Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

The speech had ended, and Hexia bowed before walking down from the platform to join the other students in a corner, ready for the final address of the opening ceremony.

In fact, she hadn't absorbed a word at that moment, still immersed in the state she had been in just before.

The speech she had given on stage consisted partly of the content on paper, and towards the end she had spontaneously vented thoughts that had been swirling in her mind for a long time.

She'd actually had these thoughts about the chaotic and anxious society for quite a while, but they had always been vague due to her lack of confidence. She didn't believe she was right and assumed that the important people must have already considered these issues, so there was no need for her to worry about them.

Continuing to harbor these apprehensive and unclear thoughts until about a month ago, when she slowly emerged from past shadows, she reorganized the long-standing ideas in her mind, which gradually formed into today's speech.

It seemed she might have gone a bit too far, worried she might be the subject of ridicule, now that she had snapped out of her previous immersive state. After all, the content of today's speech was way beyond what was conventional for an opening ceremony.

With these thoughts swirling in her mind about the recent past, the opening ceremony came to an end. As the final applause began, the lights in the hall brightened, and the room gradually filled with noise and bustling chatter.

"Amazing! Lady Tilan," Annelli was the first to rush over and grab Hexia's hand.

As the girl pondered how to be modest and explain her somewhat impulsive speech, more people gathered around her.

"Very impressive, Tilan," one student said.

"Can we have lunch together, Tilan?" another asked.

"I really want to get to know you, Tilan."

"Where did you live before, Tilan? I can't believe I didn't know you."

These students, both male and female, surrounded Hexia in the center, all eager to speak to her.

In the distance, several teachers from Edith Academy watched this scene and smiled gently before leaving together, giving the students their space.

Before long, the video of Hexia's speech was circulating among the school's board members.

"It is a bit immature," some commented.

"But it's very uplifting, isn't it?" praised one of the directors.

"If it were a stodgy, overly sober speech, it would just be dull, not refreshing enough."

"To express one's true feelings is exactly what appeals to the young people's tastes and resonates with them. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I was the same in high school. I had thoughts of changing the world too, but as I grew older and realized the difficulty, I rarely spoke of it again. But who doesn't have such dreams in their heart?"

"If at the age of sixteen or seventeen, one has to suppress their character and thoughts, that's truly tragic," they reflected.

"We've unearthed a raw gem this time," the group remarked.

"Whether she can achieve her dreams or not, just with today's speech, she's bound to gain a group of peers in the coming years."

"People united by ideals often go further than those united by interests."

"It's stunning how she seems to be a natural, never taught any of these things, yet she can accomplish so much."

"While we're still unclear about the extent of her talent as a songstress, I'm now more hopeful for her future."

"Perhaps, we should also start taking action, not just in response to Saint Ingo Academy but also to the other challenges within the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain..."

For the rest of the day, Hexia was surrounded by people. She'd never been the focus of attention like today, meeting one student after another, remembering each name, and her once sparse contact list exploded with new entries.

Thankfully, with Annelli's earnest assistance during this overwhelming phase, introducing Hexia to the other students and helping to entertain them, she managed to get through today's events.

In the evening, Hexia returned to her cottage and lay exhausted on her bed. She unclipped her hairpin, and her black hair spread out on the bed, resting for quite a while before she mustered the energy to take a shower.

After a refreshing shower, soaking in the bathtub, she finally had a moment to reflect on the students she'd met during the day.

Many of them were heirs to large companies within the Jade Skirt, some were offspring of significant figures, and a few especially talented individuals had reached Sequence 4 before enrolling; indeed, Edith Academy was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

Sorting through her somewhat jumbled memories, Hexia recorded the names of the people she'd met that day on her personal terminal before she could completely relax.

The warm water occasionally brushed against her body, lulling her into a short doze before she got up, finished washing, and returned to her room.

The second day, the first class.

Although it was just a common theory class, since it was technically the first day of school, no one was absent or took leave.

The course content wasn't complex, and the first day was mainly about getting familiar with the environment and adapting. After class, everyone circled Hexia, chattering and inviting her to join them for a meal.

"Tilan's hair is so pretty~" Find adventures on empire

"Tilan is so cute, even though her comments are quite assertive, they never raise the thought of resistance."

"Where did Tilan go to school before? It would have been great if we had met earlier."

The girls were mostly proactive, while the boys from the class, given their recent acquaintance, were more concerned about their image and not quite as open.

