Kkiririririk... Clank!
Cesare, who rode his black horse and raced to the de Mare mansion, saw the iron gate closing right before his eyes.
“The de Mare family refuses all guests.”
It was obvious that he was lying because the iron gate was wide open until Cesare showed up.
The gatekeeper, who had met Cesare so often that he knew his face, felt very embarrassed, but did not open the locked door.
“Please come back again later...”
“Is this the will of the Countess de Mare?”
Cesare asked again. Could it be her father's intention? But the gatekeeper answered quickly.
“Yes, that is correct, Your Highness.”
Cesare's brow furrowed. It was not a good sign for the woman to refuse to meet him at all.
But he was a professional. If you take your time and look at her steadily, you will find her weaknesses.
The prognosis was not good if you forced something on a stubborn woman.
“Phew...”
Today, today is not the day. Cesare felt sorry for his well-dressed appearance, but he did not show it and said to the gatekeeper.
“I’ll come back next time. Make sure to let her know I’m here.”
The gatekeeper, with a familiar face, greeted Cesare without even making eye contact.
“Take a look.”
There was a reason why the gatekeeper could not even make eye contact with Cesare. The next day was not the same, nor the day after that.
The main gate of the de Mare mansion, which had been wide open, quickly closed as soon as the Duke of Pisano appeared.
“That is...”
“Today too...”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
The sixth time Cesare was rejected was on a rainy early summer day.
When he left Villa Sortone, it was definitely a bright and sunny day, but on the way to the de Mare mansion, dark clouds began to gather and at one point, a heavy rain started to pour down.
The thin silk summer outfit he had dressed up so nicely in at home got soaked in the rain.
Even though he was wearing a hat, his red hair got completely soaked in the rain and turned reddish brown.
“The Countess said she is refusing outside guests today as well...”
“...I’ll wait here.”
"Yes?"
“Tell Countess de Mare that I will wait here until she meets me today.”
The gatekeeper blinked inside the guard post. The rain was falling so hard that even his outer garments beneath the stone roof were soaking wet.
“...It’s raining like this?”
“It’s not even snow, it’s just a summer shower. What’s the big deal? Go and tell her quickly.”
The gatekeeper felt both embarrassed and secretly proud that the second-highest ranking official in the country was standing in front of his office soaking wet from the rain.
It was satisfying to gain the strength to stand the Duke in the rain, but if that gentleman were to get drenched in the rain and fall ill, the arrows would come back to him.
The thought sent a chill down his spine and he ran inside in a hurry.
“I have a message for the Countess. May I come in for a moment?”
The porter stood before Ariadne's quarters and asked her personal maid cautiously.
After receiving permission from her personal maid, he shook himself free from moisture and dirt in the Countess's precious quarters and entered Ariadne's study.
Countess Ariadne de Mare was sitting at her desk by the window.
Next to her, who was standing guard like a plaster statue, the maid, Sancha, was busy organizing the ledgers and documents she was looking for.
“Oh, hello.”
His young mistress looked up and looked at him.
“What's going on?”
Ariadne was dressed neatly.
It was an appearance that completely contradicted the speculations of the San Carlo lovers that he would be unable to eat or sleep and just cry.
Her black hair was tied up neatly, and her face was made up so carefully that she could have gone out to the palace right away, even though she had no plans to meet outsiders.
But a keen observer would have noticed that the side of the face, illuminated by the candlelight even in broad daylight because of the dark clouds, had a deep look of pity.
Even the best makeup artist's touch couldn't completely hide the rough skin.
There were dead skin cells on her lips and grime on her hands.
But the porter at the de Mare mansion was not such a careful observer, and so he simply admired his mistress, who showed not a single bit of dishevelment, and reported what he had to report.
“Duke Cesare has arrived again.”
Ariadne answered with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice.
“You came all the way here just to talk about that? That happens all the time.”
Although Countess de Mare valued her time very much, he was never one to take out his frustrations on his servants.
The gatekeeper was startled and quickly finished reporting.
“Oh, no! That’s not it. He said he won’t go back until you meet again today!”
Ariadne's irritation deepened. But the oblivious gatekeeper did not notice this and added his own pity.
“This is... He seems to come here every day... It’s raining today...”
Cesare, who rode his black horse and raced to the de Mare mansion, saw the iron gate closing right before his eyes.
“The de Mare family refuses all guests.”
It was obvious that he was lying because the iron gate was wide open until Cesare showed up.
The gatekeeper, who had met Cesare so often that he knew his face, felt very embarrassed, but did not open the locked door.
“Please come back again later...”
“Is this the will of the Countess de Mare?”
Cesare asked again. Could it be her father's intention? But the gatekeeper answered quickly.
“Yes, that is correct, Your Highness.”
