Chapter 37

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***

Ines took a short deep breath.

‘This studio… This is a place that I personally designed with Ryan in mind.’

Small pieces of furniture, wallpaper, and other things.

There was no place that Ines had not touched.

‘And…… Charlotte’s touches must be everywhere too.’

In this place, Charlotte and Ryan sweetly kissed, smiled at each other and had s*x.

While mocking Ines, who trusted and loved her husband and her best friend.

Ines bit her molars.

This studio was the epitome of her love for Ryan.

“I want to get rid of it.”

After being silent for a long time, Ines struggled to open her mouth.

However, the voice did not tremble anymore.

Enoch, who was looking at Ines, nodded his head.

“Okay.”

Enoch did not add any more words.

With his passing attitude, Ines felt a little more at ease.

Ines could smile a little then.

“Anyway, the Duke was a great help. How should I repay this favor… ?”

“No, it was a deal between us.” 

Enoch shook his head at once.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve said I’ve been paid the same for helping the Countess. Do I have to tell you again?”

“No.”

Ines gave a brief laugh and shook her head.

Then she continued speaking in a sincere voice.

“Still, thank you. If the Duke had not helped me, I would still be Ryan’s wife.”

“….”

For a moment, Enoch bit his lips firmly.

‘If the divorce had failed, Ryan and the Countess were still married…’

When he imagined Ines being called ‘Countess Brierton’, his mind felt twisted.

“Alright.”

Perhaps that was why Enoch opened his mouth impulsively.

“If you really appreciate me, there is one thing I wish the Countess would do for me.”

“What do you wish for? All right, say anything!”

Ines clenched her fists tightly.

“I will do anything I can!” 

“Then I would like to receive a portrait painted by the Countess herself.”

Ines tilted her head.

“What? Whose portrait … ?”

“Of course it’s me.”

“…”

At that casual reply, Ines’ dark green eyes fluttered briefly.

‘Is he saying I’m going to paint the Duke?’

Meanwhile, Enoch continued speaking calmly.

“You said to me before.”

The voice sounded a little excited. 

“Why didn’t Young Master Gott paint portraits?”

Ah.

Ines blinked her eyes. The night of the New Year’s ball, the day Ines first met and persuaded Enoch.

Ines handed him a rough drawing with a pencil, and she was desperately clinging to Enoch.

“Do you know why my husband doesn’t paint portraits of other people?”

The snow piled up white and frozen, and Enoch’s blue eyes were colder than the snow. And she herself, unable to overcome her tension, clasped her hands tightly.

“That’s because he can’t draw.”

Thinking about it now, it was close to an absurd statement.

But Enoch listened to Ines, and gave her a chance to prove that the paintings were hers. Didn’t he just help Ines get a successful divorce?

Enoch gently bent his eyes. 

“I still have the pencil portrait the Countess drew when she persuaded me.”

Ines was terrified.

“Ugh, do you still have that drawing?”

“Yes.”

“No, how can you call that graffiti a portrait? Throw it away!”

“What do you mean throwing it away, and graffiti?”

Enoch asked, puzzled.

“How could you say that to the first painting the Countess gave me… I am sad.”

Ines narrowed her eyes and glanced at Enoch.

“At that time, in the Duke’s house, I drew a still life when you check 

the style of my painting. Where did you put that?”

Ines struck a counterattack of conversion, but Enoch did not blink an eye.

“That is that and this is this.”

“Really … Do you really need to keep the scrap drawing?”

“A master’s scrap is the worth in itself. As a collector, I deserve it.”

At that brazen answer, Ines was at a loss for words.

Soon after, Enoch shrugged his shoulders and continued.

“It’s not just that the Countess is a genius that I keep that drawing.”

“Then why?”

With that question, Ines looked at Enoch.

“Well, what should I say about this? Just… ”

Enoch continued with a gentle face.

“I wanted anything that the Countess had touched.”

“…”

Thump.

It was definitely her heart, her feelings.

It moved on its own.

It kept getting conscious of that man.

Ines asked, pulling the tender flesh in her mouth.

‘Duke…… Do you know what your words sound like to me?’

As her heart raced like crazy, Ines unknowingly raised her hand and pressed it against her chest.

Because she was afraid that if she didn’t, Enoch would hear the beating of her heart.

‘Like that.’

The man, as beautiful as a statue created by God, faced Ines with an unknown smile.

And Ines.

As if possessed by the man in front of her, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

‘Your Excellency, me.’

Her mouth felt dry.

Ines flinched back.

‘He seems to be thinking of something special.’

That thought crossed her mind.

Ines let out a laugh without realizing it.

It was a stupid thought.

The conservative kingdom of Lancaster saw divorce itself with white eyes.

And she was a divorced woman who chose ‘divorce’.

Although Ryan’s fault was very reasonable now, and there was also the name of the prestigious Brierton, so no one pointed a finger at Ines openly.

Ines was confident.

In clubs where Ryan used to come and go, they would be talking about Ines endlessly.

In contrast, Enoch was the king’s only younger brother, heir to the throne, and the only duke. Common sense, that perfect man had no reason to choose her.

‘So don’t be mistaken, Ines.’

Ines’ expression gradually softened.

“Okay.”

Ines, who nodded her head, touched her hair. 

Then she smiled broadly at Enoch.

“Anyway, I was the one who wanted to say thank you.”

“Countess of Brierton?”

It seemed that the atmosphere of Ines had changed somehow.

To Enoch, who was looking at her with strange eyes, Ines spoke calmly.

“I’ll draw your portrait.”

***

Ines led Enoch to another room.

Perhaps it was a place where Ines worked on her own paintings, it was different from the other room and various painting tools were neatly arranged.

“Ha…”

Ines looked around the room and laughed like a sigh.

“It’s as clean as before.”

Ines approached the easel and raised her index finger to sweep its surface.

A thin layer of dust crumbled from the tip of her finger. A room with no sense of living.

This room itself was proof that Ryan had never used to paint before.

Ines glanced back at Enoch.

“Would you mind waiting a moment? I have to arrange a place for the portrait background.”

“Do whatever you feel comfortable with.”

Enoch nodded his head.

Ines lost in thought for a moment, and then she got busy and began to arrange her things.

Enoch watched Ines quietly.

The place where the deep blue eyes stayed for an unusually long time was the nape of Ines’ neck.

It was Ines’ usual habit.

To keep her hair up high so that it wouldn’t get in the way when she painted.

Beneath her luscious brown hair, roughly curled up, her slender neckline was revealed as graceful as a deer.

‘Why?’

In an instant, Enoch’s neck moved greatly.

Every time Ines did that ‘painter’ look, his lips felt strangely dry. He wanted the dark green eyes resembling a green forest to look only at himself, and focus completely on him.

Such an irrational feeling…

‘D*mn it.’

At the same time, Enoch chewed and swallowed a vulgar swear word that was unlike him.

Edward’s words suddenly came to his mind.

“You are helping the Countess by actively taking advantage of your status and position.”

Those words that pierced his lungs.

“Now, aren’t you trying to ignore that fact?”

Edward’s playful voice seemed to see through Enoch’s deepest thoughts.

‘’It’s really the first time I’ve seen you support and care for someone like this.”

Enoch bit his molars.

The reason why he remembered those words which he would normally let go out of his ears right away….perhaps because it’s true.

Enoch struggled to admit.

He was now giving the Countess of Brierton special treatment.