“You’re so damn quick-witted...”
Ariadne did not encounter many Moors in her life.
In particular, while completely black-skinned Moors were a common sight in the Etruscan kingdoms, a clan of Moors with a swarthy complexion like this old woman's was even rarer.
Ariadne smiled broadly and made a gesture with her hand that was about the height of her waist.
“A boy of this height. Maybe he’s a little bigger now?”
“...You’re so clever, that bastard Amhara must have singled you out for regressing.”
The old woman muttered to herself something that was neither a compliment nor an insult, such as, “A woman who can even wring water out of a dry rag.”
Meanwhile, Ariadne smiled and made a suggestion.
“I understand that you come from a land where magic is highly prized. It seems to be a truly great power. However...”
Ariadne habitually glanced around and said.
“If you wanted to raise your grandson as a sorcerer, you would have stayed in your hometown.”
She continued in a low voice.
“This is Etruscan land. You came here because you wanted to teach your grandson something other than a sorcerer, didn’t you?”
“Ugh...”
The old woman couldn't continue speaking.
“I will provide education. I will invite the best tutors in the kingdom and allow your grandchild to integrate into the Etruscan kingdom.”
The old Moorish woman barely opened her mouth.
“The gold of the world is vain.”
But the old woman's voice didn't have the same power as before.
Even the most powerful Saman priestess could not help but waver when it came to giving her blood relatives an opportunity she could not provide.
After a brief silence, she finally confessed.
“If I receive anything from you, my karma will not be washed away. I have to give you a certain amount of help for free.”
Ariadne's eyes widened. Sometimes in life, you get something for free.
She thought her life was a series of days spent cleaning up after things she didn't do and paying for karma that wasn't her sin.
“Then... How about this?”
It's better to pay for a big meal than to get a small meal for free. Ariadne decided to stick with it until the end, sticking to it.
“Send your grandchild to school.”
"School?"
“Yes. It’s the Scuola di Greta that I founded. In any case, whether you learn reading, writing, and basic arithmetic from a tutor or at school, it’s the same. If you show talent, we’ll discuss whether to pursue higher education and so on later.”
Ariadne persuaded the old woman with sparkling eyes.
“I don’t necessarily send him to school. It’s a place that accepts everyone. I think the Golden Rule will be generous in its measurement.”
“Still...”
The old woman looked very hesitant. Ariadne decided to pretend to be weak at this point.
“You’re going too far. There’s no one next to me...”
She raised her left arm and lamented in a somewhat theatrical, pitiful tone, something Cesare often did.
“With these ugly scars spread all over my arms that can never be removed, I’ll never be able to get married and will grow old and die alone...”
The old woman looked at Ariadne blankly as if asking what nonsense she was talking about.
“Huh? Why can’t you get rid of it?”
"Yes?"
Ariadne was shocked. She was so shocked that she forgot to show any sign of pity.
“Can you get rid of this?!”
The old woman nodded with her eyes wide open as if she didn't know that.
“I told you this wasn’t a price. It’s just a simple summary of how many sins you’ve committed.”
The old woman nodded.
“Of course, you can touch it since it’s not a price.”
Ariadne grabbed the old woman's arm.
“Please do it!!!”
She don't know, but she don't think the Golden Rule would weigh wiping a blood stain off her arm as any less important than sending her grandchild to school.
“Yes?! Please!!”
The old woman, burdened by Ariadne's enthusiastic reaction, took a small step back.
“Oh, that’s not to say that it’s completely gone, it’s just that it’s invisible to other people...”
“Enough!!”
As Ariadne pushed forward excitedly, the old woman took a step back.
“No, I have to prepare the ingredients for this too... It’s not something that can be done right away, it gradually gets blurry over several times...”
“Shall we start tomorrow?!”
Tang!
The old woman's hammer ignited fire again.
“Ignorant thing! We can only work on the full moon, you idiot!”
But Ariadne was so happy that she didn't even realize that her forehead was hurting.
