Chapter 226

“Finally, it’s the day of the final presentation.”

As the carriage moved along the familiar path, Harnier mumbled slightly differently.

If you look at him now… I can vaguely see that person.

Shall I loosen up a bit?

“Are you nervous?”

“Of course.”

“But when you present, you don’t seem that nervous. You don’t make mistakes and your voice doesn’t shake. Isn’t that unnecessary worry?”

*Slap!*

Harnier lightly hit my arm.

“If you keep teasing me, I’ll get angry. I’m so anxious thinking something might go wrong before the presentation!”

“Well, I haven’t seen even a scratch on the fiancée’s confident presentation. It’s unnecessary worry, isn’t it?”

“Ugh! I told you not to tease me!”

“Ouch. Why do you think I’m teasing you just because I’m telling the truth?”

“Y-you really are…”

After teasing her a few times, I got a bit addicted to it. Sure, Harnier gave me a few hits, but this was fine.

‘The tension seems to have been released somehow.’

Getting a massage with such soft punches, the carriage stopped.

“Young Master. Miss. We’ve arrived.”

“That’s right. Let’s get down.”

“…Tsk.”

I got off the carriage, escorting her.

This place and these actions were no different from usual.

Being used to this place, where I came to listen to lectures and move for reports every year.

But there is one thing different.

*Ping!*

Today is the day of the final presentation!

*Ping!*

The notification in the status window said ‘Today is the day of the final presentation.’ That was the only difference.

Only now did I start feeling the time passing by.

It felt like only seven weeks had passed since the symposium started, rushing by.

In the game, it was just a few scenes passing and clearing an episode, but here, it felt like two months had truly passed.

In other words, the time I’ve been possessed here has surpassed six months.

I couldn’t help but feel the reality of it.

“What’s wrong? You said I wasn’t nervous, yet you’re nervous yourself?”

Claire, gazing at the building, fell into thought, and Harnier smiled like a fox.

“I can only remember the image of the fiancée standing out among the nobles and crushing their noses.”

Even though she wasn’t tense, did she appear that way?

Harnier was returning the favor in the same manner.

“…Thinking about old times because someone else overlaps with this sight is the problem.”

“Let’s go in.”

“Yeah.”

Putting aside the cute teasing, we entered the conference hall.

*Ping!*

Entering the conference hall!

***

“…Sigh.”

Claire sighed.

She didn’t know how many times she had sighed.

In fact, it could be understandable.

Today is the day of the final presentation.

Any noble would naturally feel tense in such a situation.

Bloodline, connections, academic ties, and the name of the family and the honor of being a noble.

Not only parents and family, but also relatives, key figures of the family, business partners, and collaborators would all be watching as she recites the report of the past seven weeks.

However, Claire was filled with worry today, not because of the final presentation. Her territory, Shatren, had achieved quite good results.

“…”

Claire, with a worried look, swept her pink hair back.

Actually, Claire had come to the conference hall much earlier than usual.

None of her family members had arrived yet.

Her mother in the audience, her elder sister, and her youngest sibling. No one had arrived yet.

But the reason she had come early was to find one person.

“Damn it. When will Carsein show up…”

That’s right.

Claire was waiting for Carsein.

“Why are such rumors spreading…”

The day before, after organizing her presentation materials, Claire had some free time. Thinking about checking on how her family members were doing and helping them if needed, she remembered Carsein.

Given that her previous action had once ruined the Shatren territory, she shouldn’t act rashly, but listening in a little wouldn’t hurt, right?

So, she gathered information about Shatren.

Then,

“The Shatren territory… has been rumored to be in turmoil recently.”

“In turmoil? How so?”

“There are rumors of division among the residents.”

Rumors were circulating that the Shatren lord had only temporarily halted the fighting, but the residents were still fighting unseen in the background.

If these were just rumors, it wouldn’t matter, but other territories had already become aware of the facts.

With Shatren being so closed off, there was no method to deal with this at this point.

“What should we do if such rumors spread? Huh?”

Didn’t you think you had everything under control?

You postponed the presentation date after receiving a penalty score for not meeting expectations.

If this proposal fails, what will happen at the final presentation?

Just as Claire clenched her lips tightly at the obvious future, Carsein walked over with his fiancée.

He wasn’t visible to the nobles yet. So,

Claire jumped up from her designated seat and quickly made her way down to Carsein.

And then, she grabbed.

Carsein’s arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“Claire Young Lady?”

“I’m sorry. I need to take Carsein somewhere for a moment.”

There are too many eyes here.

We need to change seats.

***

‘I chased nobody. So, now…’

Grabbing a side room, Claire asked Carsein bluntly.

“What happened? Weren’t you prepared properly?”

