

The Contest 03After acquainting myself with most of the manor as well as with Catherine (she deemed us fast friends), the night of the ball had come. The Count was still nowhere to be seen, and my impatience had only grown instead of subsided. My father was extremely excited after he helped a servant bring our chosen work down to the gallery. There, the Count would inspect each artists work and give his judgment on eligibility. My father told me there must have been a total of fifty artists in the showcase, out of whom the Count would narrow down to only ten. I was nervous, thinking of what would happen if neither of us proved eligible. &The Contest 03


The Contest 02I woke to a dim room, candle unlit on the table in front of me. The drapes were closed, and the sun didnt shine through the crack between them. Another overcast spring day, and judging by the soft whisper I detected over my fathers thunderous snoring, a rainy one as well. Pushing up off the bed, I propped myself up on my elbows and looked around the room, seeing it in light nowhowever little there was. The decorations were simple but by no means plain; touches of gold leaf shone against the oak furnishings. Cheap, I assumed, but more expensive than anything Id ever own in my lifetimethat is, unless I won thThe Contest 02


The Contest 01It was a cloudy spring day when I heard of the Counts contest. My father came home early, something unusualI wondered what had happened. Immediately worried, I rushed into the garden to ask him what was the matter. Instead of a frown, there was a hopeful smile on his face. My stomach dropped; had he finally found someone to replace my mother? Before I could ask him anything, however, he unfolded a scrap of parchment and thrust it into my dusty hands. I ran my fingers over the delicately inked letters, reading slowly but carefully.The Contest 01
Attention to all artists in Liennes County: The Comte de Liennes is holding


SometimesSometimes I wonder why I love you.Sometimes
Is that terrible? You can be such a pain, and Ive never met anyone with the emotional capacity of a brick before I met you.
Your beautiful eyes are always staring elsewhere, admiring others. Sometimes I wish youd turn them on me, even just once. But for now, Im content to look at them from a distance. Even if just to see the secret happiness in them when you win a match in a game, or when Marus new photos are published in a magazine. I noticed. And however bittersweet, it makes me smile, even if you dont notice.
Sometimes I wonder if you lo
