“Why? You don’t look that happy about it.”
“No, it’s not that. But I’m busy now… if you told me in advance, I would have made some time.”
Honestly, Haejin didn’t want to go. Meeting someone from Hwajin would be uncomfortable, and he
didn’t want to see Eunhae and Hyoyeon fight.
However, Hwajin wasn’t going to let Haejin miss the event of its vice chairman’s precious daughter.
“Ms. Hyoyeon’s parents wish you to be there.”
“Me? Why? I don’t know if you know this, but Mr. Vice Chairman and I are not exactly on good
terms…”
“I’ve heard about it.”
Haejin could guess who had told her.
“You know it, and they ordered you to bring me?”
“You are the hottest person in this country right now. Oh, in the art world, of course.”
“I know. You don’t have to emphasize that…”
Picasso’s painting turned Haejin into a celebrity of the art world.
He had done dozens of interviews with magazines after opening his museum, and people in
broadcast stations had come more than five times.
It was also from different stations: news, documentary and comedy shows (paintings only). So,
although there were people who didn’t know Haejin’s face, everyone knew his museum.
“Haha! Anyway, they think your presence will be enough to make the exhibition meaningful.”
“Then, why didn’t you call me earlier?”
Elissa frowned.
“Hmm… do you know how little sleep I have had since I came to Korea? I never got to sleep more
than three hours a day. Honestly, I had to resist the urge to go home and get some sleep. I walked all
the way here instead. Are you going to make me go on and on? I’m wearing heels. My legs hurt.”
She got angry as she spoke. Her voice rose and ended in a shriek.
“Okay. Leave the invitation here.”
“When are you going to come?”
“About the day after tomorrow?”
Haejin wanted to visit quietly after the trace of the war was gone, but Elissa didn’t let him.
“No, I asked when are you going to come today. It only means something if you come today when all
the VIPs are there. Why would we call such a busy person when commoners come with their
toddlers?”
That made sense. Haejin couldn’t argue.
“Khmm… okay. Then let’s go now.”
“Oh, you’re fast to act.”
Haejin thought Eunhae wouldn’t come on the first day’s morning. If he went as fast as possible, show
his face, and come back, he might be able to not meet Eunhae.
But sadly, when he arrived at Saeyeon Gallery with Elissa Kim, he saw Eunhae smiling brightly like a
white lily.
She was talking with a foreigner with bright blond hair at the entrance. She spotted Haejin, smiled,
and turned back. She thought acknowledging him could be a problem later.
There were not many people inside, but they all looked rich. The clothes they were wearing and their
attitude of watching the paintings were quite serious.
It was probably because only VIPs had been invited.
Elissa took Haejin to Misuk and Hyoyeon who were greeting guests in the deepest part of the gallery.
“Welcome.”
Misuk smiled to see Haejin. She was trying for a generous smile but, for some reason, it made Haejin
feel bad.
“I didn’t know you would invite me but thank you anyway. I’ll enjoy looking around.”
“Do it. Oh, and there will be an interview a while later.”
“An interview?”
She had arranged an interview without Haejin knowing, and she spoke as if it was nothing.
“Hanseung Newspaper will interview you about the future of the art world. We’ve prepared makeup,
so you don’t have to worry. You just have to take a few photos, so it won’t be that hard. Please take
care of my child. Oh, he’s here.”
It wasn’t a magazine interview. It was a newspaper company that even had its own TV channel. At
least it wasn’t a TV interview.
Misuk looked behind Haejin and waved her hand. Haejin quickly looked back. A man in his mid-30s
came fast, bowing deeply.
“Hello.”
The reporter spoke politely as if he was addressing a queen.
“Reporter Oh, you came early.”
“How can I be late to Director Lim Hyoyeon’s first special exhibition? I went in through the entrance,
and I was shocked by Caravaggio’s painting. How did you bring Boy with a Basket of Fruit that should
be in the Galleria Borghese of Rome… I even thought it could be a fake for a second!”
He tilted back and exaggerated. However, it wasn’t awkward, so he was probably always like that.
“That would be a huge problem.”
“Right? But how did you bring such paintings?”
“My child has many friends. Director Roberto of Galleria Borghese is very fond of her.”
“I’ve heard about it. Director Lim Hyoyeon made many Italian friends when she studied in Switzerland
as a child… was it those connections?”
“Haha, yes. You have such a good memory. This is why I like smart people. When talking to stupid
people, I have to repeat things I’ve already said. I hate that.”
“Hahaha! Thank you. Anyway, you informed me even before the interview… I don’t know how to thank
you.”
