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54. Katrina’s Side Story

Canvas taller than a person leaning against the wall in a room filled with brushes of all sizes. The floor was splattered with green, orange, and white paint, creating a masterpiece in itself.

In that room, a man nodded with satisfaction at a painting he had just completed.

“Phew… done.”

He examined the painting from different angles, nodded again, and pulled the easel over to the window.

He moved it so the gentle breeze would help the paint dry, but turned it facing away from the sunlight.

“Now, should I prepare a meal before Katrina arrives?”

He muttered softly to himself and limped toward the kitchen.

He had to remember not to forget to hide that painting later. — He thought.

While Katrina was out for a quick shopping trip, Ellen was planning to surprise her.

Today was going to be a very special day for us.

Ellen, Katrina’s lover, was in the kitchen prepping ingredients while thinking of her.

Ellen and Katrina met three years ago.

And it was quite fateful.

Born as the second son of a wealthy merchant, Ellen enjoyed painting from a young age.

With one leg born weak, he couldn’t play actively and found joy in sketching as a fallback.

With the generous support of his father, mother, and the complete backing of his older brother, he learned to paint from a great teacher and made his way to the capital. Living alone in the architecturally stunning Oberg, Ellen poured out dozens of paintings, even holding his first exhibition.

It was a pivotal moment for a rookie painter.

Fortunately, his paintings, with their pastoral charm interlaced with touches of splendor, received favorable reviews.

However, a problem arose.

Though the paintings exhibited were generally for sale, some were marked ‘not for sale’ as per his prior notice.

One of them was a portrait of his mother, whom he had not seen for years.

In the painting, his modest mother wore a faded purple dress, her bright red hair fluttering in the breeze as she stood serenely in a vast field at twilight.

It was a fleeting moment captured through Ellen’s childhood eyes.

Ellen trembled with joy as he painted it. A painting that truly embodied the landscape in his mind; surely his mother would be delighted to receive it as a gift.

He had no intention of selling that portrait.

But it sold.

Due to an error by the exhibition organizers, several paintings that he had claimed were not for sale were sold nonetheless. Ellen argued in anger, but as a rookie painter, he received only a patronizing apology and they did not return the paintings.

The rest didn’t matter, but he had to get his mother’s portrait back somehow, so he set off to find the person who had bought it.

– Knock, knock

The house he went to looked suspicious, as dust was thick in the door frames and windows, making him question whether anyone lived there at all.

‘How can dust pile up like this on a door frame used by people?’ He wondered, rechecking the address, when a sharp voice came from inside.

“Who’s there?”

The door swung open to reveal a woman with hair the color of a sunset tied back.

With bushy eyebrows of the same red hue, the fierce-looking woman startled Ellen, who introduced himself stammeringly.

That was how Ellen and Katrina first met.

He politely asked Katrina if she could resell the painting to him, but she refused, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Her reasoning was:

“It feels just like me, so why should I return it? I paid fair money for it.”

Delicate Ellen shook with anger upon hearing that.

‘How on earth do I resemble that?! She looks like someone who’d smash everything in sight!’

He couldn’t help but pout as he explained, “This is a portrait of my mother, and I intended it as a gift for her. I really wish you would return it.”

Normally, such a polite request would lead to a lengthy and courteous response, but her answer was short and simple.

“Then what about me?”

Katrina, seemingly uninterested in Ellen’s circumstances, shot back with deadpan eyes.

Annoyed, Ellen thought, ‘You deal with your own problems!’ but took a step back.

He decided to paint a separate portrait of Katrina to negotiate for his mother’s painting.

Of course, Katrina insisted she would only return the mother’s portrait after receiving her own.

What rotten luck to have it sold to someone like her.

Ellen began to feel anxious. If that ignorant woman kept the painting, it wouldn’t last long.

Ugh, just look at that filthy window frame.

From then on, Ellen often limped to Katrina’s home, capturing her on canvas.

However, what she requested as a portrait was quite absurd.

At first, Ellen painted her as the strong female knight she appeared to be, but Katrina rejected it, stating it didn’t suit her.

She wanted to be portrayed in a more feminine and gentle manner.

‘I thought I softened it plenty!’

If he made it even softer, it wouldn’t resemble a portrait anymore.

Still, he thought it would work out as long as he could get his mother’s portrait back. With a forced smile aimed at pleasing his customer, he painted again.

“This doesn’t look like me!”

And again, it was rejected.

That was a fair argument.

Even Ellen felt the revised painting did not resemble her at all. A woman with a red head and red eyebrows wasn’t just Katrina.

‘What on earth does she expect…?’

Realizing that painting a portrait had crossed from art into the realm of creation, Ellen felt disheartened and stepped outside, promising to come again.

At that moment, Katrina called him back.

