Why Is Talia Glowing?

After finishing breakfast, Lanqi went straight to find the estate's butler. The butler was waiting outside the dining hall, looking with a smile at the young master who had suddenly approached him. "The young master seems to be in good spirits today?" His voice was deep and low, like that of an elderly father worn out with care. Yet the mere sound of the butler speaking sent a wave of cold through Lanqi. In his predecessor's memories, the butler was the most reliable person in the household, the one who saw to his daily needs. But Lanqi realized his predecessor had never noticed that this smiling tiger of a butler was also the most dangerous man under this roof. Just as he was doing now, the gentleman wore a picture-perfect, flawless fake smile, even while facing a profligate young tyrant whom everyone in the house feared or despised. "Not bad. I have a favor to ask of you," Lanqi said calmly. "Please, speak." "It's about that pigeon I brought down yesterday. I realized it might be someone's familiar. If it happens to belong to someone of noble status, it could bring no small amount of trouble upon our house. So I need you to smooth things over with anyone from yesterday who might know about it." "Oh?" Lanqi's words clearly caught the butler off guard. He seemed to scrutinize Lanqi for a split second longer than usual. So this young master could actually consider the household's welfare? Was it a passing whim, or had he gotten himself into some other sort of trouble? Still, the butler chose not to pry, offering a slight bow instead. "At your service." "There's one more thing. I need you to help me find someone." "Please describe her features." "A woman who looks about my age, with grey hair and golden eyes. She's probably wearing a tattered dark-grey cloak, looking like a vagrant. And please, don't let her realize I'm looking for her." Lanqi gestured with his hands as he spoke. This gave the butler pause, a look of difficulty crossing his face. "I shall do my best. But you must know how large this border city-state is, Young Master. I cannot promise to find her quickly... Of course, if you could provide more precise features, it would save a great deal of time in our inquiries and screening." "Is that so... Then if I were to paint her portrait, how long would it take you to find her?" "Within a single day, I can track down anyone in this town who has been seen in person. You have my word." The butler smiled once more. He remembered that Lanqi used to know how to paint. But ever since his parents began neglecting him, Lanqi had never picked up a brush again. It was also around that time that the young master's temperament took a turn for the worse. "Then go take care of the witnesses first. I'll have a portrait ready for you by the time you return." Lanqi nodded. "Very well, Young Master. I shall take my leave now. But please be sure to paint it diligently. I should have your first request settled by noon." Clasping his hands behind his back, the butler smiled and walked toward the kitchen, not forgetting to offer that reminder as he went. "Don't worry." If there was one thing Lanqi excelled at, it was painting. He could draw Talia with his eyes closed. He could guarantee that no one in this world could paint Talia better than he could. Lanqi let out a breath of relief. Though his predecessor had stirred up a disaster, there was still room to maneuver. Of course, concealing the evidence would only make it slightly harder for Demon Princess Talia to uncover the truth. From what Lanqi knew, she possessed magic capable of seeing through lies; given enough patience, there was virtually nothing she couldn't uncover. And given her fiercely vindictive nature, once she discovered he had hunted her familiar, even if he treated her with every courtesy when she came knocking—leading her to hold back for the moment—she would repay the grudge a thousandfold once she rose to power. To truly dissolve Talia's enmity, he would have to face her in person. For now, at least until noon, all he needed to do was paint properly. *** Reaching the second floor, Lanqi caught sight of the maid who had awakened him earlier that morning, still looking slightly frightened of him. "I'll go prepare it for you, Young Master." Accustomed to the routine, the maid turned to fetch some fine wine and the latest storybooks. Yet she stopped dead in her tracks. Because of what Lanqi said next: "I'm going to the study." Those words made the maid visibly anxious. "...Did you say the study, Young Master?" Her voice faltered, leaving Lanqi with a look of confusion. "Yes," Lanqi confirmed. He wanted to check some references in the study and sketch Talia's likeness for the butler. Until he located her, he had nothing else urgent to attend to. However, when he opened the door to the study, he found neither desk nor paper—only a multitude of very expensive-looking wine bottles. "Please forgive me, Young Master." "What is it?" Lanqi looked at the anxious maid. "I... I haven't finished cleaning the study this morning." She hung her head, mumbling softly, seemingly resigned to a scolding. Given the young master's usual temper, he would undoubtedly slam the door, storm off, and return dead