Hmm. What exactly was Enfrise hiding?

“….”

Since Jaha was about to speak nonchalantly, that meant the medicine wasn’t something strange or dangerous. So, why did he stop him?

“….”

Wouldn’t he start talking soon? I was curious.

“Um…”

Oh, he was starting to speak!

“Are you finally going to tell me, Grand Duke?”

“Huh?”

Enfrise looked at me with a bewildered expression as if he didn’t understand what I was saying. I also gazed back at him, equally puzzled.

“You know, that thing? That one.”

…About the medicine, right?

Despite the fact that I gave him a hint by putting my hand to my mouth and mimicking drinking medicine, Enfrise’s face turned red as if he misunderstood something.

“I’m not sure what you’re asking me to say… It’s been a bit uncomfortable with you staring at me so intently.”

….No! That wasn’t it!

Was he pretending not to know, or did he genuinely not understand?

“Besides, I have already made arrangements with Sir Jaha.”

“Arrangements?”

“Sir Jaha is also well-versed in art. He can teach you how to draw.”

…So Enfrise wouldn’t be teaching me?

Wait, what was I thinking? It didn’t matter who taught me! I just wanted to learn to draw!

…Or so I thought.

“Can’t you do it… Grand Duke?”

“…Me?”

“Can’t you teach me, Grand Duke?”

I asked, thinking I had nothing to lose.

There was no particular meaning to it. It was just that Enfrise was the person I was most comfortable with, and I’d rather not interact with others if possible. Besides, what if Sir Jaha became too enamored with my beauty and tried to save me?

It was just that, no deeper meaning.

“Do you… like me?”

I startled and leaned back, but the rigid chair back stopped me from moving any further. His solemn golden eyes staring at my face was a bit overwhelming.

“Who said I like you?!”

“…Then, do you not like me?”

“Who said I didn’t like you?!”

What was I even saying—?!

Ugh, calm down. Recently, when I talked with Enfrise, I tended to become overly emotional. I needed to think rationally, not emotionally.

“It’s not about liking or disliking. You’re just the person I feel most comfortable with, Grand Duke.”

“I see. That’s flattering, but unfortunately, I have no knowledge in art.”

Ah, that was right. He said so before that he had no talent for art. Still, considering how he painted my nails, he seemed quite adept.

The thought makes me look at my nails. Despite trying to keep the nail polish intact and wrapping my hands with cloth when I washed them, the color has already chipped off a bit. It seemed like it wasn’t strong enough because it was glue.

What a pity. At best, Enfrise painted them for me.

“…No, that’s not it!”

It was a waste of gold! What did it matter that Enfrise painted them?

“The nail polish has chipped off quite a bit.”

“That’s right. How about yours, Grand Duke?”

That day, as he promised, Enfrise returned with apple juice, and I painted his nails with nail polish. Both of us had shaky hands, so the result was quite uneven.

Did he already remove it?

“…I tried my best to keep gloves on or otherwise protect it so the color wouldn’t chip…”

Enfrise showed his hand regretfully. The gold glitter on his nails looked almost the same as when I painted them. Even the part that had spilled over the edge of the nail was still there.

He could have removed that part…

“It looks almost untouched?”

“It has chipped a bit.”

“Where?”

“Here…”

Saying so, he brought his hand close to my eyes and pointed to a nearly invisible tip that was chipped. Was it really chipped? I couldn’t tell.

“Hmm. Never mind about the Grand Duke’s nails. I need to reapply mine. Or maybe I’ll just remove it.”

As I said that, Enfrise’s face turned slightly red. When did I say anything that could make him blush?

“Would you like to reapply it? If it’s too much trouble or if you’re busy, just take it all off.”

I said that, thinking about the possibility of damaging my nails.

After speaking, I realized…

Ah, take it all off… Kuhm.

“Of course, I meant to take off all the nail polish, not the clothes…”

“You don’t have to explain further.”

His face could have been mistaken for being red originally. Why was he blushing more than I was? Or was I also blushing that much?

Anyone would think a tomato party was in full swing.

“What color would you like next?”

What color…

When he asked that now, only one color came to mind.

“Red.”

* * *

“Wow.”

“It takes a while, but it’s an enjoyable task. Creating the color you want is always a pleasure.”

Jaha said he would teach me how to make paint.

In this world, painting apparently meant oil painting. The paint wasn’t sold in tubes; instead, artists bought colors in glass tubes or bought pigments and oil separately to make their own paint.

