TDWO Chapter 30
by xxsienna“What’s the matter?”
“I apologize for the late hour, Grand Duchess. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow for the good news.”
As soon as Lawrence took his seat, he began speaking.
He was a dealer who introduced artists and their works to patrons.
With nearly twenty years of experience and exceptional insight, he was known as a Midas in the art dealer world.
For someone like Lawrence, the Grand Duchess of Briston was a major patron with whom he needed to maintain a close relationship.
‘Hmm…’
Anri looked at Lawrence, who was sitting next to Edwin, with a skeptical gaze.
Lawrence, who appeared to be around middle age, possessed a typical middle-aged charm.
However, upon closer inspection, his smooth and polished demeanor seemed somewhat insincere and unappealing.
‘Is that person going to be one of my rivals in the future…?’
Anri’s gaze on Lawrence grew more wary.
As someone who wanted to make a name for herself as an art dealer, Anri was seeing a colleague in the field for the first time.
The Grand Duchess, having obtained Anri’s permission, invited Lawrence to join them for dinner.
As the footman set out the utensils for Lawrence, the Grand Duchess looked at him with anticipation.
“I’m eager to hear how wonderful this news is, given that you came here in such a hurry.”
As soon as Lawrence took his seat, the Grand Duchess lightly clasped her hands and fixed her gaze on him. Her eyes were shining with anticipation.
As if she was waiting for Lawrence to open his mouth.
Lawrence looked a little out of breath but also overwhelmed with honor.
He placed one hand respectfully on his lap.
“For the past twenty years, Your Grace has been a constant presence at the Royal Academy’s exhibitions, generously supporting the arts and devoting your passion to the revival of the art world. It’s undeniable that you, Your Grace, have been likened to the Medici family, who brought about the Renaissance.”
Edwin, sitting upright, brought the napkin to his lips once.
To compare his mother to the Medici family, Lawrence’s lengthy speech was overly exaggerated.
The Medici family, renowned for their patronage of Renaissance art, was well-known even to Edwin, who had no particular interest in art.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Renaissance era began thanks to the powerful support of their noble family, which was influential enough to be compared to a “national treasure.”
Regardless, the Grand Duchess’s heart raced with anticipation and curiosity about what good news Lawrence had brought.
She had a feeling she might know, but if it was “that news,” she doubted she could believe it.
Lawrence continued his preamble.
“Ah, but even the Royal Academy of Arts cannot match the Grand Duchess’s discerning eye. What’s the point of selecting ‘Painting of the Year’ every year if not to honor the greatest works of art? And yet, they bestow that honor on mediocre works, while Your Grace’s collection remains unmatched!”
‘Oh?’
Anri realized what kind of news Lawrence had brought.
‘Oh my, they must have finally announced this year’s Painting of the Year at the Royal Academy exhibition!’
The Royal Academy exhibition was the very event where Anri and Edwin had crossed paths.
Every year, the Royal Academy selected one artwork and bestowed upon it the honor of ‘Painting of the Year.’
For elite artists, there was no more tear-jerking and honorable awards.
Winning such an award instantly elevated the artist’s fame and increased the value of their work.
Thus, choosing a piece to buy at the Royal Academy exhibition was like scratching a lottery ticket.
There was a chance that the piece they selected could win.
Is there any greater glory or honor for a patron than that?
Having the discerning eye and insight to identify the award-winning works of that year entails recognition in high society.
However, the Grand Duchess had never guessed correctly in twenty years.
This had left her feeling frustrated and disappointed.
If she were to buy all the artworks, she would surely guess correctly, but how could she do something so unrefined?
Although she received advice and recommendations from various art dealers, including Lawrence, they were not infallible.
In the end, for the past few years, the Grand Duchess had decided to just “take a shot.”
‘This year, I almost gave up and told Edwin to just buy anything. However, he only bought four pieces, which is infuriating. And to make matters worse, they were all by the same artist. But, but!’
The Grand Duchess’s eyes were wide with emotion, and her hands trembled with excitement.
“…This year’s winning piece will be more splendid and honorable than any other year. Finally, the Royal Academy has reached a point where it can barely keep up with your discerning eye, Grand Duchess. And what about that emerging artist? Thanks to your patronage, he will have a spectacular debut, receiving applause wherever he goes, alongside the reputation of the Briston family.”
“….”
Lawrence’s introduction was excessively lengthy.
Edwin suddenly felt a wave of fatigue wash over him.
Meanwhile, Anri was on the verge of applause, her eyes sparkling with excitement. The Grand Duchess was the same.
“Moreover, there has never been a precedent like this. There has never been a patron in the history of the Royal Academy who has purchased five pieces solely from the winning artist.”
“Eek!”
Anri let out an involuntary squeal of excitement and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
The Grand Duchess was on the brink of bursting with joy.
But why five pieces? Edwin had only bought four.
Suddenly, Lawrence jumped up and exclaimed.
“Congratulations! Madam! You have become a patron of unparalleled excellence in the Royal Academy’s history!”
“….”
A moment of silence followed. The Grand Duchess was at a loss for words.
“Ah…”
With a sigh that sounded almost like a groan, she covered her face with one hand.
Shaking her head as if tears were about to fall.
“Congratulations, madam!”
Anri clapped enthusiastically as well.
She had forgotten for a moment because she was getting married, but she knew this would happen.
It had to be this way, of course.
“…?”
While everyone was offering their congratulations to the Grand Duchess, Edwin stared blankly at Anri.
‘So, the artist whose name I can’t even remember, whom Anri picked, won an award at the Royal Academy?’
Edwin wasn’t particularly interested, but a Royal Academy award was a topic that could stir the social scene.
High-ranking nobles were eager to support art as a way to flaunt their leisure and refined tastes.
There was nothing they desired more than to see the artists they had selected gain recognition and fame.
This was directly linked to their honor as nobles.
“I can hardly believe it, Lawrence. Edward Pointer is the winning artist, right?”
“Of course, madam.”
Edward Pointer was the artist of the four paintings Edwin had bought.
With Lawrence’s confirmation, the Grand Duchess was engulfed in even more unbelievable astonishment.
Her wide-open eyes soon turned to Edwin.
‘How did Edwin manage to pick a winning piece that I hadn’t guessed correctly in twenty years?’
“Lawrence, actually, it was not me but Duke Edwin who chose the painting. Oh, Edwin, I didn’t know you had such an eye for art.”
“….”
Edwin’s eyes, which had been silently observing, momentarily flickered.
Lawrence, seemingly caught off guard by the Grand Duchess’s confession, paused for a moment before laughing.
“Indeed, the Duke of Briston is remarkable. Not only does the Grand Duchess have exquisite taste, but His Grace also has an exceptional eye for art.”
Lawrence was briefly taken aback by the Grand Duchess’s frank admission.
However, he showcased his social skills by attributing the joy of identifying the winning piece to the entire Briston family.
“…”
But Edwin’s gaze was directed at Anri.
As soon as Anri noticed Edwin looking at her, she shot him an intense look.
‘Don’t say anything! Don’t say it!’
If the Grand Duchess knew that Anri was involved, she would likely be embarrassed.
Anri wanted the Grand Duchess to fully enjoy the joy of her long-awaited wish being fulfilled.
However, Edwin felt as if he were a fraud.
He had a rough idea of what Anri was worried about. As Pointer’s reputation rose, so would his mother’s, and if it turned out that it was actually Anri’s doing, his mother might feel uncomfortable about it.
From Edwin’s perspective, it was more convenient not to reveal Anri’s contribution.
“I’m so proud of you, Edwin. It seems you have a natural talent for this.”
“…”
Edwin’s eyes stirred with even more intense emotions at the Grand Duchess’s happy words.
But Elizabeth, completely unaware of the truth, felt as if her heart might burst with joy.
Even if Edwin chose the painting, it doesn’t matter.
The money used to buy the painting was hers, after all.
Since she and Edwin belonged to the same family, it was only fitting that the Briston family’s reputation would improve.
‘But where is the other piece, Edwin?’
In any case, the Grand Duchess’s eyes sparkled with starlight as she looked at Edwin.
Lawrence also chimed in grandly.
“Indeed, you are the flesh and blood of the Grand Duchess. It’s clear that you have inherited her discerning eye! Haha!”
This wasn’t right.
Finally making a decision, Edwin wiped his lips with his napkin and put it down.
‘Hey! Don’t say anything!’
Edwin’s expression grew serious.
Anri felt a foreboding intuition rise within her.
With an even more menacing expression than before, she sent a telepathic message to Edwin.
But Edwin pretended not to notice.
“It seems that the discerning eyes lie not with me but with Miss Wentworth.”
“…?”
Edwin’s blunt statement caused a puzzled silence to fall over the Grand Duchess and Lawrence. In unison, they both turned their gazes to Anri.
Why did Anri’s name suddenly come up here?
Anri smiled awkwardly at their clear confusion. She found Edwin frustrating.
“The day my mother sent me to the exhibition, I met Miss Wentworth there.”
“Miss Wentworth…?”
The Grand Duchess looked back and forth between Edwin and Anri in confusion.
She already knew that the two had met for the first time due to the carriage accident.
So, after all that fuss about not wanting to go to the exhibition, he called Miss Wentworth to go with him?
“Did you have a prior appointment or something?”
“No, it was a coincidence. I didn’t expect to see Miss Anri there.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Anri quickly interjected.
“It was the opening day, and I went to look around, and there I found His Grace the Duke. He mentioned he was buying paintings, so we looked around together. Truly impressive, Your Grace. It seems you’ve benefited from the influence of the Grand Duchess.”
Anri smiled broadly.
However, she was sending a dark warning to Edwin to keep his mouth shut.
As expected, the spiteful Edwin ignored Anri’s earnest plea.
With a smirk on one side of his mouth, he said,
“I simply accepted whatever Miss Anri chose. As a gesture of gratitude, I gave her one of the five paintings as a gift.”
“…….”
The Grand Duchess and Lawrence continued to look at Anri and Edwin in astonishment, alternating their gazes.
It was unclear whose words were true, but it was clear that Anri was not uninvolved in this matter.
Edwin would not lie.
The Grand Duchess found Anri unexpectedly impressive.
She stared at Anri, pressing down her astonishment.
Was it just luck that she happened to hit the award-winning artist by chance?
Or did she possess exceptional insight?
She had thought Anri was just an ordinary country viscount’s young lady.
“How did Miss Wentworth recognize Pointer’s painting…?”
