Chapter 696: Lanqi Can't Draw
Flower City, Pariel North Bank, District 2, Platinum Palace.
Stalactites occupy the vault, relief sculptures of dancing angels appear on the vault as if they are about to fly out, and the stained glass mosaic in the center of the dome almost imprints a rainbow of colors on the marble floor.
As the two walked in the exhibition hall, two seven-meter-high sphinxes stood on both sides, facing each other, just like their incarnations.
“I didn’t expect that what I saw with my own eyes was still different from what I saw projected in the artificial shadow world.”
"After all, the artificial shadow world is just a man-made product. It cannot reach the divine projection of the real shadow world where the shadows are intertwined."
After Lanci and Talia left the Pariel Card Makers Association, they agreed to spend the morning of their date at one of the largest and oldest art museums on the southern continent, which is also an iconic landmark of the Person Kingdom.
Although the venue for the test projection in the third round of platinum-level card makers was the Platinum Palace, since then, both of them have been thinking about visiting the actual venue.
In other words, the Bojinson Palace itself is an important check-in spot when traveling to the Bojinson Kingdom.
However, because the hotel they stayed in was too close to Platinum Palace, they often passed by it and were not in a hurry to go here.
It’s like most residents don’t visit or check in at local scenic spots. Since they live nearby, they feel they can go there anytime, so much so that if they hadn’t had the opportunity today, the two of them might have really delayed going there.
"It was originally built as a fortress nearly a thousand years ago to resist the invasion of foreigners. Later, after peace was restored, it was transformed into a royal palace. During this period, the Palace of Perkins began to collect artworks, and gradually began to include sacred and even epic pieces in its collection. As time went on, more kings expanded and beautified the palace, making it the center of art and culture in the Perkins Kingdom."
The two of them strolled in the exhibition hall, sometimes stopping to admire, sometimes exchanging feelings, and the voice of the exhibition introducer came to their ears.
It was not until nearly a hundred years ago that it was transformed into a public museum, and after several extensions and reconstructions, it was opened to the public, allowing the public to admire its rich collections.
The sculpture relief on the dome depicts the lively scenes of soaring eagles and galloping Pegasus.
"Which one do you like best, Tata?"
Lanqi stood at one side of the central hall and asked Talia beside him.
In the center, there is a huge oil painting "The Rise of the Kingdom of Evernight" by the ancient imperial painter Stephen Martin. Although it is incomplete, it is still magnificent. It reproduces the fierce battle scene with spears waving and dragons roaring in the sky. The blood of countless warriors blooms an eternal flame of glory in the darkness.
On the left, in Isaac Clare's gentle and magnificent painting "The Gift of Mother Earth", a woman in a graceful white gauze dress holds precious elixir in a jar, slowly walks towards the earth on the misty clouds, and lovingly leads an innocent lamb in her hand.
On the other side of the studio, The Magic Mirror’s Three Questions by the Grimm brothers reflects a hazy and mysterious female face. She gazes into the world in the mirror, with both the vicissitudes of a wise man and the ignorance of a virgin, as if questioning the viewer about the three mysteries of life.
These are extremely famous paintings in the southern continent.
But Lanci did not say what he thought.
“…”
Talia simply turned her head and stared at the entire back wall.
It was an epic mural "The Judgement of the Demon King" by the ancient imperial painter Tolkien. The hundreds of meters long mural vividly reproduced the magnificent scene of millions of heroic armies charging into battle and launching a decisive battle against the demon king.
She looked at the painting without saying a word.
But that was the answer she told Lanci.
"What a coincidence, this is also the one I like."
Only at this moment did they feel that they were a good match or had similar interests, but they were unwilling to admit it.
To some extent, both of them are good at painting, but they never talk to each other about appreciation topics. They are more focused on the production of magic cards and magic engineering.
"Did Hyperion tell you about Esmodesm? Maya-sama Esmodesm."
Lanci asked Talia.
