“...Your Majesty the King?”
Count Marquez, sensing ominousness at Leo III's excessively long silence, cautiously raised his head.
“...No.”
Leo III muttered under his breath.
"Yes?"
“...That’s not right!”
Leo III, who had been silent for a while, suddenly exploded in response to Count Marquez's question and threw the glass he was holding in his hand.
Clang!
The servants in the room all flinched and shrugged their shoulders.
“When Margaret came to the Etruscans with the province of Gaeta, the bride price she received was 100,000 ducatos! Only 100,000 ducatos!”
He was so angry that he picked up the parchment on the table and waved it in the air.
“Even 80,000 of them were vice-ministerial!”
The Etruscan kingdom gave 100,000 ducatos to the Gallic kingdom when Queen Margaret came to marry, but they actually gave only 20,000 ducats.
The 80,000 ducatos were a loan, and the Kingdom of Gallico eventually repaid it all.
“One hundred thousand ducatos is too much money to give away all at once.”
Count Contarini assisted the King.
“But 500,000 ducatos! How can 500,000 ducatos be worth anything!”
As Leo III's wrath exploded, Count Marquez held on steadfastly.
“It is true that the amount is ridiculous. But the national foundation is more important than anything else!”
It was a call to think about money, but also about the life of his son. Alfonso was the sole heir to the throne of the Etruscan kingdom.
“Prince Alfonso is now trapped in enemy territory. If we are not careful, we will have the Prince in their hands while we face the Montpellier cavalry of Gallico, who has broken through the border and is advancing inland!”
“But there is such a thing as a principle!”
Count Contarini's pointed objection echoed through the hall.
“You can’t trust the Etruscans’ justice? Send Countess Rubina to Gallico? How can we trust them?”
Count Contarini administered the judiciary. The kingdom of Gallico virtually ignored him.
Marquis Baldessar, who was in charge of internal affairs, also cautiously added his words.
“The safety of the heir to the throne is important. Of course, it is important. But let’s be realistic.”
Leo III also gave up supporting the Third Crusade, which would have cost around 150,000 ducats, because of the financial burden.
The increase from 150,000 ducats to 500,000 ducats meant that what could have been stopped with a hoe had to be stopped with a sickle.
But since there was no hoe, there was no way phlegm would come out.
The Marquis Baldessar confessed.
“...We can’t lend 500,000 ducats right now. It’s difficult.”
The three ministers debated heatedly for over six hours over a question that had no answer.
Leo III would often pound the table and throw pens, shouting things like "How dare you!" or "Isn't there anyone sane?"
But pounding the table didn't produce a sharp solution.
“Your Majesty the King.”
"What!"
Delpiano caught Leo III's attention with a timid expression. The King reacted harshly.
Even though he knew that Leo III would be furious, Delpiano could not help but tell him this.
“An envoy from the Kingdom of Gallico has arrived. He requests an audience.”
The eyes of Count Marquez, who had just arrived from the Kingdom of Gallico, widened. He thought he was the only one who had come to deliver the message.
'Why did Gallico's envoy come separately, additionally?'
Leo III reacted ambivalently to Gallico's message.
It may not be good news, but new information will break this deadlock.
He was really annoyed by the situation right now.
“Tell them to come right in!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Bring back the envoy of the Kingdom of Gallico, Count Le Vien!”
The person who appeared as an envoy was a familiar face.
He is the Count of Le Vien, who previously stayed in the Etruscan kingdom as an attendant of Lariesa.
He too looked tired from his long journey, but he was dressed much neater than Count Marquez, whose fatigue from travel was evident.
It seemed like he had come into San Carlo half a day in advance to wash and change clothes.
Probably, he set out from Gallico before Count Marquez.
The Count of Le Vien read Philip IV's message dryly.
“...For that reason, the Great Gallic Kingdom demands 500,000 gold ducats and a formal apology from the Etruscan Kingdom.”
“...”
Leo III stared intently at the Count of Le Vien, wondering what would happen if he beheaded the diplomat.
