Chapter 16: 15

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When the glossy dark red fabric fell and the painting appeared to the world, Edmund could only stare at it blankly.

It’s because this was one of the paintings that he couldn’t figure out its location.

This painting was only rumoured to exist, and not a single person has actually seen it. He wasn’t able to confirm its existence in reality. 

He had only managed to find out that in the distant past, an artist that was invited to the Summers mansion 200 years ago drew this painting as a token of gratitude for the head of the family, who had saved his life. 

As it was not the work of a famous painter, the painting did not receive attention at first. However, when a question was raised about the painting’s background, it received the world’s attention. 

It was just a frame depicting the behind the scenes of a portrait. A small and turbid painting. A portrait of a red sunset pouring over faded wheat hair. The person held a palette in one hand and a brush in the other.

The art circles became excited at the revelation that instead of a painting of a nobleman in the past, it was a portrait drawn of Sasha Summers’ father, the head of the Summers family then.  

As such, artists wandered everywhere in search of the painting, saying that painting within the portrait seems to be Sasha’s self-portrait. 

Even the first thing that the director of The Deer, the Lady of the Deer family, did after her marriage with the head of the Deer family was to search the mansion for Sasha Summers’ self-portrait.

But the picture was right in front of him.

Edmund stared captivated at the painting, without hearing the sound of his pounding heart. 

But that didn’t last for a long while either.

“…Sister.”

Vivian looked upwards dazedly with her lips opened slightly. 

The appearance of her deep in contemplation was as tragically beautiful as the painting. Like she was holding all of the world’s sorrow, she looked at Sasha vacantly with ripples in her dark green eyes. 

While everyone else buzzed in their own excitement, only Vivian turned pale.

Ah.

Vivian.

As if cold water was poured over his head, Edmund’s dazed mind reverted back to normal quickly. Right now, the problem wasn’t the issue. No, it is a problem. Edmund knew that Vivian was having a hard time, so he tried his best to somehow reduce Sasha’s traces.

As such he covered all of Sasha’s paintings in the mansion with cloth. Only the portrait in Vivian’s room was left untouched.

His heart that was pounding with excitement in the face of a work that was like a legend, started to beat anxiously. 

“Vivi, are you okay?”

However, Edmund’s voice did not reach Vivien’s ears. In fact, she couldn’t see or hear anything. All she could focus on was a very familiar face that she missed over there.

Edmund eventually caught Vivian, who was moving forward like she was possessed. He held a hand carefully and tightly, while pulling on her shoulder with the other.

The faint sound of her heartbeat and small tremors were conveyed from her body to his.

“Vivian, it’s okay.”

“…Eddie.”

The head that was bowed deeply lifted up, and the sight of dark green eyes glistening dimly like dew present in a garden at dawn. Edmund’s thoughts halted.

The image of Vivian who had collapsed before his eyes a few days ago was still clear, and Edmund’s heart sank. 

“Let’s return.”

“…But.”

“There’s a lot of other people here. So, let’s return.”

In actual fact, as someone attending for The Deer, they must win the bid for that work no matter what. But Vivian was more important than that painting right now. Vivian was also the younger sister of the main subject of that painting.

However, Vivian shook her head side to side with a pale face. A voice that was about to break appeared from her mouth.

“…Sister, I didn’t know that I’d meet her here like this.”

“I know. So, let’s return.”

“I don’t want to.”

Edmund was helpless in the face of the stubborn Vivian. While anxiety that the auction would soon begin enveloped him, Vivian shook her head firmly and turned towards Sasha again.

A bell rang in the middle of their small scuffle.

The auction has begun.

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Vivian’s POV

Edmund was insistent on returning with me, but after hearing that the auction had started, he used the hand that wasn’t holding mine to brush back the hair on my forehead. 

It’s a gesture that seemed like he was deep in thought. 

I know that he had only said that as he was worried about me, but it doesn’t make sense to return home immediately.

The long anticipated finale had appeared, and how could I return when it wasn’t my sister’s work but my sister’s self-portrait?

While it was shocking to me, from the looks of the reactions of others, it seemed to be a shock for them, too.

…I didn’t expect to meet my sister here like this.

While looking at me nervously, Edmund flinched whenever the sound of people raising the bids appeared.

‘Right, what do you mean returning when you have this attitude.’

I pushed away Edmund, who was sticking closely to me. While seeing my sister’s portrait did give me a shock, it didn’t mean that I couldn’t control my magical power like before. 

She’s a sister that I’d seen in the mansion not too long ago.

Although she’s an older sister that I could only see through that painting now. 

“Eddie.”

“……”

“Focus on the auction. Because I’m really alright.”

Edmund’s mouth closed and he stared at me. Despite the mask, I could clearly see what he was thinking about right now. Edmund gave a faint smile to reassure me, before holding my hand tightly without turning towards the stage. 

“2700!”

“2800!”

“Yes, 2,800.”

“3000.”

“We’ve reached 3,000!”

Let’s go, what, it’s alright, it’s not alright. While we were arguing, the price had already increased dramatically. Deer’s people that had deer masks on were also occasionally raising prices.  

In the few minutes after the auction began, the price skyrocketed. 

