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Chapter 49
When Pete returned earlier than expected, Cézanne quickly went out to take his coat.
“You really don’t need to serve me like this, especially all the way out here.”
Cézanne shyly shook her head.
“I’m doing it because I want to.”
Pete let out a quiet chuckle at her words.
“Have you had a chance to look around the area?”
“No, not yet…”
“You should take a walk while you’re here. Is work keeping you busy?”
“No, madam hasn’t given me anything to do.”
After a brief pause, Pete spoke again.
“I’m heading to the capital tomorrow, so I came home to get a few things in order.”
Cézanne couldn’t quite understand why he was telling her this, but she answered with a strange sense of anticipation.
“Yes.”
Pete hesitated before continuing.
“Once I’m done… do you want to go out with me tonight?”
Cézanne’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Me?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
Her heart started pounding wildly.
“…Where are you planning to go?”
“I spotted a cozy-looking pub earlier. I’ll buy us a drink. Unless you don’t want to…”
“I’d love to.”
Her immediate response made Pete’s ears turn red.
“Alright then, I’ll head upstairs and finish packing.”
“Wait.”
Cézanne stopped him just as he was about to go up the stairs. With a bashful smile, she asked,
“Can I bring you some tea?”
A soft smile appeared on Pete’s lips in return.
“Thanks.”
Meanwhile, Emily had arrived at the art studio and, as always, greeted the owner warmly before browsing the paintings.
Killian, who had little interest in art, wandered around idly, fiddling with brushes.
“Is this artist still in Sinope?”
Emily asked as she pointed to a painting of the aurora.
“How did you recognize it’s by the same artist?”
The studio owner asked, visibly impressed.
“Even though the signature has changed, you noticed right away.”
“The artist’s unique sense of color and style is unmistakable. It’s a shame I still don’t know what the artist looks like.”
“Do you like the painting?”
“Yes, but I want to look around a bit more.”
While browsing, Emily called Killian over. Once he stood beside her, she gestured to the painting she had just seen.
“What do you think about hanging this in the entrance that connects to the lobby of the Star Mansion? The wallpaper there is gold and pink, so I think it would match well.”
“I think it would be a good fit.”
Truthfully, even if it was something completely out of place, Killian would’ve approved as long as Emily had chosen it.
“Or maybe this one would be better…”
As they chatted and compared options, someone entered the studio. The counter wasn’t visible from where Emily and Killian stood, so they couldn’t see who had come in.
“You’re here.”
“Have you been well?”
Though they couldn’t see the man, his conversation with the studio owner was clearly audible.
“I brought some new paintings.”
At the sound of the man’s voice, Emily froze.
“You’re in luck—we have a customer interested in your work today.”
“Is that so?”
“Come say hello. It would be great if you could explain the painting yourself.”
The studio owner, clearly more excited than anyone else, brought the man over to Emily.
“You know, the young lady from Sinope has been your most loyal buyer. She’s just returned after a year.”
At the mention of “the young lady from Sinope,” the man stopped in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ll come back later. I’m busy right now.”
“Wait—!”
The man shook off the owner’s arm and hurried out without another word.
“Well, that was strange.”
The studio owner scratched his head.
Curious, Emily asked him,
“Was that Louis just now?”
“Louis? You mean… the youngest son of Baron Roman?”
Now it was the studio owner’s turn to look surprised.
“He always wears his hat pulled low and avoids eye contact. I had no idea.”
Emily was something of an exception, but the common-born owner didn’t often encounter nobles. It made sense he hadn’t noticed, especially if Louis was trying to hide.
“I always found it odd. I told him you liked his work and wanted to meet him, but he always declined.”
“Hmm… I wonder why he’s hiding it. Is he not supposed to be painting?”
Emily tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“I can’t imagine why. With his talent, even Baron Roman would be proud.”
Meanwhile, Killian, who had been silently listening to the conversation, was boiling inside.
That guy Louis, who had just come up in conversation, was getting on his nerves.
