章 83: [Chapter 83] The Pretentious Man
Neris quickly realized that all eyes were on her.
Faces she had encountered when she first enrolled at the Noble Academy, faces that had somewhat broken her spirit due to her young age. Those very faces that had once been filled with disdain in her past life.
They gaped at Neris, looking at Cladwyn with vacant eyes.
With far greater reverence than when she was a princess consort, more noble than any woman in the empire, Neris was observed.
"That boy from the Jan family..."
"I've taken classes with that kid before. Very high-level classes..."
"You heard? That senior Valentine dislikes is graduating this time."
"You heard? The handsome man next to her..."
The Jan family's boy. Graduation. Valentine. The Duke. Cladwyn Maindlandt. The hushed conversations were filled with admiration, whether positive or negative.
The current students at the academy had never taken classes like Cladwyn's. Unlike the typical high nobles in the social circles of the capital, Cladwyn's face was not widely known.
So, the few voices who knew his identity quickly drowned out the others, dominating the hall like a wave. The children looked at each other in shock.
Really? The Duke of Maindlandt? That insane tyrant from the North? They say he's so crazy he doesn't even show up in the North.
Cladwyn whispered to Neris with a mischievous smile.
"That prankster seems to be over there. Shall we tease him?"
"I think the fact that I'm here is already a tease."
Megara's usually calm and innocent smile wavered. Knowing this fact already, Neris responded calmly.
The conversation between Cladwyn and Neris was not heard by others. However, the graceful way the two turned to each other and whispered was beautiful like a painting.
It was almost as if they were whispering sweet nothings of love.
"Liz."
Following Cladwyn and Neris, Diane and Bran entered next and were already overwhelmed by the attention they were receiving.
Diane called out to Neris softly. Neris turned back and asked, "Yes, Diane. What is it?"
"I've saved a table. Let's sit together, the four of us."
Diane's whispering voice, contrary to her dignified demeanor, was gentle.
Was Cladwyn intimidating? Neris thought Diane was cute.
Of course, Diane was aware of the rumors about Cladwyn's 'cruelty at the coronation.' She had seen Diane excitedly discussing the story in front of Neris.
"Diane doesn't need to be afraid of him."
Neris felt this every time Cladwyn conversed with magic or letters.
Although she could sense some changes over time, overall, he remained the same.
He had clear internal rules, strong pride, and never compromised his principles. Neris knew how challenging it was for him to maintain those principles in an environment where his life was constantly threatened.
Neris smiled and said, "Okay, let's do that. Is it okay? Um..."
In the carriage, there came a moment when the title that had been vaguely addressed as 'you' needed to be clarified. When they were alone, it was fine, but what should they call each other in front of others?
Neris tried to recall how she used to address him in her boyhood.
"You," or "senior." Cladwyn was already an adult man, and Neris had long become an adult according to Vista's laws. Both titles were a bit awkward to use in front of others.
As Neris furrowed her brow unconsciously, Cladwyn smiled and said, "Call me by my name."
Nonsense. They weren't even engaged. Neris responded with a straight face.
"Why would I do that?"
"There's no harm in it."
"What will people think?"
"We are close."
Not a word of support. Neris glanced at Cladwyn. Diane's eyes widened as she watched them.
"Why are we close?"
"We're not that distant."
"What do you mean, Your Grace? Why are you talking nonsense?"
"Did you decide to use the most distant title?"
"I thought that might be the best option."
"That's too much. If we were distant, would we have come as partners like this?"
Suddenly showing up on the day of.
Neris was about to say something to Cladwyn but decided to stay silent. It was becoming burdensome to engage in conversation with him and feel their faces getting closer as they talked.
The four of them approached a beautifully set table on one side of the banquet hall. About ten small round tables were covered with white linen tablecloths and adorned with fragrant flowers in the center.
On each table, different names were written. The names of the table owners.
Diane scanned a few empty tables and found the one marked 'MacKinnon.' Ganielo, Elendria, Hik, oh, there's Valentine Elendria's table, how intimidating... O'Brien, Maindlandt...
Maindlandt?
Neris also noticed what Diane had seen. The unmistakable name 'Maindlandt' was displayed on the table furthest inside, offering a clear view of the banquet hall, in other words, at the head table. Written in ink with jewel dust on ivory-colored premium paper.
Neris glared at Cladwyn. Why did he have to do something unnecessary?
Pretending not to notice, Cladwyn just gave a faint smile and, seeing that Neris's gaze didn't waver, went a step further and said, "Since I reserved a quiet-looking table, shall we sit over there? The MacKinnon table is fine, but this one seems more comfortable."
Neris was puzzled.
However, Diane's face clearly showed that she was tempted by that table. In the end, the four of them ended up heading towards the table that Cladwyn had likely reserved.
