Sir Bernardino blushed when asked if there had been any movement from the King. In his opinion, it was quite embarrassing.
"His Majesty is temporarily away hunting, so there's no word yet on that matter... I hear he'll be back soon. Surely he'll take some action when he does."
Sir Dino, even as he spoke, remained skeptical. As the Prince's closest confidant, he had protected Alfonso throughout his childhood and even accompanied him to the Battle of Yesak. He had no expectations of Leo III. Perhaps Ariadne had made him unnecessarily hopeful about Leo III's actions, so he hastily added.
“But the people of the street call Ariadne the Princess.”
At the main gate of the Rambouillet Relief Home, late autumn lilies piled up like a mountain. The flower pile grew in real time. Those who couldn't afford the garden's flowers plucked wild grasses from the fields and laid them before the home's iron bars. People of all ages clasped their hands, praying for the Princess's well-being and the safe reincarnation of the baby, who would become the kingdom's new future.
“The people are wiser than anyone else.”
He did not mention that the knights had decided, without Alfonso's knowledge, to address Ariadne as "Princess" after her fall.
The Prince paced the room like a ghost while Ariadne lay unconscious, occasionally mumbling to himself as if he were out of his mind.
'If I had pushed for the crowning of the Princess...'
Alfonso tried to bring up every regret he could. The Knights couldn't turn back time and offer the Prince a chance to mend his past, but there was something they could do. Sir Manfredi, who had witnessed the Prince's inability to swallow even a sip of water, offered.
“Let us call Countess de Mare ‘Your Highness the Princess’ among ourselves!”
He advocated cheerfully.
“You must be married, and you can become a Princess at any time, so what’s the big deal?”
The Knights' leaders readily agreed. From their vantage point on the battlefield, it didn't matter whether she received the title early or late. What mattered was that their leader was a Prince, and she was his mate.
Even Sir Bernardino, who should have tried to dissuade the Knights, remained silent. Leo III would undoubtedly be displeased with the Knights calling Ariadne "Princess" among themselves, but even he found the King's actions excessive.
And honestly, since the people were praying for the 'Princess's Demise' spontaneously like wildfire, it would have been ridiculous to punish only the Knights Templar.
'Will His Majesty return and punish Countess Contarini severely?'
Sir Dino didn't think so. But he didn't tell Ariadne all these details.
It was because he felt a little embarrassed. It was also embarrassing for different reasons: Leo III's inability to live up to his age and status, and the Knights Templar's decision to call Ariadne their Princess.
“I have taken up too much of Your Highness’s time.”
Sir Dino bowed his head deeply.
“Take a rest.”
After Sir Dino left in shame, Ariadne felt a sense of loss. Never in her life had she been bombarded with such love.
Even if the gifts from Rubina and Julia Helena had political significance, and even if those from Bianca and CEO Caruso were comforting words from old friends, the spontaneous offerings of flowers from the people were something she had never imagined.
'In my previous life, I only heard the regent's wolf-dog cry...'
He was of humble origin, the illegitimate child of a priest, and her appearance was more sullen and sly than innocent. In no way did she possess the qualities that would have earned her the love of the common people.
This was even more so because she was the illegitimate child of a man who had seized power through a coup, but Ariadne had always thought that the criticism she had received at that time was not due to the legitimacy of Cesare's regime, but rather because of herself.
'I never thought something so ridiculous would happen...'
She was taken aback. And not only because she heard that the people were praying for her.
'I didn't even know my father would apologize to me...'
All she remembered was the Cardinal's dignified white robes, and especially his back turned. A tearful embrace? Her father's embrace was so unfamiliar, yet... warm.
At first, Ariadne was dumbfounded by all this love. After a while, her heart was filled with joy. But then, she felt very strange. Not in a good way. She felt anxious and scared.
When everyone had left and Sanchai finally came in, Ariadne whispered in a very small voice.
“You know, Sancha.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Sancha's turquoise eyes gazed at Ariadne with unwavering affection. Ariadne found comfort in the sparkling, always-sparkling eyes.
“Everyone... I guess they’re treating me well because they think I’m heartbroken because of my miscarriage, right?”
