Cesare also felt Ariadne's tension before Leo III.
Cesare, who was considering offering simple words of comfort like, “Don’t worry,” soon gave up.
Because he knew it wouldn't help anyway.
Instead, he held Ariadne's hand, which was stiff and calloused.
“Even if I get hit, I’ll get hit first. Miss, run away at full speed.”
At Cesare's teasing, Ariadne burst into laughter once again.
While they were thus joking, Leo III, accompanied by Duchess Rubina, approached the noble passage leading to the ballroom, the 'Lily Hall'.
Ariadne and Cesare knelt on one knee and bowed.
“I see the sun of the Etruscan kingdom.”
“I see the sun of the kingdom.”
As Cesare was his son and Ariadne was his son's fiancée, he could have told them to rise appropriately, but Leo III gave them permission only after making sure they were fully compliant.
“Get up.”
“Thank you for your grace.”
"Thank you."
And behind him was Duchess Rubina, with a displeased expression on her face.
The attendants lined up behind her, almost like attendants.
She wears a tall diamond tiara, like a Queen, and attends state functions as the King's official partner as the King's sister-in-law.
The level of formality was no different from that of a Queen, and the extravagance of the attire worn by her was even greater than that of the late Queen.
But her position was precarious.
She wasn't aware of it, but the fact became clear during the selection of a new Queen last winter.
And now, the young blue thing that had threatened Duchess Rubina's position was standing before her eyes, even holding the hand of her only son.
“...Countess de Mare.”
A person of lower status may not speak first to a person of higher status, except to show formal courtesy.
Rubina, who had been contemplating whether to treat Ariadne like she was invisible and not speak to her throughout the ball, could not resist the urge and called Ariadne.
“Meet Duchess Rubina.”
Ariadne answered with a polite bow.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, shouldn’t you have come to say hello first?”
Duchess Rubina couldn't bring herself to say, "I called you, but you didn't come?" out of shame.
But Cesare's eyebrows immediately went up.
Ariadne answered without blinking an eye as if flowing water.
“I didn’t think about that. Next time, I’ll make sure to submit an audience request in advance.”
It was clearly a gentle answer, spoken in an extremely polite manner, but it seemed to demonstrate in person what it means to 'listen with one ear and let it go out the other.'
Leo III would normally have stopped Rubina from picking a fight with her prospective daughter-in-law, but he just watched the situation unfold without saying a word.
In the end, it was Cesare who brought the situation under control.
“Your Majesty, your face seems to have improved.”
“What could possibly get better for me?”
“The plague has receded and the weather has cleared up. Isn’t this all possible thanks to Your Majesty’s grace? The streets are filled with laughter.”
Because they had not been able to sow seeds in the previous fall and winter, the spring harvest season was canceled, and everyone was in a situation where they had to overcome the barley pass until the coming fall. However, trade with the South was opened, so things were better than last winter.
Leo III did not respond to Cesare's speech, but his expression showed that he was not too offended by the compliment.
“Go in.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As they stepped forward, the palace attendants waiting inside the 'Lily Room' announced their entry.
“His Majesty the King enters—!!”
All eyes are focused on them, accompanied by fanfare.
'Ah, this is what it felt like.'
For some, it was an explosion of joy that went straight up their spines, but for Ariadne, it brought back distant memories.
And for the other three, it was just a familiar routine.
“I hate that look.”
Cesare grumbled. Ariadne lowered her voice and asked.
“I thought you liked this kind of thing?”
Cesare looked slightly impressed.
When Alfonso was around, he used to try to be in the spotlight compared to him.
Right now... it was better to just sit back and relax in the living room of the de Mare mansion.
Cesare couldn't explain his feelings in detail, so he gave a vague answer.
“I guess I’ve grown old.”
Ariadne smiled slightly. Can people really change?
And soon it was time for the first dance at the ball.
Leo III and Duchess Rubina were too old to undertake such a task themselves, and there was no young man in the capital of higher status than the couple Cesare and Ariadne.
So they danced the first waltz of the ball, receiving everyone's attention.
Cesare, as usual, showed off his flawless stage presence, and Ariadne, now fully re-adapted to the high society, danced flawlessly.
After the last notes of the first waltz, Cesare said a word, looking at the flushed cheeks of Ariadne, who was slightly out of breath.
“Pretty.”
Ariadne answered with a smile.
"Thank you."
Dressed in matching red robes and dresses, they truly were a pretty couple.
Everyone present at the ball looked at Duke Cesare and Countess de Mare with admiration.
After their first dance, the only place they had to return to was the VIP box where Leo III and Duchess Rubina were sitting.
Cesare asked.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable there?”
"It's okay."
“It seems like a bed of thorns. I don’t like it either.”
For Cesare, too, sitting in the same seat as Leo III for so long was a burden.
