"O Saturn, God of Wealth and Liberation! Grant Rome your favor!"
"Grant Rome your favor!"
The Temple of Saturn, located on the Capitoline Hill.
With the cheers of the citizens, the Saturnalia festival began.
A lot of citizens were wearing pointed hats, which were originally only worn by freed slaves.
"This hat feels a bit tight."
"Don't complain too much, Lucius. It's Saturnalia today."
Mother said, adjusting my hat.
"It's much better than wearing a hat like this for the rest of your life, isn't it?"
"I can't argue with that."
"My hat fits perfectly!"
Julia smiled and showed off the hat she was wearing.
"Yes, you were already pretty, but you look even prettier today. You should try to join the festive mood a bit more like your sister, Lucius."
Mother said.
While our family chatted, the ceremony was nearing its end.
"Now, we shall offer a sacrifice to the God Saturn!"
Priests dressed in white robes led a bull to the front of the temple.
Unaware of its fate, the bull lowed curiously.
Next, the chief priest of the temple stood before the bull holding a small bronze knife.
After briefly reciting a prayer, he immediately jerked its head back.
As the bronze knife pierced the bull's neck, crimson blood spurted out.
"Waaaaaaah!"
The cheers of the citizens followed.
"We offer this sacrifice to the great God Saturn!"
This was a sight I couldn't get used to.
If this were the 21st century, all sorts of animal rights activists would lose their minds.
Well, as they say, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'
While prayers continued, the priests butchered the bull and laid the cuts on the fire.
"Now it is time to begin the festival!"
The senators walked into the temple one by one.
"Cicero is over there too."
"Indeed he is."
Cicero and the other senators came out of the temple carrying a massive statue of Saturn.
"Let us all go to the Forum!"
With the senators and priests leading the way, the crowd surged after them.
Slaves, freedmen, and citizens all mingled as one and arrived at the Forum.
Mountains of various foods were already piled high in the Forum.
"Citizens of the Republic, today is a glorious day to reflect on the love and blessings bestowed upon us mortals and the Republic by the immortal gods..."
After the customary speeches by the senators ended, the banquet began in earnest.
Usually, the most popular event at Saturnalia was the gladiator matches.
But this festival was different.
The citizens flocked to one side of the Forum, not the gladiator matches.
"Then, we will now begin the lottery draw!"
As Cicero waved his arm, the citizens all responded with cheers.
Standing behind him, I watched the citizens.
I have to hand it to Cicero—he really does have a silver tongue.
No matter how excellent one's skills as a lawyer were, it didn't necessarily mean they were good at public speaking.
But Cicero knew exactly how to sway the hearts of the masses.
"Lucius Julius Caesar has entrusted the lottery business to the Senate! He has guaranteed the stability and balance of the Republic even at the cost of giving up his own profits! Where else could there be a more exemplary act?"
Cicero's speech continued.
I could feel myself blushing.
I didn't expect him to praise me to this extent.
Does Cicero sincerely believe that, or are political reasons playing a bigger role?
Or maybe it's just because I gave him a discount on his insurance.
While I was lost in thought, Cicero gestured toward me.
"Then, I shall entrust the honor of drawing today's lottery winner to Lucius Julius Caesar!"
"Caesar! Caesar!"
Amidst the citizens chanting my name, I stepped forward.
On the rostrum, there were not only Cicero but also priests from the Temples of Saturn and Fortuna.
The two temples had been fighting behind the scenes over who should host the lottery.
The priests of Saturn argued that since it was an event held during Saturnalia, they should host it, while the priests of Fortuna argued that the lottery fell under the domain of the Goddess Fortuna, who governs fate.
After a heated debate, they ultimately requested a decision from my father, the Pontifex Maximus, they finally settled it.
The special lottery held every Saturnalia would be co-hosted by both temples, and during normal times, it would be managed by the Temple of Fortuna.
Even a lottery could turn into temple business.
In Rome of this era, truly everything connects back to religion.
I reached my hand into a large wooden barrel.
