Ariadne de Mare didn’t trust people. She didn’t trust others, and she didn’t trust herself.
Humans are weak creatures who only care about their own interests and only talk about loyalty and humanity when it helps them. It was a lesson she had learned through countless experiences in her previous life.
There were human beings like unicorns, but unicorns are rare, and that’s why they’re unicorns. The Caruso Vitelli of Boccanegro Company that she knew was a normal human being, apart from being wise, quick-thinking, and having a keen sense of money.
“Does Mr. Caruso usually have his subordinates attend meetings?”
Mr. Caruso was surprised by the unexpected story and looked at the door of the office. There, the subordinate who had first guided Ariadne was standing there with his eyes wide open. He looked surprised as if he was surprised that he had been the one who got the sparks.
“He looks smart. I need to count money. Could you lend him a hand for a while?”
He would not entrust the receipt and disbursement of money to an outsider. This was even more so if it was not a small change but Ducato gold coins. This was an excuse.
“...Yes? This child?”
“Is there a problem?”
CEO Caruso’s eyes wavered. The servant also blinked.
“Would I do something bad?”
Ariadne raised her voice.
“You will be under the wing of Cardinal de Mare. I will teach you everything I can. I will send you back safely.”
CEO Caruso exchanged glances with the servant.
Giuseppe, who was standing behind him, tilted his head and bowed. Ariadne was a master who was hard to find in all of San Carlo, but she did not consider her subordinate’s wishes to that extent. What is this? Such a great work environment that this servant enjoys?
However, Ariadne was not at all surprised as if she had expected it.
CEO Caruso, who had finished exchanging glances with the servant, finally opened his mouth.
“...We are honored that you taught us so well. Are you leaving the necklace behind today?”
“Yes. Please take special care not only to ensure security but also to prevent rumors from leaking outside.”
She glanced around. The members of the office came into view.
“There are only four people who know that this necklace is here: me, the CEO, Giuseppe in this room, and your servant.”
“...”
“It is a structure that allows us to immediately identify where the word has leaked, so please do not disappoint me.”
“...Trust is the lifeblood of a merchant.”
“I trust you.”
Ariadne answered concisely and stood up.
“Then, I will wait for you until midnight for 3,000 ducats in gold. I will prepare a contract for what we have just discussed, so please come at midnight and sign it.”
“We will also prepare a copy.”
“As you wish.”
Ariadne stood up and offered to shake CEO Caruso’s hand. He shook his hand in return, absentmindedly. Ariadne de Mare's hands were firm and unwavering, unlike those of a slender 16-year-old girl.
"That's all for now."
She greeted the CEO and looked at thr servant. The boy's eyes were shining with a mixture of 70% anticipation and 30% fear. Ariadne met his eyes and smiled.
"You follow me now."
Ariadne, who left the 'Heart of the Blue Deep Sea' in CEO Caruso's office and took his servant with her, dismissed all of her escorts in the courtyard. She left the headquarters building of Boccanegro Trading Company with a bang and boarded the silver carriage of the de Mare family to return home.
"How are you, young lady?"
Sancha, who was waiting in the carriage, asked with shining eyes.
"It's all right."
"Who is this child?"
It was a boy with brown short hair wearing neat clothes.
"Our hostage."
A smile appeared on Ariadne's lips. It was a joke, but the boy seemed startled.
“Huh? He looks like a servant, but a servant as a hostage?”
A servant selects a smart and handsome boy from among the servants. If he’s lucky, he’ll stay in that position for a long time and eventually become the master’s right-hand man, helping with his employer’s most important business, but if he’s not doing well, it wouldn’t be strange if he were to leave tomorrow. He wasn’t very valuable as a hostage.
“I feel like I’ve become a total villain.”
Ariadne laughed pleasantly and didn’t answer. Sancha’s doubts were only resolved after they returned to the de Mare mansion.
“Sancha. Please give our guest a guest room in the west wing on the third floor.”
“The west wing? Miss, that’s where the female employees live. No matter how young he is, we can’t have a man!”
That was where Ariadne had stayed when she first came to the mansion de Mare. It wasn’t a room that the daughter of the house would use, but there was a private room in the west wing of the third floor for the well-received female servants, such as governesses and maids.
