<19>
Unfortunately, this was all Dante’s own doing.
Of course, Dante would feel wronged if put this way.
‘Then who told you to run away?’
If you hadn’t run away, I wouldn’t have dragged you into this either.
In the end, this was no different from a shift in perspective.
If there is no way to catch the fleeing Dante, then conversely, just create a situation where he cannot run away!
‘Hehehe.’
Dante Graham, you are totally caught.
You challenged me to a game of hide-and-seek.
But you know, being a 10-year veteran of Townsend means I’m a master of tag and hide-and-seek.
‘So don’t feel too wronged.’
Because from the beginning, this was a match I couldn’t help but win!
Fortunately, the situation fell into place quite well.
From the perspective of the workshop, it wasn’t a bad thing to have both male and female models anyway, and Dante and Rowena were of a similar age group.
Furthermore, it played a particularly important role that Ober not only liked Rowena very much but also saw her as a source of inspiration.
“Anything is possible as long as I can paint Lady Rowena! Drawing a piece with one boy included is no problem at all!”
Ober, who had been more than just stiff but even arrogant, completely changed to a humble attitude thanks to Rowena.
Thanks to that, Seymour’s side was also able to request a pictorial featuring Dante.
Of course, from the perspective of Dante, who didn’t know these detailed circumstances, it must have been like a bolt from the blue.
But what could he do? Dante accepted the pictorial production.
Dante’s portion was only a single pictorial, and above all, it was a task Seymour had personally requested.
Thus, after the concept sketching was finished.
“Good work.”
Dante came down from the stage while grinding his teeth.
On the other hand, Rowena hopped down with a lively smile and ran toward Ober.
“Teacher, can I see the sketches?”
“Of course! I will show them to you!”
Excited, Ober began to show the sketches to Rowena one by one. There were many sketches, but only a few of them would be selected to be produced as pictorials.
“This one especially portrays the young lady cutely. I definitely intend to use this. Also, in this one, the lady matches the flowers so well…….”
Ober began to explain diligently, but Rowena’s interest was not there.
Rowena wasn’t particularly curious about how well she turned out.
Rather than that…….
“……Ah!”
Rowena, who was looking through the sketches intently, brightened up and pulled out one sketch.
“Dante was drawn well in this one! I’m going to go show this to Dante!”
The ultimate goal of dragging Dante into the pictorial work.
That was, to the end, to become
friends with Dante.
‘It’s meaningless if I just keep him caught.’
She thought about striking up a conversation since they would have time to be together while modeling for the pictorial.
‘Hey, you know…….’
‘Don’t talk to me. Look forward.’
He was incredibly cold.
Above all, she couldn’t move while modeling for the pictorial.
When the model struck a pose, the disciples of the art studio, including Ober, drew sketches at a formidable speed.
Since moving even a little would interfere with their work, Rowena also had to use all her strength to stay still during that time.
After finishing the concept sketches like that, Dante had already gone to the dressing room.
But Rowena did not give up.
‘I’ll try talking to him while showing him this sketch!’
When Rowena scurried into the dressing room, Dante, who had already changed, was tidying his clothes.
“Dante, look at this! You came out well!”
However, Dante’s reaction was still cold. No, now he wasn’t even looking at Rowena at all.
“Go away. I told you not to talk to me. No matter what you say, I won’t answer.”
Hmph. Rowena, with her lips pouting out, muttered.
“Dante is a stupid dummy.”
“What did you just say?”
Dante immediately frowned and looked at Rowena.
Then Rowena giggled and laughed.
“I thought you weren’t going to answer!”
“……You are utterly childish.”
But as he said that, Dante’s cheeks were faintly flushed with embarrassment.
“Are you really not going to look? This is a memory too. The teacher said I could take this.”
“I don’t need it. The important thing is that I helped my uncle.”
“Still…….”
As Rowena held onto the hem of Dante’s clothes and trailed off, Dante’s face hardened coldly as he spoke.
“You can act like that because everyone likes you. But not me. I dislike you.”
So you go ahead and play house as much as you want.
With those words, Dante shook off Rowena’s hand and left.
Just as the dejected Rowena was about to go return the sketch to Ober.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out by the door.
People carrying things swarmed in and almost took over the dressing room.
Rowena’s eyes widened at the sudden situation.
“Uh, uh?”
Our clothes are over there too?
While Rowena moved busily among the people putting down luggage to pack the clothes, a shrill voice was heard from behind. It was a girl with a prim face.
“What is that kid? She’s an eyesore. Kick her out!”
“That won’t do, My Lady. She’s likely the model from the previous work.”
In any case, everyone had the right to use the dressing room. They couldn’t just kick someone out recklessly. However, the girl didn’t seem to think so.
“This is ridiculous. Who does she think she is? But is what she’s wearing right now seriously the workshop’s clothes? It’s tacky!”
The girl shouted that it was ridiculous and immediately approached Rowena.
As Rowena looked at her with clear eyes, the girl gave a tug at the clothes Rowena was holding in her arms.
“Hey, do you seriously think you’re something just because you’re here? Leave while I’m being nice. Because I want to use this alone!”
Rowena looked blankly at the girl.
The girl, who looked about two years older than Rowena, seemed to have very high self-esteem. Perhaps those around her had made her that way.
And Rowena, making full use of her experience living as an orphan child at the bottom of the social hierarchy, knew very well how to handle this type.
“Waaa.”
Rowena, smiling broadly, pointed at the girl with her index finger.
“Older sister, you look like a dog’s paw!”
A 10-year veteran of an orphanage written as Townsend and read as a chaotic mess.
Rowena had internalized early on what the core of a fight was.
A fight isn’t won by the one who hits more.
“Ah! Also…… a dog’s paw that rolled in a mud pit!”
The one who laughs is the one who wins.
Hehe!
Donna Devon, the only daughter of Count Devon and a popular child model in the current social circles, felt her mind evaporating at this moment.
Because of the bombshell statement that burst from the mouth of this bean-sized girl!
‘I-I look like a dog’s paw?’
Donna was a girl who gained popularity for her unique, haughty, cat-like loveliness.
Wherever she went, she lived hearing only that she was pretty and lovely. Her dark brown curly hair was also
Donna’s pride.
But this mouse-sized girl had shattered that pride into pieces!
“You, what did you just say?”
“Umm, the doctor grandpa said that as people get older, their hearing gets bad. Why does it seem like you can’t hear well even though you’re still young? Can you hear me?”
The voice speaking as if truly worried was utterly innocent.
That’s why she was even more pissed off.
“You look like a dog’s paw, but your clothes look like a plucked chicken. Hehe!”
As Rowena giggled, Donna’s face turned explicitly beet red.
Donna irritably threw down the outer garment that had white fur attached here and there.
“Who brought this kind of clothing! Take it away right now!”
“I-I’m sorry, My Lady!”
“And you! What did you just say to me!”
As Donna pointed her finger and shouted loudly, Rowena tilted her head.
“What words? That you look like a dog’s paw? Or that your clothes look like a plucked chicken? Ah! I said a dog’s paw that rolled in a mud pit, right! You mean this?”
“Y-you little!”
Eventually, Donna’s patience reached its limit.
With her face flushed bright red, Donna raised her hand as if to strike Rowena down.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
