After finishing her second waltz with Prince Alfonso, Lariesa felt like she was going to die from shortness of breath. She couldn't tell if it was hyperventilation caused by stress or from dancing two fast-paced San Carlo waltzes in a row.
“Oh, Princess Valoa. Are you out of breath?”
When they returned to our seats, Queen Marguerite pretended to know them.
“Our son, if the tempo of the dance is fast, why would he insist on dancing instead of just taking the lady back to her seat?”
Prince Alfonso took Lariesa to the table of honor where the royal family and other dignitaries sat, then left with an indifferent expression. He probably didn't even want to sit with her.
“No, no. I asked to dance. Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty the Queen...”
Lariesa felt like crying because she was so grateful that someone was treating her warmly after the cold decree she had heard from Alfonso. She wanted to crawl into the Queen's arms and hug her right away. Next to her, Madame Carla, who was also from her hometown, spoke to Lariesa affectionately.
“Your Highness, you two looked like a very cute couple dancing two waltzes in a row.”
Madame Carla was Lariesa's greatest ally within Palazzo Carlo. Madame Carla was the one who told Princess Lariesa about Prince Alfonso's schedule, his favorite desserts, and the shape of his handkerchief. Lariesa laughed in vain. It was fortunate that it was seen that way at least by others, but it meant nothing now.
“Thank you for your kind words...”
“Oh, by the way, Your Grace, you don’t know yet what the ‘Signora Operta’ the Prince has prepared is?”
The 'signora operta' was a small gift that a man would give his partner at the beginning or end of a royal ball. In casual relationships, it was common to give a small card, some sweets, or a flower, but in a close relationship, they would give fancy jewelry or precious metals. Lariesa answered with a weak smile.
“Well, is there such a thing?”
“Oh my, Your Highness.”
Madame Carla answered with a serious expression.
“Our Prince Alfonso is a finely educated gentleman, and he would never omit the ‘Signora Operta’ from his lady.”
Lariesa thought to herself.
'He is a gentleman. He didn't give me any room for improvement like a gentleman should. But... But...'
She wasn't ready to face the truth yet. Madame Carla poured oil on it.
“Did you receive the welcome gift for the ball opening today?”
At royal balls, to appease the gentlemen's discontent—the rather crude complaint that it was too difficult to prepare presents to suit the tastes of ladies and gentlemen—a welcome gift was created and given to all the female guests upon entering the ball. The idea was that when their wives asked, "Where is my 'Signora Operta'?" they could say, "I already got it for you at the palace."
“Oh, no.”
Princess Lariesa entered the ballroom through the VIP passageway, so she did not receive the welcome gift that all the other ladies received.
“I told him to set one aside, so I can call a servant and bring it to you.”
"Thank you..."
Lariesa wasn't particularly interested in it. The welcome gift for the ball was usually a flower, a light snack, or a craft card. It wasn't something that would make the Grand Duchess of Valoa hang herself, although it might be acceptable for a low-class noblewoman who rarely had the chance to attend a royal ball.
“Did you know that this welcome gift was personally selected by Prince Alfonso?”
"Yes?"
It was the first time Larriesa to heard of it. With the surprised Princess Lariesa sitting in front of her, Madame Carla proudly continued to praise the golden Prince she had seen since she was young.
“The Prince suggested to Her Majesty Queen Marguerite that we give daffodils as the welcome gift this time. Her Majesty the Queen had originally considered lilies, as the ball will be held in the ‘Lily Room’.”
She motioned for her attendant to bring her a welcome gift: a healthy green daffodil with yellow double blossoms and some cookies.
"Daffodil..."
“The Prince said that day that it was a flower that reminded him of a ‘promise.’”
"Promise...?"
“Is there a flower language of daffodils that I don’t know about?”
The flower language of daffodils is 'self-love', 'loneliness', and 'nobility', and it has nothing to do with 'promise'. In fact, what Alfonso had in mind was the promise to meet Ariadne at the daffodil altar in Piazza Pietro on the first day of the 'Spring Festival'.
It was a promise that Princess Lariesa had made to her ghostwriter, Sir Bernardino, while Prince Alfonso was away from Taranto to attend Arabella's funeral. The relationship between Prince Alfonso and Princess Lariesa had deteriorated rapidly since the day when Lariesa got angry at Alfonso in the corridor of the Taranto palace and said, "Be good to me, the representative of the Kingdom of Gallico."
Once the circuit of happiness started spinning, it spun around like crazy.
'You said you would tell His Majesty Leo III that you would reconcile the two nations, but is that so easy? This is a negotiation between nations! My father said that the Etruscans would never be able to refuse this offer!'
Princess Lariesa clenched her fists.
'And you told me, 'I'm sorry I couldn't repay you.' You feel guilty. It's not that I don't have feelings. Is love a big deal? Feeling sorry turns into feeling grateful, and if you see each other that way and become a couple, you'll eventually fall in love!'
