Before long, Enzo and several of his trusted confidants were gathered around the table, the documents required for the arrest neatly laid out.
"Everything is ready now, all that's left is to make the arrest," Enzo said, patting the documents on the table.
"Did His Holiness the Pope really give you this authority? Could it be a big trap, including us?" Enrique said, his mind filled with doubts.
Enzo waved his hand, not bothering to conceal his thoughts: "No, at least not yet. Based on my observations and understanding of the Pope, he still has a use for me. This time, letting me handle this matter is a sign that he intends to make me a trusted subordinate and entrust me with important tasks. I'm well aware of all this. As for the future, no one can say for sure. The most important thing is for us to do a good job with the present."
"If that's the case, what are we waiting for? Let's act quickly! You can rest assured and leave this task to me; I guarantee I'll bring Francesco back in one piece," Ennio said, rubbing his fists.
Enzo pressed down on Ennio's shoulder. "Don't rush, listen to me first. Our goal right now is to make an arrest, not to fight a war or carry out an assassination. Francesco's influence is not small; if we were to arrest him rashly and openly, it's highly likely to lead to conflict. If things get out of hand and become difficult to resolve, the Pope would lose face, and I naturally wouldn't have a good outcome."
"Then, according to your wishes, what should we do?"
Enzo looked around, dismissed those present, and then lowered his voice, saying, "We can do this..."
After hearing Enzo's plan, Ennio, who had just been full of confidence, did a complete 360-degree turn and immediately declined: "I can't do it if we're arresting him like that; let's leave it to Enrique instead."
"Very well, although I've always wanted you to carry out similar plans to gain experience, this matter is of great importance and allows for no mistakes. Since you're unwilling to go, then let's still leave it to Enrique."
"Alright, since Ennio has given this great credit to me, then I won't be polite. I guarantee to complete the mission." Enrique appeared to accept it readily, though he felt somewhat uneasy in his heart.
"Alright, get ready and go quickly. Take my guard with you, and your men will follow secretly." As he spoke, Enzo couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that if Stirile were still here, why would he need to bother with such trivial matters?
Inside Francesco's mansion, no one knew where Anastasio had gone, nor would they realize his disappearance.
Enrique slowly walked up the steps and knocked on the door of Francesco's mansion. With a creaking sound, the door slowly opened, and a servant emerged.
"I am Enrique. My Lord Enzo has something he wishes me to convey to Lord Francesco. Please convey it to him."
"Please wait."
A moment later, the servant returned: "My Lord invites you in. I will lead you."
"Thank you," Enrique said, following him inside.
Even Enrique, who had carried out countless dangerous missions, couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety for himself the moment he stepped through the gates of Francesco's mansion this time.
Inside the reception room, Francesco was somewhat restless. If it hadn't been Enrique, who was not on par with him in rank, but Enzo himself, he would have wished he could have gone directly to the door to greet him.
Francesco was currently speculating on two possibilities: thinking negatively, it was that Enzo had found some new leverage against him and was coming to extort him; thinking positively, it was that Enzo had something he wanted to cooperate with him on.
As soon as Enrique entered, he immediately greeted him warmly: "It's Enrique, a rare guest."
"Lord Francesco, my Lord Enzo wishes to invite you to dine with him tonight; he has important matters to discuss." Enrique did not respond to Francesco's polite words but went straight to the point. He adopted an urgent demeanor, hoping to waste as little time as possible and also to gain Francesco's trust.
"What? Why would Enzo suddenly think of inviting me to dinner? Doesn't he know I'm very busy and that I need an appointment in advance for dinner? I have a ball tonight!" Francesco complained, feigning dissatisfaction, but in reality, he was plotting how to extract information from Enrique.
"I am truly sorry, but there are indeed very important matters that need to be discussed with you. It happened suddenly, and there is no time to lose."
"What is it?" Francesco pressed.
"It's of great importance, but I do not know the details. My Lord only said it was a very important matter and that I must, by all means, bring you to him. My Lord only told me that you would not be disappointed if you came," Enrique said earnestly.
Enzo's eyes lit up. According to Enrique, it seemed to be good news.
"Alright, I'll go. I'll have someone prepare the carriage and get ready to depart now." Francesco had no intention of rejecting Enzo's invitation anyway, so he readily agreed. Although he knew Enzo had always been unconventional and unruly, he didn't rule out that the current situation was special, and Enzo was actively trying to curry favor with him for self-preservation.
"No need. Lord Enzo has arranged a carriage and guards for you. They are all what my Lord uses himself on a daily basis. I hope you don't mind."
"Are you in such a hurry?" Francesco pondered for a moment, then decided, "Alright, I'll go with you now. Since the matter is urgent, let's make haste. We can skip the formalities; based on my understanding of Enzo, I believe he wouldn't mind."
With that, Francesco got up and started to leave.
Enrique hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. He suppressed the joy in his heart, preventing it from showing on his face.
Upon reaching the door, seeing that the carriage and guards were indeed Enzo's, with only the coachman replaced, Francesco became even more certain that Enzo was sending him a signal of goodwill and that this trip would be very fruitful.
Enzo had shown him enough goodwill, so he, of course, had to give the other party a certain level of trust. Thus, Francesco did not bring a single attendant and, with the help of Enzo's guards, boarded the carriage alone.
Along the way, Francesco kept pondering what Enzo might want to discuss with him. Suddenly, a terrifying possibility flashed through his mind, but Francesco immediately dismissed it—this was simply impossible.
Francesco felt that he was overly nervous and thus having such wild thoughts, so he began to close his eyes and rest.
When Francesco opened his eyes again and pulled back the carriage curtain, he was stunned by the scenery before him and shouted, "Stop! Where are you taking me? This isn't the way to Enzo's house!"
The convoy slowly came to a halt. Enrique, who had been following behind the carriage, jogged over to its side and calmly "explained": "Lord Francesco, please do not be agitated. The place where Lord Enzo wishes to entertain you is not his home. His home is not grand enough to host a distinguished guest like yourself. I merely said 'to my Lord's residence' at your mansion to mislead others. My Lord knows a more suitable place for discussing matters, and that is where we are going."
Francesco nodded, half-understanding, and the convoy started moving again. However, the more Francesco thought about it, the more something felt wrong, and his unease grew stronger.
Looking at the increasingly unfamiliar road, Francesco finally couldn't bear it anymore: "I'm not going! Let me go back!"
With that, Francesco opened the carriage door and was about to jump. At that moment, several quick-witted guards rushed onto the carriage, restrained Francesco, covered his mouth, and closed the door, all in one fluid motion.
Then, one of the guards whispered, "Lord Francesco, we apologize for the offense. If we cannot bring you, Lord Enzo will blame us. We can only trouble you for a little while."
Francesco struggled a few times, attempting to make a sound, but it was all in vain, and he quickly gave up.
What unspeakable secret did Enzo have that he had to invite him over in such a way? Francesco realized he had been tricked, yet he still couldn't fathom what he was about to face.