In the past, when Lucrezia’s poor relatives visited for a long time, the woman had given them that room.
“That’s right. I asked you to give it to me because it was for women.”
Ariadne smiled.
“What is your real name? Miss Vitelli.”
The servant’s eyes were about to pop out.
“I know everything, so you don’t have to tell me. If you feel uncomfortable saying your real name, just say whatever you want to be called.”
The servant hesitated for a moment, then thought that lying was useless. That woman had eyes that were close to God and could see through the truth. The servant eventually revealed her name.
“...Petrucia Vitelli.”
Ariadne smiled and formally introduced the page to Sancha.
“Petrucia Vitelli. The only daughter of CEO Caruso Vitelli.”
She said to the boy, no, the girl, with a narrowed eye smile.
“Take care of me for the time being, Miss Petrucia.”
Finding Petrucia was somewhat fortunate. The moment she saw Petrucia Vitelli welcoming Ariadne and her party, a flash of light flashed in Ariadne’s mind.
‘This is the girl!’
In 1137, the Boccanegro Company and CEO Caruso, which Ariadne had last seen, had grown into a representative company unparalleled throughout the Etruscan region, and based on this, they had grown into a force to be reckoned with in the central continent, but there was one unsolved problem. It was the issue of succession.
Since Boccanegro Company was not a typical company based on a guild, everything relied on CEO Caruso alone. Since it wasn't a collective leadership system, in the end, he had to choose one of CEO Caruso's family members as his successor and pass the company down to him.
However, he had no sons. So instead, he chose his 'nephew', whom he had brought to the company since childhood and taught him how to do the job, as his successor. The relationship between CEO Caruso and his nephew was particularly special. So people started muttering 'master'. That's not a nephew, but an illegitimate child.
Then, in 1137, rumors about CEO Caruso's 'nephew', 'Federico Vitelli', suddenly spread throughout San Carlo. In fact, 'Federico Vitelli' was not a nephew or an illegitimate child, but a biological child born from the wife's body, and not a man, but a woman, that is, a real daughter.
'I haven't confirmed what happened in the end.'
Humans are weak creatures who only care about their own interests and only talk about loyalty and humanity when it helps them. It was a lesson she had learned through countless experiences in her previous life.
There were human beings like unicorns, but unicorns are rare, and that’s why they’re unicorns. The Caruso Vitelli of Boccanegro Company that she knew was a normal human being, apart from being wise, quick-thinking, and having a keen sense of money.
“Does Mr. Caruso usually have his subordinates attend meetings?”
Mr. Caruso was surprised by the unexpected story and looked at the door of the office. There, the subordinate who had first guided Ariadne was standing there with his eyes wide open. He looked surprised as if he was surprised that he had been the one who got the sparks.
“He looks smart. I need to count money. Could you lend him a hand for a while?”
He would not entrust the receipt and disbursement of money to an outsider. This was even more so if it was not a small change but Ducato gold coins. This was an excuse.
“...Yes? This child?”
“Is there a problem?”
CEO Caruso’s eyes wavered. The servant also blinked.
“Would I do something bad?”
Ariadne raised her voice.
“You will be under the wing of Cardinal de Mare. I will teach you everything I can. I will send you back safely.”
CEO Caruso exchanged glances with the servant.
Giuseppe, who was standing behind him, tilted his head and bowed. Ariadne was a master who was hard to find in all of San Carlo, but she did not consider her subordinate’s wishes to that extent. What is this? Such a great work environment that this servant enjoys?
However, Ariadne was not at all surprised as if she had expected it.
CEO Caruso, who had finished exchanging glances with the servant, finally opened his mouth.
“...We are honored that you taught us so well. Are you leaving the necklace behind today?”
“Yes. Please take special care not only to ensure security but also to prevent rumors from leaking outside.”
She glanced around. The members of the office came into view.
“There are only four people who know that this necklace is here: me, the CEO, Giuseppe in this room, and your servant.”
“...”
“It is a structure that allows us to immediately identify where the word has leaked, so please do not disappoint me.”
