Alfonso simply smiled without answering Cesare's question.
“Then let me wake up first.”
Alfonso rose briskly from his chair. Cesare did not dare to question the legitimate Prince in front of Leo III.
Only his blue eyes shook violently.
The reason Duke Cesare hurriedly returned to the capital from his secluded life in the Pisano estate was because of Princess Bianca's debutante party.
Of course, it wasn't for the good reason of wanting to congratulate his cousin's social debut.
“Countess de Mare has taken the position of chaperone to the Princess of Taranto.”
When he first heard this, Cesare simply laughed it off, thinking that his mother had become a laughingstock.
He didn't show much response to the letters Rubina kept sending him telling him to 'come back to the capital'.
Because he wanted to forget the terrible heartbreak he had experienced for the first time in his life. If he doesn't face it, he won't have to realize the consequences that have become a reality. How convenient is that?
The next line was what made him raise his heavy butt.
“Due to the strong opposition of Duchess Rubina, Countess de Mare will no longer be the chaperone, but will only be the ‘Guidatta’. Prince Alfonso will be the guardian of the Princess in place of the vacant chaperone.”
'Mother, you are doing useless things!'
This was unbearable. Cesare's eyes rolled.
'Are you two going to stick together under the pretense of preparing for the ball?'
Although it was a misunderstanding in that it was an excuse, as it was not what Ariadne and Alfonso had intended, it was a very accurate guess in terms of the outcome.
Because the Pisano estate was so close to the border, the news that the guardian and 'Guidatta' were attending the debutante ball of the Duchess of Taranto reached the Duke's ears very late.
As soon as he heard the news, he whipped his well-dressed black horse furiously and rode back to San Carlo at lightning speed.
It was fortunate that the debutante party was held in San Carlo and not Taranto.
If the party had been held in Taranto, Duke Cesare would never have been able to make it on time.
But the heavens were not on his side. Despite the struggles of the black horse, Leopoldo, he failed to achieve his goal of meeting Ariadne.
When he arrived at the party venue, both the guardian and 'Guidatta' had already left.
When he asked where those two had gone, everyone simply replied like this.
“Well...? I thought you two left together? Quite early.”
As a Duke, it was driving him crazy.
His mind played out endlessly scenes of what might have happened if he had left the ball early alone with a girl.
The main characters were Alfonso and Ariadne.
Cesare, standing blankly in the ballroom, was sure that these bastards were in the Prince's palace—a deduction from his own experience, and though his deduction was wrong, his conclusion was correct—but he was not allowed to enter the Palazzo Carlo.
After being stripped of his title as Commander-in-Chief for engaging in the abduction of Leo III's bride, he lost the right to enter the palace at night.
So he had to spend the night wide awake at Villa Sortone, feeling anxious.
When he arrived at the palace at dawn the next morning, Countess de Mare had already left the Prince's palace.
From then on, all of Cesare's attention was focused on Alfonso and Ariadne.
'Aren't you going to answer who you're meeting?'
The corners of Cesare's mouth trembled.
But he was in no position to pry into Alfonso's private life, much less to go to Ariadne and demand answers.
Alfonso smiled faintly and urged Bianca on, not knowing whether he knew Cesare's intentions or not.
“Let’s go, Bianca.”
“Yes, brother.”
Bianca quickly got up from her seat. Cesare tried to give them a kind smile as he saw them off, but his lips kept twisting and he failed.
In the end, he stood up and made some lame excuse to Leo III and Duchess Rubina, watching Alfonso and Bianca leave.
“Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom for a moment.”
If Alfonso did not willingly reveal the identity of his guests, he was going to follow them and find out.
From Ariadne and Alfonso's point of view, it was quite a good thing that Bianca decided to stay longer in San Carlo.
“Let’s keep our meeting a secret.”
Ariadne had no intention of letting anyone know that she was meeting Alfonso.
The first reason Ariadne gave was Alfonso's disadvantage.
Alfonso was Leo III's only direct heir to the throne but had not yet been crowned Crown Prince.
This was something that could not be explained by anything other than the King's laziness, ill temper, or restraint.
In this situation, revealing that the Prince is in love with the Countess of Mare who cannot produce an heir to the throne due to her status, would only give the King a good excuse to postpone the appointment of the Crown Prince.
“That’s good in many ways.”
Although he said so, this decision was not made solely out of consideration for Alfonso.
She's already had one spectacular engagement and breakup.
It was truly tiring to be the subject of a scandal that shook the entire Central Continent.
