NOVEL NEXT Chapter 112
Chapter: 112
I—I forced my shaky heart to calm down and opened my mouth.
“Uh, when did you know…?”
“…….”
The hero stayed silent for a while, then casually blurted out,
“I thought as much from the beginning.”
“From the beginning?!”
If it was from the beginning… does that mean from the moment he drew his sword?
That means all my efforts to pretend to be the Dragon’s Priestess, the goddess’s representative, and all that jazz… were completely useless?!
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh!!!!
That’s it! I’ve made up my mind!
“If I erase your memories… If I open up your skull and clear out the contents to make you forget my identity…”
“I get that you’re flustered, but let’s calm down first, sis.”
“I’m back to my senses!!”
“You’re wrong… We won’t be able to talk for a while….”
My dignity as a goddess!!! Well, I’ve never really clung to that, but to have it all uncovered by the child I raised like my own! Aaargh! Aaargh!!!!
A blanket! I need a blanket! To do a blanket kick, I need a blanket!! A blanket big enough to cover my whole body!!! Ah, technically my true self doesn’t really need a blanket, but to do a blanket kick, I absolutely need one! A huge blanket! A really enormous blanket!!
If I had such a giant blanket, wouldn’t I cover the whole world? No, maybe covering the entire world is too much, but at least I could easily cover a city!
When the severe cold comes, I can wrap myself in that blanket to keep warm, and use a coal-fired generator to maintain the city’s temperature! Child labor! Sawdust disguised as food additives!! Aaargh!! Aaargh!!!!
Ahem. What on earth am I even saying right now? I feel like my mind just took a detour to another dimension.
I brought my wandering thoughts back and took a deep breath.
Phew, okay. The deed is already done. What’s unavoidable cannot be avoided, right?
Even if I try to wipe the hero’s memories of me now, what difference would it make?
I’m just… pretty embarrassed about the hero discovering all my secrets, but as long as he keeps my secret, it’ll be okay.
Yeah. That’s the plan.
“Phew.”
“Have you calmed down now?”
“Y-yeah… I showed a rather embarrassing side of myself.”
I can’t even face the hero. I’m too embarrassed. I can’t lift my head.
“Well, let’s talk about this calmly.”
“Sure. Once you’ve calmed down, we can chat properly.”
I just let out a small sigh in response to the hero’s words.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“So, you knew from the start, huh?”
“Yes. Right from the moment I drew the hero’s sword.”
What? He knew that early? How? What did I even do back then?
What else did I do besides cursing that good-for-nothing and sending him flying to his own country? Hmmm…
I don’t know! What made him think I was a goddess?
“I-I was trying to hide it as much as possible… What made you realize I was a goddess?”
“Uh. Well, you see…”
The hero scratched his nose shyly and said,
“It’s because you’re just too beautiful… I thought you couldn’t be human.”
What?
“What?”
“I mean, I’d never seen anyone as beautiful as you before! So I thought you had to be a goddess, not a human!”
The hero said, his face flushed, as if squeezing out the words.
Ah, so that’s it…
He thought I was a goddess because I was too beautiful?
Well, there are definitely people who look at celebrities or beautiful women and exclaim “goddess!” but is this the same idea?
But ironically, I really was a goddess??
“Hmmm…”
“And then, with all the things you said and did, the miracles you performed—like reviving the dead, casually talking with divine beings—I began to doubt whether you were even trying to hide your identity.”
Uh, yeah… that’s true.
“And you spoke comfortably with the Elf and Dwarf gods, and even acted like you were friends with the sea god. Plus, you realized super quick that the beast I thought was just a monster was actually a god.”
I nodded slightly at the hero’s words. It’s true, but still!!!
“And you created all sorts of things without a second thought, so I figured you had no intention of hiding your identity at all.”
Huh… That is true.
I’m such a fool…
“Anyway, that’s how I figured out that your identity was not just some human like the Dragon’s Priestess, but rather the Goddess of Life taking a human guise.”
“I-I see….”
So, it looks like all my actions were clues laid out on a platter.
I really was such a fool! A big idiot!
“Then, why did you confess to me knowing my true identity as a goddess? Why confess knowing that I’m a goddess?”
“That’s… uh, well. To be honest, I was half desperate.”
