The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 28

She was overwhelmed by the sight she had never seen before.

The courtyard connected to the mansion was a massive greenhouse. A greenhouse with a ceiling and walls entirely made of glass.

“Wow, I’ve only ever heard of glass greenhouses.”

She finally moved, looking around. Her green eyes, wide like a child’s, took in the greenhouse’s scenery.

The inside of the greenhouse, bathed in the sunset, was all orange. It felt like being inside a warm bowl of pumpkin soup.

Giselle marveled once again at the cozy temperature of the greenhouse, which did not let the cool evening air in at all, and then looked back at Lucas.

“How did you come up with the idea of turning the courtyard into a greenhouse? It doesn’t seem old since it’s made of glass. Did you order it to be built this way?”

The history of glass greenhouses wasn’t very long.

Although it had been over two hundred years since glass was invented, it was only a few decades ago that glass capable of building such a large greenhouse became available.

Moreover, even with the technology to build a greenhouse, it was impossible without money.

It was said that even the most wealthy people couldn’t afford to build a glass greenhouse.

To build such a large glass greenhouse…

Lucas, watching Giselle repeatedly marvel, chuckled and nodded.

“Yes. It used to be just a garden. Connected to that building over there.”

“Is the place we’re going to that building?”

She spoke to him while looking at the building beyond the glass wall.

At that moment, a bitter smile spread across Lucas’s lips. Unlike when he guided her through other parts of the mansion, he seemed somewhat reluctant.

But before Giselle could notice, he quickly corrected his expression and nodded.

“Yes. It’s where the portraits of the ancestors and the family’s collections are kept.”

“Portraits of the ancestors?”

Giselle’s eyes sparkled at Lucas’s words. It seemed that the portraits had piqued her curiosity just like the glass greenhouse.

“Then, perhaps…”

Giselle, about to ask something with eyes full of anticipation, closed her mouth tightly.

“Weren’t you going to ask me something?”

“I was. Hmm… I’ll just check it with my own eyes.”

Lucas furrowed his brows and asked, and Giselle grinned and shook her head.

‘What was she trying to ask?’

For some reason, her face had a mischievous look, but it was clear she had no intention of telling him.

He thought about pressing her for an answer but then shrugged and opened the greenhouse door.

Since she said she would check with her own eyes, it must be related to the place they were heading to. In that case, it would be best to just go and see.

“Brr, it’s cold.”

As soon as she felt the cold wind, Giselle, who was wearing the masterpiece made by the nanny, shivered. Lucas clicked his tongue at the sight and quickly took off his coat to drape it over her shoulders.

“…I’m fine.”

Giselle murmured awkwardly as she snugly fastened his coat. Seeing her actions contradict her words, Lucas chuckled.

Since she had been wearing his coat during the day as well, it seemed quite natural.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing. Let’s go inside.”

Suppressing another bout of laughter, he started walking towards the building.

But it wasn’t long before the smile on Lucas’s face disappeared.

Come to think of it, had he ever laughed like this when visiting this place?

Although he was guiding her because she would become the mistress of this place, this space wasn’t particularly pleasant for Lucas.

Why wouldn’t it be? Even though they were just portraits, they weren’t people he was fond of.

There was no reason to feel affection for his ancestors just because they shared the same bloodline. The same went for the portraits of his parents, which were the last ones hung.

A cold-hearted father who never showed affection.

A frail mother who remained in his blurry childhood memories.

That was all there was.

‘Come to think of it, there’s nothing much to say even if we go inside.’

Suppressing the bitter smile that was about to escape his lips, Lucas opened the door.

Even though it had been a long time since he last visited, thanks to the butler’s constant care, there was no dust or musty smell.

“Wow… Oh my!”

Giselle, following behind him, exclaimed and quickly moved towards a painting hanging in the hall.

“This painting, my goodness… Isn’t it a work by Redon Ghirma? It’s ‘Winter’ from the Four Seasons, right?”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked back at him. Lucas approached her and chuckled.

