Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 80

The Duke momentarily looked astonished, his mouth slightly open, before letting out a soft chuckle.

“It seems your sense of aesthetics isn’t too bad.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. Continue.”

“Yes…”

Macy resumed her work, and it seemed the Duke’s smile had become more pronounced. Did he really like being called handsome that much? His eyes now had a warmth that they didn’t before.

The faint sound of the Duke’s laughter kept echoing in her mind. It was a deep, resonant sound that seemed to linger unnecessarily.

‘Why is this happening…’

Her heart pounded strangely. It wasn’t the fear-induced tremor she had expected.

Macy felt perplexed by the unfamiliar sensations in her body. What was so significant about that laugh?

It seemed like her heart couldn’t distinguish between fear and excitement anymore.

* * *

“Duke Krygen, have you been well?”

“Yes.”

Duke Krygen accepted the greeting with a slight nod and took his seat. He now readily made time for Macy whenever she visited the Duke’s residence.

Today, too, he looked stunningly beautiful.

‘Is he surprisingly simple-minded? To be so pleased by just a compliment about his looks.’

Macy thought this change in him was due to the praise about his appearance. It seemed that the comment about his looks had subtly softened his expression.

She had thought that such compliments would make him indifferent, but it seemed he genuinely appreciated them.

The once intimidating Duke Krygen now appeared somewhat endearing.

“I’ll start the work.”

Macy began her task, but found it difficult to look at the Duke. It was like when she first saw him at Count Werfel’s townhouse—back then, she struggled to focus on her work as well.

Standing in front of him was intimidating and frightening, his cold gaze making her feel as though she was being sternly reprimanded.

However, as time passed, it became clear that while his gaze was harsh, he remained quietly in position as a model. Macy realized that he wouldn’t reprimand her for the events of that day, allowing her to look at him as a model.

But why was she feeling this way now? She kept wanting to look away, to hide behind the canvas.

How could she paint if she couldn’t even look at the model?

She tried to lift her gaze and meet his blue eyes again but couldn’t hold her gaze for more than two seconds before it drifted away.

If the Duke’s glare could clean the room, the only thing left with a sheen would be the Duke himself, as the rest of the room would be sparkling clean.

‘Ah, this is driving me crazy…’

Her heart kept racing, oblivious to her owner’s troubled mind. Why was she now remembering Eren’s comment about how being handsome was supposed to be a good thing? Was she really so weak to physical appearance? Was she so easily swayed by attractiveness?

It wasn’t unusual for an artist to be naturally drawn to beauty, but Macy was realizing firsthand that it became problematic when that subject was a person. It hadn’t been like this when she saw the Duke on the Romansi Bridge. Back then, her excitement was more about finding inspiration.

Her heart felt like it was fluttering with an irritating sensation. Wasn’t this what falling in love felt like?

Macy found herself caught up in the realization that she was so superficial, which made her feel unnecessarily sorry for Eren and self-conscious.

“Um, Duke, the angle of your leg seems a bit different from before.”

“Is this alright?”

“No, just a little more to the side…”

On top of her already troubled state, the Duke’s posture seemed slightly off today.

‘He used to understand right away. What’s going on?’

Macy couldn’t openly comment and tilted her head, approaching him.

“May I adjust your position for a moment?”

“Sure.”

“Like this here. Your hand should be like this.”

As she moved closer, she could see every detail of his eyebrows.

The prominent Adam’s apple beneath his sharp jawline stood out. Though he had a sleek overall appearance, his broad shoulders and the defined thigh muscles visible even through the fabric displayed a strong masculinity.

‘It feels like I know this body…’

The lines were delicate, but the body underneath was packed with intricate muscles. With minimal flesh, the muscle contours were finely sculpted and clear. Moreover, his long and straight limbs reminded her of…

‘Eren’s body.’

As soon as she became aware of it, her hand trembled slightly while adjusting his position. The Duke’s gaze met hers.

In that moment, the Duke’s face replaced Eren’s in the mental image she had been piecing together.

“What are you doing?”

“Pardon?”

Had she stared too long? Macy was startled and wiped her mouth, but there was nothing on it.

The Duke’s eyes narrowed, and he gestured with his chin to look down. When she did, she saw that she was still holding Duke Krygen’s hand, intertwined just as she had done when treating Eren.