Cry, Even Better if you Beg

re getting married.
But now that Leyla Lewellin was a fly in the ointment no longer, her mother’s worries were nothing more than the elderly’s fuddy-duddy fears.

“For him, this engagement is also a symbol of pride for the Herhardts.
There’s no one who can get in the way.”

Claudine spoke her thoughts with confidence as she cut and neatened the embroidery thread.

The kind yet heartless man.

Since childhood, that’s how Matthias was nicknamed.
While her other cousins often made fun of Claudine with their snarky jokes, only Matthias remained polite and kind to her.
Whereas, his good samaritan attitude also built a barrier between them and made him a difficult man to attract.

‘Does he even have feelings?’

Claudine sometimes wondered about it.

It was difficult for her to envision Matthias being angry, sad, or happy.

From the beginning of his life to this day, he seemed to look down on the world with his arrogant yet elegant smile.
And this Matthias von Herhardt was something Claudine wanted to own.

“I should visit Arvis sometime next week.”

Claudine rose from the sofa, her mood became a bit lighter.

“I want to meet Duke Herhardt and congratulate my friend who is getting married soon.
It’s for both of these reasons.”

“A friend who’s getting married? Oh my goodness.
By ‘friend’ did you mean the gardener’s orphan?”

Countess Brandt gave a fretful moue.
Claudine smiled without a hitch to her mother and said,

“Leyla is my friend.
Of course, I have to give my old friend a wedding present.”

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*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Leyla wrapped herself in a white dress she had bought in Ratz after so much consideration when she travelled there to take the exam.
Her golden hair was nicely braided, and she adorned the end of her hair with her favourite ribbon.

This was not her first visit to the Etman household, but Leyla felt uneasy for some reason.
Her insides felt queasy as if this was her first.

The thought of her upcoming marriage to Kyle exacerbated her nerves, and the fact that the person who personally invited her was Kyle’s mother further added to her concerns.

“Uncle, how do I look?”

Leyla walked out of her room.
She stood in front of Bill and asked with a solemn expression.
Bill, who was mellowing out by the opened window with his mouth smoking his cigarette, looked at Leyla and grinned widely.

“Wooho… Since you’re going to get married soon, it seems you’re going all-out in dressing up unlike before.”

“It’s not like that, I’m just really nervous about meeting Mrs.
Etman.”

“Goodness me! Haven’t you already met Mrs.
Etman once or twice before?”

“But today is a special event.”

“There’s nothing to worry about.
It won’t be a problem.” Bill gave a gentle smile as he stubbed out his cigarette and got up from his seat.
“You just have to be yourself, Leyla.
That’s enough.”

Bill gently patted Leyla’s shoulder.
His smiling face felt warm, so did his hand.

Leyla smiled.
She willingly nodded, even though she knew it was simply his subjective point of view.
After a whole day of fretting, she was finally able to relax a little bit.
Kyle arrived in the cottage at that moment.

“Kyle, I….”

“Perfect.”

Kyle lauded her before Leyla could raise a question.

“Just be yourself.” He cracked a smile.
His gaze was warm, identical to Uncle Bill’s.
“That’s all you need, Leyla.” Kyle reassured her.

“Well.
Someone else had said precisely the same thing as you did.” Leyla giggled as she witnessed two people with the same expression and said say very similar the exact same things.

“What? Who? What kind of person?”

“Don’t talk crap and get going, you little prick.” Bill smacked Kyle on the back with all his might.
Kyle staggered back and turned around, his face scrunched up.

“But, uncle, some jerk is hitting on her….”

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“That jerk is me!”

“So… uh, what!?”

“You spoiled gluttonous brat, you! I’ll seriously consider whether or not I can entrust Leyla to you.”

Contrary to his scathing tone, Bill Remmer kindly patted Kyle on the shoulder.
Leyla stood aside and quietly watched the pair’s bickering.

Her two most beloved people in the world.
Her two precious people.
Two people she wanted to protect by all means.

Her heart began to warm, a smile blossomed on her face.
Uncle Bill and Kyle were her everything, and Leyla couldn’t fathom living her life without those two by her side.

That’s why Leyla decided to get married after a long shilly-shallying.

As Kyle proposed to her and she turned him down, the strain in their relationship grew bigger.
If she couldn’t accept his feelings, it would be right for her to walk away.
Kyle tried hard to narrow the distance between them, but since he had already revealed his feelings, they were faced with two choices.

Get married or become strangers.

It would crush her innermost hope for them to stick as dear friends forever if they grew up by keeping their distance from one another.

Leyla could feel her heart breaking every time she thought of them, from the fall through the winter, and into the spring living as strangers.

For Leyla, the marriage and the future that Kyle had proffered to her, was a vague picture in the distance.
She was cowed into indulging her avarice to a line that was beyond her reach.
But if it was the only way for her not to lose Kyle,

Leyla wanted to be brave.

It was late spring; after Duke Herhardt had insulted her until she cried her eyes out, Leyla finally made up her mind.
On that night, she dumped his gold coins into a fountain because she didn’t desire anything he had given to her, then she saw Kyle’s face, who had come searching for her soon after that.

The moment she met Kyle, all of the sadness and grief in her heart were wholly forgotten.
He stood out like a beacon of light amidst a dark forest.
Like the warm light from Uncle Bill’s cottage, which always awaited her return, and belighted her voyage through the dark forest trail.
That glint of light became her solace and comforted all of her wounds that the world beyond the forest had given to her.

Wontedly, Kyle and Bill’s futile argument ended with a jolly laugh.
With a lingering peal of a smile still hardened on his face, Kyle walked up to her.

“Let’s go, Leyla.”

Kyle reached out his hand to her.
With some reluctance, Leyla grabbed the tip of his.
Kyle held his gaze at her for a long moment.
He grinned and then gently took her hand.
So intimate and in such a tight hold.

Though the changing of their relationship was still very awkward and embarrassing, Leyla didn’t brush-off his hand.

Because he was Kyle.

The person she didn’t want to lose.