Page 171 of DATE
In chemistry, it should be called iron blue.
It was called Prussian blue because it had once been used for the long-term dyeing of German military uniforms.
However, neither of these names fit the current historical understanding, and it would be hard to explain even if she used one of them.
"Actually, after seeing Mr. Botticelli use this blue in his frescoes, we secretly gave it a name," the clerk suddenly laughed somewhat embarrassedly. "Because it really looks beautiful—it's completely different from ultramarine, much deeper and more distant."
"Eh?" Hedy was surprised. "What do you call it?"
"Pulchra caerulea," the clerk shrugged. "The Latin for 'beautiful blue'."
Hedy paused for a moment, then laughed silently. "Well, let's register it that way. It sounds nice."
At this point, the wedding of the Sforza family was finally approaching.
It was already September, and the weather was gradually getting cooler. The city was bustling with carriages going back and forth, creating quite a lively scene.
According to Florentine customs, a wedding typically involved three stages, each with many steps.
First, the intermediary introduced both families, then the groom would visit with gifts, but they couldn't have direct contact with the bride.
Once the wedding details were settled, a gathering would take place at either family's home. This stage was only for male family members, and the groom would need to bring even more lavish gifts, among which jewelry was essential for the wedding attire in the future.
The most important part of all was the wedding ring day.
The bride had to prepare a substantial dowry to ensure a prosperous life after marriage—if she was a poor orphan without any wealth, she would likely spend her life in a convent and would find it difficult to have a fulfilling marriage.
The groom, on the other hand, had to provide her with luxurious clothing and jewelry to show off the status and identity of both families.
Since the Alberti family operated in Florence and the Sforza family were the lords of Milan, the wedding had to start with a family banquet in Florence. The next day, the bride would be taken to Milan, where a procession around the city would begin to announce it to the citizens.
As one of the families involved, Hedy was invited to the wedding and witnessed the moment when the bride and groom exchanged rings.
The young lady had her dark brown hair tucked under a hat, and her long neck and collarbones were exposed. Her gown was made of light gold and deep blue brocade, and her neck and fingers were adorned with large jewelry.
Embroidery of bindweed leaves decorated the cuffs, and tiny white pearl-like beads were sewn onto the collar. When shelooked at her husband, there was a hint of playful pride and a touch of coquettishness in her eyes.
After the vows were exchanged and the groom kissed the bride, the guests began to cheer and enjoy the celebration and feast.
The theater actors were invited to perform short plays, while the sound of the piano was drowned out by the noisy laughter.
On the green lawn, long tables were set with bouquets, and servants moved back and forth, refilling glasses and delivering drinks. Many others lined up in long rows, dancing together.
The waltz's appearance was actually linked to Hedy, though people were unaware of it.
In this era, people's dances were typically performed in rows, moving forward in parallel and then constantly changing. The waltz and related dance steps did not yet exist; dancing too closely was seen as somewhat indecent.
At last year's New Year's celebration for the lord’s birthday, after drinking a little too much apple cider, she taught a young boy, about four or five years old, how to dance.
The boy had the face of an innocent angel, and when he smiled, it was pure and beautiful. In no time, he was holding both of her hands, twirling around the entire hall, drawing the attention of many people.
Afterward, at several more banquets, she never saw the boy again, and she didn’t think much of it.
When she arrived in Milan for the Sforza family’s birthday banquet, she was surprised to see many people dancing in the same manner.
At the time, Hedy thought she might have misremembered and asked a local where this new dance came from—whether it had been something people had always danced.
To her surprise, the answer was completely unexpected: "—It came from Rome. It’s very fashionable, isn’t it?"
