She wanted to ask if it’s real, but that seemed too rude. She sighed in relief and dropped the small statue she had hidden on the floor. She was planning on throwing this at Guilder as well. To be honest, she was lucky that there were so many little pieces like this in this house. She felt guilty thinking about destroying someone else’s work of art with her own hands, but her life was more precious to her. Elliot looked at the statue falling to the floor, and he raised an eyebrow and asked.
“Wouldn’t a teacup have been better than that?”
“I thought it would, but it didn’t break.”
The reason she initially threw the teacup was because she thought it would hit Gilder’s face and break. But the teacup didn’t break and her second choice was a small statue. She needed to remember: surprisingly, tea cups didn’t break on people’s faces.
“Are you okay?”
Elliot asked if she didn’t like his expression. The pain in her left arm was getting worse. Shit. She didn’t know what to say to her mother. She asked, remembering her mother and Oliver’s nagging.
“Are you not going to say anything?”
“Are you saying?”
“Don’t go to dangerous places, things like that.”
Normally, she would say that someone who isn’t even her family has the right to say something like that, but Elliot, he helped her so many times, so he has the right to say that. But he smiled and asked.
“Did you think it was dangerous?”
She didn’t even think about it. She just wanted to see a genius. And she wanted to ask what inspired him. If they were inspired by the same thing, it might explain why there was a lot of overlap between Rachel’s manuscript and Gilder’s novel.
“No.”
“Then you did your job.”
She hoped her mother and Oliver thought the same way. She opened her mouth again, trying to ignore the pain in her left arm.
“Be careful from now on…”
“Eugenie.”
She was ready to accept the nagging quite obediently. However, she erased the smile from before and firmly told her that Elliot could nag her.
“I want you to be free to do whatever you want. I don’t get caught up in trivial things like being dangerous or worrying about what other people think.”
It’s nonsense. He could ignore that it’s dangerous, but he couldn’t not care about what other people think. ‘Cause I’m a noble’ Still, she was grateful to Elliot. She bit her lip to hold back the pain. Her arm hurt so much.
“Eugenie?”
Elliot held out his hand to her as if he was worried about her, but she turned away from him, afraid that her left arm would touch him. That alone brought pain. Elliot’s expression hardened when he saw her expression.
“I will take you home.”
Elliot said and stretched out his arms to her. And she accepted because there was a wagon. But before she could say that, he picked her up.
‘Oh my god.’
Elliot picked her up in the blink of an eye and it was excruciatingly difficult to lift her limp arms over her body. Still, the worry that came to her mind wasn’t about her body.
“Someone needs to keep an eye on that guy.”
Even if she fainted, she would come to her senses someday. And if he knew that she ran away, he would try to run away too. A peace officer must be called. She thought she would feel at ease if they came and captured Guilder. However, Elliot glanced at the fallen Guilder and then walked out of the house with great strides, he said.
“I will send someone.”
* * *
A light appeared in the darkness. But the face of the person holding the fire was not visible. Gilder was tied up and began to struggle to determine who had kidnapped him. He could give any amount of money. Because he had a lot of money. Not just money. He could also tell him which art pieces would rise in price. If he wanted, he could also introduce an unknown artist who was not yet known to the world.
“I’ll give you as much money as you want!”
Gilder quickly screamed as his man tugged on his gag. But the next moment, he realized who the man standing in front of him was and his mouth fell open.
“Burr, General Burns.”
Elliot was looking down at Gilder, holding his lamp. The light from the lamp flickered on his expressionless face, making him look like a statue.
“So, you are being deceived.”
The first thing that came out of Gilder’s mouth was that Elliot was being deceived. But Elliot’s expression did not change. He was still looking down at Guilder expressionlessly.
“Well, you’re being deceived by that woman! Please listen to me. I had a dream not long ago.”
“It must be a dream where this country is invaded by a dragon and becomes a sea of fire.”
Elliot said as if he didn’t want to hear any more. He didn’t know why everyone was talking about it being such a good thing. That was terrible. After being invaded by dragons, Balcian became a sea of fire, and the entire royal family died to quell the anger. Needless to say, innocent Balcian people died in the process.
