Chapter 696 Lanchi Can't Paint

The 2nd arrondissement, northern shore of Pareille, Capital of Flowers, the Palais de Platine.

Stalactites adorned the vaulted ceiling, and cherubic figures danced on the bas-reliefs, seemingly poised to fly out. The stained-glass mosaic at the dome's center nearly imprinted its vibrant colors onto the marble floor.

The two walked through the exhibition hall, flanked by two seven-meter-high sphinxes facing each other, like embodiments of themselves.

"I didn't expect seeing it in person to be so different from seeing it projected in the artificial shadow world."

"After all, the artificial shadow world is just a man-made product; it can't achieve the divine projection of interwoven reality and shadow like the real shadow world."

After leaving the Pareille Card Maker Association, Lanchi and Talia unanimously agreed to visit one of the largest and oldest art museums on the Southern Continent, a landmark of the Boissen Kingdom, to spend their morning date.

Although the Platinum-level Card Maker third-round exam projection was held in the Palais de Platine, the two had been wanting to see the actual location ever since.

Looking closely at his face and his earnest, verdant eyes.

When they heard Lanchi say he couldn't paint, they couldn't hold back any longer.

She wouldn't accept any provocation from the Great Demon race. Now that she sat on that throne, she would reward those who obeyed her and punish those who opposed her.

"Lanchi?"

"It's different. When I met her in your shadow world, she was much younger than I am now."

Talia contentedly tucked it into her pocket and led him away.

Because the prize pool seemed to have rewards for limited-edition meals.

But Lanchi didn't voice his thoughts.

Grasping her shoulders.

Lanchi asked in surprise.

A reporter from Pareille Broadcasting Company seemed to have spotted the affectionate couple and hurried over.

"I can't paint."

"I, I don't know."

Talia had a general understanding of the first three Blood Moon Corrupted World shadow worlds that Lanchi and Hyperion had experienced.

Just when Talia couldn't resist pressing on Lanchi's shoulders and whispering in his ear.

He avoided her question.

Talia's voice rose slightly.

"..."

It was impossible to determine the truthfulness of his previous words through the veracity of this answer.

Talia suddenly felt her cheeks burning.

Talia believed that Lanchi was putting on an act in front of the camera.

"Why is Junior Lanchi so shy? He'd rather say he can't paint than admit he has a crush on Tata."

Or rather, the Palais de Platine itself was an important place to visit when traveling to the Boissen Kingdom.

"..."

Silvery hair spread across the white pillows, and the white silk sheets set off her creamy skin. Outside the window was a lush forest, the trees verdant, and dappled sunlight filtering through the foliage and falling through the window, casting flickering shadows on the girl.

A reporter from Pareille Broadcasting Company raised the microphone and enthusiastically asked Lanchi and Talia questions.

But it carried a kind of certainty—this was a job he would inevitably complete.

Lanchi said.

"Then just talk about what, in your personal opinion, that painting depicts?"

A beautiful young woman in a long dress lay on an Ikaryte-style four-poster bed.

"..."

After the guide finished speaking, the onlookers began to discuss it.

"Her gaze pierces through the pigeons' obstruction, falling directly on the viewer. You can't help but move closer to the painting, wanting to explore and see the true face of this enigmatic beauty."

Although it didn't sound like a guarantee.

Talia nodded.

And the one who could witness her sleeping face and be waited for by her was clearly Duke Migeia.

At this moment, Talia beside him didn't respond, just looked up at the sleeping beauty in the painting in a daze.

But because the hotel where the two were staying was too close to the Palais de Platine, they often passed by and didn't rush to go there.

After saying this.

He handed the lottery ticket to Lanchi.

"However, at the end of the Blood Moon Corrupted World era, if the Black Sun's Lancross could end it all and be crowned king, according to that person's character, he would probably become a benevolent ruler."

"Lanchi?"

The reporter from Pareille Broadcasting Company hesitated a little but quickly reacted.

