Rachel pretended to watch the painting to give Haejin time to examine it.
Actually, to appraise it with the maximum accuracy, he had to get close to it and use magic. However, as he was far from it, he had to appraise it only with his usual skills. It wasn’t easy.
“It is really similar…”
As Albert had said, the painting was almost exactly the same as Rubens’ Warrior with Two Pages.
The only difference was that the warrior wasn’t getting the help of his attendants to put on his armor. In this painting, he was looking ahead in his armor.
Same face, same armor, and the same posture of the body in a diagonal direction with the face looking forward. It was rational to think that it was from Rubens.
However, that was why Haejin was doubting it as a fake even more.
“Are you still thinking?”
The art dealer pushed, but Rachel smiled while saying, “You are too impatient. Is that how you have sold paintings? Or do you think what you are trying to sell is a cheap accessory from the market?”
She was charismatic, and Haejin had never seen her like that.
She had been an innocent girl when she was being humiliated by Albert, but now, she was acting properly like an English aristocrat.
The handsome art dealer took a step back at hearing this and said, “I am sorry. I said that because people usually decide faster after seeing the painting. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“Then wait in silence. If your legs are sore, sit down,” Rachel replied.
“Thankfully, I have very strong legs. Please take your time to examine the painting and ask me if you have any questions.” He then went behind the painting and shut his mouth.
Rachel’s frown faded, she started to look at the painting when her phone, suddenly, buzzed.
[Ask him where he got that painting, in details…]
It was a text from Haejin. Rachel then put her phone down and asked, “What was your name again?”
“I am Alexander Young. You can call me Alex.”
“Okay Alex, how did you get this painting?”
Alex stroked down his smooth beard and said, “It used to be in a very old mansion in Russia. I bought it from the owner of the mansion myself. You wouldn’t know him.”
“I wouldn’t know? Or you don’t want to tell me who he is?” Rachel asked.
Alex looked slightly offended for the first time and said, “Of course not, but it is a slightly sensitive matter. Questioning my credibility… is something I find hard to accept.”
However, Rachel didn’t accept the answer. She snorted and pressed him even harder, “That’s funny. Aren’t you admitting that there might be trouble with this painting if you can’t tell me from whom you got it? Or are you trying to sell me a stolen painting?”
“That, that is a heavy accusation,” the man replied.
Rachel then said, “If that is not what you are doing, you don’t have to react like that. You are supposed to explain everything I want to know, and that kind of attitude is what diminishes your credibility. I find that attitude very unpleasant.”
Alex apologized only then, “I am sorry. I am sensitive about this matter as I heard negative things about the authenticity of this painting just a while ago. I also think that my attitude on answering your questions was wrong. I apologize.”
Rachel’s expression returned to normal at this, “I accept your apology. Now, let’s go back. I want additional explanations so that I will believe this was used in an old mansion in Russia.”
Alex hesitated, but then he started talking, “This painting used to belong to the Ivanov family of St. Petersburg. Would it be enough to let you know that its source is clear?”
Rachel nodded and said, “The Ivanov family, although it has collapsed now, it had great power and wealth until World War 1, so they could have had this painting. And I would be able to check if they really sold this painting if I call them…”
Alex looked confused while saying, “Of… course. You are right.”
He was puzzled because everyone in the room knew that piece of information, so Rachel had no reason to explain that. However, Rachel had mentioned that for Haejin.
Although Rachel accepted the reason given by Alex, Haejin didn’t.
Haejin didn’t know what kind of scheme they were playing, but the only thing he could learn from them mentioning the Ivanov family was that the painting wasn’t in any record.
He sent another text.
[Ask for the reason why he is sure that it is real.]
Rachel saw it and said, “I’ve heard from Mr. Albert that this might be fake. So, I must ask you something, no matter how sensitive the matter is to you.”
“Hmm… and?”
“Tell me why you think this is Rubens’ painting.”
Alex stroked his beard and went closer to the painting.
He looked at it for some time and then started to explain, “I must start by talking about the structure. As you can see in Rubens’ painting of the Warrior with Two Pages, the posture of him getting the help of his attendants is exactly the same with this one.”
“Good. Anything else?”
Alex continued, “The coloring. To depict the gleaming armor, the artist painted the reflection of the light on it with silver white. That is exactly the same as the technique you can see in the other painting.”
“That’s also good. Is there more?”
“Umm…”
Finding the reason why a painting was fake is easy but proving that it is real was not easy. So, asking for more explanation was funny on its own, but Alex thought about it and continued.
