Anna seemed to think that Riv was cracking a bad joke.
“I guess you’re still half-asleep. Don’t ever say that in front of Princess Marianne.”
“I know.”
Anna sighed briefly. She was in charge of managing Princess Marianne’s clothes.
Even before Riv came, she was responsible for the princess’ wardrobe and got along well with the other maids due to her quick-witted and bright personality.
She was not close to Riv, but she had often been called in by Marianne and verbally abused.
“The princess is in the silver room. I need to go to the dressing room for a bit.”
Anna disappeared to get Marianne’s hat while Riv headed to Marianne’s drawing-room, more commonly referred to as the silver room.
El, who was standing guard in front of the drawing-room’s door, announced, “Princess, Miss Katana is here.”
“Let her in.”
Marianne wore a vibrant green dress with a large ribbon tied behind her back. A fluffy white dog was clutched tightly in her arms.
Marianne raised her doll-like face to stare at Riv.
She looked young for her age, with her big doe eyes, slender nose, pouty lips, and dainty limbs. Her body was quite thin, almost like a child’s.
Marianne twisted her rosy lips into a frown.
“You’re so late, Riv,” Marianne grumbled. “Why did you even bother coming? My mood got ruined waiting for you.”
Riv didn’t react to her sour comments.
Funnily enough, Marianne never got rid of Riv even if she verbally abused her, because Riv was sent by her mother, Queen Selina.
Marianne loathed even being in contact with Riv.
“If I touch you, your misfortune will spread to me.”
“…….”
“I don’t think it’ll be fun to order the knights to beat you down.”
Marianne thought hard about how to bully Riv.
“Riv, how should I punish you?”
At that moment, Marianne’s arms tightened suffocatingly. The small dog in her arms howled and squirmed, almost scratching her.
“Argh!”
Marianne leaped off the sofa and threw the dog to the floor. The dog fell with a heavy thump and yelped upon hitting the ground. Liv almost winced at the sound of its pitious whine.
“You ruined my dress! Damn-!” Marianne screamed shrilly.
“He doesn’t even recognize his master. Do you know how expensive this dress is? This damn hybrid mutt!”
Angrily, Marianne lifted the hem of her dress and kicked at the dog with her pointed heels.
“Get lost!”
The dog’s cries of pain pierced Riv’s ear. Riv closed her eyes and looked away, forcing herself to maintain a calm facade despite her tumultuous emotions.
A long time after Marianne’s assault –
“Nanny, nanny, maids! Get this thing out of the way right now!”
“Princess Marianne, please calm down!”
The little dog had stopped moving at some point. Now it lay unmoving on the drawing-room floor. Its quiet form didn’t look out of place among all the other fluffy cushions in the room.
That dog was also just another one of the numerous animals killed by Marianne.
Later that evening, Riv built a grave for the dog in the corner of the royal garden. The small tomb was enclosed by the many tombs of other animals, all of varying, mismatched sizes. This was the cemetery of all the animals who died at Marianne’s hands.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I hope you’re resting well in heaven.”
Riv murmured a prayer for the dead dog, this blameless creature who’d done nothing wrong but was struck by misfortune and suffering.
She was going to be killed by Marianne, just like this dog, destined to be disregarded and overlooked. Perhaps she would not even have a single person praying for her. Her death was only eight months away, and the weight of that thought pounded like a headache with every heartbeat.
“I have to get out of this palace somehow.”
How could she change her destiny?
If she did something she hadn’t done before, she would be able to twist her fate, no matter how small the change.
Thinking hard, Riv realized she had never met or spoken to Duke Sentoren.
Riv was Marianne’s maid, but she’d been nowhere present during the couple’s wedding.
Should she meet Duke Sentoren?
“But what kind of a man is he?”
Riv didn’t know much about Duke Sentoren.
All she knew was that he was Princess Marianne’s old fiancé and a soldier who had succeeded the old Duke Sentoren in his late 20s. She didn’t know for sure about his tastes or appearance, and rumors, while interesting, were hardly a reliable source of information.
However, Riv did know that Princess Marianne loathed Duke Sentoren, her husband.
That feeling was a terrible, poisonous hatred – one that burned like the fire Riv had died by once.
In Riv’s memory, there was no such news as Marianne and Duke Sentoren having a normal marital life. It was also doubtful whether they had even met after the wedding.
Duke Sentoren had been living separated from Marianne for more than half a year.
Marianne continued to live in the palace after her wedding to Duke Sentoren. He did not meet Marianne, as though the wedding had never happened. He never even came to the palace to see her.
‘Perhaps he’s been in the Southern territory the whole time.’
Then, of course, the question arose: ‘Why did he marry Marianne?’
