Curve 12. Semm minga Cumasch, Andemm a Comm; Agnesi Under House Arrest!

A luxurious four-wheeled carriage—a caroche—was moving on a road. The road was a highway that spanned the Duchy of Milano. It was the road that four horses were traversing, pulling the heavy carriage. The caroche had a frame, cabin, ornaments, and exterior and interior items made of thick, high-quality materials. All of this made the caroche heavier than an ordinary carriage, requiring it to be pulled by a quartet of horses.

The caroche was in the middle of a convoy of several other vehicles. There were twelve baggage wagons in the convoy. In addition, there were four cavalry units, two at the front and two at the rear of the convoy.

While not as luxurious as the caroche, all of the baggage wagons were made of premium materials, exceeding the quality of ordinary wagons. All of the horses in the convoy were also high-bred horses. They appeared remarkably fit, a clear sign of the meticulous care these animals received.

The caroche, the baggage wagons, the horses. There was clearly one important factor in bringing them all together in one group, and that one important factor was none other than money. In this case, "the money" was none other than Pietro Fortunato Caetana.

Pietro, a wealthy businessman, was currently leading a convoy funded with his own wealth along Milano's cobblestone streets. Unlike the commercial convoys he usually leads, this convoy was delivering goods to a house he recently purchased. Ten baggage wagons are carrying furniture, clothing, and food supplies.

What about the other two baggage wagons? They were used specifically to transport items for Pietro's eldest daughter; the educational activities items belong to Agnesi Maria Caetana. These items included books, paper, ink, target boards for Aecte Arts practice, and so on.

In addition to the books in the baggage wagon, Agnesi still had a stack of books next to her seat in the car. She was also seen holding a book she was reading. She appeared to be deeply absorbed in her reading, but that didn't stop her from noticing what was happening around her.

One day, Agnesi's father, who was sitting next to her, spoke quite loudly. Pietro told her what he saw outside the caroche window. He raised the index finger of his right hand and said, "Look, there are people—three farmers chasing their runaway cow."

Anna Maria Caetana, sitting across from Pietro, immediately turned her head to the spot her husband was pointing at. Teresa Maria Caetana, sitting next to her mother—and opposite her older sister—immediately tried to get her mother to hold her so she could see what her father was pointing at. Anna understood her second daughter's meaning and immediately took Teresa's hand.

Meanwhile, Agnesi also placed her book on her lap. She turned her gaze to the scene unfolding next to the Duchy of Milan highway. Agnesi commented, “If they’re having trouble catching the cow, perhaps we can help them. Father has some Epodoi in this group.”

Of course, Pietro and Anna understood Agnesi's intentions. The three people trying to catch the cow were most likely Magoi of the Akustikoi class. They certainly wouldn't use Aecte Arts to catch their cow, as it would likely injure it. If even one Epodoi in their group had paused to help, their job would have been much easier.

But Agnesi's idea was no longer necessary when she and her three other family members saw the three farmers finally catch the cow. Anna spontaneously commented, "Thank goodness they caught the cow so quickly."

Meanwhile, Teresa simultaneously applauded the three farmers by clapping her hands and shouting, “Yaaa! Yippie! Yai! Yai! Yai! Yai!” After that, Teresa got off her mother’s lap and sat back down in her original position.

Meanwhile, Agnesi was also reading her book again. Teresa immediately looked at her sister, who was concentrating on her reading. Teresa's expression changed: admiration, anger, sadness—knowing she would be separated from her sister—and joy—remembering the times she had played with her sister.

Agnesi, realizing her sister was staring at her, immediately turned her gaze back. A startled Teresa immediately looked away, revealing an angry expression as she blurted out, "Huh!" As Agnesi resumed reading her book, Teresa once again turned to her older sister.

Agnesi reads a book, Teresa stares at Agnesi, Agnesi stares back, Teresa looks away with an angry chuckle, Agnesi reads a book again, Teresa stares at Agnesi again.... Such sequences happen repeatedly in the caroche cabin.

Teresa, knowing that her older sister would soon be living in a new house far from their home in Milano, had recently begun showing tsundere behavior.

(***)

Semm minga Cumasch, andemm a Comm. We are not from Como, we came to Como.

The Caetana family had arrived at their destination after an eight-hour trip. They had set out in the morning, so it was afternoon by the time they arrived. Their transportation vehicles had stopped in a yard large enough to accommodate the entire convoy. In front of the vehicles, there was a fairly large house.

This house would become Agnesi's new residence. It was located quite close to Lake Como, specifically on the southeastern side. One could reach the nearest shore of Lake Como by a 15-minute wagon ride.

Besides its proximity to Lake Como, Pietro also chose to buy a house there because it was still within the defensive walls. The defensive walls protecting the house are the defensive walls of Bellagio, an administrative town in the Lake Como area.

Lake Como itself covers an area of approximately 146 square kilometers. It's shaped like an inverted "Y." The town of Bellagio is located at the center of the inverted "Y" shape.

Lake Como offers fresh air, clear water, and colorful lakeside plants. The curves of the hills and lakeshore are a feast for the eyes. Together, the hills and lakeshore formed a picturesquely sublime landscape around Lake Como.

The views around the lake are so beautiful that they drive property prices sky-high. Only wealthy individuals like Pietro can afford to own property near the lake. Given that Pietro's new house is located within the fortified walls and close to the lakeshore, its price is naturally even higher.

But for Pietro and Anna, that wasn't a problem. Trading some of their wealth for a private home in a beautiful location where their beautiful and talented daughter was clearly worth the payoff. For Pietro and Anna, however, this purchase was good value for money.

Although the house was expensive, it was still well within Pietro’s financial means and considerably cheaper than comparable properties in Milano. Those comparable properties included his house in Milano, which stood behind the Duchy capital’s innermost defensive walls. For Pietro and Anna, the house was undoubtedly a worthwhile investment.

This was also reflected in Pietro and Anna's faces. They were certainly aware that Agnesi would be living far away from them, but they were also aware that Agnesi would be studying in a place with a very supportive atmosphere. Expressions of happiness were evident on their faces.

On the other hand, Agnesi's younger sister, Teresa, still felt like she was losing one of her best friends. That's why Teresa "kept" Agnesi close to her. For instance, when Agnesi was seated on a chaise lounge, Teresa made her sister hold her head while she lay down on the chaise lounge.

In a way, Teresa had put Agnesi under house arrest. The house was her prison, Teresa was her jailer, and the reason for her imprisonment was simple: Teresa did not want her older sister to go anywhere without her.

One of Teresa's lucky breaks was that her mother and father would be in the house for about a week. That gave Teresa a week to continue being Agnesi's shadow. About seven days before Rami Ramiro Raminello arrived.