Cardinal de Mare looked Duke Cesare up and down with his cool green eyes.
“What are you doing here now?”
The porter hurriedly ran to the front of the carriage and whispered in the Cardinal's ear, explaining the situation.
The Duke and the gatekeeper each had their own reasons and interpretations for thinking that it was they who would strike the bell and not the other person, but the Cardinal, who heard the entire explanation of the situation, simply said, "Hmm."
Cesare waited anxiously for Cardinal de Mare's next words.
No, it could have been his next move. If he had punched you once, he could have done it twice.
Should I hit him again? Isn't twice a bit too much? As he was thinking this, Cardinal de Mare's voice caught Cesare's attention.
“Follow me.”
He answered stupidly.
"Yes?"
“Follow me.”
Cardinal de Mare's carriage turned inward without further explanation.
Cesare followed the Cardinal's silver carriage into the grounds of the de Mare palace.
Upon reaching the palace entrance, the Cardinal got out of the carriage with the help of a coachman holding an umbrella, while Cesare got down from his horse dripping with water.
Cardinal de Mare, standing under the eaves of the porch, spoke to Cesare.
“Your Excellency the Duke of Pisano.”
He showed his respect by using the polite title that should be used in court. Cesare, who was surprised, also bowed his head in return.
“Your Eminence, Cardinal.”
Squeak!
Having said that, the Cardinal opened the front door himself. He stepped inside.
Cesare also hurriedly followed his future father-in-law or the man who would assault him soon.
The Cardinal walked side by side with Cesare in the first-floor corridor in silence for a moment. Cesare found this silence difficult to bear.
Just before he was thrown back like a crumpled water pipe, the Cardinal, who had taken a step up to the top of the stairs, opened his mouth.
“I think I’ve given all the formal examples, so I guess I can speak freely now.”
There was no way Cesare could refuse.
“Of course. Do whatever you want.”
The Cardinal did not offer even a word of condescension about it but instead glared at Cesare with his cold green eyes.
“I honestly don’t like you, little brat.”
Cesare swallowed thickly, speechless.
“But I don’t like the fact that one of my daughters has left for good to become a nunnery, and the other has become a spinster whose engagement has been broken off, leaving only dirt on her name.”
Cesare nodded with his mouth tightly shut.
“So, you little brat... No, you go in and tease my daughter.”
He was silent for a moment, then added.
“You won't listen to me.”
“...”
“Get successful quickly and get out of here.”
Cardinal de Mare left those words behind, turned around, and climbed the stairs alone.
Cesare left alone in front of the steep stairs that resembled a steep cliff, swallowed hard.
The stairs that he had always climbed with a light heart now looked like a giant judgment seat.
He took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and cautiously climbed up the stairs, one step at a time, towards her at the top.
Knock knock.
Cesare, dripping wet, knocked on the door to Ariadne's study.
This was because Cardinal de Mare let him into the house, but did not show him any kindness, such as giving him a towel to wipe himself with.
Once inside the house, it was easy to get here.
The red-haired maid who had been acting like a gatekeeper was nowhere to be seen, and the rest of the maids scattered in surprise at the sight of Cesare as if they had seen a ghost.
But the final hurdle was the problem. The oak door leading to Ariadne's study would not budge.
Knock knock.
He knocked again with trembling hands, but again, there was no answer.
“Ari...? Are you going in?”
He slowly pushed open the massive oak door. The heavy door creaked its hinges and closed its angle.
Squeak.
Ariadne, who had not heard the knock because she was buried under a pile of papers, was somewhat surprised by the intruder entering the room.
The uninvited guest stomped on her green carpet with his dripping boots, his auburn hair shaking like a stray cat under the eaves.
“What are you doing here?”
Her voice came out sharply on its own. It wasn't just because of the carpet. She had clearly told him not to enter the mansion.
Cesare answered with a bitter smile at his fiancée, who seemed ready to call the guards at any moment.
“Your father let me in.”
Ariadne's expression grew even more rotten. Oh, Father. This is what you are thinking.
Cesare spoke to her, leaving her thoughts aside.
“Let’s talk.”
He moved towards Ariadne's sofa, seeming to be about to sit down.
He was so scared that the rain would hit the velvet sofa as well as the carpet that she threw the hand towel on the desk at Cesare.
He quickly snatched the towel and wiped his face and hair. That wasn't why she had given him the towel.
“Sit down.”
“Are you letting me sit down?”
“No. Just stand there.”
Cesare smiled and lowered his head.
“Thank you for the invitation. I will gladly sit down.”
