Chapter 033: Involuntary Actions

On the day of the anniversary, Leo waited for Seraphina so they could head to school together.

However, after finishing his morning workout, having breakfast, going upstairs to wash up, and changing his clothes, Leo waited downstairs for nearly twenty minutes without seeing Seraphina descend. He couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.

Seraphina, of course, had long been awake. Earlier that morning, when Leo returned from his run and spent some extra time in the gym, he had encountered her there.

The Pierce family members all shared the habit of morning exercise, and Seraphina was no exception. It was just that her routine differed from Leo’s; she typically woke up twenty minutes later than he did. Moreover, while Leo mostly ran in the courtyard, she preferred the gym, so their paths rarely crossed.

Leo had recently started adding gym sessions after his runs simply because the gap between his skills and Seraphina's had been such a blow to his confidence; he was determined to improve his physique.

They had eaten breakfast together after leaving the gym and had gone upstairs at roughly the same time. Leo knew his sister was not a procrastinator. Since they had agreed to go to school together, she wouldn't keep him waiting long.

Yet now, twenty minutes had passed and she still hadn't appeared.

It was abnormal.

Worried, Leo prepared to go upstairs to check if she had slipped or fallen while getting ready. Although the likelihood of such a thing happening to someone with her skills was slim, it wasn't impossible.

Just as he was about to head up, he saw Seraphina slowly descending the stairs.

She was wearing a long, pale green dress. The dress featured only a few embroidered flowers; the craftsmanship was exquisite, yet the overall look was incredibly simple and elegant. It was perhaps the most low-profile dress in her entire wardrobe.

Leo could guess her intention behind choosing it—she simply didn't want to stand out too much.

However... despite the dress being undeniably understated, he felt that his sister was incapable of being inconspicuous. Especially today.

After staring for a long while, Leo finally realized why his sister looked even more striking in such a plain dress. It wasn't just because of her exceptionally beautiful face, but because today...

She was wearing makeup!

Because of her upbringing and refinement, she usually wore a bit of makeup when going out, but it was always so light it was practically negligible. Today was different. She hadn't just applied subtle eye makeup; she was also wearing lipstick. Even though the colors were not bold or intense, the effect was clear.

Seraphina, catching Leo staring intently at her, felt her footsteps momentarily stiffen. "...Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

If one listened closely, there was a hint of self-consciousness in her voice.

She wanted to attend the anniversary but didn't want to be high-profile, so she had specifically chosen a dress that wasn't flashy—one that would theoretically vanish into a crowd. But... heaven only knew why, while picking out a "simple" dress, she had nearly turned her entire walk-in closet upside down.

It wasn't that she lacked simple dresses. On the contrary, given her temperament, she had plenty of them. Usually, she was never one to dally; she could decide what to wear the moment she stepped into the closet. Decisive and swift.

Yet today...

Furthermore, having always gone out with minimal makeup, she had no idea why, while sitting at her vanity, she had felt possessed to apply eye makeup and lipstick. The colors were faint, yes, but she was certainly more polished than usual.

After finishing her makeup, she had sat there in a daze for a while, repeatedly asking herself:

What am I doing?

She clearly wanted to be low-profile, yet she spent ages picking a dress and then put on makeup. She was going to a school anniversary, not a date...

Seraphina was already uneasy, and seeing Leo stare at her so blankly made her even more self-conscious. Fortunately, she was composed enough not to let Leo see through her. Otherwise, wouldn't it be quite embarrassing?

"It's nothing. I just thought you looked very beautiful today, Sis."

Beautiful?

A surge of joy rose in Seraphina's heart. The feeling came and went so quickly she didn't even notice it herself. She gave him a smiling, sidelong glance. "Do you even know how to talk? Is there a day your sister

isn't

beautiful?"

"True. You're beautiful every day, Sis."

Leo didn't deny it. But he still felt she was exceptionally beautiful today. He figured that perhaps she chose a low-profile dress to avoid too much attention, and applied makeup because she would inevitably be visiting her former teachers at the anniversary; being well-groomed was a sign of respect.

