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King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
Adele read the phrase repeatedly in a daze.
It was engraved on a statue at the top of the front gate of the Buonaparte mansion.
The statue depicted a mermaid holding a star; the mermaid symbolized the sea goddess, and the star represented the Buonaparte family.
In other words, it meant that the Buonaparte family was chosen by the sea goddess.
In Santenare, which was a republic in name only, it was the kind of statue that could easily evoke discomfort.
Of course, no one would show it openly. The current standing of the Buonaparte family in Santenare was such that it could indeed be called the lord of lords.
‘And here I am, a mere shoe-shiner, standing in front of it.’
Thinking that life was indeed unpredictable, Adele headed towards the small door next to the main gate.
“What brings you here?”
The gatekeeper, who had been watching her for some time, asked.
Although he looked like a knight, he was polite. His respectful tone, despite Adele’s shabby appearance, indicated this.
“I have an appointment.”
Adele said calmly. She was naturally composed and expressionless, so her voice did not tremble at all.
The knight briefly looked puzzled at the clear voice coming from the ragged shoe-shiner but then asked in a businesslike manner.
“Who are you here to see?”
“Cesare Buonaparte.”
Even as she spoke, Adele’s heart pounded with anxiety.
What if he forgot the appointment? What if he didn’t inform the gatekeeper?
But the knight nodded smartly.
“Understood. However, there will be a verification process before you can enter.”
“Verification?”
“Yes.”
The knight cleared his throat.
“The one sending you is Cesare.”
Adele, who had widened her eyes momentarily, responded immediately.
“From the place you long to return to.”
The knight nodded.
“Verified. The head butler will be here shortly, so please wait.”
“Yes.”
Adele exhaled a silent sigh of relief and lifted her head to pretend to admire the marble statue by the gate.
She pretended because inwardly, she was cursing Cesare.
‘Who uses such questions for verification? It’s practically telling people not to come in.’
It was a line from a not-so-famous play by Durante.
It made Adele realize that Cesare, while demanding, was not as simple as he appeared. Setting such a line as a verification question indicated his significant scholarly knowledge.
It was his way of saying, if you can’t pass this, go back.
Adele recalled Cesare’s last appearance. His imposing stature contrasted with his charming smile, and his sweet voice.
She also remembered his cold, golden eyes, hidden beneath that charm. She had a feeling that things would not be smooth.
Just then, an elderly butler appeared.
“Are you Lady Adele?”
“Hello, I am Adele.”
Adele instinctively bowed in greeting.
“I am Ernst, the butler of the Buonaparte family.”
The old man was courteous despite Adele’s shabby hat pulled down low.
“Please follow me inside.”
His gaze, free of disdain, made Adele feel slightly embarrassed. She followed the butler.
As they passed through the main gate, a vast garden appeared. It was a garden designed with low shrubs forming paths.
In the center stood a statue of a mermaid with her hair flowing. Clear water trickled from the jug the mermaid held.
It was a beautiful fountain. Adele, though following Ernst, was mesmerized by it.
“It’s a work by the sculptor Vercelli.”
The butler said without looking back, as if he knew.
“Yes. I read about it in a book.”
Adele answered in a daze.
“…It’s more beautiful than I imagined.”
The awe of seeing an artwork in person that she had only read about was greater than she had expected.
Perhaps sensing the genuine admiration in Adele’s words, Ernst seemed pleased.
“You have a discerning eye.”
Upon entering the mansion, Adele was even more astonished.
“This is the Buonaparte’s outer palace. It’s a space for receiving external guests.”
A huge crystal chandelier hung from the towering ceiling. It looked about three times Adele’s height.
The floor was covered with a damask carpet, red with dark blue stars, and the rooms were adorned with double layers of brocatel portieres with silver fringes.
The walls were lined with countless small portraits framed in gold, or sometimes a wall would be completely covered in frescoes.
It was beautiful. And peculiar.
It was hard to believe that this museum-like space was someone’s residence, where luxury and serenity coexisted.
She recalled the shanty house she had left that morning.
When it rained, the ceiling leaked, and in the summer, it was like a sauna. It was fortunate that Santenare did not have harsh winters. If it snowed in winter, she would have frozen to death.
Even that place wasn’t hers. It was a rental from Old Man Nino, paid for with money she had painstakingly saved.
