“What… What is this?”

Even though he knew, Cardinal de Mare had no choice but to ask. Ariadne answered melodiously.

“It’s a ledger. More precisely, a doubleentry ledger.”

She spread open the first ledger and showed him the relevant page. It was the household book she was using, handed over from Lucrezia.

“Father, this is the ledger my mother wrote. Here, there are transaction details for September 1122. It’s the statement of transaction with Ragione Tailor.”

It was just before Lucrezia had lost some of her ledger authority due to the incident involving her nephew, Janovi, at the hunting festival. That was the last time Lucrezia could freely use money.

The money Lucrezia paid to Ragione Tailor for her own clothes and the clothing for her two daughters was 70 ducats (about 70 million won) according to the ledger.

“Mother and sister Isabella do not wear clothes from Ragione Tailor.”

“There are no clothes over 10 ducats at Ragione Tailor. It’s far too cheap for them,” Ariadne added.

“But look at the statement from Ragione Tailor.”

The thin second book Ariadne handed over was a statement written by Ragione Tailor. According to their statement, they had indeed received 70 ducats from Lucrezia.

However, after deducting the cost of materials, labor, workshop rent, and a profit of 15%, the remaining money had a strange statement attached.

“Rebate: 48 ducats (about 48 million won). Madam Lucrezia de Rosi.”

“Where could all this money have gone?”

The cardinal’s hands, holding the ledger, trembled.

He didn’t need to ask to know. His golden 48 ducats, as big as an altar, must have melted away somewhere in the de Rosi family of Taranto, whom Cardinal de Mare loathed, pampering worthless, lazy trash.

“Lucrezia!!!”

Staring at Lucrezia, who had buried her head in her shoulders like an ostrich, Cardinal de Mare forcefully closed the ledger with a ‘puck’ sound. Ariadne delivered the final blow.

“Father, I am someone who knows that responsibility comes with authority. You must be aware that the average monthly expenditure has decreased by more than 30% since I took over the household. This is true even in winter, a season when expenditure is generally higher due to fuel and food costs. It seems that mother doesn’t understand that responsibility comes with authority, or whose household she should be protecting.”

She glanced at Lucrezia as she added.

“Please don’t think I am being undutiful. When Epolito brother insisted that he should bring mother from the Bergamo farm, I was the first to raise both hands in welcome. This is because I know best how hard it is to live in Bergamo farm in winter, and how cold it is. It is also my hope to care for mother with all sincerity. But the ledger is a different story.”

Ariadne’s gaze at Lucrezia was as deep and tranquil as a lake. She turned her eyes and looked at Cardinal de Mare.

“Who you entrust the ledger to is your decision, Father. The money in this house is the result of your hard work…”

Ariadne added words that she did not believe in but were necessary to convince her father.

Her low voice had a strange persuasiveness that could convince not only the listeners but also herself.

“…It is the property of the family, which should be intact and passed on to brother Epolito. Shouldn’t it be passed on righteously?”

The last words hit Cardinal de Mare’s heartstrings. Yes, the de Mare family. He had been working his bones off for the last 25 years to establish the de Mare family.

His desire was for ‘de Mare’ to become a noble family of San Carlo, able to present their name anywhere with pride. Lucrezia was indeed lacking in judgment to be a proper mistress.

He patiently admonished his successor.

“Hippolytus, let’s act as if it never happened that you returned the seal to your mother. You and Isabella, your mother Arabella, I will allow you to return to San Carlo.”

Ariadne bit her lip inwardly. She had hoped that Lucrezia would be banished to the Bergamo farm forever. But it seems it’s not easy to overcome a history of 22, no, now 23 years, with just one or two attacks.

But in the end, time would be on her side. It always has been.

“Live quietly, Lucrezia.”

He glared at the children’s mother with fiery eyes. Lucrezia was dressed in tattered clothes and only lowered her head.

It was a small price to pay. You must not defy the cardinal. Lucrezia knew this from long experience.

“Yes, yes.”

Cardinal de Mare thought his love had cooled. Seeing Lucrezia in a worn dress made his heart ache. It was shameful as a father that his trustful children had nothing to wear or eat.

But now he was annoyed thinking about how much that damned woman must have spent in her parents’ house to be left with only such clothes to wear.

He usually did not interfere in trivial matters like who uses what room, but he ended up telling Ariadne.

“Give Lucrezia the guest room on the first floor, not the east master bedroom on the second floor she used to use.”