Chapter Title: The Fountain Incident
"…" Epony looked at Adèle with a sense of injustice. Adèle silently walked into the Spring Garden, surrounded by tall cypress trees. It was a very slow walk, of course.
"Don't your feet hurt?" Epony asked from behind. It seemed their conversation wasn't over. Why was she like this today?
"They hurt, but what's the big deal about a bit of foot damage? I don't have to sell my body, and I get meals every day."
"But…"
"Epony." Adèle said firmly.
"It's always easy to talk about someone else's problems from the other side of the river." The sound of footsteps following her stopped. Was she shocked? It didn't matter, as long as she stopped talking. Adèle was now struggling to maintain an "elegant" walk, breaking out in a cold sweat as just walking was painful. Just then, the narrow path widened, revealing a sculpted fountain. Adèle paused for a moment.
_Bercelli's 'Goddess of Spring'…_ It was a piece she had seen in books. And it was indeed as beautiful as the book described. But right now, the low steps around the fountain looked like a holy sanctuary to Adèle.
_I'll just sit down… and rest._ As Adèle took a deep breath and stepped forward again—
"…!" The toe of her shoe caught on a stone. Adèle, who had been almost dragging her feet, immediately fell.
"My lady!"
"Ugh…" Epony cried out in shock from behind and rushed over. Adèle barely managed to brace her fall with her hands, preventing her knees from being scraped, but the balance she had been maintaining shattered, and sweat poured down like a waterfall.
"I will help you up." Epony quickly supported Adèle under her arms. With Epony's assistance, Adèle managed to sit on the edge of the fountain.
"Let me check your feet." Epony knelt in front of Adèle, carefully lifted her dress, and touched her feet.
"…!" Just taking off the shoes sent a wave of pain up her spine, causing Adèle to grit her teeth unknowingly. Her exposed feet were a mess of burst blisters, pus, scabs, and blood, emitting a foul odor. Some areas were bruised, others were raw and red. Epony's face hardened.
"…You can't walk like this." Adèle's face also hardened.
"…Is there no anesthetic or something?"
"Are you in a lot of pain?"
"There are still lessons today. I think I can endure it during class."
"…" Epony's cheeks trembled for some unknown reason.
"…I'll get a wheelchair. Please wait here for a moment." Epony washed Adèle's feet in the fountain water and quickly disappeared down a small path, her face set with determination. Only the sound of birds remained after she left. Breathing in the calm and tranquil afternoon air, Adèle quietly brought her legs together. If asked if it hurt, of course it did. But even including this, life here was incomparable to her days in Kimora. Adèle was content with this. She didn't care if someone called her a dog or a pig. She didn't want to be hungry anymore, nor did she want to be sold to a brothel. _This is enough._ Just as Adèle was taking a deep breath and tilting her head back—
"They say 'The Heart of the Mermaid' will be revealed soon…"
"Along with other works by Angela…" Hearing distant voices, Adèle froze. With so many voices, it was obvious who was coming.
_Cesare!_ She wanted to scream. She had deliberately delayed her walk, but it seemed he had chosen this time for his walk as well. Adèle quickly looked at herself. Though her feet were washed, they were a mess, and her skirt was dirty from the fall. Meeting Cesare like this? She felt a chill run down her spine, wanting to disappear. In that moment of desperation, she had no choice. She hurriedly moved into the fountain, hiding behind the tall statue. Just as she hid behind it, a group of people appeared as if on cue.
"By the way, Miss Lucrezia isn't here. I thought she'd come as Lord Cesare's partner."
"Didn't you know? The Duke of Della Valle ordered her to stay put."
"That should be over soon, right?" Adèle, crouching and holding her breath, peeked out slightly. The marble statue was large enough to hide her completely. As they neared the fountain, the group admired 'The Goddess of Spring' and seemed to be walking away.
_Are they gone…?_ Adèle, who hadn't been able to breathe properly, slightly peeked out.
"Look at this!"
"…!" A man suddenly appeared. He had approached silently, catching her off guard.
"I wondered why there were shoes lying around. Hey! Everyone, look! I caught a mermaid at Bonaparte!" Before Adèle could react, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her.
"Ugh…" Her feet protested in pain, and her knees buckled. In an instant, Adèle fell into the fountain water with a loud splash.
"Henry, come on! That's too much!"
"Hey? It wasn't me! She fell on her own!" _Bastards…_ Adèle, who had hit her knees on the fountain floor, barely stifled a groan. She managed to pull herself up by gripping the edge of the fountain.
"Cough, cough…" Water that had entered her nose and mouth came out as a cough. Her hands and feet were trembling. As she wiped her tears and pushed back her wet hair, she noticed something strange.
"…?" Lifting her head, she saw the shadows of men beyond her water-streaked vision. All of them were looking down at her with odd expressions. To be precise, at her wet face and body.
"…!" Adèle quickly tried to cover herself, but the man was faster.
"Oh, oh! Hey. Who said you could move?" The closest man, the first to discover her, grabbed her wrist like lightning.
"You're not a noble lady or young miss, are you?" The man grinned. He had already checked her bare feet.
"You have good clothes for a maid. Who are you? I've never heard of Cesare bringing a woman." The man's mouth curled into a mischievous smile. His slicked-back hair, with a few strands left down, matched his sly tone. But he must be a noble. Someone who knew Cesare. Adèle was trembling, unable to speak. She didn't know what to do.
"Not talking? You'll be punished if you don't talk. Or do you want to be punished? Haha!"
"Ugh…!" The man pulled her arm again. Adèle was dragged and leaned against the edge of the fountain. Her chest became more exposed. Some men tilted their heads to get a better view. _Bastards._ Adèle bit her lip, trying to shake off his hand, but her arm didn't budge. Meanwhile, Adèle saw the skirts of the ladies through the men surrounding her. But they were leaving, like a flock of birds moving to a new habitat, upon seeing the commotion.
"…" _Yeah. I hadn't expected anything from the start._ Some men approached closer, while others stepped back.
"Henry, stop. This is Bonaparte."
"So what?" Maybe it was a sore spot. Henry's voice grew harsh.
"Am I supposed to be afraid of Bonaparte's guards even for touching a maid? Do they think they're kings?" Someone spoke up, sensing the tension.
"Henry, you're too excited."
"And, doesn't she look familiar?"
"You thought so too? I had the same feeling…"
"What are you talking about?" Henry shouted irritably and grabbed Adèle's chin roughly.
"Hey, are you a noble? No, right? Obviously not! Would a lady be hiding barefoot in a fountain?" He shook her head back and forth, then lifted her hand.
"Look. Her hands are rough!" Her slender, white hands, though marked with scars, dangled as he pulled.
"She doesn't have a lady's hands…" Someone commented, looking her up and down again. There was a sound of someone licking their lips.