A huge white horse burst through the bushes nearby and strode forward. The rider looked at Ariadne with bloodshot eyes.
It was Alfonso running through the forest.
“As anyone may wish.”
Ariadne pulled on the reins, startled by Alfonso's sudden appearance. Her horse took a step back.
“How did you... Find me?”
“I wonder what you might think.”
Alfonso said, running a hand through his sweaty blond hair.
“I know you inside out like the back of my hand.”
This was a path leading to the side gate of the Trevero Castle.
The side gate, which leads to the Pope's hunting grounds, is the only gate in Trevero Castle that is open at night.
The Pope's hunting grounds were a beautiful, artificially created forest with thick trees and hunters' huts here and there.
"Ha."
Alfonso sighed in relief at having found Ariadne.
Alfonso, who thought that she would not head to the border naked, dispersed his men and headed in this direction.
He briefly considered heading to the Palazzo degli Angeli, where Cardinal de Mare was staying, but in the end, this was the correct answer.
Alfonso took a step closer and held out his hand to Ariadne.
“Let’s go back without thinking about useless things. I will never let you join the government.”
But instead of simply following his words, Ariadne took three more steps back.
“...That’s the problem.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ariadne spoke again.
“The problem is that you won’t make me your government and will reject the offer.”
Ariadne asked in a trembling voice.
“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
"What?"
Alfonso questioned in bewilderment, but Ariadne was serious.
“One day, ten years later, when the national power was lacking, I returned with my pride thrown away, bowed my back, and complained. Are you confident that you won’t look at me sitting next to you and say, ‘If only I hadn’t held that woman’s hand that day, the future of the Etruscan kingdom would have been different?’”
Ariadne's expression as she said those words was filled with fear.
“If it weren’t for you! If it weren’t for you, the beautiful Isabella would have been my wife!”
“If your status had been a little more solid, the nobles of the capital would have been on my side.”
“What a pity. It would have been nice if you were my daughter.”
“Your very existence is a nuisance.”
The voices of Cesare, Cardinal de Mare, and Lucrezia mingled together and shouted loudly in her ears.
That she was harmed for reasons beyond her control, for innate reasons that cannot be changed no matter how hard she tries.
If only it weren't for you. If only you weren't here.
It didn't really matter that she couldn't get what she wanted.
Ariadne lived her first life in a state of renunciation and resignation, and in her second life, she lived, as a result, enjoying everything.
What Ariadne realized through that process was that what other people want and what she wants cannot be the same.
One more thing she learned was that it is not always good for oneself to have one's ardent wish come true. For example, something like winning Cesare's love.
But what she still couldn't reconcile with was the fact that the person she loved resented her for making him unhappy.
If she wishes the other person absolute happiness and she is the only blemish on him, what alternative is there but to leave?
Alfonso called her name in a low voice.
"Ari."
“You will regret it someday.”
“Ariadne.”
But Ariadne couldn't stop. She continued to speak frantically, like someone who had lost her tongue. Before she knew it, tears had welled up and her eyes were moist.
“You will realize what you have thrown away. And before you start to resent me...”
“Ariadne de Mare!”
Alfonso's agitated voice cut her off.
“Why do you always run away?”
Alfonso cried out, beating his chest.
“I have never been untrue to you!”
Ariadne froze in place, her eyes wide open.
'Me...?'
I'm the one who runs away?
Meanwhile, Alfonso asked desperately.
“What do you want me to do?”
Ariadne's green eyes fluttered uneasily.
“I... I...”
She never ran away. She always thought she was one step ahead and had a plan. One...
“You always think for yourself! Go ahead! Even things that haven’t happened yet! And maybe even things that will never happen!”
Alfonso's voice tore as if it was being ripped from his lungs.
“If you’re worried or anxious about that, then tell me! Don’t just run ahead and run away!”
Please. Hold my hand. Don't let go of my hand. Don't abandon me.
Alfonso shouted, spitting out blood.
“Am I that ugly?”
Ariadne blinked at Alfonso. The question really didn't suit him.
He was at least a head taller than most people, and his torso was thick enough that you'd think it could fit half a person inside.
The arm that was now pounding Alfonso's chest was at least as big as her thigh.
And it wasn't just about appearance. Alfonso was the very embodiment of trustworthiness, an icon of victory, a lord who gathered his men.
And above all, Alfonso kept every promise he had ever made to her.
Ariadne laughed in vain at that thought. When I am with that man, he is forced into situations that are not suitable for him.
