In the afternoon, Rubina turned the palace upside down by deciding to leave for Taranto the next day, and in the evening, Prince Alfonso turned the entire palace upside down.
The Prince's palace refused to participate in the southward movement. The entire San Carlo, not just Palazzo Carlo, was in turmoil. There was no time for peace at court.
“No, why on earth won’t this guy go!”
'We cannot come down because we have no budget' was the unofficial position of the palace, which was almost an official statement and was widely spread in social circles, but Leo III did not consider that to be the reason.
He had already made up his mind that Alfonso was upset and wouldn't go. Leo III was furious and jumped up and down.
“Didn’t it end with the women making up?!”
He had some room for consideration, even in this delusion. Rubina was busy all afternoon, thanks to Julia Helena's sudden arrival. She quickly began directing the relocation to Taranto. Naturally, reporting the results of the tea party to Leo III was postponed.
Instead, he sent a messenger to the King, reporting, "It appears that the Marquis of Manchike has rejected the Princess's revised marriage proposal, but the Princess herself seems to wish to go down to Taranto, so we will proceed quickly." That was all the report the King received about the tea party.
The trip to Taranto itself was very welcomed by Leo III, so when Rubina sent only that during the day, he missed the opportunity to get angry.
"Yes, we must go down to the Taranto Villa at some point. Rubina has been through a lot."
The Manchike dared to refuse to marry into the great Etruscan kingdom?
It was an unthinkable feat, but he had already spent the entire 7,200 gold ducats he'd been given as a down payment from Julia Helena's dowry. With no money to pay back, Leo III was equally compelled to force the marriage. He had no reason to oppose Rubina's plan to build a mansion in Taranto and have them both immersed in it.
The descent to Taranto was under Rubina's leadership, so Leo III would later have something to say to the Marquis of Manchike. His strategy was to pretend he didn't know anything, to pretend Rubina had orchestrated it, while he himself would profit from the situation.
There was only one thing that couldn't be done as planned.
“Why is that Alfonso so stubborn!”
Leo III, who had no idea what was going on, asked Isabella, who was sitting at his feet and carefully massaging his right foot.
“You didn’t make up this afternoon, did you?”
“I thought we had reconciled.”
Isabella, her face hidden by a Moorish veil below her nose, lowered her pretty eyelashes and spoke.
“I apologized too.”
From the angle Leo III looked down upon, the composition was a perfect sculptural beauty.
“Oh my, did you apologize too?”
Leo III was not unaware of Isabella's temper, so he was extremely surprised that this child apologized.
“Yes. It was unfair, but what was wrong was wrong.”
For Leo III, it was a heartwarming and gratifying sight. Of course, Isabella never revealed to whom or for what she apologized.
“But... it seems like Aria changed her mind after going to the Prince’s palace.”
She added.
“It was very cheerful during the day.”
After the exchange of harsh words, the group felt the need to improve the mood. With Rubina at the helm, various other topics were discussed, and the mood had definitely become more toxic. The problem was that it had become this toxic.
“This ring was passed down to me by my late mother.”
Princess Julia Helena confidently held out the ring on her finger. It contained a ruby the size of a quail egg.
"This is a precious item passed down from the royal family of the Ratan Empire. It was given as a wedding gift by the great founder, Emperor Iclius I, to Sophia Augusta."
Rubina's eyes sparkled. "Is that part of the wedding gift my son will receive?" Rubina asked.
“Is this by any chance the Princess’s property?”
Julia Helena answered confidently, with the confidence only an only a Princess could possess.
“Well, it is the property of the heir apparent, but in the end, I will inherit it all, right?”
Ariadne thought, rolling the empty teacup in her hand. Rubina had the same thought.
'Before my father passed away, he was a bright and cheerful apricot.'
Rubina, who had just had a bad idea, answered cheerfully.
“There are comparable treasures in the Etruscan kingdom.”
She mentioned the name as if she were telling me something great.
“The heart of the blue deep sea.”
Ariadne's heart raced at Rubina's voice, whispered as if it were a secret. It was indeed something remarkable. It just wasn't Rubina's.
Ariadne bit her lip. There's nothing good about this story.
Rubina's motive in bringing that up was obvious. She wanted to inform Julia Helena of the existence of the Blue Deep Sea Heart, so that when they were negotiating the details of their marriage contract, she could include it on the list of wedding gifts the Princess would receive.