The great demons are not necessarily good at painting, almost all of them have their own specialties, and the great demon who was best at painting during the years when the blood moon destroyed the world was probably Esmode.
"It was mentioned that she was a talented woman."
Talia nodded.
"Now that I think about it, you are also a talented woman. After all, you can paint divine paintings just like her."
Lanqi couldn't help but praise.
"No, she was much younger than me when I met her in your shadow world."
Talia admitted frankly.
“…”
Lanqi's words were choked for a moment, as if his lines had been snatched away.
She doesn't seem to have any desire to compare herself with people of the same race.
"By the way, if the Shadow World had taken you in last time, as a princess, what would you have done when faced with Hyperion's situation?"
He changed the question to one that he had been curious about for a long time.
Hyperion is an absolute conservative, while Talia has two sides: conservatism and radicalism. She can be both conservative and radical, depending on the situation and her mood.
"I would tell them, 'I am the devil, and none of you are.'"
Talia replied matter-of-factly.
She does not accept any provocation from the great demons. Since she sits in that position, those who obey her will prosper, and those who defy her will perish.
"Then if you restore the country according to your original wish, wouldn't it be more like you are going the route of a tyrant?"
Lanci asked in surprise.
No wonder in the world line where Talia obtained the Poem of Compassion and restored her country, she became a true demon king.
"There is no other way. The emperor who restores the country must be prepared to be a tyrant. Not everyone can be a holy and benevolent emperor."
Talia also roughly understood the first three blood moons that Lanqi and Hyperion had experienced.
"However, if Lancros of the Black Sun could end it all and be crowned king at the end of the Blood Moon Era, based on his personality, he would surely become a benevolent monarch."
The more she looked at it, the more she felt that the Blood Moon Destruction was an earlier era than the Holy Empire.
Although the ultra-ancient history of tens of thousands of years ago has long been erased, Talia believes that in the eyes of future generations of that era, Lancros of the Black Sun should be a famous hero.
It shouldn't be the case that after fighting for your whole life, you lose everything you should lose, and in the end you still have to bear the infamy and be slandered for a thousand years.
The two chatted as they walked up the stairs, and the Corridor of Reason and the Corridor of Prosperity unfolded.
As the two of them were visiting and discussing.
Talia stopped under a painting, and Lanqi also stopped and followed her gaze.
The painting depicts a peaceful and tranquil scene.
A beautiful girl in a long dress was lying on an Ikrit-style four-poster bed.
Her dark eyebrows were slightly closed, her cherry lips were slightly parted, and her expression was calm and gentle, like a sleeping angel.
Her long silver hair spread out on the white pillow, and the white silk sheets set off her creamy skin. Outside the window was a lush forest with verdant trees. The mottled sunlight between the branches and leaves shone through the window lattice, casting a swaying light and shadow on the girl.
“This Sleeping Beauty is indeed worthy of high praise. Although the Sleeping Beauty in the painting is sleeping, she seems to wake up at any time, making the viewer look forward to the appearance of the prince to wake her up.”
Lanci commented.
The one who could see her sleeping face and was waiting for her was obviously Duke Migaia. At this time, Talia beside him did not respond to him, but just looked up and stared at the sleeping beauty in the painting.
I just watched like this for a long time.
Visitors came and went, but they were the only ones standing still in front of the painting.
Lanqi didn't say anything else to disturb Talia at this time, and just stayed with her quietly.
"Let's go."
Talia was dazed and turned her eyes away from the painting.
"I'll help you get her back, soon."
Lanci said.
Doesn't sound like a guarantee though.
But with a certainty - this is a job he will definitely complete.
They will then be ready to head to the Kremer Empire.
This is also the last necessary step for him to start his retirement career.
"When you need it, all my strength will be at your disposal."
After hearing this, Talia assured him.
The two of them walked around and found it relatively quieter than when they were outside the museum.
Or maybe they didn't have much to make noise about in the art museum; it was just the environment.
