Ariadne and Sancha's standard of living rose vertically after the incident of defeating the Apostle of Aseretto and having an audience with Her Majesty the Queen. First of all, she had a study on the second floor and a room at the west end with a drawing room. Although it is called a 'room' for convenience, it is actually a suite-like living space with two living spaces in its own living room. Originally, it was the room used by Ippolito, the eldest son, so it occupied the largest and best room among the children's room.
"Miss! It's really pompous!"
Sancha shook the duck down duvet on Ariadne's new bed, admiring its softness. She didn't need to shake it again because it was new, but Sancha enjoyed the feel of it two or three times.
"Hey, you don't even have to do it yourself."
They are also assigned new maids, Anna and Maria. Sancha had a subordinate in just a few months of her life as a maid. But Sancha was angry with Ariadne for glaring her eyes.
"My Lady! How can you trust them and entrust them with things that directly touch the Lady's body? They even go to the study!"
Ariadne laughed softly as Sancha's excitement. There's nothing wrong with her because she's meticulous, but she'll be tired if she goes on like that.
Knock!
There was a harsh knock at Ariadne's door. Out of courtesy, she knocked once, as of she would knock, and without waiting for an answer, it was Arabella who appeared behind the door that opened right away. Arabella came in carrying lute that was half her torso.
"Hey, I didn't come here specifically to hang out with you. I'm here to watch what stupid things you do."
Ariadne straightened out the looseness she felt when she was alone with Sancha and greeted with a smile like a 'good sister.'
"What did you bring the lute? Do you like the original lute?"
"In case you don't know, I am a lute genius."
Arabella didn't say 'sister' even when her mouth was torn. But Ariadne didn't bother to point out the title to her sister, who called herself 'you' in everything she did. She hadn't made up her mind yet as to whether or not she would be her big sister to Arabella. She hated receiving favors she could not return. If she couldn't give it back, she was comfortable not taking it in the first place.
"Do you have any talent for playing?"
"Is it just playing? I am also good at composing."
The ten-year-old said it crookedly, but Ariadne wasn't too upset by Arabella's attitude. It was because he had seen with her own eyes the plight of Arabella, who had been away from home for the past few months. Lucrezia treated Isabella unconditionally, and Arabella, on the contrary, disciplined her excessively even with things she dodn't have to scold. There was no reference point. Things she had'n seen in her childhood. In addition, Ariadne, who had been dismissed as vulgar because she had no musical instrument she could handle because she had not been properly educated as a young lady in her previous life and was thrown into society, Arabella's rants were a bit strange, and a bit envious.
"Are you really that good? Try playing it!"
Sensing Ariadne's question as a provocation, an exasperated Arabella straightened her stance and put the lute on her lap. She held the lute head with her left hand and strummed the string with her right hand, releasing the soft melodies.
Dirririring.
It was a splendid song that crossed the octave up and down. Between her constantly shifting notes, Arabella's tiny fingers moved along her strings without a mistake.
"Wow."
Clap! Clap!
"You are good!"
"Miss Arabella, you're amazing!"
Sancha also hid the confidant attitude she had when she was with Ariadne, and returned to her servant mode to shower her with soulless compliments. But Arabella's performance was so good that even Sancha was happy to clap.
"Which song is it? It looks very difficult."
Arabella blushed slightly as she hugged the lute.
"I composed it!"
"You did?"
Ariadne was really a little surprised this time.
"Really? Didn't you make a small correction to the existing song?"
"No! Everything from the harmony to the melody was made by myself."
Ariadne soothes Arabella when she gets angry.
"Whoa, whoa, it was because the song was so good. You are really talented."
"Heh, it's not that great."
Seeing Arabella, who gets embarrassed when she is lifted up and gets angry when ignored. Sancha goggles slightly. Arabella glared at Sancha, but when Ariadne looked at her sternly, she pursued her lips and turned her head away in disbelief.
"Actually, I want a pipe organ. I want to arrange it as a Mass Brevis with a pipe organ as the main instrument and seven string instruments."
"Can't we just use the one in Cathedral?"
The pipe organ was so gigantic that it had to think about where to put the vacuum tubes before constructing the building. However, the family members of Cardinal de Mare were able to use the pipe organ installed in the Cathedral of San Ercole thanks the the Cardinal's prestige.
"It can only be used to accompany Mass on Sundays. Even if I lie about practicing the accompaniment, the limit is three hours each on Wednesday and Saturday. Priest and nuns keep using it."
"Can't you ask mother or father to buy the pipe organ?"
