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Originally, with the Renaissance, corsetry would have continued to be popular and developed, often causing women’s ribs to distort to extreme lengths.
Ladies in the court would pursue the perfect waistline, even tothe extent of pressing their internal organs into their chest cavities, which led to much shorter lifespans.
Hedy commissioned a fashion magazine to promote a shift in values and lay the foundation for change.
Wearing trousers was now just as fashionable.
Going out and engaging in labor were behaviors to be encouraged and celebrated.
She set up a special award for annual evaluations and recognition, offering generous rewards to the first tailors who designed custom trousers.
And at this point, Leonardo finally returned.
"Hedy," he hesitated a little, but still walked up to her, "The Research Department has approved the application, allowing those professors to set up the first radio circuit from Florence to Rome."
"I... I want to go with them and see it for myself."
His love for science surpassed many things.
If he joined this project, he could learn about the workings and maintenance of electricity at a faster pace, and perhaps in his spare time, he could study English and English texts, enabling him to create even more things in the future.
Right now, the oil painting for the Florence Cathedral was nearing completion, and Raphael had become a lively and clever young man, so he could handle the remaining coloring himself.
But this also meant he would have to leave Florence—and leave her.
Hedy blinked. "Alright."
"But I'm not sure how long it will take for me to come back," Leonardo said, a bit uneasy. "I should be with you to help take care of the children, and the upper house..."
"Going to see it is a good thing," Hedy said with understanding. "You've wanted to go out and explore for a while now, haven't you?"
They had been inseparable for the past few years, seemingly never apart.
"I will miss you," she explained softly. "And I'll miss you... a lot."
"But you have more important things to do."
"That is to live for yourself."
CHAPTER 33
Henry VII was the first to arrive in Florence.
Compared to the nervousness and confusion he displayed during their first meeting, the young king seemed to have become more radiant lately.
"Your Majesty," he had no intention of taking a break from his journey but instead immediately walked up to Hedy to ask her about the treaty: "You gathered five nations?"
Portugal, England, Hungary, Austria...
This wasn't the Queen's usual style.
"You seem to be doing well lately?" She was currently having her morning tea and gestured for the Englishman to try a cup: "It's a new batch of Wuyi red tea, tastes quite good."
"Talking about this makes me irritated," Henry VII muttered as he sat down. "When the Chinese fleet passed by your place, it went through Spain—"
"Was the cargo ship robbed?"
"Pretty much," he took the porcelain cup that Dechio handed him and grimaced. "A certain wealthy queen practically bought up all the goods and tried to make them go straight back without any connection to us."
