SRVB 20

Chapter 20

The art supply shop Raphael picked was the original heroine’s regular store in the original work.

If it were Raphael, he would have been recommended a pricey shop selling rare, unusual materials.

It was a convenient coincidence.

But…

‘Could the gallery also be Celestine’s favorite shop?’

Green Shrimp wasn’t the kind of place to procure exotic items along with art supplies.

Its only redeeming feature was that it carried many works by unknown painters, so you could buy pieces more cheaply than at other galleries.

‘A rich villain wouldn’t have any reason to come here.’

Raphael seemed more suited to a high-end gallery that sold expensive works by well-known artists.

The Raphael who had gone ahead said, “They have a lot of non-mainstream painters’ works here.”

Come to think of it, Raphael’s taste in paintings was unusual.

In a world where lifelike realism was in vogue, he’d once bought a peculiar painting — precisely because it was unlike anything others sought.

‘This place is good for finding uncommon paintings.’

Celestine liked Green Shrimp for the same reason.

Although it felt odd, on the other hand…

‘Unlike in the original, she’s developed a new hobby of viewing paintings. Is that so strange?’

Even if I tried to dismiss it that way, something still nagged at me.

There was an uneasy feeling I couldn’t put my finger on.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and pick one.” He urged.

I stopped thinking and started scanning the gallery. For now, finding Celestine’s paintings was the priority.

I looked up and the sight of paintings of every size plastered all the way to the high ceiling spread out before me.

“There are really a lot of works here.”

“Yeah, it’s just as chaotically cluttered as always.”

Surprisingly, Raphael looked as if he’d been to Green Shrimp before.

Well, that would explain why he’d brought me here.

I tried to shake off the nagging feeling I’d had and began searching for Celestine’s paintings.

There were so many paintings that there wasn’t even space to hang them all — some were simply tossed on the floor.

‘Finding the heroine’s paintings won’t be a problem.’

Naive Celestine, who had come to the capital under the new system, had been tricked by someone and made into a proxy painter.

She had talent; she painted in various styles and raised the names of many painters.

Only later did she realize her situation and fall into despair, but a penniless commoner could do nothing.

So she decided to make a tiny act of rebellion.

Hoping someone would recognize her, she left a distinctive symbol in each painting.

That symbol later played an important role in authenticating Celestine’s works.

‘A black feather with its tip turned white.’

I peered at the paintings with widened eyes, but I couldn’t find the distinctive mark.

‘That’s strange — Green Shrimp has a lot of her paintings, so they should be easy to find.’

Heartless painters had urged her to produce lots of paintings quickly.

Powerless, she had complied with their demands.

By the time she met the male lead Dantalion, the number of paintings she had painted reportedly had a three-digit count.

‘How could there be not a single one here!’

Could they all have been sold?

That seemed unlikely…

Right now she was painting instead for unknown, unsigned painters.

Not many people would step forward to buy works by those whose names weren’t known.

I paced round and round through the gallery.

“Ugh, huff.” My lousy stamina.

I hadn’t even gone around many times yet, and I was already out of breath.

‘Strange — I read in the newspaper that Dantalion had returned to the capital…’

All the main characters from the story were gathered in the capital now.

The original should certainly have started.

According to the original, it wouldn’t be long before the Chrome territory incident occurred.

It was an event where an unusually huge and dense Nox happened, causing many casualties, and the lord of Chrome asked Raphael for help.

But Raphael cut off Chrome’s request at once.

I don’t know why he refused — it wasn’t in the original.

‘Normally he would have rushed in pretending to be unrelated to Nox.’

Does he hold some particular grudge against Chrome? Anyway.

The savior of the despairing Chrome territory was Dantalion.

‘That scene was really cool.’

I particularly liked the scene where he dealt with the Nox using his blade girded in holy power.

I glanced at Raphael.

He was calmly admiring the hung paintings.

‘Is he really going to cause Nox in Chrome?’

On the surface he didn’t look like the villain who’d drive countless people to death.

‘I hope things stay peaceful like this.’

It wasn’t impossible.

Strangely, Green Shrimp didn’t sell Celestine’s paintings.

Because I had sold her paintings, I’d met a villain, so perhaps something in the original had gone significantly awry.

‘If it’s different from the original, I prefer that!’

Peace is best.

Raphael liking paintings was much more pleasant to see than him summoning Nox and plotting the world’s destruction.

It suited him well.

‘Although it’s a problem that he’s making me paint.’ Still, seeing him focus on other paintings like that, maybe someday his tastes will change and he’ll seek out other artists.

Sensing my stare, he spoke.

“Have you chosen the painting you want to buy?”

“Not yet. I’ll just take one more lap.”

“I said we’re in a hurry. Pick something roughly.”

“Just once more!”

He sighed and allowed it.

“I can’t delay any further. Just once.”

“All right!”

‘Feather, feather, a black feather with a white tip!’

I stared at the paintings, but I couldn’t find Celestine’s symbol.

Because her paintings weren’t here, strangely enough I felt excited.

There were no traces of the heroine.

That was clear proof the original had changed.

I wasn’t worried.

Even if the story were altered and she didn’t meet the male lead, it would be for the best for her.

After all…

‘He’s the kind of male lead who becomes ruined and never regrets it.’

He treated her like garbage and felt no remorse.

Celestine always suffered under his obsession.

In the end she resigned herself and accepted it.

If she didn’t meet him, she’d live happily instead.

Feeling cheerful, I hummed a tune while strolling the gallery and then stopped.

“Wow!”

I’d found a painting that perfectly caught my eye.

It was a still life centered on a glossy roast turkey.

‘That’s no ordinary cooking skill.’

The plump turkey looked well-prepared and carefully roasted at just the right temperature.

The delicious appearance made me decide to buy it.

Rumble! My stomach demanded food as I walked down the street.

My face involuntarily turned bright red.

Raphael, who had heard the loud sound, said with a remark, “You and your antics.”

“W-well, I hurried earlier and only had a rough breakfast, and lunch’s long past. Of course I’m hungry!”

“Unlike you, I ate breakfast so I’m fine.”

“You can’t compare the two of us equally, Your Highness. We’re just built differently — our basic stamina isn’t the same!”

“If you knew you had poor stamina, you should have chosen wisely. How many laps did you take just to pick a painting?”

“Because it’s going to hang in my studio, I had to choose carefully.”

“Right. You picked the painting you wanted and even bought the materials. Can I expect the finished work now?”

Ugh, no.

Even if I had good tools, it would be no use. My painting skills were ruined.

I’d already realized that and didn’t need to reaffirm it.

‘I have to change the subject.’

“By the way, aren’t you hungry, Your Highness?”

“I don’t have an appetite.”

“Still, you skipped breakfast? Breakfast is so important. To get through the day properly you need a solid meal.”

“I said I don’t have an appetite.”

“But you finished everything I cooked without leaving a scrap. You looked like you had a good appetite.”

“That’s not true.”

“Huh? That’s strange. You even scraped the sauce clean.”

“……”

“You even had bits stuck at the corner of your mouth.”

He closed his mouth tight.

‘He likes teasing.’

I covered my mouth with one hand and chuckled.

“When we return to the manor, should I make you something?”

“Don’t. And don’t smile like that again.”

“Like this?”

“Giggling while covering your mouth.”

I’d been in the habit of laughing like that since my previous life; there wasn’t any particular reason.

“Does it look weird?”

“Yes. It makes me unpleasant, because it makes me think of someone.”

He actually frowned as if truly bothered.

‘Who is it?’

Someone who had offended the temper of a villain with an extraordinary intent to destroy the world.