I haven’t completed this fic yet, but in celebration of the Fourth of July (?) I wanted to post this today. Thank you in advance for reading!

The story takes place in a fictional location in Europe, and our heroine is Roseanne.

Jennie had long established herself as one of the most exceptional artistic talents of the Principality of Hymnia ever since her prodigiously skillful oil on canvas L’Enfer at the youthful age of sixteen stunned the whole of the Principality. In five years she had already risen to the rank of peerage with a marquessate in her own right, and was styled Marchioness of Corland. Furthermore, soon after the coronation of the young Princess Jisoo at the age of twenty-one, Jennie was handpicked by Jisoo to be Her Highness’s Peintre Royale.

Countess Lisa of Nomnia was Jennie’s closest confidante at Her Highness’s court, for, as the Countess of Nomnia was only one year younger than the Marchioness of Corland, they so naturally talked, flirted, and exchanged all types of gossip that appealed to young ladies of patrician society, and their visits to each other were frequent and intimate.

“Jennie unnie,” Lisa said to Jennie one day while visiting her, “I have just discovered something that will intrigue you for sure.”

“Do speak,” Jennie replied.

“I saw a girl today, who also paints as you do, and she showed me a painting of hers. I cannot describe it to you, but you definitely should see it for yourself.”

“Really? Is it very great?”

“Oh, yes, tremendously so. But words won’t do. You need to see it with your own eyes.”

“What is it about?”

“She didn’t named it yet, but I noted a remarkable resemblance—in fact, I think the whole of it, on some level, struck me as a continuation of some type, to your magnum opus L’Enfer.”

“Is that so…” Jennie was indeed intrigued, “Well, there’s no harm in paying a visit to a young lady painter. I presume you know where I can find her?”

“You presume right. I have her address here,” Lisa said, and pulled out a note for Jennie as she spoke, “I asked her for it and said, ‘You can expect Her Highness’s Peintre Royale to call on you tomorrow.’ It’s convenient that she lives right here in your marquessate Corland, near the countryside.”

Jennie looked at the note Lisa handed to her, pondered for a moment, and asked, “What’s her name?”

“Roseanne.”