The butler Nicolo bowed his head and gestured to his servants. In unison, the servants dragged Isabella out of the Cardinal's study.
“Die!! Die you piece of trash!!!”
Isabella's screams and cries filled the second-floor hallway of the de Mare household.
The family members did not even dare to look out and just rolled their eyes as they followed Isabella's footsteps as she was dragged away.
Ariadne remained in her quarters, the door shut tightly, not knowing whether she was awake or asleep, and the only one who came out to see Isabella's face was Ippolito.
“What is happening now?!”
“Young master, please step aside. Now is not the time for you to interfere.”
“Nicolo!”
Ippolito immediately became angry.
“I am the only son of this family and the future heir! What could possibly go wrong with me?”
In his pretense of innocence, Isabella's snort hit Ippolito in the ear.
She gritted her teeth and spat out at Ippolito as she was dragged away by two servants, her arms tightly held.
“Wake up, brother. Stop talking nonsense about succession. This house has already been taken over by a sinister bastard.”
“Isabella...!”
“You and I are nothing more than cumbersome pawns!”
If Isabella is somewhere between a queen and a knight, Ippolito won't be able to sleep.
Because it was completely useless. Isabella couldn't stand the ridiculousness of this situation.
“I am going, to the Convent of Saint Angelo.”
"What?!"
Ippolito looked at his sister in great surprise.
“Where is Father sending you!”
“Dirty world, dirty San Carlo, dirty de Mare!”
Ippolito had also heard of the notoriety of the Convent of Saint Angelo.
It was a place with ominous rumors going around that people were surviving by sewing for wages due to food shortages, and when that didn't work out, they were catching rats to fill their stomachs.
“Just hold on a little longer, I’ll try to convince Father somehow.”
“Hahahahahahaha!”
Isabella laughed heartily.
“Thank you for even just saying that.”
But the wry smile on her lips did not disappear.
“But you don’t have that ability.”
A black carriage arrived in front of Isabella, who was chattering while being held by two sturdy men by both arms.
It was an ominous-looking carriage, painted black all over and with a board nailed to one window.
The butler Nicolo motioned to his servants, who opened the carriage door and let Isabella in.
“Don’t end up like me! Keep an eye out for that illegitimate girl!”
Isabella kept laughing and shouting at Ippolito. It was hard to tell whether it was advice or mockery.
“If you attack her, you won’t even get a bone to pick!”
Boom!
A servant closed the door of the carriage in which Isabella was riding.
“No, wait a minute...”
Ippolito asked his butler Nicolo for advice.
“There’s also Isabella’s luggage, and we need to give her time to pack her things and say goodbye to her friends.”
Butler Nicolo answered Ippolito stiffly.
“It is His Eminence's command.”
“But the cognitive assumption is...”
“...His Eminence has taken the surname de Mare from the young lady.”
"What?"
Ippolito's face turned pale.
“Father kicked her out of the family?”
The butler nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
The butler did not bother to add the story that the Cardinal had cut off his hair and thrown it away.
If the eldest son falls out of favor with his father because he fails to notice that the Cardinal is sincere, then that is his own ability and that is his blessing.
Boom! Boom!
Meanwhile, two servants were finishing nailing a plank to the doorway of the carriage Isabella was riding in.
The carriage she was riding in had now become an impenetrable fortress from which she could never escape.
“Young Master, the carriage must depart now. Please come in.”
When Lucrezia was kicked out of the house in the past, the butler Nicolo gave her time to pack her valuables and other belongings and leave a letter.
That was because they thought Lucrezia might come back.
But today was a no-no. The eldest daughter, who was the Cardinal's jewel, would probably never return to the de Mare family.
The family name was sullied, a knife was plunged into the family's back, and the Cardinal threw a lock of hair at his own daughter.
Ippolito muttered with a bewildered expression. But in the end, he closed his mouth without saying anything. Butler Nicolo urged him again.
“Please come in, Young Master.”
Ippolito could not bring himself to say anything more to Nicolo, so he shouted to Isabella in a voice as quiet as a mosquito.
