Chapter 54
At Betty’s words, Selena nodded as if struck by sudden realization.
“Yeah… Betty, you’re right.”
Selena nodded again, as if in a trance.
“His Highness doesn’t love Katrina.”
“If you don’t mind, my lady, I’ll become Miss Katrina’s maid.”
“What?”
“The head maid said so. One of Miss Katrina’s maids went on leave, so they’re looking for a temporary maid.”
Betty spoke firmly, even as she looked at Selena, who was still in tears.
“…I’ll be your eyes and ears, my lady.”
“Can you really do that for me?”
“Of course, my lady.”
A letter arrived from Raymond.
[I’ll be visiting soon.]
Katrina cut the letter to shreds without hesitation.
‘I have no business with you anymore, Raymond.’
The gratitude she’d received from the palace was already finished, and the perfume had been nothing more than a means to catch the spy.
Katrina had not forgotten.
“Let’s never see each other again.”
She had no intention of meeting Raymond again.
Recently, their encounters had been frequent, but that was coincidental.
‘I’ve done everything I needed to.’
From here on, she intended only to wait.
Then—
Knock, knock.
Someone rapped on her door.
“Katrina, it’s me.”
It was Damian.
What business could he have? It was rare for him to visit her chamber personally.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
“What brings you here?”
“I heard you’re making perfume for the Crown Prince.”
“You’ve already heard?”
How quickly word spread. She had only just made it, yet gossip was already circulating.
“Katrina, I overlooked it last time, but I can’t ignore it this time.”
“What?”
“I can tell this is no ordinary perfume. I came to warn you to restrain yourself.”
He’d figured it out already?
Still, Damian wouldn’t have any actual proof. Only suspicion—albeit correct suspicion.
So Katrina decided to feign ignorance.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Besides, she had no reason to ever make perfume for Raymond again.
She had only given it to him in order to catch the spy.
“I trust you understood me.”
But Damian quietly pressed his warning again.
“I’ll say this once. There won’t be a second time.”
“…”
“If you cross the line again, I won’t let you off.”
“…Are you threatening me?”
“I’m glad you understood.”
“….”
Katrina wanted to laugh in his face.
He only worried she might disgrace the family with her strange perfume.
But did he know the truth?
‘How long can Raymond endure without it?’
The thought made her curious.
Right now, out of arrogance, he was managing without her perfume, but the pain would only worsen day by day.
Someday, her perfume might become the key to controlling him.
‘Though I won’t be here by then.’
Not that Damian needed to know that.
‘And not yet…’
She had to hold back. The spy still needed to be caught.
The more Damian misunderstood, the better.
But then…
“Are you finished here?”
Why wasn’t he leaving?
Katrina glanced at him. His blue eyes, heavy with thought, grew darker and darker.
“Katrina, I have to ask—was the creator of that perfume recipe my mother?”
Ah, of course. He was quick to catch on.
‘What now?’
This kind of question unsettled her more than threats.
The keepsake she’d inherited… technically, it was Damian’s mother’s.
And Arabella…
She had left Damian almost nothing. Instead, she’d given everything to Katrina.
“…No.”
Katrina lied. Telling the truth felt like it would only backfire.
But instead, it made things worse.
“…No?”
Damian’s lips twisted.
“There’s a limit to shamelessness.”
“….”
“If you’re going to lie, at least pick something believable, Katrina.”
Normally, Katrina would have snapped back at such insults.
But when it came to Arabella, she couldn’t.
On that point alone, she felt as though she had wronged him.
“To use my mother’s keepsakes for this sort of thing…”
His eyes grew ice-cold.
“Don’t you think you’ve gone too far?”
“….”
“And to endanger the family in the process.”
“I never did that.”
“Then tell me—what exactly is in that perfume you’re making?”
She couldn’t answer.
Until the spy was exposed, only she and Raymond could know the perfume’s true effect.
“Your silence tells me it’s nothing good.”
Once again, Damian misunderstood.
‘Fine. Think what you like.’
Katrina turned her face away, refusing to explain.
Then—
“Katrina Aviche.”
Damian seized her chin and forced her to face him.
His blue eyes burned with fury.
“Never—”
His usually calm voice shook with heat.
“—never use my mother’s things like that again.”
“….”
“Understood?”
When Damian left, Katrina’s heart was heavy.
Why had Arabella given her such things before departing?
His attitude infuriated her, yet when it came to matters tied to Arabella, Katrina could never raise her voice.
“My beloved Katrina.”
Katrina had loved Arabella. She had been someone impossible not to love.
Because Arabella had saved her when no one else had.
When the whole world turned away, only she reached out a hand.
But—
“You are my only child.”
Arabella had left Katrina with guilt.
She had abandoned a boy who had been shunned by his own mother his whole life.
Katrina sighed deeply.
“That’s why I hardly ever used it….”
She’d only touched it this time in order to return home.
But Damian would never know that.
She was still lost in thought when—
Knock, knock.
“Miss, your new temporary maid is here. May she come in and greet you?”
Ah. Finally.
When her maid had gone on leave, Katrina had told the head maid she wanted a temporary maid until her own returned.
“Come in.”
At her words, the maid opened the door and entered.
“Hello, Lady Katrina.”
The maid smiled brightly at her.
“My name is Betty. I’ll be serving as your temporary maid for the time being.”
Katrina smiled in return.
At last.
“Yes. I’ll be counting on you for now.”
So you’re the spy.
“Perfect timing. I already have something I need you to do.”
She handed the maid a slip of paper she’d tucked in a book.
“It’s urgent. Buy what’s written here.”
Betty blinked in confusion as she looked at the list.
“They’re herbs,” Katrina explained, taking a gold coin from her pocket and pressing it into Betty’s hand.
“My previous maid used to get them for me…”
Betty stared at the coin in her palm, flustered.
Katrina smiled warmly at her.
“But it must be done discreetly.”
“D-Discreetly?”
“Can you manage it?”
Betty’s eyes trembled. Then she set her jaw firmly and nodded.
“Leave it to me, my lady.”
