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A sudden wave of longing washed over her—she missed her own children and the memories tied to them.
As she walked out of the house, the courtyard was empty, not even a cat had stayed behind.
Moonlight, soft as gossamer, poured down, and the stars twinkled brightly and cheerfully in the sky.
The brown-haired young man held his breath as he closed the door, whispering a soft goodnight.
He sat back down by the light, wanting to record his thoughts on the dissection of the day, but soon found himself lost in thought.
The tip of his pen moved almost absentmindedly, sketching the mermaid with long, flowing hair.
Her smile was so reminiscent of the person in his heart.
——
Da Vinci had a natural fascination with stories.
After his exposure to the theater, he spent most of his time there, tirelessly helping to adjust the stage and even making costumes by hand. Even a well-worn tale like a knight rescuing a damsel could captivate him, and he would watch it many times.
The entertainment of this era was limited in such a way.
There were roughly four types of plays, all closely tied to Christianity.
Religious plays were reenactments of various scenes from theBible, performed during major and minor festivals, and almost everyone in the city could recite the lines from The Adoration of the Magi.
Mystery plays were somewhat more interesting, focusing on the amazement and curiosity of characters, both great and small, when encountering miracles. Events like God's resurrection or angelic appearances always had different twists added.
Moral plays were highly revered by the gentry and the congregation, with stories often rigid and formulaic, promoting virtue and condemning sin. However, they gradually lost the attention of the public.
The last type was far removed from divine figures—comedies.
They featured common people in humorous situations, with mischievous antics and antics that could induce fits of laughter from the audience.
Da Vinci had years of collaboration with many theaters in Florence, and several owners would compete to invite him for drinks as a gesture of thanks and camaraderie.
However, over time, even the most entertaining comedies lost their charm.
But that night, as he listened to a bedside story by Raphael by the window, it was a tale he had never encountered before.
It had nothing to do with the divine or morality.
The story introduced a rich and fascinating new world, where people of all ages could have their own joys and pursuits.
And all the plots served only the story itself, never resorting to preachy moral lessons.
For two or three days after, Da Vinci continued to reflect on those few stories.
When he heard Raphael mention that Hedy had been coming over frequently, he couldn’t help but ask about it.
So, young Raphael, while stirring egg whites, told him the story of Snow White and the Queen.
It was so fascinating that he even wanted to hear it again.
Why did the poisoned apple get stuck in her throat?
The golden carriage, the talking dove, and the broken pieces of the mirror inside her heart...
A man, often praised by ladies as ‘elegantly mature,’ fell into deep thought, pondering how he could hear more stories like that.
