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Some things were already becoming very clear—
The Borgia family had teamed up with inside collaborators to forcibly take her as a bargaining chip for negotiations.
She wasn't the naive girl who believed in outdated love stories, thinking that Caesar was hopelessly waiting for her.
Anyone who managed to survive in such a chaotic environment, even a child under ten years old, should never be underestimated.
After traveling all the way from Genoa to the southern ports of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and then from the port to Rome, thirty-four days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Hedy was taken to the vast palace where the Pope resided. After bathing and changing, she was once again imprisoned.
Pope Alexander VI owned countless gardens and estates in Rome, and she had no idea where she was being held at the moment.
This Pope had countless mistresses and children. Even back in Genoa, she had heard the rumors—three years ago, he had married a 16-year-old mistress, who was known as "The Pope's Whore" and "The Bride of Christ."
Though according to the historical timeline, this Pope shouldn't have been able to buy his way into the papacy six years early, the war involving the Medici family and the previous Pope's failure to retain territories had caused his disgraceful downfall, thus giving the fat man a new opportunity.
Hedy observed her surroundings, constantly trying to gather some information.
She knew well the cruelty of these people and dared not send any signals or messages out hastily.
The guards remained tight-lipped, and the maids refused to communicate with her—she couldn't meet the Pope or Caesar either.
What was going on outside?
What had actually happened?
On the afternoon of the fourth day, as Hedy watched the patrols under the window for the sixth time, she suddenly heard a little girl's voice behind her: "Who are you?"
She turned around and saw a pale-skinned little girl standingthere, her face full of wariness and distrust.
"I am... an unwelcome guest," Hedy said, watching the girl's face, and then suddenly spoke, "You’re the sister of the Borgia family, aren't you?"
"Lucrezia." The little girl took a step forward, still staring at her. "Where did you take my brother?"
"I haven't seen him." Hedy softened her tone and guided her to reveal more. "Do you miss him very much?"
It seemed that mentioning the Borgia family made Lucrezia's expression soften.
She nodded quickly and muttered, "It was always my brother who stayed with me until I fell asleep."
Hedy observed the seven- or eight-year-old girl and asked again, "How long has he been gone?"
"Three months," the little girl lowered her head. "He said he would be back in April."
The time for a round trip... was just enough to go to Florence.
—Florence?!
Hedy had intended to ask more questions, but suddenly realized something felt off.
Caesar and the Pope were clearly the masterminds behind the kidnapping, and they had timed everything perfectly.
Instead of waiting for her arrival, they had gone directly to Florence to negotiate. Clearly, they planned to use her as a pawn in this political game, and it seemed they had already forged connections on all sides!
Her existence now was both central to the Medici family and the Northwest Lord.
Rome, squeezed and manipulated by the three powers, had failed in its attempts at rebellion. Was it now fighting desperately for its survival?