Cesare's brow furrowed. It was not a good sign for the woman to refuse to meet him at all.
But he was a professional. If you take your time and look at her steadily, you will find her weaknesses.
The prognosis was not good if you forced something on a stubborn woman.
“Phew...”
Today, today is not the day. Cesare felt sorry for his well-dressed appearance, but he did not show it and said to the gatekeeper.
“I’ll come back next time. Make sure to let her know I’m here.”
The gatekeeper, with a familiar face, greeted Cesare without even making eye contact.
“Take a look.”
***
There was a reason why the gatekeeper could not even make eye contact with Cesare. The next day was not the same, nor the day after that.
The main gate of the de Mare mansion, which had been wide open, quickly closed as soon as the Duke of Pisano appeared.
“That is...”
“Today too...”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
The sixth time Cesare was rejected was on a rainy early summer day.
When he left Villa Sortone, it was definitely a bright and sunny day, but on the way to the de Mare mansion, dark clouds began to gather and at one point, a heavy rain started to pour down.
The thin silk summer outfit he had dressed up so nicely in at home got soaked in the rain.
Even though he was wearing a hat, his red hair got completely soaked in the rain and turned reddish brown.
“The Countess said she is refusing outside guests today as well...”
“...I’ll wait here.”
"Yes?"
“Tell Countess de Mare that I will wait here until she meets me today.”
The gatekeeper blinked inside the guard post. The rain was falling so hard that even his outer garments beneath the stone roof were soaking wet.
“...It’s raining like this?”
“It’s not even snow, it’s just a summer shower. What’s the big deal? Go and tell her quickly.”
The gatekeeper felt both embarrassed and secretly proud that the second-highest ranking official in the country was standing in front of his office soaking wet from the rain.
It was satisfying to gain the strength to stand the Duke in the rain, but if that gentleman were to get drenched in the rain and fall ill, the arrows would come back to him.
The thought sent a chill down his spine and he ran inside in a hurry.
“I have a message for the Countess. May I come in for a moment?”
The porter stood before Ariadne's quarters and asked her personal maid cautiously.
After receiving permission from her personal maid, he shook himself free from moisture and dirt in the Countess's precious quarters and entered Ariadne's study.
Countess Ariadne de Mare was sitting at her desk by the window.
Next to her, who was standing guard like a plaster statue, the maid, Sancha, was busy organizing the ledgers and documents she was looking for.
“Oh, hello.”
His young mistress looked up and looked at him.
“What's going on?”
Ariadne was dressed neatly.
It was an appearance that completely contradicted the speculations of the San Carlo lovers that he would be unable to eat or sleep and just cry.
Her black hair was tied up neatly, and her face was made up so carefully that she could have gone out to the palace right away, even though she had no plans to meet outsiders.
But a keen observer would have noticed that the side of the face, illuminated by the candlelight even in broad daylight because of the dark clouds, had a deep look of pity.
Even the best makeup artist's touch couldn't completely hide the rough skin.
There were dead skin cells on her lips and grime on her hands.
But the porter at the de Mare mansion was not such a careful observer, and so he simply admired his mistress, who showed not a single bit of dishevelment, and reported what he had to report.
“Duke Cesare has arrived again.”
Ariadne answered with a slightly annoyed tone in her voice.
“You came all the way here just to talk about that? That happens all the time.”
Although Countess de Mare valued her time very much, he was never one to take out his frustrations on his servants.
The gatekeeper was startled and quickly finished reporting.
“Oh, no! That’s not it. He said he won’t go back until you meet again today!”
Ariadne's irritation deepened. But the oblivious gatekeeper did not notice this and added his own pity.
“This is... He seems to come here every day... It’s raining today...”
"However?"
“If he catches a cold while standing in the rain...”
As expected, it was the maid, Sancha, who figured out the master's intentions.
“It would be better if the Duke of Pisano caught a cold.”
"Yes?"
“If he's sick and lying in bed, he can stop pretending to look like a miserable dog in front of our house!”
The mountain girl spewed out her complaints like a machine gun.
“Do you know how annoying it is to have to close the door every time that guy shows up, and to have milk delivered and groceries procured only in the early morning?”
Ariadne went one step further than Sancha.
“Why are you closing the door?”
The gatekeeper answered, stammering.
“Ah, no, the Countess told me to tell Duke Cesare that the de Mare mansion is closed to any guests... Don’t you think it’s strange that everyone else comes and goes without him?”
“Of course, it’s strange from that person’s perspective, but do we really need to act strangely toward that person?”
"Yes?"
Ariadne kindly added so that the gatekeeper could understand.
“You probably know that anyway. It’s all just excuses.”
“Even if you only have half a brain, you can’t not know.”
Ariadne tilted her head.
