Chapter 58
The servants who checked Lionel and Riv’s invitations announced their arrival.
Even though their voice was not too loud, a brief silence fell.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to them.
Lionel was smartly dressed in a black suit, but didn’t wear makeup or wigs like the other men. Still, he stood out because he was tall.
Riv, who stood next to him, was also taller than most and exuded a cool and unique atmosphere.
Lionel whispered to Riv.
“Be bold. You are the Duchess of Sentoren.”
“Yes.”
Riv straightened her back.
Neither those who had claimed to be Queen Selina’s entourage nor those who had ever seen Riv as Madame Katana recognized her easily.
Riv wasn’t the shadow she used to be.
Riv had a strong husband who supported her.
“Thank you, Lionel.”
Riv began to walk more confidently.
The dark red satin dress she wore spread out behind her.
Her arms were bare with her voluptuous breasts and alluring white skin were exposed. She looked elegant, with her seductive red lips, fair face and braided dark hair that were complemented by the diamond necklace that hung from her slender neckline.
The dark red dress, designed by Lionel and Ezerca, showed off Riv’s elegance and at the same time accentuated her cool beauty.
“Lionel.”
The Earl of Murden and his wife, who had arrived previously, approached them.
Sophia was excited.
“Oh my, Riv is so cool.”
Sophia hesitated at Riv’s cool vibe before she took her hand.
“My family wants to meet the Duchess of Sentoren. Come.”
Riv was dragged along by Sophia and was promptly introduced to members of the Vincent family.
They were followed by Lionel and the Earl of Murden.
The Vincent family was composed of their benevolent father O’Neil, his beautiful wife, Milinas, and their three daughters, of whom Sophia was the eldest.
Noel Vincent and his family were also introduced, which distracted her even more.
Sophia was very excited.
“This is the Duchess of Sentoren. Riv, this is my youngest sister, Mary.”
Seventeen-year-old Mary Vincent was cuter and more shy than Riv had expected. There was a freshness about her that was different from that of Princess Marianne and other girls her age.
“Nice to meet you. But have you never visited the royal family? I never heard the name Vincent in the palace.”
Riv whispered to Sophia, and Sophia replied,
“We are aristocrats, but we are looked down on because we are involved in running a luxury business. That’s why we’ve never been invited to the royal palace.”
The Vincent family was free-spirited and didn’t mind not being invited by the Royal Family.
Even if they were invited, they often didn’t dare go to the palace.
“The Royal Family doesn’t invite us, but Royal Family members are anxious about being able to obtain luxury items. Isn’t our relationship strange?” Sophia smiled bitterly.
At the same time, O’Neil Vincent announced the start of the ball.
The band started playing. Riv thought she would just watch the couples that were dancing.
“Riv.”
Lionel held his hand out to Riv.
“Let’s dance.”
“What if I step on your foot?”
“I will lead. I’m not weak enough to collapse no matter how many times you step on me.”
Riv took Lionel’s hand and they mingled among the crowd.
Lionel was a gifted dancer, and effortlessly led Riv.
They flawlessly blended in with those on the dance floor. She knew she was quite clumsy, but she didn’t make a lot of mistakes.
Lionel and Riv danced to several songs in a row.
They caught a lot of people’s attention, but they didn’t even notice. Eventually, they had to stop because Riv’s feet hurt.
“Lionel, I need to rest.”
Riv took a deep breath.
The corset seemed too tight on her waist, and her pretty shoes were uncomfortable. Lionel and Riv broke away from the dancers. They decided to find a break room to catch their breath.
“Riv, you don’t look too good.”
“I think it’s because I’m nervous.”
“You kept dancing even though you were nervous.”
Riv snorted at Lionel’s joke. But she didn’t want to ruin her makeup, so she straightened her face.
“There is a break room over here.”
The women who occupied the room looked curiously at Riv.
However, it was not easy to break into the cool atmosphere that surrounded Lionel and Riv. Lionel looked at Riv and began to move.
“I’ll bring you a drink.”
“Okay.”
Riv rubbed her swollen feet and nodded.
When Lionel left, some brave ladies approached her and made small talk before disappearing.
Meanwhile, a group of young girls entered the break room.
Riv held her breath and turned around, feeling piercing gazes aimed at the back of her head.
“…?”
They were somehow familiar.
