Mafia Princess in the Roman Court

In the tenth year of Emperor Augustus's reign over the Roman Empire, on a clear mid-July morning, the sun's rays bathed an opulent palace known as the "Temple of Juno" in golden light.

A sharp, crisp slap echoed from within, causing the servants and slaves outside to shudder involuntarily.

Two young slaves crouched by the door, ears pressed against it to eavesdrop. After a moment, they whispered to each other furtively.

Inside, a pretty young handmaiden of about fifteen knelt before a gilded bed. Tears streamed down her face, but she desperately blocked the path of a woman in a deep purple robe.

This woman's face was strikingly beautiful, with an alluring smile that could captivate anyone. But now, that enchanting smile seemed demonic and terrifying.

On the bed lay a woman in tattered clothes, her face haggard. Her eyes were tightly shut, lips pale, brow furrowed in pain.

Suddenly, as if startled by the commotion, the woman on the bed stirred. Her eyelashes fluttered and slowly opened. Sharp, eagle-like eyes quickly surveyed the surroundings, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

Julia gazed at the lavish room - the gilded ceiling, jewel-encrusted walls, exquisite sculptures and frescoes, and the two women in Roman robes grappling before her. She felt bewildered - what was happening?

Half an hour ago, she had been attending a grand wedding when gunshots rang out. Shouldn't she be dead? Why was she still conscious? Had she been saved? But she'd been shot in the heart - even the most skilled doctor couldn't have saved her. Though her family had some Roman-style rooms, this place was entirely different!

Was she truly dead? Was this the underworld or heaven? Did such places really exist? As the daughter of a gang leader, she surely couldn't have gone to heaven! But if this was the underworld, wasn't this treatment too good?

"Get out of my way!" The woman in the purple robe shoved the young handmaiden forcefully.

The handmaiden pleaded through her tears, "Lady Cassia, please spare Her Majesty the Empress! She's been unconscious for two days. Please don't harm her anymore."

Another resounding slap rang out. The woman called Cassia glared at the handmaiden, furiously saying, "You insolent slave, how dare you accuse me of harming this madwoman! You must be tired of living. Get out of my way!" She kicked the handmaiden in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

But the loyal handmaiden, seeing Cassia approach her mistress, rolled over and clung to Cassia's ankle, preventing her from reaching the bed.

"Lady Cassia, I beg you, spare Her Majesty!" she cried, gripping Cassia's ankle tightly.

Cassia tried to wrench her foot free, stomping on the handmaiden's fair hand with her other foot, leaving it red and swollen.

"Please, Lady Cassia, spare the Empress! Livia begs you!" The girl on the ground, Livia, refused to let go, even as her hand began to bleed. She started banging her head on the floor forcefully. The harsh sound made even Julia, accustomed to the criminal underworld, wince.

What shocked Julia even more was the phrase "Her Majesty the Empress."

Was this a movie set? But who would dare cast her, a gang princess, in a film? Who would be bold enough to challenge her father's authority? Had her father gone bankrupt? Had her so-called "groom" taken down her father's criminal empire? Were they forcing her to work for survival?

That couldn't be right. They weren't capable of that. Unless - Julia's eyes widened as two gleaming words slowly formed in her mind: "time travel."

Julia was startled, nearly sitting up, but remembering the chaotic scene, she remained calm. She pinched herself discreetly - it hurt, so she wasn't dead. That gunshot should have been fatal, so the only explanation was that her soul had traveled through time, inhabiting another body.

Heavens! Had she really died? She wouldn't even have a chance for revenge against the man who killed her.

Love, marriage, sweet words, solemn vows - all tricks. Those things were poison, but how could one know their power without tasting them? Yet once tasted, they proved fatal.

Julia, you thought yourself clever, but in the end, you fell into someone else's trap and died. You truly failed.

But if heaven hadn't let her die, giving her a chance at rebirth, then - she would live on here! Life was precious; she should cherish it. People say great misfortune is followed by great fortune; she wondered what fate had in store for her.

Julia turned her attention back to the drama unfolding in the room. From her brief observation, she concluded that the young handmaiden was fiercely loyal and protective of her mistress. Lady Cassia, on the other hand, was the type to kick someone when they were down - the kind of person Julia despised most.

"Get out of my way! Hmph! When your mistress dies, I'll send you to accompany her in death." Cassia kicked with all her might, grinding her foot into the handmaiden. Finally, unable to bear the pain any longer, the young girl let go.

Once free, Cassia rushed to the bedside, grabbed a silver needle, and moved to stab the seemingly unconscious woman, snarling, "You're in a coma, are you? Let me help you with that today."

As she spoke, she viciously jabbed the needle towards Julia's shoulder. The pain nearly made Julia sit up and kick the venomous beauty flying. But not wanting to act rashly before understanding the situation, she endured it.

One needle wasn't enough to satisfy Cassia's anger. She immediately produced a second, glaring at the weakened woman and hissing, "You think you can truly secure your position as Empress? Hah! You foolish woman, don't dream! Today, I'll send you to hell." With that, she aimed the needle at Julia's head.

Seeing this, the handmaiden, ignoring her own pain, leapt up and threw herself over Julia, using her frail back to shield her mistress from the needle.

Enraged by this, Cassia shouted at two maidservants behind her, "What are you standing there for? Quickly, drag this wretched slave away and slap her face hard!"

Hearing this, the two maidservants rushed forward, dragged the handmaiden away, and began striking her face viciously.