Oil On Canvas

“P-photo.”This time, Dojin’s reason was quicker than his flustered body. The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and his mind snapped to attention.There were two identical murals—one was damaged, and the other suddenly revealed itself as though mocking Dojin.He grabbed his tablet and quickly took a few photos of the entire scene, then approached the site of the destruction. The fallen partition wall was a big deal, but if it had caused any damage to the real wall beneath it, that would have been an even bigger problem. Dojin, who had been taking pictures of the damaged areas, suddenly stopped pressing the shutter button.“What’s this?”What caught Dojin’s eye between the partition and the real wall was a bright blue art shipping crate.It was a custom box used for shipping artworks abroad or to different locations—something Dojin knew well, made by a specialized company he recognized.‘Why is this here?’Dojin reached his arm between the walls and carefully pulled out the crate. Judging by its size, if there was something inside, it might be a medium-sized canvas, around a 50-number, not too big but not too small either.‘Should I open it?’The hesitation was brief.He didn’t know how long the partition had been in this studio, but at the very least, the crate had likely been sitting between the walls unopened since the partition wall was put up. Despite the care put into making shipping crates, Dojin still felt uneasy.“Better open it. No choice right now.”Once the dust from the partition settled, Dojin opened the crate. Inside was a single piece of artwork, and he carefully took it out.“Ugh, ah.”No, this wasn’t what you would call a painting. The canvas had a large hole in the center—something that could barely be called a painting.The middle was shredded, its form completely lost, with only tatters left.‘Where’s the rest?’Dojin’s eyes darted around quickly. Fortunately or unfortunately, under the crate, there were pieces of torn canvas, haphazardly bunched together.Oil paintings were sensitive to humidity and temperature. If not properly cared for, paintings could tear by themselves. However, that was usually a slight tear, not something like this.“…This isn’t just wear and tear.”The ragged canvas could only be explained by someone wildly slashing it with something sharp.“But why was it put in a crate?”He couldn’t understand. Why would a canvas in such a sorry state, one that no one would pick up even if thrown away, be placed in a crate and hidden behind a partition? It was hard to make sense of it, but in truth, as a restorer, those kinds of questions didn’t matter as much.‘What am I saying?’He’d been so bored of cleaning that he had hoped for a challenge, and now he was staring at this wreck of a painting.There were mountains of other works to take care of, but there was no time to think about that. Dojin quickly shoved the other pieces to the side and gathered the remains of the partition wall. He changed his gloves and laid down soft linen cloths.‘For now, gather everything.’Dojin took out the scraps of canvas that had fallen beneath the crate and carefully laid them out one by one. Soft cream, brown, sky blue, and pink canvas pieces began to appear.‘Check the condition.’It was a habit for Dojin to take pictures. Taking photos was part of documenting the painting’s pre-restoration condition and writing a report—basically, the starting point of the restoration process. At this point, Dojin couldn’t even tell what the original artwork was. The fact that there was still a piece of canvas stuck to a wooden frame without damage was the only lucky thing.“A puzzle with no original pieces…”This was the first time he’d seen a painting in this condition.As Dojin took photos furiously of the torn canvas, his hand slowed for a moment.‘Does Signora know this is here?’Then came the more important question.‘Is this really my job?’It was a simple question. Strictly speaking, no, Signora probably never expected a painting like this to be here.‘If she knew, she wouldn’t have left it like this.’While the other artworks had damage like a minor cold, this one was like an accident victim—severe, like a trauma patient.‘Whatever it is, I need to finish it quickly.’Signora’s earlier words rang in his ears.If he started this, the restoration of the other works would be on hold. It wasn’t something that could be finished in a day or two. Restoring a piece in this condition, with the canvas torn to pieces, would take at least three to four months, and some works could take 10, 20 years to restore. Restoration could take as long as needed.‘Why does it have to be this way?’Why work on something that wasn’t even part of his job? Especially with so much else to do?But Dojin didn’t stop taking photos. The urge to ignore it, the emotions bubbling up inside him, were starting to burn.