Isn't there someone who can better assist Alfonso? Someone who can repay his trust with his overflowing faith...
“It's not that you're ugly.”
Alfonso, who had heard that far, patted the white horse on the back. The horse, worn down from battle with its master, stomped its feet once and leaped forward.
Alfonso quickly approached Ariadne and grabbed her by the waist, dragging her onto his horse.
Then, without saying a word, he covered Ariadne's lips with his thick lips.
“Huft! Huff!”
Ariadne thrashed and beat her chest. Alfonso would normally have stopped even at Ariadne's slight reluctance.
But now he didn't show any mercy. The hot body temperature penetrated into her mouth without hesitation.
He aimed deep into her lips and sucked it all in, leaving nothing behind.
After a very rough kiss, Ariadne could barely catch her breath.
“Haa...”
But Alfonso, unlike Ariadne, was not shaken at all. Instead, he looked very closely into Ariadne's face with his bloodshot, blue-gray eyes.
“You don’t trust me at all.”
Ariadne opened her eyes wide and raised her head in front of Alfonso's nose. Their eyes met. He muttered very coldly.
“Coward.”
And he covered her lips again.
This time it was a little more gentle. Alfonso felt her lips, her mucous membranes, her teeth, her breath, each one of them.
But Ariadne felt that Alfonso's kiss was a little different than usual.
This felt more like a determined feeling than the joy of getting to know the woman he loved again, or the joy of getting closer to her.
A scribe-like movement to investigate what obstacles lie before taking over the land. Ariadne pushed at his chest, but he did not move.
“Huh, huh...”
But no matter what the feeling the kiss conveyed, the warmth of his body that ravaged every corner of her mouth was persistent and sweet.
Ariadne felt the strength leave her legs as Alfonso licked the same spot three times.
She gave up rebelling, gave up thinking. She wanted more, more.
“Umm...”
But as soon as that thought occurred to him, like a ghost, Alfonso opened his lips. A long, wet spider web sparkled between them.
Before Ariadne could open her mouth, Alfonso whispered.
“Look straight into my eyes.”
She followed Alfonso's orders obediently, as if possessed by a spirit. Ariadne lifted her head and looked into his face as Alfonso had told her to.
Alfonso's blue-gray eyes, always calm as a lake, were shaking dangerously like a stormy night sea.
“I bet everything on you.”
It was a voice that sounded very calm and composed, but that made it even scarier.
He put aside the throne, the kingdom, and even the people to be with her. Ariadne was at the top of Alfonso's list of responsibilities.
Honestly, he didn't really care what happened to the rest, but he couldn't live without her.
Alfonso whispered softly in Ariadne's ear.
“You’ll have to bet everything on me too... from today onwards.”
He made up his mind. Ariadne would be his tonight.
There is no place on this entire continent, or even in the lands of the pagans, where she can run away on those pretty legs.
From today on, every inch of her skin, every fingernail, every drop of her blood will be his.
“You can’t run away.”
Ariadne seemed to understand what Alfonso was talking about, but was also confused and completely confused.
First, she was so drunk on the kiss that her head didn't work properly. She looked up at Alfonso with slightly open eyes.
He tightened his arm around Ariadne's waist, regardless of whether she understood or not.
“Ahh!”
As the center of gravity shifted, a man's scent hit her. Sweat, a hint of wood, and a sweet scent that she couldn't tell where it was coming from.
She could feel the man's angry body and his body heat all over her tightly pressed upper body.
Ariadne, feeling embarrassed, tried to pull her buttocks back, but Alfonso, who was holding the reins with one hand, had no intention of letting her go.
He whispered, tightening his grip on his steely arms again.
“Then fall apart.”
Ariadne was once again held tightly by Alfonso's strong embrace.
Ariadne, who was pressed against him tightly with her whole body every time she tried to run away, shivered slightly.
Because it was somewhat embarrassing. She didn't want anyone to find out that she was as excited as Alfonso.
Fortunately, the reverse external riding that she endured while being held was not long. No, it was long, but it may have been very short in her perception.
Alfonso's white horse galloped without hesitation into the Palazzo degli Sei.
It was a late night, and all the knights had dispersed, so everything was quiet except for the sound of insects.
He jumped down from his horse without saying a word, holding Ariadne in his arms.
Boom!
She squeezed her eyes shut. He rushed at her with a stormy momentum, holding her in his arms. When she opened her eyes, she was in Alfonso's bedroom.