“It smells… much stranger than I thought.”

“Haha, right? But later on, you’ll find this smell comforting.”

Making paint was easier than I thought. You mix powdered pigment with linseed oil. The amount of oil needed varies with each pigment, and painters prefer different consistencies and textures, so it’s best to experiment and find your own perfect ratio.

The first color Jaha started making was white.

“White is usually used to adjust the lightness of colors. That’s why it’s the most used. It will also be the color you’ll make the most.”

“What is this pigment made from?”

“White usually uses lead white. In the past, they used lime or bone, but those don’t produce an opaque white when used as a pigment.”

“White wax…”

Wax… So, it must be talking about beeswax?

“Is it different from beeswax?”

“Hmm, yes, it’s different. Beeswax comes from beehives, but white wax is derived from lead.”

“Lead, as in the metal?”

“Yes. White lead can be made by fermenting lead with vinegar and animal manure in a jar.”

Animal manure… So, this was made from manure?!

Suddenly, I felt a bit…

Regardless of my internal outcry, Jaha mixes the paint with a painting knife. His movements were similar to a plasterer spreading mud or cement on a brick. After repeatedly scraping and folding the mixture several times, he took out something incredibly beautiful.

“Wow, what’s this?”

It looked like a small bottle, but it was not a bottle. It was made entirely of transparent glass. Was it all made from one piece of glass?

It was beautiful.

“This is called a glass muller. After mixing the paint to some extent with the painting knife, you then grind it with this muller.”

“Wow. Is this necessary?”

“If you don’t grind it with the muller, the paint will have a somewhat rough texture. If you prefer that, you don’t necessarily have to use it.”

What an intriguing world.

The texture and concentration of the paint changed depending on the ratio of pigment to oil, how much it was mixed with the painting knife, and how much it was ground with the muller. This meant I could also create the exact paint I wanted.

“Once you’ve made the paint with the texture you want, you can store it in a small glass bottle and use it. Still, be warned since it’s best used quickly.”

“Oh… why’s that?”

“It hardens.”

“Can’t you just add more oil to return it to its original state?”

“Once oil paint hardens, it can’t be reused, unfortunately.”

Hmm. I wasn’t sure, but I’ve heard that such pigments were quite expensive, considering the gold color used real gold. In a world where chemistry wasn’t very advanced, natural materials used in making these pigments must be costly.

‘Better use them sparingly.’

“But don’t make too little either. Especially white, which is used a lot. And it takes longer than you might think to harden, so you can make enough for a couple of paintings in advance.”

Ah, I wished I had known that earlier. It might be difficult to get the hang of it initially… but I’d learn as I go.

“What should we make next?”

“Hmm…”

Gold would be made of gold dust, right? I’ve heard that purple and red were so expensive that only kings wore them.

Then… how about blue?

“This one.”

“Blue. This one is…”

Jaha looked thoughtfully at the pigment, then smiled gently and turned to me.

“It’s a clean and vivid blue. Looks like an ultramarine.”

“Ultramarine? What is it made from?”

“It’s made from lapis lazuli.”

Lapis lazuli… Ah, I’ve heard of it. I’ve even seen it in games. In games, it was quite cheap…

“It’s a gemstone, right?”

“Yes. To produce four grams of ultramarine pigment, you need to use about a hundred grams of lapis lazuli.”

“Wow… only a little comes out.”

“Yes. Lapis lazuli itself is even more expensive than gold.”

…Huh?

“The amount in this bottle could support an average family for a year. It’s my first time seeing this much ultramarine pigment.”

…What? I bed your pardon?

Suddenly, the bottle felt very heavy in my hand. This tiny amount could support a family for a year…? This little thing?

“With this amount, it should produce about half as much paint as the white we made earlier. Making paint requires more pigment than you might expect.”

….

For a moment, my head spun. Despite that, I griped the bottle tightly, thinking I must not drop it, and tried to lean on the table next to me.

But due to my slipping hand…

“Ah.”

“Lady Rivette!”

Fortunately, since I fell toward Jaha, I didn’t drop the bottle, and it landed safely. If I had dropped it, I really would have cried.

A lot.

“Are you alright?!”

“Yes, I’m fine. The bottle is safe.”

“Not the bottle, but…!”

And, as always. While reading novels, I enjoyed these scenes, too. Whenever the female lead was with another man, and they ended up in a compromising position, it was almost a cliche for someone to walk in!

“…What are you two doing?”

…Why did Enfrise have to walk in right now?!

__