Chapter 11
She thought she had made a fairly reasonable suggestion, but unexpectedly, Noah’s expression darkened.
“Ah, that might be difficult. I’m not allowed to stay out overnight.”
“What? Seriously?”
A grown adult with that kind of restriction? Her eyes seemed to ask, but instead of giving an excuse, Noah offered an apology.
“Yes, I’m sorry when you went out of your way to suggest it. But going out for a while is possible.”
He added a little more explanation.
“It’s just that I have a meeting with a client in two days, and I don’t know what kind of work I’ll be taking on then. Until the issue is resolved, I’ll probably have to refuse any jobs that might take me out of town.”
“Like that mural work you were commissioned for at the Grand Temple?”
“Yes. The larger the piece, the longer it takes. That one mural alone took over a year… It wasn’t even a ceiling fresco, so I was lucky the Grand Temple commissioned it.”
“Oh? Really? Was there something special about it?”
“They lent me a magical tool that let me hover in the air. It was great because I could paint stably without a ladder.”
Maintaining the same posture for a long time or working at a height could strain the body or even cause injuries. Noah remarked how convenient magic truly was, and after a moment of thought, Cordelia quickly proposed an idea.
“Hmm… Then should I make up an excuse for you to come outside?”
“What?”
“I could commission a painting from you. Like… my portrait.”
“P-portrait?”
Seeing Noah trail off, Cordelia waved her hands in a panic.
“Oh, of course, I’ll pay you properly. Like I said, I have plenty of money, so I can match whatever price you want…! I’d never use my status to exploit you or anything like that!”
Many nobles, drunk on their own rank, would often exploit those of lower status without paying them.
Worried she might look like such a vile person, Cordelia hastily added the clarification. Noah, who had been staring at her blankly, suddenly covered his mouth and let out a quiet laugh.
A refreshing, cheerful laugh filled the room, sounding as if he was genuinely amused. The man who had only ever shown troubled expressions now smiled like a boy, and it was devastatingly charming.
Cordelia found herself staring at him, almost dazed, and Noah shook his head gently as if to reassure her.
“No, I never thought that. I don’t particularly need money, and if you’d like, I can draw you anytime.”
“…”
“Miss Cordelia?”
“O-oh? Still, please take it! It would make me feel better!”
Flustered, Cordelia answered quickly, pressing her two hands tightly against her pounding heart. She stared intently at Noah’s face with a bewildered look.
She had expected as much from his face, but seeing such a handsome man smile was like looking at a work of art. Why would anyone even bother to paint him? His face was already a masterpiece of the century.
No, more importantly—
“Isn’t hiding a face like that practically a crime against the world?”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“Ah, nothing.”
“Just ignore her. It’s been a while since she’s seen a man this handsome, that’s all.”
“What?”
“Rines!”
Cordelia, stunned, tried to cover his mouth, but it was too late. His mischievous lips had already spoken the words.
A beat later, Noah’s face flushed bright red as he understood the meaning. Cordelia thought, To hell with it, and decided to drop all pretenses.
“Well, I mean, isn’t it normal to feel good when you see something beautiful or handsome? Don’t you feel the same, Noah?”
At this point, shamelessness was her only option.
Cordelia lifted her chin and demanded an answer. Noah glanced around nervously, then scratched his cheek lightly and nodded.
“Well, yes. When I see something like that, I feel like picking up a brush…”
“See?! I told you I’m not weird!”
As Cordelia passionately defended herself, Rines, who had been silently observing her desperate efforts, finally spoke.
“So, you’ve decided to give up on your elegant young lady image?”
“Gasp.”
“Oh, if you’re worried about me, don’t be. I won’t tell anyone.”
No, what he meant was, Have you given up on trying to look good in front of him?
They all exchanged glances at the perfect-faced man, who was slightly lacking in social awareness.
“Anyway, I’m glad you like my face.”
“…Why?”
Cordelia asked, slightly hopeful, and Noah answered with a gentle smile.
“Because I already feel sorry for dragging you into this mess. At least if you like my face, that’s something good, right?”
Is he a saint?
It wasn’t the answer she wanted, but it left her with nothing but admiration. Cordelia rubbed her eyes in disbelief, but the beautiful man was still standing there.