It was Alfonso running through the forest.
“As anyone may wish.”
Ariadne pulled on the reins, startled by Alfonso's sudden appearance. Her horse took a step back.
“How did you... Find me?”
“I wonder what you might think.”
Alfonso said, running a hand through his sweaty blond hair.
“I know you inside out like the back of my hand.”
This was a path leading to the side gate of the Trevero Castle.
The side gate, which leads to the Pope's hunting grounds, is the only gate in Trevero Castle that is open at night.
The Pope's hunting grounds were a beautiful, artificially created forest with thick trees and hunters' huts here and there.
"Ha."
Alfonso sighed in relief at having found Ariadne.
Alfonso, who thought that she would not head to the border naked, dispersed his men and headed in this direction.
He briefly considered heading to the Palazzo degli Angeli, where Cardinal de Mare was staying, but in the end, this was the correct answer.
Alfonso took a step closer and held out his hand to Ariadne.
“Let’s go back without thinking about useless things. I will never let you join the government.”
But instead of simply following his words, Ariadne took three more steps back.
“...That’s the problem.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ariadne spoke again.
“The problem is that you won’t make me your government and will reject the offer.”
Ariadne asked in a trembling voice.
“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”
"What?"
Alfonso questioned in bewilderment, but Ariadne was serious.
“One day, ten years later, when the national power was lacking, I returned with my pride thrown away, bowed my back, and complained. Are you confident that you won’t look at me sitting next to you and say, ‘If only I hadn’t held that woman’s hand that day, the future of the Etruscan kingdom would have been different?’”
Ariadne's expression as she said those words was filled with fear.
“If it weren’t for you! If it weren’t for you, the beautiful Isabella would have been my wife!”
“If your status had been a little more solid, the nobles of the capital would have been on my side.”
“What a pity. It would have been nice if you were my daughter.”
“Your very existence is a nuisance.”
The voices of Cesare, Cardinal de Mare, and Lucrezia mingled together and shouted loudly in her ears.
That she was harmed for reasons beyond her control, for innate reasons that cannot be changed no matter how hard she tries.
If only it weren't for you. If only you weren't here.
It didn't really matter that she couldn't get what she wanted.
Ariadne lived her first life in a state of renunciation and resignation, and in her second life, she lived, as a result, enjoying everything.
What Ariadne realized through that process was that what other people want and what she wants cannot be the same.
One more thing she learned was that it is not always good for oneself to have one's ardent wish come true. For example, something like winning Cesare's love.
But what she still couldn't reconcile with was the fact that the person she loved resented her for making him unhappy.
If she wishes the other person absolute happiness and she is the only blemish on him, what alternative is there but to leave?
Alfonso called her name in a low voice.
"Ari."
“You will regret it someday.”
“Ariadne.”
But Ariadne couldn't stop. She continued to speak frantically, like someone who had lost her tongue. Before she knew it, tears had welled up and her eyes were moist.
“You will realize what you have thrown away. And before you start to resent me...”
“Ariadne de Mare!”
Alfonso's agitated voice cut her off.
“Why do you always run away?”
Alfonso cried out, beating his chest.
“I have never been untrue to you!”
Ariadne froze in place, her eyes wide open.
'Me...?'
I'm the one who runs away?
Meanwhile, Alfonso asked desperately.
“What do you want me to do?”
Ariadne's green eyes fluttered uneasily.
“I... I...”
She never ran away. She always thought she was one step ahead and had a plan. One...
“You always think for yourself! Go ahead! Even things that haven’t happened yet! And maybe even things that will never happen!”
Alfonso's voice tore as if it was being ripped from his lungs.
“If you’re worried or anxious about that, then tell me! Don’t just run ahead and run away!”
Please. Hold my hand. Don't let go of my hand. Don't abandon me.
Alfonso shouted, spitting out blood.
“Am I that ugly?”
Ariadne blinked at Alfonso. The question really didn't suit him.
He was at least a head taller than most people, and his torso was thick enough that you'd think it could fit half a person inside.
The arm that was now pounding Alfonso's chest was at least as big as her thigh.
And it wasn't just about appearance. Alfonso was the very embodiment of trustworthiness, an icon of victory, a lord who gathered his men.
And above all, Alfonso kept every promise he had ever made to her.
Ariadne laughed in vain at that thought. When I am with that man, he is forced into situations that are not suitable for him.
