Chapter 20: The Peeled-Off Red Sore Reveals a Master!?

“I heard something big is going to happen tonight. You’re looking for a female notary who isn’t easily bribed… Hmm, who could be more suitable than me?”

"Elena? What brings you here?" Massimo asked in surprise.

“I rushed back from Florence to attend the family gathering, but I never expected to stumble upon such a drama.”

The woman named Elena flashed a flamboyant yet elegant smile at the crowd. She wore a pale yellow dress that accentuated her healthy, radiant wheat-colored skin. Her hair, tanned a golden brown from years of sun exposure, was styled in a high bun, beneath which were the signature green eyes of the Knarro family. She quickly scanned the crowd, her gaze lingering on Lilith and Mauro, as if she had already witnessed everything that had transpired inside the room.

Heinrich glanced at Lilith's expression. Compared to the fear and unease she felt when she saw him, Lilith's eyes lit up when she saw Elena, as if she had finally grasped a lifeline.

“Wow, so many people,” Elena remarked absentmindedly, taking her seat between Bruno and Francisco according to her seniority. “Can someone tell me what’s going on?”

“First, three prostitutes came and accused my daughter Liliana of being a witch who sold her body. Then a casino owner came and told me that my son owed hundreds of ducats in gambling debts,” Bruno explained wearily, resting his forehead on his hand.

"Don't joke around. How could that be? Lily is a girl I've watched grow up since she was little. I know her better than anyone. As for Mauro, how have you been lately? Have you gone out to sea with the fleet for training?"

According to custom, boys from Venetian noble families would accompany the fleet on voyages as crossbowmen to hone their skills. This served to improve their physical fitness, forge friendships, and learn the fundamentals of navigation and commerce. Elena herself, as a young girl, had secretly disguised herself as a boy and undergone this trial before returning to earn the right to represent her family in trade. It was precisely because she pioneered women's involvement in commerce that Lilith was able to enter the business world under her guidance.

Long sea voyages are arduous, and for extended periods on board, the only sustenance consists of sea biscuits, dried cheese, and wine with a fishy smell. Mauro, raised in luxury, couldn't bear the hardship and repeatedly feigned illness to avoid it, long past the age of becoming a training soldier. When Elena brought this up, it sounded more like mockery and humiliation than genuine inquiry.

"……not yet."

“You should go and gain some experience as soon as possible. It may be tough, but it will greatly help you grow. Take some glasses out and bring back some spices. Make a few deals, and you can earn back the hundreds of dollars in Ducati debt.” Elena casually took a sip of the wine the waiter brought her, glancing disdainfully at the three women kneeling on the ground. “But you have to be careful not to touch the prostitutes on Corfu. They have the French disease, and I heard it’s recently been spread to Venice’s cheap red-light district by sailors.”

French disease? What is that? Heinrich didn't understand the meaning of the term. He looked around to see how everyone was reacting and found that no one seemed to share his question, except for Mauro's wife, Maria, who appeared to clench her fists nervously after hearing the word.

“He’s going to be a father now, how can he have the energy to go out to sea?” Lilith chimed in with a laugh. “I see Maria is busy with her pregnancy and her mind isn’t very sharp. She needs her husband by her side to keep an eye on things. Aunt Elena, you don’t know this, but a few weeks ago, Maria sent me some almond cookies with the wrong sweet almonds and bitter almonds. My pet Dutch rabbit was poisoned.”

"This is terrible!" Elena gasped dramatically. "Are you alright?"

“I didn’t eat, I’m perfectly fine. It’s just that my brother was fined three months’ living expenses because of it, which is probably why he can’t pay off his gambling debts. After all, gamblers always have to borrow money to pay off other loans, and one late payment can completely disrupt their finances.” With Elena’s help, the situation became clearer, and Lilith became noticeably more confident. Ignoring the accusations against her, she directly pointed the finger at Mauro, seizing the initiative. “But speaking of which, I haven’t received any living expenses from home since I moved out. Fortunately, my dowry was quite generous, and with my own small business and Aunt Elena’s help, I’m managing to get by. Oh! I finally understand.”

"What did you understand?"

"So it turns out my brother was after my dowry, which is why he's tried to harm me time and time again!" Lilith exclaimed, her eyes wide, feigning sudden realization. "First, he ordered Maria to poison me, but that failed. Then he changed tactics, attacking my reputation by framing me with three prostitutes. Whether I'm executed as an adulterer or a witch, it's an unforgivable crime. This way, Mauro, as my brother, can legitimately seize my property to satisfy his gambling addiction."

"Nonsense! You scoundrel!" Mauro stood up angrily and strode towards Lilith. Maria, quick as a flash, grabbed his sleeve, but he flung her away, causing her to fall to the ground. Heinrich immediately stepped in front of Lilith, ready to defend her at any moment. Two guards rushed forward and grabbed Mauro from behind, immobilizing him.

“Maria, I truly feel sorry for you.” Lilith sighed, feigning an attempt to sow discord. “With a father like that as a role model, it’s hard for your son not to follow in his footsteps…”

To everyone's surprise, after Maria fell, she didn't get up from the ground. Instead, she scrambled over to the three prostitutes, rushed up and ripped off their gloves, and saw that their palms were covered in terrible blood spots and red sores.

