PHATFO 10

[Chapter 10]

The young duke was a close friend of Marquis Arkad. That’s how he was able to easily get Charlotte an invitation to the charity auction.

What the host feared most was internal drama spreading to the public. So, to protect his friend, the young duke would likely stay quiet or act indifferent.

“So, Lady Rohilton, you’re saying they’re the ones who ruined your painting?”

Just like that.

“It’s not just what I’m saying—it’s the truth!”

“But isn’t that strange? They have nothing to gain by destroying your painting.”

“Nothing to gain? They’ve always been jealous of me—of my artistic talent! That’s why they did it! They didn’t want me to shine!”

Charlotte’s words were too emotional. The more she spoke, the more the other ladies looked annoyed, and the onlookers reacted similarly.

“What nonsense…”

“This is ridiculous.”

Marquis Arkad wasn’t convinced either.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t agree with you. The auction items were all stored securely. No one had access.”

He said he had been standing near the storage room the entire time before the auction started.

“And I, as his close friend, can vouch for the marquis,” added the young duke.

Charlotte hesitated. She couldn’t easily argue with someone she had a crush on.

“Then who ruined my painting?”

“Well… my guess is that maybe it was already damaged before arriving at the auction…”

“What? So you’re saying it’s my fault?!”

The marquis rubbed his forehead, clearly frustrated. He also knew Charlotte had no reason to sabotage her own work—she had wanted her painting to be the highlight of the event.

As things grew quiet…

“Um, Marquis.”

I raised my hand.

“Do you have something to say?”

“So, just to confirm—no one saw who did it? No one knows the culprit?”

“Correct.”

“What do you mean no one knows? It was those ladies!”

Charlotte shouted again, making people frown.

“It’s really unfortunate. The painting’s been damaged, but we can’t find who did it.”

I pretended to sympathize with her and added:

“So I have a suggestion. How about giving Charlotte a second chance?”

“A second chance?”

“Yes. What if you moved Charlotte’s auction spot to the very end, and gave her some time to paint a new one? She’s good at painting, so even if she can’t recreate the same work, she can still create something decent.”

There were many items in the auction—it would take at least 3 or 4 hours. Changing the auction order wasn’t a big deal.

“That’s… not a bad idea,” the marquis finally nodded.

“Since I’m in charge of the auction, if she paints something new, I’ll personally ensure it sells at the highest bid.”

People began whispering.

The marquis wasn’t an artist himself, but he had a sharp eye. Every artist he supported became a sensation in society.

Now that he promised to buy Charlotte’s painting at a high price, it was basically saying her work had real value.

“I also dabble in painting and have supplies with me. I can lend them to her, if that’s okay.”

Charlotte’s face twisted in frustration, while the others spoke with brighter expressions.

Being accused of destroying a painting—even if later proven innocent—was still a disgrace. Since they avoided that, they were clearly relieved.

“That was a clever idea.”

“You can’t catch the culprit right away anyway.”

“This clears Lady Rohilton’s name, too.”

“Lady Rohilton must be impressive to have such a smart maid… Wait, she’s not a maid?”

“I heard she’s also a Rohilton lady. Some say she was originally the family’s true daughter…”

Some people began looking at me closely.

Most of them weren’t from the East and were seeing me for the first time.

“I… I…”

Charlotte bit her lower lip, unable to finish her sentence.

Of course—how could she explain it? She’d been using ghost painters for years to submit artwork under her name.

“That’s great news, right, Charlotte?”

I smiled innocently, pretending not to know anything.

Even the drying paint between my fingers felt sweet—because this moment was so satisfying.

But I had no plans to stop here.

I was going to place even more obstacles in her path.

“Just wait.”

I whispered silently to myself:

“From now on, your life will only go downhill.”

Meanwhile…

“What the hell is that girl talking about?”

Charlotte’s eyes trembled.

She had been using ghost painters for four years.

Though she’d learned painting as a noblewoman’s hobby, she wasn’t very good at it. Eventually, she gave up and tried to sell her art supplies to buy trendy accessories instead.

She went to the art district herself that day simply because the weather was nice and she felt like taking a walk.

That’s when she saw a poor artist and gave him her unused supplies.

[“Are you sure I can use these? These are expensive paints…”]
[“Do whatever you want. I was just going to throw them out anyway.”]

That impulsive act was the first nice thing Charlotte had ever done.

[“Please take this. It’s a gift for letting me paint again after so long.”]

After a few hours, the artist gave her a finished painting out of gratitude.

Instead of buying a headband, she took the painting home.

But at the front door, she ran into her father, the count.

[“Where were you…? What’s that in your hands?”]

She couldn’t say she gave away expensive art supplies to a poor man, so she lied.

[“I painted it. I just felt like painting outdoors today.”]

[“You did? May I take a look?”]

Next to the count was Viscount Passion, a famous art appraiser. He inspected the painting closely and praised it.

[“A still life, huh? Who would’ve thought a young lady could depict flowers so delicately? And the dark background—it’s intentional, right? To make the colors pop more?”]

[“Y-Yes, that’s right…”]

That single word, that tiny lie, completely changed Charlotte’s life.

She went from being just another unremarkable noble girl to someone everyone noticed.

[“Rohilton? That’s a noble house?”]
[“Don’t you remember? Near the Hiltense River…”]
[“Should I introduce myself first? That would be best, right?”]
[“Lady, we’re the same age—shall we be friends?”]
[“This is a small gift to celebrate our new friendship.”]

Many people approached her, some even expressing romantic interest.

Charlotte enjoyed all the attention for the first time in her life.

[“You don’t even know who I am, do you? Serving me this awful tea? Dragging me to this countryside hole? Where’s the proper treatment for someone like me?”]

At small gatherings, if anything displeased her, she used her fame to bully others.

And if someone criticized her behavior—

[“Why are you twisting my words? Or… are you just jealous of my talent?”]

She always claimed people were jealous.

Seeing others struggle to hold back their anger—watching her own popularity rise regardless—filled her with joy.

“You can’t do anything to me.”

As long as people were beneath her, she felt superior.

But if anyone ever found out about the ghost painter…

Charlotte could easily imagine what would happen.

She’d go back to being a nobody, and everyone would tear her down.

Society was especially cruel to fallen stars.

“No. That can’t happen.”

Her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists—and turned to look at Bella.

“She… she doesn’t know anything… does she?”