Chapter 329 The Color of Fire
After Luo Yan left, the studio regained its tranquility.
As the night gradually deepened, the work-study girl also left here, and closed the door for Mr. Harvey when she left.
Harvey sat alone on a chair by the window, holding a sketch in his hand and staring at the rising flames of the silver candlestick.
The candlelight is sometimes as bright as the golden holy light, sometimes as dim as the dull sunset, and at the end there is an imperceptible trace of blue hidden in the extinguished blue smoke.
His mind repeatedly recalled what Luo Yan said before -
"Yes, that is the magic I am best at."
"I like its color."
Flame...
What color is it?
Havi frowned slightly and thought hard for a long time, but still couldn't come up with a reliable answer.
Perhaps——
That answer is not an answer in the first place, but a puzzle.
Just when he was deep in thought, a polite knock on the door suddenly sounded. After a while, the door to the studio slowly opened, and Kasit Hilfin walked in from the porch with a gentle smile.
Seeing Cassit appear at the door, Harvey quickly stood up and went up to him with a bit of surprise: "Your Excellency, Earl? Why are you here?"
Cassit waved his hand slightly to indicate that he did not have to be formal, and then continued, "I happened to be at the Imperial Academy just now. I passed by here and wanted to come and take a look... I heard that you and His Highness Colin have already met?"
"Yes," Harvey nodded, just about to call out to himself His assistant poured a glass of water for His Highness the Earl, but he realized that she was already off work, so he awkwardly stepped forward to get the chair and said, "Please sit down."
Candlelight and moonlight overlap on the surface of the canvas, making the characters’ faces appear both mysterious and vivid.
· Admiring the lifelike Colin, Kassite nodded in approval, his eyes full of appreciation.
The drying process will last about a week or two, after which it will undergo a "glazing" process before it can be officially put into the frame.
However, even if he has not gone through this final step, with his understanding and appreciation of art, he can judge without hesitation that the quality of the entire painting is at least on the "excellent" level.
This is the evaluation system established by the Sylfen family for the Royal Academy of Art and the entire imperial art world. Paintings of "excellent" quality are worth at least 50,000 gold coins.
The artists of the empire were one of the empire's many money-printing machines, but what he cared about was not just tens of thousands of gold coins, but that there was another heirloom treasure in the Sylfen family's treasury.
Staring at "the kind and majestic His Highness Roxsay Colin", Kassite liked him more and more as he looked at it, and suddenly spoke.
"How do you feel about him?"
Looking at Cassit, whose back was turned to him, Harvey hesitated for a moment and said carefully.
Respondous in the â“
"You don't have to praise me and compare me to these two gentlemen, even I feel embarrassed."
Havi smiled shyly and scratched the back of his head.
"This is just my subjective feeling. Of course, what you said has your own reasons, but your status in my mind...is not inferior to that of those two gentlemen."
"So... do you think he looks like a prince?"
Harvey was stunned for a moment and asked doubtfully.
"...Isn't it?"
"Of course, yes, I just asked casually." Cassit said casually, "Don't worry."
Actually, it doesn't matter whether it is or not.
Who in the entire Holy City does not have a trace of the emperor's blood in his body? Presumably even the emperor himself couldn't explain this clearly.
The ancient family that was unknown five hundred years ago was not that important from the beginning. All the senators needed was a name about "ancient" to facilitate their next steps.
Just like the Holy See needs a "pious" name.
As for His Majesty the Emperor, he doesn't care how pure the bloodline of that descendant is. All the Royal Knights and Marshal Lako want to confirm is his loyalty.
As long as the territory is real and the people are real, the Colin family can keep their word in the continent of Janna, and this continent is firmly in the hands of the empire——
This is enough.
Looking at Harvey who was confused, Cassit was about to ask something to divert the topic, but his eyes suddenly fell on the draft that was put aside.
A hint of curiosity appeared on his face, and he asked with interest.
"Is this your new work? It looks...different from your previous style."
hh Harvey explained softly with a smile in his eyes.
"This is a gift I personally gave to His Highness the Prince. It is only a draft at the moment. Speaking of which, I have to thank His Highness for his inspiration for this painting."
"Oh?" Cassit was surprised and looked at Harvey with interest and said, "A prince from the New World can actually inspire the famous Baron Media... I'm curious about what he inspired you?"
"He mentioned an art style called "Abstractism"... In addition to imitating nature, painters can also use elements in nature to express their spiritual world. Do you know? After hearing his expression, I felt like opening the door to a new world!"
When talking about his professional field, Harvey's eyes suddenly brightened, and the previous restraint was swept away. His thin shoulders were as straight as cypresses, and his tone also carried an unconcealable enthusiasm.
He spoke vividly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, as if every word was burning. The look on his face reminded people of the preacher outside St. Clement's Cathedral. Any viewer would be involuntarily ignited by the enthusiasm radiating from him——
Looking at Baron Medea's unstinting praise, the expression on Kassite's face became more and more wonderful, with a hint of disbelief revealed in his surprise.
