“Julia!”

They approached each other, shaking hands warmly, while the gentleman at Felicite’s side politely bowed in greeting. The rest of the party also returned the greeting in unison.

“And this is…?”

Ariadne, still unfamiliar with her peers in San Carlo, asked while looking at Felicite.

The people she had associated with in her previous life were not the young people of society, but their parents. In this life, Ariadne had to meet all the young people anew.

Felicite introduced him with a shy smile.

“This is Viscount Giambattista Atendolo.”

“Ah, the eldest son of the Count Atendolo”

“Please call me Giambi.”

He smiled, but requested respectfully at the same time.

“I have heard much about Miss Ariadne de Mare, the one who has shaken San Carlo. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“No, I haven’t done anything…”

Ariadne modestly declined the exaggerated compliment with an embarrassed smile.

Giambattista Atendolo, what an interesting connection. The ‘Atendolo’ Ariadne knew was one person. Iacopo Atendolo, the persistent man who gave Isabella a diamond ring.

Iacopo Atendolo was Giambattista Atendolo’s lesser younger brother who could not inherit the title.

It seemed Julia had the same thought. She gave the newly arrived couple a significant look. Following Julia’s gaze, Ariadne also saw the couple just getting off their carriage in the rotary.

“!”

It was the unlikable Iacopo Atendolo, helping a young lady descend from the carriage. The most beautiful girl in San Carlo, wearing a pink dress, and her amethyst hair naturally falling to the side, braided.

“It’s Isabella.”

At Julia’s whisper, Ariadne nodded. Julia murmured with a touch of sarcasm.

“Our Felicite is excellent in many ways, but being the daughter of an emerging viscount is undeniable. Yet, Felicite brought the heir of the Atendolo family as her partner.”

Ariadne simply nodded without saying anything.

“But ‘that’ Isabella brought along a mere troublemaker like Iacopo Atendolo. Just how much has her reputation been damaged. It’s truly a pity.”

Whether it was because Isabella didn’t want to make eye contact with others, or she was sticking to a new concept, she was looking down demurely, receiving Iacopo Atendolo’s escort and walking very carefully.

Even the clothes she wore were not her usual flashy silk dresses, but something closer to indoor clothes made of thin cotton. Instead of jewelry, she wore a floral crown made of fresh flowers. From a distance, she looked like the most innocent maiden in the world.

Ariadne, in disbelief, whispered to Julia.

“Give me a heads up if strange rumors start to spread in the society. I have never cut her living expenses.”

Isabella’s excessive luxury was banned by an order from Cardinal de Mare himself, but Ariadne maintained the amount that Isabella used to receive during Lucrezia’s lifetime.

“Wow. But she’s still like that?”

Julia stuck out her tongue. Ariadne answered in a somewhat resigned tone.

“It seems to be her new concept. The poor country maiden.”

A real country maiden would not have the luxury of wearing makeup and wearing a lightcolored cotton dress. Because helping with household chores or farm work would stain the dress. Ariadne, who was truly from the countryside, felt low, as if her poverty was being robbed.

“Let’s go, that’s it.”

Fortunately, their turn, the royal carriage, had arrived. Julia nodded.

“No need to mix up and spoil the mood.”

The three couples who arrived first left Isabella de Mare, who arrived late, in the queue and left for the ‘Lily’s room’.

There were two reasons why Isabella de Mare looked down at the floor. It was to maintain the concept of a faithful country maiden, and because she didn’t want to make eye contact with others.

After Lucrezia’s death, among the elderly ladies, there was a slight sprout of sympathy for Isabella, and among the noblemen, there was always a category of ‘it doesn’t matter because she is pretty’, but the mainstream attitude of San Carlo towards Isabella was ‘avoidance’.

They turned their gaze as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have seen when Isabella came close.

No matter what her own opinion of Isabella was, she didn’t want to show others that she was hanging out with the mistress of a man who was notorious as the biggest human trash in San Carlo.

‘I’d rather not give them my attention first than seeing people not wanting to meet my gaze.’

Isabella, who was only left with evil, bit her lip.

However, fortunately for her, there were people who did not abandon her, regardless of what others said.

“Isabella.”

“Brother.”

Epolito, who had arrived at the palace now after going to pick up his partner in the de Mare family’s carriage, recognized Isabella as she got off the carriage. Next to him was Letitia, dressed cutely in a yellow dress.

“Isabella!”

She greeted Isabella loudly, happy. Epolito, unable to find a woman to go with him in the end, had applied to Letitia de Leonati, a young noble lady, for a dance partner as Isabella instructed.

Thanks to this, Letitia was able to escape from the unimaginable shame of going to the ball without a partner at the last minute.

Isabella’s mood was a little better at Letitia’s high tension. She was a clumsy friend who didn’t get full in the castle, but it was a hundred times better than nothing.

And there was someone who couldn’t abandon her. A luxurious carriage entered the rotary, and a young lady got out of the carriage escorted by a nobleman.

It was the Count and Countess Bartolini.

“Clemente sister!”

Isabella pretended to know her with a brighter smile. In the social circle of San Carlo, there was an unwritten rule that a person of lower status should not speak first to a person of higher status. However, it was an exception in the case of close friends.

Now, Isabella, who is the daughter of a bishop but far from the rank, naturally greeted Clemente de Bartolini, a countess, first without any hesitation, and they seemed very close. People turned their heads one after another to watch this situation.

Countess Bartolini, who was attacked by Isabella as soon as she arrived, had no choice but to accept Isabella’s greeting reluctantly, looking at her husband’s face.

“Um, Isabella… have you been well?”

“I’m so happy that you came to the ball today, too. I didn’t have anyone to hang out with, but I can hang out with you!”

Countess Bartolini struggled to manage her expression as if she was struck by a bolt from the blue.

“I, Isabella… I… I have a previous appointment with Countess Balzo and her husband…”

“That’s great! Countess Balzo is so diligent in her volunteer work! I admire her! I really wanted to get to know her. It’s okay if I follow you, right, Count Bartolini?”

The old count smiled faintly and nodded.

“They’re all mature ladies, but if young blood mixes in, it’ll liven up things.”

From the side, Isabella’s partner, Iacopo Attendolo, also joined in.

“Count Bartolini! Aren’t you doing the wine brewing business with our father? I’ve always wanted to listen to your wisdom.”

The expression of Countess Bartolini gradually distorted. However, unaware of the young lady’s speed, Count Bartolini chuckled and patted Iacopo’s shoulder.

“Yes, your father and I are old friends. The Attendolo family is late in joining the business, but it carries the tradition of a long line of knights. Let’s have a conversation as we go along today.”

“Thank you! Count.”

The atmosphere was such that the fact they would be together throughout the ball was not just a nailed certainty but even seemed to have been nailed in a coffin. Clemente de Bartolini could only manage to smile beautifully.