Chapter 10
“What…?”
Lionel said in response to Butler Carl’s question, “The Madame Katana I saw was a beautiful woman with black hair and a slim figure.”
“…You must have seen it wrong,” Carl said hesitantly, “Or maybe she borrowed Madame Katana’s name?”
“Maybe.” Lionel shrugged.
What if Madame Katana really was an ugly woman?
“Marianne wouldn’t like Madame Katana.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Lionel stroked his chin and thought a bit.
“I’ll have to meet Madame Katana. Call her here.”
“What? But Madame Katana rarely comes out of the palace.”
“Butler Carl can do anything.”
Lionel was having fun after a long time.
Madame Katana, a maid around Marianne, who abhors ugly things. It was obvious how much Marianne would hate Madame Katana.
“What are you thinking, Duke?”
“Just follow what I say, Carl.”
Lionel hated the boring life of a noble. But he thought it would be a little exciting now.
“Let rumors spread about how Duke Sentore fell for Madame Katana.”
“No one would believe it.”
Lionel was convinced.
“If they don’t believe it, make evidence and spread it. Don’t you think it’ll be fun?”
A few days later, Marianne’s Coming-of-Age Banquet would be held. Lionel hoped that the rumors of himself and Madame Katana would spread. He wanted to see Marianne’s pretty face distorted.
A few days after the red roses in the royal garden began to bloom, the last tea party was held before Marianne’s 18th birthday.
The noble ladies who received the princess’ invitation, headed to the palace. Beautiful girls who got off the fancy carriages, stepped into the queen’s rose garden and exclaimed, “Roses are starting to bloom.”
“I guess, you can only see blue roses here.”
In spring, the blue roses that began to bloom in time were as fresh and beautiful as the red roses. In the green garden where the roses could be seen, white tables and chairs had been placed.
The vase on the table was decorated with sweet-smelling roses. The delicate glass ornaments next to them were also eye-catching.
“Wow.”
A place where everything was of the highest quality.
The girls’ exclamations continued.
Marianne received guests at the entrance to the rose garden.
“Thank you all for coming.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Princess Marieanne.”
The girls couldn’t take their eyes off today’s star, Princess Marianne.
“Princess Marianne, you are stunning.“
Today’s Marianne was small and cute like a fairy. Her fluttering little dress made her look ethereal.
“I think we also fell in love while looking at the princess.”
“Thank you so much, ladies.”
Marianne was happy to hear voices praising her.
“My mother personally opened this garden for you all.”
“Oh, my.” As the girls came in and sat down, the servants and maids carried delicious cakes and snacks while preparing rose tea.
They enjoyed refreshments and exchanged gifts, chatting about this and that. Riv was called to the rose garden at the end of the tea party.
The silent maid, Elle, said, “Princess Marianne is looking for you.” Elle was an accomplice to Marianne, who’d killed Riv.
The fear of that time eroded Riv’s mind. Elle stood there waiting for her to come with.
There were noble ladies and Marianne in the garden trying to mock Riv. Riv bit her lip.
“Come, Elle.”
After meeting with the Duke of Sentoren at the party, Riv had yet to find a way out and was wasting her time. Except for him, there was no way to change the situation immediately.
The memory of this tea party was painful.
‘But I can’t avoid it.’
Riv followed Elle to the rose garden. However, difficulties arose from passing through the arched entrance of the rose garden.
“Ugh!”
The giant Riv’s dress got stuck in the aisle.
“What’s wrong? Just go in there.”
Elle was apathetic and Riv grunted for a long time before finally falling down. At that moment, the girls’ laughter was in full bloom everywhere.
“Oh my, did the princess call the clown to entertain us?”
“No way, is that Madame Katana?”
Riv turned a deaf ear to the laughter and managed to patch up her dress, to go to Marianne. Marianne waved her hand outright and pretended she couldn’t stand Riv’s stench.
“Riv, introduce yourself to everyone.”
“I-I’m Madame Katana.”
The girls acted very sympathetic at Marianne’s act.
“It’s worse than the rumors.”
“She smells bad, too.”
Marianne was openly amused.
“You’ve heard rumors about Madame Katana, my maid- Rumor has it that she’s a widow or a corpse-wife. Someone said that she goes to graveyards every night, digs up dead bodies and other similar things.”
