“No… I sent someone to persuade him, but he informed me that he would not apply considering he was already contracted.”
Ben continued speaking, flinching at the piercing gaze directed at him.
“He said no?”
Darwin’s expression hardened coldly as he agonized over Ben’s report.
“How much time does he have left with his contract?”
“About nine months…”
Darwin removed his glasses and slowly twisted his neck to the side.
“How about giving him more than three times the amount?”
“I’ve already suggested it. Unfortunately, I don’t think money will solve it.”
According to Ben, he was a man who valued honor and deals more than income.
“What was your attitude like when you brought the conversation up?”
“He wasn’t uncomfortable.”
“I see.”
Darwin lifted his head as he contemplated a solution and soon rolled up his lips.
“Then there’ll be no problem if the Count breaks off the contract.”
“Yes. No, pardon?”
Ben nodded with a solemn expression, then jumped back with surprise.
“They can’t break it themselves, but it wouldn’t matter if the contract is cut off by the Count, would it?”
“That’s true, but… How?”
“It was Count Douglas you mentioned? I remember passing by him at a meeting before. Arrange a table with him.”
Darwin’s eyes glowed languidly.
Count Douglas was a man who owned a lot of money but didn’t have a connection and wanted to somehow build up a network.
Considering his attitude that seemed favorable towards Darwin throughout the meal, the problem seemed easy to resolve.
“Alright.”
Ben rummaged through Darwin’s schedule to find an empty date.
It wasn’t long before Darwin abruptly halted. Ben also came to a stop, his feet nearly failing him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Isn’t that Esther?”
It was quite a distance, but Esther’s small figure could still be seen from afar.
She was walking around the garden alone, without a maid attending her.
“Why is my lady here…?”
“Let’s advance nearer.”
Darwin turned from his destination to the mansion without hesitation.
His face, which had been indifferent until a while ago, softened.
** ━━━━━━━⋅•⋅⊰∙∘༓∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ━━━━━━━**
Esther stretched her arms.
“Haa-am.”
She was waiting for Dorothy to go for a short walk.
The sun was particularly dazzling, considering it was midday.
As Esther covered her head using her palms, she turned her head towards the gaze she felt approaching her.
“Ah…?”
Esther’s eyes widened.
She didn’t realize when Darwin had arrived.
It seemed like he was coming from or to a meeting as he was still wearing his glasses. Next to him stood Ben, covered with papers.
“Hello.”
Startled Esther hurriedly nodded while Darwin waved his hand.
‘Huh, you want me to wave too?’
Esther waved her hand to the side correspondingly, wondering if this was the correct way to return the greeting.
Darwin abruptly lowered his head, his mouth twitching.
Even Ben couldn’t stop himself from laughing.
‘I guess it wasn’t it.’
Esther pretended not to be embarrassed.
Darwin strode towards Esther, managing to hold his laugh.
“Are you taking a walk?”
“Yes. The weather is nice.”
She didn’t think to mention her waiting for Dorothy, so Esther only glanced around.
“Then shall we walk together?”
Esther raised her head, surprised at Darwin’s casual comment.
She attempted to see his face, but it was difficult to face Darwin properly due to the great aura surrounding him.
Darwin bent his knees and crouched down so that Esther’s neck wouldn’t hurt from facing upwards.
His eyes bent gently when both their eyes reached eye-level.
“I saw the drawing.”
“Ah, the drawing of Dennis?”
“Yes. Dennis framed it. It seemed a very sacred painting. Thank you.”
It was a very excessive compliment from a man who rarely praised anyone.
Wasn’t he Darwin, the monster who thoughtlessly sliced off the head of his opponents on the battlefield?
Ben couldn’t hide his embarrassment as he observed the changed appearance of his usually cold master.
Ben shrugged his shoulders, clearly creeped out. At his disgusted gesture, Darwin glared at the assistant.
Esther, who knew of nothing, only smiled shyly at the praise.
“Um, do you also want me to draw the Grand Duke?”
“Me?”
“Oh, I’m sorry if I was presumptuous.”
She thought she owed that much to Darwin, the person who freed her from the temple. It just popped from her mouth as she wanted to pay him back with at least something.
Esther apologized with a flushed face. Perhaps she was too rude.
He was the Grand Duke whom she couldn’t even face properly. There was no way such a great man’s portrait would be left to be drawn by a child such as her.
But Esther didn’t know.
That Darwin’s lips twitched silently at her suggestion.
He quickly glanced away in fear that Esther would speak to him.
As soon as Darwin found a good area with a sunny spot and a table, he lightly coughed and suggested, “Shall we go there?”
