Chapter 100

Ariadne was startled as if she had been burned and straightened her posture. She had once vividly experienced what could happen when she fulfilled a man's desires without any promise.

- "Ari, don't you love me? Come here."

- "The queen will be Isabella."

Ariadne pushed away Alfonso's heavy hand lingering on her ear, where Cesare's presence still lingered.

"No!"

Ariadne looked Alfonso straight in the eye and repeated,

"I don't like this."

Alfonso was taken aback as if he had been doused with cold water. But he was always a gentleman.

"Sorry, did I surprise you?"

He lowered his hand, wrapped it around her shoulder, and kissed Ariadne's cheek.

"Is this okay?"

Ariadne's lips curved into a smile as she watched Alfonso anxiously waiting. She smiled happily and kissed Alfonso's lips.

"I like this."

Alfonso's lips also curved into a smile. The young couple laughed and rubbed noses, searching for each other's lips. Their playful kisses often turned into deep, passionate ones. After a while, the sound of a growling stomach from the break room interrupted their passionate exploration of each other's lips. Ariadne looked at Alfonso, and Alfonso turned his reddened face away. Only then did Ariadne have the leisure to look Alfonso up and down. Alfonso's attire bore the marks of a prince who had ridden through the snow-covered plains day and night. She gently tucked his hair behind his ear and said,

"You must have had a hard journey. Are you hungry? When was the last time you ate?"

"Last night? Dried meat?"

It was late afternoon, transitioning into evening. Alfonso's words meant he had gone without food for a whole day. Ariadne was startled and got up.

"No way, we need to eat something right away! Wait a moment!"

Ariadne rushed into the kitchen connected to the dining room. Since her return, she had compulsively avoided food. After so long on a restrictive diet, the sight of food now made her feel nauseous. However, as the mistress of the house, she had to take care of others' meals, and supervising meal preparation was a task she particularly disliked. But for Alfonso, she was willing to touch the food. She entered the kitchen, where the kitchen maids had all left, and filled a tray with bread and meat from the pantry. Since it was cold winter, warm wine and hot soup were also essential. She filled a large tray with food, hesitated for a moment, and added a dessert before closing the pantry and returning to the break room.

"Here! Let's eat!"

Ariadne had brought only one set of utensils. Alfonso raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you eating?"

"I've already eaten."

She answered calmly without hesitation, but he sharply scrutinized her. Her face looked as if she hadn't eaten for days, let alone lunch.

"Are they starving you here, or are you not eating?"

Ariadne avoided Alfonso's gaze, but he didn't let her go.

"Open up."

Ariadne flinched, shuddering. The feeling of food in her mouth was unpleasant even to imagine. Eating would make her gain weight. If she gained weight...

- "You're too big, they say, it's like hugging a man."

It was unacceptable. When Ariadne stubbornly refused to open her mouth, Alfonso frowned. Ariadne pouted when she saw his frown.

'What, are you going to get mad because I'm not eating?'

But instead of scolding her, Alfonso's lips approached her. The prince took a sip of warm milk with sugar and dried fruit, then opened her mouth and made her swallow it. She couldn't distinguish between the sweetness of the kiss and the warm milk. It was the first time in over ten months since her return that she had tasted something sweet. Normally, she would have been horrified and spat it out or gotten angry at whoever made her eat, but this time, the indistinguishable sweetness of the kiss and the sugar made her kneel in submission.

"Ha..."

Alfonso pulled away. A thin thread of the sweet kiss clung to her lips. Ariadne wiped her mouth with her hand.

"Alfonso, what are you doing?"

"Ari, I want you to be healthy."

Ariadne couldn't help but stop her tongue, which was about to lash out at Alfonso's words.

"I don't like seeing you waste away. Just eat whatever tastes good without thinking too much. I don't want you to be weighed down by complicated thoughts."

He wiped Ariadne's lips with his finger. Her lips, which she had wiped vigorously, were now stained with milk mixed with saliva.

"You're beautiful."

Ariadne shuddered. It was the kind of sweet talk men only said right before bed. She had heard it all in her previous life. She stubbornly replied,

"Just because you say that doesn't mean I'll let you do anything more with me today."

Alfonso's gray eyes flickered at Ariadne's harsh words. But he didn't get angry. Instead, he pressed his lips to her forehead, leaning in very close.

"Ari, don't say that. I didn't mean it that way."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"You are the most beautiful person in the world to me. You don't need to lose more weight or dress up in a way that's uncomfortable. I just want you to do what you want, eat what you want, and live naturally and comfortably."

It was a luxury that Prince Alfonso himself couldn't enjoy. But he intended to fight for it, not just for himself but for her. A natural, comfortable life where she could be herself. And even more so for his lady. He was determined to make it happen, no matter how many times it took.

He took Ariadne's hand and squeezed it.

"I was worried about you, and I couldn't stay away."

He gently stroked her forehead.

"It's strange. You're so capable at everything, yet you seem like a child left by the river. I can't stop worrying about you, and I can't stop thinking about you."

