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Chapter 16
“Miss. It’s nice to finally get out, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Hmm. It is nice.”
Iela took a deep breath. The faint scent of paint drifting through the air rode the wind and brushed against her senses. It was a fragrance that naturally lifted her mood.
Even the sight of paintings and art supplies filling the streets was enjoyable. Both sides of the road were lined with art supply shops and galleries, and street stalls stretched along the way, offering plenty to see.
“You seem to be in a good mood, Miss.”
“Do I?”
“Yes. You look happier than usual.”
At Betty’s words, Iela nodded in agreement.
“Maybe I am. I’m just really excited right now. What do I do? I can’t control my expression at all.”
As she spoke, the corners of Iela’s mouth were lifted so high they seemed ready to reach her ears. Seeing how genuinely happy she looked, Betty couldn’t help but smile as well.
“But I’m still a bit disappointed.”
“Hmm? About what?”
“It’s your rare outing outside. I wish you had dressed up nicely….”
“It’s fine, Betty. It’s so much more comfortable this way. I don’t have to worry about stepping on a dress or getting sore feet from high heels. If I wore my usual shoes, I wouldn’t be able to walk long.”
Iela smiled reassuringly at Betty’s disappointed expression.
“But still… unlike Lady Louisa, Miss, you’re strangely too good at looking ordinary and not pretty. Ah! I don’t mean you’re not pretty in any way!”
Betty felt frustrated. If only Iela would dress up a little, she would truly look stunning—but she showed no interest in that sort of thing. Even when Betty brought back hairstyles that were in fashion, Iela never used them, which had disappointed her more than once.
Trying to make up for it, Betty had even taught similar styles to Lady Louisa’s maid, and when she later saw Lady Louisa wearing it beautifully, she had felt oddly stung.
“It’s fine. If I have family who loves me and you, Betty, that’s enough.”
Iela comforted her with an apologetic smile.
She understood Betty’s feelings. Betty loved crafts and enjoyed decorating things, so Iela often felt sorry toward her.
At Iela’s gentle hand stroking her head, Betty forced a smile.
“Still… if you dressed up, you’d be just as beautiful as Lady Louisa or Lady Ellen….”
“Haha. That’s impossible. Anyway, you’re kind, Betty. Thank you.”
Iela laughed it off as if it were nonsense, not believing her at all. That only made Betty sigh inwardly again.
A few years ago, when Betty first joined the Clarance Viscount family, she had gone with Iela to a tea house on an errand.
She had been awed by the dazzling appearance of noble ladies covered in extravagant makeup and ornaments.
‘Wow… they’re beautiful….’
‘They are, aren’t they?’
‘Yes. So beautiful.’
‘Don’t get so jealous of outward decorations. A kind heart like yours is what truly makes a woman attractive.’
At the time, Iela had said this gently to Betty, who had been blushing and wide-eyed.
In that moment, Iela—without a single ornament on her—had looked more radiant and beautiful than all the heavily adorned noble ladies.
And Betty had felt deeply ashamed. She had once complained about being assigned to serve a “weird lady” who only read boring books and painted all day.
From that day on, she decided she would serve this kind-hearted lady forever. Yet even now, she still felt ashamed for being upset over such things.
“Anyway, since it’s a rare outing, leave everything to me.”
Betty walked ahead and guided Iela.
The two of them entered Manche Street with bright expressions.
But after a while, those bright expressions turned into disappointment.
“We’ve already checked twenty places, and still nothing.”
“……”
Disappointment was inevitable when expectations were high. When they had entered Manche Street, they had been full of hope. Iela let out a long sigh.
There were many portraits of Crown Prince Frederick from childhood up to recent years, but there were no records of Prince Franz after the age of twelve.
‘Seriously… he appears in photographs so often, so why are there no portraits?’
To be precise, there were portraits of Franz, but they were all from his childhood.
When he was young, Empress Elizabeth had insisted on portraits being made, but as he grew older, he had refused to comply.
Of course, Iela had no way of knowing that.
The prince’s childhood portraits were quite cute to her. His chubby cheeks were adorable. There were also slightly older portraits displayed side by side.
While some people completely change as they grow, the prince’s portraits still showed hints of his current face, making it interesting to compare.
“Ah… what should we do?”
“It can’t be helped. Since we’re already out, let’s stop by the art supply shop.”
“An art supply shop?”
“Yes. We’re out of paint, and I also need a sketchbook.”
“Yes!”
Not far away was an art supply store called “Magello.”
When they entered, all kinds of paints, brushes, palettes, canvases, and easels filled the walls.
A young shopkeeper recognized Iela and greeted her.
“It’s been a while. I almost didn’t recognize you. Haha.”
Usually Betty came alone, so he was pleasantly surprised to see both of them.
“Have you been well? We came out today for some errands and needed to buy a few things.”
“Of course. Please feel free to choose. We even have new paints in—if you apply them on the label, you can see the colors more clearly.”
“Thank you.”
Iela placed her leather sketch organizer on the central table and began browsing freely. Before she knew it, she was completely absorbed. A happy smile spread across her face.
She vaguely heard the shopkeeper greeting other customers, but she had no time to pay attention.
As she examined the supplies, a uniquely textured canvas caught her eye.
“Raphael, this is a canvas I haven’t seen before?”
“Ah! That’s made from wood that only grows in the northern continent. The easel here is from the same brand. It’s extremely high-grade—strong wood from cold regions, and a limited edition.”
Raphael pointed to a sturdy, polished easel.
“I see.”
“So it’s expensive too, I assume?”
At Betty’s innocent question, Raphael smiled and quietly mentioned the price.
“Gasp!”
Betty’s jaw nearly dropped. She leaned toward Iela and whispered. Iela was just as shocked.
“Is it really that expensive?”
“Wood from the northern continent is famous for its quality. And this is the finest grade.”
“I suppose that makes sense.”
“Because of the price, even professional painters can’t easily afford it. Only a few artists commissioned by high nobles have ever bought it.”
“I see.”
Iela was disappointed, but it wasn’t something she could afford to indulge in.
“Please ring these up.”
Originally, she had only planned to buy yellow paint and a sketchbook, but now she was holding three shades of blue paint, one teal paint, and a small canvas. She had carefully chosen only what she truly needed, though she had wanted more.
“Thank you. Please come again!”
After paying, Iela left the shop with Betty.
As they walked away from Manche Street, Iela glanced back with lingering regret. The purpose of her outing suddenly came back to her, and her steps felt heavier.
“Miss, cheer up. At least you might still see the prince. It’s not like there’s no chance at all.”
“That’s true, but…”
Could I really do it? She wasn’t confident. Her shoulders slumped.
Through a shop window, she saw her own reflection and let out a bitter laugh.
‘What am I even doing?’
Then she straightened herself.
‘No. Don’t overthink it. The opportunity will come. Be brave!’
She lifted her shoulders and tried to step forward confidently—when suddenly, a familiar silhouette caught her eye.
“Huh.”
Startled, she snapped her head away. Hoping she hadn’t imagined it, she turned again.
And there he was.
Prince Franz, walking casually through the streets while drawing everyone’s attention.
“No way… it’s really him?”
Iela muttered in disbelief.
“Huh? M-Miss! Over there!”
Betty’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She had only ever seen him in newspapers.
“Shh!”
Iela pressed a finger to her lips.
“Yes! Shh!”
Betty quickly followed suit.
“Let’s follow him.”
She had told herself a chance would come—but she hadn’t expected it to come this fast.
‘This is a gift from heaven! Thank you, God!’
