Chapter 45

“So please let me leave it there a little longer. Please.”

When Raphael came out like that, Elena couldn’t insist on taking the picture off anymore.

“Since you say it’s helpful, I won’t.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Hey, I think you can let go of this hand now…”

Elena raised her wrist in embarrassment. Only then did Raphael let go of her hand to see if she was hurt.

“I’ve been rude without even realizing it. I’m sorry.”

“Y-you didn’t mean to.”

Elena was quite surprised, even though she was trying to pretend nothing was wrong. But she changed the subject as if nothing had happened, thinking that Raphael would be more sorry if she kept showing signs of embarrassment.

“Can you paint well?”

“No.”

Raphael laughed bitterly. It was a smile that held long agony.

Elena felt sorry. In other words, she drew a picture to help, but she was worried that it might have caught Raphael’s ankle.

‘What should I do? If he can’t get over the slump…’

Elena’s water also deepened. There have been countless stories of artists who could not overcome the burden and weight of art and suffer a slump. Raphael was a master of the times, so it shouldn’t be, but it was pitiful to see him suffer.

‘Is there any way I can help you?’

Elena continued to feel uneasy because Raphael’s slump seemed to stem from her. So she thought of a way that would help Raphael in a way that would not backfire.

‘Oh! That!’

A good idea flashed through her mind. She was sure that the method would work well.

“Senior.”

Raphael glanced at Elena’s low call. Elena smiled at what she was trying to say, but her short, flickering hair made her look cute.

“…”

Raphael stared at Elena as if he was possessed. On top of Elena’s smile, she couldn’t even breathe and cried at that time. That made Raphael unable to take his eyes off her.

“I want to learn how to draw. Step by step from the basics.”

“Are you trying to learn from me?”

Elena nodded with a smile.

“Who else is here besides you, senior?”

“That’s true. It’s so unexpected…”

Raphael was at a loss for the unexpected proposal. Well, it was the same in the first meeting, but Elena must have a knack for embarrassing him.

“I’m not asking you to teach me too much. It’s okay if you watch me when you have time, when you get stuck drawing.”

There is a saying that one learns by teaching. When you teach others, you can also see your own inadequacy, which means that you reflect on yourself and develop through the process of supplementing them. Elena wanted to give Raphael an opportunity to develop further through herself.

“Did I ask you too much?”

“No way.”

Raphael regained his composure.

“Actually, I felt sorry, too. I thought Miss Lucia’s talent might make her a better painter than me.”

“Oh, that flattery is too much.”

“It’s not flattery, it’s my honest opinion.”

Elena felt a little burdened because Raphael was so highly appreciative. However, if Raphael’s paintings could advance through this process, she was willing to take this much anticipated burden.

“Then you’ll let me, right? You can’t get sick of it later.”

“Lucia, be prepared. I’m a bit strict.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be a very easy student. Then let’s shake hands as a gesture of kindness.”

Elena held out her thin and white hands and smiled.

‘You are my teacher in my past life, and in this life, too.’

It was strange that it was meant to be. She didn’t know that it would lead to this. She was even happier that the relationship was not a bad one.

Raphael smiled coolly at the awkwardness of this situation, then wiped his hands on his clothes and held them. While doing so, he found himself delighted in the formation of a new relationship. It was because he felt like he became closer and closer to her after leaving their simple senior and junior relationship. Elena, who had released his hand, said, showing will.

“Will the class be okay from today, senior?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Raphael readily agreed. It’s time to establish the first class between teacher and student.

“Is this the right place.”

Elena and Raphael turned their heads at the same time to the low voice.

“…!”

Surprised at the moment, Elena opened her eyes wide. The identity of the voice was none other than Prince Sian.

“I see you again.”

“… Greetings to Your Highness.”

Confusion was just a passing emotion, and Elena’s body was bowing to him with instinctively disciplined manners. Sian, who had been eyeing etiquette that would only be seen in the palace, turned his eyes.

“Are you Raphael?”

“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Grace.”

Raphael bowed his head as if he had already met Sian.

