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Hedy understood the deeper meaning behind his words.
She took a deep breath and gave the most direct answer.
"To seek protection."
"Protection?"
"As you can see, I am someone being hunted by the Roman Curia."
"We have a common enemy."
"Why?"
"Does the Pope need a reason to kill someone?"
The answer came without hesitation, and Lorenzo laughed.
He had always admired this side of her.
Cold, thorny, and utterly untamed.
This side of her rarely showed, and she had always appeared to be an ordinary woman easily manipulated.
But there were cracks.
"Go on."
"But when I came to Florence, I realized this place... is not safe either."
Hedy felt like she was walking on a tightrope, each word potentially leading to her doom, yet she had no choice but to take the risk and speak.
She silently waited for two seconds, lifting her eyes to observe Lorenzo’s expression.
He was calm.
"You think Florence is unsafe," Lorenzo repeated.
He thought of the strange ascetic monk and his brother’s death.
She was right. This city was also unsafe.
It still was.
Hedy wanted to tell him the history she knew from the future, to share it as a prophecy.
The ways of manipulation and superstition were often enough to deceive those whose minds were weak.
Her mind raced, but ultimately, she rejected that option.
When speaking with Lorenzo, it was best to use logic.
Show him the weights on either side of the balance, show him the pros and cons of a situation—nothing would be more effective.
Hedy bowed deeply and immediately took out the map she had brought with her.
She used a brush to re-zone and color the areas, clearly outlining the sizes and relationships of the powers.
In terms of population, Florence couldn’t compare to Milan, and certainly not to Naples or France.