“Then starting from the next full moon?!”
The old woman sighed.
“Yes. Yes then.”
“Wow!”
Ariadne was ready to dance a dance of joy.
“Grandma! I’ll send someone right away tomorrow! Can your grandchild enroll in school starting tomorrow?”
“Let’s start from the next full moon, let’s start from the next full moon.”
The old woman was not accustomed to eating with her bare mouth.
“After I can give you something, then I’ll send him to school.”
“Oh my, and Grandma too!”
Ariadne tapped the old woman on the shoulder. The old woman looked up at Ariadne in disbelief. She was treating the most powerful Saman priestess like she was just a neighborhood grandmother.
“This little thing!”
This was the first time she had a proper conversation with this child, but she was unlike anyone else.
Maybe it was because she kept checking this girl's fortune, or because zhd felt sorry for her, or because they were just people who got along well, but she couldn't quite figure out who the Saman shaman was.
Anyway, it felt good.
And this fool didn't back down a single word.
“My grandmother is 1 piedi smaller than me.”
The old woman spoke loudly.
“That’s because I’m old! You too, grow old!”
The old woman said this and then paused for a moment.
Ariadne may never have the chance to grow old, but the old woman wasn't too worried.
“If you are with me, you will be able to live in peace until the end.”
It was confidence that came from ability.
“Let’s fix the hand and catch that damn bastard.”
The grandmother's goodwill and confidence seemed to have been transmitted to Ariadne as well. The black-haired girl's face lit up with joy.
"Yes!"
It was a bright smile that she hadn't seen in years.
“Ari. Your face looks nice.”
Ariadne smiled at Raphael's question. She couldn't explain in detail, so she just laughed.
"Is it so?"
But Raphael interpreted Ariadne's secret smile in a completely different way.
He wondered if there had been any contact from Alfonso.
“Ari, if so.”
She looked up at Raphael with her large green eyes. Raphael felt his heart drop.
In 1127, Ariadne, now twenty, was a mature beauty. She looked a little older than her years, perhaps because of her expression.
With her tall stature, cool limbs, voluptuous figure, and the line from her upturned eyes and round forehead to her straight nose, she was a mature woman no matter where you looked.
“...If.”
Lately, he's been feeling overwhelmed whenever he looks Ariadne in the face.
He couldn't tell if it was because his feelings for her had grown, or because she had become more beautiful.
So it took some courage to bring this story up.
“What do you plan to do if you end things cleanly with Alfonso... and Duke Cesare?”
But it seems that he lacked courage at the last minute. Raphael wanted to ask, 'Do you still love Alfonso?' but he couldn't bring himself to ask.
Ariadne's bright smile faded a little. She answered, pretending to be cheerful for no reason.
“Wasn’t it already over cleanly?”
From Ariadne's words and expression, Raphael realized that the reason she seemed so bright was not because she had received another message from Alfonso.
He suddenly felt guilty. He had betrayed Ariadne, who was doing well.
Ariadne spoke with difficulty.
“There was a rumor. A rumor that he was already... married.”
Raphael felt something burning inside his heart at the sight of her pitiful expression.
It seemed to him that her depression was all his fault, so he just threw out a remark he would regret the next day.
“How can you believe that rumor?”
There were widespread rumors that Prince Alfonso had a wife rather than a fiance, but no one was sure.
If the Prince's marriage was real, flags would be raised and cannons fired throughout the kingdom to celebrate. But not only were there no cannons fired, there was not even an official announcement from the palace.
Even if it could not be announced immediately due to various circumstances, if the Princess was abroad, there should have been at least some movement to bring her back to the country.
Because a Princess staying in a foreign country would most likely become a hostage. However, there was absolutely no movement to bring her back.
And Raphael had other reasons why the rumors might be fake.
“Ari. Alfonso is not the kind of man who would leave his lover behind and get married without even contacting her.”
Ariadne just smiled silently.
“I’ll go ask Alfonso myself.”
