Lady Felice's Secretive Lesson - Chapter 4
This time, his expression tightened more noticeably, and his lips twisted into a smirk. Startled, Felice followed his gaze to her dress.
“Well, then. I’ll take my leave.”
At that, Sir James abruptly turned and left the gallery.
Felice bit her lower lip and lowered her head.
“Sigh…”
With a deep sigh, Felice gently adjusted the hem of her dress.
Even though she had worn the most expensive outfit she owned, it still felt insufficient. She tightened her grip on the handle of her bag. The leather bag she was holding was the only heirloom of the Kelton family, passed down to her by her late grandfather.
Sitting on a nearby sofa, Felice took a deep breath and hugged the bag tightly.
As her grandfather’s face came to mind, her restless heart began to calm, bit by bit.
* * *
In the backyard of the Royal Academy of Arts, Claude was attending an exhibition by a rising artist.
The paintings were made up of intense colors and complex compositions, and the rich details suggested a very solid foundation in technique.
As Claude gazed intently at the art, he couldn’t help but feel that the artist’s style was influenced by his aunt, Madam Depende’s own unique artistic flair.
However, there was something peculiar about this artist: they are faceless.
Because of this, the prices of the paintings were not as high as expected.
It was unclear whether the artist was deliberately choosing to let their work stand on its own merit, but the fact that no one knew who had created the paintings was a major drawback when it came to valuing them.
No one wanted to invest in a painting by an anonymous artist.
But for Claude, it was different.
He, too, was a faceless prince, and for some reason, he felt a growing affinity for this faceless artist.
Since the year before last, Claude had made regular visits to the Royal Academy of Arts to view the faceless artist’s works. He even went so far as to acquire two of the paintings.
They weren’t valuable in terms of money or future potential, but it was the artist’s style and the mystery behind the anonymity that drew him in.
“Claude.”
A familiar voice called his name in the quiet gallery.
Though a sense of embarrassment flickered in his heart, Claude greeted his aunt with a broad smile.
“Well, I suppose you should be called a scarecrow, not Claude.”
Madam Depende, with a gray scarf elegantly draped around her neck, slightly squinted her eyes. Despite the nickname, Claude chuckled softly and welcomed his aunt.
“Scarecrow? Have I done something wrong?”
“The scarecrow that laughs and chases the birds away—exactly what you do after sending an after-meeting request to a lady. What’s the point of meeting if all you do is stand there and smile?”
Madam Depende shook her head as her eyes narrowed when they lingered on his face.
“Haha. I suppose my humor was lacking.”
“You must have overdone the formalities.”
“I’m disappointed. If only you knew how difficult it is for a woman.”
“Tch. Even if you fall into the water, you’d only let your lips float on the surface.”
Despite Madam Depende’s sharp criticism, Claude didn’t erase the smile from his face. However, he no longer retorted to her remarks.
He had learned from experience that if he joked too much, he’d end up being hit on the head with the fan he’d given her last year.
“This year, you should keep a good woman by your side, and perhaps get a title while you’re at it.”
With a brief sigh, Madam Depende moved to the side. It was clear that she had come to meet Claude, but for some reason, her gaze momentarily lingered on the painting in front of her.
In that instant, there seemed to be an overwhelming fondness in her eyes.
Claude slowly tilted his head before shifting his focus back to the painting.
“It seems to be heavily influenced by your painting style, Aunt. That’s why I find myself often looking at it.”
“Is that so? But to my eyes, it looks more like it was influenced by the style from the Cireco kingdom. Most of their paintings look like this.”
“It is the traditional style of Cireco. But isn’t that still your style, Aunt?”
At Claude’s subtle probing, Madam Depende turned her head to face him.
Claude smiled slightly, and Madam Depende shook her head once again.
“You don’t mean to say that you think I’m working as an anonymous artist, do you?”
“No. I just thought you might have a pupil.”
“I don’t have the resources for that. You’re more than enough to keep me busy.”
Madam Depende cut him off, and the conversation returned to the original topic.
“This year, we have to make an announcement. It’s only a matter of time before they stop publishing those articles about me looking for a poor prince every day.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“You said your humor was lacking earlier.”
“Oh, my. I suppose my humor is not popular with the ladies.”
Madam Depende’s steps halted.
“Then, I suppose you’ll need to learn the kind of humor that ladies enjoy. Don’t you think so, Claude?”
With the intense gaze inherited from her grandfather, Madam Depende shot Claude a look. Her eyebrows, jet-black against her graying hair, twitched slightly in the silence.
It seemed as though her unspoken message was, “If you refuse, I’m not sure what I’ll do.”
“Of course. Have you ever seen me turn down an opportunity to learn?”
Claude quickly responded.
The fourth after-meeting, where he had earned the nickname ‘scarecrow,’ seemed to have received the harshest criticism yet.
