Ah, damn it…!
Seraphie finally ran her hands down on her face. Once again, emotions welled up, heating her eyes. Even on the day the trial ended, when she cried in front of the great madam, her heart hadn’t been this unsettled.
Seraphie was overwhelmed with joy. The fact that someone could truly recognize ‘her’ who was nothing more than a stranger was an immense comfort.
“Don’t you think I’m pitiful?” Seraphie asked, barely holding back her emotions. It was a kind of confirmation, a selfish desire to solidify the truth she had just come to realize.
“Not really,” Orkis replied immediately. “How could someone who stabs a sword between her father’s legs be pitiful?” he added, in a calm voice, a rare joke, saying he was actually scared to death. “To think there’s someone stronger, no, tougher than my sister.”
Though Orkis wasn’t afraid of Seraphie, he held a certain respect for her for enduring and overcoming such a horrible situation.
“…”
Seraphie pressed her lips together once more. A sound, whether it was laughter or tears, rose just below her throat.
“I think we’ve rested enough.” Orkis looked at the clock, pretending not to notice Seraphie’s state. Even though they had barely sipped their tea, it had already gone lukewarm. “Would you like to drink more?”
Seraphie shook her head. When Orkis cleared the teacups and returned, she had somewhat regained her composure.
“So, where were we?”
Her eyes, though slightly red, were as clear as before.
“Please focus from now on.”
“I will reflect on it.”
“That’s a good answer.”
“Lord Felicia, you sound just like a teacher.”
“I’m not fond of nonsense.” Orkis pretended to scold her for her silly jokes. “Then, let’s continue the lesson,” replied him with an unexpectedly witty remark.
Seraphie’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to respond that way. Soon, a bright smile spread across her face.
Orkis was equally surprised. He hadn’t expected to make such a silly joke.
“You’re really kind, Lord.”
“Let’s stop with the empty flattery.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
The two immersed themselves back into their business discussion. With the day of the divine treasure’s excavation approaching, their conversation quickly became heated.
“You know,” Seraphie said slyly, “no matter what happens later, I’ll try to save you and your family.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Just remember it.”
“Are you sure you’re not sick?” Orkis asked seriously, but Seraphie just smiled mysteriously.
It seemed she had developed a soft spot for this kind-hearted villain.
* * *
It was the next day.
“Make me look as splendid as possible.”
Seraphie, sitting in front of the vanity, was determined.
“It doesn’t matter how, just make me look elegant, beautiful, and brimming with dignity, with a hint of something intimidating.”
This was a surprising request from Seraphie, who usually brushed off dressing up as a nuisance, saying it was fine to do it casually.
“My goodness, Master…!”
Marine, overwhelmed with emotion, focused on getting dressed up with renewed determination. She styled Seraphie’s short bob into a beautiful braid adorned with elaborate accessories. She dressed her in the most elegant and expensive outfit recently ordered from the boutique. Seraphie even wore jewelry, which she was usually too afraid to put on for fear of losing it.
At first, Marine dressed Seraphie by herself, but soon, two more maids joined in to help.
“What do you think?” Marine asked with a satisfied expression. Her forehead beaded with sweat that showed just how hard she had worked.
“It’s perfect,” Seraphie said, smiling beautifully at her reflection in the mirror. “If I spit on the street, no one would dare say anything, right?”
“They’d probably kneel and beg Master to spit on their faces instead!”
“That’s right. Even if Master killed someone, they’d be head over heels!”
“People will stop in their tracks when Master passes by!”
“Haha, really?”
While exchanging friendly jokes with the maids at the mansion, Seraphie wore a more solemn expression than ever when boarding the carriage. Marine, who boarded along, also felt tense. It looked more serious than when they were almost forced to attend the succession trial.
“Are you really going to fight?” Marine asked cautiously.
“Of course.”
“Hing, then I should have brought a ring with a bigger gem.”
The only ring on Seraphie’s finger was a thin ring with no stone or decoration. Seraphie laughed heartily at Marine’s sincere regret.
“Countess Vallidus.”
Upon arriving at the Gallery, a man greeted Seraphie.
“It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Indira, and I am the owner of the gallery.”
The gallery owner was a handsome man with smooth, navy-blue hair neatly tied up in a bun. Seraphie was inwardly surprised, as Indira was the first long-haired man seen in this world.
“I couldn’t be here last time you visited due to urgent matters. I sincerely apologize.” The gallery owner apologized politely, not surprised by Seraphie’s short hair. In fact, Indira seemed to like Seraphie’s bob cut.
Seraphie thought he might have faced similar struggles due to his long hair. But that doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on him. After all, there was a good chance the gallery owner had been involved in the scam as well.
