Miss Appraiser And Satan's Gallery

Chapter Two Season 2: Midnight Clandestine Meeting

After dinner the servants prepared Riz's bed and left the room.

It was about nine o'clock in the evening. It was slower than the time he usually slept.

Vaporized out but his mind was clear. Riz rolled over on his bed and lay face down.

The social season is about to begin. For the majority of the nobles who were busy playing love, it was a time to win or lose; however, it had nothing to do with Riz who would get dizzy with just one dance.

He was looking for a solution here and there to save John when a small sound echoed.

Riz fixed the front of her dress and got off her bed, putting her feet on the indoor slippers. He wondered if the windows were making noise due to the wind, but today the weather was nice and the night was warm. Did the bat stop at the window frame? Or is a squirrel lost?

After some thought, he lit the chandelier and approached the double window. He opened the curtains and windows as hard as he could, but there were no squirrels or bats. There is no wind either.

At the moment when he tilted his head in confusion, thinking it was his imagination, his candlestick fire suddenly extinguished.

His surprise was so great that he dropped the candlestick.

Riz crouched down and took the candlestick.

At that moment, something touched his cheek without warning. The faint moonlight shining from the window revealed his identity. It's a black feather.

Riz picked it up and turned it around with his finger. A crow may have entered the mansion.

Right after he was sure his back suddenly hurt. The moonlight was suddenly blocked and a dense shadow, darker than night, fell on it.

Riz raised his head in a stiff motion.

“-“

“How sloppy, Mistress. If I were a thief, what would you do? "

A man entered the room, slightly restrained, from the window. For a moment, he felt there were huge black wings on his back, but could it be an illusion?

The candlestick that was supposed to be extinguished suddenly lit up with fire this time around. He could clearly see the figure of the man descending with both feet onto the floor of the room. Riz regained consciousness and straightened his back.

“Are you... John?”

No matter how he looked at her, it was the demon guard Riz, John.

“Do you think any demon other than me will infiltrate your room?”

“I don't think so, but you're really John?”

"Miss, you're pretty incredulous."

He carried the candlestick close to his face and looked around. He can't believe it. Even Riz believes in thinking too much about it and may appear hallucinations.

He seems to find the fire candlestick too bright. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she gently grabbed Riz's wrist and kept the candlestick away from her own face.

“Without me, you really look like you will easily die.”

“... Huh?”

“What time do you think it is? Why don't you sleep?"

John's vision became sharp.

"Of course, you sure will eat and take your medicine, right?"

Riz subconsciously shifted his gaze. He left about half of his food. The cure ... shit, he forgot to drink it and put it on a small table.

"I also remind you extensively."

“Man grows by repeating errors.”

“Do not preach human way of life to the devil.”

He felt the signs of college and quickly searched for another topic.

“Wait, John, you should be arrested. Did you run away? Moreover, how did you come to this room? It's not on the first floor. ”

"I flew here from the church."

“I don't know where to start commenting.”

“What to comment on?”

He was met with a serious face.

“You said you flew but... if that's what happened to you, it's different from the metaphor that you rushed here as if you were flying because you were worried about me, right?”

"I don't understand the meaning of the line drawn with 'when it comes to you', but actually I flew across the sky."

He had seen many religious paintings that attracted black-winged demons. What's similar to that?

Riz involuntarily stared at the fur he was still holding in one hand. Is this John's feather and not a crow's feather?

He reached out and pulled the feather from Riz's fingers.

“What surprised you? I am a demon, so I have one or two wings. "

You got two wings?

To be exact, I have four.

“Four wings? Like butterflies? "

"Something like that. Maybe."

It seemed like he was annoyed as he answered and gave a noncommittal response.

That was what she thought, but then her chin gently lifted with the tip of the feather.

“Do not switch the conversation. You didn't take your medicine, did you? ”

I'll drink it later.

“This is why my lady..”.

John throws the feather away and suddenly hugs Riz's back and under his knees and lifts it up. Riz was shocked and he was already stuck to his neck. Candles are almost inevitable to drop.

He walked quickly and laid Riz on the bed. He also sat on the edge and took a candlestick from her to place on a small table beside the bed.

Since the medicine had been left there, John's eyes became stiff in an instant but he did not lecture him.

In the heart Riz felt relieved and changed his posture to be slanted.

