Chapter 519

• I looked once more at the family in front of me, comparing them to the painting I was working on. It was a contemporary portrait, and the honor of producing it was mine, a gift I wanted to offer to show my appreciation for them.
• It had been over a month since I made the initial sketch. They posed as models in front of the palace facade, and the beautiful gardens around them served as an enchanting frame. I put my heart into this work, something I rarely did in my paintings. I always wondered whether the absence of feelings was the reason my work did not stand out, but it was not. If any of my works were meant to shine, it was this one.
• I had called everyone together for one last session of touch-ups. The children were restless, but I was already in the final stages. My perfectionism had paid off, as there wasn’t much to change. I signed my name in the lower corner before showing them the final result.