Apparently, I’m a Poisonous Woman Who Sells One-Night Dreams, but I Ended Up Awakening a Hero’s Devoted Love - Chapter 1.31

“You can do that? But if so, I can understand how you were able to paint this picture.”

Liza stood up and went to stand before her mother’s portrait hanging on the wall. Tears slowly welled in her eyes as she stared intently at it.

“Mother looked so happy when she accepted Father’s proposal. No, it wasn’t just then. Mother was always smiling. That’s why I couldn’t forgive Father’s betrayal.”

After wiping her tears, she turned around and came to stand before Mariadoll, who was sitting on the sofa, then bowed deeply. By social standing, Liza was superior. Mariadoll hurriedly stood up.

“Lady Liza, please raise your head.”

“I treated you terribly.”

“You didn’t know anything, so it couldn’t be helped. I don’t mind…”

Just as she said that, Liza grabbed her shoulders firmly.

“You should mind! In fact, you must mind. Mariadoll, do you know what they’re saying about you in society?”

“Y-yes. Poison woman, wicked woman. Recently, they’ve been calling me a femme fatale.”

She mentally added, “Thanks to Jerf.”

“That’s right! And it’s all baseless nonsense, isn’t it? You need to get angrier—you’re far too indifferent about yourself.”

She’d been told something similar recently.

Liza, breathing heavily and puffing up her shoulders in anger, was indeed not only hot-tempered but also strongly righteous.

Mariadoll felt she might get along well with Liza, who could apologize honestly and get angry on behalf of others.

“But I can’t tell them the truth. I’ve explained the reason for that as well.”

“O-oh, right. We really should avoid anything that would burden you.”

Liza crossed her arms and began pacing around the room. Judging by the furrow in her brow, she seemed to be thinking about something.

She didn’t want many people to know about her ability to show dreams. Partly to reduce Mariadoll’s burden, but not only that.

(For my part, I don’t want to trouble the person who’s acting as the coordinator for the requests.)

She didn’t want to increase the burden on those who were kindly acting as a shield for Mariadoll. She’d rather be called a poison woman than do something like that. Of course, it sometimes made her angry, but it was the kind of emotion she could just snort at, crush in her palm, and toss away. More than that, having someone go out of their way for her sake was a much greater mental burden.

(…By the way, am I still not allowed to go home?)

She had to finish the painting commissioned by Bishop Mantel.

She had started with the background first, and was now working on the figures. Considering that her memories would only last another two weeks or so, time was short.

“Father, you said you intended to eventually hand over the coordination of requests for Mariadoll to me, didn’t you? Is that no longer possible now?”

“Now? No, I’m still healthy, and besides, you have the gallery and the museum, don’t you? And your children are still young.”

Liza had married the second son of a count family. The title was the earldom inherited from the Haren Marquisate, and her husband worked as a civil servant in the castle. He sometimes helped with administrative work at the gallery and museum, but Liza was the one running them.

“Actually, I’m currently trying to establish a painters’ guild. The status of painters in this country is far too low. To get them to paint wonderful pictures, we must raise their standing. It’s no good for them to remain forever under the patronage of sponsors, merely fulfilling their requests.”

In Dunbargas, there was a clear master-servant relationship between patrons and painters.

Because it was so strong, painters could only make a living by painting pictures commissioned by their patrons.

Even if they wanted to sell their paintings, they couldn’t take them directly to a gallery. They always had to go through a patron.

Due to this environment, which differed greatly from other countries, the more skilled painters were leaving Dunbargas. If things continued like this, Dunbargasian art would only fall behind and decay.

As the daughter of the Haren Marquisate, which owned the oldest gallery in the country, Liza passionately declared that she couldn’t just accept that.

Mariadoll could only nod, overwhelmed by Liza’s fervor.

Liza took her hand and continued.

“The guild’s purpose is painter independence. The guild will accept painting commissions and handle sales to protect the painters. You probably know this, but among painters, there are those who are forced to paint day and night until their health fails, or who are compelled to use inferior paints. I want to help those people.”

