After the formal meeting between Ariadne and the Marquis Baldessar, rumors spread throughout San Carlo that the Countess de Mare had accepted the role of Princess Bianca's chaperone.
“I should go and stop it too... No, is it too late? Does Rubina or that damn woman already know? I should go and consult with Countess Marquez..."
This was the reaction of the kind and generous Marchioness Cibo. However, the reaction of the meticulous Countess Marquez was as follows.
San Carlo's overall reaction was not much different from that of the Countess of Marquez.
This is because everyone has heard, seen, and experienced for over 20 years how dirty the Duchess Rubina's temper is.
“I think she's crazy. She must be out of her mind.”
“If it was Countess de Mare, she would have continued to use strange tricks. Isn’t it because she had a way out?”
“I can only think of one thing. To push out Duchess Rubina and take the government position.”
"Ah."
It wasn't the kind of behavior that befitted a girl who saw the truth, a Saintess of the Rambouillet Relief Home, or a mother of the poor, but it certainly wasn't enough to scare Rubina.
In other words, anything less than that would mean there was no way to avoid Rubina's wrath.
“Is there any other magical method besides that? If so, please tell me.”
“...There isn’t any.”
Julia de Baldessar, Ariadne's close friend, was also at a loss. Julia's reaction when she heard the news was simply this:
"Oh."
What should I do? If I were a good friend, I would go and hug her and cry with her...
Even Ariadne was dumbfounded by this swift blow.
“No, already?”
She expected the attack to come from one direction or another, but she thought they would attack her social circle first, not her store, and even if they did, she thought they would at least make sure she got the dress for this season.
“It’s so petty and doesn’t fit the title!”
Sancha became angry.
“The Collezione costume shop is the same. How much have we sold so far, and now you’re hitting us in the back of the head like this?!”
Ariadne fully agreed with Rubina's pettiness but realized that Sancha had very precise standards when it came to the Collezione dress shop. Her calculations were simply wrong.
“Duchess Rubina has been a regular at Collezione’s costume shop for 25 years.”
"Oh."
“That’s why his son, Duke Cesare, came and went as if it were his own house. We became acquainted with them through Duke Cesare.”
Sancha frowned.
“When I think about that filthy bastard, I suddenly feel unlucky even in the costume shop.”
“I guess so?”
It's time to give a breath of fresh air to an old trend.
“I think it’s time to change the top-class costume shop that dominates the capital.”
“As expected from our young lady!”
“Would you please contact CEO Caruso?”
"All right."
Ariadne encountered similar situations in the dressing room again when fitting jewels and shoes, but they were all within her control.
Caruso's Boccanegro company expanded into all areas including daily necessities during the Black Death, and with his marriage to Camellia, he also entered the luxury goods market that the Castiglione company had a firm hold on.
Ariadne was introduced to precious fabrics and workshops unknown to San Carlo's society, and created this season's wardrobe according to her own taste—more precisely, by grafting Sancha's taste onto the styles she had seen in her past life.
“Miss! You are beautiful!”
Her black hair, curled up like a cloud, was shiny.
The round forehead was coolly revealed, and a pearl hair band was wrapped slightly in front of the crown, giving it a lustrous texture different from the hair.
Each pearl set into the hair ribbon was a large South Sea pearl of the highest quality, the kind that others would wear as rings or necklaces, revealing the grandeur of the Countess de Mare, who had amassed great wealth without making much of a fuss.
Ariadne also made a bold choice in her attire. Today was the day to show off her power against Duchess Rubina.
It would have been a one-on-one meeting with the King, or a small-scale meeting with a three-person cabinet, so there was no one to show it to, but there was a certain momentum.
She took full advantage of her height by choosing a dress with a cinched waist and puffed sleeves and skirt.
It was a stark contrast to the styles popular at San Carlo until then, which had been high waists, small decorations and ruffles, and narrow dress lapels.
'It was a fashion that spread when the Gaeta region was taken over by the Gallico Kingdom and the fashion of Montpellier was imported back to San Carlo...'
The women of San Carlo had smaller and more compact bones than those of the north, so low waistlines and large decorations did not suit them.
When they were leading the trend, they couldn't use bold silhouettes, but for Ariadne, they are all designs that suit her perfectly.
'If you don't come down from the north, I'll send you up from the south.'
Her dress details were filled with intricately embroidered fabrics from the Moorish Empire, imported exclusively by the Bocanegro brand.
'I agreed to receive a 10% commission for the sale of this type of fabric.'
The gold and silver embroidery meticulously placed on the blue-violet ray fabric was dazzling enough to dazzle the eyes. It was the pick of Sancha, who was born with a keen eye for detail.
