Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

As Annelli was discussing the favorites to win the championship, the twin maids Aiko and Ella also returned.

"Good afternoon, Miss Tilan, Miss Annelli," the two bowed and greeted, then placed the groceries they had bought on the counter before joining in the preparation process.

During this time, the taro buns Tilan had made were also ready, so the four of them sat in the hall to rest and share. After finishing, they continued with the tasks at hand.

Time passed leisurely as the venue for the Winter Festival Tournament came to life once again that night.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after the exciting preliminary matches yesterday, tonight marks the first day of the Winter Festival Tournament's individual competitions. We will witness talented youths from the six major academies competing together, facing intense and nerve-wracking eliminations until the last one prevails and takes the crown," announced the host.

With the commentator's explanation on stage, the crowd's cheers and screams rose and fell, almost drowning out the loudspeakers scattered throughout the venue.

The first three days of the Winter Festival Tournament will be individual matches, with each academy sending 32 contestants for early eliminations until 24 competitors are determined. Adding to these, each academy's 4 seeded players, which amounts to 6×4=24 seeded players, will join the 24 previously selected contestants in the subsequent elimination rounds.

"... And so, when only eight contestants are left, they will participate in a rotational trial to sort out their rankings, with the top four then entering the final contest," the host explained.

After the rules were announced, the projection screen displayed a tournament bracket consisting of the contestants' names and portraits. In the first round, they would not face competitors from their own academy, but starting from the second round, there was a small chance of encountering one.

"So many familiar faces; some of them seem to have competed last year too," commented an audience member from below.

"Last year's juniors, now seniors, there are indeed several who are participating for the second consecutive year."

"Speaking of which, progressing to Sequence 5 as a junior, even in the six major academies, they represent a small elite group. Each year, there are no more than 30 such individuals."

"Oh, I see Zais from Thunder Edge, he took third place in the 'Silver Star Flight Race' in the Southern Star Domain earlier this year; the media reported on it extensively."

"'Silver Star Flight Race' is a well-known event in fighter combat, and his third place pretty much guaranteed him a spot at a military academy university."

"There's also Luligeta from Swarm's Reign, who previously took fifth place in the renowned 'Whispering Winds String Performance' contest with the violin; she's somewhat famous."

People discussed the announced list and were curious about who the seeded players from each academy would be.

"I don't see Seraphiel or Sweitevi's names; they must be among the unannounced seeded players."

"Bettina's name did appear, which is quite surprising; she's actually not listed as a seeded player." People talked about the petite 'Angel' who shone brightly not long ago.

"Haha, maybe they think she's too green. Though Bettina is not bad, she's still just a sophomore, and her skills have yet to mature. This time, they're probably letting her get used to the competition, with no expectations of her ranking high."

The discussion ended, and the individual matches began. To speed up the process, 3-4 matches were conducted simultaneously inside the venue, until the top 24 of the night were decided.

In the preparation hall, Tilan sat on a dark velvet throne, dressed in a dark blue and black dress, her eyes actively scanning the 32 fully prepared contestants in front of her.

"Just do your best; there's no need to be too nervous. In the face of special circumstances, stay cool and analyze the situation without acting impulsively," she said.

After considering for a moment, she stood up, took the violin from beside her, and began to play for everyone.

The music was soothing, easing everyone's tense emotions, then slowly infused them with fighting spirit, raising a hint of anticipation and excitement for the upcoming matches and helping them adjust their status.

Having finished playing, Tilan put down the violin and offered a final blessing to everyone.

"May the stars guide you all to race through dusk and night and behold the beautiful aurora and the vast Milky Way."

She bowed and lifted her skirt, reciting this prayer before the front door opened. The dark-haired girl watched as everyone walked down the passage leading to brightness and warmth.

——————

The roaring cheers flooded the venue as boys and girls in their glorious youth stepped onto the stage, together composing the legendary score of the night.

Perhaps, for some of them, this night wasn't perfect—it might even leave behind quite a few regrets.