"I really didn't expect that His Highness Colin would have such a deep understanding of art... It seems that I still underestimated him. The background of the Colin family is indeed extraordinary."
Abstract School.
As the principal of the Imperial Academy of Art and the most influential curator and collector in the entire Holy City, he has never even heard of this word!
If other people mentioned this concept to him, he would probably sneer and think that the other person was talking nonsense, but he couldn't stand it and even Baron Media gave it a very high evaluation, and was even willing to create a painting specifically for this avant-garde artistic concept.
Had it not been for the fact that this painting already had an owner, he would have even wanted to include it in his collection!
Hearing Harvey talk about composition, color, and color to the exploration of the spiritual world, Kassite suddenly felt something in his heart and asked casually.
"By the way, you asked His Highness what color he likes... I'm curious, how did he answer?"
Havi was stunned for a moment, his eyes drifting out the window, and the hot flame that was originally flashing in his mind was extinguished by the rational night in an instant.
In fact, he could feel that the respected Mr. Cassit was not interested in his doctrine.
The Holy Grail is filled with only the most naked desires——
The priests just wanted to use his eyes to observe the gentleman.
“He said...he likes purple the best.” Harvey replied softly, giving the answer that satisfied Mr. Cassett the most.
Kassite looked relaxed, as if the guess in his heart had been confirmed. He smiled and nodded and said: "Purple, a noble color... It seems that noble people always agree on the same color. What I read from him is the same color."
Hashington paused for a moment and continued in a relaxed and cheerful tone.
"I will decorate the table with violets at the dinner party tomorrow, and I believe the prince will feel more cordial. As for Baron Media, I hope you can complete the gift to His Highness as soon as possible... I heard that he plans to go to the Academy later, and I'm afraid he won't stay in the Holy City for too long. Don't let him leave here with regrets."
"Yes, Your Majesty, Earl." Harvey nodded respectfully until the door of the studio was closed, and the crisp footsteps walked away.
The shadow outside the window withdrew his sight from him, like a crow flying away from a branch, and rolled back into the shadow with the color as if it had knocked over a paint bucket.
Mr. Cassit Hilfen did not come here alone, nor did he come here as a drop-in as he said.
As for whether he is a member of the Inquisition, a member of the Sylfin family, or a member of the Pope... what does it have to do with the humble Baron Media?
It’s none of their business!
With a hint of cunning flashing in his gray-blue eyes, Harvey sauntered back to the draft with only outlines.
His index finger stroked the plain white drawing paper, with a vague arc at the corner of his mouth, and enthusiasm burning in his eyes.
"So that's it——"
Fire is not any color.
But above the Holy Light, the color of all things in the world!
Abstract art reflects the inner heart of the painter, rather than the "inner heart of the person being portrayed" - I guess this is the metaphor in the puzzle that His Highness Colin left for him!
Havi picked up the paintbrush again, and in the empty studio, he began to create works that transcended the times without any distractions.
At this moment——
He fully realized it!
…
The night is deep.
The tall carriage slowly stopped in front of the main building of the Sage's Courtyard. The entire manor was bathed in the quiet moonlight, and only the faint sound of insects accompanied Luo Yan as he walked into the wide foyer.
Stein was waiting by the door, watching His Royal Highness the Prince bowing and saluting: "Your Highness, Miss Sarah is waiting for you in the room."
The ambiguous looks in the surrounding waiters and maids' eyes would obviously give them the wrong meaning, but their professional ethics prevented them from making irresponsible remarks about the nobles' hobbies in person.
This is actually nothing.
Just a half-breed with demon blood flowing through his veins. This is considered an entry-level hobby in the circle of the nobles of the Holy City... There are many more incredible hobbies than this in the vast ocean.
Every year, the frontline gets a large number of prisoners of war from hell. Even goblins can be sold as piglets to work on the farms. Demons will only sell them more expensively.
As for what was thrown to the priest for purification after torture, that was all for the believers outside the door to hear.
Luo Yan nodded.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Stein... I have no other plans tonight. You all can go and have some rest. If you don't have anything important, don't come to my room to disturb me."
"As ordered." Stein said respectfully, and then left with a group of servants.
Luo Yan came to the second floor alone. Before entering the bedroom, he asked Youyou to sniff around to make sure there were no traces of extraordinary power before he walked in.
Although he didn’t think Mr. Sylfin was the kind of character who would use low-level methods, he still had to be on guard against others... He was wearing a mask after all.
Walking into the bedroom, Sarah was already waiting by the window.
The bright moonlight passed through the gauze curtain and softly fell on her delicate profile. Seeing Luo Yan enter the door, she immediately jumped down from the window sill and saluted gracefully.
