Chapter 486: The Biggest Winner (2)

Chapter 486: Chapter 486: The Biggest Winner (2)

But one was in standard script, the other in wild cursive. How could they be compared? It was incredibly difficult to judge! The crowd couldn’t help but turn their gazes to Mr. Holden. They felt the two pieces weren’t in the same category and were simply impossible to evaluate! Aiden Faulkner’s standard script was quite well-done—neat, tidy, and pleasing to the eye. Seraphina Sterling’s wild cursive, on the other hand, was grand and unrestrained, a powerful and stirring work that had the air of a true master! Which one was superior? It would surely come down to which style the judge preferred, wouldn’t it?

Mr. Holden’s gaze grew deeper. "Have you really only been practicing calligraphy for half a year? You’re not trying to pull a fast one on an old man like me, are you?"

"You have a sharp eye, Mr. Holden. You even saw through that. It might not have been a full six months, but it isn’t far off! Mr. Hale can attest to this. During the auction at the Treasure Appraisal Convention, I even competed with Mr. Hale for the Snow Hall Inkstone just to practice my calligraphy, but I lost in the end!" Lifting the Snow Hall Inkstone, Seraphina Sterling still had a look of regret on her face.

Mr. Hale nodded, corroborating Seraphina Sterling’s story. "That’s right! This young lady claimed she wanted to practice calligraphy, and figured that using an inkstone once owned by a great master might help her learn faster and better!"

"How is that possible? How could calligraphy like this be produced by someone with less than six months of practice!" Mr. Holden exclaimed in astonishment. He truly couldn’t believe that someone so naturally gifted existed in this world!

Seraphina Sterling remained very modest. "But I really did write it, as everyone here saw! So, what do you think? Mr. Holden, do you believe I still have room for improvement? And is this piece enough to persuade you to write a new birthday message for Mr. Hale?"

"Improvement isn’t impossible. In fact, with your potential, even becoming a professional calligrapher is within reach. But there’s one condition—you need a teacher’s guidance!" Mr. Holden finally steered the conversation back to its original track and began his critique. For some reason, however, Seraphina Sterling was suddenly struck with a bad feeling!

"I happen to be looking for a new student. Would you be willing to be mine? If you’re willing to work hard, with my guidance, I’m confident that you’ll become a true calligrapher in time!"

’I knew it.’ Seraphina Sterling’s smile stiffened. ’Can I just say I have no interest in becoming a calligrapher and that I only want you to write a birthday message? No, I can’t be that blunt!’ She truly felt like she had just dug a hole for herself and fallen right in.

She didn’t realize that the very thing she was desperately trying to refuse was, in everyone else’s eyes, an incredible stroke of luck—an opportunity you couldn’t get even if you begged for it! To be accepted as Mr. Holden’s student was a tremendous boon for anyone; not just anybody could claim that title! Forget becoming a calligrapher in the future—the prestige of the title alone was beyond valuable.

The older gentlemen passionate about calligraphy gazed at Seraphina Sterling with immense envy. If possible, they too would love to receive guidance from Mr. Holden! They wouldn’t even need to be his formal students. But alas, Mr. Holden was an incredibly busy man. Just getting to see him was difficult enough, let alone receiving personal instruction!

’How is this young lady so lucky! She gets to be Mr. Holden’s student!’ Their thoughts quickly shifted. ’Then again, if she becomes his student, couldn’t we ask her for some pointers in the future? We can never get ahold of Mr. Holden, but we can certainly find his student! Anyone who becomes his student must be on a much higher level than us, right?’

Seraphina Sterling suddenly felt the gleaming gazes from all around her. She felt like a rabbit surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves, as if they were about to devour her at any moment!

"Mr. Holden, I’m too young and flighty. I only picked up calligraphy on a whim. I saw my grandfather writing a few characters in his spare time, thought it looked fun, and decided to give it a try! If you really made me practice like a professional calligrapher, I’d probably get bored and lose interest partway through! I’d only end up embarrassing you! That’s just my personality—I can be incredibly passionate about something for a short time, then lose all interest a little while later! The only thing I can probably stick with is making money! It would be best if you didn’t waste your valuable efforts on me!"