Chapter 49

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

The one who reacted most positively to her daughter's claim of innocence was, as expected, Lucrezia. Isabella took full advantage of the situation where her mother was on her side and the fact that no one in the family had actually witnessed the problematic scene.

"I was wrong not to stop it. But I really didn't do it!"

Lucrezia, feeling sorry for her sobbing eldest daughter, passionately took Isabella's side.

"How can you believe such stories over the words of your own daughter! Don't you feel sorry for the child crying?"

Isabella, like a baby, burrowed into Lucrezia's arms and sobbed. Thanks to Isabella's dramatic performance and Lucrezia's raised voice, the dinner atmosphere became tearful, and the mood was leaning towards believing Isabella at least once. Meanwhile, the grandly prepared dinner remained untouched by anyone in the family. As the seafood stew and truffle risotto grew cold, Arabella, who was extremely hungry, secretly reached for a chicken leg dumpling and accidentally touched the seafood stew plate with her arm.

- Clang!

The seafood stew plate tipped over. The red tomato seafood stew splattered onto Arabella's dress and the white tablecloth. Cardinal de Mare scolded the clumsy Arabella.

"How clumsy! You have no appetite, no appetite! Ah!"

He loudly threw his fork and knife on the table, having only eaten a pre-dinner bread dipped in olive oil, and left the dinner table. The atmosphere was a mess. Lucrezia scolded the innocent Arabella.

"It's all your fault that Father left! You've ruined the cherished tablecloth!"

Lucrezia, too, took the sobbing Isabella to her private room. Arabella, with her head buried between her shoulders like a turtle, was comforted by Ariadne with a simple word.

"It's not your fault."

Ariadne nodded at Arabella, who looked at her with wide eyes.

"Really."

Ariadne simply wiped the tomato soup off Arabella's face with a napkin and gave a brief order to the servants, who were watching the cold food.

"Bring the next dish."

Leaving such matters to affect one's mood was foolish. The more difficult the times, the more one should eat well, rest well, and recharge for the future.

"You should eat this and go up. Don't miss the meat that will come out later, and chew it well."

Ariadne pushed the food bowl towards Arabella, who obediently put a chicken breast dumpling in her mouth and chewed while looking at Ariadne. Unlike what she said to Arabella, Ariadne had not touched the food except for a few tomatoes in the Caprese salad.

"…Ari, aren't you eating?"

"I had a late lunch."

Ariadne answered calmly with a stiff smile. Her hands were slightly trembling, but it was fine.

* * *

Isabella, sobbing, entered her mother's private room and finally opened up.

"Mom, do you know what that crazy girl Ariadne said to me?"

"What? What did she say to you?"

Lucrezia, hearing that a newcomer had touched her jewels, flared up even before the main issue was raised.

"What did that wretched girl say?"

"It's that, Mom, she said she's going to ruin me!"

Lucrezia hesitated. Though she was ready to agree with anything Isabella said, she wondered if she had heard it wrong.

"Ruin?"

"Huh!"

"Did you misunderstand something like 'she has a strong will'?"

Lucrezia asked cautiously.

"Did that quiet and creepy girl use such profanity?"

Isabella burst out in anger.

"Mom, don't you believe me? She called me a bitch and said she's going to ruin me. Be careful on the way home at night!"

Lucrezia had never seen Ariadne use profanity. The stepdaughter brought from outside had never even said "damn" once.

The fact that a girl born to a maid and raised on a farm attached to a rural estate was so unusual was something she remembered.

"Well, her mother was calm too."

Isabella was frustrated that even her mother didn't believe her. Even when she lied, everyone believed her, but now, even when she was telling the truth, her own mother didn't believe her!

"Mom, you really don't believe me?! Why is your expression like that? That wretched girl really did it!"

"No, no, of course Mom believes you, Isabella. You must have been really upset."

Lucrezia tried to comfort her beloved eldest daughter, but Isabella had already realized that her mother's soul was absent.

"Aah! I'm so frustrated! That wretched girl, I won't let her off! I hate Mom too!"

* * *

Isabella wasn't the only one who had to spend unsatisfactory time with her mother. After returning to the palace from Ariadne's ball, Alfonso swallowed hard upon hearing that Queen Marguerite had summoned him. Here it comes.

Queen Marguerite had once hinted to Prince Alfonso to be careful with his behavior, as there were ongoing marriage negotiations with the Duchess of Gallico. Despite this, he had secretly attended another lady's debutante ball, almost became her debutante partner, and almost got into a fight with the young ladies, all of which was witnessed by the Marchioness, a close confidante of his mother. He had no idea what kind of reprimand he would receive today.

Would Her Majesty scold him? Would she cry? Alfonso could endure his mother's scolding, but he really hated her tears. It was a torment.

