Every conversation in the banquet hall slowly came to a stop.
One by one, the guests turned toward the grand staircase.
The soft sound of footsteps echoed from above.
Then—
A figure appeared at the top of the staircase.
The room fell silent.
Kim Hana stood beneath the warm glow of the chandelier lights.
For a moment, no one moved.
She looked…
Beautiful.
Her sapphire-blue dress flowed gracefully around her slim figure, its elegant fabric catching the golden light with every movement.
The dress was simple compared to the extravagant gowns worn by some of the other young women at the banquet.
Yet somehow…
Hana made it look more luxurious than anything else in the room.
Her long, dark hair fell softly around her shoulders, framing her delicate face.
Her fair, smooth skin seemed almost luminous beneath the warm lights.
Her features were soft yet striking.
Elegant brows.
Long lashes.
A perfectly shaped nose.
And lips with a natural rosy tint.
There was something effortlessly beautiful about her.
She wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
She didn’t need to.
Hana slowly placed one hand on the polished railing.
A delicate silver bracelet rested around her wrist.
It was beautiful but unusually simple, designed with a sleek, elegant pattern that looked almost like interlocking leaves.
No one in the room knew that Hana had designed it herself.
No one knew what was hidden inside it.
Not even Seo-ma.
Well…
Almost no one.
The bracelet was more than jewelry.
It was something Hana had created for herself.
A quiet form of protection.
Hidden within the delicate design were two tiny needles.
Only two.
And Hana knew exactly how to use them.
But that was a secret.
One that she intended to keep.
At least for now.
A simple ring decorated with a small sapphire stone rested elegantly on one of her fingers, matching the color of her dress.
Hana slowly began walking down the staircase.
Beside her, Seo-ma followed.
Her midnight-black velvet dress shimmered subtly beneath the lights, the silver details around her waist catching the eye as she descended.
Together, they looked almost like characters from a fairy tale.
One dressed in midnight.
The other in sapphire blue.
The guests couldn’t take their eyes off them.
Then—
Someone gasped.
“Wow…”
“Is that Kim Hana?”
“That’s Kim Hana?”
“I thought she was supposed to be…”
The woman stopped herself.
She looked at Hana again.
“Never mind.”
Another guest leaned closer to her friend.
“She’s beautiful.”
“I’ve never seen her before.”
“Neither have I.”
A young man stared openly.
“After seeing that face, I’d definitely like to get to know her.”
His friend laughed.
“You’re already interested?”
“Can you blame me?”
Another girl whispered.
“She looks completely different from what I expected.”
The comments continued.
Hana heard some of them.
She simply ignored them.
Her expression remained calm.
Cool.
Unbothered.
She continued down the staircase as though she hadn’t noticed the dozens of eyes following her every movement.
Seo-ma leaned slightly closer.
“Look at you.”
Hana glanced at her.
“What?”
Seo-ma smiled.
“You’re making half the room forget how to breathe.”
Hana gave her a flat look.
“Seo-ma.”
“What?”
“Stop talking.”
Seo-ma’s smile widened.
“Fine.”
She paused.
“For now.”
Hana almost laughed.
Almost.
Then—
Soo-min clenched her fist.
Her nails dug into her palm.
How come I’ve never seen that dress before?
Her eyes moved slowly over Hana.
The dress.
The jewelry.
The effortless elegance.
Everything about Hana seemed to fit together perfectly.
And then Soo-min noticed something else.
The men.
The same men who had been staring at her earlier…
Their attention had completely shifted.
Soo-min’s chest rose and fell sharply.
She hated it.
She hated how everyone was looking at Hana.
She hated how beautiful Hana looked.
And most of all…
She hated that she had to admit it.
She actually looks good.
Soo-min quickly turned her face away.
Her jealousy was practically radiating from her.
Then—
Her gaze accidentally landed on someone.
Hwang Ji-ah.
Soo-min’s eyes narrowed.
Ji-ah wasn’t looking at Hana like the others.
There was no admiration in her eyes.
No happiness.
Only jealousy.
A very familiar kind of jealousy.
Soo-min’s lips slowly curled into a smile.
An idea appeared in her mind.
I could use this to my advantage.
She leaned closer to Ara.
“Look at that girl.”
Ara followed her gaze.
“Ji-ah?”
Soo-min nodded.
“I think we could use her to our advantage.”
Ara watched Ji-ah for a moment.
Then she shrugged.
“You’re right.”
She paused.
“Though, honestly, I didn’t know jealousy could be so visible.
I can practically see it from here.”
Soo-min stared at her.
Ara blinked.
“What?”
“That wasn’t funny.”
“I thought it was.”
“Of course you did.”
Soo-min turned her attention back toward Hana.
Her smile slowly disappeared.
Because something had changed.
Until tonight…
Kim Hana had been the girl everyone overlooked.
The illegitimate daughter.
The quiet granddaughter.
The girl who stayed in the shadows.
But tonight…
Everyone was looking at her.
And Soo-min suddenly realized something she hadn’t considered before.
Kim Hana had just stepped into the spotlight.
And Soo-min…
Wasn’t sure she wanted to share it.