Chapter Title: Consequences
"Lord Cesare…"
"Forget it." _What an uninteresting woman._ Cesare stood up from his seat.
"Do you need a hand?"
"No, thank you." Adèle staggered as she got up. Her slender legs wobbled like those of a newborn fawn, but Cesare ignored it. It was enough that he had caught the falling shoe shiner—what more did she expect from him? Adèle, for her part, seemed determined to walk on her own, struggling but managing to move forward. She could have asked to be carried, but instead, Cesare felt a pang of frustration with himself. He quickened his pace.
---
Everyone gathered in Cesare's office. The group consisted of Adèle, Cesare, and unexpectedly, Jude Rossi. The atmosphere in the office was somber. It wasn't just because it was the middle of the night with only a few candles lit.
"How's your back?" Jude Rossi, normally full of mischief, asked Cesare seriously.
"I'm fine."
"No, you're not." Cesare answered nonchalantly, but the old man sitting beside him corrected him. The wrinkled man, resembling a shriveled bean, was Giotto Grimaldi, the family physician for the Bonaparte household. Giotto was applying something to Cesare's exposed back.
"Is it really that bad?"
"Giotto tends to exaggerate." Even while injured, Cesare puffed on his cigar and smiled. Giotto clicked his tongue, clearly displeased with Cesare's attitude.
"If I had my way, I'd confine you to bed for a month. How did this happen?"
"I caught a mermaid falling from the sky."
"You shouldn't be catching such things, my lord. Do you realize how heavy a falling person is? It's a miracle your arm didn't break. Besides, mermaids live in the sea, not the sky."
"I already think it wasn't worth the trouble, so drop it." Giotto Grimaldi clicked his tongue again.
"Fortunately, there are no external injuries, and the internal damage doesn't seem severe. You'll have some bruising for a while. No exercise for the time being. Apply cold compresses for a few days, then switch to warm compresses. And this would be a good time to quit drinking and smoking."
"Oh dear." Cesare replied casually, taking a deeper drag on his cigar. Giotto shook his head and wrapped a bandage around Cesare's torso.
"Treatment is complete. You'll need daily compresses starting tomorrow, so I'll send someone."
"No need for that. Just send the supplies."
"What? All right, if you insist." Giotto nodded, looking puzzled. Watching this, Adèle felt a pang of injustice.
_That's why I didn't suspect anything…_ No one blamed Adèle—more like, no one paid attention to her because of Cesare's injury. Still, she felt guilty as if she were responsible for it.
_He won't kill me. He won't kill me. Who asked him to catch me? Although I'm grateful he did…_ Adèle looked at Cesare with conflicted eyes. Cesare seemed to notice her gaze but said nothing. That made her even more anxious. Just then, Epony burst into the office, clearly distressed.
"My lord!" She had already heard the news and trembled when she saw Cesare.
"I was looking for the young lady since she was missing, and now this…!"
"You'd better hear the story from my sister instead of me. We need to clear up the situation anyway." Cesare said, leaning back on the sofa. He frowned from the pain but quickly masked it with a smile. With everyone gathered, Adèle began explaining the events.
"After Epony left, a maid came to see me." She explained how Epony had left at Lady Flavia's call and how the maid came claiming Cesare urgently needed her, prompting her to follow. Cesare, who had been silently listening with his cigar, finally asked the question Adèle dreaded.
"The host of the party suddenly called from the rooftop, and you followed without suspicion?" There was no room for excuses. Adèle clenched her fists.
"…I'm sorry. But she said it was you calling. I thought I had to follow, even if it seemed odd."
"…" Cesare paused and took another drag on his cigar.
"…And in the end, she circled around the bell tower and pushed me." Adèle finished her story, watching Cesare's reaction. Next, it was Epony's turn.
"It was the usual report about the young master. I was surprised when they requested it again so soon after the last one, but since it was Lady Flavia's request…"
"There was no reason to doubt it."
"I should have doubted it. As a result, the young master got injured. It's all my fault." Epony looked at Cesare with sorrowful eyes, like a mother seeing her injured child. Just then, Jude stood up, adjusting his coat.
"Cesare, I should get back to the ballroom. I think I've heard enough of the situation. This seems more like a family matter now." His timely exit signal made Cesare nod.
"Thanks for your help."
"I'll expect a hefty payment."
"As much as you want."
"Miss Adelaide, I'll see you formally later." Jude Rossi kissed the back of Adèle's hand and left the room. Immediately, voices outside the door suggested he was being greeted warmly by someone.
"Master!" Soon, Gigi entered the room, filling the empty space. Adèle still found the casual entrance to the lord's office without knocking strange, but no one else seemed to care.
"As instructed, I've had Lady Flavia Loredan detained. I've also ordered the guards to detain anyone trying to leave."
"And the envoys?"
"No issues. Lord Ezra Della Valle arrived late. Isn't he quite the impressive figure?" Cesare smiled wryly, showing displeasure.
"I don't like that."
"What can you do if you don't?"
"I'll settle it with money. Release the 909 Blumenladen Celestial from the cellar."
"Wow." Gigi made a serious note of it in his ledger. It seemed to be a precious drink.
"So the ball is taken care of… What now?" All eyes turned to Cesare. Cesare rested his chin on the hand holding his cigar, deep in thought. It seemed he was contemplating deeply, as his face showed no smile. Cesare's expressionless face, combined with his sharp eyes, created a striking image as he smoked. Eventually, he spoke.
"The galley ship is ready, right?"
"…Yes." Gigi replied cautiously, sensing the tension. Cesare put down his cigar, which had burned close to the end.
"Send Lady Flavia on it."
"Understood!"
"And bring Lucrezia here. Right now."
"What?" Everyone's eyes widened at his words. While no one dared to speak, Gigi nodded hesitantly.
"Understood. I'll bring her right away."
---
A short while later, an out-of-place knock sounded.
"Master! It's Gigi! I've brought Miss Lucrezia Della Valle as requested!" _Ah._ Unexpectedly, that exclamation made Adèle suddenly realize why no one knocked on Cesare's office door. In the rarely crowded inner palace, if you were close to him, you didn't knock. In other words, if someone knocked, it implied a certain danger.
_The arranged… guest…_ That's the keyword. Even if someone outside the door was close, without the keyword, caution was necessary. While Adèle was processing this sudden insight, Cesare spoke.
"Adelaide, sit beside me." Adèle quickly—perhaps quicker than Cesare expected—sat beside him. He seemed to appreciate her obedience but still frowned and smiled slightly.
"You're too easy to fool."
"…"
"Sit closer." Just as they sat shoulder to shoulder, the door opened.
"Miss Lucrezia Della Valle is here!" Gigi entered first, doing his best impression of a butler, followed by Lucrezia. Immediately, Cesare smiled more seductively and magnificently than ever, as if he intended to captivate her completely.