Asha was silent for a moment with a stunned look on her face, and then she ordered Lise to bring another confetti.
“Here… Please have this quickly.”
“I’ll eat it when I get back. And eating outside like this, what kind of behavior is that?”
“Grandfather… Oh, so His Majesty just ate it because I gave it to him? He ate a lot while looking at the picture.”
“…”
“If it’s such inappropriate behavior, then I should tell His Majesty not to do that as well. I’ll write a letter right away…”
“Don’t keep talking in front of the painting!”
As Asha pretended to call Lise, Valery, in a moment of desperation, abandoned his act of being a good person and quickly snatched the chocolate confection from Asha’s hand, shoving it into his mouth.
Asha looked at him with a serious expression. As Valery chewed on the confection slowly, the twitching from behind him gradually subsided, and little sparks of light began to flicker. They were delicate but distinct particles of light, like the embers of a newly lit fire. Asha finally let out a sigh of relief.
“…Indeed, the seed of a dark and evil devil may be dwelling inside you, so it would be best to hone yourself in mind and body.”
“Ah! Like Uncle Valery? What should I do then?”
“…”
Valery looked breathless for a moment. Soon he stopped dealing with Asha and turned to the painting.
“You’re just as stubborn and reckless as your parents.”
“Is that so?”
Asha widened her eyes and looked at Valery. Valery gave her a brief glance with a furrowed brow before turning his head toward the portrait of the emperor.
“What more can I say about you? That’s enough.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“…”
Valery looked like he was boiling inside, but he closed his mouth and only appreciated the painting, but eventually he couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth.
“You went through the trouble of calling me here to insult me, but I don’t know if you were satisfied because I was late.”
Upon hearing those words, Asha furrowed her brow for a moment. She was trying to guess why Valery had such a thought. And Asha quickly came to a conclusion.
“Ah! Is that why you had such a thought? Because Uncle Valery hired Zoya to spread false rumors about the chocolate cake being tasteless?”
Valery twitched and glanced around to see if Ilya, who was admiring another painting in the distance, had overheard their conversation. Fortunately, Ilya was so completely absorbed in Mura’s painting and the confections Asha had made that he seemed oblivious to what was being said.
“Did you think I called you on purpose for trying to ruin Baroness Saratov’s shop?”
“…”
“Well, I didn’t do that, but at the end of the day, it was a situation where we both got into a little trouble, right?”
Valery picked up a chocolate confetti, put it in his mouth, and chewed it gently.
Thinking about how the factory had to close its doors after an explosion of rumors and finding insects in the products, Valery’s anger still bubbled up inside him.
“Yeah, you didn’t do it. The hotheaded woman from earlier messed everything up.”
“Oh come on, it was more of Baroness Saratov’s own doing than Marchioness Tataricha intentionally trying to ruin your factory.”
“What… What did you say?”
Valery asked back in a cracked voice, almost as if the blood vessels in his brain had burst, and his eyes had turned white. Asha extended the chocolate confetti to Valery once more, trying to pacify him. Valery snatched the confetti with a rough gesture and chewed on it.
“No, it’s even more bizarre if you think that way. Even though I was getting bullied, I called my uncle to see something nice. How can this be an insult?”
Valery looked down at Asha with a silent, grim look. It was because it hurt his pride to tell her how much he longed for a portrait from Mura. Asha offered Valery another confetti and tilted her head carefully.
“Oh! I see, I see! So Uncle feels the same way, huh?”
“…Feel the same way about what?”
Although Valery didn’t want to ask, the words slipped out, and Asha, still chewing on a confetti, responded with a mumble.
“That you’re a member of the ‘Meura Aylau’s Paintings Are Too Desirable, but Unattainable! Club.’ Right? Is that what it is? Ah, well. So you thought I called you to tease you!”
Asha offered another confetti. Valery snatched the confetti offensively.
“How could I know that you were a member of that ridiculous club? And how could I tease someone who doesn’t know?! I called you because I genuinely wanted to see something good together.”
“Can’t you just get rid of that absurd club? And doesn’t everyone know that I wanted Mura’s painting? Are you playing games with me, pretending not to know?”
“…”
“I called you because I didn’t want you to feel hurt if I didn’t call you. If I had known you would think like this, I wouldn’t have called.”
Asha spoke plainly, but Valery did not seem to believe it very much. Asha, who was agonizing for a moment, clasped Valery’s hand again.
“I really mean it.”
Well, it was more because Valery was likely to explode and do something foolish. Asha held onto his hand tightly, making an effort to convey her sincerity. Valery’s pupils twitched slightly. However, now that Valery had come to believe Asha’s words, he became even more puzzled.
