If the king decided to throw Isabella out, it wouldn't matter whether she received many gifts or not. Leo III wasn't the kind of king who would ask a woman who had been abandoned by the king to take care of herself.
Those who liked the King took it to mean that Leo III was not so shameless, while those who disliked the King thought that Leo III did not care what happened to the government he had abandoned, but in any case, the conclusion was the same.
The noble ladies who sent gifts only to Ariadne were chewing on their anxiety.
'Surely not... Countess Contarini has a huge scar on her face. The King wouldn't keep a woman with a scar on her, would he?'
'There's no way that guy would do that.'
'I hope it hurts less than what people say?'
In fact, the old Marquis of Montefeltro, who had sent gifts to both parties, secretly smiled proudly behind her fan. This was the composure that came with experience.
“Why is His Majesty silent?”
Someone asked. If the gifts were concentrated in the Prince's palace to this extent, Isabella's quarters would be empty, and the Prince's palace, not to mention Ariadne's quarters, and even the storerooms, would be in chaos. It was strange that the King's side remained silent. Leo III was not the kind of man to just sit by and watch.
“I thought the palace would be turned upside down that very day.”
“Really? If the King were going to kick her out, shouldn’t the notice have come out by now?”
“Can he give her time to pack her bags?”
The Marquise of Cepinelli opened her mouth, looking very proud.
“Actually...”
The Marchioness of Cepinelli whispered secretly.
“His Majesty has now vacated the palace.”
“Oh my god!”
"Really?"
“Where did he go?”
With the tyranny of Leo III and the departure of many prominent nobles to their provincial fiefdoms, the Curia Regis, the King's administrative support organization, was largely closed. With its prominent members now vacating the capital, the gentlemen's salons, which had been regularly hosted by a few prominent nobles, were also closed.
And then, even information of national importance, such as the King's overseas travel, was circulated not through public organizations among men, but through social circles organized by women.
Some wives who were feeling down from their husbands' cold treatment used this situation as an opportunity to raise their voices within the household.
“They said he left for the Orte Forest hunting grounds to hunt!”
Even the Marchioness of Cepinelli, who still had half her brain intact, didn't mention that the King had gone to the hot springs for health reasons. The King's health was truly a secret.
But everyone present was a woman with a keen eye for detail. Someone asked sharply.
“In this weather?”
The Marchioness de Cepinelli, perhaps unaware of her own slip of the tongue, merely shrugged. Perhaps she felt pity for the fool and even offered words of support.
“I guess he wanted to go fox hunting in the winter.”
Someone close to the Marchioness de Cepinelli changed the subject.
“Then the disposition of Countess Contarini will be decided after His Majesty returns?”
“Yes.”
The eyes of many ladies shook anxiously.
“Oh my goodness, so the Countess can survive?”
"I think the people who sent gifts to the palace will be upset and won't let it go. You know how Countess Contarini is."
Isabella grew up in the high society of San Carlo from a young age. Her remarkable personality was known not only to her peers but also to their mothers and aunts, and, after Isabella became famous, to their friends.
The noble ladies gathered here also knew Leo III's temperament: he was a very perceptive and moody King.
'Even now... what should I send to Countess Contarini?'
'Ha. But I heard that Grand Duchess Rubina sent a gift to the Prince's palace, and I can't even tell Countess Contarini what I'm going to send.'
'But if we do nothing, His Majesty the King might really get into a state of utter chaos...'
Due to the Marchioness Cepinelli's slip of the tongue, many of the noble ladies gathered here today decided to send gifts to Isabella's quarters as well. Despite having a new, dependable, high-ranking lady-in-waiting, Rubina was met with the disastrous consequences of things going the opposite way she had hoped. It was the misfortune of someone without good luck.
Amid the commotion, Countess Marquez, who had been sipping tea with a displeased expression in a corner, opened her mouth.
“I simply sent a message of condolences to His Highness the Prince and his wife, who have lost their child.”
