“The usual academic schedule ends in early December, so all the grades should have been finalized by now. Now that it’s late January, isn’t it about time for the report cards to arrive?”

Lucrezia interjected without any subtlety.

“Our son, did you receive any awards? Of course, since you are our son, something like graduating at the top of your class would be quite easy, right?”

Epolito wanted to pull out the front tooth that Lucrezia revealed as she laughed. He had brought his mother, who was exiled to the Bergamo farm, and she compared him to her biological son!

But he smiled softly and deflected his mother’s words.

“Haha! Of course, being your son. However, it was not valedictorian, but I was selected by popular vote to give the graduation speech as an honor student. Originally.”

“Originally…?”

At his parents’ question, Epolito dramatically shook his head.

“There is currently a heated debate in Padua about moving the city where the university is located, and due to that, the students are on strike and the academic process is completely halted.”

It was true that the university city of Padua, which was originally taxfree, had decided to impose new taxes on universityrelated facilities and faculty, and the University of Padua was strongly resisting this.

However, the fact that the academic process had been suspended, or that the students were demonstrating, was a blatant lie. It was nothing more than a fantasy that a group of students who didn’t want to take exams had wished for. But Epolito passionately pretended to be serious.

“Well, thanks to us, Padua has become a livable city from a rural village, but now they want to impose taxes without even knowing the favor! What are they doing to the teachers and students who study! Of course, free cities without a ruler have no foundation.”

Lucrezia opened her eyes wide and asked with a worried expression.

“So, they’re not giving you your bachelor’s degree?”

“You know, your son cannot turn a blind eye to such injustice.”

Cardinal de Mare was also paying attention to his son. Epolito, intoxicated with attention, pounded the dining table with his fist. The dishes rattled, and his younger sisters looked at Epolito with surprised eyes.

“So I organized a refusal of the academic schedule as a student representative. Our department collectively refused to take the final exam.”

Lucrezia was alarmed and worried about her son.

“Then shouldn’t you be in Padua waiting for the announcement of a reexamination instead of being here now?”

“Mother.”

Epolito gazed at Lucrezia with deep eyes.

“How can your son sit in Padua and only care about his studies when you are in such a state.”

Tears welled up in Lucrezia’s eyes. Her life was not in vain. She had a son who sincerely cared for her, even though her husband ruthlessly abandoned her.

With the momentum of being the spokesperson for noble and lofty morale, Epolito mentioned today’s goal. In fact, it was more of a boastful statement driven by the desire to look cool.

“Father, after all the hardships mother has been through, can’t we let her come home now? Mother made a mistake, but she is repenting like this.”

Isabella, who had been sitting quietly, wiped her eyes. Arabella, the youngest, who hadn’t even had the opportunity to grab her mother’s hem due to the bustling reunion of her sister and mother, also rubbed her slightly sour nose.

Cardinal de Mare coughed slightly again, and Epolito, who interpreted this as a sign of consideration, pressed further.

“Of course, the method was bad, but it was all for the sake of our family. Mother’s intentions were not bad. She is a kind person.”

That damn phrase ‘people are good.’ Ariadne clicked her tongue inside. She had a lot to say, but it would be suicidal to step forward in this atmosphere.

“I will accompany mother and pray together for good luck at the cathedral. So father, please forgive mother just once. I will take full responsibility.”

Epolito pounded his chest. His ‘I will take full responsibility’ was a casual remark made to appear cool, but Cardinal de Mare interpreted it a bit differently.

Hippolytus, as his eldest son, was the next heir. To Cardinal de Mare, Hippolytus’ pledge sounded like a promise to prevent Lucrezia from causing any trouble in advance.

And Cardinal de Mare thought this was a promise from Hippolytus that even if Lucrezia caused any trouble, as the next heir, he would take responsibility for the damage to the family and minimize it as much as possible.

“Can you truly take responsibility?”

His left eyebrow, raised, twitched.

“Absolutely!”

Hippolytus, who couldn’t even imagine his father’s thoughts, confidently swore. Cardinal de Mare nodded his head once.

“Then let it be. Take care of your mother and make sure there’s no more noise.”

Then, the Cardinal looked at Isabella, who was solemnly holding her position in a pure white dress.