The Moorish man and Isabella's eyes met head-on.
It was Isabella who had initially wanted him, but when the Moorish man discovered Isabella, he stared at her with a surprisingly persistent gaze.
It was an intense gaze as if he had met a star in the sky or a goal in life.
The person most embarrassed by this situation was not only the husband but also the slave trader.
“Ma, Ma’am.”
He tried to draw Isabella's attention to the female slaves by gesturing with his hands and feet.
“That... That person is not for sale.”
Isabella asked with a frown.
“Did you save it to use it?”
The merchant waved his hand in surprise. His expression seemed to say, “What if I get stabbed for saying something like that?”
“No, no. He's not a slave. He's a swordsman hired to escort you to the Central Continent.”
The merchant glanced over at the deck.
“He’s good at using a sword, and he must have been of high status in his home country. If you were to purchase a slave like that, how much would it cost...? It would easily cost more than 1,500 ducats (about 1.5 billion won).”
At the mention of 1500 ducats, Ottavio's face turned pale.
While the merchant continued to explain, the Moorish man came trudging down the deck.
The planks leading to the dock were steep, but he didn't waver at all as if he was walking on empty air.
The man came up to Isabella's nose and opened his mouth.
“Will you hire me?”
It was Etruscan with perfect grammar, although the heavy accent made it difficult to understand.
Isabella looked at him as if she was intrigued by the unexpected turn of events.
“Do you speak our language too?”
"Hmm."
“Where did you learn it?”
He didn't answer. Isabella didn't seem to particularly want to hear the answer either.
The appearance of the Moorish man, whom she looked up and down, was very satisfying.
He was tall and slender, his skin was shiny and jet-black, and his eyes, nose, and mouth were shaped exotically, unlike those of people from the Central Continent.
If she takes this person with her as her escort, all the people in the capital will look at her.
Isabella turned to Ottavio and begged her husband.
“Honey, he's not a slave, but he's an employee! Yes, can I take him with me?”
Although he was a suspicious man by all accounts, Ottavio was so preoccupied with the fact that he could not get 1500 Ducats out at once that he did not consider the rest.
“How much is your salary?”
The Moorish man's philtrum twitched at Ottavio's informal speech. But instead of throwing a punch, he spat out in a low voice.
“It doesn’t matter. Ten a month is enough.”
“10 Ducats...?” (about ten million won)
It was not a small sum of money. Ottavio trailed off at the words of the Moorish man who spoke so casually. Then the merchant intervened.
“This person was originally a member of the royal family in this country!”
The merchant spit and seasoned the food.
“If you can hire someone like that for just 10 ducats, you’re getting it for free!!”
It was an unverifiable claim. But Isabella's eyes once again showed greed.
The Moorish man did not bother to deny the merchant's boast that he was of royal blood.
“Ottavio, please?”
An earthquake occurred in Ottavio's eyes.
But there was one word that shook even Ottavio, who was unable to give a call sign despite the merchant and Isabella's fuss.
“Is 10 difficult? Then I’ll take 5.”
Ah, he can't stand half-price.
In the meantime, Isabella glared at Ottavio as if to say, 'If you don't buy me this, you're not even a man.' Ottavio shouted in shock.
“Yes, yes. Five Ducats!”
“Whoa!”
Isabella screamed in delight. She tried to wrap her arms around Ottavio's neck as she usually did, but her stomach was too protruding to do so.
After the emotional ceremony to show respect for the water god was over, she finally asked the man a question.
“What’s your name?”
“Akirilu.”
In the language of the land where he was born, it meant 'the staff of God.' But Isabella pursed her lips and said,
“The pronunciation is too difficult. How about ‘Agosto’?”
“Agosto...”
It became just like her previous life.
“That’s what happened.”
Camellia declared, handing out invitations to her shocked friends.
“The wedding is next Saturday.”
She added sheepishly, wondering if she had thought it was too much.
“Is it too urgent?”
Even if it was too urgent, we wouldn't postpone the wedding date, said Gabriele, the only one among the group of friends with experience.
“No, well, we just need to get ready for the wedding. The sooner we can get it done, the better, but...”
Cornelia finished what Gabriele could not bring himself to say.
“Who the hell is the groom?!”
It was everyone's curiosity. It had not even been a month since Camellia and Ottavio's engagement was confirmed.
