The blonde pouted, but the corners of her mouth were already rising. She pretended to lower the hand covering her eyes and intertwined her fingers with his.
“I just want your attention, Lord Cesare.”
She placed her hand on her chest with an innocent face, drawing his gaze to her chest, which was made prominent by her corset.
How ridiculous and cute. Cesare chuckled without hiding his gaze.
“I’m giving it to you.”
“I want a deeper interest.”
“I could give it to you on the bed.”
“Lord Cesare, I…”
“Are you coming tonight? I’ll be waiting.”
The woman blushed. She noticed the distance from the group and pressed her body closer to his.
“Lord Cesare.”
Her eyes sparkled like stars. Cesare sensed trouble.
“If you promise to take me seriously, I’ll come tonight.”
Cesare maintained a silent smile.
Seeing her babble nonsense, it seemed it was time to give her a slap and send her off.
Why did they always try to give meaning to a one-night stand?
Thinking how tiresome people were, Cesare absentmindedly twirled the woman’s blonde hair with his fingers.
It had looked quite attractive before, but after seeing Adele’s hair, it didn’t seem that special anymore.
“Cute.”
The woman’s flushed face turned pale at Cesare’s next words.
“Presumptuous.”
“…!”
Cesare chuckled as he wrapped her hair around his fingers.
“Don’t overdo it.”
He tried to kiss her forehead soothingly, but the woman dodged. She trembled and shouted.
“…I’m leaving!”
“Alright. Be careful going back.”
“…!”
The woman widened her eyes, her face turning bright red, and she quickly turned her head away. Tears scattered from her as she walked away briskly.
“Ha!”
Feeling amused, Cesare laughed out loud and stopped walking.
Before he knew it, the crowd was no longer in sight. The smile that had been lingering on his lips gradually faded.
How boring.
Cesare indifferently took out a cigar. Just then, his gaze turned back toward the inner palace.
The green wave-like hair was still nowhere to be seen.
“…”
Is her walk late today?
As he thought this and lit the cigar, he heard a voice.
“Honestly, again…”
“How can he act like this, even here?”
Within minutes of entering the garden, ladies were seen walking back out.
Cesare unhesitatingly threw the cigar, worth 50 gold pieces per stick, to the ground and approached them.
“Ladies. Is something the matter?”
Cesare asked, reaching out to the lady at the front.
The lady instinctively extended her hand, frowning.
“Your Grace. I must first express how regrettable it is that I have to say this to you.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
“Phew… We were a bit late to the garden after admiring the surroundings, and we found a beautiful sculpture fountain there.”
“You mean Vercelli’s ‘Goddess of Spring’.”
“Yes. But.”
The lady’s cheek twitched in irritation.
“Lord Henry was ‘at it’ again!”
“He thinks any woman of lower status will fawn over his position.”
As soon as the leading lady finished speaking, other ladies began to chime in one after another.
“I really don’t understand why he does that! There’s no need for such behavior even here in Buonaparte!”
“And the woman looked like a noble too.”
“Oh my, we can’t be sure of that. It looked like she had taken off her shoes.”
Ladies don’t casually show their feet. Only those trying to seduce men by revealing such intimate parts would show bare feet.
Is there a loophole in security?
Just as Cesare was about to smile politely, someone said.
“And I’ve never seen such a beauty in Fornatti’s social circle.”
Cesare immediately realized who the barefoot lady was.
“Your Grace!”
At that moment, his aide, Gigi, came running from behind.
Cesare spoke to Gigi.
“Gigi, the ladies must be shocked. Please escort them to the reception room.”
He then walked with slightly quickened steps towards the inner part of the ‘Spring Garden’. His long legs crossed the garden rapidly with large strides.
Soon, the edge of the snow-white marble sculpted fountain came into view.
At that moment, someone cried out in a fearful voice.
“I said let go!”
*** *** *** *** ***
Over the past few days, encounters with Cesare during walks had become frequent.
It made Adele very uncomfortable. She feared she might irritate Cesare by constantly appearing before him.
But she couldn’t disobey Madam Flavia’s orders to practice the ‘lady’s walk.’
“No matter if it’s a stone path or muddy ground, walking gracefully and lightly is a lady’s virtue.”
I suppose a lady is something like a water strider.
Thinking about Madam Flavia’s likely anger, Adele postponed her daily walks a little.
Adele looked up at the sky as she stepped into the garden with her parasol.
‘The weather is nice…’
The warm autumn sunlight filtered through her beige linen parasol with white buffalo horn handles.
Autumn in the perpetually mild Santenare was the most pleasant time of the year, neither hot nor humid.
With a light step, Adele couldn’t help but clench her lips at the searing pain in her foot as soon as she stepped on the stone pavement.
Why are these feet so pathetic?
‘Positive thoughts, positive thoughts…’
She continued to move her feet, pretending to be nonchalant, but her pace was extremely slow.
‘Today’s lunch is bagna cauda, osso buco, marzipan…’
She tried to think of the wonderful lunch menu and the surely wonderful dinner menu, but it didn’t help much.
The dull pain in her swollen and blistered feet tangled her thoughts like a skein of yarn.
But she had to do it.
She had to eat and live.
As Adele gripped her parasol tightly and took one step at a time, Epony, who had been quietly following her, spoke up. It was a rare occurrence.
“…Miss.”
When Adele turned around, Epony had a serious expression and was silent for a moment. She hesitated before speaking.
“…Are your feet alright?”
“They’re fine.”
Epony’s face became complicated at the immediate response.
“Actually, your walk is already perfect, Miss.”
Adele’s eyes widened slightly.
“Madam Flavia must know as well. Your progress is dazzling. Your walk is flawless, and you absorb all information like a sponge with just one instruction.”
“Really?”
“Yes. While repetition is necessary to maintain that attitude in urgent situations, no one would think you’re from a lower class at present.”
“Oh… That’s a relief.”
Epony furrowed her brows at Adele’s reaction, as if she couldn’t understand her.
“…Madam Flavia’s education is indeed of high quality, but the punishment is excessive.”
Her blue gaze fell to Adele’s feet. Adele nodded again.
“I see.”
“…”
Epony looked at Adele as if she felt somewhat wronged.
Adele silently walked into the ‘Spring Garden’ filled with tall cypress trees. Of course, her pace was very slow.
“Doesn’t your feet hurt?”
Epony asked again, indicating the conversation wasn’t over.
Why is she acting like this today?
“They hurt, but what’s the big deal about ruining my feet a bit? I don’t have to sell my body, and I get fed every day.”
“But…”
“Epony.”
Adele spoke firmly.
“It’s always easy to talk about others’ affairs from across the river.”
The sound of footsteps behind her stopped.
Was she shocked?
I’d appreciate it if she’d stop talking to me, regardless.
Adele was now breaking out in a cold sweat all over her body, finding it difficult to even walk, let alone maintain an ‘elegant’ gait.
Just then, the narrow path widened, and a sculpted fountain appeared before her eyes.
Adele paused for a moment.
‘Vercelli’s “Goddess of Spring”…’
It was the work she had seen in the book. Indeed, it was beautiful enough to be featured in a book.
But at the moment, the low steps around the fountain seemed more sacred to her.
‘I’ll sit down first… Then think.’
It was the moment Adele took a deep breath and stepped forward again.
“…..!”
The toe of her shoe caught on a stone. Adele, who had been dragging her feet, immediately fell face-first onto the ground.
“Miss!”
“Ugh…”
Epony exclaimed in shock and ran over in a flash.
Adele managed to brace herself with her hands to avoid scraping her knees, but she could no longer walk.
“Let me support you.”
Epony quickly supported Adele under her arms. As soon as Adele sat at the fountain, Epony knelt before her.
“Let me check your feet.”
“…!”
Just removing her shoes brought searing pain.
Her exposed feet were a mess of burst blisters, pus, sores, blood, and fluid, emitting a foul smell.
“You can’t walk like this.”
Epony’s face hardened, and so did Adele’s.
“Isn’t there something like an anesthetic?”
“Are you in a lot of pain?”
“I just need to endure until the class is over.”
“…”
Epony’s cheeks trembled for some unknown reason.
“…I’ll bring a wheeled chair first. Please wait here for a moment.”
After washing Adele’s feet with the fountain water, Epony quickly disappeared down a small path. She had a face of firm resolve.
In her absence, only the sound of birds remained belatedly.
Adele quietly brought her legs together, inhaling the calm afternoon air.
‘Madam Flavia will be furious again.’
A sigh escaped her.
‘I have to endure it.’
Of course, it hurt.
But even with that, this life was incomparable to her time in Kimora.
This was enough. She didn’t care if people called her a dog or a pig. She didn’t want to starve or be sold to a brothel.
This is enough.
As Adele took a deep breath and tilted her head back, she heard voices approaching.
“To think that ‘The Mermaid’s Heart’ will be revealed…”
“Besides that, Angela’s…”
Adele froze in surprise at the voices coming from afar.
With this many voices, it was obvious who was coming.
‘Cesare!’
She felt like screaming.
Despite deliberately delaying her walk time, it seemed he had done the same.
Adele quickly surveyed her own appearance. Her feet, though washed with water, were in a mess, and her skirt hem was dirtied from falling.
To face Cesare in this state?
A chill ran down her spine, beyond just feeling uneasy.
Meanwhile, the voices grew closer, and she had no choice left. In her urgency, Adele hurriedly waded into the fountain and hid behind the tall statue.
Just as she hid her body behind the tall sculpture, a group of people appeared as if on cue.
“By the way, Lady Lucrezia isn’t here. I thought she’d be with Duke Cesare.”
“Didn’t you know? Count Della Valle ordered her to stay out of sight.”
“Shouldn’t that be over by now?”
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