Ariadne's eyes widened. She looked at Raphael with wide eyes.
“There must have been a misunderstanding. The Alfonso I know isn’t that kind of guy.”
Raphael suddenly grabbed Ariadne's hand, who was unable to continue speaking.
“Just wait a moment. Just trust me.”
Ariadne continued to feel uneasy after Raphael stormed out of the de Mare mansion.
What if it works out? What if Alfonso doesn't have a wife, but he's still in love with her and now that he's back in the kingdom, he wants to plan a future with her?
Ariadne chuckled. Even to her, it was too hopeful a story.
A happy ending like that would be possible only in a romance novel with a Princess. What bothered her more than anything was the last letter Alfonso had sent her.
'If you wanted to distance yourself from me because you have a wife...'
If so, it makes sense.
'It seems like you're aware of me since you even sent me a separate letter...'
But even in the midst of all this, Ariadne realized that she was forcibly trying to find hope and laughed in vain.
'Yes, yes, let's forget it.'
Raphael said he would look into it. He would wait for an answer, but there was nothing he could do right now.
The best thing to clear your mind of thoughts is work. Before Ariadne sat down at her desk, there was one thing she had to do.
After a brief chat with Giuseppe, she returned to her study and called Sancha.
Sancha quickly entered the study and greeted Ariadne.
“You called, Miss.”
Ariadne gave one order to the smiling Sancha.
“Sancha, can you take care of my meals yourself for the time being?”
Miss Ariadne, no, Countess de Mare is not one to be fussy about trifles.
Sancha asked with a serious expression as she realized that it wasn't something to do with the taste of food.
“Of course it is possible. What is it, Miss?”
Ariadne made a bombshell announcement.
“I think there’s been an assassination attempt on me.”
“Huh?”
Ariadne threw it out calmly in front of the terrified Sancha.
“I have to dig up Brother Ippolito.”
The old woman's hammer ignited fire again.
“Ignorant thing! We can only work on the full moon, you idiot!”
But Ariadne was so happy that she didn't even realize that her forehead was hurting.
“Then starting from the next full moon?!”
The old woman sighed.
“Yes. Yes then.”
“Wow!”
Ariadne was ready to dance a dance of joy.
“Grandma! I’ll send someone right away tomorrow! Can your grandchild enroll in school starting tomorrow?”
“Let’s start from the next full moon, let’s start from the next full moon.”
The old woman was not accustomed to eating with her bare mouth.
“After I can give you something, then I’ll send him to school.”
“Oh my, and Grandma too!”
Ariadne tapped the old woman on the shoulder. The old woman looked up at Ariadne in disbelief. She was treating the most powerful Saman priestess like she was just a neighborhood grandmother.
“This little thing!”
This was the first time she had a proper conversation with this child, but she was unlike anyone else.
Maybe it was because she kept checking this girl's fortune, or because zhd felt sorry for her, or because they were just people who got along well, but she couldn't quite figure out who the Saman shaman was.
Anyway, it felt good.
And this fool didn't back down a single word.
“My grandmother is 1 piedi smaller than me.”
The old woman spoke loudly.
“That’s because I’m old! You too, grow old!”
The old woman said this and then paused for a moment.
Ariadne may never have the chance to grow old, but the old woman wasn't too worried.
“If you are with me, you will be able to live in peace until the end.”
It was confidence that came from ability.
“Let’s fix the hand and catch that damn bastard.”
The grandmother's goodwill and confidence seemed to have been transmitted to Ariadne as well. The black-haired girl's face lit up with joy.
"Yes!"
It was a bright smile that she hadn't seen in years.
***
“Ari. Your face looks nice.”
Ariadne smiled at Raphael's question. She couldn't explain in detail, so she just laughed.
"Is it so?"
But Raphael interpreted Ariadne's secret smile in a completely different way.
He wondered if there had been any contact from Alfonso.
“Ari, if so.”
