Chapter 2

It was as if a single flower had bloomed inside the frame.

On the day a portrait of a woman was displayed at the Rosenta National Art Museum, the Crown Prince’s impression immediately became the nickname for the woman in the painting.

‘The Flower in a Frame’. ‘The beauty trapped in the picture.

But those beautiful nicknames praising her looks did nothing to actually help the woman in the painting.

The subject of the portrait, ‘Clarette Sollier’, was not a model, but the artist herself.

“I’m sorry for giving it to you late.”

Clarette carefully handed over a heavy pouch of gold coins. The old woman landlord snatched the pouch and meticulously counted the coins.

“Hey, Miss Sollier. Why do you keep falling behind on your rent? Is the Duke giving you less money, huh?”

It was well-known in the area that the portrait artist was sponsored by the Valentin Duchy. However, the monthly sponsorship of 500 gold was barely enough to cover her rent and living expenses.

She lived on the outskirts of Moerven, the central city of the Valentin Duchy. As the busiest city in the prosperous Duchy, even the outskirts of Moerven had very high rents.

The rent for her two-story house, with her father’s atelier on the first floor, was 400 gold. Art supplies cost at least 100 gold. Then there were living expenses.

She couldn’t move to a smaller house, either. She needed space to store her father’s paintings.

“That’s why I keep telling you, just sell all of Mr. Arno’s paintings. Your house is like a warehouse!”

“No, I’ll pay the rent on time, so don’t worry.”

“Ugh, make sure you bring it on time next month!”

After the landlord slammed the door and left, Clarette quietly sighed. She’d somehow managed to scrape by this month, but she was already worried about the next.

‘All my commissions suddenly disappeared. What am I supposed to do….’

Clarette barely made a living by painting portraits for the rich and the nobility. But because of the cruise accident, most of her clients had died.

‘Should I try to find a new market? Should I go to the capital? Or do I really have to sell my father’s paintings?’

Lost in thought, she gazed at the canvases piled up in one corner of her home.

“Miss Clarette Sollier? Are you there?”

It was the mailman. Maybe he had brought a commission letter looking for her?

Hoping for good news, Clarette opened the door.

“This is from Duke Valentin.”

“What? But Duke Valentin died in the accident yesterday….”

“Oh, his second son inherited the title. The one who was in the military… the illegitimate one.”

She vaguely remembered hearing that the Duke had an illegitimate son. Clarette returned inside and opened the letter.

To Miss Clarette Sollier, party to the contract. As of today, the Valentin family is terminating all sponsorship of you….

‘What?’

Clarette read the letter again from the beginning. But the content was clear and unchanged.

The new Duke had completely cut off her financial support.

* * *

Lionel’s first morning at the ducal residence began with Oliver’s nagging. The elderly butler stood beside the Duke at the dining table, offering endless advice.

“Sir, the funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon. Many nobles from the Rosenta Empire will attend. It’s not too late, so please learn at least the basic etiquette.”

“Aren’t funerals all pretty much the same? Greet people, give a eulogy, that sort of thing.”

“It won’t end there. This funeral is your first official event as the new Duke of Valentin. Many nobles will observe and approach you to assess you.”

“In short, I’ll be a spectacle for them.”

Lionel muttered indifferently as he sliced his bacon. Oliver suppressed a sigh and continued to explain earnestly.

“Since it’s the first meeting, you must try to give a good impression. Even a small mistake could become gossip….”

“So you want me to cater to their whims? I don’t see why I should be so nervous.”

“Because the Valentin family is in debt.”

At Oliver’s sharp comment, Lionel set down his knife. He looked at the butler with a self-deprecating expression.

“Ah, right. My father’s great legacy.”

Yesterday, lawyer Fabian had grabbed Lionel to inform him of the Duchy’s enormous debt.

<The total debt is 1 million gold. It must be repaid within a year.>

“Isn’t that insane? You’d have to sell all the Duchy’s land to get that kind of money. How could I pay it all back in a year?”

