Chapter 409 - Why in the old days

Ippolito's face turned pale when he heard the word 'cuckoo chick'.

'No way.'

He must have misheard.

But unlike Ippolito, who was still feeling the sting, Cardinal de Mare, who had not even a hint of a sting in his eye, let Ariadne's words slip away.

'What the hell?'

He tilted his head.

'Are you saying Ippolito is an opportunist?'

Ippolito decided to immediately kick Ariadne out of the room. He couldn't let his father find out.

Even if he were to kick her out now, it would be impossible to hide it forever since the Cardinal and his sister lived in the same house, but Ippolito was not a man who could see that far ahead.

“Stop talking nonsense and listen to me, and get out right now.”

However, Ariadne was not an easy opponent for Ippolito.

“Oh, you’re not a graduate. You ran away without getting a degree.”

In fact, Ippolito never had a history of winning against Ariadne.

This scary little sister snickered, laughing, and babbling without closing her little lips.

“But even so, shouldn’t you live your life knowing that you are grateful for sending a cuckoo chick who isn’t even your own child to college?”

Ippolito screamed in frustration.

“Ah, get out now!!”

Cardinal de Mare now realized that something was wrong. It was not only the content of the words that was important, but also the fact that Ippolito had lost his composure.

“Wait a minute, what is this?”

Ariadne didn't even blink an eye and hit the nail on the head.

“Father, did you know that Ippolito is not your son?”

The Cardinal's eyes grew wide until air seemed to pass between the whites of his eyes and his eyelids.

Conversely, the rest of the Cardinal's body was frozen in place like a statue, unable to move.

On the other hand, Ippolito began to go crazy. He approached Ariadne threateningly, swinging his sword at her.

“Get out of here right now you fucking crazy motherfucker! If you don’t go out, I’ll do it right now...”

“Shut up!”

But the Cardinal's rebuke exploded. Ippolito was so shocked that he flinched and stopped moving.

In the empty space thus secured, Ariadne smiled brightly at Ippolito. However, the target of her words was always the Cardinal.

“My late ‘mother’ gave birth to Ippolito after seven months. For a seven-month-old baby, he was very healthy and active, wasn’t he?”

It certainly was. Young Ippolito was a good boy who never got sick and was always bigger than his peers.

The Cardinal was speechless and just licked his lips. Ariadne asked.

“What if it wasn’t a seven-month-old baby?”

“Stop imagining trashy things that insult our mother!”

Ippolito, unable to control his anger, intervened.

“To the deceased! Don’t show off your illiteracy, lest someone say you’re a lost bitch!”

Ariadne screamed.

“You're a motherfucker, shut the fuck up!”

Ariadne did not back down an inch. She shouted like a general on the battlefield.

“Maleta is all blown up!”

A pupil earthquake occurred in Ippolito's eyes.

“Ma... leta?”

Cardinal de Mare's expression hardened. Of course, he remembered the maid who had died carrying Ippolito's child.

“Yes, Maleta. You tried to kill someone because you didn’t want to take responsibility, but ended up killing a strict person, and your mother ended up taking responsibility for you and dying, you unfilial son of a bitch!”

Yes. Wasn't it because of that incident that he lost Lucrezia? Cardinal de Mare's hands trembled. Ippolito's expression also fell.

It wasn't just that he felt sorry for his mother, but he was afraid that the story had to come up in front of his father now.

“After all the sacrifices you've made to get rid of her, it's too late! Maletta blew it all up the day before she died, the last time I saw her.”

Ippolito's mouth went dry. Ariadne revealed it as it was.

“She heard Master Ippolito ask Madame Lucrezia, ‘Who is my real father?’”

Ippolito couldn't hold it in any longer and let out a roar.

“Bullshit!”

He howled.

“You dirty crazy bitch, stop talking nonsense!!”

Tears welled up wetly from the corners of his eyes.

“Not everything that comes out of your mouth is true!! I can say whatever I want, I can say anything!!”

"Oh, let me guess. What incentive would I have to lie to the dead Maletta, or to Saint Ippolito?"

Ariadne skillfully changed the subject of the lie so that it was not Ariadne but Maleta who could be the subject of the lie.

Ippolito was unable to respond sharply to such pranks. He just snorted and screamed violently.

“Stop talking nonsense without evidence, you crazy bitch!!! You fucking stone!! Aaak!!!”

The sight was more ugly than pitiful. This was probably because everyone could see that it was not tears of remembrance for the mother, but tears of fear for the future.

And this was the reaction Ariadne had been hoping for.

“Evidence? Why is there no evidence?”

Ariadne smirked. She took a step forward. Cardinal de Mare, unable to hold back, asked in a trembling voice.

“Evidence...?”

Even the stupid Ippolito knew that he couldn't just leave it like that. He made his final outburst.

“Stop blaming and making fun of the low-lifes who are already dead and always lie when they open their mouths!”

