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Chapter 18
✧ Emerald ✧
“Uncle, this looks expensive,”
Leyla was shocked as she looked into the box with bulging eyes. Bill, too, was amazed at the present and couldn’t come up with a good excuse.
Leyla sneered at Bill,  “Uncle, did you spend a lot of money?”
“No. Not really 
. it was not as costly as you think! You’re too worried about everything.”
Bill stuttered a bit. On the day of the party, the dress Madam Mona had prepared arrived at their cottage.
He had believed the courier would send the dress. But who would have thought the dress was delivered by a young guy who claimed to be a store employee. So Bill assumed that maybe Madam Mona had bought a very special dress for Leyla until the clerk handed it off to them directly.
The dress was far beyond his expectations after Leyla unboxed it.
Even for Bill, who knew little about women’s fashion and accessories, his eyes could tell that the white dress stitched with golden threads appeared luxurious and heavenly. Likewise with the shoes, gloves, and the necklace.
‘Wait, how much money did I give Madam Mona before?’
Bill started counting with his fingers.
‘But did she also buy the necklace with the money I gave her?’
He was perplexed and recalculated once more, but Leyla quickly put the lid back.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“How can I not like it?”
“Then why?”
“Let’s return it. I don’t want you to waste this much money just for a one-night event.”
Leyla seemed to be worried. Her reaction was contrary to Madam Mona’s guesses that the gift would make her thrilled.
“Leyla, if you don’t wear this to the party. I don’t want to see you again.”
Bill’s expression becomes upset all of a sudden.
“You never want to be indebted to me. I understand your reasoning, but I don’t like it if you draw a straight line between me and you, Leyla.”
“Uncle
..”
“I’ll throw it into the fireplace if you don’t take it. And I won’t see you again.”
The angry-looking Bill stepped to the front door and fled outside the cottage.
He strolled through the flower garden with his cigarette, yet his mind was loaded with late regrets for saying such hurtful things to the child. He didn’t mean it when he said he’d never see her again.
Bill was pondering whether or not to return when Kyle suddenly appeared in his tailcoat from the other side of the road.
“Mr. Remmer. Is Leyla ready?” asked Kyle with a sunny visage.
Bill mulled for a moment at his arrival. Kyle Etman, who he had thought was just a child who was always pretending to be an adult, now looked like a grown-ass man in his formal suit.
“Well. I don’t know.”
“What? Leyla isn’t home? The party is about to start.”
“She’s home, but

”
Bill sighed. He didn’t know how to explain it. But suddenly, the front door creaked open and Leyla came out.
The two-waiting men outside turned their heads and were nonplussed at the breathtaking view before their eyes.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
“Kyle, do I look weird?” Leyla asked with her smirky little meerkat face. “I feel so awkward wearing this dress
..”
“No, you look pretty.”
Kyle, who was tight-lipped for a fleeting moment, cut her words. Once again, he complimented her expressly.
“You’re so beautiful, Leyla. I mean it.”
Kyle’s blushing face melted his adolescent smile. He knew that Uncle Bill was preparing a gift for Leyla, but he hadn’t expected it would be as posh as this.
He was initially apprehensive about entrusting Bill’s eyes, which were prone to picking tacky stuff.
But for this one


“Hey, Kyle Etman! Wake up!”
Bill chided him and patted his flustered back.
“You’re going in my place to escort her today.” He eyed Kyle sternly. “That means you have to take responsibility to protect her. You can do it, right?”
“Of course, Mr. Remmer,” Kyle answered with much confidence. “I’ll make sure to protect her!”
Bill couldn’t hold back his guffaw once Kyle vowed with a beet-red face.
Kyle took some deep breaths to calm his throbbing heart when Leyla gingerly sauntered towards him. He reached out his hand in a polite gesture.
“Hey
what are you doing?”
Leyla questioned the meaning of his outstretched hand. But Kyle seemed unfazed by her wonderment.
“We’re partners at today’s party.”
“Yeah.”
“So.”
Kyle mustered up his courage to take Leyla’s hand and place it over his arm.
“We should walk like this since I’m your party’s partner.”
His voice trembled and he stammered a little because of nervousness.
Leyla hesitated for a moment, lost in thought, before nodding and linking her arms around his. She smiled.
“Fine, let’s go, Kyle.”
Gazing at her gaily smile that was brighter than the sun, Kyle murmured to himself.
‘This is a moment I won’t forget for the rest of my life.’
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
In a nutshell, Leyla Lewellin showed up at the party hand in hand with the doctor’s son.
Matthias had been busy welcoming the guests when he turned his back to see Leyla entering the hall, escorted by Kyle Etman.
Leyla’s appearance was Hessen’s proving ground that he was Arvis’s most capable butler. His choice of dress for Leyla Lewellin was gorgeous. But Matthias believed Leyla would still be attractive even if she wore the shabby dress bought by the chef.
Matthias locked his eyes on her, keeping a watchful glance on her things.
From her shoes.
Her dress.
Then, to the viridescent necklace that embellished her white, svelte neck.
The green necklace, which was pieced together by pearls and emeralds, was absolutely stunning.
The dress and shoes had been prepared by Hessen, but it was Matthias who chose the necklace.
It was just by chance. He was on his way to the hotel for an appointment when he happened to see that necklace.
The finely crafted emerald’s luminous green color gleaming in a display window by the hotel was captivating. Hence, Matthias instructed Hessen to buy the necklace on their way back to the estate that day.
Leyla abruptly turned her head and she realized someone had cast their eyes on her. Her green eyes, which resembled a lush summer woodland, came to a halt right in front of Matthias’s face.
