Chapter 4

Lillian had long forgotten the Duke’s words that he would take care of the model fee.

***

The next day came. After finishing her work, Lillian visited the room on the fourth floor again. Still the same voice, the same posture. The only thing that was different from yesterday was the picture the duke was drawing, so I felt like I had a déjà vu. Anyone could see that the duke was a mad painter who did nothing but paint all day long.

The Duke asked, looking back at Lillian who had entered the room.

“Are you thinking of doing a nude model for me?”

“yes yes?”

“Let’s pay twice as much as yesterday’s model fee. summer solstice.”

“Oh, take off your clothes…”

“It doesn’t matter if you refuse if you don’t like it. But your body somehow makes me want to draw it.”

The duke’s eyes twinkled with interest as he scanned Lillian. Lillian’s body was covered by a large skirt, but the shape of her round chest and narrow waist was beautiful.

“You can think about it and answer it. Let’s sit down for a moment today.“

“Sit in the rum chair and I’ll draw it for you.”

Hearing the duke’s words, Lillian thought. He said he would give you twice the amount of gold coins you received yesterday. With that much money, I can buy better medicine for my sick mother. Maybe my mother, who has taken better medicine, will soon get over her illness and wake up.

“Ha, I will.”

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“Yes. Dressed or undressed, it’s like working as a model.”

“It’s good that you still have quick judgment. Take off your clothes and sit in a comfortable position on that rum chair over there. This is the first time, so let the model go in a comfortable position.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

When Lillian bowed in greeting, the Duke turned around. As if he was considerate of her, who would be ashamed to be seen even taking off her clothes. Two sounds of clothes peeling off filled the air between. Soon Lillian walked away, barefoot, and sat down on the long sofa.

“Can I look back?”

“Yes.”

The Duke turned to look at her and smiled. It was because she was standing in the middle of a large sofa, stiff and rigid, with her legs pressed together and her hands resting on her knees. “Sit comfortably. So nervous, it must be difficult to stand still.” I got nervous without even realizing it.

LilIian consciously relaxed her shoulders. Her tightly pressed legs opened slightly, revealing brown hair between them. It was a pubic hair the same color as Lilian’s. As if the duke didn’t care about that, he moved the easel with the white canvas directly in front of her. Then he suddenly got up and went somewhere and appeared with a cushion and gave it to her.

“It would be natural to hold this, it seems. If you find it difficult to sit still, you can lie down.”

“What if I lie down and fall asleep?”

“I sleep well even when I sit down.”

“…..”

At the words of the Duke who hit the bone, Lillian was at a loss for words. My face flushed red from the memory of yesterday.

“If the model is uncomfortable, the picture shows that it is uncomfortable. So take it easy.”

“Yes.”

At the duke’s repeated request to be comfortable, Lillian carefully hugged the cushion and lay sideways on the sofa. Then, as if it was uncomfortable, I sat down again. In the end, Lillian was lying on her side with the cushion resting on her head and her arms gathered in front of her chest.

“You look a little more comfortable now. It’s okay to sleep.”

“I’m not going to sleep.”

“So it is.”

The Duke was indifferent to Lillian’s answer.

After answering, he started to brush. “Today, you must never fall asleep like yesterday.”

Lillian made a firm decision inwardly. I wanted to do it right as I was getting a lot of money. I was embarrassed to doze off in front of other people. However, no matter how close they were to being a painter and model, it was uncomfortable to be naked in front of a man who still felt unfamiliar to them. Lillian’s heart struggled with embarrassment, but her facial muscles seemed to twitch as she tried to maintain her expression as if nothing had happened. The expression on the Duke’s face as he was painting was quite serious, whether he knew Lillian’s intentions or not. Lillian blushes for being naked.

He didn’t hide or do anything, he just silently looked at the canvas and her in turn while drawing. “My nakedness remains as a painting” Lillian’s thoughts as she tried not to sleep circled this void “It’s not going to be sold anywhere.”

Lillian suddenly felt uneasy. “Duke.”

“…..”

“There’s something I’d like to ask you…”

“Speak.” The duke that still doesn’t know, continued to paint and answered twice.

“Will the duke sell the paintings the duke drew? Do you do it too?”