‘Where have I seen them?’
Riv remembered after a while.
Those girls were from Marianne’s rose tea party.
Perhaps because they were making their social debut this year, they wore a white banquet dress similar to Mary Vincent, with a flower corsage pinned to their left chest.
They approached Riv and asked carefully.
“A-Are you the Duchess of Sentoren?”
“Yes.”
The girls glanced in the direction Lionel had disappeared to.
Riv realized that they liked her husband, Lionel.
They were openly interested in the Duke of Sentoren at Marianne’s tea party.
‘Don’t you know I was Madame Katana?’
Rumors that she was Madame Katana spread all over the Royal Capital, so everyone knew at this point.
Even though Riv’s body shape changed dramatically, her facial features didn’t change much.
The girls also seemed to realize this after examining Riv’s face.
“W-Were you really Madame Katana?”
“Hic!”
A few of the girls almost collapsed, and some girls who had been watching Riv from afar joined in and openly stared at Riv’s face.
“R-Really, Madame Katana?”
The girls did not want to believe Riv was Madame Katana.
“Why! How could this happen?”
“This is Madame Katana?”
Some of the girls were in tears from shock, so Riv didn’t feel the need to answer.
“What’s going on?”
Lionel, who brought water and so that Riv could rehydrate, was bewildered as he saw the girls gathered in front of Riv.
“Riv, do you know them?”
“Well…”
Lionel sat next to Riv and whispered in her ear.
A few girls quickly lowered their eyes at his intimate action.
“Who are these girls?”
“They are Princess Marianne’s friends.”
“Oh, so they’re younger than you.”
Riv sipped the water Lionel had brought.
Lionel’s hot amber eyes followed her subtle movements.
Even after she emptied her water, the girls didn’t leave and lingered around.
“Do you have any business with us?”
The girls were surprised that Riv was Madame Katana, but their interest in Lionel outweighed their shock.
A red blush appeared on their cheeks as they looked at Lionel.
“My name is Karen Alzarens.”
“My name is Jamie, the daughter of the Marquis Senon.”
“So?”
“You saw me at Princess Marianne’s coming-of-age ceremony and at the Hall Street ball.”
“…!”
The moment Princess Marianne’s coming-of-age ceremony was mentioned, Lionel’s face darkened.
The faces of the young girls, overwhelmed by the tremendous energy he exuded, were terrified.
“Did I introduce myself to you ladies?”
“Y-You greeted me at the banquet last time.”
“I don’t remember.”
Lionel couldn’t even remember who the little girls, who all looked alike, were.
He seldom attended banquets. Even if he did, he only reluctantly did so because of the King’s orders.
When he was introduced to girls the same age as Marianne, he quickly forgot about them. It was the same now.
“Does it matter who you are?”
“Pardon?”
“Should I care who you are when I have my wife by my side?”
The girls were terrified and disappeared. Lionel’s anger continued.
No one tried to come close to Lionel, who looked harsh. There seemed to be a barrier around Riv and Lionel, and no one dared approach.
“Riv, should we go back now?”
“How long have we been here?”
Riv thought they should stay a little longer for Earl Murden and the Vincent family.
“I want to get some fresh air. Your feet are fine now, so let’s go.”
“Alright.”
The moment they left the break room, the people who were waiting for them overflowed.
They were soon besieged, but with one look from Lionel, most of them retreated.
“Lionel, let’s go outside.”
She had heard from Sophia that the Vincent family garden was their pride and joy. Riv used that as an excuse to lead Lionel out.
The garden shimmered beautifully in the moonlight.
Lionel pretended to come reluctantly, led by Riv.
“Lionel, don’t you hate balls?”
“…”
“Do you not want to dance anymore?”
“I’ve danced with you plenty.”
Riv spread out her dress on the steps and sat down cautiously.
“Will Ezerca be surprised to see this?”
“Probably.”
Lionel grinned at Riv. He seemed to care about Riv’s appearance too.
“Are you hungry?”
“My feet hurt and my back is tight. I haven’t been drinking at all and I haven’t eaten since lunch.”
“My wife sure complains a lot.”
Lionel’s expression seemed to soften a little as Riv babbled.
It’s nice to attend a beautiful ball and meet people, but Riv was still not good at socializing.
Above all, Riv enjoyed these moments with Lionel the most.