The Royal Ball lasted three days.
But Riv and Lionel did not attend, except for the first day.
The rumors and happenings outside were not discussed in the bedroom.
Lionel and Riv were completely enamored by each other. They hardly came out of their bedroom.
“The Duke and his wife are getting along well.”
The Duke’s maids looked towards the bedroom of the couple, who had not come down for breakfast for the past two days.
“Did you see the Duke’s expression?”
It was the first time they knew that Lionel could make love to someone so passionately.
“I hope the Duchess conceives a child soon.”
“A child resembling Madame and the Duke would be beautiful.”
The servants of the Duke wished for the mansion to be filled with children.
The Duke was precious to them.
It was everyone’s wish for the Sentoren family to prosper.
Princess Marianne’s disrespect against the Duchess at the Royal Ball, where she spilled wine on her dress, was soon buried.
The Royal Family was abuzz from choosing Princess Marianne’s husband for her.
The Duke and Duchess would soon make their long trip to the South.
Some servants had mixed feelings about it and others hurried to prepare to follow them.
Two days later, Riv left for town.
She was going to pick up the summer and evening dresses she had ordered from Ezerca before her appointment with Sophia, Countess of Murden.
Riv was with the coachman and her knight Hailey.
The carriage of Duke Sentoren stopped in front of Madame Ezerca’s salon.
The coachman waited at the back door.
“Please call me when you’re done. I’ll be waiting.”
Riv went into Madame Ezerca’s salon with Hailey.
She came just in time for the appointment, and Madame Ezerca was on the first floor waiting for Riv.
She was supposed to take the clothes after she was done fitting them, however, Ezerca’s mood was noticeably quite strange.
Ezerca looked terrified.
“Ezerca?”
“I-I.”
Ezerca stuttered and lowered her gaze.
“I came to pick up my dresses, as scheduled. Are they finished?”
“They’re all ready, but we can deliver it to the Duke’s mansion.”
“I had an appointment, so I had to come downtown anyway. I wanted to check them quickly.”
Ezerca glanced upstairs in a cold sweat.
On this floor was Ezerca’s drawing room and the second floor was a sewing room where the seamstresses made clothes.
Riv recognized that the air here was different than usual.
An uninvited guest was here.
“Who’s on that floor?”
Then she heard the sound of heels coming down the stairs.
When Riv raised her head, she saw a customer in a pink dress.
Riv called her name.
“Princess Marianne.”
Marianne grinned.
“Long time no see, Riv.”
“No, it hasn’t been a while, has it? I saw you a few days ago.”
The memories of the Royal Ball had not yet faded.
Riv didn’t know why Marianne was here. Marianne asked as she looked at Riv’s blank expression.
“Did you lose your spirit, Madame Katana?”
“…I am now Duchess Sentoren. How did you get here?”
Riv also saw the hem of El’s robe, hiding under the stairs.
“Princess Marianne, did you sneak out of the palace?”
That appeared to be the correct answer, seeing as Marianne gritted her teeth.
“It’s none of your business.”
“Yes, I see. So, did you come here to get a dress adjusted?”
“Yes.”
Although Ezerca’s dresses were beautiful, they wouldn’t suit Marianne because of their mature design.
Everyone in this place knew that well.
Marianne suddenly said to Riv.
“Riv, I’m here to talk to you.”
“Are you planning on forcibly arresting me and imprisoning me in the palace?”
At Riv’s words, Hailey walked in front of Riv and grabbed her sword. Marianne grinded her teeth at the action.
“You dare hold your sword in front of me? How dare you!”
Riv ordered Hailey to stand down with a single gesture and said.
“So what do you want, Princess Marianne?”
Marianne nodded as she thought Riv had become compliant.
“Come up. Because I have a story to tell. Get rid of that b*tch.”
Riv calmed Hailey, who was still on high alert.
“It will be fine. It is not dangerous.”
“But.”
Hailey examined Princess Marianne’s maids.
“Then I’ll stand nearby.”
Madame Ezerca’s parlor on the second floor was small. There, Marianne’s maids prepared tea.
Sewing materials and patterns left by the seamstresses were scattered around them.
“Sit down.”
Marianne nodded her head arrogantly.
“You know I hate to look up, right?”
