Sir Manfredi, who had come forward, spoke cheerfully.
“No way, Your Highness. It must be a new appetizer.”
Sir Bernardino also added his own touch.
“How could Duchess Rubina, the most noble lady in the kingdom, do such a thing?”
It seemed as if he couldn't bring himself to say something as vulgar as 'little circus'. Alfonso nodded.
He walked to the dog-only table without saying a word.
Isabella was the first to notice what the legitimate Prince of this country was up to. Her amethyst eyes began to tremble.
Alfonso picked up the dog food bowl from the dog table.
He crossed the dining room without rushing and placed the dog bowl in front of Duchess Rubina.
Bam!
It was a restaurant as quiet as a mouse. Even the sound of dog meat clinking inside a ceramic bowl could be heard without any filter.
Rubina's face also turned pale. Alfonso opened his mouth.
“How can a guest eat before the owner has even started?”
On the surface, it was just a common table manners story, but everyone there knew that it wasn't.
'I told you to eat all this dog meat!'
Sir Manfredi quickly ran to the dog table and brought out a dog-sized dog spoon.
The spoon part used to scoop up the soup was cutely carved in the shape of a dog's paw. He recommended it cheerfully.
“Please eat.”
Pongdang!
The dog spoon was stuck in the dog food in front of Duchess Rubina. Manfredi added with a grin.
“The latest trendy appetizers are all gone.”
Rubina looked straight at Alfonso. Her hands were shaking.
Alfonso met Rubina's gaze with a calm expression.
It was a gaze that seemed as if nothing was happening as if one were looking at raindrops falling from the eaves or tree branches swaying in the wind.
After their gazes locked for a while, Rubina finally hit the table with her hand with a thud!
“Enough!”
She got up from her seat. Rubina left the banquet hall, carrying only her gray French bulldog.
Her maid, Deborah, followed her in a hurry, carrying various dog supplies, while Isabella, who was heavily pregnant and had a pale face, followed her, scurrying about.
Next, it was in the order of quick wit. The ladies who had been invited to this place looked at each other and then followed Duchess Rubina out.
It was an exit that felt like a storm was brewing.
Sir Bernardino called his servant.
“Hey, honey.”
The owner and most of the customers are gone, but the restaurant remains and the food is probably the same. Isn't waste bad?
“Is the meal ready?”
The most senior-looking servant in the dining room answered in surprise.
“Yes, yes!”
“From the palace kitchen’s perspective, it doesn’t matter who eats it, so just serve it out as it is prepared.”
“It’s for 36 people, but there are only about 10 people left right now...”
“Bring all 36 servings. Can’t you imagine how much those gentlemen eat?”
The knights were already ready to rise up in revolt if they weren't fed something right away. The attendant bowed his head and retreated, convinced.
The knights who had taken over Rubina's dining room and even stolen her food began to sit down carelessly on the beautiful chairs where the ladies had been sitting elegantly just a moment ago, their dusty shoes on.
Even the noble ladies who had no intention of following Ruby or the Duchess left the banquet hall in twos and threes after seeing the appearance of those who remained.
The knights had just returned from training.
Not only were their hair and clothes soaked with sweat, but their old training armor gave off a foul odor.
Alfonso was no exception, and he realized this too late.
Today's Ariadne was incredibly beautiful, but he happened to have such an unsightly appearance.
He tried to quietly wipe the sweat off his face with his sleeve, but the dirt on his sleeve just transferred to his cheek.
Alfonso looked at his face in the mirror on the wall and panicked.
The only women left in the banquet hall now were Countess de Mare.
While Alfonso was broken and stopped working, Sir Manfredi slowly approached Ariadne.
“Meet the Countess de Mare.”
He didn't forget to bow gracefully, bending his knees. Ariadne smiled brightly in return.
“It is an honor to meet the third son of Count Manfredi.”
Sir Manfredi's eyes widened.
“Do you know me?”
'The Girl Who Sees Truth', 'The Saintess of the Rambouillet Relief', the most famous woman in the capital, Countess Ariadne de Mare, knew his name! Even the snobby Lord Manfredi stuttered.
“W, this is really, a, an honor to the family?!”
Ariadne answered with a smile.
