The Stepmother Has Left - Chapter 47

Cassia couldn’t believe her ears at the words that came out of Adolf’s mouth. She carefully put the teacup down.

 

Adolph smiled and said.

 

“Let’s prepare for your debut, Cassia.”

 

“Am I capable of debuting?”

 

In how many months? Is preparing for the debut so easy?

 

She stared blankly at Adolf.

 

“It’s also a way to debut and develop your skills once you’ve built the basics.”

 

Adolf shrugged his shoulders as if they were nothing.

 

“Many famous artists have also developed their paintings over time.”

 

“Did Mrs McKenna agree?”

 

“Absolutely. I finished discussing it with her yesterday.”

 

Cassia asked back in disbelief, but Adolf nodded his head.

 

Even Mrs McKenna agreed. She was dazed.

 

‘If even Mrs. McKenna, who was always vitriolic about my paintings, agreed, do I really deserve it? Am I really qualified?’

 

Her heart thumped.

 

‘Can I really debut?’

 

“The debut match will not be easy.”

 

Adolf continued.

 

“In the process of preparing for your debut, you will learn about the profession of a painter, and your drawing skills will also improve a lot.”

 

“…That must be it.”

 

“So it is right to start preparing now. You don’t have to debut in the perfect condition.”

 

Adolf looked at Cassia with a warm smile. She looked at him and nodded his head.

 

“…Okay. I will give it a try.”

 

Debut.

 

It was a heart-thumping moment. It was something that everyone can’t help but take the courage to suggest.

 

Adolf smiled and continued.

 

“In that sense, you are going to take a break from painting class for a while, what do you think?”

 

“Drawing class?”

 

“That’s right. I’m thinking of giving Mrs McKenna and Sophie a vacation. Everyone came running together, so I think they need to rest a little so they can work hard and prepare for your debut.”

 

“Ah, I see.”

 

Of course.

 

Cassia readily agreed. She nodded.

 

“They both must have had a hard time teaching and helping me.”

 

In particular, Mrs McKenna was old, and it would not have been easy for her to commute all the way to and from work.

 

“Tell her to get some rest and come back. I am very grateful to Mrs McKenna.”

 

“All right. Thanks for your understanding, Cassia. Oh, right. And…”

 

As if he almost forgot, Adolf took something out of his pocket and handed it to Cassia.

 

It was a small letter. It is stamped with the seal of the Duke of Whidrian.

 

“What is this?”

 

“Nick Whidrian, he called me.”

 

“Nick?”

 

“After handing over the gallery to the Imperial family in Lawrencia, you disappeared right away, so Nick couldn’t find you. He sent me a letter asking if I knew where you were.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Come to think of it, Nick also said he wanted to come to Lawrencia to play, but she forgot and left without telling him anything.

 

‘How embarrassed Nick must have been?’

 

‘He might have been hurt because he thought I was avoiding him.’

 

“I told Nick that I know where you are, and he can’t meet you because you are busy. I told him to wait for yourcall because I’ll give him a letter once your work is done.”

 

“Thank you, Adolf.”

 

When Cassia thanked him for the letter, Adolf smiled.

 

“You’ve been doing very well so far, Cassia.”

 

“…Think carefully during your break. What kind of pictures do you want to fill your first debut exhibition in your life with?”

 

* * *

 

A few days later, Sophie packed up and went on an official vacation.

 

“Miss Cassia, you should stay well while I go on vacation.”

 

Sophie was packing her things in the early morning and nagging Cassia all over the place.

 

Where are the side dishes, where did she keep her clothes, how does she get to the horseback riding field… this and that.

 

It was worth it.

 

Mrs McKenna was on her way to work every morning, but Sophie was the one who stuck by Cassia’s side 24 hours a day. Cassia even thought Sophie would be anxious about going on vacation and leaving her.

 

“Sophie.”

 

Cassia laughed because Sophie was so cute.

 

But this was her home.

 

“Don’t worry and go. I am the owner of this house.”

 

“Ah, come to think of it, it is. It’s because I’ve been managing it. I must have gotten too used to this house by now.”

 

Sophie scratched her head and laughed bashfully.

 

Cassia packed Sophie’s things and pushed her away.

 

It seemed that only then would she go without a burden on her.

 

“I’m not a kid who can’t do anything, so don’t worry and go.”

 

“Oh, yes. I know. Then I’ll really go. See you soon!”

 

Sophie nodded and disappeared in front of Cassia.

 

After Sophie left, Cassia briefly started tidying up the house. She had nothing to do, thanks to Sophie’s tidying up.

