Seeing her happy face really helped to calm him down. Noel thought to himself that now was not the only time to bring a steak plate to Irene’s front. He then slowly began to cut the steak into small pieces so that she could eat more easily.
“Here, try it.”
“Oh...Thank you. I can eat comfortably now.”
At his natural manner, Irene’s face slightly reddened. Irene quickly put a piece of meat in her mouth out of bashfulness and soon smiled brightly.
“Wow, it’s really good. Noel, try it, too!”
“It’s fine….”
“Here you go.”
Noel tried to refuse, but Irene had already poked through a slice of meat and offered it to Noel. Knowing that she would be embarrassed if he were to refuse her here, Noel quietly ate the meat that she had served him.
“... it’s delicious.”
“Right? I guess it’s different because it’s a bigger restaurant.”
Irene hummed and started tasting each of the dishes that came out. Was it because of the aftermath of the festival? She looked like she was particularly excited about today. However, it was the total opposite for Noel. He was getting more and more stiffened as time passed.
I can’t taste anything.
He told Irene that it was delicious, but he could not taste the tiniest bit of flavour from the meat. He was simply shoving tasteless food down his throat, along with the words that he failed to convey.
♔♔♔
After dinner, the couple went to the Arts hall to watch a theatrical play. They did not need any ticket to enjoy the performance since there was always a seat for the aristocrats.
After the play, they spent minutes appreciating the paintings displayed in the same hall. The two were having the time of their life as the night deepened.
Jingle.
After having experienced all the thrills, the last place they visited was the gallery where Irene sold her first painting.
“Welcome... you are here again.”
“Good to see you.”
Seeing the owner recognising her at once, Irene smiled and held out the paintings she brought along from the carriage.
“I’m here again to sell my paintings again.”
“Hold on a second, please. Let me do an appraisal.”
After receiving the painting, the owner carefully examined it little by little. The valuation process took a long time. Sure, the number of paintings partly accounted for it. Still, the owner was looking at the paintings for an inordinate amount of time today, as if they were quite appreciative.
Some time passed, and the owner returned to her. His facial expression was strange.
“Excuse me, may I ask where this place is?”
“That…”
Irene hesitated for a moment before answering.
“This is the house I live in.”
“I see. It is nothing special, but I asked because I sense something different from the painting I have sold before.”
“What do you mean by different?”
“If the previous painting was immersed in the feeling of loneliness, this painting contains a lot of happy emotion. Perhaps that is why the passion and love for painting felt through it have grown as well, regarding the brush strokes have become more meticulous.”
“That…”
Irene’s expression turned weird. Those paintings were none other than the scenery of the Grand Duke’s residence. After entering the Grand Duchy, Irene spent hours capturing the landscape of the Duchy’s mansion with every chance she got. But rather than that, happiness was illustrated all over the pictures.
In fact, there was always a man in the centre of her workpieces. Precious paintings that she kept deep inside her drawer, ones that could not be sold.
In those drawings, there stood Noel.
After a long time, the gallery’s owner, who had finished the appraisal, said to Irene.
“How about two hundred gold for these four pieces?”
Irene’s eyes bulged at his suggestion. Two hundred gold for four pieces. If so, that meant fifty gold each.
“Isn’t that too much? If it’s because I’m a noble...”
The price jumped several times compared to the first twelve gold she received. Irene asked with concern. She wanted to be recognised for the true value of her paintings, not for her position as a nobleman.