Even years later, whenever she heard the polite greeting, "Oh, that Countess Ariadne de Mare?" she would flinch, not knowing exactly what "that Ariadne de Mare" meant.
But now she's dating his half-brother? Isn't this the sequel to the most popular story of all time?
It was no longer acceptable for her to have other people talk about this or that.
Maybe she was mentally preparing herself for the eventuality that this relationship would not work out.
Alfonso was about to say something to her suggestion that they have a secret love affair, but eventually gave in to her wishes.
“...Let’s do whatever you want.”
In that situation, Bianca was the perfect alibi.
It was natural that those who had prepared her debutante ball would take care of the young Princess.
Fortunately, Bianca, who was used as an alibi, was also happy to escape from the nanny's clutches.
As her promise to go out with her sister and brother drew near, she became more and more excited about the upcoming adventure. It was a good thing for both her sister and her brother.
Today, Alfonso and Ariadne are in to spend time with Bianca.
It was decided to teach the Princess to ride a horse the way the women of the capital rode.
Alfonso and Bianca had a luncheon appointment with Leo III. Ariadne had a late breakfast to allow for travel time and visited the Palagio Carlo.
She arrived a little early and killed time by strolling along the back road of the palace leading to the horse stables.
Rather than waiting in the reception room, Ariadne felt like taking a walk until she met Alfonso and Bianca.
“What is Countess de Mare doing at the palace?”
However, someone other than the person she was trying to meet found her first.
Ariadne looked silently at the person who had called her, then bowed briefly to show her respect.
“Shouldn’t I ask?”
The other person's voice trembled.
“...”
The person who finally spoke to her was Duke Cesare.
He looked thinner than before. His pale cheeks were hollow, and his thin lips and tightly closed mouth had a nervous look.
However, his splendid beauty, revealed by his deep blue eyes, sharp nose, and high foreheadline, remained the same.
“...It’s been a long time, Your Highness the Duke.”
Ariadne reluctantly answered. But the haggard-faced Cesare was not satisfied with this and kept asking questions persistently.
“Who did you come to see?”
Ariadne let out a light sigh.
“I came to ride a horse.”
Cesare's expression darkened even further. It was not a face of understanding.
Judging from the appearance, it didn't look like he would back down easily.
Ariadne sold her alibi name intending to eat and fall. Isn't this the alibi she prepared for?
“I decided to go on a trip with Princess Bianca.”
Cesare's mouth twisted fiercely. It was an expression that suggested he had expected this. But in fact, it was something he really did not want to hear. He spat it out sullenly.
“Princess Bianca? That must be Prince Alfonso.”
His lips quivered. Those two guys were finally meeting.
The breakup he had been putting off was upon him, and the slim possibility he had was falling apart right before his eyes.
No, those two won't be meeting, Cesare snapped sharply.
“Who do you know as the blind man who can see?”
Ariadne asked back as if she was astonished.
“What does that have to do with you, Your Highness?”
Cesare took a deep breath. He had thought it was a fact he had already accepted, but hearing it from the woman's own lips felt like his lungs were being ripped apart.
Ariadne felt a sting from Cesare's ghostly gaze, but in such a situation, it was a superior strategy to unconditionally reject him. She focused on Cesare's unqualification.
“We have no relationship. Let’s go our separate ways. Don’t start a fight.”
“What the hell!”
Cesare's voice grew louder.
“I'm worried about you!”
He had no idea what was coming out of his mouth. After pouring everything out, it started to make sense.
He looked her up and down. Ariadne was still, or rather, more enchantingly beautiful than ever.
“Do you think Prince Alfonso would ever consider you as a potential Crown Princess?”
“What on earth are you talking about!”
Ariadne wished the conversation would stop here. She looked around. She wished Alfonso and Bianca would show up.
If she goes home now, Alfonso and Bianca will be worried.
But Cesare had no intention of letting her go. He clung to her persistently.
“It’s a marriage that won’t work out anyway, so wake up from your dream. If an unmarried woman who is past the age of marriage sticks around the royal family, she’ll just be the subject of unnecessary gossip!”
Cesare's voice grew louder and louder.
“Don’t you know how valuable chastity is?”
This was a narrow path leading to the outer riding grounds.
Although it was originally a place where people rarely visited and privacy was preserved, Cesare was making too much noise for that.
Even outside the 100-foot radius, his screams could be clearly heard.
“Isn’t this a lesson I should be receiving from you, the Duke, and not someone else?”
Cesare's expression is distorted. At the same moment, a noise was heard from behind Ariadne.
