Chapter 1
Entering August on the Apennine Peninsula feels like dry bread sizzling in an iron pan without any oil, as if the heat is enough to extract all moisture, even the wind refuses to linger here. After the arrival of summer, every Roman, except for visits to nearby public baths, mostly stays indoors, leading to a significant improvement in the city’s otherwise chaotic security. The people of Rome jokingly say that their peace and prosperity rely not on the papacy, but on the heavens.
In such temperatures, Giulia cannot sleep peacefully until noon. She struggles to get out of bed during the early, cooler hours, washes her face, and sits by the window. However, her posture does not align with the era’s expectations for women; she curls her legs, her feet resting on the chair’s edge, her back pressed against the chair’s back, and she hunches inside it, lazily flipping through the theological books her aunt and governess, Adriana, left in her room the previous night. She has no interest in the lengthy doctrines of Catholicism, yawning multiple times within minutes, and just as she is about to close the book and return to bed for a nap, she hears hurried footsteps outside.
Turning her head, she sees a slender brown-haired man walking down the corridor of the courtyard. Almost immediately, her mouth twitches slightly, and she lowers her legs from the chair, adjusting her posture to a more proper sitting position for a Roman noblewoman. She forces a somewhat false smile as she looks at the approaching man. “It seems today is not a weekend, Mr. Brandao,” Giulia raises an eyebrow at him. “Indeed, it is not a weekend.” When Brandao reaches her window, his breath is slightly ragged from his brisk walk. “I came specifically to find you; Father Rodrigo wants to see you, and your mother has sent a letter.”
“Father,” a title reserved for Catholic priests, has been held by men for centuries, forbidding them from marrying or having children, dedicating their lives to the Lord. Yet, throughout history, every organization has had those who wish to break the rules. The Church is no stranger to members who yearn for earthly pleasures; countless popes have had mistresses and illegitimate children, not to mention other clergy. However, everyone knows their roles must remain untouched by worldly concerns, so “mistresses” become “friends,” and children are referred to as “nephews,” with everyone turning a blind eye as if nothing has happened.
Giulia, having considered herself a typical girl from an ordinary family in ancient Europe for four years, learns that the tall, robust priest, whom she thought of as a father figure, regularly arrives at their home in a carriage with fashionable toys and clothes for her and her siblings. His affection is not out of clerical care for Roman residents but because they are his illegitimate children. Her stunning and graceful mother is his favored mistress, and the man she thought of as a father for four years, while not entirely unkind, is actually the priest’s decoy, the second man her mother was forced to marry to cover the truth.
After a day of shock, she digests this reality, giving a mental thumbs up and thinking, “Ah, truly, this is Italy.” Now, ten years later, she learns from her mother’s letter that she has another biological mother. Years ago, Vanosa Catane had just become the mistress of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, and her sister Martina, a rebellious sixteen-year-old, had left her hometown of Mantua to live with her sister in Rome, dissatisfied with her arranged marriage. During her stay, she and Rodrigo fell deeply in love and, a year later, gave birth to Giulia. However, Martina felt she should not be limited to being “Rodrigo’s mistress,” so she left her newborn daughter with her pregnant sister, Vanosa, to seek a new life.
As a baby abandoned by her birth mother, Giulia has matured. This time, she is shocked for only a few minutes before mentally giving another thumbs up: “Indeed, this is Italy.”
Ten years later, Giulia learns from her mother’s letter that she has another biological mother. Years ago, Vanosa Catane had just become the mistress of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, and her sister Martina, a beautiful and rebellious sixteen-year-old, left her hometown of Mantua to live with her sister in Rome, dissatisfied with her arranged marriage. During her stay, she and Rodrigo fell in love at first sight, and a year later, Giulia was born. However, Martina felt she should not be limited to being “Rodrigo’s mistress,” so she left her newborn daughter with her pregnant sister Vanosa to seek a new life.
As a baby abandoned by her birth mother, Giulia has matured. This time, she is shocked for only a few minutes before mentally giving another thumbs up: “Indeed, this is Italy.”
“Suddenly revealing this truth, you may find it hard to accept. Giulia, I had intended to keep this secret from you for life. Whether your birth mother is me or Martina, there’s no doubt you are Rodrigo Borgia’s daughter. You will receive the best court education at the Orsini Palace and may one day become the wife of a duke or even a king, becoming one of the most renowned young ladies of the Papal States.”
