Masterpiece - Chapter 2 - Belle Reservoir

Chapter 2

Translator: Yonnee

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Couven picked up a meticulously cleaned palette knife. As he peeled off the hardened wax with the knife, a piece of paper appeared inside the envelope.

It was a beautifully handwritten invitation.

No, since it was sent by a noble, it should be called an ’epistle’.

To Mr. Couven Wyeth,

The warm days with roses blooming in the garden continue. I hope you are doing well?

I am Duke Alevi Quixote, owner of the mansion in Valtenglass.

I am sending you this invitation to discuss a commission for filling the vacant spaces in my mansion with paintings and portraits of the Quixote family.

I would prefer to discuss the details of the payment and the commission in person.

Tomorrow morning, a carriage will be sent to your residence. Let us meet at the Quixote manor.

Looking forward to your favorable response,
Alevi Quixote.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Couven chuckled as he read the letter. His lips curled up sharply. The alpha gulped down both water and pheromone suppressant in one go and placed the sealed letter back on the table.

He’s hungry. The artist, who had descended from his studio, opened the pantry. He made a sandwich using the remaining half of leftover rye bread, pickled ham, olives, arugula, and eggs.

Taking a big bite, he recalled the letter he had just read.

Someone must have pretended to be a noble and stamped a fake seal on the envelope. He had fallen for such tricks not just once or twice before.

One day in the past, he had gone to the agreed-upon location and was ambushed by a group of people who despised alphas for no apparent reason.

‘Why not seek justice in court if you feel so wronged?’ one might ask.

What a foolish idea.

To file a lawsuit in court, a substantial amount of money must be paid. For an ‘alpha’ like him, it was not easy to earn that much money, as alphas were considered lower-class citizens.

Even if someone diligently earned the required funds to file a lawsuit, it could be callously rejected, or the case would end with the ‘alpha’ receiving the punishment.

Everything was stacked against the lower class. They struggled just to survive, yet society viewed even their efforts with disdain.

The only way to live somewhat like a ‘human’ was to gain recognition for one’s special talents. However, it was still doubtful whether they would truly be treated as equals.

After finishing the dishes, laundry, and preparing for bed, the man returned to his room. He gripped his stiff neck for a moment, then glanced up at the ceiling before finally lying down on the bed.

Creak.

The self-made bed, which didn’t have the right size for his body, seemed like it would collapse at any moment, and it let out a scream as if in protest. Ignoring the mournful song, the man turned to his side.

He blinked slowly as he contemplated.

“I need to wake up early tomorrow to go to the art supply store and buy the oil paints I’ve run out of and two filbert brushes^[1].”

And if he could sell any paintings through the art dealer, he would need to negotiate his payment through a commission agreement instead.

As he wrapped up his plans, his eyes closed as if by magic.

Having swallowed the pill, Couven attached a coin pouch to his waist. He debated whether to wear the worn-out cloak but decided against it and left it behind.

Then, as he reached for the doorknob to go outside…

Knock, knock.

Just like last night, someone knocked on the door. Pulling the handle, Couven opened the front door.

What greeted him at the front were two men, who looked to be an attendant and a knight. They inclined their heads back to look at Couven. The artist had to lower his gaze to meet the eyes of these shorter individuals.

The man who seemed to be an attendant took a step forward and conveyed the purpose.

“Are you Mr. Couven Wyeth?”

“Yes, I am Couven Wyeth.”

“Then, please come with us to Duke Quixote’s manor.”

Were these the same people who had come to deliver the letter yesterday? They issued a command without explaining the circumstances. That didn’t sit well with Couven, so he raised one eyebrow.

“For what reason?”

“As you may have read in the letter sent last night, Duke Quixote wishes to meet you.”

“How can I trust that you are indeed employed by the Quixote household?”

“How insolent!”

Standing behind the attendant, the knight who had been listening to the conversation shouted. He even reached for his hilt to draw his sword. Passersby on the street were startled and looked in their direction.

The attendant reached out his hand downward to restrain the knight.

Couven directed his gaze towards the knight.

Although he wore a helm that made it hard to see, it was apparent that the knight had been displaying hostility from the start.

They were not in a combative situation, and they were only here to escort an ‘individual’, yet the fact that he had arrived wearing a helm and full armor indicated that he did not want to treat Couven as a ‘human’ from the outset.

Even raising his hand to the hilt with a shout had the same underlying reason.

Couven sensed that they knew he was an ‘alpha’.

Look at this guy, so high and mighty.

“This ring will prove that we are employed by the Quixote household.”

The attendant took out an ornament from the silk pouch. It was a ring adorned with a large amethyst.

What was more important was the noble insignia engraved on the inside of the ring. Couven recognized it at one glance.

It was one of the most precious items aside from a vellum certificate of nobility issued by the king when granting land to the nobles in this country. When it was difficult to confirm one’s status, showing this item would let anyone know which noble family and aristocrat you were.

The attendant carefully placed the ring back into the silk pouch and asked again.

“Will you come?”

“……”

It’s not like he had a choice.

¹ filbert brush – a thin brush ↩

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