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"I'll be back in a moment!"
Thank God.
Hedy had just been thinking about how to sneak a few spoonfuls of the soup into her room. Seeing him rush out without a second glance, she quickly grabbed a small bowl, filled it with half thesoup, covered it with a clean cloth, and tucked it away in the corner under the bed.
It should cool and set into a thin layer of jelly.
She recalled the pictures in the newspaper, like she was squeezing a sponge to remember, wondering how the biologists had done it.
In a glass dish, there was a layer of jelly-like substance spread on top.
And the newspaper photo clearly showed some moldy-looking spots on the surface.
So, it floated on top.
But beef broth... doesn’t seem to set into a jelly.
Da Vinci had gone straight to the butcher’s shop again, not only buying more beef gallbladders but also spending a few silver coins on beef blood, saliva scraped from the tongue, and even cow urine—collecting all sorts of strange substances. The elderly women nearby watched him with sympathy, wondering if someone in his household had contracted malaria.
Although he was starving, he was still absorbed in the excitement of discovering something new. He rushed back home and started mixing paints again, adding all sorts of bizarre liquids into the mix.
Hedy slowly sipped her soup, trying to make sense of what this man was up to.
"Aren't you... controlling your variables?" she asked.
"What?" Da Vinci paused, not understanding the word she used.
How would "variables" be expressed in Latin?
Hedy rubbed her forehead, trying to explain it more simply.
It wouldn’t do to keep communicating like this; she really felt like she needed a translator.
"Sir, how about this—I'll teach you some alchemy I overheard from the neighbors, and you can teach me some Italian. What do you think?"
Da Vinci surprisingly agreed, nodding and even offering: "I’ll raise your pay. How about that?"
"...Huh?"
CHAPTER 3
At present, Hedy earned 60 soldi a month, which was quite a good wage among the maids.
But to Da Vinci, she was not just his cook and maid, but also his assistant in painting. She tirelessly did the work of three or four people.
Previously, when he was short on funds, and procrastinated taking commissions, it was likely even difficult for him to pay her monthly wages.
But ever since that half-covered chart had reminded him, every time Da Vinci felt like slacking off and wasting a bit more time, the vivid image of that chart would hang in his mind, motivating him to focus on what was most important at the moment.
Once he became aware of the limited time in life, the priorities of many things became much clearer.
Being able to meet deadlines meant higher income, and that would allow him to treat her much better.
However, in Hedy’s eyes—or rather, in the eyes of the 85-year-old woman that Hedy had become—being too agreeable wasn't necessarily a good thing.
His kindness and generosity toward himself were no different from how he treated others.
When she learned that her salary was going to be raised to 65 soldi per month, she did feel a small sigh of relief in her heart, but also a lingering sense of worry.
