The Versatile Master Artist

Within a few meters around her, a quiet aura was formed.

All the nearby visitors quietly lightened their footsteps.

Countless people admired her profile from a distance, yet no one dared to strike up a conversation.

”You remind me of Oscar Wilde’s famous saying: ’You can never be over educated or over dressed. You are just right with both.”

(You remind me of Wilde’s famous quote; your grace and artistic cultivation are perfectly in harmony.)

Finally, someone brave appeared.

A handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes approached the girl, exclaiming in English, ”This cold style of Noemi Tadman’s watercolor paintings isn’t appreciated by everyone.”

Anna didn’t even look up.

She just gently extended her hand, making a gesture towards the exit of the gallery, indicating she wasn’t interested in getting to know this artistic youth.

”I appreciate your eye. But Miss, if I may speak frankly, you don’t seem to understand copying very well. The brush style of this artist is more carefree; your strokes are too rigid. The multi-colored blending here...”

The handsome young man seemed to know a lot about the painting style of the artist Anna was copying.

He casually picked up the spare wolf bristle watercolor brush the girl had placed on a small table, dipped it in some black paint on the palette, and was about to make a mark on the canvas.

”Please keep away from my painting.”

Before the tip of the brush could touch the paper, the girl blocked it with the back of her hand.

Anna furrowed her brows and glanced unhappily at the young man beside her, putting down her brush.

She knew her talent in painting was indeed limited.

So every time she copied a master’s work, it was more about enjoying the process of communicating with the spirit of the masters.

The quality of the painting wasn’t the key point.

Anna had an artistic purism, and couldn’t stand certain presumptuous individuals scribbling over her work.

”Um...”

It was now the blond young man’s turn to feel embarrassed.

As a somewhat famous youth watercolor painter, he always thought seducing such artistically inclined girls of moderate ability into bed was a breeze.

He didn’t expect to be rebuffed in front of this extraordinarily beautiful young lady.

Ignorant girl, do you know that one of my paintings can sell for several thousand Euros?

He wanted to say something more, but Anna was no longer paying him any attention. The girl seemed to feel the vibration from her clothes, took out her phone from the pocket of her beige trench coat, and started replying to messages.

”Sir, please leave this place.”

The butler of Yilena Manor appeared like a specter from the corner of the exhibition hall, patting the young man’s shoulder.

”Miss would prefer not to be disturbed right now; could you kindly accompany us outside?”

The butler adjusted the collar of his dark formal jacket, smiling amiably.

The young man felt a bit awkward.

”Are you her father? Don’t be so old-fashioned. Besides, this is a public place; I’ll stay where I please. What authority do you...”

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly frozen.

Because he noticed, while the silver-haired gentleman adjusted his clothing, a fleeting glimpse of a black shoulder holster under the formal coat.

Being American, he recognized it as a concealed gun holster.

The young man immediately sensed something was wrong.

Even in heavily firearm-populated North America, a ’concealed carry permit’ is one of the hardest gun licenses to obtain, let alone in Europe where the issue isn’t merely about difficulty.

Only a select few plainclothes officers, secret service agents, and security personnel around high-ranking officials are qualified to carry weapons with this type of hidden harness under a suit jacket.

Not to mention, here at an art gallery, the security is exceedingly stringent.

Upon reflection,

Though the European Art Gallery does not prohibit art lovers from casually copying works, at such high-traffic special exhibitions, on-site painting usually requires a special permit.

He had been wandering around the New Art Center for a long while and only saw this girl painting alone in front of an original masterwork, an evident sign.

He should have realized earlier that her identity wasn’t simple.

Realizing he was flirting with someone he shouldn’t have provoked, the young man instantly deflated. He ducked his head, and obediently headed towards the gallery’s exit.

Upon leaving, he couldn’t resist glancing back one last time.

He saw an astonishing scene.

The beautiful girl in the wheelchair gazing at her phone screen, her icy expression akin to snow atop a mountain peak slowly melting.

She was extremely beautiful, yet extremely cold.

At that moment, her smile brought forth a sensation of spring warmth and all things awakening.

Not only was he mesmerized,

many visitors couldn’t help but take out their phones to secretly capture the girl’s captivating beauty.

”Would you be interested in becoming my agent, Mr. Tree Sloth?”

Anna looked at the screen where Lady Detective Cat’s invitation appeared, feeling a heartfelt sense of satisfaction.

She was thrilled to receive an invitation from this elder sister in Africa, even more so because it came at this moment.

Theoretically speaking,

it wasn’t a particularly good time for Detective Cat to appoint an agent.

The primary role of an agent is to find suitable contracts for artists in the art market, handle issues between the artist and employer as an intermediary, and earn a reward or a commission from the artist’s income.

While painters and agents are a community of shared interests,

they don’t always get along well.

The biggest issue is the commission on contracts.

Many artists, especially illustrators, often feel they no longer need an agent once they find a suitable employer and find it unnecessary to let an agent take a large cut of their income.

Instances of illustrators avoiding an agent to sign a new contract privately with an employer to save a few hundred Euros in agency fees, only to end up at odds, are common in the art world.

Similarly, some prestigious agents, when signing small artists, not only set a high commission rate but also include a hefty breach fee.

Much like Premier League clubs trading football players, they wait till the artists gain some fame and then sell them to big galleries for profit.

Anna understood these situations.

Where there is money, there is dirt.

In the art circle, the objective reality is that although there are many close and seamless relationships between agents and illustrators, there are even more cases of mutual skepticism and defense, and disputes that escalate to the point of bitter enmity are not rare.

Evidently, Scholastic Group privately contacted Detective Cat, and she could’ve pretended she knew nothing and yet came to find her proactively, warming Anna’s heart.

”Of course, it’s my pleasure.”

Anna expressed her willingness without any hesitation.

”Lady Detective Cat, I am very willing to be your agent.”

”There’s one issue; I might not be able to come up with too much money right now... Would you be willing to take a commission from my contract income? If not, I can only pay you after receiving the payment from this Scholastic Group contract.”

”I don’t want a salary, hmm... I’d like only a ten percent commission, does that work for you?”

Anna thought for a moment and quoted a number.

Objectively speaking,

a ten percent commission is neither too high nor too low in the illustration field.

If Lady Detective Cat were to be considered a top-notch illustrator, she might find other agents in the market offering lower commissions.

Anna didn’t intentionally set a very low commission rate.

She wasn’t concerned about how much she could earn from Detective Cat’s contracts.

With the Ilyena family’s connections and prestige, if she desired, working at a gallery like Gagosian or Lisson, a one million dollar salary would be just a starting point.

What she cared about was the significance.

Two people being bound together, their names linked, moving towards a common goal.

If it were any less, it would lose its meaning. Her contributions aren’t cheap either.

”But I won’t request any breach fees, whenever you feel you no longer need me, or if my work isn’t worth that commission, let’s part peacefully.”

”Surely, it’s a very generous term for me.” Lady Detective Cat’s response was also straightforward and direct.