Chapter 160 To You Six Hundred Years Later

◎When the rose kisses your lips, dewdrops fall.◎

【Roman city, Sunday, sunny weather.】

Finally, take a look at the photos you took and click publish~

"Wow~ That's great, the Roman Royal City Library." Melia put away her phone, took a few steps back, and took in the building in front of her completely.

This is the renovated appearance of the world's first university, which has been passed down from the Roman Empire to the present day.

For historical reasons, the University of Rome moved out of Rome two hundred years ago to a neighboring city bordering Greece. The remaining buildings in the ancient city were renovated over several generations and became the Library of Rome.

Even though time has passed and the Roman Empire was renamed the Roman Republic, the library still retains its original name as a commemoration of the long-gone era.

Speaking of souvenirs, they also sell souvenirs here.

Melia dragged her suitcase to a small transparent shop that looked like a newsstand: the ancient city of Rome does not allow overdevelopment. Except for the luxury hotels and commercial streets in the outer city, the shops near the inner city are all small houses made of glass.

Seeing the foreign tourists, the shop owner put on a warm smile and promptly pulled out a box of commemorative coins from under the counter. "Miss, beautiful lady!" He greeted them loudly in Chinese. "Commemorative gold coins, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Golden Dragon Dynasty! They're sure to go up in value. A lot!"

Yeah, that makes sense.

Generally speaking, these centennial commemorative gold coins will see a significant increase in value in the future. Especially the Golden Dragon Dynasty... Puff.

Melia nodded at the gift box. "Old man, the Empire officially became a republic one hundred and forty years ago. Officials don't sell commemorative gold coins."

"Hey, hey."

Seeing that he couldn't fool ordinary tourists, the old man didn't shy away. Instead, he patted the box openly and said, "We are still keeping these as souvenirs. These are all pure gold. You can buy them back and keep them as a collection. Look at the dragon head on it, it's so beautiful~"

It was really cute. Melia wanted to leave, but when she saw the cute cat-ear dragon head on the gold coin, she couldn't move.

All gold dragon coins that have circulated throughout history feature a majestic dragon head on the obverse. Although historical records accurately record that Emperor Menea gained a pair of cat ears after transforming into a dragon, authentic dragon heads often cleverly conceal the cat ears behind the dragon's horns.

Only some folk and Egyptian commemorative coins adopt a childish and cute style: who can refuse a cute cat-dragon!

Some experts have suggested that if there were no cameras a hundred years ago, many golden dragon enthusiasts would have regarded the cat-shaped Menea as another daughter of Emperor Elena.

After all, Emperor Elena and her only queen in history, Melia, were both celebrities, and countless scholars tried to find evidence that they had lovers and illegitimate children.

While some people praise their loyalty, others fabricate legends of promiscuity in private, intending to prove that outstanding people must be emotionally chaotic.

Fortunately, Emperor Menea lived until modern times. Under the threat of imprisonment, these people had to give up and fabricate some vague and sour articles to get the matter over with.

"Boss, how much is this box of gold coins?"

"I sell it to others for 2,500, but I'll sell it to you for 2,000! Settlement in Huaxia currency, supports Alipay, so you won't get cheated~"

"Sorry, I can't afford it~"

Melia turned her head decisively: "You're kidding! Two thousand for a box of Roman commemorative gold coins. How can they be pure gold? Gold-plated commemorative coins are selling for two thousand. Why not just grab them?"

"Wait a moment."

Humph, you’ve started bargaining, but why does your voice sound younger?

Melia turned around and saw a tall and beautiful woman took out her phone and scanned the QR code.

Didi, 250 yuan has been credited to your account.

"Uh, uh." The boss's cheeks flushed red. He scratched his head and handed the gift box to the blond young man in sunglasses. Damn, it was stuck right at the suggested retail price. Where did the scenic spot price supervisor come from?

"Well, this is for you. Don't leave a bad impression on Rome."

The beauty in sunglasses put the gift box in Melia's hands and seemed to take a serious look at it.

"No! I can't do that! I'll transfer the money right away." Scenic spot prices are normal; this kind of thing happens everywhere. Melia quickly pulled out her phone and just as she looked up, she saw the other person walking across the street.

So fast, did it fly over?

"Miss!" She stood on tiptoe and tried to chase after her, but the red light suddenly turned green and several buses blocked the sidewalk.

"fine."

The fashionable woman raised her hand and waved behind her back: "It's not easy to come to Rome, remember to watch the World Cup." After that, she disappeared into the alleys on the side of the street, as fast as if she had practiced Lingbo Weibu.

