Mr. Greuze stood quietly, watching Alexandra's work until she finally completed her painting. With a surprised smile, he finally spoke, "Grand Duchess, you are truly the most talented student I have ever seen. You've brought such life to Joanna..."
Joanna was the maid serving as the model at the front of the studio.
As Greuze continued to speak, his gaze fell on the other students' work, and he couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh. "Clara, Marissa, perhaps you should co and take a look at Grand Duchess Alexandra's painting.
"You've been studying with for four or five years, yet it seems you haven't quite grasped the essence of painting. I hope you can learn sothing from this piece."
The three noble girls exchanged glances, their faces showing clear displeasure. After all, the youngest among them was already eleven years old, and Clara was even fourteen. And now, their teacher was telling them to learn from a seven-year-old Russian girl!
Reluctantly, they gathered around to look at Alexandra's work, but their limited artistic abilities prevented them from seeing the "soul" that Greuze had ntioned.
Greuze offered further praise and encouragent to Alexandra, then glanced at the clock and announced that the next lesson would be on Tuesday. He said goodbye to the girls and left the studio.
Marissa, with an exaggerated gesture, grabbed Alexandra's easel and began examining her painting as if in disbelief. "Did our teacher have a drink today?" she muttered.
Her father was the second assistant to the French Minister of Agriculture, and her family held a hereditary title of count, so she felt no fear toward the Russian Grand Duchess.
Another noble girl quickly chid in, "That must be it. Otherwise, why would he spend ten minutes praising such an unremarkable painting?"
"And then telling us to 'learn' sothing from it? Well, the paint is nice, I suppose," Clara added sarcastically.
It was understandable that they felt this way. Being told that their work was inferior to that of a "barbaric Tatar" girl was a direct insult to their artistic skills!
They had grown up in the refined environnt of Versailles, surrounded by art from birth, and had been praised by countless masters for their talent. How could they possibly be outdone by a Russian girl?
Since they couldn't challenge the esteed Mr. Greuze, they directed their frustration toward Alexandra.
The Russian girl calmly took back her painting, signaling to her maid to store it carefully. Then she turned to the noble girls and gave them a sweet smile, speaking in flawless French. "If you spent the ti and energy you use to say such pointless things on practicing your painting, perhaps your teacher wouldn't have to praise a 'newcor.'"
With that, she turned and walked out of the studio, not waiting to see their reactions.
"You!" Marissa stomped her foot in frustration, pointing at Alexandra's retreating figure. "Don't think you're actually that good! The teacher was just being nice because you're a child."
She signaled to the other noble girls, "Any one of us is far more skilled than you."
"Just so you know, Clara and Stella's paintings were selected for the 'Lorraine-Charlieburg Art Exhibition'!"
"Oh, but I suppose you've never even heard of the Charlieburg Exhibition. If your painting manages to get into that exhibition, we'll admit you're decent. But if it doesn't, you'll have to apologize to us!"
In truth, their paintings had only been included in a small, unimportant room at the exhibition, thanks to family connections. It hardly counted as "participating."
"Not interested," Alexandra replied, barely glancing back at them as she walked toward the carriage in the courtyard.
The noble girls felt they had regained the upper hand and were imdiately smug. "Hmph! She knows her place."
"Of course, it's one of the top art exhibitions attended by the royal family. Her crude painting wouldn't even make it through the door."
"She really should see the Charlieburg Exhibition; it's like being imrsed in an ocean of art..."
As Alexandra climbed into the carriage, she barely heard their last words, but the na "Lorraine-Charlieburg Art Exhibition" seed familiar.
"Where have I heard that before?"
She gazed at the majestic Louvre in the distance, but quickly let the thought slip from her mind.
Three days later.
In the northern suburbs of Paris, carriages lined up outside the luxurious Charlieburg, and six to seven hundred nobles gathered for the renowned Lorraine-Charlieburg Art Exhibition.
This place had once been a monastery, purchased and converted into a castle-like estate, and it eventually beca a center for the arts.
With a short ti left before the exhibition officially began, Mr. Philibert, the chief organizer, was doing a final check of the guest list—since the royal family attended the exhibition every year, no detail could be overlooked.
Suddenly, the door to his office opened, and his assistant hurried over, whispering a few words in his ear.
Philibert frowned, turning to the assistant. "Are you certain?"
The assistant nodded. "Many noble ladies from Versailles have heard about it, most likely because Miss Marissa was boasting. I also went to Mr. Greuze's house this morning to verify it, and his maid witnessed the whole incident."
"This could be troubleso..."
Philibert pondered for a mont before instructing the assistant, "Announce that termites were discovered in the room on the second floor."
"Yes, sir."
Once the assistant left, Philibert rubbed his temples in frustration. Conflicts among these noble girls were the worst. And now, the second daughter of Count Lemaire had to pick a fight with the Russian Grand Duchess at this crucial ti...
Although Count Lemaire was an acquaintance, Count Bobrinsky from Russia was the main sponsor of this year's exhibition, covering 75% of the costs.
Offending him was out of the question!
So the two girls who had been boasting about their paintings being in the exhibition—when in reality, they were only there because of their family connections—would have their artwork mysteriously "disappear"...
Soon, the grand exhibition officially opened.
Hundreds of nobles, led by the servants of Charlieburg, filed into the halls to view the artworks.
Clara and Marissa proudly led a group of young nobles straight to the southwestern corner of the second floor, boasting all the way. "Our paintings were even praised by Mr. Greuze, so of course, they were chosen for the exhibition."
But when they entered the room where their works were supposed to be displayed, they found it completely empty.
Clara thought she had made a mistake and repeatedly checked the room number, even looking into adjacent rooms, but her paintings were nowhere to be found.
(End of Chapter)
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