It was already afternoon. The salon exhibition was over and the central hall began to empty.
Tables and chairs were placed in the vacated spots, and an orchestra that appeared behind them began to play beautiful jazz music.
Before long, the hall was filled again, and the nobles gathered in groups of three or five to share their thoughts on the artworks.
Asar also joined the ranks and had a serious discussion about the potential of the art business.
And soon, he began to introduce the artists he would sponsor and directly explain their art world.
‘He’s really amazing. To be in that position and still running around doing sales……’
Diana stared at the scene like a scarecrow before turning her head to look for Phenice.
Phenice was in the middle of introducing Paisar to the nobles.
Her eyes, shining like stars, were full of joy.
Phenice, who kept bursting into laughter while pushing Paisar’s back, waved her hand as soon as her eyes met Diana’s.
It was a large and fussy gesture, unlike Phenice’s usual self.
Diana tried to approach with a smile, but Phenice was one step ahead.
She whispered something in Paisar’s ear and pointed her finger towards the balcony.
“Let’s meet over there.”
This was her chance. Diana gave a signal of affirmation with an awkward smile.
As she pushed through the crowd and opened the balcony door, a cool sea breeze slapped her cheeks.
‘It’s refreshing.’
Diana fully enjoyed the city of artists while waiting for Phenice.
‘It’s really beautiful, just as I heard. Living in a place like this seems like it would inspire you even if you didn’t have any before.’
Scattered footprints could be seen on the sandy beach in the distance.
Several couples were taking a walk on the beach, whispering love to each other.
They would carve their names on the sand, and repeatedly run away and approach in time with the waves.
Watching that scene naturally made her think of Raoul.
“Would you like the sea too?”
To Diana, the sea was a grave, but to someone it was a place to live, and to someone else it was an opportunity.
Soon you’ll get to know the sea too. She imagined Raoul boarding the ship.
No matter what scene she imagined, it wasn’t very pleasant as it was just like the original.
‘In the original, you would have liked it. The sea would have been a space full of memories with Ayla for you.’
Diana smiled bitterly as she went over the contents of the original work.
Raoul gets injured while fighting monsters and in the process of Ayla treating him, strange emotions are exchanged…… That was the content, probably.
Diana looked at the horizon with hazy eyes.
‘I won’t doubt your heart. I’ll believe in you. But I think I’ll still be jealous.’
Diana was as obsessed with Raoul as he was with her. She just couldn’t show it for fear that Raoul would leave like before.
‘If something like that happens, I might become obsessed again. I always have to be on guard so that doesn’t happen.’
It was when Diana was sinking into the endless darkness, fidgeting with her hand on the pillar.
“Lady Diana!”
A welcome voice rang out behind her.
Diana brushed off her thoughts as if nothing had happened and called out to Phenice in a welcoming voice.
“You were so busy that I didn’t even have a chance to greet you. The salon exhibition was wonderful. Congratulations, Lord of Hyperion.”
When she playfully added the title, Phenice scrunched her nose bridge and burst into a pleased laugh.
“Don’t call me that. We’re old friends. I think we’ll have a lot to talk about today, so why don’t you stay the night? We have plenty of rooms.”
Diana glanced through the curtains and nodded slightly.
“That would be good. Sir Asar seems to be drinking too. He’ll be tired.”
Phenice clenched both fists and let out an incomprehensible exclamation, Yahoo!
“I’ll consider sleep gone for today! I’ll ask everything I’m curious about without letting you rest a wink.”
Phenice leaned against the balcony railing and gulped down the wine boldly.
“Kaa, but since when? Without a word to me……”
It should be fine to tell the truth, right? Diana slowly turned the glass in her hand and replied.
“It’s been quite a while. About 2 years if you count the years……”
Phenice jumped up and down in surprise, forgetting all about her dignity.
“My goodness, you mean you’ve been monopolizing such a talent all this time?”
Monopolizing…… Yes, monopolizing. In the meantime, I laid the foundation for financial prosperity with Paisar’s works.
The reason I didn’t show them to the world sooner was because I needed as many works as possible that would be worth money. Diana touched the end of her eyebrow and made an awkward expression.