Yes, the World Cup.

Melia swiped her phone thoughtfully. This World Cup was being held in the Roman Republic, and after a referendum, the venue had been decided to be the hunting forest outside the ancient city of Rome.

The hunting forest was originally the private property of Queen Melia's family, but was later donated to the Roman Republic according to her will.

Yes, it was a republic, not an empire. She was the first person to dare write the words "Roman Republic" on a public document.

Although she married the Roman emperor and her daughter succeeded him at the call of the people and the Senate, she still insisted that Rome would eventually become a republic.

“Thanks to the wisdom of our ancestors, we now have more food to eat, warmer clothes to wear, and a more convenient life. But I still feel that we are still a long, long way from the ultimate happiness that lies at the end of knowledge and technology.”

Those were the last words she left to the public. Even though more than three hundred years have passed, Melia is still very curious about how the great man with the same name as her could have thought of these things in such an era.

That's why many experts believe that Queen Melia is the only verifiable time traveler in history. The sages she mentioned are actually descendants.

Some people feel that such words are ironic and whitewashed by the mother of Menea Magnificent, who was, after all, the longest-reigning Roman emperor in history, a full 360 years.

But more people believe that the mother's beliefs were indeed conveyed to her daughter.

Emperor Menea devoted her life to promoting scientific research and mechanical inventions, and when the "time was ripe", she abdicated early despite strong opposition from the Senate and the people.

Facts have proved that her approach is very wise: the people are not opposed to the republic, but do not want to leave the wise and hardworking monarch. After the emperor disappeared overnight, they had to accept the reality, naturally elected a new president, and launched vigorous reforms.

If it weren't for the strong support of this long-lived ruler and the large number of manuscripts left by his mother, the Industrial Revolution might have been delayed by a thousand years, and the feudal monarchy might have continued for a thousand years... Of course, this is just a bold guess.

In short, to this day, the hunting forest is one of the few areas in the ancient Roman city that is suitable for development:

In the past few hundred years, only the emperor flew back and forth from time to time, and appeared and disappeared mysteriously with a group of hired workers. No one knew what they were tinkering with inside.

It was only recently reopened to attract investment, build a modern city, and host the new World Cup.

"There can't be a real research institute underground, haha." Melia scribbled the comments.

It was too late to buy tickets now, of course; the World Cup had already reached the semifinals. However, she had already booked tickets for the final and semifinals months ago: thankfully, the Chinese team performed consistently, so the purchases were worth it.

I stood under the awning and looked at my phone for a long time, but the senior student who was supposed to pick me up still hadn't arrived.

It shouldn't be.

She pulled up her address book and the call went through in a few seconds.

"Excuse me, is this Senior Feifei? I'm here, but I don't see you guys."

"Meliya?" The voice on the other end sounded a little tired, but quickly returned to normal. "...I'm afraid you didn't receive the email. The tour has been postponed to next Wednesday."

Thump, thump, boom!

Mimi, that guy, has been neglecting his school email for days, and finally something went wrong!

During the World Cup, even if you stay at the cheapest Beehive Hotel, your wallet will bleed a lot, right?

Melia burst into tears and observed a three-second silence for her soon-to-be-lost wallet: "Senior Feifei, I'm sorry..."

"No, it's me who should be sorry. I didn't check with you."

A tired sigh came from the other end of the phone: "My advisor didn't tell me until half a month ago that he actually signed up for the lunar voyage and passed."

"?"

Melia asked cautiously, "But aren't we from the Department of Paleontology and History?"

"Yes, but the instructor has a rather unusual hobby. It's said that he's been using a telescope to record star trails since he was eight years old."

Is this the world of the strong? Melia was speechless.

Perhaps sensing her dejection, the voice on the other end added gently, "The instructor will be launching tomorrow night. I'll pick you up the day after tomorrow and help you apply for a dorm. We can apply for reimbursement for hotels under 700 yuan."

"Really? Thank you so much!" Melia was embarrassed to interrupt and whispered, "Then please get busy. I'm hanging up now."

"Um."

They waited in silence for a few seconds, and she gently pressed the red button.

Alright~ Now it’s time for the fun World Cup! I booked my tickets early, so I’ll miss out on watching it.

Melia jumped twice and walked onto the zebra crossing: "Let's get to the hunting forest first. There must be a lot of Beehive Inns there..."