But his delusion was quickly dispelled by the very next words that came out of the messenger's mouth.
"But."
Leo III took a deep breath.
“If we can show evidence that the friendship and goodwill between the two countries continues, there may be a way to conclude the matter without having to pay compensation.”
Count Le Vien turned the parchment to the next page.
Rustle.
Everyone paid attention to his next words.
“The Great Gallico Kingdom proposes that, in place of an indemnity of 500,000 gold ducats, the Etruscan Kingdom send Bianca, Princess of Taranto, as bride to His Majesty King Philip IV.”
The next day, the rumor spread throughout San Carlo that the Gallico kingdom was demanding Bianca of Taranto as a bride instead of withdrawing its troops from the border.
“If you want to hand over the troops at the border, you have to send her immediately!”
“Philip IV of Gallico is not much older than her, and he is a respectable young King. Wouldn’t that be a good thing for Bianca of Taranto?”
Although the common people's opinion was favorable toward this marriage alliance, Ariadne de Mare, who heard the demands of the Kingdom of Gallico half a step ahead of others, reacted differently.
“The Kingdom of Gallico has demanded Bianca of Taranto as his bride.”
On the very day that the Count of Le Vien recited Gallico's proposal before Leo III, at a dinner at the de Mare house, the Cardinal said.
“It happened this afternoon. By tomorrow morning the story will be spread throughout San Carlo.”
Clang!
Ariadne dropped the fork she was holding. Isabella immediately glared at Ariadne, and Ippolito clicked his tongue.
But now was not the time to worry about those siblings.
“Father, what did His Majesty the King answer?”
Ariadne's hands trembled uncontrollably. Cardinal de Mare immediately noticed why his daughter was acting that way.
King Gallico's proposal was closely related to the well-being of Prince Alfonso.
The daughter must have been worried about Prince Alfonso, but Cardinal de Mare and his second daughter had different opinions.
Ariadne had invested heavily in Prince Alfonso—the Cardinal had defined it that way—and the Cardinal was a man who had no stake in the situation.
So the Cardinal calmly answered only the questions asked.
“His Majesty the King has not yet given any answer.”
Ariadne placed the knife she was still holding tightly in her hand on the table.
"Father."
She looked at Cardinal de Mare with longing in her green eyes.
“We must stop His Majesty the King!”
Cardinal de Mare looked at Ariadne.
“If my father would speak to His Majesty...”
“Ariadne.”
Cardinal de Mare cut her off in a calm voice.
Ariadne looked up at the Cardinal with green eyes just like her father's.
“Let’s not intervene too much.”
"Yes?"
“Ultimately, it’s the de Carlo family’s business. We are the people of the Holy See. There’s no benefit to getting too involved.”
Although the words 'unless you want to turn the tables completely' were missing, Ariadne understood her father's true intentions.
And then she realized that Cardinal de Mare also knew what she was thinking.
“But, father! We are people of the Etruscan kingdom, and you are the head of a diocese with Etruscan roots!”
She looked up at her father desperately and pleaded.
“No one in this house is free from the safety of this country!”
“The Holy See.”
Cardinal de Mare answered calmly.
“It will last forever, regardless of who the next King is, or even the survival of a single nation.”
He spoke slowly.
“This fight has nothing to do with us. I don’t want to get involved in it.”
Cardinal de Mare gave a gentle consolation to his visibly dejected daughter.
This was because of the slight affection that developed between Ariadne and him after they moved from the Bergamo farm to San Carlo and lived together in the same house.
“Surely the Kingdom of Gallico would not come out like that?”
Comfort is comfort, but evaluation is evaluation.
Cardinal de Mare tried to comfort his daughter, but at the same time observed Ariadne with cold eyes.
He also knew that what his daughter truly cared for now was not her family.
If you are the head of a household, you must choose your family when the time comes. That is why he did not trust girls.
A daughter in a family depends on her father for her survival when she is young, and on her husband when she gets older.
