Sister, I'm the Queen This Life - Chapter 43

Count Cesare, the envoy of His Majesty the King, strode into the room and chose a platform near the entrance where Cardinal De Mare was standing. As the king’s envoy ascended, Cardinal De Mare hurriedly stepped aside, yielding the platform.

Cesare looked down at the ball guests who were all bowing to him, and unfolded His Majesty the King’s imperial decree. It was the king’s message conveyed through his voice.

“Hearken, my people. Today, Cardinal De Mare’s second daughter, Ariadne De Mare, is holding her debutante ball. Ariadne De Mare, a faithful subject of San Carlo, is a girl of deep faith who can widely serve as a role model for the people of the country, and has previously rendered meritorious service to the nation. I celebrate her coming of age, and send Count Cesare de Como as a partner to escort her to the debutante ball. That is all.”

All the spectators in the ballroom were paying their respects to him as if he were the king himself, with the same courtesy shown to His Majesty the King.

Enjoying the thrill running up his spine, he rolled up the parchment again and handed it to the attendant beside him. Only then did he meet eyes with Cardinal De Mare on the platform and greeted him.

“It is an honor to meet you today, Your Eminence Cardinal De Mare.”

Cardinal De Mare bowed in return.

“Count Cesare. It is an honor to have you visit our humble home.”

“I will take good care of your daughter today.”

“I must express my gratitude to His Majesty the King.”

Cesare nodded, accepting that greeting to the king on his behalf.

He descended from the platform where he had been with Cardinal De Mare and began walking towards the opposite end of the main hall, the dais where Ariadne and Prince Alfonso were.

It was like a triumphal march. Cesare traversed the ballroom like the protagonist of the ball, receiving everyone’s attention. Only the guests who had seen Prince Alfonso enter earlier were murmuring.

‘…!’

Arriving at the end of the dais, Cesare finally noticed Prince Alfonso standing below the platform. Seeing Alfonso’s expression, attitude, pure white attire, and the way he was escorting Ariadne, a dangerous smile hung on Cesare’s lips.

‘What, so that’s how it was?’

Cesare greeted Prince Alfonso with an exaggeratedly surprised look.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the little sun of the kingdom?”

A slight frown formed on Alfonso’s handsome brow. Cesare sarcastically provoked Alfonso.

“Since I’ve come as His Majesty the King’s proxy today, I’ll skip the greetings, Your Highness.”

It was a retort for the humiliation of kneeling a few days ago.

“His Majesty Leo III, the Sun of Etrusca, says that I am to be this young lady’s debutante partner. You’ll have to step aside, Your Highness.”

No one could defy the king’s decree. This included Prince Alfonso, the heir to the throne.

Ignoring the frozen Prince Alfonso, Cesare reached out his hand to Ariadne.

When Ariadne did not readily take that hand, he added a word.

“It is the solemn royal command, Lady De Mare.”

As always, Cesare’s trademark deer leather gloves were worn on his outstretched hand. Ariadne reluctantly extended her left hand to Cesare. At least their bare hands did not touch.

As she offered her hand to Cesare, she checked Prince Alfonso’s countenance. Alfonso had a shocked expression. Ariadne apologized to Alfonso with her eyes.

– “I’m sorry things turned out this way because of me.”

Noticing that Ariadne was not focusing on him, Cesare kissed Ariadne’s left hand with an exaggeratedly large motion. It was an action aimed at Prince Alfonso, as if to show off.

Alfonso smiled blankly and gestured a greeting to Ariadne.

“My role ends here for today. See you in a bit, Ariadne.”

– “I’m sorry, Alfonso.”

Ariadne greeted him with the shape of her mouth.

Cesare couldn’t stand how thrilling this situation was. On his way to this ball, he had been inwardly cursing his mother, Countess Rubina, with all the resentment he could muster.

He had thought his mother, who had gone to King Leo III and sweet-talked him into issuing a royal command, had really done something useless, and he had reluctantly brought his heavy bottom to Cardinal De Mare’s ball because she told him to. But he never dreamed such an amusing thing would happen here.

