“Am I just supposed to sit still?”

Anita asked in a casual tone. She didn’t want to reveal what she thought about the painting or how she was processing the situation. If she acted as if nothing were wrong, it might turn out that way.

“Yes.”

Anita sat across from Rutger and the easel. Rutger picked up a tool, started drawing on the canvas, and began talking.

“So, on the way here, I saw that strange guy nearby. What’s your relationship with him?”

The person he mentioned must be Edmund. Since Anita has only been close to Edmund since she arrived here, there’s no one else it could be. Anita thought he might be gone, but apparently, he was still around.

In this situation, admitting to some emotional exchange with him for the sake of inducing jealousy would be appropriate, but Anita didn’t want to make that much effort. Moreover, she and Edmund had absolutely no relationship. They had only met recently, and Anita still didn’t know what kind of person he was.

“We don’t have a relationship.”

“Saying there’s no relationship is your conclusion from your perspective. I don’t know what that guy is thinking.”

“So, what kind of answer do you want?”

Anita asked, throwing the question casually. She truly couldn’t understand what Rutger was thinking. If it were a simple question arising from either liking or jealousy, she could handle it. However, Anita knew better than anyone that his feelings for her were more complicated than that. Or maybe it was just lust without affection.

“Do I need to give you the answer you want?”

His brow furrowed slightly across the canvas. As Anita stared at him intently, it quickly smoothed out.

“…….”

She was familiar with this kind of rudeness from Rutger. Anita hadn’t bothered to ask what exactly his relationship with Liliana was.

If it were the past Anita, who was even more foolish and naive, she might have flirted, wondering if he had any interest in her.

She’d almost fallen for it again earlier, even though she’d grown tired of his tricks.

Suppressing her scattered thoughts, Anita put on a poker face and answered.

“No, pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“Pretend I didn’t hear that?”

With those words, he stood up. While sitting, they were at a similar eye level, but as he suddenly rose, Anita unknowingly leaned back. Regardless of what he might say, Rutger confidently walked towards Anita.

“Well, um…”

His long fingers touched Anita’s ear. The sudden contact startled Anita.

His fingers moved down, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The warmth of his hand traveled down her earlobe, reaching her jaw. As his hand traced her jawline, it suddenly stopped.

With a mischievous smile, his finger slightly lifted Anita’s chin. Anita, now in a position to look up at him, furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Chin at this angle.”

“…….”

As Anita lifted her chin a bit, Rutger smiled satisfactorily. Just before his fingers withdrew, their eyes met for a moment.

“Perfect.”

His gaze, which lingered on her face, soon moved away. He straightened up and returned to the canvas without any lingering feelings.

Anita sat there for two hours, as still as a statue. The stiffness of her back and the constant flow of her hair made her uncomfortable, and the slightest movement caused her to whimper as if to soothe a child.

But it wasn’t his pleading voice that kept Anita glued to the chair, it was the look in his eyes. The seriousness in his eyes, minus the playfulness, was unfamiliar. His eyes were sharp, searching, and serious at the same time.

Had she offered to model for him out of curiosity?

It was too late for belated regrets. If Rutger, with his seemingly persistent nature, doesn’t release her until he finishes the painting he likes, Anita will be stuck in this situation.

Anita thought again about how she ended up in this situation. She had come here to deliver documents to Professor Evan. During that visit, she encountered Edmund, who ran away as soon as he saw Liliana.

If Edmund was right, Liliana was obsessed with him. Does that mean she and Rutger have nothing to do with each other?

I don’t know.

Exhausted, Anita closed her eyes.

She clearly remembered coming to the studio, but she already couldn’t remember what conversation she’d had with Rutger or what had happened afterward. It’s not like she has such a poor memory.

The smell of plaster filling the room and the air that seemed to have stopped in time. How long had it been like this?

Anita gently opened her eyes. Rutger should be nagging her to open her eyes by now, and if she hadn’t heard him calling her name yet, hadn’t she noticed?

“……!”

When Anita opened her eyes, Rutger was staring at her intently. Startled, she almost lost balance on the chair without a backrest. He quickly grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You fainted earlier.”

The topic she didn’t want to discuss emerged unexpectedly. Anita wanted to treat that day as if it never happened, to conceal and forget.

“Let’s just call it a day.”

“Just end today. The painting.”

If they just moved on like this, they would likely find themselves in a similar situation next time, sitting here in this place.

“It’s not going to be done today anyway. I’ll give you something else instead.”

“…What?”

Anita’s eyes, which had been blankly staring, suddenly sharpened.

“I should at least pay for modeling fees.”

“Fine.”

“Give me your hand.”

He came off as so forceful that Anita extended her right hand with a pout.

“Not the right hand, the left one.”