Chapter 95 Reunion

◎The clear pupils reflected the candlelight, and it was hard to tell whether it was night or amber.◎

"You guys chat first." Pados put down the spoon and left his seat.

My parents sat at the table, stunned as always, while my withdrawn sister stared at her plate, taking a sip of her soup every ten seconds.

Very similar, really similar. They were similar before, but [something] reinforced the stereotype.

Pardos rubbed his forehead. For someone like him who liked to observe details, the limbs becoming translucent before meals were not scary, but the stiff and subtle changes of his family members made him nauseous.

He looked up at the hall, where slaves were coming from other rooms to pick up the dishes he had left behind.

The route they used to clean was basically the same as the route they used to set the table. Before the meal, he deliberately placed a chair on the route most people would pass by. Everyone would rather walk straight to the chair and then walk around it than change their behavior pattern.

It's horrible, this feeling of abnormality that arises from ordinary life.

Pados walked out of the yard silently: he had to take a breath first, otherwise his mind would not be able to calm down.

What is the solution to Athens's predicament? The details of the home are clear. The changes likely occurred a month ago, and the layout may have been even earlier.

No, I've been away from Athens for too long, and all the clues are gone. I'll go to the parliament tomorrow - if tomorrow can come.

He raised his head and looked at the boundless sky.

The trail of stars...

"Teacher Pardos!"

Taffy's voice made him turn his head, and when he saw Melia on Taffy's back, he raised the corners of his mouth reflexively.

Then he frowned.

"Taffy, wait a minute." Pados asked in a deep voice, "What happened to Melia?"

Before he could finish, a sharp scream pierced the night sky, piercing his eardrums and hurting his ears: "Why are you here?! Can this unfortunate thing help me?"

“…”

There was only disgust and hatred in his emerald eyes, not a trace of rationality. "Get out of here! I won't beg a poor Greek! You come to Rome to beg, and you dare ask my dad to pay!"

I had a headache, a terrible headache. I felt nauseous from the bottom of my heart.

This nausea is exactly the same as it was a few years ago.

Pardos lowered his hands and walked towards the gate step by step: "Miss Melia, you should know that Muala is dead, right?"

"Pooh!"

Melia spat forcefully, the saliva sticking to the grass: "If my father hadn't died, none of you would have dared to bully me!"

“…Do you know where this is?”

The girl's expression twisted in mockery. "Ha~ Of course I know. It's just a slum in some shabby little city. Living in a place like this that looks like a rat hole!"

Pardos ignored her inappropriate metaphor and calmed down.

His eagerness to seek Melia's help in analysis changed: now it was her turn to need his help.

"Oh? Do you still remember the trouble you encountered? Is it related to Princess Elena..." Melia's expression was so stupid that Pados observed Taffy with his peripheral vision.

"Yes, yes, it's that bitch Elena. She actually dared to chase me and bite me. Damn it, do you have any solution? If so, I will reward you with some money later." Melia cursed as dirty as she could, and at the same time pulled out a branch and whipped Taffi as usual.

It's familiar. I have a similar scene in my memory. So, it's [Meliya].

He would never forget the sight of her dragging the slave and biting him while kicking the stone slabs with her feet—he had hardly been able to remember it before, probably because the two were so difficult to connect.

The girl who was full of gentleness and wisdom, and the guy in front of her, even their appearance was... completely different.

Taking Melia's low comprehension into consideration, he said in a coaxing tone, "Yes, but it's too late now. You probably don't want to sleep in the wild, do you?"

"That makes sense."

Melia stomped out into the yard, looking the place up and down. "It's barely okay. Since you invited me so sincerely, I'll give you this opportunity to make money."

After saying that, she twisted her waist gracefully and walked in wearing jeweled slippers.

She was more like a master than the master, bumping into several slaves and even touching the face of the beautiful maid, shouting, "Let her serve me tonight!"

Pardos followed behind and asked gently, "Miss, how much property do you have now? Who will pay for it?"

"Huh? How could I not be able to pay? Half of Rome should be mine! Damn these bandits... Damn Muro!"

Melia stamped her feet and waved her hands nonchalantly, "If it doesn't work out, go find my uncle or Malakis. They'll definitely pay. What are you worrying about?"

Humph, my father still has connections and hidden shops. These short-sighted guys... She raised her head complacently. If I had a little luck, even Elena—well, at least I could escape to Egypt and raise a large group of slaves to vent my anger!

Malakis?

It took Pados half a minute to remember the fat elder. He was really not good at business and made a living by following Melia and Ilitta and copying other people's ideas.

Judging from her status and age, even this [Meliya] should have little interaction with him.

Unless... the times and experiences are different.

"Yawn~"

Melia yawned exaggeratedly, kicked the door open and walked in: "Your slave needs a beating. He can't even open the door for the guest! Taffy, warm the quilt for me, and then bring salt and a whip. And that little beauty from before!"

"yes……"

Taffy's arm was grabbed by Pados. He shook his head silently and gestured to the other maids to follow in.

The two walked downstairs, and Padus raised his finger and touched his lips: "I will let the beautiful maid bring in a sleeping potion that will not harm the body. We have a lot of things to do tonight and don't have time to take care of her."

