Chapter 32

Hannah’s POV

The Transformation

I couldn’t stop staring at my reflection.

Even after several minutes, it still didn’t feel real.

The girl in the mirror looked like someone who belonged in a palace.

Someone confident.

Someone important.

Not someone who used to juggle three jobs just to survive.

Not someone who counted coins before buying food.

Not me.

“You’re thinking too much again,” Tianna said gently behind me.

I blinked slowly, realizing I had been frozen in place.

“Can you blame me?” I murmured.

My voice sounded softer now.

Uncertain.

Still shocked.

She smiled faintly.

“No.”

A pause.

“But we don’t have much time.”

That pulled me back to reality immediately.

Time.

The ball.

The triplets.

The people.

The staring.

The whispering.

My stomach tightened again.

“What else is left?” I asked nervously.

Tianna stepped forward, her hands already moving with practiced ease.

“Your hair.”

I swallowed.

“My hair?”

She nodded once.

“Yes.”

I watched carefully as she moved behind me, gently lifting sections of my hair.

Her fingers were steady.

Careful.

Experienced.

“Sit,” she instructed softly.

I obeyed, lowering myself into the cushioned chair placed in front of the mirror.

The soft padding sank slightly beneath my weight.

Comfortable.

But my body still felt tense.

My fingers rested tightly in my lap.

Twisting slightly.

Restless.

“Relax,” Tianna murmured.

“You’re stiff.”

“I’m nervous,” I admitted quietly.

“That’s expected.”

Her fingers moved through my hair slowly, brushing through every strand with patience.

Untangling.

Smoothing.

Arranging.

The soft sound of the brush sliding through my hair filled the room.

Steady.

Rhythmic.

Almost calming.

Almost.

“What if I embarrass them?” I asked suddenly.

Tianna paused briefly.

“Embarrass them?”

“Yes.”

My voice dropped lower.

“What if I walk wrong?”

“What if I say something stupid?”

“What if”

“You won’t,” she interrupted gently.

I frowned slightly.

“You don’t know that.”

She resumed brushing.

Slow.

Gentle.

“You underestimate yourself.”

Maybe.

Or maybe I just knew my place too well.

“Those people at the ball…” I whispered.

“They’re nobles, right?”

“Yes.”

“They grew up in wealth.”

“Yes.”

“They know how to behave.”

“Yes.”

I swallowed hard.

“And I don’t.”

Silence followed.

Heavy.

Honest.

Real.

Tianna leaned slightly forward, meeting my gaze through the mirror.

“Then learn.”

That made me pause.

“What?”

“Watch them,” she said calmly.

“Listen carefully.”

“Observe.”

Her voice remained steady.

Confident.

Certain.

“You don’t need to be born into wealth to carry yourself with dignity.”

Something about that sentence stayed with me.

Settled deep in my chest.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe confidence wasn’t something you were born with.

Maybe it was something you learned.

Something you practiced.

Something you chose.

Her fingers began moving faster now.

Sectioning my hair carefully.

Twisting pieces gently.

Pinning strands into place.

I watched every movement through the mirror.

Curious.

Nervous.

Fascinated.

Slowly

Very slowly

My hair began to take shape.

Soft curls formed near the ends.

Pinned elegantly along one side.

Leaving the other side flowing freely across my shoulder.

It looked… graceful.

Elegant.

Different.

“Wow…” I whispered quietly.

Tianna smiled slightly.

“Not done yet.”

My heart pounded faster.

Still nervous.

Still unsure.

But also…

A little excited.

She stepped away briefly, retrieving a small wooden box from the table.

When she opened it

I froze.

Inside were brushes.

Powders.

Small glass containers filled with colors.

Soft tools I had only seen in magazines.

Never in real life.

“Makeup?” I whispered.

She nodded once.

“Yes.”

My stomach twisted slightly.

“I don’t need that.”

She raised a brow.

“You do.”

“I’ll look fake,” I argued.

She shook her head.

“You’ll look polished.”

That didn’t calm my nerves.

Not at all.

Still

I stayed seated.

Letting her work.

Letting her guide.

Letting this moment unfold.

Her fingers touched my chin gently.

Tilting my face upward.

“Close your eyes,” she murmured.

I obeyed.

Immediately feeling the soft brush against my skin.

Light.

Gentle.

Ticklish.

The sensation felt strange.

Unfamiliar.

But not unpleasant.

“What if they laugh?” I whispered again.

Tianna sighed quietly.

“You keep repeating that.”

“Because I’m scared.”

That admission felt heavier than expected.

Raw.

Honest.

Unprotected.

Silence filled the room briefly.

Then

Her voice softened.

“They won’t laugh.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

Her hands paused slightly.

Then resumed moving.

Careful.

Steady.

“Because when they look at you…”

A brief pause.

“They don’t see someone weak.”

My breath caught slightly.

“They see someone strong.”

That made my chest tighten unexpectedly.

Because I didn’t feel strong.

Not fully.

Not always.

But maybe…

They saw something I didn’t.

Her brushes continued moving across my face.

Adding soft color.

Gentle shading.

Careful detail.

Minutes passed slowly.

Quietly.

Peacefully.

Until finally

She stepped back.

“You can open your eyes now.”

My stomach twisted again.

Fear.

Excitement.

Nervous anticipation.

All mixed together.

Slowly

I opened my eyes.

And froze.

The reflection staring back at me…

Didn’t just look beautiful.

She looked powerful.

Confident.

Elegant.

My lips parted slightly.

Shock flooding through my chest.

“I… I don’t recognize myself,” I whispered.

Tianna smiled softly.

“That’s because you’re seeing yourself differently now.”

I leaned slightly closer to the mirror.

Studying every detail.

Every change.

Every new feature.

The soft glow on my skin.

The gentle color on my lips.

The elegant curve of my lashes.

It was still me.

But… enhanced.

Stronger.

Sharper.

More defined.

For the first time

I didn’t feel small.

But the feeling didn’t last long.

Because fear returned just as quickly.

“What if they stare too much?” I asked quietly.

Tianna chuckled softly.

“They will.”

That didn’t help.

Not even a little.

“Because you look beautiful,” she added.

My cheeks warmed slightly.

Heat spreading across my face.

Beautiful.

That word still felt unfamiliar.

Too big.

Too unreal.

Then

A knock sounded suddenly at the door.

Firm.

Controlled.

Recognizable.

My heart jumped immediately.

“Who is it?” Tianna asked calmly.

“Lucien.”

My breath caught.

Instantly.

My hands tightened in my lap.

Nervous energy rushing through my body.

“May I enter?” his voice came again.

Low.

Steady.

Dangerously calm.

Tianna glanced at me.

Waiting.

My heart pounded harder.

Faster.

Louder.

Was I ready for them to see me?

Was I ready to step into their world?

Was I ready to face what came next?

I swallowed slowly.

Then nodded.

“Yes…”

My voice barely above a whisper.

“He can come in.”

And somehow

That moment felt bigger than just opening a door.

It felt like stepping into a new life.

One I wasn’t sure I was ready for.