Chapter 60
{How’s your body, Sister?}
{…It’s fine.}
Thanks to Isiris’ healing magic, Isera had somewhat recovered.
Watching her, Isiris let out a small sigh of relief.
Although she had spoken to her a bit coldly lately, Isiris still genuinely cared for her sister.
When it came to matters concerning the Seraphim, she had no choice but to be strict, as it was a matter of survival.
Even so, she wished that this poor sister of hers, Isera, could find some happiness in life.
She hoped that she would no longer act so foolishly, throwing herself away like this.
{Honestly… You recklessly stood your ground back there. No matter what, you should have stepped back until either I or Lord Seraphim arrived if it was that strong of an enemy.}
{…It’s fine.}
{What do you mean, “it’s fine”? Sister, you almost died. Even if you were trying your best, you should have considered the people around you as well.}
{…It’s fine.}
{…?}
At that moment, Isiris started to feel that something was off.
Seeing her sister’s dazed expression, as if she were in a trance, Isiris carefully asked,
{…What’s Brother’s least favourite dish?}
{…It’s f… huh? What… What did you just say?}
{…You’re not fine. What’s going on? You’ve been absent-minded for a while now. Is there something bothering you?}
{Something bothering me… Hmm…}
Isera hesitated, chewing on her words for a moment.
As her face gradually turned a deep shade of red, Isiris’ curiosity grew even stronger.
{There is, isn’t there? Come on, tell me. There’s nothing to hide between us, right?}
{…It’s just…}
Having lived together for hundreds of years and sharing many worries, Isiris had always been a positive element in Isera’s otherwise miserable marriage life.
So, as usual, she ended up confiding some of her thoughts.
{…Isiris… If… If a handsome man were to tell you that you’re beautiful… What would you do?}
{Huh? A handsome… man? It’s strange hearing you ask something like that, Sister.}
Ever since she became Ba’al’s wife, Isera had neither shown interest in nor been in a situation involving any other man.
Isiris was puzzled by the unexpected question that came out of her sister’s mouth…
But soon, her mind began to draw up thoughts in response to her sister’s question.
{A handsome man, huh…}
Until recently, Isiris herself had never been fond of men or had a desire to know more about them.
However, recently, even she had developed a certain level of interest in such matters.
With that in mind, Isiris pictured a ‘handsome man(?)’ saying something like that to her.
-[You are beautiful.]
{Gasp~!}
The mental image was unexpectedly powerful.
And with it came a peculiar fluttering in her heart.
‘…Uh… Well… It’s not a bad scenario… But… If it’s like this, then I suppose I’d have no choice but to act that way, right?’
Having quickly come to a conclusion, Isiris shared her thoughts without hesitation.
{I’d marry him.}
{…M-marry? H-hold on, that’s a bit… too fast… And besides… You don’t even know what the other person thinks of you…}
Although she had already once tried to give her body to someone and had been rejected, Isera still questioned hesitantly.
To this, Isiris shook her head slowly and replied,
{If he told you that you’re beautiful, that means he doesn’t completely dislike you, right? Besides, if you find him handsome, it means you already have some feelings for him. In that case, shouldn’t you just move forward and put your stamp on it? Moreover, not just for you but also for me, you are currently the acting goddess of this Blackset Empire. If you push forward with the justification of needing to fill the empty seat beside you as soon as possible, wouldn’t it work out somehow?}
{Ah…}
Even if it sounded a bit aggressive, everything Isiris said made perfect sense.
Isera slowly nodded in agreement without even realizing it.
{De…Definitely… That’s right… There’s no other way but to get married…}
{It might sound a bit harsh, but if you genuinely like him, it’s practically your first love, right? You’ve already suffered through a loveless marriage. Wouldn’t it be better to take the plunge now rather than regret it later?}
{…Yes… You’re right…}
It was the first time she had ever heard the words “You are beautiful” sincerely directed at her.
She had heard similar compliments from others before, but they were always insincere words, born out of flattery for a revered being like her.
However, he was an existence so great that even Isera could not compare.
There was no reason for him to flatter her, no reason for him to offer false praise.
She still wondered why he rejected her when she had offered her body to him earlier…
But after everything that had happened, she came to believe that he didn’t reject her because he hated her.
‘There might be other reasons… a reason of his own… why he couldn’t accept me immediately. Perhaps he already has another woman as his wife…’
Although it was common for a monarch to take a woman from a defeated nation,
There were rare cases where they declined out of consideration for their wife’s feelings.
This might be a far cry from the overbearing personality of Baal, but for those who genuinely loved their wife or had other such reasons, it was certainly possible.
