Chapter 191: Hidden Rivalry
Everything that followed proceeded in an orderly fashion.
The eyes of the entire city were fixed like spotlights upon the venue where the Fisalia and Montelli families had gathered.
This banquet, hailed as a reconciliation of the century, skipped over all empty formalities from the very start, no clinking glasses at a dance, no long-winded speeches of pleasantries and small talk. It cut straight to the core.
Ray did not hold particularly high expectations for any of this.
Cantarella had told him some things beforehand, the family was far from united in purpose, and moreover, the conflict between them and the Montelli family was not merely a dispute between two great houses.
Behind it all loomed the shadow of the Order.
They would hardly sit back and allow the Fisalia and Montelli families to reach a reconciliation. After all, conflict was the very fuel that sustained their influence.
Thus, this gathering, nominally a banquet, had long since lost any semblance of celebration.
It had bypassed the customary dance and tedious social niceties, plunging directly into the most crucial and most frigid matter at hand.
At this moment, within the classically decorated council chamber, the very air seemed to have frozen solid.
The family representatives, led by Carlotta Montelli, sat in solemn rows along one side of the long table. Directly across from them sat the core members, headed by the matriarch of House Fisalia.
“To demonstrate the sincerity of the Montelli family, we have made concessions on several key clauses.” Carlotta smiled as she spoke, her fingertips lightly tracing over the documents before her. “I trust the members of House Fisalia have already seen our good faith. I very much look forward to joining hands with all of you to welcome a brand-new future for us all.”
Carlotta’s demeanor was impeccable. Whether her smile or the way she carried herself throughout the discourse, everything exuded the elegance befitting the young lady of House Montelli.
Seated at Carlotta’s side, Ray maintained a solemn expression, his back ramrod straight.
Except
That faint, elusive gaze from across the table kept drifting onto him at odd intervals.
Cantarella Fisalia, that unfathomable matriarch, was idly toying with a strand of her hair. And every time Ray happened to glance up, he invariably caught the deeply meaningful smile playing at the corner of her lips.
To this, he could only force himself to look away, pretending to be utterly absorbed in the discussion of the clauses at hand.
After all, this secret would remain buried in the depths of his heart forever, especially where the Young Miss beside him was concerned. It must never come to light.
Not so long ago, this very rival now locked in tense negotiations with them, the head of House Fisalia, had been a completely different sight back in the guest lounge.
Though Carlotta remained completely in the dark about the secret between Ray and Cantarella, the way that matriarch ignored her and repeatedly cast glances toward Ray pricked at her heart like tiny needles.
Though she maintained perfect decorum on the surface, displeasure had already quietly taken root within.
That jellyfish… what has she been looking at this whole time?!
This is a critical moment in the negotiations between our two families, does she have no sense of propriety whatsoever?!
And besides, Cat’s Eye is my boyfriend!
The corner of Carlotta’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
She turned toward Cantarella across the long table and addressed her with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I wonder what Lady Cantarella’s thoughts might be on this particular clause? Better to hash things out clearly at the negotiating table than to have someone reaching into territory they shouldn’t touch later on, damaging the goodwill between both sides.”
Her words carried a hidden barb.
Cantarella understood perfectly, of course. She was warning her, don’t lay a hand on Ray, or it would only lead to unpleasantness all around.
She couldn’t help but smile. Resting her cheek languidly against the back of her hand, her violet hair slipping like water over her shoulder, her tone was laden with implication.
“The principle stands to reason, yet the benefits before us are finite. To the capable go the spoils, that is fair competition. Surely Miss Carlotta, of all people, understands such a simple truth?”
Cantarella’s meaning was crystal clear, Ray was sitting right there, and she fully intended to engage in a fair competition with Carlotta for him.
The corner of Carlotta’s lips curved upward, still maintaining that decorous smile. “That goes without saying. It’s just that the Montelli family of today commands resources and connections far beyond what the head of House Fisalia could possibly imagine. If I may be blunt, should House Fisalia truly wish to compete with us fairly in the same arena, I suspect it would be akin to an egg hurling itself against a stone.”
Her fingertips tapped lightly on the tabletop, producing a faint, crisp sound.
“This is already the greatest concession the Montelli family can offer. I would ask the Lady of the House to consider it carefully.”
A contemptuous sneer flickered through the depths of the girl’s heart.
She, Carlotta Montelli, was Ray’s rightful and legitimate lover, on that point alone, her position was unassailable.
And now this jellyfish, who didn’t know her place, actually harbored delusions of challenging her authority as the primary partner?