“Seeing you like this, you are a beautiful person.”

John says this, sounds appreciative, and stares at Riz.

“Like a sleeping goddess appearing in religious paintings. No, maybe I was wrong, it was the Maiden of Stars. "

He tried to sit down but was stopped by his gaze. Riz felt awkward and wriggling.

John kept watching him like a painter looking at a model, no, it was a hotter look.

“I know you flew in the sky, but how did you get out of that Ara Tree Room?”

When he asked, he blinked as if he had woken up from a dream. Then his eyes returned to his usual cold gaze, like a winter day shrouded in silence.

"I placed the replacement statue on the chair and exited normally from the church entrance."

He replied nonchalantly and took the tip of Riz's hair that spilled from his shoulder and spread onto the bed.

“Tell more details.”

“Greco doesn't seriously want to lock me up. For now."

He quietly encouraged her to continue.

“First of all, the beginning of it all is the 'death' of your previous fiance, Sir Emil.”

“I also heard about it from Father Greco, although only a little. Do you have an explanation, John? ”

The general outline.

John takes his hand off Riz's hair and piles a pillow next to the head of the bed before he sits down again like he is leaning on them. He subconsciously thought of how this was the distance of the married couple before hurriedly drowning him.

He threw out the next question before he felt the disturbance.

“Pastor Greco took you away while you were waiting at the train stop after mom and I went to church, right?”

"Yes. I thought it would take about an hour and so I intended to go to the tea house until you guys got back to the carriage. That's where Greco showed up. He told me that there was a personal matter and he asked me to follow him. ”

“Are you previously close to Father Greco?”

"No, not at all."

After he gave a straight answer, he crossed his arms as if reconsidering.

“To put it simply, Greco was one of my previous teachers. In particular, he had a talent for painting and was liked by Petron. There are many opportunities for us to meet often. "

That man knows your true identity.

“Instead, it looks. To be honest, the man didn't think too much about my whereabouts. Usually, although superficial, he had an unexpectedly sensitive side. He wanted to try and keep me away from Petron, but it was Petron who wanted to make a contract with me. "

“... May I ask the reason why Father Petron would like to make a contract with you?”

He raised an eyebrow as he asked hesitantly.

“Do you not know? The majority of cardinals are bound by a contract with the devil. So, it's not like Petron himself fell specifically. "

"wait. My ears rejected the shock of this unexpected fact. "

His headache, which finally subsided, seemed to return.

“Didn't you personally make a contract with me?”

“My case is rather unique. Why would even a priest want to make a contract with a demon? "

“I'm sure you'll understand if you consider it for a while. It's to protect themselves. "

“They make demons keep them?”

Riz. What kind of reason is that?

“This is not a strange story. The church people are specifically targeted by Satan. Causing the saint to fall inward and in itself strengthening the power of their evil. "

“Fight the demons with demonic powers. That kind of thing? ”

"Yes. People hate to stain their own hands. "

Moreover, John continued with a serious expression.

“Satan appears even in the Bible. In other words, the Bible acknowledges the existence of demons. That was the reason the satanic symbol was placed in the church and the justification for the priest to use the devil. "

It sounds nothing but misleading, but it seems the cardinals completely ignored the controversy.

“Does the conversation deviate? —However, while Greco does not have a good feeling for me, he does his duty to his teacher, Petron. For some pastors, the contract with the devil is an open secret; however, as you might expect, it would be terrible if all pastors and believers knew it. If the truth is revealed, then all of Petron's achievements will be questioned. That is why, as long as it is not something outrageous, Greco will tolerate my existence. ”

“But you were detained today.”

“Looks like I was fooled.”

"It's not like you follow others obediently ... Were you threatened with something by Father Greco?"

They looked at each other for a few seconds. John looked away, embarrassed.

“John. Tell me."

“She said there was a significant problem with the art gallery issue. If it's about the gallery then it's related to me, isn't it? "

Riz looked at his profile. Although he must have felt her eyes, he did not look at her.

"Are you worried about me and the art gallery?"

"More or less."

He nodded in a tone that sounded as if it was frustrating to admit it.

"The lady is my master."

He is a very loyal devil. That's funny and kind of amused. She wanted to thank him, but he also felt somewhat embarrassed.

Riz got up and reached out to John's tired face.