A gray-haired woman in a tattered cloak stood quietly, like a beam of moonlight in the night.

Lanchi muttered to himself.

Etio suspected she had misheard.

Lanchi's right hand immediately grabbed Talia's shoulders, gazing into her eyes.

"How do you know what my pigeons look like?"

After listening, the reporter smiled at the camera and said,

"Thank you for your interaction. Have a pleasant day."

Sculpted reliefs on the dome depicted the dynamic scenes of divine eagles soaring and winged horses galloping.

He shouldn't have staked his whole life on it, lost everything he should have lost, and then had to bear a bad name and be slandered for thousands of years.

The most distinctive feature of the painting *Enigmatic Beauty* is that the more you can't see the complete face of the gray-haired, golden-eyed beauty, the more you imagine how beautiful and moving she must be.

"The model for the enigmatic beauty in this painting is someone I've seen. It's Miss Tata, who participated in the Platinum-level Card Maker exam. She's really beautiful, a perfect lady, young and talented. Even without makeup, her radiance can't be concealed."

Talia looked up at Lanchi beside her with great interest.

"I was drunk at that time, and my memory is hazy, so I can't give you an accurate answer."

"Thank you."

He must be about to say something damnable!

They just watched for a long time.

"The author clearly depicts a story about a young man who mistakenly takes the figure of a wandering girl for a poor, pitiful old woman, and then, when he retracts his fleeting gaze, he realizes that she seems to be a young beauty. Only then can he not help but take a third look at her, but this time he just fails to see her appearance clearly, only seeing her enigmatic figure and eyes."

Strolling along the corridor of the side exhibition hall closer to the exit of the Palais de Platine, a lively painting suddenly attracted their attention.

The dark messenger pigeon in this painting was exactly hers.

Talia admitted frankly.

Talia muttered in confusion, as if asking a question that only she could hear.

Lanchi commented.

Not only were gentlemen and ladies admiring *Enigmatic Beauty*, but there was also a small media interview taking place. Reporters from Pareille Broadcasting Company were holding microphones and camera equipment, interviewing visitors in front of the painting about their views on this mysterious painting.

She looked at the painting without saying a word.

Lanchi responded resolutely.

"If you restore the country according to your original wish, wouldn't you be more likely to take the tyrant's path?"

The Great Demon race wasn't necessarily good at painting. They almost all had their own specializations, and the Great Demon race most skilled in painting during the Blood Moon Corrupted World years should have been Esmod.

But that was the answer she gave Lanchi.

Lanchi didn't continue to say anything to disturb Talia at this time, quietly accompanying her.

"Tata, which painting do you like the most?"

"Lanchi can't paint?"

Being held by Lanchi like this.

As the two approached the painting, they immediately recognized this familiar painting.

Talia answered as a matter of course.

No, no.

Lanchi immediately turned his head back.

She realized her gaffe, and Lanchi had seen it all.

Just as the two were touring and discussing.

"Has Hyperion told you about Esmod? The Midnight Sovereign, Esmod."

Tonight is the festival celebration at the Temple of Eros. You can participate in the lottery with firework tickets, and there will be various surprise prizes!

Only at this moment did they feel a sense of matching social status or shared interests, but neither of them was willing to admit it.

Visitors came and went, but only they stood still in front of the painting.

"I heard someone has a crush on me."

"She mentioned it, said she was a talented woman."

No, no, everything was still in the planning stages.

Her delicate eyebrows were slightly closed, her cherry lips slightly parted, her expression serene and gentle, like a sleeping angel.

Talia stood on tiptoe and whispered in Lanchi's ear before looking forward again.

Talia shook her head vigorously.

The two chatted and walked up the stairs, revealing the Hall of Reason and the Hall of Splendor.

This was also the final step he had to take to start his retirement career.

"Meow, if the Tenth Ancestor, Lao Wu, heard these words, he would be so angry that he would resurrect."

