Catalina is only 14 years old. If it were the modern era where Lu Xiao originally lived, a girl of this age would still be enjoying her junior high school life carefree.
But during the European Renaissance, girls at 14 were considered adults, and some aristocratic girls who had recently married had even become mothers.
Differences in social background, growth environment and education determine that girls of this era are more precocious than Lu Xiao remembers.
Catalina's beautiful light green eyes narrowed slightly, and she looked meaningfully at this strange and heroic man with an exotic appearance in front of her.
"Lorenzo Medici? What does the Florentine Republic want me to do? Now that the Duke of Milan has passed away, what value do I have?"
When she was young, Caterina was a little princess of the Principality of Milan. Rodrigo's assassination plan destroyed her life, family and future.
If she had not been engaged to the Pope's nephew long ago, it would be difficult for her to successfully live to the age of 14.
Growing up in a difficult environment, the innocent aristocratic girl became tolerant and scheming. Under the tremendous pressure to survive, her original kindness and innocence became replaced by an increasingly violent temper.
Lu Xiao was not aware of Catalina's complex psychological activities, and was not interested in her tragic life in the past few years.
This world has never lacked tragedy, and Catalina is not the only tragic protagonist on the stage.
"Forgive me for not being able to answer this question. I just happened to be passing through Romagna and was entrusted by Mr. Giovanni to deliver a letter. I don't know the content of the letter."
"Giovanni?"
Caterina, who had been lazily leaning on the lounge chair, sat up slightly and asked with some surprise: "Giovanni Auditore? The leader of the Florence Assassin Brotherhood?"
"……Yes."
Lu Xiao didn't expect Catalina to have such a deep understanding of the Brotherhood.
But if you think about it carefully, the late Duke Galeazzo of Milan was once one of the assassins' staunch allies. As his daughter, Caterina should have been exposed to some secret information under the influence of her ears and eyes.
Not to mention that it was Giovanni who rescued her from the upheaval in the palace in Milan, so it doesn't seem surprising that she would remember Giovanni's name and identity.
Catalina withdrew her playful and joking expression, and her face gradually became serious: "Give me a letter."
Lu Xiao handed the envelope to the other party's hand and glanced back and forth at the edge of the roof garden vigilantly.
"Don't be so nervous."
Caterina tore open the seal with the seal of the Medici family and explained to Lu Xiao casually: "Girolamo is leading troops to fight against the Republic of Florence in the border area of Romagna. The guards in the rock fortress will not move without my order."
Feel free to get close and relax."
Even though Catalina said this, Lu Xiao still didn't let down his guard. He still couldn't believe this young and powerful woman.
About five minutes later, Catalina read the entire letter and looked at the paper in deep thought.
"Assassin, what should I call you?"
"My name is Lu Xiao. People who know me usually call me Lu."
Catalina nodded, stretched her bumpy body again, and leaned back comfortably on the recliner: "Okay, Lu, I probably understand Lorenzo's request for alliance. I have an important task that I want to entrust you with.
"
Lu Xiao raised his eyebrows and said in a somewhat resistant tone: "Caterina, I have other important tasks to organize and deliver. I must go to Venice as soon as possible. I'm afraid I don't have time to help you..."
Caterina waved her hand with a half-smile: "Don't refuse in a hurry. Before leaving, Girolamo blocked Romagna's channels to other areas on the grounds of wartime orders, and the port is no exception."
"If you want to continue your journey to Venice, you must obtain permission from me as the lord's wife, otherwise the port officials will not be able to let you leave."
'Bad premonition.' Lu Xiao rubbed his temples with a headache, 'I'm probably going to get into trouble again now.'
"Okay, Madam Lord, what do you want to entrust me with?"
"It's very simple." A cold light flashed in Caterina's eyes: "That idiot Girolamo is not the material to lead troops in war. News came from the front line that he has been defeated by the Florentine army and should escape back to Forli in embarrassment early tomorrow morning.
."
"I want you to make sure that Girolamo cannot return to Forlì, otherwise he will suddenly die of illness on the way."
Lu Xiao's brows stood up in horror. He looked at Catalina with a sneer on her face in disbelief: "...Are you serious? After all, he is also your husband, right?"
"Ha!" Catalina snorted coldly: "Only in name only. Ever since I stabbed my shoulder with a knife on our wedding night, that coward has never dared to sleep with me again."
"Girolamo is a Templar with no balls, but the Sforza family is a die-hard ally of the Assassins. You don't think there will be a real relationship between us as a couple, do you?"
Lu Xiao was silent for a moment before continuing: "Katerina, I am not a radical in the Brotherhood. I will not kill someone just because of his Templar status, unless he has committed an unforgivable sin."
"This is not simple." Catalina sneered and stretched out her delicate fingers to list: "That bastard just entered Forli and he eagerly went to the folk to hunt for women. The lord bullied men and women and practiced the right to first night. This is nothing in Forly.
You can find out the secret yourself."
"Also, Girolamo was cruel and changeable. Anyone who was imprisoned by him on various unfounded charges usually could not leave alive. Even those who were lucky enough to survive would be tortured into inhuman form."
Seeing Lu Xiao's expression gradually becoming serious, Catalina finally offered him a bait that he couldn't refuse.
"I won't let you work in vain. After arriving in Romagna, Girolamo has been helping the Templars collect Altaïr's Codex. Three pages of it are in his hands."
"If you can complete my commission, I can decide to hand over the pages to the Assassin Brotherhood and give you a generous reward."
Lu Xiao had never intuitively understood the name femme fatale before, but now he finally understood why this title existed.
But Catalina's hatred for her husband doesn't seem that difficult to understand.
Her father was brutally killed by the Templars. Due to the situation and the pressure of survival, she could only temporarily use the power of the Pope to marry Sixte IV's nephew who was a Templar. The secret buried in Caterina's heart
The resentment can be imagined.
Romagna and Forlì are just stops on Lu Xiao's journey. He does not intend to get involved in troublesome political struggles. What agreement Lorenzo and Caterina reached has nothing to do with him.
Just like Caterina said, if you want to continue sailing to Venice when Girolamo blocks Romagna, completing her commission and obtaining special permission is the most efficient way.
"Hey~" Lu Xiao sighed helplessly, and put his hood back on: "Okay, tell me Girolamo's return route, and I guarantee that he will not be able to return to Forli smoothly."
Catalina's eyes lit up, and a bright smile appeared on her tight and pretty face: "Very good, our deal is settled."
The system prompt came at exactly this time: "Random mission released - Strange bedfellows, assassinate the Lord of Romagna Girolamo Lirao, reward: 1 free attribute point."
…
With the help of Caterina, Lu Xiao left Levadino Rock Castle without any hindrance and returned to the hotel where he and Leonardo da Vinci stayed.
Leonardo da Vinci had finished his day of collecting and was drawing a sketch of the scenery of Forli in the hotel room.
"How was it? Did you gain anything from the meeting with the lord's wife?"
Da Vinci asked Lu Xiao curiously: "Is she really as beautiful as folklore?"
Lu Xiao smiled bitterly and shrugged: "She is beautiful, but her mind and city are too dark and deep, which even makes people shudder. Fortunately, she is an ally of the Brotherhood."
When he told Leonardo about the mission entrusted by Caterina, even Leonardo, who had always been very receptive to new things, opened his eyes in surprise.
"Uh... well, at least we can know through this commission that the relationship between the lord and his wife is indeed as mentioned in the rumors, and they are so bad that they cannot sleep together."