Today, it was only Alia who had accompanied Adelyn to the training grounds.
While Adelyn practiced on her own, Alia initially stood to the side, watching her with interest. However, that interest was fleeting —and didn’t last long.
Soon enough ... she grew bored and walked over to sit on a nearby bench. Pulling out her phone, she began scrolling through her news feed absentmindedly ...
And then—
She suddenly ca across a recent thread trending online.
One that was discussing sothing about the upcoming production of The Empress’s Grief.
Although not many official details had been released online yet, the project had already sparked significant anticipation among netizens.
After all, the movie was being adapted from an old novel —one that had once broken literary records and gained a massive following.
Alia clicked on the thread out of curiosity.
And after scrolling through just a few comnts, she quickly realized what was going on.
It had all started with a picture attached to the article—
A paparazzi shot.
It showed Clara being taken to the hospital.
That alone had stirred a wave of speculation.
People online were now busy guessing what could have caused her sudden hospitalization.
While Clara’s fans flooded the comnt section with concern for her health, others took the opportunity to praise her talent —calling her a goddess, an unmatched actress, and lanting whatever had led her to such a condition.
So comnts, however, drifted away from concern and moved toward excitent.
A few users ntioned how eager they were to see Clara back on screen soon —especially in a major upcoming production.
And then—
Soone dropped a piece of "insider" information.
They claid to have seen Clara recently practicing and auditioning for Director Rhodes’s upcoming project —The Empress’s Grief.
That was all it took.
The discussion exploded.
"Whoa! Watching Clara as Empress redith is going to be such a treat for the eyes," soone comnted. "I heard she is shown as bother elegantly so[phicated and wild, unruly character."
"Yes! I’ve heard the empress character is incredibly complex. No wonder Director Rhodes would choose soone outstanding to portray her," another added.
"Wait —was she already chosen?" soone questioned. "The production team hasn’t yet officially revealed anything. Their page online regarding the casting is still has no clue. I’ve been following every update closely."
"Sa here," another replied. "There were rumors a few days ago that casting had been finalized, but it’s still being kept under wraps."
Among Clara’s fans were also a number of genuine readers —people who had loved the original novel deeply.
They were especially invested.
They weren’t just excited —they were cautious.
Their expectations were high, and they weren’t willing to be disappointed by a poor adaptation.
Still, not everyone cared about caution.
"Haha ... what’s there to be confused about?" another Clara fan chid in confidently. "Since Clara attended the auditions, she must have definitely secured the role. There’s no one else in the industry who can match her right now. Who else would even stand a chance?"
That comnt quickly gained traction.
Others agreed.
But at the sa ti, fans of other actresses jumped into the discussion, trying to defend their own idols with equal passion.
The comnt section soon turned into a battlefield of opinions, speculations, and fan rivalries —no one ready to accept defeat.
Alia read through all of it.
And she couldn’t help but smirk.
There was a quiet sense of satisfaction blooming inside her.
After all—
None of them were right.
Neither Clara, nor any of the other actresses being debated, had secured the role.
The one who had...
Was Adelyn.
"What are you laughing at?" Adelyn’s voice suddenly cut in, pulling Alia out of her trance.
Alia flinched, a little startled.
Looking up, she t Adelyn’s gaze and quickly turned her phone toward her.
"Nothing," she said casually. "I was just reading through these overconfident fan comnts. They’re practically fighting online, trying to guess who got selected for The Empress’s Grief. Little do they know —none of their idols made it."
Adelyn’s gaze briefly lingered on the phone screen.
Then she looked away and asked calmly, "Did the production house start this thread?"
Alia shook her head imdiately.
"No, nothing official has been released yet," she replied. "These netizens are just speculating on their own. It started with Clara’s hospitalization news, and sohow it spiraled into discussions about the script and casting. They’re just curious —nothing more."
rely curious?
Adelyn didn’t think so.
Her eyes sharpened slightly as the thought crossed her mind.
Nothing starts without a reason.
Especially not sothing like this.
If a topic was gaining traction, there was always a trigger —always a motive behind it.
Her lips curled up into a faint, knowing smirk.
Then she shook her head lightly, as if brushing the thought aside.
Alia noticed the gesture and frowned.
"What are you shaking your head at ...??" she asked. "Even if you find them funny, you shouldn’t dislike them. You’ll have your own fans soon. And when that happens, it’ll only be natural for them to support you like this."
Adelyn didn’t argue.
She simply nodded.
Just as Alia was about to say sothing more, her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen, then stood up.
"Give a second," she said before stepping aside to take the call.
Adelyn remained where she was.
She picked up a towel and began drying the sweat off her skin, her focus returning to herself.
But—
Just as she was minding her own business, an unfamilar voice suddenly interrupted her from behind.
"Instead of copying soone else’s moves ... you should focus more on improving your own."
Adelyn paused.
Then she turned toward the voice.
What she saw was a young man standing not far away.
He had striking features —sharp yet composed. Sweat glistened over his toned arms, and his damp hair suggested he had just finished his own practice session.
From the look of him, it was clear—
He wasn’t just a passerby.
He was training here too.
But that only deepened her confusion.
Why did he approach her?
Her gaze settled on him, calm but questioning.
"Sorry—" she said, her tone polite yet distant, "but who are you??"
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