The other contestants were stunned by Melanie's action. They could not wait to find out what would happen to those who stepped forward.
No one could have predicted the words that came out of Bella's mouth the moment this happened. Their jaws dropped when they heard her announce, "Lunastella's vote will go to Melanie Greyson."
The audience was dumbstruck.
'What just happened? The vote was placed just like that?'
'Is this some kind of a joke? The vote went to the one who isn't a professional singer.'
'Did the producers plan this segment to lighten the mood?'
'You can see the shock in all the other contestants' eyes too, and even the host is frozen with the microphone half-raised. He probably doesn't know what to say to this either.'
'Hah! I want to know why the vote went to her. What's the logic behind this?'
The crowd was slowly stirring from their shock. Some of the contestants were regretting that they had not stepped forward, while some were indignant about the results, and some were envious of Melanie.
Amidst everyone's uproar, the smile on Vania's face deepened. It seems like it's Melanie's lucky day today.
Melanie had made it a point to choose an outfit befitting a queen today. Now that she stood under the spotlight, she looked every bit like a deserving champion. The only thing missing was her crown.
The host maintained his cool as he continued to interview Bella. "Can you tell us the reason behind Lunastella's vote? I think a lot of the contestants and audience are keen to find out as well."
"Of course." Bella spoke convincingly. "The style of Lunastella's newest song is very different from her past creations, so she wants to find a naturally-gifted singer who has never been molded in any particular way before to sing her song," she said.
As if she were afraid that the others would not get her explanation, she added, "Lunastella believes that it's easier to create a masterpiece on a blank canvas."
The contestants all nodded in agreement as they cursed themselves for not stepping forward earlier. They had let such a wonderful opportunity slip through their hands.
This time, the host turned to Melanie. "Please share your thoughts with us, Melanie."
Melanie accepted the microphone with a smug smile. "I'm very surprised, but also very thrilled. It's an honor to be selected by Lunastella, and I won't let anyone down."
Her words were gracious and very suitable for such an occasion.
Melanie was certain that victory was hers, and she was as proud as a peacock as she carried herself with an air of superiority.
The host went to the center of the stage. His voice trembled slightly in his excitement as he announced, "I will now announce…"
"The winner! Who's the winner?!" The audience was impatient to find out what the results were going to be.
Even though there was a ninety-nine percent chance that the winner would be Melanie, the audience was still waiting to see if there could be an unexpected twist.
"Today's champion is Melanie Greyson!"
As soon as the host announced her name, Melanie surged over to the award stage and began to wave at everyone. She was smug and full of pride.
Petals rained down onto the stage as the air filled with colorful bubbles, and the music turned festive. The crowd began to cheer, and the atmosphere at the venue was lively and energetic once more.
This was in stark contrast to the comments in the live stream.
'After so many rounds of competing, the champion is the one who came in fifth place?'
'What's the point of competing, then?'
'Is the competition rigged? Why does the champion feel like the weakest singer among all of them?'
'Is that person on stage really Lunastella's assistant? This result is nothing like the Lunastella I know about.'
'These types of competitions are all a show. The winner would have been decided right from the get-go. Lunastella probably didn't have a choice either.'
All in all, there was barely any support for the fact that Melanie was crowned the champion. Instead, everyone reacted with incredulity.
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