Chapter 47: a different audience

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: a different audience

Saturday morning arrived far too quickly.

Morning sunlight filtered softly through the curtains.

Claire quietly finished drying her hair before fastening the last button of her blouse.

She glanced toward the other bed.

"...Vivienne?"

No response.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she walked over.

"...Vivienne."

"It’s Saturday."

"We’re going to be late."

A muffled groan came from beneath the blanket.

"...Five more minutes."

Claire laughed softly.

"You’ve never asked for five more minutes before."

"...I know."

"...I think I died yesterday."

Claire carefully pulled one corner of the blanket aside.

"...Still sore?"

Vivienne slowly opened one eye.

"...I have made terrible life decisions."

She gathered enough courage to sit up.

"..."

"..."

"...Ow."

Claire instinctively offered her a hand.

Vivienne accepted it with a grateful smile.

"...Thank you."

"I didn’t realize horses could do this to people."

Claire chuckled.

"I think the horse was perfectly innocent."

Vivienne looked genuinely offended.

"...I disagree."

"I believe he started it."

Claire laughed.

"I’ll refrain from informing Maple."

That finally made Vivienne laugh too.

Claire glanced toward the bathroom.

"I’ve already filled the bathtub."

"The water should still be warm."

Vivienne blinked.

"...You did?"

"I finished getting ready a little earlier."

"I thought you might appreciate not having to wait."

For a brief moment, Vivienne simply looked at her.

Then she smiled.

"...Thank you."

Claire smiled back.

"Go on."

"I’ll wait."

As Vivienne disappeared into the bathroom, Claire called after her almost absentmindedly,

"Oh."

"And try not to get caught spying on Lord Ashford today."

Vivienne’s voice immediately drifted back through the half-closed door.

"I wasn’t spying."

Claire couldn’t help smiling.

"...Mm."

"I really wasn’t."

A brief pause.

Then—

"...I was observing."

Claire laughed.

"I’ll accept that."

--

By the time the two of them stepped outside the ladies’ residence, Amelia and Eleanor were already waiting beneath the shade of a large acacia tree.

"There you are!"

Amelia waved cheerfully.

The four girls exchanged greetings before setting off toward the Ashford Foundation together.

They had barely gone a few steps when Amelia suddenly tilted her head.

"...Vivienne?"

"Hm?"

"...Why are you walking like that?"

Vivienne answered without hesitation.

"...Horse."

A brief silence followed.

Then Eleanor nodded knowingly.

"I did tell you horseback riding wasn’t nearly as elegant as it looked."

Vivienne looked toward the sky.

"...You did."

"I would like to officially admit that you were right."

Amelia laughed.

"I’ve heard the second day is always the worst."

"It is."

Vivienne answered immediately.

"It hurts more today than it did yesterday."

Claire smiled sympathetically.

"I believe her."

Vivienne sighed dramatically.

"I don’t think I’ll ever complain about walking again."

"Oh, you will."

Amelia said confidently.

"You’ll forget all about this by next Friday."

Vivienne looked at her.

"...I think next Friday is exactly what I’m afraid of."

Amelia grinned.

"I choose to believe in miracles."

Even Eleanor couldn’t quite hide a smile.

"Come on."

She glanced at her watch.

"We’d better hurry."

"We don’t want to be late."

The four girls continued toward the Foundation together, their laughter gradually giving way to conversations about the day’s volunteer work.

--

The Ashford Foundation looked completely different from the quiet building they had first visited the previous Saturday.

Several university buses lined the courtyard.

Upperclassmen stood with clipboards in hand, checking attendance while directing volunteers toward their assigned vehicles.

Groups of students carrying supplies hurried across the grounds.

Some buses departed for public schools.

Others headed toward hospitals.

Several more were bound for community centers and partner organizations across the capital.

The entire Foundation buzzed with organized activity.

Vivienne slowed for a moment, quietly taking it all in.

"...So this is what Saturdays usually look like."

Claire nodded.

"It almost feels like headquarters."

One by one, the buses rolled out through the front gates.

Amelia watched them leave.

"...Everyone else is already heading out."

"I suddenly feel like our program isn’t nearly as exciting."

Eleanor smiled.

"Someone has to organize everything."

"If no one stays behind to coordinate it all, none of those projects outside would work."

"I suppose that’s true."

Together, the four girls entered the Foundation and climbed the familiar staircase to the second floor.

The plaque beside the classroom door read:

Community Outreach and Development Program

Inside, several students had already arrived.

