Chapter 39
After Hanna left the gallery, Michael stood there for a long time, staring blankly at her fading figure.
“I didn’t even get to say a word,” he said after she was gone, turning to me.
I chuckled. “Why, did you want to argue with her too?”
“Yeah… No.”
“Hm?”
“No. It’s better that I didn’t.”
He gave a small laugh. When I tilted my head in curiosity, he said,
“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I could’ve said we weren’t in a relationship. Technically speaking, neither of us ever said we were dating, so I suppose it’s true… but still.”
“Were you hurt because I said it like that?”
He suddenly seemed so boyish, talking too much for no reason. I asked gently, and he replied,
“No. If that’s how you want to say it, then I’m fine with anything.”
“……”
“It’s just that I couldn’t have said it myself. That’s all, Kasia.”
I couldn’t help but laugh softly. He found it easy when I said something but couldn’t bring himself to say the same—how adorable.
Was it possible that he always said the exact things that made me like him even more?
My affection for him bloomed, warm and full, making me quietly happy.
“I really want to hug you right now,” I blurted out. “But if Miss Hanna’s watching outside, I can’t exactly do that.”
Why did the entrance have to be glass? Anyone outside could see straight in.
“They should just wallpaper the door or something…” I grumbled in mock frustration.
Michael laughed at my pouty face.
Late at night, Hanna walked toward her lodgings, letting out a deep sigh.
Tracing the movements of the Third Prince was no easy task.
He had somehow managed to leave no trace wherever he went.
Maybe it would be easier to cross the border and continue the pursuit in another country.
Had he perhaps relaxed his guard in places beyond the Empire’s reach?
The disappearance of the Third Prince had become a major issue across the Empire—reporters were obsessed with uncovering his past whereabouts.
The Fontreich Emperor had wanted to raise his son’s public image, and the palace had welcomed the public’s enthusiasm, never restricting the press.
In other words, there should have been no obstacles in tracking him.
And yet, the prince had managed to avoid every eye flawlessly.
“Ah… I should’ve seized that opportunity earlier,” Hanna muttered regretfully.
That gallery had been the only proven place the Third Prince had stayed.
And its owner was the only known witness.
That the woman also happened to be the former Duchess of Whidrian made things even more interesting.
But she had denied everything with such calm ease—it was unsettling.
Why had she left the shop in such a rush?
Normally, she would have pressed harder for answers. The confusion she’d felt today was unusual for her.
Then, suddenly—
A man appeared before her.
“What…?” Hanna’s eyes widened.
The man emerging from the shadows was cloaked in black.
She was about to ask who he was when he slowly lowered his hood.
Underneath it was the face of Count Allison—the very man she’d seen in the gallery earlier.
“C-Count Allison…?”
Her eyes widened even further in disbelief. Something felt off.
Just as she was about to ask why he was there, he spoke first.
“You will not remember that I came to see you tonight.”
His tone was strange—different from how he usually sounded.
As Hanna stared blankly at him, her consciousness began to blur, a faint shimmer passing through her eyes.
Thud.
Her notebook fell from her hand.
From the shadows, his voice continued,
“Nor will you remember that you saw Kasia Bennet and Michael Allison together tonight.”
Hanna stood motionless, gazing blankly into his eyes.
It all happened in an instant.
Moments later, he vanished before her eyes.
A few seconds passed before Hanna blinked and shook her head.
“…Huh? What was that just now?”
It felt as though something had just slipped past her.
Shivering at the sudden chill, she bent down to pick up her fallen notebook.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she started walking again.
There was still much to investigate regarding the Third Prince’s whereabouts.
It was deep into the night.
After coming home from work, I changed into pajamas and pulled out a large canvas.
I set it on the easel in the middle of the living room, placing a cup of warm tea on the nearby table.
Then, sitting comfortably, I picked up my palette and brush, taking a steadying breath.
With a deep exhale, I dipped my brush into a color I liked and drew a thick circle.
A bold, purple circle took shape on the canvas.
I exhaled again and continued, picking one color after another—red, yellow, blue, black—painting freely.
My hand moved faster and faster, filling the purple circle with intertwining colors.