"Sizzle"—the sharp sound of brakes cut through the eardrums, and a fiery red supercar sped away, leaving a trail of afterimage.

[Oh no, I’m dead.]

Only one sentence flashed through Melia's mind before she lost her balance in her reflexive avoidance and fell to the road.

The expected crushing did not come, and the sports car stopped diagonally in front of him, just a few centimeters away from hitting his feet.

"call……"

Her heart was pounding, and Melia couldn't even muster the mood to curse.

I nearly died in a car accident...

The first twenty years of my life were smooth sailing, and if I had another bottle I could win seven times in a row. Is today the day to use up all the bad luck accumulated over the past twenty years?

"Sorry, sorry, beautiful lady~"

The car door popped open, and a pair of long legs blocked the sunlight.

Another tall beauty wearing sunglasses, even blonde, but this one is even more... cynical? Speaking of which, are sunglasses a standard accessory for modern Roman women?

While she was daydreaming, the blonde beauty had already taken off her sunglasses and clipped them on her collar.

This person... has eyes of pure gold.

"Did you sprain your leg? Let me hold you." After saying that, his bony fingers really stretched out towards his thigh.

"Hey, hey, hey, no need, no, I'm not sprained!" Melia jumped up in fright. She patted the dust off her skirt and looked up. The suitcase had been lifted up by the beauty and thrown into the back seat.

I don't know where this beauty comes from. She doesn't look like she has any impressive muscles, but she can throw a suitcase more easily than a pack of napkins.

"Come, sit next to me. You're here to watch the World Cup too, right?" She stretched out her long legs and returned to the driver's seat.

Ouch, that's a bit suspicious. At least sit in the back seat with the suitcase?

Melia looked towards the back seat. There was a suitcase on the outside and a blonde beauty sitting inside. They looked similar, but this one was stronger, making the cramped back seat of the sports car seem even more cramped.

"The one behind me is my cousin~"

"Well..." Melia wanted to refuse, but the suitcase was still in their hands, and she was in a dilemma for a moment.

"Pfft, you think I'm a bad guy?"

The blonde beauty turned around proudly and winked at Melia. "I am the princess of the Hun Empire, Attila. If you don't believe me, do you want me to show you my passport?"

Hunnic Empire!

Supercar, blonde hair and golden eyes, tall beauty... Melia subconsciously believed half of it.

Whether you have studied history or not, the Hunnic Empire is very famous.

As an ancient nation, it has retained the imperial system until the modern time: for no other reason, the Huns highly respected the so-called golden blood and were eager to announce to the world that they had a golden king, the most perfect human being.

More importantly, the land occupied by the Hun Empire was extremely rich.

There are high-quality minerals underground, oil under the desert, fishing ports and sea outlets on the coast, and natural gas can be extracted... The royal family can win the hearts of the people just by spending money lavishly, so who cares whether he is an emperor or not?

Looking closely, the two sisters are wearing all branded clothes.

The scratch on the supercar's paint that I just made is worth more than 10 suitcases.

Even though she was the unlucky one who got hit, Melia still felt a little embarrassed: "Free ride, isn't it bad..."

“Hahahaha!”

Not only the people in the front row, but even the sisters in the back row laughed.

Atila wiped the corner of his eyes, grabbed his wrist and pulled hard: "Come in, you still want to pay me? Hahahaha."

The car door snapped shut. The sports car instantly accelerated, its roar carrying the brief scream into the wind.

…

I was going to die. I really thought I was going to die.

The car door flew open, and Melia floated out of the sports car, limp and weak. She couldn't vomit... she was just too cold.

"Ahem, my cousin's driving skills are indeed a bit bad." The strong beauty in the back seat apologized softly.

After hesitating for a moment, he added, "Maybe it's because we won't get hurt, and the Hun Empire is vast and sparsely populated... I'll tell her to be careful next time."

"Hehe." Melia walked forward with an awkward smile. As soon as she turned around, she was shocked by the scene in front of her.

The magnificent stadium stood before them. To be more precise, they had already entered the stadium and were just waiting to take the elevator to the dedicated stands.

"Did you drive the car inside?"

"How about getting off the bus, lining up, checking tickets, and entering together?"

Attila shook the solid gold car keys. "I paid a hundred times the price and got three times the service. That's fair, right?"

"Sounds good, very good... I'll walk back now, thanks for the ride..."

Before Melia's fingers touched the armrest, they were gently grabbed.

