46

"No."

Elena forced herself to smile. It was hard to calm her emotions and she couldn't stop crying, but she still smiled.

"Thank you. Thank you, Your Highness, so much for your words of congratulation…"

The relationship between parents and children in the East was called a natural thing. She was grateful that he was interested in Ian and said warm words even though he didn't even have a face-to-face meeting. Ian lived only in Elena's memory, but she hoped that this would make him smile faintly.

"You'll grow up well. Because you were blessed by His Highness. Be happy. Be more courageous than anyone else."

"…"

Elena smiled broadly and happily. It was a little late, no, it was very late. But she hoped that Sian's heartfelt words would reach Ian.

***

"Ha, really."

Leabrick laid out the painting that Elena had bought and looked dumbfounded. She thought she would be spending her time quietly in the academy, but she bet she would have an accident like this.

Art collection. It was a tremendous hobby for her subject. What did she know, she thought, that she would pay such a large sum of money to buy and collect such paintings? The letters she sent her, especially the ones in her own handwriting, was even more of a spectacle.

'What? These paintings will be worth a lot sooner or later, so trust me and pay for them?'

Looking at Elena's confident handwriting and sentences, it was encouraging. She had recently become addicted to works of art, and just looking at them seemed to make her happy and heal her, it said. She also said that she had been interacting with ladies who had a rich artistic eye, and had been acquiring knowledge through books. She even enclosed a loan certificate in which she asked her to pay for it.

The problem was the amount written on the loan certificate. The wealth of the Grand Duke was like a well that never runs dry, and they were more than capable of paying this amount. However, the woman – Leabrick was wary that such expenditures would be made once or twice. As long as Elena would continue to act as Princess Veronica's substitute, the influence of her signature could not be ignored.

Now, since she spent her time only in the enclosed space of the academy, there was no need for any control. However, after graduation, the story would change. It might not be easy to control her if she gets loose like a pony from the reins. She had to make a plan to restrain and control Elena in case that happened.

'But that's not all. The nobility of the empire is also subject to control. There are no exceptions, even for the emperor.'

It might seem like a crazy thing for someone to say, but she was confident. Leabrick, who had already assumed full authority on behalf of Grand Duke Friedrich, was secretly working on things concerning him.

"How's it going?"

The art appraisers, who were invited separately by Leabrick, stopped what they were doing and reported.

"They're all excellent paintings."

"Because they are still unknown artists, there is nothing to point out about styles, techniques, and expressions."

"Although we feel that it has been purchased at a somewhat high price, we believe that the price will rise above the purchase price in 5 years at the earliest and in 10 years at the latest."

"Really?"

Leabrick seemed surprised at the unexpectedly high value of the painting. Considering Elena's eye and level of experience, such reactions were natural.

"Yes, even though this is her first purchase, it is safe to say that Princess Veronica has a better artistic perspective than others."

"After all it's Her Highness the Princess. I can't believe she's this well educated for someone so young"

"Hoho, I can't wait to see what other works she buys next."

Leabrick struggled to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape for a moment. They say that even fools have a talent for rolling, but she couldn't have predicted that the painting that Elena had purchased would be favored by the connoisseurs. It was often said that the Goddess Gaia gives even the ugliest human beings a talent, and she thought this was the case now.

"Okay, I'll call you when she buys again."

After sending the art appraisers home, Leabrick instructed his maids to move all the paintings to the collection warehouse. A painting is like a wine, the more it ages, the more valuable it becomes. When the paintings came back to the world, its value would have doubled or even tripled.

"I don't mind watching."

She had a pretty good eye for art, and she was about to spend some more time looking at it. If she was truly talented, it would have a positive effect on Lady Veronica's reputation. On the other hand, if it just involved luck, then the art trade should be banned.

