Prince Alfonso was always on the lookout for an opportunity to escape from the palace. But in early spring, when the court had just returned from the south, most official events were held in the form of people coming into the Palazzo Carlo to meet the royal family. Ariadne had no reason to come to the palace, and the Prince had no chance to leave.
“Your Highness, as you know, the royal ball is absolutely not allowed. The marriage alliance negotiations fall through because the conditions are not met, and that is
“It’s like heaven and earth that it’s our fault that it broke up.”
"...I know."
Alfonso was to escort the Grand Duchess of Lariesa to the royal ball. It was Leo III's decision.
“...Then how about we meet outside the day after the Ari and Royal Ball, during the Spring Festival?”
Prince Alfonso was scheduled to deliver a speech at Piazza San Benedicto, the largest square in San Carlo, on the first day of the spring festival. It was an outing that he had managed to find after licking his calendar.
“Your Highness, would you like to walk around among the commoners, holding hands with your girlfriend? I will allow it if you increase your escort to about 300 men.”
“I said I don’t need your permission.”
“You only remember that part. Security cannot be compromised. It’s rejected, rejected.”
Alfonso frowned. Alfonso was picking out a date with Bernardino, with his calendar open. Of course, it was not Bernardino, but Ariadne.
“Ah, it’s my fate.”
Bernardino, who was approaching forty but had not yet married and was living in solitude, was pounding his chest.
“I don’t even know if my wife is a real person or if she was even born yet, but I'm planning dates for other people.”
“You didn’t take any vacations and didn’t date, so what if you resent me now?”
“It was all because of my loyalty to serve the Prince well and the overflowing overtime work?”
“Your happiness is not something that others can take care of for you. You have to take care of it yourself.”
Bernardino could only restrain his violent impulses after he figured out where he would be taken if he hit his young master in the mouth.
“Then let’s do this. After we finish our schedule at Piazza San Benedicto, we’ll meet Ari in my carriage.”
“Why does our Prince only become so creative at times like this?”
Alfonso glared at Bernardino, but Bernardino couldn't stop his instinct to grumble.
“And why in particular, in a confined space? What sinister thoughts are you having?”
Here Alfonso, whose face turned red, could not bear it any longer and raised his voice.
“Dino!”
To some extent, it was because it hit the nail on the head.
“Wow!”
The old bachelor aide ran away at full speed. It was sad enough not to have a lover, and he couldn't take his anger out on his master.
Bernardino could only restrain his violent impulses after he figured out where he would be taken if he hit his young master in the mouth.
“Then let’s do this. After we finish our schedule at Piazza San Benedicto, we’ll meet Ari in my carriage.”
“Why does our Prince only become so creative at times like this?”
Alfonso glared at Bernardino, but Bernardino couldn't stop his instinct to grumble.
“And why in particular, in a confined space? What sinister thoughts are you having?”
Here Alfonso, whose face turned red, could not bear it any longer and raised his voice.
“Dino!”
To some extent, it was because it hit the nail on the head.
“Wow!”
The old bachelor aide ran away at full speed. It was sad enough not to have a lover, and he couldn't take his anger out on his master.
***
Ariadne’s first spring outing was not a trip with Prince Alfonso, but a visit to the Basilica of Sanit Angelo with Julia de Baldesar. Julia kept her promise to pay her respects at Arabella’s funeral. As soon as she returned to San Carlo, she suggested that they go together to the Basilica of Sanit Angelo.
Ariadne left the house wearing a heavily embroidered black silk mourning dress, black gloves, and a black veil. The only color on her body was her deep green eyes and pale skin. Her attire was extremely devoid of decoration, just like when she had been at the Bergamo farm before she had entered the de Mare mansion.
However, her clothes, expression, and atmosphere were now incomparably more sinister than they were then. Moreover, it was not the objects but the spirit of the person that had been sharpened like a well-thrown knife. It seemed that the memory of success, or rather the memory of successful revenge, changed a person’s attitude. She behaved very quietly, discreetly, and with a refined air, as if she could not believe that she would ever fail.
Julia de Baldesar, who met Ariadne as she got out of her carriage, seemed to think so too.
“Ariadne! Have you been taking Spartan etiquette classes all winter? Is it because your posture has become more upright? Why does the atmosphere feel different?”
