Chapter 717 Settlement (Part 1)

In the garden on the top floor of the Flavian Palace, when Andrew stepped on this familiar road again, he felt as if he was in another world.

After all, he had never faced death at that time. Maybe he felt a little more relaxed after escaping the danger. The experience of escaping from extreme panic made Andrew extremely cautious.

Andrew was shocked to be suddenly summoned by Luca. He was like a frightened bird and had no courage at all.

Friends who once fought side by side, they were so close, yet now they are so far away.

Stepping on the hard stone slabs of the Flavian Palace again, Andrew was no longer as fearless as he used to be. He began to become timid.

He used to be eager to be greeted and praised by the courtiers and palace servants who came and went, but now he didn't dare to do that. He was very afraid of someone calling his name, as if he would be arrested the next moment if he agreed.

Escorted by four guards, Andrew came to the garden on the top of the palace. Here, Andrew saw more than a dozen waiters working together to trim the branches and leaves of various flowers so that they could grow healthily.

Passing by them, Andrew couldn't help but feel puzzled. After all, this should have been a job that Luca did himself, but now it was the waiter who was doing it, which was totally inconsistent with Luca's style.

"It seems that you are very confused about their actions."

Such words interrupted Andrew's thoughts and startled him. He quickly turned around and took a closer look. It turned out to be Luca.

At this time, he was standing in the center of the garden. There was a small bed on which Luca was lying in a plain robe. Marenius was helping Luca to adjust the quilt around his legs so that it could cover his feet well.

"Caesar... I..."

Looking at Luga, Andrew was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to talk to Luga. After all, Luga must know everything Andrew had done.

Just as John Antiochus said at the beginning: You are a disloyal guy, you betrayed the will of Augustus, at least many times, you had such thoughts and corresponding actions, no matter how big or small, which are manifestations of disloyalty and should be punished.

"You deserve to be punished!"

These words kept echoing in Andrew's heart, like a sculptor of a stone statue, wielding an axe and chisel to carve these words into his bones, becoming the existence he feared.

Next to Luca was a table made of white marble, on which were placed a wine jug, two cups, and an inconspicuous-looking box.

"Long time no see, my old friend!" Luga said lightly, lying on the bed and looking at Andrew with a smile. His smile was still as friendly as usual, but the other party couldn't smile at all.

Andrew had a guilty conscience, and he avoided Luca's gaze, fearing that Luca would turn into an omnipotent prophet and know Andrew's thoughts the moment their eyes met.

"Why do you have to lower your head?" Looking at Andrew's nervous expression, Luca couldn't help but frowned, "Could it be that the teacher I hired was not good to Gloria?"

"No, Caesar, that teacher was very good to Gloria, just like Sebastianus was to Adnus."

"Could it be that Kunta is not satisfied with the villa I arranged for him and complained about something in your ear?" Luca gradually restrained his smile, frowned, looked at Andrew, and asked.

"No, Caesar, Quinta is very grateful for your arrangement. She often tells me that she must thank you."

"That's very strange, my old friend!" Luca said, slowly stretching out his hand. This action scared Andrew so much that his shoulders trembled.

There was no way Luca had not seen such an obvious action, but he remained calm and was not frightened by Andrew's sudden movements.

"What's wrong, my friend?" Luca looked at Andrew in confusion. "You look unwell. Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, no! I'm fine, I'm fine, Luca, no, Caesar, I'm fine, I'm fine."

Andrew had become incoherent and his face turned pale. He didn't know what to do or how to deal with the situation.

Facing Luca's eyes, Andrew no longer saw only confusion, but something else had appeared in those eyes: judgment!

Yes, you deserve to be punished for the judgment of the fearful! This sentence once again rang in Andrew's ears.

Andrew's breathing became very rapid. He tried his best to hold his breath, trying to suppress his inner anxiety. He tried to force a smile towards Luca, nodded and said, "Yes, Caesar, I'm fine!"

"That's good!" Luca nodded continuously, turned his head and slowly picked up a silver cup filled with wine on the table, then said to Andrew: "This time I called you here mainly to reminisce about the past. After all, we haven't seen each other for a long time. I still remember how inseparable we were back then."

"Yes, yes, Caesar." Andrew nodded continuously.

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Luca did not respond, but drank the wine in the glass. Then he shook his head and said dejectedly, "The Romans regarded this stuff as life, even as a god. No matter nobles or commoners, they would try their best to drink a glass of it every day, even if it was inferior wine. People said that this stuff had incredible magic. But I drank so much Edessa wine, which is as much as a huge open-air pool. But look at me, I am so weak, and all the miracles have not worked. Am I cursed just because I drank a mouthful of river water mixed with the blood of barbarians?"

"I'm sorry, Caesar." Andrew crossed his hands on his chest, lowered his head, and apologized to Luca in a low voice.

"It's not your fault, my old friend." Luga sighed lightly, then slowly placed the cup on the stone table.

"I have to say, I have something I want to show you, my friend." Luca said, glancing at the seat on the other side of the stone table, then looked at Andrew and said, "Come on, my friend, sit there. We haven't sat together to reminisce for a long time. Think about the time when we had nothing. That was the happiest time."

Andrew hesitated for a moment, but decided to walk to the seat and sit down. At this time, Marenius came forward and helped Andrew pour a glass of wine.

"You, me, and Marenius. We are all old friends who are quite familiar with each other. We are also comrades who fought together on the battlefield. I must thank God because of his mercy, we can be together."

After that, Luca pointed to the box and said to Marenius: "Open it!"

Before Marenius opened the box, Luca said to Andrew: "This is a treasure that Belia brought me from afar. As my old friend, Andrew, you should also witness this moment with me."

"Thank you so much, Caesar!"

The box was slowly opened, and when Andrew saw the items inside, he couldn't help but gasp, because inside the box was the head of Cecilius.

"You should be very familiar with it, Andrew!" Luca said slowly, but every word was like a heavy punch, hitting Andrew's chest hard.

(End of this chapter)