The lights in the venue had gotten so dark that one could not even see one's own hand, with the only beam of light focused on the center of the stage.Suddenly, Charlotte emerged from backstage, slowly making her way to the spotlight. As she stepped into the light, the entire venue lit up with a snap.In the dazzling lights of the runway, all eyes were fixed on Charlotte.Lucy widened her eyes and stared at Charlotte intently.The design of Song of the Red Lotus was indeed impressive and worthy of the spotlight. Like its name, the dress was vibrant red, which made the wearer look much more radiant.It was a floor-length dress, but subtle adjustments had been made to the hemline. Instead of busy patterns, the designer opted for diagonal lines to accentuate the wearer’s figure and legs.To highlight the waist, Koven paired the dress with a tasseled pearl belt.Under the spotlight, the meticulously crafted belt shimmered brilliantly.If not for the sparkling diamonds and delicate
How the heck did Charlotte convince a world-renowned designer like Koven to let her wear this dress?Lucy thought about Charlotte’s attitude toward herself, and she began to come up with a plausible explanation.Perhaps Charlotte resorted to some form of coercion to make Koven comply.He was a well-known figure in the fashion industry, after all. He could not be easily swayed otherwise.The worst-case scenario Lucy could think of was that Charlotte threatened Koven.Maybe she warned him that if he did not create a runway-worthy outfit for her, she would ruin his entire career.Charlotte was certainly capable of making such threats.While Koven sat in the audience with a grim expression, Charlotte remained oblivious to why people were constantly taking photos of her. She just thought that her attire had finally dispelled the various criticisms about her. She just continued to strike poses in the middle of the runway, making the whole situation all the more amusing.Lucy heard
Although Lucy did not claim to be the person who knew Charlotte the best, through her interactions with her over time, Lucy had already grasped the meaning behind her every move. Lucy could notice even Charlotte's micro-expressions.Charlotte might be smiling and trying not to lose her composure in front of the cameras, but the fury in her eyes betrayed her true emotions.Charlotte heard every word the two female celebrities said as the front-row audience members were sitting very close to the stage. They were almost within arm’s reach of the models.It was impossible for Charlotte not to have heard them. If that was the case, it was either because she did not care about what they said or there was genuinely a problem with her hearing.Seeing as her reputation was at stake, Charlotte still forced a smile in front of the media. Besides, there were so many reporters from reputable media outlets present. If tomorrow’s headlines were about her losing her temper, it would be disastrous.
After stepping off the runway, Charlotte’s first order of business was to confront the two female celebrities and demand an explanation for their comments.Once the audience dispersed toward the reception area, she intercepted the path of the two women.They were happily chatting away when Charlotte reached out to stop them in their tracks.“I heard every word you said under the runway stage. I’d like you to say it again to my face.”The two celebrities did not know what she was getting at, but one of them boldly spoke up, “We just think that your performance today was a total trainwreck. Among all the models, you were the worst one.”Seeing her companion’s frankness, the other celebrity quickly intervened to stop her from saying anything further.Charlotte was burning with anger at this point. How dare these two unknown actresses criticize her outstanding performance?She had put in so much effort by receiving coaching from famous models and having the renowned designer, Koven,
Laughing at others was something only losers did, but Lucy could not help herself.Images of Charlotte being overconfident kept appearing in her mind. She did not want to say much at first because how could a narcissist heed someone else’s advice? Moreover, Charlotte was always on the verge of losing her temper with her.Charlotte questioned, “Why are you laughing? Do you think I’m embarrassing?”Looking at her presumptuous face, Lucy had completely given up on her.Regardless of what Charlotte might do in the future, Lucy would not even try to give her advice as it would be utterly pointless.“What exactly do you want?”Lucy only hoped Charlotte would not tarnish the royal family’s reputation any further. As for everything else, it was none of her concern.Charlotte grabbed Lucy’s arm and refused to let go, but Lucy could not be bothered to argue with her anymore. She simply shook off her hand.“Let go… I have something to do.”Lucy had come here to talk to Koven in hopes of
Charlotte was the one to blame for this. She was always so bitter, thinking that the entire world was against her. It was the aftermath of the many sins she had committed, so if anyone was to blame, it was her.Lucy almost poked her fingers at Charlotte’s forehead, but she held back as they were standing at the corner of the staircase between two floors. It might be secluded, but if anyone were to pass by, they would definitely notice the tension between them. That would only worsen the situation.“I don’t want to waste my time on you. Move!”Lucy was one step away from stepping on Charlotte’s feet. Charlotte refused to let go of her, so Lucy grabbed her arm, making her cry out in pain.“Lucy, you…”Before Charlotte could do anything, Lucy successfully shook off her hand and fled the scene.Lucy secretly hoped that Charlotte would not follow her, or she would have to forget about talking to Koven today.Fortunately, Lucy was wearing low-heeled shoes today, so running was not an
Was that all? Koven was still somewhat skeptical. After being deceived by Charlotte, he could no longer trust anyone, even if Lucy had set aside her princess demeanor to approach him with questions.Therefore, Koven decided to test whether Lucy had any real skills. If she did, fine, but if she did not, he would immediately leave the room and never return.“Let me ask you some questions first. Do you know what international awards I’ve received?”It was not a difficult question at all. Anyone with even a slight understanding of Koven would know that he had won numerous prestigious international awards, boosting the reputation of local designers.However, someone like Charlotte would know absolutely nothing about Koven because she only sought to manipulate others for her own gain. If she was able to turn the situation into such a disaster, she was definitely not aware of his achievements.Luckily, Lucy had done her homework before coming, but it was not like she had studied him for
Lucy smiled confidently. “Of course. I’ve dabbled in all things related to the fashion industry, so it’s part of my preparation."Koven’s first impression of Lucy was very much positive, unlike Charlotte's.He could not fathom how their personalities could be so different when they were both from Charleston’s royal family.Without wasting more time, he asked, “At last year’s Milan Fashion Week, what was the inspiration for the outfit on the third model?”Lucy’s mind spun quickly. This kind of question was child’s play for her. She had spent so much time doing thorough research to quickly break into the fashion industry that she even dreamed of these things.“Easy. At last year’s Milan Fashion Week, there was only one runway show, and the entire collection was Regency-inspired. It was inspired by the oil paintings of the Regency era that went viral last year.”The outfit incorporated elements of the landscape oil paintings of that era.Designing such an outfit was challenging as