As soon as the Mass was over, Cardinal de Mare, who had been summoned by the King, could not hide his ominous feelings.
'I didn't want to get involved... Why on earth are you calling me at a time like this?'
He has already revealed a clever plan to leverage the influence of Pope Louis.
The request to support the Third Crusade was rejected by Leo III.
Now the Grand Duke of Sternheim must have received support from King Gallico. If so, he will soon be ready to go on a campaign.
'It's no use coming forward now to offer support...'
It is already too late to provide support. There is no time to coordinate with Pope Ludovico and the Grand Duke of Sternheim, Yuldenburg.
Cardinal de Mare walked down the corridors of the Palazzo Carlo, his mind racing with anxiety.
She didn't feel good.
It was a stroke of luck for Ariadne that Leo III summoned Cardinal de Mare immediately after the high mass.
If Cardinal de Mare had heard of Ariadne's private meeting with Leo III, he would have been furious.
The Cardinal was headed today not to the King's audience chamber but to his office, a relatively private place, closer to the study.
The palace servants did not announce Cardinal de Mare's arrival loudly as they would on official occasions, but simply went inside, announced the Cardinal's arrival, and quietly opened the door.
“Your Majesty, I answer the call of the Cardinal de Mare.”
The Cardinal entered the room and bowed to the King. Leo III turned around.
The King was still wearing the ceremonial attire he had worn at the Great Mass.
The King looked haggard, but his bright blue eyes sparkled.
The Cardinal had a feeling that the King had some kind of pleasant idea, the Cardinal thought again.
'As expected, something doesn't feel right...'
Leo III was delighted when the Cardinal entered.
“Dear Cardinal De Mare.”
Cardinal de Mare had an intuition that the King had a favor to ask of him today.
“Come in, sit down, sit down.”
As the Cardinal sat down uncomfortably in the almost tedious hospitality, the King personally took a bottle of liquor from the cabinet and poured two glasses.
“With ice? Or just the concentrate?”
Ice in August is quite a luxury.
The Cardinal was tempted to refuse such ice but soon changed his mind.
If you're going to get hit, it's better to get hit after eating some ice.
“Please put ice in it.”
“As expected, the priests of our Etruscan kingdom know how to lead!”
The King made two glasses of cold, ice-cold grappa, placing one for the Cardinal and one for himself.
He asked in a quiet voice.
“Is the work at the Basilica of Saint Ercole going well?”
“Thanks to His Majesty the King’s grace, everything is always going smoothly.”
“Yes, yes. The work of the Holy See is always busy. Creating and maintaining birth and death records is also a big job.”
“One of the duties of a priest is to carefully manage such every day matters so that nothing is missed.”
“As expected, as expected! The priests are amazing!”
The ominousness grew more and more intense.
“So, Cardinal de Mare...”
The King spoke with a subtle expression.
Cardinal de Mare, who had listened to Leo III's request in a whisper, suddenly lost his temper.
“How can that be, Your Majesty the King?”
If the gentleman sitting in front of him had not been the King, the Cardinal would probably have stood up from his seat in the middle.
“You want me to touch the birth record?”
“It’s not as big a deal as you think, Cardinal. It’s not like I’m asking you to make Cesare the legitimate Prince!”
Leo III gently coaxed Cardinal de Mare.
“I’m not asking you to touch a living person, I’m just asking you to honor your deceased ancestors nicely. Is that really that hard? Isn’t that what all dynasties do?”
Ancestor honors are something that is done when a new dynasty begins, to honor someone dead for a long time! Is this the same as that? The words crawled up into the Cardinal's throat.
“Isn’t this an unusual situation! Not only is it out of the ordinary, but it is also damaging the credibility of the church.”
“No, Cardinal Dlde Mare... Think about it. Don’t reject me so abruptly. It’s all for the national interest...”
Despite his firm refusal, Leo III's persistence was unstoppable.
Finally, when Cardinal de Mare was on the verge of getting angry and asking what he thought of the Holy See, Leo III threw out a bait the Cardinal could not refuse.
“I will give you a title.”
“...Yes?”
“It would be a bit strange for a Cardinal to receive a title as you is a priest.”
Those who held titles were not allowed to enter the priesthood, because priests could not have illegitimate children.
If a priest holds a title, that is, if a priest also serves as the head of a noble family, the family will be extinct after one generation because it will not be able to have a legitimate successor.
“But you have children, right? I fully understand how it feels to have children you can’t officially take care of. It’s only natural for a father to do so.”
Leo III cleared his throat.
“Once this situation is resolved, yes, before the year is out, I will grant one of the cardinal’s children a nobility in the Etruscan kingdom.”
Cardinal de Mare shut his mouth like a clamshell in protest.
