Artifact Reading Inspector

Chapter 197: What Happened in Austria (2)

Silvia was also shocked to hear this. She widened her eyes and looked at Haejin to let him know that even she hadn’t seen this coming.

Haejin thought Silvia was even more capable than the Medici at getting information. However, she had never heard about this.

“But I think Albert Harrington can be useful…”

Cavani took a sip of wine and said, “This happened a long time ago, and I cannot find many details about it. It is so vague as if it was shrouded by a thick mist, so I cannot tell who is on my side and who isn’t. I most certainly cannot trust Europeans, especially aristocrats who have money and men. I trust you for the reason I invited you earlier. You are from far away.”

Haejin could understand that, but he still had a few questions.

“Hmm… then I am supposed to appraise a few artifacts here and I’m done?”

Haejin had thought it would take at least two weeks, but judging from what Cavani just said, it looked like it would only take a few days.

“No. You should go to a few places with me and join me in my detective game,” Cavani replied.

“Detective game?” Haejin asked. Cavani then explained, “With this matter, I cannot afford the luxury of waiting until my men get me the answers. I must check with my own eyes. I want you to help me with that.”

Haejin had no reason to refuse. Apart from everything, going after the artifacts the Nazi had stolen was exciting enough.

“Then, shall we go?”

Cavani took his unfinished glass of wine in his hand and started to walk.

Haejin followed him, but then he sensed Silvia’s hand grabbing his.

He looked at her, and Silvia mouthed a question, ‘What kind of artifact are we about to see?’

‘I don’t know…’

Cavani took them to the mansion’s basement storage.

Usually, a storage is humid and smells bad, and it would also have various bugs. However, this storage looked like a neatly cleaned room.

The room’s temperature and humidity were being perfectly controlled. In the middle of it, there were two paintings covered with brown cloth.

“We didn’t meet anyone on our way down here,” Haejin commented. Cavani sat down on a chair and replied, “I have sent everyone outside this mansion except for the necessary personnel.”

“Oh…”

“Actually, I wondered if I should call you or not for some time. Oh, it wasn’t because I doubted your skills. After our last meeting, I got to admire your ability.”

Haejin didn’t say anything, but Silvia asked, “But then, why did you hesitate to call him?”

Cavani looked into her eyes and said, “You are quite unusual. You are an Arabian with an American accent, and yet you are not bound by your ancestor’s rules… and your blue eyes seem to have strange powers. Was your name Silvia?”

This surprised Silvia. She nodded, however, she couldn’t help but flinch while saying, “Yes, it is.”

“Mr. Park is very lucky to be with you.” Cavani smiled at Haejin and continued, “I hesitated because I thought what was about to happen could become our weakness. Maybe…”

Haejin realized instinctively what he was trying to say and asked, “Are you thinking your own family might be involved in this?”

“Yes. World War Two devastated Europe, including Italy. However, I still cannot dismiss this doubt. There cannot be many who can plan such a bold artifact heist… merely stealing doesn’t make sense. Hundreds of forgeries were made in the process, and it would require more than 5, 6 people to do such a thing.”

Haejin’s jaw dropped to hear that hundreds of fakes had been made.

“That many?”

Cavani explained, “Huge amount of fakes have been quickly released all around the world. I am thinking the forgeries that were made back then can still be seen now. Maybe most of the paintings, in museums and galleries, are fakes.”

In fact, most of the paintings in museums and galleries were indeed controversial.

However, they had to be left where they were because there was no clear proof of them being fake, and there were more than one or two such artifacts.

“Haha…”

It was so ridiculous that Haejin laughed.

But then, Silvia asked, “Does this matter have something to do with the amber room that William I presented to Feodor I?”

Cavani was surprised for the first time at this.

“Why do you think so?”

“I thought about the most valuable ones among the artifacts lost during the WW2, and I recalled the room and its treasures first,” Silvia replied.

The amber room was first made for the king, but then it was moved to Catherine Palace in 1716 as a gift to Russia.

But during the WW2, after Germany took Saint Petersburg, they dismantled the room that weighed 6 tons and took it to Germany. However, although there is a record that says the ambers were put in 27 boxes and carried away, that huge amount of treasure vanished after that.

It would be worth 500 thousand dollars now, but it has never shown itself after that.

However, the amber room has then been recreated with other ambers to celebrate the 300th year after the birth of Saint Petersburg city.

“Hmm… actually, I have my doubts. I haven’t found any lead yet… but I think these criminals might know where the treasure is. Of course, I have no proof. It’s just my guess,” Silvia replied.

