<Episode 562> I Can Pay Any Price
"Dolphins? Do dolphins come to the sea here?"
Julia Helena asked with wide eyes. In fact, dolphins appeared off the coast of Taranto every winter. The dolphin, the symbol of the de Mare family, also originated from the dolphins of Taranto that the deceased Lucrezia had seen in her hometown.
"Of course. In winter in Taranto, you can see dolphins, the symbol of good luck."
She added.
"If you're lucky."
And Rubina lowered her voice and whispered as if telling a secret.
"There is a superstition in Taranto that if you make a wish while seeing winter dolphins, it will definitely come true."
"Ah."
The Princess's face brightened. Conversely, Viscount Panamere's expression contorted as it was obvious what wish the Princess would make.
'Well, just because you wish for something doesn't necessarily mean it will come true.'
If wishes came true just by making them, Viscount Panamere would have long since returned to his hometown in Manchike, eating his mother's cooking and sleeping in his own bed. In contrast to the level-headed Irene, Rubina, who was obsessed with superstition and fortune-telling, would make sure to sail the waters near Taranto every winter to see dolphins and make a wish.
"You'll be disappointed if you don't see the dolphins, won't you?"
The former Grand Duchess urged the party along the coastline to the pier. Viscount Panamere supported Julia Helena, who was staggering on the sand in her high heels. Rubina put the entire party on a prepared cruise ship. It was a luxurious vessel, a converted sailing ship designed to allow passengers to comfortably view the sea.
"But don't worry, Princess. Even if we don't see any dolphins today, there is an island about two hours away by boat that will ensure tourists who came back empty-handed won't feel sad."
Cesare let out a short sound, 'Ah'. There was a special island off the coast of Taranto. Rubina gave an order to Cesare.
"It seems like you know, so explain it to Her Highness."
He began to explain more obediently than expected.
"South of Taranto..."
To Cesare, the act of defiance he had committed on the late-night walk was trivial yet significant. Normally, Rubina would have chased after him in a rush, nagged him relentlessly, and made a huge fuss before finally letting him sleep; however, yesterday, she merely visited the villa, spoke with Julia Helena, and left immediately.
Whether out of hurt feelings or a desire to punish her son, she did not even glance at Cesare.
It was the first time Rubina had acted this way. One might expect him to savor his sense of victory, but ironically, as soon as Cesare woke from the refreshing sleep he had enjoyed for the first time in a long while, he began to be plagued by an inexplicable sense of guilt.
'Could it be that my mother is truly disappointed in me? It was her lifelong wish for me to be recognized as a legitimate son, not just an illegitimate one; was it really necessary to smash that dream to her face like that?'
Thoughts followed one after another. There was absolutely no need for it, but it was a chain reaction that was difficult to break.
'I just needed to answer nicely and stall for time like before until Princess Manchike was summoned back to her homeland.'
There is truly no one left for his Mother other than him. After all, Leo III was never a trustworthy opponent.
"I'm the most pitiful one!"
His mother's twisted scream kept ringing in his ears.
It was also because of this sticky guilt that Cesare responded to the sudden summons to come to the picnic, taking the Princess today.
"...There is an island shaped like a dolphin."
The Princess, unaware of anything, looked up at Cesare with sparkling eyes.
"What? An island shaped like a dolphin?"
"It seems Mother prepared a boat with a high hull to go see that island."
An innocent fool. A pitiful child. In the midst of that, Rubina smiled incredibly affectionately.
"Oh, my Grand Duke. How do you understand a mother's heart so well?"
Their destination was a small uninhabited island with the grandiose name of II Liberta Mondo, but everyone called it 'Dolphin Island'. This was because, when viewed from high up, the entire island resembled the shape of a flopping dolphin.
A couple of buildings were clustered in the center of the island as relics of the time when people lived there, but that was all in the past. Now, even the fishermen had moved to the mainland of Taranto, and no one remained.
Cesare ignored his mother and continued his explanation.
"They say that even if you are unlucky and cannot see a pod of dolphins, if you look at Dolphin Island and make a wish, it will come true."
Rubina, possessing an indomitable will, laughed and intervened, unconcerned by her son's indifference.
"But you have to be careful. The wishes on Dolphin Island are nasty."
Julia Helena's already round eyes became even rounder.
"Huh? How nasty is it?"
"He tends to grant wishes... however he pleases."
The story passed down along with the wishes of Dolphin Island was similar to the legend of the Monkey's Paw. While it was certain that wishes would be granted, they were not always fulfilled in a way that was beneficial to the person making the wish.
The ghost story attached to Dolphin Island went as follows: A low-ranking nobleman from a nearby village wished to 'own a villa in his hometown' so he could visit his parents often. When his parents suddenly passed away, he inherited their estate.