Or perhaps… it could simply be that he wasn’t in the mood to engage in relations on that particular day.
After contemplating these possibilities, Isera finally made up her mind.
{…Alright. I… I’ll give it a try. I don’t know how it’ll go, but… like you said, I’ll propose to him.}
{Yes, do your best, sister.}
Encouraged by Isiris, Isera gathered her resolve.
At the same time, Isiris couldn’t help but feel curious.
What kind of man could captivate Isera’s heart to this extent?
‘There wasn’t anyone particularly noteworthy among the lesser gods… Could it be a human?… No, that’s impossible… huh?’
In that moment, one person suddenly came to Isiris’s mind.
Now that she thought about it, there was only one person who could shake Isera’s heart like this at the moment.
Realizing this,
{! Wa… Wait. Sister, that person is my…}
Just then—
-Whoosh!!!
{!}
{Ah…}
The next moment, a radiant light appeared before them, and there stood Seraphim.
Though expected, it was clear that he had returned after achieving yet another overwhelming victory.
Without giving Isiris a chance to intervene, Isera immediately stepped forward.
{Welcome back, Seraphim. Did you succeed in your mission?}
[Yes, I couldn’t end it completely, but… what about you? Are you alright?]
{Yes, thanks to you, Seraphim, I’m unharmed. I sincerely thank you once again for saving me.}
Isera spoke in a polite voice.
But at that moment, Isiris understood.
Isera looked calmer than usual.
What that meant was…
As her sister, she knew.
When Isera became extremely tense, she would instead appear calm and composed.
And…
{Seraphim, I have something I wish to say to you.}
[Something you want to say? What is it?]
When she reached this state, she became truly fearless.
{Seraphim, please marry me.}
[…What?]
***
A confession that came out of nowhere.
Not from any ordinary human, but from the very Goddess of this land.
I was left momentarily stunned.
‘Huh… Wait, why is she suddenly proposing here?…’
Back then, I had refused her offer to give herself to me, but that was a completely different issue.
At the time, she had been in the position of a captive, a status akin to that of a slave, offering her body.
Although it was a bit shocking, in this world, where the faith placed on fertility and the ancient barbarism still ran deep, it was an understandable situation.
But a proposal was on an entirely different level.
This wasn’t coercive; it was a decision made out of her pure will.
[Wha… What do you mean? Marriage… Why did you suddenly think of this?]
As I stammered in confusion,
Isera spoke in a serious voice.
{As you know, I am now the main deity of the Baal faith that is rooted in this land, and I am the only one capable of leading the Blackset Empire. However, it is not easy to carry out such duties all by myself. Both from the perspective of the church doctrine and the empire’s traditions, a leader must fulfil these responsibilities alongside a partner.}
[So, you mean… in order to rule this land… no, to efficiently govern human nations, I need to become your partner?]
{Yes… That’s what it means, initially. And…}
Isera mentioned a strategic reason.
As someone who cherished pure love, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with this emphasis on efficiency.
I had even rejected something that was almost like a proposal from Solomon before.
Of course, compared to that, this could certainly help solidify internal affairs that I had been considering, but… it was still unappealing to me.
But then…
{And more than anything… Didn’t you tell me before… that I’m… beautiful? That I’m beautiful, despite being like this…}
[! Uh… Well… I did say that, but… it wasn’t with any particular intention; it was just a genuine sentiment…]
{! I knew it… I knew you meant it… Ah… To think that you genuinely… genuinely found someone like me beautiful…}
[Ah… No, I mean… I just said it because you were a beauty, but…!]
At that moment, Isera suddenly reached out and grasped my hand tightly.
With her face flushed red,
She showed a smile filled with genuine joy,
Her eyes welling up with tears as she spoke to me.
{… You were the only one… who thought I was beautiful… The only one who held such a pure sentiment towards me…}
[…]
For a brief moment, I almost blurted out, ‘What, is everyone in this world blind?’ But saying such a thing would have been like pouring fuel on a fire that was already blazing.
So, as I stood there, speechless.
Isera spoke earnestly.
{I ask you once again. Please… marry me. For the sake of all the humans living on this land. And… for me, who can no longer look at anyone else but you.}
Her words, imbued with such overwhelming sincerity,
The way she expressed her genuine ‘pure love’ right in front of me,
It gave me a pressure that was entirely different from the strategic reasons she mentioned earlier.
It touched my personal beliefs as well.
And, once again, the irresistible charm of the woman named Isera, perfectly aligning with my preferences, weighed heavily on me.
In this situation, which I could call the greatest crisis I faced since coming to this world,
I had no choice but to make a decision.
[Alri—…]
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