“I'm coming to see you...”
It was not certain whether Isabella heard Ippolito's voice.
Butler Nicolo thought that Ippolito had shouted in a low voice, even unconsciously.
To ease the guilt, but not to give Isabella false hope.
No, to be more precise, it was to relieve his guilt and avoid being a bad guy who promised to meet his younger sibling and then didn't show up.
Nicolo clicked his tongue and dragged Ippolito inside.
***
The fact that Isabella was quickly dragged away in a black carriage as soon as the decision was made reflected the Cardinal's wish to cover up the incident as quietly as possible, but the rumor that Isabella de Mare had been excommunicated from the family and exiled to the convent of Saint Angelo spread through San Carlo at the speed of light.
“Really? In the end?”
“Why did you go to a convent when you could have just married Duke Cesare...?”
“But I see you’re trying to keep your younger sister married...?”
“Isn’t it natural for the younger sister to give in and the older sister to take her place in this marriage? Where else could Isabella de Mare go now?”
“That’s right, sending a perfectly healthy daughter to a convent!”
“Well, that’s true, but it’s not all that bad.”
Speculation continued as to why Isabella was not sent to Cesare.
“They say the two daughters are on extremely bad terms. I guess the younger daughter is threatening to give in.”
“But do their parents just leave it like that?”
Marriage is not something that is decided by the will of the parties. The will of the parties is actually the last thing to be considered.
“If Cardinal de Mare insists on changing his daughter’s marriage, and if His Majesty the King agrees to it, then it doesn’t matter what the person involved says?”
One of the ladies chatting at the tea party cautiously opened her mouth.
“That... It wasn’t a decision made by the de Mare family, but there’s a story that Duke Cesare threatened not to marry Isabella de Mare even if he died...”
The atmosphere at the table immediately became heated.
“Oh my, where did you hear that?”
“It’s a real secret because it came from the Duke’s servants.”
“Of course. Let’s talk.”
“He can’t just say he won’t get married without any basis, right?”
The woman who had been lucky still looked reluctant to open her mouth.
“That’s… It’s a story that I can’t even bring myself to say...”
“Oh, so what if they just stay together?”
As the mood at the table grew tense and tense, she reluctantly revealed the details.
“That... Isabella de Mare was already in a deep relationship with the Marquis of Campa, so she wasn’t a virgin. Duke Cesare said he couldn’t take responsibility for a woman who wasn’t even a virgin, so he got punched by the Cardinal...”
If that were the case, it would be a different story.
There was a world of difference between Cesare simply disliking Isabella and refusing to marry her because she did not qualify as a 'virtuous wife'.
The density of the atmosphere increased and the volume of voices increased.
“Oh my God, my goodness!”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“But there was a rumor! That Isabella de Mare was the mistress of the Marquis of Campa!”
“It was so noisy for a while and then it died down, so I thought it was just a rumor!”
The conversations of married women were not harsh, even among the most virtuous noblewomen.
“But the man who went all the way with Isabella de Mare would have known whether she was a virgin or not.”
“Yeah, I guess I can’t help but know.”
“What did the Marquis of Campa say?”
“What can that gentleman say now? And the Marquis of Campa, he took a third wife not long ago!”
"Oh, not even a fallen noble, but a commoner?”
Since there was no noble family willing to force his daughter into a second or third marriage, the Marquis of Campa took a daughter from a wealthy merchant family as his third wife.
“Yes, this time it’s a young child who just had her coming-of-age ceremony. She’s almost twenty years younger than him.”
“You can’t teach a dog your bad habits. Tsk tsk.”
“But it’s a little better if she's a commoner. Commoners plow the fields and dig up turnips from a young age, so aren’t they more mature?”
“I see? But commoners don’t have debutantes, so they have separate coming-of-age ceremonies?”
The noble ladies discussed the maturity and intellectual ability of the commoners for a long time, and came to the conclusion that 'commoners suffer a lot, so they grow up quickly, and since they don't have the discernment of the nobles anyway, they won't know how miserable their situation is, and they will be able to live well with the Marquis of Campa.'