All eyes turned to Countess Marquez. She declared firmly.
“This is not something the Marquez family did, but I personally comforted the young mother.”
Houses where the wife had cleverly stepped forward and sent gifts to Ariadne breathed a sigh of relief. Conversely, those who had sent gifts in the name of their nobleman or family members were dismayed.
“If His Majesty were even slightly fair, I believe he would not cause any harm to the government, no matter how much they whine.”
The question was, would she really send a gift to the likes of Isabella? However, the only thing she could trust was the belief that His Majesty would be "just as fair as his nails." The phrase sent a chill down the ladies' spines. That wasn't really something to lean on.
San Carlo's social circle dispersed, each returning home with mixed feelings. After all, the family's interests came first.
Leo III returned a day later than scheduled. His bathing routine in the Orte Forest took longer than expected. The King's villa in the hunting grounds was overflowing with objects and visitors, and the tasks at hand were also increasing.
Returning to the palace, he was thrilled to hear the report of Sir Delpiano.
“What?! Alfonso hit Isabella?!”
He was so surprised that he jumped up from the chair he was sitting in.
“What the heck is going on!”
Sir Delpiano came running and comforted Leo III.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, hold fast.”
“I’m fixated on him now! Is this because Alfonso is trying to seduce Isabella?”
“No, no, Your Majesty, that’s not it...”
Sir Delpiano poured his heart and soul into conveying the situation. Had Isabella heard it, she would have been furious, calling it biased. However, the old King's secretary still possessed enough standing to avoid the new government's influence.
“I heard the two of them fighting and rushed to the scene, where Countess de Mare was lying bleeding... When His Royal Highness the Prince’s military chaplain confirmed that it was a miscarriage, His Royal Highness Alfonso demanded that Countess Contarini’s head be handed over immediately...”
“You should have stopped it somehow!”
Leo III was furious. Lord Delpiano swallowed what he wanted to say.
'That's what stopped it.'
"How would you know if it was a miscarriage or a miscarriage? You didn't even know you were pregnant until then!"
Sir Delpiano, who had never thought about that part before, remained silent. Leo III thought it was worth pushing through and fighting to the end.
“You just let go and let Isabella get beaten up?!”
“She wasn’t beaten, but the nun came and made her repent...”
"Even if they repent, they should be praying or donating! What kind of whipping are you talking about? That makes no sense!"
Sir Delpiano desperately tried to slow down the King's aging process.
"That was the situation back then, Your Majesty. I couldn't just let her be beheaded!"
Sir Delpiano was hung on with all his might.
“What power do I have to physically stop Prince Alfonso?”
"He's not the Crown Prince! He doesn't have the authority to act as regent while I'm away! Why can't you stop him?"
While Leo III couldn't raise his voice properly in front of Alfonso, his demands on his secretary were endlessly high. Sir Delpiano, who maintained a steady expression, was a paragon of courtiers.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. It's not necessarily a bad thing that Countess Contarini received forgiveness from the penitent nuns. It's said that this incident sparked widespread sympathy for Countess Contarini in high society."
The circumstances that came out of the mouths of those who had to survive were bound to be exaggerated.
“Gifts from all walks of life are pouring in, filling Countess Contarini’s quarters with warmth...”
At these words, the King's white eyebrows twitched. It was the most pleasing thing he had heard since returning.
“In fact, isn’t this something that could escalate into a crime of royal murder?”
The King's government murdered the fetus in the Prince's wife's womb. If public opinion had followed this scenario, Isabella would have been doomed. Leo III acted accordingly, even at the mere suggestion of this possibility.
“What nonsense are you talking about? They’re a marriage of noble and commoner, and the child inside that wom, if that child is real, then how can he be considered royalty? He’s just a Count!”
The King couldn't shake off his displeasure. She was just a new noble he'd bestowed upon her, and now, just because her child died, she was being talked about as if his mistress murdered a royal family member. It was unbearable. He shouldn't have given her that title back then! He should have made her Countess!
