Chapter 16

Ariadne's footsteps slowed at the sound of Lucrezia's bird-like voice seeping through the crack in the door.

“I can't do it. It's too hard.”

It was undoubtedly Ariadne’s story being told. She stopped completely. To the fidgeting maid, Ariadne spoke calmly.

“My stomach suddenly hurts so much. I think I need to go to the bathroom. You go to the governess and tell her that the second young lady will be late.”

“But, Miss Ariadne...!”

“You won’t get into trouble. Just go and tell her that.”

Ariadne took off one of the ugly pearl earrings she was wearing and placed it in the maid’s apron pocket. It was the only pair of earrings she had, but she knew she had to use it when the time came.

“Be careful about what you say to your master about what you saw and heard. Go quickly.”

The maid, who had been at a loss, seemed to be tempted by the pearl earring and soon agreed, leaving as Ariadne had instructed. Ariadne pressed her body against the pillar in the corridor and listened to the conversation leaking through the crack in the door of the Cardinal’s parlor.

“No, why are you like this again? It was your idea to bring Ariadne here in the first place.”

“That was then, and this is now! How stubborn and difficult this girl has become! It’s so hard to serve her!”

Cardinal Mare’s voice, trying to placate Lucrezia despite his exasperation, could be heard.

“Then what will you tell Cesar? He subtly hints every time we meet at the Mass.”

“She asked for Isabella, not just any girl like Ariadne. Do you think he will leave her easily? You need to come up with a good plan! You’re good at that! I can’t live with her anymore.”

“If you can’t live with her, you can always send her to Cesar quickly.”

- ‘...!’

Just as she heard this, there was a noise from the far end of the corridor. Ariadne was startled and quickly moved away from the parlor door, pretending to be passing by casually. The source of the noise was maids passing by to clean. They did not seem to notice anything strange and bowed to Ariadne before chattering among themselves and walking away.

‘Phew.’

She had endured for ten years. The idea of being sent to Cesar early made her shudder. Ariadne realized that just hiding and lowering her head was not a solution. If she just went with the flow, the outcome would be the same as in her previous life. A life where she was handed over to a man who loved her sister as if she were his own life, serving as a substitute, like an old piece of furniture, and eventually being discarded miserably when the time came.

That couldn’t happen. It was time to take action.

* * *

Ariadne instinctively understood that the interests of Cardinal de Mare and Lady Lucrezia did not perfectly align. To Lucrezia, Isabella was her own reflection, a more perfect version of herself, a golden princess who must succeed. To Cardinal de Mare, Isabella was the best 'possession' he had.

Cardinal de Mare undoubtedly loved Isabella to some extent. He wanted her to be happy and was willing to make some sacrifices for her smile and peaceful daily life.

‘But only to a certain point.’

Ariadne knew how cold Cardinal de Mare could be. She shuddered, recalling his actions in her previous life, and the fine hairs on her arms stood up. To him, a well-bred horse was raised to win races, and a hunting dog could be injured while catching prey. His daughter’s essence was a commodity to serve the 'de Mare family' for eternity.

He wanted to teach her, groom her, and make her beautiful so that the exchange of a beautiful and renowned daughter would bring titles, lands, gold, and glory to the family. The daughter’s preferences were secondary. The only reason Cardinal de Mare did not want to marry Isabella to Cesar de Como was that Isabella’s value was too high to be given to someone like Cesar.

- “Oh, our beautiful daughter! She is indeed of our blood. She is superior because she is excellent, and she is my daughter.”

Cardinal de Mare always praised Isabella’s beauty, intelligence, and popularity in society. Even when she recalled her previous life, she had never praised Isabella’s efforts or character.

Cardinal de Mare loved Isabella because she was excellent. The eldest daughter, Isabella, was the top item on Cardinal de Mare’s list of assets. To be precise, his position as Cardinal was the top, and Isabella was second.

After Isabella, the list would include his champion horse from the King’s Cup and the emerald the size of a quail’s egg in his brooch. Ariadne would be listed much further down.

He wanted to receive the best price for his best asset through a marriage with the only heir to the throne, Prince Alfonso. That was all.

‘If Isabella’s value is higher than mine, making my father favor her and want to make her a princess, then I just need to be more valuable than Isabella.’

If she could gain fame, beauty, and become the most outstanding debutante in San Carlo, the de Mare family’s maiden presented to Prince Alfonso would be Ariadne, not Isabella.

‘I don’t even need to be the best in San Carlo. I just need to be better than Isabella. If I can’t rise, then I can lower Isabella’s value.’

- “I don’t like big women. He always imagined holding me while hugging you. Your chest is like a cow’s. I will be the queen.”

