“I’ll wake you up, Ari.”
Raphael immediately reached out his hand to Ariadne, who was sitting down. It was a rather hasty action.
He wasn't originally such a hot-tempered person. Aside from his hasty personality, he at least had the manners to wait quietly when a lady was having a hard time.
Ariadne looked up at him, struck by this uncharacteristic behavior. Sure enough, a determined look appeared on his face.
“Ari. Talk to me for a moment.”
He added quickly.
“...I have something to say.”
By this point, not only Ariadne but everyone in the room realized that something was off about the atmosphere.
The first person to notice this was Sir Manfredi. It seemed that something exciting was about to happen.
He slowly made his way to Alfonso's desk and perched himself on the small stool next to the Prince's chair.
He couldn't see the Prince beat the Marquis, he couldn't go to the ball, and he couldn't miss this either.
Alfonso stood firm for a slightly different reason than Sir Manfredi. He had no intention of ever leaving this room.
He thinks he knows what Raphael is trying to do, but if he holds the high ground and keeps staring at him, he won't be able to say anything.
Even though the Prince was straining his eyes, only the mature Sir Bernardino had the manners and consideration to handle the situation with magnanimity.
“Come out.”
He whispered, pulling on Sir Manfredi's ear.
"Ouch!"
Sir Manfredi expressed his displeasure as loudly as he could without losing his breath.
“Why are you pulling me?”
“In times like this, it’s polite to leave.”
Sir Bernardino physically subdued Sir Manfredi and dragged him out of the office, but he also grabbed Prince Alfonso in the process.
“Please go out, Your Highness.”
Sir Bernardino grabbed Prince Alfonso's arm and tried to drag him away, but the Prince would not budge.
Sir Dino, realizing that he could not defeat Alfonso with brute force, shouted at him.
“Oh, if you owe him a favor, you should pay it back! If it weren’t for Raphael today, Elko would still be standing here with us right now.”
Alfonso groaned but still resisted Sir Dino's touch with his heavy heels.
Sir Dino changed his strategy. The middle-aged knight looked at Prince Alfonso with a look of utter despair.
“Your Highness, if this is to work out.”
He gestured towards Raphael and Ariadne.
“All the people of San Carlo can come and watch.”
While the celebratory bells were ringing loudly in Alfonso's head, Raphael and Ariadne passed by, embracing and kissing in the square in front of the Basilica of Saint Ercole.
His face turned pale. Sir Dino continued speaking without knowing what Alfonso was thinking.
“If it can’t be done, it won’t be done even if you surround it with roses in a romantic garden with ten thousand fireflies flying around!”
Sir Dino once again grabbed Prince Alfonso, who was not budging.
“If you just stand here and watch, you’ll lose your shape!”
Only at those words did Alfonso flinch and tremble. It was unacceptable for him to lose his appearance in front of Ariadne.
“I don’t even expect you to have any shame, so please save some face!”
When the issue of shame and dignity came up, Prince Alfonso reluctantly gave himself over to Sir Bernardino.
Prince Alfonso and Sir Manfredi were dragged out together.
Having successfully dealt with the two biggest obstacles, Sir Dino easily subdued the remaining knights.
A few nods and a few slaps were all it took.
“Get out, you clueless bastards! Get out! And get that thing out of the way!”
What Sir Dino pointed to with his chin was Elko's body and head. The knights rushed over and collected the dead body, covering it with a cloth and carrying it out.
Without even blinking, they wiped the blood away with a nearby cloth. Death was a daily occurrence for them.
Those who had been through the war could laugh, chat, and eat, no matter who died right in front of them.
Sir Manfredi grumbled as he was dragged out by Sir Bernardino's ear.
“But, Sir Dino, if you know so much about it, why haven’t you gotten married?”
He couldn't hear what Sir Dino said in response. Instead, he heard Sir Manfredi's desperate scream.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, my ears!”
Thanks to Sir Bernardino, who emptied the room to repay his debt, Raphael was finally able to be alone with Ariadne.
Raphael's eyes saw blood splattered everywhere, which he had not been able to clean off. It was annoying.
He turned Ariadne around so that she could see the relatively clean side of the room.
And the first thing he did was apologize.
“...Ari. I’m sorry for crossing the line earlier.”
Ariadne was completely surprised by this and asked back in astonishment.
“Huh? What?”
“...At the ballroom. I felt like I was interfering too much.”
"...Ah.”
Only then did Ariadne realize what Raphael was talking about.
