The most positive response to her daughter’s claim of innocence was, unsurprisingly, from Lucrezia. Isabella took full advantage of the fact that her mother listened to her grievance and that no one in her family had directly witnessed the scene in question.

“I know I should have spoken up sooner. But I didn’t do it, I swear!”

Touched by the sight of her sobbing older daughter, Lucrezia passionately sided with Isabella.

“Where did you hear these accusations that you trust them more than your own daughter’s words? Don’t you feel sorry for her, crying like this?”

Isabella wept inconsolably, burying herself in the nurturing embrace of her maternal Lucrezia.

Thanks to Isabella’s performance and the firm stance of Lucrezia, the atmosphere of the dinner shifted towards the idea that Isabella should be given the benefit of the doubt, at least once.

Meanwhile, the grandly set meal went untouched by everyone in the family.

In the midst of the seafood stew and truffle risotto growing cold, Arabela, who was incredibly hungry, reached out for the chicken dumpling unnoticed, only to accidentally touch the dish of seafood stew.

Clang!

The dish of seafood stew toppled over. The red tomato seafood stew splashed chaotically over Arabela’s dress and the white tablecloth. Cardinal de Mare expressed his annoyance towards the unfortunate Arabela.

“So clumsy! Ruined my appetite, it did! Tsk!”

He loudly threw his fork and knife onto the table, having eaten only a bit of bread soaked in olive oil, and then left the dinner table.

The atmosphere was a mess. Lucrezia scolded poor Arabela.

“It’s all because of you that father left! You’ve ruined his favourite tablecloth!”

And then, Lucrezia also took the crying Isabella and retreated to her private room.

Ariadne, who had been quietly observing, comforted the downtrodden Arabela, who had sunk her head between her shoulders like a turtle, with a simple word.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

To the wideeyed Arabela, Ariadne nodded in response.

“Really.”

While cleaning up the tomato soupstained Arabela with a napkin, Ariadne casually issued an order to the servants sneaking glances among the cold food.

“Bring the next course.”

It was foolish to let such events impact one’s wellbeing. In hard times, it was more important to eat well, rest well, and recharge for the future.

“You eat all of this and go up. Don’t miss the meat coming out later, make sure to chew it well.”

That was what Ariadne told Arabela as she pushed a plate of food towards her. Arabela obediently popped the chicken dumpling into her mouth, chewing slowly as she watched Ariadne.

Contrary to her advice to Arabela, Ariadne hadn’t touched her meal at all, save for a few bites of the tomato in her Caprese salad.

“…Ari, aren’t you eating?”

“I had a late lunch.”

Ariadne replied calmly, wearing a confident smile. Her hand was shaking slightly, but she was okay.

Isabella, who had run into her mother’s private room crying, was finally able to let her heart out.

“Mom, do you know what that crazy Ariadne said to me?”

“What? What did she say to you?”

Upon hearing that a rolling stone had touched her gem, Lucrezia became infuriated even before the main issue was presented.

“What did that damned girl say?”

“That, Mom, she said she’ll kill me!”

Lucrezia paused. Though she was full of eagerness to support Isabella’s every word, she wondered if she had misheard this.

“Kill?”

“Yes!”

“Not something like ‘you’re daring’ or ‘you have guts,’ misheard?”

Lucrezia asked carefully.

“That quiet and gloomy girl said such a thing?”

Isabella exploded in anger.

“Mom, you don’t believe me either? She called me a fucking XX and said she’d kill me. Told me to watch my back at night!”

Lucrezia had never once heard Ariadne use profanity. The girl brought in from outside didn’t even utter the common ‘damn.’

It was a rather memorable part, she was such an odd child, born of a maid and raised on a farm in a rural estate.

‘Well, her mother was calm.’

Isabella was infuriated when even her own mother wouldn’t believe her words. When she lied, everyone believed her, but now, even though she was telling the truth, her own mother didn’t believe her!

“Mother, do you really not believe me?! Why do you look like that? That damn girl really did it!”

“No, no, of course mother believes our Isabella. You must have been really upset.”

Lucrezia belatedly consoled her eldest daughter with sincerity, but Isabella had already noticed her mother’s lack of spirit.

“Ah! I’m so annoyed! That damn girl, I won’t let her off! I hate mother too!”

Isabella was not the only one who had to spend unsatisfying time with her mother. Alfonso, who returned to the palace after Ariadne’s ball, swallowed hard when he heard there was a call from Queen Marguerite. It has come.

Queen Marguerite had once hinted to Prince Alfonso that there were marriage talks going on with the princess of Galicia, and he should be careful.