She turned around, thinking it was the person who had appeared that had Cesare's expression, but she was soon disappointed.
The people who appeared on the path were Countess Bartolini, that is, Clemente, Ottavio's older sister, and Countess Baljo.
They had come to the palace to see Duchess Rubina, but like Ariadne, they were just strolling through the gardens until their appointed time.
While they were walking and chatting, they heard a rustling sound and started walking, and that's how they ended up here.
“What is going on?”
“Chastity? Did Countesd de Mare get caught wagging her tail at a man?”
“Like her own older sister?”
The two whispered to each other with coy smiles. Cesare didn't care whether there was a small audience or not.
He had to waste four days in the palace until he met Ariadne.
He wouldn't make an appointment to meet her, so he didn't know when he would see her again. Cesare desperately clung to Ariadne.
“You’re smart. Don’t challenge ridiculous odds.”
“Why are you doing this to me out of the blue?”
“I feel bad for you! I’m afraid you’ll waste your youth on a man who won’t pay attention to you and then get abandoned!”
“'Who are you?” the voice rose to the top of her throat and then barely came down.
“Then let me wake up first.”
Alfonso rose briskly from his chair. Cesare did not dare to question the legitimate Prince in front of Leo III.
Only his blue eyes shook violently.
The reason Duke Cesare hurriedly returned to the capital from his secluded life in the Pisano estate was because of Princess Bianca's debutante party.
Of course, it wasn't for the good reason of wanting to congratulate his cousin's social debut.
“Countess de Mare has taken the position of chaperone to the Princess of Taranto.”
When he first heard this, Cesare simply laughed it off, thinking that his mother had become a laughingstock.
He didn't show much response to the letters Rubina kept sending him telling him to 'come back to the capital'.
Because he wanted to forget the terrible heartbreak he had experienced for the first time in his life. If he doesn't face it, he won't have to realize the consequences that have become a reality. How convenient is that?
The next line was what made him raise his heavy butt.
“Due to the strong opposition of Duchess Rubina, Countess de Mare will no longer be the chaperone, but will only be the ‘Guidatta’. Prince Alfonso will be the guardian of the Princess in place of the vacant chaperone.”
'Mother, you are doing useless things!'
This was unbearable. Cesare's eyes rolled.
'Are you two going to stick together under the pretense of preparing for the ball?'
Although it was a misunderstanding in that it was an excuse, as it was not what Ariadne and Alfonso had intended, it was a very accurate guess in terms of the outcome.
Because the Pisano estate was so close to the border, the news that the guardian and 'Guidatta' were attending the debutante ball of the Duchess of Taranto reached the Duke's ears very late.
As soon as he heard the news, he whipped his well-dressed black horse furiously and rode back to San Carlo at lightning speed.
It was fortunate that the debutante party was held in San Carlo and not Taranto.
If the party had been held in Taranto, Duke Cesare would never have been able to make it on time.
But the heavens were not on his side. Despite the struggles of the black horse, Leopoldo, he failed to achieve his goal of meeting Ariadne.
When he arrived at the party venue, both the guardian and 'Guidatta' had already left.
When he asked where those two had gone, everyone simply replied like this.
“Well...? I thought you two left together? Quite early.”
As a Duke, it was driving him crazy.
His mind played out endlessly scenes of what might have happened if he had left the ball early alone with a girl.
The main characters were Alfonso and Ariadne.
Cesare, standing blankly in the ballroom, was sure that these bastards were in the Prince's palace—a deduction from his own experience, and though his deduction was wrong, his conclusion was correct—but he was not allowed to enter the Palazzo Carlo.
After being stripped of his title as Commander-in-Chief for engaging in the abduction of Leo III's bride, he lost the right to enter the palace at night.
So he had to spend the night wide awake at Villa Sortone, feeling anxious.
When he arrived at the palace at dawn the next morning, Countess de Mare had already left the Prince's palace.
From then on, all of Cesare's attention was focused on Alfonso and Ariadne.
'Aren't you going to answer who you're meeting?'
The corners of Cesare's mouth trembled.
But he was in no position to pry into Alfonso's private life, much less to go to Ariadne and demand answers.
Alfonso smiled faintly and urged Bianca on, not knowing whether he knew Cesare's intentions or not.
“Let’s go, Bianca.”
“Yes, brother.”
Bianca quickly got up from her seat. Cesare tried to give them a kind smile as he saw them off, but his lips kept twisting and he failed.
In the end, he stood up and made some lame excuse to Leo III and Duchess Rubina, watching Alfonso and Bianca leave.
“Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom for a moment.”
If Alfonso did not willingly reveal the identity of his guests, he was going to follow them and find out.
***
From Ariadne and Alfonso's point of view, it was quite a good thing that Bianca decided to stay longer in San Carlo.
“Let’s keep our meeting a secret.”
Ariadne had no intention of letting anyone know that she was meeting Alfonso.
The first reason Ariadne gave was Alfonso's disadvantage.
Alfonso was Leo III's only direct heir to the throne but had not yet been crowned Crown Prince.
This was something that could not be explained by anything other than the King's laziness, ill temper, or restraint.
In this situation, revealing that the Prince is in love with the Countess of Mare who cannot produce an heir to the throne due to her status, would only give the King a good excuse to postpone the appointment of the Crown Prince.
“That’s good in many ways.”
Although he said so, this decision was not made solely out of consideration for Alfonso.
She's already had one spectacular engagement and breakup.
It was truly tiring to be the subject of a scandal that shook the entire Central Continent.
Even years later, whenever she heard the polite greeting, "Oh, that Countess Ariadne de Mare?" she would flinch, not knowing exactly what "that Ariadne de Mare" meant.
But now she's dating his half-brother? Isn't this the sequel to the most popular story of all time?
It was no longer acceptable for her to have other people talk about this or that.
Maybe she was mentally preparing herself for the eventuality that this relationship would not work out.
Alfonso was about to say something to her suggestion that they have a secret love affair, but eventually gave in to her wishes.
“...Let’s do whatever you want.”
In that situation, Bianca was the perfect alibi.
It was natural that those who had prepared her debutante ball would take care of the young Princess.
Fortunately, Bianca, who was used as an alibi, was also happy to escape from the nanny's clutches.
As her promise to go out with her sister and brother drew near, she became more and more excited about the upcoming adventure. It was a good thing for both her sister and her brother.
Today, Alfonso and Ariadne are in to spend time with Bianca.
It was decided to teach the Princess to ride a horse the way the women of the capital rode.
Alfonso and Bianca had a luncheon appointment with Leo III. Ariadne had a late breakfast to allow for travel time and visited the Palagio Carlo.
She arrived a little early and killed time by strolling along the back road of the palace leading to the horse stables.
Rather than waiting in the reception room, Ariadne felt like taking a walk until she met Alfonso and Bianca.
“What is Countess de Mare doing at the palace?”
However, someone other than the person she was trying to meet found her first.
Ariadne looked silently at the person who had called her, then bowed briefly to show her respect.
“Shouldn’t I ask?”
The other person's voice trembled.
“...”
The person who finally spoke to her was Duke Cesare.
He looked thinner than before. His pale cheeks were hollow, and his thin lips and tightly closed mouth had a nervous look.
However, his splendid beauty, revealed by his deep blue eyes, sharp nose, and high foreheadline, remained the same.
“...It’s been a long time, Your Highness the Duke.”
Ariadne reluctantly answered. But the haggard-faced Cesare was not satisfied with this and kept asking questions persistently.
“Who did you come to see?”
Ariadne let out a light sigh.
“I came to ride a horse.”
Cesare's expression darkened even further. It was not a face of understanding.
Judging from the appearance, it didn't look like he would back down easily.
Ariadne sold her alibi name intending to eat and fall. Isn't this the alibi she prepared for?
“I decided to go on a trip with Princess Bianca.”
Cesare's mouth twisted fiercely. It was an expression that suggested he had expected this. But in fact, it was something he really did not want to hear. He spat it out sullenly.
“Princess Bianca? That must be Prince Alfonso.”
His lips quivered. Those two guys were finally meeting.
The breakup he had been putting off was upon him, and the slim possibility he had was falling apart right before his eyes.
No, those two won't be meeting, Cesare snapped sharply.
“Who do you know as the blind man who can see?”
Ariadne asked back as if she was astonished.
“What does that have to do with you, Your Highness?”
Cesare took a deep breath. He had thought it was a fact he had already accepted, but hearing it from the woman's own lips felt like his lungs were being ripped apart.
Ariadne felt a sting from Cesare's ghostly gaze, but in such a situation, it was a superior strategy to unconditionally reject him. She focused on Cesare's unqualification.
“We have no relationship. Let’s go our separate ways. Don’t start a fight.”
“What the hell!”
Cesare's voice grew louder.
“I'm worried about you!”
He had no idea what was coming out of his mouth. After pouring everything out, it started to make sense.
He looked her up and down. Ariadne was still, or rather, more enchantingly beautiful than ever.