The pride of the Holy See... No, of course, it was important. But it wasn't as important as his long-cherished wish to create the 'de Mare Family'.
The pride of the Holy See will always be high, whether he protects it or not.
Leo III seduced Cardinal de Mare with his sweet voice.
“Of course, there will be many eyes watching and there will be opposition from the nobles, so it’s impossible to give you a grand title from the beginning. But isn’t the point that there is a title or not?”
Leo III was right: having a noble title was like having a social pass.
Now Cardinal de Mare has entered through the side door for personal glory.
If they can just get a title of nobility, whether it's a Baronet or something else, they're entitled to enter the front door with dignity.
“If your family has made sufficient contributions, I will not spare any rewards. Is it difficult to award the first title, or is it difficult to advance in rank?”
The thought of becoming a noble family, easily continuing the marriage line, and becoming one of 'them' without any pressure made the Cardinal's aged veins boil with fresh red blood.
He was a seasoned politician and diplomat who could easily hide his emotions, but now, on the verge of realizing his life's long-cherished wish, he was not sure whether his face would retain its usual expressionless expression.
“Cardinal. Just decide which child will receive the title.”
Judging from the way the King appears, it seems like he has been read.
“At the end of this year, yes, around November or December would be good. No, if you want, we can award it right after this uproar has died down.”
The Cardinal sees the King is in a hurry, so only half of it has been read.
Cardinal de Mare looked straight at the king with relief.
“Well then, Your Majesty.”
Cardinal de Mare also lowered his voice and began to state his conditions to Leo III.
There were discussions about the date by which the work had to be done, the deadline, the manner of publication, the extent to which the birth register had to be altered, how secretive it had to be, whether there would be a title and accompanying lands, and so on.
Bargaining was essential in all things in life.
Clank!
The prison door opened with a loud noise.
Countess Rubina, who had been crouching in the darkness, raised her head in surprise.
“Cesare... Cesare?”
Meanwhile, Countess Rubina was locked up alone in an empty prison cell.
Her son, who had been visiting her regularly, disappeared a couple of months ago with an unusual expression on his face, saying, “Take care of yourself,” and she hasn’t seen him since.
However, no officials came to question her.
Countess Rubina was left alone in the dark, relying on a single candle, struggling with the worst fear and dread.
But what appeared was an unexpected person.
“Lady Rubina, I have come to fetch you by order of His Majesty the King.”
Sir Delpiano, Leo III's secretary, was in Rubina's prison.
“Have you come to execute me?”
Countess Rubina asked in a trembling voice.
It was the courage she had to muster because she thought that since it was Sir Delpiano himself and not a prison warden or a janitor, the King would not really cut off her head.
Indeed, Sir Delpiano bowed his head as if he were very sorry.
“No, that would be impossible. I have come to fetch you. You will return to the palace immediately, rest for a while, get dressed, and then participate in the ceremony tomorrow.”
“What ceremony...?”
“You will know when you see it.”
Cesare, who had been locked up at home and pretending to be dead, also received a sudden summons from the King.
“Count de Como, this is His Majesty the King’s message.”
Cesare, who had been drunk since midday, got up and looked at the palace attendant with drowsy eyes.
The Count's clothes were in a loose state.
He was half-sleeping on a recliner in the inner room, barely wearing a belt over his gown.
“This is a message telling you to enter the palace immediately.”
“Right now? Right now?”
Count Cesare smiled slowly.
“Why, His Majesty the King, would he cut off my head?”
He gulped down the sparkling wine he was holding in his hand. There were already a couple of empty wine bottles rolling around on the floor.
“Why is he in such a hurry, when he can take anything I have, including my neck, whenever he wants?”
Cesare fell backward.
“I won’t go. I can’t go. Didn’t you see it with your own eyes? Please tell him that Count Cesare is in such a state of disarray that he is in no condition to respond to his summons.”
He was worried that running into the palace as soon as he called might seem ambitious, but in reality, it was a rebellion on Cesare's mind.
You can take everything from me, but you cannot have my cooperation.
Cesare opened a new bottle of wine.
Phong!
The lid opened with a brisk movement.
The young Count thought he was not too drunk since he could still open the cork in one go, and poured wine into the wineglass until it overflowed.
“Count... That...”
The palace attendant spoke, not knowing what to do.
“You may postpone your entry into the palace today, but you absolutely must enter the palace tomorrow afternoon.”
“What on earth is going on?”
“That is...”
Cesare opened his eyes wide after hearing the servant's explanation. It seemed as if all the alcohol had gone away in an instant.
No, I guess the alcohol is really working because I can see fireworks going off in my head.
"What?!"
“Please prepare for tomorrow.”
“Shut up. Just wait an hour.”
Count Cesare stood up immediately and ran a hand through his bright red hair.