“But you are also the smartest among the children, and one day you will discover the clues. Furthermore, your birth mother Martina has fallen gravely ill and sent me a letter a few days ago, expressing her wish to meet you. This request might be difficult for you, but despite not having raised you, Martina worked hard to bring you into this world. If possible, I hope you can visit Florence to see the ailing Martina...”
Giulia read this and raised her eyes, glancing at Rodrigo sitting opposite her. “Why don’t you continue reading?” Rodrigo asked casually, seeming unfazed by Vanosa revealing a secret she had kept for over a decade. “That’s about all the letter contains.”
Seeing that Rodrigo caught her evasive gaze, Giulia decided not to pretend any longer. She lifted her head and looked directly at him. Rodrigo sat behind a large writing desk, with a huge floor-to-ceiling window behind him. The excessively bright summer sunlight from the Vatican poured into the room, casting a somewhat cold atmosphere. It enveloped the tall and robust Rodrigo in a layer of imposing golden light. His study was unusually arranged; most would seek the best light while working, yet he preferred to sit against the light. With his broad shoulders and tall frame, he blocked almost all the sunlight from the window, leaving his face, eyes, and expressions shrouded in darkness, nearly indecipherable.
Giulia guessed he didn’t want anyone to glimpse his emotional shifts through his eyes, yet he could see clearly the person standing in front of him from the shadows. However, if it were his children before him, he would rise from his seat, kiss their faces, and gently ask what they had read or learned that week. The once ruthless cardinal was incredibly affectionate toward his children.
A few years ago, Rodrigo had brought several of his children from Vanosa’s side to the Orsini Palace in the Vatican, where his cousin Adriana Orsini took care of and educated them. Every weekend, his senior advisor Brandao would bring the children to spend the weekend with him in his chambers. Before the current Pope Innocent VIII, no clergy had publicly acknowledged their children. Perhaps it was Innocent VIII who gave Rodrigo the courage; not only did he acknowledge his illegitimate children with his mistress, but he also brought his children with Vanosa to be raised by him.
Initially, Giulia would regularly visit Vanosa in her suburban home in Rome, but as Adriana’s courses became more demanding, the visits dwindled. Now, if there was an urgent matter, Vanosa would send a letter to be delivered to the Vatican. Counting the days, it seems the last time she visited Vanosa was about two months ago. She didn’t expect this letter to bring such significant news.
Rodrigo stood up from his chair, and as he did, the sunlight outside rushed in eagerly, causing Giulia to reflexively close her eyes. “I don’t think you’re shocked by your lineage,” he said. No, in fact, I’m quite shocked, Giulia thought to herself. After a moment, she replied, “Father always says one should not show their emotions.”
Rodrigo chuckled and walked around the desk to Giulia’s side, still draped in the red cloak symbolizing his position as a cardinal. He smiled down at her, his eyes probing hers for understanding. “Perhaps you’ve known all along? Since you’ve never been particularly close to Vanosa, maybe you guessed she wasn’t your real mother.”
Giulia’s lips twitched slightly. With her limited emotional experience, how could she presume to understand the intricate romantic entanglements of this powerful man from over a decade ago? She had only just arrived in this world as a baby, and since Vanosa was roughly the same age as she had been in her previous life, she found it impossible to think of her as a mother.
Rodrigo, having navigated the complexities of the Vatican for decades, despite his affection for his children, often couldn’t help but project his own complicated experiences and thoughts onto them. To him, the quiet, reserved Giulia, who expressed little desire for attention compared to her siblings, was simply precocious and emotionally stoic. Giulia silently accepted this characterization and replied, “Perhaps there’s an irreplaceable bond between mothers and daughters, even in the unseen.”
“Then will you choose to visit the ailing Martina?” Rodrigo asked.
Giulia seriously considered, Could I choose to stay home and not go out in this heat? “I think you should stay home and read. Juan injured his leg learning to ride last week, and Adriana and Julia probably can’t manage alone; they’ll need your help watching over them,” Rodrigo said, suddenly remembering something. “I’ve heard the weather in Florence hasn’t been good either; it’s been raining for nearly a month now. Rain at this time of year is quite unusual…”
Before he could finish, Giulia interrupted, “Father, I’ve thought about it, and I still want to go.” His gaze shifted downwards to meet her hopeful eyes. “Father, please allow me to see my birth mother, whom I have never met.”
