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It was a feeling he had never experienced before, as if it had been forgotten in the corner of his heart for many years.
"I… I didn’t…"
"You can get angry. You can make demands or express hopes." Hedy reached up to gently push the stray hair behind his ear, her tone firm yet gentle. "We care for you, we like you, and you don’t need to protect us by demanding so much from yourself every day."
Da Vinci remained silent for a long time, his head lowered as if he had done something wrong.
He was nearly thirty, but in this moment, standing in front of her, he felt like a nervous and uncertain young man.
"You can… hug me again?" he asked softly.
Hedy smiled and opened her arms, hugging him tightly.
"You are someone who deserves to be loved," she repeated. "And I will always be here."
Da Vinci took a deep breath and hugged her back, his eyes suddenly reddening.
He had to accept the absence of his parents, as well as the many half-siblings from both sides.
From his own origins to the estranged family members, no one ever asked for his opinion, yet he was the one who had to bear the pain caused by the choices made for him.
His mother had the time and energy to care for those five children, but never once asked why he trembled from the cold.
Leonardo closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of this last moment.
He didn’t want to let go.
CHAPTER 13
Hedy's business was growing larger and larger.
In her past life, she lived in poverty, with a large portion of her earnings poured into misguided investments, leaving her with little savings in her later years.
Perhaps due to the lessons learned from those experiences, she was now more cautious and careful with her wealth, constantly adjusting her strategies.
The penicillin workshop was actually a semi-state-owned enterprise, with real control lying in the hands of the Medici family.
This situation was quite in line with historical patterns. The Medici family’s golden coat of arms had five red spheres, which were once speculated by later generations to symbolize the origins of their pharmaceutical business.
There were various interpretations about whether the red symbols represented dents on an ancestor's knight shield or were used to symbolize the exchange and trade of money. Hedy had heard many explanations.
But whenever she saw such a crest hanging on several of her industries, she couldn't help but feel relieved.
Her wealth had protectors. As long as this family remained prosperous, not even thieves would dare to sneak in.
In addition to several newly built textile workshops, she also bought a plot of land for the production of pigments.
Although the method of producing and reducing copper sulfate blue had already been publicly disclosed for free, Hedy retained the process for making Prussian blue and applied for a patent from the government.
Over a hundred years ago, the UK had similar setups, and now, in an era of rapid development of new theories and technologies,protecting and profiting from patented techniques had become increasingly important.
Lorenzo not only approved the design for Prussian blue but also patented the method of preparing penicillin.
Now, many traveling merchants were selling small bottles of “penicillin,” deceiving desperate people into handing over all their money to be “cured.” This forced Hedy to stamp the Medici family crest directly onto the bottles for distinction and display.
While filling out the patent description, the clerk asked her what this blue should be called.
Hedy paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that the traditional name could no longer be used.