So many things had happened since they left Princess Bianca's ballroom that she had completely forgotten about the chaos that had befallen them when they left. But Raphael spoke calmly.
“Whoever you talk to, or whoever you’re alone with, it’s none of my business.”
A friend, not even a boyfriend, doesn't have the right to say that.
But Raphael, who said this, did not seem bitter. Instead, he continued speaking with surprising calmness.
“I’m sorry for acting like I mattered. It was my fault.”
Ariadne was the one who was embarrassed by Raphael's sharp apology.
“No, no. It’s okay. On the contrary, I wasn’t able to take care of Raphael at all there...”
The girl he liked abandoned him right in front of his eyes and left holding hands with his best friend.
“...Thank you for coming to help me even though it was like that.”
Ariadne, who had just experienced the Elko incident, could vaguely understand the emotional turmoil Raphael was going through and why he had come to help her and Alfonso.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do that. That’s amazing, and thank you.”
This was 100% sincere. But Raphael waved his hand and declined.
“What are you talking about? If I were Ariadne, I’m sure I wouldn’t have crossed the line in the first place and would have resolved it better without a fight. You’re not greedy, and you’re wise.”
Ariadne smiled bitterly at those words.
“I’m not that good of a person.”
But Raphael shook his head strongly.
“No, Ari. You are the most righteous, brave, and amazing person I know.”
Ariadne's heart clenched at those words. It wasn't because she was happy. She was too burdened to speak. But Raphael continued talking regardless.
“Ari, let me be serious. I’ve actually never met anyone in my life who I felt was worth investing my time in.”
He paused for a moment, then added.
“You are my first woman.”
Raphael, who had unintentionally gossiped about his mother and sister, continued speaking very seriously without realizing it.
“I am curious about your opinion and enjoy spending time with you. I want to know what kind of pictures you will draw, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I think I can sail perfectly with you.”
He was silent for a moment and then asked.
“...Can you come with me?”
Ariadne's answer to that was a very bitter laugh.
“Where in the world is there ‘perfection’?”
A perfect man, he have never heard of such a thing. Raphael de Baldessar was a man who set the limits of humanity very narrowly.
He did not expect much from others, or rather from the human species, because he believed that humans were very weak and imperfect.
From what he confessed in his anecdote about his older brother Feliciano, it seems that he did not even think highly of himself. And yet he gave her such high praise?
“Raphael, I appreciate your kind words. But I’m not the kind of person you picture me to be.”
Raphael's expression changed to one of bewilderment. This was a humility he could not tolerate.
“I have always seen your broad vision and thoughtfulness. And that spark of genius! How do you always find a wise and ingenious solution to the most difficult and twisted situations? It is ridiculous to say that you are not good.”
Ariadne had nothing to say except to laugh bitterly.
The look she gave Raphael was that of a weathered veteran, hardened from two lifetimes.
People who have played the same game many times will inevitably become better at it than beginners.
The current position that Ariadne occupies, however precariously, is not due to innate genius but rather to a level of mastery that anyone can reach in two lives.
At least, that's what she thought.
'If I'm with you... I'll spend my whole life struggling under the surface, trying to hide my true self.'
She couldn't spend her life with a man who loved a fantasy that resembled her rather than herself.
A life of struggling to be loved by becoming something other than oneself was a double-edged sword.
All she had done was change from the uncomfortable clothes—the clothes of an attractive and beautiful flower like Isabella—to the less uncomfortable clothes of a genius girl, but it was still not naked.
Ariadne spoke after a long silence.
“...I’m sorry.”
Raphael nodded lightly, trying to be as light as possible. It was actually the answer he had expected.
Raphael also realized something while looking at Elko. He was able to reflect on himself and his ugly inner self.
He thought that he and Elko were different. He didn't even think about comparing them. They were qualitatively different.
However, the core of Raphael himself was no different from Elko in that he kept pushing unwanted favors on women and hovering around them to ask them to see him as a man.
This was always a great shock to the noble Raphael. It made him decide to act after a long hesitation.
There was only one way for him to be different from Elko. To respect her will, her decision. To accept whatever the outcome was.
Raphael took Ariadne's gloved hand in his hand. It was the hand he had pretended not to notice when he saw Ariadne's red scar.
Wasn't it a mistake he made, denying the imperfect her and only wanting to recognize the perfect her?
Raphael knew, but never realized, that the beginning of everything was in his hands.
However, he only had a gut feeling that if he had just held this hand as it was from the beginning, today's conclusion would have been different.
He kissed the hand.
“On every step you take, there will be heavenly glory.”
