Why did Lucius fake his death?

To protect his family from danger.

What does he find upon returning to Rome?

His family living with his rival, having never searched for him.

The Exiled Emperor Returns

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The Exiled Emperor Returns — A deposed Roman emperor survives brutal captivity and returns to confront the family that abandoned him.

Lucius, ruler of Rome, stages his own demise to shield his household from peril. He then yields to a rival commander and suffers three years of forced labor in a mine. When he finally reaches the capital, he discovers his wife and children dwelling peacefully under the same roof as the man he spared. No search party ever came for him. The silence of their abandonment transforms his grief into cold resolve. He reassembles his former legions and moves to reclaim his authority, culminating in a banquet where three armies kneel before him as his judgment begins.

Quick answers

Why did Lucius fake his death?: To protect his family from danger.
What does he find upon returning to Rome?: His family living with his rival, having never searched for him.