The carriage ride with Raphael was very comfortable and pleasant. Raphael responded in surprise to Ariadne's words.
“Huh? You thought I was on bad terms with my sister?”
“No, if what Julia said is true, then you're even scarier than you are now...”
Raphael smiled brightly when he heard the story.
“No, no. How on earth did my sister go around talking about me!”
Ariadne smiled bashfully. If she were to copy all the bad things Julia had said, it would be like a tattletale. Fortunately, Raphael filled the awkward atmosphere.
“We are at odds to death, especially when we were kids. We would fight and pull each other’s hair. Do you know how strong Julia’s hands are?”
“No, I haven’t tried it...”
“Wow, my little sister has grown into a human being.”
He continued with a smile.
“My younger sister, who was like a little monster when she was little, misses her family and misses them so much after being away from home for a long time. I think family ties are truly amazing.”
Ariadne answered with an unnatural smile this time. Family affection? Could it be the affection between her and Arabella, between her and Sancha?
“Normally, I hate her to death, but when she goes somewhere and gets hurt, I get even more angry. That’s why I don’t want to be near her.”
"Yes?"
“It’s better for me not to see her because I get angry no matter what she does if I’m close to him.”
They were siblings who were not sure if they were on good terms or bad terms.
While Ariadne was chatting pleasantly with a man she was meeting for the first time, the carriage arrived at Palazzo Carlo in no time.
“Oh, I wanted to ask you about theology, but I couldn’t get a single word out.”
Ariadne was slightly nervous.
“But tonight is the night. There will be plenty of opportunities to talk. Aren’t w, Ariadne?”
The two chatted so much that the carriage ride seemed to pass quickly. She smiled brightly, too.
“If we keep talking about interesting stories like this, the ball might end quickly.”
“Let’s go to the ballroom first, Lady.”
He felt the carriage stop and raised his left hand. Ariadne smiled and placed her right hand on it. Surprisingly, it seemed like they could be good friends.
“Oh, I wanted to ask you about theology, but I couldn’t get a single word out.”
Ariadne was slightly nervous.
“But tonight is the night. There will be plenty of opportunities to talk. Aren’t w, Ariadne?”
The two chatted so much that the carriage ride seemed to pass quickly. She smiled brightly, too.
“If we keep talking about interesting stories like this, the ball might end quickly.”
“Let’s go to the ballroom first, Lady.”
He felt the carriage stop and raised his left hand. Ariadne smiled and placed her right hand on it. Surprisingly, it seemed like they could be good friends.
***
The carriages of the nobles had to drop off their passengers at a designated place in Palazzo Carlo and wait. The location was in front of the fountain, quite far from the main gate of the palace. A granite-paved roundabout surrounded the fountain, and the carriages of the nobles lined up one by one to drop off their owners and leave for the parking lot in a corner of the palace.
Naturally, the area in front of it was crowded with people. It was a difficult distance to walk from the fountain to the 'Lily Room', the ballroom for today. It was a device to show the King's majesty.
Dozens of open carriages with the deer and laurel leaf emblems of the Carlo dynasty came every two minutes, picked up the guests, and headed inside the palace. The nobles gathered in twos and threes in tents set up next to the fountain to avoid the last rays of the evening sun. Julia de Baldessar was also there.
"Brother!"
She cried out in surprise, then greeted Ariadne happily.
“Ariadne! Come here!”
Julia met Ariadne and Raphael, grabbed her brother by the collar, and dragged them under the tent.
“The sun is still hot, stay in the shade.”
“What’s going on? My sister takes care of me.”
“Again, again, you are making me hate you. Ariadne, my brother may have a bad personality, but he is not a completely bad person.”
Ariadne laughed heartily.
“So this is what our relationship was like.”
"Yes?"
“I thought you weren’t on good terms because you two kept gossiping about each other so much.”
“What? Brother, what the hell have you been talking about me!”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
"Brother!"
Julia's partner was Baron Caseri, a vassal of the Marquis Baldessar. Julia's father, the current Marquis Baldessar, wanted to block the possibility of scandal until his daughter was officially engaged. So he rejected all the applications from noblemen of the same age who came to Julia and gave his trustworthy Baron Caseri, who was under his command, as his daughter's partner.
"Brother!"
She cried out in surprise, then greeted Ariadne happily.
“Ariadne! Come here!”
Julia met Ariadne and Raphael, grabbed her brother by the collar, and dragged them under the tent.
“The sun is still hot, stay in the shade.”