“Is that your father's line?”
“You weren’t seeing someone else before, were you?”
Camellia waved her hand at her friends' barrage of questions.
“No, no. Neither.”
She thought for a moment and then answered.
“Um... If I had to be specific, I guess I should say that Ariadne introduced me to him. He’s someone I met thanks to Ariadne.”
Ariadne was startled. She pointed to her chest with her index finger.
"I?"
She has never done anything like that.
Unless she was planning on doing something as outrageous as introducing the man who had confessed to her to someone else, the only single man Ariadne knew was Ippolito.
But she would not have introduced Ippolito to Camellia even if there was a knife to her throat.
“I never introduced you to anyone?”
Julia asked, seeing Ariadne's dumbfounded expression.
“Who the hell is he?”
Now, she was starting to feel irritated. Camellia also blushed and cried, perhaps deciding that there was no point in hiding it any longer.
“He’s a bit older, but...”
Her friends all looked at each other with their eyes wide open. They couldn't say anything, but they were all thinking the same thing.
'A... Father?'
He's not a single man, is he? But can he get married?
Camellia, who read her friends' expressions, shouted urgently.
“Caruso Vitelli!”
Who is that? The friends couldn't immediately understand the name and were confused among themselves.
Ariadne was only a beat late in realizing who the owner of that name was.
It's not that the name is unfamiliar, it's just that it's not the name that should come out here.
“Are you talking about CEO Caruso? The Bocanegro Company?”
It was only when the Bocanegro Company story came up that her friends understood.
“That, that, that merchant group that grew incredibly large during the recent Black Death?”
“That top representative?”
“Are he old?”
“Are he single?”
Ariadne looked at Camellia with wide eyes.
“Camellia, where did you meet CEO Caruso?”
And then he asked carefully.
“And he, the child... Do you know that he has one?”
It was Isabella who had initially wanted him, but when the Moorish man discovered Isabella, he stared at her with a surprisingly persistent gaze.
It was an intense gaze as if he had met a star in the sky or a goal in life.
The person most embarrassed by this situation was not only the husband but also the slave trader.
“Ma, Ma’am.”
He tried to draw Isabella's attention to the female slaves by gesturing with his hands and feet.
“That... That person is not for sale.”
Isabella asked with a frown.
“Did you save it to use it?”
The merchant waved his hand in surprise. His expression seemed to say, “What if I get stabbed for saying something like that?”
“No, no. He's not a slave. He's a swordsman hired to escort you to the Central Continent.”
The merchant glanced over at the deck.
“He’s good at using a sword, and he must have been of high status in his home country. If you were to purchase a slave like that, how much would it cost...? It would easily cost more than 1,500 ducats (about 1.5 billion won).”
At the mention of 1500 ducats, Ottavio's face turned pale.
While the merchant continued to explain, the Moorish man came trudging down the deck.
The planks leading to the dock were steep, but he didn't waver at all as if he was walking on empty air.
The man came up to Isabella's nose and opened his mouth.
“Will you hire me?”
It was Etruscan with perfect grammar, although the heavy accent made it difficult to understand.
Isabella looked at him as if she was intrigued by the unexpected turn of events.
“Do you speak our language too?”
"Hmm."
“Where did you learn it?”
He didn't answer. Isabella didn't seem to particularly want to hear the answer either.
The appearance of the Moorish man, whom she looked up and down, was very satisfying.
He was tall and slender, his skin was shiny and jet-black, and his eyes, nose, and mouth were shaped exotically, unlike those of people from the Central Continent.
If she takes this person with her as her escort, all the people in the capital will look at her.
Isabella turned to Ottavio and begged her husband.
“Honey, he's not a slave, but he's an employee! Yes, can I take him with me?”
Although he was a suspicious man by all accounts, Ottavio was so preoccupied with the fact that he could not get 1500 Ducats out at once that he did not consider the rest.
“How much is your salary?”
The Moorish man's philtrum twitched at Ottavio's informal speech. But instead of throwing a punch, he spat out in a low voice.
“It doesn’t matter. Ten a month is enough.”
“10 Ducats...?” (about ten million won)
It was not a small sum of money. Ottavio trailed off at the words of the Moorish man who spoke so casually. Then the merchant intervened.
“This person was originally a member of the royal family in this country!”
The merchant spit and seasoned the food.