The power held by a guild was strong. Even influential nobles couldn’t make unreasonable demands.

Therefore, establishing a guild involved numerous detailed, troublesome procedures, but Liza’s husband was working at the application window. Of course, they intended to establish it through proper procedures, but there were “key points” to getting the documents approved.

Financial matters, backing, its independence, and various other things.

Having someone who knew such inside information nearby would naturally make the application process smoother.

“Of course, I’ll also have Father provide backing for the guild. But just as I was thinking I needed one more person, you appeared, Mariadoll.”

“Me? But the backing of a poor baron family would be blown away by a gust of wind.”

“No, not you—the Stanley Ducal family. You’re going to marry Lord Jerf, aren’t you?”

The atmosphere didn’t allow her to say she wasn’t.

Since they would part ways once the princess’s engagement was decided, there was a very real possibility she wouldn’t become the Duchess of Stanley. Moreover, the idea of asking Jerf for something, but then she suddenly realized.

“Lady Liza, opening a guild means that from now on, painters won’t receive commissions from patrons but will register with the guild to paint pictures, correct?”

“Yes, of course we can’t force everyone, so it won’t be all of them, but I intend to accept anyone who comes.”

In other words, it would create horizontal connections.

Additionally, the guild was permitted to sell deeply related items, albeit with a price ceiling.

“In that case, could the guild also sell paints? A rock that changes color with heat was discovered in the Stanley Duke’s territory. It can create the same colors as zinc white and lead white.”

“Is that true?! I’ve always thought that paint should be banned. How much can be produced? What about the price? Has it already been decided that it will be sold through some merchant house?”

At the rapid-fire questions, Mariadoll hurriedly shook her head.

“We only recently succeeded in producing the paint. I’ve heard a considerable amount can be made, but I’m not sure of the exact quantity. We’re still looking for sales channels, and for the time being, I was thinking of handling it at my gallery.”

“So, we can negotiate starting now. If business is involved, it should be even more reason for you to provide backing. Mariadoll, I’d really like to meet with the Duke of Stanley. Could you arrange it? At that time, we can also discuss having your future commissions go through the guild.”

“Understood. I have plans to meet him tonight, so I’ll tell him then.”

“Thank you. Ah, if the Duke of Stanley provides backing, the guild will definitely be approved.”

Her expression changed from stern to smiling.

Her radiant face closely resembled the woman in the painting.

(Selling the paint is something Lord Jerf also wanted. If that happens, even if my engagement to him is called off, there’s a high possibility he’ll still provide backing. It would also be good for painters to have easier access to that paint, and somehow everything seems to be falling into place.)

It would be a win-win for both the painters and Jerf.

Just as she was thinking that, Liza took Mariadoll’s hand.

“If everything goes well, let’s make your ability public. That will blow away rumors of you being a poison woman. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect you as the guild master.”

“But I don’t really mind being called a poison woman.”

“Ah, come on, as I said at the beginning, you should value yourself more. It might be strange for me to say this when I’m the one who hit you with a fan, but Lord Jerf would surely be pleased if the malicious rumors disappeared. You might be worried that if your ability becomes known, you’ll be swamped with requests and increase the burden on Father as the coordinator, but with the guild, it’ll be fine. It has far, far more power than an individual, so no one can force unreasonable demands. Organizations can be troublesome in many ways, but they can also protect a lot.”

Originally, she intended to take on all painting commissions for painters single-handedly, so she was even creating a manual for it. Boasting that if requests for Mariadoll followed that manual, it wouldn’t be much of a burden, Liza stood beside her while the Haren Marquis stared wide-eyed in shock.

“Hit with a fan…?”

After gaping, he held his head and muttered, “Again…?” suggesting something similar had happened before.

Faced with Liza, her face flushed as she spoke passionately, and the pale-faced Haren Marquis father and son, Mariadoll could only maintain an ambiguous smile.

Trouble always follows good news. The secret of the painting, the thief, the ring stolen from Jerf’s house. Finally, I’ll address these.