“...Trust is the lifeblood of a merchant.”
“I trust you.”
Ariadne answered concisely and stood up.
“Then, I will wait for you until midnight for 3,000 ducats in gold. I will prepare a contract for what we have just discussed, so please come at midnight and sign it.”
“We will also prepare a copy.”
“As you wish.”
Ariadne stood up and offered to shake CEO Caruso’s hand. He shook his hand in return, absentmindedly. Ariadne de Mare's hands were firm and unwavering, unlike those of a slender 16-year-old girl.
"That's all for now."
She greeted the CEO and looked at thr servant. The boy's eyes were shining with a mixture of 70% anticipation and 30% fear. Ariadne met his eyes and smiled.
"You follow me now."
***
Ariadne, who left the 'Heart of the Blue Deep Sea' in CEO Caruso's office and took his servant with her, dismissed all of her escorts in the courtyard. She left the headquarters building of Boccanegro Trading Company with a bang and boarded the silver carriage of the de Mare family to return home.
"How are you, young lady?"
Sancha, who was waiting in the carriage, asked with shining eyes.
"It's all right."
"Who is this child?"
It was a boy with brown short hair wearing neat clothes.
"Our hostage."
A smile appeared on Ariadne's lips. It was a joke, but the boy seemed startled.
“Huh? He looks like a servant, but a servant as a hostage?”
A servant selects a smart and handsome boy from among the servants. If he’s lucky, he’ll stay in that position for a long time and eventually become the master’s right-hand man, helping with his employer’s most important business, but if he’s not doing well, it wouldn’t be strange if he were to leave tomorrow. He wasn’t very valuable as a hostage.
“I feel like I’ve become a total villain.”
Ariadne laughed pleasantly and didn’t answer. Sancha’s doubts were only resolved after they returned to the de Mare mansion.
“Sancha. Please give our guest a guest room in the west wing on the third floor.”
“The west wing? Miss, that’s where the female employees live. No matter how young he is, we can’t have a man!”
That was where Ariadne had stayed when she first came to the mansion de Mare. It wasn’t a room that the daughter of the house would use, but there was a private room in the west wing of the third floor for the well-received female servants, such as governesses and maids.
In the past, when Lucrezia’s poor relatives visited for a long time, the woman had given them that room.
“That’s right. I asked you to give it to me because it was for women.”
Ariadne smiled.
“What is your real name? Miss Vitelli.”
The servant’s eyes were about to pop out.
“I know everything, so you don’t have to tell me. If you feel uncomfortable saying your real name, just say whatever you want to be called.”
The servant hesitated for a moment, then thought that lying was useless. That woman had eyes that were close to God and could see through the truth. The servant eventually revealed her name.
“...Petrucia Vitelli.”
Ariadne smiled and formally introduced the page to Sancha.
“Petrucia Vitelli. The only daughter of CEO Caruso Vitelli.”
She said to the boy, no, the girl, with a narrowed eye smile.
“Take care of me for the time being, Miss Petrucia.”
***
Finding Petrucia was somewhat fortunate. The moment she saw Petrucia Vitelli welcoming Ariadne and her party, a flash of light flashed in Ariadne’s mind.
‘This is the girl!’
In 1137, the Boccanegro Company and CEO Caruso, which Ariadne had last seen, had grown into a representative company unparalleled throughout the Etruscan region, and based on this, they had grown into a force to be reckoned with in the central continent, but there was one unsolved problem. It was the issue of succession.
Since Boccanegro Company was not a typical company based on a guild, everything relied on CEO Caruso alone. Since it wasn't a collective leadership system, in the end, he had to choose one of CEO Caruso's family members as his successor and pass the company down to him.
However, he had no sons. So instead, he chose his 'nephew', whom he had brought to the company since childhood and taught him how to do the job, as his successor. The relationship between CEO Caruso and his nephew was particularly special. So people started muttering 'master'. That's not a nephew, but an illegitimate child.
Then, in 1137, rumors about CEO Caruso's 'nephew', 'Federico Vitelli', suddenly spread throughout San Carlo. In fact, 'Federico Vitelli' was not a nephew or an illegitimate child, but a biological child born from the wife's body, and not a man, but a woman, that is, a real daughter.
