Chapter 266: A Châtenay Piece!

"Trish, let me take a look."

Arabella held out her hands.

Once Trish passed her the white alabaster fish carving, she turned it over several times, examining every detail with careful attention. After a long moment, she nodded and handed it back.

"I didn’t expect you to get so lucky," she said. "You found such a good bargain on your first try."

"A bargain? Me?" Trish pointed toward the passageway the stall owner had refused to enter. "Are you saying there’s something special about this thing?"

Judging by Arabella’s tone, the white alabaster fish had to come from an unusual source.

Trish’s curiosity grew.

"Arabella, do you know how to appraise antiques?"

Luca, who was standing beside her, also looked at Arabella with interest.

He knew she was an excellent painter, but he had never heard that she had any knowledge of antiques or collectibles.

"Don’t get ahead of yourself," the stall owner said calmly. "I never said it was an antique."

Because of the short distance between them, the stall owner heard Trish’s words clearly.

He glanced at the carving in her hand.

’That thing looks brand new. How could it possibly be an antique?’

The girl in the white dress was probably just pretending to know what she was talking about. He had encountered plenty of customers who tried to act knowledgeable after finding a bargain, only to reveal that they knew nothing.

As far as he was concerned, the fish was a modern craft piece. It had nothing to do with antiques.

Ignoring his muttering, Arabella shook her head.

"I don’t know much about antiques, but this piece is indeed quite new."

"Oh? Really?"

The excitement in Trish’s eyes faded at once.

’If it isn’t an antique, then it probably isn’t worth much.’

In her mind, old antiques were valuable. New items were merely imitations or ordinary decorations.

’So I still got ripped off for thirty dollars.’

Her shoulders slumped.

The stall owner, however, reacted differently.

His heart skipped a beat as he narrowed his eyes and studied the white alabaster fish more closely.

He wasn’t as inexperienced as Trish. He knew there were objects whose value could surpass that of ordinary antiques.

If Arabella had stubbornly insisted that the carving was an antique, he would have simply laughed at her ignorance.

But she had correctly identified it as a modern piece, and she had done so with complete confidence.

That meant she might actually possess some knowledge. She had even noticed something he had overlooked.

The stall owner kept his mouth shut and listened carefully. Although he still doubted that the carving was worth much, he wanted to see what the young woman in the white dress could uncover.

Seeing Trish’s disappointed expression, Arabella sighed helplessly.

"Don’t lose hope yet. This piece could be made from high-quality white alabaster."

"could?"

Trish stared at her.

The surrounding onlookers exchanged baffled looks as well.

’So she isn’t an expert after all.’

She had sounded so certain a moment ago, yet now she was using the word could.

Before anyone could comment, a slightly aged voice came from the crowd.

"Oh? Little girl, what makes you think it is high-quality white alabaster?"

Everyone turned toward the speaker.

An elderly man with a prosperous appearance was making his way through the crowd, leaning on a cane. Two women followed closely behind him.

When Luca noticed one of the women, surprise flashed across his eyes.

’What a coincidence.’

The old man’s arrival immediately stirred the crowd.

"Isn’t that Philips Van Der Philip?"

"The owner of Wensley Pavilion?"

"Yes. His shop mainly deals in ceramics, but he’s also highly skilled in fine carvings and miscellaneous collectibles."

"Master Philips."

Arabella stepped forward and greeted politely.

The old man stroked his beard.

"Little girl, do you know me?"

"I’ve heard my teacher mention you."

"Who is your teacher?"

"Adam Biggs."

At the name, Philips Van Der Philip’s eyes brightened with recognition.

"So, you’re that painter’s student."

Then he seemed to understand something and looked at the carving in Trish’s hand.

"Now I see why you were able to recognize the material."

His words caused an uproar.

"Is Mr. Philips confirming that she really bought a piece of high-quality white alabaster for thirty dollars?"

"So, the girl in the white dress actually knows what she’s talking about."

"Haha, a piece that large and made from high-quality white alabaster must be worth at least tens of thousands of dollars."

"I wouldn’t be surprised if it sold for twenty thousand."

Trish was the most excited of them all.

A moment ago, she had been convinced that she had been cheated. Now, she looked as though she had stumbled upon a treasure.

’I casually picked something up and actually found a bargain?’

Thirty dollars turning into twenty thousand was a difference of several hundred times.

"Bro! Aren’t I amazing?" she declared, planting her hands on her hips and lifting her chin proudly.

"Amazing," Luca said, giving her a thumbs-up.

Twenty thousand dollars.

Before he obtained the system, it had taken him several years to earn that much. A large portion of those savings had even been spent on Vanessa.

He had never expected Trish to make that much money before she had even started university.

’That’s unbelievable.’

"Haha, little girl, this carving is worth more than twenty thousand dollars," Philips said, stroking his beard.

"More than twenty thousand?"

Trish’s eyes widened.

The surrounding crowd reacted just as strongly.

"Are you saying it’s worth even more?"

"Then how much is it actually worth?"

Only Arabella remained calm, as though she had already anticipated the result.

The stall owner lowered his head respectfully.

"Mr. Philips, is there something special about this piece?"

He knew he had been outsmarted by a young girl. Still, every profession had its own rules, and he couldn’t take back his word after agreeing to sell the carving.

Rather than dwelling on his regret, he decided to use the opportunity to seek advice.

Guidance from Philips Van Der Philip was not something one received every day.

The old man glanced at him approvingly.

"Young man, you have a good attitude."

He had noticed how unpleasant the stall owner’s expression had been earlier. Yet instead of making excuses or becoming resentful, the man had quickly accepted the situation and chosen to learn from it.

With that mindset, he might not become extremely wealthy in the future, but he could at least establish himself in the antique trade.

The stall owner was delighted by the praise and became even more respectful.

"Please enlighten me, Mr. Philips."

"I won’t steal the spotlight." Philips waved a hand and turned toward Arabella. "Little girl, you can answer his questions."

"Of course, Elder Philips."

Arabella nodded before examining the carving again.

"The fish is exquisitely carved. The scales and other details are delicate, while the overall shape is remarkably lifelike. It was clearly made by a master."

She paused briefly.

"If you look beneath one of the fins, you’ll notice a nearly imperceptible inscription, which I believe is the artist’s signature."

"There are only two contemporary masters known for this particular style. One is Master C. Châtenay, and the other is his son, Solomon Châtenay."

The crowd immediately erupted into discussion.

"Could this really be C. Châtenay’s work? If so, it must be worth at least three hundred thousand dollars!"

"What if it was carved by his son, Solomon Châtenay?"

"Even then, it would probably be worth at least one hundred thousand!"

Philips smiled and nodded.

"Little girl, then whose work do you believe this is?"

"The writing style of the inscription is particularly similar to Master C. Châtenay’s," Arabella replied. "I believe he carved it himself."

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Philips laughed. "As expected of Old Biggs’s student."

Back then, Adam Biggs had studied under Châtenay for a time. Unfortunately, while he possessed considerable talent as a painter, he had never shown the same ability with sculpture.

Although he eventually had to abandon his studies in carving, he had still earned the distinction of being Master Châtenay’s apprentice.

The explanation made everything clear to the people around them.

’So that’s why she recognized the work of C. Châtenay.’

Even Luca raised an eyebrow.

He had heard of Châtenay before and had personally purchased several of his works.

’Come to think of it, the hairpin I bought for Naomi at that auction had a similar inscription on it.’

That piece had also been created by C. Châtenay.

Luca had intended to spend even more at the auction, but securing the hairpin had ultimately cost him two million dollars.