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Leonardo da Vinci clearly hadn't thought it through either, and he simply explained, "If you don’t want to, I can write you a recommendation letter and help you find a new job."
"But... why do I have to go to the Doge's Palace tomorrow?"
Hedy furrowed her brow slightly, feeling a sense of unease.
Her identity here was just that of an unknown maid. Even if she went to the court with da Vinci, she wouldn’t likely draw much attention from the nobles.
There must be something wrong.
It wasn’t until a long while later that da Vinci spoke again.
"Do you know about the 'Blood Mass' in April this year?"
"What’s that?"
In April this year, during the grand Easter mass, an assassination attempt took place.
The Pazzi family and some of their opposition, organized by the Archbishop of Pisa, led a group of over a hundred assassins into the church, trying to kill the two brothers.
Lorenzo’s brother died in the chaos, and he was only twenty when he was buried.
But he narrowly escaped death and hid in the relics chamber until the end.
The whole city of Florence descended into chaos, with assassins and guards everywhere on the streets. Bloodied and broken bodies littered the alleyways.
Blood splattered onto the portrait of the Holy Father, dyeing the entire city red.
In the end, the Archbishop of Pisa was hanged at the window of the Palazzo Vecchio.
Also hung and left to dry were the corpses of the Pazzi family and all the assassins.
"Alessandro Filippo, or the young Botticelli you know," da Vinci said impassively, "He personally painted the scene of the execution on the wall of the town hall, serving as a warning to the entire city, much like the Medici family's mouthpiece."
Hedy was startled, suddenly feeling as though cold water had been splashed on her face, waking her up.
It had taken her a long time to feel a small sense of stability in this era.
But this was the bloody Renaissance, filled with rebellion, slaughter, and all the things she didn’t want to face.
"Every time you take me to the church, you always avoid that place. Was it to keep me from seeing that scene?"
Da Vinci shrugged, "His painting is indeed vivid."
The struggle for power and profit has no place for justice or evil. The ones who survive hold the power to explain everything.
He had stayed away from the court for this very reason. Once you're caught in the whirlwind, you can't control anything.
"So, it makes sense that he wants to see you in person before allowing you to enter the palace as my assistant and maid," da Vinci mused. "Mr. Medici doesn’t seem particularly interested in business, but he is famously passionate about the arts."
Hedy thought for a long while, then nodded, "Sir, I will go with you tomorrow."
She had no better option.
It seemed that she had already gotten close to the flow of history. Whether it was the Medici family or da Vinci, they were people known from history books and art galleries.
If she completely removed herself from here and went to a placewith people she knew nothing about, she might not even know how she would end up.
The next day, they woke up early. By the time breakfast was finished, the carriage was waiting at the door.
