Ariadne didn't remember the man in front of her. But she did remember the name, 'Sir Elko.'
It was not because the person himself was impressive. It was because it was the name that Prince Alfonso had mentioned with an expression of desperation just before leaving for Gallico.
Alfonso did not forget to mention him even in the last letter he left her.
“Ari, I plan to go to Gallico and get Sir Elko back.”
The letter he left in her bedroom on the day he left San Carlo, the last letter he ever wrote her with affection, contained the name of Lord Elko.
It was not because the person himself was impressive. It was because it was the name that Prince Alfonso had mentioned with an expression of desperation just before leaving for Gallico.
Alfonso did not forget to mention him even in the last letter he left her.
“Ari, I plan to go to Gallico and get Sir Elko back.”
The letter he left in her bedroom on the day he left San Carlo, the last letter he ever wrote her with affection, contained the name of Lord Elko.
“I can’t just sit back and watch someone get hurt because of me.”
It was a letter she had read hundreds of times. She couldn't forget the name. She opened her eyes wide and looked at the tall man in front of her.
In fact, her memories of Queen Marguerite's inner chambers were, to be honest, vague. Or, to be precise, hazy.
It was composed of a feeling of intense events and vague surroundings.
She was mentally preparing herself for the social death that would come after saving her life, Alfonso held her hand tightly and would not let go, and Queen Marguerite surprisingly maintained her composure.
Then one of the Prince's knights, out of loyalty to Prince Alfonso, offered to surrender himself to Gallico's side in his stead.
She remembered the event itself. How could she forget it? But the person was blurred. All her attention was focused on Alfonso and Queen Marguerite.
But the Elko statue she see now had a different meaning.
That was the man Alfonso had set out to rescue. It was immediately understandable why he was able to move around the palace despite his disability.
He is under the strong protection of Prince Alfonso.
'Alfonso...'
He got what he wanted. Their relationship was ruined because he left, but he saved that person in the end.
Ariadne looked at the tall, gray-haired man in silence, lost in a feeling that was neither regretful nor plain, nor too dull to be frank.
Although he lost an arm and was blinded by both eyes, Sir Elko lived. And thanks to his sacrifice, she too survived.
It would be normal to feel grateful.
Sir Manfredi asked with a smile.
“Countess de Mare, may I introduce you to that friend of mine?”
Ariadne looked closely at the hunched man with gray hair. It was right to be grateful. He was the one who deserved to be grateful.
Alfonso's success in bringing him back alive was also the achievement of Alfonso's personal goal, and it was worthy of celebration.
But something was strange.
Ariadne smiled faintly to hide her true feelings.
Sir Manfredi accepted that as acceptance and patted Elko on the shoulder sadly.
“He js Sir Elko. I am a knight and confidant of Prince Alfonso. His loyalty is impeccable!”
A helpless smile appeared on Elko's face.
“My name is Elko.”
Manfredi was a little worried as he introduced Countess de Mare to Elko.
Elko was very hostile towards her and was worried that he would show it in front of her.
However, Elko, who actually stood before Countess Ariadne de Mare, was very normal.
He looked so shy that he even seemed a little bit intimidated.
“You don’t remember me... I’ve met you before, Countess...”
Elko, who even stuttered in front of Ariadne, looked like a crocodile trying to put on a good smile.
Ariadne had a sophisticated smile on her face. It was a sociable face, and her attitude was perfect so that no one could find a single flaw in her manners.
“Nice to meet you, Sir Elko.”
But, although her manner was elegant and solemn, she neatly blocked his attempts to approach her.
"Nice to meet you" meant she had never seen him before.
The fact that she didn't bother to ask where they had met before meant that she had no intention of becoming closer to him. This nuance was also felt by Elko himself.
...Ignored. The corners of Elko's mouth trembled slightly. But he managed to keep his mask on.
“...It is an honor to greet you like this.”
Ariadne answered him once more, with a perfectly sociable smile, and then she looked at Sir Manfredi.
“Which way is the ‘Room of the Stars’?”
It was a subtle gesture that only someone familiar with the etiquette of the capital's nobility would understand, but its meaning was clear: 'I'm leaving this place.'
Sir Manfredi was surprised by her words.
It wasn't because he, the third son of a prestigious Count family, didn't understand these words.
Contrary to her boasts that she could make herself at home as comfortably as possible, she needed Alfonso to enter the 'room of stars'.
“Ah, that, that. The room opens only with the Prince’s seal.”
Sir Manfredi was sweating profusely.
“I just wanted you to show me the garden for a bit before that.”
He was making unnecessary noises and the situation was becoming awkward. However, he had to grant the lady's request.
