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"And I had two children, a boy and a girl." She decided to open up further. "It must have happened when I was in my twenties— but when I woke up, I was back to being nineteen."
"And then I met you."
Leonardo had never heard such a story, not even in the theater.
"Wait— are you sure you're not joking with me? This isn’t really the time for jokes, right?" He studied her face, whispering, "Even if you were an old lady, you'd still be the most beautiful one."
"True enough," she raised an eyebrow.
"So... after death, you go to another time? And you bring your body with you?" Leonardo tried to make sense of the mystery. "And have you met any gods?"
"I told you… when I woke up, I found my body had changed, and then I met you," Hedy couldn’t help but laugh. "You can also take it as a compliment."
"Sometimes I wonder, what exactly is death, and what is time?" Leonardo’s expression grew serious, holding her hand and muttering, "It’s difficult to give time a precise definition and explain what it really is."
"Mr. Leonardo..." Hedy cleared her throat. "It seems like you're missing the point again."
The issue now was that his fiancée was from another era, 500 years ahead.
"Sorry, sorry," he chuckled, once again gazing at her face. "I might not fully understand this."
"You know many things we can’t even imagine—are these inventions of the future?"
"Some of them are, some I created myself."
"So, 500 years later..."
"I saw your portrait in the future," she whispered. "I also saw almost every one of your paintings."
He froze, suddenly feeling his cheeks burn.
"No 'you'?"
"No 'me,'" she shook her head. "You worked tirelessly from the age of thirty to over sixty, leaving behind masterpieces that would be admired and remembered for centuries."
"I…" He mumbled. "You know things about me?"
"Only part of it. But after meeting you, it feels like I never really knew anything at all," Hedy said, then suddenly smiled and glanced at the palace towers. "Raphael and Michelangelo both became legendary painters and sculptors, leaving behind immortal works."
"And you?" Leonardo asked, looking at her. "Who are you?"
Her words faltered for a moment, suddenly unsure how to answer.
—Who am I?
A young starlet? A frustrated investor? An inventor of wireless communication?
A drug addict framed for a crime? A laughingstock of failed plastic surgery?
…Who am I?
"It’s a... long story," she let go of his hand, raising it to cover her cheek. "I’m a little confused myself."
Leonardo didn’t immediately embrace her, but after a moment of silence, he spoke again, "I’m glad you’re willing to share these things with me."
"Hmm?" She turned her head to look at him. "Don’t you think I’m a witch or a monster?"
"I’d be very surprised, and my mind would be all over the place," he said, honest yet sincere. "But it doesn’t change our marriage or how I feel about you."