“If you can hire someone like that for just 10 ducats, you’re getting it for free!!”
It was an unverifiable claim. But Isabella's eyes once again showed greed.
The Moorish man did not bother to deny the merchant's boast that he was of royal blood.
“Ottavio, please?”
An earthquake occurred in Ottavio's eyes.
But there was one word that shook even Ottavio, who was unable to give a call sign despite the merchant and Isabella's fuss.
“Is 10 difficult? Then I’ll take 5.”
Ah, he can't stand half-price.
In the meantime, Isabella glared at Ottavio as if to say, 'If you don't buy me this, you're not even a man.' Ottavio shouted in shock.
“Yes, yes. Five Ducats!”
“Whoa!”
Isabella screamed in delight. She tried to wrap her arms around Ottavio's neck as she usually did, but her stomach was too protruding to do so.
After the emotional ceremony to show respect for the water god was over, she finally asked the man a question.
“What’s your name?”
“Now you're an employer,” he snapped. But the man didn't seem offended.
In the language of the land where he was born, it meant 'the staff of God.' But Isabella pursed her lips and said,
“The pronunciation is too difficult. How about ‘Agosto’?”
“Agosto...”
It became just like her previous life.
***
“That’s what happened.”
Camellia declared, handing out invitations to her shocked friends.
“The wedding is next Saturday.”
She added sheepishly, wondering if she had thought it was too much.
“Is it too urgent?”
Even if it was too urgent, we wouldn't postpone the wedding date, said Gabriele, the only one among the group of friends with experience.
“No, well, we just need to get ready for the wedding. The sooner we can get it done, the better, but...”
Cornelia finished what Gabriele could not bring himself to say.
“Who the hell is the groom?!”
It was everyone's curiosity. It had not even been a month since Camellia and Ottavio's engagement was confirmed.
“Is that your father's line?”
“You weren’t seeing someone else before, were you?”
Camellia waved her hand at her friends' barrage of questions.
“No, no. Neither.”
She thought for a moment and then answered.
“Um... If I had to be specific, I guess I should say that Ariadne introduced me to him. He’s someone I met thanks to Ariadne.”
Ariadne was startled. She pointed to her chest with her index finger.
"I?"
She has never done anything like that.
Unless she was planning on doing something as outrageous as introducing the man who had confessed to her to someone else, the only single man Ariadne knew was Ippolito.
But she would not have introduced Ippolito to Camellia even if there was a knife to her throat.
“I never introduced you to anyone?”
Julia asked, seeing Ariadne's dumbfounded expression.
“Who the hell is he?”
Now, she was starting to feel irritated. Camellia also blushed and cried, perhaps deciding that there was no point in hiding it any longer.
“He’s a bit older, but...”
Her friends all looked at each other with their eyes wide open. They couldn't say anything, but they were all thinking the same thing.
'A... Father?'
He's not a single man, is he? But can he get married?
Camellia, who read her friends' expressions, shouted urgently.
“Caruso Vitelli!”
Who is that? The friends couldn't immediately understand the name and were confused among themselves.
Ariadne was only a beat late in realizing who the owner of that name was.
It's not that the name is unfamiliar, it's just that it's not the name that should come out here.
“Are you talking about CEO Caruso? The Bocanegro Company?”
It was only when the Bocanegro Company story came up that her friends understood.
“That, that, that merchant group that grew incredibly large during the recent Black Death?”
“That top representative?”
“Are he old?”
“Are he single?”
Ariadne looked at Camellia with wide eyes.
“Camellia, where did you meet CEO Caruso?”
And then he asked carefully.
“And he, the child... Do you know that he has one?”
She was going to tell her it was his daughter, but then she realized that it was confidential.
CEO Caruso didn't seem like the kind of person who would commit fraud by mentioning things like whether he had children or his previous marital history, but even a month was too short.
Isn't there a time when you can't fully explain the circumstances even without malicious intent?
“Petru... no, you mean Pietro?”
Camellia answered.
“I know. We met in the garden of Ariadne’s house.”
When asked by her friends why she decided to get married, she answered like this.
“He’s... really nice. He’s the first man who makes me feel comfortable.”
After that, there was a lot of chatter. People congratulated her, said it was a great success, etc.
As the story of the new Count Contarini, Ottavio, holding a secret wedding without anyone knowing was a hot topic in society, everyone congratulated Camellia.
