Isn't that a very old gimmick? Knocking down the precious daughter of a family that cannot be overlooked and holding her back.
Well, it worked the other way around. It was the very method she had used against Cesare, only to fail and fall apart.
The Swan of Linville.
Isabella bit her lip again, almost to the point of nothing remaining after chewing it so hard. That jewel she wanted to possess, even if it meant dying.
'If I can't have it, you can't have it either.'
If Isabella couldn't have it, then Julia Helena shouldn't have it either.
'I will definitely not leave those two alone.'
She chewed her lip beneath her veil, looking at Rubina and Julia Helena. It would be even better if they, along with Grand Duke Cesare, were tied together and burned as a set.
On the day her enemies were tied to the stake and burned, Isabella planned to celebrate. With a very strong drink. Her father's favorite drink, grappa, would be a good choice.
Damn it.
A sound of footsteps was heard between the carriages surrounding the table. Isabella looked up, delighted to see it was Leo III.
Isabella failed to see Leo III on the first night of her journey. The old King, tired from the carriage ride, fell asleep early.
While she was at the Palagio Carlo, she had free access to the King's inner chambers, as she lived in government quarters adjacent to them. However, this was impossible while on the move. Perhaps under Rubina's orders, the guards refused to allow Isabella entry to the King's inner chambers even after seeing her face.
So she came all the way here to meet the King. She has to see His Majesty, whether she says it or not.
But the person who appeared before her eyes was a completely different person.
“Ah... I was called too.”
It was Bianca of Taranto. Isabella ground her teeth.
'I came out because His Majesty said he was coming!'
She'd been duped by the vile Rubina. But now, she had no right to protest. No, she could, but her right to protest was limited. She had to save it for a better opportunity.
Rubina glanced at Isabella, a vulgar smile playing on her lips as soon as her face was hidden from the carriages surrounding them by Bianca's shadow.
Rubina spoke to Bianca with a smile on her face.
“Bianca. I called you because I have something to ask you.”
"Yes, yes?"
“My son is missing, so did you happen to see your cousin in the line?”
Julia Helena's expression twitched. Bianca, who didn't care whether Cesare disappeared or not, answered coolly.
“I didn’t even know he was gone.”
Rubina didn't give up and continued talking to Bianca.
“Really? Then, if you happen to see him, please tell him that his mother is looking for him.”
This was all she had called Bianca for. Just to set a trap by placing another chair to lure Isabella. Rubina smiled brightly and locked eyes with Bianca.
Isabella tried not to look at Rubina, who was laughing silently, and made a promise.
I will never crawl out of the carriage during the next break.
Isabella was now receiving the exact opposite of what she had done to countless girls in society.
But then it was.
The sound of footsteps of someone running hurriedly was heard from behind Julia Helena.
“Your Highness!”
It was the Latgalian dialect used in the Manchike principality. Julia Helena's face turned pale.
She looked back slowly.
After the de Mare family moved into Palagio Carlo, the staff went through a period of reorganization and adaptation. Although the staff moved into the empty house, they still had to provide accommodations. Furthermore, the palace decided to continue using its suppliers for food, which meant the handover process took a long time.
And finally, as they were able to catch their breath, Sir Manfredi, who had recently been forced to change jobs from a janitor to something similar to Ariadne's personal secretary, spoke first.
“Now... isn’t it time for the Princess to have a dedicated maid?”
It wasn't that he found it difficult to play with Ariadne alone. When the de Mare family arrived, their familiar maids also joined them. There was plenty of company.
...If he had a strange feeling that the number of parade ground runs Alfonso assigned to him would increase whenever he was left alone with Ariadne, then he was right.
'There's no way our fair and just Prince would do that!'
But having a female friend of the same age is a good thing for the Princess. Originally, the Prince's consort was allowed three formal maids of honor at Palazzo Carlo.
Upon promotion to Crown Princess, five attendants; for the Princess Consort, seven attendants; and for the Queen, nine attendants, though no precedent exists, according to the royal etiquette code.
Well, it worked the other way around. It was the very method she had used against Cesare, only to fail and fall apart.
The Swan of Linville.
Isabella bit her lip again, almost to the point of nothing remaining after chewing it so hard. That jewel she wanted to possess, even if it meant dying.
'If I can't have it, you can't have it either.'
If Isabella couldn't have it, then Julia Helena shouldn't have it either.
'I will definitely not leave those two alone.'
She chewed her lip beneath her veil, looking at Rubina and Julia Helena. It would be even better if they, along with Grand Duke Cesare, were tied together and burned as a set.
On the day her enemies were tied to the stake and burned, Isabella planned to celebrate. With a very strong drink. Her father's favorite drink, grappa, would be a good choice.
Damn it.
A sound of footsteps was heard between the carriages surrounding the table. Isabella looked up, delighted to see it was Leo III.
Isabella failed to see Leo III on the first night of her journey. The old King, tired from the carriage ride, fell asleep early.
