Chapter 74 < Grand Duchess Lariesa Ruined Everything >
Sister, I'm The Queen In This Life
Isabella was horrified. It was a shame to miss Taranto's winter social season, but she had to quickly go out and spread the rumor that Countess Bartolini was the Marquis de Campa's real mistress, so she could get out of this dirty abyss!
"Uh-huh! Stop! Even in this situation. you don't listen to your parents and go out on your own to say you're the best!"
"No, no, Dad, that's not it......."
This continued with sharp criticism from Lucrezia.
"Quiet! Listen to your father! I'm so embarrassed that I can't even walk around with my face up!"
Since Lucrezia usually took Isabella's side no matter what, Isabella became more and more sad. Cardinal de Mare's sentencing continued.
"Correspondence with the outside world is also prohibited. Don't even go to church. Don't be noticed by people and live like you're dead. Sending letters is not allowed!"
"Please don't hang up!"
Shouldn't she at least tell the few remaining friends that in fact, the Marquis de Campa's mistress is not her, but Countess Bartolini!
However, Cardinal de Mare said that even if he died soon, they would exchange letters, and looking at her eldest daughter, he decided that Isabella must have had a pen pal in an affair and that her eldest daughter must be doing this because she is crazy about men. In conclusion, it was a wrong idea, but it was a very reasonable inference considering the gifts from men lying around the room.
"You can't come to your senses even when it looks like this! How could a girl be so blinded by men that she doesn't know that her reputation is being ruined! You have no idea!"
Cardinal de Mare screamed.
"All luxury goods in this room are confiscated! This father took everything and will give it back to you when you come to your senses!"
Cardinal de Mare glanced at Butler Nicolo, who was standing outside the room.
"Nicolo! Put all the luxury items that the man in this room would have given you, no, you don't deserve them, into a box and move them to the master bedroom!"
"Yes, Your Eminence the Cardinal!"
Nicolo the butler and Cernutt, a sturdy servant, burst into the room and began stuffing Isabella's valuables into a large wooden box. They confiscated not only the cosmetics and jewelry that were on the dressing table but also things like fur and dresses. A valuable luxury item was a luxury item, but one servant's hand touched the box of Isabella's toupee that was up next to the dressing table.
Isabella's toupee was evidence of Isabella's play with Ariadne's hooke. Terrified, Isabella let out her scream. She must never be caught doing that now!
"Dad! Uh-huh!"
Cardinal de Mare felt a surge of heat as he looked at Isabella, who had not yet complied.
"It seems like you really couldn't come to your senses with 'Ladies' Tales of the City. This time it was a success! Don't even think about leaving the room until you have copied all of the 'Meditations'!"
Isabella's face turned white. She was on probation inside the house last time. This time, he is locked in a room on probation. She was subject to corporal punishment, something that Arabella often suffered, but which Isabella herself had never suffered.
"Besides what? Are you so greedy for Ruby that you let your sister suffer the stigma attached to her? Do you even have the concept of friendship?"
Cardinal de Mare was so frustrated that he pounded his chest.
"After I die, the only people left with you are your family! You guys have to rely on each other!"
Isabella muttered to herself. After her father dies, she's going to lash out at her Sister and kick her out of the house right away.
Cardinal de Mare shouted loudly as if he had heard his eldest daughter's intentions.
"Write down the 'Meditation Log' carefully and think about what you did wrong! Apostle Barnabas taught in the Book of Charles, 'Do not put a stumbling block in front of your brothers, and that those who have gone before should set an example and control themselves so as not to cause their brothers to stumble! You became the eldest sister, and instead of setting an example, you only worry about how to bully your younger sister. I really can't figure out where and what's wrong!"
He was revising his judgment about his eldest daughter. His eldest daughter, renowned as San Carlo's greatest source of wealth and San Carlo's most beautiful woman, was an irreplaceable thinker whose personality was as great as her face. Can that girl really be Prince Alfonso's mate?
Even if he succeeds in getting her into the royal family after going through many hardships, will she be able to make the right decision that will benefit the family?
However, Cardinal de Mare did not give up any hope. He sentenced Isabella to punishment with the expectation of rehabilitation. That child, no, that beauty will sell wherever it goes.
'Please, my daughter, as beautiful as a snowflake, come to your senses as you copy the Book of Meditation.'
