“How did the Prince get here...”
Cardinal de Mare was a little embarrassed. Prince Alfonso was not in a position to come all the way here to fetch the Cardinal.
In the general ceremonial hierarchy, a Prince and a Cardinal are equal, but Prince Alfonso was a little special.
After it became clear that Queen Marguerite could no longer bear children, whether due to health or marital problems with the King, Prince Alfonso, the sole heir apparent to the throne, was treated as a Crown Prince.
Normally, such tacit treatment would not be permitted considering the children of the new Queen who would come after the Queen's death, but the relationship with the Kingdom of Gallico, the age difference between the child the new Queen would have if he came in, and above all, the excellence of Prince Alfonso himself made such treatment natural.
Everyone in the kingdom, except Leo III, bows down to Prince Alfonso.
Nevertheless, Prince Alfonso said with a good-natured smile.
“I heard that His Eminence the Cardinal was going on a long journey to Trevero, so I decided to stop by and see if you could come with me.”
He spoke in a relaxed tone without even looking back, as if he were inviting him to go to the village well together.
“This side might be a little safer.”
The number of knights they brought was too small to be considered 'a little safer'. It seemed like they could conquer a hundred states in one go.
“There seem to be at least five hundred knights...”
The Cardinal muttered in annoyance. Prince Alfonso corrected himself.
“Three hundred and fifty. It’s short.”
Medieval knights were an elite fighting force that cost a lot of money to maintain, each of whom was the lord of a small fiefdom.
The Black Helmet Knights of Prince Alfonso were originally formed from survivors of the battlefield, and although they did not yet have their own territory, their number of three hundred and fifty was by no means what could be described as 'small'.
It is close to half of the total force of the Knights Templar that Prince Alfonso brought back to San Carlo.
He originally intended to take all eight hundred men with him, but was met with near-hysterical opposition from Pope Louis.
“Has the Pope given permission to enter...?”
A force of eight hundred heavy cavalrymen was, in fact, comparable to occupying a foreign army within one's own territory.
It was natural for the ruler to dislike it. But Prince Alfonso responded as if it were no big deal.
“It was a condition of the visit.”
Well, they had to compromise. From eight hundred to three hundred and fifty.
In the process, the practitioners were squabbling, and Grand Duke Odes, who absolutely had to meet Prince Alfonso, barely managed to persuade Pope Louis by offering to be his guarantor.
It was a talent to talk about such a big thing as if it were nothing.
His attitude of not making a fuss about picking up the Cardinal himself was also along similar lines.
In some ways, it was a very relaxed attitude. However, Cardinal de Mare was an old fox, so he could easily guess why the Prince was there.
'Did you come to pick me up?'
His daughter, standing behind him, will be the object of his escort.
The Cardinal clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking that the Prince was really weak towards women. He seemed to have completely forgotten about his past when he was obsessed with Lucrezia.
“Ari.”
He called his daughter, who was standing behind him.
“Yes, father.”
Ariadne answered dryly.
Even though the Prince came to fetch her with his knights, completely disregarding etiquette, her voice was calm.
Cardinal de Mare clicked his tongue, thinking that she would have been thrilled and excited, but at the same time, he thought that his second daughter was a good match for the Prince.
She was fully dressed for a long journey.
Their softly braided hair was protected from the sun by high hats and veils, and since the journey was long and arduous, they wore upplandes that reached all the way to their necks instead of the decorative, plunging necklines that were popular in San Carlo.
Cardinal de Mare's second daughter stood out as if she were monopolizing the sunlight among a crowd of at least four hundred men, including her family members.
It was both disgusting and extremely attractive at the same time, drawing the attention of others. The Cardinal felt a new sense of pride.
Cardinal de Mare was a little embarrassed. Prince Alfonso was not in a position to come all the way here to fetch the Cardinal.
In the general ceremonial hierarchy, a Prince and a Cardinal are equal, but Prince Alfonso was a little special.
After it became clear that Queen Marguerite could no longer bear children, whether due to health or marital problems with the King, Prince Alfonso, the sole heir apparent to the throne, was treated as a Crown Prince.
Normally, such tacit treatment would not be permitted considering the children of the new Queen who would come after the Queen's death, but the relationship with the Kingdom of Gallico, the age difference between the child the new Queen would have if he came in, and above all, the excellence of Prince Alfonso himself made such treatment natural.
Everyone in the kingdom, except Leo III, bows down to Prince Alfonso.
Nevertheless, Prince Alfonso said with a good-natured smile.
“I heard that His Eminence the Cardinal was going on a long journey to Trevero, so I decided to stop by and see if you could come with me.”