Leyla slightly narrowed her gaze. But, her face shied away in surprise after she recognized who the person was.
She clutched Kyle’s arm and hid behind his back, drawing her gaze away from Matthias, who only looked at her immovably.
“Long time no see, Duke Herhardt.”
Matthias only quit staring at her after someone greeted him.
He warmly welcomed the familiar guest with a modest smile and exchanged brief pleasantries. Matthias was capable of completing his job flawlessly although his mind now was in a different place.
When Matthias shifted his gaze back to her, Leyla had already been walking away with Kyle to the other side of the hall.
Kyle Etman seemed to be proudly puffing out his chest when he was escorting Leyla. He acted as if she were his and led her around.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
“This is Leyla. She’s my friend.”
Claudine took Leyla and introduced her to another group of ladies.
“Hello. I’m Leyla Lewellin.”
Leyla played her part well with a polite greeting behaving like a doll with no will or feeling as she always did.
Claudine grinned satisfiedly looking at her. She was pleased with Leyla’s obedient and kind conduct then continued presenting her to other people.
“Leyla’s pursuing a teaching career. Isn’t it wonderful?”
The ladies soon replicated Claudine’s ecstatic praising manner, and they began complimenting Leyla in droves. But underneath all the praises, it was undoubtedly a tribute to Lady Claudine who regarded the poor orphan as her friend.
Those aristocratic ladies were fully aware that the two could never be real friends. Still, those empty compliments wouldn’t smudge Claudine’s reputation.
“Oh, Claudine. I heard you’re getting engaged.”
One of the ladies smoothly dropped the topic, as if their talk about an orphan who aspired to become a teacher was over. The topic of Claudine Brandt’s engagement now had sparked everyone’s interest.
Claudine adopted a shy and humble demeanor right away. It wasn’t very sensible to behave as if she had become Duchess Herhardt when they hadn’t officially announced their engagement yet.
“Oh, look! Duke Herhardt is coming here!”
A burst of admiration from one of the ladies on the other side of the hall drew everyone’s focus to one place.
Leyla, who kept wearing an apathetic expression the whole time, also widened her eyes in tandem with them.
Matthias passed by her, and as might be expected, he stood neatly beside his future bride-to-be.
Claudine then wrapped her arms around Matthias’. But it wasn’t the same with Leyla. Her face was noticeably paler than before as she saw them being together.
“Duke Herhardt, they’re my friends.”
Matthias greeted them with grace as Claudine began introducing them. He moved his eyes from one person to the next before stopping in front of Leyla’s face, who stood at the far end of the group.
“She’s Leyla,” Claudine introduced her while holding Matthias’s arm tightly. “You couldn’t recognize her, right? She’s so different from usual that I almost didn’t recognize her either.”
Leyla flushed with shame at Claudine’s veiled sarcasm. She seemed to be deliberately provoking her.
As Claudine noticed it. No matter how many slurs she spat at Leyla, that emotionless girl would always react differently whenever Matthias was there.
Suddenly, a warm voice broke the brief silence.
“Sorry, excuse me.”
Kyle Etman, the boy who had been loitering around with a disapproving look ever since Claudine took Leyla away.
“I apologize for interrupting your talk, but may I take my partner now?”
Kyle reached out and pulled Leyla’s hand without hesitation.
Leyla seemed a little startled, but she complied. Instead, she looked relieved, like a missing kid who had found her parents after being separated from them.
“My friends are also looking forward to meeting her.”
Kyle eyed Claudine coldly, which contrasted with his gentlemanly manner.
“Then I have to give permission. We can’t hold Leyla for much longer.”
Claudine happily nodded her head and glanced at Matthias, who seemed to pay no heed to them.
“Thank you, Lady Brandt. And also
. Duke Herhardt.”
Kyle bowed courteously.
“Let’s go, Leyla.”
Watching their backs, which were drawing further away, Claudine soon realized something after witnessing Kyle’s tender smile when he stared at Leyla’s face.
She could tell as his mellow smile reflected his feelings clearly.
That boy loved Leyla.
That boy seemed to cherish her-who looked smaller and thinner beside him, who was the same height as Matthias- like his precious treasure.
‘But, what about Leyla?’
Through her slightly opened eyes, Claudine studied Leyla closely. That girl was smiling back at that doctor’s son.
Claudine had seen Leyla Lewellin smile in front of her before. Yet, this was the first time she saw her bright and pleasurable smiley face, like a girl who was smitten.
‘So, it’s the doctor’s son, not Duke Herhardt?’
‘Then was he the one who turned Leyla Lewellin into a princess?’
When Claudine was still ruminating in her daydream, Leyla and Kyle turned around.
“Ah, Leyla!”
Without realizing it, Claudine called her name.
Leyla stood still, bathing in the light from the ceiling chandelier.
“You’re looking pretty lovely today. Especially your necklace.”
“Pardon? Ah
.. yes. Thank you, miss.”
Bewildered, Leyla fumbled for her necklace.
The long emerald necklace dangling on her chest was finely crafted in the flower petal shape and matched the iris color of her eyes.
That piece of jewelry suited her perfectly as if it had been made just for her. The green gemstones also looked authentic, similarly to the white pearls that decorated the edges.
The jewel necklace that adorned her slender neck was too lavish and enticing to be branded as a knockoff.
‘Kyle Etman is just a doctor’s son; could he afford to buy a necklace like that for her?’
“Isn’t that right, Duke Herhardt?”
Claudine grinned as she looked at Matthias.
“Yes. She is.”
Unbothered by it, Matthias answered her question as if he didn’t care.