/
‘She’s a smart girl, as expected.’
Mrs. Etman felt a surge of relief washing over her as she saw her son’s bedroom door snugly closed.
After going out in the afternoon to meet Leyla a few days ago, Kyle returned home devastated like a bewitched person. Mrs. Etman could foresee the ending of the two of them based on her son’s condition, who was confined to his room with his lips clamped shut.
“Madam, the Young Master skipped lunch today as well.” With a worried face, the housekeeper reported to Mrs. Etman, who had just come down from the second floor.
“Leave him alone. He will also have a hard time swallowing food when having a breakdown.”
Mrs. Becker’s eyes widened at Mrs. Etman’s unexpected response regarding her son. She seemed overjoyed, even though her son had skipped every meal since yesterday. But Mrs. Becker decided not to ask further, knowing that her milady would seldom reveal the actual reason, so she just bowed her head and walked away instead.
Mrs. Etman visited the garden after a long absence to tend to the flowerbed. The garden at Etman’s house was brimming with exquisite and different kinds of roses which were imported from Arvis’s shrubbery. She received several roses from Elysee von Herhardt, who exclusively gifted the flowers to her closest wives.
She was the only woman without a title in Carlsbar who had fellowship with the two Duchesses of the Herhardt household and several people didn’t know how proud she was of it. She believed that Kyle’s marriage to the lower-noble-lady that was introduced by Norma von Herhardt would enhance the Etman family’s social standing.
How hard she toiled to get here, now her husband and son tried to thwart her efforts, only for the sake of one girl named Leyla.
Linda Etman readily admitted that she had done a great wrong towards that poor girl. But she had no regrets. For Kyle’s sake, she could have performed far more gruesome acts than that. Leyla would be wise to seek a husband who was on par with her.
Mrs. Etman entered the living room, carrying a bouquet of roses that blended harmoniously in hues. She was delicately arranging the flowers in the vase when Dr. Etman came in.
“Kyle? Is he still doing that?”
“Yes. Sounds like he went through a lot of trouble.”
“I think something happened between him and Leyla.”
“I’m going to see Leyla.”
Mrs. Etman spoke calmly as she centered the vase on the table.
“You?”
“Did you forget? Kyle is my son as well.”
She smiled as she stood.
“He is the son I love much more than you.”
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Leyla was sitting in the corner of the yard washing a big pot when Mrs. Etman visited her. Her appearance was soaked; the splashing jet of pump water drenched her apron, sleeves, and the crown of her head.
“Hello, Mrs. Etman.”
Leyla got up and greeted her without expressing surprise.
“Please come i-
.”
“No. You don’t have to do that.” Mrs. Etman shook her head after thoroughly scrutinizing Leyla from head to toe and handing her the leather bag she had brought.
Leyla could tell what was within without even looking at it. She came close to expressing her gratitude, as she always did after receiving something. But Leyla decided to swallow her words and accept the money bag quietly.
Seeing Leyla shut her lips after receiving it, Mrs. Etman furrowed her brow in annoyance.
“Judging from the expression on your face, you seem to have a lot to say.”
“Yes.” Leyla answered her without a grain of hesitation. She refused to bow her head, which she did the last time at the teahouse.
Mrs. Etman erupted in laughter, “Well, go ahead. I’ll understand.” She flashed a kind smile through her lips which were stiff from the bitterness. “Looks like you’re done talking to Kyle.”
“You already know, and that is why you returned our money, right?”
“What did you say?” Mrs. Etman’s eyes fluttered at Leyla’s bold tone, which contrasted markedly with her usual self.
“Don’t worry; I made no mention of you.”
“Worry?”
“Yes. You appear worried that I will tell Kyle of what you really did that day.”
“Huh. I had no idea you were such a daring child.”
“My apologies if I sounded rude. I just wanted to tell you that Kyle doesn’t know what happened that day.”
Leyla bowed her head to express her apology.
“I didn’t tell Kyle,” she said. As her gaze returned to Mrs. Etman again, her eyes grew fiercer. “I won’t ever tell him in the future as well.”
Even mentioning Kyle’s name made Leyla’s heart ache. The memory of Kyle’s back, which she had abandoned by the river that day, would forever change her life. It would undoubtedly stay as a pain inside that will last for the remaining of her days.
“I’m going to do it for Kyle, not for anyone else.”
“For Kyle?”
Mrs. Etman was snide, but Leyla didn’t seem to mind.
“Yes. I know. I know that Kyle loves his mother very much. Whatever you do to me, you are Kyle’s precious mother. So I want to protect the mother he loves.”
“I can’t help but marvel how a brat like you has lived this long wearing the mask of a sweet and kind faced child.”
“I’m sorry if I offended you.”
Leyla again dipped her head politely. Mrs. Etman blanched in response to what she perceived to be a sign of ridicule.
“But, I meant that sincerely. I just wanted to let you know that you have nothing to worry about.”
“It’s a ballsy promise, so I’ll try to believe it.”
Mrs. Etman felt relieved but scrunched her eyes to disguise it.
“Since you said that you did it for Kyle, I’m hoping you’ll explain to Kyle why you called off the wedding in a way that doesn’t cause him undue pain.”