The women of San Carlo, including Duchess Rubina, have never seen anything like it.
She wish the King would just stare wide-eyed and compliment Rubina.
Or it would be funny if Duchess Rubina with her eyes wide open like vipers, were sticking close to the King.
Ariadne thought Rubina might have done that too.
She will never forget the humiliation she felt four years ago when Leo III had tried to take Ariadne as his concubine.
If Rubina had any discretion, she would not have let the two of them meet alone.
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
Today's Ariadne was a warrior leaving for battle.
Sancha looked at Ariadne's back, shining a cool blue violet even in the hot Etruscan sun, and was convinced that her young lady could crush even the stone giants of mythology with her bare hands.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Countess de Mare.”
It was in his office that Leo III welcomed Ariadne.
On either side stood the Marquis Baldessar, the Count Marquez, the Count Contarini, and the Lord Delpiano. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Duchess Rubina was nowhere to be seen.
“Well... As time goes by, the old days seem vague. Is everything at home?”
Ariadne immediately realized Leo III's intentions: he was ashamed of the disgrace he had committed a few years earlier.
To be exact, he's not the kind of person who would be truly ashamed, so he's just reluctant to let others know about it. Ariadne answered with a bright smile.
“I also don’t remember anything these days, maybe because of the seasons. Your Majesty, don’t worry.”
“Heh heh.”
“The Cardinal is still staying in Trevero. He was in good health until his departure.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Leo III quickly got to the point. Today he was trying his best to refrain from glancing at Ariadne's body.
“I really appreciate you accepting the role of Bianca’s chaperone. It was a real headache for me.”
“I would be honored if I could do anything to ease Your Majesty’s worries.”
“But... how much is the age difference between you two? Seven years?”
From the side, Count Ottavio Contarini chimed in and said:
“Five years old, Your Majesty. The age difference between Countess de Mare and Princess Bianca of Taranto is five years.”
“Yeah, five years.”
Leo III said in a trembling voice.
“Some people say that the age gap between you and Bianca is too small.”
Ariadne simply nodded. There seemed to be little use in arguing about it here and now.
What does Leo III want that he is saying this now? Wasn't it Leo III who was desperately searching for Bianca's saffron in the first place?
“...So, why don’t you bring lunch and have another meeting in the afternoon?”
“Lunch?”
She was momentarily taken aback. When the palace told her to enter, there was no mention of having lunch together. But it was almost time for a meal.
“May I have the honor of dining with Your Majesty...”
“That’s a bit like that.”
Leo III accepted Ariadne's humble words with great equanimity. She almost asked back, "Yes?" but barely managed to hold herself back.
“Then should I eat alone?”
“There is someone else who invited Countess de Mare.”
Next to her was Count Ottavio Contarini, who guided her. It was a new feeling to meet him, whom she had only seen as a friend of her older sister and brother, as one of the three members of the cabinet at the palace.
'It's a miracle that the country doesn't fall...'
Ottavio once again asked Ariadne, who was wondering if his return was really a good thing for the future of the Etruscan kingdom.
“Follow me.”
Ariadne looked at Leo III. Her eyes asked if she could follow him.
“Yes. I’ll go with Count Contarini and see you at the afternoon meeting.”
“Your Majesty, I am very grateful.”
She bowed to Leo III and followed Ottavio out of the King's office.
The hallway she walked in after Ottavio was so quiet that only the sound of her footsteps could be heard, which made it doubly eerie.
She was going to keep her mouth shut because of the uncomfortable atmosphere, but she wanted to know who had called her, and since she felt like she would lose if she kept her mouth shut because of the atmosphere, she opened her mouth and asked.
“Is this an invitation from some precious person?”
As she asked the question, she realized that there was only one person in the palace who could have called her Ottavio. A smile appeared on her lips.
'This is how it's supposed to turn out.'
Ottavio froze for a moment, perhaps taken aback by the fact that Ariadne had spoken to him, and then answered bluntly.
“You will know when you see it.”
He walked slowly and arrived in front of a small, beautifully decorated banquet hall. It could accommodate about fifty or sixty people. Ottavio threw open the door with all his might.
CLANG!
All the eyes of those in the banquet hall were focused on Ariadne, who was standing at the door. They were all women.
Duchess Rubina, who was sitting in the highest seat, glared at Ariadne fiercely in her blazing crimson dress. It was the start of a war.
“I should go and stop it too... No, is it too late? Does Rubina or that damn woman already know? I should go and consult with Countess Marquez..."
This was the reaction of the kind and generous Marchioness Cibo. However, the reaction of the meticulous Countess Marquez was as follows.