Because he felt a faint sense of resentment and anger.
“My mother was in charge of the ball today, and I’m sure she would have set aside a few rooms.”
Rubina was the type of person who never missed an opportunity to flaunt her close friends.
If it were the previous time, she would have definitely given it to Cesare in advance with all her might, but today, perhaps because Ariadne was Cesare's partner, she didn't say anything.
“I’ll go and get one. Just wait a minute.”
He glanced at the VIP seats with anxious eyes and said.
“There is no need to go to the VIP area.”
It would be better for Ariadne to wander through the ballroom and be smitten by a fly like Raphael de Baldessar than for her to be alone in front of Leo III.
Ariadne, who understood perfectly, answered with a smile.
"All right."
Cesare, who had become separated from Ariadne, went to the ballroom in search of Duchess Rubina.
That wasn't an easy task either.
“The Duke of Pisano!”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Marquis Salvati. Have you seen my mother?”
“Hey, Cesare!”
“Yes, yes, Antonio. Let’s talk later. I’m busy right now.”
The exception to the rule that 'you can't talk to someone of low status' was people you were close to, such as close friends.
And those who wanted to make an exception were more likely to claim Duke Cesare than Prince Alfonso.
Cesare was not more amiable or friendly to the people than Alfonso. It was a manifestation of a condescending mind.
Because other things in life were truly important.
As Cesare made his way through the crowd to find Duchess Rubina, a woman's voice came to him.
“Duke Cesare, just a moment!”
This person was neither a close friend nor a person of higher status than him. He could have just ignored him and passed by.
But Cesare couldn't help but stop in his tracks at the sound of the woman's voice.
“..What is it, Lady de Mare?”
This is because the person who summoned Cesare was none other than Ariadne's older sister, Isabelle de Mare.
Isabella said with a big smile on her face.
“Duke Cesare, you are wasting your time.”
Isabella heard about the humiliation of Cesare's proposal from Ottavio, whom she met at the ball.
"Oh!"
“It was the first time I saw Cesare being dumped by a woman, and I had never seen him so depressed.”
Ottavio de Contarini wanted to be perverse these days. It was his last act of rebellion before his wedding.
So, he left his partner Camellia behind and flirted with Isabella, who showed up with her older brother Ippolito.
The story of Duke Cesare, who was said to have recently reformed himself, was the most popular topic of conversation with Isabella.
“He quit drinking and didn’t play with me for months, but that day, his face turned pale and he just poured some grappa!”
Isabella became angry when she heard that Cesare had been rejected by Ariadne.
'A girl who is not even a little girl, refuses Duke Cesare who cannot go anywhere?'
But Isabella couldn't let something like anger eat up the already limited conversation time anymore.
Camellia was glaring from behind, furious like a lioness, and her anger seemed to be increasing.
“Why did you get in the tea?”
“That confession was so uncool!”
Isabella didn't think that was the cause.
The real reason is that Ariadne is too arrogant and is not satisfied with being a duchess instead of a princess.
The child had no interest in luxury goods or jewelry to begin with.
No, she was interested in them, but she saw them purely as tools or a means of increasing her wealth. She did not have the metaphysical aesthetic that praised the beauty of works of art like Isabella herself.
People who see beautiful things through the eyes of a vulgar merchant rather than an art lover tend not to place much weight on beautiful things that enrich life, such as proposals or events.
“Ugh...”
It seemed necessary to speak to Duke Cesare, who happened to be attending the same ball.
It was a last-minute opportunity, so Isabella didn't have the supplies to prepare, but she thought it was worth a shot.
She looked out onto the empty balcony against the garden wall. It was not a place you could just barge into.
Because if a young couple occupies the place in advance, they may end up seeing each other in an awkward situation.
Ariadne chose a relatively quiet balcony and listened in to see if there were any passengers.
“...Duke Cesare.”
A very familiar name and a very familiar voice rang in Ariadne's ears.
It was a voice as clear and feminine as a cuckoo's croak.
The next line that the voice delivered was a real shock.
“Ariadne doesn’t love you.”
'!'
Ariadne gasped in surprise. The two were a very familiar combination to her.
'...Cesare. Sister Isabella.'
Ariadne's eyes were glaring as if they were going to pierce through the thin curtain that covered the balcony.
Cesare, who was considering offering simple words of comfort like, “Don’t worry,” soon gave up.
Because he knew it wouldn't help anyway.
Instead, he held Ariadne's hand, which was stiff and calloused.
“Even if I get hit, I’ll get hit first. Miss, run away at full speed.”
At Cesare's teasing, Ariadne burst into laughter once again.
While they were thus joking, Leo III, accompanied by Duchess Rubina, approached the noble passage leading to the ballroom, the 'Lily Hall'.
