Chapter 54
“The last day of the festival won’t end with just this, so you’d better be prepared.”
At Franz’s words, Iella snapped out of her thoughts.
“Alright.”
“Then let’s go.”
When he suggested heading to the studio, Iella nodded and rose to her feet. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she let out a small exclamation.
“Ah!”
“What is it?”
“The notebook. You still haven’t given it to me.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“I’d completely forgotten about it. Please give it to me now.”
She held out both palms as if asking for it, but Franz only stared at her, showing no intention of moving.
“Huh?”
When she asked again, Franz shrugged.
“I can’t give it to you right now.”
“What? Why not?”
“No matter how good our partnership is, shouldn’t I at least have some collateral?”
“Collateral?”
“Mm. Collateral. I can’t risk you breaking your promise.”
In other words, until her objective was achieved, he had no intention of handing it over.
Iella’s expression briefly tightened into one of annoyance, then she let out a soft sigh.
“So even though you say we’re good partners, your trust in me is zero. Well, if that’s how Your Highness wants it, I suppose there’s no helping it. At least show me that it’s safe.”
She wanted to check the leather knot. If she could be certain he hadn’t peeked inside, she’d feel secure even without having the notebook in her possession right now.
Franz obliged, unlocking a drawer and showing her the notebook. The knot was still intact.
“Alright then.”
Watching her reaction, Franz crossed his arms with an intrigued expression.
“The knot was tied in an unusual way. Did you want to check in case I’d opened it?”
“Trust isn’t a one-sided thing. It’s only real when it goes both ways.”
“You’re right. No one should be trusted. One has to be careful.”
Franz locked the notebook back in the drawer and turned the key.
“Is that something you say from experience?”
“Yes. An unpleasant one.”
His face hardened, and Iella found herself unable to ask more.
“Everyone makes mistakes and fails sometimes. There’s no need to feel ashamed or blame yourself for it.”
“I don’t need half-hearted comfort. I’m fine now.”
“It isn’t comfort or pity. You don’t strike me as someone who needs pity, and honestly, there’s probably no one in all of Lapland who would dare pity you. I only mean—if you learned something from that mistake or failure, if you grew from it, then perhaps it was a worthwhile experience. Though, of course, I’m sure Your Highness knows that already without me saying it.”
Though she’d spoken with courage, she worried she might have overstepped.
Thankfully, he didn’t look particularly displeased. Relieved, Iella followed him toward the studio.
Outside the studio, Hans was waiting.
“The thing I asked you about?”
Iella’s expression and tone were filled with excitement.
“It’s prepared.”
“Thank you.”
Smiling at Hans, she then turned and gave Franz, who looked puzzled, a radiant grin.
“Get ready and come inside.”
“What exactly did you prepare?”
“You’ll see when you come in.”
“….”
Franz only stared at her silently.
“Hurry now.”
When Iella urged him forward, Franz reluctantly began walking after Hans. Watching his back, she headed into the studio.
Inside the powder room, what caught Franz’s eye was a full ceremonial uniform—complete with sash, badge, and ceremonial sword, all meticulously prepared.
“…So you expect me to wear this now?”
He let out a laugh of disbelief at the sight.
“If you’d warned me in advance, I could have bargained with Iella for a compromise.”
“That would not do, Your Highness. The young lady convinced me, and I agreed. I want the prince in the portrait to appear in his most perfect form.”
Hans’s resolute words left Franz with no choice but to resign himself quickly.
By the time Iella had prepared the studio and caught her breath, someone knocked on the open door.
‘Ah…!’
The ceremonial attire, perfectly fitted with not a wrinkle out of place, wrapped around him flawlessly. When the sunlight struck the golden epaulets on his shoulders, they shone as brilliantly as his dazzling blond hair.
‘Yes, this is enough to make me swoon all over again.’
Unable to tear her eyes away, Iella was caught staring when Franz walked up to her, feigning nonchalance.
