I Became My Son's First Love - Chapter 48

“Now, go. Let me sleep a bit more.”

Azazel gently tucked Eve’s hair behind her ear, whispering softly, “I’ll come back in the afternoon.”

“Mm.”

“I’ll just watch you sleep before I go.”

Eve blinked a few times before succumbing to sleep again, lulled by the rhythmic patting on her back.

***

Despite his promise, Azazel didn’t return in the afternoon. Eve, feeling a little pouty without realizing it, shook her head to clear her thoughts. Being upset was ridiculous.

She straightened her expression and got out of the carriage. When invited to the Seratine villa, she had at least expected someone to meet her upon arrival, if not Azazel, then certainly someone else. But to her surprise, someone even more important than the young Duke greeted her.

“Aeshath?”

“Hello.”

Aeshath personally welcomed Eve and immediately guided her to the annex where Rose was staying.

“There are some new paintings that are quite impressive. I happened to stop by the villa to pick something up and discovered them. I thought you’d appreciate them, so I called you.”

Aeshath’s enthusiastic tone made Eve’s excitement rise as well.

“The annex is often lent to artists, and Rose has been living here too.”

“If she’s painting right now, won’t we disturb her?”

“It’s fine. She’s not there at the moment. I sent her to the dining room.”

“Does she not eat well?”

“No, so I’ve set strict mealtimes for her. Artists tend to need a lot of looking after.”

Just as Aeshath had said, the annex was quiet. The spacious studio was already filled with numerous paintings. But there were so many that Eve was shocked. She looked at Aeshath with surprise, and Aeshath gave a slightly bitter smile.

“I’ll explain later.”

“Alright.”

While examining the new paintings, Eve noticed a familiar one in the corner of the studio. Aeshath followed her gaze and added a comment, “That painting gave her inspiration. She borrowed it for a while.”

The painting Rose had borrowed was the one depicting the demon.

“Come to think of it, you’ve always been interested in this painting, haven’t you? Would you like to hear a story related to it?”

“A story?”

“It’s something I learned when I acquired the painting. I just remembered it.”

Aeshath pointed to the blonde woman cradled by the demon in the painting. “This human was offered to the demon as a sacrifice.”

“A sacrifice?”

Aeshath nodded. “So, if we were to give this painting a title, it would be something like The Demon and His Sacrifice.”

“If the story exists, why wasn’t a title given to the painting?”

“…Well, maybe the artist didn’t want to define their relationship.”

“That’s an interesting perspective.”

Stories of humans being offered to demons as sacrifices were common.

“But it’s unusual to see a sacrifice being cherished like that.”

“I’ve noticed that you don’t seem to view demons negatively.”

“They don’t exist in reality, so why should I view them negatively?”

“Is that so?”

“You don’t seem to dislike them either, Aeshath.”

“Well, I suppose not. I’ve learned a lot about this subject, thanks to my father’s influence.”

Eve recalled Aeshath’s private collection. For someone knowledgeable, there weren’t many paintings of angels or demons in her gallery.

“Considering that, there aren’t many works on the subject in your collection.”

“Ah, as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to prefer more grounded themes.”

Not fully understanding, Eve tilted her head in confusion, and Aeshath elaborated.

“Does that sound vague? What I mean is that I’m more interested in things I can see and feel in the present.”

Eve suddenly remembered what Azazel had once said—Aeshath was interested in everything in the world. Only now did she fully grasp the meaning behind those words.

“I’m living for the present, for the beauty of the world and the brevity of life.”

“That’s a wonderful sentiment.”

“It’s a little embarrassing. Shall we continue looking at the paintings?”

They needed to hurry if they wanted to see everything before Rose returned. Eve continued inspecting the new artworks, muttering with surprise.

“These are a bit lighter than her previous work.”

While still somewhat gloomy and melancholic, the overall tone of the paintings was much brighter than before.

“Yes, it seems that a better environment can affect the mood of the artwork.”

Though Rose’s characteristic somber style remained, the paintings were now eye-catching without being discomforting. They had just the right amount of personality to attract attention.

Aeshath pointed to several pieces. “I’m planning to move some of these to the mansion before we transfer them to the museum. Could you help me select a few?”

