The sun was scorching hot but the tree shade was cool. Leyla sat on a blanket with her arms wrapped around her knees. Bill and the other garden workers were engrossed in digging up the rose tree that had started to wilt.
The garden behind the mansion seemed to have roses of all different sorts. The rose was said to be the national flower of the Berg Empire and the flower that the duke's mother and grandmother adored.
Due to another day of gunshots coming from the forest, Leyla wandered nervously around the cabin. Uncle Bill had seen her nervous state and decided to bring her out into the garden. Her mind was put to rest when the sound of gunshots faded away.
Is it really okay for me to rest when Uncle Bill is working under the burning sun?
Leyla uncomfortably looked at Bill. She slowly closed her eyes and let out a small sigh. Uncle Bill threatened to get angry if she helped him. He told her he hated children who don't listen. Even though Leyla's heart wasn't at ease, she decided to wait for him until he finished his job.
When Leyla opened her eyes again with resignation, she was startled by an unfamiliar boy standing in front of her. The neatly dressed boy looked like he was around Leyla's age.
"Hey."
When their eyes met, the boy greeted her with a lovely smile. He was a boy with charming platinum hair.
"You live here?"
The boy looked around and asked solemnly.
"Yeah. With Uncle Bill."
Leyla answered as she squinted her eyes.
"Mr. Bill? You mean that scary gardener guy?"
"He's not scary."
"Really? Seems scary to me."
The boy tilted his head and casually took a seat next to Leyla.
"Do you live here too?"
Leyla asked with caution. The boy smiled and shook his head.
"Nah. I followed my father. He's the family doctor at the Herhardt household. He's here to give Madam Norma a medical examination. I come here with my father sometimes. Madam Norma said it was okay."
"I see."
"How old are you?"
"Twelve."
"Same. But you're kinda small."
The boy staring at Leyla began to laugh. Leyla's cheeks started to flush bright red in fury.
"You're small too."
"I'm the tallest in my class though."
The boy stretched out his back to prove his tall height. He certainly looked a little taller than his age.
"Anyways… You're still shorter than Uncle Bill."
Leyla whispered softly. The boy giggled again at Leyla's words. He seemed like a happy-go-lucky child.
"Hey, it's impossible to find a kid or even an adult taller than Mr. Bill."
"I'm not so sure about that."
Leyla picked at the grass growing near the blanket for no reason. Her delicate fingers slowly tainted green. She wished the boy would quickly go away but he showed no signs of getting up.
"Do you want some?"
Leyla, who then focused her attention on the peach sitting at the edge of the blanket, asked impulsively. The boy gladly nodded.
Leyla took out a pocket knife from her leather bag. The boy snickered at the sight of Leyla gently cutting the peach.
"You're funny. Why is a knife coming out of a girl's bag?"
"Don't make fun of me. Uncle Bill gave it to me."
Leyla slightly wrinkled her nose in annoyance as she gave the half-cut peach to the boy. The sweet scent of the peach pulp tingled two children's noses.
"Why do you look so down? Did something happen?"
The boy carefully asked after he gulped down his peach.
"The duke and his friends keep hunting down birds."
Leyla somberly answered. The boy titled his head, wondering what the issue was.
"What about it?"
"They're murdering birds for their own enjoyment."
"Isn't that how hunting works?"
"Do you think so too?"
Leyla stared at the boy with her stern green eyes. To Leyla, the boy seemed like he would have a hard time holding the big, long hunting gun.
"Uh….. No."
The boy shook his head violently.
"I don't. It's cruel."
The boy replied. A smile gradually began to spread on Leyla's face.
"Do you want another peach?"
Leyla asked in a brighter voice. The boy nodded. Leyla cut another peach in half and handed the larger piece to the boy. The boy's cheeks started to flush as he tried to fix his uncomfortable collar.
"Kyle! Kyle!"
A faint voice was heard. The boy, who was fiddling with the dead peach seed, sprang to his feet.
"I have to go now."
