Upon hearing the news of his daughter's pregnancy, Caesar's reaction was not unlike that of Crassus.
Before he became a cold politician, he was a father.
He stepped outside the official residence to greet Marcus and Julia, who had stopped by to say hello.
When Julia got out of the lectica, he was so excited to see her that he helped her up.
"I don't know how father and son-in-law can be so worried side by side. If you looked at them, you'd think the son-in-law was his biological son, not me."
"My only daughter is having a baby, of course I should care. It would be a failure of a father not to do so."
"To me, that's overprotective to say the least."
"Haa.... She used to run up to me and hug me whenever I made eye contact with her...."
With Caesar's lament falling on deaf ears, Marcus and Julia made their way inside the residence.
As it befits the residence of Pontifex Maximus, the mansion was both spacious and ancient.
Inside, slaves in the house were busy under the leadership of Caesar's mother, Aurelia.
The Vesta priestesses were also busy, meticulously organizing the location of decorations and supplies for the festivities.
Marcus bowed politely to Aurelia with Julia first.
Although the head of the family was Caesar, he also fully complied with the opinion of his mother, Aurelia.
This was because he admired his mother, who had lost her husband when she was young and never remarried.
So it's no exaggeration to say that Aurelia was, in fact, the center of the entire Caesar household.
The dignified aging matriarch of the Caesar family was delighted to welcome her granddaughter and her grandson-in-law, who hadn't visited in a long time.
Marcus handed over the gift he'd brought and stepped aside so Julia could talk to her privately.
While Julia talked to her father and grandmother, Marcus spoke to the Vesta priestesses.
The Vesta priestesses were women, but they were clearly distinct from women in general.
They are priestesses of the goddess Vesta, who, as the name suggests, is said to preside over fire and hearth.
The flames in the Vesta temple were considered especially sacred, and the priestesses' job was to keep them alive.
This role was crucial because the Romans believed that disaster would come when the flames of the Temple of Vesta were extinguished.
Vesta priestesses were selected through a rigorous selection process when they were less than ten years old and had to take a 30-year vow of chastity.
She had to devote herself to her studies and religious rituals and was also entrusted with the custody of citizens' wishes and wills.
With such a strict life, their rights were enormous.
Priestesses were escorted by lictors on official occasions and acted as arbiters in many disputes.
Even the former dictator Sulla could not ignore the pleas of the Vesta priestesses.
In addition, priestesses were able to exercise property rights and vote, something Roman women were not allowed to do.
Because of this, many of them remained unmarried after leaving the priesthood and enjoyed retirement.
Sexually harassing these priestesses was considered treason against the state and was punishable by death, even for Roman citizens.
Markus bowed politely to the Vestalis Maxima, Licinia.
"Greetings, Vestalis Maxima. I am Marcus Licinius Crassus."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Licinia, the Vestalis Maxima, albeit in short supply."
Licinia was a beautiful woman.
She was close to retirement, but she was still charming.
She had the dignity and intelligence to be a Vestalis Maxima.
In fact, due to the rigorous selection process, most Vesta priestesses are extremely beautifully balanced in color.
This no doubt contributed to their being the object of admiration and desire for so many men.
"Do you have any difficulty preparing for the Goddess Festival? If you need financial assistance, I would be happy to help you. If you need labor, I can send people from my family to help you prepare."
"Thank you. I've already asked the Senate for additional funding, but the reply came too late, and now we're short on both money and people. I know it's impolite, but any help would be appreciated."
"The Senate is too busy dealing with other issues right now to bother with the Goddess Festival."
"I'm a little upset that you don't seem to understand what the Goddess Bona means to women."
Licinia made no secret of her bitter feelings toward the Senate.
Men didn't realize how much the goddess Bona meant to the women of Rome.
Of course, Marcus knew it, but he didn't understand it.
"It's not like the Senate is going to ignore the priestess."
"I don't know, the Senate didn't have much of a reaction to last year's Goddess Festival."
"Oh, that's because there was quite a bit of work then...…."
This time last year, Catilina's term in consul was just around the corner.
It's unlikely that a nervous Senate would have been willing to cooperate in the preparation of a goddess festival.
But that's just a matter for the Senate.