Talia was absentminded and shifted her gaze away from the painting.

These were all extremely famous paintings on the Southern Continent.

Behind a distant corner, two heads and a cat head popped out.

The cat boss shook its head and said.

"There's no way, a restoring emperor must be prepared to be a tyrant. Not everyone can be a holy and benevolent emperor."

In a little while, it would be noon, time to find a restaurant for lunch.

"I don't have an answer as to how many times I really looked at you, nor do I want to understand. If there's one undeniable thing, it's that you are beautiful."

Although the ultra-ancient history of tens of thousands of years ago had long been erased, Talia believed that in the eyes of later generations of that era, the Black Sun's Lancross should be a hero of great renown.

Even though Talia tried her best to restrain herself, she still tightened her grip on his hand by half a point.

"I will tell them, 'I am the Demon Lord, and none of you are.'"

It was like Lanchi's lines had been stolen, and his words choked for a moment.

Currently, the more she looked at it, the more she felt that the Blood Moon Corrupted World was an era earlier than the Holy Empire.

"!"

On the left, in Isaac Claire's gentle and magnificent painting *The Gift of the Earth Mother*, a woman in a white gauze dress held a precious elixir in a jar, walking slowly towards the earth on hazy clouds, lovingly leading a pure and flawless lamb.

There was also the epic mural *The Demon Lord's Judgment* by the ancient imperial painter Tolkien, which vividly reproduced the magnificent scene of thousands of heroic armies charging forward and launching a desperate battle against the Demon Lord.

Or rather, they had nothing to argue about in the art museum. The environment dictated it.

Another onlooker said.

She couldn't be deceived by him.

Lanchi couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

Talia asked him uncertainly.

"It was originally built as a fortress nearly a thousand years ago to resist the invasion of foreign races. Later, after peace was established, it was transformed into a palace. During this period, the Palais de Platine began collecting works of art, and gradually began to include divine-level and even epic-level collections. Over time, more kings expanded and beautified the palace, making it the center of the Boissen Kingdom's art and culture."

She felt a little lost again.

"Eh?"

Talia stopped in front of a painting, and Lanchi also stopped, his gaze following hers.

"When you need it, all my strength is yours."

It was almost time to head towards the exit.

"He's better at painting."

Lanchi asked Talia.

"I see, so that's how it is."

She slightly broke free from Lanchi's grasp, instead taking his hand, dragging him forward, walking in front so he couldn't see her expression.

He finally seemed to have made up his mind, stating decisively.

The canvas presented a deep and dark midnight background, seemingly under the lights of a temple.

In the very center was the huge oil painting *The Rise of the Eternal Night Kingdom* by the ancient imperial painter Stephen Martin. Although incomplete, it was still imposing, reproducing the intense battle scene of spears waving and dragons roaring, the blood of countless warriors blooming into the undying flames of glory in the darkness.

Lanchi stood on one side of the central hall and asked Talia beside him.

But he noticed that Talia seemed to want it very much.

"I only remember sitting in front of the canvas. The content I painted next was what I was thinking about. The lead role was, of course, you. I used the film in my eyes to create the most beautiful film about you."

"I will help you find her back, soon."

It seemed to be a temporary exhibition area, but there were many viewers around, listening to the guide's introduction.

And Talia seemed to let out a light laugh.

Her face was completely covered by pigeons, their wings spreading in the center of the painting, bringing an abrupt and stunning visual impact.

"Now that I think about it, you are also a talented woman. After all, you and she can both create divine-level paintings."

Lanchi couldn't help but praise.

Hyperion was an absolute conservative, while Talia's conservatism and radicalism had duality. She could be both conservative and radical, depending on the situation and her mood.

The reporter raised the microphone again and took out two red lottery tickets from her pocket.

"And participating in our interactive segment will give you two firework tickets!"

"Acting."

"The painter perfectly captured the charm of this moment, eternally fixing it on the canvas."

For a moment, Talia almost moved her hands and feet on the same side.

