Tears Of Canary || LISKOOK

Chapter 4

Lalisa left the mansion when the sky started to paint itself into a rosy color. As she left the entrance leading to the rose garden, a refreshing breeze greeted Lalisa.

With a gold coin grasped in her right hand, Lalisa walked proudly. But her gallant steps did not last long. Rose was sitting under the pergola that was located near the vine roses-which were in full bloom. Rose, who was having a pleasant chat with her cousins, vaguely smiled when her eyes met Lalisa's.

“Goodbye, Lalisa.”

Rose greeted first. The eyes of the young men sitting next to Rose turned to Lalisa. Fortunately, Duke Herhardt was nowhere to be seen.

Lalisa replied with a bow. Rose did not say much in response.

Lalisa began to run after she was out of their sight. She was eager to escape the strange and unfamiliar world and return to Uncle Bill’s cabin. But the greatest misfortune came at the last moment.

At the border between the garden and the forest path, Lalisa fell down. The gold coin mockingly rolled down the paving stone and hit the edge of a man’s shoe. Lalisa frowned at the spinning gold coin. The man lightly stepped on the coin with the tip of his shoe to quell the clamorous sound.

Lalisa slowly gazed at the well-polished shoes, long legs, and then the man’s face looming down upon her. It was Duke Herhardt.

Surprised, Lalisa reflexively rose herself up. Her white dress was stained with blood and dust from her scratched knee. The duke simply stared at Lalisa with a calm look. His red lips seemed as if they were slightly tilted to one side.

Lalisa clenched her lips and swept the dust off her clothes. In the meanwhile, Duke Herhardt leisurely took a step back. The coin that was underneath his foot shined, reflecting the sunlight.

Although Lalisa wanted to leave it, she crouched her body in front of the duke. Just when she was about to extend her arms out, she was reminded of the words Lady Brandt left her. No better than a dog. Those words had scarred a deep wound in Lalisa's heart.

Lalisa grabbed the coin and politely bowed towards Duke Herhardt. She did not dare to raise her head. All she could do was to bow her head down as low as possible and hold her breath. Surprisingly, although she felt pain when she fell, she could no longer feel any pain when she bowed.

Leaving the duke behind, Lalisa started running again. She wasn’t able to run as fast as before because of her injured knee but she continued to move her bloody legs. She felt something rising from the bottom of her heart up to the end of her throat.

After passing through the forest path and facing the light that came from the cabin, Lalisa realized what it was.

It was sadness.

~~~~

“I’ll give this to you, uncle.”

Lalisa held out the gold coin in a rather solemn manner. Bill’s hairy eyebrows slowly wrinkled.

“What’s this?”

“A gold coin.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“Lady Rose gave it to me.”

“Rose? Ah, that little noble lady.”

Bill nodded as if he knew the lady.

Ever since Lalisa was called upon the mansion, she had been looking down for the next two days. She didn’t talk or take a walk around the woods as well as the garden. Bill realized that he missed the child’s past, bright lifestyle.