From San Carlo to Taranto, it takes a little less than four days to reach by galloping horse.
But such a speed battle was impossible on a journey carrying a large number of noble ladies and hundreds of noblemen who were not much better physically than they were, while also carrying a lot of luxury goods.
The royal entourage advanced at a slow pace, belying their two-horse carriage. It was a generous journey, arriving in Taranto in just over ten days.
“Ugh, my butt hurts so much!”
The culprit behind the turtle march was the constant stopping and resting. Today, the second day, all the carriages stopped for their third rest.
All the carriages stopped in a circle surrounding an open space. In the center, a table and chairs for the royal family were placed.
The noble families drew a circle around the perimeter, according to their rank. The higher the rank, the better the view to the center.
Sitting at this table was a high honor. But today, Isabella was not at all pleased.
“A cushion? In my place?”
Isabella asked Rubina. Four chairs were surrounding the table, only one of which had a very funny-looking cushion with a round hole cut out for the buttocks. Isabella thought she heard a chuckle coming from one of the carriages.
“Yes. I heard that Countess Contarini is not in good health.”
Rubina, who was already seated, spoke with a pretended benevolence.
“It would be rude to show up later than me, but I’m giving you special treatment because you’re sick.”
Isabella was so shocked she felt like she was going to burst. Only at grand, formal events did the lower-ranking officials enter first, with the King entering last. But this was nothing more than a table with four chairs.
Besides, Rubina had already seen Isabella sit perfectly still in her chair at the last tea party. This was just revenge, to be surrounded by the audience and get a taste of the show.
Princess Julia Helena, sitting next to Grand Duchess Rubina, smiled brightly.
"Wow. Butt-whipping? I thought that was something only Protestants did."
Rubina answered with a kind smile.
"Aren't old traditions meaningful? Like the lineage of the Ratan Empire, continued by the Princess."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were unusually skilled at complimenting each other and feeding each other sweet treats. Isabella bit her lip invisibly, but she was neither in a position nor in a position to object to this conversation.
“The chair will be hard, so please sit here, Countess.”
Isabella gritted her teeth and glared at the doughnut-shaped cushion. It wasn't even the kind of cushion that had been given to her to help her sore bottom. It was stitched with irregular, large pearls, like syphilitic rashes, that would surely be painful.
Rubina raised her voice sharply as Isabella stood there dumbfounded.
“Are you going to ignore my consideration?”
If it had been the past Isabella who lived according to her nature, she would have snapped something like this.
"I've never served His Majesty that way before, but I guess His Majesty Leo III has some perverted tastes? Oh, and the pattern looks like syphilis? I'm sure Grand Duchess Rubina knows that very well, which is why she gave me this cushion."
But at the last tea party, Isabella decided to learn "patience." Patience wasn't her hobby, but it was necessary for survival.
The series of events that led to her humiliating escape from prison through Agosto and her subsequent beating by Prince Alfonso fundamentally changed Isabella.
“...Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”
Moreover, Isabella, who had mocked Rubina's age at the tea party a few days ago, paid the price immediately and severely.
Grand Duchess Rubina was, after all, the one in charge of the palace's affairs. This move was also carried out under her direction.
The Grand Duchess gave Isabella the finest horse in the palace. It was a large, beautiful reddish-brown horse, so large and beautiful that it was rumored that His Majesty the King would bestow it upon someone.
The problem was that the horse was not yet mature, was overly energetic compared to the horses behind or next to it, and would stop when bored, which was a huge detriment to the comfort of the passengers.
Every time the rotten reddish-brown horse stopped and turned its head to smell something like dandelions growing on the roadside, Isabella, whose wounds on her back and buttocks were still not completely healed, let out a groan of pain.
“You gave me this on purpose!”
“I gave you the best horse in the palace, so what is this fuss about?”
Rubina looked down at Isabella with the dignity of a former Grand Duchess.
"The entire court knows that you've been using His Majesty's favor to cause trouble here and there. I tolerate you purely out of respect and love for His Majesty."
Rubina narrowed her eyes and glared at Isabella.
“There will be no mercy in the next disturbance.”
Just as Isabella was about to tell her that she would tell His Majesty, Rubina added meaningfully.
“I also often have tea with religious priests.”
Isabella's mind snapped to a halt at the mention of the "religious priest." Rubina had a hundred and one ways to torment Isabella, both minor and major, at her own expense.
The memories of each day were vivid.
Isabella, who had protested on the first day of the journey to change horses, quietly stepped out of Rubina's carriage.