‘I want to do this.’That drive to challenge himself. The same stubborn challenge that had kept him awake every night in Italy, working until his eyes were ringed with dark circles, now rose up again.‘If I just put in a bit more time here, it might be okay, right?’It was a strange kind of rationalization. Even if someone thought he was crazy, honestly, they wouldn’t be wrong.There was so much work to be done, and he had even broken someone’s wall. His arms were sore, yet he was still about to dive into a new restoration project. No matter how he looked at it, it wasn’t normal.Zing—zing—zing—Just as he was finishing up with the photos, a buzzing sound broke the silence in the studio. It was Nadia, who had sent a message around lunchtime. Dojin hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone.“Ah, uh. How’s it going?”― Do I really have to make you contact me?“Sorry, I’ve been kind of out of it. Nadia, how are you?”― How are you doing over there? You’re not fired, are you?Dojin had forgotten that Nadia had connections everywhere. Even though Italy was big, in the art world—especially in the restoration field—it was small. Once you were connected, everyone knew everyone else.“Well, I haven’t been fired, though. It might look like it, but…”“That’s not it… What have you heard?”― There’s a lot to hear. I heard you had a showdown with Signora Orsini?“I didn’t have a showdown with her.”― Then why are there all these ridiculous rumors going around?“That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s nonsense. It’s not true.”― Really? But if that’s the case, why is everyone saying you got fired? Even your colleagues are in an uproar. It was a huge deal when you left Uffizi.“I didn’t leave by my own choice. It was just a job change.”― Forget it. Everyone here wants to see you. After you left, they hired two more for the oil painting section. Do you know that Massimo started memorizing your name after you left? He’d mention your name and tell the new guys to work like you did, then one of the new hires ended up crying and quitting.“Oh my…”Dojin had no idea how to respond to the barrage of words coming from Nadia.To be honest, Nadia’s call wasn’t the best timing. With the collapsed wall, the torn canvas, and so many paintings exposed to dust and neglect—Dojin was right in the middle of the nightmare of restorers, wondering how he was going to fix this mess.“Uh, Nadia. Hold on a sec…”Dojin was about to say that he’d call her back later when his eyes fell on the remains of the wall he had destroyed.“Nadia, you said your uncle works at an art appraisal institute, right?”Dojin’s eyes lit up with sudden realization.After a short call, Dojin exhaled a long breath.His mind, overwhelmed and unable to think clearly, began to give rise to suspicions he had pushed aside as not his concern.‘Why would someone go to the trouble of making a fake wall?’A fake wall, made with the exact same structure, with a torn canvas hidden between them.‘If they made the fake wall on purpose…’The reason was probably simple—the need for that small gap. If that’s the case, then the torn painting must have been valuable enough to warrant the effort to create a fake mural.“Ugh, crap.”Dojin carefully turned the canvas around. The wooden frame was old, and it didn’t support the canvas properly. Overall, the condition was a mess. The frame needed to be replaced, and the canvas needed to be re-tensioned with wedges.But Dojin didn’t just inspect the back of the canvas for that reason.“Normally, there would be a signature here, or a certificate of authenticity, or at least a record of the transaction.”But there was nothing on the back of the canvas. There was a smudge of black stain as if the paint had been applied wrongly, but that was it. Dojin turned the canvas back around. The remaining sections of the canvas revealed blue and clear sky blue.A color so vivid it almost smelled of fish, yet brilliantly shimmering—water.“Water?”It felt strange to say it out loud, but Dojin couldn’t shake the thought. He examined the tattered pieces of canvas again, those that were so shredded it was hard to make sense of them.“Wait a second.”An absurd idea crossed his mind. He collected a few pieces that seemed to be green, pink, and cream-colored and pieced them together in his hands.‘Why is this…?’It was a foolish thought, one that came out of nowhere, but strangely, the pieces fit together to form the shape Dojin had hoped for.‘Green eyes, lips, a… mouth.’It was hard to say for certain because of the damage, but it looked like the face of a woman. Young, not smiling, with some sort of gloom, a sense of detachment.‘This is just a guess, though.’This must be Marisa’s studio. And the painting that had shaken the art world and earned Marisa Orsini the reputation of being a “madwoman” was the disappearance of that painting.