Page 211 of DATE
The Jewish identity she had concealed for most of her life, her bitterness toward film and performance, and the many moments when she had been made to look like a fool.
She had always been lonely. So lonely that, in that moment, she wanted to tell him, Actually, I come from five hundred years in the future, and I know everything about you.
You will become an unmatched, great artist, and your story will be passed down through the ages.
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Leonardo assumed he had asked something inappropriate. He quickly added, "I didn’t mean to ask such things, please don’t mind me."
Hedy looked up at him, still imagining the impossible choice.
What would Leonardo feel if she told him everything she truly knew?
Would he be shocked, terrified? Angry? Or would it be a deeper sense of helplessness—
The future, five hundred years from now, holds countless things that he has dreamed of and longed for, but ultimately, they are beyond his reach?
She suddenly felt that this choice was both naïve and cruel.
"I just suddenly remembered a song from my hometown," Hedy continued, trying to focus on assembling the chain and brakes from memory. Not wanting to delve into those thoughts andmemories again, she changed the subject and began to sing a nostalgic old song for him:
"Moon river, wider than a mile. I'm crossing you in style some day...
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker.
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way..."
That year, Breakfast at Tiffany's had become a sensation across America, with Audrey Hepburn, holding her guitar, singing by the window, leaving countless people with unforgettable memories.
And at this moment, Hedy's voice, singing the same song, was equally gentle and captivating.
The soothing, lullaby-like melody drifted through the quiet courtyard. Her slightly raspy voice, tinged with a bit of laziness, evoked images of boats drifting on the river.
Leonardo stared at her for a few seconds, then went into the nearby hut and returned with a lyre. He lifted the bow, and the smooth, long notes of the lyre mingled with her voice, flowing together like the river beneath the boat. The moonlight filtered through the spruce trees, scattering across the shimmering water like soft satin.
"There's such a lot of world to see..." She realized it was him playing the lyre and laughed as she continued the song:
"We're after that same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend..."
When the final notes faded into the wind, Leonardo stopped, wanting to tell her something. He knew she had countless secrets, and this only made it harder to resist everything about her.
The strange language, bold ideas, the countless things related to medicine, mechanics, and firearms...
That exquisite, classical face—that was the last precious thing he saw.
Loving her felt like having half of his heart shared, beating with her breath, stopping with her furrowed brow.
I... don't even know how long I've loved you anymore.
Maybe it's been months, but it feels like it has always been this way.
Hedy...
She realized something and was about to speak, but then they heard Dechio's voice.
"Master—" She still used that form of address, "Sarai stole someone else's wallet at the market, and now they're beating him. You should come and see!"
Leonardo froze for a moment, letting out a long sigh.
Hedy realized something and quickly put the half-assembled bicycle aside. She grabbed a shawl and hurried out with Leonardo.
