If Diana had been the one to say that, Caleb could have scolded her on the spot, lost his temper, or even kicked her out. But the one who spoke was his father, Dale. Caleb’s face darkened.
Sophie hadn’t seen the painting, but she could guess the gist of it from what they were saying. She clutched Caleb tightly.” Make your father stop,” she urged.
Caleb had no choice but to give his mother a meaningful look. Adeline, feeling extremely awkward, quickly stepped forward. “Alright, Dale, it’s just a painting, Put it away quickly. We still have gifts from Eliza and His Grace to present.”
Dale snorted coldly, thinking to himself, ‘You’re only concerned about losing face now. Why did you do all those things in the first place?’ Instead of blaming Diana, he personally wiped the painting clean and carefully put it away.
Then Dale addressed Eliza and Diana. “When I was young, I saw this painting at the Padilla residence, so I’m familiar with its secrets. I actually liked it back then, but I didn’t have the nerve to ask Mr. Padilla for it.
“Many things have changed since then. I never thought I’d see this painting again. Thank you, Diana, for bringing it here. But my son is uneducated and doesn’t appreciate it. Diana, if you don’t mind, could you give it to me instead? I will definitely show my gratitude.”
As Dale spoke, he glanced at Eliza. Diana was taken aback. She hadn’t realized that the painting she had casually chosen to humiliate Caleb and Sophie was actually a former treasure of the Padilla family.
Diana glanced at Eliza, who was equally stunned, and then quickly apologized to Dale. “Lord Dale, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. But now that I’m aware that this painting was once a part of the Padilla family’s collection, I must take it back and return it to my close friend Eliza. If you want it, you should ask her.”
The painting was stored in the old estate of the Baker family in Hasen City. The Baker family’s old estate was adjacent to the Padilla mansion, and the two families had always been on good terms. It wasn’t unusual for the Baker family to have a few items from the Padilla family.
But Diana had no recollection of this painting. And she knew that her grandfather would have kept all the Padilla family’s belongings safely, not just lying around.
When Diana went to the old estate to pick out some items, she saw this painting out in the open and picked it up on a whim. It was only when she saw a piece of paper introducing the painting in the box that she learned about its origin and its intriguing history.
Because the name Michelangelo was somewhat well–known but not extremely famous, and because the painting was so interesting and perfect for humiliating Caleb and Sophie that day, Diana had brought it out.
Diana hadn’t expected that she would almost give away a painting that belonged to the Padilla family. If her grandfather found out, she would surely be punished. Without hesitation, Diana decided to take it back.
Eliza, on the other hand, knew very little about the Padilla family and hadn’t realized that the painting was once theirs. Since it was from the Padilla family, Eliza naturally didn’t want to give it to Dale.
Then she heard Dale say, “I can help you with the name change.”
Clearly, Dale had heard about Eliza’s plans. He was implying that if Eliza gave him the painting, he would assist her during her name–changing ceremony. It would be ideal for the Marquis’s estate to be on good terms with the Duke’s estate.
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