Chapter Title: The Ball at Della Valle
It was by no means disgraceful to be handed an invitation in Fornatier's social circles. The problem was that Cesare had never *needed* to be handed an invitation before. Cesare laughed.
"I'm not interested."
"Stubborn! Now that it's done, get dressed and attend."
Jude placed the invitation on the table.
"......"
Cesare looked at it lazily through half-closed eyes. The man who would have lit a cigarette on the invitation if he truly didn't want to go remained silent. Though his mouth wasn't.
"Why should I?"
*Initially because I thought it would be funny,* but if Jude said that, Cesare would truly dig in his heels and refuse to budge like a rusted anchor. In the first place, Jude had never seen Cesare pay so much attention to a woman.
The same was true for Gigi, which was why he was looking at Jude now with such a fervent look of support.
"...There's Miss Lucrezia. It's a villa, so it'll be hard for you to make a move, but I don't think she's going to leave you alone."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"It has everything to do with you. You need her to settle your agreement. You won't be able to marry Miss Lucrezia otherwise."
Jude paused for a moment and grinned sourly.
"Now that I see it, I think you've forgotten about that, haven't you?"
Cesare was silent for a moment, then laughed coldly.
"Shut up."
"I'm not fooled by that face. Hey. Miss Adele doesn't know what you're like in society. Show her. Who are you? Aren't you Buonaparte's most eligible bachelor! Either the young lady will see you differently..."
Cesare smiled and glared at him. Jude quickly changed course.
"...Or maybe she'll regret the ship that sailed."
At that, Cesare made a strange face.
"I didn't tell you what happened. How do you know what you're talking about? Did you plant spies everywhere?"
"At least I know that someone in this room did something bad enough to make a woman take off her shoes and run away."
"......"
At that moment, the red-haired giant who had been in the room for a long time, erasing his presence, stepped forward.
"...I think we have to go."
Aegir's expression was dark. It wasn't usually very bright, but now it looked like a sharpened knife.
"The lady needs an escort."
Jude responded.
"Yes. Cesare. You didn't even send a knight with her, did you? Well, you don't usually send one to other people's villas, but Miss Lucrezia has a history, and doesn't that make you anxious?"
"......"
*That's not enough.* Jude changed tactics.
"Or maybe not. Seeing as he's still alive and well, perhaps Ezra is actually quite capable and charming...?"
"......"
Cesare's face remained sour. *That damn pride.* Jude raised his hands, feeling the limits of his patience.
"Then come and tell Sylvia a story. She still wants to see you."
This time, Cesare reacted more obviously. He blinked in surprise.
"Sylvia?"
"She seems to be feeling better."
Cesare immediately turned to Gigi. The competent assistant secretary nodded.
"I'll arrange a date."
Now Jude's green eyes and Gigi's dark eyes both stared at Cesare, waiting for another word. Cesare frowned, then ran a hand through his hair and said with a sigh.
"...Tell Jane and Oliver to prepare my formal attire. I'll need to apply incense first."
*Got him.* Jude and Gigi clenched their fists at the same time.
---
It was the day of the ball.
Cesare did not explain the situation to Jane, the lady's maid, or Oliver, the valet, but ordered them to dress him up. Jane remained composed when Oliver asked:
"She's at the Della Valle villa?"
It was unusual for Oliver to meddle in family affairs, so Cesare replied, a little surprised.
"That said, I'm not going to pick her up."
"I see. Understood."
"...Do you want Adelaide to come back?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Jane and Oliver laughed a little at the same time as they prepared his clothes. This, too, was unusual.
"She eats well."
"......"
The unexpected answer left Cesare speechless.
"When did you see her eat?"
"I often made biscotti in the kitchen. She would sit on a nearby garden bench and eat them."
*I thought it was routine, but it never came up in the reports.* It was strange to think that Adele had been sitting somewhere he didn't know, chewing on biscotti and looking pretty in others' eyes.
In the meantime, Jane and Oliver had selected the finest coat they had brought for the season. It was woven from white silk mixed with light gold and cherry-blossom-colored silk thread—a rare fabric from royal workshops in distant Asia, supplied only to the most elite.
Jane's touch was meticulous in oiling and styling his hair properly. When he emerged fully dressed, Gigi stared at him blankly and muttered:
"The goddess is so unfair..."
"Amusing."
"I don't want to be compared, so I'm not following you today. Take only Lord Aegir with you."
Cesare, understanding his feelings, nodded. Aegir had already mounted beside the carriage. The blue carriage was at Della Valle. Cesare set out in a less ornate carriage toward the villa.
In the carriage that traveled quietly down the road, Cesare folded his arms and recalled his purpose.
*"You don't know what you're like in society. Show her this. Then she might regret the ship that sailed."*
It was plausible. Adele had never seen him and Ezra in the same room for long. At the birthday banquet, he had left as soon as Ezra appeared, and when they had run into each other at the resort, Ezra had quickly retreated. It was clear Adele had never had a chance to see the gap between himself and Della Valle's second son, who had nothing.
But that didn't make the shame go away.
*"You shouldn't give too much attention to appearances."*
*"A drowning person can't afford to be choosy. Just like when I held your hand."*
*I didn't want to make a big deal of it, but I was the one who saved you from drowning first.* But would she open up to him just for helping her escape the Berissimus Club?
In his displeasure, he tapped his crossed arms with his fingers. *It's the ball of the Priori family, Della Valle. All the ladies will gather. I won't be able to corner her in a room, but I'll show her what she's missing...*
Just then, the carriage stopped. The servant at the entrance didn't even check the invitation but opened the door as soon as he saw his face. Cesare spoke in a low voice as soon as he crossed the threshold.
"Move quietly and blend in. I'll leave the rest to you."
"Yes."
Aegir, who had followed in the role of attendant, covered his face with his hat and replied. Presently, after a careful look around, he disappeared into the shadows.
There was no one nearby to greet, so Cesare went straight to the ballroom. The doorman, clad in a pale purple coat, met his eyes and took a sharp breath.
"Pri—!"
"Don't call out my name."
"Yes."
There was no one in the social world who didn't know his temperament, so the man immediately closed his mouth. Cesare quietly entered the ballroom, staring only at the entrance as people turned to look at him.
It was a ballroom in a villa, so it wasn't very large. The decoration was quite elegant—perhaps Lucrezia's work. Cesare moved further in, ignoring the gazes and greetings, then suddenly stopped.
In the center, Adele was dancing with Ezra.
The woman danced like fire given form. Every time she twirled, her green dress fluttered. A slight smile graced her lips. The frightened, bewildered shoeshine girl who had sat on his thighs was gone. Adele's gaze at Ezra was different too.
"......"
The moment he saw it, Cesare's breath caught. Unlike before, when she had been secretly uncomfortable with Ezra, there was now a sense of security and trust in Adele's eyes.
*"Or maybe not. Seeing as he's still alive and well, perhaps Ezra is actually quite capable and charming...?"*
He felt his blood vessels dilate and became a little dizzy. The scent of acacia seemed to flood his nostrils. It was the same as when Adele had looked at Ezra while climbing the slope of the resort in his arms.
He had already concluded this was sexual desire. But right now, his body didn't react. He just felt like something was about to explode inside.
"Ha."
Cesare took a deep breath and steeled himself. *It's just desire. Damn Adele won't give in...* He struggled to reach that conclusion and reached into his coat. Soon he began to curse. Because of the sleek cut of his clothes, he hadn't brought his cigar case.
He dropped his hands uselessly. They were empty, and he had no excuses. There was nothing to occupy himself with either.
Cesare frowned and smirked as he watched Adele and Ezra dance.