“Truly, this is all thanks to Your Grace.” 

 The flattering voices of the city council members laughing loudly didn’t properly reach his ears. One question that suddenly arose overwhelmed Elroy’s mind. 

 ‘To that man too.’ 

 Had she clung to that man and cried like that too? Had she let out sweet moans and embraced him? 

 The two looked incredibly intimate. Even when the strange man casually put his hands on her body, Annelie Heich showed no sign of discomfort. It might mean she was used to physical contact with him. 

 When they drew a line together on the canvas, a smile like a flower bud burst from the woman’s lips. They looked quite like a lovely couple. 

 Perhaps she had done such things with that man first. Had she acted so boldly under that man too, taken that man’s thing in her mouth, mounted that man and lowered herself onto him, moving her hips? 

 In truth, all Annelie Heich had done on top of Elroy was simply force his c*ck inside her and then tremble in pain, but in Elroy’s imagination, the woman was swirling her hips and swallowing his thing no less skillfully than any seductress. While letting out moans sweet beyond compare from her parted lips. 

 Remembering how hot and tight the woman had been inside made him feel himself hardening below. Realizing this made him feel disgustingly vivid. 

 He was astounded at himself for still lusting after such a woman. And that he couldn’t take his eyes off despite being so irritated. 

 “If Your Grace hadn’t provided such an opportunity……” 

 It was also infuriating that seeing such a sight was a result of the funds he had provided. Elroy, who had been listening as if nothing was wrong, smiled. The more he watched the two of them, the calmer his mind became. No, it became colder. 

 “About that exhibition.” 

 “Yes, Your Grace. If you have anything you’d like to say……” 

 Toward the city councilor asking him, Elroy smiled beautifully once again. 

 * * *

 Clatter. 

 Nelie finished organizing the canvases scattered around the studio. Jerome, who had been looking at Nelie’s paintings for several days, was away after being summoned by his professor. 

 “Sorry, Nelie.” 

 Having received an urgent call from his professor, Jerome hurriedly gathered his art supplies and belongings as soon as he entered the studio. His face was somewhat flushed. 

 “That exhibition… seems not so simple.”

“You mean the landscape exhibition?”

“Yes. At first I thought it was just a regular exhibition for submissions… but it seems it’s becoming a competition with a huge prize.”

“Wow.”

“Moreover… it seems Duke Tevant himself will present the awards.” 

 Jerome said that while finishing gathering his supplies. Now that things had turned out this way, all the art students at the Academy were being called in, he said. Jerome couldn’t hide his troubled smile as he mentioned how the professors’ eyes were burning with desire to push their disciples into this opportunity to both win prize money and make an impression on the Duke directly. 

 Though Nelie’s fingertips curled whenever the Duke was mentioned, she smiled at Jerome. 

 “That’s really a great opportunity, Jerome.”

“Nelie.”

“I hope it goes really well. It’s fine if you look at my paintings later.” 

 Either way, she understood the professors’ reactions. It was a competition where none other than the owner of Tevant, the city of arts, would present the awards himself. Even Nelie, who couldn’t attend the Academy, knew how valuable such an opportunity was. She didn’t want to take up Jerome’s time asking him to look at her paintings during such a crucial period. 

 Besides, Jerome’s studio had several technique books that theoretically taught how to paint. If Jerome wasn’t there, she could spend time reading those books. Books and illustrations were the most familiar and comfortable things in Nelie’s life after all. Rather, passing time looking at those might be good too. 

 After seeing Jerome off, Nelie brewed tea in a chipped teacup and sat at the desk. She had an art technique book open beside her. Sitting alone in the studio with bright sunlight streaming in, smelling the familiar scents of ink and pigments, she felt peaceful for the first time in a while. 

 “If only it could always be like this.” 

 When she came to her senses, she had been dozing with her head buried next to the book. Some time must have passed, as the sun outside was slowly shifting position. 

 “Oh my.” 

 The moment she suddenly stood up,

She felt an oddly familiar and undeniable gaze fixed on her back. Nelie quickly turned around at the chills running up her spine. 

 “Why so startled, Miss Heich.” 