At that moment, Madame Carla fanned the flames of Lariesa's delusion.
“Oh my, where did His Highness go leaving Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess here?”
She called her servant and asked him if he had seen His Highness the Prince.
“I saw him exiting through the south exit.”
If you exit through the south exit of the ballroom, the 'Lily Room', you can go down to the daffodil garden adjacent to the balcony.
“Have he gone for a walk? There’s not much to see in the ‘Daffodil Garden’ at night.”
“A daffodil garden?”
“Haha, would His Highness the Prince really be in the daffodil garden at night? The plants there are all short, so there’s no need to worry about getting lost, but it’s not a place to go at night because there are no lights on. Your Highness, when His Highness the Prince comes back, ask him to take you there during the day. The flowers are in full bloom and really beautiful.”
Lariesa smiled and nodded.
“Yes, definitely.”
And she rose from her seat, driven by a strange certainty.
“I’ll go to the powder room for a moment.”
“Oh, Your Highness. Are you going alone? I will accompany you.”
She had intended to go to the daffodil garden. Lariesa had an inexplicable, incomprehensible certainty that Prince Alfonso was now in the daffodil garden. She had staked her fate on this feeling. If she went to the daffodil garden and met Prince Alfonso, it was fate. She would not give up. But if the daffodil garden was really full of flowers, she would also return obediently to Gallico and await her disposal.
“No. I just need to catch my breath. I’ll be back soon by myself.”
Princess Lariesa answered kindly, holding the daffodil stem she had just received in her hand.
“What? The Grand Duchess is causing a commotion?”
“Oh, Princess Valoa. Are you out of breath?”
When they returned to our seats, Queen Marguerite pretended to know them.
“Our son, if the tempo of the dance is fast, why would he insist on dancing instead of just taking the lady back to her seat?”
Prince Alfonso took Lariesa to the table of honor where the royal family and other dignitaries sat, then left with an indifferent expression. He probably didn't even want to sit with her.
“No, no. I asked to dance. Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty the Queen...”
Lariesa felt like crying because she was so grateful that someone was treating her warmly after the cold decree she had heard from Alfonso. She wanted to crawl into the Queen's arms and hug her right away. Next to her, Madame Carla, who was also from her hometown, spoke to Lariesa affectionately.
“Your Highness, you two looked like a very cute couple dancing two waltzes in a row.”
Madame Carla was Lariesa's greatest ally within Palazzo Carlo. Madame Carla was the one who told Princess Lariesa about Prince Alfonso's schedule, his favorite desserts, and the shape of his handkerchief. Lariesa laughed in vain. It was fortunate that it was seen that way at least by others, but it meant nothing now.
“Thank you for your kind words...”
“Oh, by the way, Your Grace, you don’t know yet what the ‘Signora Operta’ the Prince has prepared is?”
The 'signora operta' was a small gift that a man would give his partner at the beginning or end of a royal ball. In casual relationships, it was common to give a small card, some sweets, or a flower, but in a close relationship, they would give fancy jewelry or precious metals. Lariesa answered with a weak smile.
“Well, is there such a thing?”
“Oh my, Your Highness.”
Madame Carla answered with a serious expression.
“Our Prince Alfonso is a finely educated gentleman, and he would never omit the ‘Signora Operta’ from his lady.”
Lariesa thought to herself.
'He is a gentleman. He didn't give me any room for improvement like a gentleman should. But... But...'
She wasn't ready to face the truth yet. Madame Carla poured oil on it.
“Did you receive the welcome gift for the ball opening today?”
At royal balls, to appease the gentlemen's discontent—the rather crude complaint that it was too difficult to prepare presents to suit the tastes of ladies and gentlemen—a welcome gift was created and given to all the female guests upon entering the ball. The idea was that when their wives asked, "Where is my 'Signora Operta'?" they could say, "I already got it for you at the palace."
“Oh, no.”
Princess Lariesa entered the ballroom through the VIP passageway, so she did not receive the welcome gift that all the other ladies received.
“I told him to set one aside, so I can call a servant and bring it to you.”
"Thank you..."
Lariesa wasn't particularly interested in it. The welcome gift for the ball was usually a flower, a light snack, or a craft card. It wasn't something that would make the Grand Duchess of Valoa hang herself, although it might be acceptable for a low-class noblewoman who rarely had the chance to attend a royal ball.
“Did you know that this welcome gift was personally selected by Prince Alfonso?”
"Yes?"
It was the first time Larriesa to heard of it. With the surprised Princess Lariesa sitting in front of her, Madame Carla proudly continued to praise the golden Prince she had seen since she was young.
“The Prince suggested to Her Majesty Queen Marguerite that we give daffodils as the welcome gift this time. Her Majesty the Queen had originally considered lilies, as the ball will be held in the ‘Lily Room’.”
