Cardinal de Mare has been having a terrible headache these days.
Even after discussing with the priests under his command, the conclusion was that he had to go to Trevero.
“Such strong wording is unprecedented.”
“The fact that ‘excommunication’ was directly mentioned in the letter means that...”
“The record of Saint Navigius in 874 is the last recorded instance of the Pope directly mentioning ‘excommunication’ in a letter! Saint Navigius did not respond to the summons, was excommunicated, and only after he performed the miracle of the three butterflies did the excommunication come back...”
Cardinal de Mare was not a devout man like Saint Navigius, so it was unlikely that the heavens would have given him the miracle of three butterflies.
If he was excommunicated, that was the end of it. There was no way he could avoid crying and heading to Trevero.
'Why on earth are you summoning me to Trevero?'
He couldn't fathom the Pope's intentions at all.
'Will I be able to come back alive?'
It was absurd, but he couldn't help but imagine eerie thoughts.
There was no reason for Pope Louis to call him to Trevero, the seat of the Holy See and his own stronghold, unless he intended to dispose of him in secret.
However, he could not find any reason for Pope Louis to attack him.
He was the Cardinal in charge of the ancient capital of San Carlo and the leader of the entire diocese of the Etruscan kingdom.
Although they didn't like each other, they coexisted for the past 20 years without any major trouble.
'If you get rid of me, who knows what kind of person will take my place!'
What decision makers hate most is uncertainty. The unknown is worse than bad news.
It was a predictable danger that Cardinal de Mare would not like, for the Pope and the Cardinal were both aware of what the other was capable of.
'Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden? He said he came back from the dead, but didn't the heat penetrate his brain?'
Thinking about it this way, the Cardinal started to want to go to Trevero again. If Ludovico was in bad shape, he could force him to abdicate and wait for the next opportunity!
'Yeah, there's no way you're going to kill me right away.'
If they were to dismiss him without reason, Pope Louis would have a huge headache cleaning up the mess.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the study door.
“Come in.”
There was a creaking sound of the door opening, and the rustling of a dress hit the floor.
There was only one person who could enter Cardinal de Mare's study like this: his second daughter.
“Father, you called me.”
Ariadne lowered her gaze and greeted the Cardinal first. Her tone was polite.
His second daughter has recently stopped calling him 'Your Eminence' in private. It was a gesture of reconciliation on her part.
The Cardinal knew this, too. He answered in a rather detailed voice.
“Yes.”
The Cardinal pointed to the best armchair in the room.
“Sit there.”
Ariadne bowed politely and sat down on her chair. The Cardinal also smiled happily as if he were maintaining his image.
The emotional distance between parents and children was quite large. However, that doesn't mean they were completely apart.
Because they were tied by family, they were forced to be on the same boat in terms of gains and losses.
Thanks to this, the Cardinal was able to get straight to the point without any of the frills that come with conveying his thoughts to others.
“It looks like this father has to go to Trevero.”
“Yes? Trevero?”
“Yes. At the summons of Pope Louis.”
The Cardinal took a sip of the water on his desk, as if his hands were trembling just from saying the words. He did not offer it to Ariadne.
“If you don’t respond to the summons, they say it’s called the Inquisition. Maximum excommunication.”
Even Ariadne, who was not usually a strong-hearted person, was surprised by these words. She swallowed dryly, her eyes wide open.
After a moment of silence, she finally opened her mouth to organize her questions.
“...What is the reason for bringing this to trial?”
If he knew the reason, he could at least prepare for it. But Cardinal De Mare shook his head.
“There’s no word. It’s just that if you don’t respond to the summons, you will be subject to religious trial, and the maximum punishment is excommunication.”
As the saying goes, seeing is believing, so he handed Ariadne the letter from Pope Louis. She took it and began to look through it carefully.
The Cardinal secretly sighed as he looked at his second daughter reading the letter.
“So that’s what I’m saying.”
She buried her nose in the letter and answered absentmindedly without even looking at her father.
"Yes."
“Can you accompany me to Trevero?”
Most religious trials ultimately amounted to battles over theological theory.
To excommunicate a Cardinal, it was necessary to have solid evidence that he was unfit to be a priest, such as preaching heretical doctrines or dabbling in forbidden black magic.
Apart from a series of stupid antics by the dead Lucrezia, the Cardinal's life was fairly clean for a clergyman of the era.
Since Lucrezia's black magic incident was also dealt with relatively early on, it was a bit weak to excommunicate the Cardinal, let alone Lucrezia herself, who was dead.
So, in the end, it was a theological fight over whether the doctrines the Cardinal had taught were heretical or not.
