Chapter 522 : Explosive Popularity
Chapter 522: Explosive Popularity
Hearing Julie-Anne’s heartfelt praise, Janna only smiled lightly, then glanced at her through the mirror and said in a slightly teasing tone,
"Then when the official performance begins tomorrow, I’ll be counting on you to make me even more beautiful—to captivate those audiences completely."
"Of course! I’ve been studying the makeup design for tomorrow’s performance for months now!"
Julie-Anne, who had absolute confidence in her own makeup skills, patted her chest and assured Janna with great enthusiasm.
"Is that so? Then I’ll be looking forward to it tomorrow."
"No problem!"
Up until now, even though Janna had rehearsed “Withering Rose” countless times, there had only been two occasions where she had practiced while fully dressed in costume and makeup.
However, even during those two times, David-Berg had made several suggestions to the main cast—especially regarding Janna’s makeup—leaving her still uncertain about the final look of 【Isabelle】’s character.
咚咚咚一"Come in."
Along with the sound of knocking, as Julie’s voice echoed, Winnie, who had hurried up the stairs, pushed open the dressing room door.
"Miss Janna, the carriage from 【Kirlia Workshop】 has arrived downstairs."
"Alright, I understand. Thank you for reminding me, Winnie."
"N–Not at all! It’s my duty."
Ever since Janna had joined the Nightingale Opera Troupe, Winnie had been responsible for driving her carriage, and even now, whenever she thanked him, his face would still flush red and his words would come out stammered.
"Let’s go then. We shouldn’t keep anyone waiting."
After confirming that all her accessories were in place, Janna went downstairs together with Julie-Anne and Winnie, heading toward the mechanical carriage at the door that carried an exquisite craftsmanship design.
——
At the same time, in Dordogne’s Magical Steam Train Station—
"Whaa——"
Accompanied by a sharp whistle of steam, a pitch-black magical steam train slowly pulled into the station.
As it entered, steam sprites, drifting like clouds and mist, poured from the exhaust vents and covered the floor of the entire waiting hall.
"Dear passengers, greetings. The train has successfully arrived in Dordogne. Please take your belongings and exit in order from the rear doors—"
Hearing the broadcast, Jenny, who had been on the train for nearly forty-eight hours, dragged her small luggage bag and disembarked with the others from the rear carriage.
"Finally! This trip almost killed me."
To save money, Jenny had only purchased a regular hard seat ticket, which meant she had endured the whole journey sitting upright.
"When I go back, I’m definitely getting a sleeper ticket, or else I’ll die on the train for sure!"
She rubbed her stiff neck, utterly traumatized from the long ride, swearing never to suffer again just to save a few coins.
"Oh no, it’s already this late! I need to get to the inn quickly, or I’ll miss the afternoon ticket sale!"
Having already watched Janna’s performances in “Bloodshadow Rose” and “Song of the Ocean,” Jenny had also bought cassettes to repeatedly listen to 【Olivia】’s solo parts. Last time, she had even traveled all the way to the Elemental Soul Wizard Congregation to witness Janna’s live performance during the 【Andrew-Gamp Transfiguration Trial】.
In other words, Jenny was a die-hard fan.
So, a few days ago, when she read in the newspaper that Janna would star in a new opera in Dordogne, she wasted no time—asking for leave from her boss and immediately buying a ticket for the magical steam train to Dordogne.
For that reason, Jenny absolutely refused to let herself miss the ticket sale for “Withering Rose” due to being late!
"Driver, please hurry! If you keep dawdling, we won’t make it for the afternoon ticket sale!"
Meanwhile, in another carriage of the same train, the reporter Celine, carrying several bags of luggage, called out loudly to a tall, scruffy-bearded male reporter behind her.
"I know, I know. I’ve got it under control."
The senior reporter, Matthew, who was also hauling several bags, checked to make sure nothing had been left behind before finally following her at a leisurely pace toward the exit.
"The station’s still a bit far from Dordogne, and we haven’t even booked a hotel yet—come on, hurry up, teacher!"
Although Celine had been officially promoted to a full reporter a year ago, she still preferred to work with her mentor and long-time partner, the veteran journalist Matthew, who had guided her since her very first day on the job.
"Let’s leave the hotel for later. First, we’ll head straight to the Nightingale Opera Troupe and line up early. Otherwise, by the time we get there, the tickets will be gone."
Hearing that, Celine frowned slightly.
"But tomorrow’s the Spring Festival. If we don’t find a room today, we might have to sleep on the street—"
"Don’t worry, I’ve got a distant relative here in Dordogne. We can stay there for a few days."
At his words, Celine’s tense expression instantly relaxed into a bright smile.
"Teacher, you’re the best!"
——
Time passed quickly, and just as Matthew predicted, although there were still two hours before the official ticket sale at the Nightingale Opera Troupe, the line outside had already stretched beyond sight.
"Teacher, you really do have foresight! If we hadn’t come early, the tickets might have been gone already!"
Seeing the endless crowd behind them, Celine, who was standing near the front of the line, felt a surge of admiration for Matthew’s judgment.
Once again, to save on travel costs, she and Matthew had journeyed all the way from the Turin Wizard Congregation to Dordogne not by magical airship but by transferring through multiple trains—enduring the trip with sheer willpower.
"Remember this—opportunities are always reserved for those who prepare. Never lose something great over something small."
"I understand, teacher."
Meanwhile, near the back of the line, Jenny—who had been delayed booking her inn—looked at the seemingly endless queue with a bitter smile.
"If I’d known everyone would come this early, I’d have arrived a day sooner..."
Still, judging from her years of experience attending operas, she figured there was still a good chance she could get a ticket.
However, as a devoted fan of Janna, Jenny had no intention of sitting among the general audience—her goal was the VIP section!