?Just Such A Relationship?

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Kyle stayed behind in the cafe long after Claudine had left. He sat there, on his table, taking in what Claudine said in frozen silence. The waiter quietly came up beside him. They dutifully wiped the table down, taking with them the untouched third cup of coffee he had ordered.

They glanced over at Kyle, and felt concerned with how pale as a blank sheet he was.

‘Don’t listen to Claudine,’ Kyle berated himself over and over back when he was listening to what she had to say to him. He firmly told himself that this was just how Claudine was. She hated Leyla ever since he could remember. She’s trying to ruin Leyla’s image..

And he hated how he was beginning to believe her.

But he’d catch himself and tell himself that this was Leyla! She was not the kind of woman who’d enter willingly into an affair with an engaged man! There was no way Claudine was telling the truth!

But the thought of what if kept bugging him. What if Claudine was telling him the truth? He did see the way the Duke had eyed Leyla, that couldn’t have just been his imagination! All of a sudden he could feel a chill in the pit of his stomach as anxiousness and despair came over his thoughts.

‘If the Duke really feels that way towards Leyla, then they could..’ Kyle’s thoughts trailed off, before shaking the awful thought out of his mind.

“Their relationship blossomed right after you left for the capital, Kyle, did you know?” Claudine casually pointed out as she took a sip of her cup of coffee. Kyle knew better to believe every word Claudine said. He knew that..

But she made him believe they were only waiting for the right time, and he can’t help the doubt forming in his mind around that. Another thing that made him doubt that she was telling him all but lies was the tone in her voice.

There was something real in them. The genuine hate in her tone was unmistakable, and it strengthened the possibility that what she had been telling him had ounces of truth in them.

Because as much as Claudine hated Leyla, she wasn’t the type to spread false rumors about her. Not unless she knew, a hundred percent, what was going on with Leyla and the Duke. Claudine knew that if she made any false accusations, it would make her look bad. Her pride and honor would be tarnished because of misinformation.

There was no way she’d risk talking false slanderous things about her fiance and Leyla, just to say it in front of a doctor’s son.

‘No, it’s not true. Claudine is lying, you know she’s lying!’ Kyle once again scolded himself, reminding him that this wasn’t just anyone Claudine was implicating in having an affair with her fiance.

This was Leyla.

Kyle stood up with wobbly feet, and went out of the cafe with a dazed look upon his face. He was looking straight ahead of him, but not really seeing or thinking about where he would go. As the cold winds swept past him until his face numbed in the chill, he just wanted to do one thing.

Shutting his dry eyes were too painful, and his breathing grew ragged the more he walked. There was a tightening in his chest that threatened to suffocate him. He can’t think properly, but he knew what would give him his peace of mind back..

And it was still Leyla.

He was the only one who could lay his troubles to rest, the only one who could provide him a real truth. The only source he trusted in this matter.

He must see her. But how would he bring this up to her?

*.·:·.?.·:·.*

The rest of their day was spent exchanging casual conversation with each other. Most of the time, it was Matthias initiating the conversation, asking Leyla questions every now and then to which she would respond swiftly, yet briefly.

Sometimes she would ask him a few short questions, but not as much as he would. He even noticed most of the questions she’d direct him were formal at best, and not really much about him in general. She was only doing so to appear polite.

But he was happy he had her undivided attention. She was looking at him, and exchanging words without hints of being scared or angry with him, and was actively listening to him. He didn’t know what made her act like this, but he wanted it to continue.

Looking at her like this, where he could unabashedly stare at her jewel-like eyes and softly flushed cheeks was exhilarating.

He took in every subtle change she made, the way her eyes would spark when he’d ask her about birds, or how the tension on her shoulders slowly seeped out of her body with every passing minute. He took them all in greedily, and kept wanting for more, for they filled him up warmly in a way that sent tingles down to his toes.

This was getting crazier, how badly she affected him. This couldn’t be normal, but he also couldn’t put a finger on it. He could feel his breath hitching the longer he stared at her, and the heated tension in his body coiling beneath his skin like a snake waiting to strike..

And he loved every little sensation he felt from watching her like this.

“Are we heading back already?” Leyla asked him cautiously when she noticed Matthias glance down his wrist watch. She was looking expectantly at him, in a way that couldn’t be hidden even if she tried to.

“Alright.” Matthias agreed with a hum, brushing off entertaining thoughts on making this moment between them last a little longer.

If he could make it so, this time between them would have gone on for forever.

Leyla softly breathed out a sigh of relief on his acquiesce, closing her eyes in silent praise at whoever was watching over her. Upon seeing her reaction, Matthias couldn’t help but feel offended at how relieved she was for this day to be over and done with.

Yet he can’t keep his eyes off of her.

And he wanted her to look at him once more, and to keep him in her eyes at all times. There was a burning need for her, blooming in his chest that grew stronger every moment they spent together.

Leyla shivered under a cold gust of wind, before feeling eyes boring holes into her, and nervously looked back at him. Her breath hitched when she saw the intense gaze he had, unconsciously wetting her lips.