“Anyway, back to the original story. If something like this had happened to Isabella de Mare when the Marquis of Campa was single, she would have said, ‘Come, the new Marquis of Campa’, but now that she’s a new bride, what can she do? She should just keep her mouth shut and lie prostrate.”
“Oh my, if this incident had happened a year later, the third Marchioness would have died too. Isabella de Mare’s timing was really bad!”
“Then doesn’t that mean the Marquis of Campa refuses because he’s old?”
The ladies laughed amongst themselves.
“Oh, so what if they just stay together?”
As the mood at the table grew tense and tense, she reluctantly revealed the details.
“That... Isabella de Mare was already in a deep relationship with the Marquis of Campa, so she wasn’t a virgin. Duke Cesare said he couldn’t take responsibility for a woman who wasn’t even a virgin, so he got punched by the Cardinal...”
If that were the case, it would be a different story.
There was a world of difference between Cesare simply disliking Isabella and refusing to marry her because she did not qualify as a 'virtuous wife'.
The density of the atmosphere increased and the volume of voices increased.
“Oh my God, my goodness!”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“But there was a rumor! That Isabella de Mare was the mistress of the Marquis of Campa!”
“It was so noisy for a while and then it died down, so I thought it was just a rumor!”
The conversations of married women were not harsh, even among the most virtuous noblewomen.
“But the man who went all the way with Isabella de Mare would have known whether she was a virgin or not.”
“Yeah, I guess I can’t help but know.”
“What did the Marquis of Campa say?”
“What can that gentleman say now? And the Marquis of Campa, he took a third wife not long ago!”
"Oh, not even a fallen noble, but a commoner?”
Since there was no noble family willing to force his daughter into a second or third marriage, the Marquis of Campa took a daughter from a wealthy merchant family as his third wife.
“Yes, this time it’s a young child who just had her coming-of-age ceremony. She’s almost twenty years younger than him.”
“You can’t teach a dog your bad habits. Tsk tsk.”
“But it’s a little better if she's a commoner. Commoners plow the fields and dig up turnips from a young age, so aren’t they more mature?”
“I see? But commoners don’t have debutantes, so they have separate coming-of-age ceremonies?”
The noble ladies discussed the maturity and intellectual ability of the commoners for a long time, and came to the conclusion that 'commoners suffer a lot, so they grow up quickly, and since they don't have the discernment of the nobles anyway, they won't know how miserable their situation is, and they will be able to live well with the Marquis of Campa.'
“Anyway, back to the original story. If something like this had happened to Isabella de Mare when the Marquis of Campa was single, she would have said, ‘Come, the new Marquis of Campa’, but now that she’s a new bride, what can she do? She should just keep her mouth shut and lie prostrate.”
“Oh my, if this incident had happened a year later, the third Marchioness would have died too. Isabella de Mare’s timing was really bad!”
“Then doesn’t that mean the Marquis of Campa refuses because he’s old?”
The ladies laughed amongst themselves.
“Wow, but was Isabella de Mare really taken to the Convent of Saint Angelo? Even when I heard it with my own ears, it didn’t seem real.”
“Who would have thought that ‘that’ Isabella de Mare would become like this?”
“Who would have thought that ‘that’ Isabella de Mare would become like this?”
“Really, she's really ruined her life.”
They shook their heads, but there was a small smile on their lips.
The fall of a high star that was difficult to even look up to is enjoyable for everyone.
“So then, what will Ariadne de Mare do now...?”
They shook their heads, but there was a small smile on their lips.
The fall of a high star that was difficult to even look up to is enjoyable for everyone.
“So then, what will Ariadne de Mare do now...?”
“Ha. This is a very difficult topic.”
Countess de Mare avoided the situation of having her fiance forcibly taken away by his older sister.
But will she really marry the man she fell in love with with her older sister?
The ladies' diagnosis was realistic.
“I admit that what Duke Cesare did was horrible. But is there a man in San Carlo who doesn’t lightly tease his lower body?”
“Right, I guess? Even if you get married with burning love now, in ten years, every family will have at least one mistress.”
