Cry, Even Better if you Beg - Side Story 1

Already late in the night, yet still the doors to the study remained shut.

Matthias had taken to staring through the small gaps of the doorway, where the light inside the room would spill into the darkened hallways. For days, this had been his routine, all because his ducchess would keep herself behind these closed doors.

His hand would find itself reaching out, resting on the intricately designed wooden frames of the double doors, ready to throw them open. He could do it too, for as much as they remain closed, she never locked it.

But instead, he lightly knocked on the door, hesitant on whether he should disturb her.

But no answer came.

He should be patient. After all, this was the last day before the final exams. She needed all the time she could get. But after pondering for a moment, Matthias eventually shrugged to himself and proceeded to open up the doors.

And there she was revealed to him.

Form hunched in sleep over her open notes and books that were sprawled across her desk. Her glasses lay mushed against her face.

She must have fallen asleep without realizing it.

And so he smiled at the adorable picture she painted for him. Even her pen was still grasped loosely on her hand, hanging treachurously on delicate fingers. He tilted his head.

Was it worth it, waking her up?

A fresh scent of roses wafted through the open window on an early summer breeze. He stalked stealthily closer to his sleeping wife, eyes staring intensely at her unconscious form.

The breeze that flew in combed through her stray golden locks, making them flutter. He lifted a hand, lightly carding his fingers through her golden crown.

She began to stir, before blinking blearily uo at him.

“Hello Leyla,” Matthias whispered, leaning closer as he bent to her level, letting the name flow in a whisper over her fresh cheeks.

Leyla groggily sat up, struggling with her disheveled hair and her glasses.

“I just closed my eyes for a second,” she mumbled in excuse, brushing her warm cheeks with her hands. Matthias gave no particular answer, just watched her still with a faint smile.

“R-really… just for a second…” Leyla opened her eyes again with a jerk, fumbling to come fully out of sleep without looking at Matthias.

It was an amusing sight to see, to be honest.

It had been almost a year since they married, still Leyla found it so puzzling why she would still feel so flustered around him.

Gathering her bearings, she quickly swept up her wayward hair into a single ponytail before turning to properly look at him and saw her husband staring out at the window, and into the night sky.

The stars twinkled beautifully into the night, gracing the skies with their countless presence. Its light, glittering down on the sleeping earth beneath them.

But even in the dim setting, she could see him as clear as he was in daylight. His presence would never be diminished for her.

He stood in the middle of the study, framed by the fluttering curtains as he stood in attention, his feet slightly apart.

As much as she wanted to pay attention to the other visual luxuries in the room, she’d always remained focused on Matthias alone.

“Hey, Matthy,” Leyla called out, out of the blur, startling when he turned his head and met her eyes suddenly. The same mischievous smile hovered on his lips as he answered by flicking his chin.

“Can you stop staring and get out?” she asked politely.

“Are you going to sleep again?” he teased her, to which she flushed indignantly.

“No!” she protested immediately.

The notes she had been reading had an unmistakeable ink stain, which prompted her to flush further at being caught, even as she tried to act nonchalantly in front of him.

“I’m going to keep studying.”

“Really?” he quirked up a brow at her, her blush deepened further.

“Yes!” she declared with conviction, before immediately flipping a page as if to show she already was. However, it only served to amuse Matthias more, making him chuckle softly at her childish indignation.

“Go on then, study.” he told her lightheartedly, but she only pouted when he made no move to leave.

“I can’t while you’re here!”

“So?” He quirked up another brow at her, “It’s not as if I’m going to be disturbing you. I’ll just be here, quiet and calm.”

They stared at each other for a moment, before Leyla eventually relented and tried to return to her studying.

But try as she might she couldn’t find it in herself to focus on the words in the pages. It was a ridiculous notion, she grumbled in her mind, studying right next to a man who was doing nothing but stare at her.

She’d rather study next to her baby son, Felix if she could choose.

A frown marred her features, trying so hard to fight down the obvious flush on the face when she felt his continued gaze on her.

Unable to ignore it further, she finally turned to him speaking calmly as though his presence alone wasn’t bothering her.

“Please leave me alone, I need all my focus to study.” She told him, and Matthias couldn’t help himself but tease her.

