Chapter 32

The splendid auction party had long since ended.

After getting out of the carriage, he walked alone through the garden. The servants seemed preoccupied with tidying up the main ducal residence where the master would stay. Lionel passed by the brightly lit main building and headed for the annex instead.

It was past midnight. Clarette must have been asleep already, and indeed, all the windows on the second floor of the annex were dark.

In the quiet annex, the only place with lights on was the gallery. Someone must have been cleaning up after the party.

Even though he knew Clarette wouldn’t be there, Lionel entered the annex out of a vague sense of regret. Only Castion’s statue ‘Spring’ would remain in the gallery after the auction.

When he opened the door, just as he expected, the beautiful statue of lovers stood proudly at the center of the gallery. But Lionel found himself captivated not by the magnificent sculpture, but by another presence.

Clarette was sitting on the bare floor in front of the statue, staring intently at him.

She was wearing the blue dress he had gifted her, as if she had been waiting for him to arrive for a very long time.

* * *

At the sound of the door opening, Clarette turned her head.

Just like her, the Duke of Valentin was still dressed in his formal attire from the party, standing at the doorway. When he saw her, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Clarette…? I thought you’d be asleep. Why are you still here…?”

“I was waiting for you, Duke.”

Clarette answered calmly, still sitting in front of the statue. Yet the Duke looked confused. She murmured as if nothing was wrong.

“Did you forget? We agreed to meet in the studio tonight.”

“Oh.”

A look of embarrassment appeared on the Duke’s face. He had forgotten. Without a word, Clarette turned her gaze away from him.

She knew she shouldn’t resent her benefactor for something so trivial. Still, disappointment was evident on her face.

“At first, I waited in the studio as we agreed. But you didn’t come for so long, so I gave up and came down here. I thought maybe you’d sleep outside. With that woman.”

Clarette’s expression was indifferent, but Lionel somehow felt as if she was upset. He hesitated, unable to reply.

He had often been the target of women’s resentment, but never before had the guilt weighed so heavily on him. The atmosphere around him felt strangely prickly.

“I’m sorry. Truly sorry, Clarette. I was too late.”

It was the first time he’d sincerely apologized to a disappointed woman. As Lionel stood there, feeling awkward, Clarette picked up something from the floor.

It was a sketchbook. Without responding to Lionel’s apology, she silently began to draw. Lionel hesitated, then slowly approached her.

Even as he drew closer, Clarette remained absorbed in her drawing. She still seemed upset, so Lionel spoke carefully.

“The drawing of the statue is almost finished, isn’t it? Is that charcoal you’re holding?”

“No, this is pastel.”

Her fingertips were stained with lavender from the pastel. Because her dress had short sleeves, it seemed unlikely she’d get dirty, but the wide skirt spread across the floor looked rather uncomfortable

Lionel belatedly realized that Clarette hadn’t even changed clothes while waiting for him. Touched and grateful for her thoughtfulness, he wanted to ease her feelings quickly.

“It was a good idea to keep this statue. It’s a piece you like.”

‘I told them not to sell it.’

He tried to take credit for it, but Clarette only nodded silently. Seeing her sullen response, Lionel grew more anxious.

Even Castion’s statue, his trump card, seemed useless in improving her mood. He quickly changed the subject.

“But, is it alright to sketch so late? Drawing at night isn’t good for your eyes.”

“That’s true, but I couldn’t sleep.”

“Why couldn’t you sleep?”

Clarette didn’t answer.

Lionel gently pushed her skirt aside and sat down next to her. Clarette busied herself with her drawing, as if evading his question. But Lionel gazed at her face and asked softly,

“Because I went to sleep with Marian?”

At last, Clarette’s hand paused. But she resumed drawing and replied,

“That didn’t bother me. Whoever you sleep with is none of my business. I’m not in a position to interfere with your private life…”

“I didn’t sleep with her.”

“…What?”

At Lionel’s brief words, Clarette looked up at him again. His blue eyes gazed at her gently.

Lionel smiled as he explained.

“I did go to the hotel room, but I didn’t sleep with her. I didn’t even kiss her.”

“Was there some sort of problem?”

“Well, it wasn’t anything wrong with my body.”

Lionel replied playfully, but Clarette still looked at him with questioning eyes. He added, a little sheepishly,

“I just… didn’t feel like it.”

“So you have times like that too, Duke.”

“Apparently. I think my tastes have changed.”

“What sort of woman is your type, Duke?”

Lionel blinked at the unexpected question. After a moment, he asked with interest,

“Clarette, are you curious about my type?”

Unlike his oddly delighted tone, Clarette answered calmly,

“If you tell me your type, I’ll try drawing her. Until you find your ideal in real life, at least you can see her in a picture.”

It was quite the solution. Lionel stared at her, momentarily lost for words, then shook his head.

“…You really are obsessed with drawing.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

She takes it as a compliment?

As Lionel looked at her, somewhat exasperated, Clarette finally gave a small smile. Surprisingly, as soon as she smiled, Lionel’s tension melted away and he could breathe easier.

Clarette no longer acted coldly, her faint smile softening her expression as she looked at him. Lionel, finally relieved, asked her in his usual leisurely tone,

“What happened at the party while I was gone? Was everything alright?”

“Yes, there were no major problems. But this statue… ‘Spring’… some guests were disappointed it wasn’t sold. Fortunately, Mr. Bouvier soothed them and sent them away.”

“I see. Were you alright? You must have been alone the whole time I was gone.”

“I wasn’t alone. Thiago stayed with me the whole time.”

At the mention of Thiago, Lionel subconsciously frowned.

“I thought so…”

“‘Thought so?’ Did you expect him to come to me?”

Clarette looked genuinely puzzled, so Lionel spoke honestly.

“He declared war on me.”

“What? What did he say to you…?”

“He wants to take you. Away from me.”

Lionel didn’t mention marriage. He didn’t even want to imagine Clarette considering marriage with Thiago.

Meanwhile, Clarette, apparently having heard nothing of the sort from Thiago, just gave a hollow smile.

“Thiago really does say all sorts of things to you, Duke. Don’t worry about it. That’s between the two of us, so you can just forget about it…”

“That’s why I told him not to worry.”

“Sorry?”

Lionel spoke seriously, though smiling.

“I told him not to worry, because I’ll take responsibility for you, Clarette.”

Clarette was left speechless by the completely unexpected statement.

The Duke taking responsibility for her wasn’t wrong, but his tone was so sweet it seemed to mean something else.

Her cheeks flushed, so she hurriedly changed the subject.

“Maybe that’s why Thiago misunderstood. He’s always been concerned about you and me, Duke. He keeps saying that if things go on like this, I’ll end up as your mistress.”

“What do you think?”

Lionel now looked away from the drawing, focusing solely on her.

“What do you think will happen? If you keep staying here, by my side?”