"Sister. Brother. I think it's time for me to leave now."
Ariadne suddenly came to her senses at Bianca's voice. Here, once again, was the cold reality.
San Carlo, where the bitter winter wind passes by like a slap on the cheek.
A woman of such status that she cannot give birth to an heir for Alfonso.
And at the same time, the prisoner on the judgment seat. A prisoner of fate, helpless to wait as the day of judgment draws nearer, trembling in fear of what the "awakened ones" will decide on their sins.
She cleared her throat and said.
"Bianca, did you pack your bags well? You must have been pressed for time."
“I didn’t have much luggage to begin with, so it was okay.”
Bianca, clad only in silver armor for her upper body and wearing leather clothing for easy movement for the rest of her body, rode around Ariadne and Alfonso on her unusually large steed.
“A wooden platform, isn’t it pretty?”
Alfonso and Ariadne were escorting the King's entourage to the fountain in front of the main entrance of the Palagio Carlo.
Sir Bernardino urged Sir Manfredi to build a wooden platform all night long, insisting that he should display his own dignity. The platform was quite high.
Bianca sat close to the podium. Alfonso, on the podium, and Bianca, on horseback, were roughly eye level. Alfonso, with a wry smile, looked worried.
“You must have had a hard time building it so high.”
"That's right. It's really tall. If I and Pulchino were to add up our heights, it would be quite a bit."
Bianca spoke confidently. She stroked the neck of the mare, whose frame was even more imposing than hers.
It was a show of both height and horsemanship. Ariadne found Bianca's boasting adorable, but the horse's name, Pulcino (chick), made her laugh.
“Pulchino? Is that really the horse’s name?”
If the name had to be a type of chicken, it would have been 'The Best Chicken' or 'King Rooster'. It was so cute to see her riding on a horse and showing off its 'chick' physique.
“Yes, it’s a white horse, but it’s a bit yellow. Doesn’t it look like a chick?”
It was a joke, but Bianca took it with confidence. Ariadne was twice as impressed by Bianca's audacity.
“That’s a good name.”
Ariadne felt relieved. She had been worried about how hard Bianca, as the landlady of Taranto, would have to work all winter to entertain her guests, but seeing her face in response, she felt she would do just fine.
On the other hand, her cousin Alfonso was concerned about the safety of Bianca, who was still a baby in his eyes.
“Bianca. Take care.”
At those words, his now-mature cousin smiled wryly. After successfully tracking Ippolito, who had attempted a crime against her, across the mountains to the Kingdom of Salamanta and punishing him, Bianca's confidence soared.
“You too, brother. Am I a child?”
“Accidents happen in an instant.”
Alfonso, who had witnessed and personally experienced countless incidents and accidents during a real war, couldn't be persuaded with such words. He looked at her sternly. Bianca, staring into her cousin's turquoise eyes, nodded briskly.
“I’ll be careful.”
The young master of Taranto admired Prince Alfonso. She had always admired him, and she still does. His words were worth listening to.
Just before leaving, Bianca looked back at Ariadne from her horse.
“Sister, you have to take care of yourself.”
Ariadne smiled brightly and nodded. Bianca added.
“I hope my cute nephew will be here next time I come!”
From Bianca's perspective, it was a wish for Ariadne to bear an heir and quickly receive the title of Principesa. Alfonso also laughed heartily at the kind remark.
But Ariadne couldn't smile. The corners of her mouth lifted awkwardly. Eventually, she changed the subject with a polite remark.
“Bianca. Be careful going down.”
The honest cousin, who was not the type to change her mind, didn't notice that Ariadne was displeased. She answered forcefully.
"Yes!"
Bianca of Taranto, who had finished a perfect greeting that was not at all offensive to her, set off with a spirited shout.
She followed the endless line of carriages from behind. In an instant, a silver armored vehicle joined the front, forming a straight line like a halo.
And then, really, only the Prince's people remained.
“Thank you for your hard work...”
As Alfonso and Ariadne descended from the platform, Sir Manfredi, who had been waiting beneath it, muttered in a daze. Sancha, her eyes darkened with fatigue, nodded in response.
Leo III actually ordered everyone at Palazzo Carlo to return. From the highest chamberlains to the most errand-running servants, every single one was to be recalled. Thanks to this, the palace went to war yesterday.
Sir Bernardino, who was completely out of his mind after running around all night, offered a somewhat positive outlook.