Atila dragged her to the elevator, and the three of them rose higher and higher. "Since we're here, why are you leaving? I booked the whole box~"

They entered a room with a TV. When the blinds were drawn, Melia took a deep breath: From here, they had a clear view overlooking the stadium. Such a good view, even if she didn't share it with a large group, she would at least invite a few more friends to make sure it was not wasted.

I guess these two have no concept of waste?

…

The grass is green and the players are running hard on the field.

The captain with long crimson hair scored a goal, and even though she was standing outside the crowd, Melia could hear the deafening cheers.

"Tiffany is so handsome~"

She expressed her sincere emotion that a piece of advertising on the chest of superstar Tiffany could fetch hundreds of millions of dollars - the star donated all the money to charity organizations to pay for prosthetic limbs for some people who lost limbs.

Woohoo, I really hope that such a good person can win in the end, but I hope that the Chinese team will win even more! Woohoo.

"Like Tiffany? I have her autograph~" Attila came over, deliberately picked up the small football in the corner, and turned it with her fingers.

Wow, you are really like a child.

Melia waved her hands helplessly: "No need, the autograph is just a souvenir."

"Well, if you don't like souvenirs, what do you like?"

“…delicious.”

Atila's eyes lit up. "Then I'll treat you to a meal? Don't worry, we both have membership cards, so it's not like we're taking advantage of me."

Sister, so I don’t need to charge money for the membership card?

Melia waved her hands weakly: "There's really no need to send me anything. I didn't break any bones, and I don't have a concussion..."

"Hehe~ What if I must give you something, what would you like?"

"I don't……"

No, if she really was the Hun princess, there was one thing she wanted no matter what. She fell silent.

Attila chuckled, lying on the sofa. "Young girls are just adorable." Was it rubies or sapphires, or designer bags, that mattered? Everyone has a price, high or low.

Finally, Melia looked over attentively. "If I want to enter the Golden City Library of the Hun Empire, what will it cost?"

The deep golden pupils contracted violently, and the ambiguous atmosphere gradually dissipated.

What a surprising, yet unsurprising answer.

She had never expected to hear about the treasure built by her ancestors, which she was most proud of.

"Well, well," Attila replied seriously, "I can't promise you anything right now. How about adding your contact information first?"

"Okay! Even if there's even a slight possibility, please~"

Stars twinkled in the girl's deep brown eyes. Attila quietly added the friend, her heartbeat speeding up slightly.

Although the Golden City Library was open to scholars from any country in history, the current Hun Empire only welcomes distinguished guests and scholars of the same ethnic group to enter the reading room.

It is difficult to become a distinguished guest of the Hun Empire, but there are many ways to join the Hun tribe.

…

As the night deepened and Melia was unfamiliar with the place, she had to shamelessly accept Attila's help.

“There is a great hotel~”

This guy said this, and he didn't lie.

Looking at the several zeros on the price list, she felt pain in her eardrums: Hey, I know there are people who would spend hundreds of thousands to stay here for one night, but that person is definitely not me!

"I'm sorry, I can't pay."

Faced with the waiter's warm smile, Melia mustered up the courage to look away and walked out with stiff legs.

"Hey, you're not really going to check the price, are you? You don't have to pay." Attila blocked the way kindly.

Even my cousin nodded calmly: "It's okay, there are two large beds in the box, we'll give one to you."

Huh? Three people sleeping together?

No, no, no, that's not the point—Meliya shook her head vigorously: "No, I've been bothering you all day. Actually, I've already booked a hotel..."

"Yes, she came with me."

An arm gently passed over her shoulder, and another blonde woman in sunglasses appeared! Although they were both suspicious, this one was surprisingly friendly.

[Uh, isn't it a bit bad to think of her like that? Look closely, she's quite... cute?]

Melia suppressed her surprise and nodded reluctantly, "Yeah, yeah, actually, I've been waiting for someone from the University of Rome to pick me up."

Atila was quite casual and waved her phone directly: "Okay, remember to contact me if you have any trouble~"

"Yeah, yeah!" Melia nodded repeatedly, and only breathed a sigh of relief when the two sisters disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Thanks...eh?"

The blonde simply looked her in the eyes and slipped a key into her hand. "Room 606 is yours for the week."

…Is this some weird, overbearing statement?

Even though the other person looked really noble, Melia still raised her hand to refuse: "No need..." Where is the person? Why does someone disappear after finishing speaking? There is no running bus in the hotel!

She looked at the waiters, who just politely shook their heads. "Miss, that's a long-term guest. You'll want to go to Room 606. The money has been prepaid. Please follow me."