“Are you out of your mind? This isn't Queen Marguerite, it's His Majesty's mother, Adelaida the Good, and even if she were to come back to life, there's nothing she could do to save that Rubina or her temper.”
This is because everyone has heard, seen, and experienced for over 20 years how dirty the Duchess Rubina's temper is.
“I think she's crazy. She must be out of her mind.”
“If it was Countess de Mare, she would have continued to use strange tricks. Isn’t it because she had a way out?”
“I can only think of one thing. To push out Duchess Rubina and take the government position.”
"Ah."
It wasn't the kind of behavior that befitted a girl who saw the truth, a Saintess of the Rambouillet Relief Home, or a mother of the poor, but it certainly wasn't enough to scare Rubina.
In other words, anything less than that would mean there was no way to avoid Rubina's wrath.
“Is there any other magical method besides that? If so, please tell me.”
“...There isn’t any.”
Julia de Baldessar, Ariadne's close friend, was also at a loss. Julia's reaction when she heard the news was simply this:
"Oh."
What should I do? If I were a good friend, I would go and hug her and cry with her...
For some reason, Ari felt like that was too much interference.
But it was uncomfortable to just watch. Julia just kept repeating.
"Oh."
But her brother had more to say than that.
“Father! How can you recommend that to Ari?!”
“My eardrums are about to burst. Please speak quietly.”
The Marquis Baldessar concentrated on not letting go of his breakfast fork and knife. But the son would not let go of his father.
“Ari isn’t even married, and the age difference between her and Princess Bianca is not that big! Why did the conversation go that far when it’s not worth asking for advice!”
“It was His Majesty the King’s order.”
The Marquis Baldessar wanted to stop talking to his son and finish cutting into the well-baked bread that had been served for breakfast, a tart with melted butter and candied apples on top.
But life doesn't always go as planned, even for a successful Marquis.
“At least my father should have stopped him! You could have at least given Ari a warning!”
Marquis Baldessar let out a deep sigh. The Marquis Baldessar was a rising nobleman with no land, and he was the head of a household with many responsibilities.
The power he enjoys now is purely due to his inclusion in the King's three-man cabinet.
Who on earth gives you sugar, milk, and cheese on the table, and why do you babble so loudly while you use expensive silk and firewood?
"Honey."
“Why are you like this, my love?”
“I don’t think you have to worry.”
The Marchioness blinked her eyes open and closed in response to her husband's ridiculous words while she was eating.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Why, you weren’t worried when Raphael said before that he wanted to become a detective or a priest.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
"Father!"
The Marquis Baldessar finally put down his fork and knife and covered his ears at the sound of his son's screams. Why do humans only have two hands?
'You're being so uselessly filthy and quick-witted.'
He ended up getting up from his bed in a hurry without even eating a bite of breakfast. It would have been better to run away than to deal with that thing.
'There's no point in raising a child, there's no point in raising a child!'
Leo III was delighted when he heard that Countess Ariadne de Mare had accepted the position of chaperone for Princess Bianca of Taranto.
He set a date to meet with Countess de Mare in person.
The date of his entry into the Palazzo Carlo from the de Mare mansion was about two weeks later.
Ariadne contacted the Collezioni costume shop for the first time in a long while to get her outfit made for that day and to reorganize her dressing room in preparation for the spring/summer ball season.
The order was to bring all the fabrics and accessories of this season to the de Mare mansion and present them. But Rubina's hands were quick.
“Ah, Miss...”
Sancha appeared with a pale face and said.
“I got a reply from the Collezione costume shop... I’m so sorry, but it seems like it will be difficult to do business with the de Mare family this season...”
But it was uncomfortable to just watch. Julia just kept repeating.
"Oh."
But her brother had more to say than that.
“Father! How can you recommend that to Ari?!”
“My eardrums are about to burst. Please speak quietly.”
The Marquis Baldessar concentrated on not letting go of his breakfast fork and knife. But the son would not let go of his father.
“Ari isn’t even married, and the age difference between her and Princess Bianca is not that big! Why did the conversation go that far when it’s not worth asking for advice!”
“It was His Majesty the King’s order.”
The Marquis Baldessar wanted to stop talking to his son and finish cutting into the well-baked bread that had been served for breakfast, a tart with melted butter and candied apples on top.
But life doesn't always go as planned, even for a successful Marquis.
“At least my father should have stopped him! You could have at least given Ari a warning!”
Marquis Baldessar let out a deep sigh. The Marquis Baldessar was a rising nobleman with no land, and he was the head of a household with many responsibilities.
