Chapter Title: Bella Stella Street
As they left the "Room of Stars," Gigi was waiting outside with Epony and Aegir. Just as Adèle was about to exchange glances with him, Cesare asked.
"Why do you look like that?"
"Pardon?"
"You look like you've heard something unpleasant."
"…" Adèle was slightly taken aback by Cesare's remark as he lightly tapped her cheek. _How did he know?_ Even her friend Clarice used to whine that she couldn't read her expression when she was emotionless. Cesare seemed to have a rough idea and said, "Our Lady Eva must be overly fond of her grandson." He took out a cigar from his pocket. Gigi quickly lit the cigar with a small, square lighter. The scent of almonds and chocolate filled the air. Even to Adèle, who didn't smoke cigars, the fragrance felt sweet. Perhaps it was to meet women who didn't dislike the smell of cigars.
"What did she propose?"
"I declined." His golden eyes curved alluringly through the smoke.
"Good job." He started walking. Adèle, still in escort position, thought he was leaving and tried to pull her arm away. At that moment, Cesare grabbed Adèle's hand.
"Why?" With a mischievous yet oddly mature smile, perhaps due to the cigar in his mouth, Cesare rewrapped Adèle's arm around his. He patted the back of her hand gently, like comforting a child.
"Don't you like being escorted by a prodigal son?"
"Don't you have some business to attend to?"
"You avoid answering skillfully."
"I don't dislike it." Cesare chuckled softly.
"I said I have a place to go." Ah, it seems it wasn't an excuse.
_There's still over two months until the social debut, so it can't be to meet nobles…_ Adèle thought blankly, hoping he'd return before dinner. Cesare noticed Adèle's expression and raised an eyebrow with a deep smile.
"Aren't you curious where we're going?"
"I trust you'll take me to a good place."
"You're not interested and don't ask."
"I fear I might offend you with an improper question."
"Interested?"
"…" Adèle felt suddenly exhausted. _Why has this crazy guy been acting like this since that day?_
_I am his sister. His sister…_ After self-hypnotizing herself, Adèle sighed lightly and spoke.
"A lot." Cesare laughed strangely.
"It must be hard to live."
"…" _What an obnoxious jerk…_ It seemed he derived great pleasure from tormenting a woman who didn't like him but had to pretend to.
"Enough. We need to go. Ernst has prepared the carriage." Cesare tossed the barely smoked cigar to Gigi and quickened his pace. Adèle heard Gigi gasp in surprise.
"Yes."
"…Now, shouldn't you ask where we're going?"
"Where are we going?" Cesare, feigning a hurt expression, soon smiled warmly with his golden velvet-like eyes.
"A place where ladies most want to go with me."
---
Capital city Fornatie of Santnar. The most splendid and cash-heavy Bella Stella Street. It is home to all high-end shops. Jewelry stores, boutiques, fur specialty shops, handmade lace shops, and galleries selling expensive art and crafts. The street is always crowded. Santnar merchants never visit noble estates with goods. Due to the narrow land, it's hard to widen roads, making it impossible to use multiple carriages. Thus, riding a carriage in Fornatie signifies the high prestige of that family. And now, Adèle entered Bella Stella Street in a four-horse carriage she had only seen in newspapers.
_Never thought I'd ride in this carriage in my life._ The Bonaparte's four-horse carriage was famous. In Fornatie, where carriages were rarely used, there were no carriages as luxurious and expensive as this one. The carriage, made with three-inch beech wood panels filled with a mixture of resin, sulfur oil, and lime, and finally covered with pine exterior, shone in dark blue. The interior was covered with canary yellow brocade embroidered with gold patterns and filled with swan feather cushions. The cost of making this amazing carriage alone was 120,000 gold. Bonaparte took it a step further by having this carriage pulled by four sleek Destrier black horses, each costing about 90,000 gold. Suddenly, Adèle found herself riding transportation worth a total of 480,000 gold, and her heart pounded wildly. Meanwhile, Cesare leisurely looked out the window, smoking a cigar. Adèle seemed to be the only one worried about the ash falling on the cushions. Soon, the glass arcade ceiling of Bella Stella Street came into view, and Adèle's heart pounded with a different kind of anticipation.
_I've never been inside before._ During her shoe-shining days, she could only see the arcade from a distance, as if by some unspoken rule. Now she entered the place in a carriage, quite nonchalantly. It might sound silly, but it felt like a dream. Like entering a fairy tale's fantasy world. At that moment, Cesare spoke.
"You seem happy, but you're not smiling."
"…" Adèle tried hard not to let the corners of her mouth rise as she looked at Cesare. Acting as if she didn't understand, Cesare chuckled.
"You're happy right now."
"No, I'm not."
"Lying is not good. As a 'sister,' that answer fails." Cesare murmured leisurely. Adèle, feeling defeated, tried to look nonchalant as she turned her gaze out the window.
"I don't know how you can tell."
"By looking at your face." Most people couldn't.
"…It's just because it's the first time. I'll get used to it soon." Cesare laughed softly at those words.
"Well. What's wrong with liking it? Everyone liked it." For some reason, his words sounded a bit cynical. Adèle didn't ask further. The carriage was now approaching the center of the street. Cesare, crossing his arms, murmured as he looked out the window.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you smile."
"Because there's nothing to smile about."
"Smile more. You have such a pretty face."
"I'll manage when needed."
"Is smiling such a serious task?" Cesare squinted one eye and laughed cheerfully. Although not a comment for someone of his height and broad shoulders, his laugh had a youthful charm. Indeed, with such looks, he had every reason to smile. A person with inherent masculine charm, smiling so adorably—who wouldn't fall for him? But that's because he's a nobleman and a man.
"Being serious was better for survival."
"It's different now."
"…I'll try." Just then, the carriage stopped. Without a coachman, Cesare reached for the door. At that moment, Adèle instinctively grabbed Cesare's hand.
"Hey." Cesare widened his eyes in surprise and slowly looked at Adèle.
"…" Their eyes met. Beyond his smiling face, she saw probing and wariness. Adèle quickly let go of his hand.
"It's just… I wondered if your back was all right."
"…"
"The doctor said going out wasn't good…" Her voice trailed off.
_I shouldn't have asked._ She regretted it. It was because of her that he got hurt, so she couldn't ignore it, but asking now seemed so easily misunderstood. This man seemed to be looking for a woman who didn't like him. Cesare looked at Adèle with a peculiar expression, and Adèle muttered quickly.
"It absolutely wasn't meant 'that' way…" Cesare, after a long pause, finally spoke.
"…Well. Lady Eva's notebook seemed to show a strong denial. It's kind of…" He stopped mid-sentence and muttered as if it was amusing.
"Seems like a real blow to pride." Before Adèle could respond, the door burst open. Cesare jumped out of the carriage and extended his hand toward Adèle.
"Let's go, Adelaide."
---
Lisa Zanotti nervously watched the shop entrance. The other clerks were the same. It would be the same state in other shops on Bella Stella.
"Blue Star has risen!" As soon as the "Bonaparte's four-horse carriage" entered Bella Stella Street, the street boy started shouting. Upon hearing the shout, the shops hurriedly organized their shelves and even sent out dawdling customers, preparing nervously.