highest quality materials. As such, the things she picked
out were one of the last in their current stocks.

Matthias hummed, stopping right in front of Leyla, before gesturing at her red-stained shoes. “Aren’t
these the ones you were wearing that day?”

The memory of Matthias pouring ink on her came to mind. She’d tried to get the stain out, but the red
ink he’d poured persistently stayed on her shoes.

Leyla looked up at him meekly, and bit her lip as she avoided his gaze, refusing to answer him. Matthias’
eyes narrowed at her in disappointment. It was the same shoes, although he also distinctly remembered
buying her new ones, to replace the ones he ruined.

Why was she still using these?

Sensing his disappointment, Leyla finally gave in and sighed.

“These were new shoes,” she pointed out, “They are stained, but they work perfectly fine. Besides, I had
been wearing them when I was home.”

Her toes felt frozen. She should have at least chosen proper shoes before leaving her house! Leyla
thought as she berated herself. She didn’t realize how much she’d regret not changing properly to come
meet him.

Though if he were a more decent person, he could have pretended to not know, or at least not have
pointed it out to everybody!

She hated how he could read her so easily, and how he’d casually reveal a secret or two of her and say it
so callously. Although she shouldn’t have expected anything different from a man who made a deal with
her just so he could take from her whatever he wanted.

She made a deal with him to be his mistress in exchange for her uncle’s freedom. She’d been able to
endure all those weeks of sleeping with him, because at the moment, it was the only stipulation he had
of their deal. She doesn’t want to owe him more, especially not priceless things she can’t repay him for.

Because no matter how much he’ll pay for her, she’ll have to keep paying him with her body. He kept
coming back for her dismal performance, but that wasn’t what made her despair. No, it was because if
she did accept his gifts, she might as well just be a prostitute.

Her cheeks flushed with frustration; head bowed resolutely.

Matthias stepped closer to her. She kept acting like he was punishing her.

So Matthias knelt in front of her.

Leyla snapped her eyes up to meet his gaze, while the others gasped softly as they witnessed him
kneeling. Matthias seemed indifferent to their audience, his attention solely on Leyla.

Before she could voice out her confusion, Matthias grabbed her by the ankles, gently removing her
shoes, and put on the ones he’d chosen would fit her. Leyla soon snapped out of her confusion, the
frustrated blush being replaced with a flustered red as she pulled her leg away from him, but he only
grabbed it back to secure the shoes on her feet.

Even her feet looked so adorable, Matthias thought to himself with a smile.

Once he had tied the last knot on the shoes, Matthias casually stood up, and looked down on her. Leyla
couldn’t help but hold his gaze in a mesmerized way, oblivious to their audience in the form of the store
owner and attendants.

But could anyone really blame them?

Leyla couldn’t help but watch as Matthias reached out for her…

‘He’ll just hurt me again.’ Leyla knew. Whenever he’d be this kind to her, he’d just quickly replace it with
an equally cruel act afterwards. How could this be any different than those times? She knew him. She
knew all his games, and she won’t fall for it again.
Finally, Leyla grew aware of their growing audience before she realized Matthias had been waiting for
her to take his hand, so that she could stand up. Embarrassed, she reluctantly took his hand, to which he
gave a gentle tug to put his arms around her, wrapping her in a warm one-armed hug.

Upon seeing their interaction, the owner sighed in relief. Her assumptions were wrong after all, she
wasn’t a mistress.

They were lovers…

The air might be chilly around them, but the sun surely was shining brightly on them. The boutique
owner thought ecstatically as she quickly rang up their purchases when the man told her they’d be
buying those things!

By the time they left the shop, Leyla was dressed in her brand-new clothes, following him obediently as
he led them through the streets. Numerous people kept passing them as they headed for downtown.

Rush hour was just beginning, if the growing crowd was anything to go by.

Eventually they reached the park in the city, and Matthias held out his arm for her to take. Leyla grew
flustered at him before she stilled. She thought of the many people around them, before shaking them
out of her mind.

With a straight composure, she took it without further thought, and Matthias smiled to himself as she
accepted him.

‘I don’t want this, I don’t want this, I don’t want this…’ Leyla kept repeating in her head as she drew
closer to Matthias’ warmth. He was starting to get on her nerves.

Matthias also grew a little restless at how stiff Leyla was being. He wanted to respect her boundaries, but
enough was enough. He removed her hand from his arm, before he firmly, yet gently entwined their
fingers together.

Her fingers fit perfectly on the gaps between his.

Leyla tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her tightened. She gave it a few more tugs, before
giving in to his whims.

‘This is only temporary.’ Leyla thought to herself as she allowed her fingers to rest in his.

The rest of their walk had gone uneventful, before they sat down in front of a cafe’s windows, with a
perfect view of the park. Matthias regarded Leyla carefully, knowing by heart she loved to talk. He’d seen
her around with other people, yet she refused to grant him the same privilege.

“What’s that bird?” Matthias suddenly asked, making Leyla jolt in surprise, as the cup clanged on the
saucer. She nervously looked at where his line of sight was, before seeing a black bird, perched on one of
the trees nearby.

“It’s a crow.” she answered after a quick assessment before looking at him suspiciously. Shouldn’t he
know what a crow looks like? After all, there were many of them in Arvis, even she knew that as a child.

“How about that?” Matthias asked.

Again and again, he kept asking about the different birds he would spot, and Leyla would answer each
one without fail.

Varied tit.

Forest thrush.

Yellow robin.

Those were only some of the birds he pointed out to, but the more he asked the more confused she got.
What was he playing at?

Matthias was content to keep asking his questions. He loved the breathy tone around her voice
whenever she’d speak their names. They sounded so much like music to his ears.

“How can you memorize all of them?”

“Well” she answered, “Since I am living near a forest.” Leyla bit her lower lip in serious thought.

“So what’s your favorite bird?” Matthias suddenly asked her, shaking her out of her thoughts.

“My favorite?” Leyla looked to the trees, a frown on her face, “I can’t really say. There’s too many to
choose from.” She turned to look back at him, “What about you?”

Matthias blinked at her in pleasant surprise. He thought for sure he’d be the one to initiate conversations
this whole afternoon.

“What’s your favorite bird?” Leyla parroted back to him, before she narrowed her gaze, “And I don’t
mean your favorite bird to hunt.”

He could only chuckle good naturedly at her.

“Ah, then that’s easy.” He hummed, perching his hand up in a way that made him see his perched finger
carrying Leyla, “A canary.”

Leyla blinked back in surprise. It wasn’t a bird she thought he would favor.

“You mean those birds that could sing beautifully?” She asked curiously. “Those kinds of canary?”
Matthias hummed in agreement, “But why? Don’t men like you usually prefer hawks? Or eagles? Or
falcons?”

An awkward silence befell between them. She waited for Matthias to reply, but he was content to see
her finally look at him expectantly.

‘If I hold my answer a little longer, will you keep looking at me that way?’ Matthias thought to himself in
melancholic wonder.

“Why not?” he asked Leyla, “I think they’re rather beautiful, don’t you?” he finished, looking intensely at
Leyla, making heat pool in her gut.

Leyla gulped, before she hurriedly averted her eyes from him to plop more sugar cubes into her cup of
tea.
“I think so too, Duke.” she answered quietly, staring resolutely as she swirled the sugar into her well-
saturated tea. Some of the crystals refused to dissolve into the tea, before she finally gathered enough
courage to look back at him once again.

He was still looking at her, and it made Leyla feel more bothered, but she didn’t know why. Once more
she looked outside, just in time to catch sight of a different bird.

“Oh, that one’s a pigeon.” She automatically supplied for him, and Matthias chuckled in amusement at
her, making her flush in embarrassment as she saw him grinning at her.

“I know.”

“Oh…” Leyla’s voice trailed off, before feeling foolish at telling him when he hadn’t even asked. But how
was she to know he knew?! He asked her about the crows after all! “Well, I see.” She cleared her throat
and grabbed her spoon to keep stirring the tea.

A pleasant smile broke out of Matthias lips as he watched her fumble in front of him discreetly. Leyla
flinched when she glanced back at him before renewing her attempts at stirring her tea.

Beneath the table, Leyla grew completely oblivious how close their pairs of feet had gotten, only noticing
it when she felt a familiar brush of his shoes against her new ones. She glanced up at him, and he shot
her another smile, sending tingling feelings in her gut…

Today continued to shape up into a weird, weird day.

Chapter 91

Kyle stayed behind in the cafe long after Claudine had left. He sat there, on his table, taking in what
Claudine said in frozen silence. The waiter quietly came up beside him. They dutifully wiped the table
down, taking with them the untouched third cup of coffee he had ordered.

They glanced over at Kyle and felt concerned with how pale as a blank sheet he was.

‘Don’t listen to Claudine,’ Kyle berated himself over and over back when he was listening to what she had
to say to him. He firmly told himself that this was just how Claudine was. She hated Leyla ever since he
could remember. She’s trying to ruin Leyla’s image…

And he hated how he was beginning to believe her.

But he’d catch himself and tell himself that this was Leyla! She was not the kind of woman who’d enter
willingly into an affair with an engaged man! There was no way Claudine was telling the truth!

But the thought of what if kept bugging him. What if Claudine was telling him the truth? He did see the
way the Duke had eyed Leyla, that couldn’t have just been his imagination! All of a sudden, he could feel
a chill in the pit of his stomach as anxiousness and despair came over his thoughts.

‘If the Duke really feels that way towards Leyla, then they could…’ Kyle’s thoughts trailed off, before
shaking the awful thought out of his mind.
“Their relationship blossomed right after you left for the capital, Kyle, did you know?” Claudine casually
pointed out as she took a sip of her cup of coffee. Kyle knew better to believe every word Claudine said.
He knew that…

But she made him believe they were only waiting for the right time, and he can’t help the doubt forming
in his mind around that. Another thing that made him doubt that she was telling him all but lies was the
tone in her voice.

There was something real in them. The genuine hate in her tone was unmistakable, and it strengthened
the possibility that what she had been telling him had ounces of truth in them.

Because as much as Claudine hated Leyla, she wasn’t the type to spread false rumors about her. Not
unless she knew, a hundred percent, what was going on with Leyla and the Duke. Claudine knew that if
she made any false accusations, it would make her look bad. Her pride and honor would be tarnished
because of misinformation.

There was no way she’d risk talking false slanderous things about her fiancé and Leyla, just to say it in
front of a doctor’s son.

‘No, it’s not true. Claudine is lying, you know she’s lying!’ Kyle once again scolded himself, reminding him
that this wasn’t just anyone Claudine was implicating in having an affair with her fiancé.

This was Leyla.

Kyle stood up with wobbly feet and went out of the cafe with a dazed look upon his face. He was looking
straight ahead of him, but not really seeing or thinking about where he would go. As the cold winds
swept past him until his face numbed in the chill, he just wanted to do one thing.

Shutting his dry eyes were too painful, and his breathing grew ragged the more he walked. There was a
tightening in his chest that threatened to suffocate him. He can’t think properly, but he knew what
would give him his peace of mind back…

And it was still Leyla.

He was the only one who could lay his troubles to rest, the only one who could provide him a real truth.
The only source he trusted in this matter.

He must see her. But how would he bring this up to her?

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The rest of their day was spent exchanging casual conversation with each other. Most of the time, it was
Matthias initiating the conversation, asking Leyla questions every now and then to which she would
respond swiftly, yet briefly.

Sometimes she would ask him a few short questions, but not as much as he would. He even noticed
most of the questions she’d direct him were formal at best, and not really much about him in general.
She was only doing so to appear polite.
But he was happy he had her undivided attention. She was looking at him, and exchanging words
without hints of being scared or angry with him and was actively listening to him. He didn’t know what
made her act like this, but he wanted it to continue.

Looking at her like this, where he could unabashedly stare at her jewel-like eyes and softly flushed
cheeks was exhilarating.

He took in every subtle change she made, the way her eyes would spark when he’d ask her about birds,
or how the tension on her shoulders slowly seeped out of her body with every passing minute. He took
them all in greedily, and kept wanting for more, for they filled him up warmly in a way that sent tingles
down to his toes.

This was getting crazier, how badly she affected him. This couldn’t be normal, but he also couldn’t put a
finger on it. He could feel his breath hitching the longer he stared at her, and the heated tension in his
body coiling beneath his skin like a snake waiting to strike…

And he loved every little sensation he felt from watching her like this.

“Are we heading back already?” Leyla asked him cautiously when she noticed Matthias glance down his
wristwatch. She was looking expectantly at him, in a way that couldn’t be hidden even if she tried to.

“Alright.” Matthias agreed with a hum, brushing off entertaining thoughts on making this moment
between them last a little longer.

If he could make it so, this time between them would have gone on for forever.

Leyla softly breathed out a sigh of relief on his acquiesce, closing her eyes in silent praise at whoever was
watching over her. Upon seeing her reaction, Matthias couldn’t help but feel offended at how relieved
she was for this day to be over and done with.

Yet he can’t keep his eyes off of her.

And he wanted her to look at him once more, and to keep him in her eyes at all times. There was a
burning need for her, blooming in his chest that grew stronger every moment they spent together.

Leyla shivered under a cold gust of wind, before feeling eyes boring holes into her, and nervously looked
back at him. Her breath hitched when she saw the intense gaze he had, unconsciously wetting her lips.

They had soft, ragged breaths as they locked gaze, before Leyla voiced out a question that had been
deeply bugging her.

“This thing between us, you promise to keep it a secret right?” she couldn’t help but ask worriedly.
Matthias quirked up a brow at her.

“A secret?” he repeated, “From who?”

“From Uncle Bill.”

Ah, there it was again, that name; Matthias thought bitterly, an ugly feeling rearing its head in the back
of his mind. She said it so softly, you would have thought she was genuinely worried, but the look on her
eyes made it seem like she was determined to make him keep it a secret from her uncle, the most.
He’d almost forgotten about the gardener, which was of course why Leyla’s been so willing to spend time
with him. Whether he really meant it as a reminder or a threat, that didn’t matter. What mattered was,
with Bill Remmer being held over Leyla as leverage made him unpleasant.

“Please Duke, he must never know about us!” Leyla pleaded desperately in a quiet voice, when a frown
marred Matthias’ expression.

Finally, he straightened up and schooled his expressions back into his cool and indifferent demeanor.

“Do you really think you can hold out on never telling Bill our relationship together until your dying
breath?” Matthias asked her with a tilt in his head.

He knew this thing between them cannot stay like this forever, especially not this type of affair, but it
seemed like Leyla had completely misunderstood him once more. She was fond of doing that.

“What do you mean by ‘until my dying breath’?!” she asked, startled at the implications as she looked at
him in alarm. All of a sudden, it quickly shifted into a defensive expression.

The Duke was due to marry Lady Brandt by summer at the earliest possible moment. What he had with
her was a mere shallow obsession which she was indulging in. He shouldn’t force her to continue with
their deal even after he’d tied a knot with some other woman!

It isn’t right! Leyla won’t allow that to ever happen! Was he planning on making her miserable the rest of
her life?!

Her hands trembled in front of her.

‘Forever,’ Leyla thought hatefully, ‘Such a powerful word to use with our relationship.’ she couldn’t help
but think bitterly.

Matthias only hummed after he regarded her carefully, shrugging his shoulders.

“I’m just saying,” he began once more, “One way or another, he will find out about us. Aren’t you
supposed to prepare yourself for that probability?” he asked her coldly, rephrasing his question as he
took a sip on his glass of water.

“No!” Leyla exclaimed, frustration and anger leaking out of her shouted whisper as she looked around
them nervously, before glaring back at him with all the rage she could muster. “I’ll make sure you or
anyone who knows will never speak about this to him!”

She would leave him before he could ever tie her permanently to him! She’d make sure of it! Above all,
she won’t ever let Uncle Bill know about what she’d done.

She can’t hurt him like that! She was already upset she had to sleep with him for her uncle’s freedom,
but she can take it. She can’t take the thought of causing her uncle grief.

If he would ever find out what she’d been doing with the Duke, he would be heartbroken about how low
she’d gotten! She’ll have to be extra careful from now on, and make sure this affair between them would
be over quickly and to never owe the duke anything ever again!

So she’d have to be a better toy for him, an obedient doll to his advances. She’d do anything!
“Duke,” she called out, begging for him to hear her as she looked up at him in a pleading manner. “Duke,
please…”

Matthias stared into her eyes with a sharp look on his face. He could clearly see the fear, mixed with a
hint of expectancy in her eyes as she looked at him. It was like something awoke deep inside him as he
looked into those two glimmering green orbs of hers…

Ah, she was so beautiful like this. He really wanted to have her…

And he did. He did have her…

But then a frown came upon him as he thought deeply about that fact.

‘Do I really have her all to myself?’

With her dream of leaving Arvis behind, and to marry a random man slipping through her fingers, she
had nowhere to go, but stay in Arvis, where he could see her whenever he liked. She’d willingly allowed
him to bed her, time and time again, solidifying she was his to have and his to use.

It was just as he planned it to be. All he needed to do now, was to just do as he wanted, and nothing
more.

With a tired sigh, he gave Leyla a terse nod, signifying whatever news Bill Remmer would get about
them, would never come from him. After all, it was only a matter of time now, but Leyla didn’t have to
know he intended for everyone around them to know she was his.

When that would be, he couldn’t really tell.

All he knew was that he didn’t want to let her go, and that was the big mystery, wasn’t it? He couldn’t
fathom his obsession with her. Why is it, with all the women in the world, he chose a woman who was
essentially nothing for him?

Had he gone insane after all? Was it because she was always hard to get, even though he’d finally gotten
a taste of her? Until when will she continue to torture him this way?

Leyla was completely oblivious to his turmoil, sighing in complete relief when he’d given her his word.
She’d always been so uncomfortable around him and couldn’t help but be terrified to be in his presence,
but that intimidating air around him was strangely absent for today.

Instead, there was something blooming in her chest, something she barely felt before.

Suddenly, Matthias stood up, and came up beside her. Leyla followed his movements, looking up at him.
He stared down at her with a contemplative gaze, before he just grabbed her by the shin, freezing her to
shock at his sudden movements.

Suddenly, she took back what she had just thought about not being fearful of him today. She was
growing terrified of him right now. She tried to move away from his grip, but he only tightened it up,
refusing to let her move.

He kept looking down on her, it was like he was boring his eyes straight into her soul, seeing things she
didn’t know about her. Eventually, he let her go, pulling away from her.
She heaved a breath of relief, looking up at him in a nervous manner, as she massaged her chin, still
feeling the ghost of his grip on her. She wondered what he was thinking during that moment, which
made her feel a little bit flustered, but she didn’t know why.

All she hoped was that he didn’t see how flustered he’d made her.

“Let’s go.” He told her, and outstretched a hand for her to take. Feeling the eyes trailed on them, Leyla
reluctantly took it. As soon as she stood up, Matthias gripped her hand tight, making her wince at his
grip as he half dragged her behind him.

She bit into her lip, keeping her head trailed down on the ground as she hurried behind him, to keep up
with his pace. She wanted nothing more than to scream, but she couldn’t find it in her to do it.