This was a structural problem. It was not going to be solved anyway. At this point, girls are not fit to be the head of the household.
“I believe you understand.”
Ariadne realized that her father would not be persuaded. She lowered her head without answering.
But Ariadne had no intention of following Cardinal de Mare's words obediently. This had to be stopped.
A sparkle like young diamond dust on her fingertips glowed enthusiastically, cheering her determination.
Ariadne de Mare had no access to the court because she had no title.
She was merely the illegitimate daughter of a Cardinal from a common background, and as she was not a high-ranking cleric herself, she was not allowed to enter the palace.
It's not like she had a husband to lend her the dignity of a title.
But she decided to use everything she had available.
The Etruscan kingdom was an ecclesiastical state, and everyone, including the King, attended high mass once a month.
High Mass was the next morning, and as a member of the Cardinal's household, she was privileged to sit in the front row, right next to the aisle in the balcony section of the royal family.
“Miss, are you okay?”
On the morning of the Great Mass, Sancha, who was dressing Ariadne, asked worriedly.
Ariadne, dressed in a neat blue dress, asked.
"Why?"
“...You look anxious.”
Ariadne, who thought she was completely unperturbed, blinked.
It was hard to tell whether she was really shaking or whether she couldn't fool Sancha's eyes.
She looked at herself in the large mirror in her room.
Inside the highly reflective Moorish mirror was a young woman with ebony-black hair, a high nose, a tall stature, and a calm expression.
She looked too mature for a girl.
Her makeup was neat and sumptuous, but not out of place for her age.
The reason she looks older than her age is probably because of her facial expression.
She thought her face looked cold.
Closed lips. Eyes determined to achieve it. The desperation that she couldn't fail... And the urgency that she didn't care what her father thought or what happened to her as long as it was for her goal.
Ariadne checked in the mirror to see if her hands were shaking or if she looked frightened, then turned around.
“No, it’s no problem.”
It was like a promise to herself.
“Let’s go, Sancha.”
Count Marquez, sensing ominousness at Leo III's excessively long silence, cautiously raised his head.
“...No.”
Leo III muttered under his breath.
"Yes?"
“...That’s not right!”
Leo III, who had been silent for a while, suddenly exploded in response to Count Marquez's question and threw the glass he was holding in his hand.
Clang!
The servants in the room all flinched and shrugged their shoulders.
“When Margaret came to the Etruscans with the province of Gaeta, the bride price she received was 100,000 ducatos! Only 100,000 ducatos!”
He was so angry that he picked up the parchment on the table and waved it in the air.
“Even 80,000 of them were vice-ministerial!”
The Etruscan kingdom gave 100,000 ducatos to the Gallic kingdom when Queen Margaret came to marry, but they actually gave only 20,000 ducats.
The 80,000 ducatos were a loan, and the Kingdom of Gallico eventually repaid it all.
“One hundred thousand ducatos is too much money to give away all at once.”
Count Contarini assisted the King.
“But 500,000 ducatos! How can 500,000 ducatos be worth anything!”
As Leo III's wrath exploded, Count Marquez held on steadfastly.
“It is true that the amount is ridiculous. But the national foundation is more important than anything else!”
It was a call to think about money, but also about the life of his son. Alfonso was the sole heir to the throne of the Etruscan kingdom.
“Prince Alfonso is now trapped in enemy territory. If we are not careful, we will have the Prince in their hands while we face the Montpellier cavalry of Gallico, who has broken through the border and is advancing inland!”
“But there is such a thing as a principle!”
Count Contarini's pointed objection echoed through the hall.
“You can’t trust the Etruscans’ justice? Send Countess Rubina to Gallico? How can we trust them?”
Count Contarini administered the judiciary. The kingdom of Gallico virtually ignored him.
Marquis Baldessar, who was in charge of internal affairs, also cautiously added his words.
“The safety of the heir to the throne is important. Of course, it is important. But let’s be realistic.”
