CHAPTER 27 #4
However, due to the massive increase in the number of city schools over the past century, the number of literate people has risen sharply.
As a result, priests no longer held a monopoly on services like letter writing and other business ventures.
The Church had always been unhappy with this development and had tried, under various pretexts, to oppose or block it.
Hedy, upon hearing this, suddenly thought of a more important question: “So, how do these children enter university? Is there a unified exam?”
“No,” Leonardo said, tapping the tip of his pen. “The entrance requirements aren’t clear, but after completing their studies, they must pass an exam to earn their degree.”
There were two types of universities in this era, commonly referred to as “Master Universities” and “Student Universities.”
Master Universities were centered around outstanding teachers who attracted students from all over the world with their fame.
Student Universities, on the other hand, were entirely managed and controlled by the students. The students had the autonomy to set tuition fees and hire teachers for various subjects. The Florence Academy belonged to this type.
Theological studies, law, and medicine were the main departments, with theology always holding the central position.
When Hedy was first hired at the Florence Academy as a lecturer and advisor, it was partly due to the ruler Lorenzo's guidance and sponsorship, and partly because the student body had enough curiosity and respect for her.
Now, as time passed, the university had expanded to include ‘engineering’ and ‘natural sciences,’ conducting more targeted research and studies.
“So... do you plan to set a threshold for them, or build a bridge?” Leonardo paused, observing her expression as he spoke. “I feel like you’ve always been very supportive of the technical fields. Does this have something to do with the future?”
Hedy was about to respond when the familiar wave of nausea surged up from her stomach again. She had to cover her mouth and find the nearby small bucket.
The sound of her vomiting made the man change his expression. He quickly rose to help her, letting the quill roll off the table and onto the carpet.
“Hedy—are you poisoned? Should I take you to rest? Do you need smelling salts? Or some water?”
Hedy held onto the table, throwing up for a while, her face looking a bit disheveled. “Bring me a glass of water.”
“Could it be that someone from the Borgia family slipped in again?” Leonardo's face became quite alert. “I’ll go check the palace staff right away. In the meantime, I’ll have Dechio stay with you.”
“Don’t you... understand what this means?” she said with difficulty, covering her mouth.
“What... does it mean?” The man looked at her with a confused expression.
——
Hedy took a deep breath for a few seconds, realizing that some things were indeed troublesome.
If this were the modern era, from prenatal checkups to delivery checkups, she could leave everything to the doctor.
She could comfortably sit in a car to the hospital, and during childbirth, she would only need to listen to the midwife's instructions.
Her period had been delayed for seventy days, and some things were becoming clear.
Unless she had some other illness outside of what she already knew, there was only one possibility—she was pregnant.
“Leonardo, sit down,” she said calmly. “I need to tell you something.”
“Is it about the Jewish matter?” He still held her hand, his expression anxious and uneasy. “You’ve already told me about that last time, right now, your health is what’s most important.”
“No… Leonardo,” she shifted into a more relaxed position and took a sip of water. “I might be pregnant.”
The man's expression blanked for a few seconds.
He stood up, then immediately sat down again, trying to say something, but then stood up again, and sat down forcefully.
“I said might,” Hedy allowed him to hold her hand, her tone somewhat helpless. “Under the current circumstances, I can’t make a definite conclusion until my belly gets bigger.”
Leonardo stood up again abruptly, his tone much more careful. “Preg—pregnant?”
He tightened his grip on her hand, swallowed, took a deep breath, and repeated the word, “You’re pregnant?”
“Maybe.” She said slowly, “Just this one time, we’ll have to use contraception afterward.”
“You—pregnant?!”
“When did you turn into a parrot… repeating it once is enough.”
“Are we going to be parents?!” Leonardo could hardly control the expression on his face. At this point, he almost wanted to run downstairs and do a few laps: “We’re going to have our own child?!”
Hedy finished the glass of water and handed the cup to him.
Without needing to say a word, he quickly grabbed the cup and ran out. When he returned, his hands were full—
A weasel pelt, a fruit basket, a full cup of water, a soft cushion, a toy, and a large bottle of wine.
…He had only been gone for three minutes.
“You need to calm down a bit, Mr. Leonardo,” Hedy propped her chin and looked at her Santa Claus-like husband. “Also, pregnant women can’t drink alcohol, at least not until after the pregnancy ends.”
When she realized her period was delayed, she had secretly stopped all alcohol intake and instructed the cook not to use any alcohol in cooking.
Alcohol could affect the development of the fetus, and right now, the further it was from her, the better.
Leonardo immediately shoved the bottle of wine into a potted plant, then set down the bundle of items on the table and placed a soft cushion for her to sit more comfortably.
“Hedy…” he murmured. “I don’t have much experience. I hope you’re not angry.”
She reached out and gently stroked his face, smiling calmly. “It’s not confirmed yet, no need to rush.”
“But…” she slowed her voice, gently stroking her flat stomach. “If this child is really coming, it’s best that no one knows about this until after the birth.”
Leonardo immediately tucked the weasel pelt back into his sleeve, like an extremely loyal knight. “I’ll do as you say.”
Although he knew the methods of childbirth in this era, he instinctively chose to trust everything she ordered.
“It’s not because of some custom,” Hedy slowly leaned on his shoulder, her voice weary. “It has to do with my status.”
If the fact that she was pregnant were to be known by other countries, it would be like exposing a weakness to all enemies.
The empress’s pregnancy and childbirth would affect the entire empire’s future, and even if she managed to give birth successfully, the safety of the child would be the number one concern.
The Queen of Denmark had unified the three kingdoms of Scandinavia, but her son passed away from illness at a young age, which directly undermined her authority and position.
Women naturally had a disadvantage in this regard.
Men could indulge themselves, producing illegitimate children like rabbits.
But women, as the ones bearing children, had to face death itself in order to have an heir.
“First, about childbirth, I need to find a time to talk to you properly about it,” Hedy stared into his eyes and said. “It’s a bit gruesome, but only if you assist me in delivering the baby will I be at ease.”
He was the only person she could trust with her life.
“Okay,” Leonardo said seriously. “I’ve dissected the uterus and fetus before, I remember the structure very clearly.”
Hedy sighed in relief and continued, “In the coming days, I’ll choose loose clothes, and I won’t be attending any horse-riding activities.”
It was the end of June, and if the pregnancy lasted for ten months, the baby would be born around April of next year.
That time was ideal—it wouldn’t be too cold or too hot.
“We can’t let anyone else find out about this, and we must be very cautious about drinking water and food,” she rubbed her forehead. “This is a very hard secret to keep.”
“What if it’s discovered?” He frowned. “Just like when we prepared for the Genoa war, we need to design an emergency procedure.”
“It’s not the discovery that matters. What’s important is that they might take action against me, and against all of Italy,” Hedy took a deep breath, pulling a letter from the pages of a book, and handed it to him.
“When I give birth, you will have full power, just like the second king of this country.”
“That’s not enough,” she whispered. “We need more powerful weapons, and faster support.”
The border defenses from the north to the south needed to be redesigned. She couldn’t rely on the loyalty of the Zino family for success.
Just as Leonardo was about to say something, a sudden loud roar came from the distance.
He instinctively shielded her, pulling her tightly into his arms.
The roar repeated, and the ground beneath their feet began to tremble slightly.
Hedy’s face turned pale, and she grabbed his sleeve, asking, “What’s that? Leonardo? Are they coming for us?!”
A larger, deeper roar came again, this time seeming to come from the direction of the Florence Academy.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Leonardo turned his head to look out the window, his voice cold. “I’ll stay here and protect you.”
They waited in silence for a while, realizing that there was no unrest in the city.
Dechio and Niccolo ran over at the same time, both panting heavily.
“My lord—” Niccolo gasped, speaking before Dechio could. “A student blew up the Florence Academy!”
Hedy froze for a moment, then looked up at Leonardo.
Did you leak the formula ratio?
The man furrowed his brow and shook his head.
No.
“It was half blown up, but the fire has been stopped!” Dechio jumped in to continue. “The explosion started from the warehouse area, and several buildings have been completely destroyed. There are people buried inside!”
“Immediately send mercenaries to help with the rescue,” Hedy stood up. “What exactly happened?”