She looked up at Raphael with her large green eyes. Raphael felt his heart drop.
In 1127, Ariadne, now twenty, was a mature beauty. She looked a little older than her years, perhaps because of her expression.
With her tall stature, cool limbs, voluptuous figure, and the line from her upturned eyes and round forehead to her straight nose, she was a mature woman no matter where you looked.
“...If.”
Lately, he's been feeling overwhelmed whenever he looks Ariadne in the face.
He couldn't tell if it was because his feelings for her had grown, or because she had become more beautiful.
So it took some courage to bring this story up.
“What do you plan to do if you end things cleanly with Alfonso... and Duke Cesare?”
But it seems that he lacked courage at the last minute. Raphael wanted to ask, 'Do you still love Alfonso?' but he couldn't bring himself to ask.
Ariadne's bright smile faded a little. She answered, pretending to be cheerful for no reason.
“Wasn’t it already over cleanly?”
From Ariadne's words and expression, Raphael realized that the reason she seemed so bright was not because she had received another message from Alfonso.
He suddenly felt guilty. He had betrayed Ariadne, who was doing well.
Ariadne spoke with difficulty.
“There was a rumor. A rumor that he was already... married.”
Raphael felt something burning inside his heart at the sight of her pitiful expression.
It seemed to him that her depression was all his fault, so he just threw out a remark he would regret the next day.
“How can you believe that rumor?”
There were widespread rumors that Prince Alfonso had a wife rather than a fiance, but no one was sure.
If the Prince's marriage was real, flags would be raised and cannons fired throughout the kingdom to celebrate. But not only were there no cannons fired, there was not even an official announcement from the palace.
Even if it could not be announced immediately due to various circumstances, if the Princess was abroad, there should have been at least some movement to bring her back to the country.
Because a Princess staying in a foreign country would most likely become a hostage. However, there was absolutely no movement to bring her back.
And Raphael had other reasons why the rumors might be fake.
“Ari. Alfonso is not the kind of man who would leave his lover behind and get married without even contacting her.”
Ariadne just smiled silently.
“I’ll go ask Alfonso myself.”
Ariadne's eyes widened. She looked at Raphael with wide eyes.
“There must have been a misunderstanding. The Alfonso I know isn’t that kind of guy.”
Raphael suddenly grabbed Ariadne's hand, who was unable to continue speaking.
“Just wait a moment. Just trust me.”
***
Ariadne continued to feel uneasy after Raphael stormed out of the de Mare mansion.
What if it works out? What if Alfonso doesn't have a wife, but he's still in love with her and now that he's back in the kingdom, he wants to plan a future with her?
Ariadne chuckled. Even to her, it was too hopeful a story.
A happy ending like that would be possible only in a romance novel with a Princess. What bothered her more than anything was the last letter Alfonso had sent her.
'If you wanted to distance yourself from me because you have a wife...'
If so, it makes sense.
'It seems like you're aware of me since you even sent me a separate letter...'
But even in the midst of all this, Ariadne realized that she was forcibly trying to find hope and laughed in vain.
'Yes, yes, let's forget it.'
Raphael said he would look into it. He would wait for an answer, but there was nothing he could do right now.
The best thing to clear your mind of thoughts is work. Before Ariadne sat down at her desk, there was one thing she had to do.
After a brief chat with Giuseppe, she returned to her study and called Sancha.
Sancha quickly entered the study and greeted Ariadne.
“You called, Miss.”
Ariadne gave one order to the smiling Sancha.
“Sancha, can you take care of my meals yourself for the time being?”
Miss Ariadne, no, Countess de Mare is not one to be fussy about trifles.
Sancha asked with a serious expression as she realized that it wasn't something to do with the taste of food.
“Of course it is possible. What is it, Miss?”
Ariadne made a bombshell announcement.
“I think there’s been an assassination attempt on me.”
“Huh?”
Ariadne threw it out calmly in front of the terrified Sancha.
“I have to dig up Brother Ippolito.”
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