Chapter 5
* Gruff Kindness *
“I think you might know what I’m thinking, but I hope you’re not misunderstanding, Lord Preston. It’s not because I’m scared; it’s just that Colin doesn’t like being alone at night.”
There was no response. The wrinkles on Windsor’s forehead seemed to deepen slightly, but it could have been a misconception. Even with the oil lamp lit, it wasn’t bright enough to highlight every detail.
Taking another light breath, Jacqueline spoke again in her usual tone, “I couldn’t sleep, so I wanted to have a cup of tea. Is there anything you need, Lord Preston?”
Windsor’s gaze shifted to the kettle on the stove. Steam was already rising from its spout.
“Oh, the water’s already boiled.”
Following his gaze, Jacqueline poured the boiling water into the teapot. With tray in hand, carrying the tea pot, strainer, and cups, she turned to him.
“So, what do you need? Although it’s not my kitchen, I’ll do my best to assist you.”
Windsor was speechless in the face of her kindness. He couldn’t bring himself to voice his suspicion about Jacqueline’s actions.
“Why didn’t you call a maid?”
Instead of answering, he posed a question. Jacqueline, with her eyes slightly widened, subtly furrowed her brows.
Even in the darkness, every expression on her face was clear. His scrutinizing gaze slid over her face.
“I feel somewhat sorry for disturbing the maids, especially with such trivial matters at this late hour. Fortunately, I’ve become quite adept at handling such tasks myself lately.”
It was a diplomatic way of expressing her situation. It implied that she was no longer in a position to be treated like a maid.
However, despite everything, there was no sign of embarrassment or shame on Jacqueline’s face.
Windsor recalled the rumors surrounding her. The most famous of them all was undoubtedly the nickname “Poor Orphan.”
He had initially thought of her as a delicate greenhouse flower, but now he couldn’t help but wonder if she might be a resilient weed, thriving in adversity.
“So, what do you need, Lord Preston?”
Windsor paced around, brushing past Jacqueline as he skillfully retrieved crystal glasses and poured water. After taking a refreshing sip, he set the glass down and turned to her.
“Miss Somerset doesn’t need to attend to my needs. I’ve become quite adept at doing things myself,” he said with a somewhat evasive excuse. On his bedside table, a maid had already left a water pitcher.
“I see.”
However, Jacqueline took Windsor’s words at face value. Unlike him, she was inexperienced in suspecting others. She simply nodded obediently.
It made sense. He was different from other nobles. Born as Bentley Preston’s illegitimate child, he had been raised by his opera singer mother until adulthood, handling everything on his own.
It was ironic. Jacqueline, who had always relied on others, now had to handle everything herself, while Windsor, who had always been independent, now needed to rely on others.
The two stood there like polar opposites, with everything about them being completely opposite. From their personalities to their backgrounds, everything was different.
But then, she hugged Colin tightly to Windsor’s chest.
Windsor’s eyes moved slowly. He looked down at the teddy bear in his arms, something he had never seen before, with a deeply unfamiliar gaze.
Then, he raised his gaze slightly to look at Jacqueline. In the darkness, the eyes of the two met. She smiled softly.
“Would you mind taking Colin to my room? I need to carry the tray. Unfortunately, I only have two hands,” Jacqueline said, but Windsor remained silent, as if questioning why she wasn’t doing it herself, raising an eyebrow.
Windsor silently kept his mouth shut, pondering over the unexpected turn in their conversation. Where had things gone wrong from the start? He couldn’t help but reminisce.
“I believe Lord Preston wouldn’t ignore a damsel in distress,” she said.
“A damsel in distress,” he repeated slowly, reaching out his hand. Jacqueline’s demeanor softened, as if she had expected it. But the next moment—
“Huh?”
Windsor’s hand was directed not towards Colin, but towards the tray. Skillfully holding the tray with one hand, he took the lead.
“I’ll take this side,” he said. “A word of advice, with it being full, it’s harder to balance on that side… Hmm, you’re doing well.”
Jacqueline followed behind Windsor, carrying Colin tightly in her arms. It occurred to her belatedly that he had been in the navy. Balancing like this was probably a piece of cake for someone who had lived on a swaying ship.
After Windsor had set the tray down on her table, he turned to Jacqueline with an indifferent gaze. His blond hair glinted faintly in the moonlight streaming in through the window.
His heavily shadowed face exuded a much more masculine vibe than during the day, yet it still complemented Windsor incredibly well. No, perhaps this side was even closer to his true nature.
“I appreciate Lord Preston’s kindness,” Jacqueline said, lightly bowing her knee. Colin, still in her arms, also bobbed his head in greeting towards Windsor.
