Chapter 434
Chapter 434:
Victor remembered himself and made the introduction quickly, the excitement unmistakable in his voice. “She’s the talent I’ve mentioned before — the one with a gift for artifact conservation. And considering the problem we’re stuck on right now—” He caught Kristine’s sleeve eagerly. “Come with us, Kristine. We need you p>
“Victor,” a middle-aged man with glasses interjected, his tone flat with skepticism, “even Oliver hasn’t been able to resolve this. Do you honestly believe she can p>
It wasn’t contempt, exactly. She simply looked far too young.
Artifact restoration demanded patience, accumulated experience, and decades of practice. In his estimation, Kristine lacked all three.
𝖠𝗰𝗍i𝘃e со𝘮𝗆𝘂𝗻𝗂𝗍𝘆 o𝗻.с𝗈𝗆
Victor grew flustered. “That’s not what I’m saying. Kristine works at our institute. She has genuine ability — paintings, antiques, small relics, she handles all of it p>
“That’s enough.” The man pushed his glasses up his nose. “I understand you look out for your colleagues, but overstating things won’t help anyone. Are you claiming she surpasses Oliver p>
The name landed with weight in the silence that followed, and all eyes moved toward an elderly man in his sixties standing a little apart from the group. His expression was stern, and he was clearly not pleased by the direction of the conversation.
Oliver Clark was a recognized authority in the field — someone even Victor held in high regard.
Victor knew what he truly thought: that Kristine’s instincts and technique surpassed Oliver’s. But saying so aloud, here, in front of the man himself, was not something he could do.
He let a beat pass and then smiled carefully. “That’s not what I meant. But since she’s already here, why not let her take a look? A fresh perspective might help p>
The man with glasses studied Victor for a moment, then turned his gaze to Kristine. He let out a short, dismissive laugh. “Looking is fine. Let’s see if she even dares p>
Victor glanced at Oliver. Oliver gave a small, measured nod, his eyes lowered.
Only then did Victor turn back to Kristine. “We’ve run into a problem during the restoration process. Would you take a look p>
Her first instinct was to decline.
But the hope in Victor’s eyes made that impossible.
“All right,” she said.
“Then let’s go.” He gestured toward the cars.
“I drove here. I’ll follow you,” Kristine said, lifting a hand.
“Fine. Let’s move p>
They separated into their vehicles and pulled out.
Inside the car, Alma finally broke her silence. “What was all of that p>
Kristine gave her a brief summary.
Alma listened, her curiosity growing. “And what exactly are they trying to repair p>
“I’m not sure yet. We’ll find out soon p>
Alma nodded and let it rest.
Thirty minutes later, both cars stopped outside a grand private estate.
Kristine followed Victor inside — and the moment she spotted the deer-head sculpture displayed in the center of the hall, her breath caught. “You’re restoring this p>
“Yes,” Victor said. “The antler was damaged during transit. The cultural exchange office managing the Evira artifacts commissioned us to carry out the repair.” He paused. “The fee they offered was unusually generous. I suspect they’re acting as intermediaries for someone, but that’s not my concern. What matters is fixing the antler correctly p>
Kristine stepped closer to the piece.