NOVEL NEXT chapter 53
53 – 53. Attention
I opened my eyes with an excited heart. It had been a while since I woke up in the morning and felt this good.
Although I was nervous, how could I not be thrilled when the work I had done was finally bearing fruit?
A sensation I had never felt since my family became like this.
I got out of bed and went outside the door. And there, I met Seris, who was walking towards my room.
“…Oh, you woke up early?”
Seris asked me like that. I wanted to ask her the same thing. What’s up? How can she wake up so early?
But she didn’t show any signs of tiredness, and her skin was smooth, which was quite surprising. I looked at Seris in amazement.
Then, Seris slightly twisted her body and said,
“It’s embarrassing to stare at me like that.”
I lightly tapped her back and said,
“Then let’s wake up Professor Cordelia and get ready early.”
Then, Seris leaned her head against me.
“Oh, there’s no need for that. We still have plenty of time until the conference presentation. Won’t Professor Cordelia get tired if we wake her up early for no reason?”
“…Really? Then let’s have breakfast together when the professor wakes up. It’s a bit awkward to eat without one person. But there’s nothing else to do anyway.”
Seris said while looking at me.
“Why is there nothing to do? Since it turned out like this, let’s decide how to decorate for the conference in advance.”
“…Do we have to?”
Then, Seris frowned.
“Do we have to? You wanted to show a good and healthy appearance in front of people, right? So we have to decorate as much as possible. Of course, whether you decorate or not, you look the coolest, Edun-nim.”
Is that so? As I showed signs of hesitation, Seris spoke to me in a firm voice.
“Think about it. Even if you show a good appearance at the conference, if your demeanor looks shabby, do you think people will think you’re amazing?”
…Indeed.
I nodded my head after hearing those words.
“Okay. Then we just need to take a quick look, right?”
“Yes.”
And hours passed just like that. During that time, I was trapped in a storm of countless clothes.
I’m hungry. Professor Cordelia needs to wake up so we can have breakfast, or rather, lunch now, but there’s no sign of her waking up.
‘Damn it, I told her not to drink and sleep…’
She must have gulped down that whiskey I told her not to drink, and now she’s sleeping. Because of that, Seris changed me into clothes that suited me without caring about anyone’s opinion.
(STAY in character while responding)
“Haak… haak… This is also good….”
I don’t even know how many times I’ve said that something is good. I shed tears inwardly. I had heard that if you cry on the outside, your eyes will swell up. Damn it.
After how long had the puppet playtime been, Professor Cordelia finally noticed the scene.
“Uh, what are you doing?”
Professor Cordelia approached me and looked at me. Then she glanced at Seris next to me.
“…What is this?”
As Professor Cordelia said so, Seris made a clicking sound and spoke.
“Well, we should end it here for today. Then, with this outfit….”
Professor Cordelia hastily looked at Seris and said.
“Hey, I haven’t seen everything yet!”
Seris said with a cold gaze.
“Then let’s go eat quickly. Thanks to someone who woke up late, the meal is quite delayed.”
When Professor Cordelia frowned, I grabbed her shoulders.
“Uh, why, why?”
Professor Cordelia looked at me with a flushed face. I smiled brightly at her and said.
“Why did you only wake up now….”
…
Thus, the evening hours of the conference presentation approached. A huge and grand tower was surrounded by various street vendors, and the fireworks decorating the sky made it more like a festival than a conference.
I got off the carriage in the midst of it all.
“…It’s uncomfortable.”
It was a white-based outfit with gold accents. I used to wear clothes like this a lot before my family fell into ruin, but it felt awkward after a long time.
To me, Seris said with a smile.
“Hey, it suits you really well! Professor Cordelia also thinks so, right?”
With a faint smile, Seris asked, and Professor Cordelia furrowed her brows… nodded and said.
“Well, I don’t want to admit it, but it’s true.”
What’s there to not want to admit. I looked at Professor Cordelia with a helpless gaze, and she shrugged her shoulders.
“…Well, let’s go inside now.”
Saying that, I stepped into the mausoleum. Professor Cordelia and Seris followed me.
As soon as we entered, I could feel the gaze of numerous people focused on us.
And even their thoughts were too apparent. Thoughts like ‘Why did the successor of a ruined family appear here’ or ‘Why are Professor Cordelia and Seris, the Duke’s companion, here’.
It doesn’t seem to matter. The current me is not the same as the past me, who was crumbling and dying as my family fell apart. I am not the helpless person I once was.
I faintly smiled and walked through the crowd as if I didn’t care about other people’s gazes.
As expected, the crowd split apart and looked straight through Cordelia Professor and Ceris.
Well, to be honest, the reason they split apart is probably more due to the professor and Ceris rather than me. The professor is a magician called the genius of the century, and Ceris is the owner of power right after the noble family.
The ghosts of the past appeared. Most of them were people who have now become Ariel’s ghosts. I smiled at them subtly.
Then, I saw various conversations going on among them. I wonder what they’re thinking as they look at me.
The presentation hall where the conference was held came closer. And, I was able to find a familiar face.
Jisel Irkalli and Count Irkalli. When Jisel saw me, he slightly lowered his head to greet me, as if he didn’t want others to see. Count Irkalli looked at me with a clearly visible expression of confusion.
I smiled even more in their direction. Then, Count Irkalli’s face hardened even further.
The door of the presentation hall opened. My presentation was the last one. So, all I had to do was wait while watching the presentations of others.
That’s why I took my seat. And Cordelia Professor and Ceris sat on either side of me.
The later the order, the greater the expectation for a magic considered important in Matab. Therefore, it meant that my magic also had considerable expectations in Matab.
People’s gaze was still directed towards me and those around me. It seemed more attention-grabbing than the nobles who attend the conference almost every year.
I tried my best to look composed and relaxed. Yet, at the same time, I tried to look elegant.
After waiting for a moment, the lights in the presentation hall turned off.
And various lighting magics began to fill the presentation hall with colors.
Finally, it meant that the conference presentations had started.
Matabju, Graham Irellion, got on the podium. He delivered all kinds of congratulatory speeches for this year’s conference presentations, and then got to the main point.
“Well then, let’s proceed with the presentations of the promising magicians selected in Matab for this year.”
The conference presentations have two meanings. First, literally explaining and demonstrating that you have researched and are researching such magic in the conference.
And second… to receive sponsorship from the nobles who have an interest in their research. Therefore, only truly exceptional and filtered magicians were able to present at the conference.
All kinds of magic were presented. And Cordelia Professor, who was watching them, whispered in my ear.
“They’re not as good as you.”
I smirked and smiled.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Be prepared. If you disappoint me after raising my expectations like this and receiving a lot of help, I’ll torture you.”
Well… that’s what she means.
“If you have such high expectations, I can’t help it. I can’t disappoint you.”
Cordelia Professor chuckled and patted my back.
And as the person in front of the podium finished the presentation, I stood up from my seat.
All eyes in the conference room were on me.
Step by step, I descended the stairs and climbed onto the podium.
I could see people focusing their attention on me. I smiled and then spoke into the artifact enchanted with amplification magic.
“Hello. I am honored to be entrusted with the final presentation of the conference… My name is Eden Keynes.”
As I said that, I caught someone’s gaze and smirked.
It was a familiar pair of amethyst eyes.