Ariadne was surrounded by her friends, listening to them compliment her on how perfect the ball had been.
Gabriele, who was quite happy to have been given the VIP seat at Duke Cesare's ball thanks to her connections rather than her parents, smiled at Cornelia, who looked displeased.
“I told you, Duke Cesare, he's not bad.”
There was also a bit of self-deprecation in her decision to favor Cesare in the Alfonso vs. Cesare contest.
They pushed all the men to the next table and only the girls were gathered together.
It was within earshot to hear, but all their men were gentlemen.
No one would want to eavesdrop on the ladies' conversation, so they spoke without hesitation.
Everyone was in high spirits, each holding a glass of Asereto sparkling wine in their hands.
“Isn’t this ball fantastic?”
As the daughter of a northern noble, Gabriele was not above indulgence in extravagance and pleasure.
It was because the things she grew up seeing and enjoying were so great.
But the ball that Cesare had prepared for Ariadne today was so impressive that even Gabriele was deeply impressed.
“I think it would have cost at least 3000 Ducatos.”
Camellia, who was the daughter of a Baron but was actually a merchant, agreed. But Gabriele waved her hand.
“No, no. I’m not talking about the cost.”
“Then what?”
“His consideration is perfect!”
Gabriele praised the division of the VIP section on the second floor and the general section on the first floor, which eliminated the need to meet unnecessary people, the conveniently divided paths within the section, and the servants of Villa Sortone who carried out protocol without a single noise.
It was true that there was nothing bothersome.
“I’ve been to many balls, but Villa Sortone is the first mansion with such a high standard of service! It was like coming to a palace.”
“That’s true.”
Julia nodded as if she couldn't deny that part either.
There was something special about this mansion, even to her.
“Ariadne, if you get married, you will become the mistress of Villa Sortone!”
Gabriele drove the wedge in. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Do you have to invite me often?”
“I don’t mind hearing such sweet words,” Ariadne replied, barely able to muster up the courage to speak.
“It’s not even mine yet.”
“It will happen soon!”
Ariadne smiled. In fact, as Gabriele had said, today's ball was perfect.
A beautiful mansion, delicious food, close friends, and a day that flows like water.
Living as a mistress of the palace, each day felt like walking on thin ice.
A good deed was something that should be done as a matter of course, and if something went wrong, the entire capital, no, the entire country would curse him.
It had to be spotless at all times. It was a constant state of tension.
In contrast, everything at Villa Sortone was comfortable and natural. Difficult matters were not the concern of Villa Sortone.
In the palace, in the court, there is only business to be done. A life of taking a step back, enjoying only the good things and observing.
'If it can be like this, wouldn't it be okay to live like this forever...?'
Cesare was a man who seemed to embody the Villa Sortone: no responsibilities or burdens to bear, and infinite enjoyment.
He was fun to be around, and Cesare these days is like a spring breeze.
A man who makes you wait for what kind of joy there will be today, with the occasional scent of flowers in the pleasantly blowing breeze.
'If I hold Cesare's hand...'
If that happens...
What kind of future will unfold before her? As always, just like today...
Ariadne's thoughts were broken by the loud sound of a vase breaking.
Clang!!
The deafening noise of expensive pottery falling from a great height and shattering into pieces.
"Oh!"
Gabriele looked around in surprise.
When Gabriele was so surprised, the Marquis of Montefeltro, who was at the next table, quickly ran to escort his fiancée, and soon all the ball partners returned to find their partners.
The only one who didn't show up was Cesare. Meanwhile, Julia deduced the source of the noise.
“Is that sound coming from downstairs?”
Raphael also nodded. Felicite reassured the group.
“I think something fell off, it’ll just be a one-time thing, so don’t worry too much about it...”
But before Felicite could finish speaking, the curtains on one of the second-floor balconies were drawn noisily.
Knock knock!
It was as if the curtain was opening on a theater stage in the middle of the theater.
And the two leads in that play were people with a really distinct presence.
A man in a dark green suit was sticking his nose into the hem of a woman in a light cream organza dress.
