Well, the next day began with a crying festival.
Julius looked at his mother, wondering if she had a built-in sprinkler in her eyes. How can someone cry steadily for three hours? What are you made of? Water?
Julius felt touched, but couldn't help wondering if it was good for a normal being to cry so long. "There, there, mother. Don't you trust this son of yours?"
:"—":
No. Concubine Ava secretly concluded in her mind but didn't want to beat her son's self-confidence to death.
Knowing she didn't believe him, Julius held her hands tight and looked her squarely in the eye. "Mother, believe your son when he says he is smart. Your son has many ideas in his head, many ingenious ideas that will shake this entire empire to its core… Zeenie."
A vibrant girl a year younger than Julius appeared, tightly holding brown, stiff parchment papers against her chest.
"Here, young master!"
Zeenie has served with the young master since she was five. She cleaned, did laundry, folded clothes and took care of the young master alongside several other maids belonging to concubine Ava.
Zeenie followed the young master and knew he wasn't as bad as the rumors made out. She admitted she wasn't very fond of the young master, until seven months back when he fell off a horse and hit his head hard.
After the young master woke up, he began noticing her and the other maids and servants, acknowledging their presence and even teasing them too.
(Crying with teary eyes)
Their young master finally grew up!
After seven months of the young master's change, many of them were very faithful to Julius. Their young master getting kicked out annoyed them so much that they almost took up brooms and weapons to fight for him.
The palace has made it clear that if anyone should go with Julius, concubine Ava must not pay their salaries. It must be the young master who pays their salaries. But many had already made up their minds, deciding to follow their young master no matter where he went.
They also decided to use this opportunity to repay concubine Ava for taking care of them over the years.
After being brought in as slaves, Concubine Ava never mistreated them. It was very common for slaves to be mistreated. So for them to end up in the home of the kind concubine Ava, made everyone feel blessed.
If not for her, their lives might have unfolded in even more disastrous ways than they can think of.
Who knows… maybe they might be sold to brothels, medicine homes as poison testers and so on. Slaves could end up anywhere.
Concubine Ava had no reason to be kind towards them, yet she was. That's why even though they frowned at Julius's behavior in the past. They would still protect him and bark at any who harmed him.
In the past, they protected Julius because of their gratitude for Ava. However, after several months with him, they did so because they truly cared for him.
"Zeenie is here, Master!"
Zeenie wasted no time stepping forward with several sketches in her hand. She had seen the young master roughly sketch them over the past seven months, and always wondered what they were.
Everyone in the outside world said the youngster was stupid and a dandy, but only they knew he had a unique mind, always thinking of ideas they couldn't fathom.
At first, they thought he was slowly losing some knots in his head, but one day they witnessed with their own two eyes how their young master created a magical moving device that blew cool air in the hot boiling weather.
Amazing!
The young master called it a fan. He created all the parts by himself, carving wooden pieces and putting them together. It was amazing that the fan could move on its own whenever they poured water into a tiny drum on its back.
After that, the young master never made anything else, but it was enough to make them understand just how intelligent Julius truly was. Instead, he focused on reading several books month after month.
At the same time, they always hid the fan's existence, never letting another person know of it, even concubine Ava. The young master said it wasn't time yet, so they obeyed.
They had an inkling that the young master would one day become unstoppable, a pillar many can never reach. So how could they jump off his wagon of glory now?
Holding the precious sketches and manuscript papers, Zeenie felt they were more valuable than gold. The way she handed them over to Julius even made concubine Ava feel they were worth all the gold in the world.
Julius smiled.
"Concubine Mother, the Queen's birthday is coming up soon. This is what I've decided to make for her. Believe me, mother, your son will not be a laughing stock for too long."
Ava took hold of the documents, turning them page by page. But why was it that everything she saw only made her headache the more?…. I mean… What the hell was all this?
Well, she was tongue-tied.
Julius chuckled knowing that the first few pages were filled with mathematical calculations and equations people in this era couldn't understand. All they knew how to do was addition and subtraction. They didn't know the Times Table and had to use other methods of calculating. That's why it took them days and weeks just to summarize and proof check accounting ledgers.
Even counting money was a slow process for them too. It was like watching a child count while using their fingers and toes.
He knew Ava wouldn't understand, nor would anyone if they stole his works. However, he still did this, to leave a deep impression in Ava's memory.
On the final page was a rough sketch of what he intended to make. Even if Ava or anyone else saw it now, they would think it was rubbish. But wait till he makes it… Wait till he presents it to the Queen. It will be then that concubine Ava will truly know just how genius her son is.
That being said, Julius has been in this world for a little over seven months now. Do you think it would make sense to just get up one day and change all of a sudden? No.
If anything, they will think he was possessed. That's why he slowly began changing while still keeping his dandy image up.
The maids and servants have seen him work and sketch over the months. And when he suddenly shines like a diamond, no one can suspect him of being posted or suspicious.
Over the months he also let out some of his genius thoughts in public, when pretending to be drunk.
At the time, people might have thought he heard or copied the words from someone. But only later, will they understand it was the true him.
Seven months! He played the role well for seven whole months… Everything he has done was to eliminate all suspicion!
…
Concubine Ava looked at the papers, wondering if she should hastily invite Physician Maurice to take a look at her son's head before he leaves the Palace.
~Sigh…
Forget it.
"You…" With a forced smile, she could only encourage Julius in high spirits. "They are very good. Mother is sure the Queen will like it very much."
Julius chuckled. "I know she will."
"—" Concubine Ava secretly concluded that there was something wrong with her son's head.