“Why would you care about whether I’m hurt or not?”
Asha pursed her lips and let go of Valery’s hand.
“It’s because you’re my dad’s brother. You’re a father figure to me.”
“Huh… nonsense.”
Valery seemed as if he wanted to say that he himself had a claim to the throne, and because of that, there was unavoidable competition between siblings, which was the case with him and Yuriev, and now with Alexei. Asha widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.
“Why is that nonsense? Are you saying that because you’re not a good person?”
“…!”
Valery grabbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. Asha slumped her shoulders with an exaggerated gesture.
“It’s actually somewhat true.”
“W,What? What are you saying? Are you mocking me and having a good laugh at my expense…”
Valery’s voice trembled. Asha tilted her head innocently.
“Huh? No? Are you a good man?”
“You! Why you!”
“…Father?”
Ilya, who was looking at the painting from a distance, noticed the commotion and approached. Valery rubbed hard at the back of his neck and took a deep breath, pressing his temple with his hand. In the meantime, Asha said quickly.
“But it’s true. I was worried that my uncle would be disappointed. I didn’t have any other intentions.”
“W,Who said that was a lie?”
Valery couldn’t understand why even he believed Asha, so he took a deep breath. In the meantime, Ilya, who approached them, alternately looked at Asha and his father without knowing what to do. Asha smiled and gave Ilya another wrapped confetti.
“Illy, do you want to play a Kerum game again next time?”
“Ah… I want to do it. Let’s do it. But I don’t have a Kerum game table at home anymore…”
Ilya twiddled his fingers nervously, stealing a glance at Valery. Asha grinned.
“It’s okay, we can play at a friend’s house. Dimitri said he has one at his house, and Natalya has one too. Let’s go together! Is that all right?”
Valery seemed like he wanted to blow up the whole hall but then let out a sigh, his expression turning slightly softened.
“…You guys can make plans to play however you want. Let’s go, Ilya.”
Valery took Ilya and turned his back. Ilya looked back and waved shyly to Asha, even though he was almost dragged halfway by his father. Asha smiled and waved loudly.
“Ilya, get home safely!”
Then a shadow fell behind Asha.
“Of all your talents, I think your greatest talent is not actually making cookies, but the way you speak that leaves people speechless.”
Asha, who had been enthusiastically waving her hand, turned her head with a bashful smile at the quiet voice that came from behind. Karnov, dressed in a sophisticated shirt made of pure silk, stood with a somewhat amazed expression.
“Karnov! When did you arrive?”
“Almost at the same time as Marquis Shapiroqin.”
“But why did you come out just now?”
“I waited because I thought you were going to strangle Marquis Shapiroqin.”
“You don’t have to…”
“I never expected to see that person in such a helpless state.”
Asha glanced at Karnov at his admiring words with one eyebrow raised.
“I… I didn’t do it on purpose. I just wanted to talk and see if he was eating his sweets well and if there were any problems at home.”
“Hmm.”
Karnov nodded, assuring Asha with a trusting tone. Asha playfully pushed Karnov aside – though of course – he didn’t really budge, and looked around.
“General Yekaterina really didn’t come, huh?”
“…Really?”
Asha nodded.
“That’s what grandfather said. He said General Yekaterina wouldn’t come because she doesn’t have much interest in paintings…”
The emperor had a quiet time to appreciate the paintings the day before yesterday when the preparations for the exhibition were almost completed. Asha had been with him at that time. The emperor saw the invitation list from Asha and said, “General Yekaterina will not come.”
Perhaps it was because Yekaterina had grown up in the cold winds of the north, but she had no interest or talent in art or anything beautiful.
“Well, that’s true.”
Karnov let out a short sigh.
“She wanted to come today. She even planned to, but…”
“But?”
“She had urgent matters to attend to, so she couldn’t make it.”
“I see. That’s a shame.”
“Yeah. Anyway, it seems like the general admission is starting soon. Shouldn’t we go out?”
“Do you not need to see the paintings, Karnov?”
“I looked back at it leisurely while the servant grasped the Marquis of Shapiroqin. Shall we go?”
Karnov pointed to the exit. Asha quickly nodded her head and hurriedly walked out of the mansion with small steps. When they finally reached the backyard, Asha had a perplexed expression as she looked around.
“Where is my carriage?”
“…”
“Oh… It took Alyosha when you left.”
Alexei had been sent back to the palace first, and now Asha realized that they had come together in the same carriage. However, she quickly shook off her surprise and smiled at Karnov standing next to her.
“Where’s Karnov’s carriage?”
