Shadow Queen

Chapter 41

Sitting on the lawn and watching her disappear from view, Khalif looked back.

“How long are you going to stand? Aren’t you here to see me?”

Khalif recommended the picnic mat to see if Elena was aware that he noticed her.

“No, we can stand up and talk.”

She felt uncomfortable to sit down when she saw the girl lying there a while ago. Khalif shrugged his shoulders as if to do so.

“Looking at the color of your name tag, it looks like you’re a freshman… So what’s the matter with you? Confessing?”

“No.”

Elena cut off the conversation. She didn’t want to be involved as much as her fingernails, if anything else.

“What, then? Why did our fresh freshman talk to this brother?”

“I’m here to make a deal.”

“Huh? Deal?”

Khalif blinked his eyes. It was not a word that could come out of the mouth of a freshman who just entered the school, and a female student who seemed to like books because the horn-rimmed glasses looked good on her.

“Yes, to be exact, I want to work with you.”

“Co-workers? You brought up a very difficult topic at the beginning.”

Khalif scratched his cheek awkwardly. Then he popped a question.

“Do you know me?”

“I think I know enough.”

She knew what kind of character the future Khalif was, if nothing else. It cannot be said that she did not know roughly what life he had been through.

“Then you’ll be quick to talk fast. I’m damn broke. A good-looking wild apricot. You know that?”

Nod.

“You know that, and you offered me a partnership. What does that mean?”

Khalif grinned. It was a cynical smile.

“It’s obvious, *I will give you work that only uses physical labor. It’s not dangerous or illegal. What do you think, am I wrong?”

“…”

“Look, you can’t answer. That’s right. Nothing.”

Khalif, who arbitrarily concluded the situation, gave a demonstration of waving his hand. Then he laid down on the picnic mat and closed his eyes and slept. Elena stood silently and looked down at him.

‘He knows exactly what I’m talking about. It’s very difficult.’

Most people overestimate themselves very much. But Khalif was never seen like that. He knew exactly where he was, how well he was, and what he was doing, and was wary of it. Although it’s her second time seeing him, Elena liked Khalif.

He’s nice enough, he’s got a good head on, he’s got a good sense of business. Whatever else, he was the best person to leave Elena’s overall business to be carried out from the outside. Elena sat on the picnic mat with a grain of salt to keep the conversation going.

“I didn’t say anything, why are you guessing by yourself? I’m just making a point.”

“Then what is it?”

Khalif was lying on his back, not looking back. It wasn’t polite to the other person, but Elena didn’t care. What’s really important is that the terms and conditions meet and the deal is completed.

“Are you interested in art?”

“What are you saying.”

“I’m thinking about making a business, but it’s too much for me. I want you to help me. Oh! It’s not dangerous or illegal, so be assured.”

Elena tailed, and Khalif’s eyes narrowed. No matter how he looked at it, it doesn’t seem like she approached him to take advantage of him. The hesitant Khalif stood up scratching his head and sat face to face with both legs crisscrossing at Elena.

“Are you interested now?”

“There’s no harm in listening.”

Elena smiled and continued.

“I have some money saved up. Oh, I described it as a small amount, but the amount is not small. My father gives me a lot of pocket money because he has a lot of money.”

“Wow, you don’t care about unlucky things. So?”

“I don’t want it to rot, and I’m thinking of investing in it and rolling it. As an art business.”

Khalif shook his head at the bold and confident lady’s plan.

“That’s easy to say. Do you know what’s going on in the art world?”

“I know the flow.”

“Then you’ll be quick to talk fast. Do you know what the most important thing is to be an art dealer?”

When Elena stared instead of answering, Khalif said with a sigh.

“It’s networking. Whether it’s a famous painter or sculptor, they have a high nose. They don’t move with their money. You think that’s it?”

“And what else?”

“Who are you going to sell the artwork to? No aristocrats or collectors meet just anyone. Most people don’t even do it if they’re not acquainted or if they’re not a traditional artist.”

Khalif, who began to speak calmly, became increasingly enraged. He was also interested in the art world and their work, so he just sighed at the ignorant schoolgirl’s business plan.

“Hah, I’m saying it because I’m like a brother, but don’t do anything in that direction. You’re perfect material to get scammed.”

“From now on, I have a vision and plan.”

“Only in your head? Darling, the reality is different. I have a lot of ideas in my head that will remain even after making billions of dollars.”

Khalif looked at Elena, who was staring at him despite his explanation, and thought that further advice was meaningless.

“If you want to do it, do it alone. Then there’s no problem.”

“I have something to do. I have a promise with my father, so I have to get a diploma.”

