I put out his fire

When Agrippina walked into the house, the slaves were shocked at first, and then gradually became serious, all of them kept secret.

The accompanying maids were left outside the door by Agrippina.She was wearing a blue-purple gauze dress and a gold snake-shaped bracelet on her upper arm.There is a golden headband in the shape of wheat ears in her hair, a bun above her eyebrows, and the rest of her hair is permed into waves, which is a popular lady's hairstyle nowadays.

"Where's your master?" she said in a cold tone.

The house slave with the highest rank among the many slaves stepped forward, saluted her and said, "Master has gotten up and is dressing."

Agrippina nodded and said blankly, "I'll wait for him right here."

……

Nero fastened the buckle of his toga robe, and passed between the pillars of the courtyard with a red face.

When he caught sight of his mother, he stopped as abruptly as he had hit a glass wall.

Agrippina sat on the edge of the patio, her silver-white hair wrapped in a purple veil.Directly above her head was a blue-purple sky that faded to bright white at the horizon.Agrippina, who is slightly stooped, is like a stroke of color directly drawn from the background, unexpectedly harmonious with the scenery.

For the first time Nero felt his mother was old.

Agrippina turned her head when she heard the movement, saw her son behind the colonnade, and said with a straight face, "Why did you come out from the first floor? A nobleman should sleep in a bedroom on the upper floor."

"A nobleman has the right to choose the bedroom where he sleeps." Nero walked around the pillars, "I just want to sleep in a place where I can relax my whole body. Besides, I have to get up at sunrise every day to work."

Agrippina stood up and said disapprovingly, "Your father finished washing and changing every day before sunrise."

As soon as her husband was mentioned, she unconsciously wanted to say more, and even forgot the purpose of coming to Nero, "He is more self-disciplined and motivated than you, and he uses dozens of wax plates every day. I scraped the boards with my own hands. He is the only person in the world who convinced me..."

Nero showed a little interest, "What a beautiful love story."

Agrippina stared in surprise at his face.It wasn't until Nero stared back with the same puzzled eyes that she said, "You have changed, Nero."

"Where did I change?" Nero said flatly.

Agrippina half-closed her eyes and said, "You have come to understand me. In the past, you always stumbled with me when I mentioned your father, and wanted to bite me like a little leopard."

Nero straightened his face again, his bangs messed up by the cold morning wind.He said defensively, "What are you doing here so early? Usually I only entertain guests in the afternoon."

Agrippina looked around and said meaningfully, "Where's your personal guard? Did you really take him home?"

The soles of Nero's feet shook as if he had been poked into a soft spot.He could even hear the hum of blood rushing from his body to his head.

He tried his best to restrain himself, and said calmly: "He is my personal guard of Nero. There is no need to report his whereabouts to you."

Agrippina caught a glimpse of his neck with bursting blood vessels, and said with a sneer, "You really took him back."

She took a few steps closer, brushed all the wavy hair from her shoulders back, showing a neat gesture, "I remember I said, if you don't want to kill him, I will do it myself."

"You can't hurt him!" Nero's face turned blue, "You absolutely can't hurt him!"

Agrippina rolled his eyes at him, "Shut up your attitude like a baby chicken."

She crossed her arms, and kept stroking the golden snake's head with her thumbs, looking thoughtful.After a while, she suddenly said fiercely: "You refuse to marry Octavia, it's not because of him, is it?" She then asked: "How far has your relationship with him reached?"

Nero's face turned from blue to red.As soon as the word "Rods" appeared, the nerves in his whole body seemed to be pulled away, and his expressions and movements no longer obeyed the instructions of his brain.At this moment he hated the incompetence of the human brain.

Agrippina frowned, "You who only go back and forth between the villa and the Senate every day, have no idea how far the public opinion has reached. He is the scourge of your ascension to the emperor."

"What's wrong with Rhodes?!" Nero's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice suddenly increased, "He has never violated any laws. His so-called crimes were imposed on him by his blood. He couldn't choose his own crime at all. born……"

He paused, and his voice turned low: "Just like me."

Agrippina took a step closer, her face calm.Tianguang covered her face with a layer of iron gray, so her words also had a metallic taste: "The continuous flooding made the people question your ability to control water; many elders gave speeches on the street, attacking you with floods and personal guards; Laudius is looking for a new crown prince, because you refused to marry Octavia..."

Her eyes suddenly darkened, and her voice suddenly became softer, "For this reason, I have assassinated several talented young nobles."

Nero was only surprised for a moment, and then sneered as expected.

"I don't care how many people I kill, let alone a guard." Agrippina said calmly, "Even if he is your personal bodyguard, as long as I want to kill, you can't stop me."