Instead, she could only watch as the shoelaces he’d tied on her shoes swayed with every step she took.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Kyle headed back to Arvis as soon as he’d shaken out of his shock, making haste to not waste any more
daylight. He soon reached the crossroads that led straight to Etman street, and completely bypassed it.

He was focused on reaching Arvis as soon as possible. It was his utmost priority. Nothing else mattered
right now. In his one-track focus, he failed to notice just whose car it was that had passed him by.

Matthias’ eyes narrowed when he caught sight of Kyle as he stared out the car’s windows. He had a
determined look on his face as he stared straight ahead, and he had a good guess at why that is.

Why else would he be visiting Arvis outside of his father’s visits to the mansion? He was headed there
for Leyla.

Matthias took a deep breath, before looking over to the recently vacated space beside him.

He was content in delivering her straight in front of her cabin, but Leyla insisted they drop her off
somewhere in the downtown area of Carlsbar. She reasoned out she had just remembered she had
something to do there, and so with great reluctance, he let her leave.

But he knew she was only making excuses to get away from him.

She had looked so transparent, the nervousness and fear in her eyes were blatant to him as she asked
him to drop her off there. But Matthias soon found out that the look on her face was starting to get old.
He cannot find any more amusement in that expression of hers.

And he’d been so happy to see her cry before too. He felt such immense satisfaction in bringing her to
tears, begging in front of him so beautifully, yet none of those familiar sensations came at that moment.

It made him wonder what it really was he wanted from her if not for her misery?

The first time he took notice of Kyle, a similar question came to his mind. It was seeded into him at that
moment when he first saw how Leyla was around Kyle, and grew into a forest of nagging questions,
plaguing his mind day and night.
He’d always seen them together, so unabashedly content in each other’s presence, up until their
engagement being called off. Leyla, when she’d been with Kyle, always wore a bright and happy smile on
her face.

And suddenly, his mouth felt dry at remembering that, making him swallow down his unease.

She did not hold back in doling out smiles and loving gaze at Kyle. She kept giving it out without a second
thought, even if Kyle couldn’t offer her what she wanted like he could. No matter what Kyle did, Leyla
continued to be by his side, giving him all her time and attention.

But Matthias reminded himself he no longer needed to worry about Kyle. Leyla was his now, in a way
Kyle could never have her. He knew things about Leyla that Kyle never did. She wouldn’t dare leave him
for an old flame.

But that fact is rendered meaningless when Leyla would not even accept him as she did with Kyle so
freely. And maybe that’s why Kyle’s presence unnerved him greatly, because he had Leyla, in the way
Matthias wanted her.

Continuing this line of thought would only bring more discomfort for himself. And he knew he’d never
have that kind of relationship with Leyla, yet he couldn’t stop longing to have it. Matthias wanted to
erase their pasts and start anew. Take back those things he did, but he can’t.

But when the car rolled into a stop in front of his mansion, gone was the turmoil in Matthias face, and
stepped out of the car with a schooled expression.

“Welcome back, Duke Herhardt!” Claudine exclaimed, as she went out to greet him back home. Matthias
stared at her for a moment, confused as to why she was here when she was supposed to be back in
Brandt estate, like their other guests who went home.

“My Lady,” he greeted with a practiced smile, “I didn’t know you were waiting for me here.” He greeted
back, kissing her on the cheeks as soon as she got close and pulled away, looking at her with an
unspoken question.

‘Why are you here?’

“Oh, yes, I decided to wait for your return here.” Claudine replied back with her own smile, “I wanted to
spend more time with you, so waiting for your return in your own estate was only more practical.”

Claudine eyed Matthias with a critical gaze. She then pulled her hands away from his and clasped them
demurely in front of her as she met his own assessing stare.

“Didn’t you miss me too while you were away?” She asked in an innocent voice, her eyes glancing behind
him to look at the empty backseat. She then looked back at him with a prompting gaze.

Matthias only widened his smile at her, as though he was pleased with her reasoning.

“Of course,” he replied.

Chapter 92
Leyla knelt on her cabin floors, furiously scrubbing the floorboards clean before she sighed out tiredly
and swiped off some of the sweat off her brows. With the sunbeam light flowing into the room, she
could see the fine dust particles floating all over her.

The cold was also beginning to subside in the air, signifying that winter was about to come to an end.

Despite that, Leyla couldn’t help but think about how strange Kyle had been when she’d returned to
Arvis from Carlsbar. Even remembering the look on his face gave her endless confusion about why he’d
been acting so weird.

It’s been a few days since it happened, yet still she reached no conclusion.

She had been successful in making the Duke drop her off in Carlsbar, and went home on her own. Upon
her way home, she’d encountered Kyle on the road to Arvis, just as Kyle was just about to leave.

“Leyla…” he called out to her with a breathy voice. He looked calm to her, but something in his voice
made her think like he wanted to cry for some unknown reason.

She wanted to go to him, and ask about how he is, but she caught sight of her shoes, and forced herself
not to. These shoes were the ones the Duke had just bought for her, and it reminded her why she
needed to get away from Kyle.

He repeated her name a few more times, it was almost like he was seeing her, but at the same time, it
was like he wasn’t actually seeing her. It was like his mind was stuck somewhere. At one point it seemed
like he was looking right through her and proceeded to look up at the sky.

His hands had been shaking when he ran them across his face. Whether it was from the cold or
something else, she couldn’t tell. And then he left, without talking to her or looking back at her once
more.

A few passersby had seen them, looking over at them curiously, wondering what happened between
them now as Kyle continued to walk in a daze passed them. They shot Leyla questioning glances as soon
as they noticed his red-rimmed eyes.

All the while Leyla could only figure out, he’d stopped by for something, as did the others who saw them.

But from their point of view, it didn’t seem like that last time Kyle had sought out Leyla.

Kyle had been Leyla’s broken first love, but before that he’d been like a brother and her best friend. But
gone were the days they would have freely confided in one another, those unspoken conversations
they’d exchange across the room with a simple exchange of glances.

By now Leyla had completely lost her ability to read Kyle.

“Leyla!” a new voice came, shaking her out of her memories.

Immediately, Leyla jolted back in attention and put down her cleaning brushes, before running towards
the front of the house. It was the mailman! She immediately swung the door open, running out to
excitedly receive the telegram delivered by her uncle.
She thanked him profusely for his hard work and he gave her a wave of goodbye. As soon as he was gone
from her sight, she immediately went back inside and ripped open the envelope to read the letter Uncle
Bill had sent her with a quick skim of her eyes. Immediately all the thoughts and worries flowed out of
her, temporarily forgotten the more she read the letter!

Uncle Bill was coming back to Arvis in two days!

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Lunch in the Arvis mansion was always a quiet affair, and it didn’t change even when Claudine was there,
temporarily living under their roof. Soft clanging sounds of cutlery, and scraping sounds echoed along
with light chatter among the three ladies in Arvis mansion.

The air around them was warm and pleasant as the beautiful spread of food was laid out in front of
them. The sunlight streaming into the room made it seem as though spring had just arrived, despite the
winter barely beginning its descent.

“I like it whenever Claudine stays in the mansion with us here,” Elysee praised the young girl, shooting a
grin over her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. “Arvis feels so full whenever she’s around!”

“I completely agree,” Norma hummed, exchanging smiles with her companions, as Claudine gracefully
set her utensils down and demurely wiped the food from her lips, “Having her around is very reassuring.”
Norma finished.

“I’m very happy you both think so, my Duchesses.” Claudine beamed at them gracefully, “For a while I
worried, I was being burdensome, staying in Arvis for too long.”

“Nonsense, Claudine,” Norma assured her, before quickly glancing over to her grandson who had been
quiet as he ate, “I’m sure had the wedding not been postponed due to unseen circumstances, you’d
already be part of the family. Don’t you agree so too, Matthias?”

At hearing his name, Matthias finally looked up from his plate, and spared Claudine a glance, before
giving the ladies his usual smile, a smile Claudine was all too familiar with. It was his polite smile, that
although looked as though it held no ill-intentions, it sent cold shivers down her spine.

Only, Matthias wasn’t answering Norma right away. Instead, he grabbed a glass of water, and took a long,
composed sip on his glass of water, making Claudine more uneasy about the changes with him. She had
thought she’d stick to his usual style of giving short and succinct replies, but he wasn’t, and the
conversation turned into different matters in Matthias’ silence.

Claudine wondered what Kyle was doing with the information she’d given him. Had he not confronted
them about it?

Claudine’s hands, which were hidden beneath the table clutched tightly onto the table napkins,
crumpling them in her tightened fists in worry. And then the topic quickly shifted about the recent
rumors in Arvis.

The one about Leyla.

“I guess after what happened, the doctor’s son and the gardener’s foster child will always cross paths
with each other.” Elysee sighed out with complete disinterest. Duchess Norma on the other hand,
seemed to be excited with this information.

“Oh, you mean Kyle and Leyla? Oh what a lovely couple they could have been.” Norma sighed wistfully,
“Had Mrs. Etman not done what she did, they would have been married by now!” she exclaimed
indignantly on the wronged couple’s behalf.

“I remember seeing them as children, they really liked each other so much back then too! Got along
swimmingly.” Norma continued to praise them, Elysee hummed in slight agreement.

“Yes, I can’t disagree with you on that.” Elysee told Norma, “Does this mean he’s ready to go against his
mother’s wishes and elope with Leyla instead? Runaway far from Arvis?” she asked a little more
curiously than before.

Norma hummed and frowned at the thought.

“Do you think Kyle should start acting so callously now?” Norma asked back a little disapprovingly at the
thought of Kyle going against his mother’s wishes. “Still, these are still just hearsays, we don’t know
what’s really going on between them.”

Norma sighed and straightened out in her seat, before continuing.

“Besides, I think Kyle should give his mother a few more years to think about it. He’s still young, and has
his whole life ahead of him. Time will tell whether he’ll really risk his relationship with his mother over a
first love.”

Claudine blinked back in shock at the older matriarch’s words.

“I’m surprised you think that Duchess Norma,” Claudine piped up after she finished, “Don’t you like
Leyla?” Claudine shot Matthias a discreet glance out of curiosity, yet he was still calmly eating his food as
though he could care less about what was being talked about.

“Oh, I completely adore Bill’s niece!” Norma praised, “She’s absolutely a sight to behold and such a good-
natured girl too, very agreeable that girl.” she smiled, before sighing out with a sad smile, “But marriage
and feelings are a different matter, and it doesn’t matter if I like her or not.”

Norma proceeded to tell them that although Mrs. Etman was publicly shamed and ridiculed for her
garish behavior which led to the engagement being broken off, no one could really fault her for her
reasoning. Especially not with the upper-class mothers.

All mothers want only the best for their sons, Mrs. Etman was no different. She went about it the wrong
way, but her heart was in the right place.

“Hmm,” Claudine nodded in understanding, “Though I really think Kyle wants to marry Leyla. He wants
to be with her with all his heart.”

“I’m surprised you think so my dear,” Norma hummed towards her, “As your own family’s heir, shouldn’t
you know by now that feelings don’t matter in marriages?” Norma asked her curiously. “Having an
orphaned person as a daughter-in-law has no place in the Etman household in the first place.”
Norma didn’t mean it in any malicious way. It was just a fact in their society.

Claudine nodded at the older matriarch in understanding like the good girl that she was. She chanced a
glance over to Matthias, to gouge out his own reaction to what his grandmother just said.

‘Just this once,’ She wished in her mind, ‘Let me see behind his mask.’

But Matthias was good at pretending. He only looked at his grandmother with an agreeable smile on his
face. The fact he could pretend so indifferently unnerved Claudine deeply.

Yesterday afternoon, Claudine had been with the two Duchesses, and they all spotted Leyla walking
weirdly through the woods as though she was trying to hide from anyone’s sight. What Claudine
regretted most was how the other two Duchess had to witness how pathetic Leyla was acting, even
though she was sneaking around just to meet up with the Duke.

‘Are you happy having the love of this kind of a man, Leyla?’ Claudine wondered as she looked at the
Duke’s gentle smile that he would dole out to any noble woman, ‘No, does Matthias even know how to
love someone?’

Finally, she averted her gaze from him, feeling that small pity she held for Leyla for capturing the
attention of such a cold-hearted man. Leyla had already lost Kyle Etman, someone who undoubtedly
loved her as though she was the only treasure in the world, and now she was subjected to the whims of
a powerful ice king.

In Matthias mind, he saw no need to butt into their conversation. What his grandmother had said was a
fact he wouldn’t dispute. And she was also correct in her assessment of Leyla, it was why he wanted her
as his mistress. Because in doing so, he’d have her and not completely destroy the prospects of his
future.

He was only doing what he must do.

All in all, lunch between them was an uneventful affair, ending with Claudine continuing to spend time
with her soon-to-be in-laws for some tea, while Matthias opted to go out for a walk alone in the forest.

Afternoons in Arvis had most of the birds chirping overhead in the trees, echoing clearly throughout the
quiet nature as the warm sunlight shed light all over everything.

Matthias took off in the familiar forest path, with an inexplicable sense of restlessness deep within his
chest. Almost as though they were overriding his rational thoughts, filling his head completely with the
idea of breaking off his engagement with Claudine…

And putting Leyla in that place instead.

Just up ahead, saw the unmistakable cabin that housed that person that restlessly filled his mind. He
hadn’t intended to be here, but he wasn’t intending to turn around and go back. Instead, he pushed on
with a renewed vigor in his steps as the sunlight continued to bathe him in its warm glow.

Spring really is coming.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
When Leyla got back to Arvis, the sky had been covered with red and orange hues as the sun sunk in the
west. She was pedaling as fast as she could, not wanting to reach home by dark. There was a brown
paper back on her bike’s basket, rustling against the wind as she picked up speed.

She had gone out to buy some ingredients for Uncle Bill’s favorite foods as his welcoming feast. She
could only imagine the stories he had for her upon his return when they’d sit by the table to eat the
meal she would cook. She really was looking forward to seeing him again!

Maybe by then, she’ll also be able to find the courage to convince her Uncle to move away from Arvis
with her. To start their lives anew away from the Duke.

Convincing him would take some time, but it wasn’t impossible. She knew with Uncle Bill by her side, all
will be right in the world again. He kept saying that to her when she was young after all. He’d talked
about his own dreams about moving away from Arvis when the work would get too much for him.

Of course, his moving away did not mean far from Arvis. He wanted to stay close, but within the estate
grounds. She was certain she could convince him to move farther away. And once she could leave with
him, she’ll look for a different job.

She’d teach new students in a new school, and forget about Arvis, and continue life with Uncle Bill and
live happily ever after! Much like they did in Arvis before this whole thing with the Duke started.

The more she dreamed about what may be, the lighter the feeling in her got. She’d been thinking about
this ever since she asked for a transfer to a different school far away from Arvis. She even got rid of the
new clothes and shoes he’d bought her.

They were not what she was after all. They didn’t scream Leyla Lewellin.

It wasn’t right for her to be selfish and take them as compensation for what he’s doing to her. She knew
how deep the poison of greed could get and wanted nothing to do with it. All she wanted is to erase
every bad thing that fell on her that night in the gazebo, that night she first interacted with the Duke.

Until she’d erase the image of him entering her life, talking amicably with her fiancé.

But before that, she must first organize all the things she’d bought, and then change into more
comfortable clothes. And then she’d head out to feed their livestock. Things were going to get busier, so
she had to be more productive.

She was finally within sight of her cabin and let out a pleased sigh at seeing her home, and quickened up
some more, eager to get home as she rode down the forest path. She should also start preparing for her
dinner and get the house warmed up too!

She parked her bike in front of the cabin, grabbing the shopping bags with her as she opened the door to
let herself in. In her excitement, she completely failed to notice the presence of her current companion…

“Welcome back, Leyla.” A cool voice from behind greeted her, a cold shiver shooting up her spine at the
sound of that unmistakable voice. In her shock, she scrambled to catch the bag she had been carrying in
her haste to look at her trespasser!
There, seated on her dearest uncle’s chair, was none other than Matthias, sitting in crossed legs, as he
lounged back in his seat. He was looking at her in an intense gaze that made Leyla feel he was about to
do something to her.

She wanted to believe this was all just a nightmare, that she was seeing things, but she wasn’t. He really
was in her own home!

“Wh-why are you here!?” she squeaked out, stuttering in his sudden presence. Matthias only shrugged
as he looked around.

“It’s my property, why should I not be here?” he asked her with a hint of a challenge.

“It might be your estate, but you’ve given us this place as our home!”

“And so what if it is?”

Leyla couldn’t help but scoff at his callousness and disregard of their privacy.

“It means you can’t just invite yourself to come in here as you please!” She immediately put the
shopping bag down by the edge of the kitchen table, before going back to face him and firmly gestured
towards the door. “Leave.” She demanded from him.

Matthias held her gaze as he slowly stood up in his seat, and stalked over to her with a smirk like a
predator would to a prey. He took a once over at her body, before the smirk slid off his face at the sight
of her shoes.

Once again she was wearing those awfully stained shoes, when it was clear he made her throw them
away. Even her coat wasn’t the one he’d bought for her to wear. He clearly adored her stubbornness,
sure. But something churned deep in Matthias’ gut at the thought of her disregarding what he’d just
given her.

And he didn’t like that.

Leyla thought he was finally leaving and grabbed the door handle to hold it out for him as he left. But as
soon as she tried to swing the door open, Matthias quickly whirled her back to face him, and slammed
the door behind her, pinning her against the door.

Leyla’s breathing grew ragged as she looked up at him in fright. And then Matthias dipped his head
down…

Taking Leyla’s lips into a searing kiss.

Chapter 93

Leyla immediately pushed his lips off of her, allowing the kiss between them to break but didn’t manage
to get free from him.
“Please just go!” She exclaimed, glancing around in fear as she tried to find an escape route. Seeing her
back in these shabby clothes, and poor state of dress couldn’t help but mock Matthias’ rose-tinted
glasses on their last moments in Carlsbar.

Matthias had already felt foolish when he found himself in the empty cabin. He was feeling lost without
Leyla, and just kept walking around as he ran the memories of her over and over in his mind.

He had entertained thoughts of letting her go like she was nothing to him. But it seemed he was the one
who was nothing to her! But he can’t help but want her too. She possessed something in her that drove
him wild beyond what his mind could comprehend!

And it’s been like that for a long time now. Perhaps, ever since the beginning.

“What is wrong with you?!” Leyla couldn’t help but ask him as tears threatened to escape her, “You don’t
have any right to do this to me!” she quickly darted out from under him, but just as quickly as she
escaped, he pushed her into the kitchen table, making the shopping bag tumble off the edge, and
sounds of glass jars being broken clanged in the kitchen.

“Right?” Matthias asked her, a hint of incredulity in his tone, “You think I have no right?”

“Yes!” Leyla spat back at him, “You don’t have any right to come here and do these things with me!”

Once again, she couldn’t help but feel foolish at how she allowed herself to lower her guard around him
all because of that one day in Carlsbar. That day was now just another distant dream. She shouldn’t have
expected anything different from him.

This would always be how things would be with Matthias.

“I am already catering to whatever you want me to do, so why do you insist on making my life so
miserable?!” she persisted, “Didn’t you give me your word to never come here?! To my cabin with my
uncle!?”

She tried to push him away again, but she was physically weak against him. He grabbed her by the waist,
securing her tightly towards him as she continued to struggle, making sure she didn’t have any room to
escape from him.

