DATE

CHAPTER 12 #4

But when looking at this reform alongside her own election, there seemed to be a subtle connection.

After all, the election of the remaining seventy people from the thirty leaders was already an established rule. Her inclusion was so perfectly in line with the regulations that it seemed almost like a forced coincidence.

On the day Hedy was elected, Mr. Rucellai smiled and presented her with an honor medal. The people in the audience either clapped silently or with laughter.

She turned to look at the crowd gathered around her, then glanced at the lord sitting at the highest position.

She smiled calmly.

From the beginning, Hedy knew exactly why he had supported someone like her.

—Because she was easy to control. In fact, one could say that he held all the leverage over her.

If their interests aligned, she had no family background or faction, and even though she was highly capable, she wouldn't threaten his power.

If one day she were to defect or betray him, from her bloodline to the transgressions she had committed over the years, he could easily have her handed over to the Inquisition for execution by fire.

A clever businessman, indeed.

As the Feast of the Assumption approached, Da Vinci had finally completed nearly half of the project, and the results were quite impressive.

He had successfully solved several critical traffic issues, improved the size and efficiency of the water canals, and more importantly, he had provided the lord with a much clearer and more refined map, as well as built sturdy defensive fortifications.

In the event of an enemy attack, the people within the city could quickly reach higher ground and fire their firearms to defend the city.

Hedy made a special trip to view his manuscript, and she suddenly realized that she had already become accustomed to the presence of this genius.

After marveling time and time again, she could only smile and shake her head in appreciation.

If this person lived in the modern world, he would likely be recruited by the FBI at the first opportunity.

In this age of information isolation, a clear, three-dimensional map was like a powerful weapon, and he even knew how to depict geological conditions using semi-three-dimensional techniques.

As the Feast of the Assumption arrived, people began to take their vacations.

The hot Mediterranean summer was enough to make anyone irritable. The scorching sun caused many shops to close, and the city grew quieter than usual.

Da Vinci, however, did not rest. He took her to see the lift he had designed.

The two of them traveled by carriage to the fortress near the city walls, where many craftsmen were still tirelessly at work.

"With this invention of mine," Da Vinci said, "soldiers can ascend the walls at the fastest speed. It's much faster than climbing stairs!"

His amber eyes were filled with amusement as he motioned for her to come closer and take a look.

Hedy glanced at the gear mechanism beside them and then looked up at the lift.

"Does it have a name?"

"Not yet…"

"I have a suggestion," she turned to him with a serious expression. "The word 'elevator' sounds quite fitting."

The device Da Vinci had designed was clearly a large lift mechanism made up of multiple wheel axles, and it was already in use.

During their conversation, several bricks, stones, and painters, along with craftsmen, were being transported up.

Compared to the lifting devices used for building churches, this one he created was even more stable and had a higher weight-bearing capacity.

Hedy and Da Vinci walked around the city walls for a long time, eventually deciding to walk back together.

Though the weather was hot, walking in the shade was still bearable.

"I've always been curious about something. Does your name have any connection to Vinci?"

Da Vinci’s steps slowed for a moment, and he glanced at her. "Vinci is originally a place name."

"A place name? I thought it was a family suffix?"

"Leonardo di Piero da Vinci," he paused for a moment, adding with a hint of self-deprecation, "A gentleman named Piero from Vinci had a son—Leonardo."

He actually had no surname.

Hedy froze for a second, suddenly recalling something he had mentioned not long after they had first met.

Leonardo... he was actually an illegitimate child.

"Until this year, my father finally got his second son." He stopped walking, leaning against the wall as if trying to collect his emotions.

The dark brown wall dust smeared onto his robe, making the fabric, which was usually well-cared-for, now covered in a layer of black marks.

"This is… his fourth marriage."

Hedy hesitated for a moment, feeling uneasy as she stood by his side.

Da Vinci rarely spoke of his pain to her, or to anyone for that matter.

And as for his family background and parents, he almost never brought them up.

But all along, she had thought that his relationship with Piero was relatively good.

That man had shown interest in his artwork, even offering several commendable commissions.

If not for him, they might not have received the lord's sponsorship and support.

The incessant cicada noise was overwhelming, making everything feel exhausting. Da Vinci closed his eyes, leaning against the wall as though he was finally ready to say something.

He had trusted her enough.

Hedy studied his expression and gave him a silent gesture of encouragement.

"I won’t tell anyone."

There were no birds here, no one to overhear your secret.

The young man with brown hair and eyes slowly opened his eyes, and in a quiet voice, he began to tell her a story.

Once there was a girl named Caterina, who, at fourteen, lost both of her parents. At sixteen, she had a physical relationship with a man.

She soon became pregnant, feeling both joyful and anxious.

But the man she had fallen in love with came from a family of notaries and was about to marry another woman.

They were from different social classes and had no possibility of marrying each other.

Leonardo was born on a Saturday, and when he was baptized, nearly all the local gentry and family members attended, including more than ten godparents.

In that small town, his father had both status and prestige, and even though Leonardo was a bastard, he received everyone’s attendance and blessing.

