Chapter 11 Misty Rose (XI)
◎ Past Silhouette ◎
Sanxia left Florence on a sunny afternoon. Raphael and a group of cardinals held a farewell party for her. When Duke François of Calais learned the news, he also presented generous gifts. Sanxia secretly complained to Raphael that she felt that François at the farewell party was like a flashy rooster.
When she said this, François was talking to a lady. Raphael took a quick look at the other person and had to admit that Sancha's description was very accurate. This girl must have an extraordinary talent in rhetoric.
The fashion of Calais has always been at the forefront of the entire continent. The powerful national strength allows the nobles to have ample time and energy to pursue flashy trends. In recent years, they have come up with a new trend, using fresh fruits and flowers as accessories to decorate wigs and clothes. Grapes, apples, apricots, and walnuts are precariously hung on one-foot or even two-foot high wigs. This kind of "fruit basket wig" and "flower basket wig" is popular throughout Calais.
In this era, fresh fruit was a luxury, and using it as decoration was a real way to show off one's wealth. The ladies were keen on this and even set up many hair salons for this purpose, where they competed with each other on how to pile fruits to an infinite height on their wigs.
Of course, it is impossible for men to pile so many things on their heads, so they try their best to make simple men's hats fancy, with feathers of various birds and gems. It is said that the little emperor of Calais had a hat decorated with peacock tail feathers, with emerald gems piled under the feathers. The whole hat weighed five kilograms. After putting on that hat, no one could get close to him within one meter. ①
Duke François's outfit today is very "Calais". He wears tight white trousers, a jeweled belt and a short jacket. The jacket is woven with colorful feathers to create intricate patterns. Feathers of one color form a layer, and the combination of different feathers creates a colorful pattern. The collar and cuffs are covered with expensive lace, and he has all the accessories such as brooches and pendants. He has decorated himself like a walking jewelry display stand.
Every time he turned around and walked, the light would be refracted by the dazzling diamonds on his body, creating shimmering ripples of light. Sang Xia had been dazzled by this light several times, and secretly rolled her eyes behind the cover of her folding fan.
Raphael pretended not to see Sancha's expression and turned to talk to Julius naturally - yes, as the most prominent family in Florence, the head of Portia must be present. Compared with the cock-like François, Julius's outfit was much more low-key, with a vest and a long coat, trousers tucked into short boots, and only a brooch and a ring on his body.
But even so, with the last name "Portia", he was also the one that everyone present wanted to make friends with.
A young man with short blond hair and dark purple eyes stood not too far from Julius. He wore a purple vestment that symbolized a bishop, and occasionally glanced at Raphael with eyes full of vague hostility and dissatisfaction.
Raphael recognized him. He was the bishop who had intercepted the monk who reported the news on the day of the coronation. Judging from his appearance, he had very strong "Portia" blood characteristics, but Raphael remembered him not because of this.
He remembered that in the upside-down and chaotic vortex he saw after his death, fragments of the past and the future were intertwined and broken, and he saw some messy fragments of history - in the form of written records, and among these fragments, there was a mention of the person who succeeded Sistine I as Pope named Cain Portia.
He had a good memory, so he could think of this person at the first time. The Portia family had been doing business in Florence for many years and almost turned it into their second home. Naturally, many family members entered the Vatican. Although Raphael was the son of the Pope and had the blood of St. Vitalian III, he had not been publicly recognized. The election of the Pope had a tacit premise - his birth must be a legal and legitimate child recognized by the Lord and the laws of the world.
Raphael was recorded under the name of a long-dead collateral branch of Portia. Because he was too much of a collateral branch, he did not even get the surname Portia. The Portia family also had different opinions about him. This "Pope of Portia" was not legitimate, and they certainly wanted a pure-blooded "Pope of Portia" with purer blood and undisputed background.
Kane Portia is the candidate they put forward.
Before Raphael appeared, Kane started out as a monk and climbed up step by step from praying in the church to the position of bishop, and the position ahead of him was the cardinal. Then Raphael appeared out of nowhere and cut off his beard, and his lifelong goal was ruined. It would be strange if Kane had a good face towards Raphael.
