Chapter 90

"Usually, the academic year ends in early December, so the grades must have been finalized by now. It's late January, so shouldn't the grade reports be coming in soon?"

Lucrezia interjected tactlessly.

"Did our son receive any awards? As expected, our son would easily graduate at the top of his class, right?"

Ipolito wanted to rip out Lucrezia's front teeth that were exposed by her smile. He had gone to great lengths to bring her from exile in the Bergamo farm, only for her to put her own son in danger! However, he smiled gently and lied to his mother.

"Ha ha! Being my mother's son, of course. But I didn't graduate at the top; I graduated with honors and was chosen to give the valedictory speech by popular vote. That was the original plan."

"The original plan...?"

In response to his parents' question, Ipolito shook his head dramatically.

"Right now, there's a heated debate in Padua about moving the university to a different city. Because of this, the students are on strike, and the academic year is completely on hold."

It was true that the city of Padua, where the university was located, had decided to impose new taxes on university facilities and faculty, which the university administration strongly opposed. However, the claim that the academic year was on hold and that the students were protesting was a complete lie. It was just a fantasy that some students who didn't want to take exams had dreamed up. Nevertheless, Ipolito spoke with a dramatic air.

"Well, Padua became a livable city thanks to us, and now they want to impose taxes without showing any gratitude! What are they doing to the teachers and students? Indeed, a free city without a ruler has no foundation."

Lucrezia's eyes widened with worry.

"So, they're not giving you your bachelor's degree?"

"Mother, how can I sit idly by and let injustice happen?"

Cardinal de Mare was also paying attention to his son. Ipolito, who was now fully engaged, pounded the table with his fist. The food rattled, and his younger sisters looked at him with surprise.

"So, I organized a boycott of the academic schedule as a student representative. Our department collectively refused to take the final exams."

Lucrezia was shocked and worried about her son.

"Then shouldn't you be in Padua waiting for the announcement of additional exams instead of being here?"

"Mother."

Ipolito looked at Lucrezia with a deep gaze.

"How can I sit in Padua and focus only on my studies when my mother is in such a situation?"

Tears welled up in Lucrezia's eyes. Her life had not been in vain. Even though her husband had cruelly cast her aside, she had a son who truly cared for her. Ipolito, riding the momentum of being a noble and righteous spokesman, revealed his goal for the day. In truth, it was more about wanting to look cool than having a specific purpose.

"Father, Mother has suffered so much. Can't you let her come home now? She did make a mistake, but she has repented so much."

Isabella, who had been sitting quietly, wiped her eyes. The youngest, Arabella, who had missed the chance to cling to her mother's skirt due to the busy reunion between her sister and mother, rubbed her slightly sore nose.

Cardinal de Mare cleared his throat again, and Ipolito, interpreting this as a sign of contemplation, pressed on.

"That was, admittedly, a bad method, but it was all for the well-being of our family. Mother's intentions were not bad. She has a good character."

The phrase 'a good person' made Ariadne inwardly tut. She had a lot to say, but stepping in at this moment would make her a traitor.

"Now, I will take Mother to the cathedral to pray together. So, Father, please forgive Mother once. I will take full responsibility."

Ipolito thumped his chest. His 'I will take full responsibility' was a light-hearted statement, made to sound cool, but Cardinal de Mare interpreted it differently. As the eldest son and heir, Ipolito's promise sounded like a commitment to prevent Lucrezia from causing trouble and to mitigate any damage to the family.

"Can you really take full responsibility?"

His raised left eyebrow twitched.

"Of course!"

Ipolito, who had no idea what his father was thinking, confidently declared. Cardinal de Mare nodded once.

"Then let it be so. You will take responsibility for your mother and ensure there is no more trouble."

The cardinal then looked at Isabella, who was standing in place in a white dress.

"And you. I know you have deeply repented. I will lift your penance, but you are forbidden from going out for a while. You may only go to the church to pray. Do you understand?"

Isabella, pale-faced, bowed her head.

"I have deeply repented, Father. I will not cause you any more worry."

"Very well."

With that, Cardinal de Mare picked up the meat knife he had put down.

"Let's finish our meal and go to our rooms. Ariadne, please see to everyone's bedtime arrangements."

Just as Ariadne was about to bow and respond, Ipolito interjected.

"But, Father."

He looked meaningfully at the gold ring on Ariadne's hand, the symbol of the mistress.

"Shouldn't Mother take over the household management when she returns? It's not right to make a young sister suffer when there is a legitimate mistress."

Lucrezia herself was surprised and looked at Cardinal de Mare. Was he asking too much in one day? Ariadne shook her head. She had long known her half-brother's mind was wicked, but he was truly shameless.

"Hmm..."

However, Ariadne's father was even more unscrupulous than she thought. Instead of outright rejecting Ipolito's suggestion, he began to ponder.

"Indeed, Ariadne is young and the mistress's ring doesn't suit her."

The unspoken part was 'especially since she is the second-born of a bastard daughter.' Ariadne's heart sank.

"But your mother has made too many mistakes as a mistress. It wouldn't be right to restore her immediately."

This time, Ipolito, Lucrezia, and Isabella's expressions twisted. After alternately plunging his wife and children into hot and cold water, Cardinal de Mare proposed a compromise.

"So, your mother will draft the budget, and Ariadne will execute it."

"No!"

The voice that burst out was unexpectedly not Ipolito or Lucrezia, but Ariadne. Cardinal de Mare, who had never heard his second daughter say 'no,' 'I won't,' or 'I can't,' looked at her with wide eyes.

"Why are you saying such things?"

He was unaware that his second daughter, from the past to the present, would never let go of the gold in her hands.

"Your Excellency, with authority comes responsibility, but conversely, if you want to impose responsibility, you must also grant authority."

Ariadne, with a sharp expression, glared at Lucrezia and Ipolito before looking at the cardinal.

"If you impose the duty of managing the household on me while chaining my hands and feet, I can't do the job. Just take it all."

Ipolito jumped up and shouted at Ariadne.

"You should just do as Father says, 'yes, yes.' What are you glaring at, you little mouse...!"

Ariadne did not back down.

"Brother, don't interfere with the household management!"

She then appealed to Cardinal de Mare.

"A significant part of the reason I can't hand over the mistress's ring to Mother is because of Brother."

"What?!"

Ipolito, now ready to beat Ariadne, stood up and approached her.

"Have you finished talking?!"

Ariadne signaled to the servant standing at the entrance. The quick-witted servant ran upstairs. Just as Ipolito was about to swing his fist, Cardinal de Mare stopped him.

"Enough! Can't you sit back down?!"

Breathing heavily, Ipolito returned to his seat, but his anger was still not quelled. He glared at his half-sister as if flames were shooting from his eyes. Shut up, shut up, I don't know what you're going to say, but shut up...

"Do you know, Father, that Brother Ipolito, who currently receives 15 ducats (about 15 million won) as pocket money every month, has been demanding an additional 23 ducats (about 23 million won) from me every month?"

Cardinal de Mare was shocked and looked at Ipolito, demanding an answer. Ipolito, who had been threatening his sister, quickly changed his stance in front of his father.

"Well... As a man, I have to maintain relationships, buy meals, and drinks. I need to manage my network."

But his half-sister was not easily swayed. She cornered him like a predator spotting its prey.

"Are the noble sons you call friends all in Taranto now? What kind of network management are you doing in the middle of winter in San Carlo?"

Ariadne sneered and pointed at Malleta with her chin. Malleta, who had been standing with the household servants at the entrance, quickly adjusted her posture as the family's attention focused on her.

"Or is your network the household maids?"

All eyes turned to Malleta. She stood out among the maids, not because of her appearance, but because of her attire. Malleta's outfit, while similar in form to the de Mare family's maid uniform, was made of different material and cut.

The brown top, which usually showed a hint of a white blouse underneath, was deeply cut to expose most of her upper body. The white shirt underneath was made of linen, which showed through even in the winter, unlike the thick cotton worn by the other maids. Not only that, she wore a necklace made of South Sea pearls. It was not the freshwater pearl pendants that maids occasionally wore, but a chain of South Sea pearls, each the size of a thumbnail, strung together. The smooth surface and elegant luster were of such high quality that even Lucrezia would have been impressed.

As soon as Cardinal de Mare saw Malleta's appearance, he realized where Ipolito's money had gone.

"This...!"

Ipolito, seeing the living proof before his eyes, trembled and could not speak, only grinding his teeth and muttering curses.

Despite the exposed truth about his son, Cardinal de Mare tried to mediate again.

"Can't Ipolito's spending be controlled if Mother pays more attention?"

Ariadne laughed bitterly.

"Mother becomes... very lenient when it comes to her son. How did Ipolito's spending get so out of hand in the first place?"

Cardinal de Mare sighed again. Not a single word was wrong. At that moment, Sanza came down from Ariadne's study on the second floor with two books. One was Ariadne's ledger, and the other was a thinner book bound in leather.

"And, Father, how much do you trust Mother?"

Ariadne, with a cold smile, took the two books from Sanza and opened the thinner one, which was not the ledger, and handed it to Cardinal de Mare. It was also a ledger, the kind used in tailors' shops or dressmakers' studios. Cardinal de Mare's eyes widened as he looked at the contents.