The message from Leo III came very quickly. Ariadne had made several preparations in advance in preparation for the King's summons.
But Leo III called her so urgently that she almost missed her chance.
She had barely managed to sort things out and was now staying at the Palazzo Carlo.
“Young Lady.”
Leo III smiled benevolently and gestured to his servant. The palace servant quickly ran over and poured tea into Ariadne's cup.
“I think it’s not the first time a young girl like you has come to this place.”
“It is an infinite honor.”
The place where she was sitting was Leo III's personal study.
It was a truly private space reserved for the King, which even Duchess Rubina did not enter often.
After the tea was served, the King nodded and even dismissed the servant.
“These are books I’ve been collecting since I was young. They’re mostly about kingship and government.”
Ariadne turned her head and looked through the books on the shelf. The original work itself was good.
However, even though the palace maids swept and cleaned them every day, the books were strangely untouched. It was clear that they had been bought but never read.
“These are valuable materials that allow us to understand where His Majesty the King’s deep feelings come from.”
Leo III, oblivious to Ariadne's tantrum, chuckled in satisfaction.
“Loyalty is the foundation of a nation. The sacrifice and devotion of the people establish the foundation of a nation.”
He looked at Ariadne intently. His eyes were friendly.
“I hear Young Lady is being called the ‘Savior of the Etruscans’ outside these days.”
Ariadne frowned inwardly. Leo III was a King who did not tolerate challengers. It must have been very irritating.
“I am just an ignorant, single woman. I am young and have not received any formal education. I just often volunteered at a relief center established by the royal family, and I felt sorry for the people around me, so I just took care of them.”
She fell flat on her face. It was foolish to go against power for the sake of pride and all that.
“It is very burdensome to be called by such an excessive title. May His Majesty the King severely punish those who speak like that.”
“That’s true... It must be burdensome. How much trouble do you have to endure at such a young age?”
Well, let's end the story by punishing the seditious instigators who challenged Leo III's authority, and Ariadne herself agrees to it. She wants to go home. Let me go home, she muttered to herself, when Leo III made an unexpected remark.
“Isn’t it hard to dedicate yourself without any reward?”
"Yes?"
“As a King, I distribute resources to my loyal subjects. Sometimes those resources are food, sometimes they are gold, and sometimes they are... status or titles.”
Ariadne, unable to understand the context of what Leo III was talking about, mechanically offered her thanks.
“I too have received a gift from His Majesty the King in Her Majesty the Queen’s name during Her Majesty the Queen’s lifetime. It was a great personal honor for me...”
“No, no. Forget about such trivial things.”
Leo III wiggled his fingers.
“I can send jewels and such to wherever I want, whenever I want. It’s even easier if the recipient lives in the capital. But what if I have to send food? What if I have to distribute it evenly to the people living in various regions?”
Leo III looked a little tired.
“Not everything goes my way. It always gets lost somewhere along the way. I can’t reach where I want to go, or to who I want to go. And...”
He looked at Ariadne intently.
“Grain is for the nobles, the most difficult thing is title or position.”
Ariadne tilted her head as if Leo III's words did not make sense.
“Isn’t a title or position something that is given to a specific person?”
There's no chance of a delivery accident.
“Of course, positions and titles are given to specific people. But that specific process... isn’t easy.”
The King continued speaking.
“Let’s say I make a new... yes, a merchant, a nobleman. If I walk to Campo de Spezia, stop any merchant, and say, ‘From today, this man is the count of such and such,’ would people be convinced?”
“It won’t be easy.”
“To bestow this kind of award, both the time and the place must be right. If I were to forcibly bestow a title when the circumstances are not favorable, the recipient would suffer.”
The most recent to suffer was Cesare, Duke of Pisano.
“...Like my dear son.”
Leo III knew it too.
Ariadne was in no position to comment on the matter, so she just smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
“But the most difficult thing is when there is only one position, but there are several people who deserve that title.”
What? Are you talking about succession? Why are you talking about that to me?
While Ariadne rolled her eyes in confusion, the King's story was once again developing in a direction she was unaware of.
“If the first person should receive it in terms of lineage and status, but the second person should receive it in terms of achievements and accomplishments, to whom should I give the gift?”
It was a difficult question to answer.
Ariadne usually thought the latter, but answering like that might make it sound like she was supporting Cesare.
She thought that if there was a story about Alfonso and Cesare, there was no need to look for another candidate since there was someone with the same bloodline and ability.
But she had no intention of saying a word about his successor in front of Leo III.
“...I believe that this is a matter for His Majesty the King to make the final decision.”
