Chapter Seventy-One: Eisen followed the maid into the door and handed the bag of meat in his hand to the maid, who took it and handed it to the other colleagues.The low-voiced maid offered Eisen a cup of black tea with lemon juice and a small bag of coins, then closed the door and withdrew, and gently shook a handbell in front of the door of a small separate room in the hall, and she shook it three times in total, indicating that a guest was visiting."
I see."
Viscount Freya responded with simple words.Now Eisen just had to wait for the hostess's reception.Viscount Freya's residence was as cold as ever, and unlike the refined and luxurious living style of other nobles, Viscount Freya's residence was in a relatively simple style.The decoration in the side hall is only a painting on the wall that looks very penetrating, and there are some necessary tables and chairs without other objects; This makes the whole side hall look very empty and deserted.Thanks to the fact that each room has a relatively sunny window, otherwise the whole environment will look gloomy.The evening glow fell through the window and cast it on the oil painting hanging on the wall, which was a work with a strange style.The style of painting is not the popular Locke paintings, nor is it traditional classicism or academic painting.1 This is an oil painting of the Baroque School.Baroque oil painting became popular in the 17th century, and its exaggeration, incompleteness, and strong color contrast are the characteristics of the Baroque.Generally speaking, Baroque paintings will use people as the protagonists of the painting, and the characters in the paintings will often use vivid and bold poses to present the picture, and the use of bright color contrast can highlight the three-dimensional effect of light and shadow, so that the figure is in a high-light position to grab the attention of the viewer.Most of the Baroque paintings were influenced by Renaissance humanism, which led to many works being inseparable from people, religion and mythology.In the 17th century, Baroque paintings were strongly supported by the Light Society, and a large number of works praising the Light flowed out to the market and were accepted by the public.One of the most representative painters is Peter Paul Rubens, who was born in the Holy Roman Empire, and his work "Immaculate Conception" was once compared to "Sistine Madonna" by the great Italian painter Raphael.2 Although the painting on the wall is in the Baroque style, the content of it is unsettling when you see it.In the background of a church-like church, a man kneels in front of him and prays in front of the crucifixion statue of Seiko Nosu, but a dark shadow of a rat can be faintly seen in the shadow at the bottom left of the painting.It is very similar to a normal mouse, and if you look at it from a distance, it is difficult to tell what difference it is from a normal mouse, and it is very confusing.It had messy black hair and a long, pale tail that looked more like a shaved keel.3 If you look closely, you will see that it has a distorted human face, and the expression on that face is so vivid that it is as painful as if it had been tortured but could not be relieved.Its claws resemble those of humans, with four large teeth like ordinary rodents, and the human-faced rat in the painting has a mouthful of sharp teeth, like a shark.The presence of such an evil and strange creature in a sacred place like a church makes the whole painting present a contradictory but distinct sense of conflict, on the one hand, the atmosphere is solemn, on the other hand, it is strange and terrifying, if such a painting is leaked out and discovered by the Holy Light Society, it may be regarded as a heretical act, but it is grandly hung in the side hall by Lady Freya.Because this is the work of Baroness Freya herself.Painting was a hobby of the Baroness, and she often spent a lot of time in her studio, which she felt like creating a world on canvas, and her studio was located in a corner of the hall.Previously, the maid had asked Eisen to go through the small door so as not to disturb Baroness Freya, who was intoxicated with painting.Painting allows Viscount Freya to bring to life all sorts of strange fantasies in his mind, and sometimes Viscount Freya thinks his mission is to complete a stunning painting.Eisen stood in front of the painting with a teacup, and he carefully examined the beautifully painted painting.Looking at it, Eisen suddenly had a strange thought."
This kneeling man in the church can't be me, right?"
Eisen remembered what had happened in the slaughterhouse before, the squeak of the rats, and the dark shadows in his dreams, and he couldn't help but substitute for the scene in the painting.But after a while, Eisen shook his head, rejecting his absurd ideas and convinced that the scene in the painting could not have happened, and that it was probably just a coincidence."
Where are there so many coincidences in the world?"
Eisen muttered softly to himself."
Like it?
If you like this painting, I'll give it to you.,Anyway, I drew it the day before yesterday.。
”Viscount Freya silently appeared behind Eisen's back and said.Eisen was startled by the sudden appearance of Freya, and almost couldn't hold the black tea in her hand steadily, and even sprinkled a little on her clothes.He looked back and saw Freya, who was still so pale.She was dressed in a simple cloth garment, with some oil paint stains on her body, and a little red paint on her pale face, apparently she had been painting in the studio.Eisen was surprised and said, "Ah, when did you come in?"
”"When you were seriously looking at the painting, I pushed the door and came in.I've been standing behind you for a long time. ”Viscount Freya said."
Okay, okay, then I must be too engrossed in it, you drew it?"
Eisen asked.Viscount Freya stroked his long brown hair with his fingers and lowered his head in a soft "um".Eisen suddenly asked, "Can you tell us about your inspiration for painting?"
”Before this, Eisen had only regarded Freya as one of the objects of his pastime, and each time he had only hurried and gone again, not caring about the oil paintings on the wall; He considered himself a rough man, and did not know how to appreciate the works of art sought after by these nobles or high society; In his view, the so-called works of art are at most one of the tools used for publicity, and even those works of art that are sold at high prices by auction houses are nothing more than a boring commercial practice.For Eisen, the love of the bed is just an equal exchange for what he needs, but the painting in the side hall makes Eisen curious about Freya and her paintings."
Okay, then you can come with me."