“When you suddenly brought me here, I thought something was wrong.”

Carsein waved his hand dismissively.

“What do you mean nothing’s wrong? Your residents are fighting in your territory. With a situation where cooperation is necessary, how can you say it’s nothing?”

Claire’s bangs fluttered from her breath.

“This isn’t something only I know. If the news spread that much, rumors must be flying around among the nobles. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Even so… you’re acting so carefree?”

Claire shouted, looking bewildered.

“You. If this goes wrong, it won’t be overlooked. My older sister is really furious! Do you think you’ll just get slapped a few times and it’ll be over?”

No. That’s not going to happen.

“Your rights might be completely revoked! That’s how serious it is!”

Access restrictions may be imposed on certain locations.

Meetings with nobles will surely be rejected outright.

And you might not even be able to leave the house without permission, or maybe not even get permission at all.

That’s something my sister wouldn’t want.

“Since things have gotten this big, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll try to help and sort things out however I can. After the presentation results and final grades come out—”

*Thud!*

Claire’s hand, which had been gently holding Carsein’s shoulder, dropped away.

“I don’t need your help.”

“What…?”

“It’s not your concern. Even if I hear such things from Arina.”

“It’s not your concern? I’m—”

As soon as those words left her mouth, she felt like her heart was crumbling.

She was right.

Even if Carsein says such things to her older sister, she has no right to interfere.

There are clearly incidents that have already occurred.

She had interfered with the Shatren territory recklessly and taken measures based on petty thoughts, disrupting Carsein’s path.

Now, why is she being asked why she’s intervening?

-Tap. Tap.

Carsein walked past Claire.

He casually spat out his words and left as if nothing had happened.

But…

She wanted to say this.

“I’m not doing this because I want you to fail. So…”

*Grip.*

“My right to protect my younger brother exists! Understand that!”

If this were before, she might have slapped him.

But now, her hand was clawing her palm in self-reproach.

***

Originally, Claire might have followed her to cut her affinity, but now, I felt oddly uneasy.

“Maybe it’s because I saw the memorial with the second sister.”

What does that have to do with anything?

Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, I entered the conference hall.

I told Harnier to enter first just in case.

This was the right decision.

***

Surrounding eyes were all focused on me.

Those gazes were predictable.

A sense of superiority.

A nasty wind.

And some kind of expectation based on information.

Along with the mocking laughter I was used to hearing at school, they were looking at me like that.

“Look at that. She was making such a big fuss.”

“Oh, how annoying. Acting all high and mighty, yet she couldn’t suppress the rumors? Hehe.”

“Where’s your courage? Why don’t you defend yourself?”

*Ping!*

You can choose options.

[1. Grab the collar of the third man and say, “What do you know?”]

[2. Snort, “Do you only know rumors?”]

[3. Call the guards and say, “Isn’t it against the rules to make accusations before the presentation has even begun?”]

[4. Ignore it.]

Even though I hadn’t seen these options before, I knew the answer.

At first glance, option 3 seems correct…

[4. Ignore it.] ☑

“Are you crazy? Responding to such a weak provocation?”

This is clearly a challenge.

Responding to a weak provocation would only cost me.

As I was about to ignore the nobles’ provocations and head to my seat, I found myself in a familiar scene.

“Are you ready to pay the price, Carsein?”

Arina looked up with contempt and disgust in her eyes.

*Ping!*

Do you want to rebut Arina’s response?

If Claire heard the rumors and the nobles knew about them, but Arina didn’t, it would be strange.

The internal conflict among the residents of the Shatren territory.

And when I intervene, the fighting stops, but resumes when I turn away.

I already know this. Since it’s my territory, I should know.

But there’s a huge difference between what I know and what they know.

[4. The long and short of it will only be known until the end.] ☑

The options are surprisingly mild.

Answering like that makes you look like a fool.

“It’s not over yet. Didn’t I say that last time?”

“What?”

“It’s the day of the final presentation. The presentation hasn’t even started, and you’re already thinking about punishing me?”

“Tch. You’re really out of your mind.”

Arina clicked her tongue.

“Yes. You’ll continue to run wild, unable to grasp your position. I’ll see how you look later.”

You only grasp that much, huh?

That’s why I need to speak.

The foolish ones and the rumors you know were fabricated by me. The residents were merely pretending to fight according to my instructions.

Suddenly, I had this thought.

The structure of the final presentation seemed similar to the Clue and Prove Event.

If the final presentation could proceed in a proof format similar to the Clue and Prove Event, it would provide a huge insurance.

And this prediction became a certainty.

This would give me ammunition for rebuttals.

*Ping!*

The final presentation of the symposium is starting.

“We will now begin the 21st Eastern Nobles’ Meeting.”