Chapter 87: This Secret Is Safe With Me
MARIUS
"There you are." I hastened toward Briant as I spotted him just about to leave the building, fortunately alone.
"Oh, Marius. What’s the hurry?" he asked.
"Nothing really, Briant. I’m sorry to interrupt, but do you have a moment to chat?" I asked.
"Sure. Always a pleasure," Briant said.
There was something that had been lingering in my mind ever since I’d visited the art club earlier and seen Skylark’s cheese dream picture. It wasn’t his picture that bothered me, but rather Blanche’s change in attitude when the conversation brought up Falken.
I had to know what was wrong with her. Falken was not only an admirable man, but had also been offering crucial guidance to Skylark. If, for some reason, Blanche had a problem with him, I didn’t want it to surface in the art club and cause any friction with Skylark.
I stepped to the side of the exit so we would not be blocking anyone’s way, and also so we could get a little bit of privacy for a quick chat.
"Briant, it might be a bit sudden, and I know this may sound a little intrusive and ungentlemanly, but could you tell me what you know about Blanche Belrive?"
Briant was a little taken aback at the mention of Blanche’s name. Then a little curiosity rose in his eyes, which slowly turned into slight hesitation, then concern.
"May I ask why?" Briant asked.
"Skylark is... in the art club with her, and there was just something I wanted to check," I said, quite truthfully.
"How is it even—" Then Briant stopped himself, shook his head, and said,
"My apologies. There must be a good reason for it if you are asking me about it, Marius. I won’t question why."
"I really appreciate it."
Then I looked around and saw that there was no one nearby. I waited patiently for Briant to explain.
"The short version is that the Belrive family has a long legacy in the art circle. Many of her ancestors served as the Royal Artist, which is the most prestigious title one can get as an artist in the Empire," Briant began his explanation.
"That sounds like a great thing—but the way you reacted before tells me there’s another side to that story," I pointed out.
"You read me correctly. I won’t get into the personal matters of how and when I met her, but... what I can say is public knowledge, at least among those who know, so I suppose it is okay for me to tell you," Briant said.
"Please go ahead."
"As cherished as they had been by the Royal Family and the many Emperors over the generations, they had also been... persecuted numerous times for the paintings they made."
"Persecuted over paintings?" I was surprised to hear this. It was completely new to me that such things even happened.
"There are rumors regarding the ’why,’ but their persecution is a historical fact, including a famous ’legend’ regarding Estella Belrive from about two centuries ago," Briant continued.
"What happened to her?"
Briant’s eyes moved from side to side, once, then he wet his lower lip and said,
"The legend, if you could call it that, is that something she had painted greatly angered the Emperor. Nobody knows what she painted. And the Emperor ordered a rather... cruel punishment."
"May I ask what it was?"
"Removal of her eyes," Briant whispered.
"That is... unheard of." I was shocked.
"But that’s where the legend starts. Estella Belrive, blinded, went on to paint hundreds more pictures after the punishment, locked in the basement of the Royal Palace."
"She could paint without her vision?"
"That is the story that survived over generations—word of mouth."
"That’s unbelievable."
"Until you see it."
Then Briant stopped talking.
"I feel like there is something you are not telling me."
Briant fidgeted a little, uncharacteristically, and spilled it out.
"I saw Blanche at a small social gathering at her place when I was six."
"That is... a very long time ago," I said.
"It was some sort of art social gathering. My mother is quite into collecting artworks, and I was brought over to the Belrive mansion when they had a social gathering. Nothing big."
"And she made such an impression on you that you still remember her?"
"Well, she was extraordinary."
The word caught my ears.
"Tell me more, please."
"There were a few kids, maybe five or six. We were brought into a room and given paper and crayons to draw so that the adults could enjoy their tea in peace. You know, the usual stuff," he said.
"And then?"
"Blanche told us that she was going to show us something special. Then she used a handkerchief to blindfold herself, and—get this—she could draw this perfect picture of a... devil while not being able to see anything."
This was definitely something I had to report to Falken. And although I wasn’t sure how it might affect the activities at the art club, it made me think that the club wasn’t just a cozy place where Skylark could have fun without a worry. There was something sinister about Blanche at worst, and something inexplicable—hence potentially dangerous—about her.
"Marius, please don’t tell anyone about this. This gift she has puts her in the same lineage as Estella Belrive, and we know what happened to her. I don’t think Blanche was supposed to show us what she did—it was probably something her parents wouldn’t have approved of, given the... history," Briant said.
Knowing all this now, it was strange that Falken went out of his way to protect the club.
Nevertheless, I reassured Briant and said, "Thank you for telling me. I really appreciate it."
"Marius, you need to think about what it would be like to have grown up in a family whose name was whispered with fear and suspicion, not respect and admiration. She must have gone through a lot. Let’s not put any unnecessary burden on her," Briant added finally.
"This secret is safe with me. I understand."