Chapter 25: What did he do to the Pope?
This was definitely a mistake.
He must have been bewitched by the devil.
Rafael thought with a bit of malice and gave a polite smile to Duke François who was waiting at the entrance of the mansion.
“Your Holiness, my humble abode is honored by your presence today.” The Duke of Calais, adorned in a shimmering cloak of jewels and pearls, greeted the impromptu visit of the Florentine monarch with a large retinue of servants.
To be honest, even Francois himself was wondering why the Pope would visit so casually. Even with his self-confidence, he didn’t believe his relationship with Sistine I was close enough to visit each other so informally. But then again, he thought, this was just a young man who had not experienced much of the world. No matter how heavy the crown on his head was, it couldn’t change the fact that he lacked the time to polish the calmness in his bones. Perhaps this was just another impulsive decision on his part…
François thought casually that this was a good opportunity to show off Calais’ wealth. He was always happy to show off his power to others.
When Rafael saw Francois, truly glittering under the gaslights, he began to regret agreeing to Ferrante’s request the night before. The culprit behind his current predicament, who was causing him to face this dandy, was diligently scrubbing the floor in the Papal Palace – a direct order from His Holiness, forbidding any help from people or tools, and demanding that he personally clean the Pope’s suite.
Unlike the confrontation Ferrante had envisioned, Rafael had no intention of bringing this matter to light.
What was he supposed to say?