Chapter 81

Ariadne closed the curtain and spoke to Sanza.

"'Miss Rossi' goes out a lot."

Sanza, who was tidying up the desk, nodded at Ariadne's words.

"Madam Lucrezia rarely goes out."

To be precise, it wasn't that she didn't go out, but that she couldn't. Lucrezia had no connections in the capital's social circles. No one invited her, and no ladies called on her at home. Her outings were limited to regular masses, minor errands related to the San Ercoli Cathedral, or visits to shops to buy things. Two outings in a week with unclear destinations were completely unlike Lucrezia.

"Perhaps she's having an affair?"

At Sanza's words, Ariadne burst out laughing, the first big laugh she had since Prince Alfonso left for Taranto without leaving a letter.

"But she has no money, so how can she have an affair now?"

"Why not? It could be a late-blooming true love."

As Ariadne and Sanza exchanged idle chatter, Ariadne let out a rare complaint about her own situation, which was uncharacteristic of her, who was always patient.

"If only I had a servant to tail her at such times."

When she was living as the regent's fiancée under Cesare's wing, she could simply use Cesare's people. Being someone's woman meant borrowing his influence, a sweet refuge.

"Exactly. If only I had a legitimate excuse to use the servants..."

But if you have no teeth, you chew with your gums. Ariadne whispered another plan to Sanza.

"Find out who the coachman was who took Madam Lucrezia out today."

Sanza understood her mistress's intentions from just one word.

"Oh! That's a good idea!"

Ariadne smiled and nodded. They planned to bribe the coachman who accompanied Lucrezia to find out her destination. Gold can make even a dead man speak.

* * *

When Lucrezia returned to the house the fortune-teller had rented, the gypsy woman ran to the door with a broad smile. Lucrezia was a big catch. The gypsy woman couldn't afford to lose her, or more precisely, the 'Heart of the Blue Abyss.'

Countess Rubina had promised 1000 ducats (about 10 billion won) in gold for the 'Heart of the Blue Abyss.' She kept her promises regarding money and compensation.

'If I succeed in this one deal, I'll be set for life!'

The gypsy woman had already prepared everything perfectly. She had even prepared a counterfeit 'Heart of the Blue Abyss' at great expense, ready to switch it when Lucrezia brought the real one. She had been eagerly waiting for Lucrezia's return.

"Madam! You succeeded. Come in quickly. Where is that cursed thing?"

Lucrezia, feeling uncomfortable with the gypsy woman's eager gaze, tilted her head to one side and replied.

"Well... there were some complications."

After bringing Lucrezia and her maid inside, the gypsy woman, upon hearing the 'complications,' was so angry she almost threw a tarot card.

"What? You didn't bring the necklace?"

"There was nothing I could do. That girl was so meticulous..."

Lucrezia explained in detail why she couldn't bring the necklace, while Giada, sitting next to her, acted as if it wasn't her fault at all, as if she wasn't even listening to the conversation. The gypsy woman wanted to hit this pathetic duo. The thought of the gold coins spent on the counterfeit 'Heart of the Blue Abyss' made her want to tear her hair out.

"...So, is it possible to perform the purification ritual even without the real thing?"

The gypsy woman's ears perked up at this. A customer suggesting a purification ritual was a sure sign of a gullible person. Even without the necklace, it was an opportunity to recover the costs.

"...It's not easy without the real thing, but..."

She deliberately dragged out her words and leaned back. Despite not obtaining the necklace, Lucrezia had come back, indicating she still had strong hopes. She seemed likely to agree even if the price was raised.

"It requires a lot of materials and effort... Do you think you can do it?"

"Will it have the same effect?"

The gypsy woman, suppressing the urge to call Lucrezia a fool, instead gave a sly smile.

"It's a prayer that reaches the divine. It's just hard to reach, but once it does, the effect is exactly the same."

Lucrezia sighed in relief.

"I'll do anything. If this succeeds, my daughter will be released from penance, and the Cardinal will soften his heart, right?"

"Not just that. The noble blood will fall in love with your eldest daughter at first sight and make her the most noble woman in Etruria."

Why not make the lie grander? Besides, her prediction that Isabella would become the king's woman was true. She had felt the same aura when she saw Countess Rubina's fate. The fate she had glimpsed for Isabella burned even more strongly than Countess Rubina's.

"The biggest problem is that the aura of your eldest daughter and your youngest daughter are opposite. If we can lower the power of the gem through the purification ritual, everything will fall into place and return to the way it was."

She narrowed her eyes and looked at Lucrezia.

"Shouldn't we restore the honor of your eldest daughter, who has been disgraced, and return the glory that should have been hers?"

