I put out his fire

Nero who kissed for the first time is destined to lose sleep tonight.

He tossed and turned under the quilt, touching his lips with his fingertips from time to time, and repeatedly recalled the kiss with Rhodes between the trees, and every time he recalled it, he could produce the same happiness as at that time.

He was so happy that he couldn't sleep that he was excited until the next morning.

Summoned by his ringing bell, the slaves came with basins and towels, soaked the sponges picked from the bottom of the Greek sea, dipped them in soap locust water, and waited for the master to wash his face.Nero cleaned his teeth with grains of salt and wiped fresh lanolin on his face.

The house slave handed him the wax tablet engraved with words.It says his itinerary for today.

Nero browsed through it, then tossed the wax tablet aside.He changed into a well-ironed robe in front of the bronze mirror, and smiled foolishly.

The slave gave him a strange and timid look.Their masters had never woken up in such a good mood.

After the first kiss, Nero really wanted to see Rhodes again, and couldn't wait.

After changing his clothes, he ran downstairs immediately, making thud-thumping footsteps, and slipped halfway because of his excitement.He staggered through the corridor and came to Rhodes' bedroom door.

The door was still shut.

Nero's eager steps stopped abruptly, and he was a little out of breath.Facing the tightly closed door of Rhodes, he held his breath as if he was being inspected by the gods, and his heart beat faster with nervousness.

He raised his hand cautiously and knocked on the door twice with a very light sound.

The door opened before his hand dropped.

"You wake up really early." Rhode smiled at him through the crack of the door.

He had just washed his face, there were still light drops of water on his cheeks, his eyelashes and eyebrows were wet with water, his dark eyes were wet, and black and white were distinct.

Nero swallowed subconsciously, "...you opened the door so fast."

"I heard movement when you went downstairs." Rhode turned sideways and pointed his chin into the room, "Come in."

At this time, there are still a few stars outside the window that have not faded, like a few flakes of bright powder solidified in the blue glass.

Rhodes' washing process is quite simple.He casually wiped his face twice, and threw the towel in his hand on the hanging rope of the window, not even applying the most basic ointment.

Nero lit the oil lamp for him, and the light yellow candlelight filled the whole space, instantly brightening the room.

Rhodes tied up his boots and fastened his most frequently worn long sword around his waist, his face as calm as ever.

He put on his light black coat and pulled his thick long hair out of the clothes.

"Are you going out today?" He asked.

Rhodes' tone was serious, with a businesslike and cold tone, as if he had forgotten the fact that he only kissed Nero last night.

Seeing his indifference, the sensitive Nero couldn't help being at a loss.

He recalled the itinerary on the wax board and said: "There is a sacrificial ceremony after sunset, and I need to go there..."

"Sacrifice?" Rhodes slowed down, his face still frosty, "There is another sacrifice."

"To pray for the flood to stop." Nero was a little displeased. "Since the cause of the strange disease can be found out through sacrifices, the people believe that the flood can also be stopped..."

Rhodes tightened his collar, "What about your plan to renovate the theater?"

"We can only talk about it after the sacrifice is over." Nero's voice became smaller and smaller, "That is a huge and complicated project, and it will take a long time to raise funds and design."

Rhodes sat beside him, dipped his fingers in water, and combed his messy hair.

"How do you plan to design?" He asked while pulling his hair, "Are you looking for those architects under you?"

"Yeah." Nero nodded dully.

He glanced at Rhodes faintly, his eyes looked sticky.Rhodes black eyes, combined with his fiery red lips, naturally gave Nero a kind of color stimulation.

"That was really a troublesome matter," Rhodes said.

Nero suddenly felt aggrieved.He shrunk his thin nostrils twice, and said in a muffled voice: "Can we not talk about this..."

Rhode stopped pulling his hair, "What do you want to say?"

Nero moved closer to him, the corners of his eyes slowly turned red, and he rubbed his hands cautiously.

He stared at his well-shaped lips, and asked awkwardly and expectantly: "I...can I kiss you like last night?"

Rhodes froze for a moment, then smiled.He simply pushed back his unsmooth sideburns to reveal his lips.

"Yes." He agreed.

Nero moved over carefully, grabbed Rhode's shoulders, and moved his trembling fingers up his neck, holding the back of his head like last night.

Rhodes raised his face cooperatively, and slowly closed his eyes.