It was a noble, step-backed statement, telling him to do as he pleased.
Leo III also did not seem to want to ask Ariadne for her opinion on the succession.
Fortunately, he didn't press her any further and just continued with what he had to say.
“I feel so sorry for him. If the second person’s achievements had been as great as the sky, he would have defeated the first person and taken the title. When he falls short just this much, just this much, I want to give him a little advice.”
Wait a minute. This isn't a story about the King's succession.
Ariadne looked up at the King with complicated feelings. Leo III looked straight at Ariadne and said.
“I have a title that I promised to Young Lady’s father.”
Ariadne looked at Leo III with wide eyes.
“I guess this is your first time hearing about this.”
Leo III laughed heartily. Ariadne asked.
“I understand that priests are not supposed to have titles. How can my father, Cardinal De Mare, be given a title...?”
“That’s right. Priests don’t have titles. That’s why.”
Leo III looked at Ariadne with dark eyes. He seemed to be enjoying it somehow.
“I have decided to give the title that should have belonged to a Cardinal to the son of de Mare. By the end of this year, yes. It’s almost time.”
As soon as Ariadne heard those words, she realized what kind of deal her father had made to receive the title.
“...This is the title my father received for helping Count Cesare succeed to the Duke of Pisano.”
Of course, what Cardinal fe Mare did was forge the pedigree. But you can't say that, can you?
“As expected, you’re smart!”
Leo III applauded with various expressions of praise.
“If you hadn’t been trapped in a woman’s body, I would have put my young lady in great esteem. What a pity.”
He laughed out loud.
“Until I made that promise, I thought it was natural that the eldest son of Cardinal de Mare would be crowned.”
Aqua-colored eyes that looked just like Cesare's glared at Ariadne.
Ariadne looked into Leo III's eyes and thought that the color was the same, but the saturation was dull. Was it the thickness of time, or...?
“And since the Cardinal didn’t say anything to Young Lady, it seems he also wanted to give the title to his eldest son.”
He added, waving his hand.
“Of course, this is just my guess. Don’t fight with your father based solely on an old man’s guess. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the peace of a family were to be broken because of me?”
Ariadne, even in this situation, thought that Leo III was a very self-centered person.
A family that is destined to break will break anyway, and a family that is not destined to break won't break no matter what he does.
If the de Mare family is turned upside down by this incident, it is because of the Cardinal's accumulated karma, not because of anything the King did.
“But you know, it’s a shame I lost. There’s such a good candidate.”
He looked at Ariadne.
“You helped to eradicate the plague in San Carlo, and you helped the poor. Young Lady showed humility by saying that you only helped the Rambouillet relief camp, but I also know that you distributed food to the Commune Nuova.”
Ariadne bowed her head.
“If I were to give a title to Young Lady, everyone would agree, but if I were to give a title to your brother, wouldn’t the capital be in an uproar, demanding another qualification?”
Ippolito did nothing.
That was the case, except for the fact that he almost became the subject of a boiling scandal last year, which was prevented by his own mother's life.
If Ippolito were to suddenly be granted a title of nobility, rumors would certainly spread throughout the capital.
There was some dirty trick going on between the King and Cardinal de Mare, and it was probably related to his recognition as Cesare's nephew.
“But you know, it’s not enough.”
Leo III narrowed his eyes and looked at Ariadne.
“What Young Lady did wasn’t showing loyalty to me, but just...freely...helping the person you wanted to help?”
He tried to use the word 'unruly' but chose 'free-spirited' instead.
“Would you mind giving me a little excuse?”
“If you would please be sincere...”
Ariadne bowed her head and asked Leo III.
“Please donate the grain that Yeong Lady has to the country.”
Ariadne didn't even move.
Leo III, who had difficulty judging whether the girl in front of him was scared or her eyes were rolled back with artificial greed, added one more word.
“I will take responsibility for the relief work that Young Lady has been doing and the country will continue to run it.”
If you coax and persuade it, it can be eaten whole.
After all, she's just a girl who just turned sixteen.
The father did not seem to be particularly interested, and he was only a priest, not a nobleman or a leader of a powerful force who threatened power.
A young girl like this would fall over if gently coaxed. Leo III believed it very well.
“The grain...”
Ariadne slowly raised her head. Her black hair fell over her cheeks, and her deep green eyes stared straight at Leo III.
Leo III was prepared to lavish praise on Ariadne.
“Yes, grain. Isn’t grain the foundation and basis of the people?”
But the words that came out of her mouth were extraordinary.