“Do you think Prince Alfonso would ever consider you as a potential Crown Princess?”
“What on earth are you talking about!”
Ariadne wished the conversation would stop here. She looked around. She wished Alfonso and Bianca would show up.
If she goes home now, Alfonso and Bianca will be worried.
But Cesare had no intention of letting her go. He clung to her persistently.
“It’s a marriage that won’t work out anyway, so wake up from your dream. If an unmarried woman who is past the age of marriage sticks around the royal family, she’ll just be the subject of unnecessary gossip!”
Cesare's voice grew louder and louder.
“Don’t you know how valuable chastity is?”
This was a narrow path leading to the outer riding grounds.
Although it was originally a place where people rarely visited and privacy was preserved, Cesare was making too much noise for that.
Even outside the 100-foot radius, his screams could be clearly heard.
“Isn’t this a lesson I should be receiving from you, the Duke, and not someone else?”
Cesare's expression is distorted. At the same moment, a noise was heard from behind Ariadne.
She turned around, thinking it was the person who had appeared that had Cesare's expression, but she was soon disappointed.
The people who appeared on the path were Countess Bartolini, that is, Clemente, Ottavio's older sister, and Countess Baljo.
They had come to the palace to see Duchess Rubina, but like Ariadne, they were just strolling through the gardens until their appointed time.
While they were walking and chatting, they heard a rustling sound and started walking, and that's how they ended up here.
“What is going on?”
“Chastity? Did Countesd de Mare get caught wagging her tail at a man?”
“Like her own older sister?”
The two whispered to each other with coy smiles. Cesare didn't care whether there was a small audience or not.
He had to waste four days in the palace until he met Ariadne.
He wouldn't make an appointment to meet her, so he didn't know when he would see her again. Cesare desperately clung to Ariadne.
“You’re smart. Don’t challenge ridiculous odds.”
“Why are you doing this to me out of the blue?”
“I feel bad for you! I’m afraid you’ll waste your youth on a man who won’t pay attention to you and then get abandoned!”
“'Who are you?” the voice rose to the top of her throat and then barely came down.
“Alfonso can’t take you in! His head is full of responsibilities, duties, and obligations, and he has no room for his woman.”
“You speak as if you know everything!”
Ariadne's voice also became sharp involuntarily.
“Since when did you two become close!”
This was an aggression that came from being poked in a sore spot. In the meantime, the two ladies of the Silver Cross Women's Society were too busy whispering to each other.
“I think she's hitting on Prince Alfonso.”
“It seems like it’s real because her feet are tingling.”
Cesare was anxious to tell his true feelings.
Don't even dream of the impossible position of Princess consort, come to me. Be the Duchess of Pisano by my side. Be by my side, holding my hand, forever.
But his pride and shame eventually held the tip of his tongue.
Duke Cesare did not want to show in front of the unexpected visitors that he still had feelings for Countess de Mare.
But above all, he was not a man with enough confidence to confess again to a woman who had fallen out of love with him and was not even meeting him.
No, normally he would have been confident. He wouldn't have cared much even if he was rejected. The world was big and there were many beautiful women.
The problem was that she was a special person, one of a kind, there was only one of her kind in the world.
So he ended up retreating to a safer route.
“I’m Alfonso’s brother... no, we’re family! Do you know Alfonso better than me? Are you even dating him?”
Ariadne shouted with deliberate emphasis.
“No!”
That was what Cesare wanted to hear.
“Then you should stop meeting other men when you’re not even dating them!”
He felt an inexplicable comfort in criticizing Ariadne.
Clemente de Bartolini and the Countess of Baljo looked on at all this with laughter.
Ariadne wanted to get out of this situation by slapping Cesare.
Then a deep, deep voice interrupted Cesare's sermon.
“Everything Duke Cesare said is correct.”
Alfonso was approaching from the central palace with brisk strides. Duke Cesare and the two Countesses, who had spotted him, bowed reluctantly.
Taking advantage of that brief moment, Alfonso took Ariadne into his arms.
Alfonso's solid chest muscles and high body temperature pierced through the silk dress and touched Ariadne's back. She gasped in surprise.
“It is not something a virtuous lady of San Carlo should do to meet a man she is not even dating.”
Alfonso looked down at Cesare with an annoyed expression, holding Ariadne in his arms.
The blond Prince was half a head taller than the red-haired Duke. His hand gently stroked her shoulder, as if he were cradling a wounded animal.
“Countess de Mare is meeting with me. So I would like you to step aside, Duke.”
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