While Night was focused on when Spartacus would appear, someone else had noticed him.
Though he was highly prominent among Rome's top elites, among ordinary Roman citizens and nobles, few recognized him.
Those who could enter this exclusive arena were either wealthy merchants, landowners, slave masters, or various nobles.
At that moment, young Caesar's family happened to be in the audience.
Aurelia Cotta was there with her daughters and son in the VIP seats.
This outing was to give young Caesar some exposure.
Ever since the assassination attempt, she had become increasingly focused on her son's combat training.
Originally, she had wanted Ye to be Caesar's teacher, but somehow the man had become a noble.
Moreover, Lucius Caesar had specifically sought her out, instructing her to treat Ye as the most honored guest and even suggesting..no practically encouraging her daughters to seduce him, even if it meant becoming mistresses without status.
This made Aurelia very uncomfortable.
While she wasn't an overly prideful woman, her family had produced consuls, and they were nobles in their own right.
Not to mention the prestige of the Caesar family, her children were born with unparalleled nobility.
How many people in this world were worthy of her children becoming mere mistresses?
However.. Lucius Caesar still held considerable influence within the Caesar family.
His attitude was quite resolute..not to mention, with a smile, he even indicated that if it really worked out, she would absolutely not regret it.
In fact, it would be the Caesar family coming out ahead by tying themselves to him.
This sparked Aurelia's curiosity, what kind of young man could possess such charm that Lucius Caesar, a stern man who had seen battlefields, served as governor, and even been a consul, would hold him in such high regard?
By chance, while out with her family for an excursion, Aurelia noticed Ye and the slave trader entering the arena.
On a whim, she brought her children along and followed them in.
With the prestige of the Caesar family, the gatekeepers naturally let them pass immediately, even swiftly arranging VIP seats for them.
From there, they could better observe the carnage in the arena.
At this moment, Aurelia turned to young Caesar beside her and said,
"Go, invite Lord Lista Ye to join us and watch together. He saved you last time, and we haven't properly thanked him yet."
Young Caesar, upon receiving the task, was quite eager.
In fact, he had always been intrigued by Ye's superhuman strength and immediately agreed, "Understood, Mother."
But just as he was about to leave, Aurelia suddenly called him back, recalling what Lucius Caesar had told her.
She hesitated.
Should she trust Lucius Caesar's judgment?
Finally, her gaze settled on her two daughters, and she suddenly spoke, "Julia, Atia, you go with him.
Last time he visited our home, you two little girls were already smitten, weren't you?
If you like him, go for it.
The women of the Caesar family don't need to marry for political alliances.
He's a noble now too, so being with him wouldn't disgrace your noble status.
Whichever of you manages to get in bed with him first, I'll personally give my blessing to the match."
Aurelia Cotta ultimately chose to trust Lucius Caesar's words, regardless of whatever secrets Ye might be hiding that earned him such high praise from the elder Caesar.
His astonishing strength alone was enough for her to invest in him.
If her daughters could get close to him, wouldn't it be easier to ask him to teach Caesar swordsmanship or the like?
Now that he was a noble, hiring him as a teacher would be difficult, but as a mother determined to raise the most outstanding son in the world, Aurelia had always believed in either having nothing or having the best.
Caesar was still a teenager, his fighting habits not yet fully formed, and this was a critical period for rapid growth.
Learning to fight from an ordinary soldier, a formidable gladiator, or a mythical hero-like figure, would the results be the same after ten years?
If you're going to have a mentor, aim for the strongest!!
This further solidified Aurelia's resolve.
Of course—
The most important realization came suddenly.
Even if her daughters failed to win him over, or even if they invested and got no returns, it didn't matter.
In Rome, girls born into noble families had their future husbands predetermined among the same pool of young noblemen.
Women's social status here was not high.
Even if they were lucky enough to marry an exceptional husband, over time, they often became mere playthings.
Not every woman could achieve what Aurelia had.
Unless you were exceptional yourself and could bring significant benefits to your husband, in an era where every noble household kept mistresses and traded beautiful female slaves, aside from the title of nobility, girls had little advantage over other beautiful, young women.
And exceptional young men were hard to come by.
The upper echelons of Rome were dominated by old men who had climbed the ranks through seniority.
In the future, young Caesar would even marry off his own daughter, and his sister's daughter, to his old ally Pompey to gain influence and keep him in check.
Girls born into noble families had little say in their future marriages from the moment they were born.
When the men of the family needed it, they had to pave the way for political alliances.
Compared to other options—
Lista Ye was at least handsome, strong, and undeniably masculine.
Even Aurelia, recalling the thrilling moment of being close to him during that dangerous assassination attempt, felt her face flush and her heart race.
If she were younger, she wouldn't mind going wild with such a strong man and savoring the experience.
But now, as a married woman, Aurelia had to uphold her duty to her husband. Coming from a prestigious family, she was no frivolous noblewoman.
However, unlike herself, who was bound by a political marriage with no emotional connection to her husband, if her daughters could choose partners they liked, that would already be a great fortune.
In fact, giving their first time to a man like this, sleeping with such a top-tier, exceptional male, who's to say who'd be getting the better deal?
The wildness and passion in the bones of Romans left a trace of untamed spirit deep in their nature, even in women.
The two blonde girls, who usually appeared prim and proper, didn't find their mother's blunt and bold words crude, in fact, there was a faint excitement in their eyes.
"Mother… is that really okay?"
The elder sister, Julia, asked softly, blushing with embarrassment.
Although the younger sister, Atia, said nothing but she also looked over eagerly.
Meanwhile, young Caesar was utterly dumbfounded, feeling as if he had misheard.
What did my mom just say?! Is this still my noble, elegant, refined mother?
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