A property was primarily gifted to one’s immediate family, so Liarte didn’t expect to receive it.
“Although in my heart, I wanted to give her half of the Birce.”
Carmen rolled his red eyes like a fox.
“You wouldn’t have accepted it then, so we compromised and decided on these. They’re a much less burdensome gift than the Birce itself.”
It was a gracious addition that prevented Liarte from refusing.
“So take it.”
Liarte thought for a moment.
She had learned about awakening and powers by studying with Walter to some extent.
The estates Carmen had given her had lakes and rivers present.
It was a great gift for Liarte, a Water Awakener.
“Carmen”
Liarte knew what to say when she received a precious gift.
“Thank you.”
A smile as fine as spring tugged at the corners of Liarte’s mouth.
It was the best expression of pleasure she could muster.
Carmen stopped in his tracks at the unexpected response, and he smiled back.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“You thought of me, a Water Awakener, so I hope we can all go see the estate together later.”
Together.
Carmen looked around the room at Liarte’s words.
Aaron’s breathing echoed peacefully as he dozed in the sunlight.
She thought she would never see him like that again, tucking his big body into the couch and taking a nap.
Michael, on the other hand, was staring at Carmen with a clear-eyed frown.
It was a gaze that said, ‘Are you going to keep interrupting me?’
Even this was a sight he thought he would never see again.
With the reality of having to kill a maniacal father and a blind son, day after day, he couldn’t bring himself to kill them.
“Can you trust me?” (TL/N: Who wouldn’t sweetheart!!)
Carmen’s life turned upside down when Liarte showed up.
She was unskilled and clumsy but eager instead, and unlike Birce, who killed losers, she never gave up on a single person.
And in the end, she saved them all.
“It’s all because of you.”
Unable to understand Carmen’s words, Liarte questioned, “What?”
“It’s nothing, Lili.”
Carmen just laughed.
Until now, the Birce Members had been distant.
No matter how much they loved their family, every time they saw each other, they were reminded of the powers that were tied to their family name like a curse.
If they couldn’t handle it, they were the first to be consumed.
They only had one goal in life, to keep power from consuming them.
From the time they were born, they were trained not to reveal their powers to the world and had to live their lives hiding and guarding the secret of their abilities.
That was Birce.
They would eliminate, if necessary, anyone who disobeyed the rules, slipped through the cracks, or was consumed by their powers.
‘So I hope this child is the last to be involved in our family affairs.’
Carmen thought as she glanced at Liarte.
He couldn’t imagine Birce without her now. She was family, like his own child.
So as long as they could, Birce would protect her.
“Michael.”
Liarte leaned slightly toward Michael.
“Let’s go to the sea after the ceremony. I want you to be alone with me this time.”
“Uh… Thank you for asking. I remembered the first time we went to the ocean, we decided we wanted to go again.”
Michael smiled sweetly and kissed Liarte’s cheek.
Already, his son had half attained her. He was not going to lose her to someone else.
‘Maybe it’s better to be with Michael.’
Michael was the most powerful member of the family since the first patriarch.
It was dangerous, but it made him feel reassured that he would protect her.
He has no intention of keeping them apart.
They had no intention of tearing such an affectionate relationship apart.
Thinking, Carmen picked up the report on the Crown Prince’s entourage.
‘Hestel Leaven and that’s the end of the Duke of Haron’s side report.’
All he could find out about the Duke of Haron was that he had another life as the genius painter Jen Walker.
It was reported that he was being followed steadily for unknown reasons.
‘Enough of this.’
Carmen handed over the dossier on Hestel Leaven.
Suddenly, the painting was known to the world, and the Empress saw it.
It was reported that the figure was that of the Crown Prince, but something else caught Carmen’s attention.
‘An anonymous drawing competition winner?’
It was the one Liarte said she was entering.
She told them not to touch it because she would win the prize herself.
What a coincidence!
Carmen had forgotten, but then his senses caught up with her.
‘I was going to read it through anyway.’
Carmen looked at the drawing that Hestel had submitted.
Even to his highly discerning eyes, it looked like a wonderful painting, but there was something off about it.