Ariadne and Cesare knelt on one knee and bowed.
“I see the sun of the Etruscan kingdom.”
“I see the sun of the kingdom.”
As Cesare was his son and Ariadne was his son's fiancée, he could have told them to rise appropriately, but Leo III gave them permission only after making sure they were fully compliant.
“Get up.”
“Thank you for your grace.”
"Thank you."
And behind him was Duchess Rubina, with a displeased expression on her face.
The attendants lined up behind her, almost like attendants.
She wears a tall diamond tiara, like a Queen, and attends state functions as the King's official partner as the King's sister-in-law.
The level of formality was no different from that of a Queen, and the extravagance of the attire worn by her was even greater than that of the late Queen.
But her position was precarious.
She wasn't aware of it, but the fact became clear during the selection of a new Queen last winter.
And now, the young blue thing that had threatened Duchess Rubina's position was standing before her eyes, even holding the hand of her only son.
“...Countess de Mare.”
A person of lower status may not speak first to a person of higher status, except to show formal courtesy.
Rubina, who had been contemplating whether to treat Ariadne like she was invisible and not speak to her throughout the ball, could not resist the urge and called Ariadne.
“Meet Duchess Rubina.”
Ariadne answered with a polite bow.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, shouldn’t you have come to say hello first?”
Duchess Rubina couldn't bring herself to say, "I called you, but you didn't come?" out of shame.
But Cesare's eyebrows immediately went up.
Ariadne answered without blinking an eye as if flowing water.
“I didn’t think about that. Next time, I’ll make sure to submit an audience request in advance.”
It was clearly a gentle answer, spoken in an extremely polite manner, but it seemed to demonstrate in person what it means to 'listen with one ear and let it go out the other.'
Leo III would normally have stopped Rubina from picking a fight with her prospective daughter-in-law, but he just watched the situation unfold without saying a word.
In the end, it was Cesare who brought the situation under control.
“Your Majesty, your face seems to have improved.”
“What could possibly get better for me?”
“The plague has receded and the weather has cleared up. Isn’t this all possible thanks to Your Majesty’s grace? The streets are filled with laughter.”
Because they had not been able to sow seeds in the previous fall and winter, the spring harvest season was canceled, and everyone was in a situation where they had to overcome the barley pass until the coming fall. However, trade with the South was opened, so things were better than last winter.
Leo III did not respond to Cesare's speech, but his expression showed that he was not too offended by the compliment.
“Go in.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As they stepped forward, the palace attendants waiting inside the 'Lily Room' announced their entry.
“His Majesty the King enters—!!”
All eyes are focused on them, accompanied by fanfare.
'Ah, this is what it felt like.'
For some, it was an explosion of joy that went straight up their spines, but for Ariadne, it brought back distant memories.
And for the other three, it was just a familiar routine.
“I hate that look.”
Cesare grumbled. Ariadne lowered her voice and asked.
“I thought you liked this kind of thing?”
Cesare looked slightly impressed.
When Alfonso was around, he used to try to be in the spotlight compared to him.
Right now... it was better to just sit back and relax in the living room of the de Mare mansion.
Cesare couldn't explain his feelings in detail, so he gave a vague answer.
“I guess I’ve grown old.”
Ariadne smiled slightly. Can people really change?
And soon it was time for the first dance at the ball.
Leo III and Duchess Rubina were too old to undertake such a task themselves, and there was no young man in the capital of higher status than the couple Cesare and Ariadne.
So they danced the first waltz of the ball, receiving everyone's attention.
Cesare, as usual, showed off his flawless stage presence, and Ariadne, now fully re-adapted to the high society, danced flawlessly.
After the last notes of the first waltz, Cesare said a word, looking at the flushed cheeks of Ariadne, who was slightly out of breath.
“Pretty.”
Ariadne answered with a smile.
"Thank you."
Dressed in matching red robes and dresses, they truly were a pretty couple.
Everyone present at the ball looked at Duke Cesare and Countess de Mare with admiration.
After their first dance, the only place they had to return to was the VIP box where Leo III and Duchess Rubina were sitting.
Cesare asked.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable there?”
"It's okay."
“It seems like a bed of thorns. I don’t like it either.”
For Cesare, too, sitting in the same seat as Leo III for so long was a burden.
Because he felt a faint sense of resentment and anger.
“My mother was in charge of the ball today, and I’m sure she would have set aside a few rooms.”
Rubina was the type of person who never missed an opportunity to flaunt her close friends.
If it were the previous time, she would have definitely given it to Cesare in advance with all her might, but today, perhaps because Ariadne was Cesare's partner, she didn't say anything.
“I’ll go and get one. Just wait a minute.”
He glanced at the VIP seats with anxious eyes and said.
“There is no need to go to the VIP area.”
