“You have to look ahead as you walk!”
Prince Alfonso made no reply to Duchess Rubina's shouts. Instead, Lord Manfredi responded in an uncharacteristically blunt tone.
“Behave yourself, Ma’am.”
Duchess Rubina was blaming him for speaking to Prince Alfonso, who was of a higher status than her.
But if that were the case, then even the second son of the Count's family, Sir Manfredi, was not in a position to answer to Duchess Rubina.
“How dare you!”
Duchess Rubina was furious. She didn't even look at Lord Manfredi but stared straight at Prince Alfonso.
“Prince! Take good care of your subordinates!”
"Ma'am!"
The knights, including Sir Manfredi, tried to stop her, but Duchess Rubina didn't even listen. She trailed off.
“No, isn’t the guard the problem?”
Duchess Rubina, who had said this, had a mean smile on her lips.
“Not to mention the wildness of the Manfredi family, who don’t even know their place.”
“What?!”
Sir Manfredi was furious, but Duchess Rubina didn't even look at him.
“Women too... Aren’t you choosing the wrong person to begin with?”
Alfonso's expression, which had been calm and composed until the story of Manfredi was told, changed as soon as Ariadne was mentioned.
Alfonso politely but firmly stopped Rubina.
“Duchess.”
But Rubina didn't miss the slight crack in Alfonso's composure.
“Your Highness. I am speaking for your sake.”
Rubina smiled leisurely as if she had never been angry before.
“Since Queen Marguerite has passed away, there are no female members of the royal family left, so I am the only one who can look after the Prince’s marriage.”
Sir Manfredi snorted loudly, but Sir Bernardino stopped him.
It wasn't entirely wrong, and he was worried about the repercussions of Leo III. Rubina, who was becoming more confident, continued speaking.
“Your... She’s not even your fiancée, is she? That’s not a proper title. Yes, girlfriend. I know her well because she almost became my daughter-in-law.”
Duchess Rubina smiled meaningfully.
It highlights the fact that Ariadne de Mare was engaged to Cesare, and Alfonso did not even get permission from the King to have an affair with her.
Alfonso's brow furrowed deeply as he understood the meaning of that smile.
“She is not a child fit to be the Prince’s match. I didn’t particularly like her when she was engaged to Cesare. She was not very well-mannered.”
She raised her voice exaggeratedly.
“Even if she's my son's fiancée, shouldn’t she remain chaste before marriage? Well, at the ball I was having, the two of them snuck into the back room and came rolling out into the hallway in a complete mess of clothes!”
Sir Bernardino's face crinkled, and Sir Manfredi's mouth dropped open.
However, they were all present on the battlefield of Yesak at the time of the incident described by Duchess Rubina, so they were in no position to refute it.
“No matter how many times I asked her, she would just deny it. Doesn’t it seem like she went all the way? The older sister was very open about it, but the younger sister was just a bit more sinister and cunning. Maybe because she doesn’t have a mother, her upbringing is just as messed up!”
Rubina didn't bother to mention that one of the men involved in each of the two sisters' cases was her son.
Cesare's home education must have been similar to Alfonso's, or at least half of Leo III's.
“I was so embarrassed that something like that happened at my prom!”
Prince Alfonso's face was as cold as ice.
“I bet that woman didn’t tell the Prince about this story, did she?”
Duchess Rubina condemned Ariadne, assuming a moral superiority she did not deserve.
“If there is a past, wouldn’t it be honest to tell the other person everything honestly and give them the choice of whether to continue dating?”
Rubina assumed, of course, that Ariadne would never have told Alfonso.
“This is where children from families that didn’t receive proper home education show their talents...”
“I've already heard the whole story.”
Alfonso's sharp voice cut off Rubina's words.
"Yes?"
“I’m telling you that we’ve already talked about it all.”
Prince Alfonso's expression was half cold and half indifferent. Sir Manfredi looked at Prince Alfonso in bewilderment.
“I don’t even know why you are telling me this.”
But there was one person who was even more surprised than Sir Manfredi, and that was Duchess Rubina. She stuttered at the unexpected answer.
“I, I... As the eldest in your family...”
Prince Alfonso chuckled.
“The eldest in the family?”
The Prince's voice was shrill, which was unusual for him.
“The elders of the family are the ones who look down on and help the younger ones. Has Madam ever given me that kind of help even once?”
Alfonso was not blind either. After returning to the Etruscan kingdom, the Prince's eyes and hands were gradually taking up positions in all key areas of the country, including San Carlo.
