Chapter 74:
Makenna’s POV:
Holding the hemline of my dress, I entered the banquet hall, the gasps of amazement and surprise filling the air around me. Despite the attention, I remained composed, carrying myself with the calm elegance I had cultivated over the years.
Alice, who had arrived earlier, stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Oh my gosh! Makenna! You look absolutely stunning tonight. Where on earth did you get that dress?”
A sly smile tugged at my lips as I lifted the hemline slightly. “Take a closer look,” I teased.
Alice examined the dress closely, and after a few moments, understanding dawned on her face. “Ah, I get it now! No wonder you asked me to find threads and needles. You modified it yourself, didn’t you?”
I nodded, a satisfied smile playing on my lips. She was right. The dress was the very one Hayley had given me, but with some careful tailoring, I had turned it into something extraordinary. I had asked Alice for the supplies and spent hours fixing and enhancing the dress.
“You’re incredible, Makenna!” Alice exclaimed, giving me a thumbs-up. Admiration was clear in her eyes. “Not only can you climb better than anyone, but you’re also an amazing tailor.”
I chuckled softly, amused by her enthusiasm. “Thank you, Alice. But let’s not get carried away with the compliments.”
“By the way, Makenna, how did you learn to tailor clothes?” Alice’s curiosity was evident.
Her question pulled me back to memories I’d rather forget, my smile fading as dark thoughts clouded my mind.
I remembered a time when I was still Frank’s mate. He was just a soldier back then, always roughing it out in training, his clothes constantly in need of repair.
I had felt sorry for him, so I taught myself to sew, determined to fix his torn uniforms. Over time, my skills improved, and I began making new clothes for him.
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He’d been so grateful, his smile as bright as Alice’s was now.
As I became better, Frank rose in rank, from a lowly soldier to Gamma.
But as his status grew, he no longer needed my hand-sewn clothes. We had the means to buy new ones, and somehow, the distance between us widened, too.
“Makenna? Makenna?”
Alice’s voice broke through my reverie, snapping me back to the present.
“Yeah?” I turned to her, meeting her worried gaze.
Alice waved her hand in front of my face. “What’s wrong, Makenna? You seemed lost in thought.”
“Nothing,” I quickly reassured her, forcing a casual tone as I answered. “I just picked up sewing out of interest, that’s all.”
Alice nodded, accepting my answer, though she still seemed concerned. She was about to say something else when an all-too-familiar, grating voice interrupted.
“Makenna! Where did you get that dress?”
I turned around, annoyance flickering across my face. As expected, Kristina stormed over, her eyes blazing with resentment as they locked onto my dress.
I knew exactly why she was furious, but I kept my expression neutral, raising an eyebrow as I answered calmly, “Is there a problem?”
“Hayley gave it to you?” Kristina’s face twisted in disbelief. She whipped around to glare at Molly, her voice sharp as she demanded, “Explain this!”
Molly, equally stunned, stared at me in confusion. She looked me up and down several times, her bafflement growing. “I… have no idea.”
A sneer tugged at my lips. This only confirmed my suspicions—Kristina had been behind the plot to humiliate me.
But I kept my composure, feigning ignorance as I asked, “Is something wrong? Is there an issue with my dress?”
“You!” Kristina seethed, glaring at me with unspoken rage, but she couldn’t find the words to accuse me outright.
Molly, for her part, was equally speechless.
I suppressed the urge to laugh at their predicament. They knew they had tried to trick me, but they lacked the courage to admit it in public.
Suddenly, a group of young women from noble families approached, their eyes wide with admiration as they surrounded me, showering me with praise.
“Excuse me, miss, where did you buy this dress? It’s absolutely stunning.”
“Yes, you look so lovely and elegant. Which family are you from? I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.”
