After finishing dessert and even fruit, they were finally able to leave Ryan’s family home.
“Good job, Secretary Alii.”
“Yes, I’ll…”
Ryan left without waiting for her response, heading straight to his room. He had never fully acknowledged her greeting when they returned home together after handling household chores.
As expected, Alice trudged up to the second floor, feeling exhausted.
“Ah, I’m so tired.”
It wasn’t that Lincon and Nathan were scary or uncomfortable. It was just that since it was a false marriage, she felt tense, not knowing what questions might come up, which drained her energy.
Alice threw her bag onto the bed and sat down on the vanity chair to look in the mirror.
“Did my freckles bother you?”
Alice let out a low chuckle.
Thank goodness. I didn’t get caught.
She was relieved that no one had noticed today either.
She didn’t want to be discovered. Not her true self,
Not even by Ryan.
Alice raised her finger and rubbed the freckles densely clustered on her cheeks.
As her finger passed, the freckles vanished like magic.
Alice took off her black horn-rimmed glasses that had been resting in the center of her face.
After soaking a cotton pad with cleansing water, she began to rub it on her forehead. The freckles that had spread across her cheeks and the fairly large mole next to the corner of her mouth disappeared as if they had never been there, under Alice’s repeated gentle strokes.
The lips, which she had deliberately dulled with a thin layer of concealer, regained their rosy and luscious shape.
Finally, she tousled her hair, which had been pressed down by a curly bob wig that fell just below her eyebrows.
The clean face reflected in the mirror was so beautiful that the word “beautiful” seemed insufficient.
When she opened her eyes wide, which had been slightly droopy on purpose, her large and clear pupils revealed a different look from earlier. Her thick and long double eyelids, as if she had false eyelashes on, made Alice’s bright eyes even more striking.
With skin as white as porcelain, a cute little button nose in the center, and lips that seemed to be moist and red, it was clear at a glance that Alice was an exceptionally rare beauty.
The person sitting there was completely different from Alice, who had left for work.
Because of her rare beauty, Alice diligently concealed her appearance every morning with makeup and brushes.
For Alice, her pretty looks were a misfortune.
***
Since she was young, Alice has been a local celebrity due to her attention-grabbing appearance.
If someone didn’t know the name ‘Wesley Alice,’ it was as if they were cut off from conversations with friends at school.
During her student days, the innocence of that time added to her allure, making Alice shine brighter than emeralds.
With long straight hair and a height of 170 centimeters, her legs looked long and well-proportioned in her school uniform. She received so many casting offers that her home was filled with business cards.
She was a student who couldn’t help but attract attention wherever she went.
There was even a twist to it.
“Wow, Miss Alice. You’re at the library again today?”
“Right? I heard she made it into the top ranks again… Isn’t life just unfair?”
“She studies hard despite her looks. It’s definitely unfair that she’s smart too.”
“Her parents must be so proud. Unlike my mom, they can brag about their daughter all they want.”
Alice was a girl who broke the stereotype that pretty friends couldn’t study. Contrary to her looks, her academic performance was at the top tier.
Alice had high self-esteem and a competitive spirit. She hated seeing her grades drop. She often engaged in friendly competition with her best friend Olive, helping each other improve their specs.
As Alice focused on her notes, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, revealing her cheeks that looked like ripe peaches, tempting enough to take a bite. Her red lips, as if they were chewing on something, ignited the hearts of many young men.
Two girls with bobbed hair sitting across from her whispered while glancing at Alice.
Being admired and envied was part of her daily life.
Alice, as if to block out the noise, put her earphones back in.
Wherever she went, many things happened because she attracted attention.
It was common for unknown boys to follow her, or for strangers to suddenly grab her wrist.
But until then, Alice didn’t dislike people in general.
There were more good people around her. She thought there were just a few odd ones.
Until she realized that knowing someone could be scarier.
…..
Alice’s parents ran a restaurant called ‘Golden Dragon Noodles.’ They had been operating it since Alice was born, making it a well-established restaurant for over 20 years. Thanks to good word of mouth, they even operated a chain.
