novelWhat the Depressed Man Left (1)
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Marcisio went out of the car to bring someone. Silvia still seemed to be in a daze, so Haejin took her hand and asked, "Do you know him?"
Silvia was about to speak, but then she hesitated. She couldn't talk in front of Matias. She made Haejin get out of the car with her. Then, she took him to the coffee shop they had been at a while ago.
She gathered her thoughts with the bitter espresso in front of her and started to explain.
"The rules of the desert are strict, so people cannot trust any god other than Allah. Of course, I do not have any connection with the Vatican, but there is one man whose name I know of."
"Is that Cardinal Pierosa?" Haejin asked. She bit her lips and nodded, "Yes. I got to know about him through Mat Vellin about three years ago. At the time, I was spending a lot of money on finding vestigiums spread all around the world, but the Vatican was the place where I tried the most. I couldn't give up on the numerous records and artifacts of the Curia Romana."
It was kind of ironic that a Muslim got interested in the Vatican.
"So, you approached the cardinal?" Haejin asked. Silvia replied, "Funnily, he approached me first. he gave me lots of information about artifacts through the finance company I used to manage at the time, and we gave him more than 2 million euros. Of course, we paid in cash, so he probably got all of that money."
It was enough to make Haejin think that cardinal was crazy but smart. However, Silvia's story didn't end there.
"After that, he kept contacting us, offering to find us a number of Catholic artifacts. We had no reason to refuse. Actually, I got most of the vestigiums I have from him, including the one I gave you... but I met him a few days before that incident."
That incident...
"Are you talking about what Saliyah did to you?" Haejin asked. Silvia answered, "Yes, at the time, after I had dinner with you, I met him. Actually, almost no one knows about this. Few knew that Cardinal Pierosa was in America at the time."
"Well, the meeting between a Catholic cardinal and a Muslim princess could have been quite an issue, " Haejin commented. Silvia explained, "He showed up looking like someone else, so anyone who didn't know him well wouldn't have thought he was a cardinal. Anyway, he kept warning me that I was in great danger, and if I kept trying to cross the line, I would surely meet death."
"Wait... but that's not right. Didn't you just say he approached you first?" Haejin asked. Silvia continued, "That was why I was so puzzled at the time. I couldn't understand why he was suddenly acting like that. However, as we talked, I got to find out that he was either a member of the Trinitatis or someone who knew well about it. At first, he hadn't known what I was up to but approached me for money, and it appeared he got to find out only later."
"Hmm..."
The situation was complicated enough, but Haejin thought this could also be an opportunity.
"Wouldn't things go wrong if I stay here?"
Silvia looked nervous, but Haejin took her hand and comforted her.
"It's fine. Your face has changed anyway, so he won't recognize you. He would never think you are princess Hassena, no matter how clever he is."
Then, he went back to the truck with her.
He did that because there was no way the cardinal would recognize her, but also because he thought she would play an important role in this deal.
After a while, Marcisio showed up with a priest who looked like the kindest man in the world.
Silvia started to sweat again, so he had to be Cardinal Pierosa.
He was wearing a black priest's cloak. With his white hair and fat belly, he looked like a nice guy in your neighborhood.
"Ohh... it's been a long time, Mr. Matias. You have become younger during the last few years."
He seemed to know Matias well. He then took his hand and greeted him.
Then, the cardinal said hello to Haejin and Silvia for formalities sake, but he didn't seem to recognize her.
Haejin had thought he would not be able to know as Silvia had gone through cosmetic surgery, but he had been slightly nervous. It was fortunate that he had been right.
"Seeing a young couple makes me feel young again and delights me. Welcome to the Vatican."
Cardinal Pierosa spoke loudly in Italian then repeated it in English.
Whenever he smiled, the end of his eyes bent in a crescent shape. His laughter seemed to have the power to make people lower their guard.
"I didn't know we would get to meet, either. I came here without letting you know first, I'm sorry for taking your time, " Matias then said.
"Oh... please don't be. Talking to you is one of my few pleasures. I am rather excited about the unexpected gift... my, is this the forgery of Titian's painting? Oh..."
When he spotted the painting, he was startled and went closer to it.
He couldn't manage to touch it, but he traced his hand on it as if he wanted to. His hand shaking a few inched above the painting showed how much he was eager to touch it.
"Remarkable, so remarkable. But... do you know where it originally came from?"
Coldness started to radiate from the old man's eyes.
However, Matias wasn't bothered by it and kept on with the plan.
"This painting? Hmm... well, it would take some time to talk about this painting."