“Actually, there is no one as worthy as Duke Cesare. He is a collateral royal family member of that age, has a good appearance, and has a lot of wealth. If she breaks up with Duke Cesare now, who will she meet?”
“There are no single men in good condition. They are not only scarce, they simply do not exist.”
“But think about it. There’s so much chaos in San Carlo, and she's just going to get married?”
“That’s true. What’s the difference between being married for 10 years and then quietly having your husband have a new girlfriend, and your fiancé having a new girlfriend during the prime of your engagement period who happens to be your older sister?”
“Even the rumor about that scene spread throughout the neighborhood.”
“I can endure it if it happens quietly, but if you spread rumors about it everywhere, it’s like smearing my face. It means you don’t respect your wife.”
“Countess de Mare, she seems to have a bit of a temper. Should she put up with this?”
“Even Countess de Mare doesn’t need to put up with it. She doesn’t have to worry about money, and she has the title.”
“That’s right. I’m not in a position where I have to get married to make a living while keeping an eye on my father and brother like other people do.”
“There are definitely people who will harass a woman who is a virgin even after she is past the age of marriage. It won’t be easy to endure, right?”
The only women who remained unmarried and were accepted as active members of society were unmarried royal Princesses.
The story is that an unmarried woman who has no intention of ever marrying is not acceptable in society without the support of a man like her father, the King.
“They said they were originally planning to get married at the end of this year or early next year?”
“Why don’t they just postpone the wedding until things calm down a bit?”
“Yeah. That’s the most reasonable.”
“If the engagement is to be broken off, Cardinal de Mare must send a letter of dissolution to His Majesty the King.”
An engagement between two families can be terminated only if the head of the family sends a notice of dissolution of engagement.
Normally, an engagement would be broken off simply by sending a letter of dissolution of engagement, but this engagement was unique in that it was established not by agreement between families, but by royal decree.
“An engagement can only be broken off if His Majesty the King gives his permission.”
“Would he send a letter of divorce saying that Cardinal de Mare is crazy?”
“That’s right. It’s an engagement that he kept by sending his eldest daughter to a convent, so I guess it’ll come to fruition.”
“He doesn’t want to miss out on becoming a royal relative.”
The entire capital knew that Cardinal de Mare was ambitious and at the same time lacking in family affection.
“And this is an engagement that His Majesty the King himself ordered. His Majesty the King... Of course, your son messed up, but I don’t think he would want to break off this engagement.”
“That’s right. It would be humiliating to go back on your own orders.”
“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
“I told you it’ll just slide. Have you seen the social circle for a day or two?”
“Shall we bet, shall we bet?”
“Well, what should I bet?”
“5 ducats (about 5 million won)! I’m breaking off the engagement!”
“Really? Are you betting on breaking off the engagement?”
“Hmm. I’ll take it too. Take 5 ducats and 10 more! I won’t break off the engagement!”
“Hohohoho! Aren’t these two amazing? I’ll bet that they won’t break off the engagement. The amount is...”
“Then I...”
Isabella's downfall and Ariadne's choice became the entertainment that heated up San Carlo in early summer.
While all of San Carlo was on edge about the fate of the engagement between Cesare and Ariadne, one of the parties to the engagement was also more focused than anyone else on the progress of the affair.
“...Isabella de Mare was taken to the Convent of Saint Angelo?”
Cesare, whose dark circles reached down to the side of his nose, asked his subordinate.
“Yes, I heard that she was taken away straight away last night. It must have been quite some time since she arrived at the convent by now.”
Cesare rose from his seat.
“Prepare my words immediately.”
He was about to head to the front door when he stopped and turned his steps toward the bathroom.
“No, I have to wash first. Anyway, get ready.”
“Are you going to the de Mare mansion?”
"Yes."
Isabella de Mare's banishment to a convent was an event that showed his future father-in-law's true feelings.
Cardinal de Mare had no intention of marrying Isabella to Cesare.
If so, then now was the time to get down on his knees and beg the person concerned.
He had to meet Ari.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment