“What?”

“I just had a thought. I wondered if you were talking without even seeing my paintings, fueled by jealousy that my art is receiving attention. Just maybe.”

“Are you saying I criticized your work without even seeing it?”

Agitated by this casual remark, the maestro exhaled heavily. His face turned red as if he might start berating her at any moment.

Violet asked again.

“So, you claim to have seen my paintings?”

“Hah, have I ever said anything about a painting I’ve never actually seen?”

“I see.”

Violet calmly replied, wearing a sly smile.

“If you claim to have seen them, then prove it.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that!”

After Violet’s sudden words, Cairn chimed in, and the bewildered maestro widened his eyes.

Cairn had indeed intended to take on this pompous painter personally, but his plan was thwarted. The nearby knights instead grabbed the outraged maestro.

“W-What is this about! You won’t let me go? I am Leonardo! Ducal Lady, what is the meaning of this sudden behavior!”

Even the maestro’s disciples were bewildered by their teacher’s abrupt actions.

Violet, with an innocent expression, asked,

“Do you really not know?”

“I—no matter how high of a position you have as a daughter of House Everett, you have no right to do this!”

Enraged, the painter shouted with a face resembling a ripe tomato.

Violet tapped him on the cheek twice and spoke with a smile.

“Whether it’s the crime of trespassing on the duke’s estate, trespassing on the palace, or trespassing on my family’s mansion in the capital… Any way you look at it, it’s a serious crime. I just wanted to inform you that I’ll report it.”

“W-What did you say?”

“My paintings exist only in the ducal estate, the capital mansion, and the palace. You must have known this. Don’t tell me, you’re not aware…”

“Now, wait a—!”

“I don’t think I’ve heard about you being invited to His Highness’s birthday celebration, yes?”

Violet insinuated with a sly smile.

“Isn’t such praise given to those with excessively exceptional talent?”

“Are you saying you’re an unrivaled genius? How arrogant!”

“Is that so? Do I look arrogant?”

Violet stood before the painter. Everyone in the room tensed up upon seeing her.

“Bow your head.”

“What?”

“If you value your life, you should bow your head.”

“You wretch!”

“Do you really want to die?”

At Violet’s signal, one of the knights standing beside her pushed the painter’s head down to the ground.

Thud!

“You called me arrogant, didn’t you? Then, answer me this. I am arrogant because I have the right to be, don’t I?”

Violet looked down at him, ready to trample over him at any moment.

“So, what makes you so arrogant? Is it because of your reputation as the ‘best artist’ of this era?”

“……”

She didn’t step on the painter’s head. Instead, she returned to her seat, haughtily crossing her legs.

“Committing the crime of trespassing on my property is lighter than slandering someone. And as for insolence… Did you even use the word ‘wretch’?”

Rumors had been rife that the villainess had changed, which surprised everyone who had previously looked down on her.

They didn’t realize that she had become even more defiant than the old Violet.

Cairn clicked his tongue. Why did that old geezer have to provoke the witch’s temper?

The revered master and teacher, with his head on the ground and unable to utter a word, left his disciples utterly baffled.

A hellish silence persisted.

After some brief contemplation, Violet finally spoke again.

“Release him.”

“Yes!”

At her short command, the knight let go of the maestro. His forehead was bleeding from being struck quite hard.

Violet, unfazed, continued.

“Very well. How about you show me your so-called outstanding art?”

“Just wh, at are you trying to say.”

“If you want to lessen your sins even a little, you should know what to do.”

“……”

The painter lowered his head. In his place, one of his apprentices guided Violet.

While the paintings were undoubtedly remarkable, worthy of being called the work of a master, Violet found them quite dull.

Her expression revealed her boredom, a far cry from the enthusiasm she showed when viewing paintings at the exhibition previously.

Her reaction left the apprentices at a loss for words.

“Um, our teacher has a bit of an independent streak. Please show some leniency…”

“A bit?”

“I m-misspoke.”

Reducing a teacher who would boldly break brushes and slander rather than criticize into ‘a bit independent’ was quite an expression of love for one’s mentor.

t/n: as scheduled, I will be taking a short hiatus <3 regular updates will come back next week!

hope you guys have a wonderful week ahead~