It only made Leyla more frustrated with him.

She’d seen the Duke and Claudin by the stables on her way back just yesterday, being such a typical
couple. She’d stop by because the stable keeper was a close friend of her uncle, so she went to help by
pulling a cart full of hay behind her. Afterwards, she would feed the cattle they were raising in Arvis just
as she did every other day.

He had offered to pull the cart for her, but Leyla had insisted she could handle it, firmly refusing his help.
And she was successful, but she found herself in an unexpected place.

Lady Brandt was with the Duke walking, with her arm in his, down the path located between the stables
and the forest.
It was odd seeing her there, because she wasn’t the type of woman to be casually taking a stroll outside
of the mansion, or the nearby promenade in the estate. Leyla was terrified at the idea of Claudine
noticing her, and immediately hid behind the trees in an attempt to remain inconspicuous.

At that moment, Claudine’s head whipped back to her direction, but Leyla saw no indication she had
been spotted. After a few tense moments of Leyla wishing to every deity up above she would remain
unseen, they resumed their walk until they disappeared in Leyla’s line of sight.

Without wasting more time, Leyla immediately hauled the partially filled cart behind her through the
trees, heart racing at the close call. She tried not to run too fast as the hays began spilling out of the cart,
but she still returned home in record time, with a few hays bundled in her arms.

She looked like an absolute mess, with strands of hays sticking on her clothes and out of her hair.

That strange feeling in her chest was back again. It happened every time she’d see those two together,
which she chalked up to her guilt for Claudine, and fear of Matthias. Still, it was almost like a mix of relief,
shame… and oddly enough, sadness.

“Why are you even doing this now?!” Leyla cried out, “Were these days too boring without your daily
dose of tormenting me that you would rather come here just to amuse yourself?!”

She wanted him to give her answers and to tell her why! Why, out of all the girls, he chose her to play
with? Why did he keep coming back just to make her life a living hell? She knew it was meaningless to
ask, but she wanted to lash out at him.

To make him suffer as she did. To feel all the pain he caused her.

These emotions were clawing at her walls, gnawing at her thoughts that she has every reason to torment
and disrespect the Duke! And she wanted to see it too. Just the thought of seeing the hurt in him made
her feel a different kind of exhilaration, she wanted it now.

The more she thought back to that day in Carlsbar, the more the rage in her was fueled.

“You talk too much Leyla.” Matthias finally spoke in a calm voice, as he glared down at her shuddering
form. But her words kept ringing around in his head, echoing them louder and louder, making his grip on
her tighten up.

Leyla froze in shock at the coldness in his tone, but she refused to back down as fiery resentment blazed
inside her chest.

“Then I suggest you stop playing around so much!” she hissed, “You’re a real piece of work, you know
that? Always do what you want and then leave as soon as you’re done having your fun with no regard for
anyone else but yourself!”

As she spewed out everything she’d been holding back, she kept her eyes on him, locking gazes with
Matthias, not willing to let go. She was eager to see that hurt in his eyes.

“So tell me, Duke ,” she said his title with such contempt, “Do you want your plaything to undress for
you? Oh! But I remember you find it so dull! You know what? You’re so used to doing what you want
anyway so go ahead!”
She dared him, finally stopping her resistance in his hold.

“Go ahead and take me in whatever way you want then. I don’t care either way. Not anymore.” She
finished, heaving a breath as she waited for him to make a move.

“Stop this nonsense Leyla.” Matthias scolded, a frown marring his features, yet Leyla remained
indifferent, a sense of satisfaction filling her at the shaky tone in his voice.

“Why? Am I getting too boring for you already? Come on! Didn’t you say I’m so amusing to you?” she
asked again, “You see, this is all that you’re good for, Duke Herhardt. You take and take and take, until
nothing you like is left for you to take and then throw it out.”

Matthias’ breathing quickened with every word Leyla let loose.

“So just throw me away now, and I’ll thank you for it.” She felt him loosening his grip on her waist and
stood a little taller in front of him. “In fact, it’ll be the one good thing you’ll ever be able to do for me –
ACK!”

A stinging sensation was left on her cheek as she was suddenly facing the table. Matthias wasted no time
in grabbing her by the waist and laid her out on the table as she whirled around to face him, a hand
cupping her reddened cheek from where he backhanded her.

“And how about you?” Matthias growled as he pinned her down on the table, forcibly slotting his body
between her legs, bunching up her skirt around her waist, “Aren’t you loving the way you drive me crazy
too?” he asked her, a manic look in his eyes as he stared at her.

He immediately took hold of her wrists, even the one that had just been cupping her cheeks and held
them in one hand to pin on the table, in the spot above her head. Leyla looked up at him with a smug
look of her own.

“Perhaps just as much as you enjoy seeing me cry.”

Once more, Leyla reminded herself to never cry in front of him. She must hold herself together, until
she’d see the torment in his eyes…

But then her expectations were shattered when Matthias began chuckling slowly to himself, before
blowing out into a fully blown manic laughter and threw his head back as he laughed at her. When he
looked back at her, she could only see the face of a person who had finally snapped out of his sanity.

“Then, don’t you think it’s only fair by now to see you cry too, my Leyla?”

Wasting no time, his free hand grabbed Leyla by the chin roughly. She was certain he would be leaving
not just hickeys on her skin by the end of the night. She only prayed they’d be gone by the time her uncle
returns.

However, she wasn’t one to back down easily with Matthias, but he won’t let her continue to speak,
clamping her jaw shut with his strong grip around her mouth.

“Then, let’s begin our pleasurable deal with each other, shall we?” he purred in a low baritone, before
she heard the sound of cloth ripping and the sensation of the cool air hitting her legs before he drowned
her in the beginning of heated kisses he would leave with her tonight.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The last few days was the time Kyle needed to stop sending himself into a panic attack at Claudine’s
words. He needed to distance himself for a while to organize his thoughts before he could even begin to
confront Leyla with Claudine’s accusations.

It was getting late, but Kyle knew by now Leyla was back in her cabin, and he could talk to her there
alone, without any prying ears or eyes to spread further rumors about them.

He still had that nagging feeling of a small chance that what Lady Brandt had been telling him was true,
but his loyalty to Leyla made him refuse to entertain it. He’d go over there, and lay his mind to rest, and
Leyla would assure him all that Claudine said was a lie.

He believed Leyla. He knew she wouldn’t lie to him, not with this.

‘But what if she confirms everything is true? And that’s why she’d never go back to you?’

There was that nasty voice in the back of his mind again, growing louder the longer he put it off. He’d
been yelling at himself to shut up for hours on end since he returned from Carlsbar, but it kept going
louder and louder, making him lose sleep and more of his waning sanity.

But if it is even true, maybe Leyla was in trouble! He needed to help her! He knew she wouldn’t ask for
help, so that’s why he must go to her and assure her that he has her back, all she needed to do was to let
him.

He eventually stopped in front of her dark cabin. He took a pause outside as he slowly got off his bike,
parking it beside the cabin’s storage hut. Was Leyla asleep?

Should he come back tomorrow?

‘No,’ Kyle thought to himself as he approached the cabin’s entrance with a determined look, ‘It’s better
to rip the band-aid off quickly.’

But the more he got closer, the nasty voice in his head grew louder, making his anxiety worse and his
stomach churned uncomfortably with every step he took. There were odd sounds coming from inside
the house, but it was so muffled that he couldn’t hear it clearly…

He went to knock on the door, but a light gust of wind blew past him, making the door swing minusculely
open. Kyle paused as his heart froze, he could clearly hear some ragged breaths inside.

Quietly, he pushed open the door.

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

His heartbeat thundered in his chest as the ringing in his ear grew louder, drowning out that nasty voice
in the back of his mind. He could feel his breathing quickening at the sight of a fallen bag of groceries on
the floor thrown haphazardly all over…
The next he saw some shards of glass glinting in the moonlight…

The next he saw was a fallen bag of groceries, with some shards of glass glinting in the moonlight…

And then he was drawn to the sounds of the table squeaking as it rocked back and forth. In the dark, he
could faintly make out a silhouette of a man rutting on the table’s surface. He was huddled over
something he couldn’t make out just yet as he groaned, breathing in ragged breaths…

And then he could hear more sounds, like flesh slapping sloppily against each other, and the
unmistakable sound of a woman moaning. And then his eyesight adjusted, he could see the tight grip of
a smaller arm, fingers digging into the man’s clothed back…

And then his eyes adjusted further, that he could make out a golden color of the woman’s hair beneath
the man’s form, and the way her legs wrapped around the man’s waist with a face full of bliss…

It was…

“Leyla…” he breathed out in a shocked daze, and Leyla’s eyes snapped open as she finally took note of
their unexpected guest. Even Matthias stilled in his movements, his looming form seemed to be hiding
Leyla from his view, but Kyle could see Leyla’s flushed face as she stared at him with wide eyes.

Time stopped as the three of them all locked gazes with one another, until the ringing in Kyle’s ears
turned into a deafening silence, and his breathing calmed down to a stop before his eyes shifted to look
at the Duke with an indecipherable gaze.

Matthias finally straightened out, his clothes having long been rumpled over the beginnings of what
could have been another night of pleasure, while Leyla was only partially undressed, the top of her dress
hanging off her shoulders, as her breasts laid bare for all to see.

Kyle’s eyes were fully adjusted by now and could see the blooming hickeys left on Leyla’s collarbone, as
well as the forming wrinkles on the Duke’s usually pristine clothes. He looked so unbothered too at being
discovered, while Leyla hurriedly got up to right her clothes…

Alarm bells began ringing the back of Kyle’s mind, but the voice in his head stayed oddly quiet…

“What are you guys doing?” He couldn’t help but softly ask them instead, body numb at what he had
just witnessed. Matthias only stared at him nonchalantly as he straightened up to his full height, allowing
Leyla to scramble behind him to cover her indecency.

“What do you think we’re doing?” he asked the new arrival.

And then Kyle’s world turned red…

He could barely register Leyla calling out for his name, begging for him to stop as he wrestled with
Matthias. He had just tackled Matthias with a scream of rage, yelling profanities at how lowly he was
treating Leyla.

He’d hit Matthias, and the Duke would hit back just as hard, but the adrenaline running through his veins
made him oblivious at how poorly matched he was.
The only thought he could think about was how he should be protecting Leyla from such a vile man!

At some point, Matthias spared Leyla a glance, and completely missed the fist Kyle threw out to him
while Leyla rushed to Kyle’s side, as he was momentarily shocked.

Matthias could feel the taste of copper filling his mouth.

They both were pleading with each other by now. Leyla kept insisting that Kyle should just leave her
behind and that she was fine, while Kyle yelling at him accusations and promises of taking Leyla away
from Arvis, while …

And it just made Matthias’ blood boil and grabbed Kyle away from Leyla and resumed their fighting. In
Matthias’ mind, Kyle must disappear, and then Leyla can be his!

“Kyle!” Leyla screamed out worriedly as she watched in horror as the two men threw fists at each other
once more!

Kyle was not a fighter, Leyla knew that best, it’s what she liked about him. But Matthias was. He was a
seasoned soldier, who had fought in battles before, Kyle had no chance of winning against him!

She could see the way Matthias was pummeling Kyle, and she feared if she couldn’t stop them from
going further, Kyle would end up dead because of her…

“Kyle, stop it please!” she yelled out, tears falling down in rivers from her eyes. “Duke stop!” Still, not
one of them seemed to be listening to her anymore, both men had their senses overridden by
adrenaline and anger.

“Stop!” she screamed, voice cracking as she yelled out in frustration and fear, yet both men remained
deaf to her cries…

“I love him!” she exclaimed, her sudden declaration stilling both men into a stop as she sobbed
desperately at Kyle’s now swollen eyes, “I love him, Kyle… I love him…” she cried out as her heart broke
for a second time at seeing the fierce protectiveness in Kyle’s eyes diminish in front of her…

Matthias looked down, spitting the blood out of his mouth as he finally got off of Kyle’s prone form,
finally calm enough to let the man stagger up to his feet to approach his woman.

“It’s not true… Leyla, tell me it’s not true and I’ll protect you this time… I swear it…” Kyle whispered as he
stared desperately in front of her through his remaining good eye, but Leyla only shook her head at him
as she continued to sob at how terrible he looked…

And it was all because of her.

“I love him Kyle,” she lied through her teeth, before taking a deep breath to look at him more calmly to
convince him, “And that’s the truth.”

Chapter 94
Leyla had to avert her eyes from the betrayed look Kyle held in his eyes. She couldn’t bear to look at him
after that, letting tears flow freely down her cheeks at the way her heart was tearing apart in the
knowledge she had to hurt Kyle to save him.

Kyle could feel the aches Matthias’ blows dealt him with, but none of them hurt as much as Leyla telling
him she loved the Duke…

But seeing her cry in front of him hurt even more, as her tears hit the back of his hands that lied limply in
front of him. So with a shaky hand, he went to gently cup her cheeks, futilely wiping her tears away. It
was like she was sapped of all her spirit.

He took in her appearance, eyeing bitterly the telltale signs of what they were about to do, like her
tangled locks, and her haphazardly clothed torso. He could even feel the way she began to shake in his
hands…

“So please Kyle, stop this,” Leyla whispered softly, “I did do it with the Duke, but not because of what you
thought.” she continued to say, unable to look at him in the eyes.

Kyle could faintly feel his heart breaking apart, mistaking her avoidance to look at him because of shame
at loving the Duke. At that point, Matthias moved forward, ready to pull Leyla away from Kyle’s grasp
when the battered man shot him a glare.

He could see the smug look on the Duke’s face, and it made Kyle’s blood boil, but he tampered it down,
because he didn’t want to cause any more trouble for Leyla. Which brings him to another concern about
their affair…

“You’re already engaged.” Kyle hissed lowly through his cut lips, glaring at the Duke with his remaining
good eye. “To Lady Brandt, I might add.” Matthias only shrugged as if that fact held no meaning for him.

Even despite the blooming bruise on his cheek, Matthias held himself up high and composed. One would
almost think he was just a passerby in the recent fight that ensued moments prior. How could he remain
so nonchalant?!

Wasting no more moment, Matthias scooped Leyla into his arms, pulling her away from Kyle. He made
sure Kyle was watching as he pulled out a handkerchief and successfully wiped away the tears in Leyla’s
face, trailing kisses over the tear streaks and gently ran his fingers through her hair…

He locked eyes with Kyle’s broken form as he pulled Leyla into a soft kiss.

And just like a final nail to the coffin, Kyle’s heart shattered at the sight of them kissing each other so
easily in front of him. He watched as the Duke’s eyes finally closed, and Leyla sank further into his chest…

‘How could this happen?!’ Kyle thought, salty tears now flowing down his cheeks, stinging the cuts on his
face and lips but he welcomed that pain anyway. It was like he was on the brink of insanity, but at the
same time, all the pieces clicked into place.

He watched as Matthias pulled away from their kiss, and casually unbuttoned Leyla’s blouse, to button
them up properly and fix her clothes.

‘How long have they been doing this?’

“Their relationship blossomed right after you left for the capital, Kyle, did you know?” Claudine’s
mocking voice echoed faintly in the back of his mind…

“I’ll come back as soon as our uninvited guest leaves you.” Matthias announced softly, and Leyla nodded
tersely at him, refusing to make eye contact as fresh tears flowed down her face. Matthias planted one
last kiss on her lips gently, before swiftly taking his leave after giving a slight nod to Kyle.

Kyle didn’t know how long he sat limply on Leyla’s cabin floor, the air around them having stilled in place
and the silence deafening him. He completely missed the genuine concern Leyla gave him, along with
the fear she had just shown.

The next thing he had managed to register was Leyla’s hands reaching out to him, and the muffled
question of how he was feeling before all his hurt and anger welled up in him.

“Don’t touch me!” he hissed slowly, making Leyla’s hands stop right in front of him. He didn’t want to
look at her, he didn’t want to see the hurt in her eyes when he had so much hurt inside him too!

So he looked down resolutely on the ground, body brimming with pain and resentment over both her
and the Duke.

Leyla looked at Kyle’s face in shock, another set of tears welling up in her at the sound of his voice. He’d
never spoken so coldly to her before, and it made her freeze.

Kyle didn’t want to stay around Leyla any longer, so despite his limbs screaming at him for rest, he
staggered up to his feet, almost tumbling over as the adrenal fatigue came crashing onto him, making
him feel every pain in his body tenfold.

“Of all the people I expected this from, not once did I think you could do this.” Kyle whispered, the
betrayal seeping out of his voice, “How could you do such a thing, Leyla?”

“Kyle, I’m so sorry, I-”

“Is this why you discarded me so coldly?” he couldn’t help but ask, forcing his shaking fists to stay on his
side, afraid to lash out on Leyla despite the hurt she’d just given him, “To be his mistress? Is this the life
you wanted all along?” He heaved a sob, failing to keep the tears from spilling once more from his eyes…

He wanted her to deny his accusations, to yell, get mad at him for believing such a blatant lie! But she
didn’t, she only stood there, looking so dejected.

“I really am sorry.” She squeaked out softly, “I didn’t mean to hurt you like this Kyle.”

What good was her sorry? It only served as an insult for Kyle. He wanted to lash out, scream and yell
until everyone nearby would hear his despair…

But he had more questions.

He glanced around the darkened cabin, remembering every single moment he had passed through the
threshold. This was his second home. He felt like he belonged here, once upon a time. He had many
good core memories here, like when he and Leyla were children, sitting on the chairs with their legs
swinging back and forth as they excitedly chatted with one another.
If the table could make them see its memories, it would have reminded him of all the secrets they
shared, the jokes and laughter they had, and the dreams they made with one another.

Unfortunately, it would also remind him of the way Leyla had been in the arms of a man, engaged to wed
another.

“Since when did this whole thing begin between you?” Kyle asked softly, eyes still trailed on the table.
“Were you just waiting for me to disappear all this time?” He could hear Leyla’s soft denials amongst her
sobs.

“So I just unfortunately stumbled upon you, is that it?” Kyle asked, finally looking at Leyla. She looked so
ashamed as she shook her head, implying this wasn’t the first time either, but it wasn’t because he was
gone. It made Kyle feel ashamed for being so antagonizing with her, but he needed to push through.

He also noticed how thin Leyla had gotten. She was fuller before, healthier too. And it reminded him why
he needed to keep questioning Leyla. For her own good.

“Leyla, can’t you stop being with him?” he pleaded softly, heart softening up before he brushed off her
tears once more, “You know he’s getting married, who he’ll be married to.” He warned her in a whisper.
“I know you know the consequences, surely you don’t want that!”

Because he still remembers how much she shined when she’d tell him about her dreams for the future.
Her enthusiasm infected him deeply as she described how she’ll be in a few years or so. She wanted
nothing more than researching birds and traveling to distant places to see them!

Staying with the Duke would only root Leyla in place. She won’t be able to live as freely as she does now,
not when the news of their affair would come out.

“You’d have to give up everything just to stay with him, Leyla,” Kyle added softly forcing her to look him
in the eyes, gently cupping her face in an angle that would let her, “Do you understand Leyla? You could
lose yourself to him.”