“Or…”If the painting hadn’t disappeared…But that was an absurd thought.Because there was no way it would have been Bae Dojin who found it.‘At Marisa’s place, there was a painting with a woman’s face, torn apart, with green eyes.’But if we’re talking about possibilities, the signs Dojin had pointed to a much easier conclusion.‘The phone number…’The phone number written on the note in the studio. With that, he could probably talk to Signora.No, it was strange to even be considering it. His heart raced as though it might leap out of his chest. Fumbling, Dojin finally found the note and dialed the number.‘If I tell someone about this, they’ll…”A commotion would break out. He imagined it vividly in his mind, the chaos, the uproar that would follow. His fingers trembled uncontrollably.‘If I tell them…’Just before hitting the call button, Dojin’s finger paused mid-air.‘I can’t do this.’If he told someone, he would never get a chance like this again. After all, the only reason Dojin had been given this task wasn’t because he was an extraordinary restorer.Back when he was in school, at Uffizi, Dojin had heard endlessly that he was a talented restorer. But was he really skilled enough to restore a masterpiece this damaged on his own?It wasn’t just a matter of skill.An inexperienced, young, Asian man.People would never give Dojin a proper chance. It wasn’t about complaining or being sad—it was just the truth.‘If I say something… I’ll never get this job again.’That thought kept spinning in Dojin’s mind.It wasn’t just ambition. It was reckless greed. Vanity, whatever it was. He knew it was too much, but it made his insides churn. In the end, Dojin pressed the call button. The monotonous sound of the dial tone continued.‘Please pick up.’He wanted to spill everything out. If Signora picked up, she would find the best restorer to restore this painting, and would probably spend tens of thousands of dollars to have it done.Dojin would then follow Signora’s orders, continuing to clean smaller, less notable paintings to gain experience.The natural course of things.However, the person on the other end of the phone did not pick up.Dojin pressed his chest. He could feel his heartbeat clearly.‘This isn’t right, Bae Dojin. This is exactly what you’re afraid of.’He heard words in his head that he wasn’t even sure were his own. But the greater feeling was an arrogant confidence, as though he could do it. From the moment he discovered the painting, Dojin knew exactly what choice he would make.A collaboration between two of the 20th century’s most notorious scandal-makers.A work that had never been shown to the public, never photographed, and had become a legend solely through word of mouth. A painting said to have been torn up and thrown into a canal just before a painter, jealous of its greatness, committed suicide.A work that disappeared with the names of the two most famous painters of the 20th century and the name of an Italian noble family.Dojin clenched his fist, then opened it, switching on his tablet. He squeezed his hand tight and exhaled. He opened the condition report form, attached a few photos he had taken, and wrote the artist and title of the painting.[Batista Soroya, presumed to be “The Play of Water.”]* * *He couldn’t sleep.Though he hadn’t had a cup of coffee, his mind was alert. It felt like he had just won the lottery, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave the studio.‘What if someone suddenly comes in and takes the painting?’He knew it was an odd thought, but he couldn’t stop it. So, Dojin lay down on the sofa downstairs. He could see the bedroom inside, but he couldn’t just randomly sleep in the bed.“After I stitch it up.”Dojin stared at his tablet’s screen with bleary eyes. There were already several drafts on the screen, adjusted in various directions.“…You have to have seen it before to match it properly.”The problem was that the original of the painting wasn’t known.While he could roughly guess the position from the shape of the canvas fragments, even if he fit the pieces together, there seemed to be a bit more space than expected.Even if he put everything together, there would still be gaps in the canvas. And then, there was the problem of how to fill those spaces.‘It might not even be that painting, but…’His blood seemed to be racing too fast. He tried to think about something other than The Play of Water, but his runaway imagination mocked his hesitation. He needed to send Nadia the samples, a few tiny paint layers and canvas threads, and even some wall fragments he’d scraped off.‘I need to get some sleep.’Dojin tried to close his eyes, thinking about all the things he would need to do tomorrow.“Why won’t you pick up?”Waking from a light sleep, Dojin immediately tried calling the number Signora had left him. He had planned to take a few days off from Cà D’oro to focus on the cleaning.