Chapter 31

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Marchioness Cibo's Salon
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Lady Romani had gladly accepted the role of Ariadne's chaperone. Thanks to Lady Romani agreeing to be her chaperone, Ariadne was able to enjoy two rare outings in the late summer, including her visit to the Rambouillet Almshouse. The day she was to attend Marchioness Cibo's art salon arrived quickly, and Ariadne was now in a carriage on her way to the Cibo estate.

“My lady, the prince is coming!”

Sancha, who was in the carriage with her, chattered away.

“We should have dressed you up even more beautifully today!”

Ariadne was wearing a lovely yellow dress tailored at Ragione's dress shop and the topaz earrings set in gold that Isabella had once coveted. The lavish jewelry worn over her modest attire unequivocally declared her status as the daughter of a noble house.

“The jewelry Her Majesty the Queen gifted you is so beautiful, but you have so few dresses, my lady. Can we place another order at Ragione's soon?”

Ariadne smiled at Sancha’s excitement.

“Let's wait and see.”

Ariadne's real reason for wanting to attend Marchioness Cibo's salon today had less to do with the prince and more with something else. Today's gathering was, in essence, an art auction presented by merchants from the Republic of Porto. Ariadne still remembered it because, in her past life, this very auction had caused a huge stir in the Kingdom of Etruscan. It wasn't a stir for a particularly good reason. The main pieces and highlight of today's auction were statues from the ancient Hellenia era, said to have been excavated from newly discovered ruins in the northern city of Lastra. The most famous among them was a statue of Nike, the ancient goddess of victory, a piece praised in the *Hellenia Travels* by the historian and author Halicardotos as "a work that embodies the indomitable and steadfast will of humanity, soaring toward the heavens." Sculpture on the central continent was rapidly advancing through a coexisting system of noble patronage, private apprenticeships, and national art festivals organized by painters' guilds. Yet, the demand for sculptures from the more renowned ancient Hellenia and the subsequent Latin Empire eras remained sky-high. This was true for both research and for the purpose of possession and ostentation. However, the biggest drawback was that statues from the Hellenia era, even those of marble, were typically excavated after being buried for a long time and were therefore in poor condition. The fate of the *Vittoria Nike* statue had been particularly harsh. Halicardotos himself had lamented in his time, "Her delicate wings, already damaged once by the Moorish army that swept through the temple during the Cellesphon War, were repaired..." The text that followed could not be confirmed, as part of Halicardotos's travelogue had been lost. The merchants from the Republic of Porto were making a fuss, proclaiming today as the "resurrection of the *Vittoria Nike*," and fanning the flames by claiming that a perfectly preserved statue from the Hellenia era was unheard of. Their boast was, in fact, true. Tempted by this, a prominent noble of San Carlo purchased the *Vittoria Nike* for a record price and completely renovated the front courtyard of his mansion to install it. The massive construction project at the entrance of a grand mansion near downtown San Carlo, which involved tearing out a fountain, was the talk of the town. After the ostentatious renovations, the noble family installed the *Vittoria Nike* where the fountain had been, showcasing her sublime form to proclaim their prestige to all. The problem arose when the lost latter part of Halicardotos's travelogue was discovered. "Her delicate wings, already damaged once, were repaired..." This was the original line, but the newly discovered text that followed concluded as such: "...repair became impossible, and she was displayed with one wing missing. Her head and left arm had also vanished, but the people of Tibos, believing that the sight of the *Vittoria Nike* having endured the horrors of the Cellesphon War was itself a facet of victory, enshrined the broken goddess as she was. It was a scene that highlighted the mature historical consciousness of the Tibos people." It turned out that the previous interpretation—"she was displayed after having already been repaired once"—was incorrect. In truth, a change in the interpretation of a travelogue was no big deal. It was a simple matter of changing a few lines in a textbook. The real problem was that the *Vittoria Nike* standing in the center of the prominent noble's garden had two beautiful wings soaring high. The newly discovered *Hellenia Travels* clearly stated that the *Vittoria Nike* was broken beyond repair, yet this statue had a head and both arms perfectly intact. Furthermore, the ancient Hellenian city of Tibos was located on the eastern edge of the central continent, where the people were of a slightly different ethnicity. Yet, the face of the *Vittoria Nike* was unmistakably modeled after an Etruscan woman, leaving people speechless. All of San Carlo was in an uproar as they began to debate the statue's authenticity, and Ariadne vividly remembered how the affair had consumed the city like a collective hobby for about a month.

“We're here to buy something.”

Ariadne told Sancha. Of course, she wasn't going to buy the *Vittoria Nike*. She had no reason to, nor did she have the money. What Ariadne was after today were a few paintings that would also be up for auction. The number of pieces she would buy depended on her budget, but the emerging artist whose paintings were being auctioned today would see his value skyrocket by next year. In just five or six years, he would become the leading painter of the Holy See, dominating the era.

