Viscountess Vanedetto asked. Sir Delpiano wiggled his toes at her dryness. The lack of any reprimand made it all the more frightening.
“What reputation would I gain by sending my child to Countess Contarini?”
The Countess believed her daughter was vulnerable to temptation. She was the perfect child to fall prey to the wrong kind of company.
“Does everyone have the same reputation just because they’re together? If only you would be more careful with your conduct...”
“If you get stuck there and have any strange thoughts, that is the biggest failure.”
It was a very cool-headed assessment of the situation. But even Viscountess Vanedetto didn't know everything about her own children.
In fact, in this life, Viscountess Vanedetto had already flirted with Cesare, then Count de Como, without her mother's knowledge. This was before Isabella's time.
When Cesare taunted Isabella, who was demanding that he take responsibility, by saying, "If all the women I've slept with become Duchesses, you'll have to take a number and wait fifty years," the Viscountess Vanedetto was standing far ahead of Isabella.
And the fact that Viscountess Vanedetto's daughter did not confess to her mother that she had slept with Grand Duke Cesare suggests that she was not as innocent as her mother thought.
She knew that going home and crying and complaining would only lead to a scolding, and that this wasn't something her parents could resolve. She quickly learned her place. Deciding to keep quiet was at least a few times wiser than Isabella's.
Viscountess Vanedetto, who underestimated her daughter's abilities, was cynical.
“Even if she were to stay by Countess Contarini’s side now, who else would she meet every day besides His Majesty the King, the Marquis Baldessar, and Count Marquez? They’re all married men.”
Leo III wasn't strictly speaking married. However, at the stage of seeking Isabella's maid, he couldn't bring himself to suggest that His Majesty the King also include him in the list of targets and urge him to oust Isabella and seize the new power.
“...”
Sir Delpiano, with nothing left to say, closed his mouth. At this point, he no longer had the energy to actively defend Isabella.
As she spoke, Viscountess Vanedetto noticed Sir Delpiano. He was old, and his title was not very high. But he was still a bachelor, and he was one of the King's closest confidants...
Sir Delpiano, sensing curiosity in the Viscountess's gaze, immediately stood up.
“You have no thoughts!”
The Viscountess Vanedetto was a dangerous woman. Sir Delpiano, now in his forties, had come to understand himself. He was a man vulnerable to temptation. He didn't want to be swayed by the daughter of a dangerous Viscount.
He had no obligation to put himself on the line to find a maid for Isabella.
“No, unless you absolutely have to answer right now...”
“Yes! I’ll go! Have a nice day!”
He quickly ran out the front gate of the Viscount's house.
Sir Delpiano stood in front of Isabella's carriage and bowed his head.
“...Yes. For that reason. I haven’t found anyone suitable yet.”
Isabella didn't even get out of her carriage, just opened the door and sat on the high seat, wiggling her toes.
“How incompetent must you be to do that?”
“...”
Sir Delpiano secretly praised himself for returning immediately without furthering the conversation with Viscountess Vanedetto. Isabella certainly wasn't someone he'd want to risk his life for.
It's not easy to be completely dissatisfied with such a beautiful woman right in front of you. But Isabella persevered.
"Being a court lady is a position that all the noble ladies in high society aspire to! Why on earth can't I get one?"
Isabella was so furious that white cotton fluttered in her breath. But Sir Delpiano had served Leo III too long to be frightened by such things.
Instead of saying, "I'm sorry," he gave a difficult answer that was both indifferent and meaningful.
“...That’s right.”
That's because you're notorious, you punk.
Although he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, the meaning was roughly conveyed through nonverbal expressions.
Isabella's cotton swab trembled. Fortunately, the cotton swab obscured her distorted expression.
Isabella was plagued by shame each time Sir Delpiano reported that he had failed to secure a maid once again.
'Why don't you want to be with me?'
Naturally, it was a matter of her reputation. However, Isabella couldn't tolerate this moment of indirectly experiencing her own bad reputation.
'That's ridiculous.'
She was a dork. It wasn't about her reputation. It was all because Rubina, that pesky human, had sabotaged her, and Ariadne, that cute little thing born by a god's mistake, had spread false rumors about her.