Leaving the main exhibition hall, they came to the left wing of the Place du Palais, passing by the fountain with the statue of the god of will and love. They had almost finished visiting half of the Platinum Palace.
Now we can almost head towards the exit.
It will be noon soon and it's time to find a restaurant for lunch.
While strolling in the corridor of the secondary exhibition hall closer to the exit of the Platinum Palace, suddenly, a painting with a bustling surrounding attracted their attention.
It seemed to be a temporary exhibition area, but there were quite a few spectators around, listening to the tour guide's introduction.
When the two approached the painting, they immediately recognized the familiar painting.
The canvas presents a deep and dark background of late night, as if under the lights of a temple.
A gray-haired woman in a ragged cloak stood quietly, like a beam of moonlight in the dark night.
Her face is completely blocked by the pigeon, and its wings are spread out in the center of the picture, creating an abrupt and stunning visual impact.
"When you look closely, you can catch a glimpse of the woman's eyes through the wings of the night dove. They are a pair of golden eyes, as clear as amber and as dazzling as gold."
The tour guide pointed to the paintings behind him and preached to the tourists.
Not only were there gentlemen and ladies admiring "Mystery Beauty", but a small media interview event was also taking place. Reporters from Broadcasting Corporation of Paris were holding microphones and cameras, interviewing visitors in front of the painting about their views on this mysterious painting.
"Her eyes penetrate the obstruction of the pigeons and fall directly on the viewer. You can't help but get closer to the painting, wanting to find out more and see the true face of this mysterious beauty."
"When you are only one foot away from the painting, the mysterious beauty's golden eyes are locked on your face."
“The painter perfectly captured the charm of this moment and froze it forever on the canvas.”
The greatest feature of the painting “Mystery Beauty” is that the less you can see the complete face of the gray-haired, golden-eyed beauty, the more you will imagine how beautiful she is.
"I have seen the prototype of the mysterious beauty in this painting. She is Miss Tata who is taking the platinum-level card maker exam. She is really beautiful, a perfect lady, young and talented. Even without makeup, her brilliance cannot be concealed."
After the tour guide finished speaking, the audience started discussing it.
"call--"
When Lanqi heard this, he couldn't help laughing.
“…”
Even though Talia tried her best to restrain herself, she still held his hand a little tighter.
"The person who drew this picture, the mysterious examiner from Hutton Kingdom, must have had a crush on her, which is why he drew her so charmingly. This perspective is just like the moment when a boy meets a girl and their hearts beat fast."
Another spectator said this.
Having said this.
Lanqi's smile froze.
And Talia seemed to let out a light laugh.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
"I heard someone has a crush on me."
Talia stood on tiptoe, whispered in Lanqi's ear, and looked forward again.
"Lanqi?"
"Lanqi?"
Talia asked twice in a row, but Lanqi didn't say anything.
Just when Talia wanted to press Lanqi's shoulder and continue whispering to him.
The reporter from Parriere Broadcasting Company seemed to have noticed the intimacy between the two men and women and hurried over.
Isn't this feeling of being close yet distant, of wanting to reject but also wanting to welcome, exactly the state of mind of the artist and the gray-haired girl in the painting "Mystery Beauty" when they first met? It's as if I saw their shadows in reality! "May I ask what do you two think of this painting, or what state of mind do you think the artist had when he created this portrait of the mysterious beauty?"
The reporter from Broadcasting Corporation of Paris raised the microphone and asked Lanqi and Talia questions enthusiastically.
“He’s better at drawing.”
Talia looked up at Ranchi beside her with interest.
The reporter also pointed the microphone at Lanqi.
"I, I don't know."
Lanqi shook his head and waved his hands.
“I can’t draw.”
He finally seemed to have made up his mind and spoke in a decisive tone.
…
Behind the distant corner, two heads and a cat head appeared.
Only in a location like the exhibition hall could they dare to get closer to Ranchi and Talia, as there were too many obstructions.