drunk at night. "Is that all? Missing a day or two of cleaning doesn't matter. As long as you fetch my painting supplies, another room will do just as well." Lanqi gave a helpless sigh. "No, Young Master, that won't do!" The maid's eyes went wide as she stared at him. For a moment, she was thoroughly flustered—astonished by his unusually accommodating attitude once again, yet quick to add, "Just give me fifteen minutes, and I'll have the study spotless! Then I'll bring all the tools you need! I swear it on my professional honor!" "Then I'll leave it to you." Lanqi didn't mind waiting a short while. Talia's murderous intent had him slightly rattled, but not entirely panicking. He already had a plan in mind. No one was going to stop him from living a comfortable, peaceful life. *** In about ten minutes, the maid finished cleaning the study as promised and brought Lanqi the finest painting supplies in the mansion. Lanqi examined the pens and brushes of this world. Though they differed from what he was accustomed to using in his previous life, he quickly figured out how to handle them. Taking a seat before the canvas, he blocked out the composition, set pen to paper, and began sketching Talia's portrait with an easy, relaxed expression. The thought that the most perfect character he had ever created—the dignified Demon Princess Talia—had to dress like a destitute beggar made him want to chuckle. Even without deliberate thought, his hand moved with effortless grace. He had drawn Talia countless times. Channeling the technique honed over years, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, Lanqi worked the brush with calm, practiced fluidity. He did not look like some celebrated master. His composed demeanor resembled a househusband preparing the evening meal. Yet gradually, his focus was drawn entirely into the canvas before him, losing all track of time. He didn't even notice the waiting maid blinking in mounting astonishment, her mouth slowly rounding into a small, stunned circle. As time slipped away, Lanqi's painting neared completion. Upon the canvas, though the young woman wore a worn-out cloak, she was as stunning as a wolf in the snow. A gentle breeze brushed across her face, sending strands of grey hair beneath her hood fluttering in the wind. Within those half-glimpsed golden eyes, blazing flames lay concealed beneath thousands of layers of ice. Her solitary figure would never lead anyone to mistake her for frail; the more the dust tried to smother her, the less it could mask the nobility and power flowing in her veins. "Finished." Lanqi smiled as he completed the final refinement. Only then did he take a proper look at the piece, realizing he had inadvertently poured far too much effort into it. "Heavens, Young Master, has your skill always been this breathtaking?" A gasp rang out from the side. "Just now, I was wondering if the God of Art had possessed you! I've never seen such a soul-stirring painting in my life!" Even now, the maid could not calm the excitement in her eyes. She had seen Lanqi paint a few years ago. Back then, Lanqi still wore a gentle smile and never lost his temper; the landscapes he painted were as beautiful as his heart. Many servants in the estate secretly hoped that one day the current Lanqi would suddenly come to his senses. They could hardly bear to imagine what life would be like—or whether they would all be thrown out—if he continued down this path of dissipation until he became the true master of the house. How she wished that today's signs were not mere illusions, but proof that the young master had truly become refined, gentle, and considerate from the bottom of his heart. "Is that so?" Lanqi rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed chuckle. He was indeed a phenomenal artist, but the way the maid looked at him with reverence, she seemed ready to treat him as a resurrected Picasso or Van Gogh. He had simply gotten swept up in the painting just now, as if pouring his very soul into it, to the point of feeling slightly dizzy the moment he finished. Still, was it really worth such lavish praise? "I swear, you will become a grand master who shakes the entire kingdom! Even His Majesty the King would desire your paintings, and even the most exalted card maker would come seeking to discuss technique with you!" The maid clutched her hands tightly, gazing at Lanqi with utter sincerity. A moment of silence fell. "*Hiss—*" Lanqi was suddenly struck by a realization. That's right! This was originally a game centered around non-turn-based magic cards! And he had been the art director! Practically half the things in this world had been drawn by him, including the prototypes for many rare, treasure-grade magic cards. According to the game's design, magic cards served as sealed containers for skills, equipment, or summons, prized for their portability, tradeability, and flexibility. Rather than spending immense effort learning a spell, anyone in this world could simply buy the corresponding magic card, bind it, and cast the spell at will, adjusting their skill set whenever facing a formidable foe. Furthermore, in the game's highest-difficulty dungeons, challengers were matched to random alternate dimensions where they assumed unique identities and circumstances. They could bring no external items with them—save for the magic cards bound to their souls. Thus, magic cards were an absolute necessity in this world for travel, plunder, fighting, and survival! High-value magic cards dropped from dungeons, but they could also be crafted by card makers. And painting was an art inextricably linked to the creation of magic cards. *So aside from being a great artist in this world, I might also have serious potential as a card maker?