But... Raphael remembered that he and Julius had a very good relationship in his previous life, so at the end of the fourth year after he ascended the throne, Julius asked him to sign Kane's ordination order and handed the cardinal's red robe to the unlucky guy whose promotion path was cut off by Raphael.
What Julius said at the time was also very interesting. He said that Kane had worked hard for the position of Pope for nearly 30 years. He had to learn the prayer book since he was five years old. He had almost given his life to the Holy See, and his efforts were indeed worthy of a cardinal's red cloak, which could be regarded as a kind of compensation.
As for what the compensation would be, Raphael and Julius knew it all.
Now thinking about it, Raphael just found it funny.
Perhaps from that time on, Portia began to consider giving up on him, and Kane was their new choice - no, it should be the correct choice they had originally.
Raphael was merely the result of Julius's willful behavior.
But mistakes will eventually be
Corrected.
Raphael's thoughts revolved around those long and broken things, and there was no abnormality on his face. He calmly greeted Julius who walked up to him.
This was the first time they had met since that unhappy night.
Everyone looked at the two men's expressions and behaviors intentionally or unintentionally, trying to judge the current relationship between Portia and Sistine I. But what puzzled them was that both the experienced Julius and the young Raphael behaved very normally, as if there was no disagreement between them at all.
Is it a disguise, or have they reconciled?
With a lot of questions in their minds, they couldn't help but pay closer attention to the two's every move.
Julius and Raphael were both sensitive people, so of course they noticed this vague scrutiny. Julius stood beside Raphael, covering his lips with a golden cup filled with wine, hiding his slight smile, and his eyes fell lightly on the young Pope.
"See? Every choice you make will be dissected and put under everyone's eyes, and studied carefully bit by bit. Without Portia behind you, this kind of study will immediately turn into more excessive plunder and attack. Have many people come to you recently to recommend candidates for the Secretary-General of the Pope's Office?"
Julius moved his lips, trying not to let anyone know what he was saying from the shape of his mouth.
Raphael did not answer, but still maintained his perfect smile and looked straight ahead, and nodded to a lady who came to greet him.
The young pope was wearing a snow-white surplice with a gold border. The short cloak-like cloth covered his upper body tightly. Raphael turned the papal ring on his hand and said after a while: "Do you want to recommend someone to me too?"
Although it was a question, he used a flat tone and the meaning of his words was difficult to discern.
When this question came up, Julius fell silent.
He looked at the Pope beside him - his student, his ward, the man he had guided and taught, who had now grown into a graceful and gentle young man, with a beauty as bright as a pearl, and who was the focus of the whole audience without having to do anything.
Who could have thought that Raphael would be so embarrassed when he was first brought to him.
Julius' life had been planned before he was born. Like every previous head of the Portia family, he received the best upbringing conditions since birth. He began to learn multiple foreign languages at the age of two. By the age of six, he could speak three languages. After that, he received instruction from the best teachers on the continent. At the age of nineteen, he took over the helm of the Portia from his father. At the age of twenty, he became a professor at the Florence Seminary. Status, fame, wealth, everything that the world envied was just a toy at his fingertips.
Then he met Raphael who was brought to him by St. Vitalian III. Raphael at that time was thin and shriveled, with dry hair and a pair of big eyes embedded in his palm-sized face, so big that it was a little scary. Redrick was two years younger than him, but he was strong and looked twice his size. The loose clothes on him were like a big sack.
But he was so cute, even with his pale face, you could still see his natural beauty that could not be concealed. When he saw Julius's scrutinizing gaze, he timidly wanted to step back and avoid it. Julius had seen this kind of reaction many times. At that time, he was still young and energetic, and did not know how to deal with people in a tactful manner. Many people were afraid of him.
So Julius looked away and asked his cousin coldly: "Is this your illegitimate son? Two years older than Redrick? You dug him out of the slums?"
