“Oh, Mom! Why are you barging into your son’s room so early in the morning and making a fuss?”
Lucrezia couldn't help but feel angry at her son's irritation and shabby clothes. There was only one possibility that her kind and cute Ippolito would be angry at his mother.
“Ippolito, what are you doing? Have you been playing with that girl since morning?”
“Oh, what are you talking about, Mom! Look, there isn’t one!”
Ippolito jumped. Lucrezia looked around her son’s room with eagle eyes, but she couldn’t see Maleta anywhere. Instead, there were women’s clothes and things like hairbrushes strewn around the room.
“What can I do without people? Look at this!”
Lucrezia found women's underwear on the floor and picked it up. She was holding it with only the tips of her two fingers as if she were seeing something dirty. She picked it up held it in front of her son's nose and waved it.
“Your younger sister died, but you’re playing with the maid before the funeral?! Are you out of your mind?”
“Oh, Mom! Even if I don’t say that, it’s like that!”
“Cover the sky with your palm! How dare you fool this mother! Then you’ll hear your maternal uncle say you have no affection for your sister! Oh, I can’t live like this!”
“...Mom, but.”
Ippolito looked at his mother with a strange expression.
“Is she the one who grew up outside?”
"What?"
“Arabella. He said her father was different.”
"What? Where did you hear that?”
“My uncle said that. I heard everything.”
Lucrezia beat her chest.
“Stefano, you are a useless person in this life!”
“So it’s real?”
Ippolito finished putting on the clothes he had been wearing and straightened his waist in front of his mother. He looked at Lucrezia with curious eyes.
“Who is Arabella’s father?”
“Oh, this guy. Who is Arabella’s father, of course, Cardinal Simon de Mare!”
“Oh, Mom, you came all this way and lied to me?”
“You stupid kid!”
Lucrezia hit Hippolito on the back of the head with her palm. He was the only son she cared for, fearing he would break if she held it or fly away if she blew on it, but this was not the case.
“You ungrateful little bastard!”
"Ouch!"
“Who am I to live with a man I can’t get enough of for the rest of my life? How can you say something like that to this mother and not someone else?”
“Ouch!”
Ippolito groaned, clutching his eardrum, because Lucrezia had grazed his wrist when she struck the back of his head.
“Mom, I can’t understand a word of what you’re saying. If you don’t want to say it, you say so. Why are you hitting your son?”
“You ungrateful bastard! Shut up! Shut up! Come downstairs right now and get ready for the memorial mass!”
Lucrezia yelled at her son and went downstairs. She seemed to be in a bad mood after coming to encourage her son to come and sit next to his mother at the memorial mass. Ippolito was grumbling. Meanwhile, Maleta, who was naked and holding her breath in the closet, thought to herself.
‘That... I don't think Lady Lucrezia is angry because she doesn't want to tell you who Arabella's father is?'
“You stupid kid!”
Lucrezia hit Hippolito on the back of the head with her palm. He was the only son she cared for, fearing he would break if she held it or fly away if she blew on it, but this was not the case.
“You ungrateful little bastard!”
"Ouch!"
“Who am I to live with a man I can’t get enough of for the rest of my life? How can you say something like that to this mother and not someone else?”
“Ouch!”
Ippolito groaned, clutching his eardrum, because Lucrezia had grazed his wrist when she struck the back of his head.
“Mom, I can’t understand a word of what you’re saying. If you don’t want to say it, you say so. Why are you hitting your son?”
“You ungrateful bastard! Shut up! Shut up! Come downstairs right now and get ready for the memorial mass!”
Lucrezia yelled at her son and went downstairs. She seemed to be in a bad mood after coming to encourage her son to come and sit next to his mother at the memorial mass. Ippolito was grumbling. Meanwhile, Maleta, who was naked and holding her breath in the closet, thought to herself.
‘That... I don't think Lady Lucrezia is angry because she doesn't want to tell you who Arabella's father is?'
***
Arabella's funeral service was held with great solemnity. A crowd of people gathered and filled the main hall of the Basilica of Saint Ercole. The service began with a somber presidency by Cardinal de Mare.
“Arabella de Mare, the little lamb who grew up faithfully in our God, leaves us today and returns to the circle of reincarnation, guided by the Lord.”