'I haven't confirmed what happened in the end.'
This is because the regent's fiancée, Ariadne, was defeated by her older sister and imprisoned in the west tower.
‘All the collateral branches and people who were doing something in the company were all trying to rip it off.’
The CEO can’t hand the company over to a woman, he has to get Petrucia married off and hand the succession over to Petrucia’s husband, just get her married off properly and hand her over to the vice-president, how about marrying her off to the vice-president instead?
‘It was a mess.’
Ariadne shrugged. The child looked smart. The Boccanegro company would grow even faster than before. She’ll just have to wait and see what happens this time.
This time, she was determined to make it past 1137.
Grand Duchess Lariesa’s opportunity came sooner than expected. Grand Duchess Bernadette had been invited to the palace to visit.
Lariesa clung to her frail mother and begged to come with her to the palace.
“Well, your father told me to keep you inside, but I think it’ll be okay since the Etruscan Prince hasn’t arrived yet...”
‘All the collateral branches and people who were doing something in the company were all trying to rip it off.’
The CEO can’t hand the company over to a woman, he has to get Petrucia married off and hand the succession over to Petrucia’s husband, just get her married off properly and hand her over to the vice-president, how about marrying her off to the vice-president instead?
‘It was a mess.’
Ariadne shrugged. The child looked smart. The Boccanegro company would grow even faster than before. She’ll just have to wait and see what happens this time.
This time, she was determined to make it past 1137.
***
Grand Duchess Lariesa’s opportunity came sooner than expected. Grand Duchess Bernadette had been invited to the palace to visit.
Lariesa clung to her frail mother and begged to come with her to the palace.
“Well, your father told me to keep you inside, but I think it’ll be okay since the Etruscan Prince hasn’t arrived yet...”
When Grand Duchess Bernadette gave her permission as usual, Lariesa’s face lit up with joy.
The Grand Duchess was planning to pray with the royal family’s collateral ladies at the Mass in the palace, and then attend a tea party hosted by Princess Auguste in the afternoon. Since Philip IV didn’t have a partner yet, his younger sister Princess Auguste would be the hostess of the royal household.
“Mother, while you pray, I’ll go play with Sister Auguste for a bit!”
“But you don’t know Princess Auguste’s schedule. What if you bother her...”
“Oh, come on. Mom! Do I look so tactless? If Sister is busy, I’ll be right back.”
Grand Duchess Bernadette knew that her daughter was tactless, but she couldn’t help but think that Princess Auguste would be kicked out. They were relatives who had grown up together since childhood. In the end, she gave in to her daughter’s request.
So now, Grand Duchess Lariesa was happily leaving Grand Duchess Bernadette, who had gone to the chapel to pray and was walking towards Princess Auguste’s quarters.
The servants of the Montpellier Palace who recognized her all bowed, and Lariesa walked proudly.
“Grand Duchess Lariesa!”
Princess Auguste’s maid greeted her in surprise when she found her.
“Do you have any plans to come see Her Highness today?”
“No, I came to see if she's still here. I wanted to see her before the official tea party. Is my sister inside?”
“Please wait in the reception room for a moment. I’ll check to see if the Princess is free.”
Lariesa was led to the familiar reception room and sat down on a beautiful sofa. She looked around.
‘I want to go into the inner room or the study.’
If there had been any changes in Princess Auguste’s life—a new husband, for example—there would be no evidence of this in the reception room where others were greeted.
It would be inside. Lariesa wanted to hear the Princess’s maids whispering among themselves, or at least see with her own eyes something like a new dress piled up in the dressing room.
Princess Lariesa glanced around, got up, and approached the door connecting the reception room and the inner quarters.
“...I don’t like that."
‘!’
The sound of Princess Auguste’s maid’s conversation leaked out through the crack in the door.
‘It’s sister voice!’
Princess Lariesa pricked up her ears and forgot all about decorum, putting her ear to the door.
“Do we have to start preparing for the wedding already? We don’t know if it will happen or not.”
“Princess, but you must show your sincerity to His Majesty the King.”
“I don’t want to.”