‘It looks like a collaboration between several people.’
Carmen’s hand paused—the kind of pause that only someone who has seen and created forgeries knows.
He saw the painting painted in red.
He had never seen the finished product, but the way the colours were applied was familiar.
What’s more, it was the only person he knew who could produce such colours.
<The world>
In the list of Hestel Leavan’s paintings, there was a red one.
***
The drawing competition was approved.
For unknown reasons, Carmen Birce granted a quick approval after receiving the proposal.
This saved the Duke of Haron the trouble of having to go and convince him in person.
Hestel and the Crown Prince were busy discussing something.
Meanwhile, the Duke was gathering as many nobles as he could.
The Crown Prince and other members of the Elheim family, with whom Birce was not on good terms, were also invited to attend the painting competition.
The result was that most of the visitors to Birce were there to see the competition.
“Isn’t this Lady Hestel?”
“Greetings. I’m not good enough, but I’m entering the competition.”
Hestel greeted the nobleman who pretended to know her with a bashful smile.
“I’m looking forward to seeing your painting. What will you be painting?”
“Me?.”
Hestel smiled.
“I’m going to draw a picture similar to the red one.”
The Crown Prince couldn’t hide his displeasure until the two had finished talking.
After the nobleman left, the Crown Prince, who was standing around Hestel, whispered sharply.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“But I did succeed in luring the princess into a painting competition, Your Highness.”
“Do not forget that it is because of the princess that I am leaving you alone.”
The Crown Prince glared at Hestel and checked his magic necklace again.
By now, painting had become a frenzied hobby for most nobles in the capital, beyond the imperial palace.
Making a mistake here would damage not only Hestel’s reputation but also the reputation of Ninian, who held her close.
‘As it looks foolish.’
Hestel had decided to enter a public painting competition without asking his permission.
The Crown Prince was unable to make any accusations against the Duke of Haron.
Since Hestel was still lying about being the owner of the red painting, he couldn’t question her about why she had organised the competition.
‘At least we have gotten the princess out of it.’
He thought she was going to be stuck under Birce’s protection, but she was able to draw her into the painting competition.
After all, the Crown Prince had secretly killed one of the painters last night, using an ancient tool that temporarily traps the soul.
Any tool that left evidence of ancient power was naturally dangerous.
Moreover, in an empire with an Awakened family, ancient powers would be received with reluctance.
‘If it is said that the Crown Prince has tampered with ancient powers, it will be the end of me’
His body was too weak to use spells, so he had no choice.
He ordered Hestel to do what she could.
“When the contest begins, just stay still. The spirits in the brush will do the drawing for you.”
“I will.”
Bowing her head in response to the Crown Prince’s words, Hestel looked at the Duke of Haron and Liarte in the distance.
‘I’m the one who will win.’
She had spent the night practising her imitation of the red painting with her brush.
The painter’s spirit in the brush painted through Hestel’s body.
Finally, this morning, she succeeded in producing a somewhat similar result, though not with the same intensity as the red painting.
If the nobles said they were not as inspired as they had been during the tournament, it was only because they were.
And so the contest began.
Hestel leaned back into her tools and watched the paintings being completed.
The others had not yet begun to paint.
At that moment, she heard a murmur of voices.
“What is it?
Hestel looked around, hoping it was admiration for her painting, but there was no one around her.
Instead, the nobles were gazing at a painting of the former Princess of Elheim.
They dared not go near it, afraid of the heir to Birce next to it.
Recalling the painting of the waves, Hestel shook her head.
‘They’re frightened by the harshness of the colours.’
Hestel walked over to it, unknowingly forgetting to erase the painting.
What Hestel was painting was a red landscape, similar to a red painting.
‘The sky?’
Princess Elheim, on the other hand, was painting a blue sky.
Oblique sunsets and unusual light
One can see the blue hues splashed here and there.
But it wasn’t her painting skills that people admired.
Anyone who saw the red painting would never forget its intense colour.
She could hear the nobles gossiping over her paintings.
‘This is ridiculous.’
Hestel stopped in her tracks due to shock. Her body trembled with fear.
It was the exact same colouring scheme as the painter of the red painting.
