CHAPTER 21 #5
Before the defenders could react, the cannonball exploded, and the centuries-old stone wall collapsed with a massive hole!
The smoke quickly dispersed, and the acrid white fumes stung their throats.
The area around the destroyed section of the wall began to crumble, and some of the more timid defenders screamed and ran away.
— What the hell was that?!
— No other army's cannon could ever break through a stone wall like that!
Da Vinci, who was observing through binoculars, clearly noticed this as well. He waved his hand, signaling the artillery of the other two units to practice as well.
"Just treat it like practicing on targets and adjusting aim," he instructed. "Don't get too nervous."
The general on the walls, already in a state of panic, watched as several small black dots aimed at their position.
Some soldiers had already sensed that they were about to be directly hit near the city gates. They abandoned their longbows and scrambled to the sides, fearing they might be obliterated along with the flying debris.
"Boom—"
"Bang—Bang!"
Six or seven shells struck in quick succession, hitting the walls and towers with extreme precision. Several spots of the wall collapsed, visibly caving in like bread being pressed down.
It hit—again!
The tremendous shockwave sent some soldiers tumbling through the air, screaming helplessly.
Bricks and stones began to fall like a torrential downpour, with the destruction of the supporting points causing other stones to crumble as well, leading to a chaotic collapse of the wall’s structure.
"General—this is impossible to hold! We can't avoid these attacks!"
"General, run! The wall is about to collapse, if we don't run now, it'll be too late!"
"Wait!" the general shouted. "Shoot arrows! No one is allowed to run! Shoot—arrows!"
As the order was given, a long line of archers stretched out their arms and released their arrows.
However, the arrows couldn't travel that far, and the shockwaves from the artillery caused the arrows to veer off course, falling to the ground like sparrows with broken wings.
"Shoot—shoot again!"
"Hey—Da Vinci! Are you really testing firearms in a place like this?
!" Luris, having just finished counting the third battalion’s numbers, heard the commotion and quickly ran back to the front camp.
He shouted angrily, "Didn't I tell you to go to the side?
If you blow the cannons and burn down the tents, are you going to pay for it? !"
Hedy pointed to the crumbling wall, her eyes filled with sympathy. "It seems like we can tell the Fourth Battalion they don’t need to bother setting up the tents anymore."
"What?!" Luris spun around to look at the wall, and at that very moment, a long section of the high wall suddenly collapsed, creating a clear gap.
Many of the defenders didn't have time to escape and fell like ants beneath the rubble, subsequently being crushed under the stones.
As this happened, more defenders scattered, abandoning the general’s frantic curses.
"How about... we just pack up and move into the city?" Da Vinci gave a sincere smile. "I think this battle is over."
He had only instructed the soldiers to adjust their sights. The good ammunition in their inventory hadn’t even had its fuses lit yet.
While they were talking, a flash of bright color appeared on the distant wall.
Someone had raised a white robe high, waving it like a flag to signal surrender.
— They had barely set camp for a day and a half, hadn’t even seen the city gates clearly, and it was already over?!
"Really a bunch of cowards," Fabio muttered. "They deserve to spend their lives with coal."
La Spezia had truly surrendered.
They had no way out— even if they had opened the city gates and sent cavalry to fight, the situation would have been no better.
That cannon, which seemed to be enchanted, could turn stone the size of an arm into powder; how could human bodies and horses possibly withstand it?!
At first, when someone waved a white flag on the city wall, Hedy had ordered her men not to act hastily, as she feared it might be a trap.
So Luris personally fired two cannon shots at the city gates, directly collapsing most of the wall.
The defenders had completely lost their composure, desperately hanging every piece of white cloth they could find on the edges of the wall, fearing they might not be seen as surrendering.
"Alright," Da Vinci said with some sympathy. "If we keep firing, we'll destroy everything. In the end, it’ll be our people who’ll have to help rebuild it."
When the leaders of both armies met, many of the soldiers' faces were grim.