‘Angelo and Lorenzo are probably going to make a fuss.’Angelo would probably ask him to come in because the oil painting section was short-staffed. Lorenzo, on the other hand, would probably just want to annoy him by calling him in.Although the Italians didn’t say anything about taking time off, neither Angelo nor Lorenzo seemed to have the best feelings towards Dojin.‘If Signora tells them, they’ll listen.’It had seemed like a decent strategy, but it was turning out to be a failure.‘Why won’t they pick up?’This was the third time he had called. The ringing sound continued, but there was no response. With no other choice, he contacted Angelo, Lorenzo, and even Gemma, but received the same result.‘Is there an issue with their phones?’If it wasn’t the phones, maybe there was a problem with the local cell tower, but Dojin always paid his phone bill on time.It was already a little past work hours, so he reluctantly sent messages to Angelo, Lorenzo, and Gemma.[It’s Bae. I’ve been feeling a bit unwell since yesterday, so I’m taking the day off. I tried calling, but no one answered, so please confirm.]Despite sending the messages, no one had read them. He’d also sent an email to the HR department, but there was still no response.‘It should be fine, right? I think they said I don’t need a doctor’s note for up to three days.’He felt uneasy, but since the messages had been sent, he hoped someone would get back to him later. Dojin put his phone away and quickly left the house.After dropping off the samples he needed to send to Nadia, Dojin quickly grabbed something to eat and returned. He was gone for less than twenty minutes, but his heart was still racing.“There it is.”He rushed back up to the studio, and the torn painting was exactly where he had left it. It was a relief, even though it should have been obvious.Dojin closed the door carefully and went downstairs. He poured himself some orange juice and ate a bit of pound cake that he had bought at the store. He would need to focus on restoration soon, but he didn’t want to break his concentration by being hungry.‘I have to make sure everything is perfect.’He needed to record everything—threads and needles, canvas pieces, paint. Every detail had to be documented.Later, if it turned out that the painting was truly Batista Soroya’s, people would criticize the inexperienced, young Asian restorer for starting the restoration without permission.Dojin chewed his food quickly, thinking about the restoration process.‘First, I should stitch together the parts I can, focusing on the parts that are certain. No, I’ll have to remove the wooden frame first and preserve that separately. It’ll go to a museum later.’In his mind, it was a flawless plan. He reviewed it to make sure everything was correct, and as he concentrated on that, he stopped paying attention to everything else.For example, the sound of a key turning.The sound of an iron door opening.“Why…”When Dojin turned around, it was already too late.He didn’t even have the chance to scream as his heart seemed to drop into his stomach.“I keep seeing you in strange places, Dojin.”It was Luca Orsini. Again.He looked surprised. He took only a few steps before approaching Dojin. Dojin, who had risen awkwardly from his seat, closed his mouth, unable to speak. His head felt foggy, likely because he hadn’t slept properly.“Hmm? Dojin.”Luca Orsini reached out toward Dojin.For a moment, Dojin thought he was going to hit him or, at the very least, grab him by the collar.Because he had hidden the discovery of The Play of Water. How did Luca Orsini know, and why was he here?‘That’s it!’Dojin’s shoulders tensed, but the long fingers of the man lightly touched his lips. He placed his middle finger just below his chin and lightly ran his thumb around the area near his lips.Dojin, who had been staring wide-eyed, only then realized that Luca had brushed the crumbs of pound cake from the corner of his mouth.“T-thank you…”“Rather than thanking me, I’d prefer if you explained this situation to me.”The man, having quickly withdrawn his hand from Dojin’s face, had an unreadable expression. He was closer than Dojin expected, and his green eyes, which Dojin had to look up to meet, were cold. Dojin thought of Signora’s warning to keep the secret. But it was impossible to explain his presence here while still keeping the secret.“I heard Dojin works in the restoration room in the mornings.”“Well, today… I’m not feeling well…”“If you’re not feeling well, why are you here?”His tone was both elegant and relentless. There was no room for defense, and any excuse would sound hollow.The best defense Dojin could muster was an offensive one.“I’m sorry, but… I don’t think you have the right to ask.”“Is that so?”“As far as I know, this isn’t… Mr. Orsini’s house.”“Ha.”A short laugh echoed softly.Seeing Luca Orsini with a chilling expression made Dojin’s throat tighten. If he could just get past this situation, Signora would handle everything. Dojin lowered his gaze as much as he could.