“So, how much have you found out?”
“What?”
But Leo III called her so urgently that she almost missed her chance.
She had barely managed to sort things out and was now staying at the Palazzo Carlo.
“Young Lady.”
Leo III smiled benevolently and gestured to his servant. The palace servant quickly ran over and poured tea into Ariadne's cup.
“I think it’s not the first time a young girl like you has come to this place.”
“It is an infinite honor.”
The place where she was sitting was Leo III's personal study.
It was a truly private space reserved for the King, which even Duchess Rubina did not enter often.
After the tea was served, the King nodded and even dismissed the servant.
“These are books I’ve been collecting since I was young. They’re mostly about kingship and government.”
Ariadne turned her head and looked through the books on the shelf. The original work itself was good.
However, even though the palace maids swept and cleaned them every day, the books were strangely untouched. It was clear that they had been bought but never read.
“These are valuable materials that allow us to understand where His Majesty the King’s deep feelings come from.”
Leo III, oblivious to Ariadne's tantrum, chuckled in satisfaction.
“Loyalty is the foundation of a nation. The sacrifice and devotion of the people establish the foundation of a nation.”
He looked at Ariadne intently. His eyes were friendly.
“I hear Young Lady is being called the ‘Savior of the Etruscans’ outside these days.”
Ariadne frowned inwardly. Leo III was a King who did not tolerate challengers. It must have been very irritating.
“I am just an ignorant, single woman. I am young and have not received any formal education. I just often volunteered at a relief center established by the royal family, and I felt sorry for the people around me, so I just took care of them.”
She fell flat on her face. It was foolish to go against power for the sake of pride and all that.
“It is very burdensome to be called by such an excessive title. May His Majesty the King severely punish those who speak like that.”
“That’s true... It must be burdensome. How much trouble do you have to endure at such a young age?”
Well, let's end the story by punishing the seditious instigators who challenged Leo III's authority, and Ariadne herself agrees to it. She wants to go home. Let me go home, she muttered to herself, when Leo III made an unexpected remark.
“Isn’t it hard to dedicate yourself without any reward?”
"Yes?"
“As a King, I distribute resources to my loyal subjects. Sometimes those resources are food, sometimes they are gold, and sometimes they are... status or titles.”
Ariadne, unable to understand the context of what Leo III was talking about, mechanically offered her thanks.
“I too have received a gift from His Majesty the King in Her Majesty the Queen’s name during Her Majesty the Queen’s lifetime. It was a great personal honor for me...”
“No, no. Forget about such trivial things.”
Leo III wiggled his fingers.
“I can send jewels and such to wherever I want, whenever I want. It’s even easier if the recipient lives in the capital. But what if I have to send food? What if I have to distribute it evenly to the people living in various regions?”
Leo III looked a little tired.
“Not everything goes my way. It always gets lost somewhere along the way. I can’t reach where I want to go, or to who I want to go. And...”
He looked at Ariadne intently.
“Grain is for the nobles, the most difficult thing is title or position.”
Ariadne tilted her head as if Leo III's words did not make sense.
“Isn’t a title or position something that is given to a specific person?”
There's no chance of a delivery accident.
“Of course, positions and titles are given to specific people. But that specific process... isn’t easy.”
The King continued speaking.
“Let’s say I make a new... yes, a merchant, a nobleman. If I walk to Campo de Spezia, stop any merchant, and say, ‘From today, this man is the count of such and such,’ would people be convinced?”
“It won’t be easy.”
“To bestow this kind of award, both the time and the place must be right. If I were to forcibly bestow a title when the circumstances are not favorable, the recipient would suffer.”
The most recent to suffer was Cesare, Duke of Pisano.
“...Like my dear son.”
Leo III knew it too.
Ariadne was in no position to comment on the matter, so she just smiled awkwardly and said nothing.
“But the most difficult thing is when there is only one position, but there are several people who deserve that title.”
What? Are you talking about succession? Why are you talking about that to me?
While Ariadne rolled her eyes in confusion, the King's story was once again developing in a direction she was unaware of.
“If the first person should receive it in terms of lineage and status, but the second person should receive it in terms of achievements and accomplishments, to whom should I give the gift?”
It was a difficult question to answer.
Ariadne usually thought the latter, but answering like that might make it sound like she was supporting Cesare.
She thought that if there was a story about Alfonso and Cesare, there was no need to look for another candidate since there was someone with the same bloodline and ability.
But she had no intention of saying a word about his successor in front of Leo III.
“...I believe that this is a matter for His Majesty the King to make the final decision.”