“Some honor student you are! Shouldn’t you have studied for the exam in advance?”

“Of course, I did!” she snapped in annoyance before chiding herself for falling for his teasings again. “But even if I did…” she trailed off, unable to further explain why she kept isolating herself in the study.

Matthias chuckled at her speechlessness. He soon began to approach her, until his shadow now draped upon her small figure.

“But what?”

“Y-you never know,” she stuttered, shrugging pathetically in nonchalance, “I might have missed something. There’s always more to study.” she answered meekly in a soft whisper, as though she herself wasn’t convinced with her answer. Even still, she refused to lose to him and kept her eyes locked on his.

She knew that even if she didn’t rank first in the exams, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But holding such esteemed position wasn’t an opportunity she was eager to miss. After all, not only was she the only female student, she was also the new Duchess Herhardt.

The main person of interest in the most recent scandal among the nobles. One of the many reasons she was being ignored and rejected by her peers. And she wasn’t eager to lose face in front of them either.

Upon her silence, Matthias eventually nodded, wordlessly relenting as though he’d read her mind.

“You’ll do great, Leyla,” he said softly. “You’ve studied enough.” he added, cupping her cheek as he fixed the glasses on her face.

She merely looked up to him in apologetic regret, before she appeared to be relieved at his touch.

Just as she began to lean in to his warm palms, she immediately pulled away and shook her head. There was no time left for her to regret. Or relax.

Matthias oulled his hand away, which gave her a little bit of relief, but only just. If he’d leave her alone then she’d be so thankful! But alas, he was still in the room with her, staring at her in an indecipherable expression.

She eventually looked back down, avoiding his gaze when she heard him chuckle at her once more. She’d just about enought time to look up to scold him for teasing her further when…

Warm, and soft lips had descended upon hers.

Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise, before the needless want in her flared up, and her eyes fluttered close to welcome his kiss completely. Calloused hands cupped her cheeks, before deftly pulling her glasses off, setting them down on her desk and away from their line of activity.

Their breaths intermingled as they sighed against and met each others lips once more for more kisses. Knowing she did not possess the willpower to stop him, she gave in fully to her desires and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in deeper into her.

She ran her fingers through the nape of his neck, brushing up of the soft, short strands of his dark hair. They rivalled the softness of her son’s bed of hair, who held the same shade as his father’s.

They went on kissing, unhurried and unbothered by the passing of time between their lip locking. As soon as they were finished making out, Leyla’s face rivalled that of a rose’s with how warm her face had become.

Matthias came out looking as regal as ever, looking a little too pleased with himself at the slightly dazed look she was sporting after their sensual dance of tongues.

It enticed him even more to dive in for another kiss. As though sensing his desires, Leyla instinctively began to lean in closer to him, but had paused when his scent and warm breath began to pull away.

She blinked back the kissed daze she’d been in, and found him replacing back her glasses, hanging them gently on the bridge of her nose.

She blinked up at him in puzzlement.

“You’re studying, Leyla,” he whispered with a miniscule smirk as he brushed his fingers across his lips. “Study hard.”

With those parting words, he immediately backed away.

She was still reeling from their kiss, and gaped at his retreating figure in shock. Still feeling hot and bothered, she gasped at his audacity as he turned to look back at her.

“Oh, so now you’ll leave me alone, Duke?” She huffed at him in annoyance, both her hands resting on her hips, “Oh sure, I can completely focus now on my studies, thank you very much!” She added sarcastically as she whirled back around to sit on her desk and gripped the pen tightly once more.

Matthias only smirked at her, tipping his head into a bow as though she was the queen and he, her servant.

Eventually, she broke out into a resigned smile, unable to actually be angry with his teasings. Not when he does them so elegantly.

He remained smirking at her knowingly, even as he left the study with pleasant gait. As soon as the door clicked shut, Leyla finally let out a long and drawn out sigh of relief.

Their midnight encounter had gone exactly as she expected. Try as she might to get back in that mindset of studying, the stirrings he left in her remained persistent.

What an infuriating man indeed.

Unable to continue, Leyla turned to cooling herself down, patting her cheeks to lessen the flush on her facr. Once she felt cooled enough, she grabbed her pen once more and straightened out in her seat.