He took off his glasses and, when he gently moved his fingers over his eyelids, he moved as if puzzled. The reaction is like a cat that is not used to humans.

After he smiled at her expression, he looked back at his own actions and was shocked. How shameless to have touched the face of a man who was not her husband.

Riz deliberately looked into his eyes to cover up his actions.

I am your master, so I need to pamper you from time to time.

Oh?

John stared at Riz. Or, that was what he was thinking, but he suddenly grabbed his wrist and pressed his hand against his cheek like he was telling him to caress him even more.

If he is a cute boy then he can touch him as much as he wants, but John is a demon — besides, a quiet young man who has nothing to do with being sweet. She could not resolutely caress him around just because he asked for it.

“Touching action means.”

He put a smile on his lips while continuing to stick his cheek into Riz's hand.

“Even in the sacrament, a saint will lay his hands on the head of their apostle, right? The laying on of hands is said to be prayer, joy, and healing. ”

“Is it also a joy and healing for the devil?”

He quietly let go of Riz's hand.

"For the devil .. human body temperature is too hot."

Riz looked at his own hand and opened and closed it. Realizing that these actions were being watched, she strangely became embarrassed.

“So — as a result of following Father Greco, you were locked up under the charge of killing Father Petron?”

"Yes. I don't think I'm going to sit in that saint's chair. "

“Is there a problem with your body?”

"No."

Since he answered so briefly, perhaps he thought it was difficult to understand, so he immediately added it.

“The chair of the saint is equivalent to a tool of torture on the devil. This is a troublesome product where you will be bound just by sitting in it, but it is not like you will be destroyed. "

“How did you get out of that chair? Did Father Greco release you? ”

“That's the conclusion. However, even without borrowing the man's strength, I would be able to escape on my own. When night falls, my strength becomes more. "

It was fainting, but it seemed like he was pouting. His voice was heavy with power.

“I wonder why Father Greco let you escape?”

"That's because he wants you and I to find the demon that killed Petron."

John's expression stiffened.

“Most cardinals know the fact that I am the devil. Because of this, I was a bit much suspected soon after Petron's death, but I told them that I wasn't the culprit. "

"They believe you?"

“It was a demon oath. So, the charges on me were completely removed. In addition, in order to protect Petron's honor, the adoption relationship was not annulled and I ended up inheriting some assets. ”

"Activa?"

“Land and big house. The rest is a kind of art. Petron is not interested in money. "

Oh.

The management of the art gallery was entrusted to John, but it was not like he was serving in the Riz mansion.

It seemed like he usually stayed in the mansion given to him.

“The cardinals, and those who are equal to Greco, have a policy of tolerating me as long as I do not harm humans. But…"

John furrowed his brows and gently poked Riz's forehead with a finger. It didn't hurt but it made him pout. He then gently stroked the area, perhaps as an apology.

"'The sudden death' of your ex-fiance seems to have caught the attention of some priests."

"some? The one who doesn't know about the cardinals who are connected to demons? ”

"Yes. Those men considered Sir Emil's death a starting point and looked into my women's art gallery. "

"... Then they saw that you, the former Petron murder suspect, were in my art gallery."

"Exactly. Those who were vaguely aware of my true identity seemed to be among them as well. There were also people who had a strong sense of disdain to bind themselves to the demons, even knowing the circumstances. In particular, this thought was concentrated from the First Church to the Fourth Church. "

"The priests have such a faction, so."

"Yes." Yeah."

He sighed along with his words. It seems like he was found by a troublesome person.

“Pastor Greco has to pretend you're under arrest to convince those people now, right?”

“Greco must have thought inwardly that it was an unnecessary action against their actions. But, on the contrary, this time the voiceless pastors wanted to purge the demons from the church on this occasion. "

The whole picture can be seen.

The cardinals and Greco wanted to maintain the status quo, but a group of self-minded priests tried to unearth the truth about Petron's death. To ease this uproar, it is worth proving that the real culprit of Petron —'s death was not his adopted son, “John”, but someone else.

“But, John, even if you manage to catch the demon that killed Father Petron, isn't the conclusion the way those priests want it?”