"You guys, too, didn't seem to have the presence of mind to do anything extravagant, did you? After all, you issued a return order to everyone, and they had to pack up all their belongings and leave in one night."
“Nonsense?”
When Prince Alfonso questioned, Sir Bernardino added.
“You mean, putting a spy in the remaining personnel or something like that?”
“...”
While the Prince was silent, Sir Manfredi, unable to sleep, managed to answer with his mind still spinning.
"Seeing as you all were asked to come, I suppose that's what happened. If you were going to leave a spy behind, wouldn't you have left all the palace servants at the Palazzo Carlo by royal command so they could naturally hide?"
Ariadne smiled bitterly. How naive. It was a miracle these people survived the Yesak War. That's why they lost the war for the throne in their previous life.
“If you ask me to plant a spy in the Prince’s palace...”
The group's gaze all turned to Ariadne.
“I will mix you in with the slaves who have worked for a long time.”
Among those whose loyalty stands out.
“Isn’t that what I’m talking about!”
Sir Bernardino jumped at the mention of a long-time worker. Ariadne laughed.
“Are you pricked?”
“Oh, no!”
Of course, Ariadne wasn't doubting Sir Bernardino's loyalty. If Sir Dino had changed his mind, he would have had over thirty opportunities to decapitate Alfonso.
And above all, she remembered her past life. Sir Bernardino had been among the handful of men who had resisted to the end, ever since the body of the young Prince Alfonso was hung on the walls.
"I trust Sir Bernardino. However, Your Majesty couldn't take everyone from the palace. There are still others in this palace who are not members of the Order."
Despite Leo III's summons, there were a few who volunteered to remain at the palace: some of the chamberlains and a few low-ranking maids.
Sir Bernardino and Sir Manfredi were startled, and Alfonso's face became serious. Sir Manfredi muttered.
“I thought I stayed out of loyalty...”
Alfonso, too, didn't want anyone to suspect him of following him. The thought that his own father had planted a spy in his palace was even more unpalatable.
But Ariadne's concerns weren't to be ignored. She never fussed, and she always had a keen eye for the situation.
“What is your opinion?”
“First, we need to observe.”
Alfonso's mood became even more depressed when he was told that there was nothing he could do right away.
“You can’t arrest them all and torture them without any evidence.”
"Ha."
Alfonso sighed. True. It might have been a pagan, but it wasn't something he would do to his own people, especially those who might have been loyal to him for a long time.
At first glance, Ariadne thought Sir Manfredi's words made sense. Even if she had been asked to put herself in Leo III's shoes and send a spy, she would have deliberately left a significant number of men behind, as Sir Manfredi had suggested.
But Leo III's dismissal of all his men didn't necessarily mean there were no spies. While he possessed a brilliant mind, Leo III wasn't the type to consistently manage a single task.
And even if Leo III were truly innocent, there was Rubina, the former Grand Duchess. Given her nature, she could have planted her own people in the palace—no, she could have filled the palace with her own people.
Even Rubina wouldn't have been able to tell Leo III, "I've included some of my spies among the people supporting your legitimate son, so don't bring all the palace maids down with you." Villains don't always work together so well.
“Fortunately, there were fewer than thirty people who raised their hands to stay.”
The remaining people were mainly those who assisted the Prince from a close distance. They were in charge of making things like carelessly thrown coats, discarded stockings, and leftover apples magically disappear.
Sir Manfredi was worried.
“The number is small... but given the nature of their work, it’s a bit much to just leave them alone.”
Although both members of the same royal family, Sir Manfredi, who had grown up in a common nobleman's home, was more sensitive to privacy than Alfonso, who had lived exclusively in the palace since birth, or Sir Bernardino, who had a long career in the court. Sir Manfredi made a suggestion.
“Should we just assign those people to different tasks?”
As it happened, they also had a homework assignment from Leo III.
“Even if I were to order the knights to do this, I was already having a headache thinking about the people who would protest and say, ‘This is what I became a knight for.’”
That homework was something that had to be done, but it was too menial a task to ask the Knights to do.
Sir Bernardino objected to this.
“Isn’t that too blatant a declaration of distrust in His Majesty Leo III?”
Alfonso's gaze darkened even further. Ariadne proposed a compromise.
“First, the remaining royal palace servants form groups and take turns leaking different information to each other.”
"Oh!"
“Disinformation!”
Sir Bernardino and Sir Manfredi looked at Ariadne with some awe.
"If we can determine what His Majesty knows among the various conflicting pieces of information, we can narrow down the scope of where our information is coming from."