Isn't there someone who can better assist Alfonso? Someone who can repay his trust with his overflowing faith...
“It's not that you're ugly.”
Alfonso, who had heard that far, patted the white horse on the back. The horse, worn down from battle with its master, stomped its feet once and leaped forward.
Alfonso quickly approached Ariadne and grabbed her by the waist, dragging her onto his horse.
Then, without saying a word, he covered Ariadne's lips with his thick lips.
“Huft! Huff!”
Ariadne thrashed and beat her chest. Alfonso would normally have stopped even at Ariadne's slight reluctance.
But now he didn't show any mercy. The hot body temperature penetrated into her mouth without hesitation.
He aimed deep into her lips and sucked it all in, leaving nothing behind.
After a very rough kiss, Ariadne could barely catch her breath.
“Haa...”
But Alfonso, unlike Ariadne, was not shaken at all. Instead, he looked very closely into Ariadne's face with his bloodshot, blue-gray eyes.
“You don’t trust me at all.”
Ariadne opened her eyes wide and raised her head in front of Alfonso's nose. Their eyes met. He muttered very coldly.
“Coward.”
And he covered her lips again.
This time it was a little more gentle. Alfonso felt her lips, her mucous membranes, her teeth, her breath, each one of them.
But Ariadne felt that Alfonso's kiss was a little different than usual.
This felt more like a determined feeling than the joy of getting to know the woman he loved again, or the joy of getting closer to her.
A scribe-like movement to investigate what obstacles lie before taking over the land. Ariadne pushed at his chest, but he did not move.
“Huh, huh...”
But no matter what the feeling the kiss conveyed, the warmth of his body that ravaged every corner of her mouth was persistent and sweet.
Ariadne felt the strength leave her legs as Alfonso licked the same spot three times.
She gave up rebelling, gave up thinking. She wanted more, more.
“Umm...”
But as soon as that thought occurred to him, like a ghost, Alfonso opened his lips. A long, wet spider web sparkled between them.
Before Ariadne could open her mouth, Alfonso whispered.
“Look straight into my eyes.”
She followed Alfonso's orders obediently, as if possessed by a spirit. Ariadne lifted her head and looked into his face as Alfonso had told her to.
Alfonso's blue-gray eyes, always calm as a lake, were shaking dangerously like a stormy night sea.
“I bet everything on you.”
It was a voice that sounded very calm and composed, but that made it even scarier.
He put aside the throne, the kingdom, and even the people to be with her. Ariadne was at the top of Alfonso's list of responsibilities.
Honestly, he didn't really care what happened to the rest, but he couldn't live without her.
Alfonso whispered softly in Ariadne's ear.
“You’ll have to bet everything on me too... from today onwards.”
He made up his mind. Ariadne would be his tonight.
There is no place on this entire continent, or even in the lands of the pagans, where she can run away on those pretty legs.
From today on, every inch of her skin, every fingernail, every drop of her blood will be his.
“You can’t run away.”
Ariadne seemed to understand what Alfonso was talking about, but was also confused and completely confused.
First, she was so drunk on the kiss that her head didn't work properly. She looked up at Alfonso with slightly open eyes.
He tightened his arm around Ariadne's waist, regardless of whether she understood or not.
“Ahh!”
As the center of gravity shifted, a man's scent hit her. Sweat, a hint of wood, and a sweet scent that she couldn't tell where it was coming from.
She could feel the man's angry body and his body heat all over her tightly pressed upper body.
Ariadne, feeling embarrassed, tried to pull her buttocks back, but Alfonso, who was holding the reins with one hand, had no intention of letting her go.
He whispered, tightening his grip on his steely arms again.
“Then fall apart.”
Ariadne was once again held tightly by Alfonso's strong embrace.
Ariadne, who was pressed against him tightly with her whole body every time she tried to run away, shivered slightly.
Because it was somewhat embarrassing. She didn't want anyone to find out that she was as excited as Alfonso.
Fortunately, the reverse external riding that she endured while being held was not long. No, it was long, but it may have been very short in her perception.
Alfonso's white horse galloped without hesitation into the Palazzo degli Sei.
It was a late night, and all the knights had dispersed, so everything was quiet except for the sound of insects.
He jumped down from his horse without saying a word, holding Ariadne in his arms.
Boom!
She squeezed her eyes shut. He rushed at her with a stormy momentum, holding her in his arms. When she opened her eyes, she was in Alfonso's bedroom.
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