“Surely, you didn’t see that painting through a replica, did you?”

“No! I saw it at the academy. An anonymous benefactor held a free exhibition to cultivate the students’ artistic sensibilities…”

Giselle’s voice trailed off, and her green eyes blinked. She stared at him as if deep in thought and then asked again.

“Was that anonymous benefactor you?”

“……”

His silence was as good as a confirmation.

“Wow, you actually do things that don’t make money? If you had charged an admission fee for the exhibition, you could have made quite a bit of money.”

“What would I do with the students’ pocket change?”

After a brief silence, Lucas responded in a brusque tone. Giselle playfully tilted her head at him.

“That’s not something our President, who hates wasting even pocket change, would say. Who are you? Are you really Lucas Taylor, the notorious President?”

“Don’t joke around, Giselle.”

He pressed her forehead with his hand, frowning.

It was something he had forgotten about until now.

It was a decision he made impulsively just once while attending the academy.

He had sent several works that remained in the mansion to the academy under the guise of a free exhibition. It seemed that this painting was among them.

“Thank you, Senior.”

At that moment, a voice devoid of playfulness was heard again. Feeling awkward, he rubbed his cheek and neck and glanced at her.

Giselle, looking at him, turned her gaze to the painting and continued in a serious tone.

“It was the first and last exhibition I ever attended. Well… I couldn’t properly appreciate the paintings up close because I was jostled by people.”

That wasn’t all. Most of the academy students, except for her, were burly men, making it really difficult to view the paintings beyond their shoulders.

She had no choice but to jump around and peek over their shoulders.

“Still, it was wonderful. It was the first time I realized that a world with such vivid colors existed. Or rather, I felt it with my heart.”

It was exhausting. Just because she endured the taunts of being tough didn’t mean it didn’t affect her.

At that time, she had the opportunity to attend the exhibition. It was a place she wouldn’t have dared to go if it wasn’t for the free admission.

In a life filled with black and white letters, vibrant colors intruded.

There was a season when white snow fell, and the dazzling sunlight of the southern islands blinded her.

She blushed at the sight of naked bodies but soon admired the freedom they embodied, and she empathized with the figure of someone living with anxiety and sorrow.

Though it might not have been as impactful as seeing the framed replica of Raoul Puhenna’s painting, the exhibition certainly left an impression on her in some way.

“Thank you, anonymous benefactor.”

Giselle’s eyes curved gently. Lucas, seeing her gaze, seemed about to say something, but then awkwardly replied with a cough.

“You’re welcome… It’s not like I held the exhibition just for you.”

“I know. We weren’t even acquainted back then. Whether it was your whim or something else, thanks to you, I got to see some great paintings, so I’m thanking you now.”

Giselle shrugged at his words and began to look around at the paintings hanging in the hall.

‘She seems to really like paintings, just like at the museum earlier.’

Watching her back, Lucas thought about contacting Raoul Puhenna again, when he heard Giselle’s voice.

“Is that where the portraits of the ancestors are kept?”

“Huh? Oh… Yes.”

Seeing her point in the direction, he nodded with a reluctant expression. Giselle clasped her hands together and exclaimed in an excited voice.

“Ooh!”

“……?”

Lucas looked puzzled at her somewhat excessive reaction.

“Senior, let’s go quickly. Hurry!”

“Is there a need to rush? It’s just a space with portraits of people who are already dead.”

In terms of artistic value, it would be better to look at the paintings hanging in this hall.

However, for some reason, Giselle was impatient and kept urging him. She seemed quite excited.

‘Is looking at portraits that exciting?’

Lucas furrowed his brows, unable to understand her intentions.

“Senior! Stop acting like a turtle.”

Giselle puffed her cheeks and narrowed her eyes in disapproval at his leisurely pace. Finding her reaction amusing, Lucas smirked and intentionally slowed his steps even more.