Chapter 44

"…An artist?"

That's right. The person Reina was pointing at was an artist, who absolutely looked like he wasn't in a life-or-death crisis.

"That's right, an artist. You know about it, right, Ethan? This place is called the 'Artist's Hill.'"

"…You said that someone's about to die."

Sweeping his bangs up, Ethan answered back in a monotonous voice. Then, now having more of a melancholy look on her face, Reina answered him.

"That's right."

"No one in this place looks like they're about to die soon."

"Oh my gosh? Can't you see, my love?"

With a forlorn gaze, she replied to Ethan weakly.

"That person is right here."

"Where?"

"It's me. I'm about to die, my love."

His face hardened again, but Reina continued, not seeing his reaction.

"I have this terrible disease that will bring me to my demise—if I don't see your face more than twice a week, Ethan."

You think that's a lie? No. It's the truth.

'Cause if I don't flirt with you and forget about it all, I'm really gonna have to be engaged to Lehman.'

So what she said just now was certainly not a lie. Just a bit exaggerated, s'all.

"I can't live without you."

She'd have to be dragged by the elders all the way to House Karr.

"..."

Perhaps she had been too serious about it, but Ethan closed his lips and said nothing as though he was genuinely rendered speechless.

But if something like that was enough to stop her, then she wasn't the one and only Reina Chantra.

"Ethan… I actually…"

Through her red lips, a weak voice that was tainted by tears soon flowed out.

"I have to leave soon… hiic."

At the sight of the innocent, tearful woman, Ethan stiffened.

"…What do you mean, leave?"

"Hiic."

Ah, ah— mic test. Right now, this was a tragedy that Juliet herself would cry about. A wondrous soap opera scene akin to how Shim Soon-ae¹ dramatically went down on her knees! To show such grief-stricken lamentation like no other…!

—So with that in mind, she acted with all her heart. She went on to recite lines that would make anyone who wasn't as shameless as her to physically cringe, and for anyone else watching to get second-hand embarrassment.

"I'm leaving for Cressen and I'll be away for about fourteen days. Fourteen days… I won't be able to see you for fourteen entire days, Ethan, and oh, I just know that I'll be like a wilting flower in the desert during that entire time, hiic."

"..."

"So, my love… For me, if possible, would it be alright for you to pose for a portrait?"

She looked up at Ethan with tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't know what she looked like to the viewer, but she looked up with wide, pitiful eyes like Puss in Boots.

"..."

For a moment, he just stared back at Reina with an unreadable gaze, but then he soon burst out laughing. At the same time, Reina let out a small sigh.

'Haa… it's over.'

Paul's excessive 'consideration' was blocking her from meeting Ethan for fourteen straight days. So, at this moment, she decided to leave a stronger impression.

To draw two portraits and exchange them!

Since she would also be away from Ethan's eyes, it would be good to leave a portrait of her own with him so that he'd still be able to see her face.

"No way, are you planning to throw away a painting that has someone's face on it?"

She found out that it's a common belief in the empire that a portrait contained a person's soul. So, no matter how cold-hearted Ethan was, he wouldn't possibly throw away someone's portrait willy nilly.

She's going under this assumption.

But it's just… She was a little nervous because it was her first time asking something so audaciously like this.

"Reina. People don't die easily."

With a lighter expression now, Ethan went in a completely odd direction as he replied to the woman, who was 'pretending' to be on the verge of dying.

"Humans can survive as long as they have enough food, water, and exposure to sunlight."

"..."

Did this kid major in the natural sciences? Why was he the kind of person who kept saying only factual things.

"When you said that if you won't see me, you'll die—there's an error in your statement, Reina."

Reina gaped at Ethan for a moment because of what he brought up, but she quickly schooled her features. FYI, Han Jae-hee was also a science major. So, she had that kind of high-level education, of course.

"Ethan, you seem to know everything in the world, but you don't seem to be too versed in this subject."

"..."

Ethan closed his mouth tightly, as though he ate a spoonful of honey. With that momentum, Reina threw back a question at him.

"My love. Look over there, at the woman passing by. Why do you think she's wearing a dress that could practically cost the same as an entire house?"

Following the strange question, he averted his eyes. He looked at the woman who was holding a white parasol in one hand while she was whispering into the ear of her lover.

"Even without that outfit, her body will continue living. But that's not what she wants to do. She'd prefer to try doing this and that throughout her life, and now she's wearing pretty clothes and pretty shoes."

This time, there was a bright smile on her lips as she looked around. Ethan followed her gaze and looked around as well.

Over there was a woman, and in her hands was a simple hat with a long ribbon as its adornment. She had the biggest of smiles, as if she had received the world's most valuable gemstone. And in front of her was a man whose shoulders were proudly pushed back as if he was very satisfied with the gift he gave her.

Then, there was an old woman who was holding a parasol with very detailed embroidery, even though it's almost time for the sun to descend past the horizon.

And, a middle-aged man who had epaulets on his shoulders, which kind of looked awkward on him. But nevertheless, he sauntered down the boulevard like a dignified army general.

Much the same, they all seemed happier than you think they'll be.

"Our minds are capable of making our bodies either sick or healthy."

As she continued to explain, there was a subtle hint of vulnerability on Ethan's features.

"In that sense, rather than judging everything rationally through the logic of causation, you can try thinking of it in a different way. Your mind and feelings have an effect on your body and on your life that is much more significant than you'd expect. It can make people laugh and cry, you know."

¹ Shim Soon-ae is the female lead in the popular Korean novel titled, 'Lee Su-il and Shim Soon-ae', which was published serially in Maeil Shinbo (a newspaper) from 1913 to 1915. It depicts the story of a love triangle between Shim Soon-ae (the FL who's in between the two MLs), Lee Soo-il (ML#1, a poor high school student), and Kim Joong-bae (ML#2, the son of the richest man in the area—basically a chaebol heir).

FL dumped ML#1 because she chose money, which ML#2 can provide for her. After that, ML#1 went on to become a cold-blooded loan shark who's hell-bent on making money.

Lol this isn't all that important to BLR, but I added this little tidbit here because I found the story fascinating. Sounds kinda familiar in the realm of rofan novels right? *wink wink, nudge nudge*