Duchess Rubina sat on her high audience chair, beautifully upholstered in red silk, and looked down coldly at Countess Bartolini.
Clemente was not at all attractive. She had no striking features, and her clothes were expensive, but that was about it.
The decoration was not very stylish and the hangers on which the clothes were hung were not outstanding.
But that felt strangely guilty.
The fact that an ugly woman with no talent for dressing up could sit here was a testament to her noble bloodline.
The sight of such a woman trembling and bowing at her feet gave Rubina a strange sense of satisfaction. Rubina pretended to lower her voice and spoke sternly.
“I accepted your last-minute request for an audience, which showed no sign of courtesy.”
Her tiny spine shook.
“Because your father has been loyal to me all his life.”
The relationship between Count Contarini and Duchess Rubina was more of a cooperative relationship than a master-servant one.
Sometimes, Count Contarini would give instructions to Rubina.
But Rubina sat his daughter down and made a big fuss. Clemente was in no position to talk back to Rubina now.
“Let’s hear what’s going on.”
It was obvious what Clemente de Bartolini was going to say to Rubina.
What else does she have to say besides pleading for help for her family?
Most likely, it will be a request to be involved in the selection of judges to be dispatched to the royal court.
Rubina, who had said all the things she wanted to say to the daughter of the late Count Contarini, who sometimes scolded her for being stupid and sometimes looked down on her as being pathetic, resisted the urge to pick her ears.
'Ah, I want to get her out quickly and even cut off her ears.'
The young Count Contarini's new wife was so unpleasant that the mere thought of her made Rubina jump out of bed.
On the contrary, she had no intention of helping the couple, even if it meant giving them a hard time.
This was true even though the Contarini family was Countess Bartolini's maternal family.
Even Countess Bartolini herself is not a very likable person.
So, Rubina, who had said everything she had wanted to say, had no more business with Clemente.
But at Clemente's surprising first words, Rubina leaned forward almost to the point of falling off the audience chair.
“The trash priest de Mare harbored a dirty lust, and the dirty byproduct of that lust is now destroying our family.”
Clemente de Bartolini was known as a devout Jesuit.
She was a founding member of the Silver Cross Ladies' Society, a charitable organization of considerable influence, and was so devout that she donated to a different small monastery each quarter.
Clemente's excavation of small monasteries instead of donating to the Basilica of Saint Ercole, like others, was part of her personal hobby of developing young priests, but let's move on since Duchess Rubina had no way of knowing such intimate details.
But why would such a sincere Clemente de Bartolini speak such words to none other than Cardinal de Mare, the head of all the clergy in the Etruscan kingdom?
No, before that, wasn't Clemente de Bartolini a dull-faced woman who always kept her head down, didn't make eye contact with anyone, and trailed off when she spoke? Why did she speak so well?
As Rubina opened her eyes wide and looked at her, Clemente immediately started to say the next sentence without hesitation.
“That young piece of trash who came in as my brother’s wife with an overflowing sense of duty is incompetent, untalented, and doesn’t even get along with his husband, yet she just sits there, bringing trouble to the family.”
The description reminded Duchess Rubina of someone.
'...Marguerite.'
Rubina, who felt satisfied deep in her heart, couldn't hold it in anymore and asked quietly.
“She's not on good terms with the young Count Contarini?”
“...Don’t talk nonsense... Every day... It’s a fight...”
As the conversation shifted from Isabella's bath to another subject, Clemente returned to her usual slow speech.
But Rubina was so absorbed in Clemente's story that her slow speech no longer bothered her.
“...Camellia Vitelli, that is, Ottavio’s former fiancée... Now a merchant’s wife... She sends threatening letters every other day...”
Although Camellia, who became Madame Vitelli, sent certified letters only twice, Clemente inflated the number of times as she pleased.
“...Every time Camellia’s letter comes... The two of them... Fight to get the house to leave...”
Well, it wasn't a lie in terms of the number of fights, as Ottavio and Isabella fought more than twice over the matter of leaving the house.
“...Today too... If you don’t return the 12,000 ducats by tomorrow evening... I will file a lawsuit in the royal court...”
The date has changed slightly.
The date Camellia had called was the end of the month, but Isabella threatened to expose the affair if Clemente did not bring her 12,000 ducats by the next evening.