“What’s going on? My sister takes care of me.”
“Again, again, you are making me hate you. Ariadne, my brother may have a bad personality, but he is not a completely bad person.”
Ariadne laughed heartily.
“So this is what our relationship was like.”
"Yes?"
“I thought you weren’t on good terms because you two kept gossiping about each other so much.”
“What? Brother, what the hell have you been talking about me!”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
"Brother!"
Julia's partner was Baron Caseri, a vassal of the Marquis Baldessar. Julia's father, the current Marquis Baldessar, wanted to block the possibility of scandal until his daughter was officially engaged. So he rejected all the applications from noblemen of the same age who came to Julia and gave his trustworthy Baron Caseri, who was under his command, as his daughter's partner.
Baron Caseri was in his early forties, happily married, and the father of two children. Since the pregnant Baroness Caseri had not yet returned to San Carlo because she was staying at her parents' house to prepare for the birth of her third child, the Marquis Baldessar quickly snatched the remaining person as his daughter's partner, and in effect, her chaperone.
“Your Grace the Young Marquis.”
Julia's partner, Baron Caseri, smiled and bowed deeply to Raphael.
“Don’t do that, it’s bothering me.”
“No. You are the future lord.”
“Baron Caseri!”
Raphael waved his hand in disgust as if he had never smiled so sadly before.
“Brother, accept this. Since you are no longer my eldest brother, it is up to you to continue the family line.”
“Julia!”
Raphael pursed his lips. Ariadne looked around the room to try to lighten the tense atmosphere. Luckily, there was just the right person.
“Oh my, look over there. It’s Felicite!”
Felicite de Elba, a Countess who was part of Julia's group of friends, had arrived at the ballroom with her partner. Julia greeted Felicite with a smile.
“Felicite!”
“Julia!”
They came closer and shook hands cheerfully, and Felicite's partner, who was standing next to her, bowed politely. The rest of the group also returned the gesture.
"This person is...?"
Ariadne, who was still not familiar with her peers in San Carlo, turned to Felicite and asked. In her previous life, the people she had met were not the young people of high society, but their parents, and in this life, Ariadne was meeting all the young people for the first time. Felicite smiled shyly and introduced them.
“His name is Lord Giambattista Attendolo.”
“Ah, the eldest son of the Count of Atendolo―”
“Please call me Giam.”
He smiled, but at the same time asked politely.
“I have heard of the fame of Miss Ariadne de Mare, who shook San Carlo. It is an honor to meet you.”
“No, what am I...”
Ariadne smiled sheepishly and declined the excessive compliment. Giambattista Attendolo, what an interesting appointment. Ariadne knew of only one 'Attendolo'. Sir Iacopo Attendolo, who had persistently pursued Isabella, gave her a diamond ring. Iacopo Attendolo was the younger brother of Giambattista Attendolo, who would not inherit the title.
“Your Grace the Young Marquis.”
Julia's partner, Baron Caseri, smiled and bowed deeply to Raphael.
“Don’t do that, it’s bothering me.”
“No. You are the future lord.”
“Baron Caseri!”
Raphael waved his hand in disgust as if he had never smiled so sadly before.
“Brother, accept this. Since you are no longer my eldest brother, it is up to you to continue the family line.”
“Julia!”
Raphael pursed his lips. Ariadne looked around the room to try to lighten the tense atmosphere. Luckily, there was just the right person.
“Oh my, look over there. It’s Felicite!”
Felicite de Elba, a Countess who was part of Julia's group of friends, had arrived at the ballroom with her partner. Julia greeted Felicite with a smile.
“Felicite!”
“Julia!”
They came closer and shook hands cheerfully, and Felicite's partner, who was standing next to her, bowed politely. The rest of the group also returned the gesture.
"This person is...?"
Ariadne, who was still not familiar with her peers in San Carlo, turned to Felicite and asked. In her previous life, the people she had met were not the young people of high society, but their parents, and in this life, Ariadne was meeting all the young people for the first time. Felicite smiled shyly and introduced them.
“His name is Lord Giambattista Attendolo.”
“Ah, the eldest son of the Count of Atendolo―”
“Please call me Giam.”
He smiled, but at the same time asked politely.
“I have heard of the fame of Miss Ariadne de Mare, who shook San Carlo. It is an honor to meet you.”
“No, what am I...”
Ariadne smiled sheepishly and declined the excessive compliment. Giambattista Attendolo, what an interesting appointment. Ariadne knew of only one 'Attendolo'. Sir Iacopo Attendolo, who had persistently pursued Isabella, gave her a diamond ring. Iacopo Attendolo was the younger brother of Giambattista Attendolo, who would not inherit the title.