He spoke in a relaxed tone without even looking back, as if he were inviting him to go to the village well together.
“This side might be a little safer.”
The number of knights they brought was too small to be considered 'a little safer'. It seemed like they could conquer a hundred states in one go.
“There seem to be at least five hundred knights...”
The Cardinal muttered in annoyance. Prince Alfonso corrected himself.
“Three hundred and fifty. It’s short.”
Medieval knights were an elite fighting force that cost a lot of money to maintain, each of whom was the lord of a small fiefdom.
The Black Helmet Knights of Prince Alfonso were originally formed from survivors of the battlefield, and although they did not yet have their own territory, their number of three hundred and fifty was by no means what could be described as 'small'.
It is close to half of the total force of the Knights Templar that Prince Alfonso brought back to San Carlo.
He originally intended to take all eight hundred men with him, but was met with near-hysterical opposition from Pope Louis.
“Has the Pope given permission to enter...?”
A force of eight hundred heavy cavalrymen was, in fact, comparable to occupying a foreign army within one's own territory.
It was natural for the ruler to dislike it. But Prince Alfonso responded as if it were no big deal.
“It was a condition of the visit.”
Well, they had to compromise. From eight hundred to three hundred and fifty.
In the process, the practitioners were squabbling, and Grand Duke Odes, who absolutely had to meet Prince Alfonso, barely managed to persuade Pope Louis by offering to be his guarantor.
It was a talent to talk about such a big thing as if it were nothing.
His attitude of not making a fuss about picking up the Cardinal himself was also along similar lines.
In some ways, it was a very relaxed attitude. However, Cardinal de Mare was an old fox, so he could easily guess why the Prince was there.
'Did you come to pick me up?'
His daughter, standing behind him, will be the object of his escort.
The Cardinal clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking that the Prince was really weak towards women. He seemed to have completely forgotten about his past when he was obsessed with Lucrezia.
“Ari.”
He called his daughter, who was standing behind him.
“Yes, father.”
Ariadne answered dryly.
Even though the Prince came to fetch her with his knights, completely disregarding etiquette, her voice was calm.
Cardinal de Mare clicked his tongue, thinking that she would have been thrilled and excited, but at the same time, he thought that his second daughter was a good match for the Prince.
She was fully dressed for a long journey.
Their softly braided hair was protected from the sun by high hats and veils, and since the journey was long and arduous, they wore upplandes that reached all the way to their necks instead of the decorative, plunging necklines that were popular in San Carlo.
Cardinal de Mare's second daughter stood out as if she were monopolizing the sunlight among a crowd of at least four hundred men, including her family members.
It was both disgusting and extremely attractive at the same time, drawing the attention of others. The Cardinal felt a new sense of pride.
“Your Highness, the Prince has made such a generous offer, and I will gladly accept it.
“I’ve prepared to go with only our family’s carriage, but there will definitely be some unnecessary overlap, such as hay for horse feed and some other items...”
The Cardinal narrowed his eyes to see who was in charge of the household on Prince Alfonso's side. Just then, Lord Manfredi stepped forward.
“This is Antonio de Manfredi, Your Eminence!”
He was accompanied by a bright smile. However, the Cardinal showed little interest in Sir Manfredi and spoke directly to Ariadne.
“Yes, discuss it with Sir Manfredi and leave it to the Prince’s knights.”
Manfredi, who didn't seem very interested but became excited when the upper echelon appeared, still shouted cheerfully.
“I will take care of it!”
Sir Manfredi asked in a friendly tone.
“Your Eminence, just tell me which way to go. I will take care of everything.”
The details will probably be known to the butler Nicolo. Sir Manfredi escorted Ariadne and went out to find the butler.
Cardinal de Mare, who had dropped his daughter, looked at Prince Alfonso and said:
“Your Highness, would you like to take a quick walk with me until you are ready?”
It was a request for an exclusive interview. Alfonso looked down at the Cardinal standing in the hallway on his tall horse.
Although he was an old priest of small stature, Cardinal de Mare had a certain aura about him.
He couldn't tell if this was real or if he was just feeling it because he was Ariadne's father.
Well, which one would it be? The future son-in-law was in no position to refuse his father-in-law's request for an exclusive meeting. He jumped down from his horse.
“Then, would you like to take a walk?”
Alfonso offered, handing the reins over to his squire.
***
Cardinal de Mare introduced Prince Alfonso to the patronage of the Manor de Mare.
'This is...'
Alfonso's face flushed at the familiar place.
This was the very same garden where he had come to Ariadne, drunk at the banquet of the Marquis of Guatieri, and had made a show of it.
