"People tend to believe strange rumors rather than whether they are true or not, because of curiosity and not the truth."

It would be about another 100 years before the man who uttered this sentence would be born, and then he would use the voice of the characters in the play to spill the satire of the pair to every corner of the world.

But even if it hasn't happened yet, it doesn't affect people's understanding of this sentence.

That's how it is now.

He wanted to tell himself that what he had just told him was false, but a voice in his heart repeatedly said to him, "What if it's true."

And there was another, even smaller voice that secretly reminded him: "What if the old man thinks this is true? ”

Therefore, after carefully asking Jisha for confirmation again, Ulliu asked a little suspiciously: "Miss, are you saying that there is a legend about the descendants of the Roman emperor that is related to Sophia?" ”

"It's such a rumor." Ji Sha specially reminded him.

"You're right, it's a rumor," Uliuu echoed the countess with great interest, "but what does this have to do with Nashan, I mean what does it have to do with Nashan and the Countess. ”

"The king seems to want Nashan to seduce my mother, and use this to agree to support Bohemia, and probably the king has also heard rumors about that wild girl, so maybe he should have a good relationship with Nashan."

"Is it good to use the Countess as a gift," Ullius muttered to himself, feeling that he had probably known what had happened, though the rumors had made him feel a little convinced.

In short, according to the rumors, the last emperor of Eastern Rome, Constantine XI, had a short good time with a Greek woman when he conquered the Duchy of Athens, and then left the last blood of the Eastern Roman Empire royal family in Greece.

This story sounds not only cliché but also absurd, but some people want to believe it.

And with the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire and the fragmentation of the legendary last imperial family, the legend became more and more important in the mountains of Greece and the Balkans.

Most importantly, it is precisely because of this legend that many people in countries and places who have never bowed their heads despite the Ottoman conquest seem to see some hope in this rumor.

They longed for a man with true Roman blood to lead them out of the invaders, and even more so to lead them back to the glory of the Roman Empire.

Many stubborn Orthodox believers have become the most staunch adherents of this legend, and they regard the man who inherited the blood of Constantine XI and his descendants as the guide and savior who will save them from the cruel rule of the pagans, regardless of the origin of this legend, after nearly half a century of word of mouth, some people have long since stopped thinking about the truth of this rumor, and they only want to see the legendary imperial bloodline.

And Sophia appeared at this time.

Ulliu was eager to ask Nathan what had happened to them since they left Rome, so that Sophia had been involved in such a rumor, which seemed to be a bit troublesome.

But now he had to follow Josha's orders first.

"Tell my brother the news about that Sophia," Zhisa instructed, "to tell him more detail, especially about the fact that she might be in Bucharest now." ”

When he said this, Uliu obviously noticed that Miss Count's voice seemed to be a little helpless, and he looked at him carefully, and found that although he was not very good-looking, at least he was not to the point of being angry, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Ulius thought that if Mademoiselle Countess really didn't want the lord to know about Sophia, she might probably send him straight to the plantation in Crete to grow sugar cane.

"But I'm not asking you to tell him this so he can meet that wild girl."

Hearing Tsusha say this, Ulliu's head immediately shook.

"Of course not the countess, I assure you that the lord will not be so ignorant, so I don't know the lord's plans, but I can see that now is a very important time for the lord, otherwise he would not have gone to Rome at this time."

"I hope it's like you say," Josa glanced at the Moor, but there was some suspicion in his eyes, "I always felt that you were not so honest, tell me that if Uliu and that Sofia, and that Lucrezia, and that Barondi, can't he restrain his interest in women," Josa grumbled a little annoyed, and then continued, "I mean, if I became enemies with them, whose side would you be on?" ”

Uliu looked at Zha dumbfounded, and he began to think that this errand to deliver the letter might be the last time he would do his job for his master, and that he would probably have to deal with a large field of sugar cane for the rest of his life.

The Moorish man's mind was racing, he had to get himself out of his predicament, but before he could speak, Josha had already relieved him.

"I know you're going to say you're going to do your master's bidding, right?"

"Miss, you know, I am the most faithful servant of the master." Uliu hurriedly took the opportunity to climb down the pole and took over the conversation: "So I will obey the master's orders." ”

"That includes the construction of the Lucrezia Palace in Pisa on my brother's orders?"

Uliu's face fell, and he knew that there must be Mademoiselle Countess among the merchants who traveled between Pisa and Naples, and it seemed that she had made Mademoiselle Countess know about the house he had built for the lord and his little lover.

"Estles, is it cute?"

Ulliu's next question startled Uliu, who really didn't know how to answer this time.

If you say that the result is cute, you will probably spend the second half of your life on the plantation, but if he says that it is not cute, think that if the master knew, probably the life of the plantation would have become very beautiful.

For the first time, Uliuu wondered how it was so hard to be a servant.