Memories of Leyla’s wistful expression when they discussed their marriage, confiding in him how many
children she wanted, the type of house they would live in. That much wasn’t fake. Leyla loved him
before.

All he wanted was for her to love him again. To choose him again.

‘Please,’ Kyle pleaded in his mind, ‘See me Leyla, choose me.’

“I know.” Leyla finally answered back softly as she gazed at him with pitying eyes, “And I am willing to
stay with him despite that.”

“Leyla-”

“I’m sorry, Kyle.” Leyla swallowed down the desire to wrap him in a warm embrace. Instead, she put her
hands on his shaky ones, and softly pulled away from him, before stepping back.

“You must leave now.” she softly demanded of him. Kyle searched her eyes for any lie, but there was only
stubbornness reflected in them.
After a while, Kyle nodded in compliance at her, before staggering outside of the cabin. As soon as he got
outside, Leyla closed the door shut behind him.

With only the moon as their witness, two broken hearts cried for a great love that had finally run its final
course, never to be together again.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Claudine had caught a glimpse of Kyle hurriedly exiting Arvis estate, but there was still no sight of
Matthias.

She had been informed moments before dinner that her fiancé had expressed his wishes to dine
separately for the day, and would be staying in the annex. It wasn’t uncommon of him to do so, he’d
done it several times before. Yet, Claudine couldn’t help but wait for any sign of him curiously as she
watched the still garden outside.

He had given them the excuse of work pulling him away, but Claudine was no fool. She had a feeling
what he’d been up to in the annex.

‘I wonder if the three of them had their own confrontation yet,’ Claudine wondered idly to herself as she
stood in front of her window, ‘But if that was true, then why haven’t I seen Matthias surface yet? Kyle’s
already left.’

Claudine had always been much too curious for her own good. It was an unfortunate flaw in her she
tried to curb, but she must know what happened so far. Immediately she turned to grab her coat,
securing it around her before venturing out of her room.

In no time at all, she found herself walking through the forest alone, and giggled to herself at how
ridiculous she currently looked like. This was unlike her, but the things she must do to quench her thirst
for knowledge had her doing many things others would deem ridiculous.

And right now, her point of interest was Matthias and Leyla’s relationship progress. That and her Brandt
pride couldn’t just let their affair off the hook despite their less than desirable reasons.

The forest was different in the light of the moon. In the morning it seemed so full of life and bounty for
them, but in the night, there was a gloomy feel in the air. Claudine picked up her pace, nimbly stepping
around any roughness on the ground, while white puffs of air escaped her.

Soon, she had reached the riverside. She paused for a while, feeling relief fill her lungs. She looked up at
the annex and saw a lone light coming from it. It made her frown, wondering if perhaps Kyle had missed
seeing them, and had gone to Leyla’s instead.

‘He must have brought Leyla here, then.’ She hummed to herself. ‘Though I was so certain he’d gone to
Leyla instead.’

Deeming her curiosity satiated momentarily, she decided it was time for her to return, when suddenly
the light went out in the annex. Interest piqued, Claudine felt a rush of thrill shot through her as she
quickly hid behind one of the willow trees.

She waited for a while, wondering why the light went out, when soon enough, a lone figure emerged
from the annex’ entrance.
It was none other than her fiancé, Matthias von Herhardt.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

When Kyle had finally left, Leyla immediately got to cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, scrubbing blood
stains off her floor. She wasn’t really thinking about anything in particular, her mind kept rewinding the
horrific events just moments earlier as her hands moved robotically.

Once that was done, she soon found herself curled up on the bed, staring off into space. She left the
door unlocked, not wanting to have to rise up to greet the cruel man when he’d return.

And return he did after her silent torment. He’d knocked to let her know he was back, but she made no
sound in acknowledgement, the fight in her having long been extinguished along with Kyle’s trust in her.

Besides, if she left him locked out, it would only provoke him to do more terrible things towards her.

He gave another knock, but when even that was left unanswered, he turned the knob open, and let
himself in. The floorboards creaked beneath his weight as he took slow, gentle steps towards where her
room would be.

With click on the soles of his leather shoes growing closer, the higher the indignation in Leyla’s chest
rose.

A third knock came as soon as he came upon her door, and Leyla couldn’t help but chuckle mirthlessly to
herself.

‘Always so dignified.’ She mocked him in her mind. ‘Even when it comes to ruining a whole person’s life.’
she finished bitterly in thought.

And then the door creaked open, the chill filling the room before Matthias finally crossed into the space
of her solitude. Leyla spared him an icy glare, but Matthias remained indifferent, still dressed in the
clothes he wore before, with splatters of blood on the corners of his collar.

She hated thinking it had come from Kyle, but the blooming bruise by the corner of her lips gave her a
sadistic satisfaction.

Matthias stopped right in front of her fetal position, looking down at her with an amused expression on
his face.

“I trust you both reached a pleasant closure, then?” he inquired, the fists Leyla hugged close to her chest
tightened at remembering Kyle’s broken look when she denied him for the last time.

“You really are a monster.” Leyla hissed through her gritted teeth. Matthias blinked at her in surprise…

“What?”

“How could you do that to him?” She demanded from him, “How could you hurt Kyle like that!?”
Matthias scoffed at her.

“It was his own doing.” He reasoned out, “If he hadn’t come seeking you out so late in the night, then I
wouldn’t have had to hurt him.”
“You’re wrong!” Leyla exclaimed, shooting up from her bed as she rose to meet his eyes with a glare,
“You’re the reason why he had to seek me out! You’re the reason for this whole mess I’m in!”

Leyla’s eyes glinted in the moonlight as she tamped down the tears starting to form, refusing to let him
see her cry. A while ago it had been different. Her tears had been for Kyle, and she didn’t even think
about Matthias.

But even with her harsh words, Matthias kept looking at her in wonder, stepping closer and shamelessly
began to pet her on the head like he would an obedient dog. Leyla flinched when she felt his touch on
her.

“Say it again,” he whispered, drawing closer to her, before cupping her cheeks to pull her closer to him,
“Leyla, say it again for me.”

“What?” Leyla asked in confusion, “Say what again?”

“Say what you said to Kyle again,” Matthias ordered her softly, “Say you love me again.”

Leyla stood there in confusion for a moment, before all the anger and resentment in her faded, leaving
only a blank face for Matthias to see. She then sighed out in disbelief before turning her face away from
him, when he gripped her tightly to keep her eyes firmly on him.

“Don’t delude yourself Duke,” Leyla huffed out angrily as she met his gaze, “That had been a lie for Kyle’s
sake.”

“Then lie to me again,” Matthias grinned, “I want to hear it again.”

“What for?” Leyla scoffed, “There’s no reason for me to repeat such a horrible lie in your presence.”

“Is it really so terrible Leyla?”

“Yes it’s terrible!” Leyla shrieked angrily, roughly slapping his hand away from her in indignation. “Don’t
you see the gravity of the mess you caused tonight!? I had to hurt Kyle because of you!”

Matthias stood there in front of her, unresponsive, before something in his eyes turned dark. He lowered
his gaze, until the shadows hid them from Leyla’s view. She watched him with bated breath, ready for
whatever retaliation he had in store for her.

Suddenly, Matthias began to chuckle. It had been soft and slow at first, sending chills down her spine
before she watched him throw his head back and clutched his stomach in a full-blown laughter.

When he looked back at her, that manic glint was back in his eyes.

“Oh! What a wonderful relationship you both have to be able to endure such tragedy for me!” He wiped
the tears from the corner of his eyes before looking back at Leyla with a toothy grin, “Even I can’t help
but tear up at the thought!”

“You’re despicable!” Leyla exclaimed, before squealing in fear when Matthias pulled her harshly towards
him by the arm. But she bounced back quickly, having gotten used to his rough treatment of her. “Don’t
mock Kyle!” she scolded him…

And suddenly Matthias’ stare got colder.

‘Kyle,’ Matthias thought bitterly, ‘It’s always Kyle this… Kyle that… I’m so sick. Of. Kyle.’

Even the way she tried to throw herself in the middle of the fight to pull him off the man grated at his
nerves!

“So that lie was for Kyle’s sake?” he asked her calmly, but the menace in his tone was unmistakable.

“For Kyle’s sake, I’d do anything.” Leyla admitted freely in front of him. Matthias chuckled in a low tone,
pulling Leyla’s body to his.

“You gave up your body for old Mr. Remmer’s sake,” Matthias purred, dipping his head low to be at eye
level with her, “And you just gave up your heart for young Mr. Etman’s safety from me.”

He stopped right next to Leyla’s ear, his warmth breath sending shivers down her body in an
uncomfortable way.

“My, what a martyr you are becoming Leyla.”

“If a martyr is what I should become to keep Uncle Bill and Kyle safe from the likes of you, then I’ll gladly
be one!”

“I love him!” Leyla’s earlier declaration rang clearly in the back of her mind.

She wanted to take it back as soon as the words left her mouth, but she hadn’t. She’d done plenty of
horrible things for her uncle’s sake, but the lie had hit her harder than she thought. It was like she had
been forced to drive a stake into her own heart, and just kept twisting, making herself bleed more than
she should.

“What’s the matter? Are you wishing for a martyr for yourself?” Leyla asked him mockingly. She might as
well give him more of his own medicine back. After all, he’d been oh so generous with her!

“Have you eaten dinner yet?” Matthias hummed in wonder, quickly changing the subject, and therefore
confusing Leyla. “You should eat first, you’ll need your strength for our time together soon.”

“How could you remain so callous about these things!?” she screamed at him, unable to reconcile him
with such gentle and kind words of concern when she knew him to be anything but.

“I just watched myself destroy Kyle’s image of me! Do you get that in your rich and snobbish brain!?” she
asked him, “I lied about my feelings for you so that he wouldn’t end up dead! And you think I’d still have
the stomach to dine with you?!”

“Leyla Lewellin.” He called her out sharply, to get her to remain quiet, but Leyla was no longer listening
to him with one of her worst fears having just been realized.

Matthias was stronger than her, sure, but she had the element of surprise, and surprise he was when he
found himself being pushed abruptly onto Leyla’s bed. He was further astonished, and equally aroused
when she hiked her legs on both of his sides, effectively straddling him.

“Let’s just do it already.” Leyla sighed out tiredly, nimble fingers popping off the buttons of her blouse,
revealing more and more of her torso to Matthias’ greedy and lustful gaze.

“I love him!”
She wanted nothing more than to erase that moment in her mind, and losing herself in the sex between
them was looking more and more appealing by the second.

“Come on, aren’t you in a hurry to be inside me?” Leyla challenged, bracing her arms on either side of
his head after tossing her blouse onto the floor.

Chapter 95

When Matthias remained awestruck at Leyla’s sudden boldness, she proceeded to grasp him by the
collar, ignoring the traces of blood on it and deftly unbuttoned his coat, and vest following afterwards.

Again, she tossed them over her shoulder, the clothes creating a dull thud behind her. She kept eye
contact with him, noticing the way his breath hitched when she lightly grazed his collarbone with her
fingers, as she splayed her petite hands on his chest.

Matthias watched in a mesmerized way, feeling his pants get tighter with each passing second.

Leyla dutifully proceeded to take charge, wanting nothing more than to drown herself numb of tonight’s
events. She wanted to feel the hurt physically, and not just in her heart. She was practically throwing
herself at him, begging for him to take charge just this once because she wanted it tonight…

She wanted his roughness.

Finally, Matthias snapped out of his daze, and pulled Leyla to him, making her sprawl on top. Leyla
gasped when their bare chest made contact, Matthias’ warmth filling her up quickly, and she welcomed
the growing heat pooling in her.

She surrendered complete control over to him, and Matthias was all too eager to please.

He quickly flipped them over, Leyla now lied beneath him as his hands inched down her sides, grabbing
the hem of her skirt and began bunching it up to her waist, revealing her bare legs, underwear long
discarded before Kyle even arrived.

She was glistening underneath, and he could feel his mouth water.

Leyla sighed out erotically as he planted soft, yet heated kisses on her inner thigh, her slender fingers
grasping onto the tip of his head, lightly pulling at them, making him groan. Matthias held her lust-filled
eyes, before diving into her wetness, tasting every inch of her.

Leyla’s back arched, gasping quietly in complete ecstasy, legs widening to accommodate him more. His
fingers dug deeply into her thighs, her toes curling at the pleasure wracking her body until she felt
herself go taut as she reached a sweet release…

Yet she needed more.

Matthias rose from between her legs, lips wet because of her, to climb over her body. She heard the
telltale signs of him unbuckling his pants which soon joined the rest of their discarded clothes on the
floor, legs quivering in anticipation for the main event.
He rubbed the blunt tip of his member against her entrance, and Leyla bit her lips in impatience.
Matthias grinned at her.

“Let me hear you Leyla,” he enticed, flicking her sensitive nub, “I want to hear you scream because of me
tonight.”

And in one swift movement, he buried himself up to the hilt deep within her, making Leyla cry out at the
sudden intrusion. A hand fisted on the sheets of her bed as she pushed her chest up, lost in the
sensation, while the other firmly clamped on her mouth to silence herself.

But Matthias swiftly grabbed her arm, pinning it beside her face, and began to thrust in her. She writhed
against him, hips rolling in tandem with his thrusts, but eyes completely unseeing as she stared up at
him…

“Kyle… Kyle…” she gasped out, tears leaking out of her, which only served as a blow to Matthias’ pride.

“I love him!”

“Kyle…”

“I love him!”

“Kyle!” she cried out, and Matthias only picked up his pace, wanting to erase him from Leyla’s mind.

“I love him!”

There was a mix of resentment, anger and shame welling up in Matthias as she kept crying out for her
past fiance. Her words were insulting at best, but that horrible lie she told in the night still rang so loudly
in his mind, it drowned out the other man’s name.

He dipped his head, quickly devouring her lips into his own, as he shoved his tongue down her throat.
Leyla moaned against his lips, their tongues battling for dominance as the sounds of flesh sloppily
slapping against each other replaced their breathy moans.

Leyla’s eyes fluttered shut, mind completely overridden by the pleasure she submitted herself into,
moaning relentlessly with every ministration, spurring Matthias to hit her deeper as she clamped down
around him.

“Leyla,” he growled, when she still sighed out another man’s name, “When are you going to stop holding
onto him?”

Leyla’s breath shuttered, as her eyes kept shut, but the tension in her body made him aware she was
returning to her senses.

“Open your eyes and look at me Leyla.” He commanded. His fingers dug into her waist from where he
gripped her steady. Leyla cried out, stubbornly squeezing her eyes shut, but he only tightened his grip
more, until finally, she revealed those emerald jewels to him as she glared hatefully at him.

Seeing her finally look at him gave him a deep sense of satisfaction, hands moving away from her hips, to
thumb her on the sensitive nub of hers. Leyla’s eyes widened, head thrown back at the new simulation
down below.
Her legs quivered and writhed as he continued his thrusts, while simultaneously swirling his thumb on
her nub.

She was his woman. She wasn’t allowed to think of anyone else. If she had time to think about anyone
else while he’s inside her, then he’ll just have to give her more than she was used to.

“Fine, be like that then.” Matthias growled when Leyla resumed covering her face away from him.

Suddenly, his thrusts stopped. Leyla gave out a whine when he pulled out with a wet squelch, and felt his
hands grabbing her by the waist. She had a feeling what he wanted her to do now. It was one of his
favorites.

And then Leyla found herself on her stomach, her lower body knelt on the bed, her backside raised in
ample position for him to enter, while he pushed her shoulders down on the bed, her forearms bracing
herself to ease the discomfort.

He draped himself all over her back, lightly rutting his member between the crevice of her backside as he
planted more kisses on the nape of her neck, suckling the skin there to leave a mark…

Leyla’s hands gripped on the sheets in front of her, body shuddering when he left wet, sloppy kisses on
her spine.

The bed creaked, and the sounds of their coupling resumed as Matthias buried himself deeper than
before in their new position.

Leyla moaned, hips thrusting back to meet him once more, her body having a mind of its own as they
both chased their own pleasure.

Matthias could feel the way she was coating him with her juices. He grabbed her by the hair, lightly
pulling her towards him in a way that heightened the pleasure in Leyla as he buried two fingers along
inside her, rubbing her sensitive nub once more.

At that moment, thoughts of her telling she loved Kyle was gone, replaced only by her desire for her
relationship with Matthias to remain strictly physical.

Suddenly, Matthias stopped and pulled out with a groan, hand gripped tight on his member, before he
began pumping himself, his blunt head rubbing against Leyla’s crevice, fingers firmly buried to his
knuckles as he pitoned them in and out of her.

Leyla reached her climax in no time, coming with a keen sound escaping her lips. Moments later, she felt
hot spurts being sprayed all over her backside when Matthias had also reached his own release.

Matthias watched as he painted himself all over her with white, licking his lips in appreciation as her
sheets got soaked by their bodily fluids. He gently grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back flush
against his chest.

He licked the sweat off the side of her neck, sniffing in her scent before stopping right beside her ear.

“Hate me all you want Leyla,” he whispered in her ear, hand grasping her chin to make her look at him,
“But you can’t deny that you’re still mine.” And with that, he pulled her to a kiss, getting ready for
another round with his mistress…
With his Leyla.

Leyla……

My Leyla…..

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

It took Claudine some time to catch up with Matthias. She’d taken her sweet time, not wanting to get too
close to him in case he noticed her following.

As she expected, he led her straight towards the cabin she knew to be where Leyla lived with her uncle.
She pondered moments in front of the cabin, her figure still hidden amongst the trees until she pushed
forward, curiosity spurring her to move.

Still, the disappointment in her at how similar Matthias ended up being with other men who took
women on the side despite their marriage couldn’t be helped. And to think she used to think so highly of
him too!

She didn’t know why she was curious, but she noticed the door being left ajar, and strode in quietly in
confidence, assessing the shabbiness of the cabin around them. As expected, the house was mostly dark,
the lone lamp was the only source of light in the house she could see.

She waited for a few more moments, letting her eyes adjust in the darkness, when the growing sounds
from one of the bedrooms caught her attention. The more she stepped closer to the sounds, the more
she could make out the unmistakable sound of a woman’s soft moan, paired with the grunting of a man.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Matthias let out a satisfied sigh, plopping right next to Leyla’s limp form on her bed as they both heaved
their breaths after another satisfactory round. Silence reigned between them, with Matthias staring up
at the wall in contentment, and Leyla resolutely looking at the wall beside her, trying to make herself as
small as possible.

He looked over at Leyla’s sweaty back, locks of her hair plastered behind her, and casually ran his fingers
up her spine. She shuddered beneath his touch yet refused to look at him. Matthias couldn’t help but
smile despondently to himself.

He’d never felt such a rush of emotions before. It confused him greatly, driving himself mad as to why it
had to be Leyla, but it was. Only she could invoke such confusing emotions in him, and yet she kept
pulling away from him just when he thought they made great progress in their relationship.

The light in her room basked them both in a soft orange glow, and Matthias reached out for her once
more, urging her to turn back to him. He heard her sigh upon his touch, before she finally turned back to
him.

He cupped her cheeks immediately and began wiping the sweat off her face with gentle hands, seeing
the way her eyes were firmly shut, her breathing hitching with every caress.
Leyla wanted to push him away from her, but she was tired of fighting tonight. Her heart was still reeling
with pain in her heart, but mostly numbed by her body’s own pain from straining herself in their
intercourse. She can’t even open her eyes to look at him.

