Valentin raised his tear-soaked face, looked straight into Dalton’s eyes, and spoke. Along with his trembling voice, his mysterious sky-blue eyes, like a nymph’s spring, were brimming with tears, adding more credibility to his words.

 

It was truly the expression of someone deeply hurt.

 

“……”

 

Dalton’s expression turned serious. He must have also heard something from somewhere. No, he was actually hearing many stories.

 

The amusing Wiche Viscount’s young master with angelic beautiful looks and a little devil’s personality. On top of that, arrogantly showing off relying only on his rare dominant omega trait and family’s money. 

 

That was the current social circle’s evaluation of Valentin spreading in the capital Eldon.

 

To him, he was still an immature and lovable nephew, but people’s eyes were not easy.

 

“Even His Highness the 3rd Prince is the same, all the children in the capital’s social circle hate and despise me. I really don’t want to be here….”

 

Please, please buy it…! Valentin grabbed Dalton’s clothes and clung to him, speaking desperately.

 

As the family’s successor, he had considerable say, and sometimes had a softer side than Valentin’s parents. He was someone who always did his best to protect the omega he grew up with and cared for directly.

 

“Do you want to take a break from social activities for a while…?”

 

“No. It’s not just that I want to rest for a bit… I, I….”

 

“It’s okay, tell me, Valentin.”

 

Eyes filled with fear that he might not be able to avoid the tragic future he knew too well wavered.

 

Talking his best to persuade him, he became immersed in emotions and the seriousness of the situation hit him even more, making him now truly feel miserable.

 

And that sincere expression was more than enough to shake his family’s heart.

 

“I want to leave this place. I want to go somewhere no one knows me, Dalton.”

 

It was Valentin’s true feelings.

 

Staying here would only lead to a ruinous end.

 

People would continue to hate Valentin, and the 3rd Prince and his lover would want to despise Valentin until the end and make him fall into the abyss.

 

And continuing to linger around such people would obviously be nothing but prancing around saying, ‘Please catch me and gobble me up.’ It was an act of continually throwing bait to the scary hunters targeting him.

 

Pity appeared on Dalton’s face as he looked at Valentin.

 

“I wish I could leave this country altogether…. I want to study abroad in Sorencia…. I want to go and study art there. Please help me, Dalton.”

 

Valentin crumpled Dalton’s clothes, grabbed him tighter, buried his face in his chest, and cried.

 

Dalton fell into worry while stroking the pitiful head of his nephew who was like his youngest sibling.

 

Escape

 

‘Yes! There is still hope alive in the world.’

 

Valentin felt new hope rising again in his heart that he thought had lost all hope, and inhaled the air of Sorencia.

 

Valentin’s study abroad happened much faster than expected.

 

Perhaps sensing some sense of crisis from him who cried and said he wanted to leave, Dalton immediately had a meeting with Viscount Wiche, and his guardians who quickly reached a conclusion allowed Valentin’s study abroad.

 

Of course, it wasn’t easy to persuade his worried and disappointed mother…. Valentin lowered the ends of his eyebrows miserably, recalling the face of the viscountess who looked just like him drenched in tears.

 

Things progressed faster as Dalton volunteered to be his guardian on site, feeling something from his nephew’s tears and pleas.

 

And the decisive moment was Valentin’s talent show with all his passion.

 

He recalled the days he locked himself in the studio for less than a month, drawing only except for meals and sleep.

 

He drew using all the skills and talents he had. And he added all the knowledge and memories he learned in his previous life to instill a soul into the drawings.

 

The body that originally drew well already took a leap to more outstanding and genius skills once he became aware of his previous life. How could it not when the long career and skills from his previous life were added to his young body? So it was natural for everyone who saw Valentin’s drawings to be surprised.

 

To quickly gain recognition, Valentin presented beautiful naturalistic style drawings in the painting style recognized and admired by people of this era, and that the aristocrats and public who felt repulsed by industrialization were enthusiastic about.

