Ch.15: Friendly Hunting

After sending his companions back to the mansion, Matthias stopped his horse in the middle of a wide path that ran through the forest. He took off his hat, and his disheveled hair fell down over his forehead. Now that the bloody commotion was over, the forest felt even calmer than usual.

It had been another enjoyable hunt. Matthias had struck every target on which he had set his aim, and each kill had been as thrilling as ever. And yet he was still feeling unsatisfied, because of one bird that was desperately trying to evade him.

After staring in the direction of the cottage for a while, he slowly turned his horse that way. He recalled how whenever a hunt was complete, the little girl who lived on the hunting grounds would go into the forest, sobhing, and bury all the dead birds. This strange behavior had stuck in his memory clearly. What would the girl do now that she was grown up? As he wondered about this, he pointed his gun at a small bird perched on the end of a branch, and...

Bang!

Before his shot had finished echoing through the forest, the bird had already fallen to the ground.

Leaving the dead bird where it lay, he advanced his horse. He then repeated this same sequence of actions on another bird. And another. He thus continued pointing and shooting as evening descended on the forest, leaving bird after bloodstained bird in his path.

I hate him, Leyla muttered to herself with each new hole she buried for a dead bird. I hate Duke Herhardt and his vile hobby. I hate him so much.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she swallowed the sadness that she felt rising up her throat. Just when she thought she was finished, she noticed another bloodstained bird carcass a few yards away. She took a deep breath and approached it, shovel in hand.

She wasn't against all forms of killing. Uncle Bill hunted for food, and she herself sometimes slaughtered the chickens and other livestock they raised. What she was unable to understand, however, was how someone could kill animals for fun and leave their carcasses behind.

When is this summer going to end? she thought, sighing deeply as she looked forward to the end of what was normally her favorite season. She then buried yet another bird, a linnet with beautiful markings.

Only once she was already deep in the forest did she feel that something was off. Duke Herhardt had always done plenty of hunting every year when he stayed at Arvis, and she had always buried the birds he killed. But she couldn't recall a time when the birds had been located in a straight line at such regular intervals like they were this time. What's going on? It was as if the dead birds were arranged into a path.

Maybe I should turn back....

Feeling a sense of foreboding, she stopped in her tracks. She looked up and noticed that the sky was a deep red, as if it were on fire. When she lowered her gaze from the sunset, just beyond a thicket of bushes, she saw him. Duke Herhardt was sitting on a tree stump, looking at her.

Her mind went blank, and she started to stumble, when he casually greeted her.

"Hello, Leyla ."

Matthias von Herhardt's voice was as soft and smooth as the feathers of the birds he had shot and killed.

"Matthias seems to be late. I think his companions are all back already," said Elise von Herhardt, narrowing her eyes as she placed a card on the table. She was starting to get bored of playing cards, and would have liked to have an early dinner, but her son still hadn't returned from his hunt.

"He said he was going to go for a walk in the woods," Claudine replied. She was smiling warmly, despite the fact that she had just lost the game.

The other ladies at the table smiled at her with admiration, knowing full well that she had lost on purpose. They could see that the future Duchess Herhardt had tact, manners, and grace. Feeling everyone's gazes, Claudine. was also well aware how much they admired her.

"Well anyway, I'm just saying, Matthias certainly seems to like that forest a lot," Elise said. She then rang a bell to summon the maids, who soon came and started to clear and set the table.

The bored ladies then gathered again at the drawing-room table and chatted as they enjoyed some light refreshments. Even when talking about trivial matters, they employed the utmost conversational etiquette.

"Oh, Claudine, why don't you invite your friends over for a party?"

Claudine's eyes widened at Elise's suggestion. "Me? Throw a party here at Arvis?"

"I'm sure you're getting bored spending every day with us. Wouldn't a change of pace be refreshing?"

"No, I'm not bored of you. Not at all."

"No need to be startled. I was kidding, Claudine." Elise's relaxed, smiling face looked so young and beautiful, it was hard to believe she had a son who was about to get engaged. She and Matthias resembled each other quite a bit.

When Elise was duchess, she was admired as one of the top beauties of the entire Berg Empire. And yet she had never captured her husband's affection. This was yet another fact that made Claudine look down on women who she saw as overly attached to the idea of love.

While the previous Duke Herhardt, Matthias's late father, had kept a mistress, like most men in his position, he had not made things awkward for his heir by fathering an illegitimate child. Even though the previous Duke and Duchess Herhardt hadn't loved each other, they had respected each other, and fulfilled their duties faithfully. Theirs was a peaceful family, unblemished by needless ambition or greed. This was what Claudine hoped for from her marriage to Matthias.

"You needn't feel pressure, Claudine. Think of it like a rehearsal. And anyway, if the mansion is filled with young people having a good time, we'll enjoy it too." Elise's smile brightened noticeably. "Doesn't everyone agree?"

The ladies smiled silently, as they understood that she wasn't actually soliciting their feedback.