Julia seemed to have the same thoughts as Ariadne. She looked at the couple who had just arrived with a meaningful gaze. Ariadne followed Julia's gaze and saw a couple getting out of a carriage stopped at the roundabout.
“!”
Just then, the nobleman Iacopo Attendolo was getting out of his carriage, escorting a young lady. She was the most beautiful girl in San Carlo, wearing a pink dress and her flaxen hair flowing naturally to the side in a braid.
“It’s Isabella.”
At Julia's whisper, Ariadne nodded. Julia muttered with a slight sneer.
“Our Felicite is admirable in many ways, but there’s no denying that she’s the daughter of a rising magnate. And yet, Felicite brought the successor of the Atendolo family as her partner.”
Ariadne nodded silently.
“But the person that ‘that’ Isabella brought along was just a troublemaker, Iacopo Attendolo. How damaged his reputation must have been. There really is no such thing as a master-slave relationship.”
Isabella either didn’t want to make eye contact with others or was sticking to the new concept, so she lowered her eyes to the floor and walked carefully, being escorted by Iacopo Attendolo. The clothes she wore were not the shiny silk dresses she usually preferred, but thin cotton ones that were more like house clothes, and instead of jeweled accessories, she wore a flower crown made of fresh flowers.
“!”
Just then, the nobleman Iacopo Attendolo was getting out of his carriage, escorting a young lady. She was the most beautiful girl in San Carlo, wearing a pink dress and her flaxen hair flowing naturally to the side in a braid.
“It’s Isabella.”
At Julia's whisper, Ariadne nodded. Julia muttered with a slight sneer.
“Our Felicite is admirable in many ways, but there’s no denying that she’s the daughter of a rising magnate. And yet, Felicite brought the successor of the Atendolo family as her partner.”
Ariadne nodded silently.
“But the person that ‘that’ Isabella brought along was just a troublemaker, Iacopo Attendolo. How damaged his reputation must have been. There really is no such thing as a master-slave relationship.”
Isabella either didn’t want to make eye contact with others or was sticking to the new concept, so she lowered her eyes to the floor and walked carefully, being escorted by Iacopo Attendolo. The clothes she wore were not the shiny silk dresses she usually preferred, but thin cotton ones that were more like house clothes, and instead of jeweled accessories, she wore a flower crown made of fresh flowers.
From a distance, she looked like the most innocent girl in the world. Ariadne whispered to Julia in disbelief.
“If any strange rumors are going around in social circles, please give me some medicine in advance. I have never cut down on my sister’s living expenses.”
Isabella's extravagance was forbidden by a direct edict from Cardinal de Mare, but Ariadne maintained the amount Isabella had been receiving each month while Lucrezia was alive.
“Wow. But she still goes around like that?”
Julia stuck out her tongue. Ariadne answered with a slightly resigned tone.
“I guess it’s a new concept. A poor country girl.”
A real country girl can't afford to wear such make-up and bright-colored cotton dresses. Her dresses get stained from doing chores around the house or on the farm. Ariadne, who really came from the country, felt depressed because she felt like even her poverty had been taken away from her.
“Let’s go, we’re off now.”
The royal carriage, which was supposed to be their turn, had just arrived. Julia nodded.
“There’s no need to mix things up and feel bad.”
The three couples who arrived first left Isabella de Mare, who arrived late, in the waiting line and left for the 'Lily Room'.
“If any strange rumors are going around in social circles, please give me some medicine in advance. I have never cut down on my sister’s living expenses.”
Isabella's extravagance was forbidden by a direct edict from Cardinal de Mare, but Ariadne maintained the amount Isabella had been receiving each month while Lucrezia was alive.
“Wow. But she still goes around like that?”
Julia stuck out her tongue. Ariadne answered with a slightly resigned tone.
“I guess it’s a new concept. A poor country girl.”
A real country girl can't afford to wear such make-up and bright-colored cotton dresses. Her dresses get stained from doing chores around the house or on the farm. Ariadne, who really came from the country, felt depressed because she felt like even her poverty had been taken away from her.
“Let’s go, we’re off now.”
The royal carriage, which was supposed to be their turn, had just arrived. Julia nodded.
“There’s no need to mix things up and feel bad.”
The three couples who arrived first left Isabella de Mare, who arrived late, in the waiting line and left for the 'Lily Room'.
