《High Society (Gyeonwoo)》 Chapter 1 ¡°I will sell myself to you.¡± At Adele¡¯s words, the man raised a brow, making her realize what she had just said. ¡®Oh my God. What did I just say?¡¯ Adele¡¯s face turned pale. ¡®Bang your forehead on the ground and pray he doesn¡¯t misunderstand you, Adele Vivi!¡¯ However, contrary to her inner thoughts, she calmly uttered the following words: ¡°Let me take on the role you just mentioned. Please use me and I¡¯ll become the noblest lady in Santnar.¡± Sweat dripped from her palms, dampening the polishing cloth in her hand. That¡¯s how desperate she was. But, the question is whether that earnestness had reached the man before her. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The man had dark blue hair that resembled the sea at night, which perfectly accentuated his distinct features like he was the product of a talented painter. The man stared at Adele and quietly took out a cigar. Tendrils of smoke quickly rose, creating a relaxing ambience, and soon Adele was surrounded by the scent of almonds and dark chocolate. ¡®Did you not hear me?¡¯ ¡°I will¡­¡± Adele opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped when her eyes met with his golden gaze beyond the smoke. The man¡¯s eyes were frighteningly cold. For a moment, Adele forgot to breathe. His eyes were refreshingly golden, like the midsummer sun. However, the warm color was not enough to mask his coldness. Instead, his eyes only seemed to hold the dignity of the sun while discarding all of the warmest parts. Those were the types of eyes he had. ¡®He is a man, who has received the greatest love from fate and God.¡¯ These were the words the nobles used to describe ¡®Cesare Buonaparte¡¯, and Adele accepted it at once. Cesare Buonaparte. A man who had already become a Priori of the Signoria at an early age. His father was of the great noble Buonaparte bloodline, and his mother was a member of the Orquenina royal family from across the sea. Based on his lineage alone, no one in Santnar could compete, but fate and God had also blessed him with a splendid appearance. A man that every lady in Santnar aspires to and the envy of every gentleman. Adele realized much too late how ridiculous she had been. The cloth, dirty with shoe polish, was damp with a cold sweat. But, even if she could turn back time, Adele would have made the same choice. ¡°I need a woman.¡± ¡°A woman that can be used to deceive the Della Valles by posing as a Buonaparte.¡± The moment she heard the words he said to his companion, Adele realized it was her last chance, an opportunity granted by the Sea Goddess. That¡¯s how dire her situation was. ¡°Adele, you¡¯re a girl, aren¡¯t you?¡± Old Nino¡¯s grumpy voice still resonated in her ears. Nino was the old man in charge of the street shoe polishers in the Fornatier. Anyone who polished shoes in the vicinity had to answer to him. ¡°You had been deceiving me all along, you rotten wench. You¡¯re stupid, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You better watch out. I¡¯m not the type of person to go easy on women. If you can¡¯t afford to pay the protection fee, you better be prepared for what comes next.¡± His perverted gaze glanced over her chest as he spoke. In the end, she was caught. ¡®While I may not be a man, I¡¯m no fool.¡¯ Everyone knew that old man Nino was in contact with a pimp in the back alley of Kimora, a slum. Adele could easily imagine her future after being dragged into the back alley. It all could be avoided if she paid her protection fees, but from that day onward the other shoe polishers took all her customers, leaving her with no work as if they had been instructed to. She barely survived the last few days on a piece of black barley bread. She couldn¡¯t even eat today because the protection fee was due the following day and she still hasn¡¯t gathered enough money. So, when Adele was brought to polish Buonaparte¡¯s shoes in San Salina Square, she thanked the goddess of the sea from the bottom of her heart. And when she realized that the Goddess wasn¡¯t just blessing her with a few gold coins, her heart began to race. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re really going to cheat the Della Valle family?¡± ¡°I am already looking for a suitable woman. I have been searching for fallen aristocrats, but it hasn¡¯t been easy.¡± ¡°I knew you were crazy, but I didn¡¯t know you were this crazy.¡± Even Adele thought it was crazy when she heard it. However, it was like a divine revelation from God to the shoe polisher, who was crazy enough to jump at the opportunity. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡®You can do it.¡¯ As soon as Cesare finished speaking, a small whisper in her head pushed her forward. ¡°I¡¯ll sell myself to you.¡± With those words, Adele threw her life away. *** For a moment, Cesare narrowed his eyes, as if he was trying to evaluate something. Even the faint lines around his eyes appeared to be painted with a fine brush. The next moment, the beautiful man spoke. ¡°Are you a maiden?¡± He gazed at her; his golden eyes devoid of judgment. Adele immediately recognized the intent of his question. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a maiden.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Cesare, who probably hoped Adele would back down on her own, grinned and laughed. ¡°I¡¯m surprised a Fornatier shoe polisher knows what chastity is.¡± At first, it sounded like a sarcastic remark, but there was no aggressiveness in the man¡¯s tone. Adele paused for a moment before she replied. ¡°I think I know better than Giacomo.¡± Cesare burst into laughter. Giacomo, a nobleman, was known as the scoundrel of the century. Which means there is no difference in status when it comes to that. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± said Buonaparte¡¯s prodigal son in a pleasant tone with a smile lingering on his lips. Adele couldn¡¯t help but notice how his smile was just as lovely as rumored, no, he was even more captivating than that. He had deep dimples suitable for his large mouth, a smile that masked the coldness in his eyes. And there was a small, coy mole at the corner of his eye. Even with such conflicting features, he was terribly attractive. So many ladies sought after him. ¡°Did you hear that, Jude? I think this shoe polisher speaks better than Lucrezia.¡± The handsome man looked at his friend, who was sitting next to him, and said, ¡°Miss Della Valle only stutters in front of you, Cesare.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit attractive, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s not an idiot,¡± Cesare said as he pulled out a cigar. Next to him, Jude smirked with a sarcastic expression. ¡°Miss Della Valle needs to know just how bad your personality really is.¡± Jude. Jude Rossi. Adele recognized his name because the newspaper generally introduced him as ¡®an acquaintance of Cesare. However, he was also the heir to the Rossi family, a great aristocratic family in Fornatier. The successor of the Rossi family, who had his chestnut-brown hair pulled back neatly, finally looked back at Adele. ¡°Miss. Are you seriously going to get involved in this scam?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Adele Vivi. And yes, if you let me.¡± A light flashed in Jude Rossi¡¯s green eyes. ¡°Miss Adele Vivi. Cesare forgot to mention this, but it¡¯s not as easy as you think. I¡¯m not questioning your intelligence, but do you understand the gravity of the situation?¡± It was certainly noble of him to explain everything to ensure she had no doubts. Before answering, Adele briefly glanced at Cesare. Buonaparte¡¯s prodigal son was observing their conversation with polite, yet frighteningly cold eyes, while pretending to be pleasant. At the very least, Adele thought Jude Rossi would be easier to deal with than him. ¡°First, I apologize for eavesdropping, but can I first confirm if what I heard is correct?¡± ¡°Huh¡­. well¡­ sure if you want.¡± ¡°It all started with the promise between the Buonaparte and the Della Valle families.¡± Adele continued carefully to not stumble over her words. ¡°A long time ago, the heads of the two families signed a pact to have the daughter of the Buonaparte family and the son of the DellaValle family married.¡± ¡°They did.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°However, no marriage took place in those days, so the pact has been documented and passed down.¡± **** Priori: nine members that were chosen from the ranks of the guilds of the city. Six members were chosen from major guilds and two were chosen from minor guilds. Signoria: (Italian for ¡°lordship¡±) was the government of the medieval and Renaissance Republic of Florence, between 1250 and 1532. Chapter 2 ¡°Yeah. And?¡± ¡°Then, all of a sudden, the Della Valle family demanded that you fulfill the promise. But¡­¡± Adele¡¯s gaze flitted to Cesare. ¡°Currently, the Buonaparte¡¯s direct line has no daughters, so the Della Valle family demanded that the son should honor the agreement instead. Thus, Cesare Buonaparte needs a woman to break the pact.