"Please, go ahead. I have a lot of time today. Listening to your story is always pleasant, so it can't be better, " Cardinal Pierosa said while crossing his arms and stared at Matias with his deep gaze.
"Actually, I've been keeping this at my home all along. I got it in Austria, 1997, " Matias explained.
The charity auction of Mauerbach had taken place in1996. So, saying he had gotten it in 1997 was like saying the painting had flown out when those who had stolen the Nazi's paintings made the fakes.
Pierosa's eyebrows moved because of it, and Haejin didn't miss it.
"Interesting. How did you get it at the time?"
Matias answered, "I'm afraid I cannot tell you that. You know how it is. This painting is only a fake and demanding me to confess how I got it is like stripping me of everything. You are asking too much."
"Khmm..."
The cardinal's wrinkles got even deeper. Time passed.
Haejin and Silvia tried making another fuss about the painting, but he didn't even flinch. He spoke after a long, long time.
"Alright, I will buy it."
Matias apologized to Haejin and Silvia, of course in English, "Well... I am sorry. I must sell the painting to them. Cardinal Pierosa here wants to buy it, to show it to the young students for educational purposes."
Matias knew they could understand Italian, but they were on an act together.
"Oh... but I really wanted to buy it!"
"I'm sorry. The cardinal wants to buy it for the younger generation, and there's nothing I can do."
Haejin tried to look disappointed, then he shrugged and sighed, "Hu... I guess I have to give up. It should be used for students..."
The cardinal patted his shoulders while looking sorry and said, "I am sorry. As you have made a good decision for the students, you will be blessed."
Actually, they hadn't known the deal would go on so easily.
As the price was high, both Haejin and Matias had expected there would be a tug-of-war, but as the cardinal accepted so quickly, they were both surprised, although they didn't show it.
Well... anyway, when Haejin shook hands with him, he secretly casted a tracking spell and a hearing spell on his cloak.
Selling the painting was important on its own, but what Haejin wanted the most was to track the cardinal, who was probably a member of the Trinitatis, and to take care of him and his associates.
The moment he took Silvia's hand and got off the truck, the cardinal started to talk about something else to Matias.
"Thank you for bringing such a good painting."
Matias replied, "That is what I do for a living, so there's no need to thank me. Then how are you going to pay..."
"More than that, are you interested in buying another painting?" The cardinal asked.
"Another painting..."
"It's van Gogh's. Do you want it?" Cardinal Pierosa asked again.
"Haha, it cannot be his real painting, right?" Matias asked back. The cardinal confirmed, "But it is real, it is not a fake. It is really Vincent van Gogh's."
Now, Matias became the one who had to pay a huge sum of money. If Cardinal Pierosa really had van Gogh's painting, Matias had to buy it, no matter how much he asked for it.
A real painting from van Gogh was worth it.
"..."
Matias couldn't answer quickly.
He had achieved what he had come for, so he just had to leave the Vatican now, but he was now being tempted by an irresistible chance.
Eventually, he couldn't restrain his curiosity and asked, "May I see the painting first?"
"Of course. You cannot buy it without seeing it. But... could you tell me more on how you got this painting?" Pierosa didn't give up and asked again, but thankfully, Matias knew well why he was there.
"I'm sorry. If that is what I must pay to buy van Gogh's painting, I'm afraid I must give up, " Matias replied.
"Hmm... okay. It's a shame, but I guess I should give up. Then, could you follow me?"
Matias drove the truck and went near Saint Peter's Basilica. Then, he disappeared to somewhere with the cardinal.
Haejin couldn't miss them, so he tried to follow them with Silvia, but he couldn't get into the basilica.
So, they just roamed around in front of it for a long time.
As he could hear Matias exclaiming at seeing the painting through the hearing spell, he wasn't that worried.
Matias came out about an hour after. Then, they returned to the hotel.
"He asked for 50 million euros. But if what I saw is really van Gogh's painting, I cannot give up on it. So, I want you to appraise it."
However, Haejin frowned hard and said, "Appraising it wouldn't be a problem. It's not like I have to work for free... 1% fee would give me 500 thousand euros, so I have no reason to refuse. But you introduced me as a tourist earlier. Wouldn't it be a problem if you bring me back as an appraiser?"
Matias nodded, "That is the problem. I know Mr. Cavani well. He never makes mistakes and doesn't trust others easily. I cannot trust any appraiser except for you who has gained his trust. Is there really no way?"
It wasn't like Haejin had a plan. But then, Silvia carefully asked, "What if something bad happens to the cardinal? Then, wouldn't he send someone else to make the deal?"
"How?"
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