“Hey. You’re limping, so from now on, I’ll come to your place. Where do you live? Just adjust the time to right now?”

Ellen turned around in surprise at her words.

A rude woman who hadn’t even cleaned her house yet, calling him “Hey.” Not to mention she was a knight, throwing her temper around as a certified thug, was the impression Ellen had of Katrina.

But for Ellen, who was struggling to walk far, it was a truly grateful offer.

He told her his address (the second alley of Roselyn Boulevard with a blue roof), and Katrina began to visit his home regularly.

“Oh my~ what a dump this place is.”

She said upon stepping inside.

Ellen’s house was empty, except for art supplies and canvases. Clearly, due to his difficulty walking, he had neglected to gather daily necessities or groceries…

‘At least think about my house!’

Ellen’s place was certainly clean.

While Katrina stocked up on various essentials, she was lazy when it came to cleaning.

Unaware that Ellen was fuming inside, she continued,

“I’ve heard painters are broke, but is it really this bad?”

“…No. I just haven’t stocked up because my leg is injured. I have money.”

“Hmm~ really?”

From then on, whenever Katrina visited, she brought along a few items. Of course, it was all in a teasing manner, but she demanded a delivery fee on top, draining even more money from him. A wealthy painter being extorted by a knight.

Is this a joke?

However, any essentials she brought included alcohol.

With no friends after coming alone to the capital, and not enjoying drinking alone, Ellen found his shelves piling up with empty bottles.

Then one day, Katrina came over and, upon seeing unopened bottles, complained about her efforts being ignored. Ellen couldn’t understand why she was angry after taking so much money from him, but he apologized nonetheless.

After his reluctant apology, Katrina snorted and said,

“Then let’s drink together. Poor thing. You have no friends and hurt your leg.”

Ellen’s blood pressure surged, but she kept playfully punching his shoulder, urging him to sit down.

What a thug of a woman.

Thus began their drinking sessions, which carried on daily, and Ellen started to gradually understand the human that was Katrina.

She was a person who spilled her thoughts without a filter due to her fiery temper, but surprisingly, deep down, she had a warm and tender heart.

This is why Katrina was so fond of the portrait of Ellen’s mother. She wanted to become a gentle person like the mother in that painting.

As Ellen grew to understand her, Katrina’s portrait progressed quickly.

He depicted her fierce spirit with her fiery red hair and eyebrows, yet her eyes were warm, her hand holding a sword poised elegantly, and her outfit infused with bright colors yet evoking softness.

Finally, on the day the portrait was completed, Ellen presented the painting to Katrina.

She had prepared to reject it, but upon touching her own likeness, she spoke in a subdued voice, seemingly pleased.

“… Well, it’s not like I have to come around anymore. Good job.”

Katrina said curtly, trying to hide her disappointment as she turned swiftly and walked away.

The portrait of Ellen’s mother was neatly cleaned and placed against the door.

Seems she had tried to take it back after rejecting it.

Katrina’s youthful figure walked away.

Ellen limped after her, grabbing her shoulder and arm to turn her around.

Katrina, being a knight, was unable to resist that strength, and they shared a deep kiss.

Thus, they became lovers.

Ellen smiled contentedly, recalling their first encounter, and poured various ingredients into the pot.

A stew loaded with meat, which Ellen had secretly limped out to buy.

Katrina would surely love it.

Recently, after returning from the battlefield with an injured shoulder, she had been indulging in meat to relieve her stress, and Ellen’s careful eye couldn’t miss it.

She was pregnant.

Despite three long years of living together, they had not yet reaped the fruits of their love.

Katrina’s aggressive swordsmanship put immense strain on her body, leaving no room for a child as she practiced violently.

But after returning from the battlefield with her injured shoulder, she started skipping training as if it were a meal, and suddenly she began to crave meat. That’s when Ellen became aware that they were truly blessed.

He suggested to Katrina that she quit the knight order, and although she reluctantly complied, her dissatisfaction grew as her swordsmanship suffered.

Yesterday, Katrina had resigned from the knight order.

During what should have been her noble retirement ceremony, her peers and seniors had all gone off to the battlefield, leaving only newly inducted rookies standing awkwardly like a screen, pouting about the situation, and Ellen was determined.

He would propose today.

If he told her they were having a baby, she would be overjoyed. Katrina had always dreamed of being a nurturing mother.

But could this fiery woman really become a gentle mother?

That was something to watch. As Ellen cooked, he chuckled softly.

At that moment, a muffled scream came from afar. A familiar voice, causing Ellen to startle and limp toward the window.

This feels ominous.

A gust of wind blew through the suddenly opened window, knocking the canvas he had set against it to the floor.

On that fallen canvas was a woman in a beautiful dress, her slightly swollen belly, and sunset-colored red hair, smiling brightly.