Isabella was taken aback. She regretted missing the winter social season in Taranto, but she had to quickly spread rumors that the real mistress of Count Campa was not her but the wife of Count Bartolini, so she could escape from this pitfall!

“Stop it! You’re still not listening to your parents, acting superior even in this situation!”

“No, no, dad, that’s not what…”

Lucrezia’s sharp rebuke followed.

“Keep quiet! Listen to your father! I can’t even show my face because of your shame!”

Since Lucrezia usually sided with Isabella regardless of the situation, Isabella became more and more sullen. The decree of Cardinal de Mare continued.

“You are also forbidden to send or receive letters. Don’t go to church. Live like a quiet mouse, out of sight.”

“You can’t stop me from receiving letters! Please, don’t stop it!”

Shouldn’t I at least let my few remaining friends know that the true mistress of Count Campa is not me, but the wife of Count Bartolini!

However, Cardinal de Mare judged that, seeing his eldest daughter insisting on exchanging letters even unto death, she must have a pen pal who she is romantically involved with, and that the eldest daughter was certainly crazy for men.

Although it was a wrong conclusion, considering the gifts from men rolling around the room, it was a quite reasonable inference.

“You’re still not regaining your senses in this situation! How can a girl like you be so blinded by men that you don’t even realize your reputation is crumbling! Do you have any sense at all!”

Cardinal de Mare roared in anger.

“All the luxury items in this room are confiscated! Your father will keep them all and return them when you regain your senses!”

Cardinal de Mare signaled to the butler Nicolò who was shivering outside the room.

“Nicolò! Pack all the luxurious items in this room that could have been given by men, or that don’t suit her, into boxes and move them to my room!”

“Yes, Your Eminence!”

Butler Nicolò and several sturdy servants burst into the room and started hastily packing Isabella’s valuables into a large wooden box.

They confiscated not only the cosmetics and jewelry on the dressing table, but also things like fur coats and dresses.

The valuable luxury items were indeed luxury items, but one servant’s hand came close to the box of Isabella’s partial wigs on the side of the dressing table. Isabella’s partial wigs were the evidence that Isabella had been tampering with Ariadne’s hook.

A terrified Isabella screamed. She absolutely cannot get caught right now!

“Dad!”

“Stop it!”

Seeing that Isabella still hadn’t calmed down, Cardinal de Mare felt his blood boil.

“It seems that you really can’t regain your senses with ‘City Stories for Ladies’. This time, it’s the Holy Book! Don’t even think about leaving the room until you have copied all the ‘Meditations’!”

Isabella’s face turned pale. Last time, it was confinement within the house. This time, it was confinement within the room. It was a punishment that Arabela often received, but one that Isabella herself had never experienced before.

“And what? You leave your sister to wear the undeserved reputation because of your lust for rubies? Do you even know the concept of fraternal love?”

Cardinal de Mare beat his chest out of frustration.

“After I die, you’re all that’s left for each other! You must rely on each other to live!”

Isabella murmured to herself. After you pass away, I’ll immediately kick her out of the house with my brother.

It was as if Cardinal de Mare had heard the thoughts of his eldest daughter, and he reprimanded her.

“Reflect on what you’ve done wrong as you carefully copy the ‘Meditations’! The Apostle Barnabas taught in the Letter of Carlo that we should not be a stumbling block before our brothers, and those who lead must show an example and restrain themselves to not cause their brothers to stumble! Instead of setting an example as the eldest sister as mentioned in the Holy Book, all you do is think about how to torment your younger sister, and I really can’t grasp where and what went wrong!”

He was revising his judgment about his eldest daughter.

The greatest wealth of San Carlo, his eldest daughter, known as the most beautiful woman in San Carlo, was a unique disaster, as outstanding in personality as in appearance. Could she really be pushed to become Prince Alfonso’s partner?

Even if she could be successfully pushed into the royal family, could she really make the right decisions that would benefit the family?

But Cardinal de Mare did not give up a glimmer of hope. He declared a punishment on Isabella with the hope of rebirth.

That girl, or rather, that beauty would sell anywhere. Please, my daughter, beautiful as a snowflake, come to your senses while copying the Bible.

“Copy the entire ‘Meditations’ two or three times while contemplating! Start with the brotherly love taught by the Book of Carlo! No, start with Deuteronomy, which emphasizes the purity of women!”

The reputation of the daughter is the top priority. Next is brotherly love. Or is brotherly love first? My head began to ache.