While she was at the Palagio Carlo, she had free access to the King's inner chambers, as she lived in government quarters adjacent to them. However, this was impossible while on the move. Perhaps under Rubina's orders, the guards refused to allow Isabella entry to the King's inner chambers even after seeing her face.
So she came all the way here to meet the King. She has to see His Majesty, whether she says it or not.
But the person who appeared before her eyes was a completely different person.
“Ah... I was called too.”
It was Bianca of Taranto. Isabella ground her teeth.
'I came out because His Majesty said he was coming!'
She'd been duped by the vile Rubina. But now, she had no right to protest. No, she could, but her right to protest was limited. She had to save it for a better opportunity.
Rubina glanced at Isabella, a vulgar smile playing on her lips as soon as her face was hidden from the carriages surrounding them by Bianca's shadow.
Rubina spoke to Bianca with a smile on her face.
“Bianca. I called you because I have something to ask you.”
"Yes, yes?"
“My son is missing, so did you happen to see your cousin in the line?”
Julia Helena's expression twitched. Bianca, who didn't care whether Cesare disappeared or not, answered coolly.
“I didn’t even know he was gone.”
Rubina didn't give up and continued talking to Bianca.
“Really? Then, if you happen to see him, please tell him that his mother is looking for him.”
This was all she had called Bianca for. Just to set a trap by placing another chair to lure Isabella. Rubina smiled brightly and locked eyes with Bianca.
Isabella tried not to look at Rubina, who was laughing silently, and made a promise.
I will never crawl out of the carriage during the next break.
Isabella was now receiving the exact opposite of what she had done to countless girls in society.
But then it was.
The sound of footsteps of someone running hurriedly was heard from behind Julia Helena.
“Your Highness!”
It was the Latgalian dialect used in the Manchike principality. Julia Helena's face turned pale.
She looked back slowly.
***
After the de Mare family moved into Palagio Carlo, the staff went through a period of reorganization and adaptation. Although the staff moved into the empty house, they still had to provide accommodations. Furthermore, the palace decided to continue using its suppliers for food, which meant the handover process took a long time.
And finally, as they were able to catch their breath, Sir Manfredi, who had recently been forced to change jobs from a janitor to something similar to Ariadne's personal secretary, spoke first.
“Now... isn’t it time for the Princess to have a dedicated maid?”
It wasn't that he found it difficult to play with Ariadne alone. When the de Mare family arrived, their familiar maids also joined them. There was plenty of company.
...If he had a strange feeling that the number of parade ground runs Alfonso assigned to him would increase whenever he was left alone with Ariadne, then he was right.
'There's no way our fair and just Prince would do that!'
But having a female friend of the same age is a good thing for the Princess. Originally, the Prince's consort was allowed three formal maids of honor at Palazzo Carlo.
Upon promotion to Crown Princess, five attendants; for the Princess Consort, seven attendants; and for the Queen, nine attendants, though no precedent exists, according to the royal etiquette code.
In this way, the palace provides a salary and a place to live to make companions for royal women so that they can form an even number of groups, including themselves.
Ariadne answered with a smile.
“I am not Principessa.”
Indeed, Leo III did not give her the title of Princess.
“I am satisfied with the maids and the children I have now.”
“Miss Sancha is meticulous and smart, but you need a maid of noble birth.”
When winter ended and Leo III's court returned from Taranto to the Palazzo Carlo, there would be many places where Sancha, due to her status, could not accompany Ariadne.
"Take advantage of the palace's vacancy. It's complicated to bring in new people while His Majesty is still in office, but we can handle it ourselves now."
If the King wanted to make an issue of it later, he could have made an issue of it.
But kicking out those already in is a different matter from keeping newcomers out. Anyone who wants to change the status quo bears a greater burden.
Sir Manfredi argued passionately.
“Besides, even if there is no regulation in the royal etiquette, His Majesty the King wouldn’t say anything if there was at least one maid.”
There was some basis for this, as similar incidents had occurred before.
“It would be unsightly if there were not enough female nobles in the court, so although there is no provision in royal regulations, the King’s mistress is permitted to have at least one maid.”
Even during her time as a government official, Rubina carried a maid with her. Who would occupy such positions? High-ranking nobles, eager to gain access to the King, sought them out. Embarrassed to send their own daughters, families often sent their own nieces and nephews, their lesser relatives, in their stead.
Ariadne answered with a smile.
“There’s no one to call. Everyone’s gone down to Taranto.”
As the first choice, Julia had no choice but to go to Taranto. Her father, the Marquis Baldessar, was a member of Leo III's council of ministers.
Camellia was no longer a noblewoman and was exempt from the Taranto pilgrimage, but she was unable to frequently visit San Carlo because she was with her husband, who had now taken over the reign of Unaisola. Like Sancha, she was also not free from the burden of status.
After visiting Ariadne in the hospital, Camellia returned to Unaisola.
“See you soon!”
It was a cheerful greeting, but it was just a goodbye.
Gabrielle... It's been quite some time since they last spoke. When Camellia miscarried, Gabrielle had separated from the group. Even if it wasn't her intention, it was ultimately her choice to stand behind Isabella.