“There is no doubt that for your age, or even without considering your age, you are the greatest theologian in the Etruscan kingdom.”
Sweat ran down Ariadne's spine. It seemed to refer to her refutation of the apostle of Asereto.
But at that time, she just memorized what she had learned in the past and crammed it in with perfect timing. She couldn't say that it was proper studying.
Besides, Ariadne hasn't gone near theology in recent years, because she's been busy with other things, and she has no intention of making a name for herself as a Saint.
“Father, that...”
Cardinal de Mare cut off Ariadne's hesitant words.
“I can’t bring a large group of attendants this time.”
He let out a shallow sigh.
“If I were to carry the Etruscan diocese and the priests of my school with me, everyone would think that Cardinal de Mare was ready to fight Pope Louis in the Inquisition.”
Cardinal de Mare was not a fool.
He had no intention of picking a fight when he was dragged to the other person's bedroom without even knowing why he was being called there.
Until combat became inevitable, it was necessary to be as discreet, cautious, and polite as possible.
“You are my daughter, so when you go, it will seem like a normal trip with my family.”
The Cardinal added in a subtle tone.
“But you are not just a young lady, are you? You are the greatest pride of my children.”
Thump. There was a resonance in Ariadne's heart.
My most beloved child, my most cherished child, my child. How long has she struggled to hear that story?
Cardinal de Mare, sensing the agitation on his daughter's face, appealed earnestly.
“Come with me to Trevero. With me.”
Alfonso stuck out his tongue at the sight of his girlfriend's face. She looked increasingly more and more like a corpse. It was as if there was a sign on her face that said, "I have a problem!"
It was cute that she seemed so cool and competent, but couldn't control her facial expressions.
“If you had 10 worries last time, now you have 30.”
Ariadne answered without even looking at him, hugging her knees.
“Take 30 and get 50 more.”
Alfonso asked dully.
“It’s not because you hate me, right?”
“No way.”
Ariadne stretched out her arms and gave Alfonso a light hug while sitting down. He bent down and positioned himself so that she could comfortably embrace him.
Although Ariadne couldn't see it, he smiled until his white teeth were fully exposed.
It may not be that he can't hide his expression, but that he doesn't hide it. Ariadne was opening up the seat next to him without hesitation.
In their daily lives, where there was a lot of heat and anxious stares, silly jokes and light expressions of affection permeated them.
Alfonso was overjoyed by this change. Every gesture of affection Ariadne showed him was thrilling.
“It’s not that I don’t like you.”
He muttered once more and placed his hand on her cheek. Only then did Ariadne realize that something was wrong with Alfonso, and she pushed him away, meeting his eyes.
She looked at Alfonso intently with her deep, pond-like green eyes.
“I think you have worries.”
"No."
“No, that’s not true. If you don’t have any worries, why do you keep talking nonsense?”
Alfonso shook his head firmly.
“Not at all. Nothing.”
He wanted to be a breakwater for his woman, to keep her safe and isolated from all the storms.
He just wanted to hold her gently, shielding her from the scorching sunlight and the cold winter wind.
But it was absurd to pour out his worries to her and add more worries to her.
Ariadne sighed, sensing something suspicious but unable to pinpoint what it was.
“When are you going to catch them?”
Even after discussing with the priests under his command, the conclusion was that he had to go to Trevero.
“Such strong wording is unprecedented.”
“The fact that ‘excommunication’ was directly mentioned in the letter means that...”
“The record of Saint Navigius in 874 is the last recorded instance of the Pope directly mentioning ‘excommunication’ in a letter! Saint Navigius did not respond to the summons, was excommunicated, and only after he performed the miracle of the three butterflies did the excommunication come back...”
Cardinal de Mare was not a devout man like Saint Navigius, so it was unlikely that the heavens would have given him the miracle of three butterflies.
If he was excommunicated, that was the end of it. There was no way he could avoid crying and heading to Trevero.
'Why on earth are you summoning me to Trevero?'
He couldn't fathom the Pope's intentions at all.
'Will I be able to come back alive?'
It was absurd, but he couldn't help but imagine eerie thoughts.
There was no reason for Pope Louis to call him to Trevero, the seat of the Holy See and his own stronghold, unless he intended to dispose of him in secret.
However, he could not find any reason for Pope Louis to attack him.
He was the Cardinal in charge of the ancient capital of San Carlo and the leader of the entire diocese of the Etruscan kingdom.
Although they didn't like each other, they coexisted for the past 20 years without any major trouble.
'If you get rid of me, who knows what kind of person will take my place!'
What decision makers hate most is uncertainty. The unknown is worse than bad news.
