Chapter 25
She had once held his hand briefly during the wedding when he escorted her. But at the time, she had been so nervous and out of sorts that she hadn’t even noticed what his hand felt like.
Now, however, in this quiet room with only the three of them present, the feeling of his hand was vividly clear.
“……”
Letius picked up his pencil. The sound of soft sketching echoed through the still room.
Grace barely managed to calm her trembling body.
“My lady, could you perhaps smile? You seem very tense at the moment.”
“…Yes.”
Grace awkwardly lifted the corners of her mouth. The artist, satisfied, exclaimed, “Thank you.”
The initial sketch for the portrait took quite a while. The artist’s gaze constantly shifted back and forth between the duke and duchess and his canvas.
During that time, Grace had to keep holding Frederick’s hand. She felt like she would do anything if it could help calm her pounding heart.
“The sketch is more or less complete. You may stand now.”
“Good work.”
Frederick’s hand gently slipped away. Feeling a strange emptiness, Grace stared at the side of his face.
Whether Frederick noticed or not, he stood up immediately and walked over to the artist. He went straight to the canvas to examine the sketch.
“Not bad.”
Frederick stroked his chin and nodded.
“Please take care with the rest of the process.”
“Yes, once the coloring is complete, I’ll show it to you right away. It should take about a week to finish.”
“You’re just as fast as the rumors say. Impressive.”
“Oh no, speed is just a trick of the trade. What matters is the coloring and the finishing touches.”
The artist chuckled and waved his hand.
“Are you sure one pose is enough? Don’t you need to check the lighting or colors again?”
“It’s fine. Once I see something once, I can remember it.”
“That’s a relief.”
Frederick turned to look at Grace.
“It must have been a bit tough being the model. You were trembling the whole time.”
“Oh, yes, some people are like that. They get more nervous than others and find it hard to sit still for so long.”
They had mistaken Grace’s trembling as a result of the portrait session being difficult.
‘Honestly… that’s better.’
Grace was relieved. She didn’t want Frederick to know she was nervous because he had been so close, or because he had held her hand.
“Um… Your Grace, I hope I’m not being rude, but may I ask a favor?”
“Go ahead.”
“I took a look around the manor and the surrounding area after arriving, and I found it so beautiful. There were so many sights too wonderful to keep only in memory.”
The artist’s golden eyes sparkled.
“Would it be alright if, after I finish the portrait, I stayed a little longer to paint a few of the local landscapes?”
“Do as you wish.”
“Thank you, thank you, Your Grace.”
As soon as Frederick gave his curt approval, a wide smile spread across the artist’s face.
The artist really did complete the portrait of the duke and duchess in just five days. He called them over to show them the finished painting.
“What do you think? Do you like it?”
Frederick’s black hair and Grace’s red hair created a striking contrast. The duke and duchess, holding hands in the painting, looked very affectionate. Grace’s gentle smile in the painting added to that warm feeling.
“……”
The moment she saw the painting, Grace was reminded of the day of the sketch.
She had been holding Frederick’s hand, her heart racing and her face burning with embarrassment. She had worried her nervousness might show.
But the Grace in the painting didn’t look flustered at all. On the contrary, she looked perfectly at ease holding her husband’s hand.
“Amazing,” Frederick said, slowly nodding.
The painting was incredibly lifelike. Rather than a painting, it felt as though the room and the people had been transferred directly onto the canvas. The faces of Frederick and Grace were so realistically and three-dimensionally drawn, it felt like they might step out of the frame.
“You told me before, but seeing it in person is even more impressive. To finish a piece like this in just a week…”
“I’m honored. I’m just glad it pleases you.”
Grace leaned in for a closer look. The more she looked at it, the more amazing it seemed. It was like a whole world had been created within the paper.
‘That a person… can make something like this…’
It was hard to believe that something like this could be created by human hands. She wondered how one could express color and depth like that. Maybe it was something only this man could do.
“If there’s anything you’d like changed, I can still make adjustments.”
“No, I don’t see anything that needs changing. Just finish it up as is.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I’ll do as you say.”
The portrait was finished without any issues. After that, the artist began painting the Winstaine estate landscapes, as promised.
Since then, Grace found herself with a new hobby.
Whenever her lessons with Alice ended, she would immediately leave the duchy to go for a walk. While wandering around, she would often spot the artist set up in a spot, sketching.
“Oh, my lady. Out for a stroll?”
“Yes!”
Whenever the artist greeted her, Grace would approach and sit beside him.
“You’re drawing again…”
“Yes. Today, I’m sketching the scenery of the rear garden.”
The pencil moved lightly across the clean white canvas. Grace watched the artist’s movements, her mouth slightly open.
“…Wow.”
She hadn’t been able to watch him work in real-time during the portrait, since they’d been face-to-face. But now, while he painted the estate, she could watch him draw up close.
Even though it looked like he was just randomly drawing lines and curves, paths and trees slowly emerged. Watching objects in the picture gradually take shape was amazing no matter how many times she saw it.
“You seem to have a strong interest in drawing, my lady.”
“It’s just… so fascinating.”
“I’ve traveled to many places to paint, but I’ve never met anyone as curious about my work as you.”
The artist laughed cheerfully as he looked at Grace watching his drawing with awe. Grace smiled back at him.
“Have you ever tried drawing before?”
“No…”
Grace shook her head. At the Reinheim house, she had only ever been in the servants’ quarters or outside the mansion. She had never even seen a real artwork before.
Sometimes, younger servants would draw in the dirt with sticks or make crude sketches on rocks with charcoal—that was the extent of what she knew as “drawing.”
“In that case, would you like to try it yourself?”
The artist held out his sketchpad and pencil to her.
Grace took the pad and pencil on her lap and looked at the artist, unsure of what to do.
“Ah, I should probably teach you how to hold the pencil first.”
The artist gently adjusted her fingers around the pencil and brought it to the paper.
“Just like this… gently sketch like this.”
With the artist’s hand guiding hers, Grace’s hand moved across the paper. Every time the pencil touched the surface, a strange sensation traveled through her hand.
“D-Do you think I could… learn to draw?”
Grace looked at the artist and asked. He hesitated for a moment before replying.
“Of course I could teach you, but…”
“……”
“If I’m going to stay here longer to give you lessons, it’ll take quite a bit of time. I’d probably need the duke’s permission for that… so I’m not sure how it’ll go.”
“Then… I-I’ll ask him.”
