Chapter: 117
At that moment, Evangeline, Larit, and Seraphina were seated at the same table.
It was a strange combination that would normally never be seen, but the presence of the Empress, such a powerful figure, had made it possible.
In fact, the Empress had even left the three of them seated there, saying that she would be gone for a moment to wash her hands…
‘Ha, this is driving me crazy.’
With even the Empress, who had at least been easing the tension, gone, Seraphina felt as though she were sitting on a bed of thorns.
Seraphina glanced sideways at Larit.
‘Where on earth did that girl Larit get such a rare painting?’
Donovan of the Temple.
He was considered one of the greatest painters ever produced by the Temple.
He was the first painter to portray the goddess, who had always been depicted as sacred and noble, in the more human form of a mother.
It was said that beginning with Donovan, the goddess’s image as someone warm, approachable, and affectionate gradually became more prominent.
And Seraphina had mocked this childhood study by such a painter, saying,
“I don’t know how to put it, but the painting is really… avant-garde.”
“It seems like exactly the kind of painting suited to Larit’s level. It feels like something a child drew, don’t you think?”
She had actually sneered at it like that!
Remembering how she had blabbered on without knowing anything, Seraphina’s face burned with embarrassment.
Just then, Evangeline turned toward Seraphina with a bright smile.
“Lady Lopes.”
“……”
What on earth was she going to say?
Seraphina looked at Evangeline warily before forcing a smile.
“Yes, Lady Evangeline.”
“You said that to Larit earlier, didn’t you? That it was a painting perfectly suited to Larit’s level.”
At those words, Seraphina’s shoulders stiffened.
‘Could she have heard that?’
At the same time, Evangeline’s smile deepened slightly.
It was a razor-sharp smile, strikingly similar to Dietrich’s.
“I agree with Lady Lopes as well. Larit has such an exceptionally high level of artistic knowledge, after all.”
“……”
Seraphina clenched her molars tightly.
Evangeline narrowed her eyes and asked another question.
“Come to think of it, Lady Lopes seemed rather surprised when she heard that it was one of Donovan’s studies. Surely you didn’t fail to recognize that it was a painting by Donovan?”
Seraphina swallowed a dry breath.
Evangeline once again stomped hard on her already thoroughly battered pride.
“I had heard that Lady Lopes had cultivated a great deal of knowledge in many different fields, so I secretly thought that was quite impressive…”
Evangeline finished with a faint sigh, as though she were somewhat disappointed.
“I suppose no one can be perfect, after all. Don’t you think?”
“……”
Her tone was so biting that even Larit, sitting across from her, looked at Seraphina with sympathy.
Seraphina’s face turned bright red.
However, she was given no opportunity to refute Evangeline.
Because at that very moment, the Empress was gracefully approaching them.
“I’m sorry to have kept everyone waiting.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty.”
“It is an honor to accompany Your Majesty.”
Evangeline, Larit, and Seraphina hurriedly put smiles on their faces.
The Empress shook her head and sat down.
“Really, a study by Donovan. I never imagined I would get to see such a precious painting in a place like this.”
Then, with a gaze full of curiosity, she asked,
“But that study, as far as I know, wasn’t it something that had been in the possession of the Claudius ducal family?”
What?!
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
If that were true…
Then Seraphina had been completely played by Evangeline and Larit this entire time.
If they had entered the painting under the Claudius name from the beginning, she would have paid much closer attention.
Instead, they had deliberately entered it under Larit’s name, completely lowering her guard.
“Then that means the ducal family submitted it under Lady Ancy’s name…”
The Empress glanced sideways at Larit before continuing in a cheerful voice.
“No matter how much it was at the request of a young lady, the Duke doesn’t seem like the sort of person who would casually take a family heirloom out of the estate.”
“Ah, well, that…”
Larit could only roll her eyes helplessly, not knowing what to say.
The Empress gave a mischievous grin.
“Besides, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the Duke take a woman other than Lady Evangeline as his partner.”
“……”
Larit’s face flushed slightly.
But the Empress had no intention of stopping her barrage of questions.
“And then there’s the fact that he won this Donovan study again for such a huge sum.”
The Empress drove the point home in a suggestive tone.
“By any chance… what exactly is the relationship between the Duke and Lady Ancy?”
At that question, Seraphina’s expression stiffened ever so slightly.
The Duke of Claudius.
A man regarded as one of the finest marriage prospects in the entire Empire.
The fact that Larit kept becoming involved with the man Seraphina herself had admired from the bottom of her heart wounded her pride.
Meanwhile, Evangeline looked at Larit with a pleased smile.
As Larit met all those gazes…
‘The relationship between me and the Duke…?’
Her hand resting on her lap tightened slightly.
It was something Larit herself had wondered about.
‘What exactly are we to each other?’
Larit definitely had romantic feelings for Dietrich.
By now, she no longer even had the energy to hide those feelings.
Moreover…
‘The Duke… at least, it doesn’t seem like he dislikes me.’
But still.
The Claudius ducal family, one of the most prestigious noble families in the Empire.
The Ancy viscount family, a minor noble family from the provinces.
That enormous gap in status kept making Larit hesitate.
And then—
“Lady Ancy.”
A calm voice called out to Larit.
Larit quickly raised her head.
Dietrich was standing there.
“Pardon me, but could you spare me a moment?”
Although Dietrich’s expression was as composed as ever, the fact that he had suddenly come looking for Larit was itself unusual.
It was unlike him, considering how much he normally valued proper etiquette.
“Hehe, go ahead.”
Before Larit could answer, the Empress gently waved her hand.
‘Oh, is he finally going to confess?!’
Evangeline clenched her fist with a knowing expression.
“Have a good time, Larit!”
Meanwhile, Seraphina was the only one wearing an expression as though she had bitten into something unpleasant.
So, he had at least managed to bring Larit out with him.
‘…How on earth am I supposed to bring this up?’
Dietrich felt completely at a loss.
The place where the two of them now stood was a small prayer room with absolutely no one around.
While looking for somewhere empty, they had somehow ended up entering the prayer room.
A statue of the goddess hanging on the wall gazed down at the two of them silently.
From the extinguished incense candles lingered a faint fragrance that naturally put one in a reverent mood.
Perhaps because of that, the atmosphere felt unnecessarily sacred.
How was he supposed to confess in such a holy atmosphere?!
‘Damn it.’
Rarely muttering a curse under his breath, Dietrich glanced down at Larit from the corner of his eye.
‘If it weren’t for that bastard Isaac…’
If Isaac hadn’t deliberately provoked him, he probably wouldn’t have impulsively dragged Larit out like this.
He had wanted to do it more elegantly.
To put a little more thought into it.
It was something important, after all, so he wanted to make every effort to ensure that his feelings were conveyed properly…
“Um, Duke?”
“Ah, yes.”
Dietrich, who had been completely on edge because of Larit, answered reflexively.
Her pink eyes were looking straight up at him.
That alone was enough.
‘…How can she be so beautiful?’
Dietrich gazed at those eyes as if he were spellbound.
Perhaps embarrassed by his stare, Larit moved her lips slightly for a moment before carefully asking,
“If you don’t mind me asking, may I ask why you brought me all the way here?”
“……”
At that moment, Dietrich felt his mind turn completely blank.
He couldn’t leave this awkward distance between them as it was.
And he knew exactly how to close that distance, too.
‘I like you.’
To convey his true feelings.
…Yet somehow, those one simple words were so incredibly difficult to say.
“……”
Dietrich felt his mouth go completely dry.
