Chapter 452 He is the guardian of tradition and antiquityRanran suddenly remembered the portrait that was completely different from the other landscape paintings, and she needed to confirm it. "I asked Butler Afu to find a painting in the attic where Tok lives." "My lady, please tell me what the painting is." Ah Fu's nervous heart had not yet settled down in his stomach, and it was hanging in the air again in an instant. Ran Ran said mysteriously: "Believe me, when you get there you will naturally know what the painting is, and you will choose it accurately." Ah Fu was stunned. Armand looked at him calmly and said, "Go quickly." The thin black wings spread out instantly, and Ah Fu's figure disappeared in a flash. Somewhere in the castle attic. Ah Fu stood in the small space, looking around at the paintings of various sizes and bright colors. His red eyes were filled with sadness. "Poor Toke." "Even I didn't know you could draw. No one in the castle would know. How lonely you must be..." As for the painting that Ranran mentioned, Ah Fu really couldn't tell it apart at first.
"Since Miss Elizabeth said so, the paintings she asked me to find must be very special, at least different in style from the ones in front of me." Ah Fu did not dare to delay and immediately opened the canvas in the attic, one piece after another, until Ah Fu noticed that there was a piece of canvas hidden secretly in the corner. He had a feeling that this was it... When he carefully took out the painting and lifted the canvas, his red pupils suddenly shrank. “…This! This is clearly…” In the round table room, a dark shadow flashed by. Ah Fu lowered his head, held the painting in his arms, and covered it with a thick canvas. When Ranran saw Ah Fu's expression, she was already almost certain in her heart. At this moment, she calmly turned her gaze to someone at the round table. "Miss Elizabeth, I have brought your painting." Ran Ran raised her eyebrows, "Thank you, Butler Ah Fu, I have a question that I can't help but ask you..." "There are so many paintings in the attic. How did you know this was the one I wanted?" Ah Fu looked up in astonishment. "Didn't you, Miss Elizabeth, say that I could tell for myself?" Ran Ran said calmly, "That's what I meant. What is the basis for your distinction? Or to be more direct..." "Just tell me what's in the picture." Ah Fu was stunned, his lips moved but he couldn't utter a word. Armand frowned slightly when he saw this. "It's just a painting. Is it so difficult to talk about it?" Ahfu looked at Armand helplessly, and he quietly lifted a corner of the painting in his arms so that Armand could see the content clearly. One person, one woman. Armand took a quick glance and knew the whole painting. He looked at the round table and scanned each person one by one. The expression of one of them was particularly noticeable, he looked nervous and frightened.
"A portrait," said Armand, simply and to the point. "It is of Mademoiselle Alice." A single stone caused a thousand ripples. Many people's faces changed and whispers were heard in the room, mainly concentrated in the camp of Ranran and his group on the left. Black Tea's eyes were calm, "What is the relationship between Alice and Toke?" Shen Yin stood up suddenly from the chair, "It has nothing to do with anything!" "There is no connection. Why does Toker have your portrait? Miss Alice, can you give a reasonable explanation for this?" Shen Yin's eyes wandered, and she raised her voice and said proudly, "A humble male servant loves me, that's it, do I need any other explanation?" Minister Gao frowned, "You mean Toke drew this picture for you out of admiration? It has nothing to do with you?" "Of course." Shen Yin snorted disdainfully and began to play with her beautiful nails. "I am a noble lady with a beautiful face. There are countless people pursuing me." "Other people's admiration has nothing to do with me. I don't want to care and I can't control it." Alice looked at Christine and said, "My dear sister, you know this best. What I said is true." Christine seemed to be extremely angry because her sister was involved with a lowly male servant. "Alice has had many suitors since she was a child. How could she be tempted by a gardener?" "Just making such a guess is disrespectful enough, and you two actually dared to say it out loud! Damn it!" Christine looked at Hei Cha and Minister Gao with eyes that seemed to be able to spit fire. Armand looked at Melris, thinking that he would at least say a few words to defend his wife, but he didn't expect that he just had a nonchalant smile on his face. "What Miss Alice and Mrs. Christine said makes sense. We cannot conclude that Alice and Toker are related based on a painting, not to mention..." Armand's cold grey eyes looked really cold and ruthless. "I find it hard to believe that such an excellent work was created by a servant." Ran Ran looked at Armand in surprise, "What does the Count think?" Armand's eyebrows were indifferent, and there was only a little warmth in his eyes when he looked at Ranran. "There are many possibilities." However, his next words directly wiped out the remaining warmth in his eyes. "It's possible that he stole it from somewhere else." Ran Ran seemed to be meeting Armand for the first time, "How could you make such rude assumptions about others, let alone a deceased person, for no reason?" Armand frowned slightly, as if he found Ranran's words very harsh. "Elizabeth, you don't understand. Painting has always been a compulsory course for the nobility. Many people have been taught by famous teachers and studied for many years, but their works are still not as good as this painting." Ran Ran also frowned and looked at Armand, "It shows that Toque is a talented person, far more talented than those nobles who received compulsory painting courses." Armand lowered his eyes and rubbed his brows. "I don't deny that this possibility does exist, but it is extremely unlikely." "If this painting was really made by Toker, then why is he still just a servant? He should have shined long ago and been accepted as a student by those masters." These words made everyone at the table frown except Christine. "Dear Count, perhaps you have mistaken the cause and effect." Ranran lowered her eyes and stopped looking at Armand. She felt that the man in front of her suddenly became very strange. "The reason Toker has not been able to shine so far is precisely because he is just a manservant."
"If he were a prince or noble, his paintings would have long been hung in the king's bedroom, in the most honorable place for people to admire." "A pearl like Tok, which is covered in dust, cannot wipe away the ashes by itself. It can only be buried underground and wait for others to discover it." "Even if he is a pearl, he is far less eye-catching than those stones placed on the exhibition stand. Count, don't you know that we are in such an environment?" After Ran Ran finished speaking, the whole room fell silent. Armand didn't speak for a long time. Everyone's heart was in tension, and Zhong Ning was even more worried about Ranran. In the castle, there would be no good consequences if you angered Armand. Even Alfred was sweating. How could Miss Elizabeth...how could she be so straightforward... The reason why a corrupt system can continue is because of a group of people who can draw nourishment from corruption, and Count Armand is obviously such a person. Long ago, he fought for the honor of his kingdom. When time passes and the honor decays, he will also raise his sword for the decay. He is the guardian of tradition and antiquity. "So this is what you think, Elizabeth." Everyone just heard Armand say calmly.