A property was primarily gifted to one’s immediate family, so Liarte didn’t expect to receive it.
“Although in my heart, I wanted to give her half of the Birce.”
Carmen rolled his red eyes like a fox.
“You wouldn’t have accepted it then, so we compromised and decided on these. They’re a much less burdensome gift than the Birce itself.”
It was a gracious addition that prevented Liarte from refusing.
“So take it.”
Liarte thought for a moment.
She had learned about awakening and powers by studying with Walter to some extent.
The estates Carmen had given her had lakes and rivers present.
It was a great gift for Liarte, a Water Awakener.
“Carmen”
Liarte knew what to say when she received a precious gift.
“Thank you.”
A smile as fine as spring tugged at the corners of Liarte’s mouth.
It was the best expression of pleasure she could muster.
Carmen stopped in his tracks at the unexpected response, and he smiled back.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“You thought of me, a Water Awakener, so I hope we can all go see the estate together later.”
Together.
Carmen looked around the room at Liarte’s words.
Aaron’s breathing echoed peacefully as he dozed in the sunlight.
She thought she would never see him like that again, tucking his big body into the couch and taking a nap.
Michael, on the other hand, was staring at Carmen with a clear-eyed frown.
It was a gaze that said, ‘Are you going to keep interrupting me?’
Even this was a sight he thought he would never see again.
With the reality of having to kill a maniacal father and a blind son, day after day, he couldn’t bring himself to kill them.
“Can you trust me?” (TL/N: Who wouldn’t sweetheart!!)
Carmen’s life turned upside down when Liarte showed up.
She was unskilled and clumsy but eager instead, and unlike Birce, who killed losers, she never gave up on a single person.
And in the end, she saved them all.
“It’s all because of you.”
Unable to understand Carmen’s words, Liarte questioned, “What?”
“It’s nothing, Lili.”
Carmen just laughed.
Until now, the Birce Members had been distant.
No matter how much they loved their family, every time they saw each other, they were reminded of the powers that were tied to their family name like a curse.
If they couldn’t handle it, they were the first to be consumed.
They only had one goal in life, to keep power from consuming them.
From the time they were born, they were trained not to reveal their powers to the world and had to live their lives hiding and guarding the secret of their abilities.
That was Birce.
They would eliminate, if necessary, anyone who disobeyed the rules, slipped through the cracks, or was consumed by their powers.
‘So I hope this child is the last to be involved in our family affairs.’
Carmen thought as she glanced at Liarte.
He couldn’t imagine Birce without her now. She was family, like his own child.
So as long as they could, Birce would protect her.
“Michael.”
Liarte leaned slightly toward Michael.
“Let’s go to the sea after the ceremony. I want you to be alone with me this time.”
“Uh… Thank you for asking. I remembered the first time we went to the ocean, we decided we wanted to go again.”
Michael smiled sweetly and kissed Liarte’s cheek.
Already, his son had half attained her. He was not going to lose her to someone else.
‘Maybe it’s better to be with Michael.’
Michael was the most powerful member of the family since the first patriarch.
It was dangerous, but it made him feel reassured that he would protect her.
He has no intention of keeping them apart.
They had no intention of tearing such an affectionate relationship apart.
Thinking, Carmen picked up the report on the Crown Prince’s entourage.
‘Hestel Leaven and that’s the end of the Duke of Haron’s side report.’
All he could find out about the Duke of Haron was that he had another life as the genius painter Jen Walker.
It was reported that he was being followed steadily for unknown reasons.
‘Enough of this.’
Carmen handed over the dossier on Hestel Leaven.
Suddenly, the painting was known to the world, and the Empress saw it.
It was reported that the figure was that of the Crown Prince, but something else caught Carmen’s attention.
‘An anonymous drawing competition winner?’
It was the one Liarte said she was entering.
She told them not to touch it because she would win the prize herself.
What a coincidence!
Carmen had forgotten, but then his senses caught up with her.
‘I was going to read it through anyway.’
Carmen looked at the drawing that Hestel had submitted.
Even to his highly discerning eyes, it looked like a wonderful painting, but there was something off about it.