“That’s your self-introduction.”

Ariadne didn't even look at Ippolito. Instead, she turned around and clapped her hands twice, as if she was going to call for someone to bring her 'evidence'.

At this point, Ippolito could not stand it anymore and started to rush at Ariadne like a bull.

The large study door behind her was still open, and he was planning on pushing her down the hallway and onto the stairs.

It was the very steps where Arabella had pushed Isabella, and where Isabella had killed Arabella.

“What the hell are you doing right now―!”

Cardinal de Mare shouted in a hurry, but it was already too late. Ippolito ran towards Ariadne at full speed.

Ariadne opened her eyes wide and took a step to the side. She instinctively pressed herself against the right door frame.

Ippolito lunged at her, and Ariadne's exposed cheek was brushed against his palm. Bare skin touched bare skin.

Pabat!

The floor rose upwards, and a very bright light shot out in all directions like sparks.

It was the same feeling as when she had seen the past of Sancha and Maleta right after the return, which now felt like a very long time ago. Ariadne closed her eyes.

***

'Cardinal. The Cardinal will have to use your... Trevero... strength... in the face of the Allemand law....'

It was a bright and light tenor voice. The man tried to sound confident, but somewhere in his tone, there was an unavoidable air of exasperation.

Something opaque, like a thin, white curtain, was fluttering, and through it, a lock of bright red hair was visible. It was Cesare.

'That's what I'm talking about.'

The older man standing before Cesare was Cardinal de Mare, wearing the familiar red hat and robes of a Cardinal.

But something felt off. The red robes the Cardinal was wearing these days were rounded around his shoulders, revealing his bones.

The Cardinal in front of her now had more wrinkles on his skin than before, and his clothes were also full of wrinkles.

The red robe worn by the Cardinal had large pleats on the shoulders, puffing out the silhouette much larger than his body.

'It's a regression transfer!'

Ariadne's intuition was confirmed by the subsequent address of the Cardinal.

'The situation is not easy, Your Highness, the Regent.'

In her previous life, Cardinal de Mare was not at all intimidated by the Regent Cesare. He was dignified and composed.

He explained in detail why Cesare could not be included in the Alemannis amnesty. However, none of the numerous logical reasons he gave were conclusive.

'The exception to the Imperial Decree of 985 does not include the eldest son of the King...'

The edict could be changed. At this level, that was the case. Cesare knew that much. Unable to bear it any longer, the young regent finally cut off the old Cardinal.

'What do you want?'

Cardinal de Mare looked Cesare up and down as if he were not paying attention.

This is not a refined political rhetoric, and it is certainly not the attitude of a person asking for something. Cesare, intimidated by his gaze, reluctantly changed his question.

'...What do you want, Sir?'

Cardinal de Mare laughed. What he really wanted to hear was 'Your Eminence, Cardinal' rather than 'Your Sir,' but this was still a sufficient sign of submission.

After a long string of meaningless rhetoric about how the old man had no wishes, that all he wanted was the prosperity of his religion and the flourishing of the Etruscan kingdom, he finally got to the point.

'Please let my son, Ippolito de Mare, marry Princess Bianca of Taranto.'

'!'

Ariadne was astonished. Despite Ariadne's shock, Cardinal de Mare continued his demands.

'If their marriage is fruitful, the Taranto fiefdom will be passed down to de Mare's descendants for generations, and the ducal title will be guaranteed to his family.'

It was a shameless demand.

'I hope the Regent will arrange for Ippolito to rule the Taranto fiefdom as the Princess' husband, even before the child is born.'

If Cesare would only give his consent, the Cardinal's lifelong ambition would be fulfilled.

She was sure that her father's face, barely visible behind the curtains, was flushed with excitement.

The regent Cesare was equally astonished by Cardinal de Mare's demands.

Ippolito de Mare was in no way a subject worthy of Bianca of Taranto. Everyone in the capital knew this.

But the urgent matter was Cesare. He had to be included in the list of those granted amnesty by the Alemand Law to shed the label of regent and ascend to the throne as King.

The Alemand law amnesty came once or twice in a hundred years. This was an opportunity that might not come again after this one.

Cesare had to seize this opportunity.

If he did not become King before his death, the throne of the next Etruscan kingdom would go to Bianca of Taranto, or to her husband or son.

'...Before that.'

However, no matter how important the issue was to receive a general pardon under the Alemand law and get rid of the stigma of being an illegitimate child, he could not give his consent so foolishly.

'There is one condition.'

A strange expression appeared on Cardinal de Mare's face. Even an earthworm squirm when stepped on? It was a reaction of the same kind, a mixture of curiosity and slight annoyance.

He answered leisurely, showing off his superiority.

'Tell me.'

Cesare spoke with apparent boldness.

'Please give me Isabella de Mare as my Queen.'

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