For Rubina, who has been aiming for the heart of the deep blue sea for nearly ten years, if this succeeds, it will be like blowing her nose without even touching it.
But Bianca, who was completely oblivious to such things, added a word of her own when Ariadne's possessions were praised. "Look! My sister is so amazing!"
“The Heart of the Blue Deep Sea is a necklace made of enormous sapphires and pearls!”
Ariadne simply smiled calmly. There was no response. Today, in this place, she wanted to avoid the attention drawn to the heart of the deep blue sea—or rather, to herself—more than the Black Death. But Bianca failed to notice Ariadne's desperate signal.
"It was created from a raw stone first discovered in our territory, Taranto, and presented to His Majesty the King. The 30-carat sapphire, the main stone of 'The Heart of the Blue Deep Sea,' also has a fascinating legend attached to it."
If talk of someone with the heart of the deep blue sea becoming King or something like that reached Leo III's ears these days—that is, if it came out in front of Rubina and Isabella—it would be the end. This month wasn't a good time to mention the succession to the throne.
This month was particularly dangerous for discussions of succession to the throne. The next dangerous months are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, October, August, and February.*
“Let’s talk about the romantic story behind it!”
Ariadne quickly cut Bianca off.
“Where else can you find the ‘Swan of Linville’?”
“The Swan of Linville?”
Julia Helena asked with sparkling eyes. It was a change of subject. Ariadne, pushing aside a slight sense of guilt at the thought of throwing an innocent child into a quagmire, kindly explained to her.
"This is a 15-carat pure white diamond brooch. Legend has it that it's a piece of jewelry bestowed upon a woman you truly love."
“Wow!”
Ariadne also pointed out who the current owner of the romantic jewel was.
“Right now, the Swan of Linville is in the possession of His Excellency the Grand Duke Cesare.”
Julia Helena's eyes sparkled. Her next target was set. Conversely, Rubina and Isabella's gazes briefly clouded.
First of all, Rubina was averse to the jewel. If she gave Linville's swan to Julia Helena, the young Princess would become even more enamored with her son.
But she didn't want to invest such a large amount of money when she hadn't received anything from Manchike yet.
'I wouldn't mind giving you Linville's swan in exchange for that ruby ring, but...'
Isabella brooded over her defeat. "The Swan of Linville." It was a jewel she had naturally imagined adorning her lapel at least once, back when she dreamed of becoming the Duchess of Pisano.
Now, unless she confiscates it and asks Leo III to give it to her, it has become a jewel that will never be connected to her again.
While the most noble ladies in the palace chatted amicably, if only to avoid pulling each other's hair, about jewels, Isabella gazed out the window alone.
Because she had nothing.
At that tea party, where boasts of money, lineage, and power were rampant, Isabella made two decisions.
One, she can't live without it. She wants a flagship-level jewel, too.
Two, there were too many enemies in the palace. She had to find her allies, gather them, and defeat them one by one.
“Your Majesty, don’t worry about Prince Alfonso.”
She smiled sweetly, raised her body, and placed her hand on Leo III's shoulder.
Isabella rubbed Leo III's shoulder and kissed his ear.
“Why would I have to go all the way down south to see that unpleasant face?”
For Leo III, Alfonso was a headache, not a bad one. The old King loved his son.
It may have been love as a trophy, but it wasn't without affection.
“No, it’s not like I’m going to feel bad...”
“Every time I appear, I defy Your Majesty.”
Isabella whispered softly, her breath tickling the old King's earlobe.
"Oh."
The power of her warm breath and beautiful voice was immense. All of Leo III's thoughts were momentarily halted.
"We're just going on vacation. Is there any need to go all the way there and fight the Prince?"
Leo III, his thoughts reset, reviewed Alfonso's recent actions on the new board laid out by Isabella. The King didn't want the Prince to disappear completely. He simply wanted him to obey his orders. Isabella stopped short of that.
“Just... if you stay apart for a while, your feelings for each other will subside.”
The beautiful voice coming from beneath the veil covering her face had a unique charm different from usual.
“Is that so?”
“I hate it the most that Your Majesty can’t get enough rest.”
This was sincere. Leo III, who was in poor condition, gathered all the irritability he had and drew it out from his heart.
"Let others say what they want. It's not even true, so what's the big deal? Our Majesty isn't the type to care about such trivial matters."
The moment he heard the word 'care', a pressing issue that had been put on the back burner in Leo III's memory, faintly came to mind.
