Chapter 15
“……”
Riv didn’t deny it.
Riv roughly gathered her messy hair with her hands and pinned it back.
She flattened her hair and used the crumpled bonnet to cover her head so she wouldn’t look suspicious.
The old, large bonnet was crumpled on one side, but it was enough to cover her face.
“Can you walk, Madame Katana?”
Lionel held out his hand, but she turned away from it. She stumbled, perhaps because her shock was so great. Lionel grabbed her and made her lean on him.
“If you don’t want to fall, lean on me.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
“Do you want to be carried instead?”
Riv was forced to receive his support until he left the drawing room.
Soon the numbness in her legs dissipated and she was no longer off balance, so she pushed Lionel away.
She didn’t want to be embarrassed by him anymore. Relying on this man was terrible.
“Hey, Madame Katana.” Riv was appalled by the name Madame.
Bl**dy ‘Madame’! Riv was never engaged to anyone, let alone married!
“Everyone is waiting outside.”
When Riv appeared, the Duke’s old butler, who was holding a box of sweets for Princess Marianne, stared at Riv.
Even though Lionel was beside her, the butler was not surprised.
“Princess Marianne’s favorite sweets.”
The freshly baked pies and sweet cookies smelled delicious.
Riv didn’t feel any hunger. It just made her uncomfortable to have Lionel standing behind her.
“Thank you for escorting me, Your Grace.”
“Hmm.”
“I will deliver the gift to Princess Marianne.”
Riv interrupted him.
Lionel quickly leaned down and whispered in her ear.
“I look forward to seeing you next time, Madame Katana.”
Riv walked out onto the Duke’s porch.
There, a carriage was waiting. Lionel followed closely behind her. Then Riv saw the coachman open the carriage door for her.
She headed for the carriage, and walked away from him.
***
“Why is Madame Katana so late?”
The escort standing next to the coachman was busy.
He was impatient, thinking that if he was even a little late, a decree would fall from the palace.
[E/N: A decree falling basically means that he will be punished or removed from the palace for his mistake]
“She’s coming out.”
The grumbling escort was busy waiting with the carriage door open.
Only the coachman noticed the strangeness of Madame Katana and tilted his head.
“Huh?”
Madame Katana was supported by the Duke of Sentoren.
However, the atmosphere between the two seemed awkward.
“…..?”
Madame Katana only stayed there for twenty minutes.
However, Madame Katana appeared to have lost weight and her relationship with the Duke of Sentoren looked very suspicious.
The coachman watched the actions of the Duke and Madame Katana with squinted eyes as the escort was collecting the Duke’s gifts.
When the Duke of Sentoren spoke to Madame Katana, he was ignored.
It seemed that Madame Katana was trying to pay no heed to the Duke of Sentoren.
‘Isn’t this strange?’
The coachman had heard about the scandal between Madame Katana and the Duke of Sentoren that was spreading everywhere.
A story that seemed to have been spread by someone on purpose, but no one believed it. However, the moment he saw it with his own eyes, he was convinced.
‘This is unbelievable.’
The behavior of the Duke of Sentoren, who was the so-called cold-blooded duke, seemed friendly.
He didn’t seem to realize that his gaze was fixed on Madame Katana.
The Duke of Sentoren was also tall and had a huge build, but even this large man was obscured by Madame Katana’s pile of clothes.
‘Why is the Duke looking at that woman?’
Everyone knew that Princess Marianne hated the Duke of Sentoren. Princess Marianne also hated Madame Katana.
‘Is that why the Duke of Sentoren chose Madame Katana?’
What if the princess’s maid, who harbored malice towards Princess Marianne, seduced the Duke of Sentoren?
What if the taste of the Duke of Sentoren, who had never had a scandal, was actually a fat and ugly girl?
What if the Duke of Sentoren intended to cause a scandal with Princess Marianne’s ugly maid to insult her? The coachman’s imagination was flying as free as a bird. The story of Madame Katana and the Duke of Sentoren was already infamous. With the addition of eyewitnesses and testimonies, the rumor would spread with substance.
***
Small banquets between Philip II and Queen Selina were often held at Ailte Palace.
There were various dances and social gatherings in the royal capital as well. Gentlemen gathered in salons and clubs, and the ladies also had their own meetings.
[T/N: Like horse-riding clubs.]
The rumors that spread through such gatherings were out of control.
The seamstresses and assistants who came to the palace to finish Princess Marianne’s coming-of-age dress were also aware of these rumors.
They looked around after finishing the last tricky embroidery job.
Luckily, there was no one around.
They did not miss the opportunity.
“Did you hear about Princess Marianne?”
“You mean the Duke’s scandal?”
“Is it real?”
The seamstresses, unaware of the rumor, heard the news in the whispers of other seamstresses.