“Do you approve, my artist?”
“Wow. I’m so stunned I can barely speak. Only now does it truly sink in that I’m painting the prince’s portrait. This is such a precious experience for me.”
Her eyes glistened with emotion, and Franz instinctively straightened his shoulders with pride.
“Well, this much is nothing.”
“Nothing? It’s more than I could have ever imagined. Absolutely the best.”
Beaming, she gave him a big thumbs-up.
‘Forget what I said about pitying whoever ends up as his princess.’
At this moment, she realized just how much a man could live off nothing but his looks. She even regretted her past criticism of superficial beauty.
The saying “you can’t live off looks alone” was, she decided, just a way for women who’d never met a man with such a face to console themselves.
With her constant stream of praises, Franz felt some of his disgust at this whole ridiculous situation ease away.
“Here, please sit comfortably in this chair.”
Iella led him to a deep navy wingback chair trimmed with golden moldings and upholstered in velvet, luxurious to the point of extravagance.
“Like usual?”
“Yes, just like usual.”
“I thought you’d have me stand.”
“You can sit however you feel comfortable. I thought you’d prefer this, so I prepared it.”
“Hoh. You’re getting good at handling me.”
Franz chuckled and sat down, deliberately lounging back into the chair with a crooked posture and crossing his legs.
Iella stepped back to study his pose, then approached to adjust his posture slightly.
“Perfect. Stay just like that.”
Straightening up again, she turned toward her canvas.
“Are you serious?”
When he asked in disbelief, she smiled with satisfaction and nodded.
“Yes. That’s when you look the most like yourself. And I want to paint you as you truly are.”
“…Not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”
“Of course it’s a compliment. I always knew you were handsome, but seeing you like this—it hits me all over again. Do you even realize how handsome you are?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I have eyes and ears too, don’t I?”
“Fair enough. That was a silly question.”
Alternating between the canvas and Franz, Iella adjusted the angle of his face and the placement of his sword before returning to her seat.
The moment she sat before the large canvas, her eyes sharpened, piercing him with a depth and intensity that felt both mesmerizing and strangely unfamiliar. She didn’t look like the Iella Clarence he knew.
Though at first he had intended to treat this as a waste of time, Franz quickly reconsidered. He didn’t want to trample the passion of someone who was taking this so seriously.
Her unfamiliar aura made him a bit tense at first, but gradually he began to adapt.
The studio fell into tranquil silence.
Bathed in warm sunlight, the room felt cozy. With the occasional breeze drifting through the open window, Franz found himself engulfed in a peace he couldn’t quite describe.
For a long while, he simply watched her. He could tell where her gaze landed on him—on his chest, which somehow made his heart tingle oddly.
Immersed in her work, Iella tried to ignore the weight of his unwavering stare, but it only made concentrating harder. She’d never struggled to focus while painting before.
In the end, she lifted her eyes. Their gazes collided in midair, his watchful, hers startled.
“Shall we take a break?”
“I’m fine. Why?”
“It feels like I can’t focus.”
“I’ve been sitting here for hours without moving an inch. Isn’t the problem you, not me?”
His words hit the mark, and Iella swallowed a sigh before looking back at the canvas.
“Then I’ll continue.”
She forced her focus back onto the painting, moving her brush steadily.
Now and then she glanced at him, but her eyes were mostly fixed on the canvas—his image already etched so vividly in her mind that she barely needed to look at him anymore.
After a long silence, Franz spoke first.
“Are you even painting me properly? Don’t you have to look straight to get it right?”
She kept avoiding his eyes, but eventually their gazes met again, and she frowned slightly. In contrast, Franz flashed her a mischievous smile.
It was too entertaining—her every reaction came so instantly. Her shifting expressions, her flustered looks, all stirred a mischievous urge to tease her further.
“Let’s take a break.”
Rubbing her stiff shoulders, Iella rose from her chair.