Aside from that, Leo couldn't think of another reason. Surely she wouldn't have dressed up specifically to see a certain person? In his mind, Seraphina wasn't the type of person to do such a thing, nor was there anyone with the capability to make her act so out of character.

Seraphina lacked mind-reading skills and didn't know what Leo was thinking. However, hearing him say that touched her deeply. She gave a faint smile. "Since when did you become so smooth-tongued? Still, I like hearing the truth."

Looking at the handsome youth waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, Seraphina’s eyes felt slightly warm. A vivid, smiling brother who complimented her—it was truly wonderful.

Leo: "..."

Although such a narcissistic sister was a bit much, seeing her in such high spirits improved his own mood. He said briskly, "Sis, if we don't leave now, we'll miss the opening ceremony."

Sea City First High placed great importance on the centennial anniversary; events like opening and closing ceremonies were indispensable.

Seraphina laughed as she came downstairs, taking the gifts she had asked Auntie Du to prepare in advance to visit her old teachers. They weren't expensive items, just small tokens of her appreciation.

As soon as she took them, Leo took them from her hands to carry them for her. Seraphina didn't argue; the items weren't heavy anyway. But her heart felt warm.

As luck would have it, as they stepped out of the main building, they encountered Silas and Sylvia, who were also preparing to head out. The two were in their car, which had just started moving before coming to a stop when they saw the siblings.

Silas was driving, and Sylvia was in the passenger seat. Seeing the pair, who were so outstanding in appearance, the expressions of those in the car stiffened slightly. However, they quickly regained their composure.

Sylvia leaned out and greeted them warmly: "Seraphina, Leo, are you heading out?"

Silas and Sylvia didn't seem to know about the anniversary, or perhaps they did but hadn't been invited. Seeing the siblings together, they didn't immediately connect it to the school.

Before they could answer, Sylvia added, "It’s not strange for Leo to head out this early since he usually goes to school or the company at this time. But what about you, Seraphina? Do you have work?"

For some reason, Seraphina gave her a very strange feeling. Every time she met those dark eyes, she felt uneasy. She thought it was just her until Silas told her the other night that he also felt she was odd.

Work would be good. The sooner she left Sea City, the better—and for as long as possible. Ideally, she should stay away until they dealt with the rest of the Pierce family! Otherwise, she and Silas might not be able to resist moving against her.

Others might find it hard to believe, but both she and Silas felt that Seraphina was a greater threat to them than either Xenia or Leo!

Upon seeing the couple, the smiles on Seraphina and Leo’s faces faded.

"No," Seraphina said. "I’m going to First High."

At her words, the expressions of Silas and Sylvia stiffened again.

First High? The centennial anniversary? So Seraphina had received an invitation?

For an old school like Sea City First High, especially for its centennial, there were naturally many successful alumni. But not just anyone could receive an invitation. Only a few with significant achievements were qualified.

Their own achievements weren't small—they had gone abroad after high school and succeeded in their respective fields—yet they hadn't been invited. Seraphina was their junior, so many years younger, yet she was invited!

If they hadn't returned to the country, or if they had returned quietly without anyone knowing, they wouldn't feel so uncomfortable about not being invited. But they were back, and their return was public knowledge in Sea City. They didn't believe the organizers didn't know they were back. Yet, they were still ignored...

Initially, they hadn't felt so disgruntled about it, especially since the old classmates they kept in touch with hadn't been invited either. But learning that Seraphina was invited made them feel bitter. It implied that in the eyes of the school, they were inferior to her! How could they accept that?

Sylvia gave a strained smile. "First High? To participate in the anniversary?"

Seraphina replied indifferently, "Yes."

"Then I wish you and Leo a good time. Actually, your uncle and I received invitations as well, but I’ve been so busy preparing for my fashion show that I really can't spare the time. And your uncle has been given great responsibilities by his boss; since he just joined the company, taking leave might leave a bad impression. Since I couldn't go, he didn't want to go alone, so we decided to skip it."