I warmed his cold blood

Herron took Lucas home and told him to take a bath and have dinner.

He washed his hands in the copper basin, picked up the incense burner and sniffed, the drunken headache was relieved by the mint aroma.

The slave held the lamp for him, and the glass lampshade was inlaid with petal-shaped gold rims, like a floating golden bead in the dark corridor.

He stepped on the carpet all the way to the study and lay down on the rocking chair.The slaves lighted candles, poured him milk, and wiped the parchments with handkerchiefs to keep his hands from getting dirty.

They are diligent and obedient, and leave quietly after finishing their work.

Helen drank all the milk in the cup, narrowed his eyes lazily, and was secretly satisfied.

He put his feet against the legs of the table, and slowly straightened his bent legs. The rocking chair moved back due to the push of his body, and hit the window on the back wall with a thud.

With his back against the wall and the back of his head against the window sill, the angle allowed him to see the moon in the night sky.

Lucas changed into new clothes and saw Heron like this.

"Master Polio." He whispered.

Helen raised his head, and the floating window screen wrapped his face, and the outline of his face was drawn.

He stretched out his index finger to lift the window screen, and his handsome features immediately appeared.

Lucas was kneeling on the ground, wearing a brown-red tunic with a belt around his waist.His clean blond hair was fluffed up from the bath.

"Did you take a shower?" Helen asked, staring at the handful of gold.

"Yes." Lucas replied respectfully, "This is the first time I have bathed with clean water."

"Do you always go to the public bath?"

"It's worse than that. I can only soak in the wooden basin on the training ground, and I have to wait for others to wash it. There is blood in the basin, and the bath water is always light red, with a layer of sand floating on it..."

Herron laughed.He didn't laugh because of the content of the words, but the way Lucas curled his lips and tilted his head.The funny expression and the gladiator's tough breath combined strangely, forming a laughable effect.

"I assure you, you will never bathe in blood again." He said with a smile, "You will live in a separate room, have new clothes to wear, eat fish every day, and even get married and have children."

"Having a master like you is a blessing given to me by God! Tomorrow I will brand my family seal to show you my loyalty."

"I believe in your loyalty, Lucas." Herron withdrew his smile, "I believe in you."

A slave bowed over and interrupted the conversation between the master and the slave.

"Master, Sisi is here."

"Very well, let him come over." Helen sat up straight and cleared his throat.

Lucas noticed that he was extraordinarily serious, and retreated knowingly.

Sisi was Pliny's old slave and served him for nearly 30 years.After Pliny moved out of the family house to live alone, he had only this slave by his side.

He is a loyal domestic servant, with silver hair growing on his temples, and his back habitually leans forward.

Herron looked at him and sighed softly: "You are much older, Sisi. I haven't seen you since my father moved away."

"People will grow old after all, master." Sisi said with his head down.

"You have been serving your father all these years, I think you should know him well."

"It is my honor that your lord trusts me."

"I came here to ask you something." Helen stood up and put his arms on the table.

"About father, I hope you tell me everything you know." He paused, "and tell me truthfully."

"Gods above! As long as I know, I will tell you!" Sisi sincerely promised.

Herron was silent for a while, then stared at him and said, "How did he die?"

"His body is too decomposed to find out the cause of death." Sisi sighed. "He has a serious heart disease, but he rarely sees a doctor. I think he died suddenly because of this disease."

"Then has he ever made a will?"

"This is Polio's family affairs, I don't know very well. You also know that slaves are forbidden to participate in the master's family affairs. Even if the adults made a will, I have no right to know."

"Then do you know that he also has a red agate signet ring?" Heron pointed at the ring on his ring finger, "It's exactly the same pattern as this black ring?"

Ceci narrowed his eyes in thought, looking very laborious. "He did, but it was a long time ago..."

Helen was a little excited, and the old slave's answer was like an electric light splitting the dark night.

"Do you know where that ring is?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know. My lord used to wear the red ring all the time, and he also used it to handle official business. But... suddenly one day, he stopped wearing it, and asked a craftsman to give him a black ring. I'm just a humble slave, not quite Know where the red ring went."

"When did he wear the black ring?"