It would be better for Ariadne to wander through the ballroom and be smitten by a fly like Raphael de Baldessar than for her to be alone in front of Leo III.
Ariadne, who understood perfectly, answered with a smile.
"All right."
Cesare, who had become separated from Ariadne, went to the ballroom in search of Duchess Rubina.
That wasn't an easy task either.
“The Duke of Pisano!”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you, Marquis Salvati. Have you seen my mother?”
“Hey, Cesare!”
“Yes, yes, Antonio. Let’s talk later. I’m busy right now.”
The exception to the rule that 'you can't talk to someone of low status' was people you were close to, such as close friends.
And those who wanted to make an exception were more likely to claim Duke Cesare than Prince Alfonso.
Cesare was not more amiable or friendly to the people than Alfonso. It was a manifestation of a condescending mind.
In the past, she would have been furious, but Cesare was all in good spirits and decided to let it go.
As Cesare made his way through the crowd to find Duchess Rubina, a woman's voice came to him.
“Duke Cesare, just a moment!”
This person was neither a close friend nor a person of higher status than him. He could have just ignored him and passed by.
But Cesare couldn't help but stop in his tracks at the sound of the woman's voice.
“..What is it, Lady de Mare?”
This is because the person who summoned Cesare was none other than Ariadne's older sister, Isabelle de Mare.
Isabella said with a big smile on her face.
“Duke Cesare, you are wasting your time.”
***
Isabella heard about the humiliation of Cesare's proposal from Ottavio, whom she met at the ball.
"Oh!"
“It was the first time I saw Cesare being dumped by a woman, and I had never seen him so depressed.”
Ottavio de Contarini wanted to be perverse these days. It was his last act of rebellion before his wedding.
So, he left his partner Camellia behind and flirted with Isabella, who showed up with her older brother Ippolito.
The story of Duke Cesare, who was said to have recently reformed himself, was the most popular topic of conversation with Isabella.
“He quit drinking and didn’t play with me for months, but that day, his face turned pale and he just poured some grappa!”
Isabella became angry when she heard that Cesare had been rejected by Ariadne.
'A girl who is not even a little girl, refuses Duke Cesare who cannot go anywhere?'
But Isabella couldn't let something like anger eat up the already limited conversation time anymore.
Camellia was glaring from behind, furious like a lioness, and her anger seemed to be increasing.
“Why did you get in the tea?”
“That confession was so uncool!”
Isabella didn't think that was the cause.
The real reason is that Ariadne is too arrogant and is not satisfied with being a duchess instead of a princess.
The child had no interest in luxury goods or jewelry to begin with.
No, she was interested in them, but she saw them purely as tools or a means of increasing her wealth. She did not have the metaphysical aesthetic that praised the beauty of works of art like Isabella herself.
People who see beautiful things through the eyes of a vulgar merchant rather than an art lover tend not to place much weight on beautiful things that enrich life, such as proposals or events.
“Ugh...”
It seemed necessary to speak to Duke Cesare, who happened to be attending the same ball.
It was a last-minute opportunity, so Isabella didn't have the supplies to prepare, but she thought it was worth a shot.
Isabella's eyes lit up.
Since Ariadne didn't go back to the VIP section and stayed somewhere else, she secretly had nowhere to go even though the ballroom was huge.
Ariadne's red dress was eye-catching even from a hundred feet away, and she was now the center of attention for all the people in the capital, there was really no place to hide from Leo III, Duchess Rubina, and the countless strangers or passers-by who wanted to talk to her.
After failing to find a close friend and stick close to him, Ariadne changed her strategy.
'Should I hide on the balcony...'
***
Since Ariadne didn't go back to the VIP section and stayed somewhere else, she secretly had nowhere to go even though the ballroom was huge.
Ariadne's red dress was eye-catching even from a hundred feet away, and she was now the center of attention for all the people in the capital, there was really no place to hide from Leo III, Duchess Rubina, and the countless strangers or passers-by who wanted to talk to her.
After failing to find a close friend and stick close to him, Ariadne changed her strategy.
'Should I hide on the balcony...'
She looked out onto the empty balcony against the garden wall. It was not a place you could just barge into.
Because if a young couple occupies the place in advance, they may end up seeing each other in an awkward situation.
Ariadne chose a relatively quiet balcony and listened in to see if there were any passengers.
“...Duke Cesare.”
A very familiar name and a very familiar voice rang in Ariadne's ears.
It was a voice as clear and feminine as a cuckoo's croak.
The next line that the voice delivered was a real shock.
“Ariadne doesn’t love you.”
'!'
Ariadne gasped in surprise. The two were a very familiar combination to her.
'...Cesare. Sister Isabella.'
Ariadne's eyes were glaring as if they were going to pierce through the thin curtain that covered the balcony.
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