Ariadne suddenly came to her senses at Bianca's voice. Here, once again, was the cold reality.
San Carlo, where the bitter winter wind passes by like a slap on the cheek.
A woman of such status that she cannot give birth to an heir for Alfonso.
And at the same time, the prisoner on the judgment seat. A prisoner of fate, helpless to wait as the day of judgment draws nearer, trembling in fear of what the "awakened ones" will decide on their sins.
She cleared her throat and said.
"Bianca, did you pack your bags well? You must have been pressed for time."
“I didn’t have much luggage to begin with, so it was okay.”
Bianca, clad only in silver armor for her upper body and wearing leather clothing for easy movement for the rest of her body, rode around Ariadne and Alfonso on her unusually large steed.
“A wooden platform, isn’t it pretty?”
Alfonso and Ariadne were escorting the King's entourage to the fountain in front of the main entrance of the Palagio Carlo.
Sir Bernardino urged Sir Manfredi to build a wooden platform all night long, insisting that he should display his own dignity. The platform was quite high.
Bianca sat close to the podium. Alfonso, on the podium, and Bianca, on horseback, were roughly eye level. Alfonso, with a wry smile, looked worried.
“You must have had a hard time building it so high.”
"That's right. It's really tall. If I and Pulchino were to add up our heights, it would be quite a bit."
Bianca spoke confidently. She stroked the neck of the mare, whose frame was even more imposing than hers.
It was a show of both height and horsemanship. Ariadne found Bianca's boasting adorable, but the horse's name, Pulcino (chick), made her laugh.
“Pulchino? Is that really the horse’s name?”
If the name had to be a type of chicken, it would have been 'The Best Chicken' or 'King Rooster'. It was so cute to see her riding on a horse and showing off its 'chick' physique.
“Yes, it’s a white horse, but it’s a bit yellow. Doesn’t it look like a chick?”
It was a joke, but Bianca took it with confidence. Ariadne was twice as impressed by Bianca's audacity.
“That’s a good name.”
Ariadne felt relieved. She had been worried about how hard Bianca, as the landlady of Taranto, would have to work all winter to entertain her guests, but seeing her face in response, she felt she would do just fine.
On the other hand, her cousin Alfonso was concerned about the safety of Bianca, who was still a baby in his eyes.
“Bianca. Take care.”
At those words, his now-mature cousin smiled wryly. After successfully tracking Ippolito, who had attempted a crime against her, across the mountains to the Kingdom of Salamanta and punishing him, Bianca's confidence soared.
“You too, brother. Am I a child?”
“Accidents happen in an instant.”
Alfonso, who had witnessed and personally experienced countless incidents and accidents during a real war, couldn't be persuaded with such words. He looked at her sternly. Bianca, staring into her cousin's turquoise eyes, nodded briskly.
“I’ll be careful.”
The young master of Taranto admired Prince Alfonso. She had always admired him, and she still does. His words were worth listening to.
Just before leaving, Bianca looked back at Ariadne from her horse.
“Sister, you have to take care of yourself.”
Ariadne smiled brightly and nodded. Bianca added.
“I hope my cute nephew will be here next time I come!”
From Bianca's perspective, it was a wish for Ariadne to bear an heir and quickly receive the title of Principesa. Alfonso also laughed heartily at the kind remark.
But Ariadne couldn't smile. The corners of her mouth lifted awkwardly. Eventually, she changed the subject with a polite remark.
“Bianca. Be careful going down.”
The honest cousin, who was not the type to change her mind, didn't notice that Ariadne was displeased. She answered forcefully.
"Yes!"
Bianca of Taranto, who had finished a perfect greeting that was not at all offensive to her, set off with a spirited shout.
She followed the endless line of carriages from behind. In an instant, a silver armored vehicle joined the front, forming a straight line like a halo.
And then, really, only the Prince's people remained.
“Thank you for your hard work...”
As Alfonso and Ariadne descended from the platform, Sir Manfredi, who had been waiting beneath it, muttered in a daze. Sancha, her eyes darkened with fatigue, nodded in response.
Leo III actually ordered everyone at Palazzo Carlo to return. From the highest chamberlains to the most errand-running servants, every single one was to be recalled. Thanks to this, the palace went to war yesterday.
Sir Bernardino, who was completely out of his mind after running around all night, offered a somewhat positive outlook.
"You guys, too, didn't seem to have the presence of mind to do anything extravagant, did you? After all, you issued a return order to everyone, and they had to pack up all their belongings and leave in one night."