Evelyn Sinclair sat quietly near one of the windows, reviewing the notes she’d prepared during the week.

Other freshmen chatted softly while comparing the fundraising ideas they’d been assigned as homework.

Near the back of the room, Damian Blackwood looked up as the classroom door opened.

His eyes immediately found Vivienne.

Not because she called attention to herself.

But because... ℯℯ𝘭.

She was still walking rather carefully.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Still sore.

Without giving it much thought, he stood and walked over.

"Good morning."

Vivienne looked up.

"Oh."

"Good morning."

His gaze briefly dropped toward the careful way she shifted her weight.

"...Feeling any better?"

Vivienne gave him a long look.

"...Do I look better?"

Damian considered the question with surprising seriousness.

"...Not particularly."

She sighed.

"I thought so."

"I wasn’t expecting today to hurt even more."

"I did warn you."

"I know."

She folded her arms.

"I hated that you were right."

A quiet laugh escaped him.

"I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that."

"I was hoping you’d tell me I’d imagined it."

"I’m afraid not."

Vivienne shook her head.

"I’ve decided horses are terrible creatures."

"I’ll let Maple know."

"Please don’t."

Before Damian could say anything else, the facilitator , Mrs. Bennett, entered the room carrying several folders.

"Good morning, everyone."

Students gradually returned to their seats.

Vivienne naturally sat with Claire, Amelia, and Eleanor.

Without consciously thinking about it, Damian took the empty chair directly behind them.

Mrs. Bennet waited until the room settled.

"I hope everyone completed last week’s assignment."

Several students instinctively glanced toward their notebooks.

"As you know, each of you was asked to prepare a fundraising proposal that could realistically support one of the Foundation’s future outreach initiatives."

"We’ll be discussing those shortly."

She smiled as she noticed several students glancing toward the now-empty courtyard outside the windows.

"I imagine some of you are wondering why we’re still inside while everyone else has already left."

Soft laughter spread through the room.

"Don’t worry."

"Our program won’t always be this comfortable."

"For now, think of today as your calm before the storm."

"Beginning next week, you’ll be considerably busier."

"You’ll be coordinating projects, communicating with partner organizations, assisting the other volunteer teams, and making sure those buses you saw this morning actually have somewhere to go."

"So enjoy today’s meeting while you still can."

The room filled with amused laughter.

Just as the facilitator reached for the first stack of proposal sheets—

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing one of the Foundation’s administrative aides.

"Excuse me, Professor."

"The representative from House Ashford has arrived."

The facilitator smiled.

"Perfect."

"Thank you."

After the aide left, she turned back toward the class.

"Oh."

"I nearly forgot to mention it."

"We’ll have a guest observing today’s discussion."

"As the Foundation’s representative, Lord Anthony Ashford will be joining us."

A quiet murmur spread through the classroom.

Vivienne instinctively straightened.

Anthony...?

Another knock echoed through the room.

The classroom fell silent.

The facilitator crossed the room and opened the door herself.

Anthony stepped inside.

For just a heartbeat...

Vivienne forgot to breathe.

...He’s here.

She had seen him only yesterday.

She had spent an entire morning accidentally watching him from across the polo grounds.

Yet somehow...

Every time she saw him...

The feeling never changed.

The quiet confidence.

The effortless elegance.

The calm composure that seemed to follow him wherever he went.

It was almost unfair.

...He’s still so handsome.

She silently scolded herself.

Pull yourself together.

Anthony greeted the facilitator before stepping into the classroom.

His eyes naturally found Damian.

A small nod.

Damian returned it with the same easy familiarity.

Then, as Anthony’s gaze shifted only slightly...

He immediately noticed the familiar blonde seated directly in front of Damian.

For the briefest moment, his steps seemed to pause.

It was so slight that Vivienne wondered if she had imagined it.

Then his expression settled as naturally as before.

Their eyes met.

He gave her the slightest nod in acknowledgment.

A simple greeting between two people who had known each other since childhood.

Vivienne returned it almost instinctively.

Only after Anthony looked away did she realize her heartbeat had quietly quickened.

...Calm down.

She tightened her grip on the notebook resting in her lap.

Today...

Anthony wasn’t standing before an audience.

Today...

He had come to listen.

Which meant...

Soon...

It would be her turn to stand before him.

The realization settled over her all at once.

...I really have to do well.

The facilitator smiled warmly.

"Now then..."

"Let’s begin."