“……”
A bitter smile crossed her face. Suddenly, the surrounding beauty felt hollow.
Adele stopped looking around and focused only on following Ernst.
Soon, they left the palace-like building. They arrived at a marble colonnade that shone like condensed milk.
Beyond that was a three-story house with a more comfortable atmosphere.
“This is the inner palace for the direct descendants of Buonaparte.”
Listening to the butler’s explanation, Adele looked at the elegant house perched atop the stepped garden.
Indeed, it was less ornate. But the comparison was, of course, with a museum.
As soon as they entered the inner palace, Ernst stopped in front of a grand door.
“Here we are.”
The oak door, each panel embossed with four mermaids and a cross-shaped star, was clearly the work of a master craftsman.
“This…”
“You recognize it. It’s by the sculptor Javert.”
Ernst said with a proud tone.
“I heard the Buonaparte palace itself is a colossal work of art, and now I see it’s true.”
At Adele’s words, the elderly butler’s eyes softened. But only for a moment; he quickly returned to his professional demeanor.
“This is the Lord’s study. He will be inside. Enter quietly without knocking.”
After saying this, Ernst turned back down the corridor before Adele could stop him.
She was left alone in front of the door. In the deserted hallway, she could hear the sound of a cello from somewhere. The sunlight streaming through the windows was pleasant.
Adele stood there for a moment, gazing at the picturesque corridor, then took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob.
As she pushed the door open without knocking, a salty sea breeze greeted her.
‘Almond scent?’
Mixed with it were the nutty aroma of roasted nuts and the bitter scent of dark chocolate.
A few steps in, rounding a thick column, a room filled with pale blue light unfolded before her.
Large arched windows on the wall let in sunlight and wind.
The water-colored foulard curtains and guipure lace at their ends fluttered gently in the breeze.
In front of the window stood a large, elegant walnut desk, where Cesare sat.
With the sun and wind behind his back, he smoked a cigar while reviewing documents.
Adele stopped involuntarily and stared at him.
‘So it was cigar smoke.’
She had seen many marble sculptures throughout the mansion, but it felt like she was seeing the most perfect one now.
Cesare, with his hawkish eyes lowered and a cigar in his mouth, looked incredibly sensual.
Perhaps it was the novelty of seeing a rake reading documents.
Or maybe it was because his broad chest was half-exposed through the thin gown he wore.
‘…Should I speak first?’
Adele stood at the doorway, pondering.
But soon, she quietly closed the door and remained standing. There was a reason the butler had told her not to knock.
How long did she stand there in silence?
“You’re perceptive, as I noticed before.”
Startled by the sudden voice, Adele looked up from admiring the carpet pattern.
“You’re here. My sister.”
Cesare put down his cigar and smiled. Dimples formed on his cold cheeks, creating an affectionate yet highly rational smile.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
Adele quietly took a seat on the chaise opposite the desk.
Cesare, holding a few documents, approached. As he moved, his well-built thighs peeked through the thin gown.
Indeed, a rake….
Adele admired it silently and politely averted her gaze.
Cesare sat down in a relaxed posture, leaning an arm on the sofa’s backrest, and reviewed the documents.
His eyes were sharp, to say the least.
It was ironic to see someone who seemed to burn with vitality have such cold eyes.
But that part of him was probably why people were so enamored with him.
As she continued these thoughts calmly, their eyes suddenly met.
“If you’ve changed your mind on the way here, you can leave now.”
Adele composed herself and answered.
“No traveler disembarks before the ship sets sail.”
He seemed to be waiting for those words. Cesare gave a warm smile.
“Then, from today, you are ‘Adelaide Buonaparte.’”
Adele clenched her fist silently.
“Yes.”
“Your goal is to seduce the son of Della Valle and marry him.”
“Yes.”
“There’s no reward but marrying Della Valle should be enough for a shoe-shiner. If you succeed, I will keep your origins a secret.”
“I understand.”
“The time frame.”
Cesare paused. He seemed to be contemplating.
‘I hope he gives at least six months….’
But Cesare quickly dashed Adele’s hopes.
“Three months.”
“……”
“Within that time, you must become a distinguished lady of Buonaparte.”
The man, loved to the utmost by fate and the gods, smiled challengingly.
“Body, mind, speech, down to every fingertip and toe. We will deceive the entire social scene of Fornatti.”
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