So, I didn’t book Room 606... Melia was speechless as she watched the suitcase going away.

…

Melia stood hesitantly in front of the door.

Everything was so "lucky" and cleverly seemed like a trap.

Various overseas scams quickly flashed through my mind. Could I open the door today and find myself at some underground auction house tomorrow? Or would I be chopped up and sold off to wealthy crooks?

"Meow~"

Just when she made up her mind and was about to return to her suitcase and run away.

"Meow~" A tender meow sound came from the corner.

"Cat, there's a cat!"

She quickly turned on the flashlight, and sure enough, a snow-white cat crouched in the darkness. It was plump and cute, like a giant marshmallow.

"Cat~Cat~Cat~Let mommy hug you~"

She opened her arms and chased after it. The cat paused for a moment, but still twisted its tail and ran away down the corridor.

It ran very slowly, giving people the illusion that it could be touched at any time. Melia couldn't help but follow it around in turns, and finally, she completely lost the cat.

Crash, crash.

The sound of running water was rumbling, and the light from the electric lamp was dim, only enough to illuminate the water fountain that imitated a lotus.

With a click, Melia lowered her head and found that her shoes almost stepped into the pool.

That was close. Is this the swimming pool of a luxury hotel?

"Who is there?"

“Wa ...

Melia was frightened by the sound and missed a step.

Crash!

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

She can swim, but not with clothes on... her skirt gets so wet that it sinks...

Brush——

The girl raised her face, and her long golden hair came into view.

Strong arms embraced her waist, and two graceful figures intertwined in the dim light.

The Lady of the Lake opened her eyes and said to her, "Alice blue, brilliant as the deep sea." Only these words remained in her mind.

The rose-like lips slowly opened and closed, and the tinnitus in her ears was so intense that she couldn't hear even a single sound.

A book came to mind, and the silver-white pages turned quickly.

The Rose Princess? Shadow Rome? What was that… She floated in the glow, passing through countless memories as clear as bubbles.

When the rose kisses the lips, dewdrops fall.

Kind Savior, if this is your wish - I will grant it.

The world will respond with...the tenderness you have.

…

Entry: Cause of death of Emperor Elena.

Emperor Elena, a well-deserved wise monarch, has a deep relationship with his wife Melia.

Her radical approach and preference for tough solutions in her early years led to numerous assassination attempts, with 76 officially recorded in the year she abolished slavery alone.

According to historical records, the Dragonblood Empress did not die from assassination; all records of her end with her abdication. Popular stories circulate that she and her wife traveled, lived in seclusion, and devoted themselves to research, but the year of her death is unknown.

One theory is that the death of Emperor Elena completely changed Emperor Menea's mind and he changed the monarchy to a republic.

One story says that after his wife Melia died, Emperor Elena also passed away.

Based on available data, scholars generally agree that Emperor Elena died of old age. According to their ancestors' calculations, the Dragonblood Queen's lifespan was likely between 200 and 300 years old, not much different from that of the suspected half-dragon Queen Melia.

Or perhaps, a great emperor with dragon blood would believe in ancient legends in his later years and count the years after his wife's death in the hope of meeting her in the afterlife.

A few researchers also believe that since there is no record of her burial location or burial, Emperor Elena may still be alive.

…

"Welcome back, Melia."

The author has something to say:

Finally, the whole article is finished - flowers! Hugs! Flying all over the sky~

Thank you all for reading this warm, romantic, complete and loving story. I am really... overwhelmed with emotion and unspeakable joy.

By the way, in this world, the World Cup is a mixed-gender football match, and the strong European teams are all in the Roma team, so it is very reasonable for the Chinese team to enter the finals!

Ahem, I've gotten off topic. Anyway, thank you all for your company along the way, and I look forward to seeing new little angels here. Every time someone else finishes reading and enjoys this story, it brings me a warm and happy feeling. Even though we're thousands of miles apart, we can still feel a certain sense of resonance that brings a smile to our faces.

Finally, let me recommend the next novel~ It's about a food-grade cat who travels to the orc world and struggles to survive. There will be elements of a live broadcast system, but more importantly, it will star in various realistic movies with a light-hearted and funny style.

Another yuri novel with mysterious elements, telling the story of the only normal person in an abnormal world.

Hug again~ and look forward to meeting again. Written on: December 11, 2022, at 23:00 am.

Thanks to nanaya_scarlet's Lei Lei~