When Ariadne was recently unfortunate, Gabrielle sent her a gift in her own name. It was separate from the one sent by her mother-in-law, the Marquis of Montefeltro. It was a thoughtful gift, but there was no separate letter.
Besides, if she wanted to choose Gabrielle as her maid, she would have to convince the Montefeltro family first, and she thought that wouldn't be that easy.
Sir Manfredi sighed deeply.
“Phew. If Miss Bedelia hadn’t come down to Taranto, it would have been perfect.”
Sir Bernardino, who was sitting next to him, heard those words. Sir Bernardino laughed heartily.
“Manfredi, look at that, that, that dark ulterior motive!”
“Huh? What are my intentions?”
When the letter scandal of the former Grand Duchess of Valoa, now stripped of her titles and a commoner, was revealed, Alfonso and Ariadne were not the only lovers whose misunderstandings were cleared up.
Sir Manfredi and Miss Bedelia de Rinaldi also realized that their love was not in fact broken, and that neither of them had betrayed the other.
Miss Bedelia burst into tears when she finally received the letters from Sir Manfredi that had been piling up, but that was one thing, and starting a relationship again was a different story.
“Isn’t timing more important than love?”
Miss Bedelia was thoroughly offended when she heard that Sir Manfredi had a woman he was about to start a relationship with.
She wasn't the type of woman to bend her pride just because she was old enough and there weren't any other potential grooms. And her parents weren't particularly pushing her to get married.
“Timing? Do you believe in things like fate?”
"Yes. I believe it.”
“I will create my own destiny.”
But even our determined Sir Antonio de Manfredi was not the kind of man to turn around and go home when there was a wall.
Sir Manfredi rushed home and begged his father, Count Manfredi, to call off the marriage talks that were already underway. Surprisingly, the opposition came from his mother.
“How can a family that broke off the engagement because they couldn’t trust you be so happy that they kick over the table that was already set for you?”
“That’s motherly pride! Not my pride!”
Countess Manfredi, struck by her son's unexpected blow, clutched her chest and staggered. But the unfilial son, blinded by love, paid no attention.
“Oh, and, does pride feed you?!”
Manfredi left his mother's torch behind and ran to the woman he was talking to.
“I’m sorry! Let’s pretend the engagement never happened!”
And then he came back with a slap. He returned to Miss Bedelia, his face red and freshly bruised. All of this had happened within six hours.
“Please marry me!”
And from then on, things started to fall apart. In a way.
“Is that because you want to be with your fiancée all day?!”
“That’s not it!”
Sir Manfredi protested vehemently. He felt truly wronged.
“She's not even my fiancée!”
The engagement between the families was not yet concluded, not because of the opposition of Countess Manfredi, but because of the stubborn refusal of Miss Bedelia.
What he was asking was why she trusted him enough to marry her.
“If you could so firmly declare a breakup to that woman, wouldn’t you be able to do the same to me?”
From Manfredi's perspective, the skill of pushing and pulling was almost on the level of swordsmanship in Arthurian legend.
These days, Sir Manfredi was on the run, searching for a woman who seemed elusive but couldn't be caught. There was absolutely nothing in sight.
“Isn’t it because she’s not your fiancée?”
Sir Bernardino hit the nail on the head.
“You're going to push her next to you, see your face every day, and become attached to you so that you can elevate your status to that of a fiancé!”
It was a perfect fit. Sir Manfredi was momentarily speechless. Then, his face turned bright red, even to his earlobes.
“Oh, you really are an old bachelor! You don’t know anything!”
When there's nothing left to say, the inevitable result is personal attacks. And this was a constant repercussion for Sir Bernardino.
“What? An old bachelor?!”
Sir Bernardino's face also flashed, and he turned to Sir Manfredi and shouted.
“Did you do anything to help me become a bachelor, Manfredi?!”
Dino crossed his arms and began to lecture.
“I know this because I’ve seen it a lot, even though I’m an old bachelor, but you should stop calling her Miss Bedelia!”
“Oh, what the hell is that!”
“That older sister, Miss Cornelia, is a much better woman to live with! Listen to me, uncle!”
“Don’t curse our Bethel!”
“This is all advice from experience!”
"You idiot! Where's your experience? You old bachelor who knows nothing!"
The two began to bicker seriously, on the verge of throwing punches. In the midst of the chaos, the foreigner, Lord Rothschild, chuckled.
“Don’t worry about those gentlemen, Your Highness, the Princess.”
He was a knight from the North Sea Union, with freckles and bright red hair that almost looked orange. He was tall and lanky, with pale skin.
“I told you, it was like that all the time, even on the battlefield.”
“About Miss Bedelia?”
“No, everything.”
Ariadne chuckled.
“Don’t worry.”
It'll probably end like that. It could be a way of maintaining friendship. Ariadne felt like she was watching two sibling cats fight.
“Sir Rotschild is the most secure of the Knights.”
“Who feels the most secure?”
Alfonso's deep voice interrupted the conversation. He entered the room, roughly drying his wet hair with a towel. He had just finished his morning training and was washing up.
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