It was time to resume her studies. And study hard she would.

Just as her mean husband had requested.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

This semester, Professor Lorentz had started notifying students of their grades by hanging posters on the wall. Even the most disgruntled student wasn’t willing to seek out the stern, strict Professor in his own private lair.

Leyla dug skillfully through the crowd of students and approached the wall. Today, when Professor Lorentz announced the grades for his exams—always the last of the semester—was also the day when the rank of the biology department was decided.

“Congratulations, Duchess. You must be very happy.” drawled out sarcastically by the familiar voice of Count Lehman. He like many had been displeased with her, magnified only when he kept ranking second only to her in all their subject studies.

The Count had made no move in hiding his distaste for the new Duchess Herhardt. After all, she was the one he would always lose to, not to mention she had no qualms in also treating him less than the way he expected to be treated. Under her gaze, he could always feel her disdain and scorn for him.

It unnerved him greatly, and annoyed him all the more.

Even as he dressed immaculately, and kept his hair neat, the very same eyes would stare at him. As though she saw right through him, and into his greedy heart and soul.

It didn’t matter if she nabbed first place again, he won’t let her take this victory with ease.

“Seems like the new Duchess always gets what she wants, ey? Whether it be her marriage or her study.” He proclaimed haughtily out loud, venom dripping with his words. A round of laughter errupted with the crowd around them.

Ignoring him, she kept looking for her name, squinting lightly as she searched through the posters. She hummed pleasantly to herself when she finally located her name.

Perfect score, as she hoped it would be. And with that, Leyla von Herhardt was the top student for yet another semester.

“You’re very kind, Count, to being the first to congratulate me so earnestly.” She looked at him with equal haughtiness, mirroring her husband’s stance and poise. Her voice trembled a little, but she did not let it stop her.

Because unlike the previous semester, where she was trying to avoid making enemies, the Count had done something that greatly earned her ire.

He dared insult Felix in front of her.

Any other mistake, and she might try and gain a mutual understanding with the count. But not anymore.

“You seem to be more generous than I thought, always giving me more opportunities to be the first rank in every semestral finals.” She smiled tersely at him, “I shall enjoy this vacation immensely. Have a great summer.” She finished, and nodded to the Count, ignoring the way his face flushed red in anger.

Leyla clasped her hands lightly together and gave a polite greeting to her fellow students, stepping gracefully and cheerfully down the sidewalk by the posters, almost as if she were skipping in her steps.

It didn’t matter in the end how rude the Count had been. Everything was going well for her. From being the only woman in their year, and becoming its top student, down to finally becoming the new Duchess Herhardt, her luck had finally changed.

With such blessings her way, the Count was nothing more than just mere inconvenience.

And so she quickly trotted up to her bike, which had been parked in front of the magnificent school building she just came out of.

It was decked with a row of massive columns, and showcased expert masonry. Addition, every niche it had, had its own elegantly sculpted statues of the famous scientists and scholars to date.

With one last look at her school, she wasted no time pedalling back, with her leather sling bag shaking along with her enthusiasm.

The pedals beneath her feet were firm and reliable, and she all but basked in the sensation of the wind against her face, while her wheels rolled across the pavement.

It was another point of talk, seeing the prominent Duchess Herhardt travelling by the bicycle. Such outrage it was, that every single noble in Ratz had to give their two cents in, much like the previous Duchesses of the Herhardt family, Matthias’ grandmother and mother.

But, Matthias wasn’t bothered, and that’s all she cared about.

And so she was free to love and enjoy her daily bike rides, especially when Matthias gifted her one once he realized how uncomfortable she was at being driven to school.

Albeit embarrassed at first to raise such trivial concern, she had been more embarrassed and wrecked with worry at what he and his family would think upon seeing her on a bike instead.

But he only laughed at her worries, and told her he did not care for either, and so she shouldn’t as well.

Eventually, Leyla finally turned into a corner, filling her nose with a sweet scent as she rode through the park atop her silver bike.

It wasn’t the quickest way back to the manor, that was through downtown boulevard, but she loved passing through here.

