“They made me a cripple with one arm.”
Sir Elko gritted his teeth and spat out the words self-deprecatingly.
“I have become a useless human who has put down my sword forever. Who else would hate the Kingdom of Gallico as much as I do, which took everything from me?”
Sir Manfredi bit the tip of his tongue. Sir Elko lost his eyes and arms while being tortured by the Gallico men.
Certainly, the claim that he was Gallico's spy was a stretch.
Alfonso also looked at Sir Manfredi with sunken eyes. Elko had suffered all kinds of hardships in Yesak without a doubt.
He volunteered to do the work that everyone else was reluctant to do because he was not a combatant. It was out of the question for a human being to doubt his loyalty.
Sir Manfredi, who was reflecting on what he had said and then receiving a glare from Alfonso, apologized obediently.
“...I made a mistake, Sir Elko.”
But Elko answered with a twinkle in his eye.
“I am a vagabond, a loner without a family. I desire nothing more than the glory of Prince Alfonso.”
Sir Manfredi could only nod.
This was the end of Elko's questioning as to why he was so supportive of the marriage between Princess Lariesa and Prince Alfonso. But Sir Dino had not given up yet.
“Your Highness, why didn’t you tell us?”
Sir Dino was the one who knew best how much Alfonso hated Lariesa and how he felt about Ariadne.
“You didn’t have to make such sacrifices! If you had consulted us, we would have found a way somehow...!”
“That was the best we could do at the time.”
When Philip IV was attempting to take Prince Alfonso's life, if Alfonso died in an accident or was disguised as an illness, it would be the end for everyone.
“We must risk our lives to ensure that the Prince escapes...!”
“It is my responsibility to protect you.”
Alfonso continued heavily.
“And Elko is proof that I failed in my responsibilities.”
“...”
Sir Dino was speechless, and so was Sir Manfredi. Only Sir Elko lowered his head to the floor with slightly reddened eyes.
“So let’s not talk about this anymore.”
Alfonso looked out the window in silence.
Leo III was already furious when he heard that his son already had a wife.
“You got married without my permission?!”
Prince Alfonso, who was dragged into Leo III's study behind the open audience room, spoke calmly.
“His Majesty has already given permission.”
“What? When me? Who?”
To the bewildered Leo III, Prince Alfonso replied:
“She is the Grand Duchess of Lariesa of Gallico.”
“What?”
“Your Majesty, it was you who sent me to Gallico to marry that woman.”
"What!"
Leo III screamed in anger.
“That was then! This is now! If it were now, I would never have allowed it!”
Leo III hurriedly listed reasons why Alfonso and Lariesa could not be married.
“I didn’t like the character of Lariesa de Valoa in the first place! Besides, I heard that she has been staying in the Grand Duchess’s residence due to her poor health these days! How can you marry a poor woman with poor health to the successor of the Etruscans?”
Princess Lariesa's personality was the same then as it is now.
Leo III's reason for his opposition was precisely that the Princess of Lariesa was now a useless marriage partner who brought no gunpowder. The political situation has changed since then.
If he were to express his dissatisfaction without giving it its due, it would be an illogical objection. Prince Alfonso responded blandly to Leo III's stubbornness.
“I’ve already signed the marriage contract.”
"What!"
Leo III immediately ordered that the marriage certificate be brought to him so that he could examine its legal validity.
By now, Leo III's attendant would probably be running to Leo III with Alfonso's marriage certificate from the Prince's palace.
Alfonso also had some inkling that there might be legal issues with the marriage contract.
That was the reason why he had never publicly revealed the story of his marriage to Princess Lariesa until now.
'...So what if it's invalid?'
Prince Alfonso had little interest in the validity or invalidity of the marriage contract.
Leo III was furious about Lariesa's poor health, something Alfonso had also indirectly sensed from her letters.
Lariesa began to write more frequently about being bedridden or not being able to go out for a long time. Her handwriting was not as neat as before.
In the latter part of the war, the interval between letters became irregular, with letters coming infrequently or several letters coming in a row. It seemed as if she had not been able to send them during the period of her illness.