She motioned for her attendant to bring her a welcome gift: a healthy green daffodil with yellow double blossoms and some cookies.
"Daffodil..."
“The Prince said that day that it was a flower that reminded him of a ‘promise.’”
"Promise...?"
“Is there a flower language of daffodils that I don’t know about?”
The flower language of daffodils is 'self-love', 'loneliness', and 'nobility', and it has nothing to do with 'promise'. In fact, what Alfonso had in mind was the promise to meet Ariadne at the daffodil altar in Piazza Pietro on the first day of the 'Spring Festival'.
Originally, he wouldn't have been able to pretend to know Ariadne at the palace ball, but Alfonso felt bad about leaving her alone, so he wanted to give her at least one flower. That's why he suggested to his mother, who was considering lilies, to change the welcome gift flower to daffodils. However, to Lariesa's ears, these 'daffodils' and 'promise' sounded like they had a completely different meaning than the speaker intended.
'That promise we made when we returned to San Carlo that we would take a walk in the daffodil garden together...!'
'That promise we made when we returned to San Carlo that we would take a walk in the daffodil garden together...!'
It was a promise that Princess Lariesa had made to her ghostwriter, Sir Bernardino, while Prince Alfonso was away from Taranto to attend Arabella's funeral. The relationship between Prince Alfonso and Princess Lariesa had deteriorated rapidly since the day when Lariesa got angry at Alfonso in the corridor of the Taranto palace and said, "Be good to me, the representative of the Kingdom of Gallico."
Since returning to San Carlo, Lariesa had hardly ever had a chance to meet Prince Alfonso alone. Naturally, Lariesa could not even bring herself to ask Alfonso to keep the "promise of the daffodil garden."
'Prince Alfonso, although he said so, felt sorry towards me...!'
'Prince Alfonso, although he said so, felt sorry towards me...!'
Once the circuit of happiness started spinning, it spun around like crazy.
'You said you would tell His Majesty Leo III that you would reconcile the two nations, but is that so easy? This is a negotiation between nations! My father said that the Etruscans would never be able to refuse this offer!'
Princess Lariesa clenched her fists.
'And you told me, 'I'm sorry I couldn't repay you.' You feel guilty. It's not that I don't have feelings. Is love a big deal? Feeling sorry turns into feeling grateful, and if you see each other that way and become a couple, you'll eventually fall in love!'
At that moment, Madame Carla fanned the flames of Lariesa's delusion.
“Oh my, where did His Highness go leaving Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess here?”
She called her servant and asked him if he had seen His Highness the Prince.
“I saw him exiting through the south exit.”
If you exit through the south exit of the ballroom, the 'Lily Room', you can go down to the daffodil garden adjacent to the balcony.
“Have he gone for a walk? There’s not much to see in the ‘Daffodil Garden’ at night.”
“A daffodil garden?”
“Haha, would His Highness the Prince really be in the daffodil garden at night? The plants there are all short, so there’s no need to worry about getting lost, but it’s not a place to go at night because there are no lights on. Your Highness, when His Highness the Prince comes back, ask him to take you there during the day. The flowers are in full bloom and really beautiful.”
Lariesa smiled and nodded.
“Yes, definitely.”
And she rose from her seat, driven by a strange certainty.
“I’ll go to the powder room for a moment.”
“Oh, Your Highness. Are you going alone? I will accompany you.”
She had intended to go to the daffodil garden. Lariesa had an inexplicable, incomprehensible certainty that Prince Alfonso was now in the daffodil garden. She had staked her fate on this feeling. If she went to the daffodil garden and met Prince Alfonso, it was fate. She would not give up. But if the daffodil garden was really full of flowers, she would also return obediently to Gallico and await her disposal.
“No. I just need to catch my breath. I’ll be back soon by myself.”
Princess Lariesa answered kindly, holding the daffodil stem she had just received in her hand.
***
And this was what Princess Lariesa encountered. A young couple kissing under the moonlight. Prince Alfonso, and a woman with black hair who was not her.
“Ugh!”
Lariesa screamed as she returned to the palace. It was so, so miserable.
“How could you do this to me! The brothers got together and tricked me! And you dirty little girl! I should have known then!”
Princess Lariesa was doubly angry as she thought of Cardinal de Mare's second daughter, who had been with Prince Alfonso at the time of the masked ball.
“I must have looked like an idiot! She must have laughed at me from behind, holding her stomach! I treat her well because I think she’s Alfonso's brother's parner!”
Now that she think about it, it was unbearably shameful that she had told Leo III that Cardinal de Mare's second daughter was Count Cesare's fiancée. In this mood, with this expression and this attitude, she could not possibly return to the ball. Instead of returning to the 'Lily Room,' Grand Duchess Lariesa went into her own quarters in the Palagio Carlo.
