Chapter 60
Riv opened her eyes.
Lionel, who always fell asleep next to her, was missing.
Riv murmured as she habitually felt around the side where he usually fell asleep on.
“An uninvited guest arrived.”
Riv’s necklace on her side table radiated an ominous light.
Compared to the light when she died, it was weak.
However, she could not fall asleep because of the assassin’s murderous intent.
“I am not safe yet.”
Riv’s blue eyes darkened.
She escaped, but she still seemed to be submerged in the murky depths of the Ailte Palace.
***
The following days carried on without any problems.
Besides the fact that Riv was a witch who had been revived by magic, she was a normal person.
Her power was something she hadn’t used.
It was not a power she could control.
The life of the Duchess of Sentoren was busier than expected.
She had to attend liberal arts classes, balls, and some social gatherings.
Then there was also her weekly date with Lionel.
After living such a busy life, Riv came to the greenhouse.
It had been a full week since she last came here.
“Haa.”
As soon as Riv entered the greenhouse, she inhaled the humid air.
She spoke to the greenhouse as if it were alive.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t visit these past few days. I’ve been so busy. I feel like my senses went a bit dull.”
As Riv blinked her eyes, she saw the vivid color of her power.
Her power was as strong as ever.
Riv saw her power wafting through the thick air of the greenhouse.
The flow of air changed and the warmth of the greenhouse became pleasant.
By seizing her power, the plants came alive.
The green leaves changed to a darker color.
“Thanks for letting me know I’m still alive.”
Riv stayed in the greenhouse for nearly an hour.
She couldn’t handle magic and she couldn’t normally use it, but she knew this.
She felt like her exhausted body was revived just by sitting there.
Her depleted magical power seemed to be restored.
After returning to her room, Riv regained her vitality.
In her first free moments after a long week, she picked dresses from her wardrobe that she didn’t like, stripped the decorations off and rolled up her sleeves.
Her hands were so quick that her maids marveled.
“Madame, you are amazing.”
After transforming a few dresses, Riv gathered the leftover fabric and embroidered Lionel’s name on a silk swatch.
She had already made several of these.
By the time she had finished embroidering his cravat, the afternoon was over.
Riv organized her creations, but hesitated on how to give them to him.
She stared at her mother’s pendant necklace that hung on her chest.
Riv realized that she hadn’t heard from Lionel all day.
“I was too preoccupied with sewing.”
While Riv felt awkward, her maids asked.
“Madame, what would you like for dinner?”
“What does the Duke want? I’ll eat with him once he arrives.”
“I will go and find out.”
The maids moved quickly. Looking at their friendly faces, a smile also appeared on Riv’s face. They returned shortly after.
“Madame, the Duke has sent you a message.”
Riv unfolded Lionel’s note, which they had carefully delivered.
– Riv, I’ll be late.
It was a note that Riv had received from her favorite man.
Although simple, it was a love letter.
It seemed like it would become Riv’s treasure in the future.
She placed the piece of paper in her jewelry box, which she always kept next to her bed.
Riv had told Claudel to put the silk handkerchief she embroidered with Lionel’s initials in his bedroom.
When Claudel returned, Riv handed her a black-and-white corsage made out of remaining dress fabrics.
“I thought this would suit Claudel.”
“Thank you. Did you make it?”
Riv nodded her head.
“I hope you like it.”
Claudel smiled happily. She walked over to the mirror, pinned the corsage on her chest, and adjusted its position.
She and the neat adornment matched as if they were one.
Claudel, delighted, belatedly remembered the story she had come to tell Riv.
“Madame, did you hear that you have to participate in the Royal Ball? We have received messages from the Royal Family a couple of times ordering you to come.”
Riv nodded her head.
It was impossible not to know, as Lionel had mentioned it several times in passing and they even asked Ezerca to match their attire.
The Royal ball. The most extravagant party to end the social season.
Every group that went to the salon only talked about those stories.
But she had never heard of Marianne’s whereabouts.
After Riv became Duchess of Sentoren, Marianne seemed to have evaporated.
“Have you heard anything about Princess Marianne these days?”