She said she was making a guess, but was it Haejin’s imagination, or did she really sound like she was sure of it?

Cavani amusedly smiled and said, “You are smart and quick-witted. You would be a great help to Mr. Park.”

“Thank you.”

Silvia shyly smiled, but strictly speaking, she was way more capable than Haejin. Even though she had been a princess, she had never given up studying. She spoke five different languages and had gotten a master’s degree in economics at the United Arab Emirates University.

Haejin was rather embarrassed at this. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Khmm… so anyway, these paintings are what you recovered from them?”

“Yes. This mansion is my family’s, so I come here from time to time to rest, but a strange rumor started to spread among antique shops here in Vienna, that the paintings the Nazi had stolen had resurfaced. At the time, I spent huge money to buy the two paintings. I’ve also never shown it to anyone till now.”

However, it was strange.

“But you must have thought the paintings might be fake. What made you think these two paintings were those paintings lost during the war?” Haejin asked. Cavani explained, “When I became the head of the Medici family, I gained access to the family record. It is like a journal that the former heads wrote. It allowed me to know about not just this family but also the history of Europe with Italy as its center.”

“Then shouldn’t you be able to know if your family was involved in this matter?”

Cavani shook his head and said, “Strangely, there isn’t much record about the time of World War 2 and afterward as if that part has been emitted. The charity auction of Mauerbach must have been an opportunity that cannot be missed by the family, but there is no record of any Medici participating in that auction. It is not right.”

It was really strange.

The Medici always tried to collect valuable artifacts, so they would never let go of such an opportunity.

Haejin could now see why Cavani was doubting his own family.

“Hmm… I see. Then I should start appraising now.”

Haejin stood up. Then, Cavani finished his glass of wine and asked, “Should I wish for them to be real? Or should I wish for them to be fake?”

“If they are real, we should be happy as we would get some traces of that criminal organization, and if they are fake… I guess it would depend on whose fakes they are,” Haejin replied.

“Then I should hope for them to be real,” Cavani said.

“It would make things easier.”

Haejin slowly approached one of the paintings and uncovered it.

The painting was so weird that it wasn’t easy to tell what it depicted.

It was an oil painting, but it had something else, pulp mixed with glue and lime.

“It’s papier-mache,” Haejin said.

“Do you know who the artist is?”

Haejin didn’t answer and examined the painting for some time.

There was no signature, and there was no record nor scribbles at the back of the canvas.

Haejin examined it for about half an hour and said, “It is a painting, but it’s a painting of a sculpture. It reminds me of someone.”

“Who is it?” Cavani asked.

“Alexander Archipenko.”

Archipenko was born in Russia, but he fled to America in 1923 and became an American.

Cavani nodded, “I have been thinking so, too… it turns out I was right.”

Haejin explained, “Only a few paintings of Archipenko are left, although many of his sculptures have survived. And as his paintings are in a unique style, they are not easy to imitate. Judging from its condition, it is definitely at least a few decades old. It would require scientific analysis to be sure, but I think it is Archipenko’s congratulations.”

Haejin thought he must congratulate first since if it were Archipenko’s, it was worth at least 5 billion won.

“Thank you. I had my guesses, but it was really Archipenko’s…”

As one of the missing paintings had been found, they now had one piece of the puzzle.

“Are you going to retrace this painting’s history?” Haejin asked.

“I should, but first, I must speak to the man who sold this to me.”

Cavani immediately sent his servant to bring the merchant to him then said, “You should now look at the other one.”

At this, Haejin carefully uncovered the other painting.

It showed sunflowers burning under the hot sun.

The background was damp grey-green, and the sunflowers were in gloomy colors. The moment Haejin saw it, he exclaimed in surprise, “This is…”

“I was shocked as well when I saw this for the first time. I never imagined I would meet Egon Schiele’s Sunflowers here.”

This Sunflowers was one of the masterpieces that disappeared during the war. It was quite famous.

“However, the merchant who sold this must have known it,” Haejin commented.

Of course, he knew. If he hadn’t known about this painting, he would have been an antique merchant with crude knowledge about the history of art.

“He thought it was fake. That is why he sold it to me at five thousand euros.”

Earlier, Cavani had said he had paid a lot because he had assumed that the paintings were fake.

“5000 euros… you have paid a lot for a fake,” Haejin said.

“But isn’t a fake this good worth at least that much money?”

Cavani was right, the painting was great to the point that it would make you think it was a genuine artifact.