Chapter 68

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Isabella's Scheme
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Isabella shuddered when she saw the woman's face, faintly revealed in the moonlight. It was the young Countess Bartolini, renowned for her modesty and piety. Her maiden name was Clemente de Contarini, Ottavio de Contarini's eldest sister. From her unfocused eyes and flushed skin, it seemed Countess Bartolini had also had quite a bit to drink. Just as the unsightly pair, engrossed in their affair, were about to take things further, they were finally discovered by someone other than Isabella.

"Who's there!"

"Oh my goodness!"

The ones who shouted were a noble couple out for a stroll. They screamed upon discovering Marquis Campa and Countess Bartolini.

"…!"

"!"

The man and woman on the bench froze as well. Countess Bartolini, particularly startled, snatched her mask despite her intoxication and shoved Marquis Campa away with surprising strength. She shot up and began to run in the opposite direction of the voices. Coincidentally, that was the direction where Isabella was standing. The eyes of Countess Bartolini, who was wearing a light brown dress, met Isabella's for a fleeting moment. The woman's eyes were filled with deep dismay. In that instant, an idea struck Isabella.

*This is it…!*

Countess Bartolini and Isabella's eyes met for only a split second. She shoved even Isabella aside and fled deep into the garden. Pushed by the woman, Marquis Campa fell from the bench with a thud. People began to gather from the direction of the noble couple who had shouted, murmuring amongst themselves.

"What's going on?"

"How could someone do something so scandalous at a masquerade ball…!"

"Wait, isn't that Marquis Campa?"

Everyone was shocked for the same reason as Isabella.

"Who on earth was the woman with him?"

"Did you see her face?"

"She must have a strong stomach!"

"She must be mad!"

Isabella reached into her handbag. Inside was the fleur-de-lis bracelet of Ariadne's that she had picked up earlier. Taking advantage of the confusion, Isabella surreptitiously rolled Ariadne's bracelet into the clearing. The red ruby remained in her handbag, but the green topaz bracelet rolled to a stop in the grass about two piedi (roughly one meter) from Marquis Campa. Isabella shouted loudly.

"Look over there! It's a woman's bracelet!"

Isabella's cry certainly got a reaction. People immediately looked toward the patch of grass she pointed to, where a jeweled bracelet, the same color as the lawn but glittering incomparably more than any plant, lay. The wife of Baron and Baroness D'Apiani, the noble couple who had first discovered the garden tryst, quickly ran over and picked up the green topaz bracelet. The baroness held the bracelet up and cried out in excitement.

"It must belong to the other woman!"

People immediately swarmed in to examine the bracelet. The clearing grew noisy with murmurs as a crowd quickly gathered, soon numbering over a dozen. Marquis Campa was completely and utterly drunk. So inebriated was he that he couldn't even withstand his lover's push as she fled, tumbling from the bench. He remained in that position, face down on the ground, and began to snore. His trousers, which he hadn't had time to fix, were in disarray. Unable to watch any longer, a gentleman pulled Marquis Campa's cape over his entire body. Among the people gathering, there was indeed someone who recognized the bracelet.

"Isn't this from Collezione's latest collection of accessories?"

"Yes, yes, I think I saw it in the catalog. It's a fleur-de-lis design."

*Good, they're slowly getting closer to the answer.*

But the progress was slower than she'd expected. Isabella, standing nearby and feigning ignorance, decided to give the clueless crowd a little more help. She looked away nonchalantly before casually adding a comment.

"Hardly anyone bought that one. I wanted to buy Collezione's fleur-de-lis jewelry myself and inquired, but they said someone had already claimed it and it was no longer for sale."

It seemed a few others besides Isabella had a similar experience. Murmurs of "Me too, me too," rippled through the crowd as they began to buzz.

"Then we just need to find the woman wearing the new items from Collezione's latest collection!"

The crowd's curiosity was ignited. With such specific criteria, they would surely be able to find her. Besides, the woman who fled was wearing a deep yellow dress. A woman in a yellow dress, wearing new items from Collezione. The crowd began to discuss animatedly who might be wearing new Collezione pieces tonight.

"I think I saw the Count and Countess Marquez wearing fleur-de-lis ornaments today!"

"No, those weren't from Collezione's accessories line, they were from Alpetto. The detailing is inferior."

"Didn't the woman who ran off wear a deep yellow dress? Countess Marquez is in red tonight."

The discussion was in full swing. A figure appeared from the direction of the Queen's Palace. It was Ariadne, who had come closer after seeing the crowd, wondering if perhaps the Grand Duchess of Valois had been found. The woman, who appeared with light steps, hesitated when she saw the noisy crowd.

"Look over there!"

