Episode 543> Flowers Bloom for Only Ten Days
Upon hearing that no one had signed up for her breakfast meeting, Rubina froze in her tracks as if she were a pillar of salt. It seemed she was taking some time to process Deborah's words.
"That... what are you talking about ?"
Had Deborah been a competent lady-in-waiting, she would have clearly explained why this had happened. However, Rubina wasn't angry for no reason whenever she saw Deborah. Objectively speaking, Deborah was incompetent. Whether she was stupid, unwilling, slow, or if all of those were correct, she never produced a proper result on her own.
Rubina beat her chest in frustration, watching the stammering Deborah, then went out to look for the Marchioness of Ceppinelli. The facts Deborah failed to grasp were as follows. The news that the King's official mistress, Countess Isabella Contarini, had regained her beauty had spread throughout Taranto. Along with stories that the King looked at his new mistress with such love. And the backstory of why Rubina had rushed to take care of the court and come down to Taranto was also slowly leaking into high society.
"Are you saying the Principality of Manchike did not approve the marriage of Grand Duke Cesare and Princess Julia Helena?"
"Rhwy snatched it up in a hurry before the Princess returned home."
"Kidnapping... Ah, no."
Unconfirmed rumors also circulated that he said he could not marry his daughter to Grand Duke Cesare, who had no army.
"Didn't he refuse this because he said the Princess wasn't on the same 'level' as Grand Duke Cesare?"
"To think you're so bold for a small country! Hohohoho!"
Furthermore, rumors spread that Rubina had been isolated from the envoys of the Principality of Manchike. This referred to the fact that Viscountess Panamere's counterpart had been changed from the late Duchess Rubina to Lord Delpiano. To Etruscan high society, this was interpreted as meaning that even Leo III had given up on the marriage between Cesare and Princess Julia Helena.
"Then, regarding Rubina and the former Grand Duchess."
"It's become insignificant. Just the government. Exactly the same as before."
No, it was not the same as before. The Rubina of the past had the King's favor. Now, Isabella was in that place.
"Have you seen Countess Contarini recently?"
"No, I haven't seen her yet."
The people who met Isabella nearby were dignitaries who routinely received invitations to the royal palace. They wanted to boast about how magnificent the privileges they enjoyed were. Those who had witnessed Isabella in person spread rumors to those who had not been able to enter the sandstone palace, exaggerating the facts beyond reality.
"Good heavens, I've never seen such a beautiful woman in my life!"
"Her blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight, and her amethyst eyes shone like jewels. Even though I'm a woman myself, I thought I was being entranced."
The extent to which Leo III adored Isabella was also exaggerated, causing a stir in high society.
"Did you see that His Majesty bestowed 100 ducats of gold upon the government for the dress?"
"But His Majesty can at least take off her dress. Even the former Grand Duchess Rubina must have received that much at every meal back in their days."
"No, it's different! She even allowed a Moorish slave to sit with her."
"Did you see that slave with a sword at his waist? It has been a really long time since I've seen swords permitted in the royal court."
"It hasn't happened since His Majesty used to carry a sword in your youth."
"That's right. After Prince Alfonso's birth, Her Majesty Queen Marguerite requested that no one except the Royal Guard be allowed to carry a sword inside the palace because it was dangerous, and since then, no one has been able to do so."
That was also the reason Cesare carried a club instead of a sword. Even the King's beloved blood relative was not granted an exception to the ban on carrying bladed weapons. Of course, considering what that relative later did because of a single woman, it was indeed a wise decision. Although having command of the Royal Guard, he ultimately entered, wielding a sword. However, a mere slave of a concubine, not even a member of the Royal Guard, standing by the King's side, brandished a crescent-shaped blade.
"Really, has the tide turned?"
"It crossed over. I'm sure of it."
Backed by this public opinion, Isabella conspicuously held a breakfast meeting today at the same time as Rubina. And the ladies of high society flocked there in droves.
"Francesca!"
Bang! Grand Duchess Rubina burst into the room where the Marchioness Ceppinelli was staying. The Marchioness Ceppinelli, who had been lying on her side on the sofa, looking not very ill, was startled and stood up.
"Y-Your Ladyship, former Grand Duchess. How did you end up in such a shabby place?"
"What on earth is going on? What on earth is happening!"
Fortunately for Rubina, the Marchioness Ceppinelli was able to explain the situation to Rubina.
"So! Those traitors! They abandoned our breakfast meeting, and all flocked to that hateful Countess Contarini's gathering!"
Rubina trembled with anger.
"That wicked thing. She must have deliberately scheduled the breakfast meeting at the same time as me!"
"I think so too! Other than that, there is no reason for Countess Contarini to go out of her way to schedule a breakfast meeting!"
Ladies of high society usually preferred tea parties where they could wake up late, finish grooming at their leisure, and then meet. This was especially true the younger they were. Only those like Rubina, who had grown old and lost their ability to sleep in, would attempt to practice a 'miracle morning'.