With an unreadable gaze fixed on the teddy bear, Windsor left the room without another word.
“Please call for a maid if this happens again.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Good night, Miss Somerset,” Windsor said abruptly, causing Jacqueline’s eyes to widen slightly, as if pierced by his words. She hadn’t even dreamed of hearing a nighttime greeting from the gruff man.
Gradually, a smile as tender as moonlight formed at the corners of her lips. Just before the door closed, her lips parted.
“Good night to you too, Lord Preston.”
Click.
The door closed shut. Whether he had heard her greeting or not, she couldn’t be sure. But Jacqueline was convinced he had. His head had seemed to nod slightly, as if acknowledging her.
Letting out a languid sigh, she buried her face into Colin’s back.
“You really are like Benjamin. That gruff kindness that never refuses help. Aren’t you, Colin?”
Her crumpled voice dissipated into Colin’s mind like a whisper.
***
Jacqueline knew better than anyone how to appear as the perfect angel. It was one of her specialties.
Dressed in her morning gown, her hair elegantly styled, she was the epitome of grace. Especially with her straight posture and graceful gait.
Earlier, she had confirmed the departure of the carriage carrying Windsor from the mansion. In other words, it meant her time had begun.
“Hello, Benjamin.”
Benjamin, who had been alone reading a book, stood up at Jacqueline’s cheerful greeting. Once again, he was impeccably dressed, like a perfectly arranged doll.
Thinking it was probably Mrs. Ritz’s doing, Jacqueline stepped into the room with a spring in her step.
“Good morning, Miss Somerset.”
The greeting was also perfect. Jacqueline walked over to the child with a bright smile.
“Well, good morning.”
Betty, who followed behind her, set down the luggage she was carrying on the table.
The diligent maid didn’t ask Jacqueline what to do with it. She knew that question wasn’t her responsibility.
“Thank you, Betty. You can go now. Benjamin, the first lesson will be about discussing the new trends in art. Appreciating art can be considered a noble pursuit for the aristocracy.”
Jacqueline greeted Betty and then turned her head towards the child. But in reality, the words were meant for Betty, not Benjamin. Even without looking, Jacqueline could tell that Betty’s ears perked up.
With a slight bow, the maid greeted and left the room. Jacqueline knew she would soon go straight to Mrs. Ritz.
That was the maid’s duty. Reporting every detail of what the new governess did.
Click.
The door closed.
…
The sound of receding footsteps wasn’t heard. Jacqueline noticed that Betty hadn’t left the doorway yet.
The faithful maid seemed to be gathering more information rather than going straight to Mrs. Ritz.
Alone in the room, Jacqueline moved skillfully. Squeezing paint onto the palette and moistening the brush. Meanwhile, her lips moved busily.
“Art can be broadly categorized into realism and impressionism. Realist painters depict objects and landscapes as they are. To what extent they are realistic… Well, it would be good to talk about a certain painter who dared to depict the taboo funeral scenes on canvas. That work caused quite a stir in society.”
Benjamin listened quietly to her words. It was information he already knew, but he didn’t feel the need to interject.
She wondered what Jacqueline was doing. Brown eyes followed her movements eagerly.
“After that, Impressionism emerged, focusing on the fleeting moments. The scenes that can only be seen in that moment. For example, even if you paint the same cathedral, the morning cathedral, the afternoon cathedral, the cathedral at sunset, and the cathedral in the dark of night are all different. Artists boldly omitted specific shapes and instead emphasized light and color.”
Then, there was the sound of footsteps quietly fading away. A broad smile spread across Jacqueline’s lips.
“As I mentioned earlier, art until now has been dominated by Realism and Impressionism. There were trends in different styles at times, but they didn’t deviate much from these two movements.”
She walked briskly with palette and brush in hand. The brown eyes that had been casually following her widened in an instant.
“!”
Jacqueline’s voice took on a more cheerful tone.
“And finally, Fauvism emerged. The old traditions waned, and a new movement began to sweep through the art world. The most important thing in Fauvist art is…”
Benjamin couldn’t say a word. However, his widened eyes and raised eyebrows betrayed his amazement.
“Don’t be afraid to use pure colors and express the artist’s personality without reservation. That’s when the world becomes mine.”
“!”
Jacqueline pressed the red brush against the ivory-colored wallpaper. There was no hesitation in her swift brushstrokes.
Benjamin didn’t even blink. He looked like a doll crafted with precision. If his long eyelashes hadn’t trembled, one might have mistaken him for an actual porcelain doll.
“How about it, Benjamin? What do you think this painting is?”
“…”
The stunned child snapped out of his shock upon hearing his name. Benjamin focused his mind to answer the governess’s question.
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