He also now knew that it was Duchess Rubina who had delayed the supplies and support that would be sent to him in Yesak.
In fact, it was obvious that it would happen even if he just rolled around a little without going to the extent of a force.
“You are just my father’s woman. I tolerate you out of respect for my father, but that’s it.”
Alfonso glanced at Duchess Rubina with a look that seemed to indicate something disgusting and strange.
“Please don't come near me.”
It was a sight that made it seem like everything, even the stabbing on the wooden spear, was her fault.
“Don’t cross the line, don’t expect anything to happen, and above all else.”
The Prince spat it out as if spitting out excrement.
“My mother’s name, and my woman’s name, don’t let that foul mouth of yours come out.”
Alfonso turned his tower-like body. His golden curly hair, which had grown down to his ears, swayed.
"Let's go."
The Golden Prince led his knights and walked away.
Only Sir Manfredi walked with an awkward gait as if he had just taken a dump somewhere. Duchess Rubina, who was left behind, exploded in anger.
“What, what is this?!”
It was a development that was completely different from what she had expected from beginning to end.
Duchess Rubina knew men very well. In her common sense, a man couldn't remain swayed by such a story.
“You're in Gon of Yesak, is that even possible?”
Prince Alfonso made no reply to Duchess Rubina's shouts. Instead, Lord Manfredi responded in an uncharacteristically blunt tone.
“Behave yourself, Ma’am.”
Duchess Rubina was blaming him for speaking to Prince Alfonso, who was of a higher status than her.
But if that were the case, then even the second son of the Count's family, Sir Manfredi, was not in a position to answer to Duchess Rubina.
“How dare you!”
Duchess Rubina was furious. She didn't even look at Lord Manfredi but stared straight at Prince Alfonso.
“Prince! Take good care of your subordinates!”
"Ma'am!"
The knights, including Sir Manfredi, tried to stop her, but Duchess Rubina didn't even listen. She trailed off.
“No, isn’t the guard the problem?”
Duchess Rubina, who had said this, had a mean smile on her lips.
“Not to mention the wildness of the Manfredi family, who don’t even know their place.”
“What?!”
Sir Manfredi was furious, but Duchess Rubina didn't even look at him.
“Women too... Aren’t you choosing the wrong person to begin with?”
Alfonso's expression, which had been calm and composed until the story of Manfredi was told, changed as soon as Ariadne was mentioned.
Alfonso politely but firmly stopped Rubina.
“Duchess.”
But Rubina didn't miss the slight crack in Alfonso's composure.
“Your Highness. I am speaking for your sake.”
Rubina smiled leisurely as if she had never been angry before.
“Since Queen Marguerite has passed away, there are no female members of the royal family left, so I am the only one who can look after the Prince’s marriage.”
Sir Manfredi snorted loudly, but Sir Bernardino stopped him.
It wasn't entirely wrong, and he was worried about the repercussions of Leo III. Rubina, who was becoming more confident, continued speaking.
“Your... She’s not even your fiancée, is she? That’s not a proper title. Yes, girlfriend. I know her well because she almost became my daughter-in-law.”
Duchess Rubina smiled meaningfully.
It highlights the fact that Ariadne de Mare was engaged to Cesare, and Alfonso did not even get permission from the King to have an affair with her.
Alfonso's brow furrowed deeply as he understood the meaning of that smile.
“She is not a child fit to be the Prince’s match. I didn’t particularly like her when she was engaged to Cesare. She was not very well-mannered.”
She raised her voice exaggeratedly.
“Even if she's my son's fiancée, shouldn’t she remain chaste before marriage? Well, at the ball I was having, the two of them snuck into the back room and came rolling out into the hallway in a complete mess of clothes!”
Sir Bernardino's face crinkled, and Sir Manfredi's mouth dropped open.
However, they were all present on the battlefield of Yesak at the time of the incident described by Duchess Rubina, so they were in no position to refute it.
“No matter how many times I asked her, she would just deny it. Doesn’t it seem like she went all the way? The older sister was very open about it, but the younger sister was just a bit more sinister and cunning. Maybe because she doesn’t have a mother, her upbringing is just as messed up!”
Rubina didn't bother to mention that one of the men involved in each of the two sisters' cases was her son.
Cesare's home education must have been similar to Alfonso's, or at least half of Leo III's.
“I was so embarrassed that something like that happened at my prom!”
Prince Alfonso's face was as cold as ice.