Alfonso and Cardinal de Mare's eyes were wetter than usual. Tears, pity, and guilt clung to them. Without even asking, they were convinced that Ariadne had lost something most precious to her. The endless list of gifts that poured in was no exception. They were a desperate attempt at consolation for a woman who had suffered the greatest loss of her life.
In contrast, Sancha's eyes were truly as usual. They held the same affection, the same love, and even the same smile.
So Ariadne was able to find courage.
“...I’m not sad at all.”
Sancha opened her eyes wide and looked at Ariadne.
“...I didn’t even know it existed.”
When she woke up, everyone was wailing beside her. Ariadne felt like she should join in their grief, but she couldn't bring herself to join in.
“Actually... I felt a little relieved.”
As soon as Ariadne woke up, she imagined what would have happened if the child had survived.
Alfonso would likely clash with Leo III to ensure the child's succession, while Leo III would hasten the marriage of Cesare and Julia Helena to weaken Alfonso's power. Given the King's decision to crown Cesare as Grand Duke, it was clear what his true intentions were.
And... Ariadne herself would have been tied up.
“I... I’m not ready at all.”
She hated being Alfonso's weakling more than death. Though she felt she couldn't live without him, she imagined herself putting Alfonso on the throne, turning around, and leaving with a light step.
She didn't want someone like Alfonso, who shone with all the legitimacy, to be entangled in the issues of a noble-common marriage and an unworthy successor. She had already committed enough sins against him. She couldn't add any more. Perhaps a woman like Julia Helena would ultimately be more suited to sit beside him.
And honestly, there was still so much she wanted to do. In addition to leading the de Mare mansion, she also served as director of the Rambouillet Relief Home and the Scuola di Greta. With Raphael having to step away from the school to devote himself to the priesthood, those duties were also incredibly busy.
Moreover, Ariadne regularly received reports from CEO Caruso on the direction of the investment funds she managed and personally adjusted their direction. Her knowledge of the future remained useful, generating returns that were beyond common sense.
You're putting a child on here?
Even if you entrust your child to a nanny, there's a clear emotional commitment that only biological parents can provide. The time and emotional investment required for each child can take up to ten years. Physical limitations, such as the inability to move during pregnancy and immediately after birth, also come into play.
And then there was the issue of her appearance, which she always worried might be too ugly. Her body, however, was the one thing everyone praised as beautiful. While it's much better now, she once struggled to maintain her slender figure, even going so far as to follow ridiculous dietary restrictions. What if everything changed after having a child? What if she could never return to her current state?
She was completely unprepared to be a mother.
“I... am I broken somewhere?”
Alfonso, who had been sobbing quietly in the hallway, soon regained his composure. Raised as a royal from childhood, he smiled with a grim expression, as if nothing had happened. It was a natural thing for him to breathe.
He entered the Prince's drawing room and sat down. There sat a middle-aged man, whose empty teacup and empty snack tray suggested he had been waiting for a very long time.
“I heard you’ve been waiting a long time to see me.”
Prince Alfonso looked at the citizen representative with a kind, yet at the same time very expressionless face. He said,
“We shouldn’t actually meet.”
"Your Highness."
The citizen representative bowed his head deeply.
"I know very well what you mean. I am deeply moved by your grace in meeting me, a humble person, today."
Alfonso was a Prince with military power that the King lacked. Nevertheless, it should be noted that he was not a Crown Prince.
Despite the inevitable shift in power to Prince Alfonso, Leo III fiercely resisted this trend. This meant the Prince was under the King's powerful control. Any misstep would result in a torrent of accusations of monopolizing state affairs.
“We came today simply to wish Countess de Mare a speedy recovery and to offer her a gift.”
The civic representative presented a wrapped gift: a carved wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, about the size of an adult's forearm.
The delicate and meticulous relief and the glossy finish revealed the sincerity of the craftsman, yet it possessed no monetary value. In fact, that's precisely why it was the perfect gift for today. It was difficult to expand the matter by accusing the Prince of bribery or embezzlement for receiving a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary from a commoner.
If it had been made of gold and diamonds, it would have been a different story. He was basically a good worker. Prince Alfonso nodded.
“I have nothing else to say.”
Alfonso asked the citizen representative with an emotionless face.
“So, what is this story you didn’t tell today?”