Edmund let out a sigh as he watched the rate at which the prices were rising.

“Are you alright?”

“It’s Sasha’s self-portrait, if it doesn’t reach this standard, I’d be disappointed.”

Edmund held my hand tight while continuing to check the auction price. 

Although my heart kept pounding whenever I made eye contact with my sister in the painting, the hand that was tightly held comforted me. Edmund was necessary today.

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“…Should I have given up on the painting of the princess earlier?”

“Do you think that the budget isn’t enough?”

“…Of course it will exceed. Even if I gather all of my money, I’m not confident.”

Not much time had passed, but my sister’s painting had already passed 6000 and was reaching 7000. A person wearing a deer mask approached Edmund.

“What should I do?”

“I think it’ll reach 200 million to 300 million.”

“Would you be keeping the upper limit?”

Edmund shook his head. It was an expression that said that he had no other option.

“Let’s leave the target at 320 million for now. Add 40 million to 50 million according to the situation.”

“Understood.”

“Keep up the hard work.”

The man nodded and moved a short distance away from Edmund and I. Like he was trying to shake off his anxiety, Edmund exhaled loudly and laughed, saying that it’s alright. He asked me a light question instead.

“Do you know about that painting?”

“… I don’t know.”

“That’s probably Sasha’s only self-portrait.”

“……”

Edmund’s gaze was glued onto my sister’s self-portrait, like he was captivated. 

My sister’s self-portrait has long since exceeded a few years’ worth of income from a decent family’s land. 

“If the bids exceed 400 million, it’ll be hard to bring it back to ‘The Deer’. I bought too many different paintings this time.”

“……”

It has been a long time since the bids have exceeded 100 million zulang, and now the units rose by 10 million each.

Maybe because the small fry had fallen off, those wearing deer masks called for bids intermittently. When Edmund heard that the bids had passed 250 million, he added 50 million zulang to the man that called before him.

“But the total amount of the works I’ve bought at this auction doesn’t exceed 400 million.”

“That’s a bit disappointing.”

“…It isn’t that I can’t buy it.”

Edmund seemed to be quite vexed, as he caressed my cheek with a serious expression. 

“In Deer, while the art business is a charity work, it is also close to a hobby that has been passed down through the generations. Ever since it was first started, it was fine even if a deficit of this degree was incurred.” 

“Yes.”

“Currently, while Deer’s art business is the most famous, it’s not very profitable. Money comes from other businesses.”

That’s because paintings were closer to charity work in the beginning. The words he mumbled towards himself reached me, before shaking his head with an anxious expression. 

“300 million.”

At this point, there were only two people calling out bids. Edmund and a black haired person wearing a mask that wrapped around his entire face. While each had employees calling out bids, there were only two actual buyers. 

“330 million.”

“330 million has appeared.”

“340 million.”

Edmund looked at his opponent with a feigned smile. He then turned around, clicking his tongue.

What’s this, is he someone he knows? 

“Is he someone you know?”

“I don’t.”

Edmund brushed my hair with an irritated hand.

As soon as Edmund finished his words, an employee of Deer’s called out all the money that ‘The Deer’ could afford to pay.

“390 million.”

Silence engulfed the entire hall. 

Edmund exhaled with a displeased look. I moved my gaze from Edmund turning my head towards my sister.

My sister was still in a dark blue dress, with a brush in one hand and a palette in another. She was in front of the easel, gracefully facing me and the sunlight. 

“……”

Sister was really accurate. Be it her wheat coloured hair, or her expression. My sister looked at me quietly without a smile. 

Apparently this was an early work of my sister’s, so the sister within the painting was younger than I remembered.

It was definitely drawn while I was alive, but I have never seen that painting before. I heard that it was hung on the walls of the mansion, so I thought that perhaps it was hung after my death. 

……I know that background.

I know which direction my sister’s studio faces, and the position where the light of sunset poured towards. There were books that my sister liked to read placed haphazardly behind that, which remained in the painting. 

When the window was opened while seated at the position my sister was sitting at, yes, this was just the right season where the breeze was cooling. 

Even if my hair became messy due to the wind, I liked the refreshing scent, so I kept running around excitedly the whole day that day. Now, my sister’s hair was not only under the light of the setting sun, it was also fluttering with the breeze. 

It felt like she was going to blink. It felt like she was going to frown while brushing back my hair. And then she’d say, “What are you looking at?”

“400 million.”

Eventually, my heart sank at the amount called out by the opponent.

An even deeper silence spread amongst the crowd.

My sister was still looking at me in the sunset.

Thump, thump. 

I felt like the sound of my heartbeat was right next to my ears.

“Anyone else? I’ll start counting. Three.”

Time passed slowly when my sister was away from me. My heart throbbed as my sister still looked at me from afar.

I don’t mind being reprimanded, I just want to hear my sister’s voice.

“Edmund, Sister is…”

I couldn’t help but pull on Edmund’s sleeve. What came out of my mouth was his name and the word ‘Sister’. My voice sounded pathetic even to me. It wasn’t spoken with any particular meaning, so I wasn’t trying to hold onto him. 

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But Edmund’s hand patted my head. The hand that was affectionate yet heavy raised even further. 

“500 million.”

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