Nero stared at Rhode's lips, holding his breath and getting closer, his face flushed as if he was full of makeup.The orange candlelight flickered on his obsessive eyebrows and eyes.

He was nervous and restless, and tremblingly pressed Rhode's lips.When the lips touched, he felt the softness and warmth of Rhodes' lips incomparably, and every nerve of his had a pleasant feeling.The breaths of the two were intertwined, and they hit each other's faces very close, very hot.

Nero's back couldn't help but shudder.

Rhodes closed his eyes and gently circled his back.

Encouraged, Nero rubbed his soft lips eagerly, a little salivay, sticky exchange, and he sucked and nibbled instinctively, feeling good.The breath and body fluid from Rhodes made his long-hungry soul tremble, like a wolf looking for food, feeling more hungry while devouring flesh and blood.

Nero fell into a frenzy as he kissed, the aggression in his bones and the desire to possess Rhodes suddenly surged out.

He even stood up in a daze, leaned forward, and bit Rhode's lips with violent force.

Rhodes responded to him as much as possible, clenched his shoulders tightly, and there were bursts of pain from being bitten between his lips.

This turned into an aggressive kiss.

Nero, who has no skills, will not master breath and strength.Rhodes was so breathless by his kiss, his face gradually turned red, and he pushed him away when he couldn't bear it anymore.

Nero's eyes were blurred, his heart was beating heavily, and his mind was as foggy as mud.In fact, he was also very depressed, but he kissed so passionately that he completely forgot the feeling of physical depression.

He saw Rhodes blushing and panting, and there were water stains and tooth marks left by himself at the corner of his mouth, which seemed a bit like being humiliated.

Nero woke up like a dream, and quickly apologized: "I'm sorry...I'm not very good at kissing."

He said a little shyly, "You were the first person I kissed... I've never kissed anyone else..."

Rhodes panted slightly, and it took only a moment for his breathing to return to normal.

He raised a very faint smile, "I see."

Nero, who has just fallen in love, especially likes physical contact.He hugged Rhodes tightly, stroking his back with his hands, feeling the bone shape of his back.Every part of Rhodes, even a blink of a hair, can make him laugh silly.

"I like to hug you and kiss you... It feels so comfortable." He said excitedly, "Do you like it?"

Rhodes hugged his back, a smile appeared on the corner of his lips, "I like it very much."

Nero turned his face sideways, kissed his temples tentatively, and asked with a blushing face shyly, "Then...then can I kiss your lips again?"

Rhodes turned away his longing and fiery gaze, pointed to the morning light that was about to burst out of the window, and said with a smile: "A nobleman with strict behavior should not kiss his partner before sunset..."

Nero was a little depressed, moving his lips just about to say something.

At this time, there was a knock on the door, and a slave reported through the door: "Master, the queen is here. She is waiting for you in the courtyard."

Rhode withdrew from Nero's arms, his expression becoming serious.

Nero paused, and the blushing on his face was gradually replaced by darkness.

……

Agrippina is wearing a cumbersome black dress and a golden hair crown on her head.A translucent black gauze covered her clean face without makeup, giving her a heavy and solemn aura.

Under the still blue sky, her thick black figure was rigid and stubborn, like a dried ink stain.

Nero walked into the courtyard indifferently.He didn't let Rhodes follow him.

Agrippina's cold eyes glanced at her son's red robe through the black veil.

She reprimanded dissatisfied: "These days are your father's death anniversary, you can't wear such a bright color!"

Nero said flatly: "Since you have married someone else and lost your status as his wife, then I also have the right to refuse your request."

Agrippina's expression was stiff, and she still said calmly: "This is my decision after rational thinking. You know who I do everything for..."

"For my father's great cause." Nero teased in a low voice, "You and him are so rational that they are inhuman, and they are really a perfect match..."

Agrippina looked at her son.His silver, fluffy curly hair is actually cute in itself, but it looks very sick in contrast with his stern face.

For a moment, she thought of Caligula, who had a similar face to Nero.

Agrippina had a bad premonition in her heart, and she said with a low face: "You can't always do things with a heartless emotion like your uncle. His sensibility ruined his imperial career." ..."

"What ruined him was not his sensibility, but his stupidity." Nero interrupted coldly, "He is a gambler who is so confused that he even lost the army's herald, and he is not even qualified as a teaching rule."

Agrippina fell silent, unable to respond to his words.

She was quiet for a moment, and said indifferently: "Claudius has been complaining to you all this time..."

