Episode Six of "The Decameron," aptly titled "The Mood is Soiled," commences with Neifile and Panfilo reclining leisurely within the confines of the villa, their conversation weaving a tapestry of bygone memories. As they reminisce, an unassuming scar on Neifile's neck, a testament to the ravages of pestilence, catches the eye, yet she remains oblivious to its presence.
Elsewhere, Misia seeks out Sirisco, her voice laced with urgency as she implores his assistance in laying Ruggiero to rest. Sirisco is startled, his disbelief mingling with disbelief at the suggestion that Misia had taken Ruggiero's life for Pampinea's sake. He rails against Pampinea, branding her an insidious demon, striving to illuminate the darkness that shrouds Misia's mind. Misia, however, dismisses Sirisco as a mere peasant, declaring that her "friend" could never hold sway over her affections. This jarring remark leaves Sirisco stupefied, his patience with the villa's enigmatic guests finally exhausted. With a heavy heart, he departs, vowing never to set foot within its walls again.
Meanwhile, Filomena and Licisca embark on their journey to the villa, only to be ambushed by two shadowy figures intent on nefarious deeds. As their fate hangs in the balance, Tindaro awakens in a humble cottage, where Stratilia's laughter echoes, mingling with the gurgles of her young son, Jacopo. Stratilia confides in Tindaro, her voice tinged with sorrow, that Jacopo's father is no longer with them. Tindaro, moved by her plight, vows to cherish Jacopo as his own, and Stratilia, grateful, entrusts her son to his care before returning to the safety of Villa Santa.
Back at the villa, Misia's confession to Pampinea rings out, shattering the air with its weight. Yet, Pampinea fails to grasp the depths of Misia's trauma, instead framing her actions as a righteous act of self-preservation. Pampinea resolves to safeguard both their lives within the villa's walls.
Concurrently, Filomena and Licisca find themselves bound and captive, their fate dangling precariously in the balance. Licisca, ever the resourceful one, coaxes Filomena into a ruse, distracting their captors while she readies a stone to strike back. But just as she prepares to strike, a trio of horse-ridden knights appears, their swift swords silencing the thieves' threats forever.
Far from the fray, Sirisco strips down to his bare essentials, immersing himself in a river's embrace. His strokes grow labored, as if each pull of the water were an attempt to escape the turmoil within. But fate had other plans, as an old acquaintance, Arriguccio, intervenes, pulling Sirisco from the brink of death. The two men, bound by friendship, retire to a nearby tavern, where Sirisco reveals his intention to flee to Venice, hoping that the plague's grip will soon loosen. Among Arriguccio's friends, Sirisco finds solace, their shared peasant roots fostering a camaraderie that he had thought lost.
Tindaro and Jacopo forge a deep bond as the mentor imparts his wisdom, including the art of swordsmanship, to his eager pupil. Meanwhile, Neifile confides in Panfilo, revealing her own doubts about the divine, stemming from a lifetime of uncertainty and disbelief.
As fate takes a sinister turn, Licisca and Filomena are abducted by horseback riders, their lives plunged into the darkness of a cult's clutches. The cult's leader, intrigued by their origins, demands to be led to Villa Santa. However, the revelation that Licisca stands accused of a cardinal's murder seals their fate, condemning them to a grim end.
Tindaro guides Jacopo to the sanctuary of Villa Santa, where they unwittingly stumble upon Pampinea's chamber. Pampinea's heart skips a beat as she beholds Jacopo's striking resemblance to Leonardo, only to be shattered when she learns he is the rightful heir to the villa. She rushes to Misia, unburdening her soul with the truth about Jacopo's identity, a child sent by Leonardo himself. Misia's realization dawns: Pampinea's deception, her false pregnancy, was a bid to usurp Stratilia's child.
Amidst this turmoil, Sirisco is horrified by the stark contrast between the impoverished existence of Arriguccio and his comrades, and the lavish feasts enjoyed by the nobles at Villa Santa. Fueled by outrage, he extends a hand of solidarity, inviting the peasants to join him in reclaiming the villa as their own.
Filomena's tears flow freely, marveling at Licisca's eerie composure, even in the face of death's sentence. Licisca, her voice heavy with sorrow, confesses her profound connection to Eduardo and the void that followed his passing, leaving her adrift in a life devoid of purpose.
Just as the tension mounted, Filomena unburdened her soul to Licisca, confessing that she was Eduardo's offspring, borne of a woman who perished in childbirth's throes. Their lives hung in the balance as they were led to their doom, only for the executioner's untimely sneeze to disrupt the grim proceedings. Swiftly, the cult's leader dispatched the faltering executioner, granting Licisca and Filomena a fleeting window of escape. Yet, as they attempted flight, Licisca was cruelly struck by an arrow, her leg pierced.
Filomena, unwavering, urged Licisca to accompany her to Villa Santa, and they hastened away on horseback, leaving behind a trail of turmoil. In a quaint cottage, Pampinea awaited Stratilia, her intentions clear: to keep Jacopo by her side. Meanwhile, Neifile's health faltered, compelling her to bid farewell to Panfilo, entrusting him with the villa's security. But fate dealt him a cruel blow as he stumbled upon Ruggiero's lifeless form, a stark reminder of the darkness that had descended.
Stratilia's frantic return to the villa was met with Pampinea's fierce opposition, the latter determined to keep her at bay. Panfilo, striving to comfort Neifile, concocted a lie about the villa's security, only to be met with her terror upon realizing Ruggiero's fate. Amidst this chaos, Licisca and Filomena limped back to the villa, their bond frayed by the revelation of Filomena's past mistreatment.
As they approached the villa's threshold, Sirisco and his cronies emerged, adding fuel to the already raging fire. Elsewhere, Pampinea's madness consumed her, as she attempted to incinerate Stratilia, branding her a witch who had ensnared her husband, Leonardo. Stratilia's protests fell on deaf ears, as Misia tightened the ropes binding her to the tree. Tindaro, appearing on the scene, offered Pampinea his hand in marriage, but Stratilia's defiance echoed through the air, refusing even in the face of death.
Filomena's reunion with Misia came amidst the villa's unraveling, and Sirisco's accusation of Pampinea's deeds ignited a mob's fury. Panfilo's announcement of Neifile's demise went unheard, drowned out by the cacophony of the moment, as the episode drew to a dramatic close.