"Okay. Bye."
"Kyle Etman."
The boy held out his hand.
"My name. What about you?"
"I'm Leyla. Leyla Lewellin."
Leyla awkwardly shook his hand. With their small hands covered in sticky peach nectar, the two shook hands as if they were making a truce.
"Bye, Leyla. See ya. I'll bring you something more delicious next time."
The boy shouted as he dashed away in the distance.
Leyla simply gave out a small wave because she was unsure if she could see him again if she ever stayed in this estate.
When Kyle left, Leyla's world was at peace again.
While taking a whiff of the rose-scented breeze, Leyla patiently waited for Uncle Bill to finish his work. But at some point, she had fallen asleep and opened her eyes to Uncle Bill calling her name at sunset.
Leyla rose up from her seat, carried her bag, and picked up the blanket.
"Uncle Bill. I saw a kid…."
When Leyla was about to tell her encounter with the boy who she shared her peaches with, she was interrupted by silhouettes of people walking out from the other side of the forest. It was Duke Herhardt and his friends.
Matthias paused in the center of the rose garden. The blunt gardener, Bill Remmer, was there bowing his head towards the duke. It was not long before Matthias realized that there was a tiny child hiding behind the gardener.
"Long time no see, Mr. Remmer."
Matthias lightly nodded. His acquaintances that were with him during his hunting session stopped behind the duke at a moderate distance.
"She's going to be staying here at Arvis for the time being."
Bill Remmer informed the duke with a slightly uncomfortable look.
When Bill tapped the girl's back to come forward, the girl hesitatingly took a step towards the duke. Thanks to her sparkling blond hair, Matthias was able to recall who the child was. The girl who he almost shot. The absurd little girl who almost got shot for being thought of as a bird.
"I've already received approval from Madam Norma and Madam Elysse but I believe I should ask for your approval as well."
Bill Remmer bowed his head once again. The child standing beside him bowed along.
Matthias slowly glanced at the child. When they exchanged looks, the child frowned at him. Thin scowled eyes and clamped lips. Her expression was the exact same when they first met in the woods.
"You're that girl. The girl who lives in the forest."
Matthias's cousin, Riette, snickered from behind. The red-faced child hid behind the gardener's back in embarrassment. The girl he occasionally met in the forest was like that as well. As soon as she stared into the duke's eyes in wonder, she hid behind the tree. And after Matthias had finished hunting, she always came out from behind and buried the dead birds.
"Sure. If that's what you want Mr. Remmer."
Matthias gave a brief answer with a grin. Whatever the gardener raised in the forest was none of his business.
"Thank you My Lord."
Bill gave him his thanks. After Matthias's chin ever so slightly nodded at Bill, he began to move.
After the duke passed the gardener and the girl by, Leyla flinched at the sight of Matthias's servants following him with their hands full of hunted animals. The deep, unpleasant scent of blood ran through the girl's nose. Leyla's shoulders hunched and she closed her eyes.
Uncle Bill's large, warm hands patted Leyla's frail shoulders.
~~~~~~~
Claudine let out an exaggerated sigh with her chin rested on the palm of her hand. Her curled brown hair bounced along to the beat of her constant sighs. Countess Brandt glanced at her daughter with her thin eyebrows.
"Claudine, behave like a lady please."
The countess's inarticulate voice grew in impatience. Although Claudine was rather too young to be called a lady, she was soon to be the Duchess of Arvis. Claudine's mother let out a long sigh at her daughter's immature attitude.
"But I'm so lonely and bored."
Claudine grumbled. The other noblewomen who were drinking tea at the tea table turned their eyes at the upset brunette girl.
"Then go play with your cousins."
Countess Brandt huffed as her face turned crimson red. But Claudine did not bother to notice her frustrated mother.
"They treat me as if I'm not here. They say things I don't understand."
The ladies let out a soft smile at Claudine's annoyed expression.
"Well, it can be boring. Claudine doesn't have any friends her age."
