episode_0070

“……”

Yang Yeon-hwi blinked her eyes a few times.

Her reflection in the mirror blinked as well.

A slight sense of unease.

A shiver ran down her spine.

But it must be a misunderstanding.

It was her first time entering this room and looking at this mirror today.

Perhaps she felt this way because she had been staring at the mirror absentmindedly for a while.

It was a strange mirror.

It had a strange pull as if it could suck her in.

There didn’t seem to be anything particularly special about it at first glance.

Except that it was very large, taking up one side of the room, and the surface was so clean that it reflected very well.

“Hoo.”

Yang Yeon-hwi exhaled a short breath and tore her gaze away from the mirror.

There was no time to waste.

She had to get to work now before it was too late to finish.

She first laid a canvas flat on the floor.

On top of it, she placed a piece of drawing paper.

She pressed it down with a blue-green paperweight to secure it in place.

On the right side, she placed a brush stand and brushes of various thicknesses hanging on it.

On the left, she placed small containers of various colored pigments.

She neatly arranged the pigments used for mixing with water and an inkstone dropper filled with water.

These various colored pigments were her essential tools for painting.

Yang Yeon-hwi, who was praised for her beautiful and colorful paintings, had no equal in using colors.

That’s why color was an essential core for her.

Perhaps she was the only painter in the world who used such a variety of colors.

That’s why she even heard the saying, “There is no color that painting cannot express in the world.”

The painting she would create today with her mysterious and colorful skills.

It was her self-portrait.

“Hmm….”

Yang Yeon-hwi looked at the blank drawing paper and her face became lost in thought for a moment.

If it were someone else’s painting, she had certainly painted many.

If you didn’t know how to draw a person properly, you couldn’t even be a half-baked painter.

But she had never painted a picture of herself.

It was because she didn’t feel like it.

But now she had to do something she didn’t feel like doing.

Because the painting requested by Goeui was her self-portrait.

-It is a painting that you will give as a return to the Gold Dragon Master who has saved your life. He does not desire a famous painter’s self-portrait in the world, so I am specifically requesting your self-portrait. Please do it.

The words she heard from Goeui.

She understood how things were going.

She didn’t know why the Gold Dragon Master wanted his self-portrait, but since she had a great debt to him this time, it was only right to give a proper gift.

Thinking that way, her reluctance to paint a self-portrait decreased a bit.

Anyway, for the sake of the celestial medicine, her feelings were not important.

“Hmm.”

Yang Yeon-hwi looked at the mirror once again.

She had to pose first.

What pose would be good?

She pondered for a moment, and suddenly a passing thought crossed her mind.

A pose that was as natural as possible.

A dignified and proper posture as usual would be good.

Her expression should be subtly smiling.

Yes, this is good.

She was definitely pleased with it.

With a determined mind, Yang Yeon-hwi struck a pose in front of the mirror.

She had a slight smile on her lips.

Anyone who saw it would see the graceful and elegant figure of a beauty in the mirror.

She might not think of her beauty to that extent herself.

Nevertheless, Yang Yeon-hwi thoroughly memorized the image in the mirror in her mind.

She had a remarkable talent for reproducing the image in her memory on the drawing paper.

It wasn’t just for nothing that she was praised as a painter.

“….Then.”

Finally, Yang Yeon-hwi picked up the brush.

Everything was ready.

Swish, swish.

The brush moved smoothly across the paper.

A gentle stroke, not forceful but precise and detailed.

It seemed flawless, with a touch that evoked admiration.

The inspired hand paused at one point.

Right at the chest.

“Hmm…”

Yang Yeon-hwi pondered.

She knew, of course.

That her chest was larger than the average woman’s.

Her large chest was honestly bothersome.

It was a hindrance, standing out too much no matter what she did.

Ironically, this also applied when drawing self-portraits.

Her chest was so large that realistically depicting it would unbalance the overall harmony of the picture.

But…

“…I guess it’s better to depict it as it is.”

For some reason, that seemed like the right choice.

Especially as a gesture of gratitude to the Golden Dragon Lord who specifically requested her self-portrait.

A natural self-portrait, not an exaggerated one, was the best way to go.

Swish.

Yang Yeon-hwi moved the brush again.

Even though she was covered in clothes, she realistically depicted her unmistakably large chest.

Once she started drawing the chest, her pace quickened.

Before she knew it, the outline was complete.

Now it was time to add color.

