Sister, I'm the Queen This Life - Chapter 30

The problematic Eucharist mass was conducted without issues using the version of Missa Brevis modified by Arabella.

The composer’s name was changed to ‘Isabella⋅Arabella De Mare’, and the slight misconduct that occurred on the first day of the joint practice seemed to have passed without much rumor.

On the day of the Eucharist mass, people praised the outstanding talents of the De Mare sisters, and Lucrezia enjoyed the attention while receiving compliments on behalf of her daughters.

However, Isabella, who couldn’t face her friends, unusually did not attend the cathedral on the day of the Eucharist mass, contrary to her usual habit of enjoying attention, and remained secluded at home for a long time afterward.

Young Lady Camelia de Castiglione spread an exciting rumor in social circles.

Young Lady Julia de Valdesal decided to keep some distance, though not to the extent of completely severing a friendship, and on the day of the Eucharist mass, she smirked and whispered something to her mother, the Marchioness, as she watched Lucrezia assertively taking the front seat.

That summer, Arabella was grounded by Lucrezia and couldn’t go anywhere.

Ariadne, who had only made acquaintances with noble ladies of her mother’s age, including Queen Marguerite, since coming to San Carlo, but hadn’t made any friends her own age yet, spent her time cooped up in the study, so the family had a relatively quiet summer.

Amidst this, an invitation arrived for the family after a long time. It was sent by Marchioness Chibo, a close associate of Queen Marguerite.

“To Miss Ariadne De Mare,

I am planning to hold a salon on the last Friday of this August to appreciate artwork with young people. We have been able to showcase numerous precious works through the arrangement of merchants from the Republic of Porto.

As many noble bloodlines, including Prince Alfonso, have agreed to grace the occasion with their presence, I hope this will be an opportunity to expand your social connections. I would be delighted if you could attend and engage in conversation.

– Yours sincerely, Marchioness Alejandra de Chibo.”

Isabella’s name was nowhere on the invitation. Isabella was startled and quickly called for Maletta.

“Maletta! Is this the only invitation that arrived?”

“Yes, young lady……”

No matter how much she badgered the poor maid, no separate invitation for Isabella appeared.

In fact, as Marchioness Chibo was one of Queen Marguerite’s closest confidants, it was natural, even expected, that she didn’t send a separate invitation to Isabella, Lucrezia’s daughter.

Lucrezia originally had little connection with the queen’s inner circle, and recently there was even an incident where the queen ordered Lucrezia to leave during a mass at the royal palace.

But Isabella, jumping to conclusions on her own, assumed this was because of the composer impersonation incident at the Eucharist mass and suffered twice as much.

‘Everyone must be laughing at me. I need to make amends somehow…!’

The fact that she wasn’t invited to a salon that even Prince Alfonso was attending dealt a painful blow to Isabella’s pride. So, with the mindset that if she couldn’t have it, no one could, Isabella decided to prevent Ariadne from going as well.

“You, are you planning to go to Marchioness Chibo’s salon?”

Isabella brought up the topic at the dinner table where everyone was gathered, pretending to be concerned.

All family members, except Arabella who was still grounded and eating only dry bread in her room, turned to look at Isabella at once.

Isabella lowered her voice, feigning kindness.

“No, I’m not saying you shouldn’t go. How could I? But the situation is a bit tricky. You’re not even a debutante yet. You can’t go out without a guardian, you know.”

This was one of the rare occasions when what Isabella said was correct. The treatment of noble young ladies in San Carlo was greatly divided before and after the debutante ball.

Before the debutante ball, they were treated as children and couldn’t move without a guardian’s company when going out.

Only after the debutante ball were they recognized as proper ladies and allowed to make day trips to ‘decent’ places like churches, picnics, or friends’ houses without a guardian’s company.

“Because of you, mother was so embarrassed at the queen’s mass last time, you can’t ask her to accompany you to this, can you?”

Lucrezia’s expression immediately hardened. It seemed she hadn’t thought that far when Ariadne received the invitation from Marchioness Chibo.

Isabella pressured Ariadne with a sweet voice.

“You wouldn’t do that, would you? You’re a good daughter, after all.”

Ariadne didn’t respond immediately. When Ariadne didn’t promptly answer, Lucrezia got heated.

‘This child…!’

Just as Lucrezia was about to angrily say that she would never go, Cardinal De Mare put down his cutlery with a clatter.

“Well, it’s time.”

“Pardon?”

“Time for what?”

Cardinal De Mare looked at Ariadne and said.

“It’s time for the younger one to have her debutante ball.”

Ariadne looked at Cardinal De Mare in surprise.

She was dumbfounded. In her past life, she had gone straight to the engagement ceremony with Cesare De Como without even having a debutante ball.

After that, she was treated almost like a married woman, so Ariadne had never experienced attending social events as a girl who had just had her debutante ball.

She had only attended various social and charity events of noble ladies under the name of Count De Como.

But now, a solo debutante ball…!

It seemed to encapsulate in one event the change in Ariadne’s status compared to her past life. A small smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

In contrast to Ariadne, who couldn’t contain her joy, Isabella was angry.

“Father? How can she have a debutante ball? This year’s debutante ball is already over, isn’t it?”

This was also correct. The debutante ball was an annual event in April, in the blooming spring, where noble young ladies and gentlemen went to the royal palace to greet the royalty. It was now already August, with lush greenery.