"Goodness, you're so generous and thoughtful," Countess Brandt exclaimed.

The other ladies soon joined in and showered the former duchess with slightly exaggerated praise.

Claudine subtly lowered her head and smiled bashfully. As she considered which friends she would invite to the party, something through the window suddenly drew her attention. The sight of the dusky forest beyond the garden made her think of Leyla , the poor orphan girl who lived by those woods. She was well-mannered and knew her place, although she gave off an air of arrogance at times.

"Would it be all right if I invited Leyla ?"

The ladies furrowed their brows at Claudine's cheerful question.

"You mean the orphan girl that the gardener is taking care of?"

"Yes, her. Leyla Llewellyn."

"Claudine, come now!" Countess Brandt said, looking uncomfortable.

Claudine was unfazed by her mother's glare. "I bet that poor girl has never even been to a formal party. I want to give her a memorable experience she'll enjoy." Even when speaking assertively like this, Claudine didn't lose her ladylike manners and grace.

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Dowager Herhardt said with a contented smile. "Do as you wish, Claudine."

Leyla looked back over the path she had walked while burying the birds. When she turned to face the duke again, there was only one conclusion she could come to.

He's a psycho. This was the only way to explain the current situation. Her hands broke into a cold sweat under her bloodstained gloves. Her heart started pounding with fear and anger.

I've got to get away. Following the advice that her fear-addled mind was offering, she started to turn around, when she heard the duke speak again.

"Leyla ." His face remained composed. "Leyla Llewellyn." He was intoning her name as if it were a mantra he was reciting.

Leyla used the shovel she was holding to help herself stand up straighter. She pressed her lips tightly together and flexed the muscles in her legs. She knew it would be no use to try to run away. The duke could easily catch up to her if he wanted. As soon as she realized this, her mind actually grew calmer and clearer.

She bowed her head to him, then raised her trembling gaze and made eye contact with him. While they silently looked into each other's eyes, the sound of the breeze blowing through the forest seemed to grow louder.

"Proceed," Matthias said, breaking the silence. "Continue your work." He glanced towards the side of the path, where what seemed to be the final bird he had killed was lying.

Leyla plodded towards the spot. The bloody bird had a red string tied to its leg. It was the same string that she had tied to the legs of the baby plovers that had hatched near the Schulter River the previous year.

This bird had migrated all the way to a distant country in the south and then returned, only to lose its life in its native land. All for the simple amusement of that man. Leyla silently dug a hole and buried the bird in it. It was a task she was well practiced at, thanks to that slayer of beautiful birds.

"That string, did you tie it?" he asked as he watched her intently.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I wanted to recognize the birds when they returned from their migration," she replied as she covered the bird with dirt to fill in the hole. "This wasn't the type of reunion I was hoping for, though." Feeling her breath starting to quicken, she looked up and saw Duke Herhardt wearing an utterly calm expression.

"Do you blame me for this?" he asked, crossing his legs as he sat.

The slight mocking smile on his lips caused her patience to run out. "It would be a lie to say I didn't," she replied.

"What's the problem, exactly?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "I was simply hunting my birds, on my hunting ground, on my land."

"But Your Grace, the birds don't know that." Think of Uncle Bill, her mind kept telling her, and yet she couldn't help but continue speaking. "To the birds, this is just a forest. It's the place where they were born, grew up, and now live. It's the place they return to year after year after migrating far away for the winter."

"Am I really supposed to understand the details of birds' minds?"

"Maybe not, but..." She removed her bloodstained gardening gloves and caught her breath. "...but I don't think you need to hunt them in such a brutal manner, either." To say these words, she had to summon even more courage than it had taken her all those years ago when she rode a train by herself all the way from Lovita with nothing but her suitcase and a piece of paper with Arvis's address on it. After a moment, a flood of regret washed over her, but she soon realized that the duke was showing no signs of anger or displeasure. His mysterious calmness made her feel even more anxious,

"Leyla Llewellyn, the expert on birds' minds," he said after a long pause. "I'm curious, just what do you think hunting is?"

"Pardon?"

"If you don't like the brutal form of hunting that I practice, what should I do instead? Friendly hunting?"

His sarcasm made her blood boil. She gripped her skirt to endure the feeling of outrage. "I apologize, Your Grace. I've said something I shouldn't have. Please forgive my impropriety.”

"Why do you like birds so much?"

"I don't think you would find the answer very interesting, Your Grace." She lowered her eyes, as she didn't want to see him any longer.

He said nothing in response. Bowing her head deeply, she said, "Now that I've finished my work, I will be going."

He continued to remain silent. Feeling relieved, she turned around. But just as she started walking, she heard a deafeningly loud gunshot.

Horrified, she turned back around. The duke had his gun pointed at the top of a tree. He lowered the barrel, then turned and stared vacantly at Leyla . There was now yet one more bloodstained bird carcass in between them.

"What to do, Leyla ?" He casually sat back down on the tree stump. "It seems your work is not finished after all.”

Chapter end