“Oh, oh, the date just doesn’t work out. The tulips should be gone by now and the roses should be in bloom. Do you want to go see those too?”
“There’s no need for that.”
A soft voice echoed through the hallway. It was Alfonso, dressed in white, leaning against the arch with his arms crossed.
As soon as Ariadne and the rest of the party saw him, the Prince walked in with quick steps, closing the distance between them.
"Your Highness."
“Your Highness.”
Sir Manfredi and Sir Elko bowed to Prince Alfonso. Alfonso looked at them both with a suspicious look, but his gaze lingered on Sir Elko in particular.
“Countess de Mare, I will guide you to the ‘Room of the Stars’.”
He held out his right arm, and she gently placed her left hand on it.
A tall, slender young Countess stood next to the heir to the throne, a towering figure in white robes.
The sight was so perfect that Sir Elko lowered his head without realizing it. His lips trembled.
Alfonso escorted her down the long corridor, paying no attention to those left behind.
Even as he walked down the corridor with Ariadne's hand on his arm, he felt uneasy.
Alfonso couldn't immediately tell why he was feeling this way, so he looked back at the source of his discomfort.
The loyalty of the knights, especially Sir Elko, to him was unquestionable.
He was the one who gave up his arms, his eyes, and his pride as a knight for Alfonso. Even on the battlefield of Yesak, he took on the menial tasks that others did not want to do.
Elko played a major role in Alfonso's troops' ability to return without a hitch.
Alfonso himself, however, showed his distrust of Elko by returning to the capital and leaving the management of his schedule in the hands of Sir Dino.
Sir Elko didn't show any sign of displeasure even then. He was the most loyal.
But his animal instinct whispered, don't believe it, keep looking.
This was a sixth sense that worked just before the blade flew on the battlefield.
“What? The Prince’s Palace?!”
“Yes, that is correct, Duchess.”
Maid Deborah bowed her head deeply. Duchess Rubina, unable to control her anger, struck the table with her fist.
“You’re like a fox! You’re like a rat! How can you escape through a rat hole like that?!”
Duchess Rubina was fully prepared to sabotage the Prince and Countess de Mare, who had stolen the Princess of Taranto's debutante.
She had initially agreed to the use of the palace hall as the party venue without saying anything, but as the debutante party approached, she made up excuses and refused to cooperate with the use of the venue. That was her first plan.
However, if Prince Alfonso and Ariadne de Mare plan to hold the Princess of Taranto's debutante party from the beginning at the Prince's palace, her plan will be useless.
Because with the authority she had, she couldn't block entry into the palace itself.
“Other than that! Have you heard any news?!”
“Other than that, nothing much...”
Maid Deborah bowed deeply once more. This was what she had become best at lately. Staring blankly at the toes of her shoes.
“This is useless in this world!”
Duchess Rubina ground her teeth. Her subordinate was incompetent, so she had no choice but to rack her brains.
Fortunately, when she do bad things, ideas come to her very quickly.
“If you can’t touch the place, you have to touch the attendees.”
Of course, there was a limit to the harm that could be done to Rubina.
It was a piece of cake for Duchess Rubina to ruin an ordinary debutante's ball.
The main purpose of a debutante ball is to find a marriage partner.
All she has to do is win over the mothers of the noblemen men who are good matchmakers and pressure their families not to attend the debutante ball.
But her opponent was Bianca of Taranto. Anyway, there was no man of Bianca's level.
For the Princess of Taranto to marry a nobleman of the country was an event that would make even the ancestors in their coffins rise from their coffins and hold a feast together.
“Even if the marriage is not urgent, if the hall is empty, the other party will be confused.”
Regardless of the profit, it was a matter of face.
“Try to sell some money at a debutante party that no one comes to.”
The Duchess of Rubina had a firm grip on the capital's society, while the Princess of Taranto was, after all, a provincial.
To make matters worse, the Princess of Taranto's prospective match is a foreign monarchy.
If she were to marry and go abroad, the Duchess of Taranto might never see the ladies of the capital again after the debutante ball.
“Make it clear who you have to stand in line for.”
If rumors spread abroad that the Princess of Taranto lacked virtue because no one showed up to the party she threw, or that the debutante party was actually hosted by Countess de Mare, who was unpopular, it would be the icing on the cake.
“Deborah!”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“Get ready for the tea party. Bring my stationery and pen too!”
“Will five be okay?”
“Do you have a brain or not?! What’s above your shoulders is just decoration?! Bring me a hundred!”
Maid Deborah shed a few tears. No, you usually only invite five or six people to a tea party... Why are you doing this to me...
“Contact the kitchen and tell them to prepare well because we’re going to have three teams per day, for ten days, holding tea parties!”
