Artifact Reading Inspector

Sir John Everett Millais was an influential artist in England. Queen Victoria made him a baronet in 1885, and he was elected as the President of the Royal Academy in 1896.

So, him getting inspired by a work of Shakespeare, the great writer and pride of England, is not that strange.

However, even though his Ophelia is about a story that everybody knows, it still gives a mysterious and enchanting feeling.

When you look at it, you get to focus on the surroundings rather than Ophelia herself. The flowing water, the flowers, and the plants are all so realistic.

“Do you like Shakespeare?” Rachel asked after she gave Haejin the painting. Actually, he didn’t, but he couldn’t tell a British that he found Shakespeare boring.

“Of course, I really like Hamlet.”

However, the truth was that he had read Hamlet only because of the painting Ophelia, not because he liked to read.

To him, Hamlet wasn’t that impressive, but he knew that John Everette Millais was inspired by it.

The beauty of Ophelia’s tragic life must have been enough to rouse his artistic soul.

“I enjoyed it, too. I used to imagine how Ophelia would look, and this painting shows the exact woman I used to picture,” Eunhae said as she was very glad. She was about to be absorbed into the painting.

“You like it even more than me,” Haejin commented.

She smiled cutely while saying, “I used to dream of the tragic love like Ophelia’s when I was a child.”

This is how the story of Hamlet goes.

Hamlet, who is consumed by vengeance for his uncle who murdered his father, treats his lover, Ophelia, coldly and then killed her father.

Ophelia is driven insane by the series of tragic events. She mutters to herself and wanders around the castle with flowers in her arms. She finally meets a tragic death after falling into a river.

This painting was about her sad end.

“Really? Why?” Haejin asked.

“I just did.”

“What? That’s…”

Then, Rachel chimed in with a laugh, “My grandmother did, too. But it’s funny. If you admire tragic love, that is what you really get. She was never loved by her husband.”

“Oh… is that why…”

“Is that why I hate this painting? Well, I cannot say no. I was really upset when my grandfather kept staring at this painting in this room. So, I blame him when I see this. However, I don’t want to do that anymore. Half of the reason why I’m giving this to you is that I don’t want to hate him anymore,” Rachel explained.

“That’s a very deep story. I don’t think I can take it,” Haejin replied.

Rachel, however, insisted, “Haha! Please don’t think so. There isn’t such thing as a painting without a story. When you appraised Jan van Eyck’s painting as real a while ago, it also had another story. I and my brother will be reminded of you every time we see it, and when it is time for it to be sold, its value would be even higher.”

“So, you are going to sell it?” Haejin asked.

Rachel explained, “We don’t keep paintings forever. Paintings are just decorations. It is boring to have a painting for centuries, no matter how good it is. Then, we sell it and buy a new one. Did you think we are some kind of huge black hole that sucks in antiques?”

“Honestly, I did…” Haejin sheepishly replied.

Rachel smiled and said, “You are honest. Actually, I cannot say that it is not true because of some families, but at least my family isn’t like that.”

Albert, who had been just standing there, added, “Neither is my family. We sell at least two or three paintings every day. And we donate most of the money we get from it…”

Rachel looked sharply at him, “You only do that because of the taxes.”

“But donation is always good anyway,” Albert replied.

The conversation was getting useless, and Haejin thought it was time for him to leave.

“Thank you for the painting. It will be well kept and exhibited in my museum. As a treasure from England will be in Korea, Koreans will be fonder toward this country.”

Haejin was only saying that to flatter her. Rachel knew it, so she smiled and said, “Okay. Come visit us again sometime. No, we might go to Korea before that. We’ve never been there, actually.”

“I will prepare a list of the best restaurants if you come. You will just have to prepare the money.”

Rachel then said, “Haha! I’ll look forward to it. We will take care of the customs matters for this painting. A man from Butler Cook Airlines will be waiting for you at the airport. He will take care of everything for you, from tickets to your luggage. And you know that Butler Cook Airlines will always provide you with first-class tickets, right?”

“I’m not sure I can accept this much.”

“It’s fine. We were about to get bullied in the aristocrat society because of a certain man, but you rescued us. We even got a decent company after all that, so this painting and first-class tickets are nothing,” Rachel replied.

Albert was embarrassed and looked away while clearing his throat.

Haejin then asked, “Okay. Oh, and… will you get involved in the Medici’s matter in the future?”

“It is inevitable unless we quit enjoying art. But why do you ask?” Albert asked.

“Hmm… then do you know Giorgio Sayor of the Cultural Administration Bureau?”

Albert then answered, “I do, he is one of the few government officials Mr. Medici trusts. Why?”

“He cannot be trusted.”

“What?”

“That’s all I can tell you. The rest is up to him. I should go now,” Haejin said.