“When I bought this painting, the head of the Ivanov family said its panel had been changed. The wood was rotting, so he changed it. That piece of rotten wood had Rubens’ signature. Thankfully, that panel with his signature has been well kept by the family.”
“That is very good. I hope you bought the panel, too, of course?” Rachel asked.
Alex answered, “I did. I have kept it in a separate place.”
“Good.”
Even Rachel was a little confused at Alex’s flawless answer. She even looked at her phone, hoping for some guidance.
So, Haejin raised his phone to send another text, but then, he put it down again. He thought they had already gotten all the information they could get using words.
Haejin sent a text to Rachel to tell her that he was going in himself. Then, he spoke to the maid who had taken him to the secret room and told her to bring him to the opposite room.
She hesitated, but soon she nodded and started to walk.
She probably thought Haejin had gotten Rachel’s permission, as he was so confident.
“Miss, you are too…”
They turned and turned around the mansion. By the time Haejin went into the room, Alex was giving his final speech to make Rachel buy his painting.
“I am sorry for being late,” Haejin said while bowing, but Alex looked puzzled.
Then, Rachel introduced Haejin, “It’s okay. I haven’t made my decision yet. This is Mr. Park, my personal appraiser. Although he is an Asian, he is a great appraiser, so he helps me a lot.”
However, Rachel was also surprised to see him show up, so Haejin thought that maybe it was a mistake, but there was no going back now.
Alex wasn’t very happy to see him as he had come to ruin his business at the final moment.
“Nice to meet you… but I’ve never heard of your name. Well, I’ve never heard of any Asian appraisers before… I see you have quite an unusual friend, Ms. Butler.”
That was clearly rude but fighting with words didn’t matter now. So, Rachel casually replied, “He might be unusual, but he is good. What do you think about this painting? Could you take a look at it?”
“Shall I?” Haejin tried to approach the painting, but Alex stood in his way.
Then Alex protested to Rachel, “You should have told me in advance that an Asian appraiser I’ve never heard of before will examine the painting. Honestly, this is a little confusing.”
“I can’t understand. Why are you confused? Isn’t it right for me to have an appraiser examine a painting I am about to buy?” Rachel asked.
“I hope you do know this won’t be good for you and Mr. Harrington, right?” Alex asked.
Haejin only then realized why Rachel had had him appraise in that secret room: calling another appraiser itself would diminish Albert’s honor.
Additionally, British society was still a class society. Hiring an Asian, who practically belonged to the working class, wasn’t that good for the Butler family.
However, Rachel calmly replied, “I don’t think about other things in front of works of art. Skills matter more than anything.”
She was clearly pushing back as she couldn’t ask Haejin to leave now.
“Hmm… okay.”
Alex stepped aside, and Haejin went to the painting while asking, “May I look at the painting?”
“Yes. Although it won’t make any difference…”
Actually, Haejin had left the secret chamber because of the last thing Alex had mentioned.
If it hadn’t been for that, Haejin would have waited for them to finish and told Rachel he had to check again, but that last thing made Haejin come out.
“Wasn’t there any signature from Rubens?”
Alex flinched and then said, “It was at the back of the frame. Then it started to rot, and the owner had the panel replaced. I have that panel, so I will show it to you later. But it is funny, I mentioned this just a few minutes before you came in.”
“Oh, really? That’s a funny coincidence.”
The frame had been replaced because it started to rot, but Haejin found that strange.
Artists would put their signature in the painting or outside the painting. So, signing the frame wasn’t that weird.
However, Haejin had never heard of Rubens signing at the back of the frame. He also sensed something when Alex talked about it.
It was like when he saw a perfect forgery, when he couldn’t see what was wrong with it but could feel it wasn’t right. Lies…
Haejin wasn’t sure. Was Alex lying, or he was telling the truth but believed that the whole story about that signature was a lie?
Either way, Haejin had to find out the truth. So, he looked into the past with his magic. Then…
“Um… this is a little weird,” Haejin commented.
“Weird?”
Haejin pointed at the yellow torchlight right next to the warrior in the armor.
“The paint is wrong. It is using permanent yellow, not chrome yellow,” Haejin explained.
Albert immediately jumped to his feet and said, “Permanent yellow?”
“Yes, it is certainly permanent yellow.”
At this, Albert glared at Alex as if saying ‘it was time for you to pay’.
However, Haejin didn’t exclaim in surprise because the forger had used permanent yellow.
It was because he knew the man who was with the forger while he made the painting.
A middle-aged man with a fat belly. It was Giorgio Sayor of the Italian Cultural Administration Bureau.