“You must have known that this property belongs to our family when you came in.”As he spoke, Luca took out his phone.“Whether or not you have the right to be here, I think the police would know better than me. No, I’m sure the police would be qualified to ask. I’ll just listen in from here.”“W-wait a minute.”In a panic, Dojin grabbed Luca’s arm.It should have been obvious. If there were an intruder in a family-owned house, normal people would naturally call the police. But the fact that Luca was talking about reporting Dojin to the police was a huge shock to him.They had exchanged a few words, he had teased him a little, and they were acquainted. Was that all it took?‘This is insane.’Luca’s arrogant gaze seemed to pierce through him, as if daring him to explain why he was here. Dojin could only provide a partial truth.“If you ask Signora Orsini, she’ll explain it.”“I’d rather not.”Luca Orsini’s mouth twisted as if he had heard an unpleasant joke. In a panic, Dojin quickly added:“It’s just… that it’s a matter only Signora can explain.”“Exactly what…?”Instead of finishing his sentence, Luca scanned Dojin from top to bottom. His gaze was one of suspicion, making Dojin feel more and more anxious.“Is there some sort of problem…?”“Are you asking because you don’t know?”“Pardon? What…?”“The grandmother won’t be able to explain anymore.”“W-why…?”“She passed away early this morning.”Dojin tried to laugh. He assumed it was some strange joke. But Luca didn’t look like he was joking.‘Really?’He had just seen Signora not long ago, and she had told him without hesitation to speed up the restoration work. Other than looking a little tired, Signora hadn’t seemed any different than usual.“Seems like you didn’t hear. It was a heart issue. The ambulance was late. It’s like this around here.”Dojin stared at him, wide-eyed.Luca’s face showed nothing but a faint sense of exhaustion and mild irritation—there was no trace of humor to be found.“Even if she wasn’t great, she was still my grandmother. So, right now, I’m not feeling too good.”A thin sigh escaped Luca’s smooth lips.“So, Dojin. I’m asking you, can’t you come up with something more plausible than using the dead as an excuse?”Luca’s tone carried a light annoyance but also a weighty pressure. Dojin felt like a mouse in front of a cat.Signora was dead.That explained why the staff at Cà D’oro hadn’t been reachable. There must have been chaos, and they were probably gossiping, unaware that Dojin hadn’t come in for work.“Umm…”It was a secret agreement between Dojin and Signora.There was no one other than Dojin who could prove that he was working here under Signora’s orders.‘Damn it.’In the end, Dojin only had one choice left.To reveal the secret. There was no one left to ask him to keep it anyway. With great difficulty, Dojin opened his mouth.“There’s… a painting…”His voice came out strangely strained, like something had been stuck in his throat.“A painting?”“Yes. There are paintings here, and Signora assigned me the task of cleaning them.”“Do you know whose house this is?”“W-well, kind of.”The man’s voice changed, softening as though he were comforting a child. It felt like a sticky trap, and Dojin found that even more ominous.“Isn’t this… Marisa’s Orsini house?”“Yeah. That’s right. If you knew that much, you should have thought about it more, Dojin.”Luca Orsini tapped Dojin’s temple lightly with his long index finger.‘What is this?’Not understanding what he meant, Dojin missed the chance to brush off the blatantly dismissive touch. Luca leaned in slightly and met Dojin’s gaze.“I was willing to be deceived.”Lush green. His eyes, bathed in light, were so bright they almost seemed eerie as they stared at Dojin. It was hard to breathe.“What do you mean…?”“There are no paintings here, Dojin. They’ve all been moved to the Marisa Foundation a long time ago.”Dojin recalled hearing something about the Marisa Foundation from Gemma before. He also remembered hearing how Luca Orsini had gotten into trouble because of his connection with the foundation. The man’s expression when he mentioned it didn’t look too pleased.“So, Dojin…”“There are paintings.”The words came out urgently. The situation had already become tangled, and Dojin didn’t want to make it worse.“It’s on the top floor, the studio at the very top.”“Dojin. The top floor has been closed off for a long time. The paintings that were up there have been sold separately.”“It may have been closed before, but not anymore. The paintings are still there.”The words came out almost like a plea. Luca stared at Dojin, his gaze penetrating, as if testing him. But Dojin couldn’t back down now. He met Luca’s eyes with resolve.The silence stretched on.Just as Dojin was about to say something, Luca’s gaze shifted, as though something caught his interest.