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Thirteen-year-old Caesar stood at the door, smiling as he opened his arms. "Come to your brother."
"Brother!" The little girl instantly changed her expression, and as she turned, she reverted to her innocent, romantic state, running into his embrace. "Brother—I've missed you so much—I've barely been able to sleep these past few days."
Hedy had no interest in this childish scene. She turned away, once again observing the path the patrolling guards were taking downstairs, trying to find an escape route from the surrounding buildings.
...She hoped she could return in one piece. If not, perhaps Fabio could get her a prosthetic.
Once the sibling reunion had worn out, the little girl was reluctantly taken away by the maids, led to another part of the place.
Hedy didn’t look back even once, her mind racing with thoughts.
She couldn't fully believe that Cosimo was a traitor—perhaps she had misjudged everything, perhaps there were things she hadn't noticed.
"Miss Hedwig." Caesar spoke slowly.
She turned to look at him, a mocking smile forming on her lips. "Planning to recite poetry or send roses today?"
"It seems you don’t like the way I look," Caesar sat down, his demeanor quite cynical. "So, tell me, for the wedding, do you prefer gold or red?"
"With you?" Hedy laughed. "Has the Roman Curia become so desperate?"
"Indeed." Caesar raised an eyebrow. "Do you know what Mr. Lorenzo said?"
At the mention of that name, Hedy’s heart tensed for a few seconds.
She didn’t want to hear any news of his death, and she certainly didn’t want him to die because of her.
"At that time, we requested Genoa and Florence to provide sufficient refuge and deploy troops to punish the rebellious Naples," Caesar interlaced his hands, his expression and posture completely those of an adult. "And we told him you were here in Rome."
The threat was direct enough, and impossible to ignore.
Hedy took a deep breath, waiting for his verdict.
"The lord’s exact words were, 'Her life or death is of no concern to me,'" he mocked. "I once thought he liked you."
At that moment, the weight on Hedy's heart lifted entirely.
This was a stable enough situation.
If he showed indifference toward the bargaining chip, she might still have a way out.
But if he showed even the slightest concern, the Romans would seize the opportunity to exploit the situation and make increasingly demanding requests.
"It seems this gentleman doesn’t care about your fate, even if you were sent off to be a military prostitute," Caesar toyed with his dagger, looking up at her with a mocking smile. "I couldn't bear to see that happen."
He straightened his posture, suddenly assuming the role of a passionate young lover. "I’ve been searching for you this long—how could I let you go now?"
Hedy remained silent for a few seconds before suddenly speaking, "This is your only chance to gain your father's attention, isn’t it?"
Caesar froze for a moment, his grip tightening around the dagger.
"Without your father's attention, you can't protect Lucrezia."
"In a few years, she'll be used as a political marriage pawn, just like your countless sisters, married off to various duchies, right?"
"You’d better learn to stay silent," he coldly responded. "This has nothing to do with you."
"Then why am I here?" she retorted.