His red hair was glimpsed through the gap in the hem of her skirt. The woman's entire body was dyed a light pink, and she was moaning excitedly.
“Ari, don’t look!”
Raphael, who was the first to realize the situation, covered Ariadne's eyes with his own hands.
The next thing is the next. Raphael wanted Ariadne to be protected and not know about this situation.
Ariadne blinked her eyes under Raphael's hand. She was dazed.
Although she was sharper and more fierce than anyone else, she had a hard time inputting what she had just seen.
'What did I just see?'
In the meantime, the warmth and a little sweat she felt from Raphael's hands entered her eyes, and she closed and opened them again.
Despite her blindfolded eyes, the noise of people continued to hit her ears.
“Oh my gosh!”
“Oh my God...”
“This is crazy!”
The murmurs of astonishment from the distinguished guests were heard without interruption. The commotion continued downstairs.
A far greater number of guests on the first floor than the handful in the VIP section were gathering on the balcony, noticing the situation.
“Isn’t that Duke Cesare?”
"Who is the woman?”
“White clothes... I can’t see her face!”
Ariadne slowly took Raphael's hand away from her eyes.
"Ari!"
"It's okay."
Although she wasn't okay at all, her voice came out very calmly.
Ariadne did not want to hear the name of the other woman in someone else's language. She wanted to see it with her own eyes.
You must never close your eyes to the facts of what happened. You must always, always confirm the material truth.
Because no matter how well a plan is made, if it is not based on facts, it will inevitably collapse like a sand castle.
There will be much debate as to whether such principles should be adhered to even in the present situation.
But that was the one rule Ariadne followed her whole life.
The only guidance she had to rely on as she lived without any compass about who loved her, what was right, or how to survive.
It's about thinking logically and basing everything on facts.
“Ari...!”
Leaving behind the voices of others who were feeling sorry, Ariadne took one step at a time, moving forward.
Those who recognized her gasped and split to the sides.
“It’s Countess de Mare!”
“His fiancée has appeared!”
“Who is that tangled woman?”
Ariadne knew who it was the moment she saw the cream organza dress.
The lush flaxen hair flowed down her back. The slightly sweet scent of roses. She was someone Ariadne could never forget.
She walked firmly onto the balcony and stood in front of the man and woman.
Cesare had his head sticking out from under the woman's skirt.
He quickly stood up as if nothing had happened and was in the process of straightening his clothes.
“Ari...”
But even the great Cesare had nothing to say in this situation. He was completely flustered and just blurted out random words.
“Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk slowly. I’ll explain everything. From A to Z. I can explain what’s going on.”
Ariadne didn't answer at all but just glared at Cesare with a very cold gaze.
Meanwhile, Isabella, who had been lying on the floor, got up from her seat and dusted off the hem of her dress.
For someone in this situation, she was surprisingly calm.
She buttoned up Corpique's buttons one by one, pushed her messy hair back, and shot Ariadne a provocative look.
Isabella's face and gestures were filled with triumph, but all people could see was Isabella's back.
Contrary to her expression, the voice that came out of her mouth was extremely gentle.
“Ari... I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
Isabella added in a hushed voice, her purple eyes sparkling with pride.
“Really.”
The look in Ariadne's eyes at Isabella was mysterious. It seemed like a look of disgust and contempt, and at other times, a look of fear.
Overall, it was a similar expression to looking at an arthropod with a lot of legs.
She could have hurled harsh words at Isabella.
She could have slapped her, she could have grabbed her by the hair. Anything would be forgiven at this moment.
But she didn't even want to do that.
It is a shame to even touch that inhuman creature that has not made even a little progress in her past or present life.
"Ari."
And Isabella's provocation did not last long, as Cesare pushed her away.
He didn't even look in Isabella's direction.
“Ari, let’s talk. Yes?”
Ariadne glared at Cesare. Cesare thought that Ariadne’s gaze lasted for eons.
He thought he could bear it for the first few seconds. Then he thought he had to bear it for the next few seconds.
But he just couldn't stand those eyes any longer.
Just as Cesare was about to appeal for conversation again, Ariadne opened her mouth. Her slightly husky, slightly muffled voice sounded gloomily.