 

After roughly cleaning the room, she sat in her room to practice drawing.

 

It was a vacation without Mrs McKenna or Sophie, but she didn’t want to take a break from practice.

 

As Adolf said, she was planning to continue painting practice while worrying about her debut.

 

‘What would I like to draw?’

 

While contemplating the theme of her debut, she started practicing painting as usual.

 

Soon she was sucked into an imaginary world.

 

* * *

 

It was one day after a few days.

 

Knock knock

 

Someone knocked on the door of the house.

 

“Who is there?”

 

“Mother!”

 

When Cassia opened the door, Nick was smiling at her.

 

It was an unexpected visit.

 

The day she met Adolph and heard Nick’s story, Cassia sent Nick a letter with her home address right away.

 

It looked like it hadn’t been long since she sent it, but Nick was already here.

 

It was the face she hadn’t seen in a long time.

 

Cassia smiled broadly.

 

“Nick, you’re here!”

 

“As soon as I received the letter, I tried to come as quickly as possible. I wanted to see my mother as soon as possible.”

 

Nick smiled and hugged Cassia. She also smiled broadly and hugged Nick.

 

After a loving embrace, they entered the house together.

 

“I’m glad I contacted you again. I thought my mother left because she hated us.”

 

“Sorry for not contacting you. I just forgot to tell you, Nick.”

 

Cassia was officially out of the position of stepmother through the divorce, but Nick still called her ‘Mother’.

 

But somehow she didn’t hate that.

 

It was just because she felt that something warm had developed between them.

 

As if you sometimes refer to someone you personally love as a ‘mother’.

 

“This is where my mother lives in the capital…”

 

Entering the house, Nick took off his coat and looked around.

 

“Can I take a look around the house?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Nick took off his coat in earnest and looked around the house Cassia was living in. Even the room where she mainly did painting classes.

 

Nick gasped in admiration at the books, canvases, and art supplies piled up in the room.

 

“As His Highness said, you were really learning to paint.”

 

“Right. I have been very busy in the meantime.”

 

“Mother, are you becoming a painter now?”

 

Nick asked, looking at Cassia with bright eyes.

 

She replied jokingly.

 

“Hmm. Maybe. If I can make a debut safely.”

 

At her words, Nick burst into a small laugh. He looked around again and told me.

 

“I want to see my mother’s paintings, too.”

 

“I don’t have any pictures I drew. I didn’t like them, so I threw them away.”

 

“The paintings you drew in Lawrencia?”

 

“It was discarded the first day I saw the teacher. It’s already been a few months.”

 

Nick’s mouth fell open.

 

“Then it’s like starting all over again, right? Mother, you’ve been learning to draw really hard. You must have suffered.”

 

“But it’s okay because it’s fun. I still don’t regret coming here.”

 

“Then I’m glad.”

 

Nick looked around the room and smiled at her.

 

“Nick, come here. Would you like to have a cup of tea with me?”

 

It’s been a long time since she had seen Nick, so she couldn’t help but talk more.

 

They decided to have tea-time in earnest.

 

“Could you sit down at the table over there and wait a minute?”

 

“Let me help you.”

 

“No. you are a guest in this house, and I have to treat you well.”

 

Coffee and tea, as always, she handed it to Nick.

 

Nick replied, “Thank you,” and accepted the tea.

 

Actually, there was a reason she suggested talking more with Nick.

 

Because Nick seemed to have something to say to her.

 

Cassia glanced at Nick, took a sip of tea, and said to Nick.

 

“Nick, are you worried about anything these days?”

 

“Ugh.”

 

Nick, who had a worried expression on his face, looked at her with a flustered look.

 

“How did you know that?”

 

“It’s written all over your face. ‘I’m worried.’”

 

“Ahhh.”

 

Nick cupped his head.

 

“Really? My father always said that you should be able to hide your expression.”

 

“Well, you’re going to be a Duke, so it’s right to develop a little more of a poker face. Who cares if it’s just us.”

 

“…Sigh.”

 

“It’s all right, so tell me what’s going on.”

 

Cassia asked with a smile because he was cute.

 

“Is it hard to get a successor’s education?”

 

“No, it’s not. It’s kind of fun. Although I am still not following my father’s path yet.”

 

Nick answered her question with a smile.

 

“I still doubt if I can succeed my father and rule that vast Duchy, but my father always told me, I am fully qualified for that.”

 

“That’s right, even to me, you can do well, Nick.”

 

It wasn’t just vague words for encouragement.

 

“When I was young, I grew up watching your father next to your mother. So I can be sure. You look a lot like Your Excellency when you were a child.”

***