“No way, I can’t believe you!”
Leo III raised his hand.
“Rubina, bring Rubina!”
Those who liked the King took it to mean that Leo III was not so shameless, while those who disliked the King thought that Leo III did not care what happened to the government he had abandoned, but in any case, the conclusion was the same.
The noble ladies who sent gifts only to Ariadne were chewing on their anxiety.
'Surely not... Countess Contarini has a huge scar on her face. The King wouldn't keep a woman with a scar on her, would he?'
'There's no way that guy would do that.'
'I hope it hurts less than what people say?'
In fact, the old Marquis of Montefeltro, who had sent gifts to both parties, secretly smiled proudly behind her fan. This was the composure that came with experience.
“Why is His Majesty silent?”
Someone asked. If the gifts were concentrated in the Prince's palace to this extent, Isabella's quarters would be empty, and the Prince's palace, not to mention Ariadne's quarters, and even the storerooms, would be in chaos. It was strange that the King's side remained silent. Leo III was not the kind of man to just sit by and watch.
“I thought the palace would be turned upside down that very day.”
“Really? If the King were going to kick her out, shouldn’t the notice have come out by now?”
“Can he give her time to pack her bags?”
The Marquise of Cepinelli opened her mouth, looking very proud.
“Actually...”
The Marchioness of Cepinelli whispered secretly.
“His Majesty has now vacated the palace.”
“Oh my god!”
"Really?"
“Where did he go?”
With the tyranny of Leo III and the departure of many prominent nobles to their provincial fiefdoms, the Curia Regis, the King's administrative support organization, was largely closed. With its prominent members now vacating the capital, the gentlemen's salons, which had been regularly hosted by a few prominent nobles, were also closed.
And then, even information of national importance, such as the King's overseas travel, was circulated not through public organizations among men, but through social circles organized by women.
Some wives who were feeling down from their husbands' cold treatment used this situation as an opportunity to raise their voices within the household.
“They said he left for the Orte Forest hunting grounds to hunt!”
Even the Marchioness of Cepinelli, who still had half her brain intact, didn't mention that the King had gone to the hot springs for health reasons. The King's health was truly a secret.
But everyone present was a woman with a keen eye for detail. Someone asked sharply.
“In this weather?”
The Marchioness de Cepinelli, perhaps unaware of her own slip of the tongue, merely shrugged. Perhaps she felt pity for the fool and even offered words of support.
“I guess he wanted to go fox hunting in the winter.”
Someone close to the Marchioness de Cepinelli changed the subject.
“Then the disposition of Countess Contarini will be decided after His Majesty returns?”
“Yes.”
The eyes of many ladies shook anxiously.
“Oh my goodness, so the Countess can survive?”
"I think the people who sent gifts to the palace will be upset and won't let it go. You know how Countess Contarini is."
Isabella grew up in the high society of San Carlo from a young age. Her remarkable personality was known not only to her peers but also to their mothers and aunts, and, after Isabella became famous, to their friends.
The noble ladies gathered here also knew Leo III's temperament: he was a very perceptive and moody King.
'Even now... what should I send to Countess Contarini?'
'Ha. But I heard that Grand Duchess Rubina sent a gift to the Prince's palace, and I can't even tell Countess Contarini what I'm going to send.'
'But if we do nothing, His Majesty the King might really get into a state of utter chaos...'
Due to the Marchioness Cepinelli's slip of the tongue, many of the noble ladies gathered here today decided to send gifts to Isabella's quarters as well. Despite having a new, dependable, high-ranking lady-in-waiting, Rubina was met with the disastrous consequences of things going the opposite way she had hoped. It was the misfortune of someone without good luck.
Amid the commotion, Countess Marquez, who had been sipping tea with a displeased expression in a corner, opened her mouth.
“I simply sent a message of condolences to His Highness the Prince and his wife, who have lost their child.”
All eyes turned to Countess Marquez. She declared firmly.
“This is not something the Marquez family did, but I personally comforted the young mother.”