"Think about the entire 'Meditations' two or three times before copying it! Starting with Carlo, who teaches brotherly love! No, start with Deuteronomy, which emphasizes women's chastity!"
His daughter's reputation is his top priority. Next is friendship. No, does friendship come first? His head hurt.
"Don't leave the room until you copy everything! In the meantime, eat only water and dry bread twice a day!"
Isabella was startled and looked at her father. Cardinal de Mare did not forget his last request.
"It's normal to do it in your room, and even after you come out, don't even dream of going inside 100 m near men! You won't be sent anywhere alone anymore! Going out alone is also prohibited!"
Boom!
The heavy oak door closed right in front of Isabella, who was astonished. It was the last light outside that Isabella would see until she finished copying her Meditations.
Luckily, the box of toupees remained on the dresser. Perhaps because It did not look expensive, butler Nicolo did not collect it. Isabella rushed to her feet and threw it into the box under the dresser and locked herself in the room, where she struggled and cried alone.
'Oh, it's unfair! It's unfair! What on earth did I do wrong?!'
***
The day after the masquerade ball, King Leo III, Prince Alfonso, and Grand Duchess Lariesa were taking a morning walk together. Although Leo III was an old man, he was confident in his physical strength. He wanted to show off to the Gallico staff that he was strong enough to wake up early the morning after the party, so he scheduled this walk very early in the morning.
Thanks to this, the remaining three people were unable to enjoy their morning nap and were forced to come out early in the morning to admire the fall foliage at Palagio Carlo.
"Yes, Grand Duchess Lariesa. How was the masquerade ball yesterday?"
When the interpreter who was present relayed Leo III's question to Grand Duchess Lariesa, Grand Duchess Lariesa smiled and dismissed the interpreter.
"I will answer directly."
"But the custom..."
"If I get married to San Carlo, I will end up becoming an Etruscan, right?! I need to get used to the local language from now on."
The interpreter expressed embarrassment. In the end, she failed to drive out the interpreter and compromised by standing next to him during the conversation. Grand Duchess Lariesa looked at Leo Ill and answered with a smile.
"It's a fantastic ball. Thanks to. Thank you."
Although it didn't completely match the grammar, it was at a level that could be considered cute. How could it not be lovely for the King to see the Grand Duchess of the Kingdom of Gallico, whose national power has been rising rapidly these days and causing trouble for King Leo III, to bow down first and come in?
Leo III smiled broadly and responded cheerfully to Grand Duchess Lariesa.
"Grand Duchess, have you met many people?"
The question was meant to mean whether she had made a new friend, but Grand Duchess Lariesa took it as who did she see?
She naturally talked about the people she saw yesterday.
"Etruscans. They're so handsome and pretty."
"Haha you're wearing a mask, but you could see everything? Looks like you enjoyed the intimate masquerade ball!"
It was a completely inappropriate joke. The only time the mask was taken off at a masquerade ball was to kiss or something
more. 'Intimate Masquerade Ball', was more likely to ask the unmarried Grand Duchess of a foreign country which guy she had skinship with.
Just as Queen Marguerite was slightly frowning, Grand Duchess Lariesa made a bombshell remark.
"The King's two sons. Take off their mask. They are both good-looking and very close."
Leo III's eyes widened. Two sons? He officially only has one son? No, the Grand Duchess of Gallico knew that he had only one son, so how did the Grand Duchess see the faces of both of his sons?
'What do you mean by being close? There's no way the two of you would be close to each other...... You can't say you kissed both of them?!'
Prince Alfonso and Queen Marguerite were also failing to control their facial expressions in response to the macabre portrayal of the Grand Duchess Lariesa. At this time, the King's secretary, Sir Cipriano Delpianosa, who was following one step behind, quickly caught up and corrected the question.
"Your Majesty, she saw Count Cesare take off his mask in front of people. Nothing much happened with Prince Alfonso either.""
"Alright. Is it related to that?"
"That's right."
Leo III also received a brief report on yesterday's events. The content was something along the lines of, 'There was some unrest when the Marquis de Campa was discovered to have committed fornication at a masquerade ball, and Count Cesare sorted out the situation.
However, even though the situation was resolved the first time, his furrowed eyebrows did not seem to straighten.
"By the way, two sons?"