* Lanqi rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought. He had long felt that the magic cards in that game were far too conventional and tame. Whenever he suggested cards that would enrich gameplay without breaking balance to the designers, they had rejected them outright. The lead designer had told him he'd need ten mothers to survive the backlash if he dared implement such cards. "Young Master, is the woman in the portrait someone you fancy?" A soft, tentative question interrupted Lanqi's thoughts. The maid waiting nearby had noticed how remarkably gentle Lanqi was today, leaving the entire household on edge. Yet having watched him for so long, she felt he wasn't faking it. Coupled with the sudden miracle he had just painted, she had arrived at a startling conclusion: He was in love! "..." Lanqi looked up with an odd expression, unsure of what to say. The woman in the painting... Was someone who might very well kill him. Yet as he studied the painting, another thought occurred to him. Judging by how stunned the people of this world were by his artwork, having the butler carry this painting around looking for her would surely stir up unnecessary trouble. Lanqi pushed the easel aside. Practiced as ever, he prepared a fresh canvas, intending to paint a more ordinary sketch of Talia as a vagrant. However... He had barely laid down a few strokes on the new canvas when a severe bout of dizziness struck, blurring the canvas before his eyes. The maid watched Lanqi's pained expression with concern, yet didn't dare forcibly interrupt his work. After a moment's hesitation, she decided that perhaps the young master truly wouldn't lash out at anyone today. Swallowing hard, she said, "Young Master, if you are feeling terribly unwell, it might be mana exhaustion... When you paint, you seem to pour your entire heart, soul, and mana into the piece. I've heard stories of great painters and card makers throughout history who gave their very lives to art in that manner..." "I'm done painting." Hearing that, Lanqi dropped his brush at once. This wasn't pulling an all-nighter to draw, where you could just grit your teeth and push through. He had clearly felt something extraordinary draining from his body while he worked! "Take this first painting to the butler. Have him look at it, carry out my instructions, and then put it away safely. Don't let it leave the house." Lanqi pointed at the completed portrait. The moment he relaxed, an overwhelming wave of sleepiness washed over him. Fatigue surged back like a returning tide, more violent than before, making his head nod uncontrollably. He realized that with this rate of consumption, he wouldn't have the strength to paint a second recognizable portrait of Talia anytime soon. "And whatever happens, wake me before dinner." Having given that final instruction, Lanqi said no more. "Understood, understood!" The maid carefully used a magical tool to accelerate the drying and seal the painting. On one hand, the value of this piece was beyond measure; on the other, the young master had already slumped in his chair, fast asleep. She was overjoyed by his transformation today, and her curiosity grew over just what height his work had achieved. Sneaking an identification spell, she finally saw the painting's true nature: [Portrait: The Mysterious Princess] [Type: Artwork] [Quality: Epic] [Tier: 1] [Those who appreciate this painting will recover a small amount of spirit and stamina, gain increased favorability toward the princess in the portrait, and have a chance to slightly increase spirit.] *** When Lanqi awoke and looked out the familiar window, it was already late afternoon. The sun was sinking in the west, casting a reddish-gold glow over the clouds. The light filtering through the window rippled in concentric rings, lending the room a dreamlike hue. The butler must have carried him back to his bedchamber. On the nightstand lay a letter written in the butler's elegant hand—concerning Talia's whereabouts. Lanqi shook his head, having slept with profound heaviness. Yet as he sat up and stretched, he noticed a painting prominently displayed in his room. The single piece lent the entire chamber an elevated air of artistry. Sitting on the bed, Lanqi frowned as he stared at the portrait of Talia. The maid and the butler had completely misunderstood him. He had told them to hide the painting, not frame it and hang it on his wall! If the subject herself ever saw someone painting her with such reverent devotion, how mortifying would that be? "Forget it." Lanqi rolled out of bed with a sigh. Talia would never have a chance to enter his room anyway. As long as he could smoothly swindle her out of this kingdom, he would have won.