Chapter 49
Clayton, who had suddenly become the center of attention, felt a tingling sensation crawl across his scalp. Had he unknowingly done something wrong?
From afar, Hope couldn’t hold back a sneer. "Heh... Let’s see how you deal with this, you lowborn farmer."
Isadora and Balda, seated not far from him, immediately picked up on what was happening. Amused smiles played on their lips as they glanced toward Clayton, clearly expecting a show.
As Clayton sat frozen under the weight of so many eyes, a young man beside him leaned over and whispered, "The host seems annoyed with you. For some reason, he asked you to give a lecture."
Clayton turned his head. The young man appeared sincere and kind. His robe was neat and elegant—clearly marking him as someone from a higher social standing.
"Thank you," Clayton replied briefly before glancing at the host. He couldn’t understand why he had been singled out. Plenty of others had seemed more distracted than him.
His eyes scanned the room... and then he spotted several familiar faces grinning with satisfaction. In that instant, Clayton understood who was behind this setup.
Before he could dwell on it further, the host’s voice rang out again, urging him to respond.
Around him, whispers started spreading—some attendees genuinely wanted the lecture to continue, while others were simply eager to see Clayton make a fool of himself.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Clayton stood and walked toward the podium.
The move caught many off guard. Had it been them, they would have refused or made an excuse. But not Clayton. He strode forward calmly and confidently.