Chapter 88
“How could you possibly have trained your servants like this?”
While Giovinetta muttered in annoyance, Delphina helped me to my feet. Smoothing my skirt, I spoke. “Show some respect, Giovinetta.”
“What?”
“I said, show some respect.” My tone remained calm as I repeated myself. I could overlook her disregard for me, but her rudeness towards Cesar was unbearable. “Cesar is not a servant.”
Of course, his attire was shabby enough for Giovinetta to mistake him as one. I, too, felt deeply embarrassed by this. However, that didn’t give Giovinetta the right to treat him, a prince of the realm, like a servant.
“Ces…ar? You don’t mean the First Prince?” Dismay colored Giovinetta’s face. Seizing the moment, I straightened my posture, my back ramrod straight. Regardless of everything else, I was the prince’s consort.
“And show some respect to me as well.”
“What?” Giovinetta’s expression twisted at my words. A snapping sound emanated from the fan she gripped.
“Surely you’re not planning on committing an act of insubordination?” I drawled, my voice laced with sarcasm.
Finally grasping the reality of the situation, Giovinetta’s face contorted as if she had bitten into something foul.
“Well?” I gestured with my chin, prompting her to offer a proper greeting.
“You really…” Giovinetta’s face flushed crimson, then paled. But this was the Imperial Palace. Unlike when we were alone, there were many eyes watching in such a public setting. She had no choice but to bend her knee and offer a curtsy.
“Holy Cross… its glory be upon you, Your Highnesses.”
Watching her, a strange sense of irony washed over me. Forcing her to kneel didn’t erase the resentment between us. It would be odd to feel victorious over something so trivial. However, it was a fitting consequence for her treatment of Cesar. It was fortunate he hadn’t taken issue with it himself; the crime of calling a member of the royal family a servant was a grave one.
“Glory be upon the Holy Cross. Lady Giovinetta, I expect more respectful behavior in the future. Now, let us continue this conversation inside.” I spoke in a stern voice. Giovinetta remained silent. I instructed a nearby servant to escort her to the reception room.
Just then, Cesar approached Giovinetta and placed something in her hand. “Here.”
“Wh-What is…this?”
Resting in her palm was the earthworm Cesar had been digging up moments before. It wriggled in her hand.
“Aaaaaah!” Giovinetta shrieked, flinging the worm away. Av, ever vigilant, darted forward and pecked at it.
“Disgusting!” Giovinetta’s face paled further as she watched the chick peck the worm in half. She swayed, looking as if she might faint, then pulled out a handkerchief and pretended to retch.
“Haha.” The entire charade was so comical that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey! Ugh! What is wrong with these creatures?!” She shrieked, all decorum forgotten. I heard her enraged shouts behind me, but I continued walking without turning back, careful to maintain my balance despite my limp.
In the end, Giovinetta postponed our meeting, citing dishevelment from the incident.
***
“What…what is that…?” Mercedes, who had been secretly following and observing Irenea for several days, swallowed hard, unable to believe the scene unfolding before her eyes.
And for good reason. Her precious prince was sitting on the dirty ground, fiddling with worms. She wanted to rush down and demand an explanation. Fury simmered within her.
“What are you doing to our prince?!” she hissed under her breath. While she couldn’t find a reason to intervene when Irenea was supposedly educating Cesar with books and etiquette lessons, this was different.
Perched on Cesar’s hand was a filthy bird unlike any pet bird she’d ever seen. It was just a common, lowly chick. The thought of such a creature touching the noble prince’s hand was unbearable. She felt a wave of nausea and wanted to scream. That girl was truly repulsive.
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