Chapter 40 Life is changeable
The night fell upon the plains, but in the east of the inner city of Rome it was as bright as day.
Torches rose from the ground, leaning against marble pillars, emitting the rich aroma of grease: slaves were busy turning branches to ensure that the barbecue was heated evenly.
Even as the autumn nights grew colder, they still wore only a bib, letting the sweat drip down their skin into the dirt.
A banquet held by just one or two families could not achieve such grandeur, but the nobles and wealthy would never miss an opportunity to show off their wealth. Except for the coldest days of winter or group hunting or picnics, they would light fires of various sizes in their courtyards almost every night to entertain guests.
As the gourmet Abyssus said, "No guests? No, no, no, today it's time to entertain the distinguished guest Abyssus!" Even if there was nothing to do, they would have fun in the yard, because there were plenty of slaves to keep them company.
Of course, as the lights grew brighter, not many wealthy people could burn so much resin and lamp oil in one night. It just so happened that Artetippus, the Supreme Elder, was one of them.
Although his title of "Supreme Elder" seems somewhat ridiculous compared to the others, he is often regarded as a supporter of Sulla. However, now that Muala has passed away, he is also a shining star.
The stars shine from a steady stream of gold coins. Artyppus' family has been serving the royal family since the founding of Rome. They were originally a group of fishermen, but after they became rich, they only rented out fishing boats and turned their manpower to more profitable businesses.
Slave trade.
The palace of Artetippus was located under a sparkling artificial waterfall. Of course, he did not dare to cross Caesar and touch the center of Rome. Fortunately, the width was not enough, but the height was used to make up for it. He used rockery to pile up a beautiful large pool.
These streams are drawn from the Mirror Lake on the mountain and meander through an entire wealthy area. Only the owners and guests can use them at will.
Caesar's palace had a golden roof, and Artetips's house was known as the Crystal Courtyard. He actually bought a large amount of natural crystal from neighboring countries and piled up a transparent and clear courtyard.
Whenever the moonlight is clear, the courtyard will emit sparkling reflections, wrapping the flowers and guests in a dream.
“——”
A distinguished guest in royal robes rushed into the courtyard, covering her mouth. She was pale and pretended to vomit.
The slave guarding the courtyard quickly stood up, holding an empty clay basin in his left hand and a water jar in his right, and without saying a word, he placed the basin under the distinguished guest's chin.
Elena pulled hard, held the pottery basin in her arms, and walked step by step to the garden where the roses remained.
The slave didn't dare to stop her at all. He knelt down respectfully with his back to her, staring at the grass on the ground.
…
I still feel like vomiting, the strange smell of burning grass leaves and those hypocritical words.
Elena tried her best to endure the feeling of her stomach churning. The dragon's blood was controlling the alcohol, and she felt like vomiting but couldn't, and she felt even more nauseous.
Click.
An apple rolled to the side of his feet.
"Elena, have you had too much to drink?" The little white cat poked its head out from the bushes, shaking off a handful of withered roses. She tiptoed outside, blinking worriedly. The emerald-colored light of the clear spring water instantly dispelled the shadows in her heart.
"Phew~ I'm fine."
Elena slowly loosened her grip, her lips relaxing. She picked up the apple and took a bite. The crisp taste overcame the strong smell of alcohol, and the restlessness in her stomach finally subsided.
Uh, I finally got this out of the fruit basket!
Melia's eyes widened in grievance. "Do you know how hard a kitten has to work to get around the crowd and drag away a big apple? Ugh, I was planning to hide in the grass and eat it slowly, but it just flew away like that..."
"Huh? Don't worry, I'm really fine. People always have to grow up." Elena reached out and rubbed the little head. "I just had some meaningless chat with a few businessmen. There will be many such things in the future."
The little white cat trembled as it climbed up her legs, and only settled down on her thighs after being lifted. "Why are you chatting with them? Didn't you dislike doing these things before?"
Melia found some time to read "The Rose Princess." There was no mention of Elena being socially anxious. Every time she appeared, she seemed at ease. She had always concealed her strength before her father's death. Only after his death did everyone suddenly realize: she had too many cards up her sleeve!
Elena stopped petting the cat.
She never seemed to share her troubles and anxieties with anyone, perhaps because she had no friends of equal standing, but more likely because she felt there was no need.
What's the point of saying this? Complaining?
But she suddenly didn't want to keep these secrets anymore: "The Senate passed a new law that the people of the maritime kingdoms annexed to Rome...will be able to be sold as commodities outside of Rome. I suspect Sulla is behind this; there are rumors that he is short of money."
Elena frowned as she repeated: I always feel like something is wrong.
The two people appearing in the courtyard were really a coincidence, but the news could not be false. The Senate did pass a new law, and the content was similar.
There are also reliable intelligence sources showing that Sulla Zhen took in a group of slaves with rare bloodlines from the sea countries in his home.
"Something seems wrong?" The little white cat twitched its ears. "Sura's plan... could it be that simple?"
This didn't match what she'd seen, nor the description of Sura in "The Rose Princess." Although Sura always seemed to be at the forefront of trouble, he actually always surrounded himself with lackeys.
