Chapter 3

The next day's appraisal meeting. On the table lay a rare Renaissance landscape painting.

I'd once again pulled an all-nighter, working until 3 AM, conducting a detailed age analysis and technique study on this painting. Ink composition, paper fibers, mounting process – I verified every single detail repeatedly.

I was like a drowning person, clinging desperately to science as my last straw.

Chloe sat across from me, holding that same sandalwood incense stick.

"Harper, you didn't get much sleep last night again, did you?" She looked at me with concern. "Your eyes are so dark."

I ignored her.

The Curator pointed to the painting. "Today, we're appraising this piece. Harper, is your report ready?"

"I won't need a paper report today. I've memorized everything." I looked at Chloe. "Why don't we let Chloe go first?"

Chloe nodded, lighting the incense.

Green smoke rose again.

She closed her eyes, putting on that pious act. "I hear the painting's voice…"

"It says it was created by the master Leonardo da Vinci, using fine linen canvas and mineral pigments blended with linseed oil…"

The pen in my hand snapped.

I had just finished analyzing these data points last night! How could she possibly know!

"The mountains in the painting use sfumato techniques, the trees employ atmospheric perspective – typical of da Vinci's style…"

The Curator's eyes widened. "My god! Chloe, you can even sense the painting techniques?"

Chloe opened her eyes, triumph sparkling within them. "It also told me that this painting was once cherished by a renowned 19th-century collector. That person loved it so much, they'd look at it every day…"

She started fabricating poetic stories, packaging my scientific data into emotional narratives about the artifact's 'soul.'

Everyone listened, utterly captivated.

"Chloe, your ability is truly miraculous!" Liam's gaze softened. "I never knew you had such a gift."

I was left on the sidelines, like an irrelevant clown.

An expert whispered, "Harper's technical skills are amazing, of course, but the efficiency difference is just too much…"

"Yeah, what Chloe can solve in minutes takes Harper all-nighters."

"Times are changing. We need to keep up."

My fists clenched, my chest ached as if a hole had been torn through it.

Chloe, however, smiled humbly. "This is all thanks to Harper's excellent guidance. I'm just lucky enough to understand what artifacts are saying."

"Chloe, you're too modest!" Liam praised. "This kind of talent is one in a millennium."

I watched his gaze on Chloe soften more and more, a growing sense of dread rising within me.

The scenes from my past life began to replay.

The Curator stood up. "I've decided that from now on, Chloe will primarily handle the appraisal of important artifacts."

I snapped my head up. "Curator, I don't think that's appropriate…"