“I will do that.”
Rubina sighed, frustrated at having to point out all these things in detail.
It seems that Marguerite never lived like this, but she had crawled all the way up to that point, but she was extremely unfortunate.
“Oh my, I’m so annoyed!”
Is this happening because I am the government and the nobles are ignoring me? Everyone is making such a fuss about it.
Rubina was troubled. She needed a confidant. Someone who wasn't very smart, but who could understand human language.
It was a letter she had read hundreds of times. She couldn't forget the name. She opened her eyes wide and looked at the tall man in front of her.
In fact, her memories of Queen Marguerite's inner chambers were, to be honest, vague. Or, to be precise, hazy.
It was composed of a feeling of intense events and vague surroundings.
She was mentally preparing herself for the social death that would come after saving her life, Alfonso held her hand tightly and would not let go, and Queen Marguerite surprisingly maintained her composure.
Then one of the Prince's knights, out of loyalty to Prince Alfonso, offered to surrender himself to Gallico's side in his stead.
She remembered the event itself. How could she forget it? But the person was blurred. All her attention was focused on Alfonso and Queen Marguerite.
But the Elko statue she see now had a different meaning.
That was the man Alfonso had set out to rescue. It was immediately understandable why he was able to move around the palace despite his disability.
He is under the strong protection of Prince Alfonso.
'Alfonso...'
He got what he wanted. Their relationship was ruined because he left, but he saved that person in the end.
Ariadne looked at the tall, gray-haired man in silence, lost in a feeling that was neither regretful nor plain, nor too dull to be frank.
Although he lost an arm and was blinded by both eyes, Sir Elko lived. And thanks to his sacrifice, she too survived.
It would be normal to feel grateful.
Sir Manfredi asked with a smile.
“Countess de Mare, may I introduce you to that friend of mine?”
Ariadne looked closely at the hunched man with gray hair. It was right to be grateful. He was the one who deserved to be grateful.
Alfonso's success in bringing him back alive was also the achievement of Alfonso's personal goal, and it was worthy of celebration.
But something was strange.
Ariadne smiled faintly to hide her true feelings.
Sir Manfredi accepted that as acceptance and patted Elko on the shoulder sadly.
“He js Sir Elko. I am a knight and confidant of Prince Alfonso. His loyalty is impeccable!”
A helpless smile appeared on Elko's face.
“My name is Elko.”
Manfredi was a little worried as he introduced Countess de Mare to Elko.
Elko was very hostile towards her and was worried that he would show it in front of her.
However, Elko, who actually stood before Countess Ariadne de Mare, was very normal.
He looked so shy that he even seemed a little bit intimidated.
“You don’t remember me... I’ve met you before, Countess...”
Elko, who even stuttered in front of Ariadne, looked like a crocodile trying to put on a good smile.
Ariadne had a sophisticated smile on her face. It was a sociable face, and her attitude was perfect so that no one could find a single flaw in her manners.
“Nice to meet you, Sir Elko.”
But, although her manner was elegant and solemn, she neatly blocked his attempts to approach her.
"Nice to meet you" meant she had never seen him before.
The fact that she didn't bother to ask where they had met before meant that she had no intention of becoming closer to him. This nuance was also felt by Elko himself.
...Ignored. The corners of Elko's mouth trembled slightly. But he managed to keep his mask on.
“...It is an honor to greet you like this.”
Ariadne answered him once more, with a perfectly sociable smile, and then she looked at Sir Manfredi.
“Which way is the ‘Room of the Stars’?”
It was a subtle gesture that only someone familiar with the etiquette of the capital's nobility would understand, but its meaning was clear: 'I'm leaving this place.'
Sir Manfredi was surprised by her words.
It wasn't because he, the third son of a prestigious Count family, didn't understand these words.
Contrary to her boasts that she could make herself at home as comfortably as possible, she needed Alfonso to enter the 'room of stars'.
“Ah, that, that. The room opens only with the Prince’s seal.”
Sir Manfredi was sweating profusely.
“I just wanted you to show me the garden for a bit before that.”
He was making unnecessary noises and the situation was becoming awkward. However, he had to grant the lady's request.
“Oh, oh, the date just doesn’t work out. The tulips should be gone by now and the roses should be in bloom. Do you want to go see those too?”
“There’s no need for that.”
A soft voice echoed through the hallway. It was Alfonso, dressed in white, leaning against the arch with his arms crossed.
As soon as Ariadne and the rest of the party saw him, the Prince walked in with quick steps, closing the distance between them.
"Your Highness."
“Your Highness.”
Sir Manfredi and Sir Elko bowed to Prince Alfonso. Alfonso looked at them both with a suspicious look, but his gaze lingered on Sir Elko in particular.