This frail, slender girl—who still looked like an unmarried young woman—had taken their city with just two or three shots?!
The bishop and the local leaders looked ashen-faced, but the mercenaries around Luris were all grinning.
Though Hedy appeared gentle and calm, she was unyielding when it came to matters like peace treaties.
Having suffered greatly in her past life, she knew that mercy wasn’t always a virtue.
So, the lord and bishop handed over their power and even provided the map of Genoa.
— The contents were quite detailed, with even the small entry points clearly marked.
Hedy instructed her people to expel them from the city, and told several of the Zino family members and Leonardo to gather new recruits.
There were tens of thousands of people in this city, and there were likely many who wanted to rise above their current station.
She did indeed need to develop her influence— if some Genoans couldn’t be trusted, they would be put to work rebuilding the walls and clearing farmland.
This city would become a vital port and energy supply hub, and she couldn’t afford to be careless.
To her surprise, just as Mr. Fabio had said, there were indeed several coal mines here, and the yield seemed remarkably promising. Even the oil fields, which people had sealed off, believing them to be the domain of demons, had been found and fully tapped!
Coal, oil, and a port—
It all seemed like a gift from the heavens!
Hedy could hardly find the words to describe her emotions. For several nights, she stayed up late reviewing documents.
Messages kept arriving from the Zino family in both Luka and Massa. Florence had just learned of Massa’s news, and the letter from there had also been passed on to her.
— During their northern journey, the French navy had attacked Pisa for the third and fourth times, but had been repelled again. It was said that they had already returned to their homeland.
The Papacy and the Triangular Defense Alliance had also signed a treaty, guaranteeing passage rights and some aid should war break out.
News of another Medici lord leading his army north hadn't yet reached them; clever allies had kept the information hidden, even Milan on the other side of the mountains had no idea.
Hedy, growing tired from reading the documents, extinguished the light to rest for a while.
She missed the bright glow of incandescent bulbs.
Candles were always unstable, and after reading documents for a long time, her eyes would strain.
But when the light went out, she noticed a faint glow coming from a distance.
Dechio had just gone downstairs to fetch some water. Who else could be around here?
In her memory, the small and stuffy room had no friends willing to stay in it.
Hedy stepped lightly, slowly approaching the door.
Sure enough, the light was coming from that room, and there was a familiar figure bent over the desk, working.
Dechio had just brought up the boiling water and was about to greet her when he saw the lord gesture for silence.
They returned to their room, and Hedy lit the candle again. "Who is that over there?"
"It's Mr. Leonardo," Dechio said as he helped her organize the letters and documents that had already been answered.
He spoke slowly and calmly. "These past few days, the city has been dealing with issues related to the Genoese.
Mr. Leonardo is concerned that there may be assassins lurking to harm you, so he has been staying here every night to keep watch. "
"Don't we have four guards?"
"He has rearranged their positions and shifts," Dechio corrected. "So, there are actually eight guards, rotating to ensure your safety."
"Does Leonardo stay here every night?"
"Every night."
Hedy paused for a few seconds, then motioned for Dechio to leave.
She had been working late into the night these past few days, then heading to the adjoining room to wash and rest. She hadn’t even noticed these things.
Over the years, she had grown accustomed to handling many matters on her own, completely abandoning the idea of relying on others for protection or to avoid any issues.
Even when staying in the seemingly well-guarded Doge’s Palace, she kept a sharp dagger hidden beneath her pillow.
But Leonardo...
He had truly been there all along.
Wherever she went—Milan, Florence, or Genoa—he would always be there beside her without hesitation, just as he had sworn.
"—I will be your eternal confidant."
Those amber eyes, full of passion and focus, unchanged after ten years.
Thinking back, it had already been eight years since they first met.
Those eight years had passed in the blink of an eye—rebellions, assassinations, celebrations, wars—
So many things had happened and faded away, yet he was always here.
