Ko-fi shop has been renewed, you can find the link at the end of the chapter.
***
The penis, which had just ejaculated, was now rigid and taut, simply at the thought of the woman whose face would be immortalized in the painting.
Once more, he thought nervously.
Just one more time. After filling in this blank space, I’ll open her body.
The thought of removing her cumbersome dress no longer felt like a hassle. As soon as he put down the sketch, he’d take her straight to the bedroom—or no, to the hunting lodge.
Exhaling the breath that had risen in his chest, Felix adjusted his grip on the charcoal. He would start with her eyes and pupils.
But when Felix turned to look at Diana, the expression she had worn earlier was already gone.
The thrill that had boiled his very brain seemed to evaporate in an instant.
“You…”
Felix’s face twisted in frustration.
The maid blinked a few times with unfocused eyes, then gently lowered her eyelids. Her pale face, drained of its earlier flush, moved as her lips parted slightly.
“May I…put my clothes back on now, Master?”
The obedient, demure mask of a submissive woman had returned.
As if someone had abruptly cut the fuse of his arousal, his excitement dissipated rapidly.
“…Damn it.”
Felix tossed the charcoal aside with a frustrated laugh.
The euphoria that had set his brain on fire just moments ago vanished completely, and with it came the faint annoyance he always felt when facing Diana.
The same misaligned gaze, the same frozen, doll-like expression. The same deferentially lowered head, no different from any other maid. Her composed demeanor, as though she had fulfilled her duty as a servant, was unbearably irksome.
Rather than point it out, Felix chose to remove her from his sight altogether.
“Get dressed and leave.”
“Yes, Master.”
Diana quietly answered as she gathered her trembling hands to adjust her skirt. Watching her awkwardly climb down from the window ledge, Felix turned away coldly. The paper in his hands crumpled beyond repair.
The woman with her legs spread like a scene from an erotic painting on that sheet of paper ended up somewhere in the trash.
***
The head maid, Kathrin, along with the new maids and servants, were not Aizen’s spies. Diana only learned this fact a week later.
She overheard the maids chatting while heading to the storeroom to retrieve cleaning supplies, as she usually did.
“That girl, you know the pretty one… She hasn’t skipped a single night in His Highness the Crown Prince’s chambers lately.”
“I heard from Lady Kathrin that she’s someone Prince Aizen sent over. But after being caught by the Crown Prince, she betrayed him.”
“How could anyone trust someone like that and keep her so close?”
“The reason is obvious. We all know it. You must have seen it in the studio….”
Somehow, word had spread among the staff, and everyone knew Diana’s circumstances. At the mention of the word “studio,” the maids giggled amongst themselves.
“You don’t even need to go to the studio for proof. Those sketches His Highness drew are scattered everywhere.”
At times like these, was her sharp hearing a blessing or a curse?
“Sketches.”
Diana tried not to imagine what kind of drawings they might be. Truthfully, Felix had only been sketching her on paper as of late. She would probably never know exactly how he had depicted her.
“In the end, he’s still just a man, isn’t he….”
Still, Diana decided to hold onto hope. She didn’t know how her master viewed her, but judging by the rumors, he didn’t seem intent on killing or abandoning her.
In truth, there was something else gnawing at Diana far more than such concerns.
The newly arrived maids quickly took over Diana’s duties. The third floor of the detached palace, which she had diligently cleaned for a month, was now managed in a completely different way.
“These canvases shouldn’t be left in front of the window. Originally, they were stored in that cabinet over there….”
“His Highness instructed us to keep them within easy reach. He hasn’t complained about them being here for days.”
The maid brusquely cut Diana off, her gaze practically shouting, What would you know? Feeling the disdain in her eyes, Diana lowered her head.
“I apologize. I’ll make sure to remember that….”
“There’s no need for you to remember anything. Today, His Highness doesn’t need you, so stay in your room. You’re just getting in the way.”
Her pride stung. Even during her time at the Defierre estate, Diana had never been scolded for being incompetent or told she was a hindrance.
A child who fulfills her duties despite being blind. That was the small pride Diana carried and her last remaining shred of self-esteem.
But truly, there was nothing Diana could do. Almost everything in the detached palace had changed in just a few days.
After the new head maid, Katrin, and fifteen other staff members were hired, the palace became unrecognizably crowded. Whether it was due to the Duke’s orders or some other reason, even the interior structure had been altered. The layout of the furniture and the flow of movement were completely different. For Diana, it was as if the world had turned upside down overnight.
As a result, Diana had to relearn the palace’s layout from scratch, tapping her cane against the surroundings as she went. Few showed her any patience as she carefully navigated the space. Worse, most of them didn’t even understand why she was out of her room in the first place.
“Is there anything I can help you with…?”
“Didn’t you hear me say you’re in the way? If you wander around and fall, it’s us who’ll get scolded by His Highness, not you.”
“If I can familiarize myself with the new layout, I’ll be able to work without issue. Could you help me just this once?”
“His Highness said you’re not a maid. That means there’s nothing for you to do here.”
“Why am I not a maid?”
“That’s what I’d like to ask. Why His Highness indulges you like this.”
Head maid Katrin glared at Diana with clear disapproval.
In the end, Diana was sent back to her room as if being chased away.
She was no longer a maid, nor a lady-in-waiting, nor any kind of servant in the palace. No one sought her out unless it was Felix himself. Even though she harbored no grand sense of professional pride, she still felt a sting of injustice.
No, at least I don’t have to work. That makes it easier on my body. Think of it positively.
She tried to console herself this way, but because she wasn’t officially part of the palace staff, Diana had to handle meals and laundry by herself. Her master, who had stripped her of her role as a maid, showed no interest in the practicalities of her daily life.
This meant that every mealtime, Diana had to navigate the treacherous stairs to request food from the new chef. The chef, Joseph, greeted Diana with visible awkwardness each time she appeared.
“What’s this? There’s one more person? Well, that’s a problem. The meals were prepared based on the exact number of maids. Take this if it’s acceptable.”
“…Thank you.”
Diana returned to her room with a plate in hand. Passing servants glanced at her plate and snickered as they walked by.
In her room, she carefully felt the contents of the plate. Between two pieces of dry rye bread was a sandwich haphazardly filled with ham and wilted greens. The vegetables were limp, and the ham gave off a foul odor, clearly having sat out for some time.
Unsurprisingly, no water had been provided.
“…….”
After a few bites of the dry sandwich, her throat quickly felt parched. Letting out a heavy sigh, Diana cupped her hands together.
Water droplets formed in the air and gathered into her palms. Drinking the water she had conjured, Diana soothed her parched throat and tried to calm her frustration.
This is nothing. I endured much worse at the Defierre estate. At least I still have my head….
But after about ten days of this, her thoughts began to change.
The people in the detached palace thoroughly ignored her. No one spoke to her or tried to engage with her, and everyone actively avoided her presence. It felt as though she had become an invisible, transparent ghost.
With no one needing her for anything, Diana naturally confined herself to her room.
In hindsight, the days when Emel and Harper were alive had been better. At least they had been kind to her.
The only silver lining was that Felix consistently summoned her. He was her sole conversation partner. Though, since Felix wasn’t very talkative, it was more accurate to say that Diana mumbled to herself to break the silence.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, that routine didn’t last long either.
***
The portrait of Pride has opened a ko-fi shop with 5 advanced chapters. Ko-fi shop will be updated with each update in website. Here is the: LINK
***
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed what you have read, do consider tipping me a little through: click here. An advanced chapter will be posted as a thank you once I receive 6$. Don’t forget to mention the series that you’re supporting!