Saint Vitalian III sighed and said, "Be gentle, Yura, he will be your student in the future."
Julius couldn't help but tilt his head back. "You're kidding."
Saint Vitalian III was Julius' closest blood relative and also had the Pope's crown. The two brothers held the crown of world religion and the key to wealth and status, respectively. Their status in the Portia family was equal. Julius also respected his older cousin, but that did not mean he would be willing to accept such a big trouble that was visible to the naked eye.
He glanced at Raphael again - the child had quietly hidden behind St. Vitalian III, leaving only a pair of big eyes to look at him quietly.
It's like a wild cat whose claws haven't grown fully yet. It can be knocked over by just one finger, but it's still extremely curious.
Julius thought so, and seeing the pair of purple eyes that were obviously from the same blood, he didn’t say anything more unpleasant: “You should have seen his expression. He looks very unwilling.”
After thinking for a moment, he added a comment slowly: "...and is very afraid of me."
The corner of Saint Vitalian III's mouth twitched, and his expression became a little strange: "Well... I don't think he is actually afraid of you... He is very smart, and you know where he comes from - he is your uncle, put away your knife!"
The last sentence was directed to the child who looked thin and timid.
Julius was stunned for a moment, and when he looked carefully, he found that his cousin had been holding the child's right hand tightly to prevent him from moving, and the other party's hand behind his back reluctantly let go - there was a small knife that was shining with a sharp cold light!
What did he mean by hiding behind his father and not moving? He was actually being held by someone and unable to move.
What kind of cowardice is that he doesn't dare to look him in the eye? This kid is actually observing his every move, waiting for the moment when he relaxes, and then - he will strike a fatal blow.
This is a natural hunter, a venomous snake that is good at camouflage, and a wolf cub with the purest and most authentic Portia blood.
After being exposed, the little cat-like child did not show any embarrassment or regret. He even smiled shyly at Julius with a faint blush on his cheeks, as if to say, I'm sorry, you found out.
"You have to learn from him in the future, everything you can learn. Listen, Rafa..." Saint Vitalian III pressed his son's shoulder and said to him patiently, "Just like I told you before, you are very smart and you will achieve great things. Before that, I want you to be more content, low-key and obedient."
“What can he teach me?” The smile on the child’s face faded, and he looked at Julius with a coldness that was not suitable for his age. It was amazing that the two blood relatives who had never met before had a highly similar expression at this moment. “He just acted very stupidly.”
The child criticized Julius mercilessly with a contemptuous tone, obviously upset about Julius' reaction after seeing him.
...still a vengeful little cat.
Julius thought to himself that it was undeniable that his boredom had disappeared. The child in front of him aroused a desire for conquest in him that he had not felt for a long time. He wanted to tame this wild wolf cub and make him bare his belly to him obediently.
Moreover, he wanted to kill him the first time they met... This kind of danger and excitement that he realized belatedly made Julius more excited than ever before.
He seemed to...see his own kind.
"I can teach you anything you want to learn, power, wealth, status, and even the crown on your father's head. If you want, I can give it to you." Julius closed the book and said to Raphael seriously.
The child was startled for a moment, with a trace of naked suspicion in his eyes. Julius thought he would have to spend more time talking, but he didn't expect that almost the next second after he finished speaking, Raphael blurted out, "Teacher!"
The speed was so fast that Julius felt like he was being cheated.
He looked at the father and son in front of him suspiciously, always feeling that something was not right.
The father and son, who were equally handsome and beautiful, simultaneously revealed similar innocent expressions.
The author has something to say:
I, Hu Hansan, have crawled back again! There is a school sports meet tomorrow and it’s freezing cold, but we still have to wear uniforms. The uniforms are so cold. I have to secretly wear thermal underwear under my shirt!
The title of the article has been changed. Thanks to the creative provider, the rare master of naming, the loyal knights united under the great Fat Pigeon, the defender and promoter of glory - His Excellency Shan Haichuan! Let us give him a round of applause and have him awarded the Medal of Honor by His Holiness Pope Sistine I!
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