She was just so exhausted.

The longer the silence between them stayed, the more relaxed Matthias felt in her room. Once he was
certain she was half-asleep, he pulled her into her arms, tucking her head onto the crook of his neck, and
planting soft kisses on her forehead.

Leyla faintly thanked whichever deity was watching over that there would be no more rounds tonight,
for she was already spent.

Matthias kept planting kisses all over her face. On her cheeks, the tip of her nose, behind her closed
eyelids, and back on her forehead. He was so drunk in endorphins; he couldn’t find it in himself to stop
these soft affections he gave her.

Leyla’s brows frowned, flinching her face away every now and then, her cute button nose wrinkling when
he’d smoothen it out with another kiss again.

“Stop it.” she grumbled drowsily, with her eyes still closed.

“Say it again, Leyla…” He requested once more.

“Huh?” Leyla groggily asked, burying her face into his chest, muffling her voice.

“Say that you love me again.” He reiterated, “If you say that, I swear to give you everything you want.”

Leyla laughed mirthlessly at his false words. Despite how heavy her eyes felt, she mustered up the
strength to look him in the eyes.

And just like that, the pain in her body diminished, and the one in her heart blooming in an unstoppable
force once more.

Leyla brought a hand up to cover her eyes, rolling off of his chest as she lay on her back beside him, and
proceeded to laugh at what a mess her life had gotten to be! She kept chuckling in that sad manner, until
tears began leaking out her eyes…

“Shh, don’t cry, Leyla,” Matthias cooed, softly pulling her arm away from her eyes to dab then gently
with a cloth. He proceeded to plant more kisses on her eyelids, to which she finally looked him in the
eye, the laughter finally dying down…

“This is so weird.” She couldn’t help but point out as she stared into his eyes. They almost looked…

‘Regretful…’ Leyla thought before shaking it away. He wasn’t one who knew the meaning of that word.
For that word to even have meaning, one had to possess a warm heart, but Matthias’ heart was stone
cold.

“What’s so weird?” Matthias asked softly.

“You.” She sighed out, staring up at the ceiling blankly, “You’ve gotten weird lately.”
“Why?”

“Because you keep acting like this.”

“Like how?”

“Like you’re so concerned about me.” Leyla sighed out, looking back at him, “Didn’t you say you liked
seeing me cry?”

Matthias hummed, eyes still focused on her tears, but feeling no satisfaction at the sight of it. He then
looked back at Leyla in the eye, propping himself up with one hand to wipe her tears away better.

“Just don’t cry Leyla,” he murmured, giving her an encouraging smile, “Smile for me instead.”

Leyla raised a brow at him.

“Do you want me to smile for you now?”

“Perhaps.”

A few beats of silence, before Leyla’s face turned blank, still crying as she met his gaze.

“Then I guess you would never see me smile again.” She softly declared, face scrunching up as she finally
sobbed her heart out in front of him. Matthias watched her in shocked silence, before he laughed to
himself at her stubbornness…

Strangely, his heart began to feel hollow.

Leyla cried for the innocence she lost. She cried for her freedom being taken away. She cried for being
involved with such a cruel man. She cried for having to hurt the people she loved in the world.

He was like a barbed wire, wrapped around her. The longer she struggled against him, the more she was
only harming herself.

She was so, so tired of it all, and couldn’t help but sink into his warmth because it was all she could have.
But most of all, she was crying because the cruel man she got involved with, was the first one to give her
such warmth before…

‘I’m so disgusting!’ Leyla screamed in her mind as she huddled closer to him, seeking out the comfort
only he could give her, ‘How can you make me feel like this!?’ She wanted to ask him, but bit her lips to
stop the question from spilling out.

“One day, I will see you cry,” Leyla told him, the crying finally coming to a stop once she calmed down,
“One day, I will give you a taste of your own medicine.”

She promised him. Matthias only chuckled at her.

“I’ll look forward to it.” He whispered, before kissing her on the lips.

Matthias used to think he was the one holding all the cards in their relationship. But maybe that wasn’t
always true. Maybe, the cards had always been with Leyla, she just didn’t realize it.
Soon Leyla’s vision turned dark, the dreamscapes finally claiming her from her current reality. The next
time she opened her eyes, dawn was breaking out of the sky.

She thought she was going to be alone, yet to her surprise, Matthias was still beside her, sitting up on her
bed, leaning against her headboard, and looking down at her with a contemplative look in his eyes.

Regaining her strength from her night’s rest, she shot him a glare.

“Why are you still here?” She asked him, “Shouldn’t you leave by now?”

Matthias nodded at her, giving her no verbal answer before he just stood up, having long been dressed.
He was only waiting for her to wake up.

Leyla watched him through lidded eyes, settling snuggly back into her bed. She watched as Matthias
grabbed his discarded coat, putting it on, and turned back to look at her. Feeling conscious, she sat up
and pulled the blanket around her, all the way up to her shoulders.

She waited for him to say something, not knowing Matthias was expecting the same from her too. The
sun gently rose as they stayed in their positions, doing nothing but watch the other.

Sunlight crept into the windows, slowly revealing the vibrant colors of the world around them, signaling
the both of them that it was time to say goodbye. She watched the vibrant blue in his eyes, reflecting the
awakening blue skies outside.

Yet during the night, they reflected back dark pools like the night sky, echoing the deep sadness and hurt
inside her.

Matthias walked towards her, dipping down to plant a kiss on her cheeks, before straightening up once
more. He swiftly turned on his heels and walked out in no particular hurry.

Leyla listened to his fading footsteps, until only silence remained with her.

Just her, and her tumultuous thoughts.

She clutched her nearby pillow to her chest, pulling it flush against her torso, before she plopped limply
back onto the bed, curling into a fetal position. She burrowed into the pillow, trying to suffocate the
sadness out of her to no avail, sending her off to another round of a listless sleep.

On and on it went during the rest of her morning.

Her eyes would flutter open to see morning light, before shutting back into darkness.

Open… close… open… close…open… close… open…

She awoke for the final time that morning, breathing out a resigned sigh before sitting up. She stretched
her arms overhead, feeling her bones crack as she loosened up the kinks in her muscles from last night’s
strenuous activity.

Sluggishly, she went to a bath, sinking into the warm water as she scrubbed away the traces he left on
her body until the water remained clear. Once the water was drained, she remained in the tub, burying
her face into her knees, hugging them close to her chest.
She breathed in the steam wafting all over her, wrapping her in fading warmth. Once the heat had all but
disappeared, she finally moved out of her daze, intent to finally get dressed when a firm knocking
echoed into her almost empty house, followed by a familiar voice, bellowing out her name.

It made Leyla freeze in place.

“Miss Lewellin!”

It was Mary, Claudine’s maid.

Chapter 96

Claudine found herself strolling along the rose garden. Their thin vines arched overhead on the pergola
they walked under through, allowing the morning sun to seep through the gaps, but enough to make
them remain in the shaded area.

She stopped for a moment, glancing around with a pleasant smile on the garden, before she finally
turned to her companion.

“Ah, don’t you think the weather today is nice? Seems like spring really is arriving any day now! Don’t
you think so too, Leyla?” She inquired, trying to engage the other woman in light conversation.

Leyla stood away from her, a few paces behind, and her head bowed pitifully as a stiff smile was held on
her lips. She remained silent. Claudine tilted her head, raising a brow over to the girl.

“Leyla?” She prompted once more, and Leyla finally let out a grimace of a smile.

She was very pale as she stood in front of the Duke’s fiancé, and her damp hair was tied haphazardly
behind her, as she was prompted to come quickly in front of Lady Brandt. She barely had time to pick out
some proper clothes.

She couldn’t help shivering at the droplets that drizzled down her hair and landed on her back.

“I- I agree as well, my Lady.” She answered softly. Claudine shot her a satisfied smile, before turning her
attention back to the rose garden.

Leyla was acting just as she expected. Then again, Claudine also firmly believed if the Duke were to ever
have just one mistress, it would always, and remained to be, one Leyla Lewellin.

Mistresses in the aristocratic class were not unheard of. In fact, having one was hardly special. But while
the Lords would parade their mistresses like trophies on their arm, a mistress was a direct blow to a
Lady’s worth.

She’s seen and heard of the many Lords who fell for the less desirable sorts. People like their own maids,
or prostitutes. They all ended up being humiliated in front of society, especially when their husbands
proceeded to make a fool of themselves for everyone to bore witness to.
That’s why, as far as wives and fiancés were concerned, having a mistress of high stature in society was
far better.

So perhaps Leyla wasn’t too much of a bad choice. She knew many wives who wished their husband’s
mistresses knew their place to not act above a wife, and someone who wasn’t crude or vulgar. Leyla fit
that criteria.

Additionally, she was considered to be intelligent among her peers, and beautiful. Despite her lower
stature, she’s garnered a reputable life. People would think her, Claudine, a fool to ever complain about
her fiancé having such a mistress.

But as she thought earlier, all those qualities would be attributed as a praise for the Duke . Rumors about
the Duke’s affair couldn’t be stopped, Claudine knew. And society will praise him for having found such a
one-of-a-kind mistress! And where would that leave Claudine?

She’d be shamed twice. One for being an insufficient wife, and two, for the Duke’s mistress to be of
lesser stature than her.

Claudine approached a nearby bench, flapping her handkerchief over a spot with a flick of her wrists
before sitting down. The rose garden was in a transition between winter to spring season. She could spot
the light dew glinting with sunlight and the lessened thickness of the snow around the ground.

A gentle breeze went past them, brushing lightly up against her rosy cheeks, billowing some locks of her
hair and ribbons on her hat, behind her gently.

Events of last night came back to her, remembering the way she stood right outside the door as she
listened to their love making. It was unmistakably Matthias. She would recognize his voice everywhere,
but the words did not hear his profile.

Those gentle words, they did not seem as though they belonged to be said by such a foul man. If she
were an idiot, she would have burst through the doors just to really see it for herself that he was the one
saying them, and not someone else who just sounded like him!

But alas…

‘Should I have done that instead?’ Claudine mused to herself. It would probably have quieted the
incessant disbelief she had in the back of her mind ever since she listened to them.

Ever since she returned to the mansion last night, Claudine had kept pacing in front of the window,
which brought her a massive view of the forest path. She would have no trouble tracking Matthias’
return at that spot in the mansion.

So troubled, she hardly felt the need to sleep. And she was rewarded soon when Matthias returned at
the crack of dawn.

She watched as he went up the stairs looking a little worse for wear, before he abruptly stopped in his
steps, and looked back from where he’d come from. Almost like he was expecting for something to
follow.

He stood there longer than just a moment, before finally continuing on his path, a sullen look on his face.
Claudine had reached her decision by then.
She must act now. She didn’t have any more luxury to wait.

Matthias was becoming less and less of the Matthias she grew up around in her youth. He was getting
harder to predict, and the same could be said about Leyla. Last night’s events bore witness to that.

She never expected Leyla to be writhing wantonly in the arms of her tormentor as though Kyle hadn’t
just witnessed them moments before. She was getting bolder, and Claudine didn’t like that.

She finally spared her companion another glance. Leyla flinched when Claudine’s eyes went back to her.

“Why do you appear so nervous?” Claudine asked, taking off her gloves and holding them daintily in one
hand, “People might begin to think I’m bothering you, if you act like that Leyla.” She smiled at her
prettily, “Aren’t we just taking a walk together as friends?”

Leyla flinched as Claudine practically called her out.

“O-of course we are, m-my Lady.” She stuttered, resolutely standing away from her, turning pale in
complexion.

“Ah well, that eases my troubles then.” Claudine hummed, shrugging her shoulders before adjusting her
hat with ungloved hands.

Leyla couldn’t help but recall earlier events with Lady Brandt’s maid.

Mary had been insistent they needed to leave right away, barely giving Leyla enough time to get dressed
and dry herself into a presentable manner. Even before Leyla had come to open the door, she kept calling
and yelling for her name…

A repeated demand for her to hurry up and answer the door.

As soon as Leyla swung the door open, she was met with a cold and calculating gaze from Mary.

“I have been given a request to invite you over for a morning stroll Miss Lewellin.” She immediately said.
But despite her polite words, her tone implied Leyla had no room to refuse her mistress’ orders.

And that there was no further time for delay.

Hence Leyla’s less than presentable state of dress. Even her hair was a mess! As soon as they arrived,
Leyla felt fear grip her heart at the sight of Matthias’ fiancé waiting for her by the garden trail, smiling so
amicably as though she was another one of her friends.

The two women remained in the garden in pregnant silence. The tension between them remained so
thick, you could have cut it with a knife, even as Claudine sat down on the bench, and Leyla remained
standing a few paces away beside her.

CLANG!

The sound of a bracelet hitting the stone floor broke the silence around them, as both looked down and
saw the way the bracelet rolled on the floor, before wobbling to a stop. It was Claudine’s platinum
bracelet, glinting on the stone floor as the sun’s rays hit it beautifully.
Claudine frowned as she felt her wrist grow light before hearing it fall. It seemed as though the clasp had
gotten loose and broken through the many times, she wore it.

“Oh my, can you help me Leyla?” She called out softly, and Leyla blinked, unmoving.

“Y-yes, my Lady?”

Leyla felt a little frustrated over this whole thing. Why was it that she had to be here? But when she met
his fiancé’s eyes, she immediately understood what Claudine was asking of her as soon as she shot her
that toothy smile.

With an inaudible sigh, Leyla leant down to grab the fallen bracelet. Just as she was about to straighten
out, Claudine’s foot moved, and stepped on the bracelet.

“Ah, m-my Lady-” Leyla’s breath hitched as she landed on her knees and looked up at Claudine, before
her eyes widened in surprise and the intense look Claudine was giving her.

“On second thought, I think you should have it.” Claudine hummed; Leyla gulped up at her. “Oh, why do
you look at me in such a way?” She wondered, before her foot moved up, and stepped right over Leyla’s
fingers.

She didn’t make any sound, but her eyes started glinting and shimmering as Claudine pressed harder on
her.

“Aren’t you happy I’m giving you something that’s rightfully mine?” she asked, tilting her head at the
speechless girl, “After all, you have a knack for wanting what’s mine, don’t you?” She hummed
thoughtfully, assessing her own pristine fingers before looking back down on Leyla.

Leyla refused to make any sound, though Claudine saw them twitch the more she applied pressure over
Leyla’s fingers. Her tone was patient with Leyla, as though she was speaking to a naughty child.

Claudine felt a tinge of pity at how pathetic Leyla looked. Almost like she’s got a noose over her neck,
waiting to snap it apart.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Leyla. It’s true isn’t it?” Claudine continued.

She bent down, and grasped Leyla’s face gently, caressing it softly with the tip of her sharpened
fingernails. Leyla’s breath hitched once more.

“After all, don’t you seem so fond of my fiancé?”

Leyla’s eyes widened in fear at Lady Brandt’s words.

“So why should my jewels be any different? Let’s stop kidding ourselves Leyla, it’s so unbecoming.”
Claudine sighed in slight disappointment as she whispered against the poor woman’s ears.

Somewhere by the edge of the garden, stood Claudine’s aide, Mary. She had been tasked by her mistress
moments before she left to fetch the Leyla girl to be on a lookout for the Duke.

She was to warn her mistress if he arrived unexpectedly.

In her vantage point, she could see what was happening by the balcony. She knew before that her
orders, though simple, were of vital importance. But what could her mistress be discussing with a lowly
orphan?

She tried to take a peek out of curiosity at what was going on, but the pergola blocked most of the view
of the women from where she stood. Which was a disappointing moment, because she really wanted to
see how her mistress was putting that cheeky girl in her place.

Mary remembered the first moment she saw Leyla, and immediately felt unnerved about her presence.
She’d known the girl since childhood, yet something about her was off, especially when she remained so
stiff and ungrateful even as she was being paid to do honest hard work.

She took an assessing gaze around the mansion, jaw clenching as she performed her duties.

The Duke had mentioned he had a gathering to attend to, and thus couldn’t come home until evening at
the earliest moment. It was far from evening, but the Duke was well-known to be prone to finishing
things earlier than he said he would. He could even return a day earlier.

She needed to remain vigilant, even against the sun’s glaring rays.

Leyla remained frozen in place, her heart thundering in her chest as she grew numb to the way Claudine
was putting more pressure over her fingers.

Everything around her was muffled, as though she was seeing and hearing things under water. It almost
felt like a dream…

But if it was, then this was just a cruel nightmare.

“You poor thing,” Claudine cooed at her, “Look at how much you’re trembling right now.”

She continued to caress Leyla’s cheeks gently.

“Oh, but fret not Leyla, I could hardly do anything to my fiancé’s precious mistress.” She sighed out, “He
adores you too much for me to be able to do anything.”

Her hands stopped caressing Leyla, before it moved to cup her chin gently, lifting it up enticingly to make
Leyla look up at her. Claudine looked so innocent and kind, but her eyes held a visceral anger towards
Leyla.

“Contrary to how I usually treat you Leyla, I don’t hate you that much.” Claudine admitted, “In fact, I find
that I am rather sympathetic to your plight, after all how could this have been your fault to begin with?”

Finally she removed her feet off Leyla’s fingers. The poor girl let out a shaky breath as she looked up at
the woman in confusion with a hint of fear.

“M-my Lady?” Leyla’s eyes began to glimmer as tears pooled on the corners.

“Shh,” Claudine hushed softly, “Are you going to cry in front of me?” She then let out a knowing smile,
“I’m sorry to say Leyla, but they don’t work on me as well as they do with my fiance.”

And then the smile slipped away from her face, and the look in her eyes darkened as she continued to
look down on Leyla.
Leyla felt as though her heart was being seized, her chest tightening as she tried to breath properly, yet
the chill in her bones kept her frozen!

She couldn’t help but let out a gasp, praying for the deities above to spare her!

“I’ll tell you a story of a maid just like that, Leyla.” Claudine told her, releasing her chin, before she began
petting Leyla on the head like one would with a well-behaved dog.

She began her tale about a daughter, she came from a high ranked family. She was getting married, but
before that, she made a request from her maid. She asked if she would sleep with her soon-to-be
husband, just to give her an assessment on what kind of a man he would be.

After all, no noble lady such as her must engage in premarital acts. It was frowned upon. And she trusted
her maid, she’d been proven to be very loyal to her lady, and accepted the task readily.

“Our situation is very similar to that one, don’t you think so, Leyla?” Claudine asked the unresponsive
girl, “Truthfully, affairs are no problem to me. I’ve learned to navigate around them. So I’m thankful for
you.”

She watched as the faint hope in Leyla’s eyes began to dim the more she spoke.

It was like she was already being sentenced to hang, and suddenly, the wooden floor beneath her feet
was pulled right under her and the noose tightened up around her neck with a painful snap!

Claudine had a feeling this could be the final blow for Leyla, and soon she wouldn’t have to endure the
incessant cries of noisy birds in the background. She might have gotten down and dirty against her
fiancé’s mistress, but who could fault her for trying to create a perfect marriage?