“It feels like I only have half a brain.”
“That’s true.”
“Anyway, just leave that guy alone and open the doors for everyone else.”
“There’s no need for us to be inconvenienced because of the Duke of Pisano. Whose fault is it all?”
Ariadne didn't answer at all, but it was easy to see that she completely agreed with Sancha's words.
“Uh, is that really okay...?”
“Are you not going to listen to me?”
Ariadne's voice turned sharp toward the gatekeeper. These days, the Countess de Mare's word was law in the mansion of de Mare.
“Oh, no!”
The gatekeeper answered quickly.
“I will do that!”
Although he was afraid of what Duke Cesare would say, the de Mare family was the one who paid the gatekeeper's salary, and the one who effectively controlled the de Mare family was Ariadne De Mare.
Swish.
The summer rain, which had seemed to have subsided for a while, once again beat hard against the ground, and Duke Cesare, who had been about to go out, had no choice but to stand like a stone statue in front of the tightly closed main gate and let the rain pour down on him.
“The Countess... has not given me any answer...”
The gatekeeper, unable to tell him directly that his master had said, "Everyone except you are allowed in," relayed the master's message indirectly.
The gatekeeper was worried about being scolded or lashed out, but Duke Cesare surprisingly didn't say anything and just nodded his head.
“Don’t do that.”
So he sat upright on his horse through the driving showers and intermittent drizzles until the late morning ended, lunchtime passed, the afternoon drew on, and the sunset began to appear faintly through the dark clouds.
No matter how well the gatekeeper conveyed his master's wishes, this was the land ruled by Ariadne.
Even if you are a Duke outside, you are powerless inside this mansion.
While he was serving his sentence, a merchant delivering wine arrived.
The iron door that had been closed to Cesare opened wide when the wine merchant arrived.
The wine merchant, who was doing big business in the town of San Carlo, glanced at Duke Cesare, who looked like a peacock soaking wet, as he entered the palace, whipping a carriage full of oak barrels and two donkeys pulling it.
Duke Cesare bit his lip.
Next to appear was Madame Marini of Madova Linen, who came to discuss the fall uniforms for her employees.
She didn't look at Duke Cesare openly like a wine merchant, but she figured out who he was with just a glance and went inside, controlling her expression.
Cesare wiped his wet face with his hand.
'I wish Raphael de Baldessar had never shown up.'
Then he really will want to die.
It was something Cesare was willing to do to show his loyalty and brave the cold and heat to melt a woman's heart.
But being caught in that state by a young man of San Carlo's age, and being caught by a powerful love rival, was a completely different story.
If Cesare had been after another woman, he would have turned his horse around and retreated, then returned on a safer day.
But now, success or failure is at stake as to whether or not he can win Ariadne's heart.
And this was by no means an easy game. It was a close call between winning and losing.
And it wasn't a game he could afford to lose. He had to win her heart.
So Cesare was caught up in his own anxiety, unable to go anywhere.
Swish, swish!
A third sound, or rather the sound of horses, was heard on the paved stone road leading up to the de Mare mansion.
The two guests who had preceded Cesare, one on a donkey and the other on a pack horse, made a rather rough sound with their horse's hooves.
But this time, the person coming up seemed to be a nobleman. No matter how you heard it, it sounded like a brisk, riding horse.
'Two? A carriage?'
Most young men ride horses rather than carriages, but it's raining heavily today.
Even young men ride in carriages in this weather, unless they are like Cesare, who leaves home before the rain starts to pour.
'...It's not really Baldessar, is it?'
Cesare's spine tingled. In the meantime, the newly appeared carriage approached the main gate of the de Mare mansion with great momentum.
Hehehee!
Finally, the sound of horses neighing was heard nearby. Cesare could not even bring himself to turn his head to see who the owner of the carriage was.
As he stood there, frozen stiffly, staring straight ahead, a carriage stopped right next to him.
“...The weather is bad, what are you doing here?”
A low male voice was heard from inside the carriage window.
Cesare slowly turned his head towards the carriage with a face like he had met the god of death.
It wasn't Raphael de Baldessar, but he was someone he didn't want to meet as much as Baldessar.
“...How have you been?”
The person riding in the carriage was none other than Cardinal de Mare.
“If he catches a cold while standing in the rain...”
As expected, it was the maid, Sancha, who figured out the master's intentions.
“It would be better if the Duke of Pisano caught a cold.”
"Yes?"
“If he's sick and lying in bed, he can stop pretending to look like a miserable dog in front of our house!”
The mountain girl spewed out her complaints like a machine gun.
“Do you know how annoying it is to have to close the door every time that guy shows up, and to have milk delivered and groceries procured only in the early morning?”
Ariadne went one step further than Sancha.