“I bet that woman didn’t tell the Prince about this story, did she?”
Duchess Rubina condemned Ariadne, assuming a moral superiority she did not deserve.
“If there is a past, wouldn’t it be honest to tell the other person everything honestly and give them the choice of whether to continue dating?”
Rubina assumed, of course, that Ariadne would never have told Alfonso.
“This is where children from families that didn’t receive proper home education show their talents...”
“I've already heard the whole story.”
Alfonso's sharp voice cut off Rubina's words.
"Yes?"
“I’m telling you that we’ve already talked about it all.”
Prince Alfonso's expression was half cold and half indifferent. Sir Manfredi looked at Prince Alfonso in bewilderment.
“I don’t even know why you are telling me this.”
But there was one person who was even more surprised than Sir Manfredi, and that was Duchess Rubina. She stuttered at the unexpected answer.
“I, I... As the eldest in your family...”
Prince Alfonso chuckled.
“The eldest in the family?”
The Prince's voice was shrill, which was unusual for him.
“The elders of the family are the ones who look down on and help the younger ones. Has Madam ever given me that kind of help even once?”
Alfonso was not blind either. After returning to the Etruscan kingdom, the Prince's eyes and hands were gradually taking up positions in all key areas of the country, including San Carlo.
He also now knew that it was Duchess Rubina who had delayed the supplies and support that would be sent to him in Yesak.
In fact, it was obvious that it would happen even if he just rolled around a little without going to the extent of a force.
“You are just my father’s woman. I tolerate you out of respect for my father, but that’s it.”
Alfonso glanced at Duchess Rubina with a look that seemed to indicate something disgusting and strange.
“Please don't come near me.”
It was a sight that made it seem like everything, even the stabbing on the wooden spear, was her fault.
“Don’t cross the line, don’t expect anything to happen, and above all else.”
The Prince spat it out as if spitting out excrement.
“My mother’s name, and my woman’s name, don’t let that foul mouth of yours come out.”
Alfonso turned his tower-like body. His golden curly hair, which had grown down to his ears, swayed.
"Let's go."
The Golden Prince led his knights and walked away.
Only Sir Manfredi walked with an awkward gait as if he had just taken a dump somewhere. Duchess Rubina, who was left behind, exploded in anger.
“What, what is this?!”
It was a development that was completely different from what she had expected from beginning to end.
Duchess Rubina knew men very well. In her common sense, a man couldn't remain swayed by such a story.
“You're in Gon of Yesak, is that even possible?”
Rubina stood alone in the hallway, cursing.
“Pretend to be a Saint! You little green thing! After all, you are a human too! There will come a moment when you suddenly realize in the morning?! You will say, I was a fool who picked up what others left behind, I was a fool!”
She spat without any manners.
“Tch!”
The maids passing by were startled and lowered their heads when they noticed Duchess Rubina's appearance.
Duchess Rubina was even more furious at the fact that someone else had seen her like this.
“Look here! Is there anyone here? Catch those guys right now and throw them out of the castle!”
It was like killing two birds with one stone: destroying evidence and creating a target for revenge.
***
Since her last visit to the palace, Isabella has been in high spirits. They say that some people are born with a star that leads to success, and she certainly was one of them.
“Count Contarini has become a permanent judge?”
“He's amazing at such a young age!”
When Ottavio became a judge in the permanent royal court, the capital's families were in an uproar to line up for Count Contarini.
Because the monopoly on judicial power was a huge privilege.
Ladies of rank and reputation that Isabella would not normally have looked up to came flocking in and making rude remarks.
Isabella covered her mouth and laughed at the ladies' compliments.
“Hehehe, what are you going to do with something like that?”
Showing off a humility that made the listener feel like vomiting was one of the things on Isabella's wish list that she really wanted to do.
“I am simply inheriting the legacy of my ancestors. Only by making a name for myself through fair and just trials can I become a descendant who will not be ashamed of my father’s name.”
About half the people in the room knew that was bullshit, and the other half took Isabella's nonsense at face value.
The former were mostly old women who had been through a lot, and the latter were their daughters or daughters-in-law whom they had brought home.
Gabriele de Montefeltro came to this position as a daughter-in-law but did not believe Isabella's words.
This was not so much because she had an eye for the political implications of the position as because she knew how little Isabella regarded Ottavio.
But her mother-in-law, the old Marchioness of Montefeltro, smiled her most polite smile and praised Isabella and the Contarini family.