“Of course.”

As expected, most of the paintings Eve chose aligned with Aeshath’s preferences. It wasn’t surprising, given that they both appreciated Rose’s work.

“We’ll need Rose’s approval, but for now, let’s leave these as the selected pieces. At the pace she’s working, she’ll produce an enormous number of paintings in no time.”

By the time they finished choosing, the sun had begun to set. Feeling quite hungry, the two decided to have dinner together.

As they headed toward the main house, Eve asked, “Isn’t this taking up too much of your time?”

“That’s the advantage of having a grown heir. I can leave everything to Azazel.”

Aeshath winked playfully as she added, “Thanks to that, I’ve had the pleasure of monopolizing your time today.”

“I enjoyed it as well.”

Humming cheerfully, Aeshath turned to Eve with a serious expression. “You know, I’d like to continue getting along with you in the future. How do you feel?”

Seeing Eve hesitate, Aeshath added, “If you set aside all the other factors, don’t you think we get along quite well?”

Eve couldn’t deny it. They shared similar interests, and despite the age difference, Aeshath was more comfortable to be around than many of her peers. Most importantly, Aeshath’s friendship didn’t come with any burdens or pressures. Her kindness was genuine and consistent, and that touched Eve’s heart.

“Don’t worry about other relationships. I don’t have many friends who share my interests, which is why I’d like to be closer to you.”

If she accepted Aeshath’s offer, this would be the first true female friend Eve had, aside from her sister Cynthia. Though the thought of Azazel’s situation nagged at her, Eve finally took Aeshath’s hand.

“…Me too.”

Aeshath’s joy was evident, and she invited Eve to her mansion to celebrate. Eve hesitated briefly before nodding. She was genuinely curious to see her friend’s home.

***

Azazel arrived late to dinner, though thankfully, he maintained a polite distance, playing the role of the dutiful stepson.

As Eve listened to the discussion about Rose’s upcoming exhibition, she asked, “So the exhibition will be in two weeks?”

“Yes. The pamphlets will be ready in a week.”

“Isn’t that a bit rushed?”

The overall preparation for the exhibition seemed fine, but the schedule felt a little too tight.

“We wanted to open the exhibition before you leave the capital.”

“Sorry?”

“Azazel mentioned that you’d be leaving soon. Since you discovered Rose, it only makes sense for you to attend.”

It was just like Aeshath to arrange something so considerate and on such a grand scale.

“Thanks to you, I’ll have some wonderful memories.”

“I’ll make sure everything is perfect so you can have the best possible experience.”

Eve smiled warmly. It seemed she had found a good friend. But then Azazel disrupted the pleasant atmosphere.

“It seems you’ve had a delightful time while leaving me with all the work.”

Aeshath grinned mischievously, wrinkling her nose. “Yes, I’ve had a lovely time. Have you completed all the tasks?”

“Yes. I’ve left everything in your office for final approval.”

Aeshath paused, her mood deflating slightly. “…You’ve left it there?”

Azazel nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes, it needs your final confirmation.”

“Hmm…”

Aeshath’s face fell as she sighed, but Azazel remained unfazed.

“If you check it after dinner, you’ll still have time to get a good night’s sleep. Don’t worry about Lady Jenna—I’ll see her off properly.”

With no way out, Aeshath looked at Eve, clearly disappointed. Eve almost laughed at the sight.

“Looks like that’s how it is, Eve.”

“I did monopolize your time earlier today.”

“Guess I’ll have to pass you over now.”

With a resigned sigh, Aeshath turned her attention to dessert. The final course was a beautifully glazed grapefruit tart.

“I heard you like grapefruit tarts, so I had this prepared for you.”

Indeed, the tart, with its perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, was one of Eve’s favorites. But… she noticed that the same tart had been served to Azazel.

“Thank you, but I don’t think the young Duke likes grapefruit tarts.”

“Is that so?”

Both women turned to Azazel, who, for once, looked caught off guard.

He nodded with an uncharacteristically bewildered expression. “Yes, I don’t like them.”

“How did you know that, Eve?”

“After three years of dining together, I’ve noticed.”