“Get ready and go right away.”
'I didn't want to get involved... Why on earth are you calling me at a time like this?'
He has already revealed a clever plan to leverage the influence of Pope Louis.
The request to support the Third Crusade was rejected by Leo III.
Now the Grand Duke of Sternheim must have received support from King Gallico. If so, he will soon be ready to go on a campaign.
'It's no use coming forward now to offer support...'
It is already too late to provide support. There is no time to coordinate with Pope Ludovico and the Grand Duke of Sternheim, Yuldenburg.
Cardinal de Mare walked down the corridors of the Palazzo Carlo, his mind racing with anxiety.
She didn't feel good.
It was a stroke of luck for Ariadne that Leo III summoned Cardinal de Mare immediately after the high mass.
If Cardinal de Mare had heard of Ariadne's private meeting with Leo III, he would have been furious.
The Cardinal was headed today not to the King's audience chamber but to his office, a relatively private place, closer to the study.
The palace servants did not announce Cardinal de Mare's arrival loudly as they would on official occasions, but simply went inside, announced the Cardinal's arrival, and quietly opened the door.
“Your Majesty, I answer the call of the Cardinal de Mare.”
The Cardinal entered the room and bowed to the King. Leo III turned around.
The King was still wearing the ceremonial attire he had worn at the Great Mass.
The King looked haggard, but his bright blue eyes sparkled.
The Cardinal had a feeling that the King had some kind of pleasant idea, the Cardinal thought again.
'As expected, something doesn't feel right...'
Leo III was delighted when the Cardinal entered.
“Dear Cardinal De Mare.”
Cardinal de Mare had an intuition that the King had a favor to ask of him today.
“Come in, sit down, sit down.”
As the Cardinal sat down uncomfortably in the almost tedious hospitality, the King personally took a bottle of liquor from the cabinet and poured two glasses.
“With ice? Or just the concentrate?”
Ice in August is quite a luxury.
The Cardinal was tempted to refuse such ice but soon changed his mind.
If you're going to get hit, it's better to get hit after eating some ice.
“Please put ice in it.”
“As expected, the priests of our Etruscan kingdom know how to lead!”
The King made two glasses of cold, ice-cold grappa, placing one for the Cardinal and one for himself.
He asked in a quiet voice.
“Is the work at the Basilica of Saint Ercole going well?”
“Thanks to His Majesty the King’s grace, everything is always going smoothly.”
“Yes, yes. The work of the Holy See is always busy. Creating and maintaining birth and death records is also a big job.”
“One of the duties of a priest is to carefully manage such every day matters so that nothing is missed.”
“As expected, as expected! The priests are amazing!”
The ominousness grew more and more intense.
“So, Cardinal de Mare...”
The King spoke with a subtle expression.
Cardinal de Mare, who had listened to Leo III's request in a whisper, suddenly lost his temper.
“How can that be, Your Majesty the King?”
If the gentleman sitting in front of him had not been the King, the Cardinal would probably have stood up from his seat in the middle.
“You want me to touch the birth record?”
“It’s not as big a deal as you think, Cardinal. It’s not like I’m asking you to make Cesare the legitimate Prince!”
Leo III gently coaxed Cardinal de Mare.
“I’m not asking you to touch a living person, I’m just asking you to honor your deceased ancestors nicely. Is that really that hard? Isn’t that what all dynasties do?”
Ancestor honors are something that is done when a new dynasty begins, to honor someone dead for a long time! Is this the same as that? The words crawled up into the Cardinal's throat.
“Isn’t this an unusual situation! Not only is it out of the ordinary, but it is also damaging the credibility of the church.”
“No, Cardinal Dlde Mare... Think about it. Don’t reject me so abruptly. It’s all for the national interest...”
Despite his firm refusal, Leo III's persistence was unstoppable.
Finally, when Cardinal de Mare was on the verge of getting angry and asking what he thought of the Holy See, Leo III threw out a bait the Cardinal could not refuse.
“I will give you a title.”
“...Yes?”
“It would be a bit strange for a Cardinal to receive a title as you is a priest.”
Those who held titles were not allowed to enter the priesthood, because priests could not have illegitimate children.
If a priest holds a title, that is, if a priest also serves as the head of a noble family, the family will be extinct after one generation because it will not be able to have a legitimate successor.
“But you have children, right? I fully understand how it feels to have children you can’t officially take care of. It’s only natural for a father to do so.”
Leo III cleared his throat.
“Once this situation is resolved, yes, before the year is out, I will grant one of the cardinal’s children a nobility in the Etruscan kingdom.”
Cardinal de Mare shut his mouth like a clamshell in protest.
The pride of the Holy See... No, of course, it was important. But it wasn't as important as his long-cherished wish to create the 'de Mare Family'.