¡± Jude turned to Cesare, their expressions mirroring each other. Although the plan seemed flawless, it was still of significant importance. Cesare, who had been smoking his cigar the entire time, finally began to speak. ¡°Do you know why they suddenly brought up the promise?¡± It sounded like a simple question, but it was also a question that couldn¡¯t be answered if one hadn¡¯t read the newspaper. Adele spoke without hesitation. ¡°I think Lucrezia Della Valle plans to use this in hopes of marrying you.¡± That must have been the case. Lucrezia Della Valle is the beloved youngest daughter of the Della Valle family. Even the stray cats in Fornatier knew how much she loved Cesare. After hearing Adele¡¯s answer, the corners of Cesare¡¯s pretty lips raised into an arc. ¡°That¡¯s right. Lucrezia¡¯s crazy plan is so blatant that even a shoe polisher in Fornatier knows about it.¡± He didn¡¯t have an ounce of respect for the lady, but that was of no concern to Adele. The most key factor is that Cesare needs a woman. And she preferred to be sold to a noble family rather than a brothel. ¡°I think you don¡¯t want to marry her. Although the family¡¯s pact is sacred, you want to rid yourself of it immediately.¡± ¡°And?¡± Aside from the faint frosty smile, the surprisingly cold golden eyes turned toward Adele. ¡°Therefore, please use me.¡± Adele did not shy away from his gaze. ¡°As the daughter of the Buonaparte family, I will be given to the Della Valle family. Then you won¡¯t have to marry her, right?¡± The man who was said to have received the greatest love from fate and God looked at the woman in front of him. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ He took a deep draw from the cigar and exhaled gently. ¡®But is this really a woman?¡¯ His inquiring gaze turned to the woman in question. She had on a baggy hat that was large enough to fit two heads, along with a blackened, ragged face. The sight was beyond ugly and didn¡¯t resemble a human face at all. He wouldn¡¯t have thought she was a woman if not for her sweet voice. Yes, her words were definitely pleasing to the ear, which was quite confusing. But that was it. Santnar, a country comprising two main islands and dozens of smaller islands, has a culture that deeply values ¡®la bella figura¡¯. Which meant one had to be beautiful and attractive in every way. In this regard, Adele Vivi was disqualified from the preliminary round. ¡°It¡¯s not going to work.¡± At Cesare¡¯s words, Adele Vivi slowly stopped breathing. When she readied herself to question his reasoning, Cesare tapped his chin and grinned. ¡°Miss Adele Vivi. Shouldn¡¯t you at least look good if you want to sell yourself?¡± ¡®At this point, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll back down on her accord,¡¯ he thought. ¡°Oh.¡± However, Adele Vivi uttered a strange exclamation and suddenly grabbed her hat. ¡°I see. Wait just a moment.¡± Before Cesare grew even more confused, Adele flicked off her hat. At that moment, the hair tucked inside her hat fell around her like a waterfall. Her thick, glossy black hair, which was as smooth as silk, shimmered beneath the Fornatier sun. Even Cesare, who grew up surrounded by only the most beautiful things in Fornatier, was speechless for a moment. ¡°Such magnificent hair!¡± Jude cried out beside him. His eyes, which brightened whenever he viewed art and beauty, were flashing with curiosity. ¡°Your hair reminds me of a mermaid. How do you take care of it?¡± ¡°Sometimes I use fish oil.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?! It¡¯s amazing and quite pretty¡­ ¡± Jude¡¯s gaze alternated between Cesare and Adele¡¯s hair. ¡°¡­It looks similar to his! Oh, of course, the overtones are different, but you both have a shade akin to black pearls, right? This is amazing. Now that I¡¯m looking closely, her eye color seems to be golden. Or is it closer to honey?¡± ¡°Are you comparing me to a shoe polisher now?¡± Cesare asked with furrowed brows and a cigar hanging from his lips. ¡°It¡¯s just hair. No man is going to fall in love with the back of a woman¡¯s head.¡± ¡°Give me a second,¡± Adele answered. Then, without waiting for Cesare¡¯s permission, she began wiping her face with her dirty clothes. Rather it seemed as if she was tearing her face off than simply wiping clean. ¡°What?¡± Jude groaned at the sight of her face peeling off. Rip. Rip. Meanwhile, a thick mask that smelled strongly of shoe polish fell from Adele¡¯s face. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Soon afterward, when a surprisingly thin and elegant face emerged beneath, Cesare had no choice but to bite his tongue. ¡°Ha.