Page 150 of DATE
Once the construction of the penicillin workshop was on track, Hedy couldn’t resist visiting his workshop.
"Do you have any other designs?"
"Can I see them?"
Maybe by uncovering more of his ideas and letting him shine even brighter, all of Florence would be blessed.
Da Vinci was finishing the final touches on the coloring of a portrait of a noblewoman and gestured for her to wait a moment.
His brushstrokes were incredibly textured; even the delicate, egg-white-like transparency of the skin was conveyed with precision.
Hedy stood by for a while, instinctively adjusting the egg tempera for him and refilling the wine that kept disappearing.
It was stored in a corked glass bottle, and the effect was quite nice. When poured, a fresh fragrance wafted through the air.
Da Vinci sometimes became so immersed in his work that he lost track of time. It wasn’t until his muscles ached and he paused to rub his neck that he realized someone was still standing beside him.
The bell tower of Giotto struck at the right moment, signaling that three hours had passed.
"Sorry, I just wanted to finish filling in that side," he stood up instinctively, apologizing to his temporary assistant. "I didn’t mean to make you wait so long…"
Hedy was calm about it. She had grown accustomed to this dynamic between them.
Both of them were busy with different tasks, each absorbed in their quiet and orderly thoughts. There was no need for idle chatter or even any direct eye contact. It was a very independent and natural way of being.
To make up for it, Da Vinci took her to a nearby tavern where they had fresh stew, and once they both had rested enough, he took her back to the workshop to show her the manuscripts he had accumulated.
The candlelight was dim, and the nightingale’s song filled the air. The atmosphere felt almost like a date.
But Hedy, absorbed in flipping through the manuscripts, regarded him as a reliable friend, just like she would another woman.
Perhaps other men would have had some sort of impulse at this moment, but Leonardo surely wouldn’t.
He was far more interested in lifting devices and perpetual motion machines. His various simulation manuscripts could fill several pages.
In addition, there were strange mechanical birds, flying machines, spiral jacks, and a peculiar creation that resembled an old vinyl record.
"Leonardo, what is this?"
She raised a notebook, signaling for him to come over and look at the sketch.
"This is... a needle grinder," Da Vinci replied, pulling out a charcoal pencil and marking clearer arrows beside the design. "You see, once this person turns the handle, this grinding device and polishing belt will grind the needles."
"Needle grinder?"
"Yes," Da Vinci pointed to the three small lines of text in the bottom left corner and translated the mirrored Italian for her. "According to my calculations, one hundred of these machines can grind forty thousand needles per hour, and each needle is worth five silver coins."
Hedy paused for a moment, then quickly started calculating the total.
She had once been unfamiliar with the exchange rate between Florentine gold and silver coins, but now she was as knowledgeable as the locals.
"Annual income would be—sixty thousand gold coins?!"
Sixty thousand?! What kind of concept was that? In an era where most businesses were still small family-run workshops, the idea of generating around sixty thousand gold coins in revenue was staggering!
What more could the Medici possibly need for military funds?!
"What? Is that strange?" Da Vinci asked, somewhat confused. "It should be that amount, I think."