“There’s nothing special to see, but it’s our family’s sponsorship. Is this your first time here?”
“Oh, yeah, what...”
His conscience prickled when he was asked if this was his first time here. In fact, it wasn't his only time here.
The day before he left for the kingdom of Gallico, he had sneaked over the wall—on this day he had even entered the daughter's room—and going back to his first visit, the day he first stole Ariadne's lips, he had also escaped through this patronage.
All the evil deeds Alfonso committed against Cardinal de Mare were connected with this patronage.
“We focused on building it sturdily rather than decorating it beautifully. It doesn’t have much decoration, but the walls are high, making it difficult for outsiders to invade.”
The 'outsider' coughed in vain, feeling stung. At this point, Alfonso began to suspect that the Cardinal knew something.
Fortunately, before his future son-in-law could completely lose his composure, Cardinal de Mare opened his mouth.
“I have heard the rumors going around in social circles from time to time.”
It was a phrase referring to the declaration that he would meet Ariadne.
To Prince Alfonso, who was now beginning to interpret everything negatively, that sounded like, 'You met my daughter without my permission?'
His mouth was parched and dry.
Are you saying that you are against fellowship? You don't want dirt in my eyes?
Quite literally, a cold sweat ran down Alfonso's spine.
What would you do if you were the best son-in-law in the Central Continent?
If he doesn't like the father of the only woman he wants, then it doesn't matter what other people say.
As expected, the Cardinal began to question Prince Alfonso. At least to Alfonso's ears, it sounded like an interrogation.
“Do you love my poor daughter?”
“...Yes?”
'Yes! I love you!' would have been the correct answer, but Alfonso was so distracted by the words 'poor girl' that he missed the timing to answer.
No, what's lacking? She's pretty, cute, and does it all by herself!
But the Cardinal's tone of voice was a bit odd for such a rebuttal. It was a calm and dry tone. It was like a patient who had been given a date of death.
“You have probably heard why Pope Louis called me to Trevero.”
"Ah."
A speaking style that gets straight to the point, without using honorifics that would normally be used.
Alfonso realized that the other person was trying to say something important. Always thoughtful, he decided to keep quiet and give the floor to the other person.
“I may not return from this Trevero trip alive.”
“What the...”
“It is difficult for any excommunicated high-ranking clergy to survive.”
The Cardinal stared at Prince Alfonso and stopped him from saying anything.
“Please refrain from giving light consolation.”
Words like “It’ll be okay” and “Who would dare touch Cardinal de Mare” were not what the Cardinal wanted to hear right now.
“Isn’t it true that none of us in the Etruscan kingdom knows what the Pope is thinking? If Pope Louis were to strike me, how could I survive? My whole being now depends on the Pope’s will.”
“...This is not a light consolation.”
Prince Alfonso spoke slowly but firmly.
“I will make sure that no unfortunate incidents happen to His Eminence the Cardinal.”
Alfonso's hard, blue-gray eyes looked at Cardinal de Mare.
“I guarantee it.”
It was trustworthy. He could now understand why his daughter had abandoned Duke Cesare, who had been waiting for her with his head held high, leaving the seat next to her empty, and chosen a Prince whose fate was uncertain.
The Cardinal chuckled.
“It seems like even this old man will melt. That won’t do.”
He had lost a lot of weight in just a few days, and he looked older. The fat on an old person also acts as armor.
It felt like a crack had formed in the normally hard shell, revealing a bit of the Cardinal's soft inner self that was not easily visible even to those around him.
Perhaps it was an appearance he had only shown to Lucrezia while she was alive. A man who had lost the partner of his life had nowhere to be understood.
“I am a bit more pessimistic than my daughter. The Prince’s promises do not ring true.”
The last private meeting between Cardinal de Mare and Prince Alfonso occurred shortly after the latter's return to the Etruscan kingdom.
At that time, Prince Alfonso reached out to Cardinal de Mare for a hint of what was wrong, but the Cardinal turned away from him for his own best interests.
“I can no longer be of political help to you, Prince. I have nothing to offer you.”
Prince Alfonso had no additional political assets to receive from Cardinal de Mare and no debts to repay. If he had any grudges, what could he have?
“Once I am excommunicated, the de Mare family will not be able to easily overcome me. Even if the title of Countess de Mare belongs to Ari, and I am a stranger on the outside.”
The Cardinal let out a long sigh.
“Bullying people will appear in many places, and you will not be able to get a good position.”
This meant that it would be difficult for Ariadne to become a Princess after Cardinal de Mare was excommunicated.
Cardinal de Mare opened his mouth heavily.
“I have a favor to ask. Even after I die, will you take responsibility for my daughter?”
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