"Teacher...what should I do?"

His gaze passed through the window and fell on the hillside beyond the night sky. "Ronnie and some of the Huns are still outside the city, right? Use the Huns' eagles to send a message, telling them not to enter Athens, nor to enter any buildings or habitable places outside the city."

Before Taffy could speak, he immediately added, "If the eagles can't fly out, shout through the city gate and tell them to leave quickly."

Taffy was silent for a few seconds: "Teacher, what about you?"

"Me? Of course I have to go find Elena. The changes in Athens are most likely related to them. The timing is too coincidental."

Pardos picked up a sword that was hidden on the side of a garden pillar.

He crossed the gate and walked in the opposite direction of Taffy. "Run! If you can find Elena first, explain to her the changes that have taken place in Melia."

"this…"

"I don't care. Tell her that if she wants to face Melia like that for the rest of her life, she can just run away and delay."

The tone was calm and light, but it hit Taffy's face like hail.

Is this sentence really said to Her Highness Elena?

She took a step forward and ran faster and faster.

When, exactly when did it start, her biggest fear was no longer being abandoned, but... losing.

Losing the lady, losing her gentleness, even if it is just imagination, makes it hard to breathe.

Pardos turned around, confirmed Taffy's direction, and walked towards the stable.

It doesn't matter? Of course it's a lie.

That magnificent knowledge—he would not allow it to remain buried deep underground.

…

"Meow, meow."

The white cat huddled in the cage, using its tail to resist the poking fingers.

"Hey~ Can't you really give her to me?" The white-haired girl looked at him with her watery eyes, and even a heart of stone could not resist.

Unfortunately, she met Elena.

"No." Elena picked up the cage and waved the girl's hand away: "I caught it, so of course it's mine."

"Tsk, so stingy! You're about to become the emperor, how can you be so stingy!" She stomped her feet, but unfortunately the other party didn't even raise an eyebrow, so she could only slam the door and leave angrily.

The room was quiet for a moment. Elena shook the cage and said, "Are you behaving yourself now? Tsk, you dare to bite me."

"Meow, meow..." The white cat curled up in grievance, looking as pitiful as it could be.

Ha, playing innocent, huh? Elena patted the back of her hand, where two small teeth marks were clearly visible.

"Meow..."

Melia shook her ears, the person outside the door should have gone far away.

She immediately raised her head and meowed softly, "It's me! I'm Meimei! Don't you recognize me?"

"Meimei? What do you mean by Mei...you can talk."

Elena stood up suddenly. She should have been surprised, but why did she feel as if it was natural? And the name Meimei really sounded familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before.

The white cat slammed its claws on the iron cage. "Let me out quickly! Something happened in Athens. Who's that girl next to you?! I don't recognize her!"

Elena grabbed the cage and pulled it down. The white cat meowed and fell out, rolling onto the carpet. "That's too rough! Be careful not to break it!"

"So what, you're a cat."

"...Indeed. But throwing a cat is wrong!"

Two little paws stepped on her boots, and the cat's tail swept across her calf. "Elena, have you lost your memory? Do you remember the incident with the Alexander's Crown?"

Amnesia?

Elena wanted to laugh. She had a good memory: "You got the wrong person. My name is Alexandra."

Alexandra and Alexander sounded a lot like each other, and Cat's ears perked up. "Are you being controlled by the crown? Or is that girl controlling you?"

control?

She hates being controlled the most.

Elena picked up the cat by the scruff of its neck and threw it aside: "What nonsense are you talking about? Pandora and I grew up together. How can she..."

The memories flow smoothly and coherently, like beautiful paintings unfolding in my mind.

They had known each other since childhood, studied together, practiced swordplay together, and agreed to unify all of Greece and conquer Rome and Persia—but why didn't she have deep feelings for Pandora?

If Pandora needs to be sacrificed, I won't hesitate.

A cold voice echoed in my heart. Was I really so cold? Nothing seemed to be wrong.

"Meow, have you figured out the suspicious points? You must have! Hurry up and take me out, let's look for clues together~ Seriously, I'm not lying to you, if we don't work hard now, it will be too late!"

The white cat looked at her with its beautiful eyes. Its emerald… no, brown-black pupils were round and bright. It was the first time she had seen a cat with dark brown eyes.

Elena turned her head and straightened her body. "Oh, I will pay attention. As for you—I don't want to carry a cat everywhere I go. That's not right."

The coronation ceremony was just a few days away, so we had to put on a show. As Pandora had said, there were many who disobeyed the young master, and we had to teach them loyalty through blood.

"Cat? Well... since you've lost your memory, it doesn't matter if you don't recognize me."

The cat shook its snow-white fur and slowly stretched out in the colorful light.

The girl pushed aside her jet-black hair, tiptoed lazily, and walked slowly across the carpet. "That's all, Elena."

The clear pupils reflected the candlelight, and it was hard to tell whether it was night or amber.

The author has something to say:

Thanks to nanaya_scarlet's Lei Lei~

Thanks to Tan Tianyang and Yunzhong Feixiang for their irrigation~