Lanchi shook his head and waved his hand.

…

"By the way, if the last shadow world brought you in, as a princess, facing Hyperion's situation, what would you do?"

It wasn't until nearly a hundred years ago that it was transformed into a public museum. After several expansions and reconstructions, it was opened to the public, allowing the public to appreciate its rich collection.

Only in places like exhibition halls did they dare to get closer to Lanchi and Talia, there were too many shields.

In another studio, the Grimms brothers' *Three Questions of the Magic Mirror* reflected a hazy and mysterious female face. She gazed at the world in the mirror, both wise and vicissitudinous, and ignorant like a maiden, as if questioning the viewer about the three great mysteries of life.

"Let's go."

"Then if the scene in this painting isn't what you actually saw..."

"..."

Isn't this feeling of being neither too close nor too far, of wanting to refuse and welcome, exactly the mood of the author and the gray-haired girl when they first met in the painting *Enigmatic Beauty*?

It was as if they saw their shadows in reality!

"May I ask what you two think of this painting, or what state of mind do you think the author was in when he created this portrait of the enigmatic beauty?"

It wasn't until they had walked away from the reporter in this temporary exhibition hall.

Lanchi said as if he was being forced to work.

"Although it's not the same as the appraisers' evaluation, the gentleman's answer is a novel one, full of imaginative romantic colors."

Next, they should prepare to go to the Kriti Empire.

"Did you really look at me three times that day?"

After listening, Talia asked him assuredly.

Lanchi wasn't very interested in this kind of lottery ticket.

However.

Rosalinda had a face full of schadenfreude.

He changed to a question he had been curious about for a long time.

To some extent, both of them were good at painting, but they never talked to each other about appreciation, focusing more on the production of magic cards and magical engineering.

Her erratic attitude seemed to make Lanchi more and more nervous.

Talia asked twice in a row, but Lanchi didn't say anything.

He suppressed his emotions and quickly explained to her.

"When you examine it carefully, you can glimpse the woman's eyes through the gaps in the night pigeon's wings. They are golden eyes, as clear as amber and as dazzling as gold."

Lanchi's smile froze.

"This *Sleeping Beauty* is indeed worthy of praise. Although the sleeping beauty in the painting is asleep, she seems to be about to wake up at any moment, making the viewer can't help but look forward to the appearance of the prince to wake her up."

The painting depicted a serene and peaceful scene.

Lanchi also took it and thanked him, then folded it slightly and handed it to Talia.

She didn't seem to have any competitive spirit among her own race.

The two walked around for a while, relatively quieter than they were outside the museum.

Talia just turned her head back, staring at the entire back wall.

Leaving the main exhibition hall and arriving at Pareille Square on the left wing, passing the fountain with the statues of the gods of will and love, they had almost finished touring half of the Palais de Platine.

"When you are only a foot away from the painting, the enigmatic beauty's golden eyes are also locked on your face."

No wonder she would become the true Demon Lord in the timeline where Talia obtained the Compassionate Poems and restored the country.

Just like most residents wouldn't visit the local scenic spots. They lived so close that they felt they could go anytime, so much so that if it wasn't for the opportunity today, the two of them might have really delayed it.

The guide pointed to the painting behind her and explained to the tourists.

The two strolled through the exhibition hall, sometimes stopping to admire, sometimes exchanging feelings, and the voice of the art exhibition guide came to their ears.

The reporter also pointed the microphone at Lanchi.

"Then the person who painted this painting, that mysterious examiner from the Hutton Kingdom, must also have a crush on her, otherwise he wouldn't have painted her so charmingly. This perspective is just like the moment a boy meets a girl and his heart beats!"

"What a coincidence, I like this one too."

On the other side.

"Huff—"

My reaction just now should have looked a lot like a "girl in love", successfully disgusting him, right...

She covered her cheeks with the back of her left hand and her sleeve, and turned her eyes away, thinking.