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Hedy wasn’t sure how to conduct the pathological experiment, but in this era, there were certainly no suitable laboratory mice.
If she openly kept mice in the palace, she would undoubtedly be considered a freak and sent to the church.
The vineyard’s gatekeeper had told her about a mischievous child who once climbed over the wall to steal grapes, only to end up eating several of them—even those that had been soaked in copper sulfate solution. But two months had passed, and the children were still running around, seemingly showing no signs of poisoning.
She let out a quiet sigh of relief and made further adjustments to her formula.
Quicklime, copper sulfate solution, and an appropriate amount of diluent.
If she could effectively control downy mildew, it might help accelerate the economic development of Florence.
Leonardo had already gathered the new equipment for her experiment, and the carriage for their return to Milan was now much more spacious.
Raphael had already said his goodbyes to his parents, reminding them to seek out the nuns if they fell ill, as they had learned much from the Medici ladies.
Michelangelo did his best not to show his excitement about going to Milan, but in truth, he had already gotten up before dawn to add straw to the stable.
When everyone had gathered, the lord's party had not yet appeared. Instead, Cosimo hurried over, saying, "We need to leave quickly—leave now!"
"What’s going on?" Hedy frowned. "Has something happened with the lord?"
"No, this is about you," Cosimo said, helping her into the carriage and quickly closing the door. "We leave now—don’t stop along the way. We’ll send someone to inform Sforza—"
Before he could finish, another carriage suddenly appeared around the corner, pulling up right in front of theirs.
Hedy instinctively gripped Leonardo's hand, a bad premonition rising within her.
Meanwhile, a young man rode up on a fine horse, arriving late, and as he looked toward them, a smile appeared on his face.
"This is what the lord meant, no one here?"
Hedy narrowed her eyes slightly and focused on the person on the horse.
The boy looked about twelve or thirteen years old but already seemed tall and mature.
He wore a black velvet doublet in an inverted triangle shape, draped with a white fur-trimmed cloak. His eyes, filled with a playful smile, and his slightly curly shoulder-length hair wereas black as the night. He shimmered with countless pearls and gold and silver embellishments, making him appear almost luminous.
"Sir," Cosimo went over and blocked his way, "Aren’t you supposed to be at the Palazzo Pitti?"
"I’ve sent people three times, and each time I was told she wasn’t here." The young man interrupted without hesitation. "This is what you call ‘not here’? Are you planning to sneak her away from me?"
He appeared aristocratic and arrogant, as if accustomed to carrying the demeanor of one who had always been above others.
Yet, throughout the conversation, his dark eyes remained fixed on the carriage, showing no sign of retreat.
Leonardo’s expression darkened as he turned to Hedy and whispered, "I’ll delay here for a moment. Let’s wait for Cosimo to bring the lord over."
"No... Who is he?" Hedy took a deep breath and then stepped out of the carriage.
She didn’t think she had any issues with such a boy; it could all just be a misunderstanding. If things like penicillin or other substances had reached foreign lands, it would still be something that could be rectified.
But the moment she stepped out of the carriage, she suddenly saw the crest on the opposing carriage blocking their way.
Eight light green leaves, a deep red curled-tailed bull.
—Borgia.