“Do you mean there are people who will advocate — in the end, it does not change that the devil killed Petron, and in order for this tragic event not to happen again we have to eradicate all demons thoroughly? Maybe so, but Greco and the others will state otherwise. That the devil is left unchecked and this calamity cannot be prevented. In this case, evil must be changed with the power of perseverance and a virtuous mind while being monitored in the church… "

"To advocate that you can't be a criminal."

He's nodding.

“Greco may just want to protect Petron's honor, but the true intentions of the cardinals must be different. Maybe something like how they don't want to release their contracted demons is useful, even if there is a risk. "

It seemed like they were pawns used for the convenience of the priestly position.

“Before I sneaked out of the church, Greco deliberately told me about some areas where suspicious events occurred.”

“Did he tell us to search there?”

It was hard to think that he found this for them because of his kindness.

"Yes. If we are lucky and the devil is found then my safety can also be guaranteed. However, if this investigation fails, then I must prepare for the inevitable execution. "

"To protect the honor of the entire church, they planned to throw Father Petron out as a last resort, yes."

“Looks like he could delay until Christmas next month. During this time, he said he would put pressure on the other priests. "

“Where is the unusual area you heard from Father Greco?”

“About that, can you come to the art gallery tomorrow?”

“Of course I can go, but is there something there? '

“Satan who killed Petron moved his house from one to another. Apparently, it seems to be wandering between studios and art galleries. Greco sent a rough sketch from the studio that he thought was very suspicious. I was entrusted with it and they were kept in my women's art gallery. "

John's voice sounded ironic.

From this talk it seemed like Greco had been searching for that demon for a long time. If he didn't think like that, then things wouldn't add up. Just a casual look at the art studios in the royal capital would take several months. So why didn't he tell John this important information early?

Was it really to protect Petron's honor rather than to protect John?

He might also be thinking about wanting John to continue acting as human as much as possible and live quietly. However, due to the clamor of the priests, it was necessary to make urgent precautions and therefore he ended up reluctantly providing the information he wanted to cover up if possible. Maybe it's like this.

"… Good. If I look at the painting, we might get some kind of clue. "

"The most liked. If we find a distorted painting where the devil is hiding, then the painting itself will be sealed and we can hand it over to Greco. ”

“John, I will definitely find that demon.”

Somewhat obnoxious led by Greco and the others, but it was to protect John. He also had no intention of letting the art gallery run without a fight.

“No, I want you to check the rough sketch, but can you leave the rest to me?”

I can help too.

Even if his health was poor, he would not be a burden. In the human world, his own status was useful. John should know that, too.

"I don't want to lose you."

Right now, life without him was unthinkable.

—John would be fine even in life without him.

"If you're not by my side then I won't be happy."

He knows he takes care of her because of their contractual relationship. But, even so, he had no doubt that he had a loyal side.

If such a person is in trouble, then he must also fulfill his obligations and help.

—Is it just because of their contractual relationship? Really true?

The desire to help him, was that thought just an obligation?

Riz was puzzled to hear the voice of doubt in his own heart. On the other hand, John looked at her with a confused face. But then he suddenly showed a cold expression.

"On your side? Until you find the 'good guy'? ”

“I never dreamed that a mother and her daughter would come to church to find a man.”

"How are you…"

Did Greco secretly tell him?

“Do you want to get married that much? Don't you care who it is as long as he's a good person? "

"I'd rather be a good man than a bad man."

Justjust wonderful. The air gets cold.

"If you had a husband, you'd love them more than me."

"What did you say? Although there's a replacement for your husband, there's no substitute for you, John. ”

“For you, what is the priority level of a husband?”

If we talk about stairs, then five rungs.

"… And me?"

"Chair floor."

"Too low."

“But my room is on the second floor.”

“……”

John had a strange expression on his face as if he did not know how to respond to that.

A brief silence passed. Right now, Riz realized that he was saying something stupid.

“... John, I'll sleep now.”

High voice.

He had never had a shameful experience other than when he obtained a precious painting.

“True, you have to sleep.”

For some reason he also spoke as if in a hurry.

Riz pulled the pillow towards him and lay down like he was burying his face there. John put a blanket over his body. Is he going out? He doesn't mind her staying until morning.

“So far, I am constrained in the church even now and so I don't want to be seen by too many people. Madam, can you come to the art gallery alone tomorrow? ”

"I can."

“Come after you have breakfast properly. Is nine o'clock acceptable? ”

"Good."

