Chapter Title: The Truth of Nobility
Adele watched from beginning to end as Cesare's face gradually lost all expression. It was strange. He was like a god made of sunlight, and for the first time, it felt as though he had revealed his human weaknesses. Adele didn't know which of her words had provoked him. Because of this, she had no choice but to keep her mouth shut. Soon Cesare chuckled as if nothing had happened.
"A gnome's pride."
*Who are you talking to?* Cesare turned, pulled a robe from the hanger, and draped it around Adele's shoulders.
"Do you like ribbons?" He asked the strange question while wrapping a belt around Adele's body. His slender fingers formed a ribbon knot. Surprisingly, he tied it better than Eponi. Cesare muttered, looking down at his handiwork.
"Hmm. I'm good at everything."
"……."
Adele stood still, unable to adjust to his sudden change in demeanor. Cesare had bound her arms in one motion, leaving her unable to do anything. He slipped on another gown and put his arm around Adele's shoulder.
"How's your foot?" Cesare guided her as he began to walk. Adele replied, startled.
"It's healed now, but…"
"Good."
"Hmm…" *So what exactly is happening right now?* Cesare led Adele out into the hallway without explanation. They walked down the quiet corridor until he opened the door to her room.
"Go on in." He grasped Adele by the shoulders with terribly gentle movements and pushed her into the room. Adele entered and looked back at him. Cesare was looking down at his feet, his hands in his pockets. It was as though he was watching the threshold, careful not to cross it by mistake.
"Master?" Even Adele, who rarely complained, couldn't help but ask. Cesare looked up. He had a light smile on his face.
"I'm going to cancel the offer."
Adele stared at him from a distance.
"You were going to pay me to have sex?"
Cesare let out a weak groan. "…Yes. I'll give you money, so let's have sex. That offer—it's cancelled."
Adele studied Cesare, then spoke. "I don't usually say this, but you're quite the scoundrel."
*He ruins people's moods as he pleases, and now he's going to pretend to be innocent.* Cesare smiled, looking unexpectedly apologetic.
"I didn't mean for it to turn out this way, but it did. I don't think it's enough, but I'll give you one of the things I offered before. Take it. That's better than a verbal apology."
"……."
Adele looked at him intently and nodded. She didn't really need anything, but she thought she might as well accept. She believed he was sincere, even if she didn't understand his intentions.
*I don't know what you're trying to do.* He was truly an infuriating man. Adele sighed softly. Cesare smiled faintly at the sight.
"Why don't you ask why?"
Adele fidgeted, trying to untie the ribbon that bound her arms. "Why the cancellation?"
She wasn't truly curious. *Perhaps his pride was wounded when he tried to follow through, or something like that.*
Cesare stood with his hands in his pockets and exhaled slowly. "I like Adele Bibi more than I thought."
Adele's fingers stilled. "……."
She slowly lifted her head to look at Cesare. The beautiful man with deep sea-blue hair did not avert his gaze. Adele's eyes were bright and unmoving. Presently, he let out a low laugh.
"But you can't feel the same."
---
When the news spread that Buonaparte was returning to Fornatier, high society grew restless. Everyone seemed to understand that the incident had been an unfortunate affair, but they were deeply disappointed that Cesare hadn't been able to socialize properly.
"There's less glamour without Cesare."
"I'm afraid he'll simply go back. There's a launching ceremony for the Adelaide soon—shall we attend?"
"It would be nice to prepare for the Carnivale early."
At the end of January, masked festivals were held throughout Fornatier. The nobility who opposed the government chose to follow Buonaparte back to Fornatier in anticipation of the Carnivale.
On the day of her departure, Luca della Valle came to visit.
"Miss Adelaide. May we speak for a moment?"
Adele looked back at Cesare for permission. Cesare furrowed his brows and laughed.
"You'd better not."
"But when I marry, we'll be family."
After a moment of silence, Cesare laughed and turned away. "Do as you wish."
Adele watched him leave to attend to his servants, then headed to the garden with Luca. Luca spoke without hesitation, still looking somewhat resentful and sad.
"Miss Adelaide. I know you must be disappointed in me. The security at the villa was lax, and you were badly injured."
It seemed he still believed Palmina was responsible rather than Lucrezia. Adele shook her head.
"My brother comforted me, and I'm fine now."
"Yes… Prince Cesare seems to be very special to you." Luca sighed and looked at Adele with gloomy eyes.
"But Miss Adelaide. May I ask something of you?"
"What is it?"
"Ezra is such a good young man. Noble and upright. He doesn't know anything about these matters. Why do you treat Ezra so coldly? He truly cares about you and will love you for the rest of his life."
A confession followed that Adele could not comprehend. Luca raised an eyebrow at her reaction.
"Didn't you hear from Prince Cesare?"