They had soft ragged breaths as they locked gaze, before Leyla voiced out a question that had been deeply bugging her.

“This thing between us, you promise to keep it a secret right?” she couldn’t help but ask worriedly. Matthias quirked up a brow at her.

“A secret?” he repeated, “From who?”

“From Uncle Bill.”

Ah, there it was again, that name; Matthias thought bitterly, an ugly feeling rearing its head in the back of his mind. She said it so softly, you would have thought she was genuinely worried, but the look on her eyes made it seem like she was determined to make him keep it a secret from her uncle, the most.

He’d almost forgotten about the gardener, which was of course why Leyla’s been so willing to spend time with him. Whether he really meant it as a reminder or a threat, that didn’t matter. What mattered was, with Bill Remmer being held over Leyla as leverage made him unpleasant.

“Please Duke, he must never know about us!” Leyla pleaded desperately in a quiet voice, when a frown marred Matthias’ expression.

Finally, he straightened up and schooled his expressions back into his cool and indifferent demeanor.

“Do you really think you can hold out on never telling Bill our relationship together until your dying breath?” Matthias asked her with a tilt in his head.

He knew this thing between them cannot stay like this forever, especially not this type of affair, but it seemed like Leyla had completely misunderstood him once more. She was fond of doing that.

“What do you mean by ‘until my dying breath’?!” she asked, startled at the implications as she looked at him in alarm. All of a sudden, it quickly shifted into a defensive expression.

The Duke was due to marry Lady Brandt by summer at the earliest possible moment. What he had with her was a mere shallow obsession which she was indulging in. He shouldn’t force her to continue with their deal even after he’d tied a knot with some other woman!

It isn’t right! Leyla won’t allow that to ever happen! Was he planning on making her miserable the rest of her life?!

Her hands trembled in front of her.

‘Forever,’ Leyla thought hatefully, ‘Such a powerful word to use with our relationship.’ she couldn’t help but think bitterly.

Matthias only hummed after he regarded her carefully, shrugging his shoulders.

“I’m just saying,” he began once more, “One way or another, he will find out about us. Aren’t you supposed to prepare yourself for that probability?” he asked her coldly, rephrasing his question as he took a sip on his glass of water.

“No!” Leyla exclaimed, frustration and anger leaking out of her shouted whisper as she looked around them nervously, before glaring back at him with all the rage she could muster. “I’ll make sure you or anyone who knows will never speak about this to him!”

She would leave him before he could ever tie her permanently to him! She’d make sure of it! Above all, she won’t ever let Uncle Bill know about what she’d done.

She can’t hurt him like that! She was already upset she had to sleep with him for her uncle’s freedom, but she can take it. She can’t take the thought of causing her uncle grief.

If he would ever find out what she’d been doing with the Duke, he would be heartbroken about how low she’d gotten! She’ll have to be extra careful from now on, and make sure this affair between them would be over quickly and to never owe the duke anything ever again!

So she’d have to be a better toy for him, an obedient doll to his advances. She’d do anything!

“Duke,” she called out, begging for him to hear her as she looked up at him in a pleading manner. “Duke, please..”

Matthias stared into her eyes with a sharp look on his face. He could clearly see the fear, mixed with a hint of expectancy in her eyes as she looked at him. It was like something awoke deep inside him as he looked into those two glimmering green orbs of hers..

Ah, she was so beautiful like this. He really wanted to have her..

And he did. He did have her..

But then a frown came upon him as he thought deeply about that fact.

‘Do I really have her all to myself?’

With her dream of leaving Arvis behind, and to marry a random man slipping through her fingers, she had nowhere to go, but stay in Arvis, where he could see her whenever he liked. She’d willingly allowed him to bed her, time and time again, solidifying she was his to have and his to use.

It was just as he planned it to be. All he needed to do now, was to just do as he wanted, and nothing more.

With a tired sigh, he gave Leyla a terse nod, signifying whatever news Bill Remmer would get about them, would never come from him. After all, it was only a matter of time now, but Leyla didn’t have to know he intended for everyone around them to know she was his.

When that would be, he couldn’t really tell.

All he knew was that he didn’t want to let her go, and that was the big mystery wasn’t it? He couldn’t fathom his obsession with her. Why is it, with all the women in the world, he chose a woman who was essentially nothing for him?

Had he gone insane after all? Was it because she was alway hard to get, even though he’d finally gotten a taste of her? Until when will she continue to torture him this way?

Leyla was completely oblivious to his turmoil, sighing in complete relief when he’d given her his word. She’d always been so uncomfortable around him, and couldn’t help but be terrified to be in his presence, but that intimidating air around him was strangely absent for today.

Instead, there was something blooming in her chest, something she barely felt before.

Suddenly, Matthias stood up, and came up beside her. Leyla followed his movements, looking up at him. He stared down at her with a contemplative gaze, before he just grabbed her by the shin, freezing her to shock at his sudden movements.

