It was an unexpected reason. Ariadne felt a lump in her chest and firmly held Sancha’s hand she was holding.

“Miss! You shouldn’t hold it like this! I haven’t even washed my hands since I went outside!”

“What’s the big deal with a little dust.”

Ariadne stroked Sancha’s head.

“And you need to have a little more faith in me.”

Ariadne smiled.

“If Malleta gets something, it will all be postpaid. I’m not going to be fooled by Malleta anymore.”

Ariadne looked at Sancha.

“It’s better for us to move than to bring Malleta, right? Let’s go hear the story.”

Malleta, who had been stuck in the staff accommodation of the Rambouillet orphanage for almost ten days, was on the verge of going insane. Looking at the wall alone without saying a word all day was Malleta’s main schedule.

The meal that comes out twice a day was a staff meal, so it was better than that of the poor, but it had a terrible turnip smell, a unique characteristic of the Rambouillet orphanage, which had been boiling turnips in the pot for so long that it had been soaked in the pot itself.

“They’re going to starve me to death here! Everyone will forget about me!”

Malleta, stroking her still not filling belly, grinded her teeth.

“I’m going to go back.”

While being trapped in the attic alone all day, Malleta developed a habit of talking to herself. It felt like her chest was being relieved when she spoke out loud.

“Ariadne Miss! If you bother me, the mother of the future heir of De Mare, I won’t leave you alone!”

Soliloquy is always without reply.

“I see.”

Malleta was surprised by the laughing voice replying to her words and almost rolled off the straw mattress.

“The mother of the future heir of De Mare.”

“Eek!”

“So you’ve finally achieved your wish, Malleta.”

The owner of the voice was Ariadne herself. She smiled while leaning on the locust tree door with her hood pulled down.

“How are you not going to leave me alone?”

“Ah, Miss…”

Sancha followed behind the tall Ariadne. The atmosphere of the two standing in front of the door was oppressive.

Malleta hated being obsequious in front of Ariadne in front of Sancha, but fundamentally, Malleta was a person who became weak in front of the strong. There was nothing more precious than living well and eating well.

Malleta threw herself at Ariadne’s feet.

“Miss! Miss! I’ve made a slip of the tongue! I missed you so much, Miss!”

Malleta hoped that being pregnant, Miss Ariadne might not ask her to get up, but Ariadne only stood stiffly and looked down at Malleta coldly.

Malleta cursed under her breath, but let out an even louder sob.

“How frightened I was when I was here! How much I detested Epolito! How sad I was! But he is the father of the child!”

As she spoke, her emotions welled up. Tears flowed down Malleta’s plump cheeks.

“Miss, please help me…… You may despise me, but I’m just a humble creature, and yet, isn’t your nephew in my belly……”

“Let’s have a more profitable conversation than this fruitless one.”

Ariadne walked lightly and sat on Malleta’s bed. In front of her was a wornout stool roughly carved from wood. Ariadne pointed to the stool with her chin.

“Sit.”

Malleta, weeping, took her place on the stool.

“You said you have something to tell me? What is the secret?”

“That is……”

“Prince Alfonso. Let’s talk.”

Passing by, Alfonso was caught by the Grand Duchess Lariesa, who spread her arms to block his way. He looked at the Grand Duchess Lariesa with an inscrutable expression.

After a moment of silence, he said to her.

“Your Grace, please observe the rules.”

His words were whispered in a pleasant baritone, a gentle tone. But sensitive Lariesa could read traces of coldness seeping in.

“What great offense have I committed! I’ve been waiting here a long time to see you, Prince Alfonso!”

It was true that Lariesa had stood in the corridor for more than an hour waiting for Alfonso.

“I have a prearranged schedule with the knights, and you blocked the way without any appointment. You should make an appointment through my aide, Dino. I’ll leave it at that.”

“But!”

Lariesa bellowed with tears welling in her eyes that resembled those of a calf.

“You’re avoiding me! Your letters come sporadically, and you always have other engagements for escorts outside of official events!”

Lariesa took one more step closer, pounding her chest as she pleaded.

“I don’t know what else to do here!”

But Prince Alfonso was firm.

“What more should you do, Your Grace?”

Alfonso spoke gently, like a host guiding a guest through his mansion.

“Taranto is a beautiful place. Enjoy sightseeing and gourmet food. If there is a place you want to visit, tell my attendants. They will take you. You can go wherever you want.”

He paused for a moment, then added a few more words.

“Etruscan welcomes the Grand Duchess of Gallico like welcoming a relative.”

Their relationship was indeed that of eighth cousins, so technically it was right. However, they weren’t spending this winter together as relatives.

And most importantly, Lariesa didn’t want such a relationship at all.

“Prince Alfonso. We need to get closer. That’s the wish of our fathers.”

Lariesa could not bear it any longer. The increasingly impatient Lariesa finally revealed her temper that she had kept hidden for so long.

“And that’s also the only way for your people! If you have any sense of responsibility for the people of Etruscan, treat me well.”

There was no doubt that he feared the power of the Great Gallico Kingdom.

Lariesa recalled her sturdy father, Duke Odd, and her cousin, Philip IV of Gallico, and added one more thing.

“I’m about to explode.”

Lariesa, keeping up the momentum, opened her mouth to criticize Prince Alfonso’s indifference. However, Alfonso’s restrained response stopped her from saying her next words.

“The only way for my people?”

The always gentle and mild Prince Alfonso was staring at Lariesa with fury in his azure eyes.