The veins on Nero's forehead were bulging, and the eyelids were visibly swollen.The cold wind poured into his robes, making him look like he was about to explode.At this moment, Agrippina felt a sense of oppression inexplicably.

When the wind stopped, the robe hung on his thin frame again.His eyes were very red, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably, "I already understand you..."

He wants to show weakness to Agrippina by calling his relatives: "Can't you understand me? My mother..."

When Agrippina heard these two syllables, her heart ached as if being pulled.

Because Nero never called her "mother".

Her face was blue and red, and she only felt the soreness in her chest rolling, reaching her throat and eyes.Her tears were almost pushed out by the soreness.At the same time, the voice and appearance of her husband popped into her mind: when the young and serious Domitius, in order to frighten off her nearly two-year courtship, cut a live snake in two and held it in front of her. Suck snake blood.

And she picked up another section of the snake that was still beating, and put her lips on the section of the snake with a smile.

Domitius was stunned, and after a moment of silence, he finally let out a sigh as if admitting defeat: "Forget it."

He looked at Agrippina whose face was covered in blood, thought for a long time, and smiled at her resignedly: "I think our child must be a monster."

This is the moment he finally accepts her.

"Forget it..." Agrippina blurted out.Her eyes were sore, and she tore off the scarf to cover her face in a panic.

She didn't say anything, just covered her flushed face with a scarf.With the support of the female slave, she stumbled out of the courtyard.

When Nero heard the sound of a chaotic carriage outside the door, his legs were so weak that he almost knelt down.Relieved, he turned his head and caught a glimpse of a crack in the glass window on the first floor.

His heart tightened.

Rhodes heard everything.

……

Nero entered the restaurant tremblingly.

Rhodes was standing in front of the dining table, serving polenta with a wooden spoon.His back was facing the bright yellow fireplace emitting sparks, and dark green curtains were fastened on both sides of his head.

He looked calm. "Eat," he said.

Nero looked at his face while lying on the sofa, spreading the silk tablecloth in front of him.

Both were silent.

Nero poked the beans with a shell-shaped spoon into the mashed parrotfish liver.He sneaked a glance at Rhodes, put down the spoon, and cut off a small piece of pickled cucumber from Spain with a silver knife.He swallowed the food, only to feel that the mouthful was like indigestible metal, falling from the throat to the abdomen.

He vacated an open space and spoke first: "I want you to lie down and eat with me."

Rhodes poured himself a glass of honey water, "I'm not used to eating while lying down."

Nero put down the tableware, held his chin and said, "From now on, I will sit and eat."

Rhodes put down the honey water that moved to his mouth, "Nero." He called out his name in a solemn tone, as if he was about to announce some bad news.

Nero tensed up for no reason.To some extent, he was really afraid of Rhodes.

Rhodes leaned on the beam carved with Mars, the god of war, and looked down at him.The firelight pulled a piece of gold leaf on his face, "Don't demean yourself for me."

Nero stretched out his hand awkwardly, pinched a green raisin from the small silver dish shaped like a sun, and held it between his lips.

"I'm not coming back tonight." Rhodes said, "I'm going to take a team of firemen to patrol. This is my official duty."

Nero murmured in a nasal voice: "I don't want you to be the chief fire officer anymore."

Rhodes pressed the cup to his lips, "I don't like this position either."

Nero took away the raisins and asked with great interest, "Then what do you like to do?"

Rhodes shook the silver cup in his hand, and the eyes between the eyelashes were illuminated by the fire from the side, appearing as transparent as glass beads.He said seriously: "Pirates."

Nero smiled and said, "I can't help you with this position."

Rhodes took a sip of honey water, put down the silver cup, and looked at Nero who was eating.

Nero swallowed the polenta, pinched the grilled British oysters, dipped them in fish sauce, and served them on bread with purple cabbage.

"Have you finished eating?" Rhodes suddenly asked.

Nero froze for a moment, put down the warm bread, his fingers stuck to the bread crumbs and fish sauce froze in the air.

"It's over," he replied.

Rhodes put down the covering curtain and walked straight over.He tore off his already baggy clothes, and his naked skin showed the color of brass in the firelight.This strong and lean carcass, trained in martial arts, combines rigidity and softness.His muscles are slender and slightly tense, which is very ornamental.

He stepped onto the sofa and straddled Nero's crotch.

"Rod..." Nero said out of breath, "You can always surprise me, I can't stand it..."

Rhodes took his hand and took his fish sauce-stained fingers into his mouth.

Shocked by this scene, Nero sat up abruptly, staring at him with red eyes.

"I hope you will be rough later." Rhodes said close to his ear, "My master..."