Chapter 25
Anna looked through the closet again and inspected the dresser, looking for anything Riv might have hidden.
All that was found was Madame Katana’s emergency fund, hidden under her bed.
“Hurry.”
“Please wait a moment. I’ll need to check if Madame Katana is wearing the portrait necklace she always had on.”
After Anna made sure that the portrait necklace was hanging securely around Madame Katana’s neck, she finally retrieved Madame Katana’s palace identification card.
“Get the rest of the clothes and pack them up.”
Anna picked up the bag and packed everything else.
At Lionel’s orders, she packed all of the clothes that made up Madame Katana’s disguise, leaving no sign she had ever lived in this room.
‘It must have been hard to wear a pile of clothes like Madame Katana did.’
If Marianne had found out about Madame Katana’s disguise, there was no doubt that she would have made a fuss.
All of the clothes had been packed. Madame Katana was only wearing a chemise.
Lionel wrapped Riv in a sheet, and hugged her feverish body.
He whispered to Anna, who was packing her luggage.
“When you get tired of this place, come to the Duchy. Mention my name or Madame Katana’s and you’ll be allowed entry.
Lionel noticed that this woman was Madame Katana’s only acquaintance and friend.
“Thank you. Please tell Madame Katana that Anna was worried.”
Anna expressed her gratitude. They immediately left the room. Everyone swarming in the narrow hallway stepped aside, staring at them and Madame Katana’s luggage.
Carrying her in his arms, Lionel noticed that she was much lighter than he expected.
He pulled the sheet that was wrapped around her body over her face, so no one could see Madame Katana.
Outside of the maids’ quarters, Lionel’s men were waiting for them in a carriage.
“Duke, get on. Is she…?”
“Madame Katana is unconscious.”
Lionel’s words were short. Madame Katana was not well.
The kings’ attendants bowed their heads and tried to stop the Duke from leaving.
This made the Duke angry.
“Your Grace, His Majesty would like to see Madame Katana and the Duke in person.”
The aide spoke hurriedly, but Lionel ignored him and carried the limp woman into the carriage.
“As you can see, Madame Katana is unconscious. She may die if her condition worsens. It could be dangerous for the king as well. She might pass the flu or pneumonia to His Majesty.”
“Y-Yes.”
“Tell His Majesty that we will see him as soon as Madame Katana recovers.”
“I-I’ll do that.”
Lionel and his men climbed into the carriage.
Lionel sighed as he held Madame Katana, hugging her in his arms so that she would not fall. The woman who had lost consciousness did not even know where she was going.
“D*mn it.”
This woman nearly died because she tried to save him.
Seeing this woman reminded him of that passionate night as well as how she saved him. That night, he vividly remembered how his body felt at ease the moment he touched her. The carriage stopped for a moment, and Rambaud, who was waiting, got on. Rambaud opened his medical bag and checked Madame Katana’s condition.
“Hmm.”
Rambaud touched Madame Katana’s forehead and checked her pulse.
He let out a low sigh.
“She’s in bad shape. She won’t wake up any time soon.”
“No one was taking care of her.”
Rambaud was not surprised.
“She may have acute pneumonia”.
“Is it dangerous?”
“We’ll need to check her condition further. Her fever is too high. If left unattended, it could be life-threatening.”
Madame Katana had such a fever that even someone who wasn’t a doctor could immediately tell. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and she couldn’t wake up. Yet, he was still relieved.
However, the Madame Katana whom Rambaud knew, and the appearance of this woman did not match.
Madame Katana was described as fat and ugly.
The woman in front of Rambaud seemed rather thin.
To be more accurate, her limbs were long and skinny.
Even her face without make-up looked elegant and couldn’t be called ugly.
This woman’s slim body seemed close to the Duke of Sentoren’s taste.
“By the way, Duke, is this really Madame Katana? Are you kidnapping another beautiful lady under the name of Madame Katana?”
Lionel stared at Rambaud. Rambaud fell silent.
“I will do my best for this lady’s well-being.”
“Okay, let’s call a talented female doctor.”
“I am talented enough, though.”
“You said you don’t know much about women.”
Rambaud grumbled for a while before closing his mouth.
In the meantime, the carriage raced towards the Duke of Sentoren’s mansion, getting further away from Ailte Palace that Riv wanted to leave so badly.
