Benedict Bridgerton was a bundle of nerves on that stage.

He was clearly trying his best, clearly. Most of the students in the auditorium didn't notice the way he fixed his collar when he made a pause, or the way he tried to keep his tone even when he directed a question at the crowd.

Benedict Bridgerton was good at giving lectures, but he knew his true talent lay with the paintbrush. Hence why he was there; a had-been child prodigy, now a renowned artist who was giving an occasional lecture at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where he had studied almost ten years ago.

He went over his experience with art, over how to exploit talent and not die (entirely) in the process, about the professional difficulties and passion projects... And when he finally finished a far-too-long round of questions, a couple students approached him to chit-chat.