I warmed his cold blood

The income from the Rose Garden was finally recorded, and Helen didn't squander it, and kept the heavy coins in the wooden box.

Having enough saved money gave him a sense of security.

He is getting better at studying.Those eyes that are used to seeing good food and wine, now they are more interested in political discussions and debate skills.His temperament became more and more calm, perhaps a deformation of some kind of bookishness.The strong interest in knowledge deep in his soul was also stimulated at this time, and his elegance was also beautifully combined with this bookish atmosphere.

He chose the high platform as a place to practice speeches. It was originally the best place to drink and watch the gladiatorial fights, but now it is used for the right way.He gave a speech to the pigeons, expressing his views on heaven, earth, people and gods.

He can spit out the rhetoric of politicians, and he can also say words that make slaves stop and move.There is no doubt that he has become excellent, although this excellence has been tainted with political slickness, but this fact must not be denied.

His hard work surprised the slaves and Fanny; the only person who was not surprised was Lucas, who just accompanied him tacitly, practicing sword and learning calligraphy.

Ever since the idea of ​​"grow together" was proposed that day, the two have tacitly studied together.

The light in the study was very mild. Helen sat at the desk as usual, wrapped in brick-red cashmere, with light-white fingers protruding from the brick-red, covering the stove like white buds.

He reads quietly.His hair had grown a little longer, and was blond from the sun, making him look feminine.

He was reading Cicero's "On the State" and was fascinated by it.His mind, his soul, was having an elegant conversation with the dead philosopher.

He didn't know that the water clock had passed the noon mark.

Lucas knocked on the door, and the slight movement called Herron back.

He carries the plate.Toasted bread, colorful assorted vegetables, cod meat fried with cheese, red sausage with bright salad dressing.This is a meal for the rich.

In fact, the meal had just been heated in the stone oven, and Herron missed lunch.

"My master..." Lucas put down the meal, "Even if you are the first elder, you still need to eat. I don't think hunger will bring wisdom. You are not like a giant titan who can overcome obstacles without meals! "

Helen turned her face and looked at him calmly.The black eyes were golden in the slanting sunlight.

"It seems that you have read "Theogony." Helen closed the book.

"Of course." Lucas came closer, "I'm a literate slave now!"

"You are still a slave who likes to make up his own mind!"

Helen tossed him a word, pulled the plate with the rich rice aroma closer, and quickly picked up the knife and fork, "I remember... I didn't ask anyone to heat the rice for me."

Lucas smiled, fished out the heater between his legs, squatted down and spread the napkin on his lap.

Herron was cutting the sausage, but her eyes were fixed on Lucas who was squatting beside him with a napkin.

His blond hair was disheveled, his blue eyes sparkled, and his busy movements were very serious, and the level of detail did not match his wild personality.The meticulousness under his rough appearance is completely revealed at this moment, which is very rare to see.

"Sometimes, I'm really glad that I bought you." Helen looked at him and said, "You take care of me like a father. I really doubt that your coming is my compensation from heaven."

Lucas paused, raised his eyes and smiled and said, "It is an honor in my life to receive such praise from you!"

The light from the shutters reflected on his face, which was gold and black, and the blue eyes were illuminated into a strange translucent color.His lips were illuminated by a golden light, very dry and pale, covered with a thin layer of dry white skin.

Herron stared at those two lips, recalling some bad memories, and suddenly said, "Come here, Lucas."

Lucas hesitantly complied.

Helen raised her finger, and the moist fingertips slowly approached and touched his dry lips, and slowly stroked twice like a slippery snail.

The touch on the lips is like a bug biting, rushing all the way to the heart along the blood vessels, numb and itchy.

"In the future, don't let me see your chapped lips." Helen withdrew his hand.

Lucas was stunned, his heart beating like a drum.

……

The first snows of winter fell in Rome, and people noticed it when they got up to pray at the shrines.The rain and snow fell one after another, and the city of Rome seemed to be splashed with a layer of milk and covered with a layer of white cotton.The snowflakes come and go, but everything that is exposed is white.

Housewives melted snow and added it to their meals, thanking the gods for their blessings; men dug cellars with bare arms and refrigerated wine barrels.People rejoice in this rare snow, build statues on the street, and worship devoutly.The children didn't even wear capes, and they ran around and had a snowball fight.

The courtyard was covered with snow, and Harren didn't let the slaves clean it.He was wearing a brick-red cloak, standing straight in the middle of the courtyard, like a fire burning out of thin air in the snow, extremely bright.

Hearing the tinkling sound, his heart moved, and he smiled softly.

Gattuso came to visit with his wife and children.

He was dressed in black as always, and his fat face was smiling like a flower.

Sura hugged the little Seneca, she was more gentle as a new mother.There was more tenderness in her eyes, as if everyone was her precious son; as if all the sins in the world would be forgiven in front of these eyes.

"Herron, look at your lovely nephew! He's grown up a lot."

She held out Seneca, and the round swaddle squirmed.Helen took a closer look, and saw that the baby had shed the little old man's shell, and his big eyes were very black. He clenched his fists, blinked his eyes, and smiled sweetly at Helen.

"Hug him, he seems to like you!" Sura said with a smile.