Leo III also gave up supporting the Third Crusade, which would have cost around 150,000 ducats, because of the financial burden.
The increase from 150,000 ducats to 500,000 ducats meant that what could have been stopped with a hoe had to be stopped with a sickle.
But since there was no hoe, there was no way phlegm would come out.
The Marquis Baldessar confessed.
“...We can’t lend 500,000 ducats right now. It’s difficult.”
The three ministers debated heatedly for over six hours over a question that had no answer.
Leo III would often pound the table and throw pens, shouting things like "How dare you!" or "Isn't there anyone sane?"
But pounding the table didn't produce a sharp solution.
“Your Majesty the King.”
"What!"
Delpiano caught Leo III's attention with a timid expression. The King reacted harshly.
Even though he knew that Leo III would be furious, Delpiano could not help but tell him this.
“An envoy from the Kingdom of Gallico has arrived. He requests an audience.”
The eyes of Count Marquez, who had just arrived from the Kingdom of Gallico, widened. He thought he was the only one who had come to deliver the message.
'Why did Gallico's envoy come separately, additionally?'
Leo III reacted ambivalently to Gallico's message.
It may not be good news, but new information will break this deadlock.
He was really annoyed by the situation right now.
“Tell them to come right in!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Bring back the envoy of the Kingdom of Gallico, Count Le Vien!”
The person who appeared as an envoy was a familiar face.
He is the Count of Le Vien, who previously stayed in the Etruscan kingdom as an attendant of Lariesa.
He too looked tired from his long journey, but he was dressed much neater than Count Marquez, whose fatigue from travel was evident.
It seemed like he had come into San Carlo half a day in advance to wash and change clothes.
Probably, he set out from Gallico before Count Marquez.
The Count of Le Vien read Philip IV's message dryly.
“...For that reason, the Great Gallic Kingdom demands 500,000 gold ducats and a formal apology from the Etruscan Kingdom.”
“...”
Leo III stared intently at the Count of Le Vien, wondering what would happen if he beheaded the diplomat.
But his delusion was quickly dispelled by the very next words that came out of the messenger's mouth.
"But."
Leo III took a deep breath.
“If we can show evidence that the friendship and goodwill between the two countries continues, there may be a way to conclude the matter without having to pay compensation.”
Count Le Vien turned the parchment to the next page.
Rustle.
Everyone paid attention to his next words.
“The Great Gallico Kingdom proposes that, in place of an indemnity of 500,000 gold ducats, the Etruscan Kingdom send Bianca, Princess of Taranto, as bride to His Majesty King Philip IV.”
***
The next day, the rumor spread throughout San Carlo that the Gallico kingdom was demanding Bianca of Taranto as a bride instead of withdrawing its troops from the border.
“If you want to hand over the troops at the border, you have to send her immediately!”
“Philip IV of Gallico is not much older than her, and he is a respectable young King. Wouldn’t that be a good thing for Bianca of Taranto?”
Although the common people's opinion was favorable toward this marriage alliance, Ariadne de Mare, who heard the demands of the Kingdom of Gallico half a step ahead of others, reacted differently.
“The Kingdom of Gallico has demanded Bianca of Taranto as his bride.”
On the very day that the Count of Le Vien recited Gallico's proposal before Leo III, at a dinner at the de Mare house, the Cardinal said.
“It happened this afternoon. By tomorrow morning the story will be spread throughout San Carlo.”
Clang!
Ariadne dropped the fork she was holding. Isabella immediately glared at Ariadne, and Ippolito clicked his tongue.
But now was not the time to worry about those siblings.
“Father, what did His Majesty the King answer?”
Ariadne's hands trembled uncontrollably. Cardinal de Mare immediately noticed why his daughter was acting that way.
King Gallico's proposal was closely related to the well-being of Prince Alfonso.
The daughter must have been worried about Prince Alfonso, but Cardinal de Mare and his second daughter had different opinions.