“Are you surprised?” Claudine piped up once more, “To be honest, I was really surprised. All this time I
thought my fiancé would always be such a cold and calculating man. He probably wouldn’t even break a
sweat when our wedding night arrives.”

She gasped, and then tilted her head towards Leyla.

“Is he good in bed? I’ve been dying to know. Perhaps it’ll be the only thing I can look forward to in a
wedding with him.”

Leyla remained trembling in place. With Claudine no longer holding her chin up, she could only remain
resolutely staring at the ground beneath her, wishing for the ground to swallow her up now and never
return her to this place.

“Come now, don’t be shy. After all, the maid in the story was very thorough in describing them to her
lady.” Claudine teased, “Also, I heard you moaning so wantonly last night, so he must be good at it!”

Suddenly, the gentle caresses stopped as Claudine gripped a handful of Leyla’s damp locks in her hand,
and pulled her up, smiling when Leyla gasped at the sudden harsh treatment she got. Claudine drew
closer to Leyla, their breath intermingling with each other.

“Tell me Leyla, tell me how much you loved it.” she softly demanded.
Leyla’s eyes could only glisten blankly as she stared into Lady Brandt’s icy glares. The glassy look in Leyla’s
eyes was grating at Claudine’s nerves, but she also found some satisfaction in them, and let it be.

“Come now Leyla, your Lady is asking you how much you love basking in the arms of the man who keeps
ruining your life?!”

Chapter 97

“-the man who keeps ruining your life!”

Claudine’s words kept ringing in Leyla’s mind as she continued to listen to a daze at Claudine’s words.
Everything was so muddled, she wasn’t paying attention, only so focused on the fact she was found out.

But why did she say it like that? Leyla knew how much the Duke ruined her life by making her enter an
affair, but why did Lady Brandt make it sound as though it started long before that?

It was like she saw something in her eyes, which prompted Claudine to let her go abruptly and laugh
pitifully at her.

“Goodness, you haven’t realized it yet, did you, you poor girl?” Claudine shook her head in disbelief as
she laughed. “Oh, you truly are so pitiful.” She sighed, drawing closer to look Leyla firmly in the eyes.

“He helped ruin your engagement with Kyle. Did you know that?”

‘What?’ Leyla blinked, as something in her sparked at the new information.

“Tsk, you’re still the same after all,” Claudine clicked her tongue in disappointment, “You’re still so
clueless about the things around you Leyla.”

And so Claudine began to tell her.

She told Leyla about what the Duke did last summer to break the two of them apart, just so he could
finally have Leyla all to himself.

Leyla listened in rapt attention; eyes frozen as she stared into space at the memories coming back to her
all at once as to why she broke things off with Kyle.

She told her about bearing witness to him, unmistakably, meeting with the man who was revealed to be
Mrs. Etman’s cousin, who had stolen Leyla’s college funds. She also overheard him lying to the policemen
that very morning about not seeing anyone.

He then proceeded to have someone run an investigation into Daniel Rayner’s bank finances, something
she recently discovered due to her using her father’s name. He must have already assumed Daniel
Rayner would be Mrs. Etman’s accomplice, and yet let Mrs. Etman took the fall for it.

“Can you see it now Leyla, how all the puzzle pieces fit together?”

Leyla looked gob smacked and downright idiotic at this very moment. How could she have failed to see
the signs?
And so Claudine continued, telling her of her lack of knowledge what had transpired after that. But if the
Duke let Mrs. Etman took the fall, then nothing could be traced back to him. No one would even suspect
he’d been involved.

Claudine was very pleased she held her tongue back then. It wouldn’t matter as much as it would now.
Not for her at least. As for Leyla, well…

“If you doubt my words, then go ahead and ask him yourself.” Claudine hummed, “It’s merely just
speculation on my part after all, interpreting the data as I see fit. But you seem to trust him explicitly.”
She grinned towards the poor woman, “You can rest assured, he won’t lie to you.”

She made it sound like friendly advice, when it was made with intentions that were anything but. Leyla
was still stuck in the memories of last summer, even as she listened to Claudine’s words more clearly
than she ever did before.

She remembered the way the Duke remained in silence as her plans to marry Kyle were being discussed
around them, almost as though he was disinterested. He only came back as soon as the conversation
was finally over.

By then, autumn had just begun.

‘This was all planned?’ Leyla thought in disbelief, the gravity of his hold and influence over her life now
looming ominously overhead, ‘Impossible… no man could ever be so cruel!’

She refused to believe it!

“Well, it is difficult to believe, so I don’t blame you for it.” Claudine sighed, “After all, thinking all of that
was true would only make you more miserable, I suppose.”

She continued to regard Leyla, before finally sighing. Her job here was almost done.

“Believe it or not, it’s your choice.” Claudine told her, “It won’t change the truth anyway.”

She stood up from the bench, putting on her gloves back, before she walked over in front of Leyla, who
was now collapsed on the floor at the new information she had just imparted on the unknowing girl.

“Although I guess it was a good thing you didn’t know anything about that. I almost thought I
misunderstood you for a moment.” She told her, “I almost thought you’re another selfish girl, who just
wanted the benefits of becoming the Duke’s mistress, but alas, you proved me wrong once more.”

Claudine began to walk away, before pausing to look back at Leyla’s shivering posture.

“Although knowing you’ve been so clueless does bring me a new wave of sympathy over your situation.”
She leaned down, and patted Leyla’s shoulder comfortingly, ignoring the way she jumped up at the
touch.

“I am truly sorry for you. Perhaps, if I’ve been more careful, you would have become the next Mrs.
Etman by now, instead of being stuck to warm the Duke’s bed.”

Leyla remained quiet, her thoughts still swirling in the back of her mind.
“Oh well, it’s too late to change things by now. And look on the bright side! Claudine beamed at her, “It
does seem he’s taken quite a liking to you, so it can’t be so difficult to get him to dote on you, will it?”

She forced Leyla to look at her once more, gently holding up her chin to turn towards her direction.

“I plan to be friends with you Leyla, after all, we both will be stuck with the Duke, so I must get along
with you to some degree as someone he holds very dear.” She hummed. “So don’t feel so guilty about
it.”

Claudine then frowned in thought before she turned to look at Leyla.

“Ah, but it will be ridiculous for us to remain in the same estate as soon as we get married, so perhaps
looking for other living arrangements outside of Arvis will be best for you.” She informed Leyla.

“Then again, it’s the Duke we’re talking about, so of course he knows just where to place you! So really,
you have nothing to worry about.” Claudine finished with a smile.

Finally, she rose back to her feet, patting Leyla gently a few times, while Leyla hunched in on herself
further.

“Chin up Leyla,” Claudine piped up once more, “You must now hold yourself up proudly as the Duke’s
mistress at this point. There’s no more use for you to degrade yourself further in pity.”

Leyla remained silent, even as Claudine grabbed her hands gently, pulling her up away from her huddled
position. As soon as she stood up, Leyla hugged herself, wanting nothing more than to curl up.

“Come on, Leyla, you can do better.” Claudine told her, “Well, I have to say goodbye now, but before I
leave, I do want to establish a clear order between us.”

Finally Leyla looked at her with red-rimmed eyes.

Claudine might be being harsh on Leyla right now, but she needed to also hold herself up in high dignity
as the Duke’s future wife. Leyla only shook her head, as though she was in great pain. She looked as
though she didn’t know what she was doing anymore.

Claudine’s eyes narrowed at her.

“Let’s start again Leyla.” She scolded the girl, “You must remain polite.” She cautioned her.

Such cowardice she was showing her. It sickened Claudine even though her tears refused to fall.

Leyla only bowed her head further down in front of her. As soon as she did so, one fat drop of her tears
hit the top of her shoes. Soon, more fell down, as finally Leyla cried freely in front of her, as she
remained in a bow.

Claudine sighed and backed away from Leyla, finding a little more tolerance in her for the other woman’s
tears.

“Well, at least you’re a good girl.” She mused. Leyla’s mannerisms were still lacking, and considered to be
far from polite, but Claudine will have to take what she could for now.
Upon her words, Leyla once more collapsed back onto the group in a heap full of uncontrollable sobs.
She looked even more undesirable, looking like nothing more than a broken doll.

Deeming it time for them to go, Claudine swiftly left her alone, her dress sweeping behind her as it
fluttered with the wind as she walked out of the rose-covered pergola. Finally, it felt like she could finally
get rid of that nasty feeling as though she was being used like a common earthenware.

After all, this was a life rightfully hers, something she worked hard to get. For things like that, Claudine
could be downright terrifying, such was the life she was taught and learned to live in.

When she reached the end of the pergola, Claudine spared Leyla one last look behind her. She was still in
her pathetic state, crying soundlessly to herself as she lay broken on the stone cold floor.

Claudine scoffed before she faced forward once more, with a lighter look on her face. She calmly stepped
down the marble staircase, where Mary greeted her enthusiastically as soon as she reached the last step
in the middle of the rose garden.

“I think we should pack up my things by now, Mary.” Claudine calmly announced, making her aide blink
back in surprise.

“Your things?” She asked in confusion, “Does this mean you are returning to Brandt Estate, my Lady?”

“Yes,” Claudine smiled at her amicably, “Yes, I think it’s time to return now.”

“But, my Lady, shouldn’t you wait for the Duke’s return before leaving him so suddenly?”

“Mary.” Claudine called out her name firmly, and she quickly stilled as her mistress looked at her with a
smile, but a stern look in her eyes.

Immediately, Mary bowed in agreement, before Claudine wordlessly walked away with absolute grace,
and a lightness in her gait.

Claudine was absolutely confident that before summer even begins, everything would be set in place
once more. Perhaps even before spring truly arrives, all her puzzle pieces would be back in their
respective places.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The day of Bill Remmer’s return, was also the day Kyle Etman left Arvis once more.

Just as he arrived, rumors about his departure quickly spread throughout the estate. And where rumors
about Kyle were mentioned, Leyla’s name soon followed. Each of Arvis’ occupants gossiped with one
another in hushed tones, wondering why he would leave so suddenly.

“I don’t get it, how could he just come and go so quickly?”

“I bet it’s because Leyla won’t take him back.”

“I feel so sorry for him.”

“Or maybe he just came to visit his parents? He hasn’t come for a while, has he?”

“Impossible, I heard him and his mother were still at odds, even today.”
“Truly? Mrs. Etman must still be angry about his almost marriage to Leyla then.”

The endless chatter between the house maids only ended when the bell chimed across the mansion. It
was a sound they all knew to be coming from the third floor.

It was a summon from Duke Herhardt. It seemed he had some guests with him waiting to be served.

Immediately, the house maids scattered, each back to their tasks, while the maid with the longest
experience in serving the household wasted no time in preparing them some tray before she hurried up
the stairs to attend to their master’s wishes.

Although he wasn’t difficult to please, something about the Duke greatly intimidated them, which
caused every servant under their employ to hasten every task they were given if he gave the order. Even
serving the Duchess was easier to serve, despite her incessant need to complain and nitpick about every
single thing they do.

Once she arrived outside the Duke’s office, she balanced the tray in one hand, before knocking politely
against the mahogany doors.

“Come in.”

She heard faintly, and quietly opened the door, carrying the tray with both hands as soon as it was open
and went in.

Upon entering, her eyes widened momentarily at the sight of her master’s guest.

There, sitting across their esteemed Duke from his desk, was the man who was single-handedly
responsible for destroying Arvis’ heaven— as the people used to call it-– the greenhouse.

Mr. Bill Remmer.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Leyla found herself stopping by a portion of the greenhouse’s walls, observing as the repairs were in full
swing as they hurried to restore it back to its former glory.

She also watched as a few more precious plant specimens were being airlifted overhead, before being
relocated to where they were supposed to be planted. Bill Remmer’s return signaled more tasks to
come, especially with the new varieties of plants he’d gathered with the others.

Leyla tried to keep herself calm as she watched all this progress, clasping her hands in front of her as she
fidgeted with her fingers, trying to clear her mind.

She hadn’t had the chance to spend much time with her uncle yet, what with the Duke calling for him as
soon as he arrived. He didn’t even allow her uncle a time to change and rest with Leyla back in their own
cabin.

He assured Leyla he’ll be back shortly, telling her it would be rude to refuse their gracious Duke, and
followed the attendant without any complaints. Watching him walk away from her, and towards the
Duke was a terrifying thing for her.
It was like his mere presence in Arvis was suffocating even though she couldn’t see the Duke nearby.

“Oh Leyla!” one of the garden workers looked up to see her with a teasing smile on their faces, “I
thought you’re all grown up now! Yet still you look so much like that little girl struggling to catch up with
Mr. Remmer.”

Leyla flushed at the observation, before laughing awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, I guess I just missed him so much!”

The others laughed as they began talking over each other, each with their own stories to tell while they’d
been away from Arvis. It was nice catching up with them, but soon they had their own tasks to return,
and once more Leyla found herself alone.

And the easy smile she had, slipped from her lips without a moment’s thought.

Was the Duke going back on his word? Would he tell Uncle Bill after all, about what Leyla had been doing
behind his back?

Her eyes looked over towards the mansion with a steely gaze. She was nothing more than skin and
bones now, filled with an endless combination of shame, sorrow, confusion and painful anger deep
inside her heart.

And that anger was embedded deep into her heart, festering the longer she refused to look away from
the mansion that Duke Herhardt owned and was holding her uncle over her head.

Chapter 98

“Have a drink, Mr. Remmer.” Matthias offered, gesturing to him the tea. He noticed that Bill seemed a
little bit tense, but the old gardener only stiffly agreed, immediately going to grab the cup of tea. Which
left Matthias feeling a little bit confused.

Matthias watched as Bill took careful sips of his tea as he did the same with his own cup. Once he
deemed he let the gardener relax enough, he spoke up once more.

“Firstly, I would like to thank you for working hard for us for a long time.”

“Ah, it was my pleasure, Duke.” Bill stammered, trying to calm himself down in front of the man who
spared him. “I’m really grateful that you even allowed me to stay in Arvis, and to correct the great wrong
I’ve done. Ah but I’m not saying this to appease you!” He flushed, “Truly, I am so grateful for you, my
Duke.”

Bill bowed his head in reverence at Matthias. He would forever be grateful for the act of mercy the Duke
bestowed upon him. He would have rotted in jail because of his negligence, and yet this man prevented
that, and allowed him to fix his mistake!

How could he ever repay the Duke?

“Well then, what do you say about continuing to work for us even after your work in Arvis’ greenhouse?
Say, in the Herhardt mansion, located in the capital city?” Matthias offered, cutting straight to the point.

He thought about it long and hard, and knew this was the only way Leyla would ever move to the
capital’s mansion he owned.

Bill Remmer was a permanent fixture in her life, she wouldn’t dare leave him alone. As such, if he were
to convince Mr. Remmer to move to Ratz, then Leyla would soon follow, just to remain by her uncle’s
side.

Bill looked at his young master in a mix of perplexion and confusion.

“My Duke, is… is this because of the accident?” he asked rather meekly. “It isn’t as though I’m ungrateful
for the continued opportunity to work for you, but I had thought after my job with the greenhouse was
finished, you would let me go?”

“You’re right,” Matthias hummed, putting his teacup down on his desk, before clasping his hands in front
of him as he stared at Bill, “But it isn’t just because of the incident that I am thinking of transferring you.”

Bill looked even more nervous now.

“I recognize that the garden in Arvis is too large. I anticipate it will be harder and harder for you to
maintain it as the years go by.”

“Oh it’s not-”

“Additionally,” Matthias interrupted, eyeing Bill a little bit in disapproval for interrupting him when he
wasn’t even finished. “The gardens in the mansion in Ratz are of a smaller scale. Much easier to
maintain, plus I want it to be on par with the gardens here, in Arvis.” Matthias finally finished.

Bill wanted to deny that work in Arvis was fine as it is despite him advancing in age, but he can’t deny
the words of his master, because the Duke was not wrong. It was growing more difficult for him to keep
maintaining the vast gardens in Arvis estate, even if he is still in his middle-ages.

“Truly, I thank you for this opportunity, but I don’t know where to put myself, Duke.” Bill admitted
regretfully, “I’m afraid I’m at a loss at how I can earn your confidence in me.”

“Then you need only continue working for Arvis.” Matthias replied plainly.

Bill Remmer eyed him nervously, his eyes dropping down to look at his reflection in the tea, and saw how
weary his eyes looked back at him.

“Duke Herhardt, I knew since you gave me a second chance, I could never remain to work in Arvis after
that. In fact, I already planned to leave Arvis with Leyla as soon as my work is done with the greenhouse.
It’s only fair I leave, especially after you’ve given me mercy.”

Something in Matthias’ eyes darkened as he looked at the old gardener.

“Mr. Remmer, I didn’t free you from your sins out of mercy.”

His tone was calm, yet cold. Bill gulped his tea nervously, before putting the cup down in front of him to
look at his young master’s face properly.
“As I was saying, you worked for my family for many years, and your expertise and skills are
outmatched.” Matthias explained once more, “And that’s why, I want you in Ratz, to make use of your
skills there as well. So there’s no need for you to feel indebted to me.” He finished explaining, yet there
was still some doubt in Bill Remmer’s eyes.

“I-I see, my Duke,” Bill wetted his lips nervously, as he rubbed his clammy palms on his pants. “B-but how
could I move so far away and leave my Leyla behind?”

Matthias raised his cup over his lips, allowing himself to smirk victoriously before answering him.

“Then take her with you.” He pointed out, and Bill blinked in surprise.

“Take Leyla with me?”

“Why not?” Matthias hummed, and took a sip of tea, before putting it back down on the table. “In fact,
why don’t we become Miss Lewellin’s patrons while she’s staying there?”

Bill seemed even more flabbergasted.

“Patrons?” Bill repeated to himself, before looking back at the Duke with awe in his eyes, “You mean you
would fund Leyla’s college?”

“Yes.” Matthias nodded his head lightly in affirmation. “It was unfortunate that last year’s theft
happened, but my grandmother had expressed her wishes to fund Miss Lewellin’s education back then.”

Matthias proceeded to tell Bill that things had gotten too hectic before, which was why it hadn’t come
up until now. Should Leyla retake the college entrance exam, and get accepted, she would officially be
sponsored by the Herhardt house, as was his and his grandmother’s will.

Bill couldn’t believe such a generous offer from the people he caused so much trouble to!

He really was so fortunate to have been employed by such gracious people! Any other family would have
thrown him to jail for his crime, but the Herhardts just kept giving him and Leyla so many blessings on
their way!

How could such kind people exist in reality? People like this only existed in stories as far as he knew, and
yet here was one in front of him!

Matthias watched as the light began filling the old gardener’s eyes, and knew he’d convinced the man.

“Well, what do you say Mr. Remmer?” Matthias asked coolly at him, “Are you willing to accept this
opportunity?”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“Uncle!” Leyla greeted excitedly, and half filled with relief at the sight of him.

The first thing she took note of was how healthy his complexion seemed. At the sight of her, Bill gave her
a warm smile, before huffing at the sudden force at Leyla throwing her arms tightly around him.

He couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm at seeing him return.

“Oof! What are you, a child!?” Bill teased as he pulled away and fixed his scarf, “You seem to forget
you’re not as small as you used to be Leyla. And what are you doing out here waiting for me? Didn’t I tell
you I’d meet you back home?”