The pride of the Holy See will always be high, whether he protects it or not.
Leo III seduced Cardinal de Mare with his sweet voice.
“Of course, there will be many eyes watching and there will be opposition from the nobles, so it’s impossible to give you a grand title from the beginning. But isn’t the point that there is a title or not?”
Leo III was right: having a noble title was like having a social pass.
Now Cardinal de Mare has entered through the side door for personal glory.
If they can just get a title of nobility, whether it's a Baronet or something else, they're entitled to enter the front door with dignity.
“If your family has made sufficient contributions, I will not spare any rewards. Is it difficult to award the first title, or is it difficult to advance in rank?”
The thought of becoming a noble family, easily continuing the marriage line, and becoming one of 'them' without any pressure made the Cardinal's aged veins boil with fresh red blood.
He was a seasoned politician and diplomat who could easily hide his emotions, but now, on the verge of realizing his life's long-cherished wish, he was not sure whether his face would retain its usual expressionless expression.
“Cardinal. Just decide which child will receive the title.”
Judging from the way the King appears, it seems like he has been read.
“At the end of this year, yes, around November or December would be good. No, if you want, we can award it right after this uproar has died down.”
The Cardinal sees the King is in a hurry, so only half of it has been read.
Cardinal de Mare looked straight at the king with relief.
“Well then, Your Majesty.”
Cardinal de Mare also lowered his voice and began to state his conditions to Leo III.
There were discussions about the date by which the work had to be done, the deadline, the manner of publication, the extent to which the birth register had to be altered, how secretive it had to be, whether there would be a title and accompanying lands, and so on.
Bargaining was essential in all things in life.
***
Clank!
The prison door opened with a loud noise.
Countess Rubina, who had been crouching in the darkness, raised her head in surprise.
“Cesare... Cesare?”
Meanwhile, Countess Rubina was locked up alone in an empty prison cell.
Her son, who had been visiting her regularly, disappeared a couple of months ago with an unusual expression on his face, saying, “Take care of yourself,” and she hasn’t seen him since.
However, no officials came to question her.
Countess Rubina was left alone in the dark, relying on a single candle, struggling with the worst fear and dread.
But what appeared was an unexpected person.
“Lady Rubina, I have come to fetch you by order of His Majesty the King.”
Sir Delpiano, Leo III's secretary, was in Rubina's prison.
“Have you come to execute me?”
Countess Rubina asked in a trembling voice.
It was the courage she had to muster because she thought that since it was Sir Delpiano himself and not a prison warden or a janitor, the King would not really cut off her head.
Indeed, Sir Delpiano bowed his head as if he were very sorry.
“No, that would be impossible. I have come to fetch you. You will return to the palace immediately, rest for a while, get dressed, and then participate in the ceremony tomorrow.”
“What ceremony...?”
“You will know when you see it.”
***
Cesare, who had been locked up at home and pretending to be dead, also received a sudden summons from the King.
“Count de Como, this is His Majesty the King’s message.”
Cesare, who had been drunk since midday, got up and looked at the palace attendant with drowsy eyes.
The Count's clothes were in a loose state.
He was half-sleeping on a recliner in the inner room, barely wearing a belt over his gown.
“This is a message telling you to enter the palace immediately.”
“Right now? Right now?”
Count Cesare smiled slowly.
“Why, His Majesty the King, would he cut off my head?”
He gulped down the sparkling wine he was holding in his hand. There were already a couple of empty wine bottles rolling around on the floor.
“Why is he in such a hurry, when he can take anything I have, including my neck, whenever he wants?”
Cesare fell backward.
“I won’t go. I can’t go. Didn’t you see it with your own eyes? Please tell him that Count Cesare is in such a state of disarray that he is in no condition to respond to his summons.”
He was worried that running into the palace as soon as he called might seem ambitious, but in reality, it was a rebellion on Cesare's mind.
You can take everything from me, but you cannot have my cooperation.
Cesare opened a new bottle of wine.
Phong!
The lid opened with a brisk movement.
The young Count thought he was not too drunk since he could still open the cork in one go, and poured wine into the wineglass until it overflowed.
“Count... That...”
The palace attendant spoke, not knowing what to do.
“You may postpone your entry into the palace today, but you absolutely must enter the palace tomorrow afternoon.”
“What on earth is going on?”
“That is...”
Cesare opened his eyes wide after hearing the servant's explanation. It seemed as if all the alcohol had gone away in an instant.
No, I guess the alcohol is really working because I can see fireworks going off in my head.
"What?!"
“Please prepare for tomorrow.”
“Shut up. Just wait an hour.”
Count Cesare stood up immediately and ran a hand through his bright red hair.
“Get ready and go right away.”
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