“That’s not for you to decide, Princess. Since it can’t be avoided anyway, at least leave a good impression. If you show that you are preparing in advance, His Majesty Philip IV will be pleased.”
Princess Lariesa’s fists clenched.
As expected, as expected!
Princess Auguste was definitely going to become Prince Alfonso’s wedding partner!
Dirty traitor Auguste!
The Grand Duchess was planning to pray with the royal family’s collateral ladies at the Mass in the palace, and then attend a tea party hosted by Princess Auguste in the afternoon. Since Philip IV didn’t have a partner yet, his younger sister Princess Auguste would be the hostess of the royal household.
“Mother, while you pray, I’ll go play with Sister Auguste for a bit!”
“But you don’t know Princess Auguste’s schedule. What if you bother her...”
“Oh, come on. Mom! Do I look so tactless? If Sister is busy, I’ll be right back.”
Grand Duchess Bernadette knew that her daughter was tactless, but she couldn’t help but think that Princess Auguste would be kicked out. They were relatives who had grown up together since childhood. In the end, she gave in to her daughter’s request.
So now, Grand Duchess Lariesa was happily leaving Grand Duchess Bernadette, who had gone to the chapel to pray and was walking towards Princess Auguste’s quarters.
The servants of the Montpellier Palace who recognized her all bowed, and Lariesa walked proudly.
“Grand Duchess Lariesa!”
Princess Auguste’s maid greeted her in surprise when she found her.
“Do you have any plans to come see Her Highness today?”
“No, I came to see if she's still here. I wanted to see her before the official tea party. Is my sister inside?”
“Please wait in the reception room for a moment. I’ll check to see if the Princess is free.”
Lariesa was led to the familiar reception room and sat down on a beautiful sofa. She looked around.
‘I want to go into the inner room or the study.’
If there had been any changes in Princess Auguste’s life—a new husband, for example—there would be no evidence of this in the reception room where others were greeted.
It would be inside. Lariesa wanted to hear the Princess’s maids whispering among themselves, or at least see with her own eyes something like a new dress piled up in the dressing room.
Princess Lariesa glanced around, got up, and approached the door connecting the reception room and the inner quarters.
“...I don’t like that."
‘!’
The sound of Princess Auguste’s maid’s conversation leaked out through the crack in the door.
‘It’s sister voice!’
Princess Lariesa pricked up her ears and forgot all about decorum, putting her ear to the door.
“Do we have to start preparing for the wedding already? We don’t know if it will happen or not.”
“Princess, but you must show your sincerity to His Majesty the King.”
“I don’t want to.”
“That’s not for you to decide, Princess. Since it can’t be avoided anyway, at least leave a good impression. If you show that you are preparing in advance, His Majesty Philip IV will be pleased.”
Princess Lariesa’s fists clenched.
As expected, as expected!
Princess Auguste was definitely going to become Prince Alfonso’s wedding partner!
Dirty traitor Auguste!
She pretended to do everything for me on the outside, pretended to congratulate me on my good fortune, but she was a swindler trying to steal the ‘golden Prince’ behind my back!
Princess Lariesa’s fists trembled. She would never be taken away. Whether the opponent was Auguste or Philip IV, there was nothing to see.
'The ‘Golden Prince’ is mine!'
Grand Duchess Lariesa, her eyes bloodshot, clenched her teeth and ran out of Princess Auguste’s drawing room. She didn’t want to spend even a single minute or second with that vicious traitor.
That’s why Grand Duchess Lariesa didn’t hear Princess Auguste’s next words.
“I don’t want that man to come to the Kingdom of Gallico for a state wedding.”
Princess Lariesa’s fists trembled. She would never be taken away. Whether the opponent was Auguste or Philip IV, there was nothing to see.
'The ‘Golden Prince’ is mine!'
Grand Duchess Lariesa, her eyes bloodshot, clenched her teeth and ran out of Princess Auguste’s drawing room. She didn’t want to spend even a single minute or second with that vicious traitor.
That’s why Grand Duchess Lariesa didn’t hear Princess Auguste’s next words.
“I don’t want that man to come to the Kingdom of Gallico for a state wedding.”
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment