Chapter 96

Arabella was discovered by the maids.

"Goodness!"

The cleaning maid, who found the youngest miss lying on the marble floor, screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Miss Arabella!"

The cleaning maid, in a state of shock, tried to find where Miss Ariadne, who was in charge of the household, was, but unfortunately, Ariadne was out with the acting butler, Sancha. The cleaning maid, unsure of who to report to, finally decided to inform the butler, Niccolo, as a last resort.

Butler Niccolo was taken aback and shouted,

"Are you just standing there staring! Why aren't you taking her to her room immediately!"

He hurried to the first-floor entrance to tend to the fallen Arabella. He too was in a panic, trying to find someone to report to, but both Cardinal de Mare and Miss Ariadne were out. In the end, Butler Niccolo went to find Lady Lucrezia.

"Lady! Something terrible has happened!"

"What terrible thing?"

Lady Lucrezia had recently experienced too many terrible things. Her eldest daughter was under house arrest for being rumored to be the mistress of a city garbage collector, a fox lady had attached herself to her precious son, and her husband had banished her to a rural farm.

Lucrezia could not bear any more terrible news. At the mention of something terrible by Butler Niccolo, Lucrezia's mood soured.

"Why can't you just say it if you're going to bring it up?!"

"Lady, Miss Arabella has fallen down the stairs. She is unconscious. Please come and see."

"Arabella?"

Lucrezia's irritation grew even higher. She was annoyed that the butler was making a fuss over something unimportant and disturbing her peace.

When she followed Butler Niccolo out of the first-floor guest room and into the first-floor entrance, she saw her pale, youngest daughter lying on the floor.

"What is this all about!"

Lucrezia immediately raised her voice. She detested troublesome matters. Blaming others might mean it wasn't her fault. It was an unconscious reaction.

"I, I don't know. The maids heard a thud and came to see, and Miss Arabella was lying there..."

Arabella was unconscious but, fortunately, had no visible injuries.

"Is she breathing?"

"Yes, I confirmed she is breathing."

"Then apply some cold compresses and let her rest in her room. She probably just fell while playing. She's not even bleeding."

Butler Niccolo was a bit surprised by Lucrezia's indifferent handling and cautiously suggested again,

"Lady, should we call a doctor?"

Lucrezia, who had lost all her household management authority, could not afford to call a doctor with the household budget. If a doctor were to be called, it would have to be paid for from her own savings.

Her purse had been in a poor state recently. There was no income, but a lot of expenses for her son, leading to significant financial losses.

If this continued, she might have to sell Isabella's pink sapphire tiara this month. When Isabella found out later, she would throw a fit.

Thinking this far, Lucrezia's head started to hurt, and she burst out in anger.

"Are you questioning my handling of this?"

Lucrezia's anger exploded at the innocent Niccolo.

"Are you my person or Ariadne's girl! Are you now openly ignoring my orders?"

"Oh, how could I, Lady!"

Despite Niccolo's defense, she did not calm down. Lucrezia even started waving her arms at Niccolo in anger.

"How long do you think I'll be in this state! When I return, I won't let you off! Get out of here!"

With Lucrezia reacting this way, Butler Niccolo had no choice but to obediently retreat. After all, Arabella was Lucrezia's daughter, not his own.

"As you command, Lady."

Lucrezia huffed and returned to her room. Behind her, Butler Niccolo instructed the maids to carefully move Arabella to her room on the second floor.

The maids, following Butler Niccolo's orders, carefully carried Arabella. As they lifted her, Arabella's head turned, and a trickle of blood from her ear dripped down.

- Drip, drip.

The blood from Arabella's ear left a trail from the first-floor entrance to her bedroom, marking a path on the white marble and dark wooden floors that would not easily be erased.

* * *

Following the trail of blood, Isabella came down from the second floor and quietly entered her mother's first-floor guest room.

"Mom..."

"What is it now?"

Lucrezia, in a foul mood, snapped at her eldest daughter.

"Mom..."

"Why are you like this too! I'm already upset because Arabella fell down the stairs. Both of you girls, why do you have to make me so angry!"

"It's all Arabella's fault!"

Isabella, unable to bear her mother's irritation, finally burst out.

"Arabella was being defiant, and when I said something, she got angry and ran off, excited, and fell!"

"What?"

"She was running off in a rage, what could I do!"

Isabella, feeling guilty, started to explain more than necessary.

"So, you two were fighting, and Arabella fell?"

"No, it was just her!"

"Was it just her? You didn't do anything?"

"Don't you trust me?! Ugh, why would I come to you for luxury and comfort... Forget it, I won't talk to you again!"

"Why are you coming here to cause trouble! I'm already upset! Don't touch me! You didn't do anything, right?"

"Yes, I didn't!"

"Then get out!"

* * *

'Ugh...'

The world was blurry. Arabella struggled to blink her cloudy eyes. Objects seemed to melt and flow like soup.

"Miss Arabella? Miss, you're awake!"

A shrill voice cut through the air. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn't tell whose voice it was. Arabella wanted to cover her ears because her head felt like it was splitting.

Arabella had been unconscious for hours. When she finally blinked her eyelids, the maid who had been watching over her screamed.

The maid, who was Arabella's personal attendant, rushed to inform Lady Lucrezia of this good news.

"Lady! Lady! Miss Arabella is awake!"

"Why are you making such a fuss."

Lucrezia, who should have been happy about her daughter's safety, snapped. Isabella, who had been curled up on the sofa like a cat, suddenly looked up in surprise.

Lucrezia was already feeling guilty about not calling a doctor, but the timing had passed. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt about herself. Her mood only worsened.

While this was happening, Arabella waking up was a stroke of luck, but Lucrezia did not want to see the result of her mistake.

However, even the foolish Lucrezia could predict what people would say if she didn't go to see Arabella.

"Stop being so noisy!"

She took out her anger on the innocent maid and, with a heavy heart, made her way to Arabella's room on the second floor. Isabella, fearing the consequences of her actions, followed her mother up the stairs.

- Bang!

The loud noise was not helpful for her injured daughter, but Lucrezia's mood came first. Seeing her pale youngest daughter lying in bed made her mood even worse.

"You! I knew you'd end up like this, being so reckless."

Arabella's vision was blurry, her ears were ringing, and her thoughts were muddled.

Lucrezia's words did not register clearly in Arabella's mind. She blinked her eyes, trying to understand her mother's words.

"Who would defy their sister? You got what you deserved, you got what you deserved!"

Sister, got what you deserved...

"I knew this day would come when you started defying your sister!"

Behind Lucrezia, a sister with the same hair and eye color as her mother appeared, following her like a duckling follows its mother. Always loved, no matter what.

"Causing accidents all the time, what good are you? I really wonder why I even gave birth to you! It's so upsetting, really!"

Tears streamed down Arabella's blurry green eyes.

"If you weren't here, my life would be better! Better!"

Her vision grew darker. The last thing Arabella saw in this life was her angry mother and her sister, who clung to her mother.

* * *

Ariadne arrived at the San Ercolano Cathedral and first delivered the pay pouches to Cardinal de Mare for the household members on duty. Next, she had a personal matter to attend to. She requested an interview with the nun in charge of music education.

The conversation with the nun, including small talk and well-wishes, lasted about an hour.

The nun, laughing heartily at Ariadne's inquiry about the admission results, told her "Congratulations!" She mentioned that 'Arabella de Mare' was listed as the second on the applicant list received in advance from Padua for administrative support.

The nun hinted that individual notification letters would be delivered by messengers and that the official admission letter would arrive at home in a day or two.

After the meeting, Ariadne couldn't wait to return home and share the good news with Arabella. Arabella! You're admitted as the second, and you're the youngest!

However, as she returned home, Ariadne sensed something different and chaotic as soon as the carriage passed through the main gate of the mansion. The gatekeeper's uniform was mismatched.

'What is this?'

With a foreboding feeling, Ariadne asked the domestic servant who took her cloak at the entrance,

"Is something wrong at home?"

"Miss Arabella... Please go to the great hall, Miss."

The foreboding feeling grew stronger. Cardinal de Mare had returned home before Ariadne, which was unusual.

As Ariadne approached the great hall, she saw Cardinal de Mare in his red ceremonial uniform in the distance. Servants were quickly arranging white flowers in the great hall.

'White flowers? Suddenly?'

The door connecting the great hall to the corridor, which should have been closed, was wide open. The entire house was in a state of unrest. Something was seriously wrong.

"Father."

Ariadne greeted Cardinal de Mare as she entered the great hall. Next to him were the restless Lucrezia and the pale-faced Isabella. Arabella was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Arabella...?"

Cardinal de Mare replied in a dry, short tone.

"She's dead."

Ariadne involuntarily responded.

"What?"

The cardinal delivered the facts in a matter-of-fact manner.

"She passed away this afternoon. She fell headfirst while playing on the stairs."

The cardinal gestured to the center of the great hall. A large, imposing black coffin was placed on a platform about 1 piedi (about 45 cm) high in the center of the great hall. It was disproportionately large compared to Arabella's small frame.

"This can't be...!"

Ariadne ran up to the platform and looked into the black coffin. Inside, her youngest sister lay as if asleep, her skin unblemished, her long, flaxen lashes resting on her cheeks.

"Arabella? Arabella?"

Ariadne reached out and touched Arabella's plump cheek. The face, which should have been warm, was now cold, the life drained from it. The once soft and smooth cheek felt strangely rubbery under her fingers.

"Oh... Oh..."

The reality, which she had heard and seen but could not feel, finally hit her as she felt the coldness through her skin. Despite this, Ariadne refused to give up and persistently spoke to Arabella.

"Arabella, wake up, look at me, okay?"

The cold, lifeless sister did not respond.

"Arabella, your acceptance letter has arrived... You're admitted as the second, okay?"

Tears finally welled up in Ariadne's eyes.

"You have to go to Padua, you wanted to. Arabella, you have to go to the big city and study the music you love, okay?"

Ariadne reached out and fumbled for Arabella's hand. It was a small hand that needed to be held tightly. Arabella's hands were crossed neatly on her chest, but her left hand was clenched unnaturally.

Ariadne noticed nail marks on Arabella's left hand.

'What is this...?'

As she raised her right hand to examine Arabella's left hand more closely, images suddenly flooded her mind. It was the same ability she had experienced at the Lamboy charity house.

"Ah...!"

Scenes flashed before Ariadne's eyes. It was more like facts being forcibly implanted in her brain rather than images.

Lucrezia's shouting and scolding, heard from the room, the tussle with Isabella behind the stairs, Isabella snatching the wig instead of holding Arabella when she thought her sister would grab her.

'If I give Ari to her, she'll be happy!'

Arabella thinking of the iron lock.

'When the acceptance letter for the music conservatory arrives... I'll call her sister.'

Arabella's resolve.

- Drip.

Tears uncontrollably streamed down Ariadne's cheeks. She clenched her fists.