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The two of them entered the office, and the nobleman lowered his head to finish some paperwork before finally lifting his gaze.
The two large doors were quickly closed, and two male servants stood guard at the entrance.
"Is this your maid?"
"Yes." Da Vinci replied calmly, "I brought her from Vinci."
Medici placed his quill back in its holder, then slowly said, "This lie is not very clever."
"You think I wouldn't be suspicious enough to send someone to the village to check her background and existence?" He raised his head, staring at the black-haired, blue-eyed girl with a playful tone. "But what if I did?"
Da Vinci took a deep breath and stood in front of Hedy.
"She escaped from France, my lord. If you find her presence inappropriate, you may send her away from the palace, but please do not make things difficult for her."
Hedy wasn’t familiar with the palace's rules and dared not speak out of turn. She kept her head lowered, saying little.
"Cosimo."
Another personal servant brought in a tray, which contained several items that had clearly come from Da Vinci's workshop.
"But what if she’s a witch?"
Lorenzo clasped his hands together, his fingers spreading like the wings of a white raven. "Tell me, what is this?"
Da Vinci stared in surprise, quickly recognizing the blue crystals sealed in a bottle.
Not only that, but there was also a glass dish with orange peels that had mold growing on them.
A small bottle contained collected pus, along with several other strange items.
Hedy felt as though her blood had turned to ice. The cold surged from her feet, freezing her to the spot.
None of her jewelry had been found, but these seemingly insignificant objects had all been discovered.
Yet, with just these things, it was more than enough to accuse her of being a witch and have her burned alive in the town square by the Inquisition.
"Kiesler, Miss—" Da Vinci couldn't even recognize what the objects were and instinctively shook his head. "She's not a witch, absolutely not. She would never harm babies—"
"Please be quiet for a moment." Lorenzo turned his gaze to the silent girl behind Da Vinci, repeating the name. "Kiesler? I don't believe I've ever heard of that surname."
"Do you have anything else to say in your defense?" He seemed already convinced, his tone unexpectedly calm. "Cosimo, take her to the Inquisition."
"Wait." The girl suddenly spoke up.
She didn’t know what this man’s true intentions were, but at that moment, she had to save herself.
If this were the modern world, she could accuse this bastard of searching her personal belongings without permission. She almost missed her lawyer.
"I’m not a witch."
She turned her gaze to the tray with the items on it, calming herself as she began to call on all her acting skills.
Hedy lifted her head, meeting the lord's eyes with no fear in her own. In fact, she even smiled.
"My name is Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler."
"I am an alchemist from the Holy Roman Empire."
