Masterpiece - Chapter 15 - Footsteps

Chapter 15

“I’m fine. I’m not very hungry and when I’m engrossed in my work, I don’t really get the urge to eat.”

Couven firmly declined. He had intended to starve if he got hungry while working.

“I’m hungry. I don’t want to eat alone, so let’s eat together.”

He clenched his fists.

There was still some paint squeezed out on the palette. He had only squeezed out a small amount to lay down the undertone. The paint wouldn’t dry while he was out having a meal.

Vessia, who was carrying his supplies, waited leisurely for the man’s answer. If he refused to eat again this time, she planned to set the table in the waiting room.

The maid and the knight silently glared at the painter. Their eyes told him to answer quickly so that their lady wouldn’t have to wait.

Did the servants here like to use their eyes to curse people?

“I understand.”

Since the canvas he had laid the undertone on needed to dry sufficiently anyway, the painter finally agreed to eat with her. Vessia nodded in satisfaction.

He took off his gloves and apron and placed them on the stool. He asked the maid for some water to rinse his paint box.

He poured the water the servant gave him into the washbasin and washed his hands so thoroughly that the sound of water splashing could be heard.

“Take this to my room and put it in a vase. Make sure the flowers stand out.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Vessia asked the maid in the waiting room. The servant carefully took the bouquet that the lady had handed her. The maid carefully held the bouquet so that the petals wouldn’t fall off, and left the waiting room.

Vessia was pleased that Couven had done as she asked. She, who had been smiling quietly, led the maid and the knight.

The painter also left the waiting room after them.

“My lady, Baroness of Winzello has sent you an invitation to a tea party. We’ve already thought about a dress, but would you like to wear a Bergère hat this time?”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll call the tailor soon to choose a new dress and accessories.”

She talked to the maid as they walked to the dining room. The voices of the two women echoed quietly in the long, wide corridor. Occasionally, a servant passing through the corridor would bow to the lady.

Vessia, who had been talking to the maid, suddenly felt something strange.

‘Why can I only hear the sound of two people’s footsteps in the long, wide corridor?’

The corridor leading to the dining room was not carpeted. So, every time someone stepped on the floor, their footsteps should be heard.

The knight had been trained to muffle his footsteps, so excluding him, shouldn’t she be able to hear the footsteps of three people, including the painter? Vessia could hear the sound of her own shoes, the maid’s slippers, and the sound of the knight’s shoes hitting the floor.

However, Couven’s footsteps were nowhere to be heard.

He had said yes, but did he still did not want to? To the point of sneaking away?

She stopped walking as she pondered this. The maid, who had been following her, also stopped.

“My lady, is something wrong?”

The knight following them asked. Only Couven was quiet, as if he was a ghost hiding his body. She couldn’t figure it out, so she turned around.

The man stood there blankly.

The boots he was wearing were neatly attached to the floor of the corridor. The leather was worn and peeling, and there were traces of oil paint here and there. The painter hadn’t snuck away, but had been following Vessia the whole time.

But why couldn’t she hear his footsteps?

“…….”

Couven, who had stopped abruptly, looked down at Vessia. And she, who had been paying attention to his feet, looked away.

The man’s face was dark. In the dim shadows, only his eyes, like candles, burned brightly.

The painter slowly lowered his heavy body. His face was in the light. It was a threatening gesture. The knight put his hand on his sword and prepared to defend himself.

“What do you need?”

A beam of light fell on his face, which seemed to be carved with a knife and chisel. Bold shadows fell on every hollow created by the three-dimensional lines.

He was so fantastic that he could steal her soul. Vessia, who had been staring at him as if possessed, reached out to his face.

The man stared indifferently at the beautiful hand reaching up to his face. Couven raised his body before her hand could touch his face.

It was not polite to accept the hand of the lady, who had a noble lover. Especially a low-ranking commoner like him shouldn’t even dream of touching the lady.

“Didn’t you say you were hungry?”

Again, Couven’s eyes reflected the sun in the pitch-black darkness. They flashed like mirrors. The man, who had been standing upright, lowered his gaze.

Vessia’s mind became clear, as if she had been splashed with cold water. Thanks to the painter’s cold attitude, she was able to maintain her sanity.

Vessia, who had calmed down, withdrew her hand and didn’t avoid the man’s gaze.

“I just wanted to make sure you were following properly, since I couldn’t hear your footsteps.”

“Don’t worry. I’m following closely.”

“That’s good.”

Vessia didn’t want to know whether she felt remorseful for acting foolishly or if she was upset because he had rejected her.

Because she knew the answer was both.

She needed to calm down a little.