The Woman is Fickle (1)
“I will be sold.”
The man raised one of his straight eyebrows at Adele’s words. Only then did Adele realize what she had just said.
My God. What did I just say?
Adele’s face turned pale.
Bury your head and beg for forgiveness, Adele Vivi.
But contrary to her thoughts, her mouth calmly uttered the next words.
“Please assign me the role you mentioned. Sell me. I will become the most valuable lady in Santenare.”
Sweat was beading in her clenched fists, soaking the cloth used to polish shoes.
She was that desperate. The question was whether that desperation reached the man in front of her.
“……”
The man had dark blue hair like the night sea. His blue hair, which could also be described as the color of the sea or bronze, suited his distinct features perfectly.
The man, who had been staring blankly at Adele, quietly bit his cigar.
The smoke rose leisurely. Adele could soon smell the scent of almonds and dark chocolate.
Did he not hear?
“I…”
As Adele tried to speak again, she met the golden shadow beyond the smoke.
It was the man’s eyes. Terrifyingly cold.
His eyes were a sharp, refreshing gold. Thanks to his clear-cut features, they were reminiscent of the sun in midsummer.
However, the color alone was not enough to mask his ruthlessness. He seemed like someone who had taken only the dignity from the sun and thrown all other warm aspects into the trash.
He is someone who has received the utmost love from fate and the gods.
It was what gossips said about ‘Cesare Buonaparte,’ the man in front of her. Adele immediately understood why.
Cesare Buonaparte.
The man who, at such a young age, had already become a Priori (member) of the Signoria (parliament).
He inherited the blood of the great aristocratic Buonaparte family from his father’s side, and from his mother’s side, he was a royal from across the sea in Orquenia.
In terms of lineage alone, no one in Santenare could match him, and fate and the gods had blessed him with outstanding looks.
The man all the ladies in Santenare longed for and all the gentlemen envied.
Adele belatedly realized how absurd her actions had been. Her dirty clothes, stained with shoe polish, were soaked with cold sweat.
However, even if she could turn back time, Adele would have made the same choice.
“I need a woman.”
The moment she heard him say those words to his friend.
“A woman to sell to the Della Valle family under the guise of being a Buonaparte.”
Adele realized it was the last opportunity given by the sea goddess. She was that desperate.
“Abel. You’re actually a girl, aren’t you?”
The spiteful voice of Old Man Nino still rang clearly in her ears.
Old Man Nino was the elder who oversaw the shoe-shining gang on the streets. Every shoe-shiner in Fornatti had to work under him.
“You’ve fooled us well so far. Damn girl. Are you really mute?”
“……”
“Whatever the case, you’d better be careful. I’m not someone who goes easy on girls. If you can’t pay the protection fee, you’d better be prepared.”
His greasy gaze as he looked her up and down.
In the end, she was found out. That she was not a boy, nor was she mute.
It was common knowledge that Old Man Nino had connections with the pimps in the back alleys of the slums in Gimora.
Adele could easily imagine her future being dragged into those back alleys.
She could avoid it if she could pay the protection fee, but since that day, the other shoe-shiners had avoided her as if by agreement.
She survived on a single piece of black barley bread for days. Today, she hadn’t even had that. But the money was far from enough, and the deadline for the protection fee was tomorrow.
When Adele was assigned to polish the shoes of the head of the Buonaparte family in the Sansalina plaza, she sincerely thanked the sea goddess.
And when she realized the goddess had not simply blessed her with a few gold coins, her heart pounded.
“Are you serious? You’re really going to deceive the Della Valle family?”
“I’m already looking for a suitable woman. I’m searching among the fallen nobility, but it’s not easy.”
“I knew you were crazy, but I didn’t think it was to this extent.”
To Adele, it sounded like madness.
But to a shoe-shiner who was about to go insane, it was like a divine revelation.
You can do it.
As soon as Cesare finished speaking, a small whisper filled Adele’s mind, pushing her forward.
“I will be sold.”
Adele threw her life away.
*** *** *** *** ***
Cesare narrowed his eyes slightly as if gauging something. Even the slight wrinkles around his eyes looked like they were drawn with a fine brush.
The next moment, the man with the flawless beauty spoke.
“Are you a virgin?”
The golden eyes that asked the question blinked languidly. It was a clean gaze devoid of any vulgarity.
Thanks to this, Adele instantly grasped the intent of the question.
“I am a virgin.”
“Hmm.”
Cesare, who had hoped Adele would back down, frowned and laughed.
“It’s surprising that a shoe-shiner in Fornatti knows what chastity is.”
Although it could be taken as sarcasm, there was no hostility in the man’s tone.
Adele, who had hesitated for a moment, responded.
“I believe I know better than Giacomo.”
Cesare burst into laughter.
Giacomo was famously known as the libertine of the century, and he was a nobleman.
It meant that being of high status did not make one any different.
“I myself don’t understand it.”
The rogue of the Buonaparte family said in a cheerful tone. A smile still played around his lips.
Adele couldn’t help but notice that his smile was, as rumored, no, even more, lovable than she had heard.
A deep dimple that suited his wide mouth, a smile that masked his cold gaze, and even a small, coquettish tear mole at the end of that smile.
Even with such mismatched elements, he was terrifyingly attractive. It was no wonder so many ladies longed for him.
“Did you hear that, Guido? This shoe-shiner seems to speak better than Lucrezia.”
The handsome man said, looking at his friend sitting next to him.
“Miss Della Valle only stammers in front of you, Cesare.”
“I am quite charming. That doesn’t mean she isn’t foolish, though.”
Cesare said, biting his cigar.
Guido, who was sitting beside him, laughed in disbelief.
“She should know what kind of personality you have.”
Guido. Guido Rossi.
He was someone even Adele knew. The newspapers usually introduced him as ‘Cesare’s friend.’
However, it was easy to overlook that he was also the heir to the great noble Rossi family of Fornatti.
The heir of the Rossi family, who had slicked back his dark brown hair, turned to Adele belatedly.
“Miss. Are you really going to involve yourself in this scam?”
“My name is Adele Vivi. And yes, if you’ll have me.”
A light of disbelief shone in Guido Rossi’s green eyes.
“Miss Adele Vivi. Cesare might not say it, but this is not an easy task. I don’t doubt your intelligence, but do you truly understand the situation?”
It was typical of a noble to say everything while claiming not to doubt her. Adele glanced briefly at Cesare before answering.
The rogue of the Buonaparte family was watching their conversation with his usual terrifyingly cold eyes, though pretending to be amused.
Thinking it would be better to deal with Guido Rossi than Cesare, Adele spoke clearly.
“First, I apologize for eavesdropping. May I tell you what I heard to see if I got it right?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“The beginning is the promise between the Buonaparte and Della Valle families.”
Adele continued, careful not to let her voice crack.
“A long time ago, the heads of the Buonaparte and Della Valle families made a pact. To marry the Buonaparte daughter to the Della Valle son.”
“Yes.”
“But in their time, the marriage did not happen, and the pact was documented and passed down.”
“Correct. And?”
“Then this year, suddenly, Della Valle demanded the pact be honored. However…”
Adele’s gaze momentarily shifted to Cesare.
“There was no daughter in the direct line of Buonaparte, and Della Valle demanded instead that a son be provided. And Mr. Cesare Buonaparte here needs a woman to fulfill the pact.”
Guido turned to Cesare. He looked like he was in trouble because there was nothing to fault.
Cesare, who had been biting his cigar all the time, finally spoke.
“Do you know why they suddenly brought up the pact?”
It was a light question, but one that could not be answered without reading the newspaper. Adele answered without hesitation.
“I think Miss Lucrezia Della Valle planned it in hopes of marrying you.”
Indeed.
Lucrezia Della Valle. The talented and beautiful youngest daughter of the Della Valle family.
Everyone in Fornatti, even the street cats, knew she had a crush on Cesare.
Cesare smiled prettily with his beautiful lips upon hearing Adele’s answer.
“My goodness. Even a shoe-shiner in Fornatti knows about Lucrezia’s crazy plan.”
There was not an ounce of respect for the lady in his words, but that did not matter to Adele.
What mattered was that Cesare needed a woman.
And she preferred to be sold to a noble family rather than a brothel.
“I think you don’t want to marry her. But the pact between the families is sacred, and you want to get rid of it this time.”
“So?”
The chillingly cold golden eyes looked at Adele.
“So, sell me.”
Adele did not avoid his gaze.
“I will be sold to the Della Valle as the Buonaparte daughter. Then you wouldn’t have to marry her, right?”
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