Chapter 22

It was a portrait of a woman. The lady in the painting, dressed in a splendid rose-colored silk dress, gazed forward with a gentle smile. Even after years of neglect and faded colors, her beauty shone brightly in the picture.

Long, flowing blonde hair, blue eyes, a lovely smile. The moment she felt a sense of déjà vu, Clarette spotted a small signature at the bottom of the painting and caught her breath.

Arno Sollier.

It was a painting her father had created.

“Clarette? Where did you find that painting?”

Diane, having finished organizing the boxes, came over and stopped in her tracks. Clarette clutched the canvas tightly and asked,

“Diane, do you happen to know who the woman in this painting is?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve worked here for ten years, but I’ve never seen this face before. If it’s a portrait, maybe she’s one of the women from the ducal family?”

“Could it be the late Lady Valentin…?”

“No, the previous Duchess had brown hair.”

“I see… The current Duke doesn’t have any sisters, right?”

“Yes, the late Lord Victor was his only sibling. Besides, His Grace lost his mother shortly after he was born… Ah, could it be…”

The moment Diane realized the woman’s identity, Clarette reached the same conclusion.

The woman in the painting was the previous Duke’s mistress—Duke Valentin’s mother.

Clarette murmured with a bitter expression.

“Why would such a carefully painted picture be left neglected like this? Is it because she was the previous Duke’s mistress?”

“It was probably Lady Valentin’s order. She always looked at Young Master Lionel… the current Duke… with a less than kind eye.”

Clarette understood that the legitimate Duchess would never have liked a woman who entered as a mistress and even bore a son. Still, no matter who the subject was, this was a painting her father had poured his heart into.

Clarette gazed at the picture, covered in dust and mold, with a look of regret. Beneath the dirty surface, her father’s brushstrokes and warm colors were clear to her eyes.

“If they’re just going to leave the painting abandoned like this… I’d like to take it.”

Clarette grasped the canvas, which was about the size of her upper body, and lifted it with both hands. Diane voiced her concern cautiously.

“Is it alright? Even His Grace probably doesn’t know this painting exists. I’m not sure if it’s okay to take it out like this.”

“In this spoiled condition, it can’t be shown to anyone anyway. I’ll clean it up and present it to His Grace. It’s a painting my father made, but… the subject is also the Duke’s mother.”

Clarette looked at the woman’s gently curved eyes in the painting. Once the picture was safely restored, that smile, reminiscent of Duke Valentin, would shine even more brightly.

“It will take some time to fix it enough to show His Grace. For now, please keep this painting a secret, Diane.”

Diane still looked worried, but eventually nodded.

* * *

Even after returning from the Bruyel Duchy, Duke Valentin seemed extremely busy. Now, there was only a week left until the auction party.

“Is His Grace dining out again today?”

One evening, Clarette entered the dining room alone and found herself asking Oliver. The butler, ever composed, replied in a polite tone.

“It seems the ball at the Bruyel Duchy was a great success. His Grace has completely shaken off the disgrace from the previous party at the Marquisate. As a result, his outside engagements have increased considerably… Is there something you wish to tell His Grace, Miss Sollier?”

“Oh, no. I just wanted to show him how hard I’m preparing as his partner.”

Clarette was no longer flustered by the continuous serving of the staff. She had mastered the use of different utensils depending on the food, all thanks to Oliver’s special training.

“Please don’t worry too much about the party. You’re doing more than enough as it is.”

“Thank you, Mr. Butler. I’ll do my best not to bring shame to the Valentin name.”

Clarette finished her meal at the proper pace, just as Oliver had taught her, and rose from her seat. For some reason, the walk back alone to the annex felt particularly lonely today.

‘It’s strange. Diane is with me, I talk to Mr. Butler, I’m busy every day sketching and restoring paintings… but something feels missing.’

Maybe it was just spring fever. Clarette paused at a bench halfway to the garden. The stone path nearby, unlit, was enveloped in deep silence.

‘I thought I’d see him every day once I moved in here.’

She looked up at the grand main building and recalled Duke Valentin’s face. In her memory, he always wore a gentle smile, as if joking, as if teasing…

<No, I wasn’t joking. I meant it.>

Suddenly, Clarette remembered Lionel’s words. That day in the gallery, he had said it with his usual smiling face.

<My body’s worth looking at, so use it if you need to. For your artwork. As a n*de model.>

N*de model. Thinking of those words, Clarette felt both excitement and embarrassment.

She had needed a n*de model for a long time. Only then could she improve her skills. If someone would pose as she wished, she could paint something more than just a portrait.

‘But His Grace probably doesn’t know exactly what a n*de model does. He’d have to take off every piece of clothing and stand in front of me like that for hours…’

Would the Duke still volunteer after learning the truth? Would he step back, blushing, saying he didn’t realize it would be like that?

But if that happened, she would feel too regretful. Clarette still vividly remembered the way he imitated the pose of a statue.

That sensual body. The confident posture unique to someone who knows their own physique. Rare, beautiful, and perfectly proportioned…

It was too precious to lose.

‘There is a way to make it impossible for him to refuse.’

Clarette’s heart raced like someone plotting something mischievous. She knew exactly what she had to do to get what she wanted.

The day he suggested becoming her n*de model, the Duke had clearly proposed a ‘deal’. He definitely wanted something from her.

Something he wanted so much, he’d even offer to be a n*de model in return.

‘If I fulfill His Grace’s request first, he won’t be able to refuse mine. Since I gave him what he wanted, I’ll ask him not to run away and to be a proper model for me.’

It was a plausible plan. But the problem was what he wanted.

Clarette recalled the moment he stroked her cheek. She also remembered Lionel’s gaze as he looked over her body when asked what he wanted.

‘Is it… that kind of thing?’

He had made it clear from the first day that he wouldn’t take her as a mistress. Even so, his gaze was so honest and transparent.

If the Duke wanted her body in exchange for modeling…

Would she be able to refuse him this time?

Now, she wanted his body too.

* * *

A week later.

The auction party at the Valentin Duchy drew far more guests than expected. Oliver and Susan, who managed the ducal residence, were frantically busy with the largest party ever held there.

“Prepare more champagne, set up more tables in the garden!”

“How’s it outside? Can more carriages come in?”

As busy as the staff were, the party was a huge success. The doors to the annex, where the auction was held, remained wide open. People checked their pamphlets listing the auction order, waiting for their favorite artwork to appear on stage.

“It’s a huge hit. Even the Crown Prince sent a representative.”

“I don’t dare bid. The competition is fierce.”

“Is Castion’s sculpture up yet? It was pretty late in the order, right?”

Guests admired the artworks, the people, the buildings, and the gardens, enjoying the lavishly prepared drinks, tea, and food. Everyone was satisfied with the party, which was much more splendid and entertaining than expected.

The host, Lionel, felt the same way.