"Then I'll wait for you."

Suddenly, he felt his head caressed. Moreover, even though she did not think this might happen, she also felt a light kiss fall on her.

The opening and closing of the window is heard. Riz hurriedly raised his head, but John's form was no more. For some reason, it felt like he had been abandoned.

Riz looked around. A black feather fell on the bed.

The moment he picked it up, it disappeared gently like passing snow.

 

The next day was a cloudy and oppressive day.

Riz uses their home's exclusive two-wheeled train and heads to the art gallery at the appointed time.

The horror that appeared when he first saw this place was completely gone. Now it has a magnificent appearance.

The entrance was locked, but John had already come and waited for Riz.

Looks like he spent the night here and there's a new painting on the horses. This time...what is it? Some kind of ghost painting? There was a white, sinuous object being pulled.

On the workbench in the living-room-warehouse were dishes with bacon and half-eaten bread, cheese, fruit wine, and more. There is a shirt that looks replaced by casually placed in a recliner.

When Riz saw that, he picked up his shirt and moved it to the bench. Then, as if along the way, he covered the image of the horses with cloth. After which, he encouraged her to sit on the recliner with a movement.

He couldn't feel the strange atmosphere last night in John's attitude. For some reason, when feeling relieved, there was also a feeling of regret.

“Your health doesn't seem bad.”

John smiled after he looked at Riz for a bit as soon as he sat down in the recliner.

"I'm doing fine. My health has been fine lately. ”

He tried to say it was thanks to him, but faltered. It seemed like the foreign medicine he had prepared was right for him. It was not unusual for him to say that to her, but for some reason it got stuck in her throat.

"That's great."

John responded briefly and then approached the workbench, taking five pictures next to a bread plate. He returned to the recliner that was holding them back.

This is a rough sketch entrusted to me from Greco, and this sacred painting has some connection with some oddities.

“Only five? The number is very small. "

“I also think the same, but I hear there are actually more studios where suspicious events happen. However, the studio and art studio that has the five sacred paintings turned out to have similar abnormalities. Moreover, everything was either within the royal capital or was managed by the churches in the surrounding area. "

Riz received the five proffered pictures and looked at them closely.

Three are watercolors and the last two are drawn with charcoal. Its width is around the length of the fingertips to its elbows.

John sat beside her. He crossed his legs and saw what was in Riz's hands.

Being in a position where they suddenly clung to each other almost made his hand holding the pictures shake. Riz tensed his shoulders and acted as if it was nothing. His eyes concentrated on his hands until it became unnatural.

What do you think of this rough sketch?

“……”

“Have you fallen asleep, Mistress?”

"I'm not sleeping."

He replied with a stiff tone. Just wrong who made him act out of character and feel nervous? But he feels he will lose if he says that and Riz chooses silence.

However, John read too much about his attitude and seemed to misunderstand.

"Mrs, could it be that you are afraid?"

"From what?"

At that very instant, he could not understand the meaning of the question.

“There are some pauses to give in your eyes, but you, broadly speaking, are a young woman of age. Looking for the demon that killed Petron must be a scary topic, right? If you make one mistake, you yourself may get killed. "

"I? I didn't think about it. "

"Think about that."

A look of annoyance was given to him, but it was true that until it was pointed out, he did not think about it at all.

“But you're here, John, so what do I need to be aware of?”

Eyes rolling. To him, just seeing him surprised made him shocked.

“If you say the demon is much stronger than you, then I will hire an exorcist in the city and destroy it with all my strength. But that's not the case, is it? Since you have chased him all the way here alone, it means that you must be stronger. ”

“... Yes, most likely.”

“Then there is no reason for me to fear that demon.”

“I'm also a devil. Have you ever thought that when a crisis approaches you might be betrayed or abandoned? ”

When Riz replied that he was not thinking about that, he showed an expression like he was looking at something strange, and crossed his legs.

"What's with your direct trust in me?"

“If you want to betray me, let me know in advance. I will prepare myself. "

"That's not the problem."

“John, if we talk realistically, killing me would be very simple and you wouldn't have to bother committing treason. If you stop my medicine for a few days and then make me run around like that then Death will visit in a friendly manner. "

He has a face that says he doesn't like it.