There was a real reason, but Elena made a plausible excuse and surrounded it. Khalif got up from his seat, apparently feeling that further conversation was meaningless.

“I’m sorry, but I need a diploma, too. Do it alone.”

“You’ll change your mind if you hear what I’m going to say. I have stronger connections than you think.”

“Oh, really?”

Khalif laughed sarcastically.

“You’ll be surprised when you hear it.”

“Ah! Because it’s so terrible? My junior, here’s your award. You can get started with the nobles who live in a very high place, in other words, the people who don’t have enough money to rot.”

“I know. I know them very well.”

Elena answered as if it were insignificant. Khalif was also a little annoyed because he still didn’t seem to understand what she was saying.

“Really? I’m very curious to know how great you are. You must have connections with the four great dukes. A servant? Or a horseman? Oh! A butler for your good work?”

“You have a good imagination. But will you only be satisfied with the 4 great dukes?”

“Hey!”

The impatient Khalif shouted. The more she talked, the more he felt like he was getting involved with Elena.

“Just do it. You don’t know the end of it.”

“But I’m serious? If the Grand Duke were a first-time customer, wouldn’t I have a firm foothold?”

“What? G-Grand Duke?”

Khalif stammered when Elena mentioned a family that was too great for him to say.

“Princess Veronica and I have a special relationship.”

“Is that true? If you’re lying…”

“Your Highness told me that she only wanted to deal with the art dealer she was introduced to.”

Khalif hesitated, not knowing how to take that word. He heard rumors that Princess Veronica returned to school, but he didn’t expect her to be in a special relationship with the incoming freshman. No, apart from that, he couldn’t decide how far to believe that story.

“I got it as a gift from your Highness. Would you believe it if you saw it?”

“…!”

Khalif’s eyes were so big that they almost popped out. The cover of Elena’s watch was decorated with a symbol of the great house. At a glance, he could imagine that the craftsman’s blood, sweat, and hands were touching.

“Do you have any thoughts of making a deal now?”

Khalif had an instinctive hunch. He thought one of the three opportunities in his life came today.

***

They plotted. In order to jump into the art world in earnest, there were many issues that had to be systematically conceived and embodied before proceeding. The meeting used a study room in the library. It was an effort to reduce Ren’s noticeable number of times by avoiding outside access as much as possible.

“You mean buy a mid-sized artist’s work cheap and sell it to Princess Veronica at a high price?”

“Now you understand exactly.”

“Can I really do that? Isn’t that a scam?”

Khalif asked back, frowning.

“No, it’s a fraud to sell things that are less valuable as if they’re worth it.”

“That’s what it is.”

“It’s different. It’s just that it’s not worth the attention of the art world yet, but it’s not that they can’t paint.”

Khalif felt something strange but strangely persuaded.

“The value of art is ultimately determined by the bidding price. The artist’s life would be worth living if he heard that it was collected by Princess Veronica, not anyone else.”

“That’s true.”

“When the artist’s reputation rises, the value of his work increases. It seems like she paid for it, but the value of the painting will go up, so she won’t lose anything.”

“… That sounds like it, but it’s strangely convincing.”

Elena didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just that Khalif doesn’t know about the contradictions in the art world.

‘That’s ridiculous. With the same style of painting, even if you draw the same portrait, some people are called masters, while some people are street painters all their lives and end their lives as painters.’

The reason why artists who gain fame and those who do not have a reputation are divided on the premise that their painting skills are similar is because they were deprived of the opportunity to promote themselves.

Elena dared to assert that the current art world is rotten. Despite the work of an artist who was not very good, art critics attach meaning to the painting, and if the appraiser evaluates it highly, its value goes up. The moment the appraiser hands over the painting to a collector or a high-ranking aristocrat with the finishing touch, the artist who drew the painting gains fame. On the contrary, even if the style of painting is unique and good, if art critics or appraisers do not recognize its value, they will be buried as meaningless paintings.

‘I have to pay for all the paintings and buy them at a high price so that I can steal the money from the great house.’

This is what Elena ultimately aims for. The purpose was to set up a large amount of money to serve as a foundation for multiple purposes, beyond the concept of allowance within the limits set by Leabrick.

In that name, the purchase of art was very well-founded. The art was of excellent residual value, which was bound to increase the price over time. If so, it was highly likely that Leabrick would acquiesce even if Elena spent more than her limit on purchasing art.

*(T/N): To be giving you something to use only your body, not your head.

It doesn’t mean to do something right, but to replace it with something simple.

Ex. Serve a meal: simply eat anything with the intention of filling only the stomach.