Chapter 70 …
Arte was still struggling to pull herself together when a maid entered carrying a bouquet of pink lisianthus flowers. It wasn’t just large—it was enormous.
“Ah…”
“Shall I put them in a vase?”
“Yes. Arrange them and leave them there. I’ll take them to the studio.”
Arte stared blankly at the bouquet. Flowers had been arriving at the mansion quite often lately.
When Luca had first sent flowers, Arte had expressed her intention to submit a painting to the Ghost Market.
She had also asked him to wait a little, explaining that it would take time to develop a painting style that Dimion wouldn’t recognize.
Luca had readily agreed to be patient. He told her to contact him once she was ready, and said he would keep sending flowers so she could reply at any time.
He even reassured her that he planned to scatter flowers around to nearly every noblewoman in the capital for a while, so no one would suspect the secret transaction between him and Arte.
The problem was that researching a new painting style was taking longer than expected.
It was all because of Dimion.
More precisely, it was because Arte was enjoying the time she spent with him far too much and looking forward to it.
Even the moment earlier, when she had found herself envying Feria, was because of that.
Dimion was such an excellent conversation partner.
Not only was he the famous Duke of Locata, but despite belonging to the rigid structure of the military, he possessed a remarkably flexible mind.
Whenever Arte spoke, he listened quietly.
Even though he was obviously very knowledgeable, he never tried to lecture her.
He was nothing like the men who, after reading a few books, would clear their throats and attempt to correct her opinions, or subtly restrain her by claiming women didn’t need to be intelligent.
Whenever he sat with his legs crossed, calmly listening to her stories, Arte found herself rambling on endlessly without even realizing it.
And it wasn’t just Arte who was absorbed in their conversations.
As time passed, it became clear that Dimion was enjoying their talks as well.
He smiled far more often than before.
Most of the time it was just a small, helpless chuckle, as if he found her impossible—but still.
The sharp atmosphere that usually surrounded him had noticeably softened.
Sometimes he would hand her a book and tell her to read it.
And he sought her out more frequently.
Especially after the month changed and the calendar turned a page, he even began returning to the mansion during lunchtime to eat with her.
The servants’ eyes had practically popped out of their heads.
Rumors had spread through high society as well.
The gossip claimed that Dimion had been completely bewitched by Arte, and of course the story grew far more sensational as it passed from mouth to mouth.
But the person most surprised by Dimion’s changed behavior was Arte herself.
He now kept her naturally by his side.
Even when he seemed oddly on edge, he would become far more stable after spending time with her.
Although she knew it was all an act meant to deceive their many spectators, sometimes she almost mistook it for something deeper.
But her heart never swelled beyond that.
Whenever the possibility raised its head, she remembered Dimion’s face as he said there were things that even time could not weather away.
The only woman who could have his heart was Feria.
And Arte was not Feria.
It was just an act.
They were simply becoming good conversation partners.
Nothing more.
And nothing more could ever happen.
‘ I need to get a grip. ’
Arte hardened her expression and steeled her resolve.
She must not grow any closer to Dimion than this.
If he seeped any deeper into her life than he already had, it would become dangerous.
And it wasn’t just her emotions that were the problem.
Her body reacted to him too.
It wasn’t the kind of reaction where her cheeks heated during a kiss or where her heart raced just thinking about him.
Five years ago, after the carriage accident, Arte had begun suffering from severe headaches every July—the month the accident had occurred.
They were a dreadful aftereffect.
Most of the time the pain was so severe that it made daily life difficult.
But this year was different.
The headaches hadn’t completely disappeared.
Yet whenever she was with Dimion, she felt no pain at all.
When they talked, when they walked together, when they fell asleep together—during those moments, she was perfectly fine.
She didn’t know why.
Maybe her body was responding to the emotions that were making her enjoy his company more and more.
Or perhaps his cool, refreshing scent had some miraculous effect on easing her headaches.
Arte had no idea.
At this rate, he might become a drug she could never quit.
“Today is the day the Duke returns, right?”
Dimion had been away from the mansion for five days due to training.
With him gone, the strange emptiness made her think of him even more.
Rather than constantly thinking about him like this, it felt as though it would be better to simply meet him in person.
“What time will he be back?”
“Well…”
It was a simple question.
