Tiramisu is, without question, one of Italy's most iconic desserts.
A considerable portion of Sophie's saved videos consisted of cooking tutorials. They were the kind she eagerly bookmarked but rarely attempted. However, whenever she did save educational videos with the intention of learning, she always followed every step carefully, and her success rate was remarkably high.
The last time she made tiramisu, she had shared more than half of it with Irene, who praised it lavishly, even joking that Sophie was skilled enough to open her own dessert shop.
Still, Sophie loved learning far more than repeating a craft. Once she had mastered something, she quickly lost interest in making it again.
Prices in tourist cities were inevitably higher than elsewhere. Following her memory, Sophie found the small restaurant whose owner had previously given her directions. After everything that had happened earlier, lunchtime had already passed. She barely managed to place her order before the restaurant closed for its midday break.
"Tiramisu, cappuccino... this one, and this one!"
Fortunately, the Italian pronunciations of tiramisu and cappuccino were nearly identical to their English counterparts. As for the hot dog she wanted as her main course, she relied on the menu's pictures and a generous amount of exaggerated pointing.
Exactly ten euros.
Half of the money she had fought so hard to recover through debt collection disappeared in an instant.
The price of that simple lunch immediately made Sophie worry whether she could even afford a bed in a hostel for the night.
She scooped up a generous spoonful of tiramisu, shoving the sugar-rich dessert into her mouth.
"Worst case, I'll sneak into a hostel for a shower, then go collect Irene's debt afterward."
With food finally settling in her stomach, her body gradually relaxed. She polished off every last bite of the sugary dessert on the plate, silently marveling that hunger truly was the greatest seasoning.
As her blood sugar recovered, her thoughts became clearer and her vision steadier. Unfortunately, the exhaustion she'd been suppressing grew even more obvious.
After finishing the entire cup of cappuccino, Sophie decided it was time to find somewhere to wash up.
Although this city couldn't compare to its neighboring Florence in fame, it was still an established historical tourist destination. Every year, the Saint Marcus' Day attracted countless visitors, so facilities catering to travelers were plentiful.
Sophie quickly found a much more detailed city guide, available free at a nearby newsstand.
The guide had been updated only a month ago, which meant the businesses marked inside were most likely still operating.
Her first stop was the nearest capsule hotel.
Even the cheapest capsule hotel charged more than ten euros a night, and every guest had to use the communal showers.
If I only need a shower... why pay for a room at all?
She wasn't carrying much luggage, and her casual backpack wouldn't look out of place entering or leaving the building.
Trusting in a little luck and a shameless amount of confidence, Sophie successfully slipped into the capsule hotel. Following the signs, she soon located the shower facilities.
It was the drowsy afternoon lull when most people were still out sightseeing, wandering among the city's remarkably well-preserved historical ruins. Most travelers wouldn't return to their capsules until late evening, only when they were ready to sleep.
The communal shower was completely empty.
Sophie entered the women's changing room and pulled out her toiletries.
Nothing was complimentary. Toothbrushes and toothpaste all had to be purchased separately at the front desk.
Fortunately, she'd anticipated the cost-cutting measures of budget accommodations and had prepared everything in advance.
Her mind remained preoccupied, so she finished showering as quickly as possible. She was afraid that wasting even one extra minute would cause her to miss Irene.
Stuffing her dirty clothes into her backpack, Sophie quietly slipped out of the capsule hotel with a trace of guilt.
Walking the same route twice had made the streets familiar.
As she headed back toward the Palazzo dei Priori, her steps felt noticeably lighter.
The warm ochre-colored walls...
The red domes...
The gentle breeze flowing through the valley...
The lingering aroma of tiramisu and coffee...
The tourists and local residents brushing past one another...
At last, Volterra felt truly alive.
Her freshly washed skin seemed to breathe through every pore, embracing the city as though it were trying its hardest to prove its charm.
The towering palace stood beside the distant square.
Even from afar, Sophie could already see its rooftop.
The sunlight was dazzling. The glazed roof tiles reflected shimmering colors, making the palace appear as though it were glowing. Behind it rose an endless chain of mountains, so seamlessly connected that the entire mountain range seemed to belong to the palace itself.
A bold thought suddenly crossed her mind.
What if someone had built another royal palace beneath this one? A hidden underground kingdom... the domain of a royal clan that ruled the night. And perhaps I had accidentally glimpsed one of their princesses.
Otherwise... how could someone with such otherworldly beauty remain forever hidden in darkness?
Beyond the ancient stone archway, completely untouched by modern civilization, the dim corridors she had walked through were illuminated solely by flickering candlelight.
Above the grand banquet hall, which she had not yet been permitted to enter, sunlight streamed through an open skylight.
It was at the boundary between light and darkness that Sophie had encountered an angel who had shaken her very soul.
Or perhaps...
Maybe my memory has embellished everything.
Dim lighting, low blood sugar, and overwhelming exhaustion... perhaps all of it combined into one perfect illusion.
The comparison wasn't entirely appropriate, but when someone was starving, even an ordinary refrigerated slice of tiramisu from a roadside café could taste like a Michelin-star masterpiece.
If they were to meet again...
Not in the darkness of the Palazzo dei Priori...
But beneath the bright sunshine in one of its public courtyards...
Sophie couldn't help anticipating it.
Just how radiant would that girl, more beautiful than an angel, appear beneath the sun?
She didn't want the blonde girl to remain forever hidden in darkness simply to preserve the illusion she carried in her heart.
When Sophie finally returned to the fountain in the square, her heart sank.
Oh no...
The tour bus that had been parked nearby was gone.
A small sedan now occupied its parking space. The owner had just locked the car before walking away with his family.
Sophie couldn't tell what country they were from, so she asked in English,
"Excuse me, is there another parking lot nearby?"
The driver answered confidently, clearly having done his research beforehand.
"This is the only parking area near the tourist attractions. Hotels have their own parking lots, but they're all much farther away."
His answer matched what the map indicated.
After thanking him, Sophie walked away in disappointment. She lifted her head, searching the tall trees for the driver dressed in black.
Of course...
He was nowhere to be found.
She had lost him.
She had lost the money.
And now...
She had even lost the bus.
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