Inside were numerous small wooden tablets with numbers written on them.
The numbers, combined, would select both the shop and the buyer.
I picked up a few wooden pieces from inside the barrel.
At the same time, the citizens let out cheers filled with anticipation.
Looking at them, I shouted as loudly as I could.
"The lucky number is...!"
***
I thought the lottery would be the biggest challenge for this Saturnalia.
But it seemed this year's Saturnalia was not going to be a very good day for me.
"Giddy up! Run!"
"Julia, I know you're excited, but can't we stop now?"
To think I'd be crawling around the atrium on all fours.
If this wasn't humiliation, I don't know what was.
"Be quiet, Brother. Horses can't speak human words."
"You're not a little kid anymore either. I think it's time to stop doing things like this..."
Pretending not to hear my pleas, Julia kept waving her arms.
I had no choice but to crawl around the atrium with my sister on my back.
Even if it is Saturnalia, isn't this going a bit too far?
The festival of Saturnalia had one defining characteristic: class distinctions disappeared during the festival period.
Children could freely give orders to their parents, and slaves could sit at the table and dine equally with their masters.
There were stricter households that didn't allow this, but at least in our Caesar household, we followed the custom.
"It is truly a refreshing sight to see you crawling on all fours like that, Young Master."
Felix said in a playful tone, standing to one side of the atrium.
"You're paying for working me to the bone all this time."
"Even if it is Saturnalia, you better watch your mouth, Felix. The festival has to end eventually. The Caesar family never forgets, no matter how trivial the matter."
Despite my threat, Felix only burst into laughter.
"Then shouldn't I enjoy it as much as possible right now? Who knows when an opportunity like this will come again?"
Not just Felix, but the other slaves belonging to our household were comfortably enjoying the banquet without waiting on us.
To celebrate Saturnalia, ivy, laurel, and branches were placed everywhere, which made it feel like we had stepped into the middle of a forest.
"Julia, even a horse can't run forever."
Mother approached us with a smile.
"We wouldn't want your brother collapsing from exhaustion on an important day like today, would we?"
"You're right. You can rest now, brother."
"It's a relief you aren't a general, Julia."
I muttered as I flopped down in the atrium.
"If you were a general, you'd have to buy a new horse every day."
"Lucius, isn't it about time we begin?"
"Ah, right. I almost forgot."
"Begin? What do you mean?"
Felix asked, tilting his head.
"There is still some time left before the meal."
"Actually, besides the Saturnalia festival, there's one more thing to celebrate."
"Something feels suspicious, Young Master. You're not planning to pull another stunt, are you?"
"You know well that I'm always pulling stunts."
"Well, I've given up by now."
Felix replied with a deep sigh.
At that moment, Julia clung to my side and said,
"I know what it is!"
"Julia, you can't tell him yet."
"What on earth is it? Tell me secretly when the Young Master isn't looking, My Lady."
"It's a secret!"
Julia shouted, putting a finger to her lips, imitating me.
"Now even you are teasing me, My Lady. I'll go cry in the corner."
At Felix's exaggerated response, Julia and I burst into laughter.
I took out a piece of papyrus I had prepared in advance from my clothes.
"I have something to announce to all of you today."
At the word 'announce,' everyone in the house looked at me with curious eyes.
"Not long ago, I sent a letter to my father in Hispania to ask for his permission."
I unrolled the papyrus so everyone could see.
"And my generous father granted my request."
"What permission did you get?"
As if bracing for the inevitable, Felix asked.
"As of today, all slaves who have served our Caesar family for over ten years are freed!"
The atrium fell silent in an instant.
"Wait, we're being freed?"
"You aren't making a joke just because it's Saturnalia, are you?"
Felix and the other slaves murmured.
A significant number of them had served the Caesar family for over ten years.
"Have you ever seen me lie? Once this Saturnalia ends, I will immediately begin the necessary procedures. We'll call witnesses and do it properly."
I answered with a smile.
This was the part I liked about Roman slavery system.
Masters could free their slaves, and these freedmen gained many legal protections.
