CHAPTER 24 #2
While gathering information, one of his men hurried back with news, saying that the Borgia family was preparing for a wedding, buying up silks and fine wines in great quantities.
After numerous twists and turns, Leonardo finally infiltrated the event disguised as a maid. After much effort, he was able to get closer to the confined room where she was kept. By the time he reached her, it had been a full fifty days since the eve of the wedding.
In those fifty days, he grew progressively thinner, his complexion growing pale, and his voice becoming hoarse.
Yet that familiar figure was not far away, day after day, gazing out the window, equally worn out and exhausted.
— She had not died.
She was still alive, and she had not been tortured or abused.
The moment he saw her with his own eyes, Leonardo suddenly found himself believing in the existence of God.
If—if they could successfully escape this calamity, he would go to the church and use all his talent and gifts to paint sacred images in gratitude for this nearly impossible blessing.
This was the first time he prayed for the favor of the divine, and it would be the last.
——
"So, you've been playing the maid for almost a week, constantly timing and arranging this escape?"
Hedy pulled the large, plush shawl tighter around both of them and shivered as she lay in his arms.
In movies, lovers always cry and embrace when they meet in dire circumstances, sighing and holding each other.
But after being separated for days and fleeing from the high tower, even crawling through dog holes, they dared not speak a word.
It was hard to imagine…
That such a proud man, so concerned about his image, would disguise himself as a maid for her.
And on top of that, blow up many of the courtyards and churches of the Roman Catholic Church, turning them into crumbs.
According to his account, "There was just too much gunpowder on the road, and it wasn't convenient to bring it back."
But from the scale and power of the explosion, it was clear this wasn't a simple matter…
Hedy vaguely sensed that he was still trapped in unease and anxiety, so she lowered her head and kissed the back of his hand, drawing closer.
The carriage flew through the night like a bat, the cold wind carrying the scent of dew.
"Hedy…" He held her tighter, as though he hadn't woken up from the nightmare: "Hed… Hedwig…"
The murmurs came again and again, as if he were afraid that it was all just a dream.
She sighed softly, leaned in, and held him tightly, their cold cheeks pressed together.
Their fingers intertwined tightly, passing warmth between them, and their heartbeats began to synchronize.
"I'm still alive," she whispered. "I'm not sick or injured."
His gaze finally began to focus, and he involuntarily took deep breaths.
"I've been thinking about you all these days," he murmured.
"I've been thinking about you too," Hedy said gently, planting a kiss on him. "I knew you would find me."
"That boy said you were about to die," Leo held back tears, nearly wanting to hold her until their bones merged. "I almost went mad… I didn't know I loved you this much…"
"If you really left this world, I wouldn't be able to breathe another second, Hedy…"
Her eyes reddened, trying to hold back her tears. "Leonardo, you made it, didn't you?"
"Everything's over, let's go home."
"Home…" He held her tightly again, his body trembling slightly. "Marry me, Hedy, marry me."
"I will always be by your side, and no one will ever do such a thing again..."
Hedy reached out and gently stroked his back, lowering her gaze as she smiled. "Didn't we already have an engagement?"
And it was even personally confirmed by the bishop.
It was only when she thought of Lorenzo that she suddenly remembered something.
"There’s a spy in Florence. It’s Cosimo who has been doing these things—Leonardo, we need to go back to Florence."
"Cosimo? Lorenzo's bodyguard?" Leonardo furrowed his brow, but still held her close. "Wasn't it the Borgias who kidnapped you?"
"Our guards at the castle have been very strict, and we’ve already investigated their backgrounds, haven’t we?" Hedy sat up, looking into his eyes. "But the only person who knows our wedding date and could send reinforcements and attendants is him—it's Cosimo who has been doing these things."
He secretly planted his pawns in Genoa, using their trust in the Medici family to his advantage.
"But Cosimo is right by Lorenzo's side now—" Leonardo's expression turned wary. "And he has easy access to the lady of the house and the children."
"We need to hurry and get there." Hedy said urgently. "With the changes happening here in Rome, he might make a move against Lorenzo."
"Alright, I'll give the coachman instructions—"
Before he could finish, a whistle suddenly came from the distance.
Leonardo lifted his head, a look of surprise on his face.
This was the secret signal he had arranged with the internal officials—three rising notes followed by a descending one, repeated twice.
