Chapter 25: Preparation

For tonight’s event, I chose a casual black knee-length dress with short sleeves. I paired it with my favorite white sneakers and a white watch wrapped around my left wrist. I let my long black hair fall freely, straight and natural, adding a sweet touch to my appearance.

“I told myself already,” I murmured inwardly, “as long as it looks neat.”

I have never liked overly complicated or flashy styling. I prefer something simple yet elegant. Girly without being excessive, casual without losing a polished impression.

I turned to the right. Dara was sitting beside me in the same car. She was taking off the jacket that had been covering part of her body, as if deliberately waiting for the right moment.

“Dara,” I called softly. “Why are you even taking off your jacket?”

She did not answer right away. When the jacket finally came off, I froze. My gaze swept over her from head to toe. My brows furrowed, then my eyes widened uncontrollably.

Dara was wearing towering high heels, paired with a small handbag in a matching color. A striking red silk dress clung to her body, its length above the knee, with a bold and revealing neckline. Her neck was adorned with three layers of pearl necklaces, while her wrists were crowded with colorful bracelets. Her hair was neatly pinned up, leaving a few soft strands framing both sides of her face. Her makeup was heavy, dominated by vivid red lipstick.

I stayed silent for several seconds, then snapped back to myself.

“What is this, Ra?” I asked rapidly. “Are you seriously going to wear a red dress that bright? Where did all this come from? Your powder, your lipstick. Oh my God. Where are you planning to go looking like this?”

In my opinion, her appearance was completely strange. Extremely unusual.

“To a night event,” she replied lightly.

“I know,” I retorted irritably. “What I mean is, what kind of event is this that makes you dress up like you’re about to go on stage?”

Dara usually never chose striking colors. She always said she was not confident mixing bright colors with her skin tone. Besides, she owned stacks of fashion magazines filled with guides on dressing for different occasions, the latest trends, makeup techniques, and beauty tips. So it was only natural that I was shocked to see her like this now.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Dara protested nervously while holding both of her cheeks. “What’s wrong with my powder anyway? Too thick? That’s impossible. You’re just imagining it.”

“Are you seriously not aware of how thick your powder is?”

“Impossible,” she said quickly. “I already blended it evenly.”

“Dara,” I looked at her seriously, “you never wear powder this thick.”

She fell silent for a moment, then looked away.

“You think you can fool me?” I pressed. “I know how your mind works. You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You deliberately changed your appearance,” I said. “And I know the reason.”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Frel.”

“Still not willing to admit it?” I deliberately raised my voice and stared at her sharply.

Dara immediately panicked. “Fine, fine, I admit it,” she finally said. “I intentionally made my powder thicker so my face wouldn’t look too dark. Otherwise, people might think there’s a floating dress.”

I almost laughed, but quickly held it back. Dara was already pouting and looked upset, and I knew how sensitive she was when it came to skin color. I chose to swallow my reaction.

After all, Rian had fair skin. Dara’s skin tone took after their father more, while Rian inherited their mother’s clear, fair complexion.

When it came to skin color, Dara often complained. She said her mother was unfair for passing everything on to Rian. Of course, it was not a matter of distribution. Strangely enough, the one who most often became the target of her complaints was their father. Fortunately, their father was a patient man.

“Then,” I continued, “where did the idea for that red lipstick come from?”

Dara’s expression instantly turned enthusiastic. “I looked it up on the internet last night,” she said excitedly. “They said women who wear red lipstick can look sexier and more attractive. Luckily, Mom has red lipstick. I borrowed it.”

No wonder. Apparently, the inspiration came from a brief search on the internet.

But then I noticed something strange. There was something odd about Dara’s chest area. I narrowed my eyes and leaned forward slightly. Dara instinctively stepped back while crossing her arms over her chest.

My suspicion grew stronger.

“What is that?” I asked, pointing at her chest with my chin.

Dara shook her head vigorously. “Nothing at all.” She grinned awkwardly.

“Why are you panicking?”

“I’m not panicking.”

“You are panicking.”

“No.”

I smiled faintly. “You’re hiding something.”

“There’s nothing.”

“Oh really?” I pointed out the window. “Is that Kenn?”

“Where?” Dara immediately turned to look outside.

I nearly laughed. The moment she was distracted, I pulled out two rolls of white fabric that were sticking out from inside her dress.

I froze.

“Dara,” I said quietly. “What is this?”

She turned back and stiffened.

“Socks?” My voice rose an octave.

I blinked several times before laughter burst out uncontrollably. My laughter was loud, impossible to hold back.

“Are you serious?” I asked between laughs.

“Fine, go ahead, laugh all you want,” Dara grumbled as she snatched the socks from my hand.

“Incredible,” I said, shaking my head. “Your preparation is truly thorough.”

She had actually stuffed her chest with socks to make it look fuller. In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of a small smile on Mr. Komar’s face, Dara’s driver. I had no idea what was going through his mind right now.

“I just want to look better,” she said defensively.

“You already look good,” I replied. “Even without the socks.”

She snorted. “You don’t understand.”

“I understand perfectly,” I said.

“I’m sure,” Dara said confidently, “Kenn will be completely mesmerized by my appearance tonight.”

She played with a strand of her hair and smiled mysteriously. Her red lips parted slightly, then she puckered them toward me with a flirtatious expression.

“Stop,” I said quickly. “That’s terrifying.”

Dara giggled.

I leaned my head back against the seat. “I really want to see Kenn’s reaction later.”

“Why?”

“Because this can end in only two ways,” I answered casually. “He’ll be captivated, or he’ll run away to save himself.”

Dara laughed softly. “We’ll see.”

I let out a slow breath and stared ahead. Whatever happened later, one thing was certain.

Tonight would be far from ordinary.

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