Chapter 268: Winchester Has Arrived! Many People Want to Meet Winchester

Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Winchester Has Arrived! Many People Want to Meet Winchester

Sienna Everett nodded. "I am."

Keith Sterling immediately grew wary. ’What’s he up to? Don’t tell me Director Jarvis is here to poach her again?’

’Last time, he asked Sierra if she wanted to work at the National Museum. He’d better not try it again this time.’

Hearing Sienna Everett confirm it, Director Jarvis became visibly excited.

"To be honest, I was here for the auction today. I lingered for a while after it ended, and just as I was about to leave, I overheard Miss Everett discussing porcelain restoration techniques. I learned a great deal!"

"At the National Museum, we have many fragmented ancient porcelain artifacts. Our restorers do their best to repair them, but achieving a state where the cracks are invisible is still quite difficult. Miss Everett, would you be willing to demonstrate the restoration method you just described for me?" ⅇ

There was no reason to refuse. Sienna Everett smiled faintly. "Of course."

Keith Sterling looked at Manager Jennings and suggested, "Perfect timing. Let’s have her restore that three-legged Ware Brush Washer. Where is it?"

"It’s in the back room. This way, please!" Manager Jennings quickly led the way.

The group followed Manager Jennings into a clean, simple, and elegantly decorated storeroom in the back.

Inside the storeroom were several antique appraisers and a few conservation and restoration personnel, all of whom were specialists employed by the auction house.

"Everyone, please make some room!" Manager Jennings called out loudly.

The people in the room were both surprised and delighted to see the three individuals behind Manager Jennings.

Miss Everett, Mr. Sterling, and Director Jarvis from the National Museum!

These were all major figures!

Manager Jennings put on a pair of special gloves, then picked up the three-legged Ware Brush Washer from the table. "Miss Everett, this is the piece. You see here, there’s a very conspicuous crack where it was glued back together after being broken."

Keith Sterling craned his neck to get a look. It really was conspicuous; you could tell at a glance it had been shattered.

Director Jarvis was very familiar with this kind of situation.

The National Museum housed over three hundred thousand sets of porcelain. Preserved over a thousand years, some were perfectly intact, while others had been damaged during times of war. To display and preserve the value of these artifacts, the damaged pieces sometimes needed to be restored.

Sienna Everett put on a pair of gloves and took the Ware Brush Washer from Manager Jennings’s hands.

After examining it for a moment, she said, "First, we need to separate this glued fragment again. Then, mix egg white and rice water with slaked lime. That will create a stronger bond."

Upon hearing this, Manager Jennings immediately had someone prepare egg whites and rice water.

Once the lime was mixed, Sienna Everett reattached the fragment. She then carefully burnished the crack with a small brush before applying a layer of lead powder.

Throughout Sienna Everett’s restoration process, Director Jarvis watched from the side, his eyes glued to her work.

After applying the lead powder, Sienna Everett checked the piece several times under different lighting, then applied a bit of rust powder.

Finally, she sealed it with a hot layer of Sichuan white wax.

"There. The crack should be virtually invisible now." Sienna Everett placed the porcelain piece under the light.

Director Jarvis was the first to eagerly lean in for a look, unable to hide the surprise in his eyes. "Miss Everett, your restoration technique is incredible! It restores the porcelain’s original appearance to the greatest possible extent!"

Keith Sterling’s jaw had been hanging open the entire time. ’This... this is unbelievable!’

’It’s like she brought the artifact back to life in an instant.’

’Whoa, and this incredible person is his sister-in-law! He was so damned lucky!’

Facing Director Jarvis’s praise, Sienna Everett smiled modestly, then looked at Manager Jennings. "If this Ware Brush Washer is put up for auction, you must disclose that it was previously broken."

Manager Jennings nodded repeatedly. "Of course, of course! Honesty is our top priority! That is the code of our auction house!"

Director Jarvis stared at the Ware Brush Washer for a long moment, his heart pounding with excitement. He paced around the room a few times, then suddenly stopped in front of Sienna Everett and asked, "Miss Everett, with your top-tier skills in antique authentication and restoration, are you sure you won’t consider coming to the National Museum?"

Sienna Everett blinked. "I’m sorry, but I have no plans to do so at the moment."