"After all, this was the golden age for illegitimate children," he suddenly laughed. "Without his surname, I couldn’t inherit his position, but perhaps it worked out for the better for him."

Hedy fell silent for a while and asked, "What happened next?"

"What happened next?"

Shortly after Leonardo's birth, his mother was arranged by Piero to marry a common brick kiln worker, someone protected by their family.

In the same year, Piero married a lady from Florence and began a new life.

His mother quickly had four daughters and one son with the kiln worker, while Piero and his wife had no children.

Then, Piero lost his wives in succession and remarried several times.

It wasn’t until this year that he got a half-brother—one who was over twenty years younger than him.

As Leonardo casually spoke of these old events, Hedy suddenly understood many things.

In history, he was often suspected of being asexual or homosexual.

In front of her, he showed no interest in love, and even seemed to dislike intimacy.

All of this stemmed from his childhood.

His father lived far away in Florence, and his mother was busy taking care of the five children.

For the first five years of his life, he lived with his grandparents.

There was no maternal love, no paternal love, and no intimate affection to offer him comfort or warmth.

For such a small child, how lonely and helpless must that have felt?

If one never experiences the purest, unconditional love in childhood, who could possibly teach him that as an adult?

Who could make him let go of his defenses and inhibitions, to accept a relationship of closeness?

He wasn’t incapable of loving; he had simply never been loved, and so he didn’t know how to love.

"Wait…" Leonardo paused mid-sentence, suddenly noticing that his friend’s eyes were slightly red, as though she was also controlling some emotions.

He instinctively forced a smile and, with a lighter tone, added, "Don’t look so sad. I’m still being taken care of, alright?"

Hedy furrowed her brow as she looked at him, letting out a long sigh after a moment.

"For example, my uncle Francesco," Leonardo’s tone softened considerably. "Although my father calls him 'good-for-nothing,' he’s very kind to me. When my stomach hurt, he would even try to make me feel better. He’s a kind person."

No... that wasn't a gift to you; those were things you should have had.

Hedy couldn’t think of comforting words, but she could feel, deeply and sincerely, everything he had faced in his childhood.

The absence of parents, the brokenness of the family, the remarriage and new families...

For a child to grow up without guidance or companionship, and still come this far, was nothing short of remarkable.

"All of that is in the past now. You don’t need to be upset about it," Leonardo said, patting her shoulder as if discussing someone else’s story. "Relax."

The next moment, he was unexpectedly embraced, completely frozen in place.

Da Vinci didn’t dance with anyone, and he rarely had close interactions with women.

Even when noble ladies would speak to him, he remained polite and restrained, in stark contrast to the eager men who sought to engage in conversation.

As a result, he was always praised as a gentleman, maintaining the perfect balance of propriety at all times.

But in this moment, this embrace, warm and intense, made him feel both unfamiliar and somewhat awkward.

His hands instinctively rose, unsure where to place them.

At that instant, he could smell the camellia scent in her hair, and feel the delicate, fair hands wrapped around his waist.

Even more strange was the warmth she conveyed to him.

Their necks intertwined, and their chests pressed together like beasts seeking comfort, exchanging warmth.

Though it was a hot summer’s day, holding her felt strangely comfortable, as though there was no discomfort, only a desire to sigh deeply in relaxation.

Was this warmth coming from the closeness of their skin, or was it something his heart had longed for, something he couldn't quite analyze in these few seconds?

He froze, not daring to move, and gently patted her back, signaling that she could let go.

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me like this."

But the girl held him tighter, her voice muffled as she spoke. "Actually, you have the right to say when something’s wrong."

"Leonardo, you don’t have to live like this, carrying all the weight."

Whether it’s being hurt or sick, or even upset about trivial matters, you have the right to complain.

"In the past years, everyone has praised how perfect and composed you are, how kind and considerate you are toward everyone."

"But actually, you can just be yourself—at least, you can be yourself in front of me."

She slowly loosened her arms, her light blue eyes looking at him with a mixture of helplessness and tenderness.

"Even if you’re not perfect, even if you're not always obedient, this world won’t hurt you."

He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but inside, he felt a sense of grievance.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before, as if it had been forgotten in the corner of his heart for many years.

"I… I didn’t…"

"You can get angry. You can make demands or express hopes." Hedy reached up to gently push the stray hair behind his ear, her tone firm yet gentle. "We care for you, we like you, and you don’t need to protect us by demanding so much from yourself every day."

Da Vinci remained silent for a long time, his head lowered as if he had done something wrong.

He was nearly thirty, but in this moment, standing in front of her, he felt like a nervous and uncertain young man.

"You can… hug me again?" he asked softly.

Hedy smiled and opened her arms, hugging him tightly.

"You are someone who deserves to be loved," she repeated. "And I will always be here."

Da Vinci took a deep breath and hugged her back, his eyes suddenly reddening.

He had to accept the absence of his parents, as well as the many half-siblings from both sides.

From his own origins to the estranged family members, no one ever asked for his opinion, yet he was the one who had to bear the pain caused by the choices made for him.

His mother had the time and energy to care for those five children, but never once asked why he trembled from the cold.

Leonardo closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of this last moment.

He didn’t want to let go.