The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 241

Someone around his own age.

“Hey— No, uh. Brother, what’s your name?”

Strictly speaking, he seemed to be two or three years older than Ian, but even so, he was a painter receiving the patronage of a high-ranking noble.

Ian, who had gotten into the habit of speaking casually without thinking whenever he mingled with people his age, corrected himself into using honorifics, and Emil stammered in response.

“Uh, um, so, that is…”

“Ah, right. I should have introduced myself first. Brother, I’m Ian Bayern.”

Realizing that his curiosity had gotten the better of him and that he had spoken out of the blue, Ian introduced himself, and Emil waved his hands in alarm, his face going pale.

“Ah, no, p-please speak casually, um, my name is Emil. I’m a commoner, so I don’t have a family name…”

“Oh.”

At Ian’s short utterance, Emil flinched with a frightened expression.

Even if it had been his own mistake, there was no way to know how a noble who had used honorifics toward a commoner might take out their irritation.

But contrary to Emil’s worries, what came from Ian’s mouth was pure admiration.

“That’s really amazing.”

“Pardon…?”

He had assumed Emil must be a noble’s child because he was wearing formal banquet attire, but to think he was a commoner.

“That means you received patronage that even adults struggle to get, purely through Brother’s own… I mean, your abilities.”

If one was chosen by a patron, it meant they were a promising talent, and Emil was not only around his own age but even a commoner with no backing.

On top of that, his patron was the powerful Duchess Nord.

Ian’s experiences were limited, but since he had a strong interest in painting, he at least knew that cases like this were rare.

“T-Thank you…”

For some reason, Emil’s smile looked bitter, and Ian’s gaze drifted to Emil’s right arm.

His right arm had been injured, yet Duchess Nord’s patronage continued. Didn’t that mean she had judged that it wouldn’t interfere with his work?

Then why did he look so downcast?

“You usually paint with your left hand… ah.”

At Ian’s questioning gaze, Emil spoke without thinking and then shut his mouth.

Ian tilted his head briefly at Emil’s oddly restless expression, then asked,

“But why are you here alone?”

This was precisely why he had made the excuse of going to the restroom and slipped away.

The patron who had been with him just moments ago was gone, and Emil was standing alone, leaning against the wall with a withdrawn expression.

He was the only person around Ian’s age in a place filled entirely with adults, and he couldn’t shake the image of a lost child, not knowing what to do.

“…Her Grace said she had something to discuss with the Count, so she stepped away for a moment.”

“She left you alone?”

“Ah, I mean, I w-well, they were going to talk about things I wouldn’t understand anyway…”

If she had accompanied him to a solo exhibition, he must be a painter she cherished. Even so, leaving him alone among adults felt excessive.

Ian lightly furrowed his brow and glanced in the direction where Nina and Ash were.

Perhaps because this exhibition was being held under the auspices of House Bayern, the two of them seemed busy cheerfully conversing as they introduced the star of the day to the arriving guests.

“Do you have to keep standing here?”

“N-Not necessarily…”

“Then want to go look at the paintings with me?”

When Ian smiled slightly, Emil hesitated.

“I-I’m a commoner, so how could I dare…”

The barrier of status was high.

Ian knew that as well, but the child in front of him was a fine painter whose abilities had been recognized despite his young age.

“That doesn’t matter. So let’s look around together and talk. I like paintings.”

Ian smiled gently, as if telling him not to worry at all.

When Emil continued to hesitate and dither, Ian prompted him with a soft, ‘Hm?’

“I-I think I should stay here after all. I’m sorry.”

Emil refused with an awkward expression.

If he were simply mild-mannered and calm, that would be one thing.

But he seemed uncomfortable while surrounded by nobles on all sides, constantly watching the reactions around him…

Was he uncomfortable talking with Ian?

If his goodwill was making the other person uneasy, then it was right to step back.

“Then I guess it can’t be helped…”

Ian was speaking with an embarrassed expression in response to Emil’s refusal when,

“If Ian invites you to play, you should be grateful and accept. I don’t know which house you’re from, but how rude.”

At the voice that abruptly cut in, Ian turned his head.

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