Chapter 23: The King's Lock

This small town wasn't very far from the main Champagne-producing region, so the town also utilized the grapes from the surrounding vineyards to produce various types of sparkling grape wines.

In the following time, Liang En and his companion found an outdoor tavern and each ordered a glass of wine to enjoy.

Although, according to trademark law, the sparkling white wine produced here couldn't be referred to as Champagne, in reality, the difference in taste between the two was only marginal. At least, Liang En's palate couldn't discern any noticeable distinction.

Leisurely chatting and sipping their wine, they finished their glasses and realized that it was about time. So, the two of them headed back to the parking lot to continue their journey.

Honestly, this treasure hunt in the market had been quite rewarding for Liang En. He discovered that in this European region, most people had a limited understanding of various non-European artifacts.

Therefore, he resolved to pay more attention to this aspect when seeking treasures in the future. This approach might lead to unexpected gains.

By 9:30 that night, the three of them finally safely drove the truck back to London.

According to the plan, Old Pierce would find a way to leverage his accumulated contacts to sell the acquired treasures. Meanwhile, Liang En and Pierce could take advantage of this opportunity to attend to their own matters.

For instance, on the second morning after returning, Liang En woke up early and began cleaning the rabbit statue he had obtained earlier.

Using a cotton swab dipped in a prepared cleaning solution, he cautiously tested a small area of the statue's edge. Satisfied with the result, he proceeded to meticulously clean the entire statue.

As he cleaned, the yellow-green paint gradually faded, revealing the shiny golden surface beneath. After half an hour or so, a golden rabbit stood before him.

"It seems the techniques I learned in school have remained ingrained in my mind."

Examining the rabbit once more and confirming the paint was fully removed from its surface, Liang En muttered to himself, then proceeded to inspect the statue closely.

With the outer layer of concealed paint removed, the sculpture's true form emerged. The beautiful patterns previously obscured by the dark paint were now visible, intricate and delicate floral designs. Additionally, the rabbit's eyes were adorned with two small rubies, each about the size of a green bean, adding a touch of asymmetrical charm reminiscent of Rococo art.

Furthermore, contrary to his previous assumptions, this item wasn't a solid cast piece. Liang En noticed that the rabbit's head and tail were movable.

However, until he fully understood the nature of this object, he hesitated to touch the movable parts, fearing that improper handling might damage it.

Aside from these observations, the most significant discovery came from the rabbit's abdomen. There, Liang En found a tiny insignia, no larger than the tip of his pinky finger.

"This should be Queen Mary's emblem—" Carefully inspecting the insignia with a magnifying glass, Liang En quickly recognized that the intertwining uppercase M and A represented someone in particular.

Marie Antoinette, full name Marie Antoinette. Upon entering the French court as the wife of King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette made no significant political contributions. She indulged in daily pursuits of dances, fashion, entertainment, and feasting, adorning gardens and displaying excessive extravagance. She earned the moniker "Deficit Queen" and met her demise during the French Revolution.

This figure has sparked much historical controversy. Some view her as one of the chief culprits contributing to France's crisis at the time, while others consider her a victim of her era.

Nevertheless, regardless of these debates, as a queen, Marie Antoinette displayed commendable taste, especially evident in various everyday items.

However, this emblem left Liang En deep in thought. Traditionally, private emblems differed from royal emblems, often reserved for personal belongings worn close to the body.

Now, this rabbit sculpture, neither very large nor small, puzzled Liang En regarding its purpose.

"Well, there's only one move left." After a cursory examination, Liang En, unable to deduce the item's origin, activated the card [Appraisal (N)].

Upon playing the card, lines of small text materialized in front of Liang En, revealing the sculpture's hidden secrets.

"King Louis XVI of France was not a competent king. In Eastern terms, he resembled Emperor Tianqi of the Ming Dynasty, though his interest was not in carpentry but in crafting various locks."

"Naturally, these intricate and complex locks were often used in that era to hide secrets, just like the lock Louis XVI had given to his wife."

Once all the text faded, a [Detection (N)] card appeared in Liang En's mind. It indicated that he had thoroughly deciphered the sculpture, or rather, the rabbit-shaped lock.

Evidently, a lock crafted by Louis XVI for his wife Marie Antoinette should be a valuable artifact. However, for Liang En, he was more concerned about the potential secrets it might conceal.

Unlocking this device, though, wasn't straightforward. For now, Liang En hadn't even located the keyhole of this lock, which wasn't surprising given that Louis XVI believed he had created an impenetrable lock.

Fortunately, times had changed. Faced with such intricate mechanical equipment, Liang En had a simple solution.

"So, you're saying this thing was made by Louis XVI for his queen, and it might hold some secrets inside?" In the emerald gem store, Pierce looked at Liang En with astonishment.

"Getting something this valuable from a random stall is quite lucky. Do you have a magic spell to enhance your luck?"

"Of course not. I used to buy a lottery ticket every week, but even the lowest prize has eluded me." Liang En shrugged.

"Alright, that's not the point now. Could you help me examine the structure inside this thing?"

"No problem, but I need a bit of time to inspect it." Pierce stood up from behind the counter and walked to the back room.

"You know that machine's been sitting in our house for a decade, and I last used it just a month ago. So, I need to check if it's still operational."

Fortunately, despite its age, the machine was in decent shape. So, after a little over ten minutes, they successfully understood the internal structure of the lock.

Subsequently, Liang En picked up the lock from the table, gently lifted the short tail of the rabbit upwards. With a clicking sound, the rabbit's head sharply turned in a different direction, revealing the keyhole below.

"Not a good omen." Watching the rabbit-shaped lock with its head turned aside, Liang En quipped, recalling that both the king and queen were reportedly executed by guillotine.