“If I had known you were looking for him, I would have introduced him to you long ago……”
“No, it’s fine. I’m grateful that you just took care of Paisar. Artists who don’t receive sponsorship are treated like black sheep in their families. In the end, they would have wasted their talents farming or in a blacksmith shop. The fact that you supported this person to keep painting…… I’m really grateful. Gratitude comes before jealousy. I forgot about that.”
Diana waved her hands in embarrassment with a smile.
“What gratitude. Anyone would have done the same with that level of genius. It’s fortunate that he’s finally getting his wings.”
Phenice said, glancing at Diana.
“So that’s why I’m saying, we’re thinking of supporting Paisar from our family from now on. The purpose of the art business that Taylor is running is also to discover new artists. It fits the purpose too.”
“That’s something to celebrate.”
“Would it be okay……? Even if Paisar accepts, Lady Diana is the original sponsor. You might feel like we’re snatching him away. We can think together about any compensation we can offer from our side.”
“Compensation is out of the question. If Paisar stays by my side, he won’t be as successful as receiving systematic support from the Hyperion family. I’m satisfied with just having collected the early works left by a genius painter. In a way, for those works to shine, Paisar needs to do well, so it’s advantageous for me too. It’s a bit materialistic, but…”
“Early works……?”
Phenice’s expression was completely different from before. She carefully set the wine glass down on the railing as if testing the waters and asked cautiously.
“Are you talking about the paintings displayed in today’s exhibition? Actually…… I was curious about the origin of the other works besides the exhibited pieces. You mean those are not Paisar’s property but Lady Diana’s personal collection?”
“Ah, yes…… Thankfully, before leaving the estate, he donated all the paintings he drew over the 2 years to me.”
“Oh my goodness…… How many pieces are there?”
“Hmm…… probably around thirty pieces.”
Phenice gripped Diana’s hand tightly with a serious expression.
Her grip strength was surprisingly strong, enough to make tears well up. Why can’t she control her strength today of all days?
Diana stared blankly into the murky eyes, then quickly turned her gaze and glanced at the emptied wine glass.
Could it be that she’s drunk?
As expected, it wasn’t long before Phenice began to stagger.
“Ha…… Lady Diana, don’t think about selling those works to anyone else. I’ll buy them. No matter how much it is, don’t worry about the money and just tell me.”
At a moment like this when she’s saying such important things! Diana supported the stumbling Phenice and replied.
“First, try to sober up a bit.”
“Tell me you’ll sell them to me. Okay?”
Faced with such passionate love, Diana was surprised by the obsession greater than her own and nodded like a frightened child.
“Ye…… yes. I got it, so get up slowly. Be careful.”
It was the first time seeing Phenice so disheveled.
She always seemed polite and upright, but now she was showing a gap. Before long, Diana handed over Phenice, who was snoring softly, to the guard knight and was guided to her room.
Asar had joined a group playing card games, so there was no reason to wait any longer. She wanted to return and rest soon.
With Helen’s help, Diana changed into her pajamas and sat at the dressing table to have her hair done.
After removing the fancy hair ornaments and finishing the elegant brushing, Diana looked very beautiful like in Paisar’s painting.
Helen opened her eyes wide and stared blankly at Diana. The dazed gaze continued until Diana took her hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, no, how should I say it. Seeing you after a long time, it seems like you’ve changed a lot.”
“Me?”
“Mm…… yes. How do I put it! You really look like a lady now!”
“Thank you. That’s a good thing, right?”
“Of course!”
Diana smiled shyly and gazed at the woman in the mirror.
She looked incomparably more lively than before the regression.
Her black hair that fell to her waist shimmered with every wave, and her slightly plump cheeks had a light pink complexion like a ripe peach, looking very soft.
She might not be called a typical beauty, but she looked plenty lovely.
Diana looked at herself, completely different from before the regression, and muttered inwardly.
‘Yes…… Let’s not worry about the original work. Above all, I’ve changed so much.’
Diana sent Helen to the quarters where the servants stayed and ended the long day.
It was when she lay down on the bed to sleep.
Knock, knock, knock.
An unknown knocking sound. It was clearly coming from the bedroom terrace.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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