He folded the towel carefully, making sure that the water dripping from his trousers did not touch the green velvet sofa cover, and sat down. That was Cesare's charm.
Sometimes, when she speaks, there are moments when he listens. And every time, like a ghost, he adds delicate consideration.
As if he knew what she wanted. As if he was promising that only Silk Road would unfold from now on.
Ariadne shook her head. Those were useless thoughts.
She sat opposite Cesare, her posture and expression somewhat crooked.
Cesare smiled faintly as he watched Ariadne sit down, a subtle sign that her heart had not yet completely cooled.
Women who are truly unlovable become truly insensitive.
If Ariadne had really been completely exhausted from all his affection, she would have sat upright as usual.
That sullen expression was a cry for comfort, Cesare thought.
“...I’m sorry. It was my fault.”
He got straight to the point and started with an apology. His voice was as soft as a bird's feather and as sweet as cotton candy.
Ariadne glared at Cesare. He furrowed his brows as if in trouble and smiled faintly.
“Even if you really kill me, I have nothing to say. I don’t even know why I did it.”
Ariadne, hearing this, was astonished and answered. The reason she did not answer right away was pure absurdity.
“Do you think an apology like this can make up for what you did?”
Cesare answered quickly.
“Nothing I do will heal your aching heart, but I will do anything, anything you want.”
Cesare's aquamarine eyes were full of appeal, a power that came from the features of the most handsome man in the capital.
“I really did everything wrong.”
His voice trembled slightly. Ariadne snorted.
“Do you know what you did wrong?”
“...It was my fault for playing around with another woman at my fiancée’s birthday party, and it was also my fault that that other woman was your older sister.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added.
“I’m really sorry that I did that in front of everyone. It ended up ruining your face.”
He added hurriedly.
“I will pay you back for this for a long time.”
In Cesare's arms was a polished 'Swan of Linville'.
He had kept it carefully in a red box, but it didn't seem like the right time to take it out. Plus, the box was full of water.
“I will treat you well for the rest of my life. This will never happen again.”
But Ariadne's expression did not show any sign of being persuaded. Cesare, whose mind was becoming anxious, lowered his posture with both elbows on the tea table.
“I really came to my senses. I really got scolded a lot by His Eminence the Cardinal.”
He appealed to Ariadne in a whisper.
“He hit me in the face with his fist, and I came to my senses.”
Cesare briefly told Ariadne the story of how Cardinal de Mare had come to the Villa Sorotone and beaten him.
It was the first time Ariadne had heard this story.
Isabella was immediately taken away and had no chance to speak, and Cardinal de Mare said nothing.
Her eyebrows twitched and moved.
Was that fist of my father's, a fist for Isabella, a fist for me, or was it simply a fist to vent his anger?
Cesare continued to persuade her.
“I really reflected a lot in the rain. I came here every day and stood guard in front of the door. Did you hear the story?”
“...”
“I will live my whole life atoning for my sins. I will repay you by being kind to you.”
Cesare, who had been silent for a moment, spoke quietly.
“It wasn’t until I almost lost you that I realized how much you meant to me.”
He carefully got up from his seat and tried to move next to Ariadne.
But Cesare, realizing that his clothes were still wet, knelt on the floor instead of sitting next to her and took Ariadne's hand.
“You are more than just a woman.”
Cesare's voice quietened.
“There are many women. There are even many pretty women and many women from good families. But... there was only one Ariadne de Mare.”
The sincerity of the situation was evident.
“I felt it when I was going through the Isabella thing. It’s just... It’s all different. You’re more than just a woman.”
Cesare's hands, which had been standing in the rain for more than half a day, were cold as ice.
The temperature was felt even through the thin indoor gloves Ariadne was wearing.
“You are the lighthouse that guides my shortcomings. You are my compass and my rudder.”
Cesare's fingers carefully dug into Ariadne's clenched fist.
“You lead me, who is lacking, in the right direction.”
He added.
“Even if you don’t give me verbal guidance, your mere presence makes me a better person.”
Cesare managed to squeeze one of his fingers into Ariadne's fist and let out a shallow sigh of relief.
“Please. Give this worthless guy one more chance. Yes?”
Ariadne, silently listening to Cesare's confession until then, finally opened her lips.
Cesare's dilated pupils shook. He followed her movements, breathing, and body temperature moment by moment as if someone were hearing a sentence.
Because he didn't even dare to raise his face and look her in the eye.
Unfortunately, her sentence was the opposite of Cesare's expectations.
