CHAPTER 124: THE CHARMING LADY

Averie’s step landed heavily on the moist dirt path.

"This is pretty far," he complained, panting heavily.

Finally, he was atop the hill.

His downwards gaze could now turn upward, and what greeted him was a sky ablaze with a myriad shades of red.

"It’s like a wildfire," he muttered, mesmerized.

The wind was heavy at the top, but just the pure intensity of the setting sun was enough to chase away the shivers.

It was as if he were looking at the edge of the world, as if some higher being had ripped the sky asunder.

"It’s not far now," said Director Groux, beckoning Averie to follow along. "The villa over there is our destination."

He pointed at the house consumed in the brightness of the setting sun near the river in the valley below them.

"That is where we will find my inspiration for Lady Ethereal. I can’t say you will be impressed, but I hope you will find what you are looking for."

Averie took a shaky breath.

’This is where you hide the mysterious woman I am supposed to play?’

Despite the long and arduous journey, he was excited.

It had taken him a flight to China, a ferry ride to this remote island, and a climb over the mountainside to reach the destination.

All of this to better understand the Director Groux’s vision and the mysterious lady he was supposed to portray.

Averie tightened his grip around the sack hanging from his shoulder and followed behind the director towards the house.

’Only one house in such a large area? Rich, aren’t they?’

Struggling to keep up with the two was the first AD, Min-Ha, and Hyerin.

"We could have stayed at the hotel, right?" Min-Ha complained, carrying half of Averie’s luggage.

"Do you think he would have allowed us to rest while he suffers?" Hyerin laughed hopelessly, carrying the rest of Averie’s luggage. "He is too petty for that. He will work us to the bone. If he has to sweat, he won’t make it easy for us."

"What is in these bags, anyway?"

"Coconuts."

"What?" It felt like her ears were ringing. "I think I heard it wrong."

"No, you heard it right. He is making us carry coconuts."

She dropped the bags. "But why?"

"Just to torture us. He likes that kind of thing."

Min-Ha’s face twisted into a frown. "And you are fine with it?"

"What else can I do?"

"Why do you look so satisfied then?"

Hyerin’s eyes bulged. "What, what do you mean?"

"You are enjoying this."

"No, I am not."

But the disgust on the face of Min-Ha could not be wiped.

Making their way through gravel, when they arrived at the house, it was a servant who greeted them.

"I am the butler of this house." He bowed politely. "Lim is my name."

With a hand behind his back, he ushered them.

"Please, follow me."

He led them to the luxurious waiting room.

It was furnished with paintings from the Renaissance period and fretwork from the Middle Ages.

"Please, wait here. Mr. Cao will be with you shortly."

But to Averie’s dismay, the butler’s ’shortly’ wasn’t short enough for him.

It took the good man fifteen minutes to present himself in front of his guests.

If he had taken any longer, Averie would have chewed Hyerin’s ear off.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Auclair," the man called Cao said.

With white hair and glasses, he looked like an old scholar in his sixties. He was dressed in a loosely fitting shirt and pants.

’He has lost some weight,’ Averie thought.

To him, who was also trying to lose weight, it was clear that the man wasn’t in the best shape.

And as if to prove him right, their handshake felt weak.

’He has a brilliance about him, but there is no strength in his body.’ Averie’s gaze softened. ’It’s like watching the sun set.’

"The pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Cao."

"Mr. Groux informed me that he wanted to introduce a young actor to me. But when your name came out of his mouth, I couldn’t refuse. I loved your portrayal of Asmodeus."

"Thank you."

The man led his guests to a room he called his personal gallery. Its walls were lined with portrait paintings.

They were lifelike depictions of real people, and Averie even recognized some of them.

’Actors and models.’

"Here she is," Mr. Cao said, standing in front of one of the pictures. "The lady you are looking for is her."

The painting depicted a girl.

She was dressed in a red and white traditional garb, and there were no strong emotions reflected in her nonchalant expression.

Averie wasn’t knowledgeable enough to deduce where she was from, but she had Asian features.

She wasn’t glamorous, and compared to the actresses and models Averie had met, she wasn’t beautiful.

She was, by all accounts, a simple countryside girl.

’Charming.’

To Averie and everyone else in the room, she was beautiful. She had that charm about her.

She was drawn with such detail that she looked alive.

’The ability to attract another is a gift indeed.’

And the painting had it.

"Makes you wonder, doesn’t she?" the director whispered. "Even though she is stuck in an inanimate object, she makes you wonder who she is."

Averie nodded and turned his gaze towards Mr. Cao.

The old man’s fingers were shaky.

’How ironic. His creation stands undaunted, but he cannot.’

The old man was Chaoxiang Cao, a world-famous painter known for capturing the human form with chilling detail.

Averie wondered what kind of man he would be to attract such adoration from the artistic world.

’He is different from those phonies that call their paintings art.’

He had done his research on paintings and knew how ridiculous the industry was.

’They sell dots and lines of paint for astronomical prices. They put empty canvases on display. What world are we living in? How far have we fallen? Can we not distinguish gold from a pile of shit anymore?’

Looking at the painting in front of him, Averie rued the reality.

’This deserves more recognition than the pastimes of the rich.’

His eyes lingered on her visage.

The girl in the painting seemed to hold his gaze.

And it seemed, if he couldn’t get her out of his mind, she would occupy his dreams.