Shadow Queen - chapter 46

“No.”

Elena forced a smile. She couldn’t stop crying because she couldn’t calm down, but she still smiled.

“Thank you. Thank you so much for your words of congratulation…”

The relationship between parents and children in the East was called a natural thing. She was grateful that he was interested in Ian and said warm words even though he didn’t even have a face-to-face meeting. Ian only lives in Elena’s memory, but she hopes he can smile at least faintly.

“You’ll grow up well. Because you were blessed by Your Highness. Be happy. Be more courageous than anyone else.”

“…”

Elena smiled happily and painfully. A little late, no, a lot late. She desperately hoped that the sincere words of Sian had reached Ian.

***

“Ha, really.”

Leabrick put the paintings on display Elena had bought and looked ridiculous. She wondered if she was going into the academic institute and was quietly getting along, so she was not afraid of accidents like this.

Art collection. If she had been extravagant, she would have done so. Was it just a hobby to her subject? She wondered what she knew and why she was paying for these paintings. Especially, the letter that she sent in her own handwriting was more of a spectacle.

‘What? These pictures will be worth a lot sooner or later, so trust me and pay for them?’

Looking at Elena’s confident handwriting and sentences, it was encouraging. It said that she had fallen in love with art recently and that she felt happy and healed just by looking at it. She also said that she was interacting with young people with artistic insight and accumulating knowledge through books. She also accompanied the loan certificate and asked her to pay the bill.

The problem was the amount on the loan card. Like a well that never dries up, the Grand Duchy was capable of paying this much. However, Leabrick was wary of spending this way once or twice. As long as Elena continues to act as Princess Veronica, the influence of her signature cannot be ignored.

Now that she only lived in a closed space called an academic institute, she didn’t really need control. However, the story changes after graduation. It may not be easy to control if she ran wild like an unbridled foal. Just in case, she needed to make a plan to arrest and control Elena.

‘It’s not just that. The nobles of the Empire are also subject to control. Without exception, even if it were the emperor’

She was confident, although others would have thought it was crazy. Leabrick, who had already taken over all power on behalf of the great Duke of Friedrich, was secretly working on his related work.

“How’s it going?”

The art appraisers, who were invited separately by Leabrick, stopped what they were doing and reported.

“They’re all excellent paintings.”

“Because they are still unknown writers, there is nothing to point out about styles, techniques, and expressions.”

“It’s a bit expensive, but I think five years at the earliest, ten years at the latest, they will be worth more than the purchase price.”

“Really?”

Leabrick seemed surprised at the unexpectedly high value of the painting. Considering Elena’s eye and level of experience, such reactions were natural.

“Yes, even though this is her first purchase, it is safe to say that Princess Veronica has a better artistic perspective than others.”

“After all it’s Your Highness the Princess. I can’t believe she’s this good at a young age.”

“Hoho, I can’t wait to see what other works she buys next.”

Leabrick had a hard time holding back the laughter that almost leaked out. Even a snail was knowledgeable. She didn’t expect the paintings purchased by Elena to be well-received by appraisers. It is often said that the goddess Gaia gives even the ugliest human beings a talent, and she thought this was the case now.

“Okay, I’ll call you when she buys again.”

Leabrick, who sent back the art appraisers, ordered the maids to move all the paintings to a collection warehouse. The paintings were like wine, as time goes by, its value increases. The value of these paintings will double, or triple, when they are brought back into the world again.

“I don’t mind watching.”

She was going to take a little more time because she heard that she had a good eye for art. If she really was talented, it would have a positive effect on the reputation of Princess Veronica. On the contrary, if she was just lucky, she could ban the sale of art.

After making the decision, Leabrick took out the key stored in her sleeve and opened the locked desk drawer. It was filled with correspondence periodically sent by Anne, who was secretly monitoring Elena. Leabrick, who had a letter from Elena, locked the drawer again.

“Don’t forget. You’re in my palm.”

Leabrick didn’t take her eyes off Elena for a moment. From the first meeting until now. It was the same in the future.

***

Elena periodically visited Raphael’s studio. It was in the name of learning to paint, but in reality it was to give Raphael a little help. She was worried about being caught by Ren, but she couldn’t have been hiding forever.

Step-by-step preparations for revenge could only be made now. In the meantime, it was fortunate that she found a way to the western annex. As the boulevard was placed in the central square, the roads that had been poorly used were almost abandoned.

Elena used the route from the library back to the South and then to the west. It was to avoid encountering Ren as much as possible as passing by the central square.

Fortunately, despite several trips, she never saw Ren. Although she went around carefully, the chances of encountering students have decreased significantly because there were no students using abandoned old roads. Elena, who entered the western annex, visited the studio with a light heart.

“Senior, I’m here.”

Elena greeted pleasantly, but the studio was quiet. When she went inside in a curious mood, there was no one.

“Where’d he go? I don’t think there are any classes at this time.”

Although she turned her head in doubt, Elena wasn’t too worried. She had nothing to rush right away.

“I’ll have to boil tea and wait.”

Elena took out the tea set from the basket. The white porcelain decorated with roses and golden borders was Elena’s favorite and cherished cup. As the leaves of black tea of good quality came in from the Grand Duchy today, she brought them with her in the hope of enjoying them with Raphael. Even so, she didn’t forget to bring May to come out after talking about having tea time with the esteemed daughters, maybe Anne would doubt. By now, May would be looking at the welfare of future masters outside the Academy.

Elena was left on one side of the studio and lit a small brazier again. Then she placed a silver kettle that had been filled with water on it. As the firepower was weak, it seemed like it would take a long time to boil.

“I want to be of some help, but it’s not easy.”

Elena wanted to see Raphael, who overcame the slump, become a representative artist of the era. She would be delighted if she could be of any help to Raphael’s growth.

“I really want you to be recruited after graduation.”

Elena was preparing a lot for the change of times. She planned to develop a more in-depth art brokerage that Khalif had done in his previous life. Artists can focus only on their works, while brokers focus on sales and management. And make space to lead culture. That was Elena’s grand plan, and Raphael was important enough to be the centerpiece.

Tak, tak, tak.

Elena, who was looking at the silver kettle when the water stopped, looked back at the footsteps.

“Senior, are you here?”

Elena’s expression, which was greeting with a welcoming smile, quickly hardened. This is because Sian, not Raphael, stood with his unique expressionless expression.

“I see you’re here, Your Highness.”

Although she was quite embarrassed, Elena did not forget to show her usual courtesy.

“You must be here a lot.”

“I’m learning to paint from Raphael.”

“Painting?”

“Yes.”

Elena felt uncomfortable with this conversation. Even when they were married, they rarely asked each other how they were doing and how their day was going. Elena took out a suggestion to end the awkwardness as soon as possible.

“Cecilia is not here.”

“I’m not here to see Cecilia.”

“What? Then why are you here…”

Elena obsessed over what she couldn’t understand. If he was not here to see Cecilia,

there was no reason for the noble prince to come directly to this damp and shabby underground studio.

“I came to see you.”

“Me?”

Elena reproached herself, looking back at him asking back like a fool.

‘What do you expect.’

She hated seeing this again in front of him. It was pathetic to think of the time when she attached meaning to everything she said in her past life. So Sian’s interest was not sweet.

“May I ask you why you came to see me?”

Sian stared silently at Elena. His melancholy eyes did not show his feelings at that time or now.

“Reason. I just came here to drink your tea today.”

“… Tea?”

Sian’s eyes passed Elena and fell onto the set. Elena lost her words because she didn’t expect such an answer.