Due to the identity differences between the two schools, Hexia always maintained her black hair and blue eyes at Edith Academy. In comparison to her concealment status with gray hair and black eyes, her current appearance could be said to be fully charismatic, and her beauty bloomed quietly, not inferior to Temisia's.

"Join me for lunch." A girl dressed in a lace black skirt with light golden eyes extended her hand in front of Hexia.

As she spoke, the other girls around her inadvertently fell silent.

"Deloris..." A boy in the distance muttered the girl's name.

The heir to the 'Incense Workshop' empire, she was the sole inheritor and future leader of a vast business empire.

Although Edith Academy had no shortage of children from powerful corporate leaders, not everyone was the chosen heir. Many only belonged to side branches, serving as mere backdrops to more capable siblings. The difference was immense; a true inheritor like Deloris held a comparatively higher status.

"Thank you for the invitation, Deloris." Seeing how quickly the girls' debate died down, even if Hexia didn't know much about Deloris, she roughly understood her status among her peers.

Annelli winked encouragingly at Hexia from one side, then Hexia stood up and followed Deloris out of the classroom.

Walking through the suspended glass corridor, the two arrived at a comparatively quiet sky garden restaurant with only three tables spaced widely apart. Sitting down felt like being in a garden, with a trellis of climbing flowers overhead and a vast view of the campus landscape below and in the distance.

Sitting across from Hexia, Deloris consulted the menu, her slender fingers wrapped in lace gloves moving gracefully to inform a nearby waiter about her requirements for the meal and various detailed preferences.

"I'd like the T3-grade pomegranate steak from the Black Interstellar Star Domain, coupled with a black wine brewed in April, and two portions of catchfly berry for dessert, presented in a three-layered heart-shaped pastry..." Although her order was extensive, she spoke so fluently that it seemed habitual to her, and she did not worry whether the restaurant could fulfill her wishes.

"Understood, we'll prepare it immediately. Please wait a moment, young misses," the waiter said after recording the order and retired.

After giving her instructions, Deloris finally addressed Hexia.

"Sorry I didn't ask Tilan for her preference, I'm just used to ordering like this," she apologized, sounding somewhat arrogant and imposing, but to Hexia's perception, it seemed genuinely unintentional—merely a habit, without meaning to overlook Hexia's choices.

"It's alright," the girl shook her head. She certainly wouldn't get upset over such a trivial matter.

"Next time, Tilan can choose," Deloris promised, compensating for her oversight.

Afterward, they started chatting about other matters, first discussing their impressions since starting at the academy and then Deloris shared her own past experiences.

"My father placed great expectations on me from a young age, so I often had to attend various gatherings and meet peers of similar family backgrounds. Because of that, I didn't spend much time at school and didn't get to know my classmates well."

"Tilan is the first classmate I've been interested in. I liked your speech yesterday as well and would really like to be your friend." As an heiress poised to inherit her family's business, she was as direct with Hexia about her feelings as she was unlike her other classmates who might be more hesitant.

"I'm already managing some of the family business, so if you need help with anything, Tilan, feel free to tell me." In a sense, Miss Deloris truly wore her heart on her sleeve, without any hint of evasion or concealment.

Lunch was served, and the two slowly enjoyed their meal, becoming somewhat more familiar with each other, no longer as stiff as before.

The longer Hexia conversed with Deloris, the better she understood her straightforward, almost naive nature. She didn't seem interested in playing manipulative games or moving in cunning circles.

After finishing lunch, the two continued to sit in the garden and then strolled along a path. After a few hesitations, Deloris finally took Hexia's hand. Her palm was adorned with black lace gloves, matching the elaborate style of her lace black dress, her shoulders and neck enveloped in the form-fitting garment, leaving only a hint of pale skin at the chest—elegant and beautiful.

Gradually, their conversation shifted from the somewhat serious topics to everyday life, and the atmosphere lightened up.

"Where are you staying now, Tilan? Can I come to visit you sometimes?" Deloris asked tentatively, her usual directness tempered by a newfound cautiousness in the presence of this girl.

"I live in a house on the side of Edith Academy, around the west side K12 area." Hexia pulled out her personal device to show the location.

"You're welcome to visit me, Deloris." Finishing her sentence, Hexia smiled, a rarity for her since joining Edith Academy, perhaps marking the start of a true friendship.