There was no reason for the maid to hesitate like that.
“Actually… he arrived a few hours ago.”
Arte’s eyes widened.
Not just moments ago—but hours?
She had been glancing toward the entrance the whole time, watching for his carriage.
The thought that he had already been inside the mansion all along made her feel absurd.
‘Why didn’t he come to see me right away?’
That bothered her.
Lately, Dimion would seek her out the moment he arrived at the mansion.
No matter where she was, he would come to find her.
Even if she was out, he would sometimes go there himself and bring her back.
“Where is he? The bedroom?”
The maid still didn’t answer immediately.
Instead she darted her eyes around before speaking cautiously.
“He is in his bedroom, but… you must not go in today. It’s the Duke’s order.”
“…What do you mean?”
“He said that for the time being, you should stay in the guest room.”
It was hard to believe.
If there had been any warning signs it might be understandable—but after disappearing for several days, suddenly ordering separate rooms now?
It didn’t sound like something a man who couldn’t even fall asleep without her would say.
“I’ll see him myself and confirm it.”
“You can’t, my lady!”
The maid hurriedly stepped in front of her, spreading her arms to block the way.
Her black eyes were filled with both fear and helplessness.
“You mustn’t go. Actually… around this time every year, the Duke’s condition becomes… unstable.”
“Unstable? Why?”
“That’s…”
The maid hesitated, her lips moving several times before she finally spoke.
“Tomorrow is the anniversary of Miss Dutton’s death. Every July he becomes very sensitive, but near the anniversary it becomes especially severe… It would be better not to go near him, my lady.”
Arte’s heart suddenly sank.
It was a date she hadn’t even considered.
Then suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in her mind.
His unusually sensitive mood.
The way he had stared at her so intently.
The way he constantly seemed to want to touch her.
‘…He needed someone who reminded him of Miss Dutton.’
In other words, he needed a woman who overlapped with Feria.
It wasn’t Arte he wanted near him.
Her chest went cold.
Her fingertips began to tremble, and she clasped her hands together to hide it.
She had known from the beginning that he could never treat her the way he treated Feria.
She had never even wished for that.
But at least the happy time they had recently spent together—
Even if it was just a puppet show meant to deceive others—
She had hoped it was time shared between “Arte” and Dimion.
She had believed it was.
The shattered expectation tasted far more bitter than she had imagined.
“So…”
The maid who had been trying to stop her trailed off.
A tremendous crash echoed through the mansion, as if something had shattered.
“…Don’t tell me that’s the Duke as well?”
There was no verbal answer.
But the maid lowering her gaze with tightly pressed lips was answer enough.
Arte immediately left the study and headed toward Dimion’s bedroom.
“My lady! My lady, you mustn’t go!”
The urgent cries followed her, but she didn’t stop.
Right now, the only thought in her mind was that she had to see Dimion immediately.
“…My lady?”
The scene outside the bedroom was complete chaos.
The old butler, his face exhausted, greeted her.
The moment he saw Arte’s flushed face, he shot the maid behind her a reproachful look for failing to stop her.
“Is he inside?”
“He is, but you cannot enter. The Duke is currently extremely unstable—”
There was no need for further explanation.
Another loud crash came from behind the massive black door.
“Open it. I’m going in.”
“You cannot. As you just heard, if you enter now, you could be hurt as well, my lady.”
With the continuous crashing noises as a backdrop, Arte and Ed faced off.
Ed was just as determined to block her as Arte was determined to enter.
But Arte had no intention of giving up.
“Your Grace! Your Grace, can you hear me?”
She pounded on the door with her small fist and shouted.
For a moment, the crashing stopped.
But only for a second.
Soon the sounds of destruction resumed.
Still, she refused to give up.
After knocking repeatedly, Arte finally did something she had desperately wanted to avoid.
“Dimion! Dimion, can you hear my voice?”
The moment she called his name—like Feria once had—
All the crashing noises stopped as if by magic.
The servants standing outside the door stared at Arte with trembling eyes.
Even Ed’s steady gaze showed cracks of shock.
“I’m going to come in, so open the door. It’ll be alright.”
At last, Ed nodded.
At his signal, the servants opened the door.
“….”
The moment Arte saw the room beyond—completely sealed off from all light—
She was unable to speak.