The late Duke Valentin was a very generous and well-respected man. He listened to everyone and was never stingy with his charity.

Because of his outstanding character, he was praised and respected by all, but what he left behind after death was a massive debt. He was especially generous with business proposals, signing countless contracts without hesitation.

As a result, all the Duchy’s risky overseas ventures failed, and the vicious cycle of paying off debt with more debt led to this point.

Within the next year, 1 million gold….

“What did he know about foreign business anyway? The old man never even left the Empire.”

Lionel’s complaint was perfectly reasonable, so Oliver didn’t argue, but pleaded earnestly.

“Sir, to resolve our huge debt, we must come up with a plan starting now.”

“That’s why I sorted everything out yesterday. All those strange contracts that wasted money.”

Lionel had terminated all the miscellaneous contracts the previous Duke had signed through the lawyer yesterday. Whether it was sponsorship or charity, there would be no more unnecessary spending.

But Oliver still looked worried.

“That alone won’t cover 1 million gold. You may need help from other noble families. To raise funds somehow….”

“No. Don’t even consider asking anyone else for help.”

“Excuse me…? Why not?”

Lionel replied in a cold voice.

“It’s basic strategy. Who shows their weakness from the start? If I act like nothing’s wrong, I’ll have more room to maneuver and plan my next move.”

“Then what will you do….”

“I have to secretly prepare a fundamental solution. For example, I could earn the money myself and clear the debt for good.”

“How… how do you plan to earn money?”

“Well, I’ll have to think about that now.”

Lionel’s words sounded like he had no real plan at all, and Oliver looked as if he wanted to hit him. Of course, Lionel was more than willing to take the hit—then the butler would probably quit on the spot.

But at that moment, there was a knock. A young maid entered the dining room and spoke cautiously.

“Sir, you have a visitor. I’ve shown them to the drawing room….”

“A visitor? The funeral isn’t until tomorrow.”

“But they’re wearing mourning clothes. They said they have something to tell you personally.”

“Is it a woman?”

“Yes! She was so beautiful and elegant. Even as a woman myself, I was amazed.”

“…Really?”

Lionel’s reaction was somehow reluctant. Oliver asked suspiciously,

“Sir, do you have any idea who it could be?”

“Well, if she has red hair, it could be Lucienne; if it’s brown, maybe Celine or Philia. If it’s neither, it could be Martha or Emma….”

“How many candidates are there, exactly?”

Even patient Oliver couldn’t hide his scornful gaze this time. Lionel quickly got up from his seat.

“That’s enough breakfast. She’s my guest, so I should greet her myself. Don’t let anyone come down the hallway to the drawing room. Whatever happens, I’ll handle it.”

With that, Lionel hurried out of the dining room. Left behind, Oliver quietly asked the maid,

“Did the visitor look like a noble?”

“I’m not sure. She dressed like a commoner, but her looks were so refined…. Maybe a young lady from a fallen noble family? She had that kind of aura.”

“….”

“Oh! Could she be the Master’s lover?”

Oliver’s worries deepened by the minute.

* * *

Who could have come to see him?

Entering the hallway, Lionel walked quickly, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. It wasn’t uncommon for women who wanted a serious relationship, or those who had been rejected and held a grudge, to suddenly seek him out.

But he hadn’t expected anyone to barge into the ducal residence itself. Especially while he was in mourning—wasn’t that a bit too rude?

‘She must be pretty determined to come here. I’d better act as gentlemanly as possible. If things get noisy, I’ll be the one in trouble.’

Lionel made his own plan and stood before the drawing room door.

Knock knock. He knocked politely, and a voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

It was a relaxed voice, as if she were the lady of the house. It sounded unfamiliar. Lionel, feeling almost like a guest himself, opened the drawing room door.

Contrary to his expectations, a woman he’d never seen before was sitting on the long sofa. Lionel narrowed his eyes.

Yes, she was definitely someone he’d never met.

If he had seen her before, there’s no way he would have forgotten such a beauty.