"I am..."
The hairs on Cesare's body stood on end. All his nerves were focused on Ariadne.
“I have nothing to talk to you about.”
And that was the end. Ariadne turned around on the spot and began to leave the ballroom.
“Ari, Ari!”
Cesare took steps to pursue Ariadne but was stopped by Julia de Baldessar.
“If you have any conscience.”
Julia glared at Cesare with cold eyes.
“Leave her alone.”
If it had been Raphael who stopped Cesare, Cesare would have drawn his sword, fought back, and chased after Ariadne.
But Julia was Ariadne's best friend, and her means of attack were more mental than physical.
Cesare paused for a moment.
And in the meantime, Ariadne left the scene.
Although the physical distance was only a few feet, it was a step forward that seemed to take a very, very long leap.
The path she walked was like the miracle of the Red Sea, with people parting to make way for her.
It was such an attitude that no one dared speak to her, and it was the courtesy of the nobles towards a woman who had witnessed her fiancé's infidelity with her own eyes.
But silencing the mouths of socialites was a completely different matter.
“The mistress is the fiancée’s older sister!”
“Wow, what do he do now?”
“What can he do? The one who touched her should take responsibility!”
There was no disagreement on this point.
In San Carlo in 1124, any nobleman who violated a woman's chastity was liable to be held responsible for her.
It wasn't a secret eye contact, it was blatantly revealed in front of the whole world. It's not a situation where you can just give them a few bucks and pretend not to know.
This was especially true because the woman was not a commoner, but a daughter of a prominent family whose father had great prestige.
There seemed to be no way for Duke Cesare to escape this crisis.
“So, Countess de Mare is now awake and has her fiancé stolen? By her own older sister?”
“No, wait a minute. But this is a state wedding that His Majesty the King personally gave. How can you do something like this?”
This incident was also a stain on the King's face.
“Wouldn’t Cardinal de Mare step in and somehow manage the situation? If Duke Cesare doesn’t take responsibility for his eldest daughter, how can the de Mare family hold their heads up high?”
“That’s right, that’s right. What can he do when you’ve gone this far? Even His Majesty the King has nothing to say. You really raised your son poorly!”
“Even Duke Pisano is in a pinch right now. If he doesn’t take responsibility for this, he’ll end up being labeled a bastard like no other in the world!”
“Hohoho, isn’t that bastard Horo already the world’s greatest scoundrel?”
“...I can’t do that, Madam. It’s the first time I’ve seen a rascal touch his fiancée’s older sister at her fiancée’s birthday party.”
In this situation, there was more than one trash person.
“Isabella de Mare, I knew you were cunning and clever, but you are truly incredible! How could you do such a thing?”
“This isn’t something that can be explained in terms of being too greedy.”
“Couldn’t it have been a man who approached her first? That’s Duke Cesare!”
“You might see it that way if it were an ordinary young lady, but that’s Isabella de Mare. Don’t you remember the scandal of the Marquis of Campa?”
“Ah...”
“She’s a scary woman. She’s so scary.”
In the end, it all came down to one conclusion.
“Don’t you two look good together?”
“Hahaha, it really is a case of the husband singing along with the wife. A wicked woman in a fallen state.”
Cesare tried to leave the party quickly. There was no use staying here too long.
After hiding in the residence, call the butler and have the party disperse.
As he strode out of the ballroom at a brisk pace, someone's hand grabbed the hem of his clothes.
"Hey."
He had once thought that her voice was as beautiful as the sound of a nightingale, but now, the moment he heard it, he heard a beautiful female voice that sent goosebumps down his neck.
“Shouldn’t we have a conversation?”
It was Isabella de Mare with a confident smile.
“I’ve sent someone to tell my father that he needs to come to Villa Sortone immediately.”
She tilted her pretty face slightly to the side.
Although her skin was as white as porcelain and her blush was objectively beautiful, Cesare thought that her face looked like a clown's mask made of porcelain.
“Don’t you think we should talk amongst ourselves before my father comes?”