“Ugh!”
Lariesa screamed as she returned to the palace. It was so, so miserable.
“How could you do this to me! The brothers got together and tricked me! And you dirty little girl! I should have known then!”
Princess Lariesa was doubly angry as she thought of Cardinal de Mare's second daughter, who had been with Prince Alfonso at the time of the masked ball.
“I must have looked like an idiot! She must have laughed at me from behind, holding her stomach! I treat her well because I think she’s Alfonso's brother's parner!”
Now that she think about it, it was unbearably shameful that she had told Leo III that Cardinal de Mare's second daughter was Count Cesare's fiancée. In this mood, with this expression and this attitude, she could not possibly return to the ball. Instead of returning to the 'Lily Room,' Grand Duchess Lariesa went into her own quarters in the Palagio Carlo.
Boom!
When the Grand Duchess who had attended the ball returned without an escort or even an attendant, Grand Duchess Lariesa's maid opened her eyes wide in surprise and ran to help the Grand Duchess. When the maid tried to take the withered daffodils she was holding, only then did Lariesa realize that she still had them in her hand, threw them on the floor, and trampled them with her shoe.
“Ugh!!”
The thick, fresh stems were crushed, and the white sap permeated the red carpet imported from the Moorish Empire, turning it black. Princess Lariesa, who had not only the green stems but also the yellow flower parts torn to pieces, shouted to her maid, still angry.
“Find Count Le Vien and bring him to me! Now!”
“Ugh!!”
The thick, fresh stems were crushed, and the white sap permeated the red carpet imported from the Moorish Empire, turning it black. Princess Lariesa, who had not only the green stems but also the yellow flower parts torn to pieces, shouted to her maid, still angry.
“Find Count Le Vien and bring him to me! Now!”
***
Count Le Vien Bien, who had been sitting at the negotiating table all day, was in a good mood today as he finally got to attend the ball. His good mood was shattered when he was summoned by an attendant sent by the Grand Duchess of Larissa.
“What? The Grand Duchess is causing a commotion?”
He whispered in a low voice so that the attendant's message would not reach the ears of the others sitting in the VIP section.
“Do you know why?”
“That was fine... She came back from the ballroom and told me to call the Count right away.”
It is the fate of a dog that is raised to go when called. Count Le Vien sighed and stood up from his seat.
“Excuse me for a moment. No, no. I’ll be right back. I’ll see you later.”
It was only his wishful thinking that he would return soon. He wanted to console himself by saying so. Count Le Vien, who had been talking to the person he was talking to, asked for understanding and got up, walked briskly toward the Grand Duchess of Lariesa’s quarters. Between the draped curtains and tapestries, he saw a woman with disheveled brown hair crying. Count Le Vien was startled and ran inside in one go.
“Do you know why?”
“That was fine... She came back from the ballroom and told me to call the Count right away.”
It is the fate of a dog that is raised to go when called. Count Le Vien sighed and stood up from his seat.
“Excuse me for a moment. No, no. I’ll be right back. I’ll see you later.”
It was only his wishful thinking that he would return soon. He wanted to console himself by saying so. Count Le Vien, who had been talking to the person he was talking to, asked for understanding and got up, walked briskly toward the Grand Duchess of Lariesa’s quarters. Between the draped curtains and tapestries, he saw a woman with disheveled brown hair crying. Count Le Vien was startled and ran inside in one go.
“Your Highness! What is this!”
In the meantime, Lariesa had destroyed all the furniture in the room. Small objects such as dishes, candlesticks, and books were all shattered and scattered on the floor. Small furniture such as side tables and wing chairs for one person were also lying sideways on the floor. The Grand Duchess’ eyes were red and her fingernails were red and bloody from the scratches and injuries she had received from destroying the objects.
“Le Vien!”
When Lariesa saw the Count, she could not hide her resentment and cried out.
“You can’t leave that bitch, that bitch alone!”
“Who the hell is ‘that girl’?”
“Cardinal de Mare’s second daughter! Ariadne de Mare!”
Lariesa glared at Count Le Vien with eyes that were burning with a rage that almost felt like madness.
“Kill her.”
In the meantime, Lariesa had destroyed all the furniture in the room. Small objects such as dishes, candlesticks, and books were all shattered and scattered on the floor. Small furniture such as side tables and wing chairs for one person were also lying sideways on the floor. The Grand Duchess’ eyes were red and her fingernails were red and bloody from the scratches and injuries she had received from destroying the objects.
“Le Vien!”
When Lariesa saw the Count, she could not hide her resentment and cried out.
“You can’t leave that bitch, that bitch alone!”
“Who the hell is ‘that girl’?”
“Cardinal de Mare’s second daughter! Ariadne de Mare!”
Lariesa glared at Count Le Vien with eyes that were burning with a rage that almost felt like madness.
“Kill her.”
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