Our Paint and Love

Set in an alternate 19th-century era.

Enzo Fremonts was born in a prominent family of painters, their name holding great influential fame in Florence for centuries. Expectations to carry the lineage weighed heavy on young Enzo's shoulders. But there is only one problem: he's a god-awful painter.

Now 17 years old, Enzo lives a mundane life at a seaport called "Palombella," far away from the artistic society he should have been a part of. Yet, he struggles to make ends meet by working odd jobs. Stuck, bored, and disillusioned, he was ready to accept his fate when he encountered a mermaid by chance, a self-proclaimed inspiring artist. Through a mishap, the two would strike a deal—if Enzo lets her paint, she promises to give him the reputation he once dreamed of.

Hello there! This story was initially my romcom entry for the MAL x Honeyfeed Writing Contest 2022, but I decided to pull out so as to not limit my creative process. I feel that my ideas for the story will be better suited if written at my own pace!

I will gladly ...