Page 270 of DATE
Hedy took a deep breath and ran toward it, but when she stepped on a loose stone, she slipped and fell straight down.
Instinctively, she closed her eyes, bracing for the pain and scratches.
But in the next second, she landed in a familiar embrace.
Leonardo was lying at the bottom of the pit, holding her and letting out a long sigh.
Amid the acrid smell of gunpowder and dust, his scent of figs was like a warm kiss, just as it had been on that anxious night, offering a sense of security.
She unsteadily propped herself up in his arms, her body still trembling, her voice hoarse as she cried, "Leonardo, Leonardo—"
He gazed at her reddened eyes, reaching out to pull her tighter into his embrace.
"Don't tell anyone, Hedy," he murmured. "…78, 8, 14."
These numbers would change the fate of all of Europe.
She buried her face in his collar, letting out a long sob.
"—78, 8, 14." She choked, gripping his hand tightly, both of them intertwining their fingers without hesitation, their palms pressed together.
This was the closest they had ever been to each other.
Even their hearts had finally started to touch.
They helped each other stand up from the rubble of gravel and dirt, their disheveled hair covered in dust.
When Leonardo stood up, he checked his body and felt that there were no fractures, only multiple bruises and scrapes, but recovery wouldn’t take long.
As the two walked out of the ruin-like pit of earth and stones, the people outside had already retreated far away, with several others still gathering at the outer edges, clearly observing the situation.
The explosion that had just occurred was far more intense than the previous ones, and the impact was quite astonishing—
Had it not been witnessed by many, they would never have believed that a bucket of mixed powder could cause such terrifying destruction.
Not only had Hedy experienced a ringing in her ears, but the intense explosion had startled the entire city of Luka, with some people even thinking that the French had attacked.
The two exchanged a glance and gave Luris a brief explanation as he quickly approached, then staggered back to the medical room.
Once they confirmed that everyone else had returned to clear the site, Hedy took out the medical kit and began disinfecting Leonardo’s wounds.
The alcohol she had distilled herself was now very effective in various situations, and the necessary medical personnel andresources had been well-prepared before departure.
The more than forty shops operated like automated machines on a gold mine, continuously providing her with the maximum support.
When the cold liquid on the cotton ball touched his wound, Leonardo winced in pain.
Some small debris had already splattered into the wound, and the abrasions covered a considerable area.
"Hang in there," Hedy said with a focused expression, using tweezers and cotton balls to help him clean the wound.
Leonardo lowered his head to watch her clean the wound on his left leg, and couldn’t help but let out a small grunt.
“It might really hurt a bit…” Hedy said with a bit of a headache, “But if we don’t get these little stones and sand out, it could get infected or even fester.”
The man gazed at her long lashes and murmured softly, “If you hold my hand, it won’t hurt.”
Hedy paused for a moment and then extended her left hand to him.
