Elsewhere, warm sunlight spilled through the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows and pooled across the velvet carpet of a dressing room.
A beauty with wine-red hair cascading over her shoulders sat quietly before an ornate vanity.
A gilded eyeshadow palette lay open. A lipstick tube leaned lazily against a compact. A glass of crimson wine rested nearby.
She lifted the glass, fingertips brushing the chilled surface. When her red lips parted, her voice carried a faint huskiness tinged with alcohol.
"Heh… perhaps this truly will be my final song. Aran, it hasn't been easy for you. All these years, staying by my side."
Several glasses in, a soft flush bloomed across her pale cheeks. The red at the corners of her eyes seemed deeper, blurred slightly by moisture.
Those eyes, once filled with starlight, now held a sadness that would not dissolve.
Behind her, her assistant stamped her foot, cheeks puffed in indignation.
"How can you say that, Miss Eden! You picked me right after I graduated. I was a clumsy intern who couldn't even manage basic tasks. I swore I'd stay with you!"
She clenched her fists.
"And those executives— I can't stand them! You're clearly extraordinary. Your vocals, your stage presence, everything is top-tier! What right do they have to treat you like this?"
"Merchants chase profit. It's only natural."
Eden set the glass down. The base tapped softly against the table.
"There's nothing to complain about. Compared to someone like me, whose novelty has long since faded… she's better at winning hearts."
"She?"
Aran's voice sharpened.
"That woman! All she does is flatter and curry favor. I can't stand her smug expression! One day I'll—"
"Aran. Enough."
Eden reached back and gently patted the assistant's clenched hand.
Her gaze shifted to her reflection in the mirror. Her fingers brushed lightly over the charity performance invitation pinned there.
"After this performance, I'll leave the stage. I'll return to my hometown and become a music teacher for children."
"Aran… when the show ends, you should go home."
There was a subtle reluctance in her voice.
Aran lowered her head, swallowing the urge to say she wanted to follow her. But her family was still in Shenzhou. She could not abandon them.
Silence stretched between them.
Eden leaned back in her chair, letting her body relax. A faintly bitter smile curved her lips.
After a long while, she spoke softly.
"I'm tired, Aran."
"T-then get some rest, Miss Eden!"
"Mm."
"I'll step outside. Rest well…"
Aran closed the door gently behind her.
Only then did Eden turn toward the window.
Her golden eyes drifted to the skyline. Her fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
She had refused to attend several executive banquets. That was enough to earn her quiet exclusion.
Resources once belonging to her were handed wholesale to another woman who obeyed every demand.
To smile falsely and flatter them?
Impossible.
So she used her savings to organize charity performances.
Perhaps this was the most fitting ending for the name "Eden."
A careless beginning.
A quiet ending.
"Heh…"
—
By evening, the concert venue was packed.
Elysia's seat was in the third row, the view perfect.
"Eden! Eden!"
"Eden!!"
Amid the rising waves of cheers, Elysia waved her light stick enthusiastically and joined in.
"Eden! Eden!"
The crowd roared.
Spotlights snapped into place.
A woman in a red gown stepped onto the stage, heels clicking, movements graceful and composed.
"Waaah! Eden!!!"
Elysia's voice rang clear and bright, cutting clean through the noise.
For a brief second, the hall seemed to hush.
Eden paused.
Her gaze fell precisely on the pink-haired girl in the third row.
The girl beside Elysia jumped slightly, clearly not expecting someone to out-shout her.
Elysia's excitement had a reason.
It was her first time seeing someone so dazzling.
Like an angel fallen to earth.
Eden memorized her instantly.
She bowed her head lightly to the audience, a thought forming in her mind.
After the concert, she would meet that girl.
Such unreserved passion deserved acknowledgment.
The piercing scream earlier had not only startled Eden.
Another pair of white-and-gold eyes had turned toward the sound.
Sirin spotted the familiar pink hair immediately.
"Tch. She's everywhere."
"She's bold," Kiana muttered in admiration.
"Elysia's insane."
She genuinely wondered if there was anything Elysia wouldn't dare to do.
Unless, perhaps, the other person simply wasn't cute enough.
Beside Elysia, the girl who had been competing in enthusiasm tightened her grip on her light stick, determined not to lose.
Until Elysia casually removed her mask.
Her youthful yet striking face was revealed.
The girl's shout died instantly.
She had come as Eden's fan.
Now she was half-converted into an Elysia face fan.
Beautiful people were hard to resist.
It must be because Eden herself was so exceptional that even someone like this was drawn here.
When the concert ended, it was past eleven.
Onstage, Eden bowed deeply.
Her arms hung straight at her sides.
After a long moment, she rose and spoke clearly.
"Thank you."
It was both gratitude and farewell.
She did not have the courage to declare her departure openly. She believed time erased all things, including her.
After tonight, the legend of the Pearl of the East would no longer grace the stage.
Backstage, Eden stepped down and pulled her assistant close, whispering instructions.
Aran nodded and hurried to the exit, scanning the departing crowd.
She quickly spotted the pink-haired girl still humming cheerfully.
"Wait— wait!"
She caught up and grasped her arm.
"Hm?"
Elysia turned, puzzled.
"You are…? Is something wrong?"
"Miss Eden… she wants to see you. Will you come?"
The assistant looked slightly nervous.
Elysia's eyes widened.
"Eden?"
At first she thought it a prank. Then she noticed the staff badge around the assistant's neck.
Her heart leapt.
Eden. Really wants to see me?!
As expected, my sincerity can move the heavens.
Hehe.
If it's this effective, I should really go offer incense in Shenzhou next time.
…
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