Director Jarvis was disappointed but not discouraged. He asked, "Miss Everett, besides porcelain, can you also restore Ancient Paintings?"

Sienna Everett nodded. "I can."

"Wonderful!" Director Jarvis’s face flushed with excitement. "Miss Everett, the president of Yesteria is visiting our country next week. He is very fond of our traditional paintings, and we plan to display an Ancient Painting from Celestria at the state banquet. However, this particular painting was damaged during a past war, and its restoration is proving extremely difficult. Many restorers have been stumped. Miss Everett, would it be possible to invite you to participate in the restoration of this Ancient Painting?"

Keith Sterling was completely dumbfounded as he listened.

’The president of Yesteria? Coming for a visit?’

’A state banquet?’

’Extremely difficult restoration?’

’At such a major national event, for an Ancient Painting that’s so hard to restore... if something goes wrong, it would be no laughing matter!’

’And it’s next week, too! The timeline is incredibly tight!’

Sienna Everett pondered for a moment before asking, "Many restorers have been stumped?"

"Yes." Director Jarvis’s expression was grim. He hesitated for two seconds before saying, "I’ve heard about what happened between you and Miles Everett. Miles is also a top-tier Restorer, and he was invited to participate in this restoration as well. Currently, he also doesn’t know how to proceed."

Keith Sterling scoffed. ’With a fool like Miles Everett, it’s only normal that he can’t figure it out.’

"Miss Everett, are you willing to participate in the restoration of this Ancient Painting?" Director Jarvis looked directly into Sienna Everett’s eyes, his own filled with earnest hope.

Keith Sterling watched Sierra nervously. Even though it wasn’t his decision to make, his heart was already pounding in his throat.

Manager Jennings and the other appraisers standing by all turned their gazes to Sienna Everett.

Director Jarvis’s request was incredibly difficult, but if she could accomplish it, she would undoubtedly earn an unprecedented national honor!

An honor without precedent in history!

Everyone unconsciously held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

In the pin-drop silence, Sienna Everett calmly removed her gloves. With her red lips, fair skin, and a downward glance that blossomed into a smile, she was breathtakingly beautiful. "Director Jarvis, I am willing to participate in the restoration of this Ancient Painting."

’She enjoyed a challenge.’

Keith Sterling nearly fainted. ’Why would she agree to something so difficult?’

But for some reason, hearing Sienna Everett’s answer, he also felt a sense of ’of course, that’s just like her’.

Seeing Sienna Everett agree, Director Jarvis was beyond delighted, grinning so widely his face could have bloomed a peony. He walked to the side to call the person in charge of the Ancient Painting restoration team.

"Hello, it’s me, Jarvis! I’ve invited a master restorer to participate in the Ancient Painting restoration! How good is she? It’s Winchester! The very same one you were pestering me about just a few days ago! Yes, yes, I know a lot of restorers want to meet Winchester in person. I’ll bring her over tomorrow morning!"

After hanging up, Director Jarvis walked back to Sienna Everett. "Miss Everett, I’ll take you to see the Ancient Painting tomorrow morning. Many of the restorers involved in the project are eager to meet Winchester in person!"

Sienna Everett nodded. "Alright."

Keith Sterling immediately raised his hand. "Sierra, can I go with you?"

Director Jarvis laughed heartily. "Of course, you can!"

...

「The next morning.」

「The Ancient Painting restoration team’s workshop.」

It was a spacious, brightly lit room. In the center, several tables were pushed together, upon which a damaged Ancient Painting was placed with extreme care.

Over a dozen top-tier Restorers were in the room, all of them glancing towards the door from time to time.

"When is Winchester coming? Director Jarvis said this morning, right?"

"Yes, this morning! I can’t believe we’re finally going to meet Winchester in person!"

"I hear Winchester is a young woman. To be able to authenticate and restore artifacts at such a young age... it’s just incredible."

Sitting off to the side, Miles Everett listened to the discussion, his heart in turmoil.

He had tried to meet Winchester at The Argent Auction House several times, but was always refused.

He never expected that today, Winchester would also be invited to participate in the restoration of this Ancient Painting.

Finally... he would get to meet Winchester in person...