Naturally, Clemente ended up telling Rubina the truth, not a lie, that the deadline was tomorrow.
“...As soon as they filed the lawsuit, they called the bailiff and said they would put a red tag on my parents’ house... They sent a certified letter...”
Rubina thought.
Wouldn't it be better if the two of them fought like crazy? The impudent young Isabella needed to learn some of the bitterness of the world.
Clemente, unaware of Rubina's speed, wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face.
“...Even though gold is the new king... How can a merchant treat a nobleman of the royal capital like this... Does that make sense, Duchess...”
Clemente pleaded, grabbing the hem of Rubina's skirt that had fallen under the audience chair.
“...Actually, it’s the same with money... It can only be returned if a ruling is made to return it... Before the ruling is made, no one knows whether it should be returned or not... Thinking that the palace court will make a conclusion as they please is making a mockery of the palace court...”
The words 'making a mockery of the royal court' rang in Rubina's ears and stuck. Hmm, making a mockery of my husband's authority?
“... Nowadays... The merchants are being too arrogant...It’s not easy to use credit like before... The merchants are crowding into stores that were once only used by nobles... The waiting lines are getting longer... The existing order of San Carlo... It’s a total mess!”
Duchess Rubina had also heard this story.
The Marchioness of Guatieri, the head of the noble ladies following her, recently confessed.
Of course, as usual, she was trying to take a year's supply of wine on credit for the capital's mansion, but the merchant came and stopped her.
“You must pay at least half in advance. As the demand for high-quality wine has increased, many customers pay the full amount on-site with Ducato gold coins and take it home. Since you are a long-time regular, we are allowing you to pay half in advance.”
The Marchioness Guatieri was so embarrassed by being stopped on the spot that she went to Duchess Rubina to complain.
“Surely I would eat it?!”
Of course, if you didn't like the product, there were times when you wouldn't pay for it until the year after, and there were times when you only gave half the money when you came to get it, and then only gave half the money the next time you came to get it, but you never stopped paying at all.
And that wasn't her doing. Her subordinates did it all on their own.
All the Marchioness Guatieri did was tell him to 'come to his senses' when the goods were not delivered.
“...I heard that the merchants are not like before.”
“That’s why! Duchess Rubina, who stands at the pinnacle of nobility, must make an example of those lowly merchants who are trying to bankrupt a historic Count’s family!”
Clemente tended not to stutter when she was openly flattering or even badmouthing someone.
The corners of her lips slightly went up at the words, 'You stand at the pinnacle of nobles,' but Rubina hid her improved mood and answered in a deliberately indifferent manner.
“So what you’re saying is that you want me to appoint a judge to sit in the palace court who suits your family’s tastes.”
Clemente hesitated and could not answer right away. There was now a subtle difference between the interests of the Contarini family and the interests of the Countess Bartolini.
Contarini can avoid bankruptcy, but Countess Bartolini must also silence Isabella's threatening mouth. Until tomorrow.
“...Ma'am, in fact... I would like to borrow some gold...”
"What?"
Duchess Rubina's expression suddenly cooled.
Asking for a loan of twelve thousand ducats had a different weight from asking for corruption in the selection of judges for the palace court.
The former could be done with just a word, but the latter would cost Rubina money, Clemente added hurriedly.
“...Eight thousand ducats can be somehow made to come up with at home..!...Just a few days’ grace... What... We... Need... In fact... Four thousand ducats...”
Rubina cut it off coldly.
“If I just listen to you, I’ll think that amount is like a child’s allowance.”
Clemente lowered her head to the floor in shame and embarrassment. Rubina narrowed her eyes and glared at Clemente.
“What on earth makes me lend you money?”
Clemente let out a small sigh. She had to take this out eventually. It was a disgrace to the family.
She opened the silk pouch she had brought with her. As soon as she opened it, a dazzling light caught her eye.
“Ugh.”
Duchess Rubina instinctively squinted her eyes.
“What is that childish jewel?”
What Clemente took out of the silk pouch was a pink sapphire tiara. She presented it to Duchess Rubina with both hands.
Duchess Rubina, who received the tiara with one hand, twirled it absentmindedly.
It was clearly a valuable item, but it didn't look like it was worth four thousand ducats.
“If you want to give me this as collateral for four thousand ducats right now...”
