With Xanthia’s piano skills now nearing Level 2, her fwless rendition left no room for error.

  The enthusiastic appuse, cheers, and admiration from the audience served as clear feedback of just how perfectly she had performed.

  In fact, for most people, hearing this well-known piano piece was enough to simply recognise the melody; that was often sufficient to satisfy their expectations.

  It could be said that Xanthia made a wise choice by pying such a popur piano piece—one that is so ubiquitous. This was, of course, a very clever move.

  This is simir to entering a singing competition—if you ck the raw talent, there’s no point in stubbornly choosing an obscure, difficult song.

  If you instead pick a well-known hit that people already recognise, the moment they hear it, they will feel an immediate connection. As long as you don’t butcher it, there will always be fans of the original who will give you enthusiastic support, simply because of the nostalgia the song evokes.

  Choosing Balde pour Adeline was based on the same logic. Many might not immediately recognise the title, but once Xanthia pyed the opening few bars, the audience quickly realised—"Ah, it’s this song! It sounds so familiar and comforting!"

  Putting aside how well Xanthia actually pyed, the performance was certainly more than satisfactory—fwless and smooth, without a single hitch. And, on top of that, she pyed beautifully. What more could one ask for?

  Her graceful figure, exuding an aura of nobility as she pyed the piano, had completely captivated the guests.

  Dematero and Glen, who were standing by Dionysius, were especially thrilled.

  Dematero remarked, “I really shouldn’t have worried about her earlier. But honestly, I never expected she’d hide such a talent for piano!”

  Glen nodded but, instead of over-praising Xanthia, remained objective: “Her piano skills are fine, nothing too extraordinary. But for her to practise Balde pour Adeline to such a smooth, skilled level in private... that does show she’s put in a lot of effort.”

  Dematero teased, “Are you jealous of Dionysius for having such a talented ‘sister’?”

  Glen’s expression changed, and he sneered, “I’m not jealous! It’s just Balde pour Adeline, nothing special. It’s so clichéd.”

  Dematero ughed. He knew Glen well, having been close with him after Xanthia’s death in his previous life. He had even helped Glen with some lyrics for his songs, so he was used to Glen’s arrogant personality.

  In reality, though, anyone would feel honoured if such a talented, beautiful girl performed a specially prepared piano piece for their birthday party.

  It’s just such a great boost to one’s prestige!

  Their vanity would swell like a puff pastry, overflowing with sweet pride!

  Once Xanthia finished her fwless performance and the crowd erupted in appuse, the envy and admiration for Dionysius were evident in the air.

  Some even muttered under their breath that he would inevitably face a tough time ahead, given how much attention Xanthia had garnered. After all, Miss Seranthalia La Magenta, who was present, surely couldn’t be happy about this...

  Meanwhile, Dionysius, whose vanity had been infted to the size of a puff pastry by Xanthia’s performance, was grinning the most radiant and smug smile since the beginning of the party.

  His gaze towards Xanthia was full of appreciation and emotion.

  From a professional perspective, he knew that Xanthia’s piano skills were at the level of a mid-level amateur.

  Such a skill level would be more than enough for a school talent show, where the audience, generally unaware of finer nuances in piano technique, would not mind so much.

  However, if she were to become a piano content creator on video-sharing ptforms, her current skills would not suffice to stand out. Still, if she were to dress in a bold way—maybe wear a cospy outfit or something even bolder, like certain piano YouTubers—she would surely be able to gain a rge following.

  Regardless of whether her piano skills were truly excellent, her appearance would still attract attention. Beauty is power, and in today’s world, beauty equals popurity!

  Despite everything, Dionysius had to admit that he was beyond thrilled by Xanthia’s “heartfelt” birthday gift. He was deeply satisfied!

  When he thought about how his sister had gone to such lengths—returning to the piano after abandoning it in her youth to prepare this gift—he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness and guilt. The feeling of emotional pain was tangible, and he was truly moved.

  sigh His sister... I’m crying here!

  He immediately realised that, in the past, he hadn’t treated her well enough, hadn’t been affectionate enough, and now he felt as though he owed her even more. But at the same time, his heart was also full of joy—this birthday party had been incredibly lucky to have Xanthia present!

  Dionysius did not know about Xanthia’s unique genius talent, so he based his understanding of her abilities on his own experiences with practising the piano.

  For most people, whether it was the piano or another instrument, if you didn’t practise for a while, you would inevitably become rusty and regress. But Xanthia, with her system panel, was different. It was like an online game character—once you reach a certain level, there’s no such thing as “losing experience points” or “level regression”.

  The concept of “losing levels” seemed to belong to outdated, early online game novels—where pyers could engage in extreme conflicts, with some even killing others to lower their levels, forcing them to quit the game.

  Frankly, such mechanics had long become obsolete. If an online game today introduced such a penalty system, it would be a guaranteed failure.

  Xanthia’s system, however, was the test version, free from such archaic penalties. There were no punishments for failing tasks, nor any forced regressions like those in early games.

  In fact, some systems with forced penalties—like one where the pyer might be required to wear revealing outfits—could be quite amusing. However, such shame pys were quickly eradicated by the harmonisation process in their respective worlds.

  Xanthia’s system was a pure positive energy system—always encouraging the idea that “effort equals reward.”

  Its tasks were simple, straightforward, and fair—“Happy points” boosted experience, and “Pain points” were used to purchase magical items.

  While Dionysius basked in his sister’s birthday gift, feeling proud, delighted, and grateful, Andrea Tan, who had confidently expected Xanthia to embarrass herself, was left utterly dumbfounded.

  Where am I?

  What am I doing?

  Am I dreaming?

  No, this can’t be real!

  Xanthia, who used to be a typical “country bumpkin” from the countryside, with clothing that emphasised her rustic image, had just transformed—like a swan from an ugly duckling—into the brightest star of the birthday party!

  Throughout the entire piano performance, Xanthia appeared completely at ease, her movements smooth and seamless. Such a performance directly countered Andrea’s earlier mockery, leaving her utterly embarrassed and exposed as a fool.

  Andrea had been obnoxiously arrogant earlier when she tried to provoke Xanthia, but now, she was as humiliated and awkward as could be, wishing she could just disappear.

  Though the attention was still squarely on Xanthia, Andrea couldn’t help but feel as though everyone was now looking at her with disdain, whispering amongst themselves about her:

  “That idiot Andrea! How dare she provoke Xanthia? She totally deserves this!”

  “How does it feel to get spped in the face so hard? Next time, maybe she’ll think twice before judging someone by their looks?”

  “If she knows what’s good for her, she should apologise to Xanthia, before she loses any remaining dignity.”

  “Xanthia put so much thought into this perfect gift, yet she was unfairly attacked by that rude, unreasonable woman. It’s so pitiful! I bet Miss Tan will be added to the bcklist soon.”

  “If I were Dionysius, I’d have had her thrown out immediately! It’s supposed to be a fun party, but instead, she’s trying to ruin everything. She’s the worst kind of guest—she should be shown the door!”

  “Honestly, what kind of cheap gift did Andrea give anyway? Compared to Xanthia’s thoughtful present, it’s ughable. What has Dionysius not seen before? Andrea, if you’re so bold, why don’t you get up and py a song too?”

  Andrea, of course, did not possess such abilities. She had no musical talent whatsoever. Although she had attended numerous extracurricur csses as a child, none of them were pursued long enough for her to acquire any noteworthy skills.

  As she grew older, she realised that by leveraging her position as a member of the colteral branch of the Tan family, she could gain a sense of superiority over her peers. This made her even less motivated to improve herself.

  If one were to pinpoint any strength of hers, it would be her ability to navigate social circles. She was not afraid to take bold risks and, when the situation called for it, was willing to fight tooth and nail, putting everything on the line.

  Her most recent target was the conquest of Miss Seranthalia. In order to win her favour, she had even gone as far as to commit the grievous act of offending others.