Helen took the baby carefully, poked his dimple with his hand, and smiled slightly.

"Oh, look at my silly brother!" Gattuso laughed teasingly, "He doesn't look much older than Seneca, like a little boy looking for milk from his mother!"

"Shut up! Gattuso, even Seneca looks more like an adult than you!" Herron glared at him.

The two chatted for a while, and Gattuso took Sura to visit his aunt.There was a smile on Fanny's gloomy face, she praised Sulla for giving birth to Claudius' heir, took out an emerald from the jewelry box and gave it to her, and kissed Seneca on the forehead.

Herron prepared a sumptuous luncheon.

The fireplace roared and crackled.The dining room was hot, and the dining atmosphere was very lively.

The square table between the sofas is very full.Grilled fish is a must, roasted dormouse stuffed with saffron, porridge dripped with honey, oysters grilled with cinnamon, and grilled flamingo tongues specially prepared for Gattuso.

The three nobles ate while lying down.Sura broke up the rice porridge with a spoon and fed it slowly to Seneca; Gattuso wolfed it down with a greasy face and made a sucking sound.He used a lot of dirty napkins, and every now and then he lifted his plate to let the slaves add more food to him.

"I heard from my aunt that you have been favored by the goddess Minerva recently. You read and write every day, practice speeches, and save all the money you earn."

Gattuso tore off the roasted dormouse leg, and the thief smiled and said, "Why, you figured it out? Do you want to come to the Senate to accompany your cousin?"

"Get out!" Helen grabbed the napkin and threw it at him, "I just don't want to be a drunken bastard anymore!"

Gattuso laughed.He laughed so hard that the hand holding the dormouse's leg kept shaking, and the sauce smeared his face, "Didn't expect to hear you say this... oh my God... I thought you were going to use the Live as a lazy pig for a lifetime!"

He gradually restrained his smile, put down the dormouse's legs, and said seriously: "But... I am very glad that you can work hard. I will help you when the elders are elected."

Helen smiled faintly: "It's an honor."

Seneca was choked by the rice juice, coughed hastily, the saliva flowed into the short and fat neck, and her little face was flushed.Sura picked him up, patted him on the back, and it took him a long time to stop.

"The rice porridge must be too hot! Sura, you should test the temperature first." Gattuso stared at his wife and said.

"Oh, I was too careless." Sura was a little ashamed, "I have always been a slave to feed him, and I really have very little experience in taking care of him..."

"It's okay. You can feed me a mouthful first, and then feed it to Seneca. I can test the temperature for you." Gattuso smiled slightly and said with ulterior motives.

"Gattuso, Sura also has a tongue and can test the temperature." Helen glanced at him.

Gattuso couldn't help but laugh.He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked into Herron's eyes with pity, though his smile wasn't exactly friendly.

"My cousin! This is the second time I have seen your dullness!" He sneered through his nostrils, "You will probably miss love in this life! God, I hope you will be merciful and pitiful This gorgeous looking fool..."

"Gattuso! You ate my flamingo tongue for 50 dinars. If you want to scold me, you should get off the sofa!" Herron said angrily.

Gattuso shut up very consciously.He looked at Helen for a while, sighed slightly, and ate at a much slower pace, not even holding his favorite flamingo tongue.

The meal was quiet for a while, except for Seneca's babbling and calling, and the sound of knives and forks touching the dinner plate.

"Actually, I came here today... I want to bring you a good thing, just like the silk business last time." After a long time, Gattuso spoke again.

"Go ahead."

"There has been a lot of snow in Capua, which has not happened in ten years. It is a blessing from the gods!" Gattuso said, "I want to bring Sura and Seneca to be blessed. Of course, And my silly cousin..."

Heron put down the tableware, "Capua?"

"That's right. It is said that the houses there are made of wood, but they are not as cold as marble!" Gattuso gestured, "You will be elected to the Senate soon, you can go there to pray for the blessing of the gods, and ask him to protect your career smoothly !"

Helen thought for a while, then nodded in agreement.

He was going to take Lucas with him.

It was evening when the luncheon ended.Helen fulfilled her duties as a master and personally sent the couple to the door.Gattuso first helped Sura into the carriage.

He tightened his cloak tightly, and took Herren's hand in a close kiss.He kept staring at him, his eyes swaying from side to side, with a hesitant expression, as if struggling to hold back something.

Finally, he couldn't hold it anymore, and his boots dropped quickly as he stepped on the floor.

"Herun, my poor cousin..." He had never been so serious before, "I know you were born in an unhappy family and lacked the fatherly love that everyone else has since childhood."

Herren's heart sank, and his breathing became slightly short.

Gattuso carefully observed his face, and continued: "I don't know...um...whether this kind of injury makes you treat your feelings like a blind man."

He paused and said hesitantly: "Maybe you who lack love are just escaping, burying your head in the sand like an ostrich... But as your cousin, I don't want to see you die alone."

Helen stared at him blankly, unable to say a word.

Gattuso coughed pretending to be relaxed, "Oh...it's really embarrassing to talk about this among men, isn't it?"

He smiled and patted Heron on the shoulder, turned around and jumped into the carriage.