"Break up the engagement."
Cesare raised his head. His expression was frozen.
“What are you doing here now?”
The porter hurriedly ran to the front of the carriage and whispered in the Cardinal's ear, explaining the situation.
The Duke and the gatekeeper each had their own reasons and interpretations for thinking that it was they who would strike the bell and not the other person, but the Cardinal, who heard the entire explanation of the situation, simply said, "Hmm."
Cesare waited anxiously for Cardinal de Mare's next words.
No, it could have been his next move. If he had punched you once, he could have done it twice.
Should I hit him again? Isn't twice a bit too much? As he was thinking this, Cardinal de Mare's voice caught Cesare's attention.
“Follow me.”
He answered stupidly.
"Yes?"
“Follow me.”
Cardinal de Mare's carriage turned inward without further explanation.
Cesare followed the Cardinal's silver carriage into the grounds of the de Mare palace.
Upon reaching the palace entrance, the Cardinal got out of the carriage with the help of a coachman holding an umbrella, while Cesare got down from his horse dripping with water.
Cardinal de Mare, standing under the eaves of the porch, spoke to Cesare.
“Your Excellency the Duke of Pisano.”
He showed his respect by using the polite title that should be used in court. Cesare, who was surprised, also bowed his head in return.
“Your Eminence, Cardinal.”
Squeak!
Having said that, the Cardinal opened the front door himself. He stepped inside.
Cesare also hurriedly followed his future father-in-law or the man who would assault him soon.
The Cardinal walked side by side with Cesare in the first-floor corridor in silence for a moment. Cesare found this silence difficult to bear.
Just before he was thrown back like a crumpled water pipe, the Cardinal, who had taken a step up to the top of the stairs, opened his mouth.
“I think I’ve given all the formal examples, so I guess I can speak freely now.”
There was no way Cesare could refuse.
“Of course. Do whatever you want.”
The Cardinal did not offer even a word of condescension about it but instead glared at Cesare with his cold green eyes.
“I honestly don’t like you, little brat.”
Cesare swallowed thickly, speechless.
“But I don’t like the fact that one of my daughters has left for good to become a nunnery, and the other has become a spinster whose engagement has been broken off, leaving only dirt on her name.”
Cesare nodded with his mouth tightly shut.
“So, you little brat... No, you go in and tease my daughter.”
He was silent for a moment, then added.
“You won't listen to me.”
“...”
“Get successful quickly and get out of here.”
Cardinal de Mare left those words behind, turned around, and climbed the stairs alone.
Cesare left alone in front of the steep stairs that resembled a steep cliff, swallowed hard.
He took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and cautiously climbed up the stairs, one step at a time, towards her at the top.
***
Knock knock.
Cesare, dripping wet, knocked on the door to Ariadne's study.
This was because Cardinal de Mare let him into the house, but did not show him any kindness, such as giving him a towel to wipe himself with.
Once inside the house, it was easy to get here.
The red-haired maid who had been acting like a gatekeeper was nowhere to be seen, and the rest of the maids scattered in surprise at the sight of Cesare as if they had seen a ghost.
But the final hurdle was the problem. The oak door leading to Ariadne's study would not budge.
Knock knock.
He knocked again with trembling hands, but again, there was no answer.
“Ari...? Are you going in?”
He slowly pushed open the massive oak door. The heavy door creaked its hinges and closed its angle.
Squeak.
***
Ariadne, who had not heard the knock because she was buried under a pile of papers, was somewhat surprised by the intruder entering the room.
The uninvited guest stomped on her green carpet with his dripping boots, his auburn hair shaking like a stray cat under the eaves.
“What are you doing here?”
Her voice came out sharply on its own. It wasn't just because of the carpet. She had clearly told him not to enter the mansion.
Cesare answered with a bitter smile at his fiancée, who seemed ready to call the guards at any moment.
“Your father let me in.”
Ariadne's expression grew even more rotten. Oh, Father. This is what you are thinking.
Cesare spoke to her, leaving her thoughts aside.
“Let’s talk.”
He moved towards Ariadne's sofa, seeming to be about to sit down.
He was so scared that the rain would hit the velvet sofa as well as the carpet that she threw the hand towel on the desk at Cesare.
He quickly snatched the towel and wiped his face and hair. That wasn't why she had given him the towel.
“Sit down.”
“Are you letting me sit down?”
“No. Just stand there.”
Cesare smiled and lowered his head.
“Thank you for the invitation. I will gladly sit down.”
