The Flemish merchant cleared his throat. “That’s… actually rather lovely.”
“No.” Lisa’s voice was soft as worn silk. “They come with magnifying glasses. With infrared cameras. With theories. They come to solve me.” Mona Lisa Smile
Lisa did not turn. Her gaze remained fixed on the empty velvet rope, the barren floor where thousands had stood that day. “Do you ever wonder,” she asked quietly, “what they’re actually looking for?” The Flemish merchant cleared his throat
“She had been crying. I could tell—her eyes were pink, her jaw tight. And she whispered, very quietly, ‘How do you keep smiling when everyone wants something from you?’” ” she asked quietly
“It’s exhausting,” Lisa replied. But the corner of her mouth curled, just slightly.