Rubina, Ariadne, Clemente, Leticia, Julia, and Camelia were all jealous of her.
Yes, it's jealousy. Jealousy and envy aren't just for women. That damned Delpiano was deliberately sabotaging himself.
The whole world hated her for no reason. Isabella decided not to accept that reality.
“Don’t be lazy on purpose, don’t go around talking about being a Baron or a swindler, just bring someone who looks good to everyone in one go!”
“...”
“I want to be the daughter of a respectable noble family, witty, intelligent, and somewhat attractive. Yes?”
Isabella quickly recited her demands as if she were reciting the terms of a contract, and then slammed the carriage door shut.
“I feel dirty. It’s annoying, really!”
Her outburst echoed outside the carriage. Like someone who believes she'll win if she gets the last word, she added a final, unpleasant remark before leaving. She left the truly unpleasant person standing right outside the carriage door.
The southern journey of the court of de Carlo was a rather satisfying one for Rubina. Leo III, complaining of back pain, refused to leave his carriage. In a mountain without tigers, the fox was King.
Rubina, who was enjoying the road down to Taranto like a Queen, even received an unexpected guest during her trip.
“What brings you here?”
She covered her face with an ornate decorative fan. She should have been dressed up to meet him, but she was dressed relatively comfortably.
She didn't know that this person would go straight to Taranto and that he would go out of his way to find the royal carriage heading south and join it.
“I heard you were in a lot of pain.”
The person who appeared to meet with Rubina, the Grand Duchess, was none other than the Marquis Guatieri.
The Marquis of Guatieri had been absent from the capital's social scene for a long time. Shortly after Unaisola became a municipality, he collapsed with chest pains. He left San Carlo and went to his estate to recuperate.
"His Majesty always stops by our castle before you depart for Taranto. Why are you heading to the center again this time?"
The Marquis of Guatieri, the Eastern Lord, should actually have been called the Southern Lord. His territory, with its capital on the eastern coast, formed a complete band from east to west.
With a large port in the east and a large port in the west, the tax revenue was abundant and the territory prospered, so although he was a Marquis, he enjoyed power that was comparable to that of a Duke.
...That was until Unaisola, which had emerged as a new commercial port, was taken over by the Merchant Alliance, and the port he had originally owned was reduced to a dock with a few fishing boats tied up.
"The royal family's trip to Taranto was delayed this year, wasn't it? They wanted to get there as soon as possible."
The former Grand Duchess had the authority to decide where the courtiers and guests would be accommodated in the Taranto villa. Rubina wanted to arrive in Taranto quickly, put Cesare and Julia Helena in one room, and lock the door.
A good way to make eye contact while traveling was not easy because of her son's lack of cooperation.
“I thought the Grand Duchess didn’t want to see Guatieri anymore, so you didn’t come to our castle!”
The loss of Unaisola played a major role in the Marquis Guatieri's excessive flattery.
No one said anything to him, but ever since Unaisola was taken away from him, he suffered from a sense of victimization, thinking that other important people, such as those in power, people of good blood, and other respectable and prominent people, would look down on him.
Rubina replied kindly.
"Why would I not want to see the Marquis? You haven't come up to the capital since the news of your collapse, so I thought you were seriously ill."
“I didn’t know that the Grand Duchess was keeping track of my news that much...”
It was a scene where people who had no interest in each other were affectionately and earnestly checking in on each other's well-being. Their words flowed smoothly, as if they had been lubricated, without even a drop of saliva on their lips.
"I should be looking after the Marquis, not who else. I can't ask a sick person to entertain guests, can I?"
However, even if it was just lip service, the gentle response from the Grand Duchess Rubina significantly eased the Marquis Guatieri's anxiety. He felt elated and flattered a little more than he had planned.
“I was very sick, but when I heard that the Grand Duchess was passing by, I felt completely better!”
As he spoke, the Marquis de Guatieri's face was gleaming with oil. He seemed a far cry from the common rumor that he'd been hit by the wind.
Rubina looked the Marquis Guatieri up and down to find out what he was thinking, but the chubby Marquis simply smiled cutely, lifting his skewer-shaped mustache.
Of course, the Marquis Guatieri didn't really want to see Rubina when he followed the royal family on their trip south.