Just as before, Isabella bowed her head and sat cautiously on the donut cushion. She heard Julia Helena chuckle, but she pretended not to notice.
Isabella wasn't used to this situation. She'd always been the one being mocked, but she'd never been mocked by someone more powerful than herself.
Reflection is a virtue of a mature person. Instead of reflecting on her past, Isabella allowed her anger toward Julia Helena and Rubina to build up.
'We have to separate those people.'
Isabella looked longingly at the last remaining seat.
'When on earth will His Majesty arrive?'
But, unfortunately, the owner of the last remaining wooden chair showed no sign of coming.
“Oh, that’s right, Princess Manchike.”
Rubina spoke.
“Why, back then, you hurt your face while we were having dinner.”
It refers to an unidentified dinner party attended by Ariadne and Alfonso, Cesare and Julia Helena, Leo III and Rubina, and Isabella.
“The wine glass broke and scratched the Princess’s face. I was so upset.”
Julia Helena smiled brightly.
“I got better thanks to your concern.”
Her healthy, hydrated skin, a characteristic of teenagers, glowed with a luscious glow. Even if she were to lose both sides, she seemed to have the vitality to recover the next day.
“If the princess had a scar on her face, I would have been a sinner for the rest of my life!”
Isabella still gritted her teeth under the cotton, the deep stab wound on her left cheek still not fully healed. The thick, earthworm-like, dark red scar on her cheek was at least a ditto thick.
“If a woman gets a scar on her face, it ruins her beauty, and if it happens before marriage, it ruins her life!”
Julia Helena waved her hand.
“Hey, don’t say such scary things!”
Rubina smiled with a kind smile and held Julia Helena's hand tightly.
“That’s right. You shouldn’t even mention bad luck.”
Rubina and Julia Helena talked among themselves without even glancing at Isabella.
In this situation, Isabella had neither the space nor the will to join in the conversation. After sitting down, she remained silent, unable to say a word.
Julia Helena glanced at Isabella and smiled.
“If I had that scar on my face, I would have jumped off the wall.”
Whether it was belligerence, inexperience due to her youth, or a lack of experience from a small court, Rubina herself would never have done something like this.
When harassing others, it's crucial to leave no evidence behind. Leaving nothing in writing is best; leaving nothing in words is even better. Both carry a certain objectivity, making them easy to pass along by word of mouth.
But the next thing to watch out for was your behavior. In the palace, where so many eyes were watching, you had to be careful.
If one person were to say, "The late Grand Duchess Rubina really looked down on Countess Contarini with a mocking look!", it would be subjective and unreliable. However, if several people recount the same story, it would also become objective.
But Rubina wasn't in a position to pressure Julia Helena right now. Until they exchanged vows, she had to treat her gently, like an egg in her hand. Rubina promised to give her a proper education once she became her daughter-in-law, and spoke kindly.
"Enough with that scary talk, Princess. When I arrive in Taranto, I'll give you a gift as an apology for the injury you suffered."
Rubina even had Linville's swan in mind. After Cesare and Julia Helena slept, she wouldn't mind having Linville's swan. Of course, it wasn't hers; it belonged to her son, but Rubina wasn't the type to value such things.
“Could that be?”
Julia Helena's eyes sparkled. But out of pride, she couldn't bring herself to ask, "Is it the Swan of Linville?"
The seasoned Rubina simply laughed it off. She was worried that if their sleepover was delayed beyond Taranto, she'd have to give him something to lose. She had other ideas.
'Why doesn't that Cesare guy show his nose?'
Rubina tried several times to send Cesare to the Princess's carriage, but Cesare resolutely... ran away.
She couldn't even find out where he had gone. He must have ridden away from the rest of the group, either riding bareback, or he must have gotten into the carriage of a friend of his who was at the back of the procession.
'Surely he's not alone with another woman, is he?'
Even a son as trouble-making as he is wouldn't be so reckless. Rubina took a deep breath. She was determined to build a history with Cesare while Julia Helena was in the romantic winter wonderland of Taranto, without a proper guardian.
'If she loses her virginity, no matter how much the Marquis of Manchike hates it, I can no longer break off this marriage.'
A smile appeared on Rubina's lips.
'How can he find a decent marriage partner for his teenage daughter who gave her first love to another man?'
And once the two of them had carried out their mission, she laid out a very detailed plan to spread the word throughout the neighborhood. She planned to circle the entire Central Continent, then cross the sea and reach the Manchike Marquis in the land of Latgalin.
Isabella, sitting alone on a chair with a donut cushion, could clearly see Rubina's tricks.
'That smart-aleck bastard abandoned all her attendants and sat there trying to please Rubina.'