Camellia was also elated with the congratulations from her friends. In fact, Camellia was elated just by being able to announce her wedding now.
“Yeah, if the person is good, everything is fine! That’s what married life is all about!”
Gabriele, in turn, praised Camellia boastfully.
After her marriage, Gabriele began to think that titles and family names were especially important, but he was not so tactless or bad as to bring up such things in front of a friend who was about to have a big event.
“Ottavio is such a dishonest person. It’s a good breakup, it’s a good breakup!”
Cornelia, who values loyalty and trust, gave her own version of virtue. Julia also added a word.
“I know his face, Romance Gray. He’s handsome beyond his years.”
As expected, Julia was someone who valued appearance. Ariadne was also able to offer her sincere congratulations.
“If a man is responsible and has the will to survive, then Mr. Caruso is truly a man among men. Camellia, you have chosen a good husband. Congratulations.”
But what they really couldn't say out loud was this question:
"'CEO Caruso is a commoner, and if you marry him, you will also become a commoner. Is that okay, Camellia...?"
But, sending Camellia to marry a commoner instead of raising her status? Would Baron Castiglione and Camellia be able to tolerate that?
Camellia answered firmly to the expressions of her friends who were just watching.
“The wedding will be held with the utmost grandeur.”
If the palace had been the venue, they would have rented it. Still, unfortunately, the best wedding venue the Baron of Castiglione could afford was the empty mansion of the Duke of Taranto in the capital.
He said that he did not know the Princess of Taranto, but that he had a long-standing business relationship with a servant who worked under the Princess, and that was why he was able to pay the rent and rent it.
“The food was prepared by a chef who had previously worked at the palace, and the formal attire was also tailored by Collezione.”
In addition, the list of gifts, thank-you notes to be given to guests, and the invited musicians was truly dazzling. It was a list of only the best of the best in San Carlo.
In short, Camellia had changed course. She didn't suddenly change her mind and say, 'A man's heart is more important than his possessions or looks!'
She set out to marry a great nobleman, but when that became impossible, she chose a man with a lot, a lot of money.
Currently, the man with the most cash in San Carlo, excluding estates and heirlooms, was CEO Caruso, and the second-richest man was her father.
Being old, having children, etc. were only secondary considerations. The fact that the man was kind and had eyes only for her was a plus.
Camellia could never be fooled by Ottavio and his unknown wife. That was Camellia's only wish.
“Now that it is no longer a banquet for noble families, I can only invite people who have a personal connection with me.”
Camellia's face looked somewhat timid as she spoke.
“Still... won’t you come?”
Julia took a half step forward and stared at Camellia.
Camellia was a little nervous because Julia was the one with the highest status among them and was not a very close friend of hers in the group.
If Julia doesn't come, half of her friends here won't come.
Thud!
Julia hugged Camellia tightly.
“Of course, I go, you idiot!”
Camellia felt like tears were welling up in her eyes.
She sniffled, and the rest of her friends gathered around and slapped Camellia on the back as she was hugging Julia.
“Do you really have to declare it so solemnly?”
“You don’t have any faith in us?”
“Just call everyone. Call everyone you know. If they don’t come after looking at this list, it’s their own loss.”
Because it was a truly golden list of preparations.
“But it must have cost a lot of money to prepare this.”
“What are you worried about? CEO Caruso is your husband and Baron Castiglione is your father?”
"It's okay."
Camellia replied as if it was nothing.
“There is money that needs to be returned from the Contarini family, without even going to my father or him.”
She spoke plainly.
“There will also be compensation for the breakup of the engagement. There will also be interest on the money lent.”
It sounded like such a trivial thing, but it was actually quite frightening.
“It’s been a long time since they borrowed it, so the interest alone would be more than enough to cover this wedding.”
Isabella de Mare, or rather Isabella de Contarini, heard the rumor that Camellia de Castiglione's wedding was to be celebrated with unprecedented grandeur and spat out angrily.
“You’re not inviting me to such a big event?”
Isn't there a time when you can't fully explain the circumstances even without malicious intent?
“Petru... no, you mean Pietro?”
Camellia answered.
“I know. We met in the garden of Ariadne’s house.”
When asked by her friends why she decided to get married, she answered like this.
“He’s... really nice. He’s the first man who makes me feel comfortable.”