Coloring was Yang Yeon-hwi’s specialty.

She filled the paper with colors that were realistic yet subtly vibrant.

***

“Phew.”

Taking a breath, Yang Yeon-hwi set the brush down for now.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Drawing may seem like a quiet activity, but it required both mental and physical stamina.

Especially for those like her who poured all their concentration into it.

That’s why both mental and physical fatigue weighed heavily on her.

But she couldn’t rest just yet.

Her self-portrait was finished, but one final task remained.

Adding the signature.

Engraving the signature was crucial and important.

It was necessary to prove who had created the artwork.

Yang Yeon-hwi picked up the brush for the signature.

Dipping it in ink, she moved the brush to the empty space at the bottom of the drawing.

-Hwasun.

She wrote that first.

She considered it a title that was hard to bear, but she couldn’t ignore the feelings of the owner.

For those who valued the worth of “a painting by Hwasun,” omitting the title was unimaginable.

-Yang Yeon-hwi.

Next was her name, a given.

-Woonjoonggak.

The place where it was painted.

-Date

The year, month, and day.

Then the brush stopped.

She pondered the reason for the painting.

In truth, it wasn’t necessary.

Normally, she would have left it out.

But this time, it seemed fitting to include the reason for the painting in the signature.

-Gratitude.

In the end, she wrote that.

It meant showing gratitude and appreciation.

Simple yet appropriate.

Lastly, she had to specify who the painting was for.

This was probably…

-The Golden Dragon Lord.

Yang Yeon-hwi wrote that as the final entry.

She had considered writing “Monster” instead, but since the Monster had clearly stated that it was a painting for the Golden Dragon Lord, this was the right choice.

“Done.”

With all the work completed, she finally felt at ease.

Now she could take the medicine and return to the Upper Realm.

Yang Yeon-hwi’s expression looked light.

***

Rustle.

Bang So-woon unfolded the drawing she received.

“Wow.”

She exclaimed as soon as she saw it.

The figures in the drawing seemed so lifelike, as if they would come alive any moment.

The overwhelming sense of vitality was fully captured in the artwork.

But that wasn’t all.

The description of colors was vivid and striking.

It felt natural, with no hint of discord or awkwardness.

Yet, there was a subtle splendor that delighted the eyes.

Even though it was a self-portrait, the level of skill displayed was impressive.

“Excellent. Truly excellent. Very impressive,” exclaimed Bang So-woon repeatedly.

The paintings seen so far were so remarkable that it was hard to even call them paintings, as the difference in skill level was immediately noticeable.

“Haha, I agree, my lord. Especially that part is wonderful,” Jang Il said with a smile, pointing to a part with remarkable curves that were not hidden by the clothes.

Bang So-woon chuckled in agreement, a knowing smile on his face.

“Your face is also beautiful.”

A graceful beauty with a natural elegance, even the slight smile was a sight to behold.

“It perfectly captures your usual appearance for the slave auction.”

Jang Il smirked.

He wouldn’t include any vulgar nudity in the slave auction paintings.

That would be quite boring.

The contrast between the natural appearance and the trance-induced slave appearance was what mattered most.

A woman who smiled naturally as if she didn’t know her fate, her smile still present even in her usual appearance.

How this woman transformed in different paintings was the key element that maximized visual and situational impact.

“Haha, that’s right,” Bang So-woon said with a satisfied expression.

Yang Yeon-hwi didn’t just paint a self-portrait.

He painted the first self-portrait to be included in his slave auction.

He even wrote his nickname and name as the artist.

The situation itself sparked an exciting thrill.

“Your skill is very satisfying, so let’s continue like this.”

“How so?”

“It would be good to add more paintings for the slave auction. After all, isn’t a picture more provocative than words?”

“That sounds good, my lord. The existing ones felt a bit lacking, so with the incredible luck of obtaining such a talented painter, it should be more than possible.”

“Haha, then let’s decide on the next painting.”

Rushing in all at once wasn’t ideal.

It was much better for the woman who started at the top to gradually fall in the paintings.

Especially if one were to enjoy the paintings later.

As the depth of the trance increased gradually, the plan would proceed smoothly and steadily.

Furthermore, it would take some time for the drug to take effect on the ears anyway.

There was no need to rush until the time was ripe.

They could take their time and wait while doing things thoroughly.

“In my opinion, that is.”

And so, Bang So-woon and Jang Il engaged in a pleasant discussion about the next painting.