“Who in San Carlo society doesn’t know Manfredi?”
“Wow! This feels good!”
Sir Manfredi was so happy that he could almost clap his hands with the heels of his boots.
Then he asked as if he had suddenly remembered something. It was suspicious that he had managed to recite the entire sentence in one breath.
“No, that aside, wouldn’t you like to have lunch together? It looks like you have some free time anyway.”
Sir Rothschild asked Sir Bernardino, watching Manfredi make a fuss beside Countess de Mare.
“Sir Bernardino, didn’t that friend of Manfredi have a fiancée?”
Sir Rothschild was a new foreigner who joined Yesak.
“Why is he acting so rude all of a sudden?”
It must have been visible even to foreigners unfamiliar with Etruscan etiquette.
Before Sir Dino could answer, Sir Desilio, Sir Dino's adjutant, kicked Sir Rotschild's foot under the table.
"Ouch!"
"Shhhh!"
Sir Desilio whispered, watching Sir Manfredi's expression.
“He was dumped!”
"What?"
Sir Desilio spoke with a sly tone as if he were telling me some great secret.
“Since there was no contact with Sir Manfredi while he was in Yesac, she thought he was dead and married another man.”
“Oh my...”
The voice was a bit loud for a secret, but Sir Manfredi seemed to be so focused on Countess de Mare that he didn't hear a thing.
“Sir Manfredi says he was wronged, that he wrote letters, but look at that rascal. Who would have written letters every day?”
Sir Desilio was the youngest of the three, and while everyone else was away at Yesac, he had stayed behind in San Carlo, so the only person he could tease was Sir Rothschild.
“Yes, I am right, Dino!”
But Sir Bernardino had other concerns.
'That bastard Manfredi, doesn't he know that the Prince was in love with Countess de Mare?'
Sir Manfredi was laughing heartily and trying his best to look good in front of Countess de Mare.
'That guy, if he keeps up like that, he'll get in trouble during training tomorrow...'
As expected, Alfonso's expression was unusual. He turned red, then blue, then white, a wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows...
'I guess I'll have to pretend I don't know...'
If you stay still, the middle ground will pass, and silence is golden.
Sir Bernardino fervently prayed to the gods that Prince Alfonso would tomorrow single out Manfredi and not all the knights.
“Stupid thing!”
Thud!
“No way, Your Highness. It must be a new appetizer.”
Sir Bernardino also added his own touch.
“How could Duchess Rubina, the most noble lady in the kingdom, do such a thing?”
It seemed as if he couldn't bring himself to say something as vulgar as 'little circus'. Alfonso nodded.
He walked to the dog-only table without saying a word.
Isabella was the first to notice what the legitimate Prince of this country was up to. Her amethyst eyes began to tremble.
Alfonso picked up the dog food bowl from the dog table.
He crossed the dining room without rushing and placed the dog bowl in front of Duchess Rubina.
Bam!
It was a restaurant as quiet as a mouse. Even the sound of dog meat clinking inside a ceramic bowl could be heard without any filter.
Rubina's face also turned pale. Alfonso opened his mouth.
“How can a guest eat before the owner has even started?”
On the surface, it was just a common table manners story, but everyone there knew that it wasn't.
'I told you to eat all this dog meat!'
Sir Manfredi quickly ran to the dog table and brought out a dog-sized dog spoon.
The spoon part used to scoop up the soup was cutely carved in the shape of a dog's paw. He recommended it cheerfully.
“Please eat.”
Pongdang!
The dog spoon was stuck in the dog food in front of Duchess Rubina. Manfredi added with a grin.
“The latest trendy appetizers are all gone.”
Rubina looked straight at Alfonso. Her hands were shaking.
Alfonso met Rubina's gaze with a calm expression.
It was a gaze that seemed as if nothing was happening as if one were looking at raindrops falling from the eaves or tree branches swaying in the wind.
After their gazes locked for a while, Rubina finally hit the table with her hand with a thud!
“Enough!”
She got up from her seat. Rubina left the banquet hall, carrying only her gray French bulldog.
Her maid, Deborah, followed her in a hurry, carrying various dog supplies, while Isabella, who was heavily pregnant and had a pale face, followed her, scurrying about.