In addition to the etiquette that Luo Yan taught her step by step——
She even switched to the style Luo Yan expected.
"Your Highness, the high-profile return of Baron Tichkosia has begun to ferment. All day today, the taverns in the port area of the Holy City have been discussing this baron from the New World, and the legend about the Janna continent being filled with gems and infinite wealth, and the rumors are getting more and more outrageous!"
Tuff was sleeping soundly on the pillow.
I don’t know if it’s because of the getting colder weather, but after all, this “meat lizard” couldn’t resist the genetic code flowing in its blood, and began to want to hibernate.
Luo Yan sat down on the soft armchair, casually took the hot tea from Sarah, took a satisfied sip, and said lightly.
"It seems that Teach did not disappoint me. His character is suitable for this kind of exaggerated performance. The more high-profile his performance, the easier it is for the people in the Holy City to believe in us."
It won't be long before the master behind Horn will come into contact with Teach. When he gets back his own land and reputation, "Corsia Crusoe" will immediately become a bestseller among the middle and lower classes in the Holy City.
And then——
Countless young men with dreams will get on the ship to Deadwood Port and set foot on the land of dreams filled with gold.
Sarah nodded with a smile and continued to report:
"In addition, there is good news from Lumir. He has confirmed the genealogy of the Dantès family. Although the story of Edmond Dantès is full of holes, fortunately... the story he told was not made up from his generation, and this just gives us a lot of room for processing and modification. Lumir has compiled the details into a booklet for His Highness to review. "
Sarah said, picking up a leather booklet from the desk behind her and handing it to Luo Yan with both hands.
Luo Yan opened the booklet, his eyes showed some admiration, and he read softly.
"Very good, Lumil is always so considerate in his work, and I am very satisfied with his meticulousness. Now that the last piece of the puzzle is completed, we can finally start our plan."
Fake goods can also be divided into "old fakes" and "new fakes".
If you have to choose between the two, of course the older fakes have more packaging value.
At least Mr. Edmond Dantès, who participated in the performance, firmly believed in what he said and would not give up halfway because of a guilty conscience.
If that kind of unpleasantness really happened, he could only ask this gentleman to take the secret to the grave, and then find a solution from his widow and children.
If you want to take money from the devil, you don't have to pay a price.
After pondering for a moment, Luo Yan closed the book in his hand, looked at Sarah and ordered with a smile.
"Inform Lumil that you can send the gifts I prepared for the Dantès family. Loyalty Street is not a place where the Colin family members should stay. They must at least live in a dignified manner, lest the citizens of the Holy City think that His Highness Colin is someone who has forgotten his roots. We can't let Mr. Cocia take away the protagonist of the story."
Sarah nodded respectfully, with sincere admiration in her eyes:
"Understood, Your Highness...I will personally arrange it tomorrow morning."
Luo Yan threw the booklet into the storage space, leaned back comfortably on the chair and meditated with his eyes closed, his relaxed smile like the crescent moon leaning against the glass window.
There was silence in the bedroom, with only the evening breeze outside the window gently shaking the leaves, providing a prelude to the storm that was about to sweep through the Holy City.
Everything is going according to his preset script.
At the same time, in an unknown corner, light footsteps and dim candlelight filled the quiet secret room.
In front of the statue of Calamos Melusine, a figure in a robe bowed respectfully and placed the candlestick next to the statue.
From the shadows, a low and hoarse voice floated, like a poisonous snake hiding in the dark and spitting out a message.
The cloaked believer nodded respectfully.
“His performance was perfect, just like a real prince... To be honest, even I can’t see through his true face.”
The shadow of the stone statue laughed softly, and it was hard to tell whether the emotion was joy or just fun.
No god will tell his followers everything, and the believers hiding in the shadow of the hood also kept silent and did not ask questions that they should not know.
For example——
Who is that Prince Colin that deserves Lord Calamos’s concern?
What role does this prince, who is inextricably linked to hell, play, has aroused the interest of so many forces.
Master Karamos seemed to have laughed enough, and the dark shadow fell silent, with a trace of laziness in his slow voice.
"Okay, I understand, please step back."
The believer was stunned for a moment and said hesitantly.
"Don't you need me to do anything for you?"
It was not easy for them to contact each other -
Especially under the noses of Saint Sith and the Emperor.
The shadow of the stone statue said slowly.
"No need for the moment, just keep an eye on him for me, remember to watch his every move... I need you to figure out for me what he wants to do."
Even the devil in charge of desire in hell can't see through the desire in the eyes of that highness?
The believers were secretly surprised and couldn't help but become more curious about the mysterious prince.
Who is this?
It's a pity——
Lord Karamos will not answer his question, and as the former's puppet, all he can do is obey.
The lowered brim of his hat covered his chin, and he saluted respectfully, as piously as when praying in church during the day.
"As commanded."
The shadow of the stone statue returned to normal.
He blew out the candlestick and turned away.