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Chapter 37
“I think we’ll have to hold a large-scale auction the day after the imperial banquet.”
Count Monzas examined the documents on his desk. They were letters from various noble houses, all warning that the repayment deadlines on the money he had borrowed were approaching.
Before those deadlines passed, he would have to liquidate everything in the Empire and leave.
“But the paintings…” Orson began.
At his words, Count Monzas immediately shot him a sharp look.
“You just need to paint diligently. What’s the problem?”
“No, it’s just… the time…”
“Then paint things that don’t take long. We need to put at least four pieces up for auction.”
The money earned so far from auctions amounted to 750,000 ritas.
Liquidating all the family assets that could be converted into cash would bring in another 100,000 ritas.
And there were the 50,000 ritas of profit he had made earlier by overcharging people for paintings.
In total, he had gathered 900,000 ritas.
It was enough to cross over to the Kingdom of Bornor and live under a new identity, but it wasn’t abundant. To live comfortably, he would need at least 1.5 million ritas.
“If I stir up the nobles a bit at the imperial banquet, I should be able to make much more. I’ll have to coax them well.”
If the atmosphere was set just right, even 2 million ritas wouldn’t be out of the question, which was why the imperial banquet was so important. The imperial family possessed Melchasky’s paintings, and he needed to stimulate people’s desire to buy.
“But if we do that, the quality of the paintings…”
Orson still seemed foolishly attached to the importance of the artwork.
“Just paint them however. What matters to people right now is the story, not the painting. Just dash them off. Does that really matter?”
“Still… if the quality is too poor…”
“What would you know?”
Count Monzas picked up his pen and wrote something on the paper.
“Shut up and do as I tell you. Four might not be enough, so make one a series. Paint five in total. Here—make the series by placing two together and drawing a long red line straight across. Then smear black paint wildly on the top and dot the bottom with various colors.”
As the count’s hand moved smoothly without hesitation, Orson’s complexion grew even worse.
This wasn’t art. It was just wrapping things up in fancy words without properly expressing any meaning—a hollow deception with no substance.
“Alright, you understand? The sunlight is good now, so dry them outside.”
“If you do that, they’ll crack quickly and the paintings will be damaged.”
“Hey!”
Count Monzas hurled the vase on the desk at Orson. Water splashed all over him, and the vase fell to the floor and shattered with a loud crash.
“Who do you think you are, trying to teach me? Do you think I don’t know that? I told you how many times—don’t worry about that and just do what I say!”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Again! Again! Do you think that just because you can paint a little better than me, you’re above me?”
“No! Of course not!”
“Then just do what you’re told. Don’t talk back.”
Still seething, the count stormed out of the room with angry strides.
“Ha…”
Orson let out a sigh as he looked at the memo the count had left behind.
“This isn’t art…”
This wasn’t what he wanted to paint. He didn’t know what his brother was thinking, but this felt like a scam.
But he didn’t have the power to defy his brother. From the moment he was born, his existence had been a sin—a wound to his brother and his brother’s mother. Because of that, he could never step forward as the previous count’s son. He had always stood behind his brother like this.
Clutching the memo, Orson sighed once more and left the room.
The mansion felt even quieter than usual when we returned from the dress shop.
Rose, who had had her budget completely taken away, was sulking and hadn’t said a word to Father. The countess was also unusually quiet, apparently angry about something. When the two of them were together, they tended to complain that the Duchess of Ameron and other nobles were all the same, yet somehow discriminated against them.
Thanks to that, the estate was peaceful.
“Did you know? Miss Rose has been secretly peeking into your dressing room.”
“Why would she look into my dressing room?”
“She seems curious about what you’ll be wearing to the imperial banquet, Miss Espin.”
“The imperial banquet dress? It hasn’t even arrived from the dress shop yet.”
“Exactly. That’s why she keeps glancing in every day. At this point, it almost feels like she’s trying to steal the dress.”
Well, if it was Rose, that was entirely possible. From what I’d seen of her over the past few days, she was overflowing with inferiority toward Espin.
“Then shall we do something fun?”
“What do you mean?”
“Just teasing Rose a little. But it’s something that only works if Rose harbors bad intentions.”
“What is it?”
Tonin’s eyes sparkled with interest. She’d been complaining about how Rose kept bullying her because she was my personal maid, and it seemed she was eager to get some payback.
“Come here.”
I quietly whispered my plan into Tonin’s ear.
“You can do it, right? Here—say this is extra payment for the dress shop.”
When I handed her a stack of bills, a bright smile spread across Tonin’s face.
“That sounds like so much fun.”
“Hurry and go.”
“Yes.”
Tonin hurried off, more excited than I’d ever seen her.
“Espin.”
Just as I was happily watching Tonin’s retreating figure, the countess called my name with a terrifying expression.
“What is it?”
Marching toward me in anger, the countess held out her hand.
“Give me the money.”
“What money?”
“I heard the count gave you as much as 300,000 ritas. You’re not capable of managing such a large sum yet, so this mother will take care of it for you. Hand it over.”
Behind her, I could see Rose peeking out, brazenly sticking her head forward. It seemed she was desperate, since Father had cut off her funds.
After all, social events were lined up one after another, and she didn’t have any suitable dresses to wear.
Rose and the countess hated wearing the same dress twice more than anything, as if someone were memorizing all of their outfits.
“I can manage it just fine. There’s no need to worry.”
“No. Money of that size should be handled by the lady of the house—that is, me. So give it to me.”
“But Father gave that money to me.”
“Still. It’s right that I handle it. Don’t you agree?”
“No, I don’t. And that money belonged to my late mother. So I absolutely can’t give it to you.”
“No, that’s all the more reason I should have it. The former countess’s money should go to me, the current countess.”
“How shameless. Do you really think you’re qualified to manage my mother’s inheritance?”
The thick-skinned countess showed no sign of backing down.
“Hand it over.”
“I don’t have it.”
“What?”
“I spent it all.”
“You spent all that money?”
“Yes.”
“Are you insane? Stop lying and give it to me.”
“If you can find it, go ahead and try. And I’ll be telling Father about this today.”
“What did you say?”
“Father clearly gave me that money to manage. If you’re trying to take it because you don’t trust my ability, that means you don’t trust Father’s judgment. So it’s only right that I report this to him. I need to decide whose words I’m supposed to follow.”
“You brat!”
“Please mind your dignity, Countess.”
“How dare a child—”
It seems all you have left to say is to bring up my age. Since you’re older, you should avoid overexerting yourself and go back inside. I’d hate for your blood pressure to rise and cause something unfortunate.”
When I smiled at her, the countess clenched her fists tightly.
“I wonder how long you’ll be able to keep smiling. Once the count finds out you lost that much money, I wonder what he’ll say.”
“Yes. I look forward to it.”
“Fine. I’ll be waiting. To see how long you can keep your head held high in this house.”
The countess spun around so fiercely it seemed as if a gust of wind followed her. Even as she turned, she didn’t stop glaring at me, to the point where I almost worried her neck might snap.
