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— After all, they were neutral.
The castle was quickly cleared out to serve as the command center and barracks. The ragtag soldiers of Luka were all incorporated into the army and began helping to fortify the fortifications and clear the battlefield.
This city was coastal, and it was the first line of defense against the French fleet.
Choosing this location was both correct and dangerous for Hedy.
She had taken control of it purely to avoid the tedious and meaningless procedures.
Dealing with those stubborn and obsolete officials was a waste of time—sometimes, a more forceful approach could achieve the goal much faster.
However, a new development arose. Since the bald lord was thrown into the cellar, everyone started referring to Hedy by a new title.
"My Lord."
When Hedy first realized that people were calling her this, she originally wanted to explain and clarify that she had just temporarily taken the position, and when the army left, she would return the title to the unfortunate man.
However, nearly the entire army and the people of Luka seemed to accept her as the new lord, much like the way Sforza in Milan had allegedly ascended to power through the assassination of the previous ruler.
People looked at her with a bit more reverence. The army, under her command, was well-regulated and did not harass the localcivilians before the war arrived. They behaved like good citizens, in contrast to their usual unruly nature.
Only Leonardo seemed to fully understand the situation. Every day when he reported to her on progress, he couldn’t help but smile.
He still treated her as a friend, not rushing to close the gap between them.
"This is yesterday's armament preparation report," he said, his brown eyes always carrying a slight teasing glint when they met hers, and his clear voice, naturally, had a touch of tenderness.
"—My lord."
CHAPTER 20
Guns are dangerous things.
Hedy, who had been an actress for many years, was quite familiar with the methods of film production. But now, when she actually had to handle these old-fashioned and cumbersome items, she was somewhat surprised.
Compared to modern, compact handguns, the long guns of this era originally required two people to carry them. Now, they've been modified into something resembling a long trumpet, and only muscular men can fully control them.
Putting aside the weight, the more troublesome aspect was their recoil.
When Da Vinci was testing the first three generations of firearms, he once told Hedy to stay as far away as possible.
Gunpowder was unstable, or perhaps the gun barrel design had issues. If the barrel exploded, it could potentially blow the whole person up along with it.
Fortunately, she was lucky enough to survive.
Miss Luris, who was at least six feet tall, could hold her own in a fight with anyone. But now, as she tried to tame this beast-like firearm at the shooting range, she was knocked to the ground several times by its recoil.
She cursed, "My shoulder blade is about to be shaken loose!"
"Mr. Zino, you should shoot again once you've stabilized," Da Vinci said slowly, wiping another long gun beside him. He casually remarked, "The other day, a new recruit got too close when he fired, and almost had his brow bone caved in."
Hedy was reviewing some documents that Dechio had sent her, occasionally listening in on their conversation.
The French had not arrived quickly. They had been waiting in Luka for a month.
According to news from the Medici, multiple forces had already set off, and the three-nation defense alliance had officially entered its deployment phase.
Hedy kept an eye on things, fearing something might go wrong in Milan. She had Atalante stay inside the city to look after the properties and business, while Dechio, as her first secretary, helped her organize various tasks.