After that, there was a lot of chatter. People congratulated her, said it was a great success, etc.
As the story of the new Count Contarini, Ottavio, holding a secret wedding without anyone knowing was a hot topic in society, everyone congratulated Camellia.
Camellia was also elated with the congratulations from her friends. In fact, Camellia was elated just by being able to announce her wedding now.
“Yeah, if the person is good, everything is fine! That’s what married life is all about!”
Gabriele, in turn, praised Camellia boastfully.
After her marriage, Gabriele began to think that titles and family names were especially important, but he was not so tactless or bad as to bring up such things in front of a friend who was about to have a big event.
“Ottavio is such a dishonest person. It’s a good breakup, it’s a good breakup!”
Cornelia, who values loyalty and trust, gave her own version of virtue. Julia also added a word.
“I know his face, Romance Gray. He’s handsome beyond his years.”
As expected, Julia was someone who valued appearance. Ariadne was also able to offer her sincere congratulations.
“If a man is responsible and has the will to survive, then Mr. Caruso is truly a man among men. Camellia, you have chosen a good husband. Congratulations.”
But what they really couldn't say out loud was this question:
"'CEO Caruso is a commoner, and if you marry him, you will also become a commoner. Is that okay, Camellia...?"
Baron Castiglione had hung himself on the neck of Count Contarini and his successor Ottavio because he wanted to marry into the great nobility in the first place.
He lent them large sums of money and endured a ridiculous length of time without complaint or grumbling, but whatever.
Camellia answered firmly to the expressions of her friends who were just watching.
“The wedding will be held with the utmost grandeur.”
If the palace had been the venue, they would have rented it. Still, unfortunately, the best wedding venue the Baron of Castiglione could afford was the empty mansion of the Duke of Taranto in the capital.
He said that he did not know the Princess of Taranto, but that he had a long-standing business relationship with a servant who worked under the Princess, and that was why he was able to pay the rent and rent it.
“The food was prepared by a chef who had previously worked at the palace, and the formal attire was also tailored by Collezione.”
In addition, the list of gifts, thank-you notes to be given to guests, and the invited musicians was truly dazzling. It was a list of only the best of the best in San Carlo.
In short, Camellia had changed course. She didn't suddenly change her mind and say, 'A man's heart is more important than his possessions or looks!'
She set out to marry a great nobleman, but when that became impossible, she chose a man with a lot, a lot of money.
Currently, the man with the most cash in San Carlo, excluding estates and heirlooms, was CEO Caruso, and the second-richest man was her father.
Being old, having children, etc. were only secondary considerations. The fact that the man was kind and had eyes only for her was a plus.
Camellia could never be fooled by Ottavio and his unknown wife. That was Camellia's only wish.
“Now that it is no longer a banquet for noble families, I can only invite people who have a personal connection with me.”
Camellia's face looked somewhat timid as she spoke.
“Still... won’t you come?”
Julia took a half step forward and stared at Camellia.
Camellia was a little nervous because Julia was the one with the highest status among them and was not a very close friend of hers in the group.
If Julia doesn't come, half of her friends here won't come.
Thud!
Julia hugged Camellia tightly.
“Of course, I go, you idiot!”
Camellia felt like tears were welling up in her eyes.
She sniffled, and the rest of her friends gathered around and slapped Camellia on the back as she was hugging Julia.
“Do you really have to declare it so solemnly?”
“You don’t have any faith in us?”
“Just call everyone. Call everyone you know. If they don’t come after looking at this list, it’s their own loss.”
Because it was a truly golden list of preparations.
“But it must have cost a lot of money to prepare this.”
“What are you worried about? CEO Caruso is your husband and Baron Castiglione is your father?”
"It's okay."
Camellia replied as if it was nothing.
“There is money that needs to be returned from the Contarini family, without even going to my father or him.”
She spoke plainly.
“There will also be compensation for the breakup of the engagement. There will also be interest on the money lent.”
It sounded like such a trivial thing, but it was actually quite frightening.
“It’s been a long time since they borrowed it, so the interest alone would be more than enough to cover this wedding.”
***
Isabella de Mare, or rather Isabella de Contarini, heard the rumor that Camellia de Castiglione's wedding was to be celebrated with unprecedented grandeur and spat out angrily.
“You’re not inviting me to such a big event?”
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