“The second daughter has already greeted Their Majesties the King and Queen.”

This referred to the audience with the queen where Ariadne had been gifted the ‘Heart of the Blue Deep Sea’.

While the ‘debutante ball’ did involve a party where specially made fruit wine was drunk and that year’s debutantes paired up to dance the waltz, its essence was actually in greeting the king and queen and being confirmed as a noble child qualified to enter the court.

“She already has court entry qualifications, so what’s left is just greeting the social circles. For that, we can hold a separate ball and invite people. It’s not without precedent.”

For those like royal collateral lines or nobles who had grown up as playmates of princes or princesses, whose court entry qualifications were obvious to everyone, if they missed the debutante ball due to travel or illness, they would often hold a separate ball to announce their social debut.

It was a special privilege that only very precious people could enjoy. Isabella’s face contorted.

“Father, are you really going to do that for her?”

Isabella asked with an expression like she was grasping at straws.

Her father had always revolved around her alone. He wouldn’t give such a privilege, which even she hadn’t received, to this interloper. He shouldn’t.

But Cardinal De Mare’s answer cruelly betrayed Isabella’s expectations.

“You should get along well with your sister, Isabella.”

He looked at his eldest daughter somewhat disdainfully, keeping his distance.

“The second daughter is also a member who will elevate the name of the De Mare family. After her debutante ball, the second daughter’s range of movement will be wider. She’ll be able to do more things.”

He turned to Ariadne and said.

“You’ve been doing very well lately, Ariadne. I’m proud of you, even though I haven’t been able to take care of you much.”

“No, Your Eminence. I’m always grateful for your grace.”

Ariadne felt her stomach bubble up in the middle of her meal and could no longer eat. She always responded to Cardinal De Mare with two layers of pretense, but today’s expression of gratitude was a little sincere.

“Let’s have a separate talk before the debutante ball. I have something to tell you about it. Lucrezia, you come along briefly too at that time.”

“I understand, Your Eminence.”

“Yes, Your Eminence.”

Lucrezia looked at Ariadne with a distorted expression. Isabella and Lucrezia exchanged glances. Isabella spoke up spitefully.

“If we’re holding a separate debutante ball, it would need preparation time, so it would be early autumn at the earliest, right? Oh my, what to do? This salon is in the last week of August, and until then, you need a guardian to go out, don’t you?”

Lucrezia quickly picked up on the opening her eldest daughter had laid out.

“Your Eminence, it’s absolutely impossible for me to go to Marchioness Chibo’s salon right now.”

She switched tactics and started acting weak to Cardinal De Mare.

“Maybe because it’s so hot these days, I’m feeling ill… I can’t forget the way Marchioness Chibo looked at me during the queen’s mass last time. You know how when I get a headache once, it keeps hurting con-tinuously? In this state, oh really…”

Cardinal De Mare was getting a headache himself from his wife’s whining. If he insisted that she should endure and go along because Ariadne absolutely had to attend the salon, his wife would probably not leave him alone.

Since he had decided to hold a special debutante ball for the second daughter, wouldn’t it be okay if she missed one salon held by the queen’s confidant?

It was certain that if Lucrezia went to that place, she would be like a sack of barley, and excluding her, there was indeed no one else to take on the role of guardian.

“How could I, as a child, selfishly ask to be taken to a place where mother is uncomfortable?”

As Cardinal De Mare was contemplating how to broach the subject, Ariadne spoke up candidly first. Isabella and Lucrezia exchanged glances that said, ‘What’s up with her?’ Isabella tried to preempt.

“Then I guess you can’t go this time, which is such a shame? It’s too bad, especially since the prince is coming.”

“That’s not the case.”

As expected, Ariadne never let go of an opportunity once it came her way.

“Mrs. Romani, my Galico language tutor, is a distant relative of Marchioness Chibo. As it happens, Mrs. Romani’s residence is under renovation, so she’s staying at Marchioness Chibo’s house this month anyway. May I ask Mrs. Romani if she could accompany me to the salon that day as my chaperone?”

Lucrezia’s jaw dropped. Mrs. Romani was a tutor that Lucrezia had hired in the past, hoping she might help build connections for Isabella, when Lucrezia was desperately trying to fit in among the queen’s inner circle of noble ladies.

She had thought she might be able to build a bridge to Marchioness Chibo through Mrs. Romani.

However, as Mrs. Romani wasn’t the type to step forward or actively arrange things, they hadn’t gained any benefits in that regard.

She hadn’t fired her because her salary was low and she did her work diligently, but had simply forgotten about her.

‘How did she pick up on this!’

Unaware of Lucrezia’s inner rage, Cardinal De Mare was delighted that the troublesome issue had been resolved and gave his permission readily.

“Yes, that’s right. I think I heard that Mrs. Romani was a distant relative of Marchioness Chibo. It’s a good arrangement for both parties. Try asking her. Make sure to show your appreciation too.”

“Yes, father.”

Ariadne obediently bowed her head.

“Make sure you give the child something separately to show appreciation.”

Lucrezia, who was already irritated about her going and now had to provide money too, was dealt another blow.

“…Yes, Your Eminence.”

“Do I have to take care of every little thing? Ah, let’s not talk about it anymore, let’s not!”