But such a speed battle was impossible on a journey carrying a large number of noble ladies and hundreds of noblemen who were not much better physically than they were, while also carrying a lot of luxury goods.
The royal entourage advanced at a slow pace, belying their two-horse carriage. It was a generous journey, arriving in Taranto in just over ten days.
“Ugh, my butt hurts so much!”
The culprit behind the turtle march was the constant stopping and resting. Today, the second day, all the carriages stopped for their third rest.
All the carriages stopped in a circle surrounding an open space. In the center, a table and chairs for the royal family were placed.
The noble families drew a circle around the perimeter, according to their rank. The higher the rank, the better the view to the center.
Sitting at this table was a high honor. But today, Isabella was not at all pleased.
“A cushion? In my place?”
Isabella asked Rubina. Four chairs were surrounding the table, only one of which had a very funny-looking cushion with a round hole cut out for the buttocks. Isabella thought she heard a chuckle coming from one of the carriages.
“Yes. I heard that Countess Contarini is not in good health.”
Rubina, who was already seated, spoke with a pretended benevolence.
“It would be rude to show up later than me, but I’m giving you special treatment because you’re sick.”
Isabella was so shocked she felt like she was going to burst. Only at grand, formal events did the lower-ranking officials enter first, with the King entering last. But this was nothing more than a table with four chairs.
Besides, Rubina had already seen Isabella sit perfectly still in her chair at the last tea party. This was just revenge, to be surrounded by the audience and get a taste of the show.
Princess Julia Helena, sitting next to Grand Duchess Rubina, smiled brightly.
"Wow. Butt-whipping? I thought that was something only Protestants did."
Rubina answered with a kind smile.
"Aren't old traditions meaningful? Like the lineage of the Ratan Empire, continued by the Princess."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were unusually skilled at complimenting each other and feeding each other sweet treats. Isabella bit her lip invisibly, but she was neither in a position nor in a position to object to this conversation.
“The chair will be hard, so please sit here, Countess.”
Isabella gritted her teeth and glared at the doughnut-shaped cushion. It wasn't even the kind of cushion that had been given to her to help her sore bottom. It was stitched with irregular, large pearls, like syphilitic rashes, that would surely be painful.
Rubina raised her voice sharply as Isabella stood there dumbfounded.
“Are you going to ignore my consideration?”
If it had been the past Isabella who lived according to her nature, she would have snapped something like this.
"I've never served His Majesty that way before, but I guess His Majesty Leo III has some perverted tastes? Oh, and the pattern looks like syphilis? I'm sure Grand Duchess Rubina knows that very well, which is why she gave me this cushion."
But at the last tea party, Isabella decided to learn "patience." Patience wasn't her hobby, but it was necessary for survival.
The series of events that led to her humiliating escape from prison through Agosto and her subsequent beating by Prince Alfonso fundamentally changed Isabella.
“...Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”
Moreover, Isabella, who had mocked Rubina's age at the tea party a few days ago, paid the price immediately and severely.
Grand Duchess Rubina was, after all, the one in charge of the palace's affairs. This move was also carried out under her direction.
The Grand Duchess gave Isabella the finest horse in the palace. It was a large, beautiful reddish-brown horse, so large and beautiful that it was rumored that His Majesty the King would bestow it upon someone.
The problem was that the horse was not yet mature, was overly energetic compared to the horses behind or next to it, and would stop when bored, which was a huge detriment to the comfort of the passengers.
Every time the rotten reddish-brown horse stopped and turned its head to smell something like dandelions growing on the roadside, Isabella, whose wounds on her back and buttocks were still not completely healed, let out a groan of pain.
“You gave me this on purpose!”
“I gave you the best horse in the palace, so what is this fuss about?”
Rubina looked down at Isabella with the dignity of a former Grand Duchess.
"The entire court knows that you've been using His Majesty's favor to cause trouble here and there. I tolerate you purely out of respect and love for His Majesty."
Rubina narrowed her eyes and glared at Isabella.
“There will be no mercy in the next disturbance.”
Just as Isabella was about to tell her that she would tell His Majesty, Rubina added meaningfully.
“I also often have tea with religious priests.”
Isabella's mind snapped to a halt at the mention of the "religious priest." Rubina had a hundred and one ways to torment Isabella, both minor and major, at her own expense.
The memories of each day were vivid.
Isabella, who had protested on the first day of the journey to change horses, quietly stepped out of Rubina's carriage.
Just as before, Isabella bowed her head and sat cautiously on the donut cushion. She heard Julia Helena chuckle, but she pretended not to notice.