The gypsy woman had already done background checks on the Cardinal de Mare's household. The current social circles were rife with rumors that the Cardinal's eldest daughter was the mistress of the Count of Campa. A loving mother would not resist the temptation of a purification ritual.

"Isn't it a mother's duty to act when there's a way?"

Indeed, to Lucrezia, this story sounded like a way to ensure Isabella could marry Prince Alfonso. The fear that Ariadne would take that place if the ritual wasn't performed filled her heart. Lucrezia grabbed the gypsy woman's hand.

"Let's do it."

But this time, it was the gypsy woman's turn to push back. She looked at Lucrezia suspiciously and took a step back.

"Can you do it?"

"I'll do anything."

"Blood of a dead frog, inner core of a unicorn, myrrh from the Moorish Empire, frankincense from Mount Esa, gold melted like lead, and the price the sorcerer must pay."

The gypsy woman looked at Lucrezia intently.

"The materials are precious, and the people who can perform it are even more so. I must offer the 'Law of Cause and Effect' as the price for this purification ritual."

She held up two fingers.

"200 ducats (about 200 million won). No less."

Lucrezia's mouth dropped open.

* * *

In the carriage on the way home, Giada cautiously spoke to Lucrezia.

"Madam, 200 ducats (about 200 million won) might be too much, don't you think?"

She added, looking around.

"It's been a while since we couldn't send money to Taranto. Is there any spare money left in the household accounts?"

In fact, there was. They say a rich family can last three generations, and Lucrezia had managed the Cardinal de Mare's household accounts for over 20 years. She had stashed away some money both inside and outside the house. However, with no hope of replenishing it, she hadn't touched it easily. Lucrezia, who knew everything about the Rossi family, burst out at Giada.

"You're right, but the money sent to Taranto is like melting ice. Am I wrong?"

The Rossi family, who received the living expenses sent by Lucrezia, spent it extravagantly. The Cardinal suspected 20 ducats (about 20 million won) per month, but in fact, Lucrezia sent over 30 ducats (about 30 million won) to her family each month. If she received 30 to 35 ducats per month, she could have saved and invested, but the Rossis did nothing. If they had bought land and farmed it with the money Lucrezia sent, they could have been called landowners instead of just living expenses. Instead, the money flowed out like water for alcohol, silk, and gambling.

"Oh, Madam, but we can't stop sending it, can we..."

Giada's mother worked for the Rossi family. If the Rossi family went bankrupt, Giada would be in trouble. However, more fundamentally, Giada couldn't advise Lucrezia to turn her back on the Taranto Rossis. Giada believed that if she turned her back on her family, it would be a disaster, and that even if she received nothing from her family, she had to do everything for her brother to be a proper person. Lucrezia shared this belief.

"You're right, you're right. But let's wait until the end of this month."

The gypsy woman set a deadline as Lucrezia left.

"Two weeks! In two weeks, the 'Scorpio' constellation will close and move to 'Sagittarius'! The dark constellation must be invoked during this time, and the door will close once it moves to the normal zodiac!"

This meant that Lucrezia had to prepare the money within a week. There was about 60 ducats (about 60 million won) saved from not sending money to Taranto while watching the Cardinal and Ariadne, so she needed to raise about 140 ducats (about 140 million won) to make it work.

"If this works, everything will return to the way it was! My daughter will become a queen, you know?"

Greed won over duty. Lucrezia was feeling the greatest pressure she had felt in nearly ten years. Isabella was her pride and treasure. She had always looked forward to the day her daughter would enter a grand man's household as a legitimate wife and fulfill her mother's lifelong regret. But she doubted if there would be any man who would want her as a proper wife. A beautiful but scandalous illegitimate child, a clear mistress.

"No... I can't let Isabella live like me!"

If she went to a man of lower status, she might become a mistress, but that was worse than death. In the midst of this, the prospect of becoming a royal consort... This had to be done. Lucrezia made several more outings to collect money from various sources and to find hidden petty cash. One of these outings was to the Rione tailor shop. Ariadne learned about Lucrezia's movements through the old coachman, who accompanied most of her outings, and the young coachman Giuseppe, who accompanied a few.

"You're quite talented, aren't you?"

Ariadne teased Sanza with a smile.

"What are you talking about, Miss!"

Sanza's freckled face turned bright red with anger. Her skin was usually very pale, and now her skin and hair were the same color.

"It's not like that!"

"Why, I can see you really like it."

Giuseppe, a quiet and reserved apprentice coachman in his late teens, was learning his trade diligently in the stables. Ariadne planned to give