Riz secretly thought that he seemed to enjoy taking care of her. Doesn't he seem enthusiastic about bad hobbies like taking the time and energy to make something die easy alive? It was the thrill of saving a rare painting. Once his interest faded then it might be the beginning of his demise.

"Draud. Why should I give your soul to Death? If the demons were not greedy then they also lost their charm. I've taken you all. "

“By taken, you mean it's a done deal?”

“What are you saying right now? It has been decided at our contract stage. "

Oh.

“Ya, 'oh'.”

Riz laughed without thinking.

“There's more. It's also my right to kick your husband out of your room, huh? ”

"Excreate?"

“They will get in the way.”

"And what if I say no?"

“It was the devil's original way of rejoicing in doing things that displeased people, wasn't it?”

A faint joy filled his chest.

This is not a legitimate conversation. It was a disgusting conversation. The god of this land will probably never forgive Riz for always changing from fond to sad to hear the words of the devil. He would definitely fall to hell, but hell itself was where John's world was.

—If so, it will be fine.

“So, we just need to check these five paintings, right?”

When he returned his gaze to the rough sketch, John's arm wrapped around his shoulder. The close distance from the start became closer and Riz almost crushed the picture.

“Read distortion with Your Sacred Eyes. Is there a picture that feels weird? I'll prioritize the investigation of the art gallery with the images you choose. "

"understand."

Hearing John's voice in his ears made him comfortable until he wanted to swing his arms and legs without any intention. Although he thought it was a cooler sound with no inflection, there was a gentleness hidden in the core. That was why it slowly seeped into his body and his echo lasted forever. Somehow, it seems like a bad idea to feel this way. He couldn't explain it well, but it was very bad.

“The first picture is of a farmer using a hoe. The second picture is of a lion meeting a deer. The third is a picture of a flock of geese flying over a hill road. ”.

In fact he did not know if he was concentrating on John's voice or concentrating on the images.

The fourth image is of a preacher standing under an olive branch. The last— is a picture of an innkeeper chasing an adulterer and his wife fixing her disheveled clothes. ”

The first thing he noticed was the image of the preacher. Olives are a well-known plant in the Bible and, as a symbol of peace, are often depicted in religious paintings. There is also a goddess symbol.

“By the way, what suspicious events happened in the gallery and art studio?”

Riz asked this while comparing each image and looking for anything that stood out.

Belief in religious painting.

He lifted his eyes at John's short answer. But then hurriedly returned it to the picture. Shut down. Their distance is very close. It was to the point where he could clearly sense his body temperature. Doesn't that mean he's aware of it? She has masculine, yet gentle cheeks and a smart mouth that is tightly clenched. He wanted to look there again.

Riz brushed off the temptation and desperately looked at the pictures.

Is it possible to paint the cries of the Virgin Mary, the stigmata that appear on the saints, and other such types?

Generally those things.

“It's usually a fake that is artificially created, right? Such as using the properties of pigments that will melt due to heat, or two layers of images. ”.

Miracles can be easily generated as long as one has the techniques and knowledge.

He wanted to say it was okay if the ability was used for good, but that was not the case.

People's minds become as distinct and deft as a polished knife just when they do bad things. It was a crime that was always in crisis and fought to the death. The tenderness born of goodness often dulls the mind and heart.

“As the Madam has said, the majority of them are fakes designed to improve the reputation of studios and churches there.”

“Is it impossible to judge whether the work of these five rough sketches is artificial?”

It was confirmed by John with a slight tightening of the hand that was around Riz's shoulder.

What's wrong with this demon? He tried hard to forget their distance that was too close, yet he was piqued at all times. He only had to say one sentence that he wanted her to leave, but he did not want those words to come out of his mouth. As he held back his sigh, his eyes were drawn to a certain image.

It was a painting depicting a herd of swans flying over a hill road.

“Hey, John, don't you think all geese look in the same direction?”

The sharpness of John's eyes behind his glasses increased.

Their eyes look down.

“It looks like they're looking into the hill.”

There was a flower-seller girl walking on the hill.

"They're looking at the flower girl ...?"

Riz stared at the flower girl's face for a moment with John. That's the red-haired girl. The flowers in her basket were all red roses. There's a field on the hill.

“... Let's go to the studio where the artist who drew this painting is.”

Doubt was born over John's words. He could not say for sure that this image was really suspicious.

