Chapter 3: The Hand-Kissing Ceremony

Matilda’s eyes sparkled. Suddenly, she realized that within this cleric’s body there seemed to dwell a unique soul. Only from this moment did she truly begin to pay attention to him.

As for the courtiers, they were stunned by Leo’s shocking words, unable to respond for a long while.

“You—you cannot be so vulgar…” The elder finally recovered and immediately launched a counterattack against Leo’s earlier remarks.

But Leo would not give him the chance. Relying on his booming voice, Leo seized the lead in the argument, pointing an accusatory finger at the elder’s face and unleashing his fury.

“We are all children of God—what makes you so superior?”

“A woman’s body is different from a man’s…” The elder struggled to defend himself.

“You balding old man, your hair is even less than the person beside you. Does bodily difference truly determine the right to rule?”

At this, the elder was instantly silenced.

Seeing the elder thwarted, Matilda felt a glimmer of hope. Previously, she had been endlessly troubled by these cunning courtiers. At only twenty years old, she had no experience dealing with such sly characters, and they had repeatedly ensnared her.

But now, this papal envoy had appeared out of nowhere, helping Matilda vent her frustrations in the most satisfying way.

Well said! Matilda thought to herself.

“Since ancient times, the right to rule has never been determined by bodily difference, nor even by bloodline, but by talent and virtue! Whoever possesses talent and virtue possesses power; whoever possesses power possesses the realm!”

His powerful rhetoric resounded through the halls of Canossa Castle.

Watching Leo debate fiercely against the assembled scholars, his broad back stirred an unfamiliar emotion within Matilda’s heart.

After so many years, someone was finally willing to stand by her side and speak for her. Moreover, he was such a young and dignified man. The feelings in her heart became all the more curious and overwhelming.

“Render unto God what is God’s, unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. Sir, governing a country is not reciting scripture! If you truly enjoy quoting the Bible so much, our church would warmly welcome you. You may vow right now to dedicate the rest of your life to God to demonstrate your piety!”

At the end, Leo could not resist mocking the elder.

The elder had not anticipated Leo would bypass theology and address the very essence of power.

Most importantly, the elder truly had no way to counter this. Leo wore clerical robes, making him a full-fledged religious figure, and thus inherently held an advantage in theological debate. No matter how well the elder recited scripture, it could not compare to the authority of Leo’s robe.

With his beard bristling in anger, the elder pondered for ages, unable to find a rebuttal—looking thoroughly embarrassed. If not for the two young men supporting him, he might well have collapsed right there.

The other courtiers looked equally displeased. After all, they could not fathom why the Pope had sent such a person.

“Please, return to your quarters, Sir Vittorio,” Matilda finally spoke, satisfied, putting an end to the farce.

Ashamed, Elder Vittorio seized the chance to leave, joined by the courtiers who clustered around him, departing as though defeated in battle.

Victorious, Leo stood in place, watching them go.

As the palace doors closed once more, a satisfied expression appeared on Matilda’s face. Even though the problem was not fully resolved, simply venting like this had dispelled all her recent worries.

Though Leo had appeared almost out of thin air, his performance alone was enough to win Matilda’s favor.

“Leo, were you always like this in the church?” Matilda addressed him by name, as if showing a newfound interest.

“Certainly not,” Leo replied, turning to face Matilda and speaking with candid honesty. “However, Your Grace, I am indeed different from other clerics. Moreover, I have come at the Church’s command to assist you. If you have any concerns, you may consider me an advisor and counselor and ask me directly.”

His timely pledge of loyalty touched Matilda’s heart. Whatever Leo’s true purpose, at least now the previously isolated Matilda had genuine outside support—like a drowning person clutching at straw.

“Tell me, then—how can I rule the lands my father left me?” Matilda revealed her true ambition.

As one of the most renowned female rulers of the Middle Ages, Matilda’s ambition was far from modest. At present, she was only constrained by circumstances and had not shown it. But with Leo’s arrival, she felt she had found an opportunity.

“For that, I will need to conduct further investigation,” Leo replied cautiously, refusing to make grand promises.

Matilda’s face paled slightly, as she gently pinched the hem of her gown. She tried to keep her composure as she asked, “Do you not even have a preliminary idea?”

“Of course, I do,” Leo said, stepping closer to Matilda.

“Secular powers refuse to acknowledge you, believing only a man should rule Tuscany. Then bypass the secular and issue your commands directly in the name of God. If you declare all your decrees in the name of the Church, who would dare question you?”

In history, Matilda eventually realized this herself, issuing decrees in the Church’s name and ruling from behind the scenes.

But Leo’s words were hardly impartial; his own interests were entwined. If Matilda listened, the credit would be Leo’s. As someone from the clerical system, Leo could thus involve himself in Tuscany’s internal affairs and seize power.

Unfortunately, the young Matilda could not see this yet. She only felt that Leo’s words were enlightening, clearing away her confusion like sunlight breaking through clouds.

Matilda's hopeful gaze fell upon Leo, making his soul burn with renewed passion.

With merely a single opening, he had gained the duchess’s trust…

“Leo, I sincerely invite you to remain in my court and offer your counsel. Will you accept?” To retain Leo, Matilda immediately extended an olive branch.

A woman’s intuition told her Leo could help her escape her predicament, so much so that she overlooked his poor theological knowledge and the obvious ambition burning in his eyes.

Leo, of course, was delighted.

But he did not forget the task assigned by the system.

“To remain in the court of such a beautiful lady is an honor. However, I must reiterate the mission entrusted to me by the Church—”

Before Leo could finish, Matilda interrupted, “I will wholeheartedly serve His Holiness the Pope.”

“Then, Duchess Matilda, I shall serve you as faithfully as you serve the Pope.”

He stepped forward, causing Matilda to feel flustered.

Leo took Matilda’s right hand—her slender fingers like white scallions, as soft as cream—and the sensation travelled through his fingertips, coloring Matilda’s cheeks with a rosy blush.

Was this the Nordic hand-kiss?

Matilda stared, entranced, as Leo kissed the ring upon her finger.

As he did so, the system’s prompt sounded in Leo’s ear.

[Mission “Tuscan Envoy” completed]

[Reward received: 150 Devotion Points, 150 Fame, Title “Papal Envoy”]

Hearing the prompt, Leo felt his heart steady.

At first, he had thought this was a pit of fire.

But now, it seemed he had gambled correctly.

…

Outside the palace, the departing courtiers soon encountered those who had left the castle earlier.

On seeing Elder Vittorio’s expression, they immediately understood what had transpired.

“What did that envoy say?” A bold young courtier stepped forward, eager to know what Leo had done to leave Vittorio so unsettled.

But Vittorio did not answer. He simply waved his hand, pushed the young courtier aside, and raised his head.

From the resentful glare in his eyes, the other courtiers knew at once that this envoy had truly provoked Vittorio.

“We absolutely cannot allow such a person to remain at the duchess’s side,” Vittorio said. “If he stays too long, the duchess will surely slip from our control. When that happens, we may find ourselves purged!”

Vittorio’s warning stirred a sense of crisis among the courtiers.

One must always pay for past actions. Having ignored the duchess’s authority, they knew that once it was restored, none would escape retribution.

“So what should we do?” Though they were numerous, the courtiers were helpless in the face of trouble, waiting only for a few to take the lead.

As the elder, Vittorio was the strategist they relied upon.

After lengthy consideration, Vittorio spoke.

“Everyone, return to your estates. Gather soldiers. Launch a military protest!”