"What about Mr. Remmer?"
The duke asked Leyla.
"Uncle went downtown for the moment. Is something the matter?"
Leyla managed to answer after wiping the biscuit crumbs off her lips.
With a short nod, Duke Herhardt turned his gaze towards Kyle. When he met eyes with Kyle, his lips curled into an affable smile. Only then did Kyle relieve his instinctive vigilance.
After asking to convey his gratitude and regard to Kyle's father for taking good care of Norma's health, he then looked back at Leyla again.
"Miss. Lewellin can bring the roses in on behalf of Mr. Bill, right?"
He slowly spoke as the smile on his lips disappeared.
"Roses? You mean the roses in the garden?"
"Moderately cut off some roses and bring them to the annex."
With a slight nod, the duke left. He hadn't even listened to Leyla's answer.
Leyla sighed hopelessly after looking at her blouse and skirt, which was covered with biscuit power. Although she shook off the powder, it wasn't enough to shake off the humiliation.
"Stop it. There isn't any powder on your clothes anymore."
Kyle burst into laughter as he then watched Leyla repeatedly rub her lips.
"Why did he have to show up like this?"
"Why not? Do you think the duke's never eaten a snack in his life?"
"But…"
Leyla unwittingly rubbed her mouth again.
"Why do you care when you always eat messy in front of me?"
"You're my friend."
"And Duke Herhardt is a stranger. You don't have to care about him more than your friend."
"That's true but…. I don't know. It's so uncomfortable."
Kyle asked with a subtle expectation. Leyla smiled and put on her hat.
"Of course, Mr. Etman."
Kyle's grin lit up at the satisfactory answer.
"As expected. I knew it. Ah, should I help you with your errand?"
"No, it's not a big deal. You should go home now."
"Then I'll wait here."
"I'm fine. Mrs. Etman will be veeery upset if she finds out you were hanging out here again. Don't get me scolded along with you and go study."
Kyle's eyebrows flinched at Leyla's reasonable point. He wanted to refute but couldn't.
Kyle looked carefully towards the direction the duke had disappeared to.
I'm probably being too oversensitive these days.
It was just Duke Herhardt. The flawless aristocrat who was about to announce his engagement to the public. But then…
"Leyla!"
Kyle tried to stop her. The thought of Duke Herhardt and Leyla being together still somewhat made him anxious. Meanwhile, Leyla was about to leave the porch as she said her farewell while holding a pair of scissors and a basket in her hands.
"See you tomorrow, Kyle!"
Don't go.
Kyle simply waved his hands in effort to swallow down the words that he had wanted to say.
It's Duke Herhardt. What could go wrong?
While Kyle was repeating those words like a spell, Leyla had moved towards the other side of the path.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Again."
Matthias's voice touched Leyla's back. Only after a few moments of blinking did Leyla realize that his words were directed at her. Leyle turned to him while holding her breath. Matthias sat, facing the butler at a table placed by the window. He was examining the documents that were piled up on the table.
"With colors that aren't flashy."
Matthias slowly said with his eyes focused only on the documents that he held in his hands.
"Again."
Soon, there was a ridiculously gentle smile on Matthias's face when he looked at Leyla.
Leyla clenched her fists tight in order to bear the pent-up irritation. So the roses were the problem. The roses that he told her to 'moderately' cut down.
While Leyla glared at the roses, Matthias's gaze turned emotionless. The butler Hessen then continued his report, and Matthias, who was listening, replied back with brief instructions. The presence of the insatiable errand girl was completely erased in the room.
For Uncle Bill.
Reiterating the incantations, Leyla quietly left the annex located by the river and headed back to the garden. That guy, who bullies a person at 2 p.m. in the middle of summer, is supposed to be a gentleman. She emphatically expressed her dissatisfaction at his unacceptable reputation.
Even though she was disinterested in the mansion affairs, Leyla was aware the detached annex along with the river was Duke Herhardt's. He rarely had guests in that annex and the number of servants who came in and out was limited.
Leyla initially thought the reason why he wanted the flower in the annex was because of Claudine. Claudine was about to get engaged to him so there was a chance that Claudine might've started using the annex as well. So Leyla, who knew Claudine's preference of bright flowers, had cut down the most gaudiest colored roses and presented them to the duke. Only to get rejected by him of course.
When Leyla got out of the forest, the shadowless garden appeared in sight.
Leyla boldly walked and cut the roses again with great care. In response to the duke's stressful demands, she chose subtle colored roses this time. Most of them were the types of roses that Leyla liked.
While holding a basket full of flowers, Leyla headed towards the annex again under the stifling summer afternoon sun.
Why didn't you just tell me the color you wanted in the first place?