'I should probably return to the palace soon.'
“What reputation would I gain by sending my child to Countess Contarini?”
The Countess believed her daughter was vulnerable to temptation. She was the perfect child to fall prey to the wrong kind of company.
“Does everyone have the same reputation just because they’re together? If only you would be more careful with your conduct...”
“If you get stuck there and have any strange thoughts, that is the biggest failure.”
It was a very cool-headed assessment of the situation. But even Viscountess Vanedetto didn't know everything about her own children.
In fact, in this life, Viscountess Vanedetto had already flirted with Cesare, then Count de Como, without her mother's knowledge. This was before Isabella's time.
When Cesare taunted Isabella, who was demanding that he take responsibility, by saying, "If all the women I've slept with become Duchesses, you'll have to take a number and wait fifty years," the Viscountess Vanedetto was standing far ahead of Isabella.
And the fact that Viscountess Vanedetto's daughter did not confess to her mother that she had slept with Grand Duke Cesare suggests that she was not as innocent as her mother thought.
She knew that going home and crying and complaining would only lead to a scolding, and that this wasn't something her parents could resolve. She quickly learned her place. Deciding to keep quiet was at least a few times wiser than Isabella's.
Viscountess Vanedetto, who underestimated her daughter's abilities, was cynical.
“Even if she were to stay by Countess Contarini’s side now, who else would she meet every day besides His Majesty the King, the Marquis Baldessar, and Count Marquez? They’re all married men.”
Leo III wasn't strictly speaking married. However, at the stage of seeking Isabella's maid, he couldn't bring himself to suggest that His Majesty the King also include him in the list of targets and urge him to oust Isabella and seize the new power.
“...”
Sir Delpiano, with nothing left to say, closed his mouth. At this point, he no longer had the energy to actively defend Isabella.
As she spoke, Viscountess Vanedetto noticed Sir Delpiano. He was old, and his title was not very high. But he was still a bachelor, and he was one of the King's closest confidants...
Sir Delpiano, sensing curiosity in the Viscountess's gaze, immediately stood up.
“You have no thoughts!”
The Viscountess Vanedetto was a dangerous woman. Sir Delpiano, now in his forties, had come to understand himself. He was a man vulnerable to temptation. He didn't want to be swayed by the daughter of a dangerous Viscount.
He had no obligation to put himself on the line to find a maid for Isabella.
“No, unless you absolutely have to answer right now...”
“Yes! I’ll go! Have a nice day!”
He quickly ran out the front gate of the Viscount's house.
***
Sir Delpiano stood in front of Isabella's carriage and bowed his head.
“...Yes. For that reason. I haven’t found anyone suitable yet.”
Isabella didn't even get out of her carriage, just opened the door and sat on the high seat, wiggling her toes.
“How incompetent must you be to do that?”
“...”
Sir Delpiano secretly praised himself for returning immediately without furthering the conversation with Viscountess Vanedetto. Isabella certainly wasn't someone he'd want to risk his life for.
It's not easy to be completely dissatisfied with such a beautiful woman right in front of you. But Isabella persevered.
"Being a court lady is a position that all the noble ladies in high society aspire to! Why on earth can't I get one?"
Isabella was so furious that white cotton fluttered in her breath. But Sir Delpiano had served Leo III too long to be frightened by such things.
Instead of saying, "I'm sorry," he gave a difficult answer that was both indifferent and meaningful.
“...That’s right.”
That's because you're notorious, you punk.
Although he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, the meaning was roughly conveyed through nonverbal expressions.
Isabella's cotton swab trembled. Fortunately, the cotton swab obscured her distorted expression.
Isabella was plagued by shame each time Sir Delpiano reported that he had failed to secure a maid once again.
'Why don't you want to be with me?'
Naturally, it was a matter of her reputation. However, Isabella couldn't tolerate this moment of indirectly experiencing her own bad reputation.
'That's ridiculous.'
She was a dork. It wasn't about her reputation. It was all because Rubina, that pesky human, had sabotaged her, and Ariadne, that cute little thing born by a god's mistake, had spread false rumors about her.
Rubina, Ariadne, Clemente, Leticia, Julia, and Camelia were all jealous of her.
