[FMMIKA] Chapter 305: I Refuse

Artorius, who heard the sound, subconsciously walked towards the door of the bathhouse.

Then, he saw Nero, who was completely naked and blushing all over.

As she came in, she casually closed the door.

She held a towel in one hand, the other hand on her small waist, and with a proud and chest-out stride, she walked towards Artorius.

She walked in with dignity, her expression calm, as if it were just another day. She seemed completely unashamed of what she was doing.

She even hummed a tune off-key. Artorius found her singing skills to be rather weak but also somewhat unbelievable.

Not because a girl casually entered his bathroom as Artorius had seen much of that. Whether it was Mordred, his mothers, his aunt, as well as his teacher, who hadn't bathed with him.

Back in the day, when a certain Medb was crazily sipping on his bath water, at least half of it was Mordred's.

What shocked him was, did Nero come to bathe with him?

'What does she want by coming here? Is she trying to seduce me?'

'During the day, she tried to attract me in with so-called delicious dishes, the luxurious pleasures of Rome, or whatever, but it didn't work. So now, is she taking matters into her own hands?'

Artorius was sure of his qualifications and abilities, but Nero's actions seemed a bit too decisive.

"Well, well, what do you think?"

Looking at Artorius standing there stunned, after a slight blush appeared on her face, Nero immediately fell into that triumphant and extremely arrogant state.

"This is the number one beauty in Rome, the perfect body like a goddess!"

"How? Every inch of my body is a perfect work of art!"

"Look closely, my proudest body! The most noble Emperor of the Roman Empire!"

Listening to her, Artorius once again found himself at a loss for words.

This woman's mind, it shouldn't be said that it's broken. After all, she behaved quite normally in other aspects, and her talents were pretty good.

So it should be 'different from ordinary people'.

'Unique' or 'Bizarre'?

"Hmm..."

After being slightly shocked for a while, Artorius returned to normal.

Just as Nero said, he looked at her body with an appreciative gaze.

Dazzling golden hair, gem-like emerald eyes, snow-white and tender skin, soft and perky large melon-like breasts, slender waist, well-shaped small butt. Well-proportioned body, plump toes, a beautifully curved instep, delicate little feet.

Everything matched Artorius's imagination of a 'cute beauty' that he wanted to hug and cherish inch by inch.

Especially since she looked 'like Artoria', with at least ninety percent similarity or even more to his own mother.

Clearly, his family came from the Roman auxiliary cavalry officer in Dalmatia, there was no doubt about that, and there was no connection to the Julio-Claudian. But why did their face look so similar?

With these doubts in mind, Artorius finally spoke, "Your Majesty, did you bring me here just for me to appreciate 'art'?"

"Hehehe, be grateful."

Artorius's words increased the shy feeling in Nero's heart a bit. However, she continued to stand tall.

"This is my reward for you!"

"Is... that so?" Artorius nodded and calmly asked, "But is it just that?"

As Artorius spoke, Nero made a new move. She boldly got into the water and sat next to him.

"Of course!"

Though they were closer now, and the hot water had caused a cute blush on her face due to increased blood circulation, she remained confident.

"It's to show you and persuade you."

"Is that so...?" Artoria nodded again.

"Umu, exactly!" Nero exclaimed with enthusiasm. "I have to admit, during the day, I tried to win you over with Roman luxury, but it was a complete failure. The delicious dishes you offered far exceeded my imagination. I believe you won't be lacking in other aspects either."

Artorius nodded. "Yes, you're right. My empire will not be inferior to anyone in terms of enjoyment, splendor, and beauty."

He then looked at Nero seriously. "In my empire, the people will live in peace and happiness."

"Umu, umu! I believe what you said is true..." Nero nodded, then raised her voice and said to Artorius with confidence. "But! In your empire, there will never be anything as beautiful, exquisite, and unparalleled as what I have!"

"Oho? What could that be?"

Even though he had a guess, Artorius still smiled, playing along with Nero's antic.

"It's me!"

"The most beautiful woman in the world, past and present!"

"This is the most wonderful thing in my Rome, unique to me alone!"

"..."

If someone had the same experiences and background but lacked Artorius's aesthetic and unique taste, they would find Nero's words ridiculous.