  She believed that once she became close friends with Miss Magenta, she would naturally gain entry to more prestigious circles.

  It’s true that, for someone like Andrea who enjoyed mingling in such circles, her status as a “wealthy heiress” and her association with certain prominent circles often worked as an advantage. This allowed her to impress ordinary people easily, and win the favour of other wealthy heirs without much trouble.

  Unfortunately for her, this test gamble had resulted in an unprecedented failure.

  Who could have known that Xanthia, this treasure of a girl, would be so much more impressive than anyone had anticipated?

  Xanthia’s performance not only left her with no choice but to swallow her pride, but also empowered her companions to hold their heads high. It was time to get back at her, and show Andrea just how much they had been disrespected.

  Lhoraine mimicked Andrea’s haughty posture, her face full of pride as she said, “What’s wrong with questioning something? But why go as far as doubting Xanthia’s musical talent? Isn’t that like lighting a mp in a toilet—looking for filth? Let me tell you, compared to her piano skills, Xanthia’s guitar skills are even more impressive!”

  Chica immediately chimed in with an overly sarcastic tone, “That metaphor was perfect! Miss Tan is practically the queen of public humiliation. Her obsession with certain things is something us ‘common folk’ could never understand.”

  Marian La Trimm, with a mischievous grin, added, “Miss Tan sure has sharp taste, doesn't she? To think she’d consider a talented woman like Xanthia as a bumpkin! Seems her eyes are just like her… well, let’s not go there, it’s obvious who the retive of Poop King is.”

  It must be said, the trio’s sharp jabs at Andrea delivered a powerful blow, nding a truly devastating strike to her already bruised pride.

  Meanwhile, Xanthia’s “guardians” Luciel and Elena weren’t about to hold back either. Elena decided to take her turn with another swipe at Andrea, “Miss Tan, are you happy with the thoughtful birthday gift from Xanthia? I know I saw Dionysius beaming with happiness. By the way, what exactly was your gift? Care to show it off like Xanthia did, dispying it to all the guests?”

  Andrea opened her mouth to say something in an attempt to salvage her dignity but found herself at a complete loss for words. The sp from Xanthia was simply too hard to take. She was left questioning her life, stunned by the level of embarrassment.

  Naturally, she was furious inside, cursing Xanthia for being so talented—yet why couldn't she simply dress appropriately? Was fishing for attention really this fun?

  The more she resented Xanthia, the more her negative emotions bubbled up, resulting in an even greater sense of humiliation. The “pain points” were just stacking up, and Xanthia was winning at every turn!

  Luciel, with no intention of sparing her, mocked Andrea, “You were barking so loudly earlier, yet now you're silent? I see your ‘css’ is quite something. You’d better apologise to Xanthia before it’s too te! She’s gracious enough not to be as shameless and relentless as you are!”

  Luciel had been irked by Andrea’s interference while everyone else was enjoying the self-service barbecue. Seeing how Xanthia had been disturbed made it all the more frustrating—especially since Xanthia’s happiness had been ruined.

  In reality, Xanthia was overjoyed. Her moment in the spotlight had gone off without a hitch, and she had her “helpful” opponent, Andrea, to thank for making it all possible!

  Without Andrea’s interference, Xanthia would never have thought of giving such a birthday gift. She had originally pnned to prepare a soup dish.

  Now, with the elegant gown, grand entrance, and fwless performance, everything had come together beautifully. Many guests were thrilled by the experience, and Xanthia’s reputation as “the school belle” was sure to spread to the foreign nguage high school!

  From Luciel’s perspective, her dear Li'l Xanthia had only wanted to have fun as a foodie, but instead, she had been “forced” to py the piano. How could anyone be in a good mood under such circumstances?

  It was all Andrea’s fault!

  As Andrea remained silent, utterly defeated, Rommel El Fmei, who always spoke up for fairness, stood to intervene.

  Although Rommel had been thoroughly impressed by Xanthia’s transformation, his “angel” was still Miss Seranthalia, so he could not just sit back and let her entourage be disrespected.