Utterly ridiculous. She simply didn’t know her place.
Cantarella merely responded with a noncommittal, soft laugh. “I am, of course, fully aware of the Montelli family’s strength. But House Fisalia is no callow, diminutive maiden, either. Even if our glory is not what it once was, the depth of our foundations from days past has by no means dissipated. The market… has never belonged to any single party. The power of choice, in the end, rests in its own hands.”
“You—!” Carlotta grit her teeth, fire practically ready to leap from her glass-like eyes. Yet the situation before her demanded restraint, she absolutely could not afford to lose her composure over a single provocation from the other party.
She drew a deep breath, forcibly swallowing the full measure of her grievances. When she spoke again, her tone was rigid and frozen. “In that case, regarding this portion of the terms, we shall table it for now. Next—”
The negotiations continued, but the air in the chamber seemed to stagnate. Every exchange was like a bowstring drawn taut.
And yet, for some inexplicable reason…
Members from both the Montelli and Fisalia factions could faintly sense something peculiar in the atmosphere between their two representatives.
Every single sentence discussed the specifics of their cooperation, every word was meticulously proper, but the sharp undercurrents surging beneath those words, the glances that practically sparked when their eyes met, it all gave the unmistakable impression that what they were truly discussing was far more than a mere written contract.
Finally, this round of negotiations, laden with invisible clashes, came to a temporary halt.
Carlotta and Cantarella rose to their feet at the same time, offering each other the faintest nod across the long table. One smile was elegant but never reached the eyes; the other was composed and faint, yet brimming with hidden meaning.
…
…
“Aaaaaargh—that damn jellyfish! Even after I made such huge concessions, she still showed absolutely no appreciation!”
The moment she returned to the guest room, the elegant facade Carlotta had maintained the entire day crumbled in an instant.
She seemed to have all the strength drained out of her, sinking deep into the plush sofa and burying her face in a throw pillow. The sounds that came out were muffled, but they couldn’t hide her frustration.
Although, judging by the outcome, the two great families hadn’t achieved true reconciliation, they had at least managed to establish some preliminary intentions for cooperation, a decent start, all things considered.
But what was currently vexing Carlotta to no end had nothing whatsoever to do with family interests. She had anticipated long before the meeting even began that a century of animosity couldn’t possibly be dissolved in a single day. All she had needed was a good beginning.
Now, the beginning was there, but her mood felt shrouded in dark clouds, suffocatingly heavy.
Ray sat to the side, watching Carlotta sulk.
He leaned over and gently patted her back, which rose and fell faintly with her pique. “Truth be told, Cantarella doesn’t have much of a choice either. You know as well as I do that the Order still stands behind House Fisalia… there are many things she can’t decide entirely on her own.”
“Of course I know that. I wasn’t expecting to resolve all the grudges of the past today.” Carlotta sat up straight, still clutching the pillow, her glass-like eyes looking at Ray with a faint, mournful light.
“Are you really that oblivious, or are you just pretending not to notice? That jellyfish… she was practically declaring war on me, right in front of everyone!”
As she spoke, she shifted over to him naturally, settling lightly onto his lap and nestling her cheek into the crook of his shoulder.
The girl’s voice gradually trailed off, like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind.
“This is such a pain… You wouldn’t actually get on that pirate ship of hers, would you?”
Ray froze for a split second, his breathing imperceptibly faltering a beat.
Perhaps because of the generations-long entanglement between the two families, Carlotta’s hostility toward Cantarella was always far more intense than toward anyone else.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“…”
“You bastard… don’t tell me you’ve already done it with that jellyfish!”
“…No, I haven’t.”
“You hesitated!”
“I really haven’t.”
At least, not yet.
Carlotta tilted her face up and gazed into his eyes.
After a brief silence, she suddenly moved, slipping off his lap with a light motion and instead crouching down before him.
Her voice was very soft. “I need to check whether you’ve been sneaking any tastes on the side.”
“Wait, here?”
“Relax, no one’s going to come in.”
“Is that really the main issue here?”
“I don’t care.” Carlotta’s voice was firm. “That jellyfish put me in a foul mood. I need another way to let off some steam.”
Her voice gradually faded into a warm, breathy murmur, quietly permeating the stillness of the guest room.
…
…
“No, wait. There’s a taste!”
“Uh… actually, today I… well, I took matters into my own hands a bit.”
“Ha? What did you just say? You—! I’m right here, and you’d rather take care of it yourself than come to me?!”