Chapter Title: Lessons Resume
When their cheeks touched, Adèle's skin smelled. It wasn't fishy at all. It was an odd, suffocating scent. Perhaps it was a bit exciting then.
"Damn." Cesare frowned, pressing his eyebrows with the hand holding the cigar.
"You're just a crippled shoe shiner." It was an indescribable situation otherwise. Not the face or body, but the feet. Her feet were like beautifully shaped fish tails. They looked tempting to touch, but their condition was unusual. Covered in blood and pus, peeled, swollen, bluish and reddish. It wasn't the ruthless Flavia who was tough—it was Adèle. Tough and foolish. I admired the spirit that dared to mock the head of Bonaparte, but today it seemed she had simply lost her mind.
"…I said let go!" With those words, crude men were drooling around her, hoping she'd back off with such a statement. It was almost provocative. If she had cursed or invoked Bonaparte's name, it might have been different. I remembered the looks they gave Adèle. They all seemed half-crazed. If I hadn't intervened, they might have done something insane as a group. Afterward, the one with the dirtiest habits would have taken her. It sounds mad, but Adèle had that kind of allure. She effortlessly stirred a man's primal desires. That was why she was brought in the first place. If I felt this way, Ezra would be finished the moment they met.
"His expression will be worth seeing." It pleased me to think of that gentleman panting over a shoe shiner. Cesare lightly set down the cigar. It was time to clean up for the sake of that scene.
---
Four days later, Adèle's lessons resumed. Flavia headed to the Long Gallery of the inner palace with a reluctant heart.
"Madam, I don't mind educating the unwanted, but I hope it doesn't become a nuisance to me." Cesare had said that with a smile, as if he found it amusing. He added, seeing Flavia's tension:
"You're wise, so you understand well. The lessons are suspended for three days." It was fortunate it ended there. The head of Bonaparte, who knew that being loved by people was his destiny, was relentless about anything that annoyed him.
_That shoe shiner… I made her practice excessively, but she should have feigned illness._ This way, it was just me who got on Cesare's bad side. Originally, I had planned to blame Adèle's laziness and argue she couldn't stay at Bonaparte. Walking through the corridor from the outer palace to the inner palace, Flavia frowned even more.
_She must have intentionally overworked her feet to look like that so I would be blamed._ A cunning and sly woman. Pretending to be innocent, asking for warm meals and a bed. The bigger issue was the rumors spreading through the social circles. Someone had witnessed the incident in the pine garden and started spreading it. The gist of the rumor was that "Cesare Bonaparte had finally fallen in love for real and was hiding a woman in the inner palace."
_Absurd!_ Even Henry Fetch, known for being unaware of galanterie, got involved. He was said to have tried to touch "Cesare's woman" and been severely punished. The fact that Bonaparte had withdrawn the huge business funds he lent to several families, including the Fetches, four days ago added fuel to the rumor. The social circles of Fornatie were now ablaze with Bonaparte's love affairs.
"Once the delegation from Orqueenia leaves, we'll announce Adelaide's existence, and things will quiet down," Cesare said. But Flavia still wasn't pleased with the situation. _Shoe shiner stains on the name Bonaparte, served by the Loredan family for generations!_ Cesare was a masterpiece of Bonaparte. Even the slight issue of his parents abandoning him seemed like the sea goddess's arrangement to make him stronger and sharper. Thus, his name must remain untarnished.
"Why marry? It's enjoyable enough now." The issue was Cesare's skeptical view of marriage due to that ordeal.
_The elder lord was right about mentioning the promise to get him married._ And the cheeky shoe shiner should be kicked out soon. Flavia thought this as she opened the door of the Long Gallery.
"Goddess's peace. Are you well, madam?" Adèle and Epony greeted her as she entered.
"…" Seeing Adèle for the first time in four days, Flavia was startled, her previous thoughts vanishing completely. It had only been three days, yet Adèle had become noticeably more beautiful. Her once-hollow cheeks had begun to fill, making her well-defined features shine. Adèle's face had no so-called "charming" features like double eyelids, teardrop moles, tear bags, mischievous cat-like eyes, or dimples. Yet the sophisticated shape and balance of her eyes, nose, and mouth turned all those unremarkable traits into flawless beauty. If it were artificial beauty, it would be different. Wearing a navy blue taffeta dress, Adèle stood quietly, exuding an inexplicable, androgynous and seductive atmosphere. In Fornatie, they called it "moisture." A moist face, like a mythical mermaid luring sailors.
"…"
"Madam?"
"…Goddess's peace." At Flavia's belated greeting, Adèle nodded indifferently. Flavia wandered through the center of the gallery, glancing at Adèle. Though she said nothing, the shoe shiner's mood was more subdued than usual. If that were all, it wouldn't be a problem. But the subdued atmosphere somehow drew attention. _If an old woman like me feels this way, what about others?_ Feeling anxious, Flavia shouted.
"I heard the story! You showed your wet body and bare feet to gentlemen! If you had stayed quietly in the inner palace, that wouldn't have happened!" Adèle's eyes widened slightly. Then she lowered her head with dry eyes.
"I'm sorry, madam."
"I told you to correct your walk, not to exhaust your feet foolishly!"
"I'm sorry, madam."
"Your insincere response!"
"…" Adèle remained silent. Though her expression didn't change, her upright posture seemed slightly weary.
"Madam Flavia, may I say a word?" It was then. Epony, who had been silent, intervened. At the calm question of the maid with light blue eyes, Flavia hesitated.
"…Speak."
"Thank you." Epony bent her knees slightly and spoke.
"Though I'm not as versed in etiquette as you, madam, I believe the young lady's walk now lacks nothing in bella figura. Thanks to your excellent teaching, of course. So could we move to the next stage?" It was a long speech. The intention was clear. Flavia was silent for a moment.
"Is that Cesare's will?"
"The young master entrusts the lady's education entirely to you, madam. This is just my opinion."
"Then there's no problem if I refuse."
"Yes, that's absolutely correct."
"…" At the too-obedient response, Flavia sharply scanned Epony up and down. Epony met her gaze calmly. Her blue eyes were utterly serene.
_…Cheeky girl. She has already won Epony's sympathy._ Flavia's lips twitched. Things were happening as expected.
_But anyway, it's true that Cesare is watching this._ I didn't want to displease him—especially if I wanted to return to the central social circles.
"…I'll accept Miss Epony's opinion." Flavia reluctantly turned her head.
"Though it doesn't entirely satisfy me, your walk is acceptable to avoid social criticism. We'll stop the walking practice."