Usually, a funeral service begins by revealing whose child the deceased is. Cardinal de Mare smoothly skips over the description of Arabella's daughter. Moreover, since Arabella was born out of a marriage blessed by the Church, the usual phrase "born chastely in our Lord " cannot be used. This is replaced with the more refined "brought up faithfully." Ariadne found this social elegance dizzying. It was a scene where one could not call a father "father."
“Save the sinless Lamb...”
Cardinal de Mare officiated. Today, Lucrezia, dressed in a black mourning dress with a collar that reached all the way to her neck, was in the front row, crying tears of extreme sadness. Beside her, Isabella, wearing black silk, shed tears from her beautiful amethyst-colored eyes.
'Disgusting humans.'
If the family had held a small memorial service, they could have revealed who her daughter was and where she was born and sent Arabella away. However, Lucrezia and Cardinal de Mare were not great people who could quietly and unnoticed the investigation that had taken place in their family.
“A hymn to send off the poor soul...”
The church had a rule not to intervene in the baptisms, marriages, funerals, or memorial services of illegitimate children. Over the past 100 years, that rule has been horribly and unfairly broken down. A poor, unmarried mother’s child lied about being an orphan in order to be accepted into the Catholic world, knelt before a priest, and was barely baptized outside the church doors. However, a cardinal’s illegitimate child was buried in the largest cathedral in all of Etruscan history, with tens of thousands of people mourning him.
“Arabella de Mare, the little lamb who grew up faithfully in our God, leaves us today and returns to the circle of reincarnation, guided by the Lord.”
Usually, a funeral service begins by revealing whose child the deceased is. Cardinal de Mare smoothly skips over the description of Arabella's daughter. Moreover, since Arabella was born out of a marriage blessed by the Church, the usual phrase "born chastely in our Lord " cannot be used. This is replaced with the more refined "brought up faithfully." Ariadne found this social elegance dizzying. It was a scene where one could not call a father "father."
“Save the sinless Lamb...”
Cardinal de Mare officiated. Today, Lucrezia, dressed in a black mourning dress with a collar that reached all the way to her neck, was in the front row, crying tears of extreme sadness. Beside her, Isabella, wearing black silk, shed tears from her beautiful amethyst-colored eyes.
'Disgusting humans.'
If the family had held a small memorial service, they could have revealed who her daughter was and where she was born and sent Arabella away. However, Lucrezia and Cardinal de Mare were not great people who could quietly and unnoticed the investigation that had taken place in their family.
“A hymn to send off the poor soul...”
The church had a rule not to intervene in the baptisms, marriages, funerals, or memorial services of illegitimate children. Over the past 100 years, that rule has been horribly and unfairly broken down. A poor, unmarried mother’s child lied about being an orphan in order to be accepted into the Catholic world, knelt before a priest, and was barely baptized outside the church doors. However, a cardinal’s illegitimate child was buried in the largest cathedral in all of Etruscan history, with tens of thousands of people mourning him.
Ariadne was enjoying all this absurdity, barely holding herself up on lies layer upon layer of lies. She was angry, but she was in a position where she couldn’t even be angry.
“Let us pray. O God, who always has mercy on us and forgives us generously...”
From here on, the priest would lead the first verse and the rest of the worshippers would repeat the following verse.
“Please allow Arabella, who left us today, to be guided by the holy angels to a new life of peace and tranquility in the sacred cycle of reincarnation. I pray in the name of the Heavenly God that you will be born with a good life in the future, amen.”
“I pray in the name of the Heavenly God, Amen.”
“Oh my, my daughter!”
Lucrezia's tragic cry rose sharply above the people's unison. The one begging for attention was indeed Isabella's real mother. The people of San Carlo, who had no idea what was going on, comforted the grief of a mother who had lost her child with sympathy. Ariadne's expression distorted.
'Arabella, I don't know if you would like your mother's blood offered on your altar.'
Ariadne clenched her fists silently.
'But I will definitely accept the blood price and offer it to your honor. Lucrezia, Isabella. Wait.'
***
The mourners who filled the Basilica of Saint Ercole like a cloud were, of course, mostly Cardinal de Mare's guests. Since most of the children's friends were in Taranto, they usually sent letters instead of expressing their condolences. Among the countless letters poured into the house, some were heartfelt, pretentious, and formal.