As the one in charge of religious ceremonies, Licinia was annoyed that the Senate was making excuses for current events for the second year in a row.
"Since their faith is so weak, hardships will continue to come to them. In such times, they should be humble before the gods...."
"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll help you in any way I can."
"Thank you so much. To be honest, I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it through the ceremony because society is so unstable, so having the Crassus family help me would be a great help. Gods bless you, Marcus."
Licinia bowed her head gracefully, and the younger priestesses beside her followed suit.
"I was only doing my duty as a Roman citizen. I will pray for the success of your goddess festival."
When he saw the smiling Licinia and the priestesses, his heart dropped.
This is because he knew that something big was going to happen at the Bona Festival.
Even if you don't believe in God, it's not a very pleasant sight to see people doing their job and getting into trouble.
So Marcus gave them one last piece of advice before he left.
"As I said, we're just cleaning up the mess, so we don't know what's going to happen, and if something does happen, I don't want you to blame yourself too much because it's not the priestess' fault."
"If that happens, it would be because of our lack of virtue. I'm going to make everything ready to prevent accidents."
"And I suggest you keep your defenses up. This is a forbidden zone, and there are plenty of men who would love to catch a glimpse of the goddess. There may be those with unholy ideas who will take advantage of the chaos to sneak in."
"Who would commit such blasphemy...… Come to think of it, I can't say there's never one. Thank you for your valuable advice."
"No problem, I'll send the money into the hands of the people who will do the work, and I'll make sure it's all women, so they can help clean up after the ceremony."
With all the preliminary work done, Marcus returned to the mansion with Julia and Caesar, feeling satisfied.
There was no need to leave Julia behind, as he would send people from the family to help.
Marcus called Danae over and entrusted her with the money while secretly giving her a few orders.
"This is the role I need you to play this time. Do you understand how important it is?"
"Yes, but is that really going to happen?"
"I think it's more than 90 percent. So I'm letting you go."
"I can see why you brought her home somehow, and I'll do my best not to betray your expectations."
Danae spoke up with a sparkle in her eye.
"If I do this mission well, I can expect a reward, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've done something important for me, so I'm going to give you something in return."
"Okay, I'll make sure you get a good report."
Excited by her first big assignment in a long time, Danae disappeared from the city with a bounce in her step.
Danae is a freed slave of the Crassus family, albeit a former slave.
There was no difficulty in attending the Bona Dea Festival.
Plus, the Vesta priestesses are heavily subsidized, so if anyone raises a problem, Licinia will take care of it.
'For that amount of money, I probably won't have to worry about the budget for the next two years.'
Very few organizations in the world don't have overflowing budgets.
Roman temples were no exception, as they were heavily patronized.
Marcus's eyes could already see the excitement on Licinia's face....
It was a pretty significant expense, but it was worth it to make a good impression on the Vesta priestesses.
They couldn't do anything directly but could help dramatize someone's influence.
This will be a great foundation for Marcus' political career starting next month.
'Okay, now all that's left is for him to move as expected.'
Refreshed by the wine, Marcus looked out the window at the night view of the Palatine Hills.
The serene atmosphere outside was almost like a symbol of the current mood in Rome.
The Roman political scene, awaiting the return of Pompeius, was shrouded in the calm before the storm.
As Licinia lamented, the Senate had no other matters on their minds at the moment.
The citizens of Rome were also watching the situation with anxiety, wondering if the Senate and Pompeius would come to a conflict.
However, something happened to distract the senators and citizens for a moment.
* * *
There were many prestigious families in Rome, but the Claudii gens was one of the most important aristocracies in Rome, rivaling the Cornelii gens.
The Claudii gens has always produced outstanding figures from ancient Rome's beginning to the end.
The Pulcher family, which belonged to this Claudii gens, had a 33-year-old young man as their patriarch.
The younger Pulcher was an erudite and flamboyant man, but he was somewhat short-tempered.
He had a crush on Sulla's granddaughter, Pompeia.
But before he could get married, Pompeia had already become Caesar's wife.
It was a hopeless result, but Pulcher did not give up.
He was constantly courting Pompeia, and she didn't seem to mind.
Pompeia is also suffering from loneliness because she feels like an outsider in her family.
Still, she leaves the room but doesn't allow a full cruise.
