Page 48 of DATE
“It depends on what you want.”
“The medicine you mentioned last time, what was it called?”
“Penicillin.”
“Then start with that.”
Hedy wasn’t sure how long it would take to develop penicillin.
Even if it took two or three months, she needed to drag it out to two years to give herself more time to survive.
If she lost her usefulness and hadn’t planned an escape, the consequences would be unthinkable.
“Probably... at least five years,” Hedy said uncertainly. “This requires repeated experiments and confirmations, as well as clinical trials.”
She feared he might not believe her and quickly added, “I can give you regular progress reports. I won’t be negligent.”
Lorenzo didn’t seem to care much about what she said. He merely nodded and casually ended the conversation with a period.
“If you need anything, just ask Cosimo for help.”
He lifted his head, seemingly about to ask about the glass vessels, but then he noticed the young woman before him.
She was young, beautiful, and her skin was as smooth and lustrous as pearls.
Dechio had arranged new clothes and hair accessories for her,making her appear neat and tidy. At first glance, one might have mistaken her for a noblewoman from a neighboring country.
“...Is there anything else?” Hedy felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and subtly leaned back.
“No.” Lorenzo averted his gaze and prepared to summon the next sponsor. “You may leave.”
“Rather than the medicine, I hope you pay more attention to Florence,” Hedy mustered the courage to say. “It may not be in absolute order.”
Her words had crossed a line.
Lorenzo looked up again, this time giving her a polite but distant smile. “Miss Kiesler, do you think the Medici family has failed to protect this city?”
Hedy had kept these concerns in mind.
Aside from the fires of vanity, the Italian-French war was something that needed early intervention.
Though she couldn’t understand how a 24-year-old emperor could lead an army to conquer Florence, this was clearly something that couldn’t be brought up directly.
To mention it would be offensive, even insulting to him.
She needed to gain the lord's trust first before she could warn him about such matters.
There’s a Latin proverb that warns people against speaking too soon in shallow relationships.
—This war would last at least another decade, and its outcome must be changed.
“Sir, I was hired from the bottom ranks,” Hedy said, her voice heavy with memory of the sinful fire. “Besides the words of bishops and merchants, you could also observe this city through thieves and riots.”
“Some crises quietly expand in unnoticed places.”
What was in plain sight couldn’t even be called an enemy.
She still didn’t know the name, age, or whereabouts of thatmadman, only that he could incite the people to destroy all of Florence, burning countless treasures in a raging fire.
