With Camellia-san acting as an intermediary, we finally finished Rosmiel-san’s self-introduction and stepped into the exhibition booth.
The interior felt spacious and uncrowded, likely because the area required advance reservations and strictly limited the number of visitors. It had the distinct atmosphere of an art museum, with various exhibits spaced out at regular intervals, each accompanied by a descriptive plaque.
As we began our circuit of the displays, we stopped before a particular object—a bizarrely shaped, multi-colored vase. According to the description, the God of Art had crafted this unique piece to commemorate the conclusion of the 10th Hero Festival.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't get it at all.
"Hmm... art truly is a difficult subject," Luna-san concentrated on the object and murmured, mirroring my own thoughts. "I'm afraid I don't quite see the appeal."
"I assume it's a masterpiece given that it's on display here, but... Lilia-san, do you understand it?" Aoi-chan asked, turning toward her for a noble’s perspective.
"Eh? M-Me?" Lilia-san stammered.
"Yes. Since you're a noble, I thought you might be well-versed in these kinds of artistic works."
"I-I suppose so. It's a... truly magnificent piece."
It was just a hunch, but I had a strong feeling Lilia-san was just as lost as the rest of us. She was a noble, of course, and she certainly had a refined eye for quality, but this specific vase seemed to be outside her expertise. Given that she was fundamentally incapable of lying effectively, her internal panic was written all over her face.
"Oh? As expected of Milady," Luna-san chimed in, clearly relishing the opportunity to press the issue. "Then, could you tell us exactly what makes it so magnificent?"
"S-Specifically?"
Luna-san, fully aware that her mistress was floundering, gleefully launched her follow-up attack.
"Well... the way it's so... vibrant and colorful, perhaps?"
"My... what a remarkably shallow critique."
I couldn't really blame Lilia-san. I couldn't come up with anything better than "a strange, lumpy vase." It was gaudy, distorted, and I couldn't for the life of me see the artistic merit.
Curious for another take, Hina-chan looked toward Sky-san. "Sky-san, do you understand it?"
"No, honestly, it just looks like a weird vase to me," Sky-san replied bluntly. "Apparently, people with refined tastes see something in it... but I think that's just the nature of art. It's probably enough to just have a vague sense that it's something impressive."
"I think you hit the nail on the head," I agreed. Art was one of those things that remained utterly incomprehensible to the uninitiated.
The rest of the group seemed to be in the same boat. I thought that if only we had an expert with us, they might be able to explain what we were supposed to be looking at, when—
"What was that, Elly? Let's see... 'This vase represents the winning entries of the art contests held at each Hero Festival in chronological order, with the characteristics of the works from the first to the tenth festival depicted from the base upward'? Ah, I see! That explains the complex shape and the variety of colors."
Rosmiel-san whispered into Camellia-san’s ear, and Camellia-san relayed the explanation to the rest of us. Looking at it again with that context, I could see how the vase was divided into ten distinct horizontal layers. Some sections looked like delicate sculptures, while others resembled textured oil paintings.
"And... 'It expresses the evolution of art over a century. The mouth of the vase was intentionally left asymmetrical to symbolize that art will continue to change and evolve in the years to come. It is an ambitious masterpiece.' I see. As expected of Elly. It's a work imbued with such deep meaning."
"That was a truly wonderful explanation," Luna-san noted. "I can certainly feel the difference in class compared to a certain Head of the Ducal House."
"Luna... you had better be prepared for what happens once we step back outside."
It turned out Rosmiel-san was quite the connoisseur. Thanks to her insightful commentary, my opinion of the vase shifted instantly. Seeing it as a representation of a century of shifting styles and a testament to the future of art made it seem like a truly remarkable piece.
"Are you very knowledgeable about art, Rosmiel-san?" I asked.
"..."
The difficult thing about Rosmiel-san wasn’t just her silence; she remained so completely frozen that she wouldn’t even offer a nod in response.
If I didn’t have Sympathy Magic, it would have been nearly impossible to tell what she was feeling. For now, since Camellia-san was the only one she would communicate with, we were entirely dependent on her translations.
Just as Rosmiel-san had predicted, saying it would take sixteen hours to adjust, it seemed it would be quite some time before she truly felt comfortable enough to open up.
Serious-senpai: "She feels like a cat that’s far too wary of strangers."
???: "She’s likely the type who becomes perfectly normal once she finally opens up, but taking that first step just takes her an eternity."