“...This is the tiara that my brother... gave to his wife... as a gift during their dating days..."
At those words, Rubina looked inside the tiara. Sure enough, there were initials engraved inside.
[From O. Contarini, to dear I. Mare.]
“But why do you have this?”
“I, at the pawnshop... It’s a disgrace to the family... I bought it with money...”
A pawn shop? Duchess Rubina's eyes lit up. Clemente added.
“That woman is definitely having an affair. She even sold the certificate that her husband gave her...!”
Clemente made the deal in front of Duchess Rubina, who had an expression of utter interest.
“...In return for lending me 4,000 ducats
“But why do you have this?”
“I, at the pawnshop... It’s a disgrace to the family... I bought it with money...”
A pawn shop? Duchess Rubina's eyes lit up. Clemente added.
“That woman is definitely having an affair. She even sold the certificate that her husband gave her...!”
Clemente made the deal in front of Duchess Rubina, who had an expression of utter interest.
“...In return for lending me 4,000 ducats
.. I will give you this tiara...!”
Countess Bartolini, a professional in the world of wind and a serial adulteress, was confident.
“Now, the token he gave her... I, when I see it floating around in a pawn shop... No husband would leave his wife alone... There is no one...”
She said.
“...Looking at this, the tiara is on the Duchess... Oh, Ottavio won’t leave Isabella alone...!”
***
Ariadne eventually had to return that day without having a proper conversation with Princess Bianca.
It was two days later that she met the Princess again. Princess Bianca had invited Ariadne again, unable to resist the urging of her nanny, Baroness Giannelli.
In fact, Baroness Giannelli tried to have Bianca visit the de Mare mansion and personally apologize to Ariadne, but Ariadne strongly opposed it, so it fell through.
“The offer to visit was to apologize for the inconvenience.”
“...Really, it’s okay.”
“No! Not a single speck of dust should be on the name of the Duke of Taranto!”
There is now only one more ducal house in the kingdom, aside from the Duchy of Taranto: the Duchy of Pisano, led by Cesare.
Thinking of Rubina of the Pisano family, who was rolling around in a cesspool, doing only the wrong things rather than avoiding even a speck of dust, Ariadne wished that the two Dukes would mix it up half and half.
It was a problem that she just went out, but it was also a problem that she was too old-fashioned.
Princess Bianca sat behind her nanny with her mouth tightly shut and her head bowed.
Ariadne could easily guess the expression on her face without even seeing it. It must have been a blank expression like a mask.
“...Baroness Giannelli.”
“Yes, Countess.”
Ariadne was about to ask to be left alone with the Princess for a moment, but the moment she saw the nanny's face, she instinctively knew that such a request would not go through with the slightest effort.
Instead, she smiled and said,
“The tea doesn’t really suit my taste...”
Baroness Giannelli was astonished, as if she had heard the words, 'Your mother is my father's enemy.'
“Yes, yes? Su, sugar...”
“No. It’s not a sugar problem...”
Ariadne deliberately did not specify what part of the car she disliked.
Because then Baroness Giannelli will make a fuss and waste time trying to find the problem.
“Please wait a moment!”
Baroness Giannelli, a Southern woman who placed the utmost value on the satisfactory treatment of her guests, quickly snatched Ariadne's teacup and left the drawing room with a quick step that was almost a gallop.
Ariadne, who had barely managed to get rid of the Princess's nanny, approached Princess Bianca, who was sitting on a chair and looking down at the floor.
“Your Highness.”
It would have been improper for Ariadne, who was of lower status, to speak to Bianca, who was of higher status, first, but this was not a ballroom, and Ariadne did not have much time.
Above all, it seemed unlikely that the frail Princess Bianca would be to blame.
“...”
As expected, the Princess did not get angry and just remained silent, looking at the floor.
This silence, too, was not a silence kept in anger but a quiet silence kept because one did not know what to say.
“The debutante ball, it must be stressful.”
Princess Bianca's large body flinched and trembled. But there was still no answer. Ariadne spoke to the Princess, who was still looking at the floor.
“You don’t have to do the debutante ball if you don’t want to.”
The Princess responded to these words. Princess Bianca raised her head and looked at Ariadne.
It was a face of confusion, bewilderment, and a hint of joy. One thing was clear: the affection was there.
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