After the siblings had dinner with Master Hardin, Ekaterina got up to escort him to the entrance hall, as was the duty of the lady of the house. However, Alexei stopped her.
“I have some things to talk about with the master,” Alexei said. “You may bid him farewell here.”
A look of surprise took over her features at Alexei’s unexpected words, but Ekaterina nodded almost immediately. “I shouldn’t intrude upon a conversation between gentlemen. I shall do as you say, brother.”
Alexei smiled at her fondly. What a smart girl she was.
Ekaterina was allowed access to Alexei’s office and could voice her opinions on the management of the duchy, which was rare for a girl her age. She was incredibly wise, and sometimes came up with the most original ideas—things no one else could have thought of. Given that, Alexei wasn’t the only one who valued her input. Novak, Halil, and Aaron, among others, often sought her counsel. However, Ekaterina always made a point of respecting Alexei as the Duke of Yulnova and head of their house. She assisted him with many things as the lady of the house, but maintained an admirable sense of humility, letting him stand at the forefront.
Ekaterina understood with surprising clarity the many facets of Alexei’s position, yet she also seemed to be very careful not to pry into the aspects Alexei didn’t want her to see. She was just as perceptive as she was well-behaved.
Ekaterina bowed to Hardin. “I thank you for this most delightful evening. I hope you have a pleasant talk.”
“And I thank you for your warm welcome, my lady. Dinner was splendid,” Hardin said, returning the courtesy.
“I’m glad it was to your liking. I’ll be sure to share your compliments with the chef,” Ekaterina said with a smile before walking away.
Alexei led Hardin to a small lounge. True to his nature, Alexei got straight to the point as soon as they sat down. “What of my request?”
“I accept. I shall paint what you asked of me.” Hardin looked at the glass of wine Graham had just poured him and smiled. “Refusing the request of Duke Sergei’s dear grandson never crossed my mind. But to be fully honest with you, ideas and pictures are floating through my mind as we speak. I feel like my head might explode if I don’t put them on canvas.”
Hardin’s odd-colored eyes gleamed.
“Is that how these things work?” Alexei asked. He’d never been one who understood the arts, and the painter’s hyperbole was entirely lost on him. Regardless, he was relieved to find Hardin was so enthusiastic about the idea of fulfilling his request. “Will you be done by December?”
“I know exactly what to paint, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll push the rest of my work to later and focus entirely on this painting. I owe that much to Duke Sergei.”
Alexei let out a sigh of relief, and a smile took over his features. “Excellent. I’ve been searching for another present that might make her happy in case you couldn’t make it in time, but I couldn’t come up with anything.”
Hardin had closed his eyes to enjoy the taste of the wine, but he laughed at Alexei’s declaration. “She adores you, Your Grace. I have no doubt she’d be overjoyed with any present coming from you, even a single blossom.”
Alexei’s bright eyes widened for a moment, and he nodded. “Blossoms... I shall give her flowers tomorrow. She’s a very gentle, simple child, so I know she’ll accept such a gift, but...” He brought his fingers to the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out the velvet-covered box he always kept on his person before opening it and handing it to Hardin. “Let me show you the birthday present she got for me.”
The painter accepted the box and took a good look inside it. “They are very beautiful objects to be sure, but what are they?” he asked, confused.
“Pens.” Alexei chuckled. He’d had more or less the same conversation with the emperor. He gestured for Ivan, who’d been standing quietly in a corner of the room, to bring ink and paper. With a few strokes, he showed Hardin how the glass pens worked. The master painter watched in amazement.
“She came up with the idea and had them made all by herself. This is an entirely new invention—her invention,” Alexei said, his voice thick with pride. “Her pens aren’t just beautiful, they’re also immensely practical. There is no longer a need to sharpen the nib, and a single dip into the ink allows you to write entire sentences in one go. I’ve never seen or heard of a better writing tool.”
“An inventor... I must confess my shock. I never would have thought such a young lady could invent such a thing.”
Had Ekaterina been in the room, she’d have screamed, That’s because I didn’t!!! Soundlessly, of course.
Alexei, however, nodded, “I understand your amazement. Since I’ve received such a wonderful present, I want to give her something that’ll surprise her and make her truly happy. I pondered it at length, and the answer I found was seeking your help, Master Hardin.”
“I see. Your request was a little peculiar, so I couldn’t help but wonder about the circumstances surrounding it. I understand a lot better now.” Hardin paused. “Still... While all can see the young lady’s refined grace at a glance, I had not expected her disarming innocence and spirited nature while we conversed. To think she also possesses such unsuspected talents...”
“She doesn’t know the world, but perhaps that is exactly why such novel ideas occur to her. She’s helped me many times with the governance of the duchy.”
“Is that so?” Hardin paused before whispering, “Maybe... Yes, maybe that is why, I...”
He covered his odd-colored eyes with his hands and stayed still for a moment. “In truth, when I met her, I spied two shadows overlapping with her. One looked just like her, but was smaller, younger than she is. The other was that of an adult woman. I’ve seen such shadows on others in the past, but this is the first time I’ve seen two on a single person.” Hardin had just finished speaking when he realized how impolite he’d been. “I apologize. I shouldn’t speak of such things about a noble lady.”
While Alexei seemed astonished by what he’d just heard, he didn’t blame Hardin for saying it, and he seemed to believe him.
“Were these shadows...ominous?” Alexei asked seriously.