/
“Ta-da! This is my private workshop.”
Through the wide open door, I could see the inside of the workshop.
It was not very large, but unlike Andras’ workshop, there were many interesting things everywhere.
What stood out the most was the sculptures in the middle of the workshop. The sculpture felt similar to what we saw in the garden.
As I looked at the statue, Zaina asked, with her eyes twinkling.
“It’s been done recently. Can you see what I’m describing?”
“Um…”
My mind went blank as soon as I was asked.
I couldn’t tell whether this statue represented a person or an animal or an object.
Fortunately, before I could give an embarrassing answer, Kaneff suddenly answered on my behalf.
“Old man reeling in the wind?”
“What? Brother Kaneff, how can you infer something like that from this?”
“It looks like an old man. Then what is this?”
“I made it thinking of my eternal love.”
Zaina twisted her body, covering her face with both hands as if she was embarrassed.
In response to her reaction, Kaneff frowned as if he had seen something he shouldn’t see, while Andras turned away his head in embarrassment.
I made an empty smile while waiting for the current awkward situation to pass by, and at that moment, Speranza, who was next to me called me by grabbing my hand.
“Papa. Papa.”
“Huh, what happened, Speranza?”
“Look at this, Papa. It’s Teacher Andras.”
A large portrait was hung where Speranza pointed.
In that portrait, a man in colorful robes boasted a dignified appearance.
‘Is that Andras…?’
For a moment, I thought it was a painting of Andras, who was next to me, but soon realized that the atmosphere was slightly different from Andras.
“Ho-ho, Speranza, this is not Andras.”
“Not Teacher Andras?”
“Yes, the person in this painting is Andras’ father. They look alike, don’t they?
Speranza alternately looked at the painting and Andras with round eyes, as if she still couldn’t believe that the person in the painting was not Andras.
Well, it didn’t feel so strange since not long ago I mistook the current Lord Schnarpe for Andras.
If I could mistake the current Lord Schnarpe for Andras, it was no wonder that Speranza mistook the young Lord Schnarpe, who looked way identical to Andras.
“There’s also a picture of my son.”
Zaina quickly brought a picture that was hanging somewhere else.
“This is a picture of Andras as a child.”
I thought it would be similar to the present Andras and didn’t have much expectation, but what came, really blew my mind away.
The painting was completely different from what I had expected.
Instead of a tall Andras, there was a chubby Andras.
His eyes were full of dissatisfaction, and anger as if it was painted during his rebellious phase.
From the outside, he looked exactly like a spoiled young master who could be often seen in movies and novels.
It was completely different from the current calm and kind Andras.
“Andras… you’ve changed really a lot…!!!”
“Oh, it was a long time ago.”
Andras tried to pretend to be calm, but his composure quickly collapsed due to Zaina’s follow-up story.
“Oh, my son was really handful at this time…He doesn’t study, he goofs around, he always stays in his room and keeps reading some strange books….”
“Awwwww, mother?”
At the vivid testimony of his mother, Andras floundered his arms in great embarrassment.
“Then I thought it wouldn’t work like this, so I sent him to Brother Kaneff as soon as he became an adult.”
Kaneff burst into a grin at Zaina’s story.
“When Zaina suddenly sent her son, it was really ridiculous. It was really worth seeing when a scruffy-looking young master was surrounded by fierce hounds.”
“Ugh… When I think about it now…”
Andras trembled as he recalled the past.
Seeing his face turning pale recalling those memories, it didn’t seem to be a fun experience.
“But thanks to Brother Kaneff, he had turned into such a dignified son, right? I’m always grateful.”
I have always wondered how Andras became a member of the Black Hawk Unit, but the reason seemed to be more absurd than I thought.
‘Then, how did Lia become a member of the Black Hawk Unik?’
For a moment, a new curiosity came to my mind, but Zaina’s voice quickly made those thoughts disappear.
“Oh! That’s right. Speranza, can you come over here?”
“…….?”
Zaina took Speranza to one side of the workshop and started to prepare something busily.
She put a chair by the sunny window and made Speranza sit there.
“Stay still for a second, honey.”
“……?”
“Seeing cute Speranza, I suddenly wanted to draw so much. I’ll draw it pretty soon, so wait a little bit.”
Zaina quickly brought the necessary tools and slowly began to put Speranza in the painting.
-SCRR…SCRR.
She looked at Speranza with a serious expression and moved her hand without hesitation on a white blank sheet.
Speranza flinched as if she was anxious to sit still.
I smiled brightly and waved my hand so that Speranza could calm down.
After a while, even though not so much time had passed, there was an amazing result on the white paper.
