Page 212 of DATE
The little boy had already been slapped several times, his eyes swollen from crying, struggling like an injured animal. Hedy stepped forward to stop the violent shoemaker, apologizing while explaining and promising to compensate him.
As soon as the shoemaker let go, Sarai ran straight into Leonardo's arms, crying uncontrollably and clutching his clothes tightly, not daring to let go. In that moment, it almost seemed like the shoemaker was bullying him.
"This little bastard not only stole my wallet but spent both of the gold coins inside it!" The shoemaker shouted, nearly furious. "How many pairs of shoes do you think I need to make to earn two gold coins? What did you do with the money?!"
The boy buried his head in Leonardo's cloak, trembling helplessly and fearfully, refusing to speak.
Hedy frowned and said, "Leonardo, let him go."
Leonardo hesitated for a moment. "He's so young, and he’s been beaten so badly. I’m worried..."
"We’re all here. No one will hurt him." Hedy repeated, "Let him stand over here for now."
The shoemaker muttered a curse, but eventually, the boy shyly stood by Hedy’s side.
Hedy noticed something different.
He had a new pair of shoes, but they were clearly not bought today. The side still had some duck feathers on them. In the last few days, she had neglected to pay attention to him, not realizing these changes.
Not only that, but his socks and shirt were also brand new, and the fabric was quite good.
The only person who could afford these expenses was one person.
Leonardo.
"Child," Hedy remained calm and collected. "Where did you spend the money?"
The little boy tried to avoid the question with more tears, struggling to escape back into Leonardo's arms. Leonardo looked at him with a pained expression, but he didn't stop Hedy.
She tightened her grip on the boy’s hand and repeated, "This was your choice. No one forced you."
"Fennel candy," the boy said softly, "and food."
The shoemaker rolled his eyes, as if he was about to start swearing again.
Hedy immediately took out four gold coins and handed them to him. "This was our failure in supervision, please calm down."
She quickly and efficiently resolved the matter, then took Sarai and Leonardo back from the market.
Sarai was locked in a room, with instructions to "calm down and think about what you’ve done."
Hedy closed the door and turned to look at Leonardo.
"Are the things he's wearing, did you buy those?" she asked.
Leonardo hesitated for a moment but nodded.
"He was too pitiful before," he said softly. "I just wanted... to be good to him. Dechio has a fur-lined cloak, doesn't he?"
Hedy rubbed her forehead, realizing where the problem lay. The disagreement between them wasn’t about educational philosophy; it was that Leonardo instinctively wanted to compensate for his past self.
From the condition of the socks and shirt, it was clear these were things Sarai, coming from an apprentice's background, shouldn’t have been able to afford. In the days she had neglected these details, it was obvious the boy had used his charm and pitiful demeanor to earn quite a few benefits.
Children were like wild animals, possessing a more primal and direct sense of smell. Even if they couldn't speak, they could sense who was kind and who had ill intentions.
And when faced with a motherly figure full of patience and love, they would sometimes bite or scratch—because they instinctively knew that the person wouldn't leave and would continue to silently endure.
Hedy couldn’t blame him any further. She sighed and explained, "We can't keep him anymore."
