Chapter 24
“Why Madame Katana?”
The king silently waited to find out why.
The king had already been informed about the situation between his daughter, Madame Katana, and the Duke of Sentoren.
It was something the Duke could have if he wanted to. A lowly girl like Madame Katana wasn’t important.
Subsequent work was carried out in an instant.
The Duke of Sentoren’s and the royal family’s vassals were present and signed a document terminating the engagement between Lionel and Princess Marianne. Lionel opened his mouth as soon as he finished signing.
“Where is Madame Katana?”
“She’s in her room.”
The king summoned his chief aide.
“Call Madame Katana right now.”
Marianne had been asking to break her engagement with the Duke for a long time.
It was only now being accomplished. The Duke of Sentoren would remain loyal to the royal family, so the royal family had nothing to lose.
But it was difficult with Madame Katana in the picture. How that cold-blooded duke will act in the future is unknown.
The king hoped that Princess Marianne and his Queen had kept Madame Katana alive.
An hour later, the king notified Lionel.
“Lionel, please go back to your mansion first. I will send Madame Katana there later. I have also issued a wanted notice for Marquis Quill, so he will be arrested soon.”
Lionel did not trust the king.
“I’ll take Madame Katana right away.”
“Th-That would be difficult. We need time to prepare her!”
The king made excuses and wiped away his cold sweat. Lionel asked.
“Did you punish Madame Katana severely? Or is she dead?”
“Marianne is taking good care of Madame Katana.”
Lionel did not hide his displeasure.
“I will take Madame Katana. Where is she?”
“W-Wait, hold on! My men will bring Madame Katana.”
“Guide me.”
The king wiped his sweat again and gave orders to his chief aide and servants. The king’s servants quickly scrambled to find the whereabouts of Madame Katana.
“J-Just wait.”
However Lionel could no longer wait with the king and left the main palace with his servants.
The Duke’s escort Michelle and his personal doctor Rambaud were concerned about the Duke’s condition and followed him.
“Duke, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Contrary to their concerns, Lionel was overly healthy. But they knew Ailte Palace was a dangerous place. Doctors under the orders of the royal family tried to harm Lionel, the only direct line of the Duke of Sentoren, while he was unconscious.
The Duke’s vassals were also almost imprisoned with Lionel. But this was put to an end.
Kolderco, a lawyer for the Sentoren family, smiled meaningfully.
“Everything went as the Duke wanted. Now all you need to do is take Madame Katana.”
Lionel whispered to Kolderco secretly.
“Create a new marriage contract. Contact the bishop to find out where the cardinal is.
Lionel did not add an explanation. Kolderco didn’t say anything else either.
It was at that moment when he thought that the king’s attendants, who had gone to find out Madame Katana’s whereabouts, would not return, Princess Marianne’s handmaiden cautiously approached them as they were leaving the main palace.
“What’s going on? Did you bring Madame Katana with you?”
Instead of answering the question, the handmaiden looked up at Lionel.
“Princess Marianne wants to meet the Duke regarding Madame Katana.”
The Duke of Sentoren readily agreed to meet Marianne privately. Marianne wore a bright yellow dress that made her look lively and she greeted him in the splendid gold room.
With a distinctive smile on her face.
“Lionel, come here.”
Marianne looked at Lionel and the men accompanying him.
“I want to speak with the Duke, just the two of us.”
“The engagement has been broken, Princess Marianne.”
“Even if our engagement had been broken, we didn’t become enemies, right?”
Marianne was stopped from trying to link arms with Lionel.
A minor scuffle ensued, but Lionel remained extremely formal. Marianne sneaked a glance at Lionel as she waited for him to speak.
The man who was her fiance a few hours ago was now an unattainable man. That’s why she wanted him.
‘Why did this happen?’
Marianne compared the dignified Lionel with the mean-looking Marquis of Quill.
Lionel was younger and richer than the Marquis Quill. Lionel was also stronger in terms of physical strength.
How would it feel to be hugged by Lionel’s strong and beautiful body?
Marianne regretted her actions belatedly.
Lionel asked in a cold voice.
“Where is Madame Katana?”
Madame Katana, that d*mn b*tch.
Marianne became furious at Lionel’s cold voice.
Marianne couldn’t stand the fact that Lionel wanted to leave her for Riv.
‘I can’t believe that you’re looking for that girl when I’m right in front of you!’
“Why are you looking for Madame Katana? The girl tried to kill Lionel.”
“You seem to have forgotten your nasty prank. I asked where Madame Katana is, Marianne.”