¡± Indeed, she was so beautiful that she could attempt to masquerade as a Buonaparte. She had perfect almond-shaped eyes with a smooth jawline, and even her features were nearly symmetrical. She was the definition of beauty, and it was surprising that Adele was in an environment that didn¡¯t suit her looks. Sometimes there were people who was born to seduce the opposite sex. Cesare was a prime example of that, and so was Adele. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cesare puffed on his cigar again and exhaled the smoke. Next to him, Jude spoke with an enthusiastic voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t this good enough? Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s perfect, Cesare?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. Based on her appearance alone, the woman in front of him would suit his purpose. With her looks, he was confident that if he took her in immediately and taught her a moderate amount, then introduced her to high society, people would be so blinded by her beauty that they would ignore some of her flaws. Adele spoke calmly, fully aware of her charm. ¡°I forgot to wipe it off earlier.¡± ¡®She has a lot of guts.¡¯ Cesare covered his mouth with the hand he was using to hold the cigar. For a brief moment, his mind was a fierce battle of conflicting thoughts. But soon he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too much work.¡± ¡°Why!¡± Jude exclaimed. Cesare glanced at him coldly. ¡°She¡¯s uneducated.¡± The one he originally sought to fulfill the pact with the Della Valle family was supposed to be a maiden from a fallen aristocratic family. And the reason for that was simple. Because noblewoman would be easier to educate. ¡°She probably hasn¡¯t even mastered the six arts. Even if she could be educated, does she speak any foreign languages?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s pretty!¡± ¡°Beauty isn¡¯t everything.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re saying this while having a face like that!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°But still¡­.¡± Cesare leaned back against the backrest as if there was nothing more to say. ¡°If we want to deceive the Della Valle family, then she should at least have something in her head. They are a family of scholars, after all.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Jude groaned because Cesare¡¯s words were perfectly logical. ¡®That should be enough to make her back down on her own accord,¡¯ Cesare thought as he put down his cigar. However¡­ ¡°Everything you said is correct.¡± Adele didn¡¯t relent. Her calm confession drew Cesare¡¯s gaze. ¡°I haven¡¯t received much education, but I have put forth my best efforts to learn what I can.¡± ¡®She is more persistent than I had thought.¡¯ Cesare frowned for a moment, and then smiled. ¡°What kind of efforts? Shoe polishing?¡± ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll have you know that I made an effort to go to the Fornatier Civil Library.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve read a few books.¡± ¡°And I can speak Deneng and Alghese.¡± Cesare became speechless when he learned she could speek Alghese, and it appeared as if she had been waiting to say that all along. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Jude, on the other hand, was thrilled. He seemed to marvel at the fact that this beautiful, mysterious creature, who was posing as a shoe polisher, could even speak a foreign language. ¡°Did you learn that from a book as well?¡± ¡°I learned the spoken language by speaking with foreigners living on the streets, then the grammar from books.¡± ¡°There are homeless people who speak Alghese?¡± ¡°Fornatier is frequented by foreigners, therefore, many such people live here.¡± ¡°You have such a passion for learning that it would be a waste to simply remain as an ordinary shoe polisher!¡± ¡°This was the only thing I could do.¡± Adele gazed at Cesare again. ¡°My efforts were not just for polishing shoes.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only **** La bella figura: an Italian phrase that translates as ¡°the beautiful figure.¡± It specifically means to dress well to make a good impression, which is an aspect that is deeply rooted in Italian culture. The Six Arts: one of the original education methods in ancient China for the purpose of creating excellent, well-rounded members of society. The six aspects are: etiquette, music, archery, horseback riding, calligraphy, and arithmetic. ****