Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 159

‘What nonsense.’

He thought Arzena had lost her mind. She had stayed shut up in the mansion, consumed by delusions.

When he first met Macy, she had been just a child. Rubens had been young too, but Macy had been much younger. The idea that Rubens had started living his life with the resolve to take responsibility for Macy after seeing her just once made no sense.

But ignoring the nonsense left an uneasy feeling.

When he saw Arzena, who was fading, her body gaunt and drained of color, it didn’t seem like just a delusion. It felt like a truth, even if it was spoken in madness. Why would a dying Arzena lie to Rubens?

She still seemed mentally sharp, recalling excuses from long ago.

“Have you finished crying?”

“Sniff, yes.”

Macy pulled her face away from his shoulder and wiped away the last of her tears. Her eyes were still red.

He couldn’t stand whiny, childish women, but with Macy, rather than being irritated, he just wanted to comfort her.

It was strange, but he found himself feeling more fond of her than he expected, even when she acted so pitifully, begging for affection. Even when she acted helpless, he didn’t feel frustrated with her, but rather, he felt pity.

Maybe, just maybe, he might end up cherishing her more than he thought.

But would he bring Macy into his life as the Duchess, replacing Isabella? Just the thought of it instinctively made him feel a deep sense of rejection.

That would mean admitting he had emotional feelings for Macy. It was a risk too great, especially with the potential threat to his hidden identity.

Rubens didn’t want his life to be altered by anyone. If that meant love, even more so—it was something he didn’t value. For Rubens, who lived with the constant fear of being discovered, love felt like a weakness, a burden.

However, there was a difference between acknowledging his feelings and not. As Arzena had said, he didn’t want to do something foolish like regret it later. Rubens felt the need to examine the roots of this overwhelming possessiveness.

“We’ve arrived, Duke.”

“Where are we?”

At the coachman’s voice, Macy stopped wiping her tears and asked. She seemed surprised, as they had more distance to cover before reaching the cabin, but they had stopped.

“I’m going to show you how much I love you.”

“What?”

“People judge a man’s affection for a woman based on how much money he spends on her.”

Rubens was willing to meet this foolish standard for the day. The excuse was convenient too.

If Arzena was right, Rubens’s desire for wealth, and his drive to become a perfect head of the family, had all started because of Macy. Maybe, spending money would give him some understanding of it.

* * *

The famous Senew Street in Laden is divided into the east and west sections, centered around the Senew River.

The western side had stores like fruit shops, flower shops, restaurants, and coffee houses that common folk could easily access, while the eastern side boasted famous jewelers, tailors, high-end furniture shops dealing exclusively in imported goods, and stores selling handmade lace.

As a result, most people walking down the eastern street were either nobles or wealthy upper-class citizens.

Macy and Eren got off in front of a famous jewelry store on the eastern side.

The owner and staff of the jewelry store were lined up, waiting to greet them.

“It’s an honor to have you visit, Duke Krygen. We will treat you with the utmost care today.”

They bowed in unison, perfectly synchronized.

Macy was momentarily startled and instinctively shrank back. Meanwhile, Eren, as if used to such displays, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her inside.

The store was filled with all kinds of rare gemstones, displayed inside glass cases.

“This gold necklace with emeralds retains a vivid green hue, thanks to a special treatment that mimics nature’s lush green.”

As they passed each display case, the owner followed them, continuing to explain the details of each piece.

“The intense red of the ruby symbolizes success and passion. Its meticulous cutting brings out its brilliance. This exquisite diamond is known for its rare pure light, with a unique blue tint that makes it even more distinctive.”

Macy did her best to listen, but she could hardly understand the owner’s words.

‘What does ‘special treatment that mimic’s nature’ mean, and what is a ‘unique blue tint’ supposed to signify?’

She wasn’t familiar with gemstones. She had used the money from selling paintings to buy jewelry for others, but never for herself. The pearls she wore at the engagement banquet had been picked out and given to her by Dia. As she stared wide-eyed at the displays, Eren subtly asked her opinion.

“Is there nothing you like?”

“No, no, everything seems beautiful…”

He seemed to be trying to show people how much he cared for Macy by spending money on her.