Nero turned his face away slightly, exuding an aura of resistance all over his body.

"If you came today to persuade me to get married, then you can leave now." He said incredulously.

Agrippina was a little fierce, "Are you really going to disregard the throne?"

Nero looked at her coldly, looking directly at her like a stranger.His indifference emanated from the depths of his soul, impersonal.

An urgent silence lay between mother and child.

Agrippina stood in a stalemate with him for a while, tugging at the fluttering black veil, and the brown eyes under the black veil were as chilling as a deep well.

"No matter what, I will make you emperor..." she said firmly.

Nero glanced at her, turned around and walked back to the hall without intending to see his mother off.

……

The sacrifice to pray for the cessation of the flood is held in the temple closest to the flood.

The temple is remote, but not far from Nero's new estate, halfway up the same hill.

The foot of the mountain was completely soaked in yellowish-brown muddy water, and there were white folds flowing on the water surface. The originally wide shopping street was washed into a river of mud and sand.

Nero and Rhodes came to the temple in a sedan chair.It was already sunset.

They need to make complete preparations for tonight's sacrifice.

The pillars of the temple have been peeled off, the marble fountain in front of the temple has long since withered, and a few pieces of stained glass in the windows have fallen off.Only a few surviving murals and stone carvings can show its former splendor.

It's old and rundown.As soon as you walk in, the thick dust and intertwined cobwebs can make people feel decay and death.Under the tired golden setting sun, it looks more like an ancient ruins.

There is no saintess stationed in the temple.Nero immediately ordered the slaves to clean up, and asked his men to go to other temples to invite a few virgins who could preside over the sacrifice.

Rhodes walked into the temple full of dust, so much dust that it almost covered his face.He silently swept across the desolate temple.

He brushed the holy fire platform with his fingers, and said in thought: "The marble material used in this temple is of high quality, and it must have cost a lot of money."

Nero waved the dust in front of his nose with his sleeve, "But it has declined to such an extent that even the high priest and saintess have abandoned it."

Slaves climbed up to the vault with buckets of paint and painted it hastily.They shoveled away cobwebs, splashed water on the floor and broomed it, mended broken stained glass, and dusted countertops with pheasant feathers.

The slaves hurriedly mixed plant ashes and grease, scrubbed the ashes-covered walls, and then applied a thin layer of wax.

The wiped-cleaned walls reveal a perfectly assembled mosaic mural, exquisite and as vibrant in color as it was back then.

Rhodes was attracted by the colors of the murals and walked to the wall.

The mosaic mural in front of you depicts the moment when Pandora opened the magic box in the myth.

The half-naked Pandora has a plump body, and her skin is as white as suet.She wears a flower crown on her fluffy red hair, and holds a huge golden magic box in one hand; while her other white and tender hand holds the key, facing the keyhole of the gold box, and is hesitating to open it .

The workmanship of the murals is extremely exquisite. The magic box is cast from real gold and welded to the mosaic murals. Even the keyholes are delicate and realistic.

Rhodes lifted his fingers and buckled the protruding gold box, making a crisp sound.

He chuckled and said, "The box in the mural is actually made of real gold, which has never been treated like this in other temples."

Nero followed him stickily, explaining: "This temple used to be the most luxurious building in Rome, and it even had the most saints guarding the holy fire."

Rhodes put down his hand, and a faint doubt appeared in his quiet eyes, "Then why did you become like this?"

Nero thought about it, and suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Because of a scandal, it seems to involve the innocence of a virgin..."

"Tell me about it." Rhodes was thoughtful.

"I don't know the details. I only know that a saint was secretly buried alive..." Nero said softly because of his scruples. "The commoners don't know about it, and neither do many nobles..."

Rhode raised his eyes and asked, "The Senate blocked that matter?"

"It's a scandal that can shake the faith of the Romans, and it must be covered up..." Nero suppressed his voice like a mosquito, "It's better to let it die silently in the tomb than to stir up turmoil in Rome."

Rhodes thought for a while, "At that time, the temple must have started to decline."

Nero nodded, "All the saintesses have been transferred to other places. The high priest also retired from his noble priesthood and became an officer because he couldn't absolve himself of the blame..."

He paused for a moment, his brown eyes had a dull gleam, "The high priest is called Munch, and he is from the Otto family who always oppose me."

Rhodes immediately thought of the hippie smiling Anthony in women's clothing, with a sinister look on his calm face.

"It's this troublesome Otto again..." he said dangerously.