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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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I was dumbfounded when I heard about the report to the Church.
This isn’t Joseon with its strict gender segregation. They’re reporting men and women meeting and conversing?
If we’d orchestrated mixed-gender table arrangements like a club, I’d be less surprised.
“So, what exactly happened?”
I couldn’t help but sigh.
My hands unconsciously clenched.
Samuel, my butler, shook his head.
“Baron Valiano filed a complaint with Auxiliary Bishop Christian, claiming that Cafe Medici facilitates meetings between men and women, which is an obscene act contrary to the Bible and Church teachings.”
Of course, noble marriages are, in principle, arranged by their families.
Romantic relationships between men and women are theoretically considered as obscene as walking around naked in a park and engaging in sexual intercourse.
But this principle is rarely followed in practice.
Except for marriages involving heirs of high-ranking noble families above Baron, love marriages after meeting at balls are quite common for other children.
“As if they’re so clean. Those absurd bastards.”
As was the case in medieval and early modern Europe, one man was supposed to marry one woman and love her for life.
However, in Europe, where machismo and bravado were measures of power, loving only one woman was extremely difficult.
Sponsoring courtesans, coercing maids hired solely for their looks into sexual relationships, and so forth…
By European standards, they satisfied their desires through “free love.”
And men who didn’t engage in these practices were branded as weak and became the subject of gossip among nobles.
The same applies to the Toscana Empire, and the Church doesn’t really crack down on this culture.
They use it as leverage to extract more donations during confession.
Ah, and Church priests often sneak out the back door to cleanse their anguish or engage in common-law marriages.
But in our medieval Toscana Empire, it’s romance when a powerful person breaks the rules, and a sin for a weak person to even breathe.
“Auxiliary Bishop Samuel claims that Cafe Medici is a place where young men and women engage in obscene acts, blaspheming against the Lord, and he intends to punish us severely in the ecclesiastical court.”
“And the Auxiliary Bishop himself will preside over the trial, of course.”
Mentioning a Church trial brings to mind witch hunts, where burning at the stake is the default punishment – a trial that starts with the verdict already decided.
But burning someone to death is considered a harsh punishment even by medieval standards and is rarely carried out.
Moreover, they won’t kill me, the second son of the Medici family, just for this, when I haven’t openly defied the Church.
However, the verdict won’t be light.
“The Auxiliary Bishop will surely order the closure and confiscation of Cafe Medici and the recovery of all the profits. And he’ll label me as lacking in faith, using all sorts of excuses.”
Cafe Medici is already a trend in the Toscana Empire.
Nobles enjoy conversing and seeking natural encounters here, and banquets are incomplete without Medici cakes.
If this continues for a year, I could buy a small village with the profits.
And the political influence I’ve gained is incomparable.
Moreover, all of this was achieved in just a few weeks by a 20-year-old kid?
The opposing factions of nobles who are hostile to our family must be desperate to crush a powerful competitor.
‘That Auxiliary Bishop must have been promised a hefty sum to ruin me.’
“Even if I can withstand the confiscation of Cafe Medici, being labeled as lacking in faith is the end for me.”
Being labeled as lacking in faith is like having a criminal record for serial murder in Korea.
Because in this empire, faith is something everyone must possess.
“What are you going to do? Will you ask the Baron for help?”
In a 21st-century trial, I could get a not-guilty verdict with a decent lawyer, even with a flimsy case.
But the Toscana Empire’s legal system relies on testimony.
Even if I present hundreds of pieces of evidence proving my innocence, it’s almost useless against consistent witness statements.
The higher the social standing of the witness and accuser, the more weight their consistent testimony carries.
As a mere second son of a Baron family, my social standing is lower than that of the Auxiliary Bishop and Baron Valiano. Even with dozens of pieces of evidence proving my innocence, I’d be found guilty.
Ultimately, I need to seek help from someone powerful.
To survive.
“The Baron doesn’t like me. So I’ll find someone else.”
As a blood relative and vassal of the Medici Baron family, he would help me if I asked.
But in return, my brother Albert would put a leash on me.
I don’t want to be subjected to that, even in another world.
“I’m thinking of visiting Duke Visconti.”
Duke Visconti is the liege lord of Count Vauban, who is the Medici Baron family’s liege lord.
He’s a powerful figure somewhat removed from us, but he wouldn’t stand idly by while his vassal’s vassal is wrongly accused.
“Duke Visconti wants to crush the Sforza Duke family and become the most powerful noble in the Toscana Empire… I should try to persuade him that I can be of help to his ambition.”
Frankly, I’m more capable than my brother Albert.
Albert became the Medici Baron mostly due to his lineage.
In terms of ability, anyone in that position would likely perform similarly.
But if someone else took my place as the second son of the Medici family, how many could achieve my level of success in such a short time?
Objectively, almost none.
Even in this damned empire, where status is paramount, ability isn’t irrelevant. It’s worth trying to persuade him based on my achievements.
“Send a letter to Duke Visconti. Tell him that Fabio de’ Medici, second son of the Medici Baron family, wishes to make a proposal that could benefit His Grace.”
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Normally, a letter from a Baron’s second son wouldn’t reach a Duke.
It would usually be torn up by the Duke’s head butler, or even a lower-ranking butler.
Because a Baron’s second son is, at best, equivalent to a second lieutenant, while a Duke is like a general.
“Your Grace, Fabio de’ Medici, second son of the Medici Baron family, has sent you a letter.”
The Duke chuckled.
The Medici Baron family is among the top vassals out of tens of thousands, but…
There’s an insurmountable difference between him and a mere Baron family.
And a mere second son, not even the head or heir of the family, dares to make a request to him?
It’s utterly audacious.
But a remarkably outstanding young man making such a bold request…
Whether it’s madness or a calculated move depends on the nature of the request.
He’d be disappointed if it’s the former, but if it’s the latter?
“Fabio de’ Medici, the second son of the Medici Baron family who created the cake and Cafe Medici, to me? How daring. What does it say?”
“He wishes to make a proposal that could be beneficial to Your Grace.”
“The madman.”
A faint smile played on the Duke’s lips.
Despite his words, he was curious about what a mere second son of a Baron family, who had achieved a feat memorable even to him, would say.
“And this Fabio is currently being prosecuted by Auxiliary Bishop Christian.”
“That fellow should be begging for his life. Is he truly out of his mind?”
As the head of the Visconti Duke family and as a Duke, he has seen countless kinds of people.
Among them, of course, were those with genius-level talent.
‘Geniuses often achieved the best results through seemingly insane actions.’
A certain genius mercenary captain, whom the Duke made a Baron by granting him a Barony, once led a few dozen soldiers into enemy territory filled with thousands of enemies, when everyone else advised retreat.
It seemed like madness at the time, but as a result, the Duke achieved a great victory in a near-lost war.
“Still, it’s a hundred times better than begging for mercy. Why should I help those who plead for their lives when they have nothing to offer me?”
“As you say, those who beg for mercy without fulfilling their duties are useless.”
“What do you think? I feel inclined to meet this fellow.”
Apart from the Duke’s personal interest, objectively, Fabio de’ Medici seemed worth investing in.
A man who captured the empire’s trends, gained political influence, and achieved fame in social circles in just a few weeks.
He achieved this despite minimal support from his family.
If he were provided with ample funds and protection, wouldn’t he lay diamond eggs instead of golden ones?
“As you wish, Your Grace. Let’s make time for him. Perhaps he could be instrumental in defeating Duke Sforza.”
“Alright, let’s do that. Clear my schedule for tomorrow afternoon.”
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