Next, it was in the order of quick wit. The ladies who had been invited to this place looked at each other and then followed Duchess Rubina out.
It was an exit that felt like a storm was brewing.
Sir Bernardino called his servant.
“Hey, honey.”
The owner and most of the customers are gone, but the restaurant remains and the food is probably the same. Isn't waste bad?
“Is the meal ready?”
The most senior-looking servant in the dining room answered in surprise.
“Yes, yes!”
“From the palace kitchen’s perspective, it doesn’t matter who eats it, so just serve it out as it is prepared.”
“It’s for 36 people, but there are only about 10 people left right now...”
“Bring all 36 servings. Can’t you imagine how much those gentlemen eat?”
The knights were already ready to rise up in revolt if they weren't fed something right away. The attendant bowed his head and retreated, convinced.
The knights who had taken over Rubina's dining room and even stolen her food began to sit down carelessly on the beautiful chairs where the ladies had been sitting elegantly just a moment ago, their dusty shoes on.
Even the noble ladies who had no intention of following Ruby or the Duchess left the banquet hall in twos and threes after seeing the appearance of those who remained.
The knights had just returned from training.
Not only were their hair and clothes soaked with sweat, but their old training armor gave off a foul odor.
Alfonso was no exception, and he realized this too late.
Today's Ariadne was incredibly beautiful, but he happened to have such an unsightly appearance.
He tried to quietly wipe the sweat off his face with his sleeve, but the dirt on his sleeve just transferred to his cheek.
Alfonso looked at his face in the mirror on the wall and panicked.
The only women left in the banquet hall now were Countess de Mare.
While Alfonso was broken and stopped working, Sir Manfredi slowly approached Ariadne.
“Meet the Countess de Mare.”
He didn't forget to bow gracefully, bending his knees. Ariadne smiled brightly in return.
“It is an honor to meet the third son of Count Manfredi.”
Sir Manfredi's eyes widened.
“Do you know me?”
'The Girl Who Sees Truth', 'The Saintess of the Rambouillet Relief', the most famous woman in the capital, Countess Ariadne de Mare, knew his name! Even the snobby Lord Manfredi stuttered.
“W, this is really, a, an honor to the family?!”
Ariadne answered with a smile.
“Who in San Carlo society doesn’t know Manfredi?”
“Wow! This feels good!”
Sir Manfredi was so happy that he could almost clap his hands with the heels of his boots.
Then he asked as if he had suddenly remembered something. It was suspicious that he had managed to recite the entire sentence in one breath.
“No, that aside, wouldn’t you like to have lunch together? It looks like you have some free time anyway.”
Sir Rothschild asked Sir Bernardino, watching Manfredi make a fuss beside Countess de Mare.
“Sir Bernardino, didn’t that friend of Manfredi have a fiancée?”
Sir Rothschild was a new foreigner who joined Yesak.
“Why is he acting so rude all of a sudden?”
It must have been visible even to foreigners unfamiliar with Etruscan etiquette.
Before Sir Dino could answer, Sir Desilio, Sir Dino's adjutant, kicked Sir Rotschild's foot under the table.
"Ouch!"
"Shhhh!"
Sir Desilio whispered, watching Sir Manfredi's expression.
“He was dumped!”
"What?"
Sir Desilio spoke with a sly tone as if he were telling me some great secret.
“Since there was no contact with Sir Manfredi while he was in Yesac, she thought he was dead and married another man.”
“Oh my...”
The voice was a bit loud for a secret, but Sir Manfredi seemed to be so focused on Countess de Mare that he didn't hear a thing.
“Sir Manfredi says he was wronged, that he wrote letters, but look at that rascal. Who would have written letters every day?”
Sir Desilio was the youngest of the three, and while everyone else was away at Yesac, he had stayed behind in San Carlo, so the only person he could tease was Sir Rothschild.
“Yes, I am right, Dino!”
But Sir Bernardino had other concerns.
'That bastard Manfredi, doesn't he know that the Prince was in love with Countess de Mare?'
Sir Manfredi was laughing heartily and trying his best to look good in front of Countess de Mare.
'That guy, if he keeps up like that, he'll get in trouble during training tomorrow...'
