Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 96

Macy forced a polite smile, but her face briefly twitched in response. Lady Werfel, beaming with satisfaction, began explaining the situation.

“The Duke was kind enough to make time for us today. You mentioned that his part of the portrait wasn’t quite finished yet, right? I thought it would be nice for both of us to model together.”

“I see… Thank you, Duke Krygen.”

Eren acknowledged her thanks with a slight nod, the barest hint of a smirk lingering in his eyes as he looked at her.

‘What is he thinking? Why suddenly…?’

The mere fact that the three of them were in the same room made Macy’s heart race anxiously. She tried to ignore him, hurrying over to prepare her painting supplies.

“I heard Prince Benedict asked you to introduce me?”

Lady Werfel engaged Eren in light conversation while Macy set up her materials. The space wasn’t large, so their words reached her ears despite her efforts not to listen.

“Yes, if you’re too busy, I can decline politely so he doesn’t feel disappointed.”

“No, I’d be happy to meet him! You’ve mentioned you and the Prince have been close since childhood. I’d love to see him.”

Lady Werfel answered excitedly. The Prince of Ciseina was the same one who had caused an incident with Macy at the Duke’s estate recently.

‘So Eren and the Prince have been close…’

She realized that the Prince of Ciseina had probably requested the introduction because Lady Werfel was set to become his fiance. But why did they have to talk about it now… Trying to swallow the sinking feeling inside her, Macy interrupted.

“Lady Werfel, it’s been a while since we last worked on this, so if you’d like, I can help adjust your posture to make sure it’s right.”

“No need, is this position correct?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. I’ll begin.”

Though Macy’s interruption stopped their conversation momentarily, it wasn’t long before Eren and Lady Werfel resumed talking in low voices, making it difficult for her to hear.

Yet, the closeness between them gnawed at Macy’s insides. The way Lady Werfel’s hand lightly touched Eren’s shoulder, how her body leaned slightly toward him—it was impossible not to notice.

At one point, Macy nearly dropped her brush when she saw Lady Werfel’s hand subtly graze Eren’s neck during their conversation. The sight of another woman touching him hit Macy harder than she’d expected.

Why does this bother me so much? Why am I so unbearably upset?

Macy squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to regain control of her spiraling emotions.

Despite her efforts, nothing got better. The glaring light felt harsh, almost stinging her eyes, and even looking forward to paint became a challenge. Watching Eren and Lady Werfel sitting so closely together made her vision blur and her heart ache.

“I think we should take a break.”

Eren said suddenly. They hadn’t been working for long, making his request seem strange. But no one was in a position to question him.

“We have been sitting in the same spot for quite a while, haven’t we? Yes, a break sounds good. I need to freshen up a bit.”

Lady Werfel also replied cheerfully.

“I’ll step out for a moment as well. Let’s resume in 20 minutes.”

Macy added quickly, rushing out of the room. She needed to get as far away as possible.

Before she knew it, she found herself outside, behind the mansion where the laundry was hung to dry.

“Huh… huh…”

Hiding in the corner, tears she’d held back finally broke free. She couldn’t let herself cry loudly for fear of being heard, but the sobs kept coming. Her eyes would surely redden—she knew it would show.

Even though she tried to stop, once the dam broke, her tears refused to cease.

“What’s so heartbreaking?”

A low voice interrupted her. The soft, measured steps were unmistakable. She knew who it was before she even looked.

“Hiding here, crying like this?”

Eren turned the corner and looked down at her. His expression, indifferent and unimpressed, only added fuel to her frustration.

“Why did you come here? You never model for these things. You came just to see me like this, didn’t you?”

“It was fun to see you shaking with jealousy.”

He said with a twisted smile.

“But crying outside the bedroom isn’t as enjoyable. You know your tear stains are always hard to wipe away.”

His hand brushed lightly against Macy’s cheek. He wiped the tear that had trickled down to her chin with his finger, but still unsatisfied, he gently pressed the back of her neck and rubbed her earlobe.

“Don’t touch me! What if someone sees?”

“Feels like you’re begging for more, though. Or is that just my imagination?”.

“Of course not! I don’t want to do anything like that with you….!”

But before she could finish, he cut her off by claiming her mouth with his.