Chapter 64

“What’s this? Why all of a sudden…?”

Marian stared at the painting with a bewildered expression. She had never been interested in art, but seeing a landscape so close, she found herself unexpectedly moved.

While Marian couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful painting—

“The paint used here.”

Clarette looked at Marian and spoke clearly.

“Miss Belvard, His Grace plans to mass-produce paint in the future. For that, he’ll need high-quality material from Asilique.”

He’s suddenly going to make paint? Is there money in that? 

Marian had no idea, but she steadied herself and asked,

“What do you need from Asilique?”

“Rosin. Rosin from Asilique.”

“Rosin…? That sticky stuff from trees? What does that have to do with paint?”

“There’s a lot of it in this painting, too. Rosin is an essential ingredient for making paint and pigment.”

Marian found it hard to believe such a material was in the pretty landscape. But since Clarette was a painter, she probably wasn’t wrong. Her calm way of speaking made Marian trust her, somehow.

“Well, fine. I get that you need Asilique rosin. But why ask me for it? Asilique isn’t as big as Rosenta. I might not be able to get it.”

“No. For you, it’ll be very easy.”

At that moment, the Duke, who had been silent, naturally joined in. Marian looked at him as he pointed out something important.

“That rosin is also used to make gunpowder. Gunpowder is Belvard Co.’s signature product, right?”

Upon hearing the Duke’s words, Marian fell silent and thought. She was only involved in selling gunpowder, not its manufacturing or ingredients. Even the Duke, a former soldier, probably didn’t know how gunpowder was made—at least, not until he prepared for these negotiations.

‘…He’s done his homework. This deal sounds more attractive than the copper mine.’

If rosin was a gunpowder ingredient, Belvard Co. would already have a supply chain. It would be easy for her to trade with the Valentin Duchy.

Marian, wary of the Duke’s sweet proposals, said,

“I understand what you’re saying. You’ll need a lot of rosin for mass-producing paint. But…”

Marian paused, then asked,

“Do you have the money to buy it?”

She didn’t know how much the Duke had earned from the auction party. She could only guess that he’d spent it all paying off debts.

And to her bold question, Lionel replied as if he’d been waiting for it.

“I don’t have the money to buy rosin. So I plan to trade goods instead.”

“Goods instead of cash?”

What conditions was he attaching now? Marian narrowed her eyes, but the Duke proposed in a gentle voice.

“The timber from our estate’s forest is quite good. I’d like to trade that for rosin, at a much cheaper price.”

Marian was well aware of the oak forests of the Valentin Duchy. The timber was high-quality and plentiful, sold to other regions and used for famous railway tracks.

Moreover, oak was rare in Asilique. Marian liked every aspect of the Duke’s proposal.

It was so frustrating—why did this man always make such tempting offers?

“…Give me time to review everything in detail. I need to check on rosin and timber, so I’ll give you an answer within ten days.”

As Marian put off her decision, Clarette handed her the canvas she was holding.

“This painting is a gift for you, Miss Belvard.”

“Did you paint it yourself?”

“Yes. I haven’t signed it yet. I thought you might not want it.”

Marian stared at Clarette, who spoke with modesty but certainty.

She envied this woman chosen by the Duke. She knew it wasn’t a place she could ever have.

“If it’s not signed, how can I show it off? Sign it, please.”

Marian turned away from Clarette with a cold look, adding,

“I don’t collect things like this, but… I suppose it’s nice to have one as a souvenir from my trip to Rosenta.”

Clarette gave Marian a faint smile.

“I’ll sign it and send it to your hotel. And please consider the deal positively.”

* * *

“Thank you, Clarette. I asked suddenly, but you helped me.”

Late at night, Lionel entered the annex studio, speaking cheerfully as he approached Clarette. She was preparing paint at the work table and sighed softly.

“I was really surprised. You put me at such an important negotiation table, Your Grace.”

“For something so sudden, you handled it calmly. I’m glad I called you. It’s much more convincing for a painter to explain paint than for me.”

“If I’d stammered, I would’ve looked even more suspicious.”

“I trusted you to do well.”

Clarette shot Lionel a slightly resentful look. Like Marian, Clarette didn’t know much about paint ingredients.

Just this morning, the Duke had brought her some notes and given her a crash course.

“It’s lucky Miss Belvard didn’t dig deeper. If she’d asked how it’s made, I wouldn’t have been able to say a word.”

“I’d have stepped in. I wouldn’t let you get in trouble.”

Lionel was now standing very close to Clarette. Since their trip, his attitude toward her had grown even more intimate.

His arm brushed hers, so Clarette carefully stepped back and changed the subject.

“Once the deal with Miss Belvard goes through, everything’s ready, right? For your business?”

“Yes. If she agrees, we can start full-scale production next month.”

Everything was going just as he planned. Lionel had spent money to gather back the young workers who’d left the tin mine. Doris Markrel was busy refining tin capsules for the paint.

Renowned pigment masters had signed contracts with the Duke, and Isaac sent letters with news every day. Melanie Bouvier was excited to sell new paints to artists and collect commissions.

All of this happened in about a month. Clarette looked at the Duke in amazement.

“You’re amazing, Your Grace. Everything you set your mind to just happens.”

“Not everything yet. There’s still one crucial move left.”

“Is there something I don’t know?”

She wondered, but Lionel only smiled, refusing to answer. Paint in tin capsules would be sold all over the world—did he have an idea beyond that?

“Just wait. If my plan really succeeds, you’ll be the first to know.”

Clarette quietly looked up at the Duke’s gentle smile. Whenever he teased her so easily, she always felt wary. She told herself it was just meaningless, fleeting kindness.

But somehow, now…

She felt like it might be okay to play along with his flirtation.

As she glanced sidelong at his lips, which held a charming smile—

“Oh, and I want to fix this too. This tin capsule.”

Meanwhile, Lionel looked down at the work table where she was working. He examined the empty tin capsules Clarette had cut and stacked.

“It’s a hassle, isn’t it? You have to cut them open every time, it’s hard to reseal after pouring, and you can’t control the amount.”

“Yes, it is troublesome.”

“This won’t do. I need to find a solution. I’ll have to visit Doris tomorrow.”

Clarette watched Lionel fiddling with the empty capsules and laughed quietly. His absorbed expression reminded her of a boy.

“Your Grace, are you going to bed now? If you’re going to the tin mine tomorrow…”

“No way. Why do you think I came here?”

Lionel hurriedly put down the empty capsules and reached for his shirt front. Clarette, startled, grabbed his hand.

“Stop!”

“Ah.”

Lionel’s hand, which had been touching the tin capsules, was stained with colorful paint. Clarette quickly caught his hand before it touched his shirt. Lionel muttered with an embarrassed look.

“That was close. Paint on my collar—someone might think I’d been rolling around with you.”

“Mm, that kind of misunderstanding would be awkward.”

“Let’s see, something to wipe my hands with…”

As Lionel looked around the table—

Clarette’s hand reached out and unfastened one of his buttons. Lionel paused and looked down, meeting her gaze as she looked up.

“Your Grace, stay still.”

Clarette reached for his second button and said,

“I’ll undress you.”