Chapter 849
The Devers quickly had Publius sign an alliance treaty with the people of Christaoum. At this point, the Dionysian Army had conquered the east of Rome with lightning speed, and began to target the Latin states in the south.
… …
"Master, when you put on this … underwear, it's really beautiful! Even Aphrodite is jealous of you! "Aegnis's personal slave couldn't help but praise.
"Don't talk nonsense. How can I compare to the Goddess of Love?" Although Aegnis said this, her tone wasn't harsh. She turned around and asked softly, "Does it really look good?"
"It's said that Aphrodite's bra straps are full of temptation, but I feel that this set of underwear matches your beautiful figure. Even as a woman, I can't help but be attracted, and even … envious. If His Majesty the Devers saw it, he would definitely be deeply captivated by you, Master!" The slave sighed with an infatuated expression.
Aegnis didn't say anything, but looked at herself in the bronze mirror that was as tall as a person. One hand touched the white underwear on her chest, while the other fiddled with it. She, who had stepped into her forties, could already feel the passing of time from her sagging skin. The set of clothes that Christoya had given her, which she called 'underwear', made her feel comfortable, and at the same time showed off her slim figure when she was young. It also added a mysterious sense of beauty, causing Aegnis to be intoxicated by herself in the mirror …
After a long while, she put on her clothes again and brought the slave downstairs to the hall.
Christoya, who was sitting in the hall and discussing matters with the chief of the palace, Ribazot, saw her and immediately dismissed the others.
When only the two of them were left in the hall, Christoya asked, "Sister Aegnis, have you worn it? How do you feel? "There was a hint of eagerness in her tone.
"Very … very good! I like it very much! "Aegnis answered shyly.
"Since you think it's good, the women of Diónia will think it's good too!" Cristoya clapped her hands excitedly. "Tomorrow, I'll ask Ribazot to send slaves to build a garment workshop and buy a dozen female slaves who know how to cut to make this kind of underwear. I'll give it to the elders' wives and ask them to help me promote it …"
Agnes wasn't too interested in these things. She asked softly, "Sister, didn't you say that this underwear was designed by His Majesty?"
"Yes, I wanted His Majesty to give me some ideas to make up for the losses the bank incurred last year from helping the people through the drought. Who knew he would give me such an idea!" A smile appeared on Cristoya's face. Then, she thought of something and her expression became serious again. "He's usually so busy with government affairs. Who knew that he would pay so much attention to our … place!"
At this point, Cristoya gritted her teeth and pulled Aegnis's hand. She said intimately, "Sister, you and I have to keep a close eye on His Majesty. We can't let him have an affair outside!"
"Perhaps … Perhaps Hades gave His Majesty a hint …" Aegnis defended the Devers softly.
"Hades isn't a god who likes to pay attention to such things …" Cristoya also softly criticized the kingdom's protector. She then said seriously, "Sister, we're all starting to get old. We need to learn to dress ourselves better so that His Majesty's gaze will always be on us!"
Aegnis nodded lightly and squeezed Christoya's hand tightly. The two women, who were of similar age and had different interests, had lived together for nearly 20 years. They had already tacitly established a close relationship that was not like biological sisters, but more like biological sisters.
"Sister, don't always wear that white set. His Majesty will get tired of it after looking at it for a long time. In two days, I'll send you a few sets of other colored underwear with decorative patterns …" Cristoya suggested.
"Mm …" Aegnis answered shyly.
"Mother, we're back!" At this moment, a clear shout came from outside the door. Two pretty girls, one tall and one short, walked into the hall.
"Mother Aegnis, you're here too!" the tall girl immediately shouted.
The short girl respectfully bowed in turn, "Mother! Cristoya's mother! "
"Eunice, haven't you learned how to greet your elders?" Cristoya said with a straight face as she sat upright.
"Alright …" Eunice pouted and helplessly bowed to the two mothers. She then glared at the snickering Avriya to show her dissatisfaction.
"Why are you back so early today?" Cristoya asked in a slightly stern manner.
"Ugh … I'm teaching dance this afternoon. My period came, and the teacher gave me a day off. I don't like going home alone, so I asked for a day off for Avriya as well," Eunice said bravely.
"Isn't it enough that you're slacking off alone? You even dragged your sister into it!" Cristoya's face darkened.
"I … I'm not feeling well either. Sister just —" Avriya stuttered as she tried to explain, but Eunice slapped her. "Don't speak."