He patted Leyla’s hair fondly like he used to when she was so much smaller, and Leyla only giggled,
immediately grabbing onto one of his arms and hugging it close to her as she rested her head on his
shoulders.

Quietly, she closed her eyes as she sighed in relief.

‘He still doesn’t know.’

They walked peacefully side by side, with Leyla feeling less alone with her uncle back at her side. The
trek back to their small cabin was long, but the walk hardly felt tedious with their pleasant company.

Leyla jogged a few paces ahead, holding the door open for him to enter as he shuffled through their
door, and praised Leyla for the feast she had prepared for his return. Leyla urged him to get changed as
she warmed up the food.

As soon as that was done, and all the food was warm once more, they both sat down at the table, ready
to eat.

“Ah, Leyla, I would like to tell you that the Duke just offered me a great chance!” He announced excitedly
at her, as he piled some of his favorite food on his plate. Leyla’s smile stilled in her expression at her
uncle’s words.

“A chance?” She asked quietly, careful to keep the smile on her face, “What kind of chance?”

“He offered me a transfer to their mansion in Ratz,” Bill started.

He proceeded to relay to Leyla the information the Duke gave him in their impromptu meeting. How he
would move to stay in the Herhardt mansion in Ratz and tend to their smaller garden there instead.

And how he was even allowed to bring Leyla!

“And that’s not even the best part!” He continued excitedly, “The Duke even offered to be your patron!
They’re going to send you to your dream college! Isn’t that amazing!?”

“Patrons…” Leyla mumbled in shock, to which Bill mistook her surprise in being given such a generous
offer.

“Of course you will need to pass their entrance exams once more, but I know you can do it again!” Bill
declared proudly, “It was originally Duchess Norma’s idea, but the Duke supports her decision
wholeheartedly. They both agree how amazing you would be.” He smiled proudly at Leyla.

Leyla could only think about how further it would drive her deeper into the Duke’s clutches and control.

“Do you think I should take the offer, Leyla?” Bill asked her, looking a little expectantly, and yet
despondent at the same time.

“Uncle…”
“Truthfully, I’m feeling a little shameless at accepting the offer about what I just did, but if it’s what you
want to do, then I can do it dear.” Bill said with a smile, “I’d be more than happy to stay and move to Ratz
if it meant you get to live your dream.”

Leyla felt like her throat was closing up. How could she even begin to tell her uncle no?

She steadily grabbed her glass of water, trying to delay the time she needed to say her answer. Looking
at her uncle’s happy expression stung Leyla’s eyes.

She couldn’t bear to see it gone.

Suddenly the day Claudine revealed to her all that she knew about the Duke and her affair with him
seemed to be so long ago. She didn’t even remember how she stood back up and brought herself home.

All she could recall was her bawling her eyes out on the floor, barely unable to stop herself from crying
until she exhausted herself.

She wanted to deny everything. All of Claudine’s accusations seemed too cruel to be true, but Leyla
found herself in front of Daniel Rayner’s house. And with no further thought, she rapped her knuckles
against his door to seek answers.

She couldn’t even think about how rocky her relationship with Daniel Rayner had become because of
what happened. Right now, she felt invincible within her armor of pain and numbness. She needed to
prove Claudine false.

She couldn’t be right about Matthias planning for her engagement with Kyle to be destroyed.

When Daniel had seen her that day, he looked as though he saw a ghost, and moved to close it once
more, but Leyla held it open, a desperate plea went out her mouth.

“I just need to know one thing!” She exclaimed, holding the door open, “Just one thing! You owe me
this!”

Her words, fortunately, made him stop and relent to her.

“That day you stole the money meant for my college fund,” Leyla began, ignoring the way he flinched at
the reminder of what he did, “Did you, or did you not, meet the Duke on your way out of our cabin?”

She didn’t know how much she would regret ever seeking the truth from him, for she regretted knowing
his answer.

It took him a while to give it, but by then it was too late for Leyla to turn back.

“I don’t know why you need to ask me that after all this time but…” He began, looking so exhausted, as
though he wanted to move on from his crimes.

“Yes…” Leyla trailed off as she recalled that moment.

He avoided looking at her as he said it, but she could hear he was telling her the truth. He spoke a few
more words, but it was drowned out by the ringing in her ears as the truth hit her in full force.
She staggered away from him, and faintly remembered how Daniel Rayner hurriedly slammed the door
behind her, sounds of the locks on his door being reinforced, but Leyla hardly cared anymore. She just
kept walking, even as the road darkened in front of her and her head pounded, unable to produce more
tears.

She remembered the police officers telling them how the money failed to turn up, and no witnesses
came forward. They even went to the mansion, and asked the Duke himself, but no one had seen
anything.

The puzzle pieces fell into place.

Claudine hadn’t been lying.

She knew it had been a possibility. As a noble lady, Claudine von Brandt would dare spread such a
baseless lie, not when she would lose too much if she were to get caught defaming her fiance’s good
name.

“Leyla?” Uncle Bill called out for her once more, shaking her out of her thoughts and she looked back at
him with a practiced smile.

“If you need more time to think about it, then I completely understand.”

“I agree I will need time to think about it, uncle.” Leyla smiled at him, and he reciprocated it, before
looking at her in an apologetic way.

“I do want you to consider it though Leyla,” He admitted, “Because we both know by now, I can’t give
you the life you wanted. The duke is offering to give you wings that I can’t give you .” He pointed out
sadly.

And Leyla felt her heart breaking at her uncle’s words.

‘Oh uncle, if only you knew he was the one who brutally broke my wings.’ She thought in complete
despair.

Uncle Bill reached out from across the table, to hold her hand in a comforting manner.

“I know you’re the kind of person who can reach beyond what people expect you to if you put your mind
into it,” He praised her softly, “Some will be envious, but more others will be inspired by you.”

He looked at her with such warm, and loving eyes, it shone brighter than the light Leyla had put on the
table for them. She could only smile shakily back at him, taking more sips of her water to keep her throat
from drying in her guilt and nervousness.

They continued to eat their dinner, the topic shifting to what he had seen in his travels, and then
exchanging mundane stories of what they had done while away from each other.

Dinner ended with them sitting out on the porch, cups of coffee in hand as they leaned against each
other. The night had rolled out of the sky, the wind picking up around them, but not yet cold enough to
make them freeze.
Fortunately for Leyla, Uncle Bill decided to retire to bed early. His travels still left him tired, and Leyla
happily let him, staying out on the porch to look up at the starless skies above.

She had been struggling to hold in her composure as her uncle was around, but she couldn’t deny the
unbridled anger simmering underneath her skin, especially when she closed the door to her bedroom,
only to see Phoebe return, with a note attached from the Duke.

Just as she thought as she unrolled the small piece of parchment open, his orders remained the same,
and she must go to him. But this time, she felt no fear or shame at their impending meeting.

No, her mind had never been as clear as they were tonight.

She’s determined to escape the clutches of both the Duke and Duchess Herhardt of Arvis Estate.

She ripped up the letter and tossed it into the open flame as she walked over to her closet. She glanced
over her wardrobe, before grabbing the clothes and shoes the Duke had bought for her.

Next, she sat in front of her vanity, putting more effort into styling her hair in a presentable way. After all,
she must look her best tonight. She’s meeting someone very dear to her, she mused sarcastically.

This time, she’ll stop begging for him to release her.

She stared into her reflection with steely eyes, satisfied at how beautiful she made herself appear to be.
The intricate braid she made framed the nape of her neck beautifully and complemented the clothes
perfectly.

‘Just as I learned from you, I’ll bide my time,’ Leyla thought as she put on some light make up on her face
and smiled enticingly at herself in front of her mirror, ‘This time, it’s my turn to play with you, and break
your heart at the right moment.’

A strange excitement came over her, making her feel giddy all over, even more than her previous plans of
simply denying the Duke whatever he wanted. This time, she knows better. This time, she finally knew
how to break a man’s heart.

‘Looks like it’s time for me to give you your own medicine, my Duke,’

She smirked; mind finally made up.

She’d be his perfect mistress, give him the excitement he craved, and present herself so beautifully for
him. She’d stop fighting him and make him feel appreciated. She’ll give him promises she’d never intend
to keep, before she’d just casually…

And cruelly…

Rip his heart into a million little pieces.

Leyla quietly walked out of her cabin, weeks of experience making it a lot easier than before now that
she wasn’t dreading to see him.

After all, how would she dread the thought of seeing him on his knees?
How could she even dread the thought of seeing him so miserable and in pain one day like he did for
her?

Chapter 99

Matthias found himself immensely surprised as soon as he swung the door open when he heard her
knock on his door. He stood in front of the doorway in bewilderment, wide eyes staring at her from head
to toe.

She wasn’t the Leyla he had grown used to seeing.

All of a sudden she was here, in front of him. All dressed in the clothes and gifts he’d long given her. Gifts
she had sworn off of.

“May I come in?” She asked him in that cautious melodic voice, looking up at him through her curled
lashes, blinking them so enticingly.

Finally, Matthias stepped away, letting her in, widening the door for her to enter.

“Wait here for a moment.” Matthias softly commanded her before he strode back into his drawing room.
He could sense Leyla begin to follow him quietly.

Upon Leyla’s entrance, she saw multitudes of papers strewn across the table. There was a stack of other
papers and documents in one corner table. It was as if he was in the middle of doing his work.

“You must be very busy.” Leyla remarked softly as she looked around. Matthias only spared her a glance
before he expertly stacked some of the papers neatly on his desk.

“Only a little.”

“Perhaps I should return at a later time?” she lightly suggested, when Matthias shot her a knowing
smirk, before plopping himself languidly on his sofa.

He crossed his legs, spreading his left arm onto the backrest as he leaned back and looked at her with
sharp blue eyes. He casually brought over the folder with his right towards him, flipping it open.

“Don’t bother.” He said, “You can rest just fine here if you like to.” He invited, and Leyla’s eyes narrowed
in his direction.

“There’s no need for me to rest.” Leyla reassured him, taking a seat on the sofa right across from him,
her hair swaying with her every move in a graceful manner. “I can wait just fine for you to finish.”

And so she did. She sat patiently and quietly across from him, still dressed and well-poised. Matthias
couldn’t help but keep stealing glances at her, still drinking in the sight of her in all the things he’d given
her.

She hardly looked like the Leyla he knew. No, there was a more powerful air around her, one that
screamed neither in helplessness nor support of him.
Kyle. The name was right at the tip of his tongue, tempting him to speak the name. He wanted to test
her. He wanted to see how she would react if he were to say that name to her now. Especially after this
unexpected makeover.

But he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to destroy this image Leyla was portraying just for him. Not when she’s
at the precipice of acting so docile to him on her own volition.

He went back to work, a smile settling neatly on his lips as he scanned through his documents.

Sounds of papers flipping started filling the room, with the occasional rustling of clothes. Fire was
cackling in the background as well, the firewood burning into embers. The air around them was almost
peaceful.

But Leyla didn’t want to get too ahead of herself. To keep her jitters down, she picked up a nearby
newspaper on the table beside her and flipped through its contents. On one of its pages, was an article
talking about the resource market fluctuating because of the current unstable situation internationally.

She felt herself beginning to calm down, and eventually discarded the article. She hardly understood
what it was about, so instead, she looked up to observe Matthias. He was still focusing on his work.

Leyla couldn’t help but keep staring at his frame, his features being illuminated by the subtle orange light
from the flames.

He was still in the same position as before, but now she was beginning to feel that sense of intimidation
wafting out of him despite how serenely he looked. He really did have the perfect profile of a royalty.

As though he was born with the world being offered beneath his feet. And he’s owning it.

She wrung her finger in front of her in secret, biting her lower lip in thought as the anxiety was rising up
in her again.

‘Can I do this?’

She asked herself.

‘Do I really have what it takes to break such a powerful man?’

She gulped nervously, gaining Matthias’ attention, who looked up at her direction in that instance. She
jolted in her seat once his eyes landed on her, but she didn’t dare look away.

They stared into each other, with Matthias carefully looking over at her, before he flashed her a small
smile. It was that moment that Leyla could feel hope bloom in her chest.

That she could do this.

Because as powerless as she was, she was relieved to see how much the Duke wanted to keep her with
him too. It was a toxic possessiveness, but one she could use to her advantage. The more she would
encourage his attachment to her…

The more painful the hurt would be at the end.

She couldn’t understand why it took her so long to realize this. His lust for her was a double-edged
sword. He was hurting her because of it, but she could just as well use it against him too.

She looked back up at him, having failed to notice how her gaze fell back to the ground.

He’d taken all her precious firsts from her.

When he had forcibly taken her first kiss from her, not even a week later, she heard he’d gotten engaged
to Claudine. At that time she was already engaged to Kyle, but she couldn’t deny the stinging in her chest
at that knowledge.

And as if that wasn’t enough, he proceeded to be the key reason why her marriage to Kyle fell off,
through the use of cowardly tactics. And now he’d be marrying someone just as beautiful as she was
cruel.

Those two were perfect for each other.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Matthias wondered out loud, the smile still firmly on his lips,
yet he looked at her with a sharp glint in his eyes. Leyla held his gaze for a moment, before taking a deep
breath.

It was time for action.

“I heard you ordered Uncle Bill to work in Ratz, and you want me to go with him.”

Matthias nodded, not even denying it as he went back to his papers.

“Although I will argue that it was a suggestion. Hardly even an order.” Matthias argued nonchalantly.

“I think otherwise.” Leyla reasoned back, “You knew very well this so-called suggestion would be
difficult. And so you used my uncle, to further my becoming more into your mistress, even beyond your
marriage to Lady Brandt.”

Matthias chuckled softly, looking up at her through his lashes.

“Is that what you think?”

“Hm, you really are a despicable person.” Leyla hissed softly in a shaky voice.

Finally, Matthias closed the folder he was holding and set it aside. He then tilted his head towards her,
interest seeping through his eyes the more he observed this new Leyla in front of him.

“Are you even aware of how despicable you are?” She asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer as she
tried to blink back the welling tears. And Matthias didn’t even deem it important enough to answer her.

“Are you aware of how much I despise you?” She slowly got up, and slowly stalked towards him. The
corner of her eyes were glinting as the firelight bounced off of her tears. Matthias only chuckled at her
words, finding her completely amusing, though half in despondent as well.

It flashed only for a moment, before that amused glint was back in his eyes. Leyla hardly noticed it. She
was drawn to the way his breathing began to get ragged.
“Since you’re all knowing, you would understand my next words too, won’t you?” She asked him softly,
eyes trailed on his hands as it slowly went up to loosen his tie around his neck.

In Matthias’ mind, he was absolutely prepared for her usual tirade of how much she hated him, how
much she despised him and was ruining her well-built life. But what she said next came completely
unprompted and caught him completely off guard!

“Do you know just how difficult it is to love such a man as much as I hate you?” She asked, stopping a
few paces in front of him, barely an arm’s length away.

Matthias’ brows crinkled at her statement.

“What?”

He looked up at her in confusion, and saw the raw hurt and vulnerability in her eyes. She couldn’t
possibly be lying. Not when she looked so unsure in front of him all of a sudden.

She was a terrible actress. He’d witnessed that first hand. She couldn’t be faking this.

“I do,” She admitted to him softly, voice just above a whisper, “I tried to stop it so much and deny it, but I
found myself inexplicably attached to you as well.”

Matthias watched her in shock, words unable to form in his mouth as something began to stir deep
within him with her words.

He hardly understood what was happening right now.

“What I said to Kyle back then, that wasn’t a lie.” She continued, “Because I do, I love you so much that I
hated the thought of it!” her voice cracked…

‘Am I doing it?’ Leyla thought desperately to herself, ‘Am I succeeding in deceiving him?’

The anxiety in her and the nervousness helped in her portrayal of how much her supposed love was
tearing her up inside. It let authentic tears slip through her eyes, further selling the story she wished to
tell Matthias.

“So I’m telling uncle to accept your offer, and I will go with him to Ratz.” She declared firmly, “I’ve long
been so ashamed of my feelings for you, I wanted nothing more than to run away and escape this
undeniable truth… but it’s getting harder and harder to deny myself this…”

Matthias hung onto her every word, slowly rising to his feet. She looked up at him with a tear streaked
face, and he wasted no time in backing her into the table behind her, trapping her within his arms.

Her breath hitched as she looked up at him in surprise. The hungry beast in him awoke, and his mouth
watered at the sight of her beneath him…

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” He asked her softly in a sultry voice, and Leyla shivered in his
arms, “Are you finally accepting into becoming my mistress?”

Leyla felt herself flush at the growing intensity in his eyes, and she couldn’t deny the way he was looking
at her made heat pool in her gut. She looked down, blinking the tears away, yet his gentle grip caught
her, forcing her to look at him.
A lone tear ran down her cheek, as she bit into her lower lip and nodded shakily at him. Her heart was
pounding deep into her chest, she feared the Duke had heard it and would give her away.

She wished desperately for her success!

‘Just this one thing!’ She thought harder, ‘Let me succeed in deceiving him!’

“I do have a condition,” Leyla finally spoke out, regaining her voice as she grabbed firmly onto his arm,
and Matthias’ gaze narrowed towards her.

“Condition?”

“You once told me you don’t enter deals that won’t benefit you.” Leyla reminded him, “Well, I want
something in return as well.”

Matthias seemed to contemplate this, watching her carefully before his sharp gaze softened up. Leyla
felt a new wave of hope blooming inside her.

“Well, are you willing to listen to my conditions?” She asked again.

“Then speak your mind.”

“Give me your word first.” She demanded and Matthias raised a brow up at her.

“You want me to agree to a condition without knowing what the stakes are?” He asked her, his eyes
narrowing at her in suspicion once more, “Who do you think you are to demand such a gamble from
me?”

Leyla knew he would be like this. She’ll have to appeal to that primal instinct in him then.

“I’m Leyla,” She crooned softly up at him, “Your Leyla, am I not?” she asked, one of her hands letting go
of his arm, to cup his cheek tenderly. Matthias leaned into her hand, almost nuzzling into it, before he
began to chuckle at her boldness.

Leyla fervently wished she wasn’t acting too much, and that he would bite the bait she laid out for him.

Matthias had seen many beauties in the world. The river in the night, the lights on his ceiling, and the
rows and rows of luxurious paintings in the hallways…

But none as beautiful as Leyla.

“Tell me then Leyla,” he crooned right back, looking into her determined eyes.

“Give me your word first.” She demanded once more. She was hanging off his neck, her arm draped
around his back as her other hand gripped tightly into his arm.

Matthias let out a genuine laugh, his eyes wrinkling in delight.

“Your wish is my command.” He told her softly, “Speak to me Leyla.”

He cupped her cheek instead, his grip on her chin falling away. He looked deep into her emerald eyes,
which seemed to be reflecting back his own happiness.

“I give you my word.” He promised her.

‘Finally.’ Leyla thought in relief.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Norma paused for a moment, and looked over to her grandson in shock. Even Elysee, who had been
leisurely minding her own business, listening to classical music at the side, seemed to be taken aback as
well.

Only Matthias seemed unbothered by the news he’d just given them.

“You’re really sending Bill Remmer to live in our Ratz Mansion?” Norma inquired over to her grandson,
finally breaking free of her shock. Matthias hummed and nodded at her.

