Chapter 27
The capable butler truly found a residence before even a day had passed.
Its scale was modest, but it was more spacious than necessary for one person to live in, and it had a large atelier attached.
Arriving at the house together with the butler, Adrian looked around the interior with wide eyes.
Adrian had been living in “The Grave,” the deepest part of one of the capital’s most dangerous districts on the outskirts of the city.
The house the butler found was located in a wealthy neighborhood adjacent to the Imperial Capital’s central plaza.
“A place like this must be extremely expensive…”
This was beyond something that could be described with mere gratitude.
The house exceeded his expectations so greatly that he was actually frightened, unable to believe the Duke of Angel’s kindness.
“It may feel that way, but it is such a trivial expense that it would not leave even the smallest mark on the assets of the House of Angel, so do not concern yourself with it. For now, I have ordered a bed and the necessary furniture to be brought over immediately, so they should arrive soon. The rest will come gradually tomorrow, so please wait a little longer.”
The butler took a pocket watch from his pocket.
“It is almost time for His Grace the Duke to return to the estate, so I must be going now. If you need anything else, I will visit again tomorrow, and we can discuss it then.”
“Thank you very much for taking such care of me.”
“You should be thanking the Duke, not me. I merely carried out his orders. Be sure to express your gratitude to the young lady who wrote the recommendation letter as well. If it had not been for her, no matter how much His Grace liked your paintings, he would not have gone this far for you.”
Stroking his beard, the butler continued.
“As you can see, His Grace treasures his future fiancée very much. Being someone who caught the young lady’s eye is truly great fortune for you, Adrian.”
At the sight of Adrian lowering his head deeply and nodding, the butler hesitated briefly before speaking.
“Let me offer you one piece of advice, Adrian.”
“Yes?”
“You are now a painter sponsored by the House of Angel. Since you have caught His Grace’s attention, you will probably live a very different life from now on. However, to succeed, you must be prepared to seize opportunities when they come.”
“What do you mean…?”
“That attitude right there is exactly why I am saying this. If you have something to say, do not hesitate. And do not make yourself appear overly submissive. It is a great discourtesy to both Duke Angel, who sponsors you, and Miss Greenwood, who wrote your recommendation letter.”
Adrian was deeply shocked by the butler’s words.
“His Grace and the young lady showed you kindness because your talent is exceptional, Adrian. Take pride in your skill. Excessive humility can sometimes appear as a lack of confidence in your abilities. Remember that your attitude could make a mockery of the judgment of the young lady who recommended you.”
Adrian barely managed to nod.
He did not want to cause trouble for her.
Seeing that Adrian seemed to understand what he meant, the butler ended his lecture there.
“Is there anything you need to bring from your previous residence? I can send someone to fetch it tomorrow.”
“No. There is nothing there. Ah, no…”
As he was saying there was nothing, one thing came to mind.
“There is a sketchbook. I could simply buy a new one, but it is something I have used for a long time.”
The butler readily agreed when Adrian cautiously mentioned something that seemed so trivial.
“A sketchbook. I will send someone immediately. Is there anyone else who should be informed of your change in circumstances?”
“There is no one.”
Adrian shook his head.
Of all the things he had left behind there, the only one he felt attached to was the sketchbook his late mother had given him.
“I see. Understood. Food will arrive shortly. The head maid insisted on making special arrangements to celebrate your new beginning in your new home.”
“N-No, there’s really no need for th—”
Adrian stopped speaking abruptly.
He had already forgotten the warning he had just received that excessive humility could sometimes be harmful.
The butler pretended not to notice Adrian’s mistake.
Still, he seemed perceptive enough that he would probably correct the habit sooner than expected.
It would be very difficult to change a habit ingrained over an entire lifetime, but it was a necessary process if he wished to survive in high society from now on.
“Then I hope you enjoy a comfortable evening, Adrian.”
After offering his farewell, the butler left the residence.
☆☆☆
Only after he was finally alone in the residence did the tension leave him.
The situation felt so unreal that he even pinched his own cheek.
However, the scene before him was neither an illusion nor a dream.
Not long after the person sent by the butler delivered the sketchbook, delicious food specially prepared by the Duke’s estate also arrived.
After eating, he took a bath.
Just like at the Greenwood Count’s estate, warm water flowed endlessly and filled the bathtub.
He changed into the new clothes prepared in the wardrobe and lay down on the bed.
The softness of the bedding felt unfamiliar.