While the late Grand Duchess Rubina vented all sorts of fantasies about how to torment Isabella to feel satisfied, the Marchioness Ceppinelli breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
'I signed up for that breakfast meeting too. Was it a stroke of genius that I couldn't go because my invitation was declined?'
***
However, not everyone acted as slyly as the Marchioness of Ceppinelli. There were those who, with sheer grit, did not even dare to go near Isabella's breakfast gatherings.
The Count of Rinaldi, to which Ariadne's friend Cornelia and her younger sister Miss Bedelia belonged, was one of them, and Bianca, the ruler of Taranto, also did not budge from her mansion. Princess Julia Helena was also one of those who remained unswept up in this storm. However, it could not be said that she was unaffected.
"Right now! Does! This! Make! Sense?!"
If Bianca and Princess Julia Helena had been in the same room, they probably would have gotten along well.
"Does it make any sense, in terms of common sense, that noble ladies are swarming there like that just because the King's mistress received a private treasury fund from the King?!"
Irene shook her head. It wasn't like she was taking her side just because she was a future mother-in-law.
"Close ties with the government? That's terrible!"
"...Princess. Is it all right for you to marry the government's son?"
Julia Helena's face instantly turned bright red, and she shouted.
"That is different from that!"
"What's so different about it..."
Irene ran her hands over her face.
"The late Grand Duchess Rubina met someone her own age when she was young, but Countess Contarini is over 40 years younger than His Majesty the King!"
"...There's going to be an 8 or 10-year difference there too, you know?"
"But still, comparing that to a 40-year difference?"
Julia Helena had to be honest. Reasons were subjective, but she simply could not comprehend the success of Isabella, whom she disliked and considered vulgar. Moreover, the reason the Princess criticized Isabella as a vulgar woman was, in fact, because she knew that Isabella was Cesare's former fiancée. Anger toward the person who had taken a piece of Cesare's past. Jealousy toward the woman who had received his love, a woman she did not know.
"I can't do this, I need to go get a dress fitted too."
The Princess rose from her seat indignantly. Today, Isabella had summoned the owner of the finest dressmaker in Taranto to the palace. She said she would choose a dress with the ladies who followed her, partly to gauge the discerning eye of the noble ladies.
"How dare you act so high and mighty with just 100 ducats?"
Julia Helena was a woman with 20,000 ducats in cash, whether that amounted to much or not. The monthly maintenance cost of the army was over 4,000 ducats. It was an enormous sum of money to spend without regard for tomorrow.
"Immediately! Call the same dressmaker, the jeweler, and even the general store owner!"
"My Lady!"
"Don't argue, do it right now!"
***
"Why is she suddenly doing things he never used to do?"
At the mention that Princess Julia Helena had called the same dressmaker as herself, Isabella smirked. It was clearly a mockery.
"No matter how many clothes she buys, the Princess can't become as beautiful as the Countess."
Barbara answered blankly. The content was flattering, but thanks to her nonchalant attitude, it seemed like a factual account. Isabella did not even reply to this. She didn't feel any better either. When you hear something obvious, you just accept it and move on.
"Let's just let that idiot go shop. What is the list of requests for an audience with me?"
Isabella was compiling a list of candidates for her lady-in-waiting. One might expect Barbara to feel threatened by this, but she remained completely unfazed. No one knew whether she had something to rely on or if she simply had no thoughts at all.
"Today, Countess Pinatelli, Viscountess Vanedetto, and Baroness Giordini have requested one-on-one audiences."
Among them, Baroness Giordini was sent by the Marchioness de Cappinelli to gauge the atmosphere. Viscountess de Vanedetto sensed that she could make a fortune. She threw her hat into the ring, intending to accumulate shares during the upward trend. Countess Pinatelli was the opposite. She did not believe Isabella's stock price would rise further, but she reluctantly requested an audience at the urging of her husband, who had a past friendship with Ippolito. However, except for Countess Pinatelli, no one satisfied Isabella
"Hmm, is that all? What about Guatieri?"
"There has been no word yet.
"What about Montefeltro?"
"There was no request for an audience."
"You rat-like old man!"
They flatter her face but hide their true loyalty when it is actually time to show it. Isabella wanted complete submission from others. If they did not submit voluntarily, she could simply overpower them by force.
"Maxima, you'd better sneak in now."
Isabella muttered to herself. Just then, a royal attendant approached from outside. He was the one responsible for delivering the King's orders or running errands for Isabella's quarters. However, it was not the familiar face she usually saw.
The unfamiliar attendant whispered something to Barbara, who had scurried out to greet him, then slipped a note into her hand and left. Barbara, who was nearly illiterate, blinked and passed the note to Isabella exactly as it was. The shock was entirely Isabella's to behold
"This crazy bastard...!"
"Why? What's wrong?"
Barbara asked blankly. Isabella answered roughly.
"You don't need to know!"
It was better not to know. There was absolutely no benefit in having more people know this. She asked urgently
"Do you know who the servant was who brought the note a moment ago?"
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