When Prince Alfonso learned that the owner of the funeral was not Ariadne but Arabella, he realized that his reason for going to Carlo was gone, but he couldn't stop. The concern and affection in his heart drove him to Carlo. Arabella was Ariadne's youngest and most beloved sister, the only person she could rely on in a house full of inhuman people. Imagining how Ariadne must feel was like a knife in his heart. The black-haired girl with her lips tightly pressed together had nowhere to turn. He wanted to run to her and be the shoulder she could lean on. Even though he was a prince without any real power, still not even the crown prince, he could still do something. Even if he were just a commoner, he could tell his girl that she wasn't alone and to hold his hand when she was in trouble. That's why he had come to her, taking an unreasonable risk and riding through the snow for three days and nights.

"You worry me because you don't do these basic things. Even a four-year-old can eat by themselves. You can't do what a child can, so I had to come all the way to Carlo to feed you."

Alfonso rubbed his nose against Ariadne's face.

"You're worse than a child."

"No, I'm not!"

"Then eat with your own hands."

He put the utensils in Ariadne's hand and pushed the soup bowl in front of her. She had no choice but to comply. She scooped up some clear mushroom and beef broth with her spoon but couldn't easily bring it to her mouth. Alfonso whispered in her ear.

"Hurry up before I feed you again."

Ariadne, startled by the deep voice in her ear, put the spoon in her mouth. The aroma of dried porcini mushrooms and the savory taste of beef filled her throat. The smell of a proper meal, which she hadn't tasted in a long time, was initially unfamiliar and slightly nauseating. But as the soup went down her throat, a familiar, pleasant taste briefly touched her senses. Yes, that's how it tasted...

As Ariadne took a bite, Alfonso stroked her hair and praised her.

"Hurry, one more bite."

She took another spoonful of mushroom and beef soup at Alfonso's urging. The joyful taste of food, which she had only faintly felt before, spread across her tongue this time. Ariadne voluntarily scooped up a third spoonful. Alfonso watched her with a contented smile. Ariadne finished the mushroom and beef soup, then ate the potato gnocchi and roasted lamb. Although the strong smell of the meat made it hard to eat much, it was still a significant improvement. Alfonso, who had only eaten frozen dried meat for three days, indulged himself. Despite her efforts, Alfonso was the main one who finished the food. The tray, which had been filled with food, was empty in the blink of an eye. Alfonso chewed the last piece of lamb with a hint of regret.

"Do you want more?"

"No, this is enough. I just ate what was left."

For a prince, he was surprisingly frugal. Ariadne smiled. Then she noticed the rice pudding in the corner of the table.

"Aren't you eating that?"

Alfonso glanced at it and replied.

"I don't really like desserts. Besides, I don't like the texture of pudding."

Ariadne paused. Alfonso had definitely eaten the Sanguinaccio Dolce she had given him without showing any dislike.

She asked indirectly.

"I've never seen you leave any dessert at official events."

Alfonso smiled bitterly.

"Well, if I leave food at official events or in the palace, the kitchen staff gets in trouble."

Queen Marguerite was particularly concerned about the prince's appetite, and Alfonso's nanny, who wanted to please Queen Marguerite, would always protest to the kitchen staff whenever Alfonso left food, asking why the prince didn't finish his meal. The head chef of the prince's palace had less authority than the prince's nanny. Alfonso had witnessed the head chef being fired, the servants being dismissed, and the maids being beaten every time he left food.

"You have to eat even if you don't like it."

Ariadne felt a sinking feeling in her heart. Was the Sanguinaccio Dolce she had given him something he had eaten just to please her, worried that she might suffer at Cesare's hands? Ariadne unconsciously caressed Alfonso's cheek. If she asked him now, he wouldn't know. Some things would remain unknown forever. But she felt she already knew the answer. Alfonso seemed pleased with Ariadne's initiative. He smiled softly and said to her,

"Eat well, sleep well, and take care of yourself. I should get up now."

Ariadne laughed briefly at the change in Alfonso's tone, which was different from before.

"Prince, you're suddenly so authoritative."

Alfonso smiled at Ariadne.

"Treating a friend and treating my woman should be different."

Ariadne's face turned red at the words. Not wanting to show her embarrassment, she playfully retorted,

"Am I your woman?"

The Alfonso from before would have blushed. This time, his ears were slightly red, but he nodded firmly.

"Yes."

Alfonso added with emphasis.

"Just wait a little longer."

Ariadne smiled sweetly. It felt like a warm breeze in her heart, like a painkiller for a life filled with unhappiness and tragedy. She always took care of her man. Ariadne asked, as was her habit,

"How did you clear your schedule? It doesn't seem like you came officially."

"That's not for you to worry about."

Prince Alfonso answered with his usual firm voice.

"I'll take care of it."

Ariadne was slightly surprised by Alfonso's unusual decisiveness and his different response compared to Cesare. The reaction to her concern was completely different from what she was used to. Cesare would have complained about the difficulty of clearing his schedule and boasted about his clever plan. The time filled with boasting and pleading was familiar. Ariadne, marveling at this difference, soon nodded. Alfonso must have everything planned. She decided to trust her prince.

"Take care of yourself too."

She added,

"Don't overdo it."

If they just stayed quiet and did nothing, hiding in the shadows, the result they both desired would come. The engagement between the prince of Etrusca and the duchess of Gallico would be broken, and Prince Alfonso would be ordered to marry one of Cardinal de Mare's daughters. But a sacrifice was needed for the offering. The life of Queen Marguerite was to be the white lamb on the altar, the offering of the day.