As expected, Alfonso's expression was unusual. He turned red, then blue, then white, a wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows...
'I guess I'll have to pretend I don't know...'
If you stay still, the middle ground will pass, and silence is golden.
Sir Bernardino fervently prayed to the gods that Prince Alfonso would tomorrow single out Manfredi and not all the knights.
***
“Stupid thing!”
Thud!
Isabella was not given any special treatment because she was pregnant.
Duchess Rubina slapped Isabella's cheeks mercilessly, and Isabella rolled mercilessly on the Duchess's fine Moorish imperial carpet.
“I believed your plan and did as you said, but in the end, I became a laughing stock!”
Rubina couldn't control her anger and started to grumble.
“What? I know my sister best? You're just a mouthpiece!”
Isabella's fine flaxen hair was tangled and scattered across the red carpet.
Ottavio, who was standing behind, didn't know what to do and just stood there fidgeting.
“What are you going to do about this situation! You had the nerve to ask me to resolve the lawsuit against the Baron Castiglione family in exchange for me being Bianca’s chaperone, and then you’re causing this mess?!”
Isabella, who was fully pregnant, barely managed to hug her belly and pull herself up onto her knees.
She crawled on all fours, grabbed Rubina's skirt, and begged.
“I really didn’t know that a Prince would show up there! Who knew!”
“I need a subordinate who can get the job done no matter what happens! I saw that b*tch getting all cocky and raising the corners of her mouth when the Prince showed up!”
Isabella let out a long sob.
“Please, if you give me one more chance, I will show you, Duchess, how talented I am! I know that girl Ariadne best! I will make sure she kneels before you, Duchess!”
Rubina kicked Isabella away.
“No work!”
Isabella fell backwards.
“Ahh!”
Rubina glared at Isabella, her wine-colored eyes narrowed.
“I should have known from the beginning. You gave my son even your underwear, but you couldn’t even find a husband. How much ability do you think you have?”
Ottavio's eyes, who were listening from the side, grew as big as lanterns.
Isabella was concerned about Ottavio, but she was too focused on Rubina to look at her husband.
“That, that’s not it...!”
“No need for excuses.”
Rubina cut Isabella off firmly.
“You failed once then. You failed twice today.”
She lifted Isabella's face up and hooked the toe of her red leather shoe over her chin as she lay on the floor.
“If you fail once, it’s a mistake, but... if you fail twice, it’s a skill.”
As Rubina's shoes slipped off, Isabella's face fell limply onto the carpet.
But Isabella immediately raised her head and begged desperately.
“Duchess! No! Just give me one more chance and I can really do it this time!”
Rubina laughed without much emotion.
“If Countess Contarini is so capable, you will be able to handle the affairs of Baron Castiglione without my help, right?”
Rubina sighed and gestured with her hand, indicating to get out.
“Stop being so stuffy and get out. Before I call someone and drag you out.”
When Isabella showed signs of clinging to Rubina even more, Ottavio tried to stop his wife, and in the meantime, Duchess Rubina disappeared into her room like a ghost.
The maid Deborah led them out, and thus the Count and Countess Contarini were driven out of the Duchess Rubina's quarters.
“Sob... Sob sob...”
Standing in the palace hallway, a heavily pregnant Isabella cried, covering her face with her hands.
“What should we do...”
It wasn't to be pretentious like usual, it was sincere.
“What happens to us if we can’t pay off Camellia’s debt? We’ll be kicked out of the mansion...?”
Ottavio, who was as tall as a stool and couldn't say a word in front of Duchess Rubina, said.
“But you know, Isabella.”
"Yes."
“Honey, did you really sleep with Cesare?”
Isabella felt as if something like a huge hammer had hit the back of her head.
“Ouch...!”
Despite his wife's silence, Ottavio asked with a serious expression.
“That’s not true, is it? You said you never did that to me. Right?”
“Ugh...! Agh...!”
Isabella squatted down, clutching her stomach. Ottavio looked down at her with a slightly angry expression.
“Are you going to pretend to have a stomachache again and avoid talking?”
He crossed his arms and looked at Isabella.
“Do you think I’m a fool who keeps getting fooled by the same number? Are you ignoring me? This is important to me!”