The path was beautiful, a pleasing sight to the eyes, which reminded her much of the forests back in Arvis. The old, and wisened trees, whose barks twisted up the more it grew arched overhead, covering her in a beautiful intricate shade from the sun, despite being less dense than the one in Arvis.

She’d go the extra mile because she loved being back in that nostalgic view of nothing but woodlands and its daily treasures. She loved the woods so much that she had decided to spend her first summer vacation as a college student in the Arvis fief. The anticipation made today’s ride even more thrilling.

Matthias had offered to take her on a late honeymoon, but Leyla wasn’t willing to leave Felix. Besides, no place could be better than Arvis. The home of the eternal heart, it was called—a beautiful forest with precious memories that could cover countless wounds and sadness.

Leyla had biked slowly through the beautiful path, but as she left the park and the entrance to the mansion became visible down the road, she picked up the pace.

Today Matthias didn’t work long; he would already be ready to see her.

Leyla knew she’d have to brag. It seemed childish, but she wanted to do it, just once. She thought she could brag to Matthias, her husband.

She was greeted by a middle aged maid, fighting against a smile provoked by the bicycle. “The master is in the garden,” the maid hinted, in a polite tone. “With the young master.”

“With Felix?” Leyla opened her eyes in a bit of surprise, then burst into laughter. Matthias’s ridiculous suggestion of going on a honeymoon and leaving Felix behind had probably been a joke.

She crossed the hall toward the garden, her single braid of hair swinging to the motion of her brisk steps as she moved down the marble floor accompanied by the rhythmic beat of her footsteps. She was looking forward to seeing her husband and son together.

She was looking forward to seeing his sweet side.

Leyla reached the garden behind the mansion before she knew it, her mind busy trying to imagine the scene she was about to find. As she entered the promenade, the wind blew a strong scent of roses across her path.

She breathed the perfumed air unconsciously, her eyes lit up with eagerness. But even though she didn’t notice the beauty of the rich garden, full of the best tints of green, framed by a profoundly blue sky, unconsciously it filled her with happiness and made her walk light and joyous.

Father and son—looking just alike, only one smaller than the other—were near the garden pagoda, under the crest of a rose vine in full bloom. As she spotted them together there, Leyla burst inadvertently into cheerful laughter that resounded through the sunlight-filled garden.

Matthias turned his head slowly, hearing her laugh. The eyes of the attendant standing next to him, reporting something, also headed toward Leyla. Her gaze went pass them, reaching her son standing by a column of the pagoda on the other side.

Felix von Herhardt stared intelligently at his father with his hands clasped behind his back, as serious as if he understood every word of the conversation with the secretary. Standing confidently under the pagoda’s arch, he looked to his fond mother’s eyes as if he were ready to conquer the world with his chubby fists.

Matthias followed Leyla’s eyes towards Felix, and only then did he smile slightly, as if he’d seen the boy for the first time. The secretary stepped quietly away, leaving only the family of three under the pagoda.

“See?” Leyla cheerfully approached her husband. “You couldn’t leave Felix any more than I could!”

Felix, hearing his mother’s voice, ran waddling to hug her, giving vent to his delight in a string of broken baby talk.

Matthias watched the two admiringly, laying down the documents he’d been holding on the edge of the table. He decided not to say that bringing Felix out to see him had been completely the nanny’s idea. Leyla looked so radiantly happy, he almost wished it had been his idea.

“I’ve got something to tell you!” Leyla said, hugging and lifting Felix. Her eyes shone freshly into Matthias’s from across the table. “But guess what it is first!” she challenged, as calmly as she could.

Matthias smiled. She looked at him as though she was making him guess a difficult riddle, though he was sure he already knew.

“Well…” instead answering her outright, Matthias frowned a little, as if in thought, stalling yo make her squirm.

Felix imitated his father and, becoming serious, stopped pulling on his mother’s braid.

“What is it? Tell me, Leyla,” Matthias said, leaning in closer to the table, committing himself to the conversation. Leyla smiled shyly, her cheek tinted red—Matthias’s color, the color of the Herhardt family.

Leyla.

Matthias’s lips curved insensibly into a smile as he hummed the name.

Leyla.

‘My Leyla.’ He thought with satisfaction.