“That’s right.”

“This is all unexpected for you Matthias,” Elysee finally piped in, “Why the sudden decision?”

Matthias looked over to his mother’s direction.

“I’ve noticed how unhappy you’ve been with the old gardener since the incident happened.” Matthias
began to explain, “But I won’t deny how useful he’s been in maintaining the gardens, but Arvis is too big
and he’s getting older. Ratz would be far easier for him to maintain.”

“Well, that is true, but…” Norma trailed off, looking equally helpless as her daughter-in-law. The two
current Duchesses remained silent, while Matthias took a calm sip of his coffee, before placing it back
down in front of him.

He saw no reason to further delay his plans, not when Leyla’s being so agreeable recently. He also saw
no further reason to keep their relationship a secret. She’s made her decision after all.

“Then make me your lover.” She told him as soon as he’d given her his word. “As soon as you tie the knot
with Claudine, I can’t keep living in Arvis, which means I could never come back.” She laid out for him.

She looked absolutely heartbroken when she said that. And Matthias couldn’t exactly deny her. Arvis was
the well-known house and Herhardt undisputable property. Which meant it housed the official members
of the Herhardt house, which includes the Duke’s legal wife, the Duchess.

This was how it had always been, and how it would always be.

No mistress had any place in Arvis. Matthias knew that very well.

“So until your marriage, while we’re still here in Arvis, keep me as just a lover.” Leyla asked him, “Before
you hide me away in the shadows of Ratz, let me bask in the sunlight until that time comes.”

But Matthias couldn’t understand. How different was a lover from a mistress? As far as he knew, there
wasn’t any. But Leyla seemed to think otherwise.

“-hide me away in the shadows-” her watery voice echoed in the back of his mind, something unsettling
in him at the thought of her being hidden.

Did she really have to voice it that way? It was so unbefitting for her, who needed to be shown off in the
light.
There was no way Matthias would keep her hidden. She thrived in the sunlight. She shined so brightly,
she had blindsided him with her beauty. He wanted to keep that light in her burning, even more…

To keep her burning for him.

Yet she was right. A mistress will always remain in the shadows of his wife. And that drew a slight frown
in Matthias as he thought of that for the first time.

‘Will she really be alright?’ Matthias wondered, ‘Will she remain shining just as bright as she does now if
I keep her in an eternal shadow?’

He’d drawn her into his arms that night, hugging her into his chest and she settled in his arms just right,
fitting perfectly the gaps between them.

If he had the choice, he’d never stifle that light. Let everyone see her for who she was.

She was his.

“Well I can’t deny your reasoning, even if it was a little sudden for you.” Elysee remarked softly, humming
in thought, “But if Bill goes to Ratz, what happens to his foster daughter here?”

“She’s going with him.” Matthias answered just as quickly, “I offered Bill that I would sponsor Miss
Lewellin’s education under the family’s name in that college she was going to apply to.” He elaborated.

“You’re sending her to college?” Elysee gasped in aghast, “And under the family’s name!?”

“Yes.” Matthias replied, completely unbothered, before he looked over to his grandmother, “I happened
to recall grandmother’s wish to sponsor her last year. So I extended the offer.”

Norma seemed taken aback that Matthias remembered that. She had almost forgotten she said it.

“Well, y-yes, I did mention that…” Norma was unable to deny it.

When the old Herhardt matriarch had heard about the young woman’s broken engagement with Kyle, as
well as her college admission fund being stolen, she had expressed her willingness to sponsor Leyla
instead.

“Very well, though I will state, whatever decision both Bill and his foster daughter reach in regards to
moving to Ratz must be respected.” She expressed.

Matthias allowed himself to smile minutely, which hadn’t gone unnoticed by the two women who had
raised him. Both Duchesses exchanged glances at each other, but opted to not point it out.

Not out loud at least. They didn’t have the right words as of currently.

“I’ll take your words into advice.” Matthias calmly replied. He gave them a respectful bow, before swiftly
making his exit out of their shared drawing room. He still had much to do in the afternoon.

Unbeknownst to him, as soon as he left, both his mother and grandmother shared their own
conversation.

His mind was too caught up in thought. Leyla’s voice still echoing prominently against his purposeful
steps, even as it echoed in his empty halls…
“-hide me away in the shadows-”

Alas, that statement never suited her at all.

Chapter 100

When vacation ended, and school began, Leyla found the children she taught had grown up quite a lot.
They seemed bigger now, but they also seemed rowdier than before. She had a struggle trying to keep
up with them, giving her such a hectic back-to-school day overall.

She had been so busy looking out the window, lost in her many thoughts, that she almost missed the cry
of a child right behind her.

“Teacher, it’s done!” they exclaimed, immediately jolting her out of her reverie. Leyla turned and looked
down, taking the abacus from the child’s hands and smiled at them in amazement.

“Wow! You’ve done so well today. I see your math skills have improved over the winter!” She praised,
leaving the young boy in a blushing mess as she acknowledged his growing skills. Suddenly, another
burst of cry sounded just off to the side.

When Leyla turned to look at what was the problem, she saw Monica crying as she tried to sit still to
work on her set of math problems. Further observation made Leyla see that the boy seated behind
Monica was pulling at the young girl’s hair, tugging it harshly as they snickered to themselves.

Leyla quickly returned the abacus to the young boy she had praised and quickly headed towards the
other pair to break off the trouble.

She had pulled Monica to her lap, while she harshly scolded the boy for his misbehavior, emphasizing
how it was not good to find hurting people funny. The rest of the day went off without any further
hitches as she continued to teach her lessons.

As soon as she saw them leave when the final school bell rang, she went back inside her empty
classroom.

She took a seat on her desk, and looked out the window, watching the new blooms of green on the
nearby tree branch. Slowly the color was returning all around her, with the winter white beginning to
fade out.

A new wave of determination washed over her.

‘I need to finish this quickly.’ She thought to herself, before quickly packing up her things.

After all, she had just accepted to become a cruel man’s lover.

Goosebumps ran up her body as she recalled how she had lied to him so blatantly. But despite that, she
thought the more appealing she was, the deeper she could hurt him. She could put up with any lie.
In fact, she had been so happy he fell for her trap, she could hardly sleep in glee! Ah, she never knew the
Duke was capable of giving her such satisfaction, never mind if he didn’t know what he was doing.

Right before she was leaving, Leyla made the decision to loosen up her hair, letting her golden locks
cascade down her back. She shook her head a few times, loosening up some tangles before she
retouched her makeup.

She had been working on how to make herself more presentable to the Duke, and she had been
improving, but in her mind it wasn’t alluring enough yet. Even the current makeup style she was trying
seemed clumsier.

Perhaps it was better to remove it? But she didn’t have much time left. She ignored the churning in her
stomach the more she tried to beautify herself for the Duke; ignored the thought she had to put on a
smile and pretend as if she was receiving gifts from someone she loved…

Ignored how she had to pretend once more she was torn with her love for him.

And so she looked at her reflection, and gave herself a confident smile.

‘Keep smiling Leyla,’ She thought to herself, ‘Keep smiling so beautifully, soon, you’ll show him your fangs
that hold a poison just for him.’

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Matthias stopped at the end of the road leading to the village school. It’s been a while since he drove the
car, but it wasn’t as strange as he anticipated.

When he had expressed his wishes to drive himself, both the attendant and the driver looked at him like
he’d grown two heads all of a sudden. They didn’t argue with him though, so Matthias hardly cared
about their thoughts on him driving.

And so he checked the time, Matthias turning his head slightly to look out of the car window where he
had the perfect view of the school. Just as he looked outside, he saw Leyla walking from the end of the
road. She looked absolutely divine, especially with her golden hair fluttering along behind her with every
dainty step she took.

Matthias leaned back in his seat, breathing in deeply. He felt something easing up in his chest as he
watched her leisurely. She was a quiet and an exceptionally busy woman and yet he found her so
captivating.

It was almost like he was watching a bird soaring elegantly in the skies.

He’d always been so enamored by her. From the time he first saw her as a child until now, she’s remained
unchanged, only growing more beautiful over the years.

She appeared to have unanticipated the fact he would be waiting for her, and continued on with her
hasty pace. She was so focused on her path, she almost missed the sight of his car until she was right in
front of it.

She probably would have completely passed him by too if Matthias hadn’t knocked on his window.
As expected, she jumped in surprise, and stopped in her steps. She whirled around and looked at the car
next to her, before a beautiful blush bloomed in her face. And so Matthias unlocked his car, and casually
got out of his car.

Leyla took a couple steps back, sending him a grimace of a smile as he straightened up to his full length.
Matthias gave her his own grin and Leyla looked around nervously before tilting her head up at him.

“Uh, Duke, good to see you here.” She greeted politely, before she nibbled on her lower lip, “If you don’t
mind me asking, why are you here?” She then lowered her voice, “The meeting place was not here.”

Matthias only raised a brow.

“You’re a smart girl, why do you think I’d be here?”

Leyla glanced at the car behind him. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Are you… here to pick me up?” She asked, careful not to let her disdain for him show. “By yourself?”

She looked carefully in the car, and remembered he had gotten out of the driver’s seat himself. It was
highly unlikely for his chauffeur to be around and let his master drive the car when he could.

Matthias did not answer her, but merely walked over to the other side of the car, and opened the
passenger’s seat, “Get in!”.

Leyla stood undecided in place, hands gripping tightly on her bag’s strap, before she approached him in
stuttered steps.

As soon as she got close enough, barely a foot away from him, his brows went up in sligh surprise.

“Did you put on makeup?” he asked, a light laughter in his voice. It was so unexpected, Leyla floundered
in surprise like she had been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to. Another blush bloomed
on her plump cheeks.

“Is it weird?” she asked timidly, and Matthias shrugged.

“A little,” he told her, feeling a bit mischievous, only because her serious inquiring expression was too
adorable to pass up on.

Now Leyla grew conscious and unsure what to do. She could feel herself grow more embarrassed and
resolved to just remove the makeup. She hurriedly looked for her handkerchief when Matthias spoke up
once more.

“Don’t remove it.” He told her, gently grabbing her wrist and taking it out of her bag from when she’d
been looking for something to wipe it off with.

“B-but you said it was weird!” She spluttered, her blush deepening. He only smiled at her and shrugged.
“Then I should erase it!” She insisted, and he lightly shook his head.

“Keep it on.” He told her, “You’re beautiful still.”

Leyla frowned.
“How can I be beautiful yet weird?” She asked incredulously. Matthias remained unbothered by her
question, even though she had been obviously agonizing over what to do with her makeup.

‘Did I screw up!?’ She thought worriedly. Was her plan foiled because she couldn’t wear makeup
properly!? She couldn’t help but feel anxious as she got in the car, Matthias shortly following her.

Matthias spared her a side glance.

“Can’t you just tell me which it really is?” She asked again, the worry clear on her face. Matthias
hummed a little bit.

“If I tell you, will you finally do as I say?”

“Yes.”

“Oh?” Matthias hummed once again, “Don’t you like me having fun with you a little longer?”

“The makeup isn’t for you, Duke.” She insisted, even though it was all a lie, but her indignation made
Matthias frown.

“Then who’s it for?”

Leyla bit her lip, trying to even her breathing.

“It’s… it’s for me.” She mumbled softly, “I-I want to make myself look nice… and then perhaps, you’ll
treat me nicely.” She quietly admitted. The only way she could lie was to feed him half-truths, though at
the same time it was like she was digging herself further into the ground.

But she couldn’t pull back now. She needed to be all in this time.

Finally the sound of the car starting up reverberated around them, giving Leyla a sense of relief, until
Matthias spoke up again.

“Tell me Leyla,” He began, looking at her as the car vibrated beneath their bodies. Leyla squeaked out a
‘yes’ in question, looking back at him. “What is it you want me to do?”

Leyla spluttered for a few moments, unable to form her words.

“You mean…. if I’m beautiful?”

Matthias lips curled up into a smile.

‘It can’t be this easy.’ Leyla thought nervously. But what if it was easy because the Duke has some sort of
ulterior motive for her. What if he already knew everything she’d been planning?! Was he testing her?
But then again, if she was succeeding then…

“Am I beautiful now then? To the point you’d wish to be nice to me?” She asked, a little more confident,
hoping her false bravado would help her convince him nothing was off about her.

The car began to move, removing Matthias’ eyes on her, making her breath a little easier after one last
glance over to her.
Matthias knew beauty was subjective. But Leyla was a different breed of beauty. He’d seen none as
beautiful as her.

She really was beautiful, but the prettier she looked, the more he wanted to see her crumble in front of
him. He wanted all of her, even her pain, under all costs. It was making him crazy the more he spent time
around her.

He knew very well when it came to these intense feelings he had for her, that all rational thought would
leave him. He was drawn to everything about her. Her walk, her looks, even her terrible attitude towards
him.

Everything, he wanted to devour all of her if he could. And it seemed as though she was finally accepting
him.

But did she really just want him to be nice to her? Was it enough for him to just treat her a little bit
better than he’d been? It seemed absolutely impossible for that to be all that mattered to her, he
couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement.

Normally he was unimpressed by the many noble ladies he’s met over the years. Nothing in their
expensive dresses, beautiful jewels and accessories made them exquisite to him. Yet here in front of her,
despite how dismal her clothes were, he can’t help but feel so driven around her.

And seeing her all dressed up heightened that attraction more. When she’d choose her clothes, her
hairstyle, and even how clumsy she’d put her makeup on, it just enhanced everything about her.

Looking back now, he was already fulfilling her wish despite just making it now. He’s been holding
himself back from ripping her clothes off her body and just taking her here and now. He wanted to see
her hair all messed up from when he’d dig his fingers into her hair as she’d throw her head back to reveal
her pale neck for him to suckle in. To take her lips into his and just ravish her…

“You’re not answering.” She pointed out, “I’ll take it as a yes then.” She quipped lightheartedly. She could
still feel the blush firmly on her cheeks and opted to avoid further eye contact with him.

A few moments later, she glanced nervously back at him. Feeling her eyes on him once more, Matthias
let out a soft sigh, his hands still gripping firmly the steering wheel, with eyes trailed forward.

“What is it now?” He asked her.

“N-nothing.” She clumsily replied, “I, I just didn’t know you could drive.”

“Is that so surprising?”

“Yes.” She plainly replied, “I didn’t think you knew anything else other than to ring your bell.” There was
a teasing glint in her eyes that made him believe despite her harsh words, she only meant them as a
light-hearted joke.

At first glance she was all so prim and proper. This certainly was a refreshing change for her, that
Matthias couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

“I think it’s nice though,” She added afterwards, “For it to be just us.”
This seemed like the good time to sprinkle in some forms of affection, so Leyla just went with it. She
even offered him a beautiful smile, she hoped it was convincing enough. She had been practicing them
late at night, when her uncle was asleep, and the Duke wasn’t looking for her.

The streets were congested, full of carriages and cars as they drove through. When the car had to stop,
only then did Matthias turn to look at her once again, yet Leyla maintained her relaxed state, even when
they made eye contact.

She held his eyes for a moment, before shyly looking away. A few moments later, she glanced back at
him.

Matthias on the other hand started feeling warm. It was like he’s spending time with the sun, being in
such close proximity with her, enclosed here in their own private bubble in his car.

Even his throat had gone dry.

“Have you thought about it then?” Matthias finally spoke up, licking his lips lightly before swallowing
saliva, “How do you want me to love you?”

The amused glint in his eye disappeared, now looking over at her slowly. Leyla immediately looked away,
eyes trailed on her fumbling fingers over her lap. She felt like he was directly looking into her soul. Like
he could see straight through her.

She had resolved to become his lover, to seemingly accept that she would be his mistress. But she
doesn’t know the first thing about this.

What do real lovers do?

She would have preferred if the Duke continued to do what he wanted, but it seemed like he was
completely fine with letting her take the reins in their relationship as of now.

“I, that’s…” She stuttered, and began looking out in the streets once the road began to move along once
more. She began to feel herself grow nervous, small beads of sweat sliding down her back as she looked
outside for answers…

“Dinner.” She finally said, after seeing some couples eating out by themselves, “Today, you should take
me to dinner.” She elaborated. It was the first definite thing she thought of as she searched for answers
outside.

“Oh, also the fields of Arvis during spring would be filled with beautiful flowers!” She jovially exclaimed,
“Did you know that?”

“No.”

“Really? In your own estate?” Leyla asked a little incredulously, “It’s a really beautiful view.”

She noticed a wistful expression came over Matthias, almost like he was remembering something. So
Leyla continued to ramble on about Arvis’ fields when he remained silent.
She talked about her childhood. How she used to play in the fields, and when she’d grow tired, she
would lie down beneath the shade of the tree. And when she’d grow bored, she’d sometimes bring her
books and snacks with her. Sometimes she’d even take a nap.

She just didn’t mention how she did all that with Kyle. The one person who’d been hurt by him so cruelly
simply because of his greed to have her.

She hid her anger at him behind her bright smile, crinkling her eyes to prevent herself from glaring at
him. To prevent her tears from forming.

“We should go out in the fields as soon as the flowers begin to bloom this spring.” She lightly suggested,
“And then I can show you just how beautiful your estate is.” She offered, looking a little calmly, Matthias
seemed to agree with her from the way his lips upturned.

“Do you like ice cream?” She immediately asked, feeling a little awkward.

“Ice cream?” He finally piped up, a brow of his raising.

“Yes! I like ice cream.” She prompted, “Vanilla’s my favorite.” She added offhandedly.

She had been on her way home, Kyle had been with her. He was waiting for her in front of their school
gate back then, and they went to buy themselves some ice cream. As soon as the cold, and soft treat hit
her tongue, its smooth and sweet flavor filled her with comfort and warmth.

She quietly mourned the fact that those memories will never come to life once more.

“I’ll buy it for you as soon as I get my paycheck this month.” She said, “Then we can go eat them together
sometime.”

Did she finally learn how to lie so effortlessly? Everything was coming so quickly to her now, like the
excuses and all these false lines just began flowing out of her. Matthias chuckled lowly, a smile on his
face as he kept his eyes on the road still.

“You’re so generous lately,” He pointed out, sparing her a glance at the corner of his eye, “Surely you’re
jesting me.”

Leyla felt herself go pale.

“Th-that’s…” She trailed off, trying not to let herself grow further anxious. In her mind, she was wishing
desperately for her lie to hold.

‘Please let me succeed, please let me succeed…’ Over and over, she repeated that phrase in her mind.

“…because I love you.” She told him softly, looking at him calmly, “Do you want me to go back to acting
like I hate you?” She asked him softly.

Every word out of her mouth tasted ashen. She wanted to take it all back, but she wouldn’t. This was
vital to her plan to break him. She could feel her heart thumping wildly in her chest, waiting for Matthias
to give her an answer.

“Because I don’t,” She continued, “I want to love you.”

Finally, something in Matthias’ eyes softened the longer he watched her. She was a terrible liar. He could
sense the truth in her words.

And suddenly the heat around them turned into a comforting warmth. That gentle smile she was so
freely offering him couldn’t be deceiving. And she was smiling so beautifully, all for him.

If only he knew that behind that smile, was the intense need to break him apart.

Alas, that statement never suited her at all.