* Mark Twain, from Idiot Wilson.
"October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February."
The Prince's palace refused to participate in the southward movement. The entire San Carlo, not just Palazzo Carlo, was in turmoil. There was no time for peace at court.
“No, why on earth won’t this guy go!”
'We cannot come down because we have no budget' was the unofficial position of the palace, which was almost an official statement and was widely spread in social circles, but Leo III did not consider that to be the reason.
He had already made up his mind that Alfonso was upset and wouldn't go. Leo III was furious and jumped up and down.
“Didn’t it end with the women making up?!”
He had some room for consideration, even in this delusion. Rubina was busy all afternoon, thanks to Julia Helena's sudden arrival. She quickly began directing the relocation to Taranto. Naturally, reporting the results of the tea party to Leo III was postponed.
Instead, he sent a messenger to the King, reporting, "It appears that the Marquis of Manchike has rejected the Princess's revised marriage proposal, but the Princess herself seems to wish to go down to Taranto, so we will proceed quickly." That was all the report the King received about the tea party.
The trip to Taranto itself was very welcomed by Leo III, so when Rubina sent only that during the day, he missed the opportunity to get angry.
"Yes, we must go down to the Taranto Villa at some point. Rubina has been through a lot."
The Manchike dared to refuse to marry into the great Etruscan kingdom?
It was an unthinkable feat, but he had already spent the entire 7,200 gold ducats he'd been given as a down payment from Julia Helena's dowry. With no money to pay back, Leo III was equally compelled to force the marriage. He had no reason to oppose Rubina's plan to build a mansion in Taranto and have them both immersed in it.
The descent to Taranto was under Rubina's leadership, so Leo III would later have something to say to the Marquis of Manchike. His strategy was to pretend he didn't know anything, to pretend Rubina had orchestrated it, while he himself would profit from the situation.
There was only one thing that couldn't be done as planned.
“Why is that Alfonso so stubborn!”
Leo III, who had no idea what was going on, asked Isabella, who was sitting at his feet and carefully massaging his right foot.
“You didn’t make up this afternoon, did you?”
“I thought we had reconciled.”
Isabella, her face hidden by a Moorish veil below her nose, lowered her pretty eyelashes and spoke.
“I apologized too.”
From the angle Leo III looked down upon, the composition was a perfect sculptural beauty.
“Oh my, did you apologize too?”
Leo III was not unaware of Isabella's temper, so he was extremely surprised that this child apologized.
“Yes. It was unfair, but what was wrong was wrong.”
For Leo III, it was a heartwarming and gratifying sight. Of course, Isabella never revealed to whom or for what she apologized.
“But... it seems like Aria changed her mind after going to the Prince’s palace.”
She added.
“It was very cheerful during the day.”
***
After the exchange of harsh words, the group felt the need to improve the mood. With Rubina at the helm, various other topics were discussed, and the mood had definitely become more toxic. The problem was that it had become this toxic.
“This ring was passed down to me by my late mother.”
Princess Julia Helena confidently held out the ring on her finger. It contained a ruby the size of a quail egg.
"This is a precious item passed down from the royal family of the Ratan Empire. It was given as a wedding gift by the great founder, Emperor Iclius I, to Sophia Augusta."
Rubina's eyes sparkled. "Is that part of the wedding gift my son will receive?" Rubina asked.
“Is this by any chance the Princess’s property?”
Julia Helena answered confidently, with the confidence only an only a Princess could possess.
“Well, it is the property of the heir apparent, but in the end, I will inherit it all, right?”
Ariadne thought, rolling the empty teacup in her hand. Rubina had the same thought.
'Before my father passed away, he was a bright and cheerful apricot.'
Rubina, who had just had a bad idea, answered cheerfully.
“There are comparable treasures in the Etruscan kingdom.”
She mentioned the name as if she were telling me something great.
“The heart of the blue deep sea.”
Ariadne's heart raced at Rubina's voice, whispered as if it were a secret. It was indeed something remarkable. It just wasn't Rubina's.
Ariadne bit her lip. There's nothing good about this story.
Rubina's motive in bringing that up was obvious. She wanted to inform Julia Helena of the existence of the Blue Deep Sea Heart, so that when they were negotiating the details of their marriage contract, she could include it on the list of wedding gifts the Princess would receive.
For Rubina, who has been aiming for the heart of the deep blue sea for nearly ten years, if this succeeds, it will be like blowing her nose without even touching it.