Upon hearing this, his neighbor confidently stepped forward, claiming he could do a better job. He made a wish to Dolphin Island, saying, 'I want to own a villa in my hometown so I can visit my parents often.'
Consequently, a massive fire broke out in his hometown village, and a tree struck by lightning fell upon the village, the neighbor, and the neighbor's parents, who became paralyzed on one side of their bodies.
The neighbor eventually bought the now-empty house cheaply, moved in, and cared for his paralyzed parents. This was the ghost story of Dolphin Island.
"So you have to be specific, very specific."
Rubina did not tell Julia Helena that she should not make a wish on Dolphin Island. Nor did she explain the details. She merely instructed her to make a wish properly.
Part of the responsibility for this lay with Rubina's character, as she felt no need to look after the safety of Princess Julia Helena, whom she was merely using. However, it was also an action that accurately reflected her psychological state.
Rubina wanted to place Cesare on the throne by any means necessary. By any means necessary, and regardless of the cost.
Even if the flags of foreign enemies fluttered over the ruined castle walls, she desperately wanted to see the throne of the Etruscan Kingdom in her son's hands.
"Alright, let's go."
Grand Duchess Rubina smiled sociably, gestured to the captain with her chin, and raised the ship's anchor. Her unspeakable deed was about to begin.
***
The party did not see any dolphins. Whether fortunate or unfortunate, they did not encounter the Aceretto pirates, who were said to be rampant along the coast. They simply cruised along, gliding in the tailwind. Rubina comforted the disappointed Princess.
"Unless you are very lucky, you won't see any. You just have to accept that not seeing them is normal. I come here every year, but it's been about five years since I last saw a dolphin."
In the year Rubina last saw a dolphin, Cesare became the King's nephew.
From Rubina's perspective, the dolphins of Taranto were a highly reliable indicator.
'I was going to pray today to make Cesare King.'
She did not go out of her way to wish for marriage to Julia Helena. This was because she would make it happen with her own hands without having to make a wish.
"Shall we have a simple late breakfast on the boat?"
They decided to have a grand barbecue on the beach for lunch. So, breakfast was a simple sandwich.
Julia Helena stood on the deck and gazed intently at Cesare, whose reddish-brown hair was fluttering in the sea breeze.
"Aren't you cold, Grand Duke?"
Even though the winters in Taranto are mild, men usually wear fur-lined cloaks when engaging in outdoor activities for a long time. However, Cesare was dressed in a simple coat today.
"...It's okay."
It was his own form of atonement for his mother. Thick fur didn't look good on him, after all.
He had to look handsome. Cesare fully understood why this gathering had been arranged and was willing to cooperate to the extent of bringing out the full potential of his appearance.
However, he had absolutely no intention of pouncing on the Princess as she wished, nor of getting close to her or instilling any hope in her.
Yet, whispering to her to return to Manchike would have been a betrayal of his mother, leaving him in a dilemma.
"Hmm."
'It must be cold,' thought Julia Helena as she rested her chin on the railing and watched Cesare.
It was the perfect position to get hurt if the waves crashed hard. However, Cesare went inside without warning her.
"Oh no!"
Sure enough, a large wave caused Julia Helena to hit her lip against the railing, slightly tearing it. Having learned a painful lesson, she rubbed her teary eyes with her sleeve and returned to the cabin.
Fortunately, the voyage was not as long as expected. The cruise ship arrived at Dolphin Island in the early afternoon. The boat circled the island once so that the passengers could get a good view of it.
"Would you like to climb the mast?"
The four guests of honor, including the princess, namely Princess Julia Helena, Grand Duke Cesare, former Grand Duchess Rubina, and Viscount Panamere, climbed up to the soup-bowl-shaped Top Castle located at the top of the highest sail with the help of the ship's captain.
It was originally a place designed for a watchman to keep watch.
"Wow!"
Princess Julia Helena marveled brightly at the shape of the island seen from high above. Irene, who had a slight fear of heights, was dying beside her, but she had no time to pay attention to her as she was engrossed in looking at the fascinating sight.
"It looks exactly like a real dolphin!"
It went beyond merely resembling a dolphin; it looked exactly like one, to the point where you could believe the dorsal fin and tail had been intentionally fabricated and attached. Rubina smiled and offered it.
"Make a wish."
Irene glared at Julia Helena with a look of utter disgust. Irene hated superstitions and was the kind of person who would refuse a wish granted in a twisted way, even if offered billions of dollars.
However, the Princess once again ignored Viscount Panamere and made a wish with intense concentration
"Please let me marry Grand Duke Cesare."
And then, realizing belatedly that the wish on Dolphin Island was mischievous, she added...
'With both of us deeply in love.'
Cesare simply gazed silently at Dolphin Island. However, even he quietly made a wish.
'I hope to be free before the end of this year.'
It didn't matter what the cost was.
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