A face like that paired with a good personality? The gods were truly unfair. Images of men who had lived up to their looks flickered through her mind like a panorama—only to blur into nothing.
“A-hem. I, um… I just happen to really like beautiful things. So sometimes I act a little silly.”
“It’s more than a little—mph.”
“That’s actually kinda char—ah, I mean, it’s fine. Really. Just be comfortable.”
Cordelia finally succeeded in shutting Rines up and turned back to Noah.
She flashed a bright smile—the kind usually reserved for social gatherings—and Noah blinked slowly before looking away.
Rines waved his hand, and the disorganized chairs, tables, and objects floated gently into the air. A carpet rolled out, chairs and tables landed neatly on top, and the fallen items returned to their proper places.
“Happy now?”
“I just didn’t want to waste magic earlier.”
“Fine, whatever.”
With the parlor restored in an instant, they sat down to discuss the future. As Rines said, since the magic hadn’t been undone yet, they had to keep monitoring the situation for now.
After wrapping up the discussion about mannerisms and tone, Cordelia crossed her arms as she was about to mention the schedule.
Her pouting face looked both awkward and cute.
“By the way, in a few days, the Demon King will be back at the estate.”
“The Demon King?”
“Yeah. He’s like… a fated nuisance tied to me by blood.”
“The Duke of Veitzen might be hurt if he heard that.”
“Ugh, that old fossil? He’d just double his nagging.”
Cordelia waved her hand dismissively and continued.
“Anyway, he’s likely to be a real pain. If you’re in my body when he’s around, he might say some cra—um, nonsense.”
“Uh, okay.”
“Whatever he says, there’s only one right answer: refuse. Absolutely, no matter what, you say no! Got it?!”
She emphasized her point repeatedly, and Noah nodded earnestly. Yes, I understand. I’ll keep that in mind. Only then did the conversation move on.
By the time the sunset sank over the Duke’s estate, a commotion broke out.
A carriage passed through the iron gates, and a man with chestnut hair, dressed impeccably, stepped out as the door opened.
He walked into the wide-open front entrance with a dignified gait, greeted by rows of servants and the butler.
“Your Grace, Duke Veitzen.”
“It’s been a while, Sebastian.”
The master of the estate, Frederick Veitzen, replied with a detached expression.
Despite his neat and gentle appearance, he was a man of cold, pragmatic nature—a model noble—and Cordelia’s greatest adversary.
“Didn’t you send word you’d be arriving the day after tomorrow?”
“I came early to take care of a few things. So, where is Cordelia?”
“The young lady is currently out.”
“Perfect timing, then.”
At his gesture, two servants brought in wooden boxes. When the lids opened, they revealed what was inside.
Portraits—each depicting a man’s face. Below the shoulders, a name was engraved.
Under the bewildered stares of the staff, Frederick gave instructions.
“Take these to Cordelia’s room. When she returns, tell her to review them all by tomorrow evening.”
“Your Grace… are these all portraits?”
“Yes.”
“There seems to be quite a lot of them.”
“There should be. I offered a marquessate as a dowry.”
The staff, including the butler, could hardly believe their ears. He offered what?!
Ignoring their shock, Frederick sank into the sofa in the drawing room, resting his head leisurely against the plush leather. The butler carefully offered a word of caution.
“But, Your Grace, the young lady will surely oppose this.”
“She always opposes things. That’s nothing new.”
Frederick clasped his hands and let out a quiet sigh.
“That might have worked when she was younger, but she’s nearly thirty now. I can’t let her live like an untamed colt forever.”
It was a reasonable point—but the problem was that the person in question was Cordelia.
The youngest daughter of the Veitzen family, cheerful and bright, yet with an unshakable sense of self. Her independence had been well-known since childhood.
“She’s lucky she has the Veitzen name and a pretty face; even so, this is already late. One strong-willed woman in the family is enough—Kalia alone suffices.”
Though Frederick adored his youngest in his own way, he was strict about public and private matters. Knowing how unmarried women were treated in society, he had no intention of letting Cordelia follow in her elder sister Kalia’s footsteps.
“Does Lord Isaac know?”
The butler carefully invoked the name of the former duke, Frederick’s father, but Frederick’s answer was firm.
“No. Father spoils her too much. That’s why I have to step in.”
Seeing Frederick’s unwavering eyes, everyone present instinctively realized—
A war was about to begin.