As Julia thought about what Ariadne might have done in San Carlo during the winter, she remembered that she had suffered the loss of both her mother and sister the previous winter, and she quietly bit the tip of her tongue.
“Don’t listen to me. I mean, it looks good.”
Julia almost bit the tip of her tongue after saying this. It sounded like she was happy after having a funeral.
“...Well, I think it looks good because it seems like you’re not as depressed as I thought.”
Actually, Ariadne herself had no intention of bothering Julia. She answered with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I understood it perfectly. How was Taranto?”
They smiled and headed for the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Ercole. Ariadne's sister Arabella, Julia's grandmother, and her eldest brother were buried there. Lucrezia was buried in the farmhouse of Bergamo. The condition set by Paola Scampa's family was that Lucrezia should not have a grand funeral or a splendid burial.
“Peace be with you. Amen.”
"Amen."
Julia was afraid that Ariadne might not want to talk about her mother and sister, who had both recently passed away, so she told her about her grandmother who had died the year before.
“She was a great woman, but she was also a warm woman. She would yell, ‘If these troublemakers cause trouble again, I’m going to disinherit you!’ and then within an hour she would come over and give you a cookie to put in your mouth because she was so worried.”
Julia smiled slightly as she thought of her late grandmother. She had a cold face and her first impression was that she was cold and sharp, but when she smiled like this, she seemed like a completely different person.
“You must have a lot of good memories with your grandmother.”
“Yes. When my brother, my older brother, and my now-deceased eldest brother were young, my grandmother became lethargic, so my parents left us in her care. It was a change of pace.”
She added, frowning slightly.
“It was a substitute for a dog.”
But soon she burst into laughter.
“But you don’t know how much fun it was to run around like a puppy! Of all the grandchildren, we spent the most time with Grandma.”
Julia stared intently at one side of the wall of the ossuary where her grandmother's remains were kept. A statue of the Virgin Mary, carved in the likeness of her grandmother Baldessar and the former Marchioness of Baldessar, adorned the outside of the ossuary.
“Every time I come here, I feel how limited time is. At first, I was so sad because I thought I would never see my grandmother again, but after visiting often, I realized that the time I spent with my grandmother would have to end because I am human, and that I might not be able to breathe, feel, or live any longer tomorrow. Then I realize how precious every moment is.”
Julia turned and looked at Ariadne, who was standing there in silence.
“So, Ariadne, let go of your guilt. There’s not much time left to feel alive. Stop worrying about useless things. The dead will want that too.”
Julia had simply preached her usual thoughts without knowing the circumstances. However, Ariadne thought that even if Julia had known all the details of Arabella’s death, the secret of the return, and Lucrezia’s evil deeds, she could not have given more accurate advice.
“Truly. That’s so true, Julia.”
Julia didn't stop there.
“Ariadne, are you worried about something right now? The wrinkles between your eyebrows won’t go away. Tell me.”
Ariadne realized that she was troubled only after hearing Julia's words. It was true that she was troubled. However, she could not tell her everything straight away. She could not say things like, 'I am trying to estimate how much blood I can take without being punished by the Golden Rule' or 'Where can I find the secret of reversion?'
“Ariadne! Have you been taking Spartan etiquette classes all winter? Is it because your posture has become more upright? Why does the atmosphere feel different?”
As Julia thought about what Ariadne might have done in San Carlo during the winter, she remembered that she had suffered the loss of both her mother and sister the previous winter, and she quietly bit the tip of her tongue.
“Don’t listen to me. I mean, it looks good.”
Julia almost bit the tip of her tongue after saying this. It sounded like she was happy after having a funeral.
“...Well, I think it looks good because it seems like you’re not as depressed as I thought.”
Actually, Ariadne herself had no intention of bothering Julia. She answered with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I understood it perfectly. How was Taranto?”
They smiled and headed for the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Ercole. Ariadne's sister Arabella, Julia's grandmother, and her eldest brother were buried there. Lucrezia was buried in the farmhouse of Bergamo. The condition set by Paola Scampa's family was that Lucrezia should not have a grand funeral or a splendid burial.
“Peace be with you. Amen.”
"Amen."
Julia was afraid that Ariadne might not want to talk about her mother and sister, who had both recently passed away, so she told her about her grandmother who had died the year before.