Houses where the wife had cleverly stepped forward and sent gifts to Ariadne breathed a sigh of relief. Conversely, those who had sent gifts in the name of their nobleman or family members were dismayed.
“If His Majesty were even slightly fair, I believe he would not cause any harm to the government, no matter how much they whine.”
The question was, would she really send a gift to the likes of Isabella? However, the only thing she could trust was the belief that His Majesty would be "just as fair as his nails." The phrase sent a chill down the ladies' spines. That wasn't really something to lean on.
San Carlo's social circle dispersed, each returning home with mixed feelings. After all, the family's interests came first.
***
Leo III returned a day later than scheduled. His bathing routine in the Orte Forest took longer than expected. The King's villa in the hunting grounds was overflowing with objects and visitors, and the tasks at hand were also increasing.
Returning to the palace, he was thrilled to hear the report of Sir Delpiano.
“What?! Alfonso hit Isabella?!”
He was so surprised that he jumped up from the chair he was sitting in.
“What the heck is going on!”
Sir Delpiano came running and comforted Leo III.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, hold fast.”
“I’m fixated on him now! Is this because Alfonso is trying to seduce Isabella?”
“No, no, Your Majesty, that’s not it...”
Sir Delpiano poured his heart and soul into conveying the situation. Had Isabella heard it, she would have been furious, calling it biased. However, the old King's secretary still possessed enough standing to avoid the new government's influence.
“I heard the two of them fighting and rushed to the scene, where Countess de Mare was lying bleeding... When His Royal Highness the Prince’s military chaplain confirmed that it was a miscarriage, His Royal Highness Alfonso demanded that Countess Contarini’s head be handed over immediately...”
“You should have stopped it somehow!”
Leo III was furious. Lord Delpiano swallowed what he wanted to say.
'That's what stopped it.'
"How would you know if it was a miscarriage or a miscarriage? You didn't even know you were pregnant until then!"
Sir Delpiano, who had never thought about that part before, remained silent. Leo III thought it was worth pushing through and fighting to the end.
“You just let go and let Isabella get beaten up?!”
“She wasn’t beaten, but the nun came and made her repent...”
"Even if they repent, they should be praying or donating! What kind of whipping are you talking about? That makes no sense!"
Sir Delpiano desperately tried to slow down the King's aging process.
"That was the situation back then, Your Majesty. I couldn't just let her be beheaded!"
Sir Delpiano was hung on with all his might.
“What power do I have to physically stop Prince Alfonso?”
"He's not the Crown Prince! He doesn't have the authority to act as regent while I'm away! Why can't you stop him?"
While Leo III couldn't raise his voice properly in front of Alfonso, his demands on his secretary were endlessly high. Sir Delpiano, who maintained a steady expression, was a paragon of courtiers.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. It's not necessarily a bad thing that Countess Contarini received forgiveness from the penitent nuns. It's said that this incident sparked widespread sympathy for Countess Contarini in high society."
The circumstances that came out of the mouths of those who had to survive were bound to be exaggerated.
“Gifts from all walks of life are pouring in, filling Countess Contarini’s quarters with warmth...”
At these words, the King's white eyebrows twitched. It was the most pleasing thing he had heard since returning.
“In fact, isn’t this something that could escalate into a crime of royal murder?”
The King's government murdered the fetus in the Prince's wife's womb. If public opinion had followed this scenario, Isabella would have been doomed. Leo III acted accordingly, even at the mere suggestion of this possibility.
“What nonsense are you talking about? They’re a marriage of noble and commoner, and the child inside that wom, if that child is real, then how can he be considered royalty? He’s just a Count!”
The King couldn't shake off his displeasure. She was just a new noble he'd bestowed upon her, and now, just because her child died, she was being talked about as if his mistress murdered a royal family member. It was unbearable. He shouldn't have given her that title back then! He should have made her Countess!
“No way, I can’t believe you!”
Leo III raised his hand.
“Rubina, bring Rubina!”
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