But at least, this night would be exceptionally unforgettable.

——————

Having bid farewell to the competing students, Tilan also arrived at a corner of the hall. Here, several screens were showing the stages within the venue, and rows of chairs were set up below, resembling an old movie theater.

Since many people went directly to the scene to watch, there weren't many observers here. However, Tilan preferred this spot, probably because it was quieter than the outside and also because there wouldn't be cameras secretly capturing her expressions and emotions—after all, she was now a well-known idol songstress in the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, and many people liked to follow her actions.

Not long after she sat down, someone came to sit next to her, placing a tub of golden, fragrant, and steaming hot popcorn on her lap.

"Tilan, have some too." The person who put down the popcorn was Efnie. She was wearing a simple yet elegant white dress today, with a black ribbon adorning the flat collar at the chest to prevent it from being too plain.

"Deloris will come later because her family came to watch the competition today, and she's going to spend some time with them," Efnie mentioned the whereabouts of another friend.

"As for Ruby, she is watching at the venue outside. She even put on makeup before leaving tonight, saying she wanted her fans to see her presence."

Although Ruby wasn't a big star, she was an up-and-coming talent with a certain popularity in the entertainment industry; naturally, she wouldn't miss this opportunity to show her face and expand her fanbase.

"I'm not like Tilan. If I'm not constantly in front of the camera, I'll fade into obscurity." Ruby had made a pitiful expression when she said that, but her usual spirited and bold demeanor made it difficult for those who knew her well to feel any pity for her.

In the club, Tilan, Deloris, Efnie, and Ruby, being all girls and close to one another, had the most intimate relationship. They often ate and went out together during school.

"Didn't Efnie's family come to watch the competition?" Tilan picked up a popcorn kernel, tasted it, and found it deliciously crunchy.

"No, my dad is probably still working overtime at the Administrative Building, and my mom, who prefers quiet, is likely sitting at home with my grandma and aunts right now," Efnie was familiar with her family's situation.

"Every year, during the winter festival, relatives come over to gather, and everyone stays together for more than ten days." Efnie, peeling the chestnuts from her pocket, occasionally fed one to Tilan.

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"At that time, the house is very lively. Some older brothers, sisters, younger brothers, and sisters all come over, and I used to play and argue with them a lot when I was little." Efnie said, a smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

"But there were times I disliked it because, after I started learning dance and performance, my dad would have me perform in front of the relatives. I really didn't like that, and I would be quite grumpy after every performance."

"Ah, is that so? I thought Efnie would be happy and confident performing in front of family." Tilan was a bit curious.

"I had that thought initially but, after all, they're not professionals; they're just there for fun, and they would praise anyone who gets up to perform." Efnie placed the peeled chestnut shells in a paper bag on the empty seat next to her.

"Later on, I switched to playing the piano. It was much simpler. Dancing required changing into a skirt and putting on makeup, which is quite troublesome, you know. Occasionally, some younger sisters would take a liking to it, insisting on wearing my dress, and often after a performance, I would end up giving my dress away." Efnie shared her childhood stories.

"It sounds like a big family." Tilan reminisced about her own childhood, which was probably just the four family members sitting in front of the TV, with no other relatives around. Occasionally, her mother would ask about school, whether she had cried recently, or if she had been bullied, and then her sister would sit aside, flipping through her favorite programs and books on her clipboard.

Temisia matured unusually early. She hardly ever shed tears and rarely talked about school at home; she was the kind of child a mother didn't need to worry about.

As for their father, he would usually prepare various delicious foods for them, such as steamed pastries, cooked slices of stewed beef, fried peanuts, and so on. During the winter festival, when their father had time off, it was also the rare time in the year when he'd show off his cooking skills.

In their father's heart, their mother was always the first priority, followed by her and Temisia. Sometimes she and her sister would be jealous of their father's favoritism, but thinking back now, it filled her with nostalgia.

As the two of them chatted, the competition inside the venue continued dazzlingly, with one contestant after another shining brightly on this memorable night.