Page 186 of DATE
What she was painting was pure nature.
The water lilies opened their petals, the river rippled gently, and the twilight glow reflected on the water like melting honey, casting a soft golden light.
The painting had no clear lines. It seemed to be created through layers upon layers of color, blending and overlapping in ways that were almost indescribable.
In that moment, his mind went blank. He stared at the painting for a long time before finally looking back at her.
Hedy leaned forward, mixing the colors, her slightly curled black hair cascading over her shoulder, and her long, fair neck barely visible beneath the strands.
Her nonchalant expression made one think of a flower goddess wandering through the forest, her pale blue eyes as clear as jewels.
Compared to the first time he had met her five years ago, she had become even more intelligent and mature. Even the slightest arch of her brow now held an almost hypnotic charm.
At that moment, Da Vinci felt his heart suddenly begin to race, the blood rushing through his veins faster, and his mind buzzing as if something was reverberating inside it.
She was so serene, so beautiful. Even the falling strands of hair seemed perfect, as if painted by Giotto himself...
His heart continued to speed up, a sensation so strange it left him feeling almost dazed.
Da Vinci took a deep breath, covering his mouth just before he exhaled. He quickly placed the dessert on the windowsill and hurried back to his bedroom, grabbing his notebook and forcing himself to focus on calculations and work.
He couldn’t explain the feeling that had swept over him earlier, but as he walked back to his room, he realized he was smiling foolishly.
The feeling of his racing heart was so strange that he almost wanted to experience it again. When he looked at her, it seemed as if the entire world had quieted down.
And that painting—its layered colors, its design without clear lines, the subtle but impossible-to-grasp depiction of contours...
Da Vinci covered his face with his hand, realizing his cheeks were slightly flushed.
He took another deep breath, tapping his forehead with his fingers, trying to focus on work again.
But when he finally looked up, he saw that the notebook in front of him wasn’t filled with equations or force analysis diagrams. Instead, there was a sketch of her profile.
The slightly lowered gaze was perfectly captured, the lips drawn only halfway.
The artist, who had never been moved in thirty-one years, pushed the notebook aside and buried his face in the book, remaining like that for a long time.
Just a moment ago, he had even thought about opening the door and kissing her directly.
CHAPTER 14
Atalante had been quite a loyal manager and assistant, helping her a great deal when they were in Florence.
Now, in Milan, he was studying mathematical knowledge while also assisting Hedy in managing several of her cheese workshops.
It was said that her products were being resold by various merchants to France and Venice, with sales proving to be quite brisk.
Since Hedy had some free time, she decided to try transferring some of her watercolor techniques to oil painting.
She wasn't used to this medium and had always maintained a cautious attitude toward the use of mummies.
However, the high cost and foul smell of purple pigment were truly a great regret.
To remedy this, Hedy once attempted to extract color from grape skins and violets, but found that the cost and craftsmanship involved were far too complicated. She eventually gave up—
Most of the juice pressed from grapes was red, and the pigment from the skins was difficult to extract, far more complicated than she had imagined.
As news spread, more and more people learned that the young and wise female scholar had arrived in Milan. Several nobles sent invitations, hoping to foster relationships and chat with her, so they could help each other in the future.
