Chapter 10
“Kiddo.”
I gently patted the boy’s slumped shoulders as I spoke.
“It’s not that being a widower is bad—it’s just that the woman values background and status more highly, so she said those things.”
“I don’t need that kind of mother. I don’t like someone who’s more interested in the Duke than in me.”
“Alright. I’ll look for someone more carefully next time.”
“…Thank you, Auntie.”
A faint smile appeared on the boy’s gloomy face.
“Hey, kiddo, did you know?”
“What?”
“Baron Deli is also a widower.”
“Huh?”
“I only have my father too, remember?”
“That’s right! Auntie, you’re just like me.”
The faint smile blossomed into a full one.
“Do we have anything else in common, Auntie?”
“Nothing comes to mind right now.”
I thought for a moment. Then I suddenly remembered a little game I’d played in my past life.
“Instead, I’ll give you two options, and we’ll both shout out which one we like better at the same time. How about it?”
“I want to try! That sounds fun!”
The boy’s golden eyes sparkled brightly. It was only for a moment, but I couldn’t help thinking—what a lovely child.
“Alright then. Choose between cookies and cake. One, two, three!”
“Cake!”
“Cake.”
When we shouted the same word, the boy jumped up and clapped his hands in excitement.
“Want to do another one?”
“Yes! Again, Auntie, please!”
I learned a lot about what the boy liked that day. I had to squeeze every bit of creativity I had to keep the game going for an entire hour.
By the end, my head hurt and my body felt heavy. I collapsed into the seat across from the boy and leaned my head against the backrest.
“Auntie, about my assignment… can’t you help me with it?”
“The one where you have to spend five million Tiga?”
“Yes. No matter how much I think about it, the only thing that comes to mind is buying jewelry.”
It was certainly an unusual form of education—teaching how to spend before saving or earning. Then again, only a duke’s family could afford such lessons.
“But if I help, then you won’t really be solving the task yourself, right?”
“His Grace said that observation is also a kind of learning. So even if I just watch how you spend it, I think it’ll still help me with the assignment.”
“Hmm.”
If someone gave me five million Tiga and told me to spend it all in two days, what would I do first?
If I were to do something purely because I wanted to…
I quietly looked at the boy for a moment, then slowly stood up.
“Alright. I’ll help you.”
“Yay! Thank you!”
The boy jumped to his feet and hurried over to my side, naturally slipping his hand into mine.
“But where are we going?”
Trying to hide the excitement in my voice, I answered,
“To the Artenbach Art Museum.”
The sudden visit from the heir of the Duke of Artenbach caused quite a commotion inside the museum. The director came rushing out, bowing and insisting that he personally guide us, but Lublion waved him off, saying it wasn’t necessary.
Together, we stopped for a moment to admire the museum’s signature piece displayed at the entrance. The walls were filled with as many paintings as there were spotlights hanging from the ceiling, and the faint smell of plaster and paint soothed the mind.
“Auntie, look at this,” the boy whispered, tugging lightly at my skirt. He pointed to a painting depicting warships and fishing boats floating on a vast sea.
“So this is Muirten’s Life and Death.”
“Yes, I heard he’s one of the museum’s affiliated artists.”
Lublion stepped closer to the painting.
“It feels like I’m actually seeing it with my own eyes. Don’t you think?”
I stood beside him and looked at the artwork. Then I asked abruptly,
“Kiddo, why do you think the artist titled this piece Life and Death?”
“Uh… I’m not sure. Why do you think?”
I pointed alternately at the warship and the fishing boat.
“The warship was made for war, while the fishing boat was made for survival. A vessel created for death and one created for life—the contrast between them is what the title expresses.”
“Wow.”
“See? Once you understand that, doesn’t the painting look different?”
“Yes.”
The boy gazed deeply at the artwork, as if searching for other hidden meanings. I couldn’t help but smile and continue speaking.
“They say the more you know about art, the more you can truly see. Realistic imitation can be beautiful, but even a single dot or line can hold meaning—when it’s combined with the philosophy and spirit of its time, that’s what makes it beautiful.”
“Auntie, did you study aesthetics too?”
I walked toward the nearest spotlight and replied,
“A little. My mother taught me.”
“She sounds like an amazing person.”
“She was. She loved art deeply. Though, back then, I wasn’t that interested in it myself.”
A faint sadness rose within me. My mother, who loved all the beauty in the world.
[Look at this, Schmidt. I’ve captured all four seasons on a plain white canvas.]