The power he enjoys now is purely due to his inclusion in the King's three-man cabinet.
Who on earth gives you sugar, milk, and cheese on the table, and why do you babble so loudly while you use expensive silk and firewood?
Instead of calling him a “woman-crazed bastard,” the Marquis de Baldessar graciously addressed his wife.
“Why are you like this, my love?”
“I don’t think you have to worry.”
The Marchioness blinked her eyes open and closed in response to her husband's ridiculous words while she was eating.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Why, you weren’t worried when Raphael said before that he wanted to become a detective or a priest.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
"Father!"
The Marquis Baldessar finally put down his fork and knife and covered his ears at the sound of his son's screams. Why do humans only have two hands?
'You're being so uselessly filthy and quick-witted.'
He ended up getting up from his bed in a hurry without even eating a bite of breakfast. It would have been better to run away than to deal with that thing.
'There's no point in raising a child, there's no point in raising a child!'
***
Leo III was delighted when he heard that Countess Ariadne de Mare had accepted the position of chaperone for Princess Bianca of Taranto.
He set a date to meet with Countess de Mare in person.
The date of his entry into the Palazzo Carlo from the de Mare mansion was about two weeks later.
Ariadne contacted the Collezioni costume shop for the first time in a long while to get her outfit made for that day and to reorganize her dressing room in preparation for the spring/summer ball season.
The order was to bring all the fabrics and accessories of this season to the de Mare mansion and present them. But Rubina's hands were quick.
“Ah, Miss...”
Sancha appeared with a pale face and said.
“I got a reply from the Collezione costume shop... I’m so sorry, but it seems like it will be difficult to do business with the de Mare family this season...”
Even Ariadne was dumbfounded by this swift blow.
“No, already?”
She expected the attack to come from one direction or another, but she thought they would attack her social circle first, not her store, and even if they did, she thought they would at least make sure she got the dress for this season.
“It’s so petty and doesn’t fit the title!”
Sancha became angry.
“The Collezione costume shop is the same. How much have we sold so far, and now you’re hitting us in the back of the head like this?!”
Ariadne fully agreed with Rubina's pettiness but realized that Sancha had very precise standards when it came to the Collezione dress shop. Her calculations were simply wrong.
“Duchess Rubina has been a regular at Collezione’s costume shop for 25 years.”
"Oh."
“That’s why his son, Duke Cesare, came and went as if it were his own house. We became acquainted with them through Duke Cesare.”
Sancha frowned.
“When I think about that filthy bastard, I suddenly feel unlucky even in the costume shop.”
“I guess so?”
It's time to give a breath of fresh air to an old trend.
“I think it’s time to change the top-class costume shop that dominates the capital.”
“As expected from our young lady!”
“Would you please contact CEO Caruso?”
"All right."
***
Ariadne encountered similar situations in the dressing room again when fitting jewels and shoes, but they were all within her control.
Caruso's Boccanegro company expanded into all areas including daily necessities during the Black Death, and with his marriage to Camellia, he also entered the luxury goods market that the Castiglione company had a firm hold on.
Ariadne was introduced to precious fabrics and workshops unknown to San Carlo's society, and created this season's wardrobe according to her own taste—more precisely, by grafting Sancha's taste onto the styles she had seen in her past life.
“Miss! You are beautiful!”
Her black hair, curled up like a cloud, was shiny.
The round forehead was coolly revealed, and a pearl hair band was wrapped slightly in front of the crown, giving it a lustrous texture different from the hair.
Each pearl set into the hair ribbon was a large South Sea pearl of the highest quality, the kind that others would wear as rings or necklaces, revealing the grandeur of the Countess de Mare, who had amassed great wealth without making much of a fuss.
Ariadne also made a bold choice in her attire. Today was the day to show off her power against Duchess Rubina.
It would have been a one-on-one meeting with the King, or a small-scale meeting with a three-person cabinet, so there was no one to show it to, but there was a certain momentum.
She took full advantage of her height by choosing a dress with a cinched waist and puffed sleeves and skirt.
It was a stark contrast to the styles popular at San Carlo until then, which had been high waists, small decorations and ruffles, and narrow dress lapels.
'It was a fashion that spread when the Gaeta region was taken over by the Gallico Kingdom and the fashion of Montpellier was imported back to San Carlo...'
The women of San Carlo had smaller and more compact bones than those of the north, so low waistlines and large decorations did not suit them.
When they were leading the trend, they couldn't use bold silhouettes, but for Ariadne, they are all designs that suit her perfectly.
'If you don't come down from the north, I'll send you up from the south.'
Her dress details were filled with intricately embroidered fabrics from the Moorish Empire, imported exclusively by the Bocanegro brand.