"Okay, I won't ask." Khosa was very considerate at this time, and she did not look at Ulliu's relieved look, but read the letter carefully.

After a while, Zhosa spoke of the letter and looked up again at Ulliu.

"Tell my brother that I will be waiting for him in Naples and not be impulsive if he wants to see the success of our trade alliance."

Uliu bowed silently and nodded, he knew what Zhisa meant, and it was clear that she was still worried that Alexander might do something impulsive.

But whether these words of advice would stop Alexander or not, no one knows.

Uliu's return to Naples came two days later, and this time he did not rush to say goodbye to Count Modiglo, but again to the lookout tavern.

What he didn't expect was that in the lookout post, he saw Nashan sitting in the corner of the wall.

It was not surprising to see Mount Uliuna, it seemed that he had come here to wait for him.

"Don't you inquire about the queen?" Although he was curious about what happened to Nathan's father and daughter after they left Rome, he patiently gossiped: "The queen was sad for a while after you left, and then she seemed to forget about you, and I heard that someone had proposed to her before, but it is not clear what happened to her." ”

"Those ladies are like that, like my own queen, who had a good life in the days when I left the Bohemian palace." Nashan said indifferently, seeing that Uliu was staring at the clear water in front of him, he finally let out a mocking laugh, "Okay, you must want to ask a lot of things, now you can ask." ”

"If you are willing to say, tell me," Ulliu looked at Nashan, "tell me where Sophia is now, you know that the lord has always cared about her, and what is the story of that legend?" ”

"I don't know where Sophia is now," Seeing this first sentence made Ulliu's face turn bad, and Nashan shook his head helplessly, "Now she won't even listen to me, and you probably can't imagine what has happened in the past year or so, and now that a large group of people have gathered around her, I sometimes even think that she doesn't need me as a father anymore." ”

Uliu raised his glass and touched Nashan as if comfortingly, and then the two of them each drank the contents of the cup.

"Sofia was in a bad mood when she left Rome, of course anyone would be like that, it's all a good thing that that bastard from Gombray did, if I see him again......"

Seeing that Nashan was about to go off-topic, Uliu hurriedly raised his glass again to remind the Bohemians.

"Well, I continued, we left Rome and went back to the palace in Prague without any problems, and the queen fell in love with Sofia when we first met, and of course it was because of me, but the queen did like her and kept her with her." "Later, at the beginning of this year, because of something that happened in Hungary, I accompanied the king to Hungary, and I took Sophia with me. ”

Uliu's expression immediately tensed, and he knew that he was about to get to the point.

"The situation was a bit chaotic, and I can't tell what happened now," Nashan spread out his palms and put them on the table, "We met a lot of people who escaped from Moravia, they said that Moravia was at war with the Poles, and the Poles were fighting with the Ottomans, but the Ottomans didn't seem to help Moravia, it was then that we were attacked by the Ottomans, and I was desperately trying to protect King Sophia, but we were separated from the king. ”

"You lost the king?" Uliu asked casually, then looked at Nashan with a slightly suspicious look.

"Are you looking at the above, do you think that I am deliberately trying to lose the king?"

"Of course not, but considering your relationship with the queen," Ulliu bared his teeth, "I can understand even if I lose him. ”

"Shut up, you damned Moor, if I want anyone's life, I'll just come from the front, and then cut his throat and stab him in the heart with a knife, instead of engaging in these intrigues." Nashan scolded dissatisfiedly, "Besides, it was Sophia who found the king later, and she also bravely defeated two Ottomans who tried to hurt the king. ”

"Oh!"

Uliuu let out a low cry, and when he saw Nathan's triumphant appearance, he let out a second exclamation that seemed to be suspicious.

"That's right, Sophia, dressed in beautiful and gorgeous armor and wielding a very sharp sword, rushed up and cut down the Ottomans like a real noble knight."

"That's it?" Ulliu was a little confused and asked, "But where did that legend come about?" ”

"Do you mean legends about the descendants of Eastern Roman emperors?" Nashan's expression became a little strange, "This legend has been circulating everywhere in Greece many years ago, and the farther it goes, even the court in Prague has heard it, and it is true that there are always people who claim to be the descendant of the woman who gave birth to a child with the Roman emperor, but there are too many such things to tell the truth from the false, but I don't know why, it is that since recently, there have been rumors that the descendants of the Roman emperor have fled to a certain island in the Mediterranean, and then fled to Sicily and Europe. ”

"But Sophia is your daughter, and she's still a girl?"

"Is she, my daughter?" "Ulliu, you know, I didn't take it seriously at first when I heard this legend, but then the king told me that he wanted me not to tell anyone that I was Sophia's father. ”

Ulliu looked at Nashan in a daze, and then he lowered his voice and asked, "You mean that this rumor was spread by the King of Bohemia?" ”

"I don't know, but when Sophia rescued the king, some people shouted some ridiculous things," Nashan said, pondering, "do you know Joan of Arc?" ”

"Oh, have you heard of that Frenchwoman, what?" Ulliu, confused, then opened his mouth in surprise.