“Well. I’ve only heard that she still lives in the palace. Maybe the princess is still grounded?”
Even if Marianne was grounded, she would definitely attend the Royal ball.
It was her first ball as an adult.
For Marianne, it could be her last.
“Princess Marianne will be marrying abroad. She will be gone as early as this year or as late as the beginning of the social season next year.”
Riv nodded. Claudel asked again.
“Madame Riv, are you ready to face the princess?”
“Yes.”
Riv didn’t want to hesitate any longer.
“The Princess and the Queen have been quiet these days. But them being quiet doesn’t give me peace of mind.”
Claudel decided to pour out the rumors she had heard about the Royal Family to Riv.
Riv was deep in thought.
An assassin was sent from the Royal Family. Royal silence.
“What do they want to do to me?”
‘Will I have a chance to fight back? Why did I dream of Lionel’s ominous future?’
Lionel was far more important to Riv than Marianne.
***
Lionel found small things on his bed that night.
There were neatly folded handkerchiefs on his bed pillow, which he seldom used.
Even a cravat with a pattern he had never seen before.
“Huh?”
Lionel gently touched the silk handkerchief.
He usually wore a cotton handkerchief, and there were many gentlemanly things that he didn’t even carry with him.
“Hmm.”
Lionel, examining the handkerchief, found his initials embroidered in the bottom corner.
Embroidery was Riv’s specialty.
“…”
After a moment’s silence, Lionel carefully collected the handkerchiefs and put them in his drawer.
He immediately left his bedroom and headed to the Duchess’.
“Riv…”
Riv was in a deep sleep. Her white face was so pure it looked bloodless.
Lionel inhaled her scent and kissed her cheek.
“Thank you, my wife.”
***
Marianne was temporarily released from confinement.
Even so, Marianne was only allowed to go to a few places in the Royal Palace.
Today was the day the Royal Family got together to watch a ballet.
“Princess Marianne, you are here.”
When Marianne arrived, her brothers, their wives, and the King and Queen did not look back at her.
‘Why did this happen?’
Marianne felt like she had been abandoned.
‘Why do I have to watch such a stup*d play?’
But she didn’t have the courage to walk out of the theater.
“Princess, even if you are angry, please be patient.”
A maid, who had been attending to Marianne, stepped behind her.
The eyes of the Royal Family turned to the butterfly-like ballerinas on the stage as the show began.
Marianne was agitated when she looked at them.
‘I’m prettier than them.’
The ballet was about a beautiful country girl named Cassandra who was corrupted by a man and eventually destroyed.
As a young girl, men seduced Cassandra one after another.
As the play progressed, the gestures of the ballerinas intensified. The music also became sharp, piercing her ears.
Betrayed by the men she trusted, Cassandra met a tragic end.
‘Who the hell chose this play?’
Marianne clasped her arms and groaned.
It was as if someone had deliberately chosen this kind of performance for her to watch.
But the reaction of the Royal Family was funny.
Everyone stood up and applauded enthusiastically.
The Princes shed tears, and the King’s lovers, who always looked arrogant, were also moved.
The King had an expression that looked like he fell in love with the ballerina playing Cassandra.
The ballerinas gently walked off the stage with small steps and bowed deeply.
“What the hell was that?”
As Marianne complained loudly, the fourth prince sitting next to Marianne whispered to her.
“Princess, it will be good for everyone if you stay quiet. Do you want to be gossiped about? Or do you want to end up like Cassandra?”
“What did you just say?!”
“I didn’t say anything, Princess.”
At the shameless words of the prince, Marianne gritted her teeth.
Not long ago, Marianne was the main character.
She had a fiancé that others envied, and she was a lovely Princess whom everyone looked up to.
After her splendid coming-of-age party, everything changed.
Madame Katana, the ugly maid that Marianne wanted to kill, took Marianne’s fiancé and Marianne ended up being punished for the scandal.
While Marianne was confined, Riv pretended to be the main character in society.
‘Why did this happen? Why me!’
Marianne did not understand where it went wrong.
There was no one uglier than Riv Katana. So why?