Chapter 374 Yes, It's Me
Clara's face was pale. It was obvious that Master Deer was targeting her today.
She had no grievances with Master Deer, so why was she being humiliated in public like this?
"Master Deer, do you have some misunderstanding about me? Or have you been misled by someone? I have never offended you, so why are you constantly embarrassing me and finding fault with me today?" Clara's face was already pale, and with her weak demeanor and pitiful voice, she appeared to be the oppressed party.
Serafina, standing next to her, couldn't stand it anymore. She rolled her eyes at Clara in front of the camera and said, "Clara is such a phony!"
Victoria glanced at Serafina and then looked at Clara. She stood up from the judges' table and walked towards the stage.
The closer she got, the more familiar Clara felt about her.
A few steps away, Victoria stopped.
The two of them stared at each other closely, and Clara felt a wave of unease in her heart as she looked into those familiar eyes.
She had never seen Master Deer up close, and Master Deer rarely appeared in public. Even when she did, it was just a back view or a side profile.
"Saying you are not qualified is not to embarrass you," Victoria said. "It's because I cannot tolerate someone with a blemished record."
Victoria didn't use a microphone, and her voice wasn't loud, but everyone on the stage heard her.
Clara retorted, "Master Deer, do you have some misunderstanding about me? I..."
Victoria replied, "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, you'll know soon enough."
The audience could only hear Clara's words.
In the audience, Tilly instructed her assistant to turn on the sound system so that the audience could hear the full conversation on stage.
Victoria asked, "I remember Miss Kennedy confidently saying that the formula you wrote today was your own original work, right? And you have a notebook with many formulas you wrote, correct?"
Clara didn't understand why she was repeating the question, but she nodded. "Yes, I wrote them all."
Victoria's eyes carried a hint of an unclear smile. "Alright, then let me test you." She glanced at the notebook in Clara's hand. "Could you please tell us what's written on page 15 of that notebook?"
Then she quickly added, "Everyone acknowledges that you are highly talented and possess an exceptional photographic memory, which means you should have an excellent recall of your own work. Furthermore, as a perfumer, it is essential for you to review your notes daily. Therefore, you should remember what's on page 15, right?"
Clara was stunned. She didn't know.
She had looked at it, but she hadn't specifically memorized what was on which page.
After a while, she still hadn't spoken.
"Do you not remember? Or do you not know at all?" Victoria said with a smile, "Shall I help you recall?"
Clara's pupils contracted. What was she saying?
Did she know what was on page 15?
How was that possible!
Even the audience didn't know what Victoria was up to.
At this moment, Elodie rushed up, pointing at Victoria and saying aggressively, "You just don't want to take Clara as your apprentice, so you're deliberately making things difficult for her."
Victoria looked at her and openly admitted, "I indeed don't want to take your daughter as my apprentice. I just said that."
She chuckled. "As for making things difficult for her, Mrs. Kennedy, if you say so, then so be it!"
She had an indifferent attitude, which left Elodie speechless.
The audience was very displeased with Elodie's impulsive and rude behavior.
It was often said that the behavior of a mother was reflected in her daughter. If the mother exhibited poor manners, it was likely that the daughter would not be much different.
Master Deer's reputation was higher than anyone on the stage.
Just then, Fans of Master Deer began to speak up for her at the scene.
"Please show some respect to Master Deer. Did you know that it is very impolite to point fingers at others while speaking?"
"Exactly, old woman, you shouldn't be here. You should hide away and do your boring things, not come out and bother others."
"Old woman, your daughter has a tarnished reputation. The internet never forgets, and we are not naive. Moreover, our Master Deer is a person of impeccable character, and her apprentice must be beyond reproach. Your daughter simply does not meet the qualifications."
The tone shifted quickly, and Elodie was left speechless.
Tilly added a few words from the audience, "Miss Kennedy, this is your only chance to prove your innocence. Are you sure you don't want to seize it? As a qualified perfumer, it's impossible not to remember your own formulas. Moreover, you've been the runner-up for several years in a row. You shouldn't be worse than an ordinary perfumer, right?"
Tilly was the director of this international competition, and her words carried the most weight.
Since she said so, it meant she was siding with Master Deer.
As Clara hesitated, Victoria spoke up, "The formula on page 33 has a citrus note, with ingredients including bergamot, orange, cedarwood, vetiver, neroli, almond, and musk. The extraction methods used are distillation and cold-press extraction. The ratio of essential oils is..."
Everyone listened quietly as she spoke.
Clara had already opened page 15, and what was written there was almost identical to what Victoria had said.
Serafina and Isadora, who were closest to Clara, also saw it and were both surprised.
"Master Deer, how do you know the formula I wrote? Have you seen..." Clara's mind was in turmoil, and she tried to gain the upper hand by speaking first.
But Victoria wouldn't give her the chance.
"I have seen it," she admitted openly once again. "Not only have I seen it, but I also know everything inside because..."
Clara looked at her in disbelief.
"Because I wrote it!"
Clara's face turned deathly pale. She said incredulously, "Are you Victoria?"
Victoria raised an eyebrow and smiled. "That's right; it's me."
As she spoke, she removed the veil from her face.
A familiar, exquisite, and cold face appeared before everyone.
No one was more shocked and surprised than Clara.
So Master Deer was Victoria?
Clara's pupils widened, and she took a step back.
This couldn't be. How could Master Deer be Victoria, that little bitch? It couldn't be. She must be an imposter.
Elodie, along with Oliver and Simon in the audience, had the same thought.
"Alright, I knew you were always targeting Clara. Turns out you're an ungrateful person!" Elodie was the first to react, cursing loudly, "You must be an imposter. How could you be Master Deer! Everyone, don't believe her. She's a fake. She's not Master Deer at all!"
"Ma'am, do you think our committee would invite an imposter?" Tilly stood up, looking at her with a serious expression. "Or do you think everyone in the International Perfume Association is an idiot? Are you the only smart one?"
With Tilly's words, the audience leaned towards her. After all, a professional international perfume association wouldn't make such a low-level mistake.
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