He folded the towel carefully, making sure that the water dripping from his trousers did not touch the green velvet sofa cover, and sat down. That was Cesare's charm.
Sometimes, when she speaks, there are moments when he listens. And every time, like a ghost, he adds delicate consideration.
As if he knew what she wanted. As if he was promising that only Silk Road would unfold from now on.
Ariadne shook her head. Those were useless thoughts.
She sat opposite Cesare, her posture and expression somewhat crooked.
Cesare smiled faintly as he watched Ariadne sit down, a subtle sign that her heart had not yet completely cooled.
Women who are truly unlovable become truly insensitive.
If Ariadne had really been completely exhausted from all his affection, she would have sat upright as usual.
That sullen expression was a cry for comfort, Cesare thought.
“...I’m sorry. It was my fault.”
He got straight to the point and started with an apology. His voice was as soft as a bird's feather and as sweet as cotton candy.
Ariadne glared at Cesare. He furrowed his brows as if in trouble and smiled faintly.
“Even if you really kill me, I have nothing to say. I don’t even know why I did it.”
Ariadne, hearing this, was astonished and answered. The reason she did not answer right away was pure absurdity.
“Do you think an apology like this can make up for what you did?”
Cesare answered quickly.
“Nothing I do will heal your aching heart, but I will do anything, anything you want.”
Cesare's aquamarine eyes were full of appeal, a power that came from the features of the most handsome man in the capital.
“I really did everything wrong.”
His voice trembled slightly. Ariadne snorted.
“Do you know what you did wrong?”
“...It was my fault for playing around with another woman at my fiancée’s birthday party, and it was also my fault that that other woman was your older sister.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added.
“I’m really sorry that I did that in front of everyone. It ended up ruining your face.”
He added hurriedly.
“I will pay you back for this for a long time.”
In Cesare's arms was a polished 'Swan of Linville'.
He had kept it carefully in a red box, but it didn't seem like the right time to take it out. Plus, the box was full of water.
“I will treat you well for the rest of my life. This will never happen again.”
But Ariadne's expression did not show any sign of being persuaded. Cesare, whose mind was becoming anxious, lowered his posture with both elbows on the tea table.
“I really came to my senses. I really got scolded a lot by His Eminence the Cardinal.”
He appealed to Ariadne in a whisper.
“He hit me in the face with his fist, and I came to my senses.”
Cesare briefly told Ariadne the story of how Cardinal de Mare had come to the Villa Sorotone and beaten him.
It was the first time Ariadne had heard this story.
Isabella was immediately taken away and had no chance to speak, and Cardinal de Mare said nothing.
Her eyebrows twitched and moved.
Was that fist of my father's, a fist for Isabella, a fist for me, or was it simply a fist to vent his anger?
Cesare continued to persuade her.
“I really reflected a lot in the rain. I came here every day and stood guard in front of the door. Did you hear the story?”
“...”
“I will live my whole life atoning for my sins. I will repay you by being kind to you.”
Cesare, who had been silent for a moment, spoke quietly.
“It wasn’t until I almost lost you that I realized how much you meant to me.”
He carefully got up from his seat and tried to move next to Ariadne.
But Cesare, realizing that his clothes were still wet, knelt on the floor instead of sitting next to her and took Ariadne's hand.
“You are more than just a woman.”
Cesare's voice quietened.
“There are many women. There are even many pretty women and many women from good families. But... there was only one Ariadne de Mare.”
The sincerity of the situation was evident.
“I felt it when I was going through the Isabella thing. It’s just... It’s all different. You’re more than just a woman.”
Cesare's hands, which had been standing in the rain for more than half a day, were cold as ice.
The temperature was felt even through the thin indoor gloves Ariadne was wearing.
“You are the lighthouse that guides my shortcomings. You are my compass and my rudder.”
Cesare's fingers carefully dug into Ariadne's clenched fist.
“You lead me, who is lacking, in the right direction.”
He added.
“Even if you don’t give me verbal guidance, your mere presence makes me a better person.”
Cesare managed to squeeze one of his fingers into Ariadne's fist and let out a shallow sigh of relief.
“Please. Give this worthless guy one more chance. Yes?”
Ariadne, silently listening to Cesare's confession until then, finally opened her lips.
Cesare's dilated pupils shook. He followed her movements, breathing, and body temperature moment by moment as if someone were hearing a sentence.
Because he didn't even dare to raise his face and look her in the eye.
Unfortunately, her sentence was the opposite of Cesare's expectations.
"Break up the engagement."
Cesare raised his head. His expression was frozen.
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