Chapter 703 Confrontation

"What? Return empty-handed again?" Cecilius visited Andrew's mansion with a mocking look on his face. This was the place given to him by Luca, and it was unknown how many times Cecilius and his guards had been seen there.

"Why you again?" Andrew was a little impatient, but due to Cesides' social status, Andrew had to give Cesides some face, so as not to make Cesides hate him. "How did you know?"

"This is not the way a noble should entertain guests." Cecilius mocked Andrew intentionally or unintentionally.

"I'm sorry, Lord Cesides." Andrew had to lower his posture to face Cesides. This was not only because of the difference in status, but more because Andrew knew very well the consequences of offending this local dignitary. He couldn't be so rude and ignorant.

"My followers told me that you have said you wanted to see Caesar more than once. But every time you couldn't even get into the palace. You, the commander of the imperial guards, were actually stopped by your own soldiers." Cecilius found a seat and sat down at random. He looked at Andrew, who said nothing.

A maid next to Andrew thought about it again and again, and finally stepped forward to pour a glass of wine for Cecilius at the nod of Quinta who was sitting next to her.

"Oh, yes, thank you very much, I am indeed thirsty." Although Ceciles said this, he still picked up the wine glass. A guard beside him stepped forward to take the glass, raised his head and drank the wine in the glass.

"I'm sorry, I'm always on guard, yes, since I was born." Cecil explained to the Andrew family present with an apologetic smile, then raised his glass to signal the maid.

The maid came to her senses and quickly poured another glass of wine for Cecilius. Cecilius took a sip and then placed it on the wooden tray brought by the guard beside him.

"Sir Andrew, tell me, how many more times do you plan to go?"

"I must explain this to Caesar!"

"I'm afraid Caesar is not willing to listen to what you want to explain now, and he won't even give you the slightest chance." Cecides smiled contemptuously, looking at Andrew as if he were looking at a poor homeless man. "Caesar is not in the Flavian Palace. My scouts told me that a month ago, an army passed through my jurisdiction, with fully armed cavalry escorting a spacious carriage. I think there is no reason not to believe that the person sitting in the carriage is not Basileus himself."

"How is it possible?" Andrew almost shouted, "Tell me, where is he now?"

"The caravan went east. It seems that your old partner abandoned you and planned to act alone." Sisides pretended to think and continued, "As for where he went, I can only guess that he went to Isuria, a place full of robbers and bandits. I didn't expect him to go there quietly. I really can't think of any reason for him to negotiate with those robbers."

"Maybe you saw it wrong?" Andrew retorted.

"Haha, I hope so." Cesides laughed dryly and looked at Andrew. There was something else hidden in his eyes, which Andrew did not see.

"So, Sir Andrew." Cesides sighed and stood up. It seemed that he didn't want to stay here for too long. "Think about it carefully. After all, your companions no longer need you. You must remember that there are people all over the world who are willing to serve Augustus. You are not the only one who can help him. Don't forget that he is where he is today not because of you."

"Okay, I hope you can leave, right now!" Andrew couldn't stand it anymore, he stood up, pointed outside the door, and said to Cesides in a deep voice.

Cesides snorted coldly, then stood up and said impatiently: "Sir Andrew, at least you are still of some use to me. I know your intentions, Andrew. I have to remind you that you have too many little thoughts. People around you can see your tricks. I must remind you, Sir Andrew, this is a very, very dangerous idea."

"What I'm thinking has nothing to do with you!" Andrew waved his hand in refusal.

"I hope so, Sir Andrew." Cesides snorted coldly, then turned around and walked out of Andrew's villa with the guards behind him.

Andrew stood there, like a piece of wood, unwilling to move, as if his soul had been sucked out of him.

"Andrew, oh, dear, what's wrong with you?" Seeing Andrew's appearance, Kunta was also very worried. She asked Andrew, but Andrew did not respond.

"Andrew?" Kunta called Andrew again, and only then did Andrew come back to his senses.

"Oh, oh!" Andrew responded, and finally came to his senses, "Gloria, where is Gloria?"

"She is learning rhetoric from the teacher." Kunta looked at Andrew with a puzzled look and said, "Hey, have you forgotten? This teacher was invited by Caesar."

"Oh, yes, Caesar, Caesar!" Andrew muttered, pacing back and forth on the spot: "I know, of course I know!"

Kunta's reminder, whether intentional or unintentional, reminded Andrew of the time when Luca nodded in agreement and took care of him and Gloria.

Admittedly, he was very afraid now, or at least doubtful. He questioned himself more than once in his heart whether his loyalty to Luca had changed. But what was certain was that he had indeed changed, and was no longer as pure and impulsive as before. At least looking at Kunta and Gloria, he finally understood the meaning of his existence.

What did he have before? Nothing more than a companion who saved his life on the road and an eagle flag that could help him get a job. Besides that, what else did he have? The denarius in his pocket couldn't even give him a good meal, so what else did he have left? Everything on his body was as worthless as his life.

Precisely because he has nothing, he has no scruples. He is not afraid of death, but he also longs to gain something from life and death.

But now it was different. He had obtained everything he had ever dreamed of, the title of nobility, a magnificent villa, countless shalidi gold coins (a unit of Eastern Roman gold coin), and a wife and children he loved.

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He is no longer fearless, but instead has worries; he is no longer reckless, but instead thinks twice before acting.

Just like now, he is eager to get a higher position and social status, but at the same time he is worried whether this will hurt the relationship between his closest comrades. After all, when it comes to power, you can talk but you can't grab it.

What Andrew is facing now is a multiple-choice question. After all, who to choose is worth pondering.

In the east, after saying goodbye to Zeno, Luca set off immediately. He couldn't wait to return to Constantinople because he now had new plans and was preparing for further consolidation.

When I got on the carriage, I saw Li Jiniya sitting on it. She was holding her chest, with a look of discomfort and pain on her face.

Luca took one look and knew what was going on, this woman who had to worry about everything.

"What's wrong?" Li Jiniya quickly restrained her expression and asked with concern.

"It's going well." Luca smiled and came to Likinia's side. "Just as I imagined, people in remote areas are always easily satisfied."

"You always have very strange ideas." Likinia sighed softly, "I don't know if this will have the desired effect."

"Don't worry, my wife." Lu Jia comforted her, "We are making the best plans, but we must also be mentally prepared to face the worst."

(End of this chapter)