Never leaving, never giving up, like a devoted believer.
Hedy took a deep breath, stood up, and walked toward him.
The man was engrossed in a book, his hand jotting down notes.
When he heard footsteps, he instinctively turned around and saw Hedy leaning against the door, watching him.
The orange-red candlelight reflected off her eyes, turning them a deep blue, her expression complex yet gentle.
"I was just... sitting here reading for a while," Leonardo stood up and lowered his voice. "Everything outside is safe. I’ve checked."
She stared at him, taking a deep breath, but didn't say a word.
In her mind, flashes of hurried and chaotic marriages from her past life passed by, all the love and hatred felt like fleeting bubbles.
"Why aren't you speaking... are you upset with me?" He stood in front of her, unsure how to comfort her. "Hedy, maybe I should make things clear..."
Hedy stood before him, feeling a tightness in her chest, her nose starting to feel heavy.
She had carried so much fear and distress along the way.
The countless malice and mockery from her past life seemed to cast shadows, repeating in her dreams.
The aging face, the criticized works, every false lover...
Was it possible, could it all finally be laid to rest?
At least, Leonardo and everyone else were different, right?
He was so pure, despite witnessing so much ugliness and bloodshed over the years, he still retained a certain innocence about the world.
He was not like those who had slandered, speculated, or insulted her. He had been by her side through it all, his palm as warm as his gaze, making her want to cry.
Even if one day she grew old and frail again, Leonardo would probably never retreat a step.
For her, trust was even more precious than love.
"Why are you about to cry..." Leonardo sighed and gently wiped the side of her face.
They were so close now, he could see the tears she was trying to hold back in her eyes.
The next moment, he lowered his head and kissed her.
This kiss was eight years overdue.
If he could, Leonardo would have wanted to go back to the very first time he met her, even before she was a young woman, when she was still a little girl.
Every day he spent with her was filled with joy. All his talents and ambitions were no longer just fleeting whispers in the wind, but were embraced and warmed by the deepest feelings in his heart.
Just thinking of her, even when he was so tired that his eyes could barely stay open, he could never bring himself to fall into a deep sleep.
The kiss was warm and slow, each touch and withdrawal so gentle and cautious.
Da Vinci did it almost instinctively, and at the very moment his lips met hers, he began to think about what kind of wedding gown he should design for her, or which city they should hold a grand celebration in.
Hedy… His Hedy… His lady…
He desperately wished that time and life would stop in that moment of kissing her, and that he would never have to leave her.
"I'm sorry," he realized she had shed a tear, and, flustered, he wanted to wipe it away. "Did I offend you...?"
The cold tear fell into his palm, like another gentle kiss.
"No," she whispered.
Leonardo didn’t know what to do after the kiss, worried he might upset her.
He wanted to hold her close, grasp her hand, apologize again, or kiss her rose-soft lips once more.
"…I love you," he said dryly.
Hedy lifted her gaze, suddenly smiling.
"I know," she said, pulling him tight, burying her face in his chest, surrendering the last of her burdens and fatigue.
"Leonardo…" she murmured, "I can’t live without you anymore."
She had always avoided and resisted emotions by nature, but she had still fallen into his embrace.
Every time she caught the faint scent of figs, it allowed her to relax completely, like returning to the safest place in the world.
Leonardo gently stroked her long hair and sighed softly.
"Can I... kiss you again?" he asked softly.
Hedy lifted her hand to cup his chin and, standing on her toes, pressed a kiss on his lips.
They exchanged breath and warmth, even the touch of their fingertips and cheeks felt like delicate entwining.
As he held her close, he felt his heart light and free, as if it could spread wings and fly away.
When would he propose? After the war ends? Would she accept him? Or would they wait a little longer?
Could he kiss her again?
Before he could speak again, she sighed and tightened her arms around his neck, giving him a long kiss.
The east wind swept through the long night, making the candle flames flicker like golden-red fish tails.