A distraught Pulcher saw an opening where he could be alone with her without interruption, but it wasn't easy.
As the wife of the Pontifex Maximus and Praetor, Caesar, Pompeia was always accompanied by slaves.
There was only one day when she was free from her surroundings.
It was the Bona Dea Festival.
The men in the house, including the slaves, were out of town, and the female slaves were too busy with the ceremonies to be at Pompeia's side.
Judging that there would be no opportunity unless, this time, Pulcher decided to dress up as a woman and sneak into the goddess festival.
It was a ridiculous plan by common sense, but blinded by love, Pulcher didn't consider the possibility of a backlash.
After buying a female slave from Pompeii, he disguised himself in thick clothing and a wig.
Pulcher was able to enter the residence safely, thanks to the prearranged interaction.
Now all he has to do is sneak up to Pompeia's room and wait for the slave to bring her in.
But things went wrong faster than he thought.
The Vesta priestesses had begun to patrol the grounds, inspecting entrants more strictly than expected.
Pulcher tried to scramble upward, but it was too late.
A young priestess, who appeared to be in her early teens, sensed Pulcher's strange behavior and approached him.
"Is there something uncomfortable?"
"...."
Pulcher didn't answer. There was no way he could.
Looking at Pulcher, who was silent, the girl's eyes were increasingly colored with doubt.
The layers of clothing she had wrapped around herself made her stand out from the other women.
The colorful outfits made her look like a folk musician, but there was something disparate about her compared to other folk musicians.
It was hard to see her face with her fluffy hair.
"Sister? Excuse me, but can I hear from which family you're from?"
"Cough, cough."
Pulcher coughed and made a motion that his voice was hoarse and could not speak.
But Priestess Vesta wasn't so stupid as to believe the behavior.
Though still young, the girl's eyes were sharp, having been constantly educated from the day she was selected.
She was already half sure that Pulcher was a man.
Besides, the sight of a young Vesta priestess and a big, burly woman frolicking in a jade circle quickly attracted attention.
Licinia came over and asked with a solemn expression.
"Aemilia, we're about to start the ritual, what are you doing?"
"Oh, Vestalis Maxima, she's been acting a little strange, and I was just about to ask her why, but she's not answering."
"Oh, really?"
Licinia looked up at Pulcher with a solemn gaze.
It was a dramatic and different scene than when she talked to Marcus.
"Sister, please tell me your name and from which family you come."
"...Cough, cough."
"You seem to have a bad cold. Then can you pull up that thick hair? We ask for your cooperation so that we can check your face at least."
Pulcher was stumped.
The reason, which had been paralyzed for a while with overflowing brute force, has returned to its original state.
If his identity is revealed here, his life is over.
Once you've desecrated a religious event, whether it's a prestigious aristocrat or something else, it's safe to say that your political life is pretty much over.
This was because a man's intrusion into a religious ceremony was enough to be considered blasphemy.
Of course, you wouldn't normally be taken to court for blasphemy.
However, to defile an event organized by a Vesta priestess was open to interpretation as compromising their purity.
If you were caught, there was no way out.
Pulcher pushed past the women surrounding him and ran with all his might.
But as he tries to escape, Licinia grabs Pulcher's wig and pulls him back.
The wig came off, revealing a glimpse of Pulcher's bare face.
It was dark in the room, so it was hard to tell who it was, but it was clear that it was a man, not a woman.
"This is blasphemy, how dare a man sneak into the rituals of the Goddess Bona!"
When they heard Licinia's furious voice, they fell to their knees and begged for the goddess' mercy.
Other Vesta priestesses removed the white veils from their heads and prayed to appease the gods' anger.
Filled to the brim with rage, Licinia immediately issued orders to those present at the ritual.
"Pursue the fleeing man at once, for he has committed a grave sin that can never be forgiven. I swear by the goddesses Vesta and Bona that your faithful servant, Licinia, will see to it that he pays the just punishment he deserves."
The slaves who were helping to prepare for the festival, as well as the aristocratic women, left to look for the intruder.
Licinia finished her prayer to the goddesses and took a step backward.
Still, she felt fortunate to have caught the culprit before the ritual began.
What would have happened if they had realized that the ritual was tainted after it had officially begun?