"To Lady Ariadne de Mare, I offer my condolences. I, too, have a brother who has passed away, so I can only imagine how it must feel to have a younger sister. Losing a sister is like... (continued) When the court returns from Taranto in March, we will visit the charnel house behind the Basilica of Sanit Ercole. My beloved grandmother also passed away the year before last and is buried there. The dead will live forever in the hearts of the living. Once again, may the deceased rest in peace.
Julia de Baldessar."
Of all the letters, Julia's was the most heartfelt. Many talked nonsense, but not many who put in the time, effort, and sincerity like Julia.
Camellia de Castiglione sent a letter that seemed to have been pieced together from a book like '100 Letters of Consolation'. It was a typical case of someone who talked nonsense and then washed it away with a single letter.
Count Cesare expressed his concern with a long, beautiful letter full of interest and generous money, but for some reason, Camellia's letter felt closer to him than Julia's.
It may have been because of the comparison with Alfonso, who had come to offer condolences in person. Ariadne's thoughts were actually a little unfair to Cesare. When Alfonso realized the obituary notice sent by Cardinal de Mare and rushed to San Carlo, Cesare was drunk at a party. He heard the news only the next morning. By then, there were already people who had received the obituary notice sent by Cardinal de Mare in person, although it was later than the son of the family.
It was after the Taranto society had widely spread that the deceased was not the second daughter of the house but the youngest daughter. Naturally, Cesare had no reason to panic when he thought Ariadne was dead and sent her only a polite condolence message to her sister. However, he was not a man who would be mean to a woman he was courting. Along with the beautiful handwritten letter in black ink that seemed to have been printed by a machine, an extremely luxurious rosary of ebony and silver set with black diamonds arrived. It was very Cesare-like.
'If I send this back... I'll have to have a messenger carry it all the way to Taranto.'
After thinking for a moment, Ariadne called the servant who delivered the mail and delivered it.
“Send it to the Count de Como.”
“Should I return it?”
“No, just pretend it’s a new gift and send it. The butler of the house will keep it until the owner returns without knowing about it.”
As much as she and Alfonso confirmed their feelings for each other, she did not want to receive a gift from Count Cesare. She didn't want to mislead Cesare and bother him later, and most of all, she didn't want Alfonso to feel disappointed when he found out that Ariadne had received this.
'If I send this back... I'll have to have a messenger carry it all the way to Taranto.'
After thinking for a moment, Ariadne called the servant who delivered the mail and delivered it.
“Send it to the Count de Como.”
“Should I return it?”
“No, just pretend it’s a new gift and send it. The butler of the house will keep it until the owner returns without knowing about it.”
As much as she and Alfonso confirmed their feelings for each other, she did not want to receive a gift from Count Cesare. She didn't want to mislead Cesare and bother him later, and most of all, she didn't want Alfonso to feel disappointed when he found out that Ariadne had received this.
However, Cesare was the type of great man who would cling even more when something was thrown at him. It was better to quietly walk away without being noticed. Even if he returns to the capital in a month and a half and finds that the gift has been rejected, he will have other interests by then.
The last remaining letter was from Prince Alfonso. Ariadne deliberately put this letter aside. It was thick from the start. Prince Alfonso began sending letters regularly after returning to Taranto. It was not a letter with the royal palace's seal, but a letter with plain paper and plain packaging. However, the thickness was more similar to that of a parcel, and when the envelope was opened, there was Alfonso's handwriting written in strong blue ink, as always.
“To Ari, who I miss, Taranto is just quiet without you. I'm getting tired of the warm air and the salty sea breeze. If it were you, I would be happy to live there, even in a snowy winter castle.
Your sister's memorial mass must have been over by now. I will express my condolences to your sister. Ari, when I listened to you, you seemed like a very kind and talented friend... They say that the Heavenly God wants to have good people by his side as angels, so he takes them first. So, let’s believe that Arabella also went to a good place. (omitted) I wait for the day when I can go to you with confidence. Although my father's persuasion remains, I have made up my mind and the result will not change. I miss you.
- With affection, A.”