It was a predictable danger that Cardinal de Mare would not like, for the Pope and the Cardinal were both aware of what the other was capable of.
'Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden? He said he came back from the dead, but didn't the heat penetrate his brain?'
Thinking about it this way, the Cardinal started to want to go to Trevero again. If Ludovico was in bad shape, he could force him to abdicate and wait for the next opportunity!
'Yeah, there's no way you're going to kill me right away.'
If they were to dismiss him without reason, Pope Louis would have a huge headache cleaning up the mess.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the study door.
“Come in.”
There was a creaking sound of the door opening, and the rustling of a dress hit the floor.
There was only one person who could enter Cardinal de Mare's study like this: his second daughter.
“Father, you called me.”
Ariadne lowered her gaze and greeted the Cardinal first. Her tone was polite.
His second daughter has recently stopped calling him 'Your Eminence' in private. It was a gesture of reconciliation on her part.
The Cardinal knew this, too. He answered in a rather detailed voice.
“Yes.”
The Cardinal pointed to the best armchair in the room.
“Sit there.”
Ariadne bowed politely and sat down on her chair. The Cardinal also smiled happily as if he were maintaining his image.
The emotional distance between parents and children was quite large. However, that doesn't mean they were completely apart.
Because they were tied by family, they were forced to be on the same boat in terms of gains and losses.
Thanks to this, the Cardinal was able to get straight to the point without any of the frills that come with conveying his thoughts to others.
“It looks like this father has to go to Trevero.”
“Yes? Trevero?”
“Yes. At the summons of Pope Louis.”
The Cardinal took a sip of the water on his desk, as if his hands were trembling just from saying the words. He did not offer it to Ariadne.
“If you don’t respond to the summons, they say it’s called the Inquisition. Maximum excommunication.”
Even Ariadne, who was not usually a strong-hearted person, was surprised by these words. She swallowed dryly, her eyes wide open.
After a moment of silence, she finally opened her mouth to organize her questions.
“...What is the reason for bringing this to trial?”
If he knew the reason, he could at least prepare for it. But Cardinal De Mare shook his head.
“There’s no word. It’s just that if you don’t respond to the summons, you will be subject to religious trial, and the maximum punishment is excommunication.”
As the saying goes, seeing is believing, so he handed Ariadne the letter from Pope Louis. She took it and began to look through it carefully.
The Cardinal secretly sighed as he looked at his second daughter reading the letter.
“So that’s what I’m saying.”
She buried her nose in the letter and answered absentmindedly without even looking at her father.
"Yes."
“Can you accompany me to Trevero?”
Most religious trials ultimately amounted to battles over theological theory.
To excommunicate a Cardinal, it was necessary to have solid evidence that he was unfit to be a priest, such as preaching heretical doctrines or dabbling in forbidden black magic.
Apart from a series of stupid antics by the dead Lucrezia, the Cardinal's life was fairly clean for a clergyman of the era.
Since Lucrezia's black magic incident was also dealt with relatively early on, it was a bit weak to excommunicate the Cardinal, let alone Lucrezia herself, who was dead.
So, in the end, it was a theological fight over whether the doctrines the Cardinal had taught were heretical or not.
“There is no doubt that for your age, or even without considering your age, you are the greatest theologian in the Etruscan kingdom.”
Sweat ran down Ariadne's spine. It seemed to refer to her refutation of the apostle of Asereto.
But at that time, she just memorized what she had learned in the past and crammed it in with perfect timing. She couldn't say that it was proper studying.
Besides, Ariadne hasn't gone near theology in recent years, because she's been busy with other things, and she has no intention of making a name for herself as a Saint.
“Father, that...”
Cardinal de Mare cut off Ariadne's hesitant words.
“I can’t bring a large group of attendants this time.”
He let out a shallow sigh.
“If I were to carry the Etruscan diocese and the priests of my school with me, everyone would think that Cardinal de Mare was ready to fight Pope Louis in the Inquisition.”
Cardinal de Mare was not a fool.
He had no intention of picking a fight when he was dragged to the other person's bedroom without even knowing why he was being called there.
Until combat became inevitable, it was necessary to be as discreet, cautious, and polite as possible.
“You are my daughter, so when you go, it will seem like a normal trip with my family.”
The Cardinal added in a subtle tone.
“But you are not just a young lady, are you? You are the greatest pride of my children.”
Thump. There was a resonance in Ariadne's heart.
My most beloved child, my most cherished child, my child. How long has she struggled to hear that story?
Cardinal de Mare, sensing the agitation on his daughter's face, appealed earnestly.
“Come with me to Trevero. With me.”