Arabella furrowed her brow, but this time she looked really upset. However, apart from the distort brow, she was cautious in her mouth.
"Mother... Pipe organs are expensive. Investing just for a girl alone is expensive."
Ariadne stared at Arabella, who was doing something that wasn't appropriate for a child to say. It seems that she had already begged to buy one and was turned down.
"Because girls have to be kind and share good things with their sisters... The pipe organ is something Isabella doesn't use. That's why they say they can't buy it for me."
Arabella suddenly pouted while talking.
"I am not asking you! It's not like you're a sister! Even if you want to use it, mother won't buy it for you!"
Ariadne smiled softly and laughed off Arabella's pointless attack. Really, what Arabella really wants to say it, ' Mother loves only me. She was say don't touch my pipe organ,' and the one she wanted to say was Isabella.
"I don't know how to play a pipe organ, so even if you buy one, I can't share it. Don't worry. I will not take yours."
Arabella, who was looking at Ariadne with a mixture of doubt and relief, she gently invited her back.
"If you really want a pipe organ, ask Isabella to buy one for you. If Isabella asks, mother will agree, right?"
Arabella hugged the lute with a mysterious expression of hurt and material desire. Ariadne hugged Arabella from behind, and Arabella did not push her away, probably because she was still young. If she had only reached puberty, if she had known how to be a little more wary of people, she wouldn't have been worth half a penny.
'She's a poor child starving for affection.'
But Ariadne in a worse position than that. How dare she pity the child of Cardinal de Mare and Lucrezia?
***
Arabella was a clever child. Her mother's predilection for her sister was a fact that never changed, and when she tried to deny it, nothing changed. On the other hand, if she extended her servile attitude towards her sister, which she had maintained throughout her life, she could have the pipe organ of her dreams. So she decided to ask Isabella to do her favor.
It was a little scary to do it alone, so it was in the girl's drawing room on the second floor where all three 'sisters' gathered and spent time waiting for the tutor to arrive. Isabella had her flaxen hair draped in one braid and draped to one side, wearing a form-fitting mauve room dress and applying balm to her lashes. The blame-soaked, glistening eyelashes and her eyes shining like amethyst underneath were exquisitely beautiful and boring. Arabella, stunned by her sister's fiery beauty, addressed her cautiously, with her intimidation.
"Here, sister."
Isabella lifted her eyelashes moistened with balm and looked down at Arabella. Her gestures sounded annoying, but her voice gentle, like jade beads rolling on a silver tray.
"What is it, Arabella?"
"Hey, can't you talk to mother about buying a pipe organ?"
Ariadne, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation over her shoulder pretending not to know, shook her head involuntarily. She should make Isabella want a pipe organ, and is she asked her so openly, she would almost certainly try to eat Isabella's stomach. Sure enough, Isabella looked down at her irritation with a frown on her pretty face, and she took a glance at Ariadne and held it back. Isabella was still doing minimal image management around Ariadne.
'I'm sure no one knows you as well as I do, so no matter how nice you pretend to be, it's useless.'
Isabella answered in a sweet voice, no matter what Ariadne was thinking.
"Arabella, a pipe organ is not something you can buy just because you want it. Extravagance is a bad thing, and it doesn't suit a good girl.
"Not luxury! I mean it really! I want to rewrites hymnbook I just made to fit the pipe organ, but the one in the Cathedral cannot be used for a long time, so it's not going well."
Arabella, who was in tears, tried to attack Isabella by saying, 'Don't you also but cosmetics and luxury items from the Moorish Empire in the East for a lot of gold coins, and a pipe organ is much more luxury than that?'
Ariadne gently pulled Arabella from behind and placed a hand over her lips. While stroking Arabella's cheek, Ariadne gave her a helping hand on behalf of her clumsy younger sister.
"Isabella, Arabella's hymns are really beautiful. It's not at the level of children's play."
Ariadne looked at the lute and winked at Arabella.
"Arabella, try playing it."
Dirriring...
Without further ado, Arabella gently plucked the strings of the lute. It was a colorful and layered melody that did not match the simple sound of the lute. Listening to her playing, Isabella immediately widened her eyes, and as soon as the 30 seconds had passed, Isabella shook her hand and signaled her to stop. Then, before her performance was finished, Isabella spoke to Arabella.
"Wait a minute, did you really write this?"
"Huh?"
"Where are these songs written?"
"It's Missa Brevis. It's still unfinished, so there are parts that need some more work.
Isabella's bored amethyst eyes narrowed with a twinkle. It was the face she made when she was up to something bad.
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