Even in her dreams, she would have never thought of leaving the palace this easily.
After the Duke of Sentoren left, rumors spread throughout the palace that he had taken Madame Katana. Some servants and maids who had seen it began to gossip.
“No matter how tall the Duke of Sentoren is, Madame Katana is too…”
“Didn’t she look too small? Was it an optical illusion?”
“Did we see it wrong?”
Because of her size, Madame Katana would stand out anywhere in this palace and everyone joked about it. They said that there were few people in the royal court who could pick up the gigantic Madame Katana.
“I think Madame Katana has gotten thinner?”
“Did she lose weight because she was sick?”
Even if her face and body were covered with a sheet, her body didn’t look like her normal size. In the arms of the Duke of Sentoren, Madame Katana looked even smaller. Everyone mumbled, but the speculation soon subsided.
***
Lionel stared at the woman in his arms.
She looked uncomfortable in her current position, so he gently took her into his arms and moved her. Rambaud, who was watching the scene, spoke.
“Your Excellency, you look different.”
“What?”
“What is special about Madame Katana?”
When Lionel stared at Rambaud, Rambaud struggled to make excuses.
“Well, the Duke didn’t pay much attention to women before. Right?”
“Madame Katana is different.”
Lionel then shut his mouth.
Lionel preferred temporary relationships with women.
The women tried everything they could to keep hold of Lionel, but were unsuccessful.
Lionel rejected them thoroughly and ruthlessly.
Lionel, who was immersed in thought, looked at Madame Katana in his arms.
‘This woman saved me. She could be pregnant with my child.’
He was only curious in the beginning.
The woman called Madame Katana approached him first.
Seeing her bizarre ugliness, he doubted that Madame Katana was a real woman. He even instructed his aide to spread a scandal about the two of them. It was because he knew that Marianne would hate the terrible rumors.
‘Did this woman get caught in the crossfire because of these rumors?’
Marianne acted because of the rumors he ordered.
It was a mistake. Marianne almost killed her.
She must have wanted to kill Riv so that she could hide what she did through Marquis Quill. But it was also known that Marianne had always wanted to get rid of this woman. It would not have been strange if Madame Katana was killed by the royal family. It was even more dangerous because she had no family. Rambaud asked cautiously.
“Then what do you think will happen to Madame Katana?”
“The royal family will ask for the return of Madame Katana. They still own her. That’s what I think.”
“If they continue to pressure you, you will not be able to protect Madame Katana. Even if the engagement was broken, Madame Katana is still Princess Marianne’s maid, so it will be difficult to keep her by your side.”
“I know.”
Lionel concluded.
“If we get married, the problem will be solved.”
“What?”
At the words Lionel threw like a b*mb, Rambaud sat frozen.
“Th-That.”
“I owe this woman my life. I can’t let her die.”
“Is it a sense of responsibility? Could this be a trap set by Madame Katana? The Duke doesn’t know much about that woman. She may not be as good a person as you think she is.”
It wasn’t out of guilt or responsibility that Lionel decided to marry Riv Katana. He was attracted to her. His body longed for her.
He decided to think about the rest of his feelings after saving Madame Katana.
Even if he married her and regretted it because the marriage turned out to be terrible, it would have been better than marrying Marianne.
At the very least, marriage with Riv Katana could be normal and loving, like an ordinary married couple.
Lionel nudged Rambaud’s leg as he watched him in stunned silence.
“Go back to the Duchy ahead of us and prepare to take care of Madame Katana.”
After a brief shock, Rambaud grunted and followed Lionel’s words.
“I understand.”
After stopping the carriage, Rambaud, who got off the carriage, borrowed the escort’s horse and headed towards the Duchy.
“Duke, please come as soon as possible.”
Lionel nodded. The carriage departed, following Rambaud.
Lionel wrapped Riv’s body tightly with a sheet and made her lean on him. The carriage shook as it crossed rough pavement.
“Oh.”
Lionel hugged her tightly so she wouldn’t fall.
He wrapped his arms around her thin and soft body.
“Ah.”
Lionel thought his heart was beating wildly because his condition had not fully healed yet.
Her body was too hot.
“Oh no.”
Lionel touched Madame Katana’s forehead and clicked his tongue.
She was hotter than before. It was as if her body was engulfed in flames.