Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva
Chapter 929 - 76: The Songstress Idrylia's Teaching_2

She was dressed in a snow-white gown of silver silk, with flowing ribbons embellishing the open sleeves on both sides. It combined the opulence of the East with the delicate practicality of the West, an outfit she had personally commissioned from a renowned designer to be modified.

Sitting at the dining table, Audrey casually rested her arm on the tabletop while lifting her other hand to reveal her fair wrist, sharing recent news with Tilan across from her.

"Do you know, Tilan, tomorrow we'll be attending the same class, together."

"Oh, Audrey's a second-year student, isn't she?" Tilan recalled.

"Of course, but this time it's a course related to Songstresses. The instructor is also a senior Songstress, and what she teaches is for all of us to learn—there's no division by grade level."

"Which senior is it?" Tilan momentarily thought of Evelyn, hoping it might be her.

"It's Idrylia, the one known as 'Ultramarine Painting.'" Audrey replied.

"Oh, her. I think I saw her once." Tilan recalled when she first came to the academy half a year ago and had spotted her at Ores's place.

"Yes, that was last year. But back then, she was only passing through and dropped by Ores's."

As an Elf, Idrylia and Ores shared distant blood relations—yet another example of the intermarriage practices of Elf Families, which often resulted in familial connections of some degree.

"Audrey doesn't seem very happy about this." Tilan noticed that Audrey didn't appear to be delivering particularly cheerful news.

"Not exactly... It's hard to explain this to you." Audrey bit her lip lightly.

"Honestly, I'm a little afraid of Idrylia."

"Back when I was in the Flying Feather Star Domain, I caught sight of Idrylia just once from afar. She was delivering a speech then, and the atmosphere she commanded—her aura and status—it was like a mountain gradually pressing down. It made people hesitant to even raise their voices, feeling unusually heavy."

"That intense, really?" Tilan tilted her head slightly, surprised.

"I always thought Songstresses moved hearts through emotion. With such heaviness…" She hesitated, thinking that it seemed contrary to their intended art.

"Although I don't particularly like it, a lot of older generations seem to admire her immensely at the scene." Audrey recalled.

"It's hard to say why exactly. Perhaps, in their eyes, Songstresses like her embody true maturity and composure, while we are just kids in comparison."

The two continued chatting for quite some time until Audrey and Tilan shared dinner together. Afterward, Audrey returned to her mansion, which wasn't far from there.

On the third day, in the morning.

Once the regular classes wrapped up, the clock had just struck ten.

"See you, Tilan~"

"Ores, we're heading out first."

"Yianqing, will you come to the music hall this afternoon?"

"I'll be there."

"Alright, everyone will be waiting for you~"

Tilan, alongside three others, bid farewell to their classmates and proceeded down the opposite end of the corridor, heading toward the Songstresses' dedicated classroom.

"We'll be having Idrylia's class soon."

"Ores, you've studied under Idrylia before. What was that like?"

"Well, she was quite busy at the time and only gave me two days of instruction—it wasn't anything in-depth." Ores recalled her younger years.

"Back then, I was still in middle school and only had shallow exposure to these things."

"You'll see soon enough when you meet her, so stop asking me about it!" She playfully refused to elaborate further. Over time, her demeanor around the three had softened. Once projecting the elegance of a princess, she no longer clung to that pretense as much.

"Fine, I knew you weren't going to be any help." Shui Yanqing clutched her textbook and chimed in with a crisp remark.

"Shui Yanqing." Ores called her name.

"What is it? Are you about to confess your feelings for me?" Shui Yanqing teased, brushing back a strand of hair.

"Hmph." Ores let it slide and instead took Tilan's hand, walking to the side, signaling she wouldn't stoop to Shui Yanqing's level.

The occasional squabbles between the two were something Tilan and Blanchi had grown completely accustomed to. Before long, the four resumed their conversation as if the brief spat hadn't even happened.

"I'm still a bit nervous." Blanchi admitted.

"The senior from before, I've heard she can be rather strict. And honestly, I'm still not skilled at anything." Blanchi fiddled with her fingers.

"It's alright. She's aware of your situation and won't be too harsh on you." Shui Yanqing reassured her.

"Idrylia isn't as intimidating as you think." Ores added, trying to ease her nerves.

"We're all in this together; it'll be fine." Tilan offered her words of comfort.

Chatting along, the four made their way to the central building of the academy.

Entering the twelfth floor, the door gradually opened before them, revealing an expansive music hall that occupied the entire level. It could accommodate tens of thousands, with a seashell-like central stage situated at its very heart. On the stage sat a Songstress, her golden hair flowing, dressed in a deep-blue gown. Beside her lay a harp, whose ethereal notes resonated softly as her fingers glided across its strings.

The four slowly stepped into the hall, passing through the long corridors of white seating, making their way toward the stage's center.

The Songstress opened her eyes gently and released the harp from her grasp. Her deep-blue eyes scanned the four of them before nodding faintly.

"Greetings, Senior Idrylia." The four greeted her in unison with a respectful bow, then took their seats in the first row before the stage.

The harp's melody continued on for several minutes longer. Soon after, Prin and Audrey arrived, joining the four at their side. Gradually, the lighting in the hall dimmed, fading from the outer edges inward, until only the light focused on the stage remained.

Idrylia continued to play, refraining from any spoken word, relying solely on the pure tones of music to convey her sentiments.

These were emotions of extraordinary depth and subtlety—etched with the vicissitudes of life and the remnants of time's passage. It felt like a reflection of bygone eras, washed in nostalgia and profound tranquility.

Eventually, the melody came to a gentle stop, and she rose to her feet.