~Chapter 99~
A little later.
I was now sitting inside Freddy’s black carriage.
I kept glancing nervously at him, like someone who had just committed a crime.
“……”
He had his arms crossed, just staring at me in silence for a long time.
‘Am I really doomed now…?’
The atmosphere was tense.
Well, it’s not like we were close enough to be casually drinking coffee together.
But being stuck in such a closed space, with him just staring at me—knowing that he was the hidden villain—it was honestly frightening.
When I glanced away, my eyes caught on something.
A silver ring.
The very same kind of ring that always appeared whenever the villain’s perspective showed up in the novel… the finger wearing that ring.
Tap, tap.
The man’s lips curled into a smile.
“The Third Prince is too firm of an heir. Naturally, we should strike him down first.”
The finger with the ring tapped against the table, echoing in the silence.
That was how it always was in the novel—the villain’s words always appeared with that ring.
‘Hmm? Come to think of it…’
As I remembered those scenes, I tilted my head slightly. Something felt strange.
“Why were you following me?”
“…Ah.”
Lost in thought, I flinched at the sudden unfamiliar voice.
When I turned my head, Freddy’s black eyes were looking straight at me.
“I… I wasn’t following you…”
I had just noticed him and watched, that was all.
I fumbled over my words nervously under his gaze, then straightened my back.
At this point, I decided to act confident.
He was the villain of this novel. That’s exactly why I couldn’t afford to lose in a battle of nerves.
Anyway, he couldn’t harm me right here and now.
“I just happened to see Your Highness entering a commoner woman’s house. It was unexpected, so I was curious.”
I forced myself to answer calmly.
“I only wondered what reason Your Highness had to go into such a place. If it offended you, then I truly apologize.”
“……”
Freddy didn’t respond right away.
He only stared at me carefully, as if trying to judge whether I was telling the truth.
‘Just say something, damn it… this silence is worse than anything.’
But then, I noticed a flicker in Freddy’s eyes—like he was conflicted.
He looked as though he was hesitating… whether to say something or not.
What was that about?
Just as I was feeling uneasy, he slowly opened his mouth.
“…That painting.”
“…What?”
“The painting you bought at Marquis Linchester’s exhibition.”
“…Ah.”
I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t expected him to suddenly bring up the painting.
Freddy turned his gaze away, sighed faintly, and continued.
“Did that painting really hold a value of 100,000 gold to you?”
“…Excuse me?”
“If not, I’d like you to sell it back to me.”
His unexpected words made my brows furrow on their own.
Freddy looked straight at me, his black eyes glinting.
“That painting—I’ll buy it back from you. For 100,000 gold.”
…What?
All I could do was stare at him in shock, my face frozen.
“Hm…”
I stood in the hallway with my arms crossed, frowning.
Right in front of me hung the painting.
The large painting on the corridor wall leading to the drawing room—
The one I had fought the Second Prince, Freddy, for… and won at the price of 100,000 gold.
[“That painting—I’ll buy it back for 100,000 gold.”]
“What’s so special about this…?”
Why would he need this painting so badly that he’d pay 100,000 gold again?
I had thought he just happened to like it and joined the auction that day. But maybe it wasn’t that at all.
After hearing his words, I couldn’t let it go.
It smelled suspicious. Very suspicious.
I stared quietly at the painting.
It wasn’t easy to describe—it was an abstract painting.
Soft and warm, with colors of yellow, light purple, and gray blending together.
‘…Strangely, it reminds me of that woman earlier.’
That unknown commoner woman who greeted Freddy came to mind.
Somehow, her impression and the painting’s atmosphere felt similar.
‘She didn’t stand out compared to her surroundings…’
Which meant she wasn’t a main character in the novel.
“Did you call for me, My Lady?”
“Oh, Harry. You’re here?”
I turned to see Harry approaching me.
He wore a white shirt and an apron smudged with paint.
It looked like he had rushed over straight from his work when I called.
“Sorry, I must have interrupted your painting.”
“Not at all. I’m happy whenever you call for me, My Lady.”
As always, Harry gave me his bright smile.
“But what did you need me for?”
“Ah, well, there’s something I want your help with.”
I pointed at the painting.
“This one. Do you notice anything unusual about it?”
Since Harry was a painter, I thought he might see something I couldn’t.
If I asked him, maybe I could find the painting’s hidden point.
“Hmm… it’s painted on linen canvas. An abstract with warm tones.”
Harry observed carefully and continued.
“It’s done in oil paint, mostly using the impasto technique.”
“I see… But Harry, do you think this painting is worth 100,000 gold?”
“100,000 gold?”
His eyes widened, then he frowned slightly.
“Well… technically speaking, it’s nothing unusual. It uses common techniques many artists favor. Of course, if the buyer truly felt it was worth that much, then in that sense, it has value.”
“Right?”
That was my thought too. Honestly, for 100,000 gold, it felt far too plain.
‘Which means…’
Freddy wasn’t after the painting itself. He must have had another purpose.
Something worth paying such a huge amount for.
“Thank you, Harry. You may go now.”
“Yes. Please call me anytime you need me.”
I nodded as he left.
“Hm…”
Even after Harry was gone, I stood before the painting for a long while.
Why did Freddy want this painting?
[“May I ask why Your Highness wanted this painting?”]
[“…If you’re willing to sell it, contact me. I’ll be going now.”]
I had asked him earlier, but Freddy avoided the question and simply dismissed me.
That’s when I noticed it—something at the corner of the painting.
A signature.
<daisy>
“…Huh?”
Come to think of it…
Even though this painting had been sold for such a high price, the artist never once appeared before me.
Of course, not every artist greets the buyer.
But with a price this high, normally the artist would at least show their face.
Especially since it was said to be a new artist… surely they would have wanted to meet a noble patron who might continue to support them.
So why hadn’t the artist appeared?
My brows furrowed. The more I thought, the more suspicious it became.
“…Deon. I need to ask you a favor.”
“Command me.”
My knight, who had been silently standing by, stepped forward.
I turned to him with a small smile.
“Investigate the painter who made this. Find out everything you can.”
I had to know.
About this painting—
And about the Second Prince, Freddy, the hidden villain of this novel.
