Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

After the opening night had concluded, the second day saw the internet filled with various discussions, most notably about Vivina, Efnie, Valke, and others.

"Just how powerful was Temisia, the one Vivina spoke of, back in the day!"

"Temisia, the legendary prodigy who so many looked forward to, only to disappear overnight."

"An analysis of the growth experiences of sisters Hexia and Temisia."

"Who is that boy who battled with Vivina in the final stage?"

"The Flame's Goldfish Princess—Efnie, once again making a name for herself."

"Discussing the potential of the new generation at Edith Academy."

"The top ten most exciting battles before and during the competition."

Merely overnight, the second day saw the Star Domain's internet explode with various videos and explanatory posts, and many prominent bloggers took advantage of the buzz to share their views and analyses.

The Winter Festival is a federally mandated long holiday, typically encompassing two weeks of vacation time, during which most companies close and residents return home to reunite with family. Compared to other times, people have more attention to spare for the lively news and programs.

During this period, there are two major shows that attract the most attention of the year: the Winter Festival competition and the Winter Festival gala. The former is the grandest competition between high schools, and the latter is a performance extravaganza held within the Star Domain, often featuring celebrities from various fields to celebrate the end of the year and the arrival of the new one.

"So many people are talking about Tilan, and some are speculating whether she will participate in the Winter Festival's New Year's Eve performance," Annelli said, browsing the news on the web while lying on the sofa and then asking the other black-haired girl in the room.

"Perform at the gala, huh? I did receive an invitation," Tilan said, sitting by the window, with a large porcelain bowl in front of her containing a dough that was fermenting. Her fingers were dusted with flour, likely from having just kneaded it.

"Ah, Tilan, you never mentioned this to me before," Annelli immediately stood up upon hearing this, walked over to Tilan wearing slippers, and asked curiously.

"Are you going to sing on stage, Tilan?"

"Yes, that's almost become a tradition for every songstress," she said. Usually, if a Star Domain has a resident songstress, they are invited to perform at the Winter Festival's New Year's Eve gala.

Tilan herself was born in the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain and had received an invitation as well.

"Though it's expected, it still feels a bit new, or maybe I'm just not used to it yet," Tilan said, pressing her fingertips into the fermenting dough, feeling it was almost ready.

"Since it's the New Year's Eve gala, they generally prefer peaceful and joyful songs. I haven't decided which one to sing yet, but the handover staff told me not to rush; it's fine to prepare after the competition is over," Tilan rearranged a lock of hair behind her ear with her pinky finger.

"If the competition ends, there will only be five days left until the gala. Is that enough time? I heard that many performances require months of preparation," Annelli asked, curious.

"Yes, it's enough time. If it really comes down to it, I'll just sing a classic song. Like 'Praise of the Golden Rose' sung by Princess Isenisha in the past; many songstresses have covered it," Tilan replied.

"Since it's my first time participating in such a large event, Yulanduoja senior mentioned there would be a newbie protection period. Basically, it means I can sing anything without worrying about failing, because if I do fail, everyone will still find it cute," Tilan blinked, feeling that this advice was a bit indulgent. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire

"Oh, that does seem to be the case," Annelli recalled performances she had seen before and discussions on the internet. Indeed, when a new songstress debuts, people tend to be very forgiving, like watching a rare baby animal.

"That's reassuring," Annelli got up and then her attention shifted to the bowl of dough in front of Tilan.

"How long does this need to ferment? Are you planning to make dumplings, Tilan?"

"Yes, part of it is for dumplings, but I wanted to try other things too, like steamed buns or noodles. I saw Mom make them when I was a child, and I think my sister knows how to as well. Now it's my turn to give it a try," Tilan recalled how as a child she would curiously watch in the kitchen, standing on tiptoes, amazed at how a lump of dough could turn into so many different things.

Although residents still ate wheat-based food, most bought ready-made products from supermarkets, and few people made their own anymore. Some didn't even know how such food was produced.

"I occasionally eat pasta, which comes from fermented dough like this, right?" Annelli became interested.

"The raw materials are quite similar, but the preparation is completely different," Tilan explained with a smile.

"Well, my method is more Eastern. This fermented dough is used to make steamed or baked buns, and a small amount is set aside for dumplings, but not too much, because they'll go bad if we can't eat them all," after saying this, feeling that the dough in the bowl was about ready, Tilan picked it up and walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want to help, Annelli?" Seeing Annelli's curiosity and following her into the kitchen, Tilan asked with a smile.

"Of course," Annelli replied.

"Alright, then help me make the dumpling wrappers first. When Aikaila and the others come back with the filling, we'll start wrapping."

"There are four of us, so that should be enough, and we don't need too much," Annelli said, patting her chest.

The two of them then busied themselves in the kitchen, though it wasn't exactly bustling; their movements were unhurried, more like they were enjoying the process, chatting from time to time about recent events.

"There's a competition tonight. Are you competing today, Tilan?" Annelli asked.

"I will not be competing today. The individual rounds are in the next three days, and my turn is tomorrow," the young girl answered.