At someone's cry, all eyes turned in unison toward Ariadne. Ariadne was wearing a deep golden dress and a volto mask decorated with a fleur-de-lis motif. A closer look at her volto mask revealed a golden fleur-de-lis ornament and, attached to the mask, a green topaz necklace with the same fleur-de-lis design. It was clearly a matching set with the green topaz bracelet found on the ground. Isabella secretly clenched her fist.

*Success!*

*If I can't have it, neither can you. Let's see your reputation get ruined. How dare someone like you even look at the prince.* Ariadne, having stepped into the clearing, was quite taken aback by the blatant, piercing stares of the crowd. But rather than cowering or speaking rashly, she waited for them to approach her and explain what was happening. Among the people whispering amongst themselves while staring at the quietly standing woman, the noblewoman who had first picked up the bracelet took the lead. She held out the bracelet and asked.

"My lady, does this bracelet happen to belong to you?"

The moment Ariadne saw the bracelet, she realized it was hers. She didn't know where she had lost it—in fact, she hadn't even known it was missing until now—but the radiant jewels and intricate pattern were undeniably those of her bracelet. But something was strange. The noblewoman's eyes were glinting strangely. It seemed that if she admitted it was hers, there would be more to the story.

"Why do you ask?"

Ariadne answered cautiously, careful not to glance down at her wrist. Fortunately, her mask concealed her expression from the others. However, despite her caution, someone in the crowd pointed at her and shouted.

"Look at the necklace on her mask! It's the same fleur-de-lis design!"

That shout set off a wave of murmurs.

"The necklace is also green topaz, it must be her!"

"The dress color is the same, too. I saw it clearly, it was a dark gold!"

"I think she's Marquis Campa's mistress!"

Hearing this, Ariadne finally understood what was going on. She, too, knew of Marquis Campa's reputation. A middle-aged man, dead drunk, was sprawled on the ground of the clearing; he must have been Marquis Campa. A cape was haphazardly thrown over him, but it was obvious his clothes were in disarray. It seemed some woman who resembled her had been enjoying a secret tryst with Marquis Campa, was discovered, and had fled. Ariadne shook her head and replied.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding. I only just arrived in this clearing. If I were really Marquis Campa's mistress, I would have fled into the garden. Why on earth would I come back?"

Isabella bit her tongue to suppress the urge to shout, *'You came back for your precious bracelet, didn't you!'* She had already received a stern warning from Cardinal de Mare not to damage her sister's reputation in public. Once at the débutante ball, and again—unfairly, she felt—at the hunting competition. If she were caught this time, it would be the third strike. Cardinal de Mare would not let Isabella off the hook a third time. Her lips itched to speak, but Isabella was no short-sighted villain. If she wanted to live well tomorrow, the day after, and for all eternity, she had to be prudent. The people murmured.

*Someone, say something!*

Anxious, Isabella bit her thumbnail. But she trusted in the base curiosity and laziness of the public. Things had stalled for a moment, but now that the crowd had taken the bait, they wouldn't let go without solid proof to the contrary. People disliked changing their minds once they were convinced of something. With the stage set like this, not even Ariadne could escape unscathed.

"My lady, prove your innocence. Anyone could make such an excuse."

Indeed, someone made the first distorted suggestion. The proper way to debate is to place the burden of proof on the one making the accusation. But this incorrect proposal, tossed out casually and without malice, swayed those who weren't thinking too deeply.

"That's right. If she didn't do it, she should bring proof."

"She's suspicious. Why hasn't she taken off her mask?"

In truth, Ariadne was keeping her mask on so she could flee into the woods if necessary. She was covered from head to toe, not a speck of skin visible down to her fingertips. Who would know who she was? As Ariadne calculated her escape route, her eyes fell upon Isabella, standing in a corner and biting her nails.

"…!"

"…"

The half-sisters' gazes met in midair. The moment she saw Isabella, Ariadne realized why her bracelet had been found here. It was Isabella. It might have fallen in the carriage, or she might have stolen it from the house, but the bracelet had undoubtedly been found here due to Isabella's machinations. Isabella knew what Ariadne was wearing tonight, including her mask.

*If I run now, Isabella will surely blab about who I am.*

Isabella looked at Ariadne and smiled meaningfully. She was undoubtedly waiting for Ariadne to leave. While the two sisters remained in a standoff, more people continued to gather. Among them was the daughter of Viscount Leonati, a friend of Isabella's who never thought about the consequences. She recognized Isabella at a glance and approached her side. The two whispered to each other, then giggled. Lady Letizia Leonati, with a look of utter amusement, triumphantly approached the woman in the golden dress and volto mask. Then, she raised her voice and shouted.

"The second daughter of de Mare? What a coincidence, meeting you in a place like this!"