"I haven't heard anything."
"Ah." Luca's shoulders slumped as he continued.
"…This incident has made Prince Cesare very angry. He even threatened to oppose the marriage between you and Ezra. He told me he couldn't provide a dowry under these circumstances."
It was the beginning of a war. Adele was surprised for a moment, but then realized something was off. *There's no way Cesare would be concerned about saving money. He must have another purpose…*
"Miss Adelaide. What do you want me to do about this? Are you going to leave things as they are?"
Unlike Adele, Luca looked nervous. Adele stared blankly into his trembling mauve eyes and spoke.
"Is that really so important?"
"Of course it matters! How can you marry without a dowry? Have you forgotten that Ezra is a second son?"
"I haven't forgotten. However, the dowry is for my brother to decide…"
"So you're going to let it go? Miss Adelaide, marriage is a practical matter. Who but you will take care of Ezra?"
"……."
Adele stared at the swaying trees in the garden for a moment before she spoke. "It will be fine, won't it?"
Luca raised one eyebrow in puzzlement. Adele said with a slight smile.
"If I marry without a dowry, Lord Ezra will take care of me."
The expression instantly vanished from Luca's face. After a while, he spoke in a muffled voice.
"I had hoped you would hold Ezra in your heart. But it seems you don't wish to."
Adele smiled bitterly. *What is nobility?*
"Yes. That's what you wanted. I must hold Lord Ezra dear in my heart before I can bring him the wealth of Buonaparte."
Luca's expression hardened at once. Adele regarded his face calmly—full of resentment and bitterness. Suddenly, Cesare's words about Ezra being a hypocrite came to mind. She didn't know what Ezra was truly like, but his father was certainly cut from that cloth.
Then Luca said, stunned, "I don't understand why you say such things. Isn't it natural to seek wealth through noble marriages? Besides, you were raised as a commoner in the first place. Even if you carry Buonaparte blood, you must possess proper sincerity to marry Ezra."
---
At the entrance to a shabby building on Kimora Street, a blonde woman ran out, looking furious.
"You bastards! You're asking me to do something like that now?!"
Clarice Donati shouted toward the inside of the building. An executive from the gambling house shouted something fiercely in response, but she answered with a spit.
"Don't be ridiculous! You think I'm going to rot in this place for the rest of my life?!"
Clarice shook with rage and ran out into the street.
*I'm sick of it!*
She ran frantically in her wooden clogs. At some point, Kimora ended and a clean street emerged, but she didn't stop.
*Damn it!*
All she could think of was anger. Everything about Kimora was disgusting. The poverty. The dirt. The squalor. Why did she have to endure all of it?
Clarice stopped. She looked around with her vivid green eyes and saw many women far uglier than herself.
*Does it make sense that they get to wear things like that just because they were born into good families?*
Clarice looked down at her own clothes. It was a vulgar dress made of cheap fabric. Her face contorted.
*I'm going to live differently. I can't die of old age in a place like Kimora…*
Clarice looked around, her eyes glazed over.
*…What if someone fell in love with me and invited me into their home? Nobles keep plenty of mistresses.*
She wet her fingers with saliva and smoothed her hair behind her ears. Her coveted blonde locks were her pride. She walked the streets for a long time, hoping for a fairytale miracle to happen. But passersby either covered their noses and avoided her or frowned at her appearance—the frivolous dress, the wooden clogs. Someone muttered.
"She looks like she's from Kimora. Why is she here?"
"……."
Clarice's eyes burned. She bit her lip and looked around. Before she knew it, she was near Bellastella Street. She stared blankly at the gorgeous glass arcade but couldn't bring herself to enter. Instead, she hid in an alley.
*…This is a predicament… I hate this… Why am I…*
It was at that moment, as Clarice crouched down and gritted her teeth, that a carriage appeared at the mouth of the alley where she hid. Her mouth fell open at the majestic blue frame.
*Buonaparte's carriage!*
The beautiful carriage, which looked like something out of a fairy tale, stopped for a moment at the entrance to Bellastella Street—perhaps pausing to decide which shop to visit.
*Is it that princess who came up from the countryside?*
Clarice forgot her grief and crept closer to the carriage, peeking out. It was truly a magnificent carriage. What would it be like to live as a commoner and become the owner of such a carriage overnight?
*If I were given the chance, I could do well…*
The excitement of seeing the beautiful carriage soon turned to envy and jealousy. The faceless princess of Buonaparte felt as though she had taken Clarice's rightful place.
Then a blurry figure appeared in the carriage window. It was a woman with dark green hair. She looked out the window with a dazed expression and graceful movements, then disappeared back into the carriage. The wagon drove off.
Clarice, left behind, stared wide-eyed in shock, as though she had been struck on the head with a hammer.
"…Adele?"