But Bianca, who was completely oblivious to such things, added a word of her own when Ariadne's possessions were praised. "Look! My sister is so amazing!"
“The Heart of the Blue Deep Sea is a necklace made of enormous sapphires and pearls!”
Ariadne simply smiled calmly. There was no response. Today, in this place, she wanted to avoid the attention drawn to the heart of the deep blue sea—or rather, to herself—more than the Black Death. But Bianca failed to notice Ariadne's desperate signal.
"It was created from a raw stone first discovered in our territory, Taranto, and presented to His Majesty the King. The 30-carat sapphire, the main stone of 'The Heart of the Blue Deep Sea,' also has a fascinating legend attached to it."
If talk of someone with the heart of the deep blue sea becoming King or something like that reached Leo III's ears these days—that is, if it came out in front of Rubina and Isabella—it would be the end. This month wasn't a good time to mention the succession to the throne.
This month was particularly dangerous for discussions of succession to the throne. The next dangerous months are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, October, August, and February.*
“Let’s talk about the romantic story behind it!”
Ariadne quickly cut Bianca off.
“Where else can you find the ‘Swan of Linville’?”
“The Swan of Linville?”
Julia Helena asked with sparkling eyes. It was a change of subject. Ariadne, pushing aside a slight sense of guilt at the thought of throwing an innocent child into a quagmire, kindly explained to her.
"This is a 15-carat pure white diamond brooch. Legend has it that it's a piece of jewelry bestowed upon a woman you truly love."
“Wow!”
Ariadne also pointed out who the current owner of the romantic jewel was.
“Right now, the Swan of Linville is in the possession of His Excellency the Grand Duke Cesare.”
Julia Helena's eyes sparkled. Her next target was set. Conversely, Rubina and Isabella's gazes briefly clouded.
First of all, Rubina was averse to the jewel. If she gave Linville's swan to Julia Helena, the young Princess would become even more enamored with her son.
But she didn't want to invest such a large amount of money when she hadn't received anything from Manchike yet.
'I wouldn't mind giving you Linville's swan in exchange for that ruby ring, but...'
Isabella brooded over her defeat. "The Swan of Linville." It was a jewel she had naturally imagined adorning her lapel at least once, back when she dreamed of becoming the Duchess of Pisano.
Now, unless she confiscates it and asks Leo III to give it to her, it has become a jewel that will never be connected to her again.
While the most noble ladies in the palace chatted amicably, if only to avoid pulling each other's hair, about jewels, Isabella gazed out the window alone.
Because she had nothing.
***
At that tea party, where boasts of money, lineage, and power were rampant, Isabella made two decisions.
One, she can't live without it. She wants a flagship-level jewel, too.
Two, there were too many enemies in the palace. She had to find her allies, gather them, and defeat them one by one.
“Your Majesty, don’t worry about Prince Alfonso.”
She smiled sweetly, raised her body, and placed her hand on Leo III's shoulder.
Isabella rubbed Leo III's shoulder and kissed his ear.
“Why would I have to go all the way down south to see that unpleasant face?”
For Leo III, Alfonso was a headache, not a bad one. The old King loved his son.
It may have been love as a trophy, but it wasn't without affection.
“No, it’s not like I’m going to feel bad...”
“Every time I appear, I defy Your Majesty.”
Isabella whispered softly, her breath tickling the old King's earlobe.
"Oh."
The power of her warm breath and beautiful voice was immense. All of Leo III's thoughts were momentarily halted.
"We're just going on vacation. Is there any need to go all the way there and fight the Prince?"
Leo III, his thoughts reset, reviewed Alfonso's recent actions on the new board laid out by Isabella. The King didn't want the Prince to disappear completely. He simply wanted him to obey his orders. Isabella stopped short of that.
“Just... if you stay apart for a while, your feelings for each other will subside.”
The beautiful voice coming from beneath the veil covering her face had a unique charm different from usual.
“Is that so?”
“I hate it the most that Your Majesty can’t get enough rest.”
This was sincere. Leo III, who was in poor condition, gathered all the irritability he had and drew it out from his heart.
"Let others say what they want. It's not even true, so what's the big deal? Our Majesty isn't the type to care about such trivial matters."
The moment he heard the word 'care', a pressing issue that had been put on the back burner in Leo III's memory, faintly came to mind.
* Mark Twain, from Idiot Wilson.
"October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February."
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