Ariadne had invested heavily in Prince Alfonso—the Cardinal had defined it that way—and the Cardinal was a man who had no stake in the situation.
So the Cardinal calmly answered only the questions asked.
“His Majesty the King has not yet given any answer.”
Ariadne placed the knife she was still holding tightly in her hand on the table.
"Father."
She looked at Cardinal de Mare with longing in her green eyes.
“We must stop His Majesty the King!”
Cardinal de Mare looked at Ariadne.
“If my father would speak to His Majesty...”
“Ariadne.”
Cardinal de Mare cut her off in a calm voice.
Ariadne looked up at the Cardinal with green eyes just like her father's.
“Let’s not intervene too much.”
"Yes?"
“Ultimately, it’s the de Carlo family’s business. We are the people of the Holy See. There’s no benefit to getting too involved.”
Although the words 'unless you want to turn the tables completely' were missing, Ariadne understood her father's true intentions.
And then she realized that Cardinal de Mare also knew what she was thinking.
“But, father! We are people of the Etruscan kingdom, and you are the head of a diocese with Etruscan roots!”
She looked up at her father desperately and pleaded.
“No one in this house is free from the safety of this country!”
“The Holy See.”
Cardinal de Mare answered calmly.
“It will last forever, regardless of who the next King is, or even the survival of a single nation.”
He spoke slowly.
“This fight has nothing to do with us. I don’t want to get involved in it.”
Cardinal de Mare gave a gentle consolation to his visibly dejected daughter.
This was because of the slight affection that developed between Ariadne and him after they moved from the Bergamo farm to San Carlo and lived together in the same house.
“Surely the Kingdom of Gallico would not come out like that?”
Comfort is comfort, but evaluation is evaluation.
Cardinal de Mare tried to comfort his daughter, but at the same time observed Ariadne with cold eyes.
He also knew that what his daughter truly cared for now was not her family.
If you are the head of a household, you must choose your family when the time comes. That is why he did not trust girls.
A daughter in a family depends on her father for her survival when she is young, and on her husband when she gets older.
This was a structural problem. It was not going to be solved anyway. At this point, girls are not fit to be the head of the household.
“I believe you understand.”
Ariadne realized that her father would not be persuaded. She lowered her head without answering.
***
But Ariadne had no intention of following Cardinal de Mare's words obediently. This had to be stopped.
A sparkle like young diamond dust on her fingertips glowed enthusiastically, cheering her determination.
Ariadne de Mare had no access to the court because she had no title.
She was merely the illegitimate daughter of a Cardinal from a common background, and as she was not a high-ranking cleric herself, she was not allowed to enter the palace.
It's not like she had a husband to lend her the dignity of a title.
But she decided to use everything she had available.
The Etruscan kingdom was an ecclesiastical state, and everyone, including the King, attended high mass once a month.
High Mass was the next morning, and as a member of the Cardinal's household, she was privileged to sit in the front row, right next to the aisle in the balcony section of the royal family.
“Miss, are you okay?”
On the morning of the Great Mass, Sancha, who was dressing Ariadne, asked worriedly.
Ariadne, dressed in a neat blue dress, asked.
"Why?"
“...You look anxious.”
Ariadne, who thought she was completely unperturbed, blinked.
It was hard to tell whether she was really shaking or whether she couldn't fool Sancha's eyes.
She looked at herself in the large mirror in her room.
Inside the highly reflective Moorish mirror was a young woman with ebony-black hair, a high nose, a tall stature, and a calm expression.
She looked too mature for a girl.
Her makeup was neat and sumptuous, but not out of place for her age.
The reason she looks older than her age is probably because of her facial expression.
She thought her face looked cold.
Closed lips. Eyes determined to achieve it. The desperation that she couldn't fail... And the urgency that she didn't care what her father thought or what happened to her as long as it was for her goal.
Ariadne checked in the mirror to see if her hands were shaking or if she looked frightened, then turned around.
“No, it’s no problem.”
It was like a promise to herself.
“Let’s go, Sancha.”
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