While the freedmen themselves couldn't, their children would become full Roman citizens.
Roman nobles often freed their slaves in their wills when they died to show their generosity.
"It might be a small amount, but I will give you severance pay as well, so anyone who wants to can leave the house and become independent at any time."
A long silence followed again.
Then, someone shouted.
"Who else in Rome gives such generous rewards as the Young Master and the Mistress?"
It was the woman acting as Julia's nanny.
Others joined her and shouted.
"That's right! Without us, how would the Caesar household even run?"
Everyone in the atrium burst into laughter.
Mother, Julia, and I did the same.
"Then I look forward to working with you in the future as well. Since you'll all be inheriting the name of the Caesar family now."
According to Roman tradition, a freed slave took their master's name (nomen) as their own.
By inheriting the name, they became members of that clan.
They were no longer slaves simply following orders, but truly became one family.
However, there was one person who still couldn't accept reality.
"Young Master, are you really freeing us?"
Felix muttered, blinking his eyes.
"Have you spent your whole life being lied to, Felix? Trust me for once."
I added with a smile.
"And there's one more gift left for you, Felix."
"There's still more left?"
"Look over there."
As I gestured and called out, a woman walked into the atrium.
"Felix."
"Tilia!"
Felix's eyes widened in an instant.
"Master, what on earth..."
"Did you think I wouldn't know you were enjoying secret meetings every night?"
"T-That's...!"
While Felix flustered about, the woman approached us.
She grabbed Felix's hand and said,
"Sir Caesar paid money to my master and freed me."
Felix looked at me with eyes asking if it was really true.
Instead of answering, I shrugged.
"I told you today would be a special day, Felix."
"Thank you so much, Young Master!"
Before I could stop him, Felix hugged me tightly.
I was going to suffocate to death at this rate.
"You idiot, this is the time to hug your lover, not me!"
Only then did Felix share a deep embrace with his lover.
Watching the two of them, I said,
"It'll be difficult right now since it's the festival period, but let's hold the wedding right after the festival ends. Don't worry about the expenses."
"Young Master."
"Yeah?"
In a suddenly serious voice, Felix said,
"I swear today before Zeus, no, before the God Jupiter. I will follow you forever, Young Master, no matter where you go."
"It's better not to say things you'll regret later, Felix."
"I can just regret it later, can't I? Right now, I should enjoy it while I can."
The two of us looked at each other and burst into laughter.
In an even more boisterous atmosphere, the banquet continued.
Then, Mother tapped my arm.
"Be prepared, Lucius. An important guest will be arriving soon."
"A guest? I don't think I heard anything about that."
Mother let out a soft chuckle.
"It's something your father and I have been preparing for a while. We thought it would be best to inform you in time for Saturnalia."
Something the two of them prepared.
It certainly doesn't sound like anything ordinary.
I felt a strange sense of unease.
A moment later, the sound of someone knocking on the door was heard.
"Young Caesar! We meet again so soon!"
Pompey charged at me with his massive frame.
Before I could stop him, he hugged me tightly.
I'd gotten hugged by a lot of men today.
"Happy Saturnalia. It's been a long time since I've seen a house with such a joyful atmosphere."
He said with a laugh.
"I brought some gifts for you. I had a few sets of armor I've been saving, and I thought they would fit you perfectly."
"Thank you, sir. I'll accept them with gratitude."
Beside him stood a woman, wearing a stola so red it was dazzling.
"I've heard a lot about you from my father, Caesar."
The woman bowed her head slightly and greeted me.
The next moment, she scanned me with an evaluating gaze.
Well, that was unexpected.
"It is an honor to meet you. Your name is..."
"I am Pompeia."
"My one and only daughter."
Pompey said with a proud expression.
"I thought it would be best to introduce her to you on an important day like today. Isn't that right, Cornelia?"
"I think so as well."
Mother nodded.
Wait, what is this atmosphere...
"There could be nothing more important than two young men and women promising their futures together and two families joining hands."
Mother said, looking at me.
"Isn't that right, Lucius?"