They had called a reporter to brag about themselves, and the reporter was thanking them. It was so
ridiculous that Haejin almost laughed out loud.
Misuk introduced Haejin to Reporter Oh much later.
“This is Director Park Haejin of Park Haejin Art Museum. You know him, right?”
Oh overacted again as he asked for a handshake.
“You are so handsome. I’ve heard all about you. It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Reporter Oh Seongtae
of Hanseung Newspaper. I’ve heard from Hwajin and picked a few questions. I hope you like them.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Haejin. I just heard about the interview.”
Seongtae realized what Haejin was implying. He glanced at Misuk, but Misuk didn’t even blink an eye
as if it was nothing. Seongtae saw that and smiled again.
“Haha, an interview must be done instantly like this to have the tension and get a fresh story. People
like that more these days.”
Haejin didn’t want to hear more nonsense.
“So, when are we going to start?”
Seongtae smiled awkwardly and glanced at Misuk again.
“How about now?”
Misuk answered instead, “Director Park just arrived and isn’t ready yet. I’ve prepared a makeup artist,
so how about doing it together with Hyoyeon after preparing?”
“It would be good.”
They proceeded on their own before Haejin said anything.
“You know we will choose the photos, right?”
“Oh, yes. Of course, then shall we go?”
Actually, Haejin didn’t have to be dragged along, but he followed.
It was because of Eunhae who was shining her eyes in front of Vermeer’s paintings.
She moved on as if she had found nothing on the painting, but a foreigner woman in her 40s stood
there and stared at the painting.
The moment Haejin, Hyoyeon, and Seongtae passed by her, she called the curator.
Of course, Hyoyeon stopped at this. Haejin and Seongtae also stopped.
Haejin looked around. Eunhae was looking at another painting as if she had heard nothing. She was
quite good at pulling a scheme.
“What is it?”
Elissa Kim came to her instead. The woman pointed at the Vermeer’s painting.
“This painting is strange. The plaque says it is owned by an individual. Is this real?”
She spoke in English, but there was not a single person in that room who didn’t speak English.
Hyoyeon understood that and looked at Elissa. She was asking what she was talking about.
Seongtae casually took out his notebook and started to write something.
“This painting has been appraised by me, a member of the Chicago Appraisers Association. There’s
nothing wrong with it.”
Elissa explained calmly, but the woman smiled and pointed at the painting.
“Can you see this part?”
The Vermeer’s painting showed a woman wearing a white turban on her head while doing some
needlework.
The white woman was pointing at the painting depicted behind the woman in the painting.
It was a painting inside a painting. It was the painting of Jesus nailed on a cross. It clearly had a
religious meaning.
Baroque paintings have a lot of religious meaning since, at the beginning of the 16 th century, the
Roman Catholic Church chose art as a mean to deepen the faith in the church and its dogma to
oppose the Reformation.
Because of that, Baroque paintings were basically sensational and spiritual at the same time. They
made religious images easily understandable with a naturalistic style and arouse the faith with
dramatic effects that stressed emotions.
Vermeer’s paintings were like that, too. Most of them were about religion and faith. This painting also
described that.
“What is there?”
Elissa frowned and went closer to the painting.
The woman smiled and spoke.
“Look at the foot of the nailed Jesus. Isn’t it strange? It’s tilted in an angle that is impossible in that
posture.”
“Huh? It’s, it’s…”
Elissa thought something was wrong only then. She stammered. Hyoyeon dragged her arm and
spoke instead.
“Who are you? Why are you causing trouble here? Have you been invited?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I am Hailey Robert. I belong to the International Revenue Service/IRS Art Advisory
Panel. My boss got the invitation, but he told me to come instead. Here it is.”
Hailey took out the invitation from her bag. Hyoyeon turned pale. The International Revenue
Service/IRS Art Advisory Panel consisted of 25 experts and, although they were volunteers who didn’t
get paid, they have great skills and influence.
Hyoyeon looked around. She snatched Seongtae’s notebook and threatened him.
“Today’s interview is over. Don’t even think about writing anything and leave quietly. Nothing
happened here today. Okay?”
“Oh… okay.”
Seongtae turned back and left without thinking of getting his notebook back, but there was someone
there who Hyoyeon hadn’t thought of.
“Oh, what’s going on? There’s a fake in this exhibition?”
Everyone looked in direction of the voice. There was a politician of the opposition party who Haejin
had seen on TV a few times, smiling with his arms behind him. It was Jo Haejun, representative of the
Gukmin Party.
He was the nemesis of Hwajin which was the pro-ruling party corporation. At his arrival, Hyoyeon’s
face turned dead white.