Cesare, who was holding not a distilled liquor but a wine glass, was completely disinterested in Ippolito, solely absorbed in admiring the color of the red wine in his glass.

It was a deep red, identical to the color of his mother, Countess Rubina’s pupils, only found in topgrade wines.

“Hey, Cesare.”

Ippolito tried again, feigning nonchalance. Cesare chuckled lightly. His sarcasm was too shallow.

“Dear Ippolito. How would I know how our precious young Duchess is doing?”

The best response to a whining person was to reply in a similarly feigned weak manner.

“Our precious Duchess has once again locked the doors of her mansion this year and does not meet with anyone. Ah, she seems to meet frequently with His Highness Prince Alfonso, her cousin. There would be no interest left for a halfblood relative like me, a mere earl.”

“Ah… Even you?”

Ippolito couldn’t hide his disappointed tone. Cesare de Como was Ippolito’s closest connection to the royal family. If Cesare couldn’t meet Bianca of Taranto, then he also couldn’t.

Cesare couldn’t help but suppress a laugh at Ippolito’s seemingly heartbroken reaction. Some of it showed on his face. He raised his left eyebrow and the corner of his left mouth, and answered Ippolito with a crooked smile.

“Of course. If I hear any news about our Bianca of Taranto attending social gatherings, I will tell you first.”

“That’s why you’re my friend!”

Cesare joined in, laughing with the overly delighted Ippolito.

It was even more disgusting than he had thought to chase after a rich woman’s tail, and it was hard to do fan service while hiding one’s inner thoughts.

Cesare had just returned from having breakfast with Bianca of Taranto and the rest of the royal family.

‘Even if Bianca of Taranto looks easy because of her childlike parents.’

Cesare gave Ippolito a sideways glance.

‘Would she be accessible to someone like you?’

Then he patted the shoulder of the foolishly laughing Ippolito a few times and laughed along.

While his rowdy friends were stuck in a corner of the Taranto winter palace, playing cards, the dignified prince was walking in the rose garden with the woman who was to be his fiancée.

“Your Highness, the red roses are so tempting, even in midwinter!”

“They are beautiful.”

Alfonso met Lariesa’s eyes and sincerely responded.

Thump!

‘Could that comment about beauty be directed at me? It’s not for the flowers, right? Do I look like a flower?’

The sensitive Grand Duchess’s sense felt something in the exchange with Alfonso.

‘But if it’s a compliment for me, why is it so short? Isn’t it a bit insincere?’

She gave Prince Alfonso another chance, throwing out the next bait for conversation.

“Which part is the most beautiful?”

Nose? Lips? Or those sparkling eyes?

“…The size and shape of the flower?”

Alfonso, who had been aimlessly looking at the rose garden, was suddenly startled by Grand Duchess Lariesa’s question. In order to answer sincerely, he finally opened his eyes wide and began to examine the red roses closely.

While gazing at the red rose that had never given him any inspiration, wondering which part of it was the most beautiful, Prince Alfonso absentmindedly responded to Duchess Lariesa not in Gallic, but in Etruscan.

A hint of displeasure swept over Duchess Lariesa’s face immediately.

‘What’s this, why is he so indifferent? He doesn’t even want to speak in Gallic? He has no sincerity!’

However, Lariesa did not have the courage to audaciously ask Alfonso why he did not look at her. He was the golden prince who, thanks to her sister’s death, had inappropriately rolled into being her fiancé.

Besides, strictly speaking, she was not even his fiancée yet.

The kingdoms of Gallic and Etruscan were negotiating with each other day by day, putting forth one condition after another while maintaining a deadlock, all the while behaving as if they would sign the engagement document at any moment.

Lariesa stopped herself because of a slight sense of crisis that if she showed ill temper now, the marriage might not go through.

“Your Highness’s discernment is indeed remarkable! The rose greenhouse of Montpellier is so extraordinary that it’s famous even in neighboring countries. I want to show you the blue roses blooming there.”

She decided to do her best to cater to Alfonso’s preferences. Being to his liking was her top priority. Like a peacock flaunting its splendid tail, she stimulated his curiosity by showing off her impressive background.

Since she was young, the only things that Lariesa could boast about, were her family’s halo and her beautiful sister’s affection.

“Please visit Montpellier once. You won’t regret it.”

“If I get the chance, I will.”

As she said this, she recalled the request that Princess Auguste, the sister of Philip IV, had made to her.

Princess Auguste had asked her to bring Prince Alfonso to Montpellier by any means necessary.

Princess Auguste was proud. She was not the type to ask favors of a young and lowly distant cousin. Therefore, Lariesa wanted to fulfill Princess Auguste’s request.

Half because she wanted to look good in front of the princess, and half because she wanted to show off.

Lariesa met Alfonso’s eyes as much as she could, and put on her most innocent smile.

She was determined to show him how wonderful a woman ‘Lariesa de Valois, Grand Duchess of Gallic, daughter of Philip IV’ is, and how perfect a bride she would be.

She is the lady of the strongest country he could meet. At the same time, she was gentle, popular, and likable.

She decided to imprint this fact on Prince Alfonso as soon as possible. There were countless ways to do it.

Thanks to the influence of Duchess Lariesa, she and Prince Alfonso became a pair who exchanged short letters.

“To Prince Alfonso,

It’s such a beautiful morning.

With love and devotion, Lariesa.”

Prince Alfonso sent a courteous and formal response.

“Good morning, Duchess Valois.

I have arranged for a tour of the Taranto downtown, which you wished to visit. I will escort you after your lunch.

From Prince Alfonso.”

Upon receiving the letter, Lariesa roughly threw it onto the sofa. The Earl of Ruvian, who was sitting opposite her, looked at her in surprise.

The Earl of Ruvian was in charge of the actual negotiations among the diplomatic envoys from the Gallic kingdom, and was a confidant akin to the right hand of her father, Duke Oude. He was also performing the role of a chaperone for Duchess Lariesa.

He naturally had to meet her often to take care of orders coming from her home country.

“Earl Ruvian, look at this letter! It makes me angry!”

“What?”

He was startled and received the letter. Although he had thought lightly of his nominal chaperone role, Earl Ruvian recently found this task more burdensome than actual negotiations.

This was because Duchess Lariesa was a very, very demanding person.