‘It looks like a collaboration between several people.’
Carmen’s hand paused—the kind of pause that only someone who has seen and created forgeries knows.
He saw the painting painted in red.
He had never seen the finished product, but the way the colours were applied was familiar.
What’s more, it was the only person he knew who could produce such colours.
<The world>
In the list of Hestel Leavan’s paintings, there was a red one.
***
The drawing competition was approved.
For unknown reasons, Carmen Birce granted a quick approval after receiving the proposal.
This saved the Duke of Haron the trouble of having to go and convince him in person.
Hestel and the Crown Prince were busy discussing something.
Meanwhile, the Duke was gathering as many nobles as he could.
The Crown Prince and other members of the Elheim family, with whom Birce was not on good terms, were also invited to attend the painting competition.
The result was that most of the visitors to Birce were there to see the competition.
“Isn’t this Lady Hestel?”
“Greetings. I’m not good enough, but I’m entering the competition.”
Hestel greeted the nobleman who pretended to know her with a bashful smile.
“I’m looking forward to seeing your painting. What will you be painting?”
“Me?.”
Hestel smiled.
“I’m going to draw a picture similar to the red one.”
The Crown Prince couldn’t hide his displeasure until the two had finished talking.
After the nobleman left, the Crown Prince, who was standing around Hestel, whispered sharply.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“But I did succeed in luring the princess into a painting competition, Your Highness.”
“Do not forget that it is because of the princess that I am leaving you alone.”
The Crown Prince glared at Hestel and checked his magic necklace again.
By now, painting had become a frenzied hobby for most nobles in the capital, beyond the imperial palace.
Making a mistake here would damage not only Hestel’s reputation but also the reputation of Ninian, who held her close.
‘As it looks foolish.’
Hestel had decided to enter a public painting competition without asking his permission.
The Crown Prince was unable to make any accusations against the Duke of Haron.
Since Hestel was still lying about being the owner of the red painting, he couldn’t question her about why she had organised the competition.
‘At least we have gotten the princess out of it.’
He thought she was going to be stuck under Birce’s protection, but she was able to draw her into the painting competition.
After all, the Crown Prince had secretly killed one of the painters last night, using an ancient tool that temporarily traps the soul.
Any tool that left evidence of ancient power was naturally dangerous.
Moreover, in an empire with an Awakened family, ancient powers would be received with reluctance.
‘If it is said that the Crown Prince has tampered with ancient powers, it will be the end of me’
His body was too weak to use spells, so he had no choice.
He ordered Hestel to do what she could.
“When the contest begins, just stay still. The spirits in the brush will do the drawing for you.”
“I will.”
Bowing her head in response to the Crown Prince’s words, Hestel looked at the Duke of Haron and Liarte in the distance.
‘I’m the one who will win.’
She had spent the night practising her imitation of the red painting with her brush.
The painter’s spirit in the brush painted through Hestel’s body.
Finally, this morning, she succeeded in producing a somewhat similar result, though not with the same intensity as the red painting.
If the nobles said they were not as inspired as they had been during the tournament, it was only because they were.
And so the contest began.
Hestel leaned back into her tools and watched the paintings being completed.
The others had not yet begun to paint.
At that moment, she heard a murmur of voices.
“What is it?
Hestel looked around, hoping it was admiration for her painting, but there was no one around her.
Instead, the nobles were gazing at a painting of the former Princess of Elheim.
They dared not go near it, afraid of the heir to Birce next to it.
Recalling the painting of the waves, Hestel shook her head.
‘They’re frightened by the harshness of the colours.’
Hestel walked over to it, unknowingly forgetting to erase the painting.
What Hestel was painting was a red landscape, similar to a red painting.
‘The sky?’
Princess Elheim, on the other hand, was painting a blue sky.
Oblique sunsets and unusual light
One can see the blue hues splashed here and there.
But it wasn’t her painting skills that people admired.
Anyone who saw the red painting would never forget its intense colour.
She could hear the nobles gossiping over her paintings.
‘This is ridiculous.’
Hestel stopped in her tracks due to shock. Her body trembled with fear.
It was the exact same colouring scheme as the painter of the red painting.
