Buying pigments, art supplies, and materials was still within a somewhat understandable range. If she thought of it as a fund helping an art student with financial difficulties, as Professor Mayhew said. In fact, the pigments the Duke provided weren’t expensive items but popular ones that Jerome had introduced her to.

‘If, as he said, he’s having me taught art to prevent me from drawing such caricatures again.’

That much she could accept.

But a dress?

‘This is……’

Nelie unconsciously swallowed. Just as she was about to say something, the Duke casually spoke.

“Can’t a patron do this much for their protégé?”

“Patron?”

“Am I not your patron? Annelie Heich.”

“……”

“Think of this in the same category as pigments. Unless you’re planning to come to the party I’m hosting in those shabby clothes.”

Obviously, the Duke knew that Nelie was on the preliminary passers list.

“You weren’t thinking of attending in that country girl outfit, were you?”

Hearing those words, her pounding heart calmed down a bit. She felt a slight bitterness in her mouth. She also felt somewhat embarrassed.

‘I misunderstood.’

She thought the Duke considered her someone special.

From what Nelie knew, a man buying a woman’s clothes, especially a dress like this, was something that happened between lovers or spouses. Because no one would buy such expensive items without any affection.

Even after the designer finished her work and left, Nelie couldn’t escape that thought. Her heart trembled every time she recalled the feel of the dress. She wanted to ask the Duke,

‘Am I special to you?’

But she couldn’t ask. And the Duke had drawn a line with his words about patron and protégé.

The more she mulled over that answer, the calmer her heart became.

‘Yes. As a patron……’

Even so, there was still one more thing she wanted to ask.

“Your Grace. Perhaps the preliminary……”

For a near beginner like herself to pass the preliminary round. Could it be that the Duke had pulled some strings? Professor Mayhew’s sincere praises had long been regarded by Nelie as words meant to please the Duke who watched the lessons from the side.

“If that’s what you want, Annelie Heich.”

“I’ll do everything I can for you.”

And that voice.

‘Perhaps.’

Could “what you want” include passing this preliminary round? He knew she was submitting a painting.

‘Even so, something like that……’

She didn’t want to gain honor in such a cowardly way. If that was true, she planned to refuse the dress as well. Even though she coveted it because the Duke had it tailored for her. If they were simply patron and protégé, there would be even less reason for him to help her pass the preliminary round.

But while she hesitated, the Duke approached. Soon he came right up to her face and clicked his tongue.

“I should have done this earlier.”

“What?”

“I forgot.”

What on earth? Before she could ask, the Duke moved behind her. When Nelie tightly closed her eyes due to the inexplicable tension she felt.

Swish.

A heavy weight settled between her collarbones. Nelie slowly opened her eyes when she felt something cold touching her skin.

“……”

In the mirror, around the neck of Nelie who had changed back into a country girl, hung something completely mismatched with her clothes. It was a breathtakingly beautiful sapphire necklace with large stones.

The necklace, comically mismatched with her clothes, actually suited Nelie’s face quite well if one covered everything below the neck. The teardrop-shaped sapphire caught light from somewhere unknown, sparkling and engraving blue shadows on Nelie’s face. The light-colored sapphire closely resembled the color of Nelie’s eyes.

“Um, this.”

“I should have put it on you when you were wearing the dress.”

Though the Duke spoke with irritation, he didn’t take his eyes off Nelie’s face in the mirror. When the light reflected by the sapphire lingered on Nelie’s eyes, she clenched her fists and opened her mouth.

“Is this… also part of your patronage?”

The Duke paused for a moment and looked into Nelie’s eyes. The longer the silence stretched, the worse Nelie’s thirst became.

“Of course, Miss Heich.”

“……”

“I told you. Did you plan to come to the party I’m hosting in that outfit and tarnish my honor?”

“That’s……”

“Wearing appropriate accessories with an appropriate dress is proper etiquette. Learn that much this time.”

Nelie held back a sigh upon hearing his sharp words after so long. The Duke looked down at her and whispered.

“So put aside any thoughts of refusing.”

Click. The Duke personally fastened the silver chain of the necklace and whispered against her nape.

“This is yours now.”

Yours, received through your charity.

Thinking that made her feel even more upset, but it felt strange when the Duke kissed her nape as if caressing her. Though his words were harsh, his actions were those of a man handling something precious.

