Grace smiled as she rolled her wheelchair closer to Adro. She tilted her head up to look at the paintings she saw every day without getting bored.
"What do you think of this painting?" Grace asked.
"I love it. The faces of the three women have different expressions. The positioning of each of them seems to convey a deep meaning. The background is also dramatic with its dark colors. It makes me curious about its true meaning," Adro answered.
Grace looked at Adro with sparkling eyes. It was the most beautiful feedback she had ever received for her artwork.
"Can I ask you something?" Grace inquired.
Adro turned to her and nodded once. "Of course."
Then Grace took a deep breath and asked, "If you were the painter of this artwork, how would you interpret it?"
"Well... this is the first time I've been asked a question like that by someone." Adro said, slightly furrowing his brow and tilting his head.
"If-If you're not willing to answer, that's fine. It's just a silly and unimportant question." Grace forced a laugh while linking her hands in secret.
"No, it's not a silly question," Adro responded right away. "It's a unique and rather smart question. I enjoy observing artwork, and everyone knows that. But what's the point of observing if you don't draw conclusions? You're the first person to challenge me in such an interesting way."
"So... that means it's something good or..." Grace paused to gulp hard. From Adro's statement, it should be something positive. However, she was afraid of misinterpreting his statement if it turned out to be negative.
"It's definitely something good. And I will try to answer it with all my heart," Adro said with a palm placed over his heart.
Grace heaved a long sigh, as if all the burdens on her shoulders for the past few years had finally been lifted. She was delighted that Adro provided such a positive response, not like the others, who often gave negative judgments about her.
His crystal-blue eyes stared intently at the painting in front of him. His full lips pressed together while one of his fingers traced his round chin.
Grace blinked, fixated on Adro. She never saw his alluring face look as serious as that, deeply absorbed as if his soul were being drawn into the large painting.
"Those women... Their faces are similar, like identical triplets. Each has different expressions, but none of them look happy. Although this painting is beautiful, it's as if it depicts someone enduring a difficult life, trapped in darkness, and struggling to find light." Adro explained, keeping his gaze on the painting.
Tears welled up in Grace's eyes, but her lips formed a smile. It seemed that Adro understood the meaning of the painting and was able to express it so beautifully.
A chuckle escaped Adro's lips. "I don't know if it's accurate. But that's what I see in this painting. I hope the painter won't be offended by my opinion."
Grace shook her head gently. "Not at all. You're spot on."
"Oh, am I? I'm glad to hear that. You're lucky to meet the painter and get a direct explanation from her." Adro said.
Grace took a deep breath before answering, "Actually, the painter is me. So... I'm not that lucky."
Adro raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes. "You?"
"Does my face not look convincing enough to be a painter?" Grace giggled.
"No. It's just... I'm quite surprised to find out that I've been discussing a piece of art with its artist." Adro said.
"You are a prince and an art enthusiast. You've even traveled the world to seek art. It's an honor for me, as a beginner, to discuss art with you. In fact, I'm still an art student." Grace explained.
Adro shook his head. "I don't know about your world, but where I come from, artists are highly regarded. Those who can create art and make beautiful things hold a high position. It's not easy to meet an artist, even at their own art exhibitions. You can create such beautiful art; I should be the one honored to have a direct conversation with you."
Grace chuckled. "Thank you very much, but I hope you won't be awkward around me just because I made this painting. In this world, we have plenty of talented artists. I'm one of those trying to become famous."
"I believe you can do it. You're very talented. Your hands have been blessed by God." Adro said.
"I'm sorry, I think that's a bit exaggerated. But really, thank you."
Then Grace turned her wheelchair and rolled it into the kitchen, which was connected to the living room. She opened the refrigerator to take out a large bottle of orange juice.
"If you love art so much, I can take you to a famous art exhibition when my foot has healed-" Grace stopped her sentence and coughed. "And of course, if you haven't returned to your world,"
'What the hell are you talking about? Why are you so foolish, Grace?' She scolded herself in her mind.
Grace forgot that Adro had to return to his original world. She was too excited about Adro's presence, sharing her taste in art. She shouldn't have shown this enthusiasm in front of him. He might think that she was happy that he was stuck in this world.
"Thank you for your offer, Grace. Of course, I would love to come. But my top priority is to return to my world," Adro said.
"Well, I would think the same if I were you," Grace replied hurriedly as she placed the bottle of juice from the refrigerator onto her kitchen counter. Then she reached for a rack next to the sink.
With her hand raised high, Grace tried to reach two cups. She lowered her uninjured foot from the wheelchair's footrest to the floor as support. As it turned out, her arm's reach was not long enough to grab the cups, and Grace realized that they were still slightly wet. Apparently, earlier that morning, Sarah had used them when she came to Grace's house to store food.
The ceramic cup with a silhouette of a pine tree slipped from Grace's grip. Startled, she tried to catch it, forgetting her current condition, only to lose her balance. Instead of grabbing the cup, she stumbled into something large and warm.
Her eyes widened when she found that a large hand had saved the glass and... her.
"Are you okay?" Adro asked, his arm wrapped around Grace's waist.
Lifting her face, Grace was stunned to find Adro's face very close to hers. She blinked again, realizing that she was resting her entire body weight on him.
"I-I… I'm s-sorry," Grace said, trying to break free from Adro's arms.
"Be careful," Adro didn't remove his hand from Grace's body. Her injured ankle was still bandaged, and he knew she couldn't stand properly. "Let me help you."
Grace closed her eyes and shook her head briefly to gather her sanity. It was true—she couldn't stand properly right now. She needed assistance to sit back in her wheelchair after almost falling. Accepting help from this most-gorgeous man she's ever-seen wasn't about taking advantage—it was what she genuinely needed!