Chapter 120: Argument
"What are you doing here, Katharina?" Maria asked, her lips curling into a faint, forced smile that didn’t quite touch her eyes.
Damn it.
Why does she always show up at the worst possible time?
I turned to regard the one woman who seemed to exist solely to be the bane of my existence. To this day, I couldn’t wrap my head around why she hated me so much. All I did was answer a random question! When she asked what I thought of marrying a royal, I remarked—perhaps too bluntly—that I wouldn’t be caught dead doing so. That was it. That single comment ignited a relentless vendetta. Ever since, she’d been hell-bent on making my life miserable.
"I came to visit the palace. Or... is that a crime, Princess?" Katharina retorted smoothly, a saccharine smile on her face as her grip around my wrist tightened.
It was only then that I realized what was happening.
Oh. Fuck.
My gaze snapped up to meet Maria’s. Her piercing eyes were locked on our clasped hands, and I could almost feel the judgment rolling off her in waves.
"Huh...?" I stammered, yanking feebly at my wrist, but Katharina’s hold was unrelenting. I looked back at her, only to be met with a smug, self-satisfied smirk.
Kill me now.
"It isn’t... assuming your visit has a legitimate purpose," Maria replied icily, her voice deceptively light as she took a step closer. Her gaze briefly flicked to my wrist. "And I would advise you to unhand my servant. He’s supposed to be carrying out the assignment I sent him on."