Episode 17> Isabella

"I heard a saint arrived from Aseretto."

"Shh! I'm not even an adult! Seonghwangcheong has never officially paid you well. "Be careful what you say."

"No, but there are rumours that he is an Aseretto apostle!" He knows everything because he is a scholar of high virtue!"

Aseretto was a principality and a large island in the Etruscan kingdom. Although they were of the same race, spoke the same language, used the same weights and measures, and had the same currency as the Etruscans, their accent, ethnicity, and customs differed slightly from those of the Etruscan kingdom. The 'Apostle of Aseretto' was a priest who became well-known in the Principality of Aseretto for his sermons. The central theme of his sermon was that 'Gon of Yesak' is not the son of God, but of a man, and that we, as ordinary humans, can strive to be as great as Gon of Yesak. This has evolved into a school, and the number of students has risen like a cloud. It was an unfavourable occurrence for the vested interests. Those who followed Ludovico held a council in Trevero to debate whether Gon of Yesac was truly the son of God or the son of man, and decided to conclude.

"It's a problem that needs to be theologically established about what kind of person Gon of Yesak is."

- "If we let the debate run its course, the Aseretto region will have a different religion than the continental mainland."

"This is an opportunity to inform the Central Continent of the truth!"

Everyone had different reactions to the Council of Trevero. In theory, all clergy of the bishopric level or higher on the continent were required to gather in Trevero, the Holy Office's direct jurisdiction in the northern part of the continent, and attend the Council of Trevero. However, Cardinal de Mare was not a priest of Pope Ludovico's faction, and Pope Ludovico forbade anyone who was not of his faction from coming to Trevero for a variety of reasons in order to secure a stable vote. Cardinal de Mare stayed in San Carlo with the logic of "Who herds the cows?" Even the apostle of Aseretto, the source of all this contention, was not invited. He was not eligible to participate in the Trevero Council because he was a common priest rather than a bishop. Instead, he was invited to San Carlo, the capital of the Etruscan kingdom and the essence of the civilised secular world, by Pope Ludovico, and tied up with Cardinal de Mare, a thorn in Pope Ludovico's eye, to preach the Grand Mass instead of the cardinal. * * * Outside, as people gathered in the square in front of the Basilica of Ercole in anticipation of meeting the Apostle of Aseretto, Cardinal de Mare's family was busy preparing for the Grand Mass.

"Get some more! Tighten the rubber!"

Isabella has recently begun using a device known as a "chest pouch." Isabella, who had an empty chest, created it to mimic her mother's voluptuous décolleté. Isabella snatched it up without even asking the price when the bundle seller arrived home and mentioned that it was made in the Moorish kingdom. It has quickly become the most popular item. Isabella couldn't gather her breasts with just her breast pocket, so she stuffed a wad of cotton into it and tied it again with a wide cotton cloth. Furthermore, she created the perfect optical illusion that something was missing by wearing a popular Etruscan kingdom dress with a deep décolleté.

"miss! "You are stunning!"

Maleta, who had been hanging close to Isabella and risking her life to flatter her, raised her voice and praised Isabella's beauty after leaving Ariadne.

"What should I do with my makeup?"

"With Taranto pearl powder." Gaeta rose water is used for the cheek and lip rouge."

Cremation was frowned upon in San Carlo, but it was practised by all. The most beautiful woman was voted to be a woman with a beautiful face, but who the hell is fair competition in this San Carlo? Noble ladies, without exception, had their faces retouched little by little so that no signs of makeup could be seen.

"My lady, you are a genius." Everyone had only bathed in rose water, but no one had considered dying their lips."

Isabella beamingly smiled. Isabella de Mare was unquestionably the best grooming professional in all of San Carlo. She couldn't blame Isabella for her Latin lessons or her sluggish court etiquette. She wasn't a sluggish or dull student. She was a very smart and efficient type of student. But she had no time for Latin, theology, history, or court etiquette because she had spent the entire day staring in the mirror, debating which rouge would look best on her purple eyes and how to pluck her brows to create a naturally even arch. It was simply lacking. Generally, everyone is given equal amounts of time.

"How about we get a new dress from last month?"

A long pearl necklace of coarse grains was worn over the deeply cut décolleté, and the collar of the sky blue silk dress was decorated with golden thread lace. A palm-sized gold cross pendant hung from a pearl necklace. The cross pendant's tip made contact with the breastbone created by the breast pocket. Isabella was well aware that every man within sight of her pendant would be unable to take their gaze away from her whenever it swung. As she made her way down to the first floor, where her family was waiting, she pondered how to avoid men's gazes when they were fixed on pendants and breastbones.

'Do I turn my head to the side? Should I approach the person next to me? Who do you speak with? Ariadne?'

Isabella looked up and down at her half-sister, who was waiting at the first-floor entrance, as her thoughts raced through her mind.

