Claudius's family, the Calherns, already have a reputation as the more generous of the noble families in Rubifeld, but Claudius wants an even stronger legacy. He finds his opportunity begging in one of the properties the Calherns own: Simon, a young disabled artist. Claudius is immediately taken with the talent Simon displays drawing on simple scraps of paper, ad so he offers Simon a position at the Calhern estate as their live-in artist, which not only gets the poor lad off the street but also provides a glowing example of the household's support for arts and culture.
As Claudius learns more about Simon, his affection for the artist grows. He doesn't simply want Simon around to boost his family's reputation anymore; he wants to see Simon happy and taken care of, whether that involves treating him to a day of shopping or simply providing him with ample paint and pencils and sketchbooks. Then one day Claudius finds something unexpected drawn in one of Simon's sketchbooks, and he fears it could put Simon's new position in jeopardy. Does he dare question Simon about the drawings, or will he forget it all for the sake of keeping Simon around?