Ugo is pretending to be relaxed and busy cooking, singing an aria from Verdi's Otello under his breath as he cooks. Nora is getting all gussied up for her date.

Young Michele thus enters into the service of Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, man of culture and art connoisseur. All he has to do is what he does best: paint.

One of Crepax's techniques is to use the details of everyday life to build his stories and provide context. We even see the titles of the books in Valentina's bookcase.

Giuseppe's health is failing, but he won't accept Arcangelo and Nina's advice to get some rest. He seems to be well aware of his true condition and writes a letter to his loved ones. Elena brings Antonio home.

Camilla might have had a good hunch, but she is still in trouble up to her neck. Fortunately, she has a lot of support from her husband, her students, and her friend the cop.

Roberto is worried about how Ugo is acting. Manrico is trying to get Melody to go out with him. The bride-to-be shows up at the workshop with her girlfriends who want to plan a bachelorette party for her.

Word seems to be getting around that Merisi is a very talented painter. In bed with malaria, Michele himself is the last one to hear about it.

Among the pages of the comic strip, family members find familiar objects, drawings, and personal information from their everyday life. Although Valentina was a figment of Crepax's imagination, she was also an integral part of his family.

Giuseppe goes to see Giorgio to see if he has the power to save the hospital from the new "reforms," but Giorgio has other priorities and rebuffs him.

Camilla has to leave the school without being seen by the two men who are following her. In discussing the case with Berardi, she realizes there is only one person who can help exonerate her so the two of them pay this person a visit.

Nora is back, and as an excuse for keeping her distance, she uses the ruse Melody planned to employ with Giampi. But all this has to go on the back burner because there are new potential clients waiting downstairs.

Michele and Mario are having a hard time. But Michele can't bring himself to paint things he doesn't believe in, even at the risk of going hungry.

Steve Colato is being questioned at police headquarters. He still can't get over Ferrari being a policewoman. Little by little, they are getting some information from him. Meanwhile, it looks like Camilla might be in real trouble.

Aunt Clo calls at an inopportune moment and Nora can't fake things very well. Later she and Melody have a conversation about their bad luck with men.

Prosperino tries to sell Michele's painting of the "boy bitten by a lizard," and attempts to be professional. The three friends get their hopes up, but soon have to face reality. Michele and Mario quickly lose their patience and become belligerent.