Suddenly, she took back what she had just thought about not being fearful of him today. She was growing terrified of him right now. She tried to move away from his grip, but he only tightened it up, refusing to let her move.

He kept looking down on her, it was like he was boring his eyes straight into her soul, seeing things she didn’t know about her. Eventually, he let her go, pulling away from her.

She heaved a breath of relief, looking up at him in a nervous manner, as she massaged her chin, still feeling the ghost of his grip on her. She wondered what he was thinking during that moment, which made her feel a little bit flustered, but she didn’t know why.

All she hoped was that he didn’t see how flustered he’d made her.

“Let’s go.” He told her, and outstretched a hand for her to take. Feeling the eyes trailed on them, Leyla reluctantly took it. As soon as she stood up, Matthias gripped her hand tight, making her wince at his grip as he half dragged her behind him.

She bit into her lip, keeping her head trailed down on the ground as she hurried behind him, to keep up with his pace. She wanted nothing more than to scream, but she couldn’t find it in her to do it.

Instead, she could only watch as the shoelaces he’d tied on her shoes swayed with every step she took.

*.·:·.?.·:·.*

Kyle headed back to Arvis as soon as he’d shaken out of his shock, making haste to not waste any more daylight. He soon reached the crossroads that led straight to Etman street, and completely bypassed it.

He was focused on reaching Arvis as soon as possible. It was his utmost priority. Nothing else mattered right now. In his one-track focus, he failed to notice just whose car it was that had passed him by.

Matthias’ eyes narrowed when he caught sight of Kyle as he stared out the car’s windows. He had a determined look on his face as he stared straight ahead, and he had a good guess at why that is.

Why else would he be visiting Arvis outside of his father’s visits to the mansion? He was headed there for Leyla.

Matthias took a deep breath, before looking over to the recently vacated space beside him.

He was content in delivering her straight in front of her cabin, but Leyla insisted they drop her off somewhere in the downtown area of Carlsbar. She reasoned out she had just remembered she had something to do there, and so with great reluctance, he let her leave.

But he knew she was only making excuses to get away from him.

She had looked so transparent, the nervousness and fear in her eyes were blatant to him as she asked him to drop her off there. But Matthias soon found out that the look on her face was starting to get old. He cannot find any more amusement in that expression of hers.

And he’d been so happy to see her cry before too. He felt such immense satisfaction in bringing her to tears, begging in front of him so beautifully, yet none of those familiar sensations came at that moment.

It made him wonder what it really was he wanted from her if not for her misery?

The first time he took notice of Kyle, a similar question came to his mind. It was seeded into him at that moment when he first saw how Leyla was around Kyle, and grew into a forest of nagging questions, plaguing his mind day and night.

He’d always seen them together, so unabashedly content in each other’s presence, up until their engagement being called off. Leyla, when she’d been with Kyle, always wore a bright and happy smile on her face.

And suddenly, his mouth felt dry at remembering that, making him swallow down his unease.

She did not hold back in doling out smiles and loving gaze at Kyle. She kept giving it out without a second thought, even if Kyle couldn’t offer her what she wanted like he could. No matter what Kyle did, Leyla continued to be by his side, giving him all her time and attention.

But Matthias reminded himself he no longer needed to worry about Kyle. Leyla was his now, in a way Kyle could never have her. He knew things about Leyla that Kyle never did. She wouldn’t dare leave him for an old flame.

But that fact is rendered meaningless when Leyla would not even accept him as she did with Kyle so freely. And maybe that’s why Kyle’s presence unnerved him greatly, because he had Leyla, in the way Matthias wanted her.

Continuing this line of thought would only bring more discomfort for himself. And he knew he’d never have that kind of relationship with Leyla, yet he couldn’t stop longing to have it. Matthias wanted to erase their pasts, and start anew. Take back those things he did, but he can’t.

But when the car rolled into a stop in front of his mansion, gone was the turmoil in Matthias face, and stepped out of the car with a schooled expression.

“Welcome back, Duke Herhardt!” Claudine exclaimed, as she went out to greet him back home. Matthias stared at her for a moment, confused as to why she was here when she was supposed to be back in Brandt estate, like their other guests who went home.

“My Lady,” he greeted with a practiced smile, “I didn’t know you were waiting for me here.” He greeted back, kissing her on the cheeks as soon as she got close and pulled away, looking at her with an unspoken question.

‘Why are you here?’

“Oh, yes, I decided to wait for your return here.” Claudine replied back with her own smile, “I wanted to spend more time with you, so waiting for your return in your own estate was only more practical.”

Claudine eyed Matthias with a critical gaze. She then pulled her hands away from his and clasped them demurely in front of her as she met his own assessing stare.

“Didn’t you miss me too while you were away?” She asked in an innocent voice, her eyes glancing behind him to look at the empty backseat. She then looked back at him with a prompting gaze.

Matthias only widened his smile at her, as though he was pleased with her reasoning.

“Of course,” he replied.

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