Although Lucilla gave up the thought of committing suicide after Zhang Heng talked her out of it, her heart was still full of anxiety, especially the next morning when she saw Zhang Heng’s wanted warrants posted almost everywhere in the city. Let alone getting close to the target. It was now getting very difficult for him to even walk on the street.
And with the passage of time, Zhang Heng’s circumstances would only become more and more dangerous. The two had lost contact since that night. Lucilla did not know if Zhang Heng was still alive and how long he could hide if he were. She knew that Zhang Heng was somewhat influential in the southeast city, and with him on the wanted list, the bounty alone was enough to turn anyone into a traitor. Besides, the people that lived in the southeast city had no sense of honor. As long as someone paid them enough, the poor people would betray their fathers. Zhang Heng was no longer Commodus’s advisor too, which meant he had the least control over his life now.
Lucilla could not figure out how Zhang Heng would restrain his subordinates so they would not betray him. In fact, she felt that Zhang Heng had more likely already escaped Rome by now. This was the only reason to explain why he did not look for her or get caught. Lucilla’s heart sank at the thought of this.
Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her waist, and Pompeanus’s voice came from behind her, as gentle as ever. “What’s going on? Are you not feeling well?”
Lucilla retracted her gaze from the street downstairs, and she barely smiled. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking; it’s Saturnalia in a few days.”
“Oh, yeah, Saturnalia,” Pompeanus nodded. “I heard that a grand celebration will be held on Trajan Square that day. Maybe we can go there and have some fun.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Lucilla dealt with her husband with an absent mind.
“But now, my dear, we are going to the Victor Arena to watch the gladiatorial show!” Pompeanus picked up the necklace on the table, put it on for Lucilla, and tidied her hair. “It’s a pity that your favorite Easterner can no longer perform in the Victor Arena. Fortunately, we still get to watch Terufelos the Giant. We have to hurry up, or we won’t make it to the show.”
“I’ll be done soon. Why don’t you go downstairs and wait for me first.”
“Okay.” Pompeanus smiled and kissed Lucilla on the forehead before opening the door.
However, after he took a step forward, he stood there, stunned. And he slowly retreated into the room. Lucilla frowned when she heard the footsteps behind her. She then turned back to ask, “Did you forget something?”
However, the next moment, she saw a servant holding a dagger against Pompeanus’s chest. And a chill suddenly crept up in Lucilla’s heart. She had never expected the Hounds’ assassin to come so quickly. “I’m your target,” she said. “This has nothing to do with him. He doesn’t know anything.”
“No. I’m afraid this has something to do with him.” The assassin dressed as a servant opened his mouth, and Zhang Heng’s voice came out.
“You still haven’t left Rome?” Lucilla was taken aback.
“Yes, our agreement hasn’t been fulfilled yet. Of course, I won’t leave Rome,” Zhang Heng said. “I killed Altrus for you, but the Hounds’ leader usually spends his time in the barracks. It will not be easy to kill him. And after I kill Altrus, he would definitely be more cautious. Fortunately, I know an excellent opportunity to completely avoid all his men and guards. And that window of opportunity is when he returns to his home from the barracks.”
“Hold on. Are you are saying that my husband is the leader of the Hounds?” Lucilla looked incredulous, “How is this possible? This is just a lie you made up so you can enter the library, right?”
“Unfortunately, no. To be honest, I had never doubted him before, because he had an almost perfect disguise. He is Aurelius’s crony, your husband, the number one figure in the military, and has always been known for his gentle personality. At the same time, he hardly participates in any faction wars. Under normal circumstances, no one will associate him as the Hounds’ leader, and neither would I.”
Zhang Heng continued after a short pause, “But a few months ago, when I was still in the southeast city, I was targeted to be assassinated. At that time, I was more inclined to think that Clint was the one that sent the assassin because he had always felt jealous of Commodus’s favor for me. Until a few days ago, I saw a centurion named Herto, and I realized that he had served under your husband for a long time. And he seemed a little flustered when someone mentioned his relationship with your husband. This made me believe that your husband may not be as simple as he seemed.
“But until then, I still didn’t think he would be the leader of the Hounds. Firstly, the person who wanted to assassinate me was not from the Hounds. And secondly, my identity was not exposed when I was being targeted. No matter who hired the assassin, the person didn’t want to kill me because I was a backup member of the Balance Blade. In fact, I still haven’t gotten an answer to this question,” Zhang Heng said as he cast his gaze on Pompeanus in front of him.
The latter, however, merely listened quietly and did not say a word about it.
So Zhang Heng continued, “Through that incident, I found out that the man behind Herto is your husband. At that time, I only knew about Altrus and your identity. And I still could not figure out who the Hounds’ leader was. Hence, I didn’t plan to stay in Rome anymore.
“I have a friend named Varo. It’s my… Well, I met him in the gladiator school. He was an antique dealer before he became a slave. His wife and his best friend teamed to set him up. Afterward, I hired someone to help him investigate his property. I found out that this matter was not as simple as I thought it was. Whether his wife or friends, they were hired by someone else. The mastermind behind the whole thing was a senator named Perret. And this is not the first time he has done this kind of thing.”
“What are you trying to say here?” Lucilla did not know why Zhang Heng suddenly mentioned a civilian.
Zhang Heng continued, “Don’t worry, you will understand after I tell you everything. After the assassination of A’ fakeltrus, the Balance Blade did not contact me. I knew that you weren’t in a good situation, so I waited for another two days, and I was ready to escape. At that time, I thought since I’m running away, I might as well help my friend to get rid of his troubles. After all, Varo and I got along with each other quite well in the gladiator school. Consider that my last favor for him.”
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