But for Alfonso, that was not a reason not to marry Lariesa, but a reason to marry her.
'A woman who lost her chance at marriage and ruined her health because she only looked at me.'
Regardless of whether he likes her or not, she is a pitiful person.
'It's right for me to take responsibility.'
Alfonso looked out the window again. In this palace, Alfonso had told Lariesa that he did not love her.
From this very window, he saw Lariesa begging for a final meeting, but he refused to see her.
All because he loved the girl with black hair.
He suddenly smiled bitterly.
Lariesa has been single-mindedly devoted to Alfonso for the past four years if he leaves aside the fact that her devotion has been a twisted and painful one.
However, it was only very recently that he decided to take responsibility for Princess Lariesa.
To be precise, it was only after seeing the back of the black-haired girl leaving the crowd in Raphael's arms.
'...'
Alfonso openly declared to Leo III that he was married to the Grand Duchess of Lariesa.
That was the best way to prevent any marriage talks between the young daughter of the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg and him.
It was also true that he had signed a marriage contract with the Grand Duchess of Lariesa.
It was right that Leo III should be spoken to at some point since the marriage contract had to be fulfilled or resolved as a matter of state to state.
But can they really say that blurting out something like that in front of the ministers wasn't an impulsive act? After seeing her living each day faithfully even after he disappeared, he got angry.
Alfonso sat on the windowsill of his room with his back to the wall and his knees bent, just as he had done when he was a child.
It was the very place where he had once gone down to the villa in Taranto with Ariadne and was pondering what to do to pass the time.
Duchess Rubina received one piece of news that was uplifting and one piece of news that was downright unpleasant.
“What kind of ghostly wheat-husking noise is this?”
What made her angry was a letter from her son, Cesare.
In response to his mother's message that "Alfonso has returned, so you too should return to the capital," her son wrote a poem out of the blue praising the beautiful scenery of the Pisano estate.
“Are you saying he won’t come down?”
“...How can I answer?”
“Yes. What would I expect from you?”
Rubina, who had been harassing the maid next to her, threw the letter in annoyance.
“There are no useful subordinates.”
Duchess Rubina grumbled whether anyone was listening or not.
The maid of the Duchess, who came from a lower-class noble family whose name no one had ever heard of, shed tears.
But there was good news: Ottavio, son of the deceased Count Contarini, became the new Count Contarini and inherited his father's cabinet post.
'Your Majesty, too.'
Leo III was a master of seduction. He was always teasing Rubina by giving her what she wanted, but not quite giving her what she wanted.
'I guess you'll eventually grant my request.'
She paid her debts with satisfaction.
Duchess Rubina was in a difficult situation after Count Contarini died.
Over time, her dependence on the Count grew, to the point where she was consulting him on almost every decision.
She knew in her head that it was a good idea to have several alternatives available, but it was difficult to put into practice.
In recent years, the relationship between Leo III and the great nobles had deteriorated by the day, and among those who tried to approach Rubina, none of them were to her liking.
'There is no cat under the lion, so his son will be useful too.'
Rubina, without knowing much about Count Contarini's son, assumed that Ottavio could fill Count Contarini's empty position.
Rubina wasn't entirely mistaken. At that time, there were no public schools, and even the nobles were usually taught at home by private tutors.
Universities were not institutions for educating talented individuals, but rather places for children from families that could not afford good tutors or places for them to learn specialized skills that could not be learned generally, such as theology or law.
Naturally, if you grew up in a good home, you would receive a good education. Bringing in children from good families was the surest way to secure talent.
“When will the new Count Contarini arrive?”
Rubina asked her maid.
“That, that’s fine...”
“What do you know?”
As Rubina's maid was about to wipe away her tears and snot for the second time, a royal servant knocked on the door from outside.
“Your Highness, a guest has arrived.”
“Take him in.”
"Yes."
Rubina sat down on the sofa with a satisfied smile. Soon, Ottavio came in with an awkward smile on his lips.
“It is an honor to meet you, Duchess Rubina.”
It was a neat greeting according to the manners she had been taught, but there was no way to hide the unnatural appearance.