 

On top of that, he used the painting styles and characteristic techniques of the Impressionist painters who beautifully utilized light to depict the beauty of nature further maximized by light in various colors and landscapes.

 

Not only his parents but also people who came to evaluate his works through his father’s connections, who claimed to have an eye for art, and various artists admired Valentin’s drawings.

 

[It’s such a waste to just live as a noble family’s young master and let this talent rot!]

 

Rot, you…! Valentin, who had given up on things that involved dying or rotting as a corpse, inwardly retched at such words or idiomatic expressions.

 

[Young Master Wiche has genius talent.]

 

[How great would it be if he could refine this talent in a better place under the teachings of good mentors?]

 

Their praises and regretful remarks gave strength to Valentin’s study abroad, which was like an escape.

 

Like that, as Valentin showed skills that were not just outstanding but genius in drawing, the only area he had talent in, the study abroad process was smoothly completed. This was the previous life buff Valentin successfully achieved. Hurray hurray hurray.

 

If he lives like this from now on, it will be perfect. There’s no problem with causing incidents in social circles like in the previous life. What could happen when he won’t even be here now? Even if they try to touch and destroy me, the person in question is not here! Valentin shouted with joy in his heart and left the empire.

 

Farewell, my homeland Heston.

 

I’m leaving. Screw you all. Let’s never meet again!

 

Valentin bid farewell to his hometown while giving them the finger and blowing a kiss at the same time.

 

* * *

 

Valentin’s 5 years passed quickly.

 

Although there were some conflicts due to different ways of thinking and cultural differences in a foreign country.

 

“No, these guys picked a fight first, cursing at me in the local dialect so I couldn’t understand, Dalton!”

 

Valentin honed his talents in the continent’s best city of art.

 

“Haha. This level of depiction is a piece of cake for me! I have previous life experience, I’m telling you!”

 

He could also learn a kind of humility.

 

“Ouch, Master! I was wrong. Please stop the forehead flicks now…!”

 

He was diligent in his studies too. He really was.

 

“…Is there a reason you’re being excessively diligent like a completely changed person, Valentin…?”

 

Valentin requested various teachers to Dalton to teach him, and desperately learned and mastered what the teachers taught him. Seeing Valentin like that, Dalton carefully opened his mouth one day and asked,

 

“Why are you working so hard like this?”

 

The answer came out straight without any hesitation. The expression was also unprecedentedly serious and meaningful.

 

“Uncle, I’m preparing for the future.”

 

An answer that was ambiguous in meaning but somehow full of conviction.

 

“Future?”

 

“Yeah. I can’t be looked down upon by anyone or anything in any way. And I always need to make many holes and ways to survive.”

 

“Holes…?”

 

Dalton’s face became even more incomprehensible.

 

“Yeah. Holes. I mean ways to live. No matter what unexpected thing happens to me anytime anywhere, I need to be able to deal with it smartly and effectively.”

 

So all of Valentin’s learning and efforts were directly related to survival.

 

Indeed, it was a wisdom befitting a reincarnator from the modern times.

 

All the knowledge and wisdom of the world would become his strength. Because there was no knowing how long this makeshift escape life could go on.

 

*

 

And Valentin’s preparation and concern were accurate.

 

One day, when several years had smoothly passed and Valentin turned 20, Dalton received a letter from the viscount in their home country and delivered the news.

 

“Brother says it’s time for you to return now.”

 

It was shocking news for Valentin who had just returned from the atelier and locked himself in his personal studio at home, taking out a canvas and brush again, saying he was unsatisfied with the painting he was working on there.

 

Thud!

 

The palette knife in Valentin’s hand fell on the solid wooden floor, and the lumpy moss green paint stuck on it splattered messily.

 

Valentin stood blankly after hearing Dalton’s verdict. As if a switch that had been turned off suddenly got electricity again, he came to his senses, ran to Dalton who was leaning against the studio door, and snatched the viscount’s letter from his hand.

 

To my beloved son Valentin.