Leo III officially has only one son. In Etruscans, there may be a secret story going around that Cesare is the King's bastard. He can't completely shut someone else's mouth.
However, it was by no means a story that would reach the ears of a Grand Duchess who was talking about marrying a foreigner, especially a Prince of the royal family.
In this difficult situation, Grand Duchess Lariesa was of no help whatsoever. She smiled brightly and nodded, unable to read the mood.
"Your Majesty the King. Two sons! The two are so close. Prince Alfonso, lie for Count Cesare's girlfriend."
Grand Duchess Lariesa's chaperone was Count Le Vien, a close associate of the Grand Duke of Valoa. Because he was not a member of the royal family, he could not attend this event. In other words, there was no one to stop Lariesa from joining.
Queen Marguerite stabbed her maid in the side to stop Lariesa from dropping a large bomb and quickly ordered her to fetch Count Le Vien, who was somewhere in the royal palace. The interpreter, who was completely shocked, quickly made a proposal to Grand Duchess Lariesa to somehow prevent this catastrophe.
"Grand Duchess, how about speaking in Gallicor to communicate more smoothly?"
Lariesa, who was feeling a bit frustrated at the time, smiled brightly and agreed.
"Is that so?"
Grand Duchess Lariesa, who was free from the limitations of language, unraveled her bundle of stories without hesitation. To the ears of the King's secretary, Lord Delpianosa, it sounded like bombs exploding everywhere.
"I almost misunderstood, but Prince Alfonso personally stepped in and saved Count Cesare's marriage partner from being in danger of being disgraced. She misunderstood that she was the bad man's lover, but the Prince testified that he had been with her! Later, Count Cesare came and expressed his gratitude to Prince Alfonso. Isn't there something wonderful about the chivalry of Etruscan men?"
"Cesare's marriage partner...?"
Cesare has no one to marry. But the King's senses pointed in a certain direction.
"If she is Cesare's marriage partner, is she by any chance Cardinal de Mare's second daughter?"
The interpreter immediately conveyed this story to Grand Duchess Lariesa, who looked at Leo III with wide eyes.
"Yes, that's right... Does Your Majesty not know who Count Cesare is marrying? Has Count Cesare not yet received His Majesty's permission? But he still came forward. Oh my, it's romantic!"
Leo III was a skilled monarch. As soon as he heard Grand Duchess Lariesa's story, he drew a rough picture of what happened yesterday. Cesare has no one to marry. It seemed that Alfonso had done something foolish in the palace garden. The other person must have been Cardinal de Mare's second daughter. It seems that Cesare took care of it instead. In the meantime, it seems like she also came out with the King's son, Iraph. His eldest son was not one to act purely for the benefit of others in situations where there was no benefit to himself. The situation might have been fun, or it might have put Alfonso in debt.
Leo III slowly looked back at Sir Delpianosa, who was already trembling like an aspen tree.
"Lord Delpianosa? I think there are more reports I need to receive."
Delpianosa, who was already so nervous that his armpits were sweating, immediately understood what he meant and bowed deeply to Leo III.
"We will take action so that you can receive the report immediately."
Leo III nodded to the Grand Duchess Lariesa with an unreadable, puzzled expression, then glanced at Queen Marguerite and Prince Alfonso.
Queen Marguerite held her breath. That was the expression the King made when he was very angry.
"You, follow me."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Leo III left his entire party behind and headed toward the King's office, even omitting the honorific title he should have given his Queen in front of the Grand Duchess Lariesa.
Prince Alfonso, who realized what made his father angry, followed Leo III and Queen Marguerite to the King's office. But Queen Marguerite stopped her son.
"Shh. You are back in the Prince's palace. There is no need for you to come in."
She followed Leo Ill and Lord Delpianosa, who entered the King's office at a brisk pace, leaving behind Prince Alfonso and Grand Duchess Lariesa. Grand Duchess Lariesa, who was left alone with Prince Alfonso without knowing what was going on, asked Alfonso.
"Prince, what did I do wrong?"
Prince Alfonso, who could not say, 'It's not your fault, gave a short answer instead of blaming the foreign archduchess.
"It is a domestic matter and has nothing to do with the Grand Duchess. Let's go, I'll escort you to your accommodation."
Belatedly, Count Le Vien, the person in charge of the marriage negotiations and the protector of Grand Duchess Lariesa, came running, but the whole situation had already ended.
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