Princess Ariadne reached the prince’s palace in a month’s time, but was firmly restrained by the servant in charge of the palace’s entrance.

“Princess, His Royal Highness the Prince is currently unable to meet with outsiders.”

“I said, I am Princess Ariadne……”

“Princess, it would be difficult if you do this here. Currently, the Prince is not in the prince’s palace, so we cannot report to him.”

“What, what do you mean…… I must meet the Prince!”

Appearing to save the servant who was being bothered by Princess Ariadne, who was stammering in the Etruscan language with a Galician accent, was Count Bernardino, the Prince’s aide.

“Princess. His Royal Highness the Prince is currently recuperating at the Queen’s Palace. I will put in a request if you wish, but it would be best if you do not wait for a reply.”

A person who understands her language! Ariadne clung to him with a desperate expression.

“Just for a moment……!”

However, just because they understood the same language did not mean they would fulfill Ariadne’s wishes. Count Bernardino was firm.

“The Prince is currently spending time with his mother, and is not receiving any external visitors. Please respect their motherson time.”

“I have something I must ask!”

Despite Ariadne’s desperate cry, Bernardino responded bureaucratically.

“Unfortunately, it seems difficult, Princess.”

In front of Ariadne, who was about to cling on further, Count Bernardino turned sharply and retreated.

“Have a good evening.”

“!”

It was a chilling cold treatment. Ariadne had never experienced such treatment since arriving in San Carlo. She felt like she was going to hyperventilate and took deep breaths.

However, she couldn’t let things end with Prince Alfonso cruelly misunderstanding her.

She couldn’t collapse here. If she did, she would forever be remembered by Prince Alfonso as a terrible woman. Being viewed negatively by the person she liked was what Ariadne feared most in the world.

‘He’s in the Queen’s Palace……?’

At the Queen’s Palace, there was always Lady Carla, who had always supported Princess Ariadne. She would somehow make it work.

Princess Ariadne lifted her dress and practically ran towards the Queen’s Palace.

‘If I meet Lady Carla, she will arrange a meeting with the Prince……!’

She was leaving here tomorrow morning. She had to meet him quickly.

The bright marble arch marking the entrance to the Queen’s Palace came into view. Ivy that announced the spring was climbing the arch. Princess Ariadne, who had arrived at the Queen’s Palace, was fortunate. She met a familiarfaced maid of Queen Marguerite.

“Take me to Lady Carla!”

The queen’s maid was startled by Princess Ariadne, who suddenly gave an order, showed respect on her knees, and rushed in to bring Lady Carla out.

Seeing a person who she believed to be on her side, Princess Ariadne’s white, doughlike face collapsed, melted with relief and reassurance.

“Lady Carla……! They say Prince Alfonso is here.”

Ariadne cried out desperately.

“I have to meet the Prince. You’ll let me meet him, won’t you!”

However, something was strange. The usual quick, kind affirmation didn’t come. Ariadne, feeling anxious, scrutinized Lady Carla’s expression. Lady Carla, who had always been affectionate and felt like a neighbor or an aunt, had a subtly changed face that was difficult to describe.

‘Rejection……?’

“His Royal Highness the Prince…… is currently not meeting with any outsiders.”

Thump.

Princess Ariadne’s heart sank. The ‘expression’ she had initially felt was merely her own hunch, but the content of Lady Carla’s words was a clear refusal.

Lady Carla had always called Ariadne ‘the one who will soon become our family’, and never referred to her as an outsider.

Ariadne, forgetting her pride, clung on pathetically. She was always exceedingly arrogant towards those below her, but the fact that she had lost the goodwill she had been granted made her utterly miserable.

“Please, please pass on a message. That Princess Ariadne must, at last…… no, it’s not the last time. But I need to see Prince Alfonso.”

Lady Carla, who seemed to be in trouble, couldn’t refuse in a single blow. She tucked in the sleeve of her dress where the Archduchess Lariessa clung and spoke reluctantly.

“I… will try to relay the message to the Prince but…”

“That’s enough.”

Lariessa believed that Alfonso would meet her. There was no logical reason. It was just an odd desire.

Lady Carla hid herself inside the queen’s palace to deliver the message to the prince, and the Archduchess Lariessa, left alone, stood aimlessly in the palace corridor, spinning around without any decency. About 20 minutes had passed, and she, tired of waiting, looked outside the arcshaped corridor.

She could see the section where Queen Marguerite’s chamber was located far away, and the tower erected above it.

‘!’