It was a menacing voice. Even as they faced each other, Lionel completely ignored Marianne.
There was only contempt in his eyes as he stared at her.
Marianne’s anger reached the top of her head.
“Lionel, why are you looking for that ugly girl? What are you going to do to a girl who looks like that!”
“Marianne, you didn’t kill Madame Katana, did you?”
Marianne could feel her confidence shrinking at Lionel’s question.
“C-Calm down! She is in her room”
“Are her limbs intact? Do you swear on your life?”
“Of course! That girl’s tough!”
“Right.”
Lionel got up as soon as he got the answer he wanted.
In a rush, Marianne tried to grab the hem of Lionel’s coat, but she missed. Lionel walked away.
Marianne shouted to his broad back.
“Lionel, that girl doesn’t deserve to be loved. That girl makes everyone unhappy!”
Lionel ignored Marianne’s warning.
He gave orders to Marianne’s maids waiting in the hallway.
“Guide me to Madame Katana’s room.”
A maid looked at him, and obeyed his orders.
She led Lionel to the maids’ quarters.
Madame Katana’s room was on the highest floor of the maids’ quarters. Lionel’s expression became more vicious as he climbed each floor. The maid leading the way was on the verge of fainting as she felt the Duke of Sentoren’s anger behind her.
The Duke of Sentoren following her gave off an ominous aura. At the same time, the king’s servants were standing around in the narrow corridor, annoyed with the servants.
“Wake her up quickly!”
Anna, the maid who entered the small room, told the attendants.
“Madame Katana is not going to wake that easily.”
“Somehow wake her up before the Duke of Sentoren comes!”
The king’s servant who said that, looked behind him.
Noticing Lionel’s presence, they froze and became pale.
“That girl, who are you talking about?”
The corners of Lionel’s lips rose upwards.
“Is the ‘girl’ you’re talking about Madame Katana?”
Lionel asked the young maid who had just left the room.
“Is this room Madame Katana’s?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Is she inside?”
“Y-Yes.”
The maid, caught between the king’s servants and the duke, bowed her head.
Lionel ordered.
“Open it.”
The maids whispered to each other before opening the door. The moment the old door opened, a cold chill rushed out of the room.
Lionel’s eyes narrowed.
The room was so small that you could take in everything with just one glance. The only furniture was a bed, an old wardrobe, and a chair that was on the verge of breaking.
“The royal family gave a room like this to the princess’ maid?”
Everyone averted their eyes at Lionel’s words.
In the room, on the old bed, Madame Katana was curled up and did not move.
Part of her thick black hair was visible laying across the blanket. Lionel couldn’t hear her breathing.
“Is Madame Katana dead?”
The maid, Anna, looked at him in shock, and responded.
“Oh, no.”
“Then?”
“She caught a bad cold.”
Anna said that she might have pneumonia.
“Has she been seen by a doctor?”
Anna withdrew, conscious of the gazes of the maids and attendants looking at her from outside the door. Lionel closed it firmly, while saying.
“Everyone, wait outside.”
The room was filled with just two people standing in it.
Even if she could not answer, looking at her room gave the response as to how Madame Katana was treated. It was also clear why the king’s attendants could not bring Madame Katana. Because she was unconscious.
Lionel walked over to the bedside, staring at Madame Katana.
Her exposed face was terribly pale, covered in cold sweat.
The sound of her breathing was so harsh that he could barely hear it even when he brought his ear closer.
In the meantime, the windows shook and cold air seeped into the room.
“They hid and stuck her in here.”
Lionel was astonished and became speechless.
Lionel sighed and ordered Anna.
“Maid, bring her luggage.”
“Who’s luggage are you talking about?”
“Madame Katana’s.”
Lionel stared at Anna, who was not surprised to see Madame Katana’s black dress disguise forming a small mountain on the floor.
It was hard to believe that Madame Katana’s figure on the bed could become a large woman. The maid in front of him was not surprised by it.
“What is your name?”
“It’s Anna.”
Lionel had a gut feeling that Anna knew the truth about Madame Katana’s appearance.
“Come on, hurry up. Unless you want Madame Katana’s disguise to be revealed.”
“Y-Yes!”
Anna was bewildered, but she opened the old closet at Lionel’s orders.
Inside Riv’s closet was an old bag that Riv brought when she first entered the palace. Anna placed her things in the bag.
She had old clothes which were either black or white, one dress, two chemises, and a couple of books.
She had very few belongings, enough to fill only one bag.
Lionel sighed and asked.
“Is this all?”