“Is this your studio?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m here to see Cecilia, but she didn’t come here.”

Sian looked around the studio and revealed that Cecilia was the reason he came here. Presumably, Sian was somehow looking for her, and Cecilia seemed to be avoiding him.

‘The Empress is a blessed person.’

She thought it was all in the past, but Elena felt bitter again. Even though Elena desperately craved for it, she felt that she was being treated excessively. It was too obvious.

“I haven’t seen Cecilia in days.”

“Is that so.”

With his unique expressionless expression, Sian looked closely at various things, including Raphael’s paintings hanging here and there in the studio, human proportionality under study, and anatomy.

“Cecilia praised you for being the artist who represents the times.”

“I’m still not enough.”

“I think what she says is true. I can feel your genius even with my poor eyesight.”

Despite Sian’s praise to be crowned emperor in the future, Raphael only looked down and was not very happy. He was not satisfied with his paintings, so what was the significance of even the crown prince’s praise.

Elena looked at Sian and inwardly hoped that he would leave the studio quickly. It was less than the first meeting, but still uncomfortable for Elena to face Sian.

Sian, who was enjoying the works of the studio as if he had come to the salon, stopped in front of one piece.

“Did you draw this picture?”

“…!”

Elena’s breath almost came to rest. The painting pointed out by Sian was a portrait of Ian drawn by Elena. More than ten paintings of Raphael’s hung in this studio that would be enough to rise to the ranks of masterpieces. But Elena was embarrassed because Sian put them all aside and pointed out Ian’s portrait.

“No, this is a painting by Miss Lucia here.”

“You?”

Sian reacted unexpectedly, glanced at Elena and turned his gaze back to the painting.

‘Why did your Majesty do that painting…’

If she could, she wanted to turn back time so that Sian wouldn’t see Ian’s portrait. Aside from drawing bad, Sian’s eyes, which had been looking at Ian with contempt during his lifetime, kept overlapping and made her suffer. It would be nice if he didn’t say anything. Despite Elena’s wish, Sian seldom left in front of Ian’s portrait.

Why? Why? Why was Sian paying much attention to Ian’s portrait? Elena was just eagerly hoping and hoping that he would quickly get his interest and leave.

“I don’t know.”

Sian’s expression, which broke the long silence when he opened his mouth, seemed complicated.

“I don’t know why this angel’s smiling face… Is so touching.”

“…!”

Elena cried. A while ago, Sian’s words lingered in her ears and didn’t leave. It didn’t make sense in common sense. Because all these moments are like lies. Sian didn’t know who Ian was. He didn’t know. Nevertheless, the core of one corner of her heart melted with the tenderness felt in Sian’s gaze at Ian’s portrait. It was late, it was very late, but Ian can still catch his father’s warm eyes.

“What’s your relationship?”

“… My brother.”

‘He’s your son.’

Elena swallowed, holding back her feelings. She knew it was the truth that no one in the world could believe. She was sorry for Ian, but she had no choice but to borrow a younger brother who didn’t exist in the world.

“I see.”

Sian nodded small, and held the portrait in his eyes again.

“Please, I hope you grow up well.”

Elena was now angry at Sian and was quick to swear. He hadn’t seen him once in his life.

Why was he so cruel then? Many words that couldn’t be poured out were stuck at the end of her throat.

‘Don’t say anything.’

There’s no Ian anywhere in the world. He’s not even in his father’s memory. He only exists in Elena’s memory. Why didn’t he look around Ian a little earlier? She couldn’t bear to hear him say such warm words now because he was so hateful and resentful.

Eventually Elena collapsed.

The tears that had been holding down from Elena’s eyes, which had let go of everything, flowed down. There was a burst of water without any time to get over the feelings. Elena’s tears made Raphael and Sian quite embarrassed. Especially Sian, who saw her tears for the first time, felt very embarrassed.

“Why are you crying?”

“…”

“Did I make a mistake?”

Sian did not know what to do in this case. If he had known the reason, he would have done anything to comfort her, but he couldn’t guess why she cried.