‘I should show my filial piety to Mother.’

He revised the image he had held of the girl in front of his eyes.

He had originally thought she was dull, ferocious, and had a terrible fashion sense, but Ariadne, who was now standing before him in full attire, was quite beautiful.

First, there was her calm, flawless skin, and the features that had seemed fierce were unexpectedly neat and elegant with makeup emphasizing her eyes.

The dress she wore today had a low neckline that elegantly accentuated her collarbones and décolletage.

Cesare escorted Ariadne onto the dais as carefully as if handling expensive porcelain.

On the opposite platform, Cardinal De Mare was delivering a speech to the guests about how excellent and chaste a lady his second daughter was, how deep her faith was, and how gentle her disposition was.

Ariadne and Cesare stood on the dais like a picturesque couple, becoming the objects of curious gazes cast their way.

After Cardinal De Mare’s short speech ended, all the guests cheered in celebration and raised the fruit wine brought by the attendants in the air to toast and drink.

Ariadne and Cesare also took the fruit wine brought by the attendant on a tray and took a sip each on the dais. It signified that they had become adults.

Soon after, the band’s music flowed out. It was time for the first waltz.

Since no one could start dancing until the debutante and her partner danced the first dance, Cesare escorted Ariadne to the center of the ballroom.

Taking the starting pose for the waltz, with one hand around Ariadne’s waist and the other holding her hand, he kindly greeted her.

“It’s been a few weeks, Ariadne.”

The most charming smile he prided himself on was drawn on Cesare’s lips.

“A promise is a promise, so let’s speak casually starting today.”

He seemed to remember his words from before about speaking comfortably because she was a child. Ariadne, taking steps in time with the waltz, retorted without relaxing her expression.

“Please call me Lady De Mare.”

Perfect. Bravo for the spirit of not falling for a cheap smile.

He had never had the slightest interest in Isabella’s dull younger sister, but today’s events were genuinely piquing his interest in Ariadne.

He wanted to take away whatever Alfonso had. And for that to be a lively, beautiful girl – he wanted to gouge out his own eyes for not recognizing her until now.

“I’ll wait until the day we become close, Lady De Mare.”

Cesare maintained the best manners he showed to a woman he had set his sights on and led the waltz. Ariadne was not the best dancer but danced proficiently.

“You dance well for a young lady who has just debuted in high society. Did you learn a lot at home?”

She hadn’t been able to learn much at home, but she had danced with you, for 14 years. Repeatedly. Many times.

Cesare’s newly honey-dripping sweet attitude, when he had been reluctant to dance with her in her past life, was hard to adjust to.

To suppress her complicated emotions, Ariadne thought of the Cesare who had asked if she would sell the ‘Heart of the Deep Blue Sea’ when a bit of hope had risen, no, the Cesare who had shouted if she knew the humiliation he felt when her father had pushed her on him before the regression.

Her heartbeat automatically slowed down, becoming as chilly as a late autumn downpour. Her eyes and voice also sank coldly.

“It’s not that I dance well. I only know the basics.”

As the climax of the waltz approached, Cesare held only Ariadne’s left hand, sending his partner far away, then spun her around as if winding her in and embraced her.

“This is the ‘Heart of the Deep Blue Sea.’ The jewel shines, but it doesn’t seem to keep up with the young lady’s beauty.”

“Stop the idle flattery.”

Separate from the cold words spilling from her lips, the girl’s body temperature was very warm. Cesare focused on the warmth of the girl nestling into his arms, contrary to the words falling from the girl’s sharp lips.

He was confident he could easily melt the clumsy teenage girl’s heart given enough time. He did not know, but he already had a track record of perfectly accomplishing that in his previous life.

For Cesare, the Count of Como, the most popular man in San Carlo, a woman’s heart was only a matter of time.

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When Count Cesare de Como was throwing honey-coated lines one after another at Ariadne de Mare, who had put up an iron wall, Prince Alfonso was blankly leaning against the wall of the main hall, looking at the center.

