Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 21
Macy whispered just loud enough to be heard and glanced down. Soon, Hils appeared under the elm tree, his hair adorned with leaves and his clothes stained with dirt.
“Sorry, it must have hurt when he came in so suddenly.”
“It’s okay. I’m not hurt. Did Yannick catch you?”
“No, I don’t think he noticed.”
Macy needed an accomplice.
To submit her paintings to the royal competition, she had to sneak them out without Yannick’s knowledge, and she wasn’t free to move around easily. Her only trustworthy friend, Anna, was tied up working as a maid at the Shearton estate and couldn’t help Macy.
During this time, Anna suggested Hils might be reliable, noting that he was tight-lipped and trustworthy. Her blurry memory about Hils from the Spring Festival had recently become clearer.
He was kind and knew how to look after others. Being around him often lifted her spirits because of his inherently positive energy. Learning that what she thought were Yannick’s paintings were actually drawn by Macy, he was initially shocked but soon expressed pride, remembering her drawings from their childhood.
“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know,” Hils had readily agreed to help after she shared her situation. That’s why he had been catching the paintings she threw out the window.
“How’s the painting?”
Hils showed her a canvas about the size to fully cover his torso under the elm tree. The paper wrapped around it was a bit crumpled, but the canvas seemed unharmed.
“The painting is safe.”
“Thank goodness.”
Besides the piece for the competition, she had handed over several others to sell and raise funds for her independence. Hils loaded the paintings to a cart and mounted his horse.
“I’ll submit the competition piece and store the rest in the flower shop’s warehouse.”
“Thanks, Hils. I really would have been in trouble without you.”
“I’m glad I could help. See you next week.”
“Take care.”
As the cart carrying the paintings slowly moved away, Macy felt like she was taking the first step towards a new life. She watched the back of the cart for a long time before closing the window.
“Oh, I forgot about that.”
Turning around, she immediately noticed a painting she hadn’t moved yet.
The painting had a base of cerulean blue, with dots of white paint vividly creating sparkling ripples. Around the river, flowers bloomed and people enjoying them blended harmoniously into the scene.
It was a landscape painting of the Senew River scene she had seen from the Romanci Bridge not long ago.
Interestingly, the painting didn’t focus on the landscape as the main subject but on a figure on a flower boat, who was Duke Krygen, crossed-legged and looking up at the bridge.
Dressed in black, the Duke’s collar was navy, and his cuffs and buttons were tailored in silver. In Laden, gold symbolized the royal family, while silver represented the Krygen Ducal House.
Anyone seeing this painting would easily realize who the man depicted was.
This realization made her a bit worried.
‘I won’t get dragged away for painting this without permission, will I?’
Initially, Macy had no intention of completing such a detailed painting. She usually didn’t include figures in her landscapes because they felt artificial, and she hadn’t been moved enough by any person to want to depict them.
But this time, a person had caught her eye, and her thoughts floated freely as she painted.
The anxiety wasn’t just about painting without permission; she was also concerned because she hadn’t portrayed him merely in a flattering light.
‘If someone understands the hidden meaning of this painting, they might find it offensive…’
This was a risky painting that could potentially constitute defamation. Creating such a conspicuous piece could land her in hot water.
‘Never mind. This painting wasn’t meant to be sold anyway.’
Macy decided to wrap the painting well and hide it in a corner of her studio.
She tidied up her cluttered studio and took a nap, but it was still light outside when she woke up. Today seemed to stretch on unusually slowly.
‘Maybe it feels this way because I’m waiting for the night…’
Today was the day for her Name treatment, which she hadn’t had in over a week—a break from their usual thrice-weekly schedule.
Initially, she worried something might have happened to Eren. After sending a letter to Kronen, his reply assured her that there was no issue with her Name master’s well-being.
‘That’s not quite the answer I was hoping for…’
Given the smooth progress of their Name treatments until recently, she doubted Eren had suddenly passed away. It wasn’t like he had joined a war or was in any immediate danger.
She just wished he would let her know when their next meeting would be, especially if he was busy. Although she understood the secrecy, still….
“After all, our meetings are supposed to be for treatment.”
Sighing, Macy glanced at the cylindrical box that had been sitting on her nightstand for a week. It was decorated with exotic patterns.