Isabella made up her mind as she spoke. Today was the day to drive the wedge in.
Gabriele, who was quite happy to have been given the VIP seat at Duke Cesare's ball thanks to her connections rather than her parents, smiled at Cornelia, who looked displeased.
“I told you, Duke Cesare, he's not bad.”
There was also a bit of self-deprecation in her decision to favor Cesare in the Alfonso vs. Cesare contest.
They pushed all the men to the next table and only the girls were gathered together.
It was within earshot to hear, but all their men were gentlemen.
No one would want to eavesdrop on the ladies' conversation, so they spoke without hesitation.
Everyone was in high spirits, each holding a glass of Asereto sparkling wine in their hands.
“Isn’t this ball fantastic?”
As the daughter of a northern noble, Gabriele was not above indulgence in extravagance and pleasure.
It was because the things she grew up seeing and enjoying were so great.
But the ball that Cesare had prepared for Ariadne today was so impressive that even Gabriele was deeply impressed.
“I think it would have cost at least 3000 Ducatos.”
Camellia, who was the daughter of a Baron but was actually a merchant, agreed. But Gabriele waved her hand.
“No, no. I’m not talking about the cost.”
“Then what?”
“His consideration is perfect!”
Gabriele praised the division of the VIP section on the second floor and the general section on the first floor, which eliminated the need to meet unnecessary people, the conveniently divided paths within the section, and the servants of Villa Sortone who carried out protocol without a single noise.
It was true that there was nothing bothersome.
“I’ve been to many balls, but Villa Sortone is the first mansion with such a high standard of service! It was like coming to a palace.”
“That’s true.”
Julia nodded as if she couldn't deny that part either.
There was something special about this mansion, even to her.
“Ariadne, if you get married, you will become the mistress of Villa Sortone!”
Gabriele drove the wedge in. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Do you have to invite me often?”
“I don’t mind hearing such sweet words,” Ariadne replied, barely able to muster up the courage to speak.
“It’s not even mine yet.”
“It will happen soon!”
Ariadne smiled. In fact, as Gabriele had said, today's ball was perfect.
A beautiful mansion, delicious food, close friends, and a day that flows like water.
Living as a mistress of the palace, each day felt like walking on thin ice.
A good deed was something that should be done as a matter of course, and if something went wrong, the entire capital, no, the entire country would curse him.
It had to be spotless at all times. It was a constant state of tension.
In contrast, everything at Villa Sortone was comfortable and natural. Difficult matters were not the concern of Villa Sortone.
In the palace, in the court, there is only business to be done. A life of taking a step back, enjoying only the good things and observing.
'If it can be like this, wouldn't it be okay to live like this forever...?'
Cesare was a man who seemed to embody the Villa Sortone: no responsibilities or burdens to bear, and infinite enjoyment.
He was fun to be around, and Cesare these days is like a spring breeze.
A man who makes you wait for what kind of joy there will be today, with the occasional scent of flowers in the pleasantly blowing breeze.
'If I hold Cesare's hand...'
If that happens...
What kind of future will unfold before her? As always, just like today...
Ariadne's thoughts were broken by the loud sound of a vase breaking.
Clang!!
The deafening noise of expensive pottery falling from a great height and shattering into pieces.
"Oh!"
Gabriele looked around in surprise.
When Gabriele was so surprised, the Marquis of Montefeltro, who was at the next table, quickly ran to escort his fiancée, and soon all the ball partners returned to find their partners.
The only one who didn't show up was Cesare. Meanwhile, Julia deduced the source of the noise.
“Is that sound coming from downstairs?”
Raphael also nodded. Felicite reassured the group.
“I think something fell off, it’ll just be a one-time thing, so don’t worry too much about it...”
But before Felicite could finish speaking, the curtains on one of the second-floor balconies were drawn noisily.
Knock knock!
It was as if the curtain was opening on a theater stage in the middle of the theater.
And the two leads in that play were people with a really distinct presence.
A man in a dark green suit was sticking his nose into the hem of a woman in a light cream organza dress.
His red hair was glimpsed through the gap in the hem of her skirt. The woman's entire body was dyed a light pink, and she was moaning excitedly.