Yes, it's jealousy. Jealousy and envy aren't just for women. That damned Delpiano was deliberately sabotaging himself.
The whole world hated her for no reason. Isabella decided not to accept that reality.
“Don’t be lazy on purpose, don’t go around talking about being a Baron or a swindler, just bring someone who looks good to everyone in one go!”
“...”
“I want to be the daughter of a respectable noble family, witty, intelligent, and somewhat attractive. Yes?”
Isabella quickly recited her demands as if she were reciting the terms of a contract, and then slammed the carriage door shut.
“I feel dirty. It’s annoying, really!”
Her outburst echoed outside the carriage. Like someone who believes she'll win if she gets the last word, she added a final, unpleasant remark before leaving. She left the truly unpleasant person standing right outside the carriage door.
***
The southern journey of the court of de Carlo was a rather satisfying one for Rubina. Leo III, complaining of back pain, refused to leave his carriage. In a mountain without tigers, the fox was King.
Rubina, who was enjoying the road down to Taranto like a Queen, even received an unexpected guest during her trip.
“What brings you here?”
She covered her face with an ornate decorative fan. She should have been dressed up to meet him, but she was dressed relatively comfortably.
She didn't know that this person would go straight to Taranto and that he would go out of his way to find the royal carriage heading south and join it.
“I heard you were in a lot of pain.”
The person who appeared to meet with Rubina, the Grand Duchess, was none other than the Marquis Guatieri.
The Marquis of Guatieri had been absent from the capital's social scene for a long time. Shortly after Unaisola became a municipality, he collapsed with chest pains. He left San Carlo and went to his estate to recuperate.
"His Majesty always stops by our castle before you depart for Taranto. Why are you heading to the center again this time?"
The Marquis of Guatieri, the Eastern Lord, should actually have been called the Southern Lord. His territory, with its capital on the eastern coast, formed a complete band from east to west.
With a large port in the east and a large port in the west, the tax revenue was abundant and the territory prospered, so although he was a Marquis, he enjoyed power that was comparable to that of a Duke.
...That was until Unaisola, which had emerged as a new commercial port, was taken over by the Merchant Alliance, and the port he had originally owned was reduced to a dock with a few fishing boats tied up.
"The royal family's trip to Taranto was delayed this year, wasn't it? They wanted to get there as soon as possible."
The former Grand Duchess had the authority to decide where the courtiers and guests would be accommodated in the Taranto villa. Rubina wanted to arrive in Taranto quickly, put Cesare and Julia Helena in one room, and lock the door.
A good way to make eye contact while traveling was not easy because of her son's lack of cooperation.
“I thought the Grand Duchess didn’t want to see Guatieri anymore, so you didn’t come to our castle!”
The loss of Unaisola played a major role in the Marquis Guatieri's excessive flattery.
No one said anything to him, but ever since Unaisola was taken away from him, he suffered from a sense of victimization, thinking that other important people, such as those in power, people of good blood, and other respectable and prominent people, would look down on him.
Rubina replied kindly.
"Why would I not want to see the Marquis? You haven't come up to the capital since the news of your collapse, so I thought you were seriously ill."
“I didn’t know that the Grand Duchess was keeping track of my news that much...”
It was a scene where people who had no interest in each other were affectionately and earnestly checking in on each other's well-being. Their words flowed smoothly, as if they had been lubricated, without even a drop of saliva on their lips.
"I should be looking after the Marquis, not who else. I can't ask a sick person to entertain guests, can I?"
However, even if it was just lip service, the gentle response from the Grand Duchess Rubina significantly eased the Marquis Guatieri's anxiety. He felt elated and flattered a little more than he had planned.
“I was very sick, but when I heard that the Grand Duchess was passing by, I felt completely better!”
As he spoke, the Marquis de Guatieri's face was gleaming with oil. He seemed a far cry from the common rumor that he'd been hit by the wind.
Rubina looked the Marquis Guatieri up and down to find out what he was thinking, but the chubby Marquis simply smiled cutely, lifting his skewer-shaped mustache.
Of course, the Marquis Guatieri didn't really want to see Rubina when he followed the royal family on their trip south.
'I should probably return to the palace soon.'
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