“Yes?”
“Draw me.”
“Really?”
“I’d be happy to. I was just about to have a portrait painted for me.”
Though puzzled, Esther’s expression lit up at Darwin’s words.
Ben, on the other hand, currently wore a look as he has seen something that he shouldn’t have witnessed.
He couldn’t get used to it as the owner he had served for more than a decade seemed completely different.
“Your Grace, you said you didn’t prefer portraits as they took a long time to finish.”
“When did I? You misunderstood me. Be quiet.”
He blocked Ben’s mouth before Esther could hear him.
Darwin despised it when someone executed a portrait of him.
It was because all artists outlined violent features of him while drawing. Just looking at the painting annoyed him.
But if Esther drew it, it would be different. The time it would take to illustrate a drawing of himself would be meaningful, so it didn’t matter how the drawing was pictured.
The servants soon set up the drawing tools.
‘I have to draw well.’
Esther was so nervous that she almost dropped her pencil several times.
However, when she started drawing Dennis, she remained focused.
Esther scrutinized Darwin.
It seemed like strong, thick lines would play a part in his cold appearance. His dark eyebrows had a strong impression, one that killed people.
It wasn’t difficult to draw faces, but the problem was the atmosphere around Darwin. It was difficult to express the strong feeling that stretched from him.
As Esther struggled, Darwin commenced speaking.
“Are you having fun?”
“Yes. It’s nice to be able to draw whatever you desire.”
Just as Esther was observing Darwin, he was also observing her.
Esther’s eyes while drawing, just as Dennis stated, sparkled like never before.
“If you want to draw properly, I’ll hire you a tutor.”
“Tutor?”
“Yes. It doesn’t have to be painting. If there’s anything you want to learn, everything will be available. Do whatever you wish to do.”
Esther glanced at his crude yet friendly remark.
Darwin’s eyes deepened as their eyes met.
He didn’t say anything after, so Esther was sure he meant everything he said.
He was completely different from what she thought. There was always tenderness hidden behind his coldness. Just like now.
‘Why is this person doing this to me?’
She couldn’t understand at all. Esther, however, gave up her doubts and grinned.
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you.”
The painting was completed shortly after Esther focused again.
Esther’s heart-to-heart painting greatly surprised Ben and Darwin.
“Well, I don’t know if I should say this about my portrait, but… Doesn’t it seem different?”
“Yes, it’s not just a painting. It’s more like the lady snapped off a part of your Grace and captured it inside. It seems likely to move any second.”
“This is a gift from god. The talent is too good to be wasted like this.”
The two began their debate to decide Esther’s solo exhibition, a serious expression written all over their faces.
Thus, Darwin’s bragging about his daughter proceeded from that day.
** ━━━━━━━⋅•⋅⊰∙∘༓∘∙⊱⋅•⋅ ━━━━━━━**
A few days later,
Darwin attended a dinner in the eastern part of his Territory.
He did not like the place as it was a political gathering of ignorant aristocrats.
“I heard your training prevailed exceptionally. There has been a lot of praise around the topic.”
“Yes, everyone viewed your tactics from the side, and their stomachs jumped.”
As everywhere, there were many aristocrats especially impatient to be recognized by Darwin.
They tried somehow to catch his eye by flattering him.
“It’s a compliment. You don’t believe me?”
Darwin sent them a bitter smile.
“I still can’t believe it. You’re the best knight in the Empire, in name and reality.”
“Then why don’t you join us for the next training?”
“Oh, I have many salons to attend to.”
“I started a new business this time, and I can’t attend just yet…”
A bunch of smooth talkers who couldn’t do anything.
Darwin twisted his lips upwards, disillusioned by their appearance.
Dinner began and the friendly atmosphere continued, though Darwin didn’t take part in any conversations.
‘A waste of words.’
It was annoying for him to have to answer every useless remark.
No one could talk to him anymore because his eyes were too aloof for them to even face.
Darwin turned around with an annoyed look on his face. Then, he turned his head. The timing seemed right.
“Let me show you all.”
The green pupils of his eyes turned thinner.
Darwin pulled up his back and raised one hand above his head.
The attendant recognized the signal and opened the door of the banquet hall.
When the door unlatched, the maids waiting outside entered with a massive object.
The square object wrapped in a red quilt was moved to the table next to Darwin.
The nobles began to roar at the sight.
“What is that?”
“Well, it looks like his grace has prepared something.”
With all eyes on the object, Darwin reached for the object.
When he removed the insignia without hesitation, a frame could be found underneath.
