Esperanza C. Boroñal

"Should I ever lose myself to rage and strike a woman, I will be perfectly prepared to immediately hand her a loaded pistol."

- Esperanza to Elmer

Count Esperanza C. Boroñal (エスペランサ・C・ボロニアル, Esuperanza C Boroniaru) is the governor of Lotto Valentino and a member of the Spanish nobility. He is known for his odd appearance and veneration of women, which has led to some to disparage him as a womanizer and dangerous eccentric. Despite the rumors, he has the best interests of Lotto Valentino at heart.

Appearance
Esperanza's odd appearance has led some to call him a "Clown Count." Most unusual are the twin stars on either side of his face, though his 'extremely gaudy' tricorne is eye-catching as well. The deep shadows under his eyes are large and rather owl-like, and it is unclear whether they are the result of sleep deprivation or a simple fashion statement.

Not only does Esperanza sport stars instead of a fake beauty mark (as was popular among contemporary nobility), he forgoes a standard wig in favor of his natural brown hair, which he keeps tied back with a ribbon. He is often seen wearing a light habit à la française, the top of which is decorated with 'tasteful jewelled ornamentation.' The Chinese character for fire, 火 (huǒ), is featured on the back of the suit.

Were he to remove his facial makeup, he might appear to look like a fairly ordinary man in his mid-twenties.

Personality
Esperanza has a deep respect and admiration for women, treating them as 'befitting a gentleman'. He treats all women equally, be they aristocrats or commoners, friends or strangers and offers them complete and total hospitality at his manor.

With men he is more unpredictable, showing absolutely no interest in them most of the time. Those who do not know him personally often misconstrue his lopsided attention towards women as lecherous or perverse, leading to some viewing him with fear (as seen with Sylvie Lumiere in 1711).

Carla considers him to be a "good man" and he is not undeserving of such a compliment. He is hardworking and kind in his idiosyncrasies, honorable and well-intentioned.

1711: Whitesmile
(All to be written.)

Relationships
Monica Campanella: Maribel is his younger sister. Esperanza hid her at his house for several months, and he was the person who constructed her new identity as Monica Campanella.

Elmer C. Albatross: Elmer is one of Esperanza's few male friends. Esperanza allowed Elmer to stay with him when the boy first arrived in Lotto Valentino, but eventually kicked him out due to Elmer's gender. Despite this, Esperanza accepted Elmer's request to temporarily house Niki. Elmer nicknamed him "Speran".