Chapter 58

After that, life with Cloa began.

Cloa was bewildered by the forest, but she followed our instructions for the time being.

...The horses seemed to be very interested in Cloa. The winged horses approached her affectionately, and the unicorns... well, some of them were a bit wary, standing with their horns at the ready, but others approached Cloa closely. After about ten days, most of the unicorns seemed to have accepted Cloa's presence, though some still kept their distance. Some of the unicorns had apparently taken a real liking to Cloa.

For the time being, I decided to let Cloa use the guest room in my house. And... when Cloa first came to the forest, I took her to Laocles' house, where she had tea with Fay and Laocles. During that time, I went back home under the pretext of "tidying up the house a bit" and added another guest room to my house.

...Why? Because it's better for Laocles to be in the same house.

If Cloa is to be guarded, it's better for Laocles to be with her all the time, and it's better for Cloa to be with Laocles all the time. That's why I added the room.

Thinking it would be reassuring, I then proceeded to draw Cloa continuously.

I was still a bit nervous about drawing her in the nude, so I drew her in clothes.

However, if she wore the same clothes all the time, it would be a problem for Cloa, so Fay bought a variety of women's clothing in town. Cloa's living supplies were mainly provided by Fay and the maids at Fay's house. I was very grateful.

...And so, Cloa got used to the forest, and by the time two weeks had passed, she seemed to have settled in.

"Well, then, I'll be counting on you today."

And today, for the first time, I drew Cloa outdoors.

...Of course, it's not a nude portrait, but a regular one. I drew on watercolor paper with transparent watercolors, as usual.

Until now, I had only drawn indoors. I had her sit on the sofa or lie on the bed, wanting her to be in a comfortable position.

But today, it's outdoors. The background is the forest! Cloa's vivid emerald eyes stand out beautifully against it.

"Is this okay?"

"Yes, just like that for a bit..."

Today, I'm drawing Cloa sitting in the forest. I laid a sheet of cloth on the soft grass and had Cloa sit on it. Just by doing that, some of the unicorns started to sit next to her, and the winged horses came over, flapping their wings curiously, so I included them in the picture.

"Then, please don't move for 20 minutes."

"Yes, I understand."

Then, Cloa stayed still for 20 minutes.

...For someone who isn't a professional model or someone like Laocles, who has trained their muscles and stamina, staying still for 20 minutes is very difficult.

At first, Cloa seemed to struggle after about 5 minutes, so I would stop and take a break.

However, after a week of continuous drawing, Cloa seemed to have gotten used to it. Now, she can stay still for about 20 minutes, and thanks to that, I can roughly sketch in 20 minutes, refine the sketch during Cloa's break, and then have her pose again to correct the sketch...

"Thank you. Please take a break."

When I finished the rough sketch and said that, Cloa immediately relaxed and took a deep breath.

"Phew... I thought I was getting used to it, but staying still is still difficult."

A horse approached Cloa, who looked a bit tired. I think it was a way of saying, "Good job."

"I'm sorry for making you do something so difficult."

"No, it's fine."

Cloa smiled and then stood up, coming over to me. She then peered at the watercolor paper I had been drawing on.

"I'm looking forward to the finished piece."

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it too. Cloa chuckled... and then suddenly said,

"...Still, I'm amazed you don't get bored."

"I could never get bored of drawing you."

"That's nice to hear, but... haven't you been getting enough sleep? The painting you were working on yesterday was finished this morning..."

Yeah, well, that's...

I finished a painting that was almost done, so I stayed up all night. I didn't realize it was morning until I looked at the clock. But I think it's fine.

"...How many have you drawn in these two weeks?"

"Well, one watercolor and about three pencil sketches. And then some sketches... let's see."

I flipped through the sketchbook, and most of the pages were filled. Yeah, I drew a lot.

"Do you want to ask again? Don't you get bored?"

"No."

I nodded firmly at the slightly puzzled Cloa. I can say with certainty that I will never get bored of drawing her.

"It's just so educational... the curves and the way the muscles are less defined than Laocles, making it easier and more fun to understand."

"Hmm, that might be true."

Laocles is... a mass of bones and muscles, so it's hard to understand the feel of fat. The shadows created by the bulging muscles also hide some details, so drawing Cloa makes those things more apparent.

In a way... drawing Cloa for the first time, I realized things like "Oh, human eyelids cover a sphere" or "The way the skin is pulled from the upper arm to the armpit is like this" or "Laocles' hands are really muscular." ...Comparative subjects are important.

So, I finished the rough sketch of Cloa.

"Thank you. That's it for today. I think Laocles has prepared the bath, so please go in first."

"Alright. ...Then, I'll take you up on that."

Cloa is beautiful, so I make sure to boil water for a bath every day. When it was just me and Laocles, we sometimes just took a water bath, but... well, in a place with a woman, an outdoor water bath, even with a wall, is a bit...

After seeing Cloa go back home, I started drawing the forest background.

Since I had already drawn Cloa, all that was left was the background. Since it's a background, it doesn't need to be drawn in too much detail. Especially for a watercolor underpainting, it's even less necessary.

...But.

"...Hmm?"

There was a sense of discomfort.

...What is it? This discomfort.

I had drawn Cloa well, and the forest, which I had drawn many times, was also well done.

However... for some reason, it looked strange. Specifically, the figure and the background seemed mismatched.

"I wonder why."

I muttered while petting a horse that had come close, but I couldn't figure out the source of the discomfort.

Well... why do the figure and the background seem mismatched? Is the perspective off? Is the drawing off? Maybe it's because I drew the background without the figure in it after drawing the figure?

