Chapter 1295: Artistic Witch

(MC POV)

"Master really is kind~" Lian Li whispered beside me.

The two of us were watching Manami and Kiyomi seated in the corner of the store catching up. The fact that Kiyomi had several of her tails entwined with Manami's possessively told me that they'll be just fine.

"Hmm... Isn't this just something normal for me? I would be a terrible master if I were to let all of you suffer even in another World."

"Ehehehe~ This is why we love you, Master~" She giggled.

"Umm... Is that some sort of play?" Eris asked, having just witnessed that interaction between Lian Li and myself.

She's probably referring to the fact that Lian Li was calling me 'Master' right now.

I waved my hand at her, "Don't worry about it, it's her fetish."

Lian Li puffed her cheeks at me but did not deny it, which only made Eris look at her with a complicated face.

Eris looked like she wanted to say something when the bell at the entrance chimed again, this time announcing the arrival of Diao Chan who walked in with her head held down.

Unlike the other days where she would be carrying various bags of items that she purchased from the shops around, she was only holding onto a crumpled piece of paper in her hand. She did not even bother taking off her hat and simply came into the store while wearing it.

She stormed in and sat at the counter, not even sparing a glance around her to look around the store. I doubt she even realised that she was not alone like usual either, especially since everyone went silent when we heard the bell.

She threw the piece of paper on the table and slumped onto the counter, her hands moving to cover her face as soft sounds of her sobbing could be heard coming from behind her hands.

Everyone else was just staring at her in confusion. Since she does have a reputation in this capital, they knew how Diao Chan was normally like in this World.

I peeked over the counter to see the paper that she had tossed aside and I realised that it was a letter, though it did not seem to be directly addressed to her.

'To whomever it may concern, the Royal Gallery of the Arts has reviewed the artwork that you have sent to us and we have deemed your artwork to be incredibly mediocre. We would suggest that you might have a better time being a street peddler for your art rather than wasting time trying to be someone who you are not. Do everyone a favour and never contact us again. We hope that you have a nice day.'

"Were you... Were you lying..." Diao Chan sobbed softly into her hands, her tears still streaming down her cheeks.

I picked up the letter from the counter, "Am I right to assume that you sent your art to them under a pseudonym so that they would only take your art into consideration and not who you are?"

There was silence for a moment before her hat bobbed up and down.

I sighed, "Don't you know? The Royal Gallery of the Arts isn't actually a place that supports new artists?"

The sounds of her sobbing stopped and she peeked out from under her hat to look at me, "What... What do you mean?"

"Despite its name, the Royal Gallery of the Arts isn't actually owned by the Royal Family themselves but a private business that purchased the rights to call themselves that from the Royal Family. I believe back then the country was in quite a bad state so they needed money which the merchants could provide. Thus they sold the rights to a few merchants to set the Gallery up. So the gallery is more focused on making money than actually helping artists. Of course, if they think you're a newbie artist with no backer and no name, they wouldn't be interested in you no matter how good your art is."

She blinked at me, "Then... Then does that mean that... That my art... May actually be good?"

I shrugged, "The only examples I saw were your sketches, remember? I wouldn't know how good it actually is. But I believe that if you did put your heart and soul into it, I'm sure the other galleries would definitely think it is good too. I was not lying when I said that you had talent."

Upon hearing my words, Diao Chan went back to sobbing into her hand.

"Eh? What's wrong?"

She cried, "They... They tore it... And threw it in the trash! I spent weeks on it! And they tore it up to throw it away just like that!!"

Ah... I should have thought those guys would do something like that...

It seems that before Guiying went to reform the country, there were quite a number of troublesome people who would look down on commoners and take immense pleasure in tormenting those they deem below them.

I guess asking if Diao Chan could try and paint a new one or if she had another painting prepared would be unreasonable.

Hmm... Well... It's not like I can't do anything about it. I already basically revealed my real identity to a bunch of people already and we're not staying here permanently anyway, so I might as well just make use of it.

"What if I helped you restore your painting?"

She shook her head, "Impossible... They tore it into multiple pieces and they only sent back a single piece of it..."

She reached into her bosoms and pulled out a single piece of torn canvas from between her boobs.

Seems like even in another World, she still behaves the same way...

I grinned, "No need to worry, I can restore it even without this."

"Hmph! Do you take me for a child? Even Master Lin of Heaven Sect would find it difficult to do it, yet you think a patisserie owner like you will be able to do it??"

"Oh? I think I would be able to restore this easily though? Watch."

She lifted her head, presumably to throw another insult at me, only to gape at me when she saw the small bit of canvas slowly enlarge to repair itself back to its original state.

But rather than being happy about it, Diao Chan let out a cry of panic, "Wait!! NOOOO!!"

She said that a little too late and the painting was restored to reveal that it was a painting of me staring straight at the viewer in a sort of nobleman's pose. You know, the kind where they would pose for a family portrait sort of thing.

Ah... Umm... Maybe I should have checked what the painting was before doing that...

But seriously... You sent this to the Gallery?