TMET 16

16. Is It a Bug, or Not?

2024.01.16.

“I came because I heard you called, but it doesn’t seem like you’re glad to see me.”

“Shut that mouth.”

Duke Orphee, Bashirov, spoke in a low voice that sounded almost threatening. He was clearly furious.

“Is what’s in the papers true? About that woman from Rubelsa?”

A fierce gleam sparked in his violet eyes. Duke Orphee, who had slightly darker blond hair and violet eyes than Damion, closely resembled his son—undeniably father and son.

Damion’s older brother, Cardian, took after their mother with his soft honey-colored hair and golden eyes. The two brothers each resembled a different parent.

Facing his father, who seemed full of questions, Damion responded with a smirk.

“Wow, I didn’t know even the Duke subscribes to Morning Noblesse.”

“Answer the question.”

“It’s exactly as the gossip column reported.”

“You little—!”

The Duke shot up from his seat, stomping over to Damion with anger radiating from every step.

“Rubelsa? How dare you attach that kind of household to the name of Orphee?”

“With this much interest in my love life, I’m worried you might faint at the wedding.”

Damion replied nonchalantly, as if it were someone else’s business. The Duke’s face twisted with rage.

“You’re saying you’re considering marriage?”

“Don’t like it? I put in a lot of effort choosing a match whose background wouldn’t interfere with my status, since you dislike such influence.”

Damion’s sarcasm made Bashirov visibly seethe.

Finally losing control, Bashirov raised his hand high to strike—

“Father, please stop.”

A calm voice interrupted him. Damion’s dry gaze turned to Cardian’s back.

Still slicing his meat without even glancing over, Cardian spoke smoothly.

“It’s not just family watching Damion right now. If someone from the Duke’s house gets bruised on the face, what do you think people will say? You agree, don’t you, Becky?”

At his words, his wife Becky nodded and got up to gently approach the Duke.

“Please don’t be so angry, Father.”

At his daughter-in-law’s gentle plea, the Duke finally turned back to the table.

Cardian glanced at Damion and asked,

“Is it pity? Or are you just playing around?”

“Neither. Unlike you, I’m not into toys anymore.”

Cardian smirked at the pointed comment.

“Toys? You sound like a child.”

“So, does the new Emperor suit your taste?”

“He’s someone I serve with full loyalty. I’d prefer you not speak so irreverently.”

“I hear the revolutionary forces are growing bolder. You, as His Majesty’s right-hand man, should be cautious.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

Cardian offered a faint smile. Damion smiled back and bowed to the Duke and Duchess.

“Please enjoy your lunch.”

As his footsteps faded away, Cardian turned his focus back to the meal. The meat had gone cold during the conversation.

“Bring more,” he said gently.

At the soft command, the chef hurried to grill fresh meat again.

After finishing his meal, Cardian quietly returned to his room. The newspaper he had been reading in the morning lay on the table.

Sinking into the sofa, Cardian looked down at the paper.

The headline read: “Revolutionaries who destroyed the Emperor’s statue in the plaza were immediately caught and await execution.”

“Crawling bugs won’t get far. Why do they even bother…”

His voice held a trace of pity. As he lightly tapped the armrest, his empty gaze drifted toward the air.

Anci de Rubelsa.

That woman clinging to Damion—was she a bug, or not?

Alongside the question, a flicker of curiosity bloomed.

Cardian, who loved his younger brother dearly, decided he would support this marriage.

* * *

The Spring Hall art exhibition in the capital was one of the most prestigious spring events. People from all over came to view, purchase, and network over the artworks.

But Hennet couldn’t focus at all on the art, thanks to the shocking news he’d heard recently.

“What are you thinking? Rubelsa? What could you possibly gain from her?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Damion’s answer was short. But no matter how much Hennet thought about it, he couldn’t understand. What about that woman could possibly be a plus? It was obvious that Damion was the one at a loss here.

“You’re not seriously taking her to the Benue River too, are you?”

“Maybe.”

Maybe?! Not no?

Hennet’s jaw dropped.

