Chapter CXXVII: Under Sacred Guidance, Rome is Reborn  

I finally realized what these people, and everyone living in Rome during that time, were missing. It wasn't something material but rather something spiritual. They needed someone to lead them spiritually, a model of holiness that seemed like an incarnate angel.

I don't know if I'm the one who will be able to guide these people toward freedom from the traps of demons and other challenges. But I want to hope that everything will change once I step onto the ecclesiastical stage of this world. Thinking along these lines, I fell asleep, ready to wake up to a new day.

The next day, I woke up early without attempting to wake up the perpetually tired Cesare. Well, I thought I should be quiet so as not to disturb his much-needed rest of late.

"Antonio, why didn't you wake me up?" came his voice just as I was about to leave the room.

"You were sleeping so peacefully; I couldn't bear to wake you," I whispered, trying not to disturb him too much.