Yes. No need to punish her.

You glare at Martina for a moment, then let out a long, slow sigh. Running a hand over your face, you glower down at the **** woman.

"Your dalliance with this man Brutus could have gotten you killed - and worse, it could have gotten everyone here killed," you tell her grimly. Her face falls, and the tears threaten to spill from her eyes. You hold up a finger. "However...your weakness was born of passion, and passion is something I certainly understand, no matter how angry I may be. Go. Speak of this to no one and do nothing. If this Brutus attempts to contact you again, tell him you are ill so you don't have to meet him and lie to his face. We cannot afford for them to know that I'm planning to move against them. If I find out that you're attempting to meet with him, I'll keep you bound in a storeroom until this business is over. If I find out you met with him after the fact..." You let the threat hang in the air, grimly unfinished. "But for this foolishness, I will not punish you. Go on, then. Back to work."

Martina's tears do fall, now, though clearly from relief. "Thank you. Thank you, dominus. You're a good man. But please...if you would..." Rather desperately, she works a small bracelet with a wooden charm in the shape of a bear off her wrist and hands it to you. "I would not have Brutus die in whatever you are planning...please if you plan to do something to these bandits, wear this! If he sees it he will know that we spoke and he'll stand down, I swear it. If I ask him to, he'll stand aside for you, dominus. Please, please don't kill him."

You take the bracelet in your hand and stare at it wonderingly. Is it possible that this could work? Hard to say. "I can't make you any promises, Martina. And if we do move against the bandits, the fighting is likely to be chaotic. But I will do my best to get him to see this, and if he stands down, it won't be my hand that kills him."

"Thank you, dominus. Thank you!" Martina falls to her knees and clutches your legs in gratitude. She cries for a moment, then you gently disentangle yourself and nod to Albina to take her away. You play with the bracelet thoughtfully for a moment before sliding it on to your own wrist for safekeeping. After a few moments, Albina returns.

"That was magnanimously done, Gaius," she says with a smile. "Many men would be so furious at her as to demand her punishment."

"What would that accomplish?" you ask dryly. "Besides...as it turns out, magnanimity is good strategy, sometimes." You watch the bear charm on the bracelet sway as the two of you return to the villa.