"Yes, that's what you think," said Nathan, with a heavy face, "some of the Gajs actually say that Sophia is their Joan of Arc. ”

"That's bad enough," Ulliu's mind flashed through the ending of the legendary French woman he had heard, and he shook his head, "but how did he become a descendant of the Roman Emperor?" ”

"I don't know, the inexplicable rumor spread, and then the more and more it spread, people seem to be willing to believe this."

Uliuu nodded understandingly, he knew that Nashan was right, and that people would spread rumors that they couldn't prove because they wanted to believe them.

"And what about later?"

"Then a lot of people came, and they started to surround Sophia all day and ask her to do all kinds of things, and she saw her less and less, and then the king sent me to Naples."

"So you don't know where she is now?" There was a hint of hope in Uliu's eyes, he hoped that what Jisha had said about Sophia was somewhat unreliable, such as the legend that the Sultan invaded Bucharest because Sophia was just nonsense.

Because then his master may not do anything impulsive.

Unfortunately, Nashan's answer disappointed Uliu.

"Probably in Bucharest, before I set out, I had heard that the men were going to hold a meeting in Bucharest, as if to form an alliance against the Ottomans, and they were planning to let Sophia go with them."

"Oh my God."

Uliu's fingers were on the door of his head, and he felt a real headache at this point.

Uliu's farewell to the Count of Mordillo took him to the afternoon of the same day, and the Count asked him to bring a letter to Alexander, while Madame Georgianne told the Moors that he would bring her some of the most fashionable clothes in Rome when he came back the next time, for it was said that a well-known tailor had come from Sicily.

And this man's name Ulliu was not unfamiliar, his name was Osborne, the tailor who was very favored by the Sicilian court.

Ulliu took it all to heart.

About the Countess's orders, about every little thing that Nathan had told him about Sophia, and about the style of the dress that the Countess wanted, and about the Sicilian tailor named Osborne.

Before leaving Naples, Ulius visited the lookout post again, this time alone with the tavernkeeper for a while, before taking the good wine that the tavern owner had brought to the count, and "the damned friar".

Although it had nothing to do with the tavernkeeper's words that he would be able to catch Christmas soon, Ulliu was indeed a little anxious to return to his lord as soon as possible.

The story about Sophia was so surprising that although Nashan was vague and vague, Ulliu could still feel the impact it might have on Alexander.

Uliu didn't know what would happen to him when he heard about the danger Sophia might be facing, but it wouldn't be a good thing.

The Moors secretly prayed that things wouldn't get worse.

Two days later, he walked down the streets of Rome leading to Palazzo Marino.

The city of Rome was bustling with Christmas approaching, but Ulliu saw something unusual in the excitement.

The people seemed to be in a hurry, many of them with excited looks on their faces, while a few were full of remorse and frustration.

It soon became clear that the men were heading for the Exchange, which was not far from the Colosseum, and he immediately changed his mind about going to Marino Palace.

There was a lot of activity in front of the exchange, or should I say the whole street was lively.

It seemed that all the people in the vicinity had gathered on the street, and the crowd responded with the occasional shouting from the door.

Ulliu squeezed forward with great difficulty in the crowd, and he noticed a guy on a horse running from a distance, the fellow was dirty and his face was full of dust, but the nobles and rich merchants in the street did not reprimand him, but took the initiative to get out of the way, and then a crowd of people shouted and swarmed after the rider as if they were being driven by whips.

Ulius watched as the man scurried past him, and then he was pushed by the crowd towards the gates of the exchange.

The man rushed to the door and immediately jumped off his horse, but from the way he landed, his body shook and it was clear that he had made a long journey, but he gritted his teeth and ran through the path that had been given way for him to the exchange amid the shouts of the people.

"Listen, listen to what the price is!"

The people in the back were shouting, and the people in front kept chasing the person and asking questions.

Ulius followed the man far behind the crowd until the man rushed into the halls of the exchange, and let out a cry with all his might that he did not hear.

With that shout, the entire hall of the exchange instantly resounded with cheers mixed with frustrated shouts.

Ulius pushed forward with all his might, until he finally broke out of the crowd and made his way up the stairs through a small door.

As he walked up the corridor on the second floor, he saw Alexander standing in the hallway looking at the crowd below.

Hearing footsteps, Alexander looked up at the Moors who were approaching him.

"Sir, I'm back."

Ulius bowed respectfully, but before he could continue, he heard Alexander's voice that seemed slightly apologetic.

"You've had a hard time this trip to Uliou, but you can't rest, because we're leaving soon."

"Where are you going, sir?" Uliuu asked blankly.

"Hungary, Uliou, we're going to Hungary."