“Please save me, Prince.”
"His Majesty is temporarily away hunting, so there's no word yet on that matter... I hear he'll be back soon. Surely he'll take some action when he does."
Sir Dino, even as he spoke, remained skeptical. As the Prince's closest confidant, he had protected Alfonso throughout his childhood and even accompanied him to the Battle of Yesak. He had no expectations of Leo III. Perhaps Ariadne had made him unnecessarily hopeful about Leo III's actions, so he hastily added.
“But the people of the street call Ariadne the Princess.”
At the main gate of the Rambouillet Relief Home, late autumn lilies piled up like a mountain. The flower pile grew in real time. Those who couldn't afford the garden's flowers plucked wild grasses from the fields and laid them before the home's iron bars. People of all ages clasped their hands, praying for the Princess's well-being and the safe reincarnation of the baby, who would become the kingdom's new future.
“The people are wiser than anyone else.”
He did not mention that the knights had decided, without Alfonso's knowledge, to address Ariadne as "Princess" after her fall.
The Prince paced the room like a ghost while Ariadne lay unconscious, occasionally mumbling to himself as if he were out of his mind.
'If I had pushed for the crowning of the Princess...'
Alfonso tried to bring up every regret he could. The Knights couldn't turn back time and offer the Prince a chance to mend his past, but there was something they could do. Sir Manfredi, who had witnessed the Prince's inability to swallow even a sip of water, offered.
“Let us call Countess de Mare ‘Your Highness the Princess’ among ourselves!”
He advocated cheerfully.
“You must be married, and you can become a Princess at any time, so what’s the big deal?”
The Knights' leaders readily agreed. From their vantage point on the battlefield, it didn't matter whether she received the title early or late. What mattered was that their leader was a Prince, and she was his mate.
Even Sir Bernardino, who should have tried to dissuade the Knights, remained silent. Leo III would undoubtedly be displeased with the Knights calling Ariadne "Princess" among themselves, but even he found the King's actions excessive.
And honestly, since the people were praying for the 'Princess's Demise' spontaneously like wildfire, it would have been ridiculous to punish only the Knights Templar.
'Will His Majesty return and punish Countess Contarini severely?'
Sir Dino didn't think so. But he didn't tell Ariadne all these details.
It was because he felt a little embarrassed. It was also embarrassing for different reasons: Leo III's inability to live up to his age and status, and the Knights Templar's decision to call Ariadne their Princess.
“I have taken up too much of Your Highness’s time.”
Sir Dino bowed his head deeply.
“Take a rest.”
After Sir Dino left in shame, Ariadne felt a sense of loss. Never in her life had she been bombarded with such love.
Even if the gifts from Rubina and Julia Helena had political significance, and even if those from Bianca and CEO Caruso were comforting words from old friends, the spontaneous offerings of flowers from the people were something she had never imagined.
'In my previous life, I only heard the regent's wolf-dog cry...'
He was of humble origin, the illegitimate child of a priest, and her appearance was more sullen and sly than innocent. In no way did she possess the qualities that would have earned her the love of the common people.
This was even more so because she was the illegitimate child of a man who had seized power through a coup, but Ariadne had always thought that the criticism she had received at that time was not due to the legitimacy of Cesare's regime, but rather because of herself.
'I never thought something so ridiculous would happen...'
She was taken aback. And not only because she heard that the people were praying for her.
'I didn't even know my father would apologize to me...'
All she remembered was the Cardinal's dignified white robes, and especially his back turned. A tearful embrace? Her father's embrace was so unfamiliar, yet... warm.
At first, Ariadne was dumbfounded by all this love. After a while, her heart was filled with joy. But then, she felt very strange. Not in a good way. She felt anxious and scared.
When everyone had left and Sanchai finally came in, Ariadne whispered in a very small voice.
“You know, Sancha.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Sancha's turquoise eyes gazed at Ariadne with unwavering affection. Ariadne found comfort in the sparkling, always-sparkling eyes.
“Everyone... I guess they’re treating me well because they think I’m heartbroken because of my miscarriage, right?”