“Really?”
The girls giggled and Riv lowered her eyes as if nothing had happened.
Marianne’s explanation continued.
“Madame Katana brings misfortune just by having someone next to her. If anyone wants to be unhappy, take this girl. If you want to curse someone, you can cut her hair and take her clothes.”
“That would be fun.”
“But isn’t she in her early 20s?”
“So Madame Katana is not much older than us. But why is she so tacky?”
“Why is she so huge?”
Riv didn’t even blink at the scoffing voices.
‘It’s my second time, but no wonder.’
Dead because of Marianne and back in time, here she is. This was her second time experiencing the girls’ abuse and ridicule.
Riv had found it harder to maintain Madame Katana’s makeup every day than that.
Dragging around this huge dress, not showing her true figure. It was not easy to take a bath once every four days without being caught.
Marianne’s mockery was nothing compared to washing, drying and wearing this huge dress.
“Madame Katana is the ugliest one my mother has ever handed down.”
“Oh my god, what’s wrong with the queen?”
“I’d like to ask the same.”
The ridicule time soon passed. The girls who were laughing at Riv lost interest since she barely even reacted to anything.
Marianne became nervous as the girls began to touch on the other side of the issue. She wanted to be the star today.
The subject that the invited girls would be interested in was very obvious.
Marianne stared at Riv and opened her mouth, “By the way, Riv, you were supposed to go to the duke tomorrow, right? To take my present.”
“What?” Riv was surprised and asked back.
Marianne was excited.
“If Duke Sentoren sees you, he’ll feel terrible.”
The moment Marianne mentioned Duke Sentoren, the girls’ eyes sparkled.
“He likes beautiful things.”
Marianne wouldn’t admit it, but Duke Sentoren was the king’s best choice.
Rich, young and beautiful in a distinguished family. If Princess Marianne and he broke up, they would lose a good groom.
Riv also had a clear picture of the intentions she had. Marianne rather enjoyed the attention.
The girls listened, hoping to hear the story of Duke Sentoren, who did not appear much.
“Do you want to know what the Duke- no, Lionel likes?”
“Tell us, Princess Marianne.”
“What does he like, the infamous Duke Sentoren?”
Marianne became the centre-of-attention again and the girls sat with bated breath. Riv’s situation was strange. A few days after this tea party, Riv would visit the Duke. But it certainly wasn’t the day after the tea party. It was not like there was a mix-up in her memory. Then, why?
‘Why did this variable come up?’
It was the second time this tea party was happening, so it should be the same, but was this just a coincidence?
Riv slipped back. Absorbed in the story, the girls were completely oblivious to Riv’s existence. She moved to the side of the head maid who was watching this tea party with hawk eyes.
“Madam, am I going to the duke tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She replied indifferently.
Baffled, Riv spoke up, “I didn’t hear I had to go.”
“You just heard it, Riv.”
Riv was speechless.
“Then, what about the gift?
“The Duke had sent one on the day after the party, and now it’s too late to reply. We have to hurry.”
Marianne would have ignored the present even if it had come. She would have also belatedly remembered that he had to send a reply. Marianne was spontaneous in everything. Even so, why had the situation changed from the past, as she’d remembered?
The head maid warned Riv, who was lost in thought, “I can’t go, so I’m sending Riv instead. I can’t just send commoner maids to Duke Sentoren. You will go on behalf of Princess Marianne.”
Marianne had a lot of maids, but only the noble ones were the head maid and Riv. Since the head maid was always busy, the only alternative was Riv.
“Don’t think about running away, Riv Katana, because the guard will come with you.”
“Yes.”
“I’m always watching Madame Katana’s behavior inside the palace. Keep that in mind.”
Riv felt trapped.
What if she disappeared before visiting the Duke?
The Queen’s people as well as those of Duke Sentoren would question Riv’s disappearance.
‘Not tomorrow.’
In addition, even if she went to Duke Sentoren, she had no chance but to face him.
She didn’t want to encounter him again.
‘How I wish I could magically disappear.’
Riv said she was a witch, but she couldn’t do anything like that.
“Haa.“
Besides, something was starting to go wrong. Riv couldn’t pin it down. And she was meeting Duke Sentoren again? Her mind became more muddled.