Riv sat across from Marianne.
Ironically, it was the first time she had tea time with Marianne.
El was looking at Riv and Marianne with a puzzled look. Marianne said.
“Go ahead, drink.”
Riv stared at the steaming teacup in front of her.
“The tea hasn’t cooled down.”
“If you’re told to drink, drink!”
Marianne started to get angry. Riv didn’t lift a hand.
Realizing that Riv wasn’t going to move as she wanted, Marianne opened her mouth. She had escaped the palace, and didn’t have much time.
“Madame Katana, I have a suggestion for you.”
“Say it.”
“Come back to me.”
Riv remained silent instead of answering. She was genuinely curious about Marianne’s inner feelings.
Marianne tried to arouse her sympathy by keeping her eyes down.
“Riv, I’m going to get married soon. I can only take two or three maids with me to a foreign country where I can’t speak the language.”
“So?”
“Come with me. With Riv, I won’t be lonely.”
Marianne, who blinked her eyes, looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Are you really going to leave me, Riv?”
Riv couldn’t help but laugh at this point.
“Do you really think I will follow you, Princess Marianne?”
In an instant, Marianne’s expression changed to a vicious one.
“Why don’t you listen to me when I’ve said this much? Riv Katana, you belong to the Royal Family, and I am your master, you should listen to my orders!”
“I refuse.”
Riv realized that the selfish Marianne still thought of no one but herself.
Marianne could kill Riv whenever she wanted.
Like she did before she returned.
She came back after she was killed by such a child. She only had a few months left to live.
This stubborn psycho Princess thought that Riv would listen to everything if she acted cute and blinked!
“I have not forgotten that Princess Marianne tried to kill me over and over again. You sent an assassin to my bedroom a while ago.”
“I didn’t know that. I don’t know anything.”
Marianne, who had turned her head coyly, quickly became hysterical.
“I hate you, Madame Katana! But you are not like yourself right now.”
“…”
“Riv, you must come under me with an ugly face. You were the ugliest and most terrifying thing I’ve ever owned. Madame Katana suits you better. You know?”
Marianne was intoxicated by her own words.
Marianne seemed to think that Riv would soon accept her true nature and follow her.
“Let’s go together, Riv Katana. You must exist as Madame Katana* by my side.”
[E/N: during this whole section, I was correcting Marianne in my head. “It’s Duchess Sentoren now.” Ugh Marianne is the worst ?]
Riv shook off Marianne’s hand that was reaching out to her. She felt like hives were forming on her skin where the Princess had touched.
“I refuse. I will never go back to Princess Marianne’s side.”
“You have changed. You’ve really changed! How could you deceive me like this?”
For a moment, Riv’s body stopped on its own.
The nape of her neck became hot.
The moment Riv made contact with Marianne, she saw Marianne’s future.
In that future, she would constantly resent Riv and was dying from madness.
Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, just as Riv only had a few more months left to live, Marianne’s life wouldn’t last long either.
Riv laughed out loud.
“Are you crazy?”
Riv went downstairs, ignoring Marianne.
Marianne’s scream could be heard, but she ignored it as well.
“You’ll regret this! You’ll really regret it!”
Marianne gritted her teeth as she remembered Riv, who had shaken off her hand and walked out.
“You dare ignore my offer? When I put aside my pride like this?”
Marianne remembered her indifferent gaze, as if Riv was looking down on her.
Marianne was terrified that the d*mb Riv Katana, who had turned into a beauty, looked down on her.
“She dared to insult me!”
El sighed and said.
“We must go back before the Queen finds out.”
“I do not care. Get Riv Katana right now! Catch her right now!”
Marianne’s voice filtered downstairs. Madame Ezerca let out a sigh.
Riv had no desire to come back.
“I will come back to pick up the clothes. No, send them to the Duke’s mansion.”
Ezerca did not raise her head.
“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow at Duke’s mansion.”
Riv nodded her head and went outside with Hailey. Her complexion had deteriorated.
“Madame, shall we go home?”
“No, I just want to get some air.”
Riv looked blankly into the distance.
People were busily moving around the city center,, towards their goals.
She suddenly remembered her promise to have lunch with Sophia.
There was something she had to check on with her.