“Oh, I know…”
When Gilder said so, Elliot still asked without changing his expression.
“Did you think you were the only one who came back?”
Indeed. He did think that maybe the witch had returned too. Because he approached her knowing how he was trying to kill Rachel Jugman. Moreover, General Burns was used to protect the witch.
“Well, then you…”
Gilder gaped at the fact that it was General Burns, not the witch Eugenie, who had the dream. But he quickly came to his senses and spoke.
“Well, then you know that, right? That’s what she does!”
“What did she do?”
“They persecuted artists! She wasn’t allowed to paint and she was banned from performing!”
Elliot’s lip twitched. He didn’t think there was any need to convince these fools. Of course, that thought still remained. He didn’t have to mix things up with stupid people. But they shouldn’t let idiots talk nonsense.
“I forbade the painting to be coated with gold and jewels.”
The country was raging in war, and the wealthy gild their paintings with gold and precious stones. And he used it to increase his property by siphoning it abroad in the name of export. The performance was also the same. People were dying from the plague, but the rich dressed up and enjoyed the performance. That was not the only thing the noble Lady Biscon had forbidden. She forbade hunting and forbidding water play. Extravagant banquets were also forbidden. The people couldn’t eat even a piece of bread a day, but the nobles prepared food so that their upper legs broke and then threw it away. There were even sarcastic remarks about restricting clothes, but Eugenie stood firm. She rebuked the sarcasm as a good idea, and no one sarcastically in front of her anymore.
“Yes, art should not be restricted!”
Guilder shouted, but Elliot snorted at her. He was not interested in art. He was equipped to be by Eugenie’s side, but neither music nor painting moved him. But even if he said that, it was ridiculous for Guilder to say such a thing. Elliott squatted in front of Gilder. Then she tilted her head and asked.
“Don’t you think that not restricting includes stealing other people’s work?”
Gilder’s expression hardened at his words. It’s not just novels. The music and plays he released. It wasn’t all his. It’s true. Elliot sighed inwardly when he saw Gilder’s expression harden. When he saw that the novel had been stolen, he wondered if the music or plays he had released might also be the same. Guilder was not a genius, he just stole the music and plays that were popular in the future in which he lived and returned.
“Huh, I didn’t steal it. These are things that don’t even exist yet.”
If Eugenie had heard, she would have asked what Rachel’s manuscript was, but Elliot shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, that’s right.”
After all, art was nothing to him. Moreover, the music and plays that Gilder stole were not completed like Rachel’s manuscript. Even if it was completed, it was unclear whether it would be as popular as what Gilder released. Its music and theater was an art born in the devastated land of Balsian, where dragons wrathed, wars broke out, and epidemics swept through popular culture in that world. However, it was unknown whether Balsian, who has prevented the dragon’s wrath, would gain popularity, or perhaps even create the same art.
“Well, then I didn’t do anything wrong, right?”
When Elliot stood up in agreement with Gilder’s words, Gilder asked, hoping that he might release him. But Elliot didn’t kidnap him in the first place because he did something wrong. He looked down at Guilder for a moment. If he felt like it, he wanted to cut off the tongue first. And break each of his fingers. He hurt Eugenie. That alone made Elliot feel like he wanted to rip off Gilder’s skin alive. But there were more important things. He let out a disapproving sigh.
“If you save his life, I will give him everything he has.”
Gilder began to plead when Elliot seemed distressed. Money could be collected again if he was alive. He has already earned the title of genius artist.
“I am not interested in money. Art is not my business.”
Other people’s lives and the safety of the country have nothing to do with it. A man named Elliot Burns had no interest in fame or fortune. He wanted only one thing.
“Well, then why…”
Gilder asked, not understanding. Then why did he kidnap him? He said he didn’t want money, and he didn’t think he was stealing other people’s work. To call it a grudge, Gilder and Elliot have never even met. Because Gilder only knew about General Burns and the noble Lady Viscon. A smile formed on Elliot’s lips. He said, tilting his head.
“I heard they like the female protagonist more.”
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on September, 19.
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