“She was a great woman, but she was also a warm woman. She would yell, ‘If these troublemakers cause trouble again, I’m going to disinherit you!’ and then within an hour she would come over and give you a cookie to put in your mouth because she was so worried.”
Julia smiled slightly as she thought of her late grandmother. She had a cold face and her first impression was that she was cold and sharp, but when she smiled like this, she seemed like a completely different person.
“You must have a lot of good memories with your grandmother.”
“Yes. When my brother, my older brother, and my now-deceased eldest brother were young, my grandmother became lethargic, so my parents left us in her care. It was a change of pace.”
She added, frowning slightly.
“It was a substitute for a dog.”
But soon she burst into laughter.
“But you don’t know how much fun it was to run around like a puppy! Of all the grandchildren, we spent the most time with Grandma.”
Julia stared intently at one side of the wall of the ossuary where her grandmother's remains were kept. A statue of the Virgin Mary, carved in the likeness of her grandmother Baldessar and the former Marchioness of Baldessar, adorned the outside of the ossuary.
“Every time I come here, I feel how limited time is. At first, I was so sad because I thought I would never see my grandmother again, but after visiting often, I realized that the time I spent with my grandmother would have to end because I am human, and that I might not be able to breathe, feel, or live any longer tomorrow. Then I realize how precious every moment is.”
Julia turned and looked at Ariadne, who was standing there in silence.
“So, Ariadne, let go of your guilt. There’s not much time left to feel alive. Stop worrying about useless things. The dead will want that too.”
Julia had simply preached her usual thoughts without knowing the circumstances. However, Ariadne thought that even if Julia had known all the details of Arabella’s death, the secret of the return, and Lucrezia’s evil deeds, she could not have given more accurate advice.
“Truly. That’s so true, Julia.”
Julia didn't stop there.
“Ariadne, are you worried about something right now? The wrinkles between your eyebrows won’t go away. Tell me.”
Ariadne realized that she was troubled only after hearing Julia's words. It was true that she was troubled. However, she could not tell her everything straight away. She could not say things like, 'I am trying to estimate how much blood I can take without being punished by the Golden Rule' or 'Where can I find the secret of reversion?'
Even if she were to say something more mundane, she could not say things like, 'Actually, I am secretly in love with Prince Alfonso, but it is awkward because he has a political marriage partner.' In the end, Ariadne confessed the most trivial of her worries.
“Count Cesare wants me to go with him to the royal ball on the eve of the ‘Spring Festival.’ But I don’t really want to go with him.”
“Miss Ariadne. Do you remember what we talked about at the tea party back then?”
It was a story about the day when the young ladies gathered at Julia's tea party and split into two groups and laughed, saying that they liked Prince Alfonso, and they liked Count Cesare. Julia asked with a playful laugh.
“In the end, is Miss Ariadne’s choice Prince Alfonso?”
Ariadne was amazed at Julia's ability to approach the truth on her hind legs since Ariadne now had no apparent connection to Prince Alfonso.
“No, that’s not it! It’s just that I find it very burdensome that Count Cesare is like this.”
“Well, if Count Cesare pushes too hard, it might be burdensome.”
Julia readily accepted Ariadne's excuse.
“Then why don’t you go with someone else?”
“I can’t think of any other suitable partner who would refuse Count Cesare.”
This time, Julia wholeheartedly agreed. She had never heard of Ariadne having another suitor, or of a close male friend. If she rejected Count Cesare and went to the ball with just anyone as her partner, rumors would spread that Ariadne and the de Mare family really, truly, hated Count Cesare.
“I guess you just need an excuse.”
"Yes."
“Ariadne, how about this?”
Julia clapped her hands together, half to relieve her friend's distress, half to get rid of some of the bad inventory she had at home.
“Take my brother to the palace ball.”
“Brother?”
Ariadne had never seen Julia's brother while visiting the Marquis Baldessar. She had no particular recollection of seeing Julia's brother in her previous life either.
'He's the eldest son of the Marquis Baldessar family, so why don't I know?'
In fact, the Marquis Baldessar was very healthy and lived a long life. If Ariadne had been engaged to the regent in her previous life, she was either the head of the family or the wife of a nobleman from San Carlo. Since the Marquis Baldessar had maintained his position until just before Cesare’s accession to the throne, his children had not been exposed to the forefront of society.
