Chapter 11
The next day, a carriage from the royal family carrying Riv headed to Duke Sentoren.
The carriage heading to the royal road ran for 40 minutes and entered the mansion, located at the end of the street.
As the mansion got closer, Riv’s heart began to pound furiously.
‘Duke Sentoren.’
She regretted attempting to give a clumsy bird kiss to Duke Sentoren.
‘He must have been puzzled.’
Riv caressed the bonnet that wrapped her face tightly. She felt like she was getting suffocated.
‘In addition, I told him my name.’
Riv was an idiot.
‘But Duke Sentoren won’t remember me.’
He wouldn’t be in his mansion at this time.
The same was true before her returning to the past, and now.
Even if there were variables, Riv’s daily life had not changed much yet.
‘So, there’s no need to meet Duke Sentoren again.’
Riv was truly confident.
The carriage carrying her slowed down and crossed the main gate of the mansion. The horseman shouted from inside .
“Madam Katana will be in there soon.” Riv’s guard and escort also told her this.
“You can’t stay in the mansion for more than 10 minutes.”
“Yes.”
After crossing the garden, the carriage stopped in front of the main building.
The coachman opened the door of the carriage.
Riv tried to get off the carriage with Princess Marianne’s gifts and letter in her arms, but she almost lost her footing because of the dress’ huge hem.
“Madame!”
She managed to balance herself, but that was only after creating an ugly skit.
“Madame, are you okay?”
Riv refused to take a helping hand and raised herself slowly. The mansion’s servants and escort, who were out to greet Riv, tried to suppress laughter and looked at each others’ expressions.
“This way, the butler is waiting for Madame.”
As the servants of the duke took the lead, Riv stepped into the mansion.
This was her second time stepping into the duke’s mansion.
This place looked huge and magnificent as it was when she first saw it.
‘Since I’m here, should I leave behind their family treasure?’
Riv recalled the magic ruby ring hanging around her neck.
But if she returned to the past with the ruby ring, where would the current timeline’ s ruby ring be?
If the magic ring was removed from her, there was a possibility that the magic of Riv’s returning to the past would be broken.
‘I can’t leave my ring behind.’
First of all, she thought that she had to finish her business quickly and go back. Even in the middle of the day, it was dark in the mansion.
The mansion, which looked like an antique museum, had a large hall, which she saw the moment she entered.
Above the hall was a huge staircase.
Portraits of Duke Sentoren’s ancestors were located on both side walls of the stairs.
Riv’s gaze found a portrait of the previous ducal couple located at the bottom.
A middle-aged gentleman with platinum blonde and sharp eyes along with a beautiful middle-aged woman who gave off a gentle impression and had deep amber eyes.
Riv saw a crude ruby ring on the woman’s left hand.
She was the real owner of this magical ruby ring.
‘I’m sorry. I’ll use this ring a little more.’
It was selfish, but inevitable. If she gave up the ring, she might die soon. If she died, all of these efforts she had made after coming back to the past would be ruined. Riv didn’t want to die again.
“Madame Katana.”
A white-haired man in a black suit greeted Riv. He was the Duke’s old butler.
“I’m Butler Carl. I received a message that Madame Katana, the princess’ maid, has brought her gifts and letters.”
“This is Madame Katana. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Riv was just happy that they did not point their fingers at her or laugh at her.
“But what were you looking at, Madame Katana?”
Riv paid attention to the portrait above the stairs.
“I was amazed that the portraits of the previous duchess were so good.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The old butler replied with a gentle smile, and Riv recalled her purpose of coming here.
Riv took out letters and gifts from Princess Marianne, who he had cherished.
She politely handed it over to the butler with maximum courtesy.
“I brought a letter and a gift from Princess Marianne de Prayte to the Duke of Lionel de Sentorren.”
“Carl Ahadhorn, the butler of the duke, will receive letters and gifts from Princess Marieanne.”
A beautiful box containing the princess’ letters and gifts was received on a silver tray prepared by the maid and servants behind the old butler.
After they stepped down, the butler still did not give way.
“Madame, please wait here.”
“……?”
Riv became anxious.
It was a new outcome compared to what had happened in her previous life.
As if he saw her anxiety, the old butler said, “We’re preparing some exquisite desserts for Princess Marianne. Please wait a little longer.”