Desperate…
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“Honestly, I know it’s impossible for me, a mere human, to monopolize the love of a goddess like you. I thought you might be disappointed by my confession and leave my side.”
The hero’s face was set with a determined expression.
So he was thinking that way.
“But I didn’t want to keep my feelings bottled up inside without ever saying anything.”
The hero continued, awkwardly smiling.
“Even if I find someone else in the future and start a family, I didn’t want to bury the feelings I had for you. Even if this love is doomed, I wanted to express it rather than give up.”
Oh, love…
That’s a feeling I find hard to understand.
“I…”
Just as I was about to say something, the hero gently shook his head.
“You don’t have to respond. Honestly, I don’t think I can handle the enormous, boundless love of the Goddess of Life alone. I just wanted to express my feelings for my own satisfaction. I wasn’t looking for an answer from you.”
“…”
“So, it’s okay. Besides, you, the Goddess of Life, hold a position even the other gods admire. You are the most noble and virtuous goddess, right? If a mere human like me were to receive your incredible love, the other gods would surely bring down divine punishment.”
I couldn’t find the words to respond to the hero’s claims.
“So that’s that. This is enough for me.”
I could only gaze at the hero’s face, which looked half-resigned.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The hero said he was fine, but I’m definitely not okay!!!
What do I do about this awkward atmosphere?! The hero seems to be moping, and here I am, unable to say anything while monitoring him! The Beast God is just pretending to sleep, caught up in our vibe!!!
Ugh. The hero’s confession might have been out of desperation, but still.
It’s impossible! The thought of being in a romantic relationship with a man is utterly unthinkable!! It’s just not happening!!! Female corruption is off the table!!
I feel bad for the hero, but there’s no way it can happen! If my brain had been female, then I could’ve just… lived alongside the hero until he grew old and died…
Hmm, hmm?
Wait a second.
What if I created a doppelganger to live with the hero…?
Not a direct clone linked to my mind, but something where I copy my essence, make some adjustments, and grant it a female personality?
No, wouldn’t that be considered deceit? Maybe I should create a doppelganger, link it to me internally, then blend my memories with a female self to create a complete… Dragon’s Priestess.
In that case… Couldn’t I make that doppelganger the hero’s companion?
Sure, since it wouldn’t be my full original self, the personality might differ a bit, but it would still be “me,” wouldn’t it?
If I pull that off, maybe I could bring a little happiness to the hero?
So…
“Hero.”
“Yes?”
“If, maybe hypothetically….”
I cautiously opened my mouth.
“If the Goddess of Life were to leave this physical body, and a separate existence inheriting my memories and personality was created…”
If the Dragon’s Priestess born from [me] were to no longer be [me]…
Couldn’t she stand by the hero’s side?
“Then…”
“Sister.”
But before I could finish my thought…
“I appreciate the sentiment,” the hero interjected.
“But that wouldn’t be my real sister.”
“Hero…”
“I love you, my sister, just as you are. You’re the Goddess among gods, possessing immense powers—with occasional blunders and silly quirks—but you still strive for the sake of all living beings.”
The hero wore a determined smile.
“It’s because you are that kind of sister that I love you. So it’s fine.”
The hero’s resolve was solid.
“As long as my sister understands my feelings, even a little, that’s good enough.”
And that’s why I had no words left.
“Just… up until I die… if my sister could stay by my side, that would be plenty. It’s just a fleeting moment in the eternal lives of the gods.”
The hero kept talking.
“It’s okay if you don’t love me back, Sister. Just being able to share time with you is enough.”
“Really, you’re one hopeless guy.”
He truly is someone who can’t be helped.
Given that! The empty space I cannot fill for the hero must be filled properly!!
The hero’s companion must be a wonderful person who can love him!!!!
I can’t love the hero as a partner, but as family… that might be possible.
So! I will thoroughly choose a companion for the hero!!!
And after that, I guess… until the hero peacefully drifts into eternal slumber, I can only live with him as family.
Just a few decades, which is a short time for me, who has lived for tens of thousands of years.
Ah, come to think of it, I also need to prepare a resting place for the hero after he passes. A kind of heaven where souls free from the cycle of reincarnation, or those who make their mark in history, can spend their time.