Chapter 58

Chapter 58: So Sweet! At the enthusiastic invitation of the president of the art club, Ifia reluctantly stepped into the activity room. She immediately re-experienced the feeling of being observed while walking the catwalk. In the spacious activity room, there were only a dozen or so people. Though there was no requirement to sit upright, the posture of standing or sitting exuded a standard noble etiquette. Upon seeing the door open, everyone shifted their gaze towards it. It wasn't necessarily a welcoming look, but it also wasn't malicious. The curious glances seemed to suggest that they had finally seen the person they had heard so much about. Although Ifia didn't want to appear in front of the other club members so soon, she couldn't stop the internal activities from commencing. When the president notified the members, he deliberately mentioned the entrance of a new member. Soon, information about Ifia was brought to light and was perused by the club members. Seeing that Ifia was just a commoner, the club members were shocked and puzzled. This was the first time the art club had recruited a commoner! It was unbelievable. However, upon seeing the note that Ifia had a close relationship with the Duke's daughter, Barren Amelia, all the questions were answered. It turned out she was a person with connections. If it had been another noble publicly recommending a commoner to join the art club, the club members would definitely not have been as composed as they were now. But, who could resist the fact that the one recommending was Barren Amelia! She was a figure well-known in the noble circle of the imperial capital! Compared to the noble offspring sheltered by their families, Barren Amelia was simply a brilliant talent in a class of her own. In etiquette, political insight, and even equestrianism, she excelled above all others. Therefore, there was a widely-known rule in the noble circle: it was permissible to measure up to the prince, but one should never attempt to surpass Barren Amelia, as it would be an embarrassment. After Barren Amelia ceased to hide her exceptional talents due to modesty, none of the younger nobles dared to challenge her authority. Hence, now that Barren Amelia recommended a commoner to the club, the club members had returned to their usual state of mind. They were curious to know what kind of person a commoner approved by Barren Amelia would be. Now that they had taken a look, they had to admit it. Barren Amelia was quite superficial! Although the possibility of the club members creating exquisite artwork remained a mystery, it couldn't be denied that they had a normal and discerning taste. Compared to the cold and gorgeous Barren Amelia, Ifia's exceptional appearance leaned more towards sweetness. She was the kind of beauty that one remembered at a single glance. As everyone turned their attention towards Ifia, Amelia, sitting on the side, waved to her and, when Ifia quickly ran over as if reuniting with a lost relative, she immediately spoke to the president. "President, now that everyone is here, please explain the details of the internal activity!" After saying this, Amelia raised her hand and looked around. Her indifferent purple eyes instantly filled the entire activity room with a sense of oppression. Under her gaze, the members no longer dared to stare and instead shifted their attention to the president. "Dear members, the art club has been too quiet lately. So, after discussing with the other members, we decided to hold a special..." While the president was speaking, Ifia, who was finally no longer being observed, sighed with relief. She immediately noticed an empty chair beside Amelia. It was clearly reserved for her! Indeed, Amelia was the best! After Ifia sat down, she leaned closer to Amelia and whispered, "Amelia, thank you for saving me a seat." Possibly due to the hurried walk to the art club, Ifia's face turned slightly red. Being closer to her, she exuded a sweet fragrance, causing Amelia to subtly raise her eyebrows. So sweet! Ifia just came for the formality. What the president said thereafter wasn't of concern to Amelia. In order to accommodate Ifia's discreet conversation, Amelia bent slightly and whispered softly to her, "I'm sorry I didn't inform you beforehand." Both were speaking softly, but Amelia's voice was like a gentle hook, eliciting a tingling sensation. Suppressing the urge to rub her ears, Ifia thought that Amelia was perfect in every respect. Even her voice was irresistibly pleasant. Seeing Amelia up close, her purple eyes were truly beautiful! Like translucent purple gemstones glistening in the sunlight. Unaware of her face and neck turning red due to the quiet conversation, Ifia praised Amelia's beauty in her mind while replying, "Amelia, there's no need to apologize. It's not your fault." "I just couldn't adapt for a moment, but now that I'm here, I find it's not a big deal." Ifia wasn't lying. She had hesitated to show up at the art club because of the differences between the noble and commoner classes in the Sissi Empire, which had caused some friction...and this was even more pronounced at the Pryce Academy. However, this was only Ifia's unilateral conclusion; in reality, it wasn't as severe as she thought. Of course, it was also possible that the presence of Amelia made the noble members hesitant to speak up. It was like how the loud dormitory supervisor now spoke softly and gently. Although the members' attitude towards her was cold, Ifia didn't feel upset. On the contrary, she found it a very comfortable social attitude. Not knowing each other, having to greet warmly would only make people uncomfortable. "That's good. I was worried about whether you'd be able to adapt... Nevertheless, there aren't many internal activities for the club, and there should only be this one for the near future." As Amelia comforted Ifia, the president continued to prattle on. It was time to get to the point. "The theme of this internal activity is 'Dream.' There are no restrictions on genre or content; anything related to 'Dream' is acceptable. Please, all club members, put in your best effort. The best work will become a masterpiece in the Empire's art scene, possibly even a masterpiece of a master." The president said with a smile, then waved his hand, and the gathering was immediately disbanded. Ifia, however, sat there in a daze. Although she understood every word the president said, she failed to comprehend it when put together. Although she had heard about the art club's prowess, wasn't it too confident to be the rage of the imperial city's art scene? Weren't they afraid of failure? As Ifia silently criticized in her mind, Amelia didn't linger in the activity room. She stood up from her chair, turned to Ifia, smiled, and gently informed her of their next agenda. "Alright, Ifia, let's go! My private studio is just ahead. As a model, we have to work together to create our artwork!” "Uh?!" "My exclusive studio is right in front. As a model, we have to create our art together!" "⁄(⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄)⁄"