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Hedy reached out and pinched his cheek, then leaned in to give him a kiss. "How about you take a vacation, spend some more time at the Florence Academy?"
"Mm..." Leonardo seemed a bit tempted. "But—"
"There's not much of a 'but,'" Hedy replied, taking the documents he had organized and stamping them. "You've already done so much for me, and the children are well taken care of by Dechio and the maids. How about a little rest?"
And then, her dear Prince promptly rushed off to continue his experiments.
Many things, from their inception to maturity, take hundreds of years to develop. Even the transition from candles to gas lamps went through a series of twists and explorations.
After the Eastern professors brought their findings, they did their best to present them in the simplest, most straightforward way to help the locals understand.
They respected the local beliefs and customs, and though there were some language barriers, the communication was quite pleasant.
Electrical and chemical experiments began to unfold in entirelynew ways, with more than a hundred onlookers every day. So many, in fact, that the academy had to hire more guards to maintain order and protect the various materials brought by the professors.
When Hedy visited, she happened to see them demonstrating the different properties of phosphorus and aluminum. Leonardo was sitting in the front row, and for a moment, it was like he had returned to the way she first met him—
Eager, pure, and happy.
She didn’t rush forward but leaned against the door, smiling with a touch of nostalgia.
Over the years, Leonardo had changed so much for her.
For a long time, he had lived in his own world, not involved much in politics and avoiding conflicts and turmoil.
He immersed himself in creating stage props, enjoyed painting, but preferred delving into the core mysteries of art, always brave and fearless.
But because she, in a moment of impulse, had led the troops to capture Luka and march north, he had followed her without hesitation, starting to take on more responsibilities.
His hands, which should have been holding paintbrushes and screwdrivers, began frequently turning pages of legal codes and official documents.
His eyes, which should have been focused on sculptures and statues, began to witness the chaos and bloodshed of the world.
Now, in this brief interlude, he could immerse himself in science and truth, and perhaps that would give him the pure happiness he had long been missing.
When white phosphorus burned in the air, it emitted a brilliant light, like the North Star, causing the crowd to cheer and clap as if they were witnessing another miracle.
The teacher on the podium gestured for Leonardo to come up and join the next experiment, starting to write a chemicalequation on the board while explaining its principles.
Leonardo gave a nervous yet delighted smile as he stood to assist in their operations.
"The teacher really enjoys these things," Niccolo muttered beside Hedy. "Why are they teaching in English... can't they throw in a few words of Italian?"
You probably don’t understand what the British Empire has done.
Hedy glanced at him and, with a tone of resignation, said, "I’m starting to consider having him leave the political stage."
She had no intention of binding him with emotions or interests. She just wanted him to be happy, always.
"Leave the upper house?" Niccolo looked at her in shock, waving his hand. "Your Majesty, that’s no laughing matter—do you know how terrifying he is when dealing with those nobles? Two or three sentences and he can wrap them all up, negotiating terms like an old fox!"
"Perhaps it wouldn’t be a loss," Hedy said, her gaze soft and affectionate as she watched the figure on the podium, raising the test tube. "He’ll make exceptional contributions to the empire in whatever field he pursues."
"Indeed," Niccolo said, raising an eyebrow. He pulled a letter from his pocket. "This just came in from Genoa."
"Mm?" Hedy broke the wax seal and began reading its contents.
"We have discovered the Americas."
