Chapter 8: The Painting

Rodion felt his emotions stir. Frustration, anger, fear, and pain enveloped him, prompting him to withdraw from his sister's gaze and clutch his hand to his chest. The sudden surge of these emotions caught him off guard, nearly making him gasp for air.

It's either I'll die from a severe headache or from a random heart attack…

Anna noticed his sudden changes before she looked away. She stared for quite a while in his brother's direction, scrutinizing the subtle heaving of his shoulders, before she strode back nearer to the painting. She wanted to look at the painting that her brother regarded with utmost care.

It was a painting of something extraordinary. The artwork depicted a figure of a man seated on a branch of a prolific tree, surrounded by fireflies. His white hair cascaded down, appearing to float alongside the veil that adorned his head. The man wore only a single loincloth that barely covered his pale skin, which glowed against the dark surroundings.

Anna knew how talented his brother was. Their mother was proud of his achievements and his talent in the arts. However, circumstances started to turn sour between their brother and mother. It's already been a year since Rodion moved out and decided to live together with Katerina Dmitrivech.

Anna turned away from the painting and made her way to the shelf filled with books.

"You can choose whatever you want…I haven't been reading much lately. I enjoy helping Mitya on the farm a lot more these days." She finally heard her brother's voice from the sofa.

"I'm sorry for talking about it." Her voice was laced with concern despite its coldness.

Rodion glanced in her direction before attempting to come up with an answer when he heard Anna's voice once again. "I don't know what exactly happened, but, me and Vitya miss you already in the manor."

"I'll try to visit more often." He came up with a response.

Anna hummed in answer, "And you still play your piano here?"

Rodion glanced at the piano diagonally at the window. The instrument was clean, with no speck of dust on its shiny and smooth top surface and a music sheet atop it.

"Yes... I am." He replied with a smile.

He stood up and walked over to the upright piano, with Anna following him and standing beside the instrument. She watched as he opened the fallboard and ran his fingers across the keyboard. A delicate melody lingered in the air for a moment.

Good thing I knew how to play the piano in my previous life…

Rodion felt his sister's intent gaze on him. "Want me to play you a piece?" I honestly don't know anything about music; I just played whatever song or piece I wanted back then.

However, before Anna could respond, Katerina's voice downstairs was heard. "Sandwiches everyone! Come on now."

She paused and looked into her brother's eyes. Rodion smiled and nodded his head, "You go ahead first, I'll follow after you."

His sister didn't linger any further and hurriedly made her way towards the door and exited his room. When her figure disappeared from the room, Rodion who was seated at a piano bench glanced back at the keyboard. After a couple of seconds, he stood up and strode his way towards the painting.

It was a large landscape painting. He scrutinized the image of a man sitting on a branch of a tall tree, surrounded by fireflies—no, tiny pixies the size of dragonflies. The man's back faced the viewers, revealing only his cheek. As Rodion looked closer, he noticed how the man's entire figure seemed to glow. His white hair cascaded over his body, and the single loincloth he wore emitted a bluish, silvery light. Finally, his gaze landed on the man's wrist, where a pixie perched delicately on his index finger.

What caught his attention wasn't the tiny pixy, but the tattoo imprinted on the skin of his arm. It was exactly the same as the one he had on his arms. His eyes moved to the man's feet that dangled in the air, and there, he saw another tattoo with intricate designs on his calves.

Why would the original Rodion paint this? When did he paint this? 

He pulled up his sleeves and saw the hazy tattoos on his skin. He went back to stare at the painting, searching for something that might be valuable to him, but he didn't discover anything more. Letting out a small sigh, he went back to the sofa and slumped himself on the soft, his face turning pensive with every second.

Is that painting connected with my transmigration into this world? 

But once again, he let out a sigh of dismay. His eyes darted to the papers on the small table. He reached for one and lazily brought it in front of his face, scanning the messy handwritten content along with a few doodles.

"I love my mother but, sometimes, she's awful…" 

This caught Rodion's attention. He sat up straight, gathered all the papers scattered on the table, and began reading their contents. He wasn't sure if these papers were from a diary or hastily written in the heat of the moment, but the handwriting suggested it had been scrawled in anger. The density of the words was so intense that the paper nearly tore.

"Mother just wants the best for me… Why do I have to be like this?" 

"I'm scared to paint again." 

"Someone is taking control of my body! I'm scared to go back to sleep!"

Rodion paused as he gazed intently at the paper in his hand. His chest stirred at the sudden discovery, his face contemplative. 

The original Rodion noticed a sign of someone taking control of his body. That someone couldn't be me, I was merely a normal person, how would I even do that? 

Unconsciously, he glanced over his shoulder at the painting behind him. He placed the papers back on the table and walked over to the painting, standing in front of it once more. His eyes fixed on the artwork, scrutinizing every detail with intense focus. He wasn't sure why, but he felt certain that the original Rodion's painting held answers or insights about his current state and his transmigration.

Rodion stood there, his mind drifting. He hadn't even noticed when Mikhail peeked into his study to call for him. Seeing Rodion standing silently in front of the painting, deeply focused, the knight paused in the doorway.

Unaware of his presence, Rodion sighed loudly. I'll figure things out eventually, I shouldn't be impatient. 

He strode back to the sofa, but his eyes caught the tall figure of Mikhail in the doorway. His breath hitched, nearly jumping in fright. "Jesus, Mishka! Why are you standing there without saying anything? You're going to be the death of me!"

Mikhail didn't stir, he looked at him with his watchful gaze. His voice, although he tried to hide it, carried a hint of caution, "Is that you, Young Master?"

"Of course, you idiot. Who do you think could—" Rodion stopped mid-sentence and furrowed his brows at his friend. Mikhail calmed his nerves before he turned his back to him, "Katya is asking for you to come down for snacks. She wants us to share it together."

Mikhail didn't wait for his reply and went back downstairs. 

That …that jerk! He certainly knows something!