Lorelei chose a sapphire-blue evening gown to complement her beautiful deep-red hair. The color combination was a classic, though no one knew she had drawn inspiration from the red-carpet looks of many deep-red-haired Hollywood actresses on Earth—such as Isla Fisher and Jessica Chastain. Paired with striking, sexy flame-red lips and snow-white skin, Lorelei was certain that this simple evening gown would make her the center of attention at the banquet, second only to the Emperor.
By comparison, Countess Katarina Karkov had not spent much time on her makeup.
She had carefully selected a black backless evening gown. The dress was bare from the back down to her left thigh, held together only by crisscrossing black straps, while the long skirt consisted of sheer black tulle and fringe. She accented her neck with a pearl necklace for a sharp color contrast, wore long black sheer gloves with swan-head designs reaching to her elbows, and placed several enormous gemstone rings over the gloves, presenting herself as a sexy and elegant noblewoman.
Anyone could tell that Countess Katarina Karkov was more experienced when it came to choosing clothing. Perhaps part of the reason was that Lorelei's wardrobe simply was not as large. Countess Katarina Karkov knew very well how to indirectly obtain power from male rulers. It was a skill she had continuously practiced and learned since entering adolescence, and matching clothes with jewelry was merely one aspect of it.
She knew that the arena of power was a battlefield. Sometimes, she had to give male rulers opportunities to approach her while offering the same to her rivals; only then could she gain more leverage in the competition. Lorelei, who had always relied on magic, seemed much more immature—or rather, far more direct. Thanks to the Asgardians' linear thinking and the convenience of