 The Duke was standing there without moving an inch. If he hadn’t spoken, she might have mistaken him for a statue, standing there in such an elegant pose without the slightest movement. 

 “……Your Grace.”

“The man left, I see?”

“……”

“Well. Since an important competition came up, it would be difficult for him to stay by Miss Heich’s side.”

“……How did you come here?”

At her dazed voice, the Duke raised an eyebrow. As if he didn’t like the question. 

 “I came because I could.”

“……”

“It seems you ignored my suggestion to enter the facility.”

“That’s…”

Wasn’t that her freedom? Whether to enter a facility run by the Tevant family or impose on someone else’s studio. 

 However, the Duke’s mood seemed far from good, making it difficult to answer that way. Nelie hesitated as she looked at the Duke’s face, where it was hard to properly distinguish whether he was angry or not when he wore that calm expressionless look. The Duke answered still in an even voice. 

 “Sitting in another run-down room again?”

“Ah. This isn’t my room but Jerome’s studio. Jerome is away right now……” 

 Twitch.

When the Duke’s eyebrow twitched, Nelie also closed her mouth. Though he was obviously showing his displeasure, she couldn’t figure out what had offended him. Soon the Duke smiled. That smile that had never been friendly. 

 “Do you think I came here without knowing that, Miss Heich?”

“Then why did you come……”

It was a question she seemed to know the answer to even as she asked it. The Duke smiled and answered in a tone similar to what he had just used. 

 “Why do you think I came?”

‘Because…’

The atmosphere suddenly tilted and heated up. Nelie, sensing what was about to happen, hurriedly opened her mouth to change the subject.

“Um, would you like some tea……”

“No.”

A curt answer followed. The Duke raised his body that had been leaning against the doorframe and strode over. Tension mercilessly bit into Nelie’s nape.

‘I can’t let him come closer.’

Though her mind warned her so, her body wouldn’t move. A chilling sensation crept up from her solar plexus.

Each speck of dust floating in the air brushed against Nelie’s forearms, making her hair stand on end. The bright sunlight swept over her body, illuminating every goosebump that had risen on her skin.

Just thinking about what was about to happen made her thighs tingle. Though that reaction was disconcerting, she couldn’t help the physiological response.

‘Ah. But…’

But this was Jerome’s studio. In a place like this, doing such things…

The moment she belatedly tried to move after realizing this, the Duke’s hand slipped up between her skirts. Nelie drew in a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut. His gloved fingers immediately pushed aside her underwear and caressed her slightly wet slit.

“Ha.”

The Duke laughed shortly upon feeling her p*ssy already wet without even being touched. That was so embarrassing. Her unconscious attempt to push away his hand was halted when he pushed his fingers in deeper.

“Hng.”

“I’m still reconsidering about the defamation report.”

“……”

“What do you think, Miss Heich?”

His irresistible voice dug into the ridges of her ears. Nelie’s tightly bitten lips trembled.

‘Just tell him to go to other women, Nelie.’

Hadn’t he said before that he only treated her this roughly? He must have found amusement in prey that wasn’t easily obtained. There was no need to accept such treatment.

‘Right, so……’

The next moment, stars rapidly flickered in her mind. Dizzying pleasure burned hot following the Duke’s hand as he firmly pressed her cl*t.

What flashed through her mind was the Duke’s beautiful body that had crushed against hers. That magnificent model’s body that would be hard to see anywhere else. All those sensations that had given her pleasure to the point of being frightening, making her heat up again and again even while in pain.

‘…I should at least memorize what his body looks like.’

Right. Since this was something she had to do anyway to avoid being reported. While avoiding defamation, she could use it as reference for figure paintings later.

‘Just 30 minutes.’

It should be fine if they finished before Jerome returned. As quickly as possible, leaving no traces behind.

Though she knew it was self-justification, she couldn’t help it. Nelie finally bit her lip and placed her hand on the Duke’s pants. 

 * * *

 It didn’t take long to realize that both the thought of taking just 30 minutes and leaving no traces behind had been in vain.

“Ah, nngh!”

Her slender body finally lost balance and slid down as if collapsing. Her flushed knees trembled and her ankles also quivered like aspen leaves.