Chapter 3: Let Them Watch
“Yes, Mara, we have to hurry!” Irina exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDiGN6Pviv
“Okay, ma’am, calm down,” Mara replied, wide-eyed, watching as Irina twirled through the room, dancing and moving from one corner to another.
“Hahaha!” Irina laughed, spinning in a half-circle.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cbWwzqgtN
Mara held up a dress. “How about this one?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJzCjYQY5y
Irina frowned. “No, not that one.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtjlI6wWGP
“But madam, all these dresses are so beautiful!”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnqLjFVRyp
“I know,” she sighed. “But… I don’t like them. I just don’t know why.”
Mara tilted her head. “Hmmm… Do you have something in mind, madam?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXMNQZb5CT
Irina paused, thinking for a moment. Then, softly, “I think I do.”
Her mind wandered. I still remember his eyes… gray, like a storm before the rain. And when the sunlight hit them… oh, Mara, they sparkled. I can’t explain it. And his hair… light golden, like sunrays—that’s how I remember it.
“So, madam,” Mara said gently, “do you want something like that?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3s22OrQKo
“Yes, Mara,” Irina nodded. “I think… I saw something like that once. In my mother’s closet.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmokWo2p7i
“But that room’s locked by Celeste,” Mara whispered.
Irina’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Then we’ll just have to be clever.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WNSMEA92Y
She turned to Mara, smiling. “Let’s go!”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3sjUToIqDr
“M-Madam, I’m scared! What if someone sees us in that part of the house?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQWQF7PhkD
“Don’t worry,” Irina winked. “I come here often.”
Mara hesitated. “I’ll guide you—but you can’t go through the window!”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOSxMrpLFL
“I do it all the time,” Irina said, already climbing. “Don’t worry!”
She slipped through the window with practiced grace, landing in her mother’s old room, long sealed by Celeste. Dust danced in the sunbeams as she began searching.
“That dress… where is it?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKolJXi1MV
She opened trunk after trunk, closet after closet. And then—28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVb55fKAbCn
“Oh! That one.” Her voice softened. “It’s so beautiful.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULZlY2KTmu
She held it close, eyes wet with memory. Mother...
“Okay, Irina,” she whispered to herself, “time to go before Mara dies of fear.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV7Y9qfzWL
Giggling, she rushed back. Mara was waiting, pale with worry.
“I told you,” Irina grinned, closing the door behind her. “I do this all the time.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwCYuxgGq3
“I didn’t know you were this sneaky, madam,” Mara said, exasperated.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6b3Ero5SJO
“Look,” Irina held up the dress. “This is what my mother used to wear.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHrk3v7rD7
Mara gasped. “Madam… It’s so beautiful.”
The next morning, at the breakfast table.
Irina sat glowing, a soft smile playing on her lips. She poked at her food, but her thoughts were elsewhere, far from the cold stone walls of the estate.
Across the table, Stephen is watching her.
Without a word, he slid his chair a little closer, just enough to whisper,28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFzOtZrw3b
“Why are you so happy, sister?”
She looked at him, caught off guard.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AyeQgRt84
“Nothing,” she said quickly, her eyes flicking away.
But Celeste, ever watchful, noticed.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wi2dxGIB7
“What are you two whispering about?” she asked sharply.
“Oh, nothing, Mother,” Stephen replied smoothly. “I was just saying how Irina seems… excited about tonight’s party.”
Their father’s voice cut through the air, stern and heavy.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5WRRPmXV6
“Irina, are you not happy?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
Irina straightened. “No, Father. I am happy.”
He nodded. “Good.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JABTUYJNh
Then, turning to his son, “You should prepare yourself too.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCxwueYQ2S
His finger pointed at him like a warning, though no one quite understood what for.
That morning, after breakfast.
As usual, breakfast ended with cold silence and colder smiles.
“I’m off,” Victor said, standing from his seat and adjusting his coat.
“Okay, darling. Be careful,” Celeste called after him, her voice overly sweet.
“Take care, Dad,” Irina added softly.
Victor paused at the doorway, then turned to her.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJhDBfgW8z
“Irina… make sure you look better tonight,” he said, his eyes sweeping over her with something between disdain and disappointment.
Irina didn’t respond. Her fingers clenched under the table, but her face remained still—unbothered, unreadable.
“Yes, Dad,” Irina said quietly.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwiaeJoRtjv
He walked away without another word.
