Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 98
Even though Eren knew they could be caught, he hadn’t stopped.
“Have you already stopped calling my name?”
“What?”
“You keep saying ‘you,’ like I’m a stranger whose name you don’t even know.”
He suddenly seemed displeased with the way she addressed him. Macy, even though she saw him as Eren despite his polished appearance as Duke Krygen, couldn’t bring herself to call him by that name anymore.
“How could I dare speak your name, Your Grace?”
“Ah, so that’s why you settled for ‘you’ instead?”
Eren sneered, mocking the formality of her words.
“Call me Eren like before. Nothing’s changed, has it?”
“I don’t want to.”
Her response was firm, even to her own ears, leaving no room for doubt.
How could he claim that nothing had changed? He had someone else in his life. If she had known from the beginning that Eren was Duke Krygen, she wouldn’t have let herself develop these feelings.
She would’ve turned away, no matter how difficult it was. The first step had been wrong, and now everything was out of place. He knew this and had stood by, watching it all unfold.
Macy still couldn’t shake the sense of betrayal she felt toward Eren.
“Macy, do you realize how much I’ve been putting up with?”
Eren’s voice suddenly sounded irritated. The way he ran his hand through his disheveled hair betrayed his frustration.
“I’m starting to wonder how long my patience will last.”
His tone had an unmistakable pressure, a quiet but undeniable authority. The gentle, teasing air from before had vanished, leaving him cold and distant. In that moment, he resembled the Duke who had slashed her painting—a man who wouldn’t tolerate such behavior.
Macy’s heart chilled at the thought. If the Duke truly were here, this kind of defiance would never be allowed. As her lips trembled, Eren turned away, losing interest.
“You’re… leaving like this?”
If he left now, Lady Werfel would surely see the cut on his lip. What would she think when she noticed the mark? What possible reason could explain why the Duke had returned from the Count’s townhouse with his lip bitten? It was in a place too obvious to hide.
Macy belatedly realized her recklessness. If Lady Werfel discovered that they had both spent time away from the house…
The mere thought sent a cold shiver down her spine.
“Well? Weren’t you eager to advertise that we kissed?”
Macy flinched at the low taunt, her shoulders hunching defensively.
“I’ll say I have urgent matters and leave first, so you go ahead. And next time, don’t leave any traces.”
Eren straightened his clothes, discarding the dirty gloves on the floor.
“I have many places where I need to maintain a sense of decorum, unlike you.”
With that final remark, he departed from the townhouse.
* * *
Macy returned to the room precisely at the 20-minute mark. As she entered, Lady Werfel greeted her with a somewhat dejected expression.
“I’m so sorry! The Duke suddenly remembered he had urgent matters and left early.”
“It’s fine. I’ll arrange to visit the Duke’s residence again separately.”
“Thank you so much, Macy.”
Fortunately, Lady Werfel seemed oblivious to any strange happenings.
The gloves Eren had discarded were safely tucked away in Macy’s pocket. She had taken them, anxious they might serve as evidence of their meeting.
But would there come a time when Lady Werfel noticed the cut on Eren’s lip? While Eren might have come up with some excuse, it still troubled her…
Throughout the work, Macy felt a surge of guilt, as if she was complicit with Eren in deceiving Lady Werfel. As she walked back to the cabin, a heavier sense of fatigue washed over her than usual.
“Ugh, this is exhausting…”
A groan escaped her lips.
She had never found painting to be so arduous before. Unlike what she had said to Lady Werfel, she didn’t go to find the Duke to paint him anymore. After all, his smiling face, angry expression, and the sweet whispers during their kiss, along with the heat radiating from him, were all vividly etched in her mind.
Additionally, her fear of meeting Eren during the day had grown. She worried he might create awkward situations to force her into making a choice.
The thought of being confined in a small space with him, where another incident could occur, filled her with dread.
Just a few days ago, she had been eager to see him during the day, but now she wanted to avoid him.