The guilt of making his mother so sad, the rebelliousness of thinking he hadn't done anything that bad, and the self-censorship all intertwined, making it unbearable.

While pondering what awaited him, Prince Alfonso reluctantly followed the queen's attendant to his mother's palace.

After passing through a long corridor and several rooms, he lifted the modest tweed curtain and entered his mother's private room, where Queen Marguerite was sitting in a single armchair, waiting for him.

Queen Marguerite, who was very sensitive to the cold, had already lit the fireplace. The flickering flames cast chaotic shadows on the queen.

"Your Majesty. Did you call for me?"

"Yes, sit down."

Queen Marguerite put the report she was reading on the side table and looked at her son.

"You went to the debutante ball of the Cardinal de Mare's stepdaughter."

"Ariadne. You know her name, Mother."

Despite her son's stubborn defiance, Queen Marguerite corrected the title.

"Yes, Ariadne."

She picked up the report on the side table and handed it to her son. Prince Alfonso skimmed through it.

"A report on the Duke of Valois and his daughter from Gallico."

"That's right. Lariessa de Valois. She is your current fiancée, and the marriage negotiations are ongoing."

To preserve the nobility of their bloodline, royal families traditionally married into the royal families of neighboring countries, but church law prohibited marriage within six degrees of kinship.

Since Queen Marguerite was a princess from the Kingdom of Gallico, Prince Alfonso was a second cousin to the current King of Gallico and his sister, the princess.

Naturally, he was in a position where he could not marry the Princess Auguste of Gallico due to the church's prohibition on close kin marriage.

Therefore, the most noble lady currently available from the Kingdom of Gallico was Lariessa, the second daughter of the Duke of Valois and a seventh cousin to the current King Philip IV.

Prince Alfonso placed the unfinished report on the side table. He didn't want to read it anymore.

"Then?"

"Next month, a diplomatic envoy from the Kingdom of Gallico will visit San Carlo. They will discuss specific matters related to your marriage negotiations."

Queen Marguerite stared intently at her son.

"Yesterday's events are in the past. I can ask about them. But during the time the envoy from the Kingdom of Gallico is here, you must absolutely maintain proper conduct and ensure that no stories about your close relationship with any young lady are heard."

Alfonso's face showed a hint of regret at his mother's firm words.

"Mother, Ariadne is not just 'some young lady from some house.'"

The queen's face became stern.

"Then, are you saying you want to marry her? There is a clear difference in status. She is a bastard child of a cardinal. Even if she were a legitimate child, it wouldn't matter. If she were the Pope's illegitimate child, perhaps I could close my eyes and let you marry her. But a prince marrying the cardinal's illegitimate child is out of the question. It's impossible in this lifetime."

Queen Marguerite firmly reminded her son of his position.

"You are not in a position to run off with any woman you like. You are the sole heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Etruria. End it now before you get too serious."

Seeing her son hesitate, she added a final warning.

"If you drag this out, you will only cause trouble for the other young lady. She has a reputation and a marriage to consider. If she misses her chance to marry because of you, who have no possibility of marrying her, that would be a great wrong to Ariadne."

Alfonso's face showed surprise. This was a point he had never considered. Queen Marguerite paused for a moment and added with concern.

"Stop escorting her to official events and stop exchanging letters. If you are seen together, it will cause her trouble, and giving her false hope is a great offense. Act like a gentleman."

* * *

One faced her mother's firm opposition to Ariadne, while the other received her mother's full support. The problem for the latter was that he had not won the heart of the woman he desired.

"Ottavio, what method do you use to seduce a woman who doesn't like you?"

Ottavio de Contarini looked at Cesar de Como as if he were a strange creature.

"Are you, the city's playboy, really asking me how to seduce a woman? How would I know anything about women that you don't?"

Cesar flicked the match he was playing with into the trash can.

"I've never seduced a woman. They always came to me first."

It was an unfortunate statement, but it was true. Cesar de Como was the most popular man in San Carlo. Who said young women are shy? He regularly received a flood of love letters and gifts from young ladies.

Cesar had repeatedly shattered Ottavio de Contarini's confidence by showing him all the real-time events he witnessed. Not only did Cesar exacerbate the rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer situation, but he also deliberately asked questions that cut Ottavio to the core. Ottavio put his hand on his forehead. Cesar looked at him calmly.

"Why, did you see something you shouldn't have?"

Ottavio glared at Cesar, who muttered, "It's true, what can I do?" But he soon came up with a suggestion for his friend.

"If you don't know, why don't you start with the basics? No woman dislikes flowers. But some may think you lack sincerity if you only send flowers. So, send flowers with a gift. It's a surefire way."