Leyla vented her anger by kicking the stones on the floor instead of spitting out the words that she had in mind for the duke.
I hate you.
The words that Leyla could never directly say to him were left behind along with the stones she purposely kicked.
By the time she was about to feel dizzy from the sweltering heat, Leyla arrived in front of the detached house.
The beautiful annex located next to the dock was built as if it was half-floating on the river. On the first floor, there was a boat hangar and a kitchen filled with simple refreshments, and on the second floor, there was a reception room, a bedroom, and a dining room intended for the duke to rest and eat in.
Leyla climbed the outer stairs leading straight to the second floor while holding the basket of roses in her hands. The butler and a middle-aged maid were about the leave the annex.
After greeting them her farewell, Leyla turned to the reception room. Matthias was still sitting on his chair, with his eyes closed and head tilted back.
Should I wait?
While Leyla was contemplating, he thankfully opened his eyes. His softly tangled hair was covering his forehead.
"I've brought you new roses, your grace."
Leyla slightly lifted the basket full of flowers.
The duke simply stared at the cup of whiskey placed in front of him and didn't bother to open his mouth. He had taken off his horseback riding jacket and loosened up a few buttons on his shirt. Because of his getup, he looked much more defenseless and languid than before.
"Should I... go back again?"
Leyla's voice quivered as she carefully asked. If she had to go to the garden once again, she felt like she could've hit the duke with the roses.
"If I tell you to go, are you going to?"
He asked with a slight drowsiness in his voice.
"If I made another mistake, I'd go but please tell me the color of the roses you prefer this time."
Yes, your grace.
That was the answer she had originally planned to say but her mouth said the other.
Matthias, who was leaning deep into the chair's back, fixed his posture and sat upright.
"Sit down."
Matthias pointed to the seat that was placed at the opposite side of the table with his eyes.
"No, if my lord is satisfied, I'd now...."
"If you brought the flowers, wouldn't it be your job to arrange them in a vase? Miss. Lewellin?"
"But your grace, I'm not very good at arranging flowers."
"Then, do you expect me to do it?"
Matthias looked around the room and then turned his eyes back to Leyla. Leyla didn't find it difficult to recognize what that brief gesture meant. He and Leyla were the only ones in this detached house. She had no choice but to do something she wasn't confident in.
She took a cautious step forward. The opposite seat was too burdensome for her so she carefully sat on the wooden chair in front of the window that was facing the river.
As Leyla began to trim the roses, Matthias turned to his piles of document scattered across the table. The sound of the scissor blade cutting the fresh flower stalk and the fluttering of the document paper permeated into silence.
At the moment he finished signing the last reviewed document, Matthias suddenly recalled the bird living in his mansion bedroom. Putting the zookeeper's words that canaries were difficult types of birds to tame in vain, the canary in Matthias's bedroom followed him well. It sat on his finger and sang without any hesitation.
He looked at it for a long time, amazed at the fact that the unbelievably small bird could sing so beautifully. The flapping bird that had sat on his finger even cried a little, as if it was chatting about its day.
While he was organizing the documents, Leyla quietly went to the bathroom and filled the vase up with water. Her steps were light and swift.
It was soon proved that Leyla's words were no lies. Her flower arrangement was a mess.
"Do you like it?"
Leyla hesitantly asked as she brought up the rose filled vase up to Matthias.
"It's terrible."
Matthias's tone wasn't condescending, but dry. Leyla's eyes blinked in shock as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. I'll bring in a qualified maid."
"Sit."
"Pardon?"
"Sit, Leyla."
When his voice dropped, the tension in the atmosphere increased. His fingers pointed exactly towards the sofa located at the opposite of his seat.
Leyla placed the criticized rose vase on a console table near her and stiffly sat where Matthias had pointed to.
"Eat."
Matthias turned his gaze towards the silver-colored dome dish that was placed near the sofa.
Leyla awkwardly opened the cover. There were sandwiches and a glass of lemonade meant for one person.
Matthias stared at the perplexed Leyla. He thought if she liked those types of food, he was going to give Leyla the right amount of expenses for her work. The results of her work were lousy but she had made quite the effort.
"Thank you, your grace. But I'm fine."
Leyla laid down the dome dish with trembling hands. Her face, that used to brightly smile in front of the doctor's son, simply looked perplexed now.
"If you don't want me to do anything else, I'll take my leave…."
"Leyla."
Matthias's voice was now close to a whisper.
Leyla slowly blinked while Matthias took a sip of the cold whiskey in front of him. The droplets on the surface of the crystal glass slowly rode down his long fingers.
"Do my words sound like a request to you?"
Matthias smiled as his lips reddened with the wet whiskey.