The seamstresses’ eyes widened quickly.
“Does it make sense?”
“Has anyone seen Madame Katana in person? Does she look that bad?”
“She’s a fat maid with a strange face.”
Princess Marianne, her fiancé the Duke of Sentoren, and the princess’ ugly maid, Madame Katana.
The love triangle between these three people was a dizzying story to hear.
There were eyewitnesses, but they couldn’t easily believe the bizarre and vain rumors.
The lovely only daughter of the Royal Family, Princess Marianne. The best groom for the Royal Family, the Duke of Sentoren. And ugly Madame Katana.
“If this is true, what about Princess Marianne?”
“Didn’t Princess Marianne say she didn’t like the Duke of Sentoren? Maybe she got engaged far too young, so she had bad memories?”
“Even so, Madame Katana was chosen by the Duke of Sentoren.”
Rumor has it that the Duke of Sentoren is gorgeous and better than anyone in bed.
They said there were countless women who wanted to enjoy the hot nights he has to offer.
However, why is the Duke of Sentoren involved in a scandalous affair with Madame Katana?
Madame Katana was used as the epitome of ugliness and horror in the palace.
The seamstresses sympathized with Marianne.
“The Duke of Sentoren really is cruel.”
“Is it the harmful effect of a strategic engagement? It would be nice if it was done with someone the Princess really likes.”
Madame Katana, who was tall and ugly, was represented as an object of twisted desires. The Duke of Sentoren was insane and the fairy-like Princess Marianne was thought of as an innocent victim.
However, the parties to the rumor were the last to hear about it.
Marianne went to the studio where the seamstresses were, to see the finished dress.
As she walked towards it, she heard them talking.
“…!”
Marianne was contemplating and looked back at her handmaiden and El.
“Are those rumors real?”
“Th- that.”
“Did such a rumor really spread?”
The handmaiden and El turned blue.
The seamstresses were busy chatting amidst themselves, so they didn’t notice that Marianne had approached.
Marianne turned her body and left without even entering the studio. As she ran out into the garden, her face was horribly contorted.
“Princess.”
Marianne ordered El.
“Catch the gossiping b*tches and dig up all the rumors.”
“Ha, ha, ha.”
When El avoided her gaze, Marianne realized.
“El, you knew too. You and the handmaiden must have heard the rumors, right?”
Marianne was the one who sent Riv directly to the Duke.
At that time she was told that the Duke was at home.
“Ha, they were together?”
She thought the two would never get along. Lionel, who had exquisite taste, would never choose Madame Katana.
Even if Madame Katana was the only woman left in the world.
“If Lionel and Riv were together, you’re saying it could be a love triangle, including me?”
The handmaiden and El were silent at Marianne’s joke.
“It has spread like a real love triangle scandal. How far has it spread?”
“Ah, everyone who deserves to know, knows.”
The handmaiden, who thought it could no longer be hidden, confessed. Marianne screamed.
“Call Riv, quick!”
“Calm down, Princess.”
“If even those gossiping women know about the rumors, then everyone already knows! What of my honor?”
The handmaiden tried to appease Marianne, but it was not enough to calm her down.
The maid shook her head in distress.
“Princess, calm down. Tomorrow is your coming-of-age ceremony. You must hold the ceremony properly and punish them after that.”
“Aaaah!”
Marianne, who had screamed out loud, raised her head, grinding her teeth.
Only anger burned in Marianne’s eyes.
“Yeah, the coming-of-age ceremony should be held properly. I can’t ruin my image with these vain rumors.”
Marianne took a deep breath.
Tomorrow is Marianne’s 18th birthday and her coming-of-age ceremony.
Many aristocrats, including the royal couple, Marianne, aristocratic girls her age, her fiancé, and her maid Riv will all be gathered in one place to have a grand celebration.
Marianne asked her maid if she would celebrate Marianne’s birthday.
“Riv, does that girl know about this rumor?”
“We do not know.”
“There’s no way Lionel would like ugly Riv. Maybe he purposely spread terrible rumors in order to tease me.”
Marianne hated Lionel. His broad shoulders and harsh face, his unsophisticated words and actions, and his violent behavior were all so terrible.
The red scar that ran across the left side of his face was appalling.
But how can he be rumored to be with Madame Katana?
Marianne wanted to kill both her fiancé, the Duke of Sentoren, and Madame Katana.
“What is Riv doing now?”
“After finishing the work ordered by Princess Marianne, she’s embroidering.”
“I told you that what she makes is terrible!”
“Compared to her size, she is a girl that’s good with her hands. She is also much better at embroidering and sewing than most seamstresses.”
“There are a lot of girls who are better than Riv.”
“Hah.”
Despite the maid’s reluctance, Marianne made a decision.
“I can’t stand Riv anymore. Take care of it.”