Determined, Leabrick took the key she kept in her sleeve and opened the locked desk drawer. The drawer was full of letters that had been sent by Elena to her on a regular basis when she had been under secret surveillance. Leabrick re-locked the drawer, keeping the letter that Elena had sent with it.

"Don't forget. You're in my palm."

Leabrick didn't take her eyes off Elena for a moment. From the first meeting until now. It would be the same in the future.

***

Elena periodically visited Raphael's studio. It was in the name of learning to paint, but in reality it was to give Raphael a little help. She was worried about being caught by Ren, but she couldn't have been hiding forever.

Step-by-step preparations for revenge could only be made now. In the meantime, it was fortunate that she found a way to the western annex. As the boulevard was placed in the central square, the roads that had been poorly used were almost abandoned.

Elena used the route from the library back to the South and then to the west. It was to avoid encountering Ren as much as possible as passing by the central square.

Fortunately, despite several trips, she never saw Ren. Although she went around carefully, the chances of encountering students have decreased significantly because there were no students using abandoned old roads. Elena, who entered the western annex, visited the studio with a light heart.

"Senior, I'm here."

Elena greeted pleasantly, but the studio was quiet. When she went inside in a curious mood, there was no one.

"Where'd he go? I don't think there are any classes at this time."

Although she turned her head in doubt, Elena wasn't too worried. She had nothing to rush right away.

"I'll have to boil tea and wait."

Elena took out the tea set from the basket. The teacup, white porcelain with roses and a golden rim, was Elena's most beloved and cherished item. As the leaves of black tea of good quality came in from the Grand Duchy today, she brought them with her in the hope of enjoying them with Raphael. Even so, she didn't forget to bring May to come out after talking about having tea time with the esteemed daughters, maybe Anne would doubt. By now, May would be looking at the welfare of future masters outside the Academy.

Elena was left on one side of the studio and lit a small brazier again. Then she placed a silver kettle that had been filled with water on it. As the firepower was weak, it seemed like it would take a long time to boil.

"I want to be of some help, but it's not easy."

Elena wanted to see Raphael, who overcame the slump, become a representative artist of the era. She would be delighted if she could be of any help to Raphael's growth.

"I really want my senior to be recruited after graduation."

Elena had a lot of things in store for the changing times. She planned to develop the art brokerage that Khalif had done in her previous life in more depth. The artists will be able to focus only on their work, and the brokers will strive only for sales and management. And create a space for culture to take the lead. That was Elena's big plan, and Raphael was such an important figure that he's the central axis.

Tak, tak, tak.

Elena, who was looking at the silver kettle when the water stopped, looked back at the footsteps.

"Senior, are you here?"

Elena's expression, which was greeting with a welcoming smile, quickly hardened. This is because Sian, not Raphael, stood there with his characteristic blank expression.

"I see you're here, Your Highness."

Elena was more than a little perplexed, but as usual, she did not show off and was polite.

"You must be here a lot."

"I'm learning to paint from Raphael."

"Painting?"

"Yes."

Elena felt uncomfortable with this conversation. Even when they were married, they rarely asked each other how they were doing and how their day was going. Elena took out a suggestion to end the awkwardness as soon as possible.

"Cecilia is not here."

"I'm not here to see Cecilia."

"What? Then why are you here…"

Elena slurred her words, as if she couldn't understand him for the life of her. If he hadn't come to see Cecilia, there was no reason for the noble Crown Prince to come directly to this dank basement painting room.

"I came to see you."

"Me?"

Elena reproached herself, looking back at him asking back like a fool.

'I don't know what I was expecting.'

She hated seeing this again in front of him. It was pathetic to think of the time when she attached meaning to everything he said in her past life. So Sian's interest was not sweet.

"May I ask you why you came to see me?"

Sian stared silently at Elena. His melancholy gaze did not show any emotion then or now.

"Reason. I came here to drink your tea today."

"… Tea?"

Sian's gaze passed over Elena and focused on the tea set. Elena was at a loss for words, not expecting such a response.