Every single word was sincere.
Raphael immediately reached out his hand to Ariadne, who was sitting down. It was a rather hasty action.
He wasn't originally such a hot-tempered person. Aside from his hasty personality, he at least had the manners to wait quietly when a lady was having a hard time.
Ariadne looked up at him, struck by this uncharacteristic behavior. Sure enough, a determined look appeared on his face.
“Ari. Talk to me for a moment.”
He added quickly.
“...I have something to say.”
By this point, not only Ariadne but everyone in the room realized that something was off about the atmosphere.
The first person to notice this was Sir Manfredi. It seemed that something exciting was about to happen.
He slowly made his way to Alfonso's desk and perched himself on the small stool next to the Prince's chair.
He couldn't see the Prince beat the Marquis, he couldn't go to the ball, and he couldn't miss this either.
Alfonso stood firm for a slightly different reason than Sir Manfredi. He had no intention of ever leaving this room.
He thinks he knows what Raphael is trying to do, but if he holds the high ground and keeps staring at him, he won't be able to say anything.
Even though the Prince was straining his eyes, only the mature Sir Bernardino had the manners and consideration to handle the situation with magnanimity.
“Come out.”
He whispered, pulling on Sir Manfredi's ear.
"Ouch!"
Sir Manfredi expressed his displeasure as loudly as he could without losing his breath.
“Why are you pulling me?”
“In times like this, it’s polite to leave.”
Sir Bernardino physically subdued Sir Manfredi and dragged him out of the office, but he also grabbed Prince Alfonso in the process.
“Please go out, Your Highness.”
Sir Bernardino grabbed Prince Alfonso's arm and tried to drag him away, but the Prince would not budge.
Sir Dino, realizing that he could not defeat Alfonso with brute force, shouted at him.
“Oh, if you owe him a favor, you should pay it back! If it weren’t for Raphael today, Elko would still be standing here with us right now.”
Alfonso groaned but still resisted Sir Dino's touch with his heavy heels.
Sir Dino changed his strategy. The middle-aged knight looked at Prince Alfonso with a look of utter despair.
“Your Highness, if this is to work out.”
He gestured towards Raphael and Ariadne.
“All the people of San Carlo can come and watch.”
While the celebratory bells were ringing loudly in Alfonso's head, Raphael and Ariadne passed by, embracing and kissing in the square in front of the Basilica of Saint Ercole.
His face turned pale. Sir Dino continued speaking without knowing what Alfonso was thinking.
“If it can’t be done, it won’t be done even if you surround it with roses in a romantic garden with ten thousand fireflies flying around!”
Sir Dino once again grabbed Prince Alfonso, who was not budging.
“If you just stand here and watch, you’ll lose your shape!”
Only at those words did Alfonso flinch and tremble. It was unacceptable for him to lose his appearance in front of Ariadne.
“I don’t even expect you to have any shame, so please save some face!”
When the issue of shame and dignity came up, Prince Alfonso reluctantly gave himself over to Sir Bernardino.
Prince Alfonso and Sir Manfredi were dragged out together.
Having successfully dealt with the two biggest obstacles, Sir Dino easily subdued the remaining knights.
A few nods and a few slaps were all it took.
“Get out, you clueless bastards! Get out! And get that thing out of the way!”
What Sir Dino pointed to with his chin was Elko's body and head. The knights rushed over and collected the dead body, covering it with a cloth and carrying it out.
Without even blinking, they wiped the blood away with a nearby cloth. Death was a daily occurrence for them.
Those who had been through the war could laugh, chat, and eat, no matter who died right in front of them.
Sir Manfredi grumbled as he was dragged out by Sir Bernardino's ear.
“But, Sir Dino, if you know so much about it, why haven’t you gotten married?”
He couldn't hear what Sir Dino said in response. Instead, he heard Sir Manfredi's desperate scream.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, my ears!”
Thanks to Sir Bernardino, who emptied the room to repay his debt, Raphael was finally able to be alone with Ariadne.
Raphael's eyes saw blood splattered everywhere, which he had not been able to clean off. It was annoying.
He turned Ariadne around so that she could see the relatively clean side of the room.
And the first thing he did was apologize.
“...Ari. I’m sorry for crossing the line earlier.”
Ariadne was completely surprised by this and asked back in astonishment.
“Huh? What?”
“...At the ballroom. I felt like I was interfering too much.”
"...Ah.”
Only then did Ariadne realize what Raphael was talking about.
So many things had happened since they left Princess Bianca's ballroom that she had completely forgotten about the chaos that had befallen them when they left. But Raphael spoke calmly.
