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"I’ll join," she said with a smile. "I’d be delighted to."
The news quickly spread among the families, sparking anger in some and a sense of relief in others.
As for Hedy, her prestige in Florence had risen dramatically. She had saved many wives and children, and she possessed the kind of miraculous medicine that could bring the dead back to life.
She shared the formula for making light blue oil paint, which allowed many artists to breathe easy and provided employment for workers in nearby cities. Verdigris was heavily mined and sold, often found at Christmas markets.
Lord Kiesler was learned, benevolent, and generous, and his speeches at the Florence Academy left many scholars in awe, with admirers and worshippers aplenty.
Equally important, she was also one of the Medici family members who guarded the city.
This alone was a powerful reason.
Now, the people's parliament and elections had been abolished, and there were no opposing factions fighting for power.
Just last year, Lorenzo had restructured the government, creating a council made up of thirty leaders and seventy legislators.
It followed the ancient system of life terms, with vacancies filled by internal elections. In essence, it was a form of monarchical absolutism and centralized power.
When Hedy first heard the news about this reform, she had thought to herself about the necessity of centralized power in this era—rather than letting a bunch of ignorant fools take turns at the wheel, it was better to weld a capable person to the seat.
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 wasso 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.
