chapter:16
The flow of conversation was impossible to grasp.
First, he checked the amount of her debt, then asked if she had ever learned to paint, and then suddenly suggested they go get the money.
It was a completely unexpected turn of events. All Arte could do was hurry to keep up with him.
“So…” “The bank. I saw one in town. Let’s go together.”
Unlike Arte, who froze in surprise, Dimion strode confidently toward the door. He threw open the old attic door and stood before it.
Arte blinked rapidly, her large eyes fixed on him.
It was at least fortunate that he seemed to have judged the painting’s value and concluded that she was worth lending money to.
But she was worried about going to the bank together. Arte wasn’t as famous as Dimion, but here in the estate, she was a known figure. As the youngest daughter of the ruling count’s family, everyone recognized her.
If she were seen walking around town with Dimion, the rumors that would spread were all too predictable.
Of course, she was the one who had offered to be his stand-in doll in place of Feria. But she had only thought about their time together in the capital—never imagined she would be with him here in the estate as well.
When she hesitated, Dimion, standing at the door, gave her a short nod as if to say, Come on out.
After a brief pause, Arte steeled her expression and walked toward the door.
It was bewildering, but since he was offering to hand her the money quickly, there was no reason to hesitate.
Now was not the time to worry about what people might say afterward. It was better to think of it as a rehearsal for the things that would inevitably happen in the capital.
Once they left the attic, Dimion led her to his car.
It was the same bright red automobile that had caught Arte’s eye so strongly the first time she saw it.
Without a second thought, he ushered her into the passenger seat, took the wheel, and drove off without delay.
As soon as they left the mansion grounds, the gardeners working in the yard stared wide-eyed.
Arte let out a faint sigh at the sight of their gaping mouths. It was obvious word would soon spread through every corner of the estate. Since she hadn’t told the count and countess, or Lisa or Peter, that she was going with Dimion, they too would likely look at her the same way as the servants did.
Such worries crowded her mind—until they were all blown away moments later.
Dimion drove down the wide road like an outlaw. He pressed the accelerator without pause, going faster and faster, leaving Arte too overwhelmed by the speed to think of anything else.
Before she knew it, they were already in front of the bank. It was incomparably faster than when she had come by carriage.
“Get out.”
While Arte sat there stunned, Dimion was calm, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Even the fierce wind that had battered her the whole way somehow seemed to have avoided him entirely; he looked as immaculate as ever.
Shaking herself back to her senses, Arte took the hand he offered.
The thought of having to ride back in this car made her dizzy again, but that wasn’t important right now. Getting the money from Dimion was the priority.
“My goodness! To think the Duke of Rocata himself would visit our branch—what an honor!”
Apparently, word had already spread about the owner of the red car, because the moment they stepped inside, the branch manager rushed out to greet them with a deep bow.
When his eyes fell on Arte standing beside Dimion, they lit up. She could almost see the scenarios he was imagining, picturing what kind of relationship the two of them might have.
“This way, please.”
The branch manager himself pulled out a chair to seat Dimion.
Arte almost snorted aloud. She’d only ever seen him dismiss the Tien count’s family as penniless nobles, and now here he was fawning over someone else—utterly absurd. The bitter taste in her mouth grew stronger.
While Arte sat there feeling more and more sour, Dimion smoothly began filling out the withdrawal forms without even waiting for guidance.
Even in that short span, the manager’s flattery poured down thick. Dimion, clearly used to such things, didn’t bother replying. Watching him, Arte suddenly felt a sharper sense of the kind of world he lived in.
“Fifty thousand lirang. In five notes.”
Dimion handed the form, written in an elegant hand, to the branch manager.
Arte’s eyes widened at the amount.
It was more than double what she had asked for.
Ah… right. Maybe he’ll give me twenty thousand, and the rest is for something else.
An uneasy feeling crept in, but she told herself he was just taking out all the cash he needed while he was here.
Soon, the manager handed over an envelope with five large-denomination notes. After confirming the amount, Dimion immediately rose and left the bank, Arte hurrying after him.
Once they were back in the car, he held out the envelope.
“Fifty thousand lirang.” “…You mean… you’re giving me all of it?”
Why wouldn’t the bad feeling go away?
Dimion was offering her far more than they had agreed upon.
How was she supposed to take money she hadn’t asked for?
It would be different if it were an unexpected windfall, but right now she was borrowing debt to pay off debt. The more he gave her, the more she would owe him. This money in her hands was anything but welcome.
“Fifty thousand is far too much. It’s more than twice the debt I need to repay. I appreciate the offer, but twenty thousand lirang is enough.” “Enough?”
Dimion arched one brow at her.
“Once you’ve paid the debt with that twenty thousand, what about running the estate? With that sum, you can only clear the debt—you can’t prepare for what comes next, can you?” “That’s…” “If the estate falters again, where will you borrow money then? The bank won’t value your estate highly. You have no leverage left to borrow more from me. That leaves only the Fitz barony.” “I will never have dealings with that family again. The whole point of making this contract with you was to prevent that.” “How can you be so sure? What if, just like before, you suddenly need a large sum? If Baron Fitz sees the chance and offers the money again, how can you be certain such a situation won’t happen?”
It was a reasonable argument.
All it would do was put out the immediate fire, without any plan for the future. There was no telling what kind of desperate circumstance might arise to strangle the count’s family again.
But the more she listened, the bigger the question mark grew.
Why point this out at all? Why go out of his way to spell it out—and even offer her more money?
What he was saying now was, in essence, an act of goodwill. He had spotted a risk she hadn’t noticed and was warning her about it.
But… why?
Dimion had no reason to show her such kindness.
Strictly speaking, whether the Tien family ran into trouble again or fell into debt once more was none of his concern.
From what she had seen over the past few days, Dimion didn’t strike her as the type to hand out kindness easily. He seemed far closer to someone who moved purely on the basis of self-interest.
When they struck the deal, hadn’t she been forced to lay all her cards on the table?
The more she thought back on it, the more her instincts told her to be wary.
“Are you worried I won’t be able to repay you?”
Dimion stepped a little closer to her as he asked the question.
Arte, who had been keeping her gaze lowered, startled slightly and met his eyes.
“I intend to sponsor you, my lady. If I’m to take you to the capital, you’ll need a respectable title to your name.”
His golden eyes flickered brightly. He was saying he would sponsor her as a painter. It was a possibility she had never even considered.
“You said you’ve learned painting, so you know what the Rocata name means. And you know how a painter’s worth—and the value of their work—can skyrocket.” “…” “With skill like yours, plus the Rocata name, fifty thousand lirang isn’t an impossible sum to repay. It might take less time than you think.”
This was as good as the Duke of Rocata himself recognizing her work—and valuing it highly.
If she were just an ordinary painter, and in ordinary circumstances, this would be enough to make her flush with joy. Even now, with her guard up, Arte couldn’t help feeling a small thrill.
But she couldn’t let herself be fooled by sweetness wrapped in such pretty words.
