The man's face transformed from a friendly smile to sheer surprise upon hearing Rama's words. When Rama mentioned 'Aurelium,' the man immediately locked eyes with him in astonishment, suggesting that the city was not just an ordinary historical location.
"Do you know something about it, sir?" Rama inquired again.
The middle-aged man quickly averted his gaze, but he couldn't hide the shock on his face. He took a deep breath and exhaled to compose himself.
"Yes, actually. I know something about the city, son," he said, still trying to regain his composure. "But how did you come to know about it? Knowledge of that city has been erased from schools and everywhere else. How did you find out?"
He repeated his question, showing how perplexed he was.
"Uh, I heard it somewhere. I can't remember where, but... I got curious, so I wanted to find out," Rama replied, hoping his little white lie sounded convincing.