***
There were two reasons why Isabella de Mare looked down at the floor. It was to maintain the concept of a faithful country girl, and it was also because she did not want to make eye contact with others.
After Lucrezia's death, public opinion that Isabella was pitiful began to sprout among the older women, and there was always a group of noblemen who thought that she was pretty, so it didn't matter, but the mainstream attitude toward Isabella in San Carlo was 'avoidance'. When Isabella approached, they averted their eyes as if they had seen something they should not have seen. Regardless of their own opinions about Isabella, they did not want others to see them hanging out with the mistress of a man who was known as the biggest human garbage in San Carlo.
'I'd rather not make eye contact with others than see them avoiding eye contact with me.'
Isabella bit her lip, feeling only evil. But fortunately for her, some people did not abandon her, no matter what others said.
“Isabella.”
"Brother."
Ippolito, who had gone to pick up his partner in the carriage of the de Mare family and had now arrived at the palace, got out of the carriage and pretended to recognize Isabella. Next to him was Leticia, dressed up in a cute yellow dress.
“Isabella!”
She greeted Isabella loudly because she was in a good mood. In the end, Ippolito could not find a woman to go with, so he asked the young lady Leticia de Leonati to be his partner at the ball as Isabella had told him to. Thanks to her, Leticia was saved from the unimaginable shame of going to the ball without a partner at the last minute. Isabella also felt a little better at Leticia’s high tension. She was a friend who was not good enough, but it was better than nothing. And there was someone she could not abandon.
'I'd rather not make eye contact with others than see them avoiding eye contact with me.'
Isabella bit her lip, feeling only evil. But fortunately for her, some people did not abandon her, no matter what others said.
“Isabella.”
"Brother."
Ippolito, who had gone to pick up his partner in the carriage of the de Mare family and had now arrived at the palace, got out of the carriage and pretended to recognize Isabella. Next to him was Leticia, dressed up in a cute yellow dress.
“Isabella!”
She greeted Isabella loudly because she was in a good mood. In the end, Ippolito could not find a woman to go with, so he asked the young lady Leticia de Leonati to be his partner at the ball as Isabella had told him to. Thanks to her, Leticia was saved from the unimaginable shame of going to the ball without a partner at the last minute. Isabella also felt a little better at Leticia’s high tension. She was a friend who was not good enough, but it was better than nothing. And there was someone she could not abandon.
A luxurious carriage entered the roundabout, and a young lady walked down the street escorted by old noblemen. It was the Count and Lady Bartolini.
“Sister Clemente!”
Isabella smiled brighter on purpose and pretended to know her loudly. In the society of San Carlo, there was an unwritten rule that a person of lower status should not speak to a person of higher status first. However, there was an exception in the case of close friends.
“Sister Clemente!”
Isabella smiled brighter on purpose and pretended to know her loudly. In the society of San Carlo, there was an unwritten rule that a person of lower status should not speak to a person of higher status first. However, there was an exception in the case of close friends.
Now, Isabella, the daughter of a cardinal but far from a title, greeted Countess Clemente de Bartolini first without any hesitation, and the two seemed very close. People turned their heads one after another to watch this situation. Countess Bartolini, who had been attacked by Isabella as soon as she arrived, had no choice but to look at her husband's face and accept Isabella's greeting with tears in her eyes.
“Yes, Isabella... How have you been?”
“I’m so glad you came to the ball today. Isabella, I didn’t have anyone to go with, so you can go with me!”
Countess Bartolini struggled to control her expression as the bolt from the blue struck.
“I, Isabella... I... I have a prior engagement with the Countess and Countess of Baljo....”
“That’s great! Countess Baljo works so hard in volunteer work! I admire her! I really wanted to meet her. Is it okay if I tag along, Count Bartolini?”
The old Count nodded with a laugh.
“They are all old ladies, but if they mix in some young blood, they will be full of life.”
Isabella's partner, Iacopo Attendolo, also intervened from the side.
“Count Bartolini! You work with my father in the winemaking business. I have always wanted to share your insights.”
Countess Bartolini’s expression gradually distorted. However, not knowing the young lady’s speed, the old Count Bartolini laughed and hit Iacopo on the shoulder.
“Yes, your father is an old friend of mine. The Atendolo family entered the business late, but they have a long tradition of knighthood. Let’s go together and talk today.”
“Thank you, Count!”
The fact that they would be together throughout the ball was enough to drive a wedge into the coffin. Clemente de Bartolini could only smile prettily.
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