“Nonsense?”
When Prince Alfonso questioned, Sir Bernardino added.
“You mean, putting a spy in the remaining personnel or something like that?”
“...”
While the Prince was silent, Sir Manfredi, unable to sleep, managed to answer with his mind still spinning.
"Seeing as you all were asked to come, I suppose that's what happened. If you were going to leave a spy behind, wouldn't you have left all the palace servants at the Palazzo Carlo by royal command so they could naturally hide?"
Ariadne smiled bitterly. How naive. It was a miracle these people survived the Yesak War. That's why they lost the war for the throne in their previous life.
“If you ask me to plant a spy in the Prince’s palace...”
The group's gaze all turned to Ariadne.
“I will mix you in with the slaves who have worked for a long time.”
Among those whose loyalty stands out.
“Isn’t that what I’m talking about!”
Sir Bernardino jumped at the mention of a long-time worker. Ariadne laughed.
“Are you pricked?”
“Oh, no!”
Of course, Ariadne wasn't doubting Sir Bernardino's loyalty. If Sir Dino had changed his mind, he would have had over thirty opportunities to decapitate Alfonso.
And above all, she remembered her past life. Sir Bernardino had been among the handful of men who had resisted to the end, ever since the body of the young Prince Alfonso was hung on the walls.
"I trust Sir Bernardino. However, Your Majesty couldn't take everyone from the palace. There are still others in this palace who are not members of the Order."
Despite Leo III's summons, there were a few who volunteered to remain at the palace: some of the chamberlains and a few low-ranking maids.
Sir Bernardino and Sir Manfredi were startled, and Alfonso's face became serious. Sir Manfredi muttered.
“I thought I stayed out of loyalty...”
Alfonso, too, didn't want anyone to suspect him of following him. The thought that his own father had planted a spy in his palace was even more unpalatable.
But Ariadne's concerns weren't to be ignored. She never fussed, and she always had a keen eye for the situation.
“What is your opinion?”
“First, we need to observe.”
Alfonso's mood became even more depressed when he was told that there was nothing he could do right away.
“You can’t arrest them all and torture them without any evidence.”
"Ha."
Alfonso sighed. True. It might have been a pagan, but it wasn't something he would do to his own people, especially those who might have been loyal to him for a long time.
At first glance, Ariadne thought Sir Manfredi's words made sense. Even if she had been asked to put herself in Leo III's shoes and send a spy, she would have deliberately left a significant number of men behind, as Sir Manfredi had suggested.
But Leo III's dismissal of all his men didn't necessarily mean there were no spies. While he possessed a brilliant mind, Leo III wasn't the type to consistently manage a single task.
And even if Leo III were truly innocent, there was Rubina, the former Grand Duchess. Given her nature, she could have planted her own people in the palace—no, she could have filled the palace with her own people.
Even Rubina wouldn't have been able to tell Leo III, "I've included some of my spies among the people supporting your legitimate son, so don't bring all the palace maids down with you." Villains don't always work together so well.
“Fortunately, there were fewer than thirty people who raised their hands to stay.”
The remaining people were mainly those who assisted the Prince from a close distance. They were in charge of making things like carelessly thrown coats, discarded stockings, and leftover apples magically disappear.
Sir Manfredi was worried.
“The number is small... but given the nature of their work, it’s a bit much to just leave them alone.”
Although both members of the same royal family, Sir Manfredi, who had grown up in a common nobleman's home, was more sensitive to privacy than Alfonso, who had lived exclusively in the palace since birth, or Sir Bernardino, who had a long career in the court. Sir Manfredi made a suggestion.
“Should we just assign those people to different tasks?”
As it happened, they also had a homework assignment from Leo III.
“Even if I were to order the knights to do this, I was already having a headache thinking about the people who would protest and say, ‘This is what I became a knight for.’”
That homework was something that had to be done, but it was too menial a task to ask the Knights to do.
Sir Bernardino objected to this.
“Isn’t that too blatant a declaration of distrust in His Majesty Leo III?”
Alfonso's gaze darkened even further. Ariadne proposed a compromise.
“First, the remaining royal palace servants form groups and take turns leaking different information to each other.”
"Oh!"
“Disinformation!”
Sir Bernardino and Sir Manfredi looked at Ariadne with some awe.
"If we can determine what His Majesty knows among the various conflicting pieces of information, we can narrow down the scope of where our information is coming from."
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