Riv balked as she doubted her own ears.
“Take off my clothes?”
“Yes, that’s the only way I’ll be able to measure you. You needed a dress, after all.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Anna pressed on casually, “You’d be more noticeable if you wore a dress that doesn’t fit you.”
Riv took a deep breath. She needed to be mentally prepared to face her true self.
It’d been over five years since she’d really looked at herself.
“Give me a minute, please.”
Riv locked all the doors, covered the windows, turned on the lights, and clutched tightly at the hems of her giant dress.
Slowly, she took it off. Because it was bulky, she didn’t peel it off her body too quickly.
Anna’s eyes widened when Riv took off the clothes she wore in layers under the dress.
Riv came out of Miss Katana’s huge black shell and asked Anna tentatively, “Should I take off more?”
“R-Riv, what are you even wearing? You still have layers left?”
Anna was shocked speechless.
“Riv, how many layers are you wearing? Take it all off for now.”
Riv’s taken-off clothes piled up like grains of sand building into a small mountain.
Anna was even more appalled when Riv was completely freed from the layers that previously concealed her form.
“Riv, what the hell is this?”
Riv, who emerged from the pile of clothes, had a large skeletal frame, but her body was far from fat. She couldn’t be called perfect, however, her body was thin.
Riv never gained weight as she was constantly dragging around a pile of heavy clothes.
“This – this is just how it is,” Riv muttered, refusing to explain further. “I was Queen Selina’s maid.”
Queen Selina’s maids were often called clowns due to their infamously bizarre makeup. The queen had ordered such a thing because the king had taken one of her pretty maids as his lover.
“So that’s why,” Riv tried to smile, though it seemed like a grimace instead.
“Since when have you been like that?”
“I think it’s since I entered this palace.”
It was so long ago that Riv couldn’t even remember clearly.
“Then when did you ever wear something that fits you?”
“I don’t know.”
Riv had never worn clothes that fit her even before entering the palace, so she didn’t know what size clothing she should be wearing.
“I’ve never had readymade clothes, so I don’t know if there’s one that fits.”
“I know.”
Anna sighed a few more times as she measured Riv’s size. “Why is your waist so thin? Isn’t this a scam?”
Riv laughed good-naturedly.
Two days later, Philip II held a hunting contest near the Ailte Palace.
Many princes, dukes, and nobles all gathered together. Among them was Duke Sentoren.
Riv watched them from afar. Among the men, the tall, bright-haired man seemed to be Duke Sentoren. She couldn’t see Duke Sentoren’s expression clearly since she was peeking at them from quite a distance.
The king and his party did not return until later that afternoon.
“Ahahaha, it was a successful hunt.”
Philip II was delighted to the fullest and gave a loud, booming laugh.
With the help of the knights and Duke Sentoren, the king succeeded in hunting various game, including red foxes, wild boars, and other animals.
“At this rate, I’ll dry up all the beasts in the forest.”
“Your hunting skills are outstanding.” His retainers praised him endlessly.
Delighted, the king handed out gifts to the nobles and their servants who participated in the hunt. There was a big evening banquet, and the huge banquet room was opened. Royal families and extravagantly dressed nobles gathered in hoards, while the noise of chattering filled the room.
The royal chefs’ delicious cooking was served endlessly and rich wine was served. The king’s hunts were also served as part of the fine cuisine.
“Today is a very pleasant day.” Philip II stared at Duke Sentoren, the tall platinum-haired young man sitting on his right.
Duke Sentoren’s expression was cold, but the king disregarded it, accustomed to his cold personality.
“Lionel de Sentoren, my son-in-law, helped me hunt today. I even caught a beautiful fox thanks to him.”
The king didn’t forget to narrate his story either, exaggerating his success during the hunt with wild hand motions.
“With the help of Duke Sentoren, I achieved the feat of hunting as many as three wild boars.”
“Amazing, Your Majesty!”
The nobles gave a standing ovation in praise of the king’s accomplishment. Some people raised their glasses in a toast.
After Duke Sentoren disposed of the mother boar, the king killed three little cubs that were lured in by his servants, but they didn’t matter much, certainly not to the significance that the king spoke of arrogantly.
Philip II continued to boast of his hunting skills. “I even shot a bird mid-flight. My hounds ate half the bird.”
There was a burst of laughter everywhere, with the guests hanging off his every word or at least pretending to be.
“Including those birds, you caught nearly ten beasts.”
“As expected of the king, truly astounding.”
Amidst everyone’s cheers and praise, the king felt awkward, despite his earlier boasting.
“It’s all thanks to Duke Sentoren and my friends. They drove the game right to my area. I ran out of energy chasing all the prey.”
The king, who was middle-aged, became so bloated after eating that it was hard for him to even climb into a horse’s saddle.
Looking at the king, Duke Sentoren remarked calmly, “Your Highness is an expert marksman.”
