Chapter 3: Let Them Watch
“Yes, Mara, we have to hurry!” Irina exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPEyxAKESv
“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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFovzSsrBcn
Mara held up a dress. “How about this one?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilk3144B3S
Irina frowned. “No, not that one.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoseOBczoQ
“But madam, all these dresses are so beautiful!”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1I396Opd7c
“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?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHHdsETkKy
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?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXgP23Lisf
“Yes, Mara,” Irina nodded. “I think… I saw something like that once. In my mother’s closet.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHHqR4WEIQ
“But that room’s locked by Celeste,” Mara whispered.
Irina’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Then we’ll just have to be clever.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWXPQaK9Ew
She turned to Mara, smiling. “Let’s go!”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnPKd1DvJ2
“M-Madam, I’m scared! What if someone sees us in that part of the house?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUVu1eY44c
“Don’t worry,” Irina winked. “I come here often.”
Mara hesitated. “I’ll guide you—but you can’t go through the window!”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkJscXB893
“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?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCx1IcpjznC
She opened trunk after trunk, closet after closet. And then—31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqWyUBRKT0
“Oh! That one.” Her voice softened. “It’s so beautiful.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrDfXKMHwS
She held it close, eyes wet with memory. Mother...
“Okay, Irina,” she whispered to herself, “time to go before Mara dies of fear.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoRXyuk3yb
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.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHM0CheGzSz
“I didn’t know you were this sneaky, madam,” Mara said, exasperated.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7crkE4jZMQ
“Look,” Irina held up the dress. “This is what my mother used to wear.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ785602bmPW
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,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbje0xGkGR
“Why are you so happy, sister?”
She looked at him, caught off guard.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezQK4upPs5
“Nothing,” she said quickly, her eyes flicking away.
But Celeste, ever watchful, noticed.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAd6dhe8T3u
“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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSSvNx1570
“Irina, are you not happy?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
Irina straightened. “No, Father. I am happy.”
He nodded. “Good.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA00rw08TRY
Then, turning to his son, “You should prepare yourself too.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwdB0wogzz
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmSoDlgSvG
“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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRz0g87P18
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrAPurDJGG
No, Irina. Not now.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYb7WVeFxeB
No one is going to ruin your mood today. You have to look good tonight.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTscFvAKMe
You have to shine. tonight you will meet him .31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvK5BryHgN
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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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2xsIL8JrL
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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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