“Then let’s go up.”“Pardon?”“Prove that there are paintings.”Luca didn’t look like he trusted Dojin. It almost seemed like he was offering a chance, but the words “willing to be deceived” hung in the air, leaving Dojin uncertain about Luca’s intentions.“No…”Then, the obstacle he hadn’t dared to think about before came rushing back to him.It was like trying to balance one stone on top of another after removing the bottom one.He had said there were paintings upstairs to avoid being accused of trespassing, but now those same paintings were the problem.‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to go to the top floor right now.’The studio looked more like a construction site due to the damaged fresco.And what about the torn Play of Water painting?Dojin realized that Luca might not immediately recognize it as The Play of Water. Dojin himself had only guessed what it was after noticing the fake wall, the crates hidden with effort, and after closely observing the details.‘But he is from the Orsini family.’Someone from the Orsini family must have seen The Play of Water in its original state before Marisa’s death. If Luca discovered The Play of Water, he wouldn’t leave the restoration work to Dojin.“It’s… not possible right now.”“Not possible?”“It’s not that it’s impossible, but could you wait for a moment…?”At least until he could tidy up The Play of Water a little.“Patience is a good virtue, Dojin.”Luca’s tone was impeccably polite. But in that politeness, Dojin realized that the man had been giving him a lot of leeway up until now.“You need to choose the right time and place, though.”For a moment, Luca’s mask slipped, and his true, raw expression was revealed. It was chillingly aristocratic and cold.“Not just that.”“Dojin, to anyone else, it would look like you’re trespassing on someone else’s property, and I don’t trust you yet. So, you say there are paintings upstairs, but you can’t go up right now?”“It might sound strange…”“Then what do you want to do with me right now?”Luca Orsini’s low voice was slow, but chillingly cold.‘What do I do?’In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Dojin’s mind. Every time he tried to wriggle out of the situation, things seemed to escalate. The secrets were stacking on top of each other. It seemed like the best option now would be to reveal one completely.“I have proof that Signora hired me to work here.”It wasn’t exactly something to be proud of, so Dojin had tried to delay mentioning it as long as possible. But there was no other choice now.If Luca Orsini was going to trust him, he needed to show proof that Signora had hired him.The family’s signet ring was something Dojin couldn’t even carry because it made him feel too nervous. He had kept it in a small safe inside his home along with his passport and bankbook.At this point, if Luca Orsini found out about it, he would probably accuse Dojin of stealing it.Right now, Dojin’s only card was the secretly recorded conversation with Signora.‘This might be a terrible move, but…’He knew that someone like Luca Orsini, who was so aristocratic, would find it repulsive to be confronted with such evidence. It would surely paint him as someone low and sneaky, the kind who secretly records conversations. But if that was the only way to stop him from going to the top floor right now, there was no other choice.“Then you’ll see that I didn’t break in illegally.”“I’m not sure how impressive that evidence is, Dojin.”Before Dojin could press play on the recording on his phone, Luca stopped him. The man’s large hand grabbed Dojin’s forearm.“If, as you say, there are paintings upstairs, you can show them to me. It would be simple. So, why is it that you can’t go up right now?”There was an edge to his voice, rough and impatient, and it made Dojin’s face harden.‘What is this?’It was strange. Dojin hadn’t known Luca Orsini for long. They had only met a few times, and Dojin didn’t consider himself good at reading people. But Luca’s rough grab of his arm felt completely out of character.Why?‘Why is he suddenly acting so threatening?’Moreover, he had promised not even to need to go up the stairs to prove the contract.Dojin, who had been too focused on defending himself, finally paid attention to Luca’s behavior. It seemed Luca didn’t actually want the “simple” proof that Dojin had mentioned. The man who had talked about patience was the one who seemed to have the least of it. Oddly enough.“Does Mr. Orsini… mean that you’ll believe me if I show you the paintings?”“I think you’ve said that a few times already.”“Mr. Orsini…”Dojin suddenly realized something.What was important to Luca right now wasn’t that Dojin was in this space. The fact that it was part of a contract with Signora wasn’t important to him either.