Even if Killian didn’t care much for art, he wasn’t blind. He could tell the paintings decorating Emily’s room were Louis’s.
‘Didn’t they say that guy had a crush on Emily?’
It was only natural that she would be drawn to paintings created by someone who loved her.
And now that he knew Louis was the son of Baron Roman, Killian’s mind began racing to figure out how to deal with Louis Roman—quietly and permanently.
“Are you going to buy the painting?”
Killian cut into their conversation, his voice sharp.
Startled, Emily pulled her hand away from the painting. She wasn’t even sure who Louis was yet, but for some reason, Killian sounded almost jealous.
“No, I won’t buy it.”
Whatever the reason, she felt like something terrible would happen if she did. So Emily decided to walk away from the painting.
“It’s a shame, but I think we should go now.”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
The studio owner nodded, clearly puzzled by the turn of events.
“Goodbye.”
“Please come again!”
Once they were outside, Killian quickly scanned their surroundings. The man from earlier was nowhere in sight.
“Anyplace else you’d like to go?”
Killian asked anxiously. As long as they stayed in town, he felt like Louis’s shadow would always be lurking.
It seemed like everyone in the village linked Emily to Louis, and that alone made Killian uneasy.
“No, let’s head back.”
At her words, Killian let out a sigh of relief and immediately called for the carriage.
Meanwhile, Louis had ducked into an alley and taken off his hat.
Beneath it was a pale, handsome face with navy blue hair and deep blue eyes. A sigh escaped from his red lips.
He hadn’t expected to run into Emily and her husband like that. While he was glad they looked close and happy, his heart ached sharply.
‘She’s still just as beautiful.’
With a gloomy heart, he sat on the steps of a nearby house.
Back when all the neighborhood boys had a little crush on Emily, Louis had been no exception.
As a child who cried often, he’d earned the nickname “Little Rudolph” because of his perpetually red nose. Emily, always bouncing around, had been called “Mountain Rabbit.”
His older brothers used to tease him about his first love, even gently pushing him toward Emily so he could pretend to trip and hold her hand.
But once he became old enough to understand his place, he began to treat her with distance and caution.
Whenever he thought about it, the feelings became too overwhelming, and he would shut himself in his room to paint.
“Louis, what are you doing?”
One day, when Emily had visited the Roman estate with the Countess, she found him painting in the garden.
“Nothing.”
Louis quickly tried to hide the sketch, flustered.
“Were you painting?”
“Just doodling.”
“Let me see.”
“It’s not very good…”
But when he looked into Emily’s eyes, he couldn’t refuse. Reluctantly, he showed her the drawing.
“Wow. You’re really good!”
Thankfully, Emily had liked it.
“Really?”
“Yes! If you keep practicing, you’ll become a great artist. I’ll buy all your paintings.”
Just hearing those words made him happy. More than becoming a great artist, it was her promise to buy his paintings that thrilled him.
From then on, Louis started painting in earnest. What had begun as a hobby became something more—he wanted to create works worthy of her.
When he began selling anonymously to the studio to test his growth, he was overjoyed to hear that Emily had been the first buyer.
‘Emily! That painting you bought—it was mine!’
He rushed to the Sinope estate to tell her.
But that very day, he learned that Emily had received a marriage proposal from Charles.
From then on, Louis decided never to reveal his identity to her. With her engaged, he didn’t want even a hint of scandal. He hid his name completely and focused solely on creating art that she would love.
Later, when he heard the Sinope family had gone bankrupt and the engagement had been called off, his brothers urged him to ask for her hand.
They told him their parents wouldn’t object now that the family had fallen.
Of course he wanted to—desperately. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He was afraid Emily would see the proposal as pity. That she’d think her value had dropped so low, even someone like him could dare propose.
And so she ended up marrying the mafia man.
Still, contrary to his fears, Emily looked happy and stable.
“Haa…”
Louis let out another sigh.
He’d missed her so much after she left. But now that he’d seen her again—it just hurt too much.