It had all the attractive points of Speranza from her fox ears and tail to glistening eyes and an innocent smile on her lips.
Zaina expressed Speranza’s loveliness so perfectly. I was so surprised by her high level of perfection, and at the same time, a question popped into my head.
‘Then, why are her sculptures weird…??’
Zaina showed the finished painting to Speranza, who immediately burst into admiration.
“Wow…”
“Speranza, what do you think? Do you like it?”
-NOD!
Speranza liked the painting very much that she nodded her head to the point where the whizzing sound of air could be heard while she was nodding.
“I was worried because it’s been a while since I drew, but I’m glad you liked it. I’ll give this to Speranza as a gift.”
“Really?”
“Of course. But you should let me draw Speranza again next time, Okay?”
“Un, I will.”
Zaina handed the painting to Speranza with a satisfied smile.
After looking at paintings and sculptures in Zaina’s workshop we headed to another place through the door on the side.
This time, numerous musical instruments unfolded before our eyes. There were some instruments that were similar to the instruments on Earth, and there were some that I saw for the first time.
I looked around with a slight interest.
-Tatatat!
Speranza, who was next to me, suddenly moved forward.
She started to look around here and there, wagging her tail so hard.
Speranza, who was interested in music, seemed excited to see various kinds of musical instruments.
It was good to see the excited Speranza, but I warned her so that she doesn’t touch other people’s things recklessly.
“Speranza, you shouldn’t touch them as you please without getting permission. Come here quickly.”
“Uh… yes.”
The little fox girl flinched and came back to me.
She was a little upset by my stern appearance, but as a father, I had to act sternly when necessary.
“Well, that’s fine.”
“No. Looking at them, they seem to be precious instruments, so of course, she has to be careful.”
“Speranza seems to be interested in musical instruments”
“Yes. She loves listening to music and singing.”
Zaina’s eyes glistened once again at the story of Speranza’s love for music.
She sat in front of the piano on one side and beckoned Speranza.
Speranza, who just got warned, peeked at me asking for permission.
When I nodded, she headed toward the piano while smiling.
Zaina asked Speranza as she sat next to her.
“What kind of music do you like, Speranza?”
“I like Yoon Jiwoon’s songs.”
“Yoon… Jiwoon? Sorry honey, I don’t know about that. Do you have any other songs you like?”
“Hmm… then Cynthia’s hymn.”
“Oh… Cynthia’s hymn? How great, you learned a really difficult song.”
“Un, I learned it from Teacher Murain.”
Zaina, surprised by the name Murain, looked at me.
“I got to know her through Ryan before. She taught Speranza how to sing taking a liking to Speranza’s singing skills.”
“That’s what happened. I can’t believe the famous Murain taught you how to sing. That’s amazing.”
Zaina patted Speranza with a proud look. Then she slowly put her hand on the piano and started playing.
It was [Cynthia’s Hymn] that Speranza just said.
As Zaina’s hand slid on the keyboard, the room quickly became full of beautiful melodies.
Even I, who knew nothing about music, could easily guess how good she was.
My first impression of Zaina, which was a lady with a slightly unique personality, got completely reversed as I looked around her workshop.
I understood that the Genius of Laila was also influenced by her mother Zaina.
However, while the performance continued, the door of the workshop suddenly opened, which made the piano performance stop abruptly.
When I turned toward the source of the disturbance, a girl in a well-made aristocratic dress popped out of the open door.
“Geez! Are you doing something fun without me?”
It was Andras’ sister, Lilia, the problem child of the Schnarpe family.
She rushed up to us and expressed her disappointment.
“Brother Sihyeon, you’re so mean. Why didn’t come to see me as soon as you arrived at the mansion?”
“Uh… well, that’s….”
Being swept away by Zaina’s reckless behavior, I didn’t think much of Lilia, and to be honest, I didn’t have that close of a relationship with her.
After pouring out her complaints to me, Lilia then whined to Kaneff and Andras.
“Brother, if you came home, you should have come to see me! And Uncle Kaneff, did you also not miss the cute me?”
Andras smiled awkwardly at her complaint, while Kaneff replied with a sour look.
“What’s cute about a girl who causes nothing but trouble to others?”
“You’re so mean, Uncle Kaneff.”
The whining of Lilia, which continued for a while, stopped suddenly at the cold voice that came from her side.
“LILIAAAA, isn’t this etiquette training time?”
“……”
“Didn’t you promise me that you would train faithfully? Don’t tell me you forgot about that and came here….?
“Hehe…he”
Lilia trembled looking at Zaina’s cold expression.
Zaina’s force was so powerful that I couldn’t even compare it to how I was strict with Speranza earlier.