'I agreed to receive a 10% commission for the sale of this type of fabric.'
The gold and silver embroidery meticulously placed on the blue-violet ray fabric was dazzling enough to dazzle the eyes. It was the pick of Sancha, who was born with a keen eye for detail.
The women of San Carlo, including Duchess Rubina, have never seen anything like it.
She wish the King would just stare wide-eyed and compliment Rubina.
Or it would be funny if Duchess Rubina with her eyes wide open like vipers, were sticking close to the King.
Ariadne thought Rubina might have done that too.
She will never forget the humiliation she felt four years ago when Leo III had tried to take Ariadne as his concubine.
If Rubina had any discretion, she would not have let the two of them meet alone.
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
Today's Ariadne was a warrior leaving for battle.
Sancha looked at Ariadne's back, shining a cool blue violet even in the hot Etruscan sun, and was convinced that her young lady could crush even the stone giants of mythology with her bare hands.
***
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Countess de Mare.”
It was in his office that Leo III welcomed Ariadne.
On either side stood the Marquis Baldessar, the Count Marquez, the Count Contarini, and the Lord Delpiano. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Duchess Rubina was nowhere to be seen.
“Well... As time goes by, the old days seem vague. Is everything at home?”
Ariadne immediately realized Leo III's intentions: he was ashamed of the disgrace he had committed a few years earlier.
To be exact, he's not the kind of person who would be truly ashamed, so he's just reluctant to let others know about it. Ariadne answered with a bright smile.
“I also don’t remember anything these days, maybe because of the seasons. Your Majesty, don’t worry.”
“Heh heh.”
“The Cardinal is still staying in Trevero. He was in good health until his departure.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Leo III quickly got to the point. Today he was trying his best to refrain from glancing at Ariadne's body.
“I really appreciate you accepting the role of Bianca’s chaperone. It was a real headache for me.”
“I would be honored if I could do anything to ease Your Majesty’s worries.”
“But... how much is the age difference between you two? Seven years?”
From the side, Count Ottavio Contarini chimed in and said:
“Five years old, Your Majesty. The age difference between Countess de Mare and Princess Bianca of Taranto is five years.”
“Yeah, five years.”
Leo III said in a trembling voice.
“Some people say that the age gap between you and Bianca is too small.”
Ariadne simply nodded. There seemed to be little use in arguing about it here and now.
What does Leo III want that he is saying this now? Wasn't it Leo III who was desperately searching for Bianca's saffron in the first place?
“...So, why don’t you bring lunch and have another meeting in the afternoon?”
“Lunch?”
She was momentarily taken aback. When the palace told her to enter, there was no mention of having lunch together. But it was almost time for a meal.
“May I have the honor of dining with Your Majesty...”
“That’s a bit like that.”
Leo III accepted Ariadne's humble words with great equanimity. She almost asked back, "Yes?" but barely managed to hold herself back.
“Then should I eat alone?”
“There is someone else who invited Countess de Mare.”
Next to her was Count Ottavio Contarini, who guided her. It was a new feeling to meet him, whom she had only seen as a friend of her older sister and brother, as one of the three members of the cabinet at the palace.
'It's a miracle that the country doesn't fall...'
Ottavio once again asked Ariadne, who was wondering if his return was really a good thing for the future of the Etruscan kingdom.
“Follow me.”
Ariadne looked at Leo III. Her eyes asked if she could follow him.
“Yes. I’ll go with Count Contarini and see you at the afternoon meeting.”
“Your Majesty, I am very grateful.”
She bowed to Leo III and followed Ottavio out of the King's office.
The hallway she walked in after Ottavio was so quiet that only the sound of her footsteps could be heard, which made it doubly eerie.
She was going to keep her mouth shut because of the uncomfortable atmosphere, but she wanted to know who had called her, and since she felt like she would lose if she kept her mouth shut because of the atmosphere, she opened her mouth and asked.
“Is this an invitation from some precious person?”
As she asked the question, she realized that there was only one person in the palace who could have called her Ottavio. A smile appeared on her lips.
'This is how it's supposed to turn out.'
Ottavio froze for a moment, perhaps taken aback by the fact that Ariadne had spoken to him, and then answered bluntly.
“You will know when you see it.”
He walked slowly and arrived in front of a small, beautifully decorated banquet hall. It could accommodate about fifty or sixty people. Ottavio threw open the door with all his might.
CLANG!
All the eyes of those in the banquet hall were focused on Ariadne, who was standing at the door. They were all women.
The thirty or forty noblewomen and the Duchess of Rubina sat around a long oval dining table.
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