"Probably... more than twenty years ago." He recalled with difficulty, "I remember that he moved out of the house within a few days after wearing the black ring."

Although there are no direct clues, it is still rewarding.Helen lay down with a sigh of relief, and the rocking chair creaked softly.

"Tell me about your father, Sisi..." He stared at the roof, his eyes a little absent-minded, and said slowly, "What kind of person is he?"

"Your Excellency seldom talks, and he doesn't smile very much," Ceci said. "He is always busy with his business, and shuts himself in the room when he is free, and asks me not to disturb him. He doesn't command slaves very much, and allows me vacations." Very rich. He also helped me marry a wife, he is a rare good man..."

"Cersi, you don't have to praise his father so perfect in front of a son." Helen tilted his head and said, "I know that he has a crush on a widow and even committed adultery with her. You don't have to help him hide it."

Sisi lowered her head in embarrassment, "Actually...my lord doesn't meet her very often..."

Seeing his embarrassed look, Herron changed the subject: "Does he have any other hobbies?"

"Your Excellency has no hobbies. But... he particularly cares about a small box made of pure gold. He asks me to sweep the dust on it with a wool brush every day. The box is very small, only as long as a little finger." He raised his thumb and index finger, and gestured Look at the length.

Heron became interested and sat up straight. "What's in it?" he asked.

"I don't know. The adults never allow me to open it."

He raised his eyebrows, stroked his chin for a while, and asked, "Did he... mention me and my mother?"

"This..." Ceci stammered, "My lord..."

"Honestly, Sisi, you know I hate covering up and lying."

Ceci hesitated for a moment, and said: "...My lord never let me mention you."

"Heh." Helen laughed lightly at himself, "I knew it, I knew he was a good father!"

Before leaving, Herron drew up a release order for Sisi.The slave who had served Polio for generations became a freedman tonight.

……

It rained for half the night, even until noon.It was a rare coolness, and the stagnant heat was rarely dissipated, and Helen slept in the coolness until noon.He casually put on a cloak and went to the high platform to blow some air.

The high platform stands at the back of the hall, and there is a bare open space below.In the previous life, Heron transformed it into a training ground.He just stood on this stage, chewing jerky or tasting wine leisurely, watching the gladiators he bought fight each other with swords.

It's just that after he died and came back to life, he no longer had the intention of entertaining.

He heard the swishing sound of Jianyu cutting through the air, which was a little abrupt in the sound of rain.Looking down, as expected, the blond Germanic man was practicing sword.

The two seem to be in harmony.Lucas stopped suddenly, nailed his sword to the ground to prop up his body, panted slightly and looked towards the high platform.

He was bare-chested, with a black shawl around his waist covering his knees.

Because of the rain, his forehead hair was wet in locks, hanging down as he lowered his head.He was between the two locks of hair, staring up at Herren, his lips curled up at an indistinct angle.

He smiled and waved to Helen.

In the slanting rain, Helen stepped down from the high platform and came to his side.

Lucas knelt down consciously.

"Master Polio." His hoarse voice sounded.

Herron glanced at his blank back and asked, "Have you not branded your family yet?"

Lucas laughed suddenly, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.His laughter was undisguised, and it sounded so sharp, as if the person in front of him was not a slave master who controlled his life and death.

He clenched his fist and stretched out his thumb, pointing towards his heart: "I'm burned here."

That is the position facing the heart, red and swollen and hideous.The family seal is the initial letter P of "Polio", which is attached to the chest like a long worm, pulling wrinkles around, and the pale skin makes it even more glaring.

Heron seemed to smell a mixture of sand and blood, a strong, complex smell that gave him a familiar shock.

The last time I experienced this kind of shock was the night Lucas died.

"I don't know anyone here, and they don't burn my back," Lucas explained.He lowered his head, and Herron couldn't see his expression clearly. "I can only burn it on my chest."

Harron took off the cloak and draped it over his bare back.

"Kneel down and kiss my instep, Lucas." Heron said, "You should call me master instead."

Lucas lowered his upper body and put his head close to the ground, "Master." His voice was as small as talking to himself.

He held Heron's ankles and kissed the back of his feet.As with all slaves.