Isabella's skirt was soaked with dark color.
“You even peed yourself? This is too much, honey.”
“...This crazy kid!”
Isabella barely managed to exhale between gasps.
“My water broke!”
Duchess Rubina slapped Isabella's cheeks mercilessly, and Isabella rolled mercilessly on the Duchess's fine Moorish imperial carpet.
“I believed your plan and did as you said, but in the end, I became a laughing stock!”
Rubina couldn't control her anger and started to grumble.
“What? I know my sister best? You're just a mouthpiece!”
Isabella's fine flaxen hair was tangled and scattered across the red carpet.
Ottavio, who was standing behind, didn't know what to do and just stood there fidgeting.
“What are you going to do about this situation! You had the nerve to ask me to resolve the lawsuit against the Baron Castiglione family in exchange for me being Bianca’s chaperone, and then you’re causing this mess?!”
Isabella, who was fully pregnant, barely managed to hug her belly and pull herself up onto her knees.
She crawled on all fours, grabbed Rubina's skirt, and begged.
“I really didn’t know that a Prince would show up there! Who knew!”
“I need a subordinate who can get the job done no matter what happens! I saw that b*tch getting all cocky and raising the corners of her mouth when the Prince showed up!”
Isabella let out a long sob.
“Please, if you give me one more chance, I will show you, Duchess, how talented I am! I know that girl Ariadne best! I will make sure she kneels before you, Duchess!”
Rubina kicked Isabella away.
“No work!”
Isabella fell backwards.
“Ahh!”
Rubina glared at Isabella, her wine-colored eyes narrowed.
“I should have known from the beginning. You gave my son even your underwear, but you couldn’t even find a husband. How much ability do you think you have?”
Ottavio's eyes, who were listening from the side, grew as big as lanterns.
Isabella was concerned about Ottavio, but she was too focused on Rubina to look at her husband.
“That, that’s not it...!”
“No need for excuses.”
Rubina cut Isabella off firmly.
“You failed once then. You failed twice today.”
She lifted Isabella's face up and hooked the toe of her red leather shoe over her chin as she lay on the floor.
“If you fail once, it’s a mistake, but... if you fail twice, it’s a skill.”
As Rubina's shoes slipped off, Isabella's face fell limply onto the carpet.
But Isabella immediately raised her head and begged desperately.
“Duchess! No! Just give me one more chance and I can really do it this time!”
Rubina laughed without much emotion.
“If Countess Contarini is so capable, you will be able to handle the affairs of Baron Castiglione without my help, right?”
Rubina sighed and gestured with her hand, indicating to get out.
“Stop being so stuffy and get out. Before I call someone and drag you out.”
When Isabella showed signs of clinging to Rubina even more, Ottavio tried to stop his wife, and in the meantime, Duchess Rubina disappeared into her room like a ghost.
The maid Deborah led them out, and thus the Count and Countess Contarini were driven out of the Duchess Rubina's quarters.
“Sob... Sob sob...”
Standing in the palace hallway, a heavily pregnant Isabella cried, covering her face with her hands.
“What should we do...”
It wasn't to be pretentious like usual, it was sincere.
“What happens to us if we can’t pay off Camellia’s debt? We’ll be kicked out of the mansion...?”
Ottavio, who was as tall as a stool and couldn't say a word in front of Duchess Rubina, said.
“But you know, Isabella.”
"Yes."
“Honey, did you really sleep with Cesare?”
Isabella felt as if something like a huge hammer had hit the back of her head.
“Ouch...!”
Despite his wife's silence, Ottavio asked with a serious expression.
“That’s not true, is it? You said you never did that to me. Right?”
“Ugh...! Agh...!”
Isabella squatted down, clutching her stomach. Ottavio looked down at her with a slightly angry expression.
“Are you going to pretend to have a stomachache again and avoid talking?”
He crossed his arms and looked at Isabella.
“Do you think I’m a fool who keeps getting fooled by the same number? Are you ignoring me? This is important to me!”
Isabella's skirt was soaked with dark color.
“You even peed yourself? This is too much, honey.”
“...This crazy kid!”
Isabella barely managed to exhale between gasps.
“My water broke!”
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