Duchess Rubina, the current Queen of San Carlo society, was keenly aware of Ottavio's mood.
“You don’t have to be so embarrassed.”
She greeted him with a leisurely smile.
“It is unfortunate that the spring manager is in such a situation.”
Ottavio bowed his head.
“I am very grateful to the Duchess for taking such good care of me.”
Duchess Rubina not only attended the funeral of the late Count Contarini in person but also sent a lavish wreath and gifts. Her network of connections also filled the funeral parlor.
“Congratulations on your succession to the title of Count.”
“It’s all thanks to the Duchess.”
“What are you going to do with something like that?”
Rubina smiled with her thin lips.
“I have better news.”
"Yes?"
“Not only did the Count become a member of the Lesser Curia Regis.”
Here, Ottavio's face was already dumbfounded.
“Your father’s position has been inherited by you, along with the Marquis de Baldessar and the Count of Marquez.”
“!”
“I’m glad to be the first to tell you the good news.”
This was an unconventional greeting. His father's position was one where a young rascal like Ottavio wouldn't even dare hand out his business card.
He was the most powerful man in the Etruscan kingdom, presiding over the procedural aspects of the royal courts, administering prisons and sentences, and maintaining the security of the city under orders from Leo III.
Before Ottavio could even offer his thanks, he found himself blurting out the words.
Only as he spoke did he realize that this was an opportunity provided by Duchess Rubina.
“This, this is too much for me...”
“Children inevitably resemble their parents.”
Duchess Rubina smiled charmingly.
“I believe you will become a great minister like your father.”
Ottavio belatedly expressed his gratitude.
“I will be loyal! How can I ever repay this favor by helping me so much...”
“You can just pay it back slowly in the future.”
There was no one-sided favor in this matter. Just postponing the payment date was a great act of kindness.
Anyway, there was the first test.
“I think I’m going to need the help of a young lady soon. I hear Contarini’s fiancee is beautiful and stylish, so she’ll be a perfect fit.”
My... fiancée?
A cold sweat ran down Ottavio's spine.
Sir Elko gritted his teeth and spat out the words self-deprecatingly.
“I have become a useless human who has put down my sword forever. Who else would hate the Kingdom of Gallico as much as I do, which took everything from me?”
Sir Manfredi bit the tip of his tongue. Sir Elko lost his eyes and arms while being tortured by the Gallico men.
Certainly, the claim that he was Gallico's spy was a stretch.
Alfonso also looked at Sir Manfredi with sunken eyes. Elko had suffered all kinds of hardships in Yesak without a doubt.
He volunteered to do the work that everyone else was reluctant to do because he was not a combatant. It was out of the question for a human being to doubt his loyalty.
Sir Manfredi, who was reflecting on what he had said and then receiving a glare from Alfonso, apologized obediently.
“...I made a mistake, Sir Elko.”
But Elko answered with a twinkle in his eye.
“I am a vagabond, a loner without a family. I desire nothing more than the glory of Prince Alfonso.”
Sir Manfredi could only nod.
This was the end of Elko's questioning as to why he was so supportive of the marriage between Princess Lariesa and Prince Alfonso. But Sir Dino had not given up yet.
“Your Highness, why didn’t you tell us?”
Sir Dino was the one who knew best how much Alfonso hated Lariesa and how he felt about Ariadne.
“You didn’t have to make such sacrifices! If you had consulted us, we would have found a way somehow...!”
“That was the best we could do at the time.”
When Philip IV was attempting to take Prince Alfonso's life, if Alfonso died in an accident or was disguised as an illness, it would be the end for everyone.
“We must risk our lives to ensure that the Prince escapes...!”
“It is my responsibility to protect you.”
Alfonso continued heavily.
“And Elko is proof that I failed in my responsibilities.”
“...”
Sir Dino was speechless, and so was Sir Manfredi. Only Sir Elko lowered his head to the floor with slightly reddened eyes.
“So let’s not talk about this anymore.”
Alfonso looked out the window in silence.
Leo III was already furious when he heard that his son already had a wife.
“You got married without my permission?!”