From time to time, I sipped my tea, feeling it cool slowly between strokes.
When I finally finished, the sky outside was beginning to brighten—the dawn was coming.
I looked at the completed painting: a large purple circle at the center, surrounded by a whirl of vivid colors.
Then I looked at the sky, smiled faintly, and murmured,
“…I pulled an all-nighter.”
I’d stayed up painting not just because Michael had helped with work that day, but because I wanted to understand my true feelings—
how much I really loved painting, and whether I had any real talent for it.
Adolf’s final words still echoed in my mind:
“If we go to the capital together, I’ll make sure you have everything you need to paint as much as you want.”
I stood up slowly, gazing quietly at the painting as his voice replayed in my ears.
“I’m going to the capital.”
“……!”
Michael’s eyes widened when I told him the next morning.
“What?”
“I’ve decided to go. I’ll be closing the gallery soon.”
My body was tired from the sleepless night, but my mind felt crystal clear.
Michael stared at me blankly.
“I stayed up painting,” I explained. “I wanted to test myself.”
“……”
“But when I finished, the sun was already rising.”
I smiled faintly.
“I’m not sure if I have talent yet, but I realized something important—when I paint, time just flies.
And during those hours, it feels like I’m somewhere else entirely. That kind of immersion… I want to follow it.”
“……”
“So, I thought—I might as well be brave and try learning properly.”
Maybe I’d known it all along, from the very moment Adolf made that offer.
And ever since he left, those words had never stopped echoing in my head.
That I wanted to truly learn painting.
That I loved it more than I’d admitted to myself.
“To be honest,” I added with a shy smile, “part of me doesn’t want to lose touch with Adolf, either.”
“……”
“I know this is sudden. I know you’ll worry. But I want to go, Michael.”
The gallery had grown far too busy—no longer the quiet, cozy place I’d intended.
And as long as Adolf remained a hot topic, the crowds would never stop coming.
So I’d decided to wrap everything up and head for the capital.
“I see.”
Michael listened silently, then nodded with a serious expression.
“If that’s what you’ve decided… I can’t stop you.”
A trace of sadness flickered across his face.
7. Off to the Capital
Once I decided to leave for the capital, everything moved quickly.
The first step was to announce the gallery’s closure.
[Closing Soon]
I hung the sign prominently at the entrance, and visitors immediately started asking questions.
“Wait, that sign outside—is it true?”
“You’re closing? Really?”
Handing them their coffee, I smiled.
“Yes. I put it up early so that people coming from far away won’t make the trip for nothing.”
The reactions varied, but most were opposed.
After all, this was the only place confirmed to have been visited by the missing Third Prince—
a symbolic location for so many.
Hanna, still staying in Lorentia, rushed into the gallery the moment she heard.
“Is it true you’re planning to close this place?!”
“Yes, it’s true, Hanna.”
“You can’t! Don’t you realize how meaningful this place is to the citizens of the Empire?”
She sounded genuinely distressed.
“Even as a reporter, I’d hate to see such a symbolic site disappear!”
“Then, how about this?” I suggested. “Why don’t you write an article about it?”
“Huh?”
It actually seemed like a perfect idea.
“Everyone’s protesting the closure. If you write about it, maybe it’ll draw attention and help find a good solution.”
I’d been agonizing over how to handle the gallery’s closure amid all the opposition.
“Write the article, Hanna. Let’s treat it as a substitute for that interview about the Third Prince.”
If I could give her a worthwhile story in place of the interview she’d been hoping for, that’d be a win-win.
She sighed and said, “So you really don’t plan to do the interview, huh?” but nodded in agreement.
As I watched her go, I tilted my head.
“Don’t you remember, Hanna?”
“Remember? What?”
“…Never mind.”
Something about it felt strange—how she never mentioned Michael and me.
But since she didn’t bring it up, I decided not to either.
Soon after, Hanna’s article on the gallery’s fate was published, taking up a massive spread in the paper.
Rumors that “the Third Prince’s sanctuary” was about to disappear spread rapidly throughout the Empire.
And one day—
“Excuse me, is anyone here?”
A new visitor arrived—someone who might just be the answer to everything