“Ari, don’t look!”
Raphael, who was the first to realize the situation, covered Ariadne's eyes with his own hands.
The next thing is the next. Raphael wanted Ariadne to be protected and not know about this situation.
Ariadne blinked her eyes under Raphael's hand. She was dazed.
Although she was sharper and more fierce than anyone else, she had a hard time inputting what she had just seen.
'What did I just see?'
In the meantime, the warmth and a little sweat she felt from Raphael's hands entered her eyes, and she closed and opened them again.
Despite her blindfolded eyes, the noise of people continued to hit her ears.
“Oh my gosh!”
“Oh my God...”
“This is crazy!”
The murmurs of astonishment from the distinguished guests were heard without interruption. The commotion continued downstairs.
A far greater number of guests on the first floor than the handful in the VIP section were gathering on the balcony, noticing the situation.
“Isn’t that Duke Cesare?”
"Who is the woman?”
“White clothes... I can’t see her face!”
Ariadne slowly took Raphael's hand away from her eyes.
"Ari!"
"It's okay."
Although she wasn't okay at all, her voice came out very calmly.
Ariadne did not want to hear the name of the other woman in someone else's language. She wanted to see it with her own eyes.
You must never close your eyes to the facts of what happened. You must always, always confirm the material truth.
Because no matter how well a plan is made, if it is not based on facts, it will inevitably collapse like a sand castle.
There will be much debate as to whether such principles should be adhered to even in the present situation.
But that was the one rule Ariadne followed her whole life.
The only guidance she had to rely on as she lived without any compass about who loved her, what was right, or how to survive.
It's about thinking logically and basing everything on facts.
“Ari...!”
Leaving behind the voices of others who were feeling sorry, Ariadne took one step at a time, moving forward.
Those who recognized her gasped and split to the sides.
“It’s Countess de Mare!”
“His fiancée has appeared!”
“Who is that tangled woman?”
Ariadne knew who it was the moment she saw the cream organza dress.
The lush flaxen hair flowed down her back. The slightly sweet scent of roses. She was someone Ariadne could never forget.
She walked firmly onto the balcony and stood in front of the man and woman.
Cesare had his head sticking out from under the woman's skirt.
He quickly stood up as if nothing had happened and was in the process of straightening his clothes.
“Ari...”
But even the great Cesare had nothing to say in this situation. He was completely flustered and just blurted out random words.
“Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk slowly. I’ll explain everything. From A to Z. I can explain what’s going on.”
Ariadne didn't answer at all but just glared at Cesare with a very cold gaze.
Meanwhile, Isabella, who had been lying on the floor, got up from her seat and dusted off the hem of her dress.
For someone in this situation, she was surprisingly calm.
She buttoned up Corpique's buttons one by one, pushed her messy hair back, and shot Ariadne a provocative look.
Isabella's face and gestures were filled with triumph, but all people could see was Isabella's back.
Contrary to her expression, the voice that came out of her mouth was extremely gentle.
“Ari... I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
Isabella added in a hushed voice, her purple eyes sparkling with pride.
“Really.”
The look in Ariadne's eyes at Isabella was mysterious. It seemed like a look of disgust and contempt, and at other times, a look of fear.
Overall, it was a similar expression to looking at an arthropod with a lot of legs.
She could have hurled harsh words at Isabella.
She could have slapped her, she could have grabbed her by the hair. Anything would be forgiven at this moment.
But she didn't even want to do that.
It is a shame to even touch that inhuman creature that has not made even a little progress in her past or present life.
"Ari."
And Isabella's provocation did not last long, as Cesare pushed her away.
He didn't even look in Isabella's direction.
“Ari, let’s talk. Yes?”
Ariadne glared at Cesare. Cesare thought that Ariadne’s gaze lasted for eons.
He thought he could bear it for the first few seconds. Then he thought he had to bear it for the next few seconds.
But he just couldn't stand those eyes any longer.
Just as Cesare was about to appeal for conversation again, Ariadne opened her mouth. Her slightly husky, slightly muffled voice sounded gloomily.