Not far away, Alekto was seated. The table had the name Ganielo written on it, likely the table purchased by Colin Ganielo, who was currently standing next to Megara.
Alekto's gaze was intense. Neris didn't even bother pretending to acknowledge his presence.
Bran, Diane's date, hadn't even settled into his chair before he asked Diane, "Um, Diane. Care to dance?"
Although it was still before the official opening ceremony, music for dancing was already playing in the banquet hall. The current song was a bit fast for Diane, but she was more than capable of dancing to it.
She took Bran's hand. "Sure, let's dance slowly."
Neris hesitated for a moment on whether to join Diane. However, Diane went straight to the dance floor, leaving Neris with the certainty that she had more to discuss with Cladwyn.
Annoyed, Neris asked Cladwyn, "Why reserve a table? What would you have done if I hadn't come today?"
"We could have left it empty. The world wouldn't end just because a table is empty."
"It's a waste. What if you hadn't come?"
"You would have sat there, Miss Trued. That's why I reserved it. Now, you're back to calling me by my last name."
'You.' She had inadvertently addressed him that way. In a setting where others could easily hear.
Neris felt a bit embarrassed. She had studied etiquette for years. While it was a cultural norm in Vista for students at the academy to address each other informally, she had graduated and was soon leaving school.
Cladwyn seemed satisfied with the title, but Neris felt somewhat annoyed.
Preparing for early graduation was a challenging process for Neris, who had never struggled with schoolwork. She was already fluent in five major languages and proficient in conversational skills in about thirteen others from her previous life.
Despite juggling multiple tasks, she managed to meet the graduation requirements.
Cladwyn didn't have the luxury of living two lives. And no one could claim he was busier than Neris.
'He sometimes gives unnecessary advice as if he has nothing else to do.'
Yet, she had effortlessly escaped the chaos of the academy. Frankly, she was kindling a bit of competition with him.
She hoped to meet him again with more confidence, showcasing proficiency and perfection in everything. She lived each day to the fullest with that mindset.
But now, she had shown a sloppy side. Unhappy with this fact, Neris unconsciously let her lower lip protrude slightly.
As soon as she realized, she quickly tucked it back in.
'Did he see?'
Her inadvertent action was far from the 'proficient and perfect' image she wanted to portray. Neris glanced at Cladwyn, wondering if he had noticed.
Fortunately, Cladwyn was in the midst of receiving a drink from a passing servant. Neris felt relieved and watched Diane dancing.
Meanwhile, on the dance floor, Diane was dancing slowly with her date, Bran, and she unknowingly trembled slightly.
She distinctly remembered seeing Cladwyn turn his head and chuckle just before she turned.
"Bran."
Diane whispered to Bran, asking, "Did I stand out?"
"Wouldn't you? Wow, I've never seen a guy being so pretentious like that."
As Bran was a year senior to Diane and Neris, Diane should have respectfully addressed him as a senior. However, Bran was lenient in that regard, and Diane, who was only a few months younger than him, felt comfortable using informal language.
In Diane's mind, she recalled the scene she had seen in her dormitory's reception room earlier.
Bran arrived a bit later than Cladwyn. However, by the time he arrived, the two girls were still in the midst of getting ready, so the two men spent quite some time in the reception room.
The golden hair flowing with a desired sheen, the pretty face adorned with purple eyeshadow and slightly raised eyeliner, giving a mysterious and haughty look.
Diane thought her friend had transformed into an angel in her powder room while dressing. So, feeling more proud than seeing her own attire, she led Neris down to the reception room.
Seeing Cladwyn for the first time as they exchanged greetings, he appeared as the perfect partner as Betty had described.
Agreeing to accompany Neris, who didn't seem to mind, Diane witnessed Neris briefly turning her head.
As Bran tried to engage Neris in conversation, he was met with Cladwyn's intense gaze, which poured down on him like a northern wind.
It wasn't as if he would threaten with a knife, but Diane felt a shiver down her spine from Cladwyn's intense gaze, even though it wasn't directed at her.
Due to this, Bran, who had intended to compliment Neris on her beauty, found himself unable to say a word to her after the greeting.
Diane felt a bit worried. If he turned out to be a bad guy, she needed to handle it quickly before he clung to her friend. After all, his reputation wasn't something to be taken lightly.
But how should she separate the Duke of Maindlandt from the daughter of the Viscount MacKinnon?
Then, Diane's eyes turned back to Cladwyn once more as she took another turn.
It seemed that the drink provided to the table purchaser suited Neris's taste. Neris held a beautifully decorated crystal glass, her eyes wide with excitement, while Cladwyn pretended not to notice and chuckled at her.
It was as if he was looking at the cutest thing in the world.
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