“Yes. I will do that. Instead, Mrs. Etman
”
Leyla looked down at her money bag, then slowly lifted her gaze.
“I want you to apologize for one thing.”
“
 What? Apologize?”
“Yes. I can accept whatever you tell me, even if it’s false, I will still accept it. But I want you to apologize for what you said about Uncle Bill.”
Leyla raged. Her hand holding the bag became pallid, but she did not attempt to revert.
“You said that you hated Uncle Bill for bringing about such a tragedy into your life by raising me.”
Mrs. Etman snorted as if she couldn’t comprehend what she was saying. Again, Leyla badgered her into apologizing.
“Please apologize for that.”
Her voice was soft yet insistent, borne on the wind of a beautiful summer evening.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Matthias’s lips broke in a grin as he leaned against the wall, having to eavesdrop on their interesting conversation.
He just finished swimming when he suddenly stepped foot towards the gardener’s cottage while on his way back home, expecting to see Leyla crying there. And Matthias had no regrets about making such a snap choice after witnessing a spectacle that was even more enthralling than her tears.
He was eager to see what look Mrs. Etman would put on her face, but Matthias decided to be patient, knowing that his entrance would merely bring their fascinating play to an end.
Matthias took a seat on the window frame leaning against Leyla’s room window facing the backyard. He enjoyed watching the white pigeon pecking on its food as he awaited Linda Etman’s answer.
“What people say is true; One’s roots cannot be deceived”
After some silence, Linda Etman’s voice became strained with a maddening rush that she couldn’t hide.
“Apologize? I’d rather feel sorry for Mr. Remmer, that poor man who reared a child like you.”
‘Linda Etman, as one would expect.’
Pleased that his second prediction came true, Matthias petted the docile pigeon. He recalled seeing Leyla’s figure through the window of his car a few days ago. It was all still fresh in his mind; she sobbed piteously, and her body was soaked in a cold sweat. She had difficulty breathing properly, and her shaking body appeared scruffy.
“Very pathetic.”
Matthias gave a mocking smirk. His twitching lips gleamed in crimson red.
“If she has something to say, tell her, say it aloud. Don’t you think so?”
After he gently spoke to the pigeon, Matthias left the cabin, dumping the drudgery spectacle behind.
Then, he decided.
If Leyla couldn’t provide him with some fun, he would simply create his own.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
The hearsay started from Mrs. Mona.
“Have you guys heard? The reason why Leyla and Kyle broke up.”
Whenever she encountered the other employees of the duchy, Mrs. Mona would return in her furious tone to tell the marvelous story she had overheard previously.
“It was Mrs. Etman who stole Leyla’s tuition from Mr. Remmer! The Postman just told me. She sent someone else to steal their money. She wanted to make Leyla drop out of College and cancel her marriage with Kyle!”
Mrs. Mona held her breath momentarily as she spoke to add a dramatic effect, just like a popping firecracker.
Everyone laughed in tandem, they were all blown away. Mrs. Mona was well-known as a chatterbox. She eschewed idle gossip and never failed to give a solid grounding for every one of her storylines.
“I know. You can’t believe it. Because I was like that too at first. However, the police had arrested the person who acted as Mrs Etman’s lapdog in stealing the money. The Postman, Mr. Berger saw the thief in person when he was delivering the letter to the police station. He heard what had happened from the policemen. I bet you would all be shocked to know who he is.”
Mrs. Mona deliberately dropped her voice as she reached the story’s most intriguing part.
“Do you all know Mr. Rayner? The businessman, who is also Mrs. Etman’s cousin? Oh, my God, he was the thief!”
“What, Mr. Rayner? That Daniel Rayner?”
“Yes! That Mr. Rayner!”
Mrs. Mona’s tone grew more spiteful as they all noisily parroted the question in disbelief.
“And after she stole the money, Mrs. Etman asked for a face-to-face meeting with Leyla, at some point she confronted her and said, ‘How dare you marry my son?’ A stranger who happened to overhear their quarrel became suspicious and reported it to the police, which led to his arrest.”
Following that, the story rolled about like fireworks dotting upwards the night sky.
“Indeed, she was a wicked woman. How could she do such a cruel thing to that poor child?!”
The stunned looks on her audience’s faces grew wider when Mrs. Mona raised her voice as she struggled to suppress her emotions.
“I knew it! There is no way that Leyla would ever give up on college or marriage without doing anything.”
“How could she have done such a horrible act? That noble Mrs. Etman.”
The excited crowd flocked over to lend their voices. They all quickly developed into enthusiastic orators with the same veins as Mrs. Mona and began spreading the truth at the same speed.
The word quickly traveled throughout Arvis’s Mansion, needing less than half a day, to be precise.
It was late afternoon when Mrs. Mona, who seemed to have subdued her fury, saw Bill Remmer who was calmly working in the garden.
‘It seems, the dim-witted guy still doesn’t know.’
Regardless of how excited Mrs. Mona was about relaying the story, she was unhappy since this matter concerned someone close to her.
‘But Bill Remmer is like Leyla’s father. He is someone who needs to know this better than anyone else.’
In her inner battle, Mrs. Mona made up her mind,
“Yes. I have to tell him.”
Finalizing her decision, she began waddling towards the garden.