If she didn't have the ability to reveal spoilers, transform into a cat, and backtrack, she would never have been able to deal with Sura's methods.
eel
Taking the first wave of offensive after Muala's death as an example, Sura was quite aware of the original owner's stupidity. He originally planned to use a hidden party to steal the contract, transfer the cash in the warehouse, turn Melia into a debt slave, and take everything away easily.
Even if Melia caught him off guard and he failed to steal the contract or get the gold, he could still incite a lot of "creditors" to take advantage of the situation.
Even better, they've arranged assassins and teamed up with the high priest. If the potion works, that's the best. If it doesn't, they'll arrange an assassination, probably even killing Muro at the funeral.
Even if all fails, and the high priest uses his divine power, wouldn't Melia be dead beyond death?
It was not until these methods were mysteriously cracked that he took the risk for Muala's huge wealth and prepared to forge a contract.
Even when dealing with Melia, who was "stupid, arrogant, had no connections or charisma, and had a lot of enemies", he would arrange several insurance measures. Why did he just use a direct knife to deal with Elena?
"That's certainly not his style." Elena nodded seriously. "Apart from anything else, if he sells off a large number of Sea Area citizens, it would also be very damaging to his reputation."
Even if the money is not enough, with Sura's means, he should be able to find a more decent way to make money.
She picked up the kitten and muttered to herself, "How can I break the impasse? The most direct way is to wait for the market to ship in large quantities and observe Sura's role in this as much as possible..."
She had been planning to do this, and her previous discussions with merchants were intended to allow her to intervene in the matter more discreetly. However, the issue of money was difficult to resolve. Without sufficient funds, a large number of Sea Area citizens would inevitably be stranded abroad, and redeeming them would be difficult.
"money……"
"You can ask Melia for it!" The kitten in her arms tapped her arm. "Look, she's changed a lot, hasn't she? Why don't you have a good conversation with her?"
Uh, Melia?
Elena was a little dazed: she had never thought of this option from the beginning.
Melia was once arrogant and fond of stirring up trouble. If she knew about this, she would definitely laugh loudly and deliberately purchase and kill sea slaves.
As for Melia now... can she really be trusted?
My mind subconsciously objected, but a small voice sounded in my heart: Since you are willing to gather intelligence from the slave traders and exchange benefits for help, why can't Melia do the same?
Is it possible that the value of citizens living in the maritime area is not worth a little bit of risk?
The little white cat rubbed its cheek with its paw and pressed its forehead: "Elena, give it a try. Humans are not static."
…
Meow! Melia rolled out of bed with incredible ease. It was such a relief not to be caught up in some conspiracy last night. It was so comfortable to be carried around like a kitten.
Elena is a good person to get along with. She'll give you duck pie after eating an apple. Arttips' garden is very well designed, but it's too expensive and difficult to maintain.
I'll just be a good student today and go to school early. Then I'll admire Elena's awkward and tsundere look, meow hahahaha.
As soon as their feet touched the ground, a maid brought clean water and a towel. After spending so much time together, they began to understand that their current young master liked cleanliness and was willing to ensure that the people under his command were clean.
The young master had them make soap from precious oils and fragrant wood ash, and also designed washboards and mallets for scrubbing clothes. After these utensils were distributed, they washed their hands and bodies more frequently without being reminded.
"Master, your toothbrush is ready."
Ani was assigned management duties, and the personal service was handed over to Mili. She held a wooden stick covered with pig hair and held it in front of Melia with both hands.
The stick looked a bit like the toothbrush she had drawn on parchment, but pig bristles and plastic brushes certainly couldn't compare. To make it as beautiful as possible, the craftsman inlaid two gold rings on the handle and carved a lotus flower.
Uh... although it looks a little weird, I can brush my teeth for now.
Melia smiled encouragingly. "Well done. Don't make it so fancy next time. A toothbrush needs replacing once the bristles break."
"yes."
Mili was a little puzzled: What things did the rich family use for so many times without replacing them? Was the young lady particularly frugal?
She remembered Ani's instructions and said without showing any emotion: "Master, a guest named Pardos is waiting for you outside."
Pados?
Melia stumbled out of the bedroom door, and stepped back in fright with a cry of surprise: "Teacher, what are you doing squatting outside so early in the morning!"
Pardos put away the quill in his hand and stood up, holding onto the door frame. "Let's go. Today we'll go check on the progress of the school's construction and choose a place to build an observatory."
Melia slapped her forehead. "Well, the Pantheon was sent a roll of glass, and everything went quiet. Are you here to scare me?" She had just returned a day earlier, and only yesterday had someone with a box of money been sent to start the demolition.
Before she could see him, Padus had already walked to the gate of the courtyard with the parchment scroll under his arm. She hurriedly followed him and said, "Teacher, wait for me, the house hasn't been demolished yet..."
…
"Hiss..." Elena felt a little dizzy from the sun. The math class was cancelled this morning, so she squatted on the training ground and fought eighteen of Ophelia's lackeys who came to provoke her.
Now there's only one problem - where is Melia?!
The author has something to say:
Thanks to Doubi Xiaomushi, ...., 47541595I, Shardiao, Little Deer Dingding, Zheqie, and Boyan for their support~
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