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It felt a bit like they had become a family of three.
The little boy clearly hadn't expected that he wouldn't have to sleep beside the grain stack and would have his own bedroom and bed. He looked both awkward and somewhat embarrassed.
Hedy gently taught Daoreno some basic knowledge and instructed him not to worry about farm work. Instead, he only needed to buy some fruit or fresh flowers for her each day.
"Okay... okay," the little boy replied, lifting his head. "Thank you!"
Strictly speaking, Leonardo hadn't established a private workshop.
He still lived in the side courtyard, working as a painter employed by the Medici.
In this era of apprenticeship, even he had grown up helping out in his teacher's workshop, only with the advantage of having attended school, knowing how to read and write.
Daoreno gradually became more lively and cheerful. He would actively hand him paintbrushes and scrapers and lean in to watch him paint.
Sometimes, when Leonardo looked at him, he would think back to his own childhood.
At that time, even in front of his grandparents, he would not be hugged or praised.
The only person who gave him warmth was his uncle—who played and taught him, being kind and affectionate.
Now, encountering this little boy, the happy feelings he once had with his uncle seemed to be returning.
Leonardo had never understood why Hedy was so gentle and equal with Atalante, not scolding him harshly when he broke a glass jar.
But as he started treating Daoreno in the same way, he felt a sense of peace and healing within himself.
Daoreno, now over four years old, learned things quickly.
Hedy tried teaching him how to read and write, just as she had with Atalante, but the little boy's attention was always scattered, his eyes fixed on her quill pen instead.
She didn't insist too much and instead turned her attention to other things.
With no orders to fulfill for the time being, Leonardo found that he had more free time.
He would accompany her to the antique market, picking out gold pens inlaid with rubies and filigree designs.
He would also casually pick a bunch of wild daisies by the roadside, making her a flower crown that fit just right.
Now that their financial situation had stabilized, with just enough penicillin for their needs, Hedy gradually found time for other pleasures.
The first thing she thought of was the marvelous designs in Leonardo's sketches.
"Leonardo—would you still be willing to show me your sketches?"
The young man paused for a moment, then quickly retrieved some and brought them over.
Hedy sat beside him and began to focus on flipping through the illustrations and explanations inside.
Leonardo watched her dark hair fall and the long lashes that fluttered with each glance, his breathing becoming a little lighter.
Hedy came across many fascinating things—bridges, guns, thermometers, strange creatures resembling robots, and flying machines.
"This..." she pointed at a design resembling a bicycle path with bat-like wings, "Is this meant for flying?"
Leonardo's attention quickly shifted to the illustration, and he nodded seriously. "I was thinking that if you pedal to make the wings flap up and down, a person could fly up into the sky."
Hedy chuckled and shook her head. "That probably wouldn't work."