***
Alfonso stuck out his tongue at the sight of his girlfriend's face. She looked increasingly more and more like a corpse. It was as if there was a sign on her face that said, "I have a problem!"
It was cute that she seemed so cool and competent, but couldn't control her facial expressions.
“If you had 10 worries last time, now you have 30.”
Ariadne answered without even looking at him, hugging her knees.
“Take 30 and get 50 more.”
Alfonso asked dully.
“It’s not because you hate me, right?”
“No way.”
Ariadne stretched out her arms and gave Alfonso a light hug while sitting down. He bent down and positioned himself so that she could comfortably embrace him.
Although Ariadne couldn't see it, he smiled until his white teeth were fully exposed.
It may not be that he can't hide his expression, but that he doesn't hide it. Ariadne was opening up the seat next to him without hesitation.
In their daily lives, where there was a lot of heat and anxious stares, silly jokes and light expressions of affection permeated them.
Alfonso was overjoyed by this change. Every gesture of affection Ariadne showed him was thrilling.
“It’s not that I don’t like you.”
He muttered once more and placed his hand on her cheek. Only then did Ariadne realize that something was wrong with Alfonso, and she pushed him away, meeting his eyes.
She looked at Alfonso intently with her deep, pond-like green eyes.
“I think you have worries.”
"No."
“No, that’s not true. If you don’t have any worries, why do you keep talking nonsense?”
Alfonso shook his head firmly.
“Not at all. Nothing.”
He wanted to be a breakwater for his woman, to keep her safe and isolated from all the storms.
He just wanted to hold her gently, shielding her from the scorching sunlight and the cold winter wind.
But it was absurd to pour out his worries to her and add more worries to her.
Ariadne sighed, sensing something suspicious but unable to pinpoint what it was.
“When are you going to catch them?”
“I said there isn't any.”
Alfonso took Ariadne's hand again and rubbed it against his cheek. It was quite hot, but she still did not take off her summer gloves.
As Alfonso fiddled with her hands, the thin silk began to wrinkle and try to escape her hands.
Just as Alfonso was about to suggest that she take off her clothes because they were uncomfortable, Ariadne spoke hurriedly.
“You’re right. I have a problem.”
At those words, Alfonso stopped what he was doing and focused on her, and Ariadne took her hand away from him and ran her fingers through her hair. It was a gesture that clearly showed her frustration.
“Pope Louis might excommunicate my father.”
"What?"
Alfonso's eyes widened.
“What does this mean?”
Cardinal de Mare's excommunication was not just his own. First of all, his entire power, led by the Cardinal, lost its enemies.
Among them, the most worthy ones will be purged along with the Cardinal, and the rest will have to fight against the storm with their bare bodies and no leader to pull them up.
And of course, his family was included in the power of the Cardinal, who was about to fall.
Ariadne seemed to enjoy an independent status and position as the mistress of the Count's family, of which she was the first founder, but in the end, she was inseparable from her father.
A family established through blood ties cannot be broken up, and families move forward together.
If Cardinal de Mare is excommunicated, Countess Ariadne de Mare will also have difficulty enjoying the same position she has now.
And if that happens, it will naturally become twice as difficult for Alfonso to make Ariadne his Princess.
“What on earth is going on that is causing the talk of excommunication?”
Alfonso's voice was filled with desperation.
Illicit wealth? Sexual misconduct? Heretical teachings? Alfonso pondered furiously over what could possibly be happening to Cardinal de Mare.
But there was nothing particularly bothersome about it, for the Cardinal, despite his eccentric and unloving personality, was impeccable in his conduct.
“We don’t know either.”
Ariadne sighed deeply and said.
“They summoned my father from Trevero. Pope Louis XIV threatened to excommunicate him if he did not comply with the summons.”
She brought up the story cautiously.
“So, Father, he said, let me go to Trevero with you...”
Ariadne had no reason to follow Trevero.
If you hold out in San Carlo and await the Cardinal's disposition, your position will be in jeopardy, but if you go to Trevero, your life and limbs may be in danger.
And contrary to the Cardinal's belief, there was little hope that his own presence would turn the situation around.
But that voice continued to tickle her mind.
“You are the greatest pride of all my children.”
Maybe she can get her father's approval.
Perhaps he could have had a loving father who showed boundless faith in Ippolito, held Isabella's hand, and personally taught her important lessons about life.
“Going isn’t a problem, no, it is a problem.”
Her voice trembled.
“I’m worried about what on earth is going on.”
Ariadne's words were cut off by Alfonso's gesture, who held Ariadne's hand tightly.
“Alfonso?”
"Let's go."
He held her hand tightly and spoke, his expression filled with joy.
“Come with me. To Trevero.”
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