“Even if you inherit the legacy of a great ancestor, there are young people who fall behind in their time, and there are also great founders who open up a new era.”
The kind smile on his wrinkled face was a textbook example of etiquette, worthy of being stuffed as an example of hospitality in the palace museum.
She spoke fluently without even licking her lips.
“The permanent Royal Court is the first of its kind in the history of the kingdom. It is a feat of Count Contarini. And it would not have been possible without your assistance, Countess Contarini.”
The old Marchioness of Montefeltro smiled here, raising the corners of her mouth just enough so that her words would not sound too meaningful or ambiguous.
This was because the words of the old Countess could have been easily misinterpreted as 'Leo III gave Ottavio the position of judge in the Permanent Court because of Isabella.'
An older lady would know that the King's excessive favor could be a sign of favoritism towards his favorite, but it could also be the beginning of an inappropriate interest in what his subject had.
But Isabella, excited by the attention she was receiving, simply brushed the laughter aside.
“Hohoho, that’s too much praise!”
The Marchioness Guatieri slyly teased her about her excitement.
“Please tell your husband, who has become the highest judge in the kingdom, to teach those merchants a lesson.”
When her husband met Prince Alfonso, who had just returned from the War of Yesak, he had already argued for a reduction in taxes for the nobility and an increase in taxes for merchants.
The Marquis Guatieri, a large lord family that occupied the coastal fiefdom, had a bad relationship with the Barons of Castiglione, who started out as his vassal family and now had their own power.
Eventually, the conflict was resolved when the Baron of Castiglione bowed down to the Marquis of Guatieri, abandoned his fiefdom, and moved to the capital. However, the location of the fiefdom was so good that other merchant guilds continued to appear, and they steadily demanded autonomy.
This was a very painful problem that was repeated from generation to generation.
The Marquis of Guatieri at the time intended to use their position in central politics to eliminate any room for merchants.
The Marchioness Guatieri slyly brought up the topic.
“Aren’t these days’ merchants acting too arrogant and not knowing their place?”
Countess DiPascal took the opportunity to bring up the topic.
“Don’t be so ignorant! When I see lowly people walking around with their whole bodies covered in silk, I feel like this is the end of the world!”
The Countess of DiPascal had just recently given her youngest daughter in marriage.
The slope of DiPascal Street happened to be the day after the wedding of Vitali Caruso and Camelia de Castiglione.
Camellia's wedding was the wedding of the century, with trees decorated with jewels and fountains flowing with gold.
The wedding of the second daughter of the Count DiPascal family, which was held immediately afterward, was, to put it nicely, modest and inevitably looked shabby to the guests of high regard.
This was followed by a series of accusations from a noble lady who had recently had her necklace stolen by a woman of the merchant class, a noble lady who was upset because she had to use the same hairdresser and a noble lady who was sold to a merchant who brought in a Moorish slave who was more expensive than her.
“The merchant said to me that his slave was worth thirty ducats and that he could run a fan for two hours without stopping!”
"Oh my God!"
“You said to put my slave aside so that it would be cooler for everyone to feel the breeze blowing from the more expensive slave, right?!”
At the words, 'Moorish slaves,' Isabella snickered and looked at Agosto, who was standing guard at the door of the drawing room.
He also glanced at Isabella but showed no sign of being particularly offended.
'They said you were a precious bloodline of the Moorish Empire.'
There is no slave more expensive than Agosto in San Carlo.
Isabella was secretly proud. Meanwhile, the noble ladies who had come to impress her were screaming.
“Please give them a good beating in court!”
“You must establish the dignity of the nobility!”
Isabella suddenly had a very good idea.
“You guys. Actually, what you’re offended by isn’t a legal issue.”
The ladies collectively became sullen, thinking that Isabella was rejecting their request.
But Isabella was in a position to be quite a brat now, and they were in no position to show any sign of being offended.
“Oh, right! It’s not a legal issue, though.”
“As expected, you are fair and just. As expected, you are Isabella de Contarini.”
“It can’t be helped, my father is a Cardinal and my husband is from the Contarini family.”
Isabella was a little annoyed by the ladies' ignorant compliments and bluster. If you're going to flatter, do it properly. You're going in the wrong direction, you guys.
“Is there really any need to bother the gentlemen outside?”
She smiled, closing her purple eyes prettily.
“We can handle it on our own.”
This time, she was going to show Camellia Caruso, who dared to stand up to her, a lesson.
“I have a really interesting idea that will teach you merchants their place.”
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