"If you try to force a meaning, can't the same thing be said about all these images?"

“However, this rough sketch is what bothers you the most, isn't it? I believe in my female instincts. "

"Thank you?"

He said something that made him happy. It seemed that the enjoyment in his voice could be heard, as the corners of John's eyes softened.

Your knowledge is still superficial, but your eyes are real.

It was a rather rude statement, but it was also an honest evaluation. Riz looked back at the rough sketch.

Where is the artist who worked on this painting?

When he asked, John reached out and flipped over the swan image. There's a scribble there.

“They are in Kiwee district outside the city. There is a painting studio under St.'s Church. Walham of the Third Church. 'JL' This is the name of the artist. "

“Kiwee District? My mom's friend should have a vacation home there. I'm gonna try to get my mom's help to get us closer to the studio. ”

“Ah, is it time for a bribe to appear?”

“John, at least call it a deal or a transaction.”

"I'm sure the result is the same."

"It's a matter of the process."

"Although the process is different, the aroma and weight of money do not change."

Being told those words with clear and intelligent eyes was something that pierced his chest quite well.

"I understand. You said appearances had to be taken care of, right? "

The devil is too free.

“Because you are a bad speaker, I will raise this topic with Mrs.”

"!?"

Riz suffered a pretty heavy blow. Even from someone he sympathizes with as an unskilled and destructive speaker has the same thoughts about him. He wanted to believe that he was a little better.

“That's too protective, isn't it? If we don't make any special excuses, I'm sure he won't let you go out of town. "

"That's right."

What can they say to get an exit permit?

“Therefore, please trust me with this. I will persuade him well. "

She stroked Riz's shoulder as if to calm him down.

Riz wants to groan. He was at a loss as to whether to hand it over to John or not, but the bigger problem was his state of having to face each other. Right now, wasn't he in a position that was actually leaning against his chest?

To distract him, he stabbed a pocket watch hanging from his vest, but he lightly scolded with "Come now".

“It's different from regular watches. If someone other than me opens the lid then they will have to pay the consequences ... If you want a watch then I will choose a watch that is used for women in the future. "

No, he's not interfering with the watch.

“……”

"Mrs, why are you suddenly furrowing your brows?"

“John, I think it's finally for me.”

The end of what?

“My heart is pounding.”

Riz pressed his chest with one hand and John showed a stiff expression.

“Is breathing difficult?”

"Very."

"In what way?"

It was a terrifying tone as if he was interrogating her.

He hesitated whether he should be honest, but he ended up losing his sharp gaze.

“... John, could it be that you are trying to advise me?”

"Saran? What did you say all of a sudden? "

“My heart gets weird every time I hear your voice up close.”

He looked at Riz doubtfully.

“Against my expectations, you speak in a soft voice. After all, as far as I know, you have the most handsome face and you are smart. ”

“Mistress, what are you saying?”

John tried to stop him in a hurry, but he tapped his chest with his fingertips.

“You have a lot of knowledge about art and you are reliable. But, whenever there is an opportunity, you take away my calm. Even though I really don't like it, why is it that every time you get near me to feel a butterfly in my stomach? "

When she looked back at him with a slight annoyance, she was speechless.

And then he looked at her as if he saw something pathetic.

“... Are you seriously asking me that? Are you kidding me? ”

“Does my face look like I was joking?”

“It is difficult to say because your expression does not move in the slightest.”

“You can't say that I'm confused?”

"Where? Your eyes are dead as usual. "

He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth and held back a laugh.

"Madam, I would also like to ask if you are advising me or not."

"I? Why?"

“Although you are a woman who lacks this much expression, with eyes that are stagnant like a swamp, and hates the light from the bottom of your heart like a mole, I also increasingly see you as 'Star Girl' . There is a limit to weirdness. "

“Star is not only silver, right?”

"Yes that's right. It's red, blue, and white. "

But my hair is not red or blue.

Riz knew he was a dull and colorless person. As she was about to feel sad, John moved and took her hair with one hand. Silver hair. If it didn't have this color then he probably wouldn't have been called the "Maiden of Stars"

"However, my lady is full of all colors."

John gently gripped Riz's hair with a careful movement.

“Red, blue, white. You have the color of many stars in your heart. "

Riz felt the voice fall into his heart with an overwhelming and gleaming resonance.