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Nelie nodded while clearing her increasingly burning throat. The weight of the jewel around her neck gently pressed down on her chest.

In the end, she couldn’t ask about the preliminary round.

* * *

Some time later, a splendid party was held as scheduled at the art hall in the center of Tevant.

“Oh, it’s been a while, Professor Mayhew.”

“Hello, Viscount Silon.”

Mayhew smiled while holding champagne and exchanged greetings with guests. True to its name as the city of arts, the people who came to this party were also deeply knowledgeable about art. People discussed the paintings displayed in the gallery.

“Are these the works of the preliminary passers?”

“Come to think of it, they’ll be attending this party too, right?”

“Even if they don’t win awards, they could gain sponsors.”

“It’s a great opportunity for everyone. The Duke has shown excellent consideration.”

People exchanged praises, saying this was as expected of the Duke of Tevant. Soon, one of the guests at the party scanned the works of the preliminary passers.

“This one is quite unique.”

Professor Mayhew’s face lit up with a smile again when she saw the work the guest pointed out.

“It’s the work of a student who hasn’t formally studied art.”

“Ah. I thought it seemed distinctive……”

The guests gathered in small groups to view the preliminary passers’ paintings and didn’t spare their praise for Annelie’s work either. Mayhew nodded with inner satisfaction.

‘She’s quite a good unpolished gem.’

Even from the perspective of someone who had taught students for a long time, Annelie Heich was quite an excellent student. Someone who, rather than being disadvantaged by not having formally studied art, had an outstanding talent for capturing impressions of things.

When she first heard about it from the Duke, it was Mayhew who made the offer to the Duke who was looking for a teacher.

She too had seen that caricature of the Duke through the Duchess Dowager of Tevant, and thought she was a student who could produce good results with just a little more refinement.

In the end, her intuition was right.

“Though it somewhat deviates from the rules, it has the power to catch one’s eye.”

“The art world sometimes needs works like this too.”

“Actually, it’s been selected as an excellent work. Though she doesn’t know it yet.”

“Indeed. It deserves to be.”

Although Annelie had been constantly insecure, her passing the preliminary round and being selected for an award was an achievement she earned herself.

For the sake of fairness, the judges gathered from various regions deliberately voted for the works privately without discussing with each other.

When the results came out, the judges were a bit surprised. A woman without formal art education had made it to the excellent works category, surpassing talented students from the Academy.

Still, they didn’t object to the award. Although it was somewhat of a radical result, since Nelie had built up fundamentals step by step with Mayhew, and because it could be seen as a new style of painting, her award wasn’t considered an exceptional case.

Therefore, it was an even more valuable achievement. Mayhew wanted to congratulate her with a pure heart.

‘The problem is that she’s nowhere to be seen.’

Mayhew looked again at the place where the preliminary passers were gathered. Except for a red-haired man with glasses who was looking around somewhat distractedly, they were just an ordinary group of male students. Annelie, who should have been among them, was nowhere to be seen.

‘I’m sure I saw her come in.’

Annelie had entered the hall in line with the other preliminary passers. She had almost failed to recognize her because she looked completely different from her usual modest appearance, but that docile and clear face was definitely Annelie’s. She was displaying an elegant figure that attracted curiosity from some young nobles.

‘I wonder where she is now.’

She thought about asking the Duke, but he too was nowhere to be seen. Just a while ago, he seemed to have been talking with bank shareholders.

While Mayhew was looking around for Annelie, a city councilor climbed onto the platform and tapped a glass with a spoon to make a sound. All eyes turned to him.

“Thank you all for coming here!”

It was a signal that the event was about to begin. After various congratulatory speeches and an opera singer’s performance, the winners would be officially announced, and there would be an award ceremony where the Duke himself would appear and present the prize money.

Mayhew hoped she would return soon to hear the news together before the winners were announced.

“Hurry back, Miss Heich.”

Her whisper scattered through the heated air.

It was a whisper that wouldn’t reach Annelie, who was currently trembling.

“W-wait… Your Grace!”

Though a stifled voice escaped, the Duke didn’t stop thrusting. Nelie looked down with dazed eyes. She didn’t need to look closely to know what the liquid falling on the marble floor between her expensive shoes matched to her dress was.

“Hnn……”