“Whoever you talk to, or whoever you’re alone with, it’s none of my business.”
A friend, not even a boyfriend, doesn't have the right to say that.
But Raphael, who said this, did not seem bitter. Instead, he continued speaking with surprising calmness.
“I’m sorry for acting like I mattered. It was my fault.”
Ariadne was the one who was embarrassed by Raphael's sharp apology.
“No, no. It’s okay. On the contrary, I wasn’t able to take care of Raphael at all there...”
The girl he liked abandoned him right in front of his eyes and left holding hands with his best friend.
“...Thank you for coming to help me even though it was like that.”
Ariadne, who had just experienced the Elko incident, could vaguely understand the emotional turmoil Raphael was going through and why he had come to help her and Alfonso.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do that. That’s amazing, and thank you.”
This was 100% sincere. But Raphael waved his hand and declined.
“What are you talking about? If I were Ariadne, I’m sure I wouldn’t have crossed the line in the first place and would have resolved it better without a fight. You’re not greedy, and you’re wise.”
Ariadne smiled bitterly at those words.
“I’m not that good of a person.”
But Raphael shook his head strongly.
“No, Ari. You are the most righteous, brave, and amazing person I know.”
Ariadne's heart clenched at those words. It wasn't because she was happy. She was too burdened to speak. But Raphael continued talking regardless.
“Ari, let me be serious. I’ve actually never met anyone in my life who I felt was worth investing my time in.”
He paused for a moment, then added.
“You are my first woman.”
Raphael, who had unintentionally gossiped about his mother and sister, continued speaking very seriously without realizing it.
“I am curious about your opinion and enjoy spending time with you. I want to know what kind of pictures you will draw, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I think I can sail perfectly with you.”
He was silent for a moment and then asked.
“...Can you come with me?”
Ariadne's answer to that was a very bitter laugh.
“Where in the world is there ‘perfection’?”
A perfect man, he have never heard of such a thing. Raphael de Baldessar was a man who set the limits of humanity very narrowly.
He did not expect much from others, or rather from the human species, because he believed that humans were very weak and imperfect.
From what he confessed in his anecdote about his older brother Feliciano, it seems that he did not even think highly of himself. And yet he gave her such high praise?
“Raphael, I appreciate your kind words. But I’m not the kind of person you picture me to be.”
Raphael's expression changed to one of bewilderment. This was a humility he could not tolerate.
“I have always seen your broad vision and thoughtfulness. And that spark of genius! How do you always find a wise and ingenious solution to the most difficult and twisted situations? It is ridiculous to say that you are not good.”
Ariadne had nothing to say except to laugh bitterly.
The look she gave Raphael was that of a weathered veteran, hardened from two lifetimes.
People who have played the same game many times will inevitably become better at it than beginners.
The current position that Ariadne occupies, however precariously, is not due to innate genius but rather to a level of mastery that anyone can reach in two lives.
At least, that's what she thought.
'If I'm with you... I'll spend my whole life struggling under the surface, trying to hide my true self.'
She couldn't spend her life with a man who loved a fantasy that resembled her rather than herself.
A life of struggling to be loved by becoming something other than oneself was a double-edged sword.
All she had done was change from the uncomfortable clothes—the clothes of an attractive and beautiful flower like Isabella—to the less uncomfortable clothes of a genius girl, but it was still not naked.
Ariadne spoke after a long silence.
“...I’m sorry.”
Raphael nodded lightly, trying to be as light as possible. It was actually the answer he had expected.
Raphael also realized something while looking at Elko. He was able to reflect on himself and his ugly inner self.
He thought that he and Elko were different. He didn't even think about comparing them. They were qualitatively different.
However, the core of Raphael himself was no different from Elko in that he kept pushing unwanted favors on women and hovering around them to ask them to see him as a man.
This was always a great shock to the noble Raphael. It made him decide to act after a long hesitation.
There was only one way for him to be different from Elko. To respect her will, her decision. To accept whatever the outcome was.
Raphael took Ariadne's gloved hand in his hand. It was the hand he had pretended not to notice when he saw Ariadne's red scar.
Wasn't it a mistake he made, denying the imperfect her and only wanting to recognize the perfect her?
Raphael knew, but never realized, that the beginning of everything was in his hands.
However, he only had a gut feeling that if he had just held this hand as it was from the beginning, today's conclusion would have been different.
He kissed the hand.
“On every step you take, there will be heavenly glory.”
Every single word was sincere.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment