Chapter 142: The Center of Attention
A manor attendant quickly brought over paper and pens.
Duane glanced over. The paper was high-quality Parchment, and the pens were a set of various colored drawing pens.
"What are you going to draw? A landscape, or a person?" Natalia asked curiously.
Duane smoothed out the paper while he thought.
In truth, at his current skill level, he could draw anything.
But to make it memorable, he already had a subject in mind.
A slight smile played on his lips as he began to draw.
Their actions immediately drew the attention of a few people. After all, wherever Natalia went, eyes were sure to follow.
A few people couldn’t help but draw closer to see what was happening, but they hadn’t expected Baron Blood Mushroom to actually be drawing.
Because of their preconceived notions, many began to snicker quietly, eager to see Baron Blood Mushroom make a fool of himself again.
Elwin finished a dance and happened to see this scene, and his eyes darkened.
Natalia had always rejected his advances and kept her distance from most men their age, yet she was growing close to this pauper Baron. He was, naturally, displeased by the sight.
’I’d like to see just what you can manage to draw!’
He began planning the best way to make a snide remark later.
At this moment, Duane had already sketched an outline on the paper.
It was a courtyard.
Outsiders might not have recognized it, but Natalia could tell at a glance that it was her own garden courtyard.
It looked like a landscape painting.
Her beautiful eyes watched Duane’s hand move rapidly across the paper. He drew as if without thought, one stroke flowing into the next, and then the next...
This alone was enough to prove his artistic skill was incredibly high!
Using pens of different colors, Duane quickly finished drawing the garden courtyard.
There, he paused.
"Amazing!"
Natalia couldn’t help but praise him. "It’s almost identical to the real thing! Your drawing skill is far greater than mine!"
Even those who had been ready to mock Duane had to admit that this drawing of the garden alone was enough to show his profound skill.
Elwin hadn’t expected Duane to actually have some talent. Still, he refused to admit it and scrutinized the details of the drawing, trying to find a flaw.
But just then, Duane started drawing again.
Natalia couldn’t help but ask, "You’re not finished yet?"
She had thought it was finished.
Duane smiled faintly. "A garden without its master is missing something, isn’t it?"
Natalia’s heart skipped a beat as a guess flashed through her mind. ’Is he going to draw me?’
Immediately, her anticipation grew.
Duane was indeed drawing Natalia. He had paused just now to think about the best way to depict her.
Natalia herself was already very beautiful, so her features needed no extra embellishment.
But as the saying goes, clothes make the woman. He needed to find a suitable outfit for her.
Although the blue gown she was wearing and the robe from yesterday were both very nice, Duane decided to add an Otherworldly touch.
His mind made up, he moved quickly.
A puffy skirt, slender curves, flowing hair, a gentle and serene yet somewhat cool and aloof temperament...
Under Duane’s hand, a Natalia wearing a dress the likes of which no one had ever seen came to life on the parchment.
It had a puffy, umbrella-like skirt that formed an exaggerated bell-shaped silhouette. Its high waistline and knee-length cut outlined her exquisite proportions.
Under Duane’s meticulous hand, the bodice was covered in handmade lace, layered ruffles, and satin ribbon bows. The neckline featured a ruffled collar, and the sleeves were puff sleeves.
Paired with lace wrist cuffs that matched the main light blue color, a bonnet, and Mary Jane Shoes, the already beautiful Natalia was transformed into a princess straight out of a fairy tale.
"This dress... It’s so beautiful!"
"Forgive me, I can’t find the right word... I can only describe it as beautiful..."
There were many women at the banquet, most of them young ladies.
They had seen many luxurious outfits, but they had never been so stunned as they were now.
"Natalia, do you really have a dress like this?"
Her friend’s voice was full of envy. "Why have we never seen you wear it?"
"I... I..."
Natalia’s cheeks burned. "I don’t have one!"
’I really want one, too!’ she thought. ’I wish someone would give me one!’
She couldn’t help but stare at the person in the drawing. ’Is that me? It feels a little unreal.’
Just then, ignoring the gasps of amazement, Duane picked up a black pen and quickly wrote a line of small text in the bottom right corner of the drawing—
To the beautiful Miss Natalia Kennedy, from Duane Brian.
He wrote it all in one smooth motion.
Duane looked back at his artwork, nodding with a satisfied smile.
Although it was his first time drawing something like this, his hand had moved as if guided by a divine force, and the finished product was of a very high quality.
He picked up the drawing. "It’s for you. What do you think? Do you like it?"
For the first time in her life, Natalia felt a sense of shyness as she accepted it.
"Thank you, I love it!"
Perhaps mindful of her status, she changed the subject. "What is this dress called? It’s so beautiful!"
Duane had already prepared his explanation. "It’s a design I came up with when I was bored on Black Forest Island. I named it after a princess from a chivalric novel—Lolita."
"Lolita?"
Natalia’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she committed the name to memory.
Just then, someone couldn’t hold back and asked, "Baron, have you made a dress like this? I mean, if you have, I’m willing to buy it!"
"Yes, yes, I’m willing to buy one too!"
Soon, a chorus of voices clamoring to buy one rang out.
Duane hadn’t expected the impact of fashion culture from Earth to be so significant.
He had only intended to draw a simple picture for Natalia, but he had unexpectedly stumbled upon a business opportunity he had never considered.
’That’s right,’ he thought, ’I have ’Basic Tailoring’ among my Skills!’
"Apologies..."
Duane said helplessly, "I’ve only designed the look of the Lolita Dress; I haven’t actually made one yet."
"In that case, Baron Duane!"
A young man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight came forward and bowed to Duane.
This was the first time since the banquet began that Duane had been treated with such courtesy.
"I am Hambus of the Cole Clan. My family is in the apparel business and has a large number of top-tier tailors. Might the Cole Clan have the honor of producing the Lolita Dress you’ve designed?"
"Baron, please choose the Layton Clan! The Layton Clan will only recoup our costs; all other profits will be yours!"
"And my Ponce Clan..."
"The Borg Clan..."
In an instant, Duane was surrounded by wealthy merchants who had previously been standoffish but were now incredibly enthusiastic.
To be honest, Duane had never imagined such a scene.
He cleared his throat. "Well... I’ve already gifted this drawing to Natalia, so the design for the Lolita naturally belongs to her as well."
Duane said with a smile, "If you really want to produce it, perhaps you should be seeking her approval."
Everyone was stunned. They hadn’t expected Duane to give away such a massive profit.
Isn’t Black Forest Island supposed to be barren? If he just chose one family, even for a one-time buyout, he could earn a considerable amount of Gold Coins.
Duane, of course, knew this.
But his main purpose in coming to the Silent Shore this time was to build a good relationship with the Kennedy Clan.
’So, building a good relationship with Natalia should be the same thing, right?’
’Since I’m giving her the drawing, I might as well give her the design and the entire concept.’
’Besides, I’ve got plenty of other clothing designs in my head. This one is no great loss.’
Seeing that Duane was serious, the crowd immediately turned to look at the subject of the drawing.
"Honored Miss Natalia, what do you think...?"
Natalia looked at the depiction of herself in the drawing, then smiled. "My apologies, everyone. As you all know, the Kennedy Clan is also in the apparel business."
As soon as she said this, the merchants’ faces couldn’t help but show their disappointment.
If this matter didn’t involve Natalia and was only related to Duane, they could have secretly produced the dress even if he refused to cooperate with them.
But now that Natalia had said this, it meant she had the backing of the Kennedy Clan.
If they were to secretly produce them now and get caught, they would face heavy fines at best, and imprisonment and sentencing at worst.
The Kennedy Clan was more than capable of protecting its own interests.
While the merchants were disappointed, the young ladies in the crowd flocked around Natalia, all hoping to be the first to place an order.
Outside the crowd, Elwin watched everything with a cold expression.
Tonight was his birthday banquet; he was supposed to be the center of attention, but now his thunder had been stolen.
He could let it go if it were just Natalia. After all, she was Count Kais’s only daughter, a genius Magical Girl.
’But who the hell does this Duane think he is?’
’A broke-ass Island Master. If Natalia hadn’t brought him here, he wouldn’t even have been qualified to step through the gates of this manor.’
Elwin stepped to the side and whispered a few words to someone beside him.
The attendant immediately wove through the crowd and brought several people over to Elwin’s side.