Prince Alfonso, who was dragged into Leo III's study behind the open audience room, spoke calmly.
“His Majesty has already given permission.”
“What? When me? Who?”
To the bewildered Leo III, Prince Alfonso replied:
“She is the Grand Duchess of Lariesa of Gallico.”
“What?”
“Your Majesty, it was you who sent me to Gallico to marry that woman.”
"What!"
Leo III screamed in anger.
“That was then! This is now! If it were now, I would never have allowed it!”
Leo III hurriedly listed reasons why Alfonso and Lariesa could not be married.
“I didn’t like the character of Lariesa de Valoa in the first place! Besides, I heard that she has been staying in the Grand Duchess’s residence due to her poor health these days! How can you marry a poor woman with poor health to the successor of the Etruscans?”
Princess Lariesa's personality was the same then as it is now.
Leo III's reason for his opposition was precisely that the Princess of Lariesa was now a useless marriage partner who brought no gunpowder. The political situation has changed since then.
If he were to express his dissatisfaction without giving it its due, it would be an illogical objection. Prince Alfonso responded blandly to Leo III's stubbornness.
“I’ve already signed the marriage contract.”
"What!"
Leo III immediately ordered that the marriage certificate be brought to him so that he could examine its legal validity.
By now, Leo III's attendant would probably be running to Leo III with Alfonso's marriage certificate from the Prince's palace.
Alfonso also had some inkling that there might be legal issues with the marriage contract.
That was the reason why he had never publicly revealed the story of his marriage to Princess Lariesa until now.
'...So what if it's invalid?'
Prince Alfonso had little interest in the validity or invalidity of the marriage contract.
Leo III was furious about Lariesa's poor health, something Alfonso had also indirectly sensed from her letters.
Lariesa began to write more frequently about being bedridden or not being able to go out for a long time. Her handwriting was not as neat as before.
In the latter part of the war, the interval between letters became irregular, with letters coming infrequently or several letters coming in a row. It seemed as if she had not been able to send them during the period of her illness.
But for Alfonso, that was not a reason not to marry Lariesa, but a reason to marry her.
'A woman who lost her chance at marriage and ruined her health because she only looked at me.'
Regardless of whether he likes her or not, she is a pitiful person.
'It's right for me to take responsibility.'
Alfonso looked out the window again. In this palace, Alfonso had told Lariesa that he did not love her.
From this very window, he saw Lariesa begging for a final meeting, but he refused to see her.
All because he loved the girl with black hair.
He suddenly smiled bitterly.
Lariesa has been single-mindedly devoted to Alfonso for the past four years if he leaves aside the fact that her devotion has been a twisted and painful one.
However, it was only very recently that he decided to take responsibility for Princess Lariesa.
To be precise, it was only after seeing the back of the black-haired girl leaving the crowd in Raphael's arms.
'...'
Alfonso openly declared to Leo III that he was married to the Grand Duchess of Lariesa.
That was the best way to prevent any marriage talks between the young daughter of the Grand Duke of Yuldenburg and him.
It was also true that he had signed a marriage contract with the Grand Duchess of Lariesa.
It was right that Leo III should be spoken to at some point since the marriage contract had to be fulfilled or resolved as a matter of state to state.
But can they really say that blurting out something like that in front of the ministers wasn't an impulsive act? After seeing her living each day faithfully even after he disappeared, he got angry.
Alfonso sat on the windowsill of his room with his back to the wall and his knees bent, just as he had done when he was a child.
It was the very place where he had once gone down to the villa in Taranto with Ariadne and was pondering what to do to pass the time.
***
Duchess Rubina received one piece of news that was uplifting and one piece of news that was downright unpleasant.
“What kind of ghostly wheat-husking noise is this?”
What made her angry was a letter from her son, Cesare.
In response to his mother's message that "Alfonso has returned, so you too should return to the capital," her son wrote a poem out of the blue praising the beautiful scenery of the Pisano estate.
“Are you saying he won’t come down?”
“...How can I answer?”
“Yes. What would I expect from you?”
Rubina, who had been harassing the maid next to her, threw the letter in annoyance.