...I thought about it while looking, but I couldn't find an answer. So, probably, the drawing isn't off.

If that's the case, maybe the background is too rough compared to the detailed figure, making it hard to harmonize, right?

Hmm... what should I do? If I apply the underpainting, will the discomfort disappear?

I wanted to apply the underpainting that day, but Laocles barged into the room and threw me onto the bed, so I gave up and went to sleep.

Come to think of it, I didn't sleep last night, so I really needed to sleep.

...Maybe the discomfort in the painting is due to lack of sleep.

If that's the case, I need to sleep quickly.

I slept well and it was morning. I felt a bit lighter, and it was a pleasant morning.

...But.

"...Hmm?"

The painting still had a sense of discomfort.

"...Not going well?"

"Yeah..."

That day, I had Cloa go outside again and started the underpainting. When I applied the underpainting, the discomfort seemed to lessen a bit, and I felt relieved as I deepened the shadows and made the colors more intense, taking advantage of the unique watercolor bleeding effect...

...But the more I drew, the stronger the discomfort became.

"Are you not feeling well? You haven't had a break in a while, right?"

"That's not it... but..."

Cloa is worried, but I feel fine.

So, the problem with this painting is with the painting itself, right?

Hmm...

"Whaaat!? Togo is... struggling with a painting!?"

"Yeah."

That day, when I confided my troubles to Fay, who had brought supplies, she was surprised. ...She didn't have to be that surprised.

"Well... even Togo, who can draw without any worries, has his moments... I guess."

"It's a problem with the painting... you know."

"O-Oh, right. Yeah, Togo can have problems with paintings... I was just surprised. Well, let me see..."

When I pointed to the painting, Fay looked at the unfinished piece and then tilted her head.

"It's good, isn't it?"

"No, it feels off."

"Off? But it's good, isn't it?"

...Fay didn't feel the discomfort.

"Where exactly? It looks good to me."

"Well... the figure and the background seem to float. But I don't think the drawing is off... or is it?"

"Huh? I don't get it, but..."

When I told her my troubles, Fay looked at the painting while muttering.

...And after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I don't get it."

It didn't get through!

"Well, never mind. Take your time. You have plenty of time, after all."

"Yeah..."

Still, it's the second week this week. Cloa's loan period is a little over a month and a half. I feel a bit anxious.

"Anyway, check the supplies. I brought what you asked for."

Fay said that and started spreading out the supplies.

...What Fay brought were food and living supplies for Cloa. I stopped drawing and eating in front of Cloa because it felt a bit wrong.

"Here, ham, cheese, and bread for Togo."

"Yeah."

"...You asked for it again?"

"Yeah. I like it."

Since Laocles started making sandwiches with ham and cheese, I've really liked them.

"Then, various things for Cloa. Salted meat, vegetables, bacon, butter, dried beans... Yeah, this should last a few more days."

Yeah, I think it will last. There are also some vegetables in the forest. ...Mostly edamame and bamboo shoots.

"Here, clothes for Cloa!"

After checking the food, it was time for Cloa's clothes.

"You didn't have to prepare so many..."

"No! It's a great opportunity! I want to dress her up in various outfits and have Togo draw her!"

Cloa's clothes are varied.

There are dresses, simple dresses, and more formal blouses and skirts.

I also had Fay bring some accessories. ...I paid for them, of course. In the form of gems.

Fay sold the gems at a jewelry store and bought the accessories with the money. They aren't made with very powerful magic, but there are several beautiful ones.

"...What's this?"

Among them, there was an accessory that seemed a bit out of place.

"Huh? Oh, that one. It's fine."

...It's a ribbon. A simple, almost plain one.

Among the sparkling accessories, this ribbon stood out as the only one that seemed to float.

"Well, it's a forest, right? I thought it would be better to have something like this instead of a formal outfit for a ball."

Fay said that and showed me a soft cotton dress and the ribbon.

"If you're going to pair it with this kind of dress, it's better to have a ribbon instead of gold and gems, right?"

...If you're going to pair it.

Yeah. That's right.

A simple dress doesn't go well with sparkling gems. A dress with beautiful cotton lace is better with a ribbon.

A dress with beautiful cotton lace and party gems don't match. Conversely, a party dress with this ribbon doesn't match either!

I get it!

"Cloa doesn't fit in the forest!"

"...What?"

"I think Cloa fits better in a castle or at a party, not in the forest."

Her perfectly composed, art-like smile. A woman who looks like a masterpiece created by human hands... in a forest untouched by human hands, she stands out.

"Y-Yeah... maybe you're right."

Cloa looked a bit confused but smiled slightly.

"I spend my days going back and forth between parties, my vanity table, and my bedroom. I'm more used to that."

...I see. That's the kind of person Cloa is.

A person who shines more than anyone else at a party. A person who is too perfectly composed to fit in the forest.

"I'm sorry. I'm such a woman."

Cloa said that... and for a moment, she looked a bit sad.

"Please draw me indoors. The forest... doesn't suit me. I admire it, though."

...I know her eyes fit perfectly in the forest. When I saw Cloa playing with the unicorns, I strongly felt that I wanted to draw her in the forest. Her narrowed eyes were very forest-like. Her skin, bathed in dappled sunlight, was dazzlingly beautiful.

I want to draw her like that. I really want to.

But I think that when she is seen through the paper, she will feel like she is in the mansion. She has probably been drawn in many paintings before.

In other words, she... doesn't fit in the forest, but I think she just isn't used to it.

So, it's decided.

"Then, let's do something forest-like."

"Huh?"

"I want you to look more forest-like."

I'm going to make Cloa look more forest-like.