Cristoya's almond-shaped eyes widened. Beside her, Aegnis hurriedly said, "Since you're both not feeling well, hurry up and get some rest."
The two girls' faces lit up, and they immediately looked at Cristoya.
Cristoya's face was still gloomy. "I'll forgive you two this time, but if you leave early again, you'll be punished!"
"Got it!" The two of them replied in unison. They turned around and smiled at each other, walking briskly outside.
At the door, Eunice turned around and asked, "Mother, is there any news from Father and Brother today?"
"Yes! This morning, a messenger brought a letter from your father. It says that the army of Rome has been defeated. Your brother and Brother Adoris have safely returned to Rome, and are preparing to participate in the triumphal procession to be held in Rome … "Cristoya said.
"A triumphal procession to be held in Rome?!" Eunice exclaimed softly, and then said in annoyance, "I really want to see it!"
"When are Father and Brother coming back?" Avriya interrupted from the side.
"Child, this … wasn't mentioned in the letter," Cristoya said with a smile. "However, since our army has already occupied Rome and defeated their army, the day of final victory shouldn't be too far away. When that time comes, your father and the others will be back!"
Hearing this, Avriya smiled happily.
"Let's go, Avriya. We should go back to the bedroom to rest." Eunice gave her a look.
The two girls walked out of the hall, and their whispers could be faintly heard. "In a while, we'll release Briantes' dog and bring out my horse. You can carry your kitten, and then we'll play outside the courtyard."
"Brother Briantes will be angry if he finds out!"
"With me here, he won't dare!"
… …
Kristoya, who was in the hall, suddenly sighed.
Seeing this, Aegnis hurriedly advised, "Sister, don't be too strict with the children. Let them relax sometimes."
"That's not what I'm worried about." Cristoya looked out the door and shook her head. "In a few months, Eunice will be 14 years old. She's almost an adult, yet she's still so …"
"According to our Diónia's laws, Eunice is still two years away from adulthood. Sister, you're worrying too early. Besides, I think it's a good thing that Eunice has a strong personality. She won't be bullied in the future, but I'm a little worried about Avriya, "Aegnis consoled.
In most of the Greek cities, a girl was considered an adult at the age of 14, and could then talk about marriage. However, in the Kingdom of Diónia, under the strong request of the King of Devers, and with the support of medical authorities such as Helpes, the Senate passed a law that stated that girls were only considered an adult at the age of 16, and could not be married before then. (Originally, the Devers wanted to set the age of adulthood for girls at 18, but due to the harsh environment and backward medicine of this era, the average age of Greeks was not high, and girls often matured early. If they waited until they were 18 to marry, the cost of raising them would be too high, and it would be detrimental to the growth of Diónia's population. Hence, a compromise was made.)
"You don't have to worry about that. Who would dare to bully our children!" "This morning, Andrea came over and talked about her eldest son, Mattheseus. She also asked about Eunice, intentionally or otherwise …" Christoya raised her eyebrows slightly and turned her head to look at Aegnis, saying softly, "This morning, Andrea came over and mentioned her eldest son, Mattheseus.
"She wants to propose to her son?!" Aegnis was shocked. Although she rarely interacted with outsiders, she had grown up in a noble family in Ligim, and had some understanding of these matters.
"If it was in another Greek city, Eunice would have reached the age of marriage. Andrea wanted to give me a heads-up, and I pretended not to know and didn't give her an answer. I reckon it won't be long before more people mention this to me … "Cristoya shrugged helplessly.
"Sister, you don't have to worry too much. His Majesty has already said several times that Eunice and the others' marriages are up to them. They can marry whoever they want to marry," Aegnis consoled.
Both she and Cristoya had a deep understanding of the traditional Greek marriage system. Back then, Cristoya had been given to the Persia prince, Cyrus, as a concubine, while Aegnis had been sent to Turií. Both had been decided by their fathers, without consulting them at all. Fortunately, things had turned out well. Of course, Aegnis didn't want her children to follow in their footsteps. She welcomed the Devers' decision.
"Sister, it's not that simple." Cristoya shook her head and said with some annoyance, "Eunice is still young. How can she tell if the man she likes is good or bad? We'll have to do it for her! Besides, if she really marries an ordinary commoner, what would the wives of the senators and ministers of Diónia think? What would their children think? I'm afraid that this ordinary son-in-law will face great pressure in the kingdom in the future. Will he still treat Eunice well then? You have to consider these things carefully! "
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