At the end of April, the boating festival held on the Benue River was an event where couples rode small boats together.

Some attended with family, but it was primarily an event for lovers. When a man and woman rode together, it was a silent way of announcing their romantic interest in each other.

If the ball at the Baylis estate was a temporary partnership, then attending the boat festival together meant something much more serious.

“Hennet, what about you?”

Still gazing at a still life painting of a clock, Damion asked casually. Hennet pouted.

“I broke up with Renny recently. Someone was pretending to be my girlfriend, going around making a fuss.”

“Then go with Miss Helsia.”

“Don’t joke. She’s already going with some loser, and it’s killing me. Do you know how frustrating it is to watch and not do anything?”

“There’s a ball at Grand Light Hall tonight. Find a partner there.”

“All the women going to that ball are just looking for husbands. I don’t want to give anyone false hope.”

So soft-hearted. Damion gave a half-hearted reply, lightly mocking him.

“How sweet. So if it’s someone you don’t mind hurting, it’s fine? Then how about that woman who pretended to be your girlfriend?”

Hennet’s eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.

“Should I really?”

“Better be prepared. Might not even be a woman.”

“You be careful yourself. Don’t let that Rubelsa girl dump you. Shouldn’t she be here with you today?”

“Why?”

“Exhibitions make great date spots.”

“They’re also great for investments.”

“Show off.”

But he couldn’t argue. Some of the paintings Damion had bought at last winter’s exhibition had increased twentyfold in value.

“Wouldn’t it be best to combine dating with investing?”

“She’s not one for crowded places.”

Which meant she probably didn’t come today.

Even so, with every step, Damion casually scanned the hall.

Anci wasn’t there.

But a painting caught his eye.

A massive black canvas dotted with white points.

It looked like a starry sky but didn’t seem particularly special. No one paid attention to it. The painting wasn’t even in the main hall—it was tucked away deeper inside, proof of its low popularity.

Damion walked up to it. Seen up close, the painting’s sheer size was a bit overwhelming. A faint smile of satisfaction appeared on his lips.

Raising his hand, he called over a staff member.

“I’ll buy this.”

A red sticker reading “Sold” was immediately affixed next to it. Hennet shrugged, still not getting it.

“You really think this has investment value?”

“I’m not buying it to sell.”

“Really? Then what do you like about it?”

“Personal reasons.”

Hennet narrowed his eyes at the painting, then eventually shook his head.

“I prefer brighter pieces. If you’re staying, I’m heading off.”

Without waiting for an answer, Hennet left. Damion remained, gazing at the black sky a little longer.

Just how gloomy would this look hanging in a mansion?

Still, he had a strong feeling she would like it.

“Damion?”

Then came a quiet, clear voice. Damion glanced sideways.

Anci de Rubelsa stood there.

“We should’ve come together, Anci.”

“We really should’ve.”

Anci turned to look at the painting.

Her blue eyes moved like glass marbles, tracing the sky from edge to edge, returning to the center. Her translucent lips parted slightly.

A quiet breath of wonder slipped out.

Damion felt like a student who had just answered a test question correctly.

“I like it. What about you, Anci?”

“I think… it might be my favorite piece here. It looks messy, but you can tell it was painted with care.”

“How so?”

The brush strokes weren’t particularly refined. The colors weren’t intricate either.

Though it was a large canvas that probably took a lot of time and materials, was that what she meant by “care”? As Damion pondered what her definition of care might be, he waited for her answer.

“It’s accurate. The placement of the stars.”

A completely unexpected answer. Damion looked at the painting again. The notably bright stars, and the ones connected to them.

“…Bootes.”

“You remember?”

Anci brightened, her voice full of joy. Her blue eyes sparkled with a life he hadn’t seen before.

Was she someone capable of such expression?

“It’s a spring sky. You can see the triangle formed by Arcturus of Bootes, Spica of Virgo, and Denebola of Leo. And right before Bootes…”

She continued in a calm voice, though the slight blush on her cheeks showed her excitement.

And for a moment, Damion felt like his heart dropped.