'What is he doing walking around like that? The original version is smooth, so just looking at it would be much better.'

Unlike Isabella, who was dressed like a bright sky blue bouquet, Ariadne was dressed simply in black. Her hair was neatly braided into a single plait, and she wore no earrings. Her only piece of jewellery was a small silver crucifix suspended from a thin string around her neck. By all accounts, this half-sister could not pose a threat to her position. Isabella's heart was so generous that she said something to Lucrezia.

Look at that kid, Mom." What will people say if you go to the Grand Mass dressed like that?"

Lucrezia's brow twitched, but she was always weak in the face of her eldest daughter.

"Zia. Bring him my gold earrings. "The one I put in the second box's bottom tier."

Ariadne's eyes twinkled when she heard the word "gold." Lucrezia, who had filled Ariadne with her emotion-infused savagery, hurriedly loaded her two children and one of her courtiers into her carriage.

"Come on, let's go!" You'll be in big trouble if you're late!"

It was always exciting to ride into the Basilica of San Ercole in an ornate carriage adorned with sterling silver, weaving our way through the crowds of poor people who filled the square.

"Move out of the way!" If you don't want to be run over, everyone get out of the way!"

"It's someone's carriage!"

"This isn't the cardinal's carriage!"

It was one of Isabella's favourite pastimes to look out the window at the bewildered and dismayed faces of the poor as the coachman beat them with his whip to clear the road.

'Look how he flees because he's about to be whipped. Get out of the way as soon as possible. 'Like that poor, lazy man.'

It was similar to chasing pigeons in the square, but chasing people was far more exciting than chasing pigeons. Isabella felt her senses soared and alive every time something like that happened in her always empty and boring life. She also liked the situation after entering the San Ercole Cathedral. - Crunching! The central door in the verandah was flung sideways and loudly. They marched triumphantly to the altar after entering the massive main gate at the very front of the Grand Seonghwangdang Hall when everyone else entered through the side door. When I got to the altar, I turned left and went upstairs to the second floor, where I took a seat on the balcony. Only the royal family, as well as Countess Cesare and Countess Rubina, were permitted to sit on the balcony.

'Come on, Isabella de Mare!'

- 'I'm wearing a blue dress today.'

- 'Wasn't that golden cross made by a jeweller in Lucca?'

Today was just like any other day. The women looked over with half-envy and half-jealous glances at what she was wearing and what she was wearing as she walked lightly along the central aisle that ran across her nave, and the men sitting on either side of the chairs most likely hung their heads at her. I returned my gaze to Isabella. It didn't matter whether she had a wife or not.

- "Honey! Maintain your fitness!"

- "Ahem!"

Not only in the middle of the hall, but also in the far aisle, men poked their heads out of my line of sight. Isabella was amused, and she struggled to hold back her laughter. Cesare Bag arrived first today and took the balcony seat on the right, facing the royal family. He resembled the men who licked Isabella during the Mass. His gaze was always pleasing, but he despised it.

'I wish I could keep looking only at myself so that others would yearn for me as much as he did. But I don't want to date Count Cesare because I don't want Prince Alfonso to be jealous of Count Cesare's clinging to me. 'I hope Prince Alfonso is interested in me.'

It was a completely natural desire. Count Cesare and Isabella's gazes met in the air as they walked almost to the end of the courtyard. Isabella said she would never date you, but she kept asking her to look after you. * * * Ariadne trailed Isabella behind her, watching her lustful gazes. She'd never been looked at like that since birth. Her men didn't look at Ariadne like that when she was younger, and since she was Cesare's when she was older, no one dared to look at her with those lustful eyes. Her women had only pitied her or ignored her, but no one had ever caught a glimpse of her rage. She followed Isabella, the object of those stares, with a mixture of disgust and envy. It was back then. It was the moment she met the gaze of someone she would never forget, even if she died. A handsome man in his twenties stood on the low balcony on the right side, arms crossed and staring down, with the cold impression of a marble statue just entering adolescence. At a higher level, she appeared to believe she ruled over everything on Earth. He had delicate features and a slim lower body, in contrast to Alfonso, who was young but had thick lines. Despite his height, he had a slim figure. His dark brown hair, almost black, was reflected in the candlelight in Daeseong Hall, as were his two blue eyes. Those blue eyes were fixed on the beautiful, amethyst-colored Isabella, who walked unmovingly right in front of Ariadne, radiating a bright light, longing for the warmth that Ariadne had risen from. Ariadne's dark green eyes glowed with emotion, whether it was sadness, regret, or rage. She vowed never to work with the author again, but it was painful. The emotions that had been building up for 14 years had to be separated from the firm reason. But today was a special day. Cesare couldn't possibly ruin the company.

'Please, I hope that the same thing happened in my previous life and that the plan succeeds.'

Ariadne clutched the hem of her gown tightly.