Online and offline audiences pulsed in unison, clamoring for another encore from Cara.

The Musicians' Association representative, growing restless, turned to Atwood.

"Mr. Clarkson, this can't go on endlessly. Other performers are awaiting their turn backstage."

Before Atwood could voice a response, Cara's cheeks flamed with shyness. She hung her head, wanting to vanish.

"Alright, alright, give me a moment." Atwood chuckled, placing a reassuring hand on Cara's shoulder.

"You did an excellent job, young lady. You are now one of the most famous performers in this field."

Cara looked up, her eyes wide. She shook her head and stuttered, "I I... Mr. Clarkson, that's quite the overstatement. I still have mile to go."

Truth be told, she didn't yearn for another stage appearance anytime soon.

Playing the Ancient Zither in the solace of her own space brought more comfort to her than the dazzling stage lights ever could.

The applause was deafening, but as Atwood took center stage, the clapping tapered off.

“I know, you weren't expecting me," he quipped with a wink.

Laughter rippled through the hall.

Continuing in his warm, engaging tone, Atwood explained, “Cara wanted me to convey her deep appreciation. Since somebody dropped out of the performance unilaterally, Cara stepped in last minute. And with that limited notice, she only came prepared with three pieces. It'd be redundant to replay them again, don't you think? Moreover, we've got a lineup of stellar acts waiting in the wings."

Naturally, when Atwood, a renowned conductor, explained, the audience was entirely swayed by his words.

However, they could discern something amiss from Atwood's words.

"Somebody dropped out of the performance unilaterally? Is Atwood talking about Clare?"

“I had assumed Clare was coerced into quitting. Yet, it appears she voluntarily withdrew from the performance. What's the story behind this?"

“Did Clare deceive us?"

A few netizens posted their questions. Weren't Clare's implications consistently about Cara's lack of Ancient Zither playing prowess?

Before the concert, Clare even conducted a live-stream performance for her fans.

However, it now appeared that Clare's musical skills were inferior to Cara's.

An online influencer, boasting an account with over a hundred thousand followers, even issued a statement on her Twitter account.

"My followers are well aware that I am also a student at a music academy, majoring in the same field as Cara. Cara is an outstanding Ancient Zither player, and her skills are commendable enough to secure awards in any competition!

I've viewed Clare's performance video. Truthfully, she lags behind Cara in the way she handled certain techniques and her overall comprehension of the music scores.