“Even if you and Signora didn’t get along, why are you still here on the day your grandmother passed away?”Dojin lightly brushed off the hand Luca had placed on his forearm. There was a faint, subtle disturbance on Luca’s face.It was the sign that Dojin had been looking for.“Did you come here to sneak something out before anything happens here?”There were paintings here that Luca didn’t even know about. At least, paintings that were valuable enough to warrant restoration and cleaning.That fact was probably what mattered most to Luca right now. The moment he realized there were paintings in the Orsini house, his goal had shifted.He probably wanted to see those paintings, and who knows what else he might want to do with them.“Since I mentioned there are paintings, I assume now you need them. Whether or not I have a contract with Signora, it seems like it’s not really important to you anymore.”“Hah.”“Isn’t that right?”Dojin said this and sat down. He hoped it would be interpreted as him saying he wouldn’t move according to Luca’s will.Though, honestly, his legs were shaking.“Right. That’s accurate.”Saying that, Luca smiled, releasing a breath like he was laughing away something he had been holding back. It was a refreshing laugh, as though Dojin’s words were ridiculously funny.‘What the hell?’Luca’s reaction was so far from what Dojin expected, it left him stunned. He stared at the man’s innocent, almost out-of-place grin like an audience member watching a strange show. After laughing for a while, Luca rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand.“Then let’s go up now. To the top floor. Otherwise, Dojin might not be able to stay here much longer. I have a tendency to be… more lowly than you think.”“Lowly? I don’t think that’s something to brag about.”Behind that large smile, Luca’s eyes softened just a little, enough for Dojin to notice. However, Bae Dojin was already too upset to care. He still trembled under the pressure Luca was emitting, but now he also felt a rebellious defiance rising within him.‘What the hell am I scared of right now?’If there was something bothering Dojin, it was probably his own ambition. The desire to fix what was broken, the noble heart of a doctor caring for a patient. Of course, that patient was a major figure, so Dojin’s ambition was growing. But it didn’t feel entirely honorable, especially given his personal limitations.But Luca Orsini was acting like a hyena, prowling around, looking for any scraps to take for himself, even though this wasn’t even his home. And on the very day his grandmother died.‘What a complete scumbag.’If they were going to be judged ethically, there was no question that Dojin had the moral high ground. No matter how you looked at it, Luca was the one who deserved reproach.“What if I don’t want to take you to the studio right now? You said I could show you the paintings, but I can’t just show them to you on a whim, not after someone told me I could take those paintings.”“I guess you could always report me to the police and go up alone. I don’t know how impressive your evidence is, but even if you have it, it’s worth thinking about which side the police will take.”A petty person.And Dojin had no intention of losing to a petty person.“If you could do that…”At this point, it was a matter of survival.“Wouldn’t you have already done that?”Dojin lifted his head, glaring at the man. His thoughts were spinning faster than ever.At first, he had only wanted to restore The Play of Water, and in order to do that, he had to stop Luca Orsini from seeing it. But now, the need to resist Luca’s arrogant and petty threats outweighed everything else.“You said the studio has been closed for a long time, and if you didn’t know it had been reopened, that means you don’t know how it was opened or what kind of setup is in place. But I do.”“You want to say that without you, I won’t be able to get into the studio?”“Yes.”“But didn’t Dojin lie to me quite a bit?”It wasn’t a question.The way Luca brought it up, as though bringing up something they both were embarrassed about, annoyed Dojin. It wasn’t that Dojin didn’t know this, but Luca had a talent for subtly provoking him.“Why should I believe that you’re the one who’s needed just to get into the studio?”“If you don’t believe me, go check it for yourself.”“I don’t know what you’re trying to hide.”Saying that, Luca placed his hand on Dojin’s hair. When Dojin tried to shake his head to remove the hand, Luca brushed his bangs to the side, gently removing his hand.It was subtle, almost kind, yet humiliating at the same time.It felt strange. As though Luca had seen right through him.Despite the fact that Dojin was in the more favorable position, it felt like Luca knew every move he was going to make. Or at least, it seemed like Luca could predict a few steps ahead.“If you say it’s not possible now, it probably means it will be possible later. That would mean you’re hiding or trying to hide something.”“Pardon