It was horrible to imagine.
The Vesta priestesses, who hadn't had much oversight at the time, wouldn't be immune to criticism.
She may not have been punished, but it's likely that she would have been humiliated for the rest of her life.
Licinia is deeply grateful to Marcus for reminding her to be proactive about security.
Unlike Licinia, who had calmed down, Pulcher felt like he was going crazy with fear and anxiety.
He had so much regret that he wanted to beat himself to death in the past when he made such a reckless plan.
If he is caught here, he will most likely be brought to court for violating Priestess Vesta's chastity.
Pulcher took a deep breath and looked around.
He ran away so carelessly that he couldn't even figure out which way he came.
His expression soon changed to one of despair as he realized that he was inside, not outside, the official residence.
In the distance, he heard footsteps coming toward him.
He heard a saving voice behind him as he looked around desperately for a place to run.
"Come here, Claudius Pulcher."
Looking back hurriedly, he saw a woman beckoning behind a large insignia.
She was an eye-catching beauty, but Pulcher, who was in a corner, didn't even care about that...….
He wondered how she knew his name, but he had to trust her for now.
The woman buried Pulcher, that rushed into the room in a pile of clothes.
The massive pile of clothes perfectly hid Pulcher's massive frame, whether by design or coincidence.
Soon afterward, Licinia appeared, leading a group of women.
She spotted the woman who gave Pulcher his hiding place and approached with quick steps.
Here, if the woman reveals the location of Pulcher, his life is over.
He squeezed his eyes shut and heard Licinia's voice in his ear.
Her tone was gentle and kind, so much different than the one she'd used earlier when she'd confronted Pulcher.
"Danae, didn't a big guy show up here, and I'm pretty sure he was wearing flimsy cross-dressing?"
"Oh.... I see he's a guy, too. I just saw him come running down the street, and he made eye contact with me, and then he just ran over there with a scared look on his face. I wish I'd seen that look on his face."
"I see, Ms. Danae didn't get a good look at his face either. If I had known this would happen, I should have taken a better look at his face earlier...."
Behind Licinia, who sighed heavily, someone stiffly raised a hand.
She was a slave who usually served Pompeia.
"Excuse me... Vestalis Maxima, I wasn't sure if I should tell you that...."
"Do you have any guesses about the identity of the intruder? I don't mind being wrong, so tell me."
"Yes. I remember seeing a face like that many times, because I was a regular servant of Lady Pompeia. It bore a striking resemblance to a patrician named Claudius Pulcher, who had visited Lady Pompeia many times."
"Claudius Pulcher...."
At the mention of an unimaginably prominent aristocrat, Licinia's face grew serious.
At the same time, there was a lot of talk about the similarities between Pulcher and Intruder.
When it looked like the situation was going to be bigger than expected, Licinia had a moment of distress.
If word of this spreads, it will shake up the Senate as well as the Concilium Plebis.
There was concern that the already volatile situation in Rome would become even more dangerous.
But that thought was short-lived.
Whatever the reason, those who commit blasphemy cannot be forgiven.
"I will return to the Temple of Vesta immediately and formally send a letter to the Pulcher family demanding their cooperation. If it turns out they are guilty, even the Claudii gens will not escape punishment."
Licinia declared firmly, then led her people out of the Pontifex Maximus's official residence.
Once everyone had left, Danae approached the bundle of clothes where Pulcher was hiding and spoke to him.
"Hey, I think you can come out now that there's no one around."
"...."
Pulcher's eyes were already half dead.
Not surprisingly, he heard the entire conversation inside.
Danae looked down at him with a slightly pathetic look in her eyes.
"For someone who's had such a huge accident, you get down pretty quickly."
"...you heard it, too. My name has been flouted, and what else can I do?"
When he realizes his fate, Pulcher's voice is filled with despair.
There was a time when she thought she'd just ask him to turn himself in and be expelled from the country.
But even when you think all hope is lost, there are times when a miraculous twist of fate happens.
For Pulcher, this was one of those moments.
"It's not completely over yet. There is someone who wants to help Mr. Pulcher."
The calm voice continued.
"Of course, it's not free. Here's what we need, would you like to hear it?"
She is the proxy who brought Marcus's proposal.
Danae was asking a question that already had an answer.