“I’m glad to meet you too.” Trying to sound as arrogant as possible, Seraphie greeted him while thinking of the most fitting person. Though she wasn’t sure if her imitation was accurate.
Ugh. Just thinking of Duke Felicia brought up a wave of physiological discomfort and dislike, making Seraphie feel nauseous. So, as a second-best option, Seraphie thought of Orkis. Phew. Her feeling of discomfort subsided.
“Please, call me Indira.”
“Then I’ll take you up on your kindness.”
Whether her imitation was successful or not, the gallery owner, Indira, remained extremely polite.
“The reason I’m here is…” Seraphie turned around. Marine, who had come along, was holding a wrapped sketch. “Do you recognize this?”
“I heard about it from my staff.” Indira brightened up and called someone over. It was the kind staff member who had previously explained the sponsorship to Seraphie.
“Greetings, Countess.” The staff member greeted her with the same friendly smile as before.
Seraphie smiled back. “I found a sketch I liked here the other day…”
For a brief moment, the staff member quickly assessed Seraphie’s demeanor.
“What was his name again…”
“The artist is Aidal Sur.”
When Seraphie mumbled as if forgetting the name, the staff member smiled and confirmed it. It seemed she had reached a positive conclusion on her own.
“That’s the artist you particularly recommended.” Hearing the artist’s name, Indira acted as if he was familiar. It seemed to be a well-known name.
…Aha. Seraphie could vaguely guess how this situation had come about. It was turning out to be an interesting situation, though not one that was particularly pleasant for her.
“But how could that artist…”
The gallery owner asked in a worried voice. “Did he offend you in some way, Countess?”
It was the staff who looked troubled at the question.
“No way,” Seraphie gave a thin smile. “I’m considering signing a sponsorship contract with the person who drew this sketch. Could you call him here again?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll go contact him.”
While the staff called Aidal, Seraphie admired the displayed paintings with Indira’s guidance. When Seraphie first came here, all the paintings seemed similar. Still, with the gallery owner’s explanations, each painting’s unique character stood out.
This is refreshing. With the added information about the painting techniques, the symbolism within, and the artist’s background, Seraphie’s aesthetic sense became even richer. Thanks to that, she got so engrossed that she momentarily forgot the reason she had come and ended up purchasing a painting on a whim.
“Countess, Boss.”
While making a round of the gallery, the staff brought Aidal.
Aidal, who had rushed over at the sudden call, wore a smug smile as soon as he saw Seraphie. He had been anxious about the lack of contract since their first meeting at the mansion, but now that Seraphie had come to sponsor him made Aidal feel proud.
“I never doubted we would meet again.” Aidal greeted Seraphie, hiding his true feelings.
“Is that so?” Seraphie absentmindedly replied while staring at Aidal’s outstretched hand, then quickly turned away.
Aidal, quite surprised by the unexpected reaction, awkwardly withdrew his hand a moment later. The thought of being ignored in front of others made his face flush with embarrassment.
In reality, Seraphie had long lost interest in Aidal.
“Indira.”
Despite the gentle call, Seraphie’s face was cold. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, tension briefly flickered across Indira’s face. He perceptively led them to the parlor and waited for Seraphie to speak first.
Now, only Seraphie, Aidal, the gallery staff, and Indira were in the parlor. Seraphie broke the silence first.
“You recognize this item, don’t you?”
Seraphie held the wrapped sketch that Marine had handed over a little while ago.
“Of course. It was wrapped by the gallery itself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Our gallery is quite well-known, so we take various measures to prevent fraud. For example, special paint can be used for custom wrapping paper. Or creating our own stamps that overlap the wrapping paper with the receipt. This seal, in particular, was made from a design I personally created. It’s not something that can be easily imitated.”
“So, this means I really bought this sketch from here, right?” Seraphie handed over the receipt with the partially stamped seal.
He carefully examined the receipt and the wrapped sketch. “…It seems you haven’t opened the sketch since purchasing it, Countess.”
Seraphie nodded at Indira’s conclusion.
Meanwhile, the staff’s face grew increasingly pale. When her eyes met Seraphie’s, she flinched and quickly looked away, nervously rubbing her hands together.
“Aidal.” Seraphie finally addressed Aidal. “Do you still remember the sketch you submitted to this gallery?”
“Of course,” Aidal replied confidently.
“Then draw it.” Seraphie smiled benevolently. “Then I will decide on your sponsorship right here.”
Then, as expected,
“T-This is ridiculous…!” Aidal jumped up from his seat.
Hi, if you enjoy the story, please leave a review in the Novelupdates. Thank you~