[Wow, that’s amazing.]
[Right? I love all forms of art—it’s mysterious, beautiful, and always has a story to tell.]
That’s how Black Swan came to be. It was born from my mother’s dream—to support talented artists and help them make the world more beautiful.
“She passed away not long after I began learning. I couldn’t continue even though I wanted to.”
Sensing my melancholy, the boy gently tapped my hand.
“I’ll learn it and teach you someday.”
“To teach me, you’ll have to study really hard, you know?”
“I’m super smart.”
“Yeah, I can tell.”
Smiling, I ruffled his hair. His bright laughter eased the heaviness in my chest.
“Shall we keep looking around?”
“Yes!”
We toured the museum twice—first to see everything, then to focus on the artists we found most interesting.
During tea time in the director’s office, the boy finally spoke up with determination.
“I’d like to buy Muirten’s Life and Death.”
The director smiled in satisfaction and excused himself, saying he would make the arrangements.
“Thank you for waiting.”
After a short while, the director returned with a young man who smelled faintly of paint standing beside him.
“I’m sorry for the delay—I went to bring Muirten himself.”
The boy’s eyes widened in awe, not expecting to meet the artist in person.
“This young man is the Duke’s son, who’s been supporting your work. And beside him is the lady running Black Swan. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”
Muirten nodded, then bowed politely to both of us.
“Thank you very much for your patronage.”
The paint-stained fingers reminded me of my mother, who used to smile radiantly in front of her easel. His hands were so much like hers.
“I learned a lot from your painting, Life and Death. That’s why I wanted to support you.”
That was Lublion’s heartfelt comment.
“Thank you. I painted it from the last view I saw of the sea before leaving my hometown. A friend of mine was aboard that warship… I never saw him again.”
Muirten’s eyes looked hollow. The entire room fell silent in reverence.
“Well now,” the director clapped his hands softly. “The curator will bring the painting shortly. Perhaps you can continue your conversation while viewing it?”
His attempt to lighten the atmosphere worked.
It was decided that the painting would be delivered directly to the Artenbach estate. After leaving the museum, I started heading toward the Lube family shop with the boy, who said he was hungry—but I stopped in my tracks.
“That lady from before might be at Lube’s store today. Are you okay with that?”
“Yes. I’ll be fine since you’ll be with me. I can’t avoid her forever just because I’m scared.”
I was still worried that taking him there might only reopen his wounds.
Or maybe Anna had already gone after that woman to give her a piece of her mind.
“Then how about eating somewhere different today?”
“Somewhere different?”
“Yes. The weather’s nice, and the wind is calm.”
“Where are we going?”
The boy’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“There’s a scenic spot near the harbor. Let’s go there.”
His eyes grew even wider, and he spoke in an excited, trembling voice, barely holding back his enthusiasm.
“Let’s go right now, Auntie!”
After stopping by the office to grab a mat, we rode a rickshaw to the harbor. The boy couldn’t stop fidgeting with excitement the whole way.
Seeing how happy he was made me smile—but also a little sad.
“Here we are.”
The place I brought him to was a quiet hill overlooking the harbor. It was as high as the rooftops of nearby shops, so sitting under the large tree there gave us a clear view of the sea and the ships below.
We laid out the mat beneath the wide old tree and unpacked the sandwiches and cheese we’d bought near the office.
Eating while feeling the gentle sea breeze—it was heavenly. The boy kept murmuring that he was glad we came.
And honestly, so was I. Normally, he couldn’t even finish one sandwich, but today he finished it all and even asked for more, so I shared mine with him.
Seeing him eat so well made me feel truly happy.
“Auntie, this tree’s branches are huge!”
The boy looked around with enthusiasm, taking in every little detail as if he didn’t want to miss a thing. His joy was contagious.
We picked some wildflowers nearby and returned to the mat, where we clumsily tried to make a bouquet together.
“All done!”
The boy grinned widely, holding up a ragged bunch of flowers. The bent stems wobbled helplessly in the breeze.
“Good job.”
I placed the bouquet carefully in my bag. If I carried it in my hand, it would probably fall apart before we even got back.
“Should we start heading back before it gets dark?”
“Can’t we play just a little longer?”
I gently patted his head, smiling at his reluctance to leave.
“We’ll come again next time. So for today, let’s head back—”
“Huh? Your Grace!”
The boy, who had been listening closely, suddenly jumped up. When I turned around, I saw the Duke of Artenbach looking straight at us.
