Chapter 41

Late at night, Lionel entered Clarette’s studio and was startled.

Unlike usual, the studio door was open. All the curtains were drawn back, making it impossible to do anything secretly there. Lionel walked into the room, feeling puzzled.

Clarette was sitting at her easel, coloring in a landscape sketch she had drawn before. Lionel felt slightly disappointed that it wasn’t one of her original works, but he spoke to her quietly.

“Clarette, the atmosphere in your studio seems different. Are you not going to draw the curtains anymore?”

“I won’t keep them like this forever. Tonight, I wanted to paint while looking at the night sky.”

“Is it because you don’t want to draw me?”

At Lionel’s question, Clarette turned around. But she couldn’t look at the Duke properly and quickly turned her gaze away.

Something felt awkward and strange.

“Clarette, is something wrong?”

“It’s too late today, Your Grace.”

“I know. I didn’t come here to work tonight anyway—I have some things to do.”

“Then why did you come?”

Her response was sharp and sensitive, as if something bad had happened. But seeing her reaction, Lionel doubted he’d get a proper answer even if he asked.

So Lionel gave up being delicate and decided to just be shameless.

“I just wanted to see you for a moment. That’s all tonight.”

Clarette was speechless for a moment but soon regained her composure.

“We’re having breakfast together tomorrow. Lately, we’ve even had dinner together a few times.”

“I know. But I didn’t see you at all today.”

“Is it a problem if you don’t see me for a day? Even my father never said that to me.”

“Of course it is, I’m not your father… No, why am I even explaining this?”

Lionel strode over to Clarette, who was sitting at her easel. She flinched at his sudden approach, but he pressed on firmly.

“Why do you talk as if you don’t understand me? Haven’t you ever wanted to see me? There must have been a day when you missed seeing my face.”

“That’s…”

‘…was not true.’ 

Honestly, there had been several times. During the week he was at the Bruyel Duchy’s ball, and during the hours on the auction party night when he left with Marian Belvard.

Clarette had missed him all along.

“You never have? Really?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t remember.”

She couldn’t bear the aftermath of admitting she had missed him, so she dodged with a vague answer.

But tonight Lionel wasn’t in the mood to let such an answer go easily. He was tired from worrying about money since morning, hadn’t seen Clarette all day, and his talk with Richard had wasted time and ended without any result, leaving him very stressed.

He needed a change of pace.

“That won’t do. Come out with me tomorrow.”

“What? All of a sudden?”

Clarette’s green eyes widened at the Duke’s unexpected suggestion. He spoke coldly, as if warning her not to refuse.

“There are places I need to visit tomorrow. You’re coming with me.”

“Uh, where are we going?”

“We’ll tour the domain. Leave in the morning, return at night.”

“But then I won’t be able to paint at all…”

“Paint there! You can bring everything in the carriage, easel, canvas, whatever.”

Lionel was very firm. Clarette didn’t know why he was being so stubborn.

She only realized tonight that he was hiding a big problem.

“Your Grace, wouldn’t it be better to go with someone who could actually help with touring the domain?”

“What help?”

“Well, someone who could advise you on managing the domain…”

Clarette cautiously expressed her concern, but Lionel replied immediately.

“You give me advice. I don’t need anyone else tomorrow. I only need you.”

“…Alright.”

When she nodded, he finally seemed relieved and stepped back.

“Good. See you tomorrow morning. We’ll leave right after breakfast. Ah, dress comfortably for walking—we’ll be outdoors.”

Lionel set the plan firmly and left the studio. Clarette, swept up in his plans, stood blankly for a moment, then came to herself and walked to the corridor window.

The Duke’s figure walking across the garden from the annex looked dignified and handsome. But watching him, Clarette still felt uneasy.

Now she knew that everything in his world was built on a mountain of debt.

About 750,000 gold in debt—a staggering amount that even Duke Valentin and Earl Crowley couldn’t figure out how to resolve together.

* * *

The next day, Clarette boarded the Valentin Duchy’s carriage for the first time in a while. Inside, Duke Valentin was waiting for her.

“You’re on time. I was worried you might refuse…”

Lionel began cheerfully but couldn’t finish his sentence. Clarette’s appearance as she boarded was completely unexpected.

Wearing a simple dress, Clarette had her long hair carefully brushed and let down, unlike usual. Lionel couldn’t take his eyes off the smooth, black hair flowing below her waist.

“Your Grace, you seem to be in a good mood today.”

Clarette greeted him lightly and sat across from him, and the carriage started moving. Lionel admired her different look, then remembered to ask,

“Didn’t you bring things to paint with? Why are your hands empty?”

“I didn’t bring them—on purpose. That’s why I didn’t tie my hair up either.”

“Why? You always say it’s a disaster if you don’t paint for even a day.”

His tone was teasing, but Clarette answered calmly.

“Today, I want to focus on you, Your Grace.”

The unexpected answer made the Duke stare at her in surprise. Sensing his reaction, Clarette quickly added,

“Observing the model’s usual movements helps too. Now that I know your body shape, Your Grace, I can guess the form even with clothes on…”

“Ah, so you’re picturing me undressed even now?”

“No, only when I sketch later!”

She replied in a hurry, and the Duke chuckled. Clarette was flustered, but seeing him joke again made her feel relieved.

“Observe me as much as you want, Clarette. If you need, just ask me to undress. Not outside, but here is fine.”

“I’m not comfortable with that, so I’ll pass. Anyway, where are we going now?”

Clarette refused naturally and looked out the window. The carriage was heading to the outskirts of the Duchy, not the familiar Moerven boulevard.

Lionel admired her profile as she looked outside and answered leisurely.

“Today we’ll visit the mines. The copper mine is in the north, the tin mine in the east. We’ll go one by one and return home.”

“What are you trying to check there?”

“Their value.”

Lionel mumbled, following Clarette’s gaze.

“To see if they’re worth keeping. I want to check with my own eyes.”

Clarette recalled the conversation she overheard between the Duke and Earl Crowley last night. The Earl insisted there was no way to pay off the Duchy’s debt except to sell everything.

The mines, the railway, the forest, and even the ducal residence.

“If you decide they aren’t valuable, will you give them up?”

“If it really seems hopeless, no matter what I try…”

The Duke spoke plainly, but Clarette felt downhearted. According to Earl Crowley, the Duchy’s finances were like dominoes—selling one asset meant the next, and the next, would have to be sold too.

And at the end, even the ducal residence.

“I hope everything runs smoothly. All of it.”

Clarette murmured in a low voice. Setting aside gardens and models, she genuinely hoped Duke Valentin’s world wouldn’t collapse.

If he became a soldier again and wandered the battlefield, she wouldn’t be able to bear it. She hoped no new scars would be added to his beautiful body. She hoped he wouldn’t go far away.

She just wanted to stay together, as they were now.