Alfonso and Cardinal de Mare's eyes were wetter than usual. Tears, pity, and guilt clung to them. Without even asking, they were convinced that Ariadne had lost something most precious to her. The endless list of gifts that poured in was no exception. They were a desperate attempt at consolation for a woman who had suffered the greatest loss of her life.
In contrast, Sancha's eyes were truly as usual. They held the same affection, the same love, and even the same smile.
So Ariadne was able to find courage.
“...I’m not sad at all.”
Sancha opened her eyes wide and looked at Ariadne.
“...I didn’t even know it existed.”
When she woke up, everyone was wailing beside her. Ariadne felt like she should join in their grief, but she couldn't bring herself to join in.
“Actually... I felt a little relieved.”
As soon as Ariadne woke up, she imagined what would have happened if the child had survived.
Alfonso would likely clash with Leo III to ensure the child's succession, while Leo III would hasten the marriage of Cesare and Julia Helena to weaken Alfonso's power. Given the King's decision to crown Cesare as Grand Duke, it was clear what his true intentions were.
And... Ariadne herself would have been tied up.
“I... I’m not ready at all.”
She hated being Alfonso's weakling more than death. Though she felt she couldn't live without him, she imagined herself putting Alfonso on the throne, turning around, and leaving with a light step.
She didn't want someone like Alfonso, who shone with all the legitimacy, to be entangled in the issues of a noble-common marriage and an unworthy successor. She had already committed enough sins against him. She couldn't add any more. Perhaps a woman like Julia Helena would ultimately be more suited to sit beside him.
And honestly, there was still so much she wanted to do. In addition to leading the de Mare mansion, she also served as director of the Rambouillet Relief Home and the Scuola di Greta. With Raphael having to step away from the school to devote himself to the priesthood, those duties were also incredibly busy.
Moreover, Ariadne regularly received reports from CEO Caruso on the direction of the investment funds she managed and personally adjusted their direction. Her knowledge of the future remained useful, generating returns that were beyond common sense.
You're putting a child on here?
Even if you entrust your child to a nanny, there's a clear emotional commitment that only biological parents can provide. The time and emotional investment required for each child can take up to ten years. Physical limitations, such as the inability to move during pregnancy and immediately after birth, also come into play.
And then there was the issue of her appearance, which she always worried might be too ugly. Her body, however, was the one thing everyone praised as beautiful. While it's much better now, she once struggled to maintain her slender figure, even going so far as to follow ridiculous dietary restrictions. What if everything changed after having a child? What if she could never return to her current state?
She was completely unprepared to be a mother.
“I... am I broken somewhere?”
***
Alfonso, who had been sobbing quietly in the hallway, soon regained his composure. Raised as a royal from childhood, he smiled with a grim expression, as if nothing had happened. It was a natural thing for him to breathe.
He entered the Prince's drawing room and sat down. There sat a middle-aged man, whose empty teacup and empty snack tray suggested he had been waiting for a very long time.
“I heard you’ve been waiting a long time to see me.”
Prince Alfonso looked at the citizen representative with a kind, yet at the same time very expressionless face. He said,
“We shouldn’t actually meet.”
"Your Highness."
The citizen representative bowed his head deeply.
"I know very well what you mean. I am deeply moved by your grace in meeting me, a humble person, today."
Alfonso was a Prince with military power that the King lacked. Nevertheless, it should be noted that he was not a Crown Prince.
Despite the inevitable shift in power to Prince Alfonso, Leo III fiercely resisted this trend. This meant the Prince was under the King's powerful control. Any misstep would result in a torrent of accusations of monopolizing state affairs.
“We came today simply to wish Countess de Mare a speedy recovery and to offer her a gift.”
The civic representative presented a wrapped gift: a carved wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, about the size of an adult's forearm.
The delicate and meticulous relief and the glossy finish revealed the sincerity of the craftsman, yet it possessed no monetary value. In fact, that's precisely why it was the perfect gift for today. It was difficult to expand the matter by accusing the Prince of bribery or embezzlement for receiving a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary from a commoner.
If it had been made of gold and diamonds, it would have been a different story. He was basically a good worker. Prince Alfonso nodded.
“I have nothing else to say.”
Alfonso asked the citizen representative with an emotionless face.
“So, what is this story you didn’t tell today?”
“Please save me, Prince.”
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