novelraw Chapter 276: Leah’s Painting
Chapter 276: Leah’s Painting
“No, I don’t have the time for that.” Leon declined once again, thinking to himself that it was no wonder Lewis valued festivals so much and put in so much effort to prepare for them. It was still early in the morning, and already traveling merchants were appearing in Pelican Town.
That meant these merchants also knew the festivals in Stardew Valley drew huge crowds. After all, merchants always went where the people were, and a large crowd meant a large pool of potential customers.
“That’s a pity,” the long-haired man said with a hint of regret. He gave Leon a quick once-over and then asked, “By the way, are you a local here in Pelican Town?”
“Sort of. I only moved here recently,” Leon replied politely.
“Oh? Then what do you think of Stardew Valley and Pelican Town?” The long-haired man’s eyes lit up. “To tell you the truth, I’m looking for a beautiful, peaceful place to live. I came to Pelican Town to check it out, so I’d really like to hear the opinion of a new resident like you.”
“It’s great—beautiful mountains, clear waters, birdsong, and flowers,” Leon said honestly.
“Is that so? Thank you, that’s very helpful.” The long-haired man smiled and nodded. “By the way, my name’s Elliott. Who knows, we might end up as neighbors someday.”
“Elliott, huh? I’m Leon.” At that name, Leon suddenly realized why the man had looked so familiar. No wonder—he was that smooth-talking novelist from the game who liked to spout flowery lines.
No wonder Leon hadn’t seen his beach cabin. Apparently, Elliott hadn’t moved to Pelican Town yet. Leon had assumed the guy was removed from existence after giving someone a bad experience in the past.
“Leon, is it? That’s a name with a story to it,” Elliott said with a smile.“Uh…” Leon’s face darkened. They’d just met, and this guy was already throwing out flirtatious remarks. Waving a hand, he said, “I won’t keep you from your work. I have other things to do. Goodbye.”
And with that, he escaped from Elliott’s stall.
Better to avoid trouble when you could.
Passing a few more stalls—most selling festival-themed items—Leon didn’t see anything that interested him. But at the very end, he spotted someone he hadn’t seen in a while: Leah.
She had her own stall, covered in paintings and wood carvings. Most of the paintings depicted Stardew Valley’s scenery, and the wood carvings were all shaped like small animals.
“Long time no see, Leah,” Leon greeted her.
“Hi, Leon.” Leah set down her carving knife and the half-finished rabbit sculpture in her hand, smiling as she teased, “You might not have seen me in a while, but I’ve seen you plenty of times in the Coal Forest. I just didn’t come over to say hi.”
“Really? I never noticed. Sorry,” Leon said, a bit embarrassed.
He did often visit the Coal Forest, since it was rich in natural resources—wild plants, fishing spots, fresh green onions, and excellent timber. It was no wonder he went there so often.
“It’s fine. I know you’re busy, so I didn’t want to bother you.” Leah chuckled and then pulled two unframed sketches from the pile on her table, handing them to Leon. “I drew these while you were working. You don’t mind, do you? It’s rare to find such an excellent model while out gathering inspiration. I couldn’t let the moment go unrecorded.”
Leon looked at the two sketches. One showed him chopping wood, the other fishing at the Coal Forest pier.
Leah’s skill was impressive—her composition and detail were spot-on. Even with just simple lines, she’d created images as lifelike as photographs.
She had especially emphasized the parts featuring Leon, making them look like black-and-white portraits meant just for him.
“I don’t mind, but… can we settle the portrait rights fee?” Leon joked.
“That’ll have to wait until someone actually buys them. Otherwise, I can’t pay you.” Leah could tell he wasn’t serious, but she still played along.
“Then we’ll talk after you sell them,” Leon said with a grin.
“Not planning to buy them yourself?” Leah suggested.
“Do I look like an arrogant narcissist to you?” Leon retorted.
“That’s a shame,” Leah sighed, shrugging. “I may have just lost a great customer.”
“Hahaha, good one. All right, I’ll support you—how much for this one?” Leon pointed at an oil painting of the Coal Forest under the sunset.
“Do you want it framed?” Leah asked.
“Of course. How else would I hang it up?”
“In that case, 80G,” Leah said, getting to work immediately.
“Sounds good. Wrap it up.” Leon handed over the gold without hesitation and waited as Leah framed the painting.
She was quick and skilled. In just over a minute, the painting was ready.
Leon was pleased with the solid wood frame she’d chosen—it matched the color of his cabin and wouldn’t look out of place on his wall.
As he admired the framed oil painting, someone suddenly patted him on the back. Turning around, he saw Emily and Haley.
“Leon, what did you buy?” Emily asked with a smile.
“A painting from Leah. It’s really nice. Want to see her other work?” Leon showed them the painting, then made the suggestion.
“I can also do on-the-spot portraits,” Leah chimed in. She was clearly happy that Leon was promoting her and didn’t miss the chance to advertise her extra services.
“Shall we?” Emily asked, tempted. But she still turned to Haley for her opinion, since the two sisters had come together—and Haley was holding the money.
“Mm.” Haley had been about to refuse, but after glancing at Leah’s paintings, she changed her mind.
“Then you two take your time here. I’ll go find Gus and grab something to eat—I didn’t get breakfast this morning,” Leon said, taking his leave as they started chatting with Leah.
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