“Count Cesare wants me to go with him to the royal ball on the eve of the ‘Spring Festival.’ But I don’t really want to go with him.”
“Miss Ariadne. Do you remember what we talked about at the tea party back then?”
It was a story about the day when the young ladies gathered at Julia's tea party and split into two groups and laughed, saying that they liked Prince Alfonso, and they liked Count Cesare. Julia asked with a playful laugh.
“In the end, is Miss Ariadne’s choice Prince Alfonso?”
Ariadne was amazed at Julia's ability to approach the truth on her hind legs since Ariadne now had no apparent connection to Prince Alfonso.
“No, that’s not it! It’s just that I find it very burdensome that Count Cesare is like this.”
“Well, if Count Cesare pushes too hard, it might be burdensome.”
Julia readily accepted Ariadne's excuse.
“Then why don’t you go with someone else?”
“I can’t think of any other suitable partner who would refuse Count Cesare.”
This time, Julia wholeheartedly agreed. She had never heard of Ariadne having another suitor, or of a close male friend. If she rejected Count Cesare and went to the ball with just anyone as her partner, rumors would spread that Ariadne and the de Mare family really, truly, hated Count Cesare.
“I guess you just need an excuse.”
"Yes."
“Ariadne, how about this?”
Julia clapped her hands together, half to relieve her friend's distress, half to get rid of some of the bad inventory she had at home.
“Take my brother to the palace ball.”
“Brother?”
Ariadne had never seen Julia's brother while visiting the Marquis Baldessar. She had no particular recollection of seeing Julia's brother in her previous life either.
'He's the eldest son of the Marquis Baldessar family, so why don't I know?'
In fact, the Marquis Baldessar was very healthy and lived a long life. If Ariadne had been engaged to the regent in her previous life, she was either the head of the family or the wife of a nobleman from San Carlo. Since the Marquis Baldessar had maintained his position until just before Cesare’s accession to the throne, his children had not been exposed to the forefront of society.
As Ariadne searched for past events, a faint hint appeared in the back of her memory.
“Oh, you said he was going abroad to study?”
“Yes, I was in Padua. He came back a while ago.”
It seems that he never returned to San Carlo in her previous life. She didn't remember seeing him in high society. Julia frowned.
“Well, he's not completely back. He's really swearing that he's going back out.”
'As expected,' thought Ariadne. It seemed that Julia's brother had successfully returned to Padua in his previous life.
“I guess he is very interested in hia studies.”
“Yes... He finished his studies in military science and returned home, but he decided to study theology again, take the priestly vows, and become a theologian... My mother is worried.”
“Oh, you said he was going abroad to study?”
“Yes, I was in Padua. He came back a while ago.”
It seems that he never returned to San Carlo in her previous life. She didn't remember seeing him in high society. Julia frowned.
“Well, he's not completely back. He's really swearing that he's going back out.”
'As expected,' thought Ariadne. It seemed that Julia's brother had successfully returned to Padua in his previous life.
“I guess he is very interested in hia studies.”
“Yes... He finished his studies in military science and returned home, but he decided to study theology again, take the priestly vows, and become a theologian... My mother is worried.”
She frowned and gossiped about her older brother.
“How can she have only one son? Who will continue the family line? If my brother becomes a priest, the collateral branches will rush to interfere here and there in the family. I tell you, he only thinks about himself. Even after returning to San Carlo, he stays in his study all day long and reads books... Even when his mother begs him to participate in social events, he just pretends not to hear.”
Ariadne heard that he had graduated from the University of Padua with a degree in military science, and wondered if she could dig up some stories about Ippolito's school days. Shd don't know, but Ippolito probably didn't live a clean and noble life there.
“But Ariadne was famous in theology for her role in the Apostle of Asereto incident. If it’s Ari, then even my brother, who is not interested in anything other than theology, will agree to meet you.”
'Eek.'
Ariadne was nervous. Talking to someone who was deeply engrossed in one subject might expose her shallowness.
“And since he is my brother, you can tell Count Cesare that the young lady of the Marquis Julia de Baldesar has been begging you to let her brother out of his room and that you will meet him next time.”
This was refreshing.
“How about it, shall we proceed?”
“...First, ask your brother. I think it’s a good idea.”
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