The Alpha's Revenge

Chapter 27: Kira's Painting

Except for the judges, the people in the hall had doubts about the result. For them, Cinder’s painting was already exceptional, so how was it that it was only second in rank?

Just then, right next to Cinder’s painting was Kira’s painting, which was still covered with brown cloth. The servant on the stage heard the examiner’s signal to open the painting.

Without further ado, he uncovered the painting that achieved the highest rank. When the painting came into full view, the crowd quietened down immediately.

Kira’s painting was so vivid that one can feel the painter’s rage and pain in it. A blood moon covered the whole sky and turned everything into pitch black. There was a lone wilting white flower in the middle of the sand that was surrounded by blood.

Flowers were supposed to show happiness and beauty, but in the painting, it was like a person watching the place turn blood red with helplessness. Everyone present quietens down for a moment. No matter how they look at it, it brings out some emotions in their hearts that they can’t name. It’s a piece that shows desolation and complete misery due to powerlessness and injustice.

Valerie, Celina, and Cinder trembled at the same time. As they looked at the painting, they knew that they wouldn’t have the chance to dispute the ranking. There’s no chance for them to argue about it and in this match, it’s very clear who won.

It was indeed true that Cinder’s painting portrayed the beauty of justice for everyone. There’s full of hope and beauty in her painting. However, her representation of the theme was the same as everyone else's. The only painting that showed the brutality of injustice is only Kira’s painting alone. No matter how happy a person’s emotions are, once they experience the severity of injustice, that can’t be compared to anything else.

Sufferings can immediately revoke the happiness in someone. And this is what Kira used to evoke the emotions of everyone, especially the judges.

No wonder the verdict for the painting category took a long time to announce. It’s very clear that it’s because of Kira’s painting. The judges must have been thoroughly shocked to see that the person who painted that magnificent piece was the youngest princess who was an i***t.

It even topped last year’s winner’s painting, the Ethereal Moon, which was painted by Lady Valerie.

The head of the examiners called out for Kira to speak after displaying all the pieces, “Lady Kira, come up on the stage and explain the inspiration for this painting.”

Celina smiled instantly after hearing the examiner’s words, she then whispered to Leslie who was sitting beside her, “The truth will finally come out.”

“What do you mean?” Leslie was puzzled, “Are you saying that it was not her painting?… But we all saw her painting on stage.”

“She won this round, not because of her painting skills but because of the intention of her painting. You can also see that her painting skills are not too outstanding… I’m sure there’s someone who has been advising her on what to paint.” Celina looked in disdain toward Kira as she climbed up on stage.

“We knew her for so long already but we haven’t seen her practice or studied anything… The chief examiner wanted her to speak about her painting not because he wanted to highlight her presence but for them to know whether the painting was originally hers or not. So, if she was unable to explain it, she would immediately lose face in front of everyone.”

Leslie laughed after hearing her explanation, “You are right. Even if I were the examiner, I would still be doubtful about the authenticity of that painting. It’s impossible for a person to suddenly become talented in just a matter of days… I think she did this to capture someone’s attention…” her eyes landed on the young master on the platform, Clovis Morris, “Am I right, Lady Valerie?”

Valerie’s expression stiffened. She didn’t have the thought that Kira would be doing this to attract Clovis’s attention. In her mind, Kira was crazily in love with Franz.

But after hearing Leslie’s words, made her think twice. What if Kira was indeed doing this to capture Clovis’s attention and not Franz? She suppressed the unhappiness in her heart and said, “Let’s wait for Kira’s explanation.”

She has to do something or else, Kira might really win the affection that she had been longing to get.

Up on the stage, Kira quietly looked at her painting. Her hand slowly reached out and stroked the lonesome flower on the paper, like how a person strokes a living flower.

“The inspiration for this painting is the words spoken to me by my mother when I was young. We know Madam Carrie, the castle’s Luna, very well. She loved talking and spending time with the common people. I think that’s also the reason why everyone loved her and still remembered her. So, a lot of untold stories were remembered by her and she shared them all with me. When the theme of justice was shown, my mind went back instantly to the time when my mother was telling me a bedtime story one night.”

As Kira paused for a while, everyone’s eyes were gathered on the red-dressed lady on the stage. Her eyes were calm and serene. it was like they were seeing the late Madam Carrie telling them a story.

“My mother said that she once encountered an old woman who was waiting for her only son to come back home. His son was a soldier who was sent to war to defend the castle. He was the only family left by that elderly woman, so for years, she had been waiting for him to come back home. However, her son didn’t come home.”

Kira’s eyes slightly drooped down as she continued telling the story, “He failed to come back home because he had died on the battlefield. His son deserved the honor he received because his death was justifiable. However, everyone failed to see the injustice the old woman had felt. No one would be able to understand the grief and injustice that a mother would suffer. She was left alone, wilting on her own.”

“This flower was what she had been receiving from her son every time he came back home. And according to the people who had seen his son before his death, he was holding this flower. So, this flower witnessed that bloody war. And this flower is the only thing that I could offer to that elderly woman on behalf of her son. Mother said that injustice is sometimes caused accidentally or unintentionally. If a person’s heart suffers helplessness and grief, no matter what the circumstances are, then that’s injustice.”

The young lady stood on the stage with her pair of clear eyes and resounding voice. Her tone was gentle and sweet but her words were like a drum, beating in everyone’s hearts.

Kira wanted to show everyone that it’s not right to blindly follow what the nobles and the royal family wanted them to do. Because, behind that fancy and honorable position, they just became a pawn for someone else.

In everyone’s mind, serving and dying for the alpha is a virtuous thing to do. But she wanted them to have second thoughts about it. One day, they will just become a scapegoat or an experimental subject for the alpha without their knowledge.

Behind the commoner’s knowledge, the soldiers who were being sent to fight in those wars were all members of low-ranking people. They thought that their sons were strong and talented. That’s why they were sent away. But that was all a bunch of nonsense spouted by the royal family to dispel their suspicions of them.

Those people who came from noble families were all stationed either in the royal castle or just inside the castle borders where they were safe from harm.

That’s how unjustifiable their political system was. It’s okay for low-rank people to die fighting for the peace of the whole place, but it’s not right for noble people to die serving the Rouguemont Castle.

Hearing Kira’s remarks, everyone started to gradually quieten down.

Youths from common and low-ranking families were inspired by her words. Some were naturally captured by her magnificent and emotional story.

However, some naturally weren’t happy about it. Most especially Valerie, who was clenching her hands tightly.

‘How did she come up with that explanation?!… She wasn’t that smart, to begin with, so who gave her that idea!’ Her hatred towards Kira grew instantly to a certain degree.