Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 106
“By the way… do you treat Lady Werfel this way too?”
There was something oddly affectionate about it. Recently, Eren had been comforting Macy, but he hadn’t been this physically affectionate, always holding or touching her whenever he had the chance.
Was this just his style when he got close to someone? Feeling encouraged by the relaxed atmosphere, Macy mustered the courage to ask the question she had wanted to pose all along.
“How so?”
“Like, casually kissing her and being all affectionate… hugging her, I mean.”
“Did you ever think that I find you cute?”
“A little…”
A faint smile lingered on his lips, making Macy’s heart flutter uncontrollably again.
“You’re the only one I do this with. Right now, I just want to see you naked and crying in a lustful way.”
“Let’s not talk about that…”
“Isn’t that what you wanted to hear?”
“No, not to that extent… Yes, I understand. Please go.”
Macy’s face flushed at his blatant desires. As he leaned in for another kiss, she pushed him away with her palm on his chest. Seeing the lust in his eyes made her think that if they kissed now, it would lead to something deeper.
“Seems like you can’t wait to get rid of me.”
Eren said this with a hint of annoyance.
She didn’t want to be swayed by him any longer. Even a little kindness from him made Macy cling to hope. Though she felt like a puppet being pulled by Eren, this was her last bit of pride. It would be foolish to willingly embrace him in this situation.
“Right. Just don’t come looking too pretty. I can’t help where my gaze falls.”
Eren reluctantly pulled away, leaving a lingering scent in the air. It wasn’t until he fully exited the room that Macy could finally take a deep breath.
As the scent remained, she felt guilty for being so heartless.
* * *
Today, Macy arrived at the townhouse first. Lady Werfel followed shortly after, and Eren arrived later.
“Welcome, Duke Krygen. I was so happy to hear you could make it today, as you mentioned that you needed to see the whole piece!”
“I’ve been busy and haven’t been able to model as much, but I must cooperate for the final one.”
Lady Werfel greeted him warmly. Eren smiled graciously and took a seat. He rested his arms on the armrests and clasped his hands, gazing ahead. His sculpted face had a polite expression.
‘How does he manage his expressions so well?’
Macy thought about how accustomed he might be to mimicking others, yet the more she observed him, the more remarkable it seemed. Even when faced with something awkward, he brushed it off effortlessly, and he probably often pretended not to recognize people who knew his original name.
‘Will I ever become that indifferent?’
While she hoped so, it also felt a bit frightening. It meant that deceiving others would become second nature.
“I’ll help you with your clothes, Duke Krygen.”
Today, she needed to ensure that the details matched the painting, so it was crucial for the clothing to be somewhat similar. The angles of the face and posture were important, but so were the wrinkles and orientation of the fabric.
In the past, Macy would have hesitated to approach Eren in such situations, but since he had said he wouldn’t create awkwardness, she decided to trust him and step closer.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
As she adjusted the shoulder line, collar, cuffs, and shoe direction, there was no reaction from him. He didn’t even make eye contact with her. It felt almost too distant, like they were strangers. Not that she wanted anything to happen, but it felt odd.
“I think that should do it.”
Macy quickly returned to her place, allowing the work to proceed smoothly.
“I worked hard on this, but I’m not sure if it will please you both.”
“Is it finished?”
“Yes.”
The engagement ceremony was approaching rapidly; it would take place next week. Thankfully, everything had fallen into place. Lady Werfel and Eren stood up to look at the painting.
From Macy’s perspective, the portrait for the engagement turned out well. Given how great the subjects were, it was impossible for it to look anything but good.
“I absolutely love it! Especially how well you’ve captured the Duke. As far as I know, he doesn’t usually smile, so there’s no portrait of him smiling. This is probably the first one, right?”
“Yes, I like it.”
Eren’s expression, although somewhat irked, meant that he liked it regardless of how it was painted.
Come to think of it, he had never given Macy any particular compliments about her artwork. He had only told her to do a good job since it was an important piece.
Did he not particularly like her paintings? Did he not care much about art? Unconsciously, Macy found herself looking at him with a slightly sulky expression.
Noticing her gaze, Eren glanced at her, and the barely perceptible upward curve of his lips seemed annoying.
“But shouldn’t there be the artist’s signature at the bottom of the painting?”