He closed his eyes.
Naturally, the image of a woman appeared before Adrian.
Ines.
Ines.
Ines Greenwood.
After lying on the bed for a while, Adrian suddenly sprang up and began running somewhere.
The place he ran to was the atelier.
Ignoring the expensive, high-quality materials, he picked up the familiar charcoal pencil and the worn sketchbook.
In the sketchbook, where he had carefully drawn only the things he loved, there was now only one page remaining.
Without hesitation, Adrian began drawing on the final page.
As time passed, the picture increasingly began to resemble someone.
☆☆☆
“My Lady! A letter! A letter has arrived!”
The moment she heard Marie’s excited voice upon opening the door, Ines could already guess who had sent the letter.
“You received a reply. It’s from Duke Angel.”
And Ines’s prediction proved correct.
Suppressing the heaviness in her heart, she accepted the letter from Marie.
As soon as she opened the blue envelope, the scent of Cedric’s perfume spread throughout the room.
Just as Marie had done, Cedric had clearly sprayed perfume on the letter before sending it.
“Oh my.”
Marie’s eyes sparkled with delight.
However, Ines only smiled bitterly.
[Miss Ines. Have you been well during this time?]
As she read Cedric’s letter, which seemed to have been sent the moment he received the recommendation letter, his familiar writing style made it feel as though she could hear his voice.
They had not met since their first date.
The letter continued with small but affectionate inquiries.
Whether the blizzard-filled weather had made her feel gloomy.
How she had been spending her time lately.
Whether she was still diligently keeping the diary she had once mentioned writing as a habit.
[Yesterday, I met the young painter who arrived carrying Miss Ines’s recommendation letter. Upon seeing his paintings, I once again realized the excellence of Miss Ines’s discerning eye. There are many fine paintings within the Angel estate. If time permits, I would like to personally introduce them to Miss Ines someday.]
Cedric’s letter naturally transitioned into an invitation to visit the estate.
“My Lady, what did Duke Angel say? What happened to that painter?”
As soon as Ines placed the finished letter back into the envelope, Marie hurriedly asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
She was practically burning with curiosity about its contents.
“He’s going to be sponsored by the House of Angel.”
“Wow! Really? That’s wonderful!”
Marie clapped her hands and rejoiced as though it were her own good fortune.
“That man looked so thin from starving. And his hair was so dry too. This is really wonderful, truly wonderful. If he receives support from the House of Angel, he won’t have to worry about starving to death anymore, right?”
At Marie’s words, Ines nodded.
Regardless of her relationship with Cedric, she felt that she had done the right thing.
She had prevented a great painter from dying young.
Knowing the tragedy of her previous life, she could not help but feel sorrow for Adrian, who had faded away in obscurity despite creating masterpieces.
Kind-hearted Ines was just as happy as Marie.
“You’re right. They even found him a residence. The House of Angel really put a great deal of effort into helping him.”
“Oh, come on. That’s all thanks to your recommendation letter, My Lady.”
Marie rolled her eyes with a subtle smile.
“No matter how talented he is, why would Duke Angel devote so much attention to an unknown painter? It makes no sense. He received such special treatment because of your recommendation letter. I’m telling you, it’s definitely because of you.”
“Don’t say that.”
Ines denied Marie’s words.
“He only made that decision because it was a fine work that matched Duke Angel’s standards.”
Marie felt awkward at Ines’s persistent refusal to acknowledge her own role.
‘Why is she acting like this?’
She had served her lady for many years.
If there was anyone in the world who knew Ines best, it was herself.
Yet lately, Marie could not understand her at all.
She might fool others, but she could not fool Marie.
Although she claimed she wanted to keep her distance from Duke Angel, it seemed as though she herself had not yet decided how she truly felt.
Some days, she naturally revealed feelings for him that she could barely conceal.
On other days, she acted as though marrying him would be the most dreadful fate imaginable.
‘I hope time will solve it.’
She did not know much about love between a man and a woman, but one thing was certain.
Duke Angel was sincerely devoted to her lady.
Time never returned once lost.
Hoping that Miss Ines’s confusion would end soon so that she could simply be happy before her engagement, Marie changed the subject.
“By the way, the hunting festival is almost here.”
“Ah. That’s true.”
With gloomy eyes, Ines gazed out at the scenery beyond the window.
Contrary to her wishes, the winter sky after the blizzard had passed was clear and spotless, without a single cloud.
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