Septimus's group entered the city of Rome, and in 30 minutes they arrived at the residence of the young Julius Caesar.
The young Julius Caesar belonged to an ancient patrician family but not an especially wealthy one; his residence was not an extravagant palace, but a traditional Roman domus, located in a respectable neighborhood of Rome.
The door of the residence was firmly closed.
In the street, trash could be seen on the ground, probably left by thugs or soldiers who had tried to enter by force.
Septimus made a gesture with his hand, and two clone soldiers dismounted from their horses and approached the door.
The two clone soldiers knocked on the door without receiving a response.
It was obvious that the family of the young Julius Caesar and the trusted slaves were hiding from possible intruders.
From his horse, Septimus made a gesture to the young Julius Caesar to knock on the door.
After a few minutes, an elderly slave woman peeked through the wooden peephole of the door and looked at the young Julius Caesar, followed by shouts and exclamations behind the door.
Behind the door, the sound of wooden planks and furniture being removed could be heard as they were unblocking it.
Septimus and the clone guards dismounted from their horses.
Ten minutes passed, and the door opened, revealing a group of slaves and two noble women.
Septimus's gaze was directed at the middle-aged woman with fine and serene features, with dark hair tied up, and at the other noble woman with a young and soft face, still with adolescent features.
The middle-aged woman should be Aurelia, the mother of Julius Caesar, and the other young woman should be Cornelia, the daughter of Cinna.
Septimus had lost count of how many high-class women with the name Cornelia he knew.
At that time, the names of Roman women were all feminine, derived from their family names. For example, Cornelia's father was Lucius Cornelius Cinna, so her name was Cornelia, the feminine form of the family name Cornelius.
If Septimus had daughters, they should be called Novia, the feminine of Novius. No matter how many daughters Septimus had, they would all be called Novia.
Because the names of Roman clans were limited, the phenomenon of women sharing the same name was very serious.
If there were several daughters, to distinguish them, the eldest could be called Novia Prima, which means "the first daughter," and the second, Novia Secunda, which means "the second daughter."
The younger noblewoman rushed toward the young Julius Caesar and embraced him while sobbing.
Septimus watched from behind without interfering in the reunion of the couple.
He understood the pressure that Cornelia had endured; Caesar had become an enemy of the state because of her and had also been exiled because of her.
Sulla had said that he would set Caesar free if he divorced Cornelia, but Caesar refused and began his flight. In that sense, he was braver than Pompey.
On the other hand, Aurelia observed Septimus and his guards with caution.
Septimus waited five minutes for the couple who were embracing tightly and approached slowly.
"My name is Septimus Novius, the impaler of heads; as a show of clemency, I will allow the enemy of the state, Julius Caesar, the opportunity to see his family before handing him over to the garrison of the city of Rome," said Septimus with a calm expression to those present.
Septimus's words quickly silenced everyone in the residence.
Aurelia and Cornelia quickly recognized Septimus's emblem and his notorious name and reputation.
The young Julius Caesar also recovered from his stupor and stepped forward with a humble expression.
"Release me, and you will earn the sincere friendship of the Julia and Cotta families," said Caesar with a serious expression.
The Cotta family was his mother's. Although Cinna had implicated him, the Cotta family remained a powerful force in Rome. They even supported Sulla, so they were not implicated.
"Release you? It depends on whether your mother accepts my conditions," said Septimus calmly.
Septimus did not intend to make things difficult for the young Julius Caesar, and his curiosity about meeting him had already been satisfied; since he entered the residence, Septimus's gaze had been directed at Aurelia, the woman known for her good reputation in Roman history.
Aurelia also felt Septimus's gaze, and her dignified expression showed hints of nervousness.
The young Julius Caesar and his wife Cornelia were confused by Septimus's words, without fully understanding the implications; Lady Aurelia was a 36-year-old woman, and her appearance was decent and dignified, without the charm of a mature noblewoman.
Aurelia said a few kind words to the young Julius Caesar and led Septimus to a guest room.
When the two were alone, Lady Aurelia sat on a piece of furniture while politely inviting Septimus to sit on another empty seat.
"What are your conditions?" asked Aurelia with a dignified expression to Septimus.
"I desire you as my woman," said Septimus directly with a calm expression while observing Aurelia.
Aurelia's expression changed quickly, and the cup of wine she was holding almost fell to the ground.
"I am an older woman, and the years have erased much of my beauty," said Aurelia with a calm voice while looking at Septimus.
Aurelia was right; it was the year 82 BC, and Aurelia's age was around 36 years.
"I have heard about your reputation, and I have admired you for some time; if you become my woman, the name of Julius Caesar will be removed from the list of enemies of the state," Septimus spoke slowly with an impassive expression.
Lady Aurelia sighed slowly upon hearing Septimus's offer and her imminent fate.
"I understand, follow me," said Aurelia with a melancholic expression while leading Septimus to a discreet room.
Upon entering the room, Lady Aurelia went to a bronze mirror while looking at her silhouette and resigning herself to the humiliation.
Septimus approached the bed and proceeded to remove his leather armor while observing Aurelia's back.
After five minutes, Lady Aurelia gathered her courage and slowly removed her dress while fine drops of tears fell from her eyes.
From the bed, Septimus's gaze focused on Aurelia and easily noticed the tears falling to the ground.
Aurelia easily removed her dress, and her slender, naked body marked by time was revealed to Septimus.
Septimus's gaze turned to Aurelia's expression, and he could observe the tears on her face and the expression of humiliation.
Septimus slowly stood up from the bed and bent down to pick up the dress and cover Lady Aurelia's naked body, then returned and dressed himself slowly.
"I desire you as my woman, but I do not wish to see you cry," said Septimus slowly with a calm expression while putting his armor back on.
After two minutes, Septimus left the room and departed from the residence.
Lady Aurelia remained stunned while looking with complex eyes at the infamous general of Sulla known for his cruelty.
A clone centurion and a dozen clone legionaries remained guarding the door with the purpose of protecting the residence from possible attacks.
The young Julius Caesar was confused by the situation, and without daring to ask Septimus, he could only direct his questions to the clone centurion.
"Lady Aurelia accepted the conditions of General Septimus, and my duty will be to protect the residence from possible intruders," said the clone centurion with a serious expression to the young Julius Caesar.
The young Julius Caesar sighed in relief upon hearing the answer, without suspecting Septimus's actions.
The time that Septimus and Aurelia spent together was less than 15 minutes.