Although she was indeed stunning, a rare beauty, she couldn't possibly be the unparalleled, world's first beauty as she claimed. At best, she was just a Roman beauty.

Speaking such grandiose words would only make people laugh, feeling a sense of contempt, a self-inflicted humiliation.

But Artorius was different.

Artorius's taste dictated that he was weak to Artoria's beauty. As mentioned before, among the women with Artoria's appearance, Nero was the rarest type.

So, after she said that, Artorius didn't mock her. Instead, he felt a sense of agreement with what Nero had said.

"So, you mean..." Artorius said with a raised eyebrow.

Nero gathered her courage again. "Meaning, now, I am using the most exquisite and precious existence of the Roman Empire as a symbol to express my favor towards you! So, what do you think?"

"Hmm..." Artorius made a thoughtful sound, then said, "So, from what I understand is... are you trying to win me over using yourself as the price?"

"Is that not allowed?!"

After Artorius expressed the idea directly, Nero's face blushed again, and her embarrassed shyness increased even more.

"Can't the world's first beauty and Rome's greatest treasure move your heart?!"

"..."

"It's not like that, Nero."

Artorius shook his head and finally called her name directly without using honorifics. He turned around in the water and faced Nero.

When she wanted to turn her head in embarrassment, he held her shoulder.

The skin contact made her shiver a bit. It seemed she wasn't completely indifferent to this, contrary to what she was pretending.

"You are indeed the most beautiful girl in the world, a rare treasure... even a man like me can't help but be moved by you."

"Hehehe~"

Hearing Artorius praise her beauty, Nero naturally felt happy.

"Then—"

"—Before that." Artorius interrupted her. "Is this really a good idea?"

"Treating your own body as a bargaining chip to win over powerful generals or governors... is that really proper and dignified?"

"..."

Listening to Artorius's reason, Nero gritted her teeth, giving him a fierce look.

Her body trembled slightly as if she had suffered a great blow, and she seemed on the verge of tears.

"Do you think I want to do this—"

Nero instinctively wanted to retort but only managed half a sentence before shutting her mouth.

The dignity of being the Roman Emperor prevented her from stooping to such actions. However, Artorius went a step further.

He approached Nero even more, catching a whiff of her fragrance. Without hesitation, he reached out, placing his entire hand on her shoulder.

This physical contact made Nero more sensitive and uneasy. She instinctively wanted to push Artorius's hand away but refrained, her breathing becoming more rapid.

"Because there's no other means left."

"Because you love this country and want to continue the glory and survival of the Roman Empire."

"But at the same time, you're besieged. All Roman territories except Italy are occupied by rebels."

"In this situation, you're willing to sacrifice even yourself."

"Despite being an arrogant emperor, thinking you're the unique and most noble existence in the world, you still consider the Roman Empire more important than yourself."

"So, in the end, you muster the courage to come here. You want to use the most significant leverage, binding both me and my empire to the chariot of Rome, to secure the Roman Empire's survival."

"..."

As Artorius narrated all those, Nero looked at him with surprise.

'This man... he understands me.'

Nero couldn't help but think like that, and under Artorius's affectionate and compassionate gaze, her mind trembled even more.

"You've been through a lot, Nero.

Afterward, Artorius opened his arms and embraced the young emperor.

"You've suffered, Nero." He gently rubbed the side of her face. "You're a good emperor."

"..."

Hearing Artorius speaking like that, comforting her that way, seeing the tender side of the man toward her, Nero finally couldn't hold back and tightly hugged Artorius, crying.

"Waaaaahhh—!!!"

"Good girl, good girl..."

Dealing with a crying child was something Artorius was very skilled at, thanks to the influence of Mordred and his mothers from the Servant Universe.

"Um..." After crying for a while, Nero raised her head, looking at Artorius with hopeful eyes. "My proposal, what about it? W-Will you, for me..."

"..."

"I'm really sorry."

Artorius remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"You're indeed the most cute and beautiful girl in the world, the most precious treasure of Rome. Even as an emperor like me, I would be moved by you, revel in your charm, praise, marvel, like, love..."

"However, I refuse." He spoke with a calm and decisive tone. "Because in my heart, my country and people come first. So, I'm sorry, I can't promise you."