Elysse von Herhardt nodded as she stroked the white dog sitting on her lap.
"See? Madam Herhardt understands."
A lively smile bloomed on Claudine's lip when she found someone who could understand her pain.
"Who's that child?"
Claudine suddenly directed her finger towards a garden after glancing at a young girl for some time. All the ladies turned their heads toward the direction Claudine was pointing at. The young girl Claudine was talking about was talking a stroll with a gardener.
"Can I play with her? I think she's about the same age as me."
"Well… Isn't she an orphan from abroad? That kind of girl isn't suitable to be your friend."
"I'm fine. I think it'll be more amusing than playing with a dog."
Claudine's tone was calm and imposing. She didn't pay any attention to her mother's red ears that were about to burst in embarassment. Elysse von Herhardt laughed and happily rang the bell.
"Bring me that child."
A maid arrived at the call of her master's bell.
"The child the gardener is currently raising."
~~~~
The maid brought Leyla to an unknown world. It was a place where fancy people, dressed in candy-sweet colored clothes, sat under the white mansion shade.
"She's very cute."
One of the ladies complimented.
"What do you say? Do you like it, Claudine?"
After examining Leyla, the black haired woman turned over to the chestnut-haired girl sitting besides her. The girl, named Claudine, smiled happily and nodded.
"Thank you, Madam Herhardt."
Leyla blankly stared at the people in front of her. She wasn't sure what the ladies were conversing about. She just wanted to get back to Uncle Bill's cabin but no one seemed to notice her desperate desire.
When one of the ladies murmured an order, the maid held Leyla's hand and dragged her into a room.
Leyla had washed herself in a fancy bathroom for the first time and wore clothes that were surprisingly soft and white. The maid roughly combed her messy hair but Leyla endured the pain. She believed if she said something wrong, she would risk Uncle Bill's job.
"Lady Claudine is the daughter of Count Brandt. You shouldn't act recklessly in front of her. Do you understand?"
The maid who dragged Leyla into the second floor of the mansion sternly warned Leyla.
Leyla dazedly nodded. The maid cautiously opened the door of the drawing room. Claudin had greeted them with a posh attitude.
"Hello. What's your name? Age?"
Claudine lowered her head and attempted to make an eye contact with Leyla.
"Leyla Lewellin. I'm twelve years old."
"Really? I thought you were younger since you're so small."
Although Leyla hated being called 'small', she decided to hold in her frustration. For Uncle Bill. She calmed herself as she repeated those words like an incantation.
Piano. Music. Floral Arranging.
Claudine recommended this and that, but there was nothing Leyla could do.
Dice game. Word game. Chess.
The other alternatives proposed by Claudin were the same.
A vague smile came upon Claudine's mouth as she alternately looked at the table full of toys and at Leyla.
"Poor you."
With a disappointed sigh, Claudine slowly rose from her chair. Leyla stared helplessly at the toys assorted on the table.
"You don't know a thing."
Claudin walked towards Leyla's chair and sighed in resignation. Her soft voice, trying not to give any hints of disappointment or annoyance, gave Leyla a greater humiliation.
Leyla thought she should at least answer something but her mouth was closed shut. In a situation like this, It was hard to say anything polite. Fortunately, Claudine turned away without waiting for what Leyla had to utter.
Before closing the door, Claudine muttered a sigh to herself.
"What the heck. No better than a dog."
When Claudine left, Leyla was left all alone in the gleaming drawing room.
Leyla wanted to leave right away but she decided to wait. Maybe she'll come back. Leyla thought. But when the afternoon sun gradually ripened to a golden color, Claudine did not return.
The maid who brought Leyla in did not show up until evening.
"You may go back."
The maid's voice was softer than before.
"The lady said you can keep the clothes. And this as well."
The maid extended a glittering gold coin towards Leyla. When Leyla froze in place, the maid shoved the coin into her hands.
"Take it. It's polite to be thankful for what your superiors give you. Do you understand?"