Isabella’s mocking voice echoed in her ears. Ariadne unconsciously touched her still flat chest. She felt no guilt about harming Isabella.

The eldest daughter would go to Prince Alfonso, and the second daughter to Cesar de Como. There was no third option. She couldn’t suddenly become a trade genius and import Eastern spices on a galley from the Republic of Porto, nor could she surpass Ippolito, the firstborn and Lucrezia’s son, to inherit the title.

Even if she generously assumed that Lucrezia was just a mistress and there was no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and even if she killed Ippolito and Isabella, there was no title to inherit in this family.

They had no hereditary noble title; they were just a family with a high-ranking clergyman as their father. The only option left for her was to ride on her father’s temporary power and become someone’s wife, sharing in their wealth and status.

If the only choices were Alfonso and Cesar, and the winner would have the chance to avoid Cesar, then this was a race she had to win.

Ariadne strode down the corridor on the second floor and opened the door to the girls’ parlor. The governess, Mrs. Romani, and Isabella and Arabella, who were in the middle of a Galleco language lesson, looked at the door in surprise at her late arrival.

Ariadne bowed in perfect court etiquette.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Romani.”

[“Good afternoon, Mrs. Romani.”]

Her Galleco accent was so smooth that it was hard to believe she was an Etruscan speaker.

“Sorry to interrupt, shall we continue?”

[“I’m sorry to interrupt, let’s continue.”]

Arabella gaped at Ariadne.

“Why are you so good at Galleco?”

Ariadne smiled slightly.

“It’s nothing. I just picked it up a bit by listening over the shoulder.”

The always gentle Mrs. Romani was surprised and asked Ariadne.

“Your accent is perfect. Where did you learn it?”

“I grew up with someone who spoke Galleco. They only knew how to speak it, not the grammar or proper expressions. After studying with you, I picked it up quickly. It’s all thanks to you.”

While gauging an alibi for when she would be questioned, she also subtly passed the ball to Mrs. Romani. Mrs. Romani marveled at her student’s quick progress and her own teaching ability, and Arabella, who had been protected by Ariadne during Lucrezia’s outburst, saw her in a new light.

But Isabella glared at Ariadne with burning eyes.

‘I’m the main character. I can’t let her steal the spotlight!’

* * *

Isabella clenched her teeth and devoted herself to her studies to become Mrs. Romani’s favorite student again, but her weak foundation meant she couldn’t surpass Ariadne in any subject, from Galleco to Latin, history, theology, and court etiquette.

“Perfect!”

Mrs. Deluca, the court etiquette instructor, marveled.

Court etiquette involved memorizing over 300 pages of parchment, and even after memorizing everything, there were many physical aspects to learn, such as the appropriate depth of a bow, the right speed to shift one’s gaze, and graceful posture. It was a subject that improved rapidly only with actual experience in society.

“No matter how much I memorize at home, I still stumble next week.”

“Have you even had your debutante ball?”

“I’ve only been to the queen’s Mass once.”

Mrs. Deluca was once again amazed by her clever student’s learning ability.

“This is... talent!”

‘I’m sorry, it’s experience.’

* * *

Isabella wasn’t particularly talented in the arts and physical education either. Ariadne, who also lacked talent in these areas, was neck and neck with her, but the one who truly excelled was the young Arabella.

“Your lute playing is fantastic! You have a great sense of dynamics and perfect timing!”

Miss Mancini, the music teacher, praised Arabella. To Isabella, who glared at the triumphant young Arabella, Miss Mancini kindly offered a strained compliment.

“Isabella handles her mandolin very carefully.”

‘Aaah!’

Unable to suppress her inner scream, Isabella threw her ‘carefully handled’ mandolin and stormed out, slamming the door.

Isabella had her chance to showcase her talents at various social events and the monthly Mass. The grand Mass at the San Ercule Cathedral, the largest in the capital of San Carlo, was traditionally led by Cardinal de Mare, and all residents of the capital gathered to hear the sermon. Only nobles could enter the inner part of the cathedral, while commoners waited in the square outside. After the sermon for the nobles, Cardinal de Mare would give a brief message to the commoners and they would disperse.

The interior of San Ercule Cathedral was a display of luxury, extravagance, and beauty. Isabella was the most striking jewel there.

“Kids! Get ready! We need to leave by 7 to get to the carriage! We can’t be late!”

The event Ariadne knew about was happening today. The Council of Trevero week was last week, and the decision on the matter had already been made. Today’s Mass would be the day the lid was lifted on the Council of Trevero in San Carlo.

It was time to take away the attention Isabella monopolized at the Mass and her father’s favor.