He raised his finger and blew the whistle, repeating the signal again.
The distant whistle grew louder and clearer as it drew closer.
A young rider on a fine steed leaped out of the bushes, his riding skill impeccable, like that of a seasoned knight.
"—Machiavelli?!" Hedy exclaimed in surprise. "You came with them?"
"My God, it's the Lord! You really were found by them," Niccolo sighed in relief, raising the reins to have his white horse keep pace with the carriage. "I'm here to escort you."
"Escort us?" Leonardo furrowed his brow. "Didn't I tell you to stay in Genoa and handle the affairs?"
"Don't you know what's going on?" Niccolo raised his eyebrows. "We've come with the army."
"An army?" Hedy's eyebrows twitched. "Which country has gone to war?"
"My lord, you should ask which countries have gone to war," Niccolo said, gripping the saddle. "Now, with us, four lords and the Roman Church have declared war, and Rome has united with several city-states in fierce resistance—Luris has already taken the army to the eastern front."
The two people in the carriage were stunned for a few seconds.
One had been kidnapped for several days, and the other had been focused on playing a maid recently, with no time to keep track of the happenings outside of Rome.
"To be precise, it was Mr. Lorenzo who, together with us, initiated the war—we're calling it the War of Rebirth."
After the Roman Church's threats failed, the enraged Pope unilaterally declared the excommunication of the entire Medici family and incited the Duchies of Modena and Siena to launch wars one after another.
Before this, after discussions, the people of Genoa, still following Machiavelli's strategy, decided to send part of their army south to support Leonardo.
The strategist had an inkling that, regardless of whether the lord was alive or dead, war was inevitable, and it would be better to proactively move forward with troops.
Their army quickly followed the half-completed road toward Florence and clarified everything they had done so far.
The lord did not comment on Leonardo's mission to rescue Rome but directly joined forces with Luris' legions to initiate an even more intense war—attacking straight from the center.
This time, they did not seek any peripheral territories but, like a sharp arrow, aimed directly at the heart of the Church—Rome.
The Rebirth, the old Church filled with sin and blood, would eventually be consumed by the flames, and the new faith, like the immortal phoenix, would soar across Europe.
"Has Lorenzo gone mad..." Hedy said, her voice growing more intense. "His two children are still in Rome!"
Did he not even care about the heirs anymore, even if he disregarded her life?
"Oh—those two children? I've already gotten them out. They're in front of the convoy," Leonardo coughed. "When my men found them, they were drawing cat whiskers on Jesus."
Machiavelli let out a long sigh of relief and explained, "Pope Alexander VI is the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong. He usually retreats at the slightest pressure and is bound to give up many benefits to seek peace."
He wasn't an ambitious man, but rather a foolish one who excelled in wasting and enjoying his wealth.
The life of indulgence over the years had made him extremely hypocritical and self-centered.
Instead of worrying about how much land he had lost, he preferred to spend his time figuring out how to extract more taxes and exploit his children for various advantages.
It was precisely because of this that Naples had repeatedly harassed the borders in recent years, using military intimidation to extract more gold from him.
"So, you're saying—Naples, Milan, Genoa, Florence, they’ve all joined the battlefield?"
"Yeah," Niccolo nodded. "At this rate, they’ll probably be in Rome in a few days."
"The problem is..." Hedy carefully considered her words. "Leonardo has blown up Rome."
"Blown it up?" The young man repeated mechanically. "What do you mean blown up?"
"Five churches, six courtyards of varying sizes, and several houses," Leonardo tightened his grip on Hedy's hand, his tone still laced with anger.
"If it weren’t for the dampening of some of the gunpowder, I could have blown his residence to smithereens, not even leaving any bone fragments to recover. "
...How can this man be a little cute when he's angry?
"General da Vinci," Niccolo reached out and grabbed the window, raising his voice in disbelief. "You actually blew up the heart of the Church?!"
"It should trigger a chain reaction—fires and collapsing buildings won’t be so simple," Hedy leaned against his shoulder and said slowly. "It was after we left that it happened—I don’t know how many Borgias are still left."
That chaotic and sinful family... perhaps only the flames could cleanse some of their filth.
"That's really ruthless," Niccolo muttered under his breath. "Even the Milan Grand Theatre wouldn't dare perform like this."
——