"I am..."
The hairs on Cesare's body stood on end. All his nerves were focused on Ariadne.
“I have nothing to talk to you about.”
And that was the end. Ariadne turned around on the spot and began to leave the ballroom.
“Ari, Ari!”
Cesare took steps to pursue Ariadne but was stopped by Julia de Baldessar.
“If you have any conscience.”
Julia glared at Cesare with cold eyes.
“Leave her alone.”
If it had been Raphael who stopped Cesare, Cesare would have drawn his sword, fought back, and chased after Ariadne.
But Julia was Ariadne's best friend, and her means of attack were more mental than physical.
Cesare paused for a moment.
And in the meantime, Ariadne left the scene.
Although the physical distance was only a few feet, it was a step forward that seemed to take a very, very long leap.
The path she walked was like the miracle of the Red Sea, with people parting to make way for her.
It was such an attitude that no one dared speak to her, and it was the courtesy of the nobles towards a woman who had witnessed her fiancé's infidelity with her own eyes.
But silencing the mouths of socialites was a completely different matter.
“The mistress is the fiancée’s older sister!”
“Wow, what do he do now?”
“What can he do? The one who touched her should take responsibility!”
There was no disagreement on this point.
In San Carlo in 1124, any nobleman who violated a woman's chastity was liable to be held responsible for her.
It wasn't a secret eye contact, it was blatantly revealed in front of the whole world. It's not a situation where you can just give them a few bucks and pretend not to know.
This was especially true because the woman was not a commoner, but a daughter of a prominent family whose father had great prestige.
There seemed to be no way for Duke Cesare to escape this crisis.
“So, Countess de Mare is now awake and has her fiancé stolen? By her own older sister?”
“No, wait a minute. But this is a state wedding that His Majesty the King personally gave. How can you do something like this?”
This incident was also a stain on the King's face.
“Wouldn’t Cardinal de Mare step in and somehow manage the situation? If Duke Cesare doesn’t take responsibility for his eldest daughter, how can the de Mare family hold their heads up high?”
“That’s right, that’s right. What can he do when you’ve gone this far? Even His Majesty the King has nothing to say. You really raised your son poorly!”
“Even Duke Pisano is in a pinch right now. If he doesn’t take responsibility for this, he’ll end up being labeled a bastard like no other in the world!”
“Hohoho, isn’t that bastard Horo already the world’s greatest scoundrel?”
“...I can’t do that, Madam. It’s the first time I’ve seen a rascal touch his fiancée’s older sister at her fiancée’s birthday party.”
In this situation, there was more than one trash person.
“Isabella de Mare, I knew you were cunning and clever, but you are truly incredible! How could you do such a thing?”
“This isn’t something that can be explained in terms of being too greedy.”
“Couldn’t it have been a man who approached her first? That’s Duke Cesare!”
“You might see it that way if it were an ordinary young lady, but that’s Isabella de Mare. Don’t you remember the scandal of the Marquis of Campa?”
“Ah...”
“She’s a scary woman. She’s so scary.”
In the end, it all came down to one conclusion.
“Don’t you two look good together?”
“Hahaha, it really is a case of the husband singing along with the wife. A wicked woman in a fallen state.”
Cesare tried to leave the party quickly. There was no use staying here too long.
After hiding in the residence, call the butler and have the party disperse.
As he strode out of the ballroom at a brisk pace, someone's hand grabbed the hem of his clothes.
"Hey."
He had once thought that her voice was as beautiful as the sound of a nightingale, but now, the moment he heard it, he heard a beautiful female voice that sent goosebumps down his neck.
“Shouldn’t we have a conversation?”
It was Isabella de Mare with a confident smile.
“I’ve sent someone to tell my father that he needs to come to Villa Sortone immediately.”
She tilted her pretty face slightly to the side.
Although her skin was as white as porcelain and her blush was objectively beautiful, Cesare thought that her face looked like a clown's mask made of porcelain.
“Don’t you think we should talk amongst ourselves before my father comes?”
Isabella made up her mind as she spoke. Today was the day to drive the wedge in.
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