Aria immediately sat up straight on the couch.
“…What kind of outfit?”
The head guard adjusted his gloves respectfully before answering,
“Lady Bali specially prepared a custom suit for you, Young Miss.”
Everyone in the room looked surprised.
“A suit?” Roy repeated.
The guard nodded calmly.
“Yes.
Lady Bali already knew that Young Miss dislikes dresses, so instead of forcing her to wear one, she personally had a special formal suit designed for tonight’s event.”
He paused for a second before adding,
“It’s a limited-edition design made exclusively for her.”
For the first time since the discussion about clothes had started, Aria’s eyes sparkled with genuine excitement.
She immediately stood up dramatically.
“NOW this is what I’m talking about!”
Then she placed a hand over her heart and looked toward the ceiling emotionally.
“Grandma Bali…”
A huge grin appeared on her face.
“You have officially won my heart.”
Shin burst out laughing.
“So all it takes to control you is comfortable clothing?”
Aria pointed at him seriously.
“Comfort is power.”
Jennifer crossed her arms.
“You were acting like a dying cat two minutes ago.”
“That was before the suit appeared.”
The head guard smiled faintly before gesturing toward the door.
“Would Young Miss like to see it now?”
Aria immediately grabbed the guard’s arm dramatically.
“Take me there immediately.”
Roy sighed while watching her excitement.
“She really gets excited over the weirdest things.”
Shuyong shook his head.
“No.
Honestly, this is the most normal reaction she’s had all day.”
A little while later, the doors finally opened again.
Everyone looked toward the entrance curiously.
And then—
Aria walked out wearing a perfectly tailored black-and-white formal suit.
The black coat hung loosely over her shoulders for only a second before she casually removed it and handed it to one of the staff members.
Now she was left wearing only the crisp white formal shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up.
She adjusted the collar lazily before sliding a few black rings onto her fingers.
Her entire appearance gave off an effortless tomboy aura mixed with dangerous elegance.
For a moment, the whole room went silent.
Even Roy looked slightly stunned.
Shin blinked repeatedly.
“…Why do you suddenly look cooler than all of us combined?”
Aria smirked proudly.
“Natural talent.”
Jennifer narrowed her eyes while staring at her outfit.
“…Okay, I hate admitting this, but you actually look amazing.”
Suzumi nodded immediately.
“You seriously look like the main character of some mafia movie.”
Shuyong sighed dramatically.
“Meanwhile, the rest of us just look like her bodyguards.”
Aria pointed at him instantly.
“Good.
Know your place.”
Roy let out a small laugh while shaking his head.
“Your personality ruins every cool moment you create.”
“Thank you.”
Soon, the grand party finally began.
The enormous hall of Nightfall House lit up with golden chandeliers while soft music echoed beautifully through the air.
Powerful businessmen, famous celebrities, political figures, and influential families filled the hall, all dressed elegantly.
The moment Aria entered alongside her friends, many people immediately turned toward her.
Some looked curious.
Some looked nervous.
And some lowered their heads respectfully.
A few minutes later, the atmosphere suddenly shifted once again.
The large entrance doors opened slowly.
Everyone inside the hall became silent.
An elegant elderly woman walked inside gracefully with the support of a silver cane.
Despite her age, her presence alone was enough to dominate the entire room.
Aria’s expression softened instantly the moment she saw her.
“…Grandma.”
Without caring about the crowd around her, Aria immediately walked toward the woman.
The elderly lady smiled warmly before gently touching Aria’s face.
“My little star,” she said softly.
“You finally came.”
As the music in the hall slowly softened, the bright lights focused on the grand stage at the center of the ballroom.
A young woman dressed in an elegant black gown stepped onto the stage with a graceful smile.
She adjusted the microphone before speaking politely,
“Good evening, everyone.”
The hall gradually became silent as all eyes turned toward her.
“We sincerely thank all of you for gathering here with us tonight.”
She bowed her head slightly.
“Your presence has made this evening even more special.”
A soft round of applause echoed through the hall.
The woman smiled warmly before continuing,
“And now…”
Her voice became more formal.
“I would like to invite Lady Bali Nightfall and Lady Elli Starfall onto the stage.”
The moment the name Elli Starfall was announced, whispers instantly spread throughout the ballroom.
Many guests looked surprised.
Some looked nervous.
And others immediately straightened their posture respectfully.
Meanwhile, Aria froze for a second after hearing the name.
“…Grandma’s really here.”
Roy quietly glanced at her.
“You suddenly look nervous.”
Aria crossed her arms immediately.
“I am not nervous.”
Shin raised an eyebrow.
“Your face says otherwise.”
Before Aria could argue back, the grand staircase beside the stage lit up beautifully.
And then—
Bali Nightfall slowly appeared beside an elegant woman whose presence alone made the entire hall fall completely silent.
Bali Nightfall stepped closer to the microphone with a graceful smile on her face.
“Tonight,” she said calmly, “we have a special surprise for all of you.”
Curious whispers immediately spread throughout the ballroom.
Meanwhile, Aria suddenly narrowed her eyes suspiciously from below the stage.
“…I already don’t like where this is going.”
Roy slowly stepped away from her.
“Something tells me we should prepare for disaster.”
Beside Bali, Elli Starfall smiled elegantly before taking the microphone into her hands.
“Our family has made an important decision regarding my granddaughter.”
The hall instantly became silent again.
Aria blinked once.
“…Granddaughter?”
Then she slowly pointed at herself.
“…Wait.”
Elli continued calmly, completely ignoring Aria’s growing panic.
“We have officially fixed my granddaughter’s engagement with the son of the CEO of the Farision Group of Companies.”
For one second—
The entire hall froze.
Then loud applause suddenly erupted everywhere.
Meanwhile—
Aria stood completely motionless like her soul had left her body.
Shin’s eyes widened dramatically.
“…ENGAGEMENT?!”
Jennifer nearly choked on her drink.
Roy covered his face with one hand.
“I knew this party was dangerous.”
Suzumi stared at Aria in disbelief.
“You’re engaged?!”
Shuyong looked equally shocked.
“And you didn’t tell us?!”
Aria finally snapped out of her frozen state.
“BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW EITHER!” she shouted loudly enough for nearby guests to turn toward her.
Up on the stage, Elli smiled calmly like nothing had happened.
Aria pointed toward the stage dramatically.
“This is exactly why I hate rich family surprises!”…