The Portrait of Pride — Chapter 18

...I'M BACK.

IT SEEMS YOU HAD QUITE A PLEASANT TIME.

HM? DIANA.

...FIRST,

PLEASE ALLOW ME TO WASH UP.

I'VE WORKED UP A BIT OF A SWEAT, AH-

M-MASTER...?

...YOU SMELL OF WATER.

I MUST-

I MUST PAINT YOU LIKE THIS IMMEDIATELY, DIANA.

WHAT DO THE SPIRITS YOU KNOW LOOK LIKE?

...THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR FORM.

SOMETIMES THEY CHANGE THEIR APPEARANCE TO MATCH THEIR SURROUNDINGS...

AND SOMETIMES THEY TAKE ON WHATEVER FORM A HUMAN THEY FAVOR WISHES TO SEE.

THEY'RE KIND AND BENEVOLENT BEINGS, AFTER ALL.

IS THE SPIRIT YOU'RE CLOSEST TO A WATER SPIRIT?

YES, BECAUSE I WAS BORN NEAR THE WATER...

NEAR THE WATER?

...I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW I WAS BORN.

EVEN THE SPIRITS WOULDN'T TELL ME THAT MUCH.

SHALL I LET YOU GO INTO THE FOREST FROM TIME TO TIME?

!

WOULD THAT REALLY BE ALL RIGHT?

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.

AS LONG AS YOU HELP ME FINISH MY PAINTING, YOU MAY GO AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE.

SO-

SHOW ME YOUR BODY, DIANA.

I'LL LET YOU GO ONCE I'VE FINISHED THE PRELIMINARY SKETCH.

WHETHER IT'S THREE HOURS OR HALF A DAY.

FOR AS LONG AS YOU WISH.

...FOR AS LONG AS I WISH,

INTO THE FOREST...

...PERHAPS.

PERHAPS...

THIS MIGHT BE MY LAST CHANCE TO GAIN MY FREEDOM.

IF THAT'S THE CASE..

...WON'T THE SPIRITS HEAL YOUR EYES?

THAT MUCH, I'M NOT REALLY SURE, AH...

I'VE NEVER TESTED

THE LIMITS OF MY PURIFICATION POWERS EITHER...

FINISHING THE PRELIMINARY SKETCH RIGHT AWAY,

OR ENGRAVING THE SIGHT OF A WOMAN MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN EVER

INTO MY MEMORY FOR EVEN A MOMENT LONGER.

WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT?

...WELL, AS FOR THE PAINTING,

I SUPPOSE THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW.

NGH...!

AH...!

HNG...

M-

MASTER, AH!

I-IT FEELS WEIRD!

HNNG...!

Ah.

Ngh!

YOU PRETENDED TO BE SO INNOCENT...

BUT YOUR BODY-

AH, NGH...!

CAN'T LIE.

A MAID WHO UNDRESSES HERSELF IN FRONT OF HER MASTER

AND BECOMES AROUSED.

T-THAT'S NOT IT-

I'M JUST... VERY SENSITIVE TO TOUCH...!

IS THAT SO?

NGH

WELL-

W...

Waix

I WONDER WHICH OF US IS RIGHT.