“Aha, I’m a marksman. Ahahaha!”
Philip II again smiled and praised Duke Sentoren, pleased at his compliment. “Duke Sentoren, we’ll be a family soon, so you can relax and be comfortable with me. I’ll try to hunt more often from now on.”
The king turned back around and spoke loudly in a voice that carried like a shout to all the guests waiting for the rest of his speech.
“To the successful hunt! Let’s all enjoy the feast tonight!”
It was only after the friendly meal time had passed that the king realized that Duke Sentoren and his daughter, Princess Marianne, never made eye contact, let alone exchanged greetings.
The king reprimanded Princess Marianne, who looked like a fairy dressed in yellow.
“Marianne, why aren’t you speaking to your fiance?” All eyes in the room turned to observe Duke Sentoren and Princess Marianne.
“Father, I hate barbarians,” Marianne replied.
The word ‘barbarian’ chilled the banquet hall, and silence came down oppressively like heavy blankets snuffing out a candle. The king’s expression twisted and distorted uglily.
Originally, Duke Sentoren and Marianne had a bad relationship.
The Duke was a taciturn, emotionless man with a blank face.
It was all the more so because he was a natural soldier. He didn’t say friendly things and didn’t know how to smile without looking scary. Marianne loathed everything about him.
The king was wrong to think that time would improve the relationship between the two.
The king warned his daughter, “Marianne, that’s not polite.”
Cold silence settled in the awkward atmosphere as the king looked at his daughter and his daughter avoided his gaze. The nobles stepped in to pick up the pieces to return a friendly atmosphere.
“No, she probably just misspoke and meant to say that the Duke is really good at hunting instead.”
“Duke Sentoren’s hunting skills are barbarically strong. Ahaha.”
As the atmosphere became more awkward, the king and queen both sighed lowly. To the king, Marianne was a precious daughter who he couldn’t stand to see upset.
His young, lovely, angelic-looking daughter.
Pairing Marianne with a young duke of outstanding descent and wealth was the best choice in the king’s mind.
But he didn’t foresee that this would be the result. The king sighed again and his wrinkles deepened as he frowned.
“Marianne, I want you to apologize to your fiance.” The king gently admonished her, but Marianne petulantly refused to listen.
Queen Selina stepped in urgently. “Your Majesty, it must be shameful for Marianne to meet her fiance like this.”
“I see.”
The nobles paid tribute to the King and Princess Marianne, and the atmosphere warmed up pleasantly as conversation began to flow again. Only Duke Sentoren floated alone amidst the crowds of people at the banquet like oil atop water.
“What the hell is that look?”
Marianne loathed Duke Sentoren’s outfit.
The nobles at the banquet all wore the latest white wigs and white powder on their faces, making them look like wax figures. They were dressed in perfectly ironed robes without wrinkles.
In contrast, Duke Sentoren wore no wig, let alone makeup.
His platinum hair was cut short with ragged edges, and he wore a crumpled robe. When he turned his head, the scar on his left cheek stood out.
His masculinity, broad shoulders, hard muscles, sharp eyes, and scar stood out among the fancily dressed nobles at the banquet.
Everything about the Duke, Marianne hated.
Why did he have to be her fiance? Why?
Anyone who tried to talk to him also closed their mouths when they were faced with his scar and fierce eyes.
“Look, everyone’s scared of the Duke.”
Marianne took the chance to complain to her maids.
“His presence here is so annoying.”
Regardless of Marianne’s mood, the banquet continued.
Extravagant alcohol and foods were constantly served up as musicians performed songs and dances.
Some participants in the hunt dedicated songs to the king to praise his success during the day.
Finally, Marquis Carasta sang her specialty opera work, a delicate, high-noted Aria.
Duke Sentoren, who watched the banquet around him indifferently, left the hall briefly to get a breath of fresh air.
There wasn’t much that interested him.
Marianne’s maid, who quickly noticed the absence of the Duke, informed her of such.
This was an opportunity for Marianne, who had hoped for a chance to speak privately with Duke Sentoren. However, his steps were too fast for her to catch up with.
“For now, hold on to Duke Sentoren!”
“All right, princess.” Marianne’s maid followed him through the halls.
Duke Sentoren crossed the royal garden without stopping after hearing the footsteps pattering after him frantically.
“Wait, Duke Sentoren!” At the sound of his title, the Duke glanced back indifferently at the maid who’d chased him through the palace and was now panting heavily.
“Do you need something?”
Duke Sentoren hated pointless conversations with a passion. Not only did he find them annoying, but also a waste of time.
“Your Excellency, Princess Marianne wishes to speak to you,” the maid heaved between gasping breaths.
Duke Sentoren’s voice became serious, though the slight twitch of his eyebrows gave away his rising irritation. “What about Princess Marianne?”