Chapter 101

‘What Richard is currently focusing on… are the paint business and the cathedral construction project, these two.’

For the Crowley Earldom to actually produce paint, it would take at least three more months. Since the Valentin Duchy had already secured all the high-quality raw materials, their first product would come out no sooner than autumn.

‘I’ll have to think about how to ruin his paint business. But as for the cathedral construction, where should I start?’

According to what Fabian had informed him, the Ensila Order’s cathedrals were among only six in the world, considered important religious heritage.

The buildings themselves were enormous, with construction periods of at least fifty years, so cities had always sprung up around cathedrals.

‘If a cathedral is built within the domain, the profits would be considerable. There’d be a lot of traffic, and the area would flourish for a long time.’

Moreover, most of the construction costs were covered by the Order, so as long as one secured the project, it was guaranteed profit.

However, Lionel felt frustrated, having never considered doing business with the Ensila Order.

‘I don’t know anything about the Order. But Richard doesn’t seem particularly devout either. Actually, he probably resents the Order.’

Excessive donations made since Richard’s grandfather’s time had nearly bankrupted the Crowley family. Lionel had heard about this since he was young.

‘Did he get the cathedral thanks to those enormous donations? But if that’s the case, every noble would invest that way, so it wouldn’t be easy for a mere Earldom to win.’

One of the Empire’s six cathedrals was in Genoa, the capital, and the others were scattered across holy sites with religious significance. It didn’t seem likely that candidate sites were chosen just by donation size.

Lionel recalled the nobles’ chatter at Earl Devon’s banquet.

<You never know. Another good candidate might suddenly emerge…>

So, if he met the Order’s requirements, could the Valentin Duchy become a candidate site?

But when, how, and to whom should he make connections? What if he tried awkwardly and ended up deeper in debt?

Lionel was lost in confusion, just as he had been when he first shouldered a debt of one million gold.

Just then, as if to call him out from the study where he was holed up, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

* * *

Clarette checked her landscape painting several times to ensure nothing was wrong.

The place she painted could only be reached by going deep into the eastern woods. So, she wanted to persuade Lionel with just one attempt.

‘Even though I worked outdoors, the colors came out vivid. This tin tube thing is really amazing.’

It was her first time using the Valentin Duchy’s tube paints outside the studio. Clarette looked at her landscape, which captured the lush summer greenery and bright sunlight, with satisfaction.

She hoped Lionel would like this background.

Clarette carefully placed the canvas on the floor and knocked on the door to the study where he would be.

“Come in.”

Lionel’s voice, returning from inside, sounded dry, as if he was deep in thought. Clarette hoped she wasn’t interrupting and opened the door carefully.

“Your Grace, could you spare a moment?”

“Ah, Clarette?”

As soon as he saw it was her, Lionel’s face broke into a bright smile. Clarette blushed shyly at his warm welcome. He immediately left his desk and approached her.

“You went to the eastern woods, right? Is this the painting? You shouldn’t have carried it all the way—why didn’t you call me? I would have gone to the annex myself.”

“But I heard you’ve been in the study lately, Duke, busy reviewing new business…”

“‘Lionel.’”

He playfully corrected her address and closed the study door. He didn’t lock it, but held the handle so no one could come in, then immediately bent down and kissed her.

“Wait, Lionel…”

Clarette was holding the canvas in both hands, so she had no choice but to accept his kiss. Lionel didn’t miss the chance and enjoyed the sweet midday kiss.

He only let go when Clarette’s back was about to touch the door as she retreated. His whisper, so intimate that it wouldn’t leak through the door, tickled her ear.

“I missed you, Clarette. You surprised me, disappearing for days to sleep in the woods.”

“It took longer to paint than I thought. But haven’t you been busy all this time too?”

“I couldn’t do well without you. I was busy though—banquets, balls, and new things to look into.”

Clarette glanced at Lionel’s desk, piled with papers. Even at a glance, it looked like he had a lot to do.

“Lionel, should we paint the portrait near the ducal residence after all? The eastern woods are too far, and it would take quite a while to work there…”

“No, it’s not urgent. And I need a break too. Just think of it as a summer vacation.”

In fact, except for the week spent recuperating from his ankle injury, Lionel had hardly rested, focusing solely on business and social activities.

Clarette hoped she could paint the portrait in the woods and carefully lifted the landscape.

“Then, I was thinking of painting your portrait in uniform here… How about it?”

Lionel finally got a good look at the painting she was holding. He’d vaguely imagined trees when she mentioned the eastern woods, but he was surprised by the unexpected scene.

“This… is it a ruin?”

The landscape depicted an old, half-collapsed building site, abandoned long ago.

The painting, blending the green and yellow of summer foliage and sunlight with the pale gray of faded brick and the bluish shade of tree shadows, evoked a strange nostalgia.

Even though he’d never been to such a place, it felt as if it existed somewhere in forgotten memories.

“Yes, it’s a kind of ruin. There’s a deserted Ensila church site deep in the eastern woods.”

“Did a war happen here? The walls are pretty broken.”

“It looks like a battlefield, but in reality, it’s just naturally weathered and collapsed. No one has managed it for centuries. There’s not even a village nearby.”

“So that’s why you chose this as the background. It does feel… familiar.”

Lionel recalled villages destroyed by shelling and nodded quietly. Of course, the real battlefields he’d experienced were nothing like the peaceful atmosphere of the ruin in the painting.

The smell of gunpowder, burning, rotting, acrid dust.

Such memories flashed through his mind, but Lionel tried to focus on Clarette’s landscape.

In time, the wreckage he remembered would also weather peacefully, covered by grass, moss, and cozy tree shade, just like the ruin in the painting.

“Good, let’s paint here. Now that we can work outdoors, this place is perfect.”

“Really? You like this background?”

Clarette’s eyes sparkled, and Lionel was pleased by her reaction.

“You said it’s in the eastern woods? Just going back and forth from the ducal residence would take a whole day, so we might as well stay there until the painting is finished.”

“Yes, about two weeks should be enough. I paint faster these days, and I’ve practiced both the background and the figure.”

Lionel smiled leisurely, finding Clarette’s confident attitude adorable.

“You’re confident with the figure too? But I’ll be dressed this time.”

“I’m actually better at painting clothed figures. Besides, I know your body well now, so I can make it even more complete.”

“Really? I still don’t know your body well…”

Lionel took the landscape from her hands and gently wrapped his arm around her waist. He safely leaned the canvas against the wall and led Clarette to the sofa.

When she realized what he was about to do, Clarette belatedly looked up at him.

“Lionel! This isn’t the bedroom…”

“Shh. That’s why you have to be quiet.”

Lionel embraced Clarette and naturally laid her down on the sofa, kissing her. Soon, his lips softly traced her neck along her tousled hair.

“Ah, mm…”

Clarette let out a faint m*an as usual, then hurriedly pressed her lips shut. It would be a disaster if anyone overheard. No, overhearing was the least of her worries.

“Lionel, you didn’t lock the door…”

“No one can come in without my permission anyway.”

Lionel caressed Clarette’s body over her clothes, inhaling her scent with pleasure. As his hand skillfully slipped under her skirt to stroke her leg, Clarette thought that Lionel’s claim was a lie.

He really did know her body well.