Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 107

“But shouldn’t there be the artist’s signature at the bottom of the painting?”

“Ah, you’re right. Just a moment.”

At Lady Werfel’s question, Macy hurriedly searched for the brush to sign with. However, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find it.

“I think I left my brush in the carriage. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

After Lady Werfel permitted her, Macy quickly exited the room. Although she had said she wouldn’t reveal their relationship, she still felt a twinge of guilt for being there in front of Lady Werfel, but she wasn’t as tense as before.

At least the portrait work was finished, so there wouldn’t be any need for them to meet directly like this again. That alone gave her a sense of relief.

“What did you forget?”

As she approached the carriage, Morgan, who had been resting nearby, came over.

“Yes. Where’s the bag I keep my brushes in?”

“Just a moment.”

Morgan found the bag without much trouble, as this sort of thing happened often. Macy quickly gathered the necessary tools and hurried back, practically running with the brush in her hand.

As she drew nearer to the studio on the first floor, the large windows made it easy to see the two people inside.

Lady Werfel was laughing heartily as she conversed with Eren. Although Eren’s face was mostly hidden, his posture suggested he was sharing a funny story.

Being alone with her seemed to change the atmosphere; Lady Werfel appeared much more relaxed and open, laughing freely and leaning in closer to Eren.

While it seemed like a habitual action, Macy didn’t feel entirely good watching it.

‘I can’t help it. She’s going to be his fiance, so I can’t just push her away. Still, Eren said he wouldn’t treat her like me.’

In any case, the person standing next to him was Lady Werfel, which provided some solace. It meant Eren wasn’t viewing her as a woman at all. It also implied that he wouldn’t touch Macy with the same hands he used on Lady Werfel.

The fact that she was fixating on this made Macy feel a bit ridiculous.

Perhaps she felt a sense of possession towards him, even if not as strongly as Eren did. After all, she had struggled to suppress her jealousy just seeing him standing with Lady Werfel once she found out he was Duke Krygen.

‘What good is it to feel possessive over someone who’s taken…?’

With a sigh, Macy moved to leave, but then noticed Lady Werfel leaning closer to Eren, their faces nearly touching. Lady Werfel’s hand, which held Eren’s arm, slowly traveled up to his shoulder. It was a strange sensation that made her uneasy.

‘What are they doing…?’

Macy hid her body and watched their interaction closely. Her mind warned her that this was wrong, but a chilling premonition compelled her to keep watching.

Soon, Eren’s hand found its way to Lady Werfel’s waist, and their faces began to tilt toward each other. Lady Werfel’s eyelids fluttered as if they might close. They were gently caressing each other…

“Why…?”

Macy’s face went pale, and her breath quickened. It was hard to believe what she was seeing.

“Why are they…?”

The two of them were passionately kissing in a place where Macy wasn’t present.

* * *

“Lady, you’re too close.”

Rubens pulled Isabella slightly away by her waist, clearly revealing his displeasure.

“Oh, I was just trying to help! I thought your eyelashes had fallen, and you might not see them…”

When she reached to pick them up with her fingers, she found it difficult to catch the eyelash on his cheek, bringing her face closer to his than intended. Rubens seemed uncomfortable with that distance, leaving Isabella feeling a bit awkward.

“I’m going to be your fiance; can’t I be this close to you?”

At that moment, she felt disappointed. Soon, she would officially become his fiance—the woman who would be his wife. No matter how much he might have cleanliness issues, how long would he keep her at arm’s length?

“I may have been too sensitive.”

After a moment of silence, Rubens admitted his fault readily.

“But please refrain from such displays when there are no other people around.”

The subsequent words felt somewhat cold.

“…What do you mean?”

“There’s no point in showing off when no one else is around, is there?”

“Excuse me?”

“I need a Duchess, not a romantic interest.”

This time, his words were undeniably clear, that she couldn’t not understand. He didn’t want her getting too close anymore. He was displeased with her advances.

“Why are you drawing a line with me? You never acted like this before…”