Frank turned, then walked up to the painting and immediately spotted several flaws with a single glance.

"Heh. So, have you thought about your tricks this time, Frank?" Hugh sneered in contempt, hostile as he had been from the start for some reason.

Frank completely ignored him and nodded confidently as he pointed at the signature at the corner.

"Take a look at the signature," he said. "Even if made to look like it's old, it clearly does not match the age of the canvas. In fact, the painting was signed much later-which begs the question, what painting would be signed hundreds of years after its completion and long after the artist is dead?"

"What?!"

Everyone was immediately restless, especially Travis.

He whipped out a magnifying glass and dropped to his knees as he scrutinized the painting.

Then, as he was looking closely, Frank pointed at the brush strokes and added quietly, "I've seen my shares of oil paintings to identify each style. People of Rivaldi's era-let alone Rivaldi himself—are not known to use the impasto in their time. Only the artists of northwest Draconia would."

As he finished, Frank turned toward Travis and chuckled. "With that in mind, may I ask where the previous owner of this painting came from...?" "Gitra. It's in the northwest... Oh." Travis' eyes widened, and his magnifying glass slipped off his fingers, dropping on the floor with a thud.

him, so

avoid confusion, let me

pointed at the painting. "The canvas is real, but the painting isn't the

then returned to his seat, picking up his cup of tea and taking

silent for a long while, until Hugh leapt to his feet. "No...

scrutinized every inch, until he finally noticed the

the stamp

"H-How is that possible?!"

in astonishment-it was

even the best appraiser in Draconia would be able to tell, let

yet, Frank

did he even

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