When they heard Lanqi say that he couldn't draw, they couldn't hold back.
"Lanqi can't draw?"
Etienne wondered if she had heard it wrongly.
"Why is Junior Brother Lanqi so shy? He would rather say that he can't draw than admit that he has a crush on Tata."
Rosalinda's face was full of gloating expression.
"Meow, if the tenth ancestor Laowu heard this, he would probably be so angry that he would be resurrected."
Boss Cat shook his head.
The other side.
The reporter from Broadcasting Corporation of Paris was a little hesitant, but he reacted quickly.
"Then just tell me what you think the picture is about, personally?"
The reporter raised the microphone again and took out two red lottery tickets from his pocket, "And if you participate in our interactive session, you will be given two fireworks coupons!"
There will be a festival at the Temple of Love tonight. If you hold a fireworks voucher, you can participate in the lucky draw and there will be various surprise prizes!
Lanqi was not very interested in this kind of lottery ticket.
But he noticed that Talia seemed to want it.
Because there seem to be limited food rewards in the prize pool.
"The author is obviously describing a story about a young boy who accidentally mistook a homeless girl for a poor old lady. When he looked away, he realized that she was a young beauty. He couldn't help but look at her for the third time, but this time he didn't see her clearly. He only saw her mysterious figure and eyes."
Lanqi said this as if he was forced to do business.
“Although it is not the same as the evaluation of the connoisseurs, the answer given by this gentleman is still a novel one, full of imaginative and romantic colors.”
After listening to this, the reporter smiled and said to the camera, "Thank you for your interaction. I wish you have a good time today."
He handed the ticket to Lanqi.
Lanqi also took it and thanked him, then folded it slightly and handed it to Talia.
"Thanks."
Talia put it in her pocket with satisfaction and led him away.
Until the reporter walked away from the temporary exhibition hall.
"Did you really look at me three times that day?"
Talia asked him unsurely.
"Acting."
Lanqi said to himself.
“…”
Talia believes that Lanci has a performance element in front of the camera.
He skirted around his own problems.
It is impossible to judge the truthfulness of his previous words by the truthfulness of this answer.
"So if the scene in this painting is not what you really see..."
Talia muttered in confusion, as if asking a question that only she could hear.
"How do you know what my pigeons look like?"
The dark carrier pigeon in this painting is exactly hers.
"!"
Lanqi turned his head immediately.
"I was drunk at the time and my memory is hazy, so I can't give you an exact answer."
Lanqi immediately grabbed Talia's shoulder with his right hand and looked into her eyes.
"I only remember sitting in front of the canvas, and what I painted next was what I thought about. The main character was of course you. I used the film in my eyes to create the most beautiful movie about you."
He suppressed his emotions and explained to her quickly.
"Huh?"
Talia's cheeks suddenly felt a little hot.
Being held by Lanqi like this.
Grabbing shoulders.
Looking closely at his face and those serious emerald green eyes.
She felt a little unsure of what to do again.
No, no.
Can't be fooled by him.
I guess he’s going to say something really damning in the next second!
However.
Her erratic attitude seemed to make Lanci more nervous.
"I don't have an answer to how many times I looked at you, and I don't want to understand. But the only thing that is indisputable is that you are beautiful."
Lanci responded firmly.
"So, that's how it is."
Talia's voice became louder.
She broke away from Lanqi a little, and instead took his hand and dragged him forward, walking in front so that he couldn't see her expression.
For a moment, Talia almost became helpless.
She realized her confusion, which was all seen by Lanqi.
No, everything is still going as planned.
Talia shook her head vigorously.
My reaction just now was probably very much like that of a "girl in love", I guess I succeeded in disgusting him...
She covered her face with the back of her left hand and the cuff of her sleeve, turned her eyes aside and thought.
I recommend the book by the brothers ~ "Tokyo: A Socially Annoyed Boy Who Just Wants to Be a Heretic Superstar"
(End of this chapter)