Chapter 258 - 207: Only Believe What You See

"Good evening, sir. I am Antonio from Florence. You have likely heard my name."

"Yes, yes, I am a member of the Governance Council of Florence, and Mr. Cesare and I are good friends."

"Oh, please forgive my memory. As everyone knows, Florence lies in the heart of Tuscany. I also served as a diplomat in my younger days, so I truly apologize, but I have attended far too many weddings.

As for Mr. Giacomo’s wedding, I can’t quite recall. I may have attended. I don’t usually refuse an invitation."

"You see, Mr. Steward, even if I am too busy to attend a wedding myself, I will have my wife, Lucrezia, attend in my place. She is a good wife, though she sometimes lacks a little... discipline."

"Very well, thank you for your understanding, Mr. Steward. Oh, of course, your actions are beyond reproach. This is you being dutiful to your masters, the Lanfranchi family. I am certainly not displeased."

....

A young man was propped up in bed, reading a document by dim candlelight.

But pain in his abdomen made him furrow his brow. He kept shifting his position, but no sooner had he settled into a new one than the pain and discomfort would surge back.

He had no choice but to keep moving. Yet the constant shifting, combined with the persistent pain of his wound, frayed his nerves and shattered his concentration.

And the document in his hands brought even more unfortunate news.

The head of the Lanfranchi Family, his father, Cesare de’ Lanfranchi, had died in Canossa four days ago.

Although he had long expected his father would lose his life, his father had even joked about it self-deprecatingly before he left.

’Only death carried enough weight to serve as a worthy excuse and, at the same time, win the Emperor’s trust.’

’It was all worth it... to protect the Lanfranchi Bank, to protect the Lanfranchi Family, to... to protect the Lanfranchi’s control over Pisa...’

It was all worth it, Giacomo tried to convince himself.

But his anxiety only intensified. The mountain his father had carried was now on his shoulders.

’The Lanfranchi family cannot be allowed to fall on my watch.’

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK..."

At this moment, the knocking from outside the room became the last straw.

"I told you, I... I’m not receiving visitors today! How many times do I have to say it? I... I’m not seeing anyone! My stomach is killing me, Alberto! Stop gnawing on my door like a stupid gopher!" Giacomo slammed his fist on the bedside cabinet in a rage.

"Lord Giacomo, it’s a friend from Florence."

"Florence?" The familiar name sobered Giacomo’s temper. "Let him in."

Otto walked in and bowed to Giacomo.

"Please forgive me for disturbing you so late at night, Mr. Giacomo. Oh, what have those villains done?" Otto feigned shock, pretending to be taken aback by the bandages on Giacomo’s chest.

"I’m sorry, but could you introduce yourself? I don’t seem to recall you. I’ve been to Florence, but I’ve never met you," Giacomo said warily, raising a hand to stop Otto.

"You may call me Antonio. Sometimes, we must conceal our identities to achieve our ideals and goals. Florence, being at the heart of Tuscany, has far more to consider than Pisa. It is sometimes necessary to keep certain people in the shadows.

"But at critical moments, we can be of great use. It also allows Florence to wash its hands of the matter cleanly. But for Florence, I am willing to do so."

"That doesn’t sound like a pleasant assignment," Giacomo said.

"But sometimes it is necessary. After all, the Nobility are ravenous wolves, and Canossa is known to produce vipers. Especially that particular viper, who is now betrothed to a member of the Norman Nobility—the son of Giscard. I imagine Satan himself would gladly bless their union.

"It’s enough to make the Demons in Hell rejoice, for this couple seems dedicated to turning Italy into Hell itself," Otto said with a smile.

"Yes, I agree with you there. They shamelessly poisoned my father and used a flimsy excuse to cover it up."

The casual conversation began to put him at ease, the distraction lessening his pain.

Giacomo tried to adjust his position.

Otto helped Giacomo, and this time Giacomo did not refuse.

"All sacrifices are for a greater cause. What I do is nothing compared to what your father did. Administrative Officer Cesare was a hero."

"So you’ve heard."

"Yes. A tragic tale."

"Yes. But at least it was a worthy death. My father died for our family’s honor, and the Lanfranchi Family will remember him. Oh, and by the way," Giacomo’s tone shifted as he looked at Otto, "while I appreciate your condolences, might I be so bold as to ask the reason for your visit?" He was asking a question to which he already suspected the answer.

"For a reason we both know. And it was also the wish of your father, Administrative Officer Cesare," Otto replied, remaining evasive.

"I don’t quite understand. My father’s death was so sudden."

"Very well."

At this moment, he heard the screech of a stray cat.

It was Belem’s signal.

Otto turned and looked at the door.

’He should be there by now.’

"The Canossa Clan has shown us their brutality and cruelty more than once. The foolish Nobility are never satisfied with what they possess; they greedily crave ever more... They delude themselves, thinking that a mere deed to the land entitles them to everything that exists upon it..."