Rebirth of The Villainess Princess

Chapter 24 : The Marriage Contract

‘’Your Highness, the Duke of Larenz is asking for an audience.’’

It was a fine afternoon when Catherine finally receive a piece of news about what she had been waiting for for days.

‘’Great! Led him at the gazebo,’’ her lips curved into a pleasant smile.

Just after a month of planning, the gazebo she had always wanted to build in her garden was completed.

Whenever she went there, she would always imagine a romantic scene between her and the duke.

Her face flushed as she expected there would be something more to happen, meeting the duke who her heart had always desired.

‘’And don’t forget to prepare our finest wine. Yes, not tea but a wine with snacks to perfectly combined with it,’’ she said in a light voice, waving her hands, gesturing as her eyes sparkled in joy.

‘’Yes, Your Highness. Rest assured, we’ll prepare everything according to your wish,’’ the butler smiled and bowed in a polite manner before retreating to carry out his errands.

‘’I like that. Make my wish come true,’’ she waved enthusiastically, indicating she let the butler dismiss.

Duke Larenz was at the gazebo when Catherine arrived in a new elegant laced pink dress. He was sitting in one of the silver chairs, matching the glass table in the middle, and the crystal-like column serving as the pillar of this place. From afar Catherine could see his good-looking face. She stopped for a moment, and allow herself to secretly admire him.

‘’I can’t believe, I’m soon getting the man of my dreams. Finally, you’ll be my husband,’’ she said, her gaze was quite detached from reality, resuming her imaginary imagery – romantic ones – between her and the duke all this time.

She looked already fine but she still fixed herself before meeting the duke finally. The duke stood as the princess entered the gazebo.

‘’My Lord.’’

‘’Your Highness.’’

Once they met, they bowed to each other. One had a cold gaze, while the other had a warm smile on her face.

The servants followed after Catherine and served the wine and the various snacks they could enjoy together.

‘’My Lord, let’s take a seat. And please, treat my palace as your own home,’’ Catherine appeared inviting, however, the duke seemed to dismiss it.

He did not even glance once at the luxurious wine served to him. His face slightly frowned and merely nodded as he sat with the princess opposite to her, so they were facing each other.

‘’Didn’t you feel better, My Lord?’’ Catherine asked worriedly as she noticed his silence.

‘’No worries, Your Highness. I’m perfectly fine,’’ he flatly responded. ‘’Your Highness, I’m do not actually asked for an audience just to chat leisurely with you.’’

Catherine softly smiled. ‘’Then what is the objective of your visit, My Lord?’’

‘’I will stop beating around the bush. Your Highness, allow me to directly state my reason…’’ he said, as he raised his palm and beckoned his right-hand man who came with him, to give something to him. And in his hand, are folded pieces of paper sealed with wax.

‘’I agreed to the rush arrangement of our wedding day, but I have my arrangements too…’’

Then he gave Catherine the sealed paper in his hands, and with a flushed face and shy beautiful smile, she accepted them.

‘’My Lord, you don’t have to send your love letters personally.’’

The duke became uncomfortable, after spouting those words. He looked like he wanted to say something but find it difficult to explain.

‘’But..Your Highness, they are not love letters.’’

Catherine paused opening the letters, ‘’Oh, then are they?’’ Her honey-like voice had a hint of disappointment.

‘’It’s a marriage contract,’’ he bluntly replied.

‘’Marriage…marriage contract?’’ She had no good feelings about this.

‘’Yes. The contract contains what we should do and what we shouldn’t do to each other, publicly or privately.’’ The duke explained it earnestly which Catherine seemed to find incredulous. ‘’It was made legal by the signature of the Minister of Law.’’

‘’But…but why? Why we should have this…’’ she was disappointed but when she finally opened the paper and read the gist of what it contained, Catherine became utterly displeased.

‘’Áre you…trying to restrict me? My Lord, I’m not merely playing with you. I’m seriously in love with you,’’ her eyes turned glassy.

There are many things the duke had written in the contract about their arrangement once they became husband and wife.

Some of them are, they’re not allowed to touch each other physically but holding hands publicly will do. In private, it was prohibited.

They will both live at the duke’s palace, but with separate rooms, separate closets, separate baths, separate dining rooms, and many more. In other words, they will live under one roof but have separate spaces, and different life.

They will literally do nothing to each other.

There are still more but Catherine didn’t bother to read each one of the. It pains her eyes.

And she hated everything about it.

It was like the other way of slapping her face which means – I don’t like you.

Catherine had something she dreaded the most — being controlled. ‘You’re merely a fictional character. So act like one. Know your place, my love.’

She refused to tremble. Her eyes became merely a little bit glassy but they just stayed like that.

Her smile became even wider.

‘’You’re so thoughtful, My Lord. But…’’ She lifted the papers, her gloved hands grasping them.

‘’...we don’t need it.’’

The duke heard a sudden noise of papers being torn.

Catherine tore the marriage contract in front of the duke and burned them.

Duke Larenz stood abruptly from his seat. Adjusting his carat, his eyes narrowed at the smiling wicked princess.

‘’I guess I have no important matters to discuss with you, Your Highness. I’m leaving now.’’ He didn’t wait for her response, with a clenched jaw, he right away left the palace, offended.

When the duke left, Catherine flared up.

‘’Heed my command! Look for the printing association that helped the duke produce those useless papers.’’

One by one, figures of men like shadows appeared everywhere. And swiftly kneel on one knee before Catherine.

‘’Your Highness, what do you want us to do?’’ The man, leading them in front asked.

‘’Burn them. And then look for the Minister of the law,’’ her smile became more and more sinister.

‘’Please decide his fate, Your Highness,’’ the man on the leader’s right spoke.

Catherine lightly chuckled. Her face exuded a radiant glow.

‘’Kill him. That’s his fate.’’