She carefully folded the letter written on rough paper and put it in the mailbox in the study and locked it with a key. She thought she had learned from her past life that men's promises were nothing but empty promises. But she couldn't suppress the desire to believe that this time would be different, that this time it would be real.
She carefully folded the letter written on rough paper and put it in the mailbox in the study and locked it with a key. She thought she had learned from her past life that men's promises were nothing but empty promises. But she couldn't suppress the desire to believe that this time would be different, that this time it would be real.
The kiss was sweet, the lips were soft, and the love was like a flame. The touch of the lips that she had felt that day, the warmth of the person, was interfering with her normal thinking.
'...Let's not do this.'
Ariadne shook her head and tried to shake off random thoughts.
'Sea anemone. Sea anemone.'
She straightened her mourning clothes neatly, reprimanding herself for being distracted by lovemaking just because it had been a few days since she had sent Arabella away. Only then did her mind become somewhat clearer.
'...Let's not do this.'
Ariadne shook her head and tried to shake off random thoughts.
'Sea anemone. Sea anemone.'
She straightened her mourning clothes neatly, reprimanding herself for being distracted by lovemaking just because it had been a few days since she had sent Arabella away. Only then did her mind become somewhat clearer.
Ariadne had a lot of work to do from now on. She was the kind of woman who, rather than leaving everything to a man and waiting impatiently for him to come, did everything she could with her own hands.
***
The mourning period for the death of the children or younger siblings lasted only two weeks. Ippolito immediately took off his mourning clothes as soon as the designated period was over, and even before taking off his mourning clothes, he indulged in everything that was prohibited, such as drinking and sleeping, without being noticed by others.
He seemed to rely more and more on Maleta. This is because he even told her all his intimate stories that were difficult to share anywhere.
“Maleta. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’m the unhappiest person in the world.”
“Yes? Why our master? You are rich, handsome, and have many friends.”
He sighed deeply and shook his head.
“I always thought I grew up in a perfectly happy family, but now that my mother is an unfaithful woman, my sister is proof of that unfaithfulness, and my father is another cuckoo, I wonder if all my happiness was a lie.”
When Maleta was young, she was raised by her parents and her only remaining sister, who were lucky enough to live under the same roof but were bitter enemies of the enemy who were anxious because they could not kill each other.
“Maleta. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’m the unhappiest person in the world.”
“Yes? Why our master? You are rich, handsome, and have many friends.”
He sighed deeply and shook his head.
“I always thought I grew up in a perfectly happy family, but now that my mother is an unfaithful woman, my sister is proof of that unfaithfulness, and my father is another cuckoo, I wonder if all my happiness was a lie.”
When Maleta was young, she was raised by her parents and her only remaining sister, who were lucky enough to live under the same roof but were bitter enemies of the enemy who were anxious because they could not kill each other.
But Ippolito was feeling very sorry for himself now, and his relationship with Maleta was one in which she had to unconditionally accommodate Ippolito to get what she wanted. Despite her misfortune at being taken away, Maleta eagerly consoled Ippolito. The process may be embarrassing, but the results will be great.
“It’s so painful to hear that my parents’ relationship isn’t what it used to be. That’s why I couldn’t concentrate on my studies in Padua and my grades were bad!”
“Of course, my master, if you had just focused on your studies, you would have been the best in Padua, but the situation just didn’t support it!”
Maleta fought back hard.
“Stop thinking about that now and think of fun things. What happened doesn’t go away, right? Come on, have a drink, then come and hold me in my arms.”
“It’s so painful to hear that my parents’ relationship isn’t what it used to be. That’s why I couldn’t concentrate on my studies in Padua and my grades were bad!”
“Of course, my master, if you had just focused on your studies, you would have been the best in Padua, but the situation just didn’t support it!”
Maleta fought back hard.
“Stop thinking about that now and think of fun things. What happened doesn’t go away, right? Come on, have a drink, then come and hold me in my arms.”
***
For a whole month, Ippolito soothed his sorrows and worries with alcohol and lust. And now Maleta was enjoying the results herself.
“You’re pregnant.”
This was the verdict passed by the midwife who looked after all the commoners of San Carlo, in a small hut in a corner of the town of San Carlo.
“You’re pregnant.”
This was the verdict passed by the midwife who looked after all the commoners of San Carlo, in a small hut in a corner of the town of San Carlo.
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