Since persuading Robert, Roman had been accompanying him for training in the practice yard.
Robert had also made a rare effort to reduce his daily alcohol intake; it was impossible to make him give it up entirely, but at least he would not end up dead drunk.
At the same time, he secretly directed the Harrenhal soldiers to investigate the secret passages of King's Landing; even finding just a little something was a gain.
Towards others in The Red Keep, Roman was also very courteous; even if they were lowly Servants, Roman still gave them appropriate respect.
The members of the Small Council had also shifted their attitude toward Roman from initial disdain to focused attention.
Roman's style of saying what people wanted to hear—speaking human language to humans and ghost language to ghosts—made people very uncomfortable, especially Littlefinger and Varys.
Both were extremely sensitive to intelligence, yet they could not find anything of value on Roman.
The void in intelligence made Littlefinger and Varys feel uneasy; a high noble who could not be monitored was a nightmare for people like them, especially since the other party seemed uninterested in dealing with them.
Jon Arryn's expression was as dark as the Blackwater Rush; he had originally intended for Robert to put some pressure on the Hean Family so he could manipulate things from the middle.
Unexpectedly, Robert was so flattered that he became completely carried away, and now the two were eating and drinking together, acting just like partners in crime.
Old Arryn's fingers tapped rhythmically against the tabletop.
"That kid Roman... is very troublesome, and we don't know his intentions. If he is like Walter of the past, then we are in trouble."
Varys spoke up to comfort him: "My lord, a single Roman cannot turn the world upside down. The Mad King has already stepped down, so what threat does the Hean Family pose?"
Varys's fat face remained calm and composed, showing no signs of nervousness at all.
Old Arryn did not know if this cunning eunuch was pretending to be foolish, and he did not want to bother with it either.
In the eyes of the nobles, The Mad King was a perverted monarch, but in the hearts of the common folk, that was not the case.
Because The Mad King's main focus was on torturing the nobles, after Robert had indulged in luxury and pleasure for so many years, the lower classes actually started to feel nostalgic for The Mad King.
Although not widespread, it was very dangerous.
"Varys, from now on, no matter what method you use, your people must infiltrate Harrenhal!"
"Yes! My lord."
On the other side, Robert and Roman had just finished wrestling.
Robert panted heavily while drinking the fresh water handed to him by Roman.
"Bah! This water has no flavor!"
"Your Grace, it is water."
"I know! You kid are quite impressive, actually able to push me back! But wrestling isn't just about brute strength; in that regard, you aren't as good as me!"
Robert was in a good mood; it was rare to have an evenly matched opponent like Roman to play with.
"You kid are just like Eddard Stark, with a mouth as straight and hard as a rock; others wouldn't dare talk back to me like that!"
Robert had grown increasingly fond of this kid who could see through his heart over the past few days; in the past, he could only relieve his misery through bedding women and drinking.
Eddard was far away and couldn't help him at all, and Winterfell had its own matters, so Robert could not just summon people over casually.
Therefore, Roman, who could speak Robert's mind and did not fear his majesty as a king, was particularly well-liked.
But before Robert could continue the conversation, an Attendant rushed over, whispered something in Robert's ear, and the king immediately flew into a rage.
"Jaime! Jaime! She cares so much about her own brother! It was just a punch, wasn't it? His face is perfectly fine; making such a fuss!"
Afterwards, Robert impatiently dismissed the Attendant and sighed at Roman:
"My good mood is completely ruined! I was thinking that since you are leaving soon, we could spend more time together, but now the atmosphere is gone!"
Hearing Robert's words, Roman knew that Cersei had come to cause trouble.
That woman cared most about Jaime and her children; Roman had just punched Jaime, so Cersei certainly would not let it go easily.
"It is time to leave," Roman thought to himself.
Roman immediately expressed that he needed to return to Harrenhal to report back and could not stay long, promising to host a grand banquet for Robert once he had sorted out the matters at Harrenhal.
Robert could only reluctantly let Roman leave.
On the banks of the Blackwater Rush.
Roman's few days in King's Landing had come to an end; before heading home, his entourage had loaded the cargo ship with goods from all over the world.
Fine wines from The Reach, jewelry and spices from across the sea, as well as over 100 blacksmiths from King's Landing.
"Instructor Jessy, I did ask you to find blacksmiths, but where did you find so many?"
Old Jessy sighed; he was speechless at Roman's naivety.
"My lord, you have seen the slums of King's Landing; in this cesspit, it is not just commoners who suffer, ordinary blacksmiths do too."
Roman looked at this large group of muscular brutes and decided not to dwell on it further.
"It is just a pity I didn't find Big Ox, otherwise I would have had one more laborer."
As the fleet set sail, Roman finally smelled the fresh scent of river water.
"Refreshing! Finally, I don't have to smell the stench of excrement in King's Landing. Instructor Jessy, come here for a moment."
Old Jessy was pulled aside by Roman with a puzzled look on his face.
"My lord, you..."
"Instructor Jessy, please keep an eye on that group of blacksmiths on the way back. I observed that Varys and Littlefinger intended to plant spies in The Red Keep, so this group must be carefully screened."
Old Jessy immediately frowned upon hearing this: "Those two cowards! Rest assured, my lord, I will contact the sharp-witted men in the army to handle it!"
Roman nodded; professional matters should be left to professionals, and he only needed to provide suggestions.
Upon returning to Harrenhal, Lady Helaena was chatting and laughing with the Servants. Seeing Roman arrive, the Servants left, leaving the two alone.
Lady Helaena pulled Roman over and looked him up and down: "Child, you have lost weight!"
"My lady, you are mistaken. How could I have lost weight in just a few days? We have already paid the taxes to King Robert this time, but is it really okay to bypass House Tully directly?"
Lady Helaena sighed and said: "This time, it is called taxes, but in reality, it is just protection money we are paying; the taxes for House Tully will not be any less."
Recalling the previous administrative documents of Harrenhal, Roman finally understood that Harrenhal was currently struggling to make ends meet.
There was no other way; talent was scarce, and the maintenance of Harrenhal was unavoidable, otherwise, if it truly became a dilapidated building, the price would not be what it is now.
Roman took the opportunity to bring out his plan: "My lady, look, this is my plan for the future of Harrenhal. What do you think?"
This plan was sufficiently detailed, from the initial development of industry and agriculture to subsequent infrastructure construction, followed by the introduction of population, and finally, military strengthening.
Lady Helaena did not know much about governance, but she saw Roman's detailed plan, and even she could understand this report.
In the end, Lady Helaena chose to trust Roman.
"Do as you wish; I am behind you."
Lady Helaena stroked the back of Roman's hand: "Child, I had already decided to hand Harrenhal over to you back in the crypts, and even if Walter hadn't said anything, I would have done so anyway."
"You are a warm-hearted, kind, studious, and intelligent person. In the entire castle, apart from us old folks, there are only those Servants. I have no other requirements, I just hope you can treat them well."
Looking into Lady Helaena's eyes, Roman was touched; regardless of what Lady Helaena's true thoughts were, he was willing to believe.
Just based on how Lady Helaena had treated the Servants during this period, he had reason to support her.
"I understand, my lady. Just wait for my good news."