“Countess de Mare, I will guide you to the ‘Room of the Stars’.”
He held out his right arm, and she gently placed her left hand on it.
A tall, slender young Countess stood next to the heir to the throne, a towering figure in white robes.
The sight was so perfect that Sir Elko lowered his head without realizing it. His lips trembled.
Alfonso escorted her down the long corridor, paying no attention to those left behind.
Even as he walked down the corridor with Ariadne's hand on his arm, he felt uneasy.
Alfonso couldn't immediately tell why he was feeling this way, so he looked back at the source of his discomfort.
The loyalty of the knights, especially Sir Elko, to him was unquestionable.
He was the one who gave up his arms, his eyes, and his pride as a knight for Alfonso. Even on the battlefield of Yesak, he took on the menial tasks that others did not want to do.
Elko played a major role in Alfonso's troops' ability to return without a hitch.
Alfonso himself, however, showed his distrust of Elko by returning to the capital and leaving the management of his schedule in the hands of Sir Dino.
Sir Elko didn't show any sign of displeasure even then. He was the most loyal.
But his animal instinct whispered, don't believe it, keep looking.
This was a sixth sense that worked just before the blade flew on the battlefield.
***
“What? The Prince’s Palace?!”
“Yes, that is correct, Duchess.”
Maid Deborah bowed her head deeply. Duchess Rubina, unable to control her anger, struck the table with her fist.
“You’re like a fox! You’re like a rat! How can you escape through a rat hole like that?!”
Duchess Rubina was fully prepared to sabotage the Prince and Countess de Mare, who had stolen the Princess of Taranto's debutante.
She had initially agreed to the use of the palace hall as the party venue without saying anything, but as the debutante party approached, she made up excuses and refused to cooperate with the use of the venue. That was her first plan.
However, if Prince Alfonso and Ariadne de Mare plan to hold the Princess of Taranto's debutante party from the beginning at the Prince's palace, her plan will be useless.
Because with the authority she had, she couldn't block entry into the palace itself.
“Other than that! Have you heard any news?!”
“Other than that, nothing much...”
Maid Deborah bowed deeply once more. This was what she had become best at lately. Staring blankly at the toes of her shoes.
“This is useless in this world!”
Duchess Rubina ground her teeth. Her subordinate was incompetent, so she had no choice but to rack her brains.
Fortunately, when she do bad things, ideas come to her very quickly.
“If you can’t touch the place, you have to touch the attendees.”
Of course, there was a limit to the harm that could be done to Rubina.
It was a piece of cake for Duchess Rubina to ruin an ordinary debutante's ball.
The main purpose of a debutante ball is to find a marriage partner.
All she has to do is win over the mothers of the noblemen men who are good matchmakers and pressure their families not to attend the debutante ball.
But her opponent was Bianca of Taranto. Anyway, there was no man of Bianca's level.
For the Princess of Taranto to marry a nobleman of the country was an event that would make even the ancestors in their coffins rise from their coffins and hold a feast together.
“Even if the marriage is not urgent, if the hall is empty, the other party will be confused.”
Regardless of the profit, it was a matter of face.
“Try to sell some money at a debutante party that no one comes to.”
The Duchess of Rubina had a firm grip on the capital's society, while the Princess of Taranto was, after all, a provincial.
To make matters worse, the Princess of Taranto's prospective match is a foreign monarchy.
If she were to marry and go abroad, the Duchess of Taranto might never see the ladies of the capital again after the debutante ball.
“Make it clear who you have to stand in line for.”
If rumors spread abroad that the Princess of Taranto lacked virtue because no one showed up to the party she threw, or that the debutante party was actually hosted by Countess de Mare, who was unpopular, it would be the icing on the cake.
“Deborah!”
“Yes, Duchess.”
“Get ready for the tea party. Bring my stationery and pen too!”
“Will five be okay?”
“Do you have a brain or not?! What’s above your shoulders is just decoration?! Bring me a hundred!”
Maid Deborah shed a few tears. No, you usually only invite five or six people to a tea party... Why are you doing this to me...
“Contact the kitchen and tell them to prepare well because we’re going to have three teams per day, for ten days, holding tea parties!”
“I will do that.”
Rubina sighed, frustrated at having to point out all these things in detail.
It seems that Marguerite never lived like this, but she had crawled all the way up to that point, but she was extremely unfortunate.
“Oh my, I’m so annoyed!”
Is this happening because I am the government and the nobles are ignoring me? Everyone is making such a fuss about it.
Rubina was troubled. She needed a confidant. Someone who wasn't very smart, but who could understand human language.
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