“So this is the French disease…” Maria exclaimed, distraught, her whole body trembling. “A week ago, I suddenly noticed red rashes on my body and hands… I tried to convince myself that it might just be hives caused by spring pollen allergies… but it’s the French disease… it’s syphilis!”

She took off her gloves and showed everyone that she had the same red spots on her hands.

“Children whose mothers have contracted the French disease will not live long even if they are born… God help us…” Francisco lamented, making the sign of the cross on his chest.

“I swear on the honor of my maternal family that I am a faithful woman who has never betrayed my husband or disgraced my family. The reason I contracted the French disease is because of him, Mauro, who infected me with the disease after having affairs, and also ruined my children!”

“Maria, calm down, listen to me, this was not my intention…” Mauro finally realized the seriousness of the situation, hurriedly broke free from his restraints, knelt down on the ground, and held his wife’s shoulders, trying to pull her into his arms, but only received a heavy slap across his face.

"Esteemed elders, and Miss Liliana," Maria straightened her dress, stood up gracefully, bowed to everyone, and then knelt down again. "Since my days are numbered, I no longer wish to conceal my crimes. Yes, that box of almond chips was made under Mauro's instructions. I used plenty of bitter almonds and added poisonous oil made from bitter almonds, with the aim of killing Miss Liliana."

“…Then why didn’t you tell the truth back then?” Massimo asked.

“At the time, I had no choice but to give in to him for the sake of the child. I always wanted a child of my own, and I would do anything for a child… even such an unforgivable crime.” Maria lowered her head in sorrow. “But I never imagined that he would give me and my child the French disease because of these filthy prostitutes…”

Seeing the situation was turning against them, the three prostitutes immediately knelt down and joined Maria in changing their testimonies. The orange-haired woman spoke first: "Sir, we deserve to die for slandering Miss Liliana's innocence, but if we hadn't obeyed Lord Mauro's orders, he would have beaten us to death!"

As she spoke, the woman undressed in front of everyone, revealing braid marks and glaring red sores all over her back.

“We’d only met Miss Liliana once before, by chance. This handkerchief was a gift from her, the one she gave me to wipe away my tears,” the woman said apologetically. “Miss Liliana, we don’t ask for your forgiveness, but we must clarify for you: you’ve never worked here, nor are you a witch. You’re a very, very good person…”

“It seems the matter is quite clear now.” Lilith sighed, looking at Massimo, awaiting the dignified pronouncement of the head of the family.

"Mauro, you instigated a failed attempted murder of your own family, and then maliciously framed someone, causing your wife and children to fall seriously ill and disgracing my Canaro family. You are truly unworthy to be a citizen of the Republic of Venice. I will secretly submit the results of this trial to the Committee of Forty, to save you some last bit of face. As for whether it is death or exile, let them decide."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards firmly restrained Mauro and carried him out of the room.

"No! Uncle Massimo! No!" Mauro cried out in anguish, "Father, save me, Father, I am your only son, save me..."

The wailing faded into the distance as Mauro's figure disappeared behind the gate.

"As for Maria and those three prostitutes, Liliana, you are the victim. What do you think should be done with them?"

Lilith stared blankly at Massimo. She could hardly believe that the villain who had haunted her life like a nightmare, repeatedly putting her in grave danger, had finally received his due punishment. The charges against her, meanwhile, had simply vanished as things spiraled out of her control. It all had happened so suddenly that she was momentarily at a loss.

She looked at her father, his brow furrowed on his wrinkled face, tears of disappointment welling in his eyes. Then she looked at Massimo, Elena, and Francisco, their expressions grave; the three elders stared at her seriously, as if this were not a transfer of power, but a test or assessment. Her gaze then fell upon Maria and the three prostitutes, where she saw resolve, obsequiousness, pleading, and despair.

“They…were forced into it,” Lilith said carefully. “Now that they have repented, I believe God will forgive their sins. I beg you to pardon them.”

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Massimo asked, somewhat surprised. Maria's situation was indeed complicated, but dealing with three lowly prostitutes was just a matter of lifting a finger for the Knarro family.

“Since my engagement to the Schmidl family, there have been too many conflicts because of me.” Lilith walked up to the elders, lowering her head with a pitiful expression like a little girl. “But even though I have been betrothed to my husband’s family, I am still a descendant of the Knarro family. I sincerely hope that our family can be harmonious in the future, and may God bless us!”

“This is not your fault.” Elena looked at the youngest member of the family, whom she valued most, with great heartache. “You are a lonely girl who has suffered one devastating disaster after another without doing anything wrong. It’s really too hard on you. Perhaps dinner is already prepared. Eat more later and get a good rest when you go home tonight.”

"Send them back first." Massimo gave his men a look, signaling them to take the three prostitutes and Maria away.

"The debts that Mauro owes..." Seeing that everyone was about to leave, the casino owner quickly seized the last opportunity to demand payment. The family secrets he had inadvertently glimpsed earlier were too fascinating, but as a shrewd old Venetian, he would chew up everything he had seen and swallow it all.

“I, Bruno Knarro, will pay for him as his father,” Bruno said coldly, wiping away tears from his eyes with a handkerchief. “After the family banquet.”

One by one, the people present stood up, preparing to walk towards the door. Suddenly, another person barged into the hall.

A note from the author:

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The Forty Commission was the judicial body of the Republic of Venice, equivalent to a court.

This trial scene will end in the next chapter! [Let me see] There will be many sweet romance scenes after that, and updates will continue the next day.