“Make sure you look good tonight,” Celeste sneered, her voice sharp with disdain. “So that Wanston will like you, and we can finally be rid of you.”
Irina kept her gaze lowered, her face unreadable.
Her stepbrother chuckled. “No, Mother, I don’t think so. Just look at her.”
“But I’ll still pray it happens,” he added, laughing cruelly.
Irina quietly stood and walked to her room, the weight of their words pressing on her like a storm cloud.
Why am I a burden in their lives? she thought, her throat tightening with unshed tears.
She was about to cry, but then paused.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6P8D2ujkA5
No, Irina. Not now.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZjxZ3gEtw
No one is going to ruin your mood today. You have to look good tonight.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWMlOl3B0x
You have to shine. tonight you will meet him .28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNDuHjO9Ih
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She wiped away her tear and began preparing herself for tonight's party.
Meanwhile, Celeste entered Wanston’s room.
“My baby, look! I’ve prepared this for you to wear tonight. What do you think?” she asked with a sweet but controlling smile.
Wanston glanced at the outfit. “I don’t know, Mother. It’s fine… since you picked it.”
Celeste pouted slightly. “Yes, I know it is. But I wanted to ask you first—do you like it?”
“It’s good,” he said absentmindedly, clearly lost in thought.
“You’ll look so handsome in this suit, my boy,” she beamed, smoothing the fabric.
But Wanston was barely listening. His eyes drifted to the window, staring at something far away, something—or someone—on his mind.
Meanwhile, Irina was in her room, singing and giggling as she danced barefoot in the bathroom. Her joy felt new, rare, and fragile like morning sunlight.
“Madam, it’s almost time,” Mara called gently. “Let’s get you ready.”
Irina sat down in front of the mirror, and Mara began brushing her long, shiny light brown hair that matched the warm brown of her eyes. Her fair skin glowed softly, and today—just for today—her eyes sparkled with life, free from the sadness that usually lingered in them. She giggled softly.
“Mara, do you think I look good today?”
“Yes, my madam,” Mara smiled, brushing gently. “You look beautiful.”
“Okay, it’s time,” Irina whispered, standing up.
She carefully slipped into her late mother’s dress.
It was a stunning golden gown, embroidered with silver-gray lace that shimmered under the light. The fabric hugged her waist perfectly, flowing into a soft cascade. A long, sleek chadar was attached at the back, trailing elegantly like a whisper from the past. Her shoes matched—golden with a gray bow.
Irina turned to the mirror.
And paused.
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Mara saw it and stepped closer. “Madam… are you okay?”
Irina nodded slowly, voice soft. “Yes, Mara… It’s just…”
She looked down, gently smoothing the dress with her fingers.
“This dress… it reminds me of my mother. I remember the day she wore it—we went to celebrate her birthday. It was one of the happiest days of my life.”
She smiled faintly through the shimmer of her tears, holding onto the memory like a secret flame.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZ3oxKbf6h
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Mara began to do Irina’s makeup with careful hands, knowing how special tonight was.
She started by gently dabbing a light foundation onto Irina’s fair skin, enhancing her natural glow without masking it. Her skin looked like porcelain—smooth, soft, and luminous, catching the golden light from the chandelier above. A hint of rose blush bloomed across her cheeks, giving her a youthful radiance, as if the happiness from within had found its way to the surface.
Her eyes were adorned with soft gold and bronze shadows, blended seamlessly to bring out the warm depth of her brown irises. A thin line of black eyeliner traced her lash line, just enough to define, not overpower. Her lashes were curled and brushed with mascara, fluttery like whispers—delicate but striking.
Then came the lips.
Mara opened a small glass tube of red lipstick with a glossy finish—Irina’s mother’s favorite shade. She gently applied it, the rich color deepening Irina’s already soft features. The red glowed with a subtle shine, catching the light each time she smiled. It wasn’t bold or seductive—it was elegant, timeless, with a youthful spark that made her look like the heroine of a forgotten fairy tale.
Her face now looked like a portrait—serene and noble, yet filled with quiet strength. A youthful softness radiated from her, like the warmth of early spring after a long winter.
Mara stepped back and smiled. “You look breathtaking, madam.”
Irina met her own gaze in the mirror, almost startled by the transformation. Her reflection wasn’t just beautiful—it was alive. Not just a girl wearing a dress, but a memory, a legacy, and a quiet storm ready to walk into the night.
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