“We've arrived!”

At the coachman's announcement, Ariadne disembarked from the carriage with Sancha's help. A servant from the Cibo household was outside to greet them. Holding a parasol Sancha had opened for her, Ariadne slowly walked toward the Cibo main residence, guided by the servant, when she heard the clamor of an approaching carriage from behind.

- “Giddy-up! Giddy-up!”

- *Clatter, clatter.* The carriage, drawn by four white horses adorned with gold, did not slow down at all, even as it neared the point where other nobles were disembarking to walk. The golden carriage sped past that spot, brushing by a few walking nobles, before pulling up right next to the entrance of the Cibo residence.

“His Highness Prince Alfonso has arrived!”

“Your Highness, you've arrived!”

“It is an infinite honor to have you visit our humble home. Please, come inside.”

The other voices from a distance were a faint murmur, but the prince's attendant had such a booming voice that the prince's name came through loud and clear.

“It seems the prince is here.”

Sancha, who should have been excited, was strangely sullen.

“What's wrong, Sancha? You were so happy earlier about seeing the prince.”

Ariadne asked, and Sancha replied with a pout.

“Well, it's just that we all have to get out way over there and walk, but the prince gets to pull right up to the front door and slip inside. My lady is the one wearing high heels, and she's the one who's more delicate! If anyone should be allowed to pull up close, it should be you, not the prince.”

Ariadne gently poked Sancha's pouting lips with her finger.

“Don't say such things! You'll be dragged away!”

Ariadne glanced at the Cibo servants. They didn't seem to be listening to their conversation. Ariadne lowered her voice and whispered to Sancha.

“A good monarch protects his people from foreign powers in times of war and cares for the weak in times of peace. The authority they wield is a tool to make that easier. A monarch without authority cannot use their power when it's truly needed.”

She paused, searching her memory, then said to Sancha.

“I believe Prince Alfonso has all the qualities of a good monarch.”

“What about the current king?”

“A great king, of course!”

Ariadne answered loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, then discreetly showed Sancha her crossed index and middle fingers beneath the cuff of her dress. According to the teachings of the Holy Book, lying was a sin, but this was the hand gesture one made to ask God for forgiveness when an unavoidable lie had to be told. Sancha burst out laughing, and the two entered the Cibo residence with cheerful smiles. * * *

“The younger Lady de Mare has arrived!”

A servant of the Cibo household announced Ariadne's entrance. The murmuring chatter inside quieted for a moment. It wasn't the overwhelming silence that fell when Prince Alfonso or another powerful figure entered the hall, but a fleeting quiet born of curiosity. Everyone wanted to see the Cardinal's second daughter, who had become incredibly famous after the Apostle of Acereto incident. Once they had seen the Cardinal's daughter with their own eyes, the paused conversations erupted.

- “She's not as beautiful as her sister.”

- “Still, she's quite cute. I heard she's only a half-sister, right?”

- “How is the eldest daughter so pretty when Lucrezia herself isn't much of a beauty?”

Everyone was talking about Ariadne, but no one actually approached her to say hello. Only Marchioness Cibo, the one who had sent the invitation, hurried across the hall to greet her.

“Lady de Mare, thank you for gracing us with your presence today. Was your journey here pleasant?”

“It was very comfortable, thank you. Where might Lady Romani be?”

“She felt a bit overcome by the heat and went to the ladies' powder room. She'll be out shortly. Please, have a look around!”

As the hostess of the party, Marchioness Cibo couldn't stay by Ariadne's side. And given the nature of the gathering—an art auction—the crowd was overwhelmingly composed of mature nobles and their wives, rather than people Ariadne's age. It wasn't a place where Ariadne could easily fit in. So, Ariadne decided to wander aimlessly through the hall full of strangers with her hands behind her back until Lady Romani returned. Just then, she spotted Prince Alfonso in the distance, surrounded by a crowd. Before their eyes could meet, Ariadne quickly lowered her head, turned, and headed for a corner of the party. For some reason, she didn't want him to see her all alone.

*‘Why now, of all times…?’*

Ariadne tried to analyze her own feelings to mask her confusion. She had always thought herself perfectly comfortable eating alone, walking alone, and shutting herself away in the library, but it seemed that, deep down, it must have bothered her. That was why she didn't want to meet the prince. And just then, the golden-haired boy, engulfed in the crowd, spotted her first. Unable to call out her name in such a crowded place, Alfonso looked directly at Ariadne and raised his right hand high. Ariadne had already turned to leave the party, but she couldn't stop her gaze from drifting toward the prince. The dark-haired girl, taking one last look at him before she left, saw Prince Alfonso's gesture, burst into laughter, and stopped in her tracks.