Marianne was pregnant with the child of one of her lovers. Even after Riv’s death, it was unlikely, no, impossible, that Marianne returned faithfully to Duke Sentoren’s side.
Marianne hadn’t wanted to marry him.
It was Marianne’s father, Philip II, who pushed ahead with and insisted upon the marriage. The marriage was also to cover up Marianne’s promiscuous scandal. What did Duke Sentoren think when he followed the orders? Did he really love Marianne? Or did he agree to the marriage for power?
Even if they were married, they’d have to be beside each other officially.
Marianne and Duke Sentoren never bothered with such a pretense.
Though Marianne had a high status and wealth, Duke Sentoren also possessed lots of money and land, more than anyone could even need.
The Duke also had many older brothers, so even if Marianne married him, he would not be able to succeed the throne.
If so, then why?
Riv came back to the fundamental question. Why did Duke Sentoren agree to get married like this?
If his marriage to Marianne didn’t take place, then her life would be safe.
She might learn something if she met Duke Sentoren in person.
Though, how should she get in contact with him?
Riv was an aristocratic maid serving directly to the royal family, but her actual treatment was insignificant. The royal family always had maids in charge of their daily life who originally belonged to a cultured aristocratic family.
Riv was in charge of Marianne’s life as a whole and took care of her little messes, but that was all.
She never had the chance to meet the Duke before her death, for she had never been allowed in public. In fact, Riv looked ugly and was thrown aside by her birth family, so no one would care less even if she disappeared suddenly.
‘I’m sure everyone thinks it’s no problem to get rid of me at any time.’
Even as a maid of the Princess, Riv was unable to attend the royal family’s official ceremony and could only peek at the banquet from afar. Despite being Marianne’s maid, she wasn’t allowed anywhere near the banquet hall.
‘So, how should I move from here?’
If she couldn’t meet Duke Sentoren in public, then where could she? She kept pondering on this problem. Riv locked herself in her room to brainstorm, even skipping dinner to do so.
‘What should I do now?’ Riv fiddled with her mother’s pendant, curled up in bed.
She caressed the protruding part of the ruby ring.
The burn scar on the back of her left hand was throbbing.
Riv began to think through the facts one by one.
“I’m not dead now, but I will die in the near future.”
Riv had somehow moved eight months back in time. Yet she was still repeating the same actions that had cost her life before. What happened today was also part of Riv’s memories, and Marianne’s cruel actions had played out just as she remembered.
“Should I stop Marianne from getting married or getting pregnant?”
What should she do – what could she even do – to change the ending of her life?
She felt nervous when she thought of only having eight months left to live. “What should I do with my future?”
Riv, who was agonizing over many problems, whispered to the pendant while fiddling with it. “Come out, ring.”
An old gemstone ring popped out of the pendant.
Riv recalled the blood-colored gemstone emitting a crimson glow like a ruby, so she decided to call it a ruby ring.
“But is this ring really an heirloom?” The death reaper had given this to Riv, so surely it must be important.
It had also called her a witch.
Am I a witch?
The ruby Ring had also been with Riv when she died. Even after she came back to life, she was carrying it along with her.
What if this ring is a magic tool that works with witch blood? What if she really was a witch?
Everything the reaper said were, indeed, truths about what brought her back to life.
She didn’t want to die by Marianne’s hands.
Therefore – she must change the future.
Riv was murdered after learning of Marianne’s pregnancy.
How about interfering with Marianne’s pregnancy?
Marianne’s pregnancy was a distant future. Rather, the marriage between Princess Marianne and Duke Sentoren was closer.
‘Can I stop their marriage?’
What if she met with Duke Sentoren and exposed Marianne’s private life? Would the marriage still take place? What if Duke Sentoren knew about Marianne’s promiscuity and scandals?
“More than that, I’m sure I have to escape from Marianne’s side.”
Riv decided to devise a way to escape from the palace and find a way to contact Duke Sentoren. However, she was not allowed to attend official royal ceremonies for now, which would impede her plans.
“I have been to Duke Sentoren’s mansion before.”
That time would be around the time of Princess Marianne’s coming-of-age ceremony. She’d been ordered to go to Duke Sentoren, but he was not in the mansion. It would be too late to contact the Duke then.
Where else could she encounter Duke Sentoren?
“The hunt before Princess Marianne’s birthday?”
The king had gone hunting in the woods behind the Ailte Palace with his aristocrats, including Duke Sentoren.
That day, the king had also held an elaborate dinner banquet open for everyone. What if she sought out Duke Sentoren at the banquet?
Riv tried to figure out a way to meet him.
“The hunt was definitely around this time.”
What could she do with this knowledge?