The young ladies were all whispering and looking in that direction, but no one dared approach him. It was a firm rule that the gentleman had to extend his hand first to request a dance at a ball.

There was no chance a bold young lady would approach when the prince was sighing deeply, leaning against the wall with no motivation. Except for one.

Isabella, dressed in a pure white organza dress imported from the Moorish Empire and adorned like a peacock’s cousin, knew exactly what she had to do as soon as she spotted the prince.

Isabella approached the prince’s side with light steps and, without a moment’s hesitation, pushed the white crepe myrtle vase that had been placed on the cabinet next to the prince for decoration.

As the vase seemed about to fall to the floor before his eyes, Alfonso’s eyes widened and he instinctively reached out his hands towards the porcelain. But instead of the porcelain, it was Isabella who had thrown herself into the spot where the porcelain was about to fall.

– Crash!

The loud sound of the vase shattering rang out, and in an instant, everyone’s attention focused on Prince Alfonso, whom all the young ladies had already been looking at.

Prince Alfonso unintentionally found himself holding Isabella. To the flustered Alfonso, Isabella flashed a refreshing smile and suggested,

“Let’s say Your Highness wanted to ask me to dance.”

Numerous eyes filled with curiosity looked in his direction.

“Everyone’s looking, hurry.”

Alfonso nodded reluctantly, feeling that if he didn’t agree here, he would become a man who had reached out and touched a woman without permission. He was immediately dragged to the very center of the main hall by Isabella.

Isabella sweetly took Prince Alfonso’s hand and placed it on her waist. Alfonso had no choice but to begin stepping in time with the waltz rhythm, his arm around Isabella’s waist.

From the outside, they were the perfect couple. Isabella in her pure white organza dress and Alfonso faithfully keeping to the debutante partner’s attire looked like a debutante couple from afar.

The combination of dark and light blonde hair was a handsome man and beautiful woman, and at a glance, these two seemed to be the protagonists of the debutante ball instead.

But the chemistry between the two was not very refreshing. Throughout the dance, Isabella persistently talked to the prince.

“Are you enjoying the ball today?”

“It’s a splendid ball.”

And the conversation did not continue further.

“Your Highness seems to dance very steadily and well. Who is your ballroom dance teacher at the palace?”

“I learned from Mr. Lorebald.”

The prince’s answer ended in a short form. But the persistent Isabella did not give up. Following the rhythm of the waltz, she took a big turn and nestled into the prince’s arms, throwing out another conversation starter.

“The interior decoration is so unique and beautiful, isn’t it? It was chosen by my younger sister, Ariadne.”

Only then did light return to the prince’s eyes. Isabella’s pretty eyes sparkled, thinking the physical contact had finally worked. But the prince’s interest lay elsewhere. Alfonso’s words sped up as he answered.

“Your younger sister Ariadne seems quite remarkable. I was deeply impressed by her creativity and intelligence.”

Prince Alfonso’s positive reaction was not because his skin had come into contact with Isabella’s.

Isabella, who had intended to gossip about brazen Ariadne while mentioning the omission of traditional tapestry decorations, had a hunch that if she proceeded that way, the prince’s reaction would be very unfavorable.

She had no choice but to board the prince’s choice of topic and joined in praising her sister.

“Ariadne is indeed smart. She studies hard too.”

“What is her favorite subject? Theology, I presume?”

Isabella, who had no great interest in her sister other than feelings of rivalry, began to flounder as she answered.

This was the first time since growing hair that Isabella had talked about another girl while conversing with a man, other than about herself. Oh my, when had Isabella de Mare ever been treated this way by a boy her age?

She ground her teeth and began to nervously check Ariadne’s direction. She had prepared an event in advance to make the prince realize that Ariadne was not a good product in his eyes.

If only that went off, Prince Alfonso’s interest in the tumbled stone was sure to fade.

She had definitely arranged it, so when on earth would it go off?