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What was most peculiar, however, was the piles of manuscripts scattered everywhere.
Hedy instantly recognized how unusual the lettering was and could even barely read some of it.
Da Vinci was left-handed, and he was used to writing from right to left.
Not only that, but he could even write every letter of a word backward, so that even if he was recording trivial matters, no one would be able to read it.
Noticing her gaze on the manuscripts, he seemed slightly nervous and explained, "Don’t touch these—don’t move them either."
"Your encryption method is quite unique," Hedy said, not getting too close, but glancing at one of the manuscripts on a shelf. "But a mirror would reveal it, wouldn’t it?"
He had written everything in mirrored text, and with a mirror, it would all flip back to normal.
Wait—did this era have glass mirrors?
The young man seemed surprised, then nodded, cautioning, "Don’t tell anyone."
Hedy suppressed a smile and nodded, keeping the secret with him.
This person was very strange.
He didn't ask why she had escaped, didn't question her background or details, and hastily took her in as a maid with no apparent suspicion.
Did he have some secret?
Once the storage room was cleared out and the bedding was prepared, da Vinci suddenly remembered something and turned to her.
"Do you know how to make wine?"
Hedy was caught off guard. "No... I don't."
A look of disappointment appeared on his face. "Don’t French maids know how to do this?"
No, I know how to build wireless communicators.
I also know how to make movies.
She cleared her throat awkwardly and asked, "Besides cleaning and cooking, is there anything else you require, sir?"
"Well, do you know how to brew beer?" da Vinci frowned. "Or any other kind of alcohol?"
"...No."
"Never mind," he sighed. "I'll go buy it."
"By the way—surely you know how to make pasta?"
...Is this era so demanding of women?
Hedy thought to herself that working as a maid here was safer than going elsewhere. She composed herself and said seriously, "I'll go learn tomorrow. I'll ask the old women nearby how to make it."
The young man nodded and seemed surprisingly easygoing.
He hesitated a bit, then spoke. "You don’t have to do a lot of work. If you have free time, could you model for me?"
"Yes, no problem."
She helped tidy up the yard and the workshop, and even advanced her pay to buy herself some clothes. During the break when her new master was busy in the workshop, she went out for a stroll.