It was a noble, step-backed statement, telling him to do as he pleased.
Leo III also did not seem to want to ask Ariadne for her opinion on the succession.
Fortunately, he didn't press her any further and just continued with what he had to say.
“I feel so sorry for him. If the second person’s achievements had been as great as the sky, he would have defeated the first person and taken the title. When he falls short just this much, just this much, I want to give him a little advice.”
Wait a minute. This isn't a story about the King's succession.
Ariadne looked up at the King with complicated feelings. Leo III looked straight at Ariadne and said.
“I have a title that I promised to Young Lady’s father.”
Ariadne looked at Leo III with wide eyes.
“I guess this is your first time hearing about this.”
Leo III laughed heartily. Ariadne asked.
“I understand that priests are not supposed to have titles. How can my father, Cardinal De Mare, be given a title...?”
“That’s right. Priests don’t have titles. That’s why.”
Leo III looked at Ariadne with dark eyes. He seemed to be enjoying it somehow.
“I have decided to give the title that should have belonged to a Cardinal to the son of de Mare. By the end of this year, yes. It’s almost time.”
As soon as Ariadne heard those words, she realized what kind of deal her father had made to receive the title.
“...This is the title my father received for helping Count Cesare succeed to the Duke of Pisano.”
Of course, what Cardinal fe Mare did was forge the pedigree. But you can't say that, can you?
“As expected, you’re smart!”
Leo III applauded with various expressions of praise.
“If you hadn’t been trapped in a woman’s body, I would have put my young lady in great esteem. What a pity.”
He laughed out loud.
“Until I made that promise, I thought it was natural that the eldest son of Cardinal de Mare would be crowned.”
Aqua-colored eyes that looked just like Cesare's glared at Ariadne.
Ariadne looked into Leo III's eyes and thought that the color was the same, but the saturation was dull. Was it the thickness of time, or...?
“And since the Cardinal didn’t say anything to Young Lady, it seems he also wanted to give the title to his eldest son.”
He added, waving his hand.
“Of course, this is just my guess. Don’t fight with your father based solely on an old man’s guess. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the peace of a family were to be broken because of me?”
Ariadne, even in this situation, thought that Leo III was a very self-centered person.
A family that is destined to break will break anyway, and a family that is not destined to break won't break no matter what he does.
If the de Mare family is turned upside down by this incident, it is because of the Cardinal's accumulated karma, not because of anything the King did.
“But you know, it’s a shame I lost. There’s such a good candidate.”
He looked at Ariadne.
“You helped to eradicate the plague in San Carlo, and you helped the poor. Young Lady showed humility by saying that you only helped the Rambouillet relief camp, but I also know that you distributed food to the Commune Nuova.”
Ariadne bowed her head.
“If I were to give a title to Young Lady, everyone would agree, but if I were to give a title to your brother, wouldn’t the capital be in an uproar, demanding another qualification?”
Ippolito did nothing.
That was the case, except for the fact that he almost became the subject of a boiling scandal last year, which was prevented by his own mother's life.
If Ippolito were to suddenly be granted a title of nobility, rumors would certainly spread throughout the capital.
There was some dirty trick going on between the King and Cardinal de Mare, and it was probably related to his recognition as Cesare's nephew.
“But you know, it’s not enough.”
Leo III narrowed his eyes and looked at Ariadne.
“What Young Lady did wasn’t showing loyalty to me, but just...freely...helping the person you wanted to help?”
He tried to use the word 'unruly' but chose 'free-spirited' instead.
“Would you mind giving me a little excuse?”
“If you would please be sincere...”
Ariadne bowed her head and asked Leo III.
“Please donate the grain that Yeong Lady has to the country.”
Ariadne didn't even move.
Leo III, who had difficulty judging whether the girl in front of him was scared or her eyes were rolled back with artificial greed, added one more word.
“I will take responsibility for the relief work that Young Lady has been doing and the country will continue to run it.”
If you coax and persuade it, it can be eaten whole.
After all, she's just a girl who just turned sixteen.
The father did not seem to be particularly interested, and he was only a priest, not a nobleman or a leader of a powerful force who threatened power.
A young girl like this would fall over if gently coaxed. Leo III believed it very well.
“The grain...”
Ariadne slowly raised her head. Her black hair fell over her cheeks, and her deep green eyes stared straight at Leo III.
Leo III was prepared to lavish praise on Ariadne.
“Yes, grain. Isn’t grain the foundation and basis of the people?”
But the words that came out of her mouth were extraordinary.
“So, how much have you found out?”
“What?”
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