Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

'Dark Flower' was a title Hexia Tilan heard someone use in front of her for the first time, and it brought with it an odd sense of novelty.

"Yes, it's me. And who are you, senior?" She too sensed that the other was a songstress, not just an ordinary person.

"Who am I? Can't you really guess~?"

Ailu Kelu struck a pose with one hand on her hip and the other lightly touching her chest, as the cat ears atop her head flickered and swayed.

That's right, among the songstresses, the only one with cat ears was none other than her, and Tilan quickly made the connection.

"Lavender Mo Dian, Ailu Kelu?"

"Very correct, hmph~" Ailu Kelu was in a very good mood.

"You know, you're quite different from the image people have of you based on the rumors," continued Ailu Kelu as she spoke of Tilan.

"And what is this image people have of me according to the rumors?" Although Tilan did browse online forums, she wasn't a heavy internet user. After all, she had plenty to do on a regular day, and she often succumbed to midday naps.

"According to the rumors, Hexia is a distant, ethereal, gloomy, and melancholic songstress, akin to a proud and solitary flower that blooms in the night, far removed from the mundane world."

Ailu Kelu articulated the stereotype in everyone's minds, a smile playing on her lips.

"Is it really that otherworldly?" Tilan felt an urge to facepalm.

"Definitely~ Haven't you noticed? The few songs that made you famous, as well as your most renowned performances, all lean heavily in that direction." Ailu Kelu wagged her finger.

"The first time I learned about you was from the dark fairytale MV you did with Audrey. My first impression was truly stunning."

"The black swan ball gown, the stark contrast with your snow-white skin, the cold and vengeful singing voice — these points are accurate, aren't they?"

"Well, I suppose so, but it was just that one song, wasn't it?" Tilan shook her head in denial.

"There's more. That underground performance you had in the Central Star Domain. While it wasn't official, because of the concurrent popularity of your MV, many people looked for performances related to you, and the first they found was that secretly filmed footage. Your ethereal and bewitching presence was just like a poison, turning many fringe folk into treating you as some sort of spiritual idol," continued Ailu Kelu.

"After that, you released only a few songs and rarely took the stage. Over the past couple of years, people's perceptions of you solidified. And then there were your few witch-themed songs, which further entrenched that image. Are you still going to deny it?"

"Cough, I've done standard songs and performances too, like singing 'Rose Ode' at the Winter Festival gala and the nature-inspired pieces I did in choir with Yulanduoja and Prin Coco." Tilan counted off on her fingers, suddenly feeling less confident, realizing she indeed hasn't sung many cheerful and uplifting songs on a formal stage.

"Hmph, you're aware that you're lacking in confidence, aren't you? Everyone has covered 'Rose Ode'; it hardly represents a personal style. And about the choir — come on, you just said it yourself, it's a choir. Does the audience think this reflects your own temperament?" Ailu Kelu instantly sensed Tilan's insecurity and spoke with convincing delight.

At this point, Tilan also realized why she was given the moniker 'Dark Flower.' She shook her head lightly, feeling a bit odd. Why hadn't anyone in the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain ever described her in such terms? The reviews she saw about herself on the interstellar web within the Star Domain were all quite normal; no one said she had a dark personality, nor a remote and melancholic style that was out of touch with the world.

After some reflection, Tilan slowly figured out where the problem lay.

Within the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, she was best known not for her music videos or performances but through the live broadcast of the Winter Festival competition. On the stage, her performance was more versatile and multifaceted, and it also aligned more closely with her own character. Plus, she had sung several songs with more upbeat, vibrant, and enthusiastic styles on stage, all of which prevented her image from skewing towards solitude and darkness.

The thing was, competitions like the Winter Festival were not widely viewed outside of one's own star system, unless someone specifically sought them out. Hence, people from other Star Domains only knew of the songstress Hexia Tilan from the few albums and songs she had released.

So that was it. Tilan found it somewhat amusing and helpless.

"Looks like I haven't paid enough attention in the past." She didn't feel like arguing; there was plenty of time to change people's impression of her gradually. There was no need to get upset.

"You sure are open-minded about this, giggle~" Seeing that Tilan's mood had eased again, Ailu Kelu knew this young songstress didn't mind the misunderstanding.

"Anyway, let's not talk about this for now. Are you going downstairs for lunch?" At this time, most people would be heading out to eat.

"Yes, we are." Tilan thought there was nothing to hide.

"Let's go together. Oh right, I forgot to introduce you." With that, Ailu Kelu pulled over her companion, Blanchi.

"This is 'Jin Yangcao' Blanchi, also a songstress~"

Blanchi bowed politely before the two of them and then looked up with soft brown eyes, slightly shy.

"Hello, senior Tilan. I'm Blanchi."

"Don't be so formal, just call me Tilan." The girl could sense that Blanchi was nervous and understood her feelings well, as she had once been a lot like Blanchi herself.

"Blanchi is about the same age as me, so it's not really appropriate to call me a senior." She reassured the budding songstress before her.

Ailu Kelu moved next to Blanchi, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "I told you, songstresses get along well because even without speaking, everyone understands you, and shyness is a lovable trait~"