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The scent of grapes spread through the air, making one almost feel hungry.
Da Vinci still hadn’t quite figured out how he ended up with a hug when he turned around and saw her coming back with a bottle of pale liquid.
"What’s this?"
Ethanol, the simplest dyeing agent for industrial pigments.
And it could also be used as a preservative.
The filtered dark purple solution was thoroughly mixed with the alcohol, and after dipping it, she brushed it on white paper.
The delicate traces were much clearer than before.
Hedy thought for a moment and decided to start preparing for a new workshop.
She was going to sell paint and make money, as fast as possible.
Money, after all, had all sorts of uses.
In the modern world, it would be used to pay medical bills, buy housing, and purchase various necessities.
But in this era, she had bolder plans.
— To form a fleet.
A fleet that belonged only to her.
Due to the inconvenient transportation, they were now trapped on the peninsula, and even a trip to France was quite difficult.
But if they could get their fleet's people to circumnavigate the ocean earlier than Magellan, they could acquire more things—rubber, cinchona trees, black pepper, and all sorts of other things she wanted. Ideally, she wanted to bring back a sample of everything.
Hedy’s assets were now enough for her to purchase a small estate, but living here had already become comfortable andleisurely.
She not only hired private guards but also rapidly expanded the size of her workshop. In the future, hiring sailors and captains would likely not be a difficult task.
As a modern person with strong execution skills, she spent the entire Christmas preparing these matters.
From signing the contract for a stable supply of copper sulfate ore to purchasing the barren land overrun with litmus plants, everything was progressing smoothly and in an organized manner.
The reassuring part was that this year's Christmas passed without incident.
There were no assassinations, no riots, and nothing particularly distressing.
On Christmas Eve, a letter arrived from Florence. Aside from the usual greetings, the lord's wife mentioned that Lorenzo’s gout had started to flare up more frequently again and seemed to be affecting his movement. As a result, he had begun to use a cane, though when he was in better health, it wasn’t noticeable.
Hedy quickly replied to the letter, explaining that gout couldn’t be treated with surgery or medication and that it was best managed through controlling diet and alcohol consumption.
In this era, she would never rashly perform surgery on anyone—it was completely beyond her ability.
The spring of 1484 finally arrived.
In January of that year, a brand-new paint specialty shop opened in the busiest area, and its business was so booming that it was almost unbelievable.
The world’s most expensive blues and purples were sold at just a tenth of their usual price, and the colors were stable with a faint fragrance.
The crazy artists rushed in as soon as the doors opened, and the paintings in churches and palaces began to have more vibrantcolors.
Due to the incredible success of the business, the shop could even close after just a short time in the morning—