Before Riv’s return to her past life, she had stayed here for only ten minutes.
Out of that, five out of ten minutes were spent handing Princess Marianne’s gifts and letter to the butler. The rest of the five minutes were the time for when the snacks prepared for Princess Marie Anne had to be packed.
Something was definitely different!
A different situation than before irked her.
“I don’t know when Princess Marianne will need me, so I have to go back soon.”
When Riv mentioned this in hopes of gaining their understanding, the butler smiled and said, “A new patissier is preparing snacks for Princess Marieanne. There was a problem with the oven, so it was delayed.”
Marianne liked sweet desserts and snacks.
In particular, she liked Duke Sentoren’s snacks, so Riv would have been in trouble if she didn’t take them.
“Then, I’ll wait here.”
“Please wait in the drawing room next door.”
At the request of the butler repeatedly, Riv reluctantly headed to the small reception room.
‘It’s my first time here.’
Riv looked at the feminine drawing room attached to the first floor.
The small drawing room had a completely different atmosphere from the magnificent outside.
The place, decorated with sweet pastel-tone sofas, flower-patterned furniture, and flowers, looked like a space for the mistress of the mansion.
Riv pretended to sit in the chair by the entrance for a while.
Just in time, the maid approached and asked Riv, “I’m thinking about getting some tea. Madame, are you okay with waiting for a bit?”
“Yes.” Riv struggled, answering in a dull way.
‘Why did I come into this drawing room?’
Even this minor change was contemplated by Riv.
‘Is it because on the day of the hunting competition I came into contact with Duke Sentoren?’
Where did this variable come from? She couldn’t leave her seat immediately because she had no excuses. As soon as Riv’s anxiety grew, a tall man appeared at the small entrance of the drawing room.
“What is it?”
The old butler and maid standing at the entrance bowed their heads.
“Master, have you arrived?”
Lionel de Sentoren had appeared.
“Ah!”
Riv forgot what she was doing for a moment, and froze.
Duke Sentoren was dressed in a shirt and pants. His tall figure and wide shoulders looked more prominent because of his attire. He leisurely entered the drawing room and settled on the sofa.
“We have a guest.”
“Yes. Madame Katana is here.”
“Hmm.”
Duke Sentoren beckoned casually to the butler and maid.
“Leave. “
The maid put down the tea cup and left.
The old butler put down Marianne’s letter and gifts in front of the Duke.
“Master, Princess Marianne has sent her maid, Madame Katana. She’ll be brought out in front of you.”
“Okay.”
Riv forgot to breathe and lowered her eyes. If there was a rat hole, she wanted to hide. She wanted to fade away slowly and disappear.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Why was Duke Sentoren coming out?
This man shouldn’t have been here. They definitely didn’t even meet in her previous life! Conflicting thoughts ran around in Riv’s head.
On the night of the hunting party, it was a mistake to introduce herself as Madame Katana to the Duke of Sentoren. And she didn’t even know he’d come down here himself.
‘What is he thinking?’
Just why did he come here himself? Why?
Riv felt dizzy, her mind was chaotic.
She wasn’t sure if he understood her disguise at once or thought it was someone else similar.
‘He isn’t a fool.’
She couldn’t make eye contact with him, so she just bowed her head. Duke Sentoren opened his mouth.
“Is it because I’m dressed comfortably?”
“I-It’s nothing.”
This was Duke Sentoren’s mansion.
As long as he was dressed in something, there was nothing she could do.
“But you didn’t introduce yourself. You and I are meeting for the first time, right?”
Riv’s throat was choking up.
“I’m Madame Katana, a maid under Princess Marieanne.”
Riv decided to play along, as if she had met him for the first time. She was very nervous.
“I’ve heard about you, Madame Katana. Look up.”
Only then did Riv face Duke Lionel Sentoren. Lionel appeared lazy because he wanted to be informal and comfortable.
Duke Sentoren’s short platinum blonde hair was messy and he looked a little sleepy. His shirt was also wide open, exposing his chest muscles.
His body also reeked heavily of alcohol.
The flower-patterned sofa occupied by the tall muscular man with the large body, wide shoulders and long legs, looked pitifully small.
“As you’re aware, I’m Duke Sentoren.”