“Why are you closing the door?”
The gatekeeper answered, stammering.
“Ah, no, the Countess told me to tell Duke Cesare that the de Mare mansion is closed to any guests... Don’t you think it’s strange that everyone else comes and goes without him?”
“Of course, it’s strange from that person’s perspective, but do we really need to act strangely toward that person?”
"Yes?"
Ariadne kindly added so that the gatekeeper could understand.
“You probably know that anyway. It’s all just excuses.”
Sancha chimed in.
Ariadne tilted her head.
“It feels like I only have half a brain.”
“That’s true.”
“Anyway, just leave that guy alone and open the doors for everyone else.”
“There’s no need for us to be inconvenienced because of the Duke of Pisano. Whose fault is it all?”
Ariadne didn't answer at all, but it was easy to see that she completely agreed with Sancha's words.
“Uh, is that really okay...?”
“Are you not going to listen to me?”
Ariadne's voice turned sharp toward the gatekeeper. These days, the Countess de Mare's word was law in the mansion of de Mare.
“Oh, no!”
The gatekeeper answered quickly.
“I will do that!”
Although he was afraid of what Duke Cesare would say, the de Mare family was the one who paid the gatekeeper's salary, and the one who effectively controlled the de Mare family was Ariadne De Mare.
***
Swish.
The summer rain, which had seemed to have subsided for a while, once again beat hard against the ground, and Duke Cesare, who had been about to go out, had no choice but to stand like a stone statue in front of the tightly closed main gate and let the rain pour down on him.
“The Countess... has not given me any answer...”
The gatekeeper, unable to tell him directly that his master had said, "Everyone except you are allowed in," relayed the master's message indirectly.
The gatekeeper was worried about being scolded or lashed out, but Duke Cesare surprisingly didn't say anything and just nodded his head.
“Don’t do that.”
So he sat upright on his horse through the driving showers and intermittent drizzles until the late morning ended, lunchtime passed, the afternoon drew on, and the sunset began to appear faintly through the dark clouds.
No matter how well the gatekeeper conveyed his master's wishes, this was the land ruled by Ariadne.
Even if you are a Duke outside, you are powerless inside this mansion.
Ariadne's words eventually indirectly reached Cesare.
The iron door that had been closed to Cesare opened wide when the wine merchant arrived.
The wine merchant, who was doing big business in the town of San Carlo, glanced at Duke Cesare, who looked like a peacock soaking wet, as he entered the palace, whipping a carriage full of oak barrels and two donkeys pulling it.
Duke Cesare bit his lip.
Next to appear was Madame Marini of Madova Linen, who came to discuss the fall uniforms for her employees.
She didn't look at Duke Cesare openly like a wine merchant, but she figured out who he was with just a glance and went inside, controlling her expression.
Cesare wiped his wet face with his hand.
'I wish Raphael de Baldessar had never shown up.'
Then he really will want to die.
It was something Cesare was willing to do to show his loyalty and brave the cold and heat to melt a woman's heart.
But being caught in that state by a young man of San Carlo's age, and being caught by a powerful love rival, was a completely different story.
If Cesare had been after another woman, he would have turned his horse around and retreated, then returned on a safer day.
But now, success or failure is at stake as to whether or not he can win Ariadne's heart.
And this was by no means an easy game. It was a close call between winning and losing.
And it wasn't a game he could afford to lose. He had to win her heart.
So Cesare was caught up in his own anxiety, unable to go anywhere.
Swish, swish!
A third sound, or rather the sound of horses, was heard on the paved stone road leading up to the de Mare mansion.
The two guests who had preceded Cesare, one on a donkey and the other on a pack horse, made a rather rough sound with their horse's hooves.
But this time, the person coming up seemed to be a nobleman. No matter how you heard it, it sounded like a brisk, riding horse.
'Two? A carriage?'
Most young men ride horses rather than carriages, but it's raining heavily today.
Even young men ride in carriages in this weather, unless they are like Cesare, who leaves home before the rain starts to pour.
'...It's not really Baldessar, is it?'
Cesare's spine tingled. In the meantime, the newly appeared carriage approached the main gate of the de Mare mansion with great momentum.
Hehehee!
Finally, the sound of horses neighing was heard nearby. Cesare could not even bring himself to turn his head to see who the owner of the carriage was.
As he stood there, frozen stiffly, staring straight ahead, a carriage stopped right next to him.
“...The weather is bad, what are you doing here?”
A low male voice was heard from inside the carriage window.
Cesare slowly turned his head towards the carriage with a face like he had met the god of death.
It wasn't Raphael de Baldessar, but he was someone he didn't want to meet as much as Baldessar.
“...How have you been?”
The person riding in the carriage was none other than Cardinal de Mare.
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