“Well… that worries me.”

The way to the airport was in great comfort. The Butler family lent them a huge limousine with a chauffeur so they could move without lifting a finger, even though they had a lot of luggage.

It was the same when they arrived at the airport. By the time they finished their last meal in England, everything had been taken care of.

They looked around the duty-free shops and then waited for the plane. Eunhae then said, somewhat worried, “It is good that we got that painting for free… but I have a bad feeling about it.”

Haejin then asked, “Why? You think you might end up like Ophelia because you used to dream of a tragic love?”

“That’s what happened to Ms. Butler’s grandmother.”

“Yes, and the model in the painting of Ophelia, Elizabeth Siddall, also had a bad end,” Haejin said.

“Elizabeth Siddall? That’s a funny name.”

“Yes, right? Anyway, she often worked as a model of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. She later married Rossetti but had a hard time because Rossetti kept cheating on her. Then, she had a stillbirth. Eventually, she killed herself at the age of 32,” Haejin explained.

“Oh, her life is so similar to Ophelia’s.”

“You might think that way, but you said you just dreamt of a tragic love. It’s not like you are the model of this painting…”

Eunhae crossed her arms and seriously said, “I shouldn’t get close to that painting.”

“Do you talk to paintings when you get close to them?” Haejin asked.

“Of course. I talk to them and confess my worries to them. I see you don’t know anything about this.” She looked away, but then she suddenly looked back at Haejin.

“What?”

Eunhae then asked, “When are you going to hold my hand?”

His heart dropped. What was he supposed to say?

“Khmm… can’t you hold my hand?” Haejin asked back.

Eunhae immediately grabbed his hand at this. Her hand was slightly cold but so soft. He couldn’t help smiling.

After they arrived in Seoul, Haejin spent the night at home and then, in the morning, he went to his museum.

“You look so good. Have you had a great time? I was laboring so hard in the meantime…”

Byeongguk, now a senior researcher of the museum, greeted him with a smile.

Haejin then said, “Laboring? I gave you your favorite work. I guess you found something as you are back here.”

“Come in first. Get ready to be shocked…”

Byeongguk was more than confident. He even looked determined, so Haejin got excited and asked, “What is it?”

Haejin started to follow him, but then he saw Eunhae running out of her office.

She looked so good in her black dress. She came and said hello to Byeongguk first, “Good morning.”

“Oh, Director Lim, you will fall if you run like that.”

“Haha, it’s fine. You just arrived?” Eunhae then asked to Haejin.

“Yeah. Why? Is there something wrong?”

Eunhae looked alarmed, “No, it’s fine. You are going to hear Mr. Choi’s report, right? Let’s go together. I only read about it.”

“Okay.”

Haejin wanted to ask what that was about, but it could wait. Byeongguk took them to the second basement floor where the excavation researchers had gathered.

“Have you been here before?”

“Of course. I made this museum,” Haejin replied.

Byeongguk then said, “I asked around, and they told me that they can’t see you even once a month.”

“Khmm… really?”

“Yes. One of them has seen you only once from afar.”

“Okay. Now you are speaking for them as a senior researcher?” Haejin asked.

“So, do well,” Byeongguk encouraged him.

“I always do well. They actually miss Eunhae more than me.”

They went in, and all the researchers stood up at seeing them. Haejin greeted each one of them and went into the conference room where he saw a bracelet on the table.

He took a closer look. It had a sawtooth shape decoration, and all pollutants had been removed.

“Huh! This is a golden bracelet! Where did you find it? Did you excavate it? How did you find only this? It’s in excellent condition!” Haejin exclaimed.

Byeongguk raised his hand and replied, “Slow down… let me ask you everything. As you can see, I didn’t excavate this.”

“Then?”

“Let me ask you something before that. Did you really find out about this grave at Ogura Takenoske’s tomb?”

“Yes, Ogura himself left a record about it,” Haejin replied. Maybe he was supposed to feel bad for lying about a dead man, but he didn’t feel bad at all as it was Ogura.

“Really? Hmm… I found it two days after I called you and made the researchers join me. However, someone had blocked the entrance with a huge rock where I thought the right spot was situated,” Byeongguk said.

“And?”

“It took three days to remove that rock with trucks and bulldozers. I didn’t know bulldozer drivers in this country were so good.”

“Skip to the point. So?” Haejin impatiently asked.

“So, we removed the rock after three days and tried to go in, but those bastards had done more than just blocking the entrance. They had filled the entire tomb with pebbles and rocks.”

“Huh… what the…”

Byeongguk continued, “And then I found this at the entrance. We can’t take care of this on our own from now. We need more heavy equipment, and we must report to the government. Do you realize what this bracelet is?”