Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 33
Macy had secluded herself for a long time despite her hands healing. Her fingers were always stained with paint, making her seem like an assistant to Yannick Horton. There was a faint scent of oil mixed with her usual warm scent.
Come to think of it, there were rumors that Yannick Horton had overcome his slump after Macy began her name treatment.
She seemed so naive and clueless, yet it turned out she had been doing all this. Macy had been acting as Yannick’s ghost painter all this time.
“Sigh…”
Rubens had hoped his name master wouldn’t be anyone special. Ideally, it would be someone ordinary, someone who wouldn’t leave a lasting impression on people’s minds. Someone with no particular talent, who was timid and obedient.
That’s why he had thought well of Macy. Her appearance might be striking, but she didn’t enjoy socializing and seemed accustomed to submission.
If he had known she was a genius painter hiding her true identity due to abuse, he would have cut her off immediately.
People were always curious about the private lives of celebrities. If it became known that she was Yannick Horton’s ghost painter, people would also start wondering about the identity of ‘Eren Wood’ written on her body.
That was the last thing Rubens wanted.
Should he discard Macy now? It wasn’t too late.
The fact that she was a ghost painter wasn’t public knowledge yet, and their relationship wasn’t deep. However, looking at the vivid painting despite the horrible wound, he found it absurdly regretful.
The person who painted this had warmed his arms with her faint warmth last night…
How had she looked at him when Rubens slashed the painting? Was she scared, were her eyes filled with tears?
He remembered her trembling lips. Considering Yannick had pointed to Macy in such a situation, it was clear what kind of treatment she would receive when she returned.
That thought made part of his head hot.
Why did he care so much about a mere girl?
“Good grief.”
Rubens stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, cutting off the train of thoughts running through his mind. If he didn’t stop, they would continue endlessly.
Thinking about Macy was pointless. What did it matter how she was treated?
She was just there for name treatment. He needed to decide, before it was too late. Before he started to regret anything. He couldn’t let such a trivial matter ruin what he had built.
“Rubens, may I come in for a moment?”
Just as the scale was about to tip, a knock and a woman’s voice interrupted his thoughts. There was only one woman in the estate who could address Rubens so familiarly: his grandmother, Ottilie Krygen.
“Yes, please come in.”
Rubens signaled to Kronen to put away the paintings. As the paintings were discreetly moved to a corner, the door opened.
“What brings you here? I would have come to you if you had called.”
“Don’t treat me like an old woman, Rubens. I’m still perfectly capable of walking.”
Despite her graying hair, Ottilie’s eyes retained a sharp violet clarity. She was still robust enough to hold the position of chairwoman at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts.
Rubens, with a hint of a smile, guided her to the sofa.
“Looking at paintings? It’s a good time—I wanted your opinion on a submission for the imperial competition.”
Lately, Rubens had been interacting with artists more frequently than Ottilie, so she often sought his opinion. An iron easel was set up, and a maid placed a painting on it. The moment Rubens saw it, his expression hardened.
“What do you think?”
The painting depicted a landscape at dawn, with a tranquil yet lonely forest atmosphere.
“It’s a landscape. The brushwork is familiar… Whose is it?”
“Macy Horton.”
Of course. Rubens swallowed his frustration.
“I heard there was some commotion involving Yannick Horton and his sister at the estate recently.”
“Yes, there was.”
Macy’s scream had echoed through the grand estate. It was impossible for Ottilie, the lady of the house, not to know about it.
“What did you do with the painting you slashed?”
“I discarded it.”
“I had hoped to see it here, what a shame.”
“It was a painting with clear intent to insult, so I destroyed it. What is it you wish to know? I will tell you.”
Macy’s painting bore a striking resemblance to Yannick Horton’s earlier works. Naturally, since she was the one who had painted them all along.
Moreover, at the Krygen estate, Yannick had himself admitted that the painting he brought was actually Macy’s.
If Ottilie figured out that Macy was the true artist behind Yannick’s works, it would put Rubens on edge.
“Yannick Horton is known for not painting figures. So, I assumed his sister wouldn’t either, but I heard that the painting featured a figure, which piqued my interest.”
The artist who wins the upcoming imperial competition will have their painting hung in the soon-to-be-built Gardevich Cathedral in Laden. Given that the painting for the cathedral must include religious themes, the ability to paint figures is essential.