  He quickly addressed the girls, saying, “Leave some room for kindness, you never know when you’ll meet again. How about we just let it go? No need to make things worse. Putting everything aside, don’t you think Xanthia might have some faults too?”

  At the same time, Rommel whispered to Andrea, “Pull yourself together! No matter how well Xanthia performs, it’s no big deal as long as Miss Seranthalia doesn’t notice. The situation can still turn around!”

  Upon hearing these comforting words, Andrea, who had felt so defted, suddenly found a sliver of hope. Of course, Xanthia could steal the show and prove she wasn’t a country bumpkin, but as long as Miss Seranthalia didn’t take note of it, nothing truly mattered, and things could still be salvaged.

  She began to scan the room, looking for Miss Seranthalia’s presence. Upon realising she was absent, Andrea let out a deep sigh of relief.

  However, in truth, Miss Seranthalia had seen the entire performance. Afterward, she had quietly left, choosing to remain in the shadows, content with the results. Her heart was filled with satisfaction.

  The true benefactor of Xanthia’s success was, in fact, Miss Seranthalia. Her choice of the dress and accessories had been perfect, allowing Xanthia’s grand entrance to shine.

  This fresh, new image instantly shattered many of the prejudices people had previously held about Xanthia. It must be said that most people were visual creatures, paying little attention to “inner beauty.”

  Miss Seranthalia, unlike Dionysius, understood how to assist Xanthia. While in the attic’s dressing room, she had spent time with Xanthia, getting a sense of her tastes. Since loved this pyful little darling, loved fishing, Miss Seranthalia was more than happy to be her invisible guardian, providing opportunities for “fish” like Andrea to help Xanthia fish for attention.

  Dionysius, are you watching? This is how you win someone’s favour!

  Miss Seranthalia had already exchanged contact details with Xanthia. She had many more tricks up her sleeve, and she was certain Xanthia would appreciate her methods.

  As time went on, Dionysius, clearly entranced by Xanthia’s performance, also performed a song for the guests, one that was familiar to everyone—an anime song called “Blue Bird,” which earned him another round of appuse.

  At that point, Miss Seranthalia finally appeared, cpping for Dionysius, though her eyes held a hint of frustration. “You’re supposed to pamper your sister, yet here you are trying to steal her spotlight?”

  However, upon seeing Xanthia enjoying the music, Miss Seranthalia smiled with satisfaction. Thankfully, Xanthia was the kind of girl with a big heart and broad vision, truly living up to her role as “the older sister.”

  The birthday party eventually came to a peaceful end, with the guests leaving happy and satisfied—except for Andrea, who had been utterly demoralised and humiliated.

  Miss Seranthalia, gracious as ever, chose to “forgive the past,” causing Andrea to redouble her efforts to win her favour.

  Many guests, who were eager for drama, had hoped to see a “csh of the titans” between Miss Seranthalia and Xanthia. As, they were disappointed. On the surface, the two had no direct interaction and seemed to be complete strangers. However, behind the scenes, they had already been in touch and were making pns for private outings.

  Meanwhile, many guests were still puzzled by Xanthia’s “instant wardrobe change.” Where had she changed her clothes? Unfortunately, no one bothered to expin.

  Some boldly specuted that Xanthia might be a real Papadopoulos dy, but chose to keep that thought hidden. Those who dared to guess kept their thoughts to themselves, fearing the consequences.

  Dionysius, too, only confided her identity to his trusted friends, but never overstepped the boundaries by telling Xanthia’s circle. “Watch out for your friend, they come from a powerful family…”

  However, it was through Lhoraine, Xanthia’s friend, that the story spread, clearing up some doubts and validating some of the guests' guesses.

  Unfortunately, this murky identity remained unverified, only circuting as “rumours.”

  But as long as Dionysius did not crify, it meant Xanthia could continue to ride on his coattails.

  After all, there had been rumours before about Dionysius having an fiancée, but once he crified the matter, the rumours disappeared quickly.

  In conclusion, Dionysius’s private birthday party wrapped up without any major incident.