“There are no useful subordinates.”
Duchess Rubina grumbled whether anyone was listening or not.
The maid of the Duchess, who came from a lower-class noble family whose name no one had ever heard of, shed tears.
But there was good news: Ottavio, son of the deceased Count Contarini, became the new Count Contarini and inherited his father's cabinet post.
'Your Majesty, too.'
Leo III was a master of seduction. He was always teasing Rubina by giving her what she wanted, but not quite giving her what she wanted.
'I guess you'll eventually grant my request.'
She paid her debts with satisfaction.
Duchess Rubina was in a difficult situation after Count Contarini died.
Over time, her dependence on the Count grew, to the point where she was consulting him on almost every decision.
She knew in her head that it was a good idea to have several alternatives available, but it was difficult to put into practice.
In recent years, the relationship between Leo III and the great nobles had deteriorated by the day, and among those who tried to approach Rubina, none of them were to her liking.
'There is no cat under the lion, so his son will be useful too.'
Rubina, without knowing much about Count Contarini's son, assumed that Ottavio could fill Count Contarini's empty position.
Rubina wasn't entirely mistaken. At that time, there were no public schools, and even the nobles were usually taught at home by private tutors.
Universities were not institutions for educating talented individuals, but rather places for children from families that could not afford good tutors or places for them to learn specialized skills that could not be learned generally, such as theology or law.
Naturally, if you grew up in a good home, you would receive a good education. Bringing in children from good families was the surest way to secure talent.
“When will the new Count Contarini arrive?”
Rubina asked her maid.
“That, that’s fine...”
“What do you know?”
As Rubina's maid was about to wipe away her tears and snot for the second time, a royal servant knocked on the door from outside.
“Your Highness, a guest has arrived.”
“Take him in.”
"Yes."
Rubina sat down on the sofa with a satisfied smile. Soon, Ottavio came in with an awkward smile on his lips.
“It is an honor to meet you, Duchess Rubina.”
It was a neat greeting according to the manners she had been taught, but there was no way to hide the unnatural appearance.
Duchess Rubina, the current Queen of San Carlo society, was keenly aware of Ottavio's mood.
“You don’t have to be so embarrassed.”
She greeted him with a leisurely smile.
“It is unfortunate that the spring manager is in such a situation.”
Ottavio bowed his head.
“I am very grateful to the Duchess for taking such good care of me.”
Duchess Rubina not only attended the funeral of the late Count Contarini in person but also sent a lavish wreath and gifts. Her network of connections also filled the funeral parlor.
“Congratulations on your succession to the title of Count.”
“It’s all thanks to the Duchess.”
“What are you going to do with something like that?”
Rubina smiled with her thin lips.
“I have better news.”
"Yes?"
“Not only did the Count become a member of the Lesser Curia Regis.”
Here, Ottavio's face was already dumbfounded.
“Your father’s position has been inherited by you, along with the Marquis de Baldessar and the Count of Marquez.”
“!”
“I’m glad to be the first to tell you the good news.”
This was an unconventional greeting. His father's position was one where a young rascal like Ottavio wouldn't even dare hand out his business card.
He was the most powerful man in the Etruscan kingdom, presiding over the procedural aspects of the royal courts, administering prisons and sentences, and maintaining the security of the city under orders from Leo III.
Before Ottavio could even offer his thanks, he found himself blurting out the words.
Only as he spoke did he realize that this was an opportunity provided by Duchess Rubina.
“This, this is too much for me...”
“Children inevitably resemble their parents.”
Duchess Rubina smiled charmingly.
“I believe you will become a great minister like your father.”
Ottavio belatedly expressed his gratitude.
“I will be loyal! How can I ever repay this favor by helping me so much...”
“You can just pay it back slowly in the future.”
There was no one-sided favor in this matter. Just postponing the payment date was a great act of kindness.
Anyway, there was the first test.
“I think I’m going to need the help of a young lady soon. I hear Contarini’s fiancee is beautiful and stylish, so she’ll be a perfect fit.”
My... fiancée?
A cold sweat ran down Ottavio's spine.
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