Isabella wasn't used to this situation. She'd always been the one being mocked, but she'd never been mocked by someone more powerful than herself.
Reflection is a virtue of a mature person. Instead of reflecting on her past, Isabella allowed her anger toward Julia Helena and Rubina to build up.
'We have to separate those people.'
Isabella looked longingly at the last remaining seat.
'When on earth will His Majesty arrive?'
But, unfortunately, the owner of the last remaining wooden chair showed no sign of coming.
“Oh, that’s right, Princess Manchike.”
Rubina spoke.
“Why, back then, you hurt your face while we were having dinner.”
It refers to an unidentified dinner party attended by Ariadne and Alfonso, Cesare and Julia Helena, Leo III and Rubina, and Isabella.
“The wine glass broke and scratched the Princess’s face. I was so upset.”
Julia Helena smiled brightly.
“I got better thanks to your concern.”
Her healthy, hydrated skin, a characteristic of teenagers, glowed with a luscious glow. Even if she were to lose both sides, she seemed to have the vitality to recover the next day.
“If the princess had a scar on her face, I would have been a sinner for the rest of my life!”
Isabella still gritted her teeth under the cotton, the deep stab wound on her left cheek still not fully healed. The thick, earthworm-like, dark red scar on her cheek was at least a ditto thick.
“If a woman gets a scar on her face, it ruins her beauty, and if it happens before marriage, it ruins her life!”
Julia Helena waved her hand.
“Hey, don’t say such scary things!”
Rubina smiled with a kind smile and held Julia Helena's hand tightly.
“That’s right. You shouldn’t even mention bad luck.”
Rubina and Julia Helena talked among themselves without even glancing at Isabella.
In this situation, Isabella had neither the space nor the will to join in the conversation. After sitting down, she remained silent, unable to say a word.
Julia Helena glanced at Isabella and smiled.
“If I had that scar on my face, I would have jumped off the wall.”
Whether it was belligerence, inexperience due to her youth, or a lack of experience from a small court, Rubina herself would never have done something like this.
When harassing others, it's crucial to leave no evidence behind. Leaving nothing in writing is best; leaving nothing in words is even better. Both carry a certain objectivity, making them easy to pass along by word of mouth.
But the next thing to watch out for was your behavior. In the palace, where so many eyes were watching, you had to be careful.
If one person were to say, "The late Grand Duchess Rubina really looked down on Countess Contarini with a mocking look!", it would be subjective and unreliable. However, if several people recount the same story, it would also become objective.
But Rubina wasn't in a position to pressure Julia Helena right now. Until they exchanged vows, she had to treat her gently, like an egg in her hand. Rubina promised to give her a proper education once she became her daughter-in-law, and spoke kindly.
"Enough with that scary talk, Princess. When I arrive in Taranto, I'll give you a gift as an apology for the injury you suffered."
Rubina even had Linville's swan in mind. After Cesare and Julia Helena slept, she wouldn't mind having Linville's swan. Of course, it wasn't hers; it belonged to her son, but Rubina wasn't the type to value such things.
“Could that be?”
Julia Helena's eyes sparkled. But out of pride, she couldn't bring herself to ask, "Is it the Swan of Linville?"
The seasoned Rubina simply laughed it off. She was worried that if their sleepover was delayed beyond Taranto, she'd have to give him something to lose. She had other ideas.
'Why doesn't that Cesare guy show his nose?'
Rubina tried several times to send Cesare to the Princess's carriage, but Cesare resolutely... ran away.
She couldn't even find out where he had gone. He must have ridden away from the rest of the group, either riding bareback, or he must have gotten into the carriage of a friend of his who was at the back of the procession.
'Surely he's not alone with another woman, is he?'
Even a son as trouble-making as he is wouldn't be so reckless. Rubina took a deep breath. She was determined to build a history with Cesare while Julia Helena was in the romantic winter wonderland of Taranto, without a proper guardian.
'If she loses her virginity, no matter how much the Marquis of Manchike hates it, I can no longer break off this marriage.'
A smile appeared on Rubina's lips.
'How can he find a decent marriage partner for his teenage daughter who gave her first love to another man?'
And once the two of them had carried out their mission, she laid out a very detailed plan to spread the word throughout the neighborhood. She planned to circle the entire Central Continent, then cross the sea and reach the Manchike Marquis in the land of Latgalin.
Isabella, sitting alone on a chair with a donut cushion, could clearly see Rubina's tricks.
'That smart-aleck bastard abandoned all her attendants and sat there trying to please Rubina.'
Comments
Post a Comment