Chapter 94………………………………….
I tried to interpret Miela’s cryptic words. The goddess had imitated the form that Liena wished to see.
But I only wanted to know what kind of being the goddess truly was. That meant:
“Does this mean that the form I’m seeing now is the goddess in her unadorned, true self?”
“You could say that,” she replied.
Somehow, I felt disappointed. I had imagined a solemn, untouchable being, but her frivolous tone and apparently ill-tempered personality didn’t match that expectation.
“Oh my, your judgment is merciless,” I muttered.
I also didn’t like that she read my thoughts at will. Miela’s voice took on an exaggeratedly sulky tone.
“Hmph! Fine, then go away! What good is there in seeing a frivolous, ill-tempered god?”
The white space around me warped. The goddess was trying to push me out of it.
Wait! I still had many things I wanted to ask:
Why she had sent me into the world of the book, whether it was truly her blessing that allowed Liena to draw bizarre, almost brainwashing-like love from people, and…
“Why is it that, unlike Liena, I haven’t received any special blessing?! Even though I have a canonical original!”
Before being completely pulled from the space, I shouted out loud.
“I’ll only answer the last question. You already carry my blessing. It’s just relatively weak, so you haven’t noticed it yet.”
I already had the goddess’s blessing? What could that possibly be? Miela’s words didn’t stop there.
“I won’t erase your memory of this conversation, as you requested. And as an apology for teasing you, there’s another gift—so look forward to it.”
In the embassy garden, Terence asked me:
“You look tired. Did something happen last night?”
Diana also watched me with a worried expression.
“Yes. You didn’t seem energetic at all this morning,” she added.
Rubbing my eyes, I answered,
“Actually, I didn’t sleep well last night.”
Diana’s eyes widened.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
“…Something close to a nightmare.”
There were also some good feelings, though—about Elliot and Count Miloam.
Since Miela had erased my memory, I didn’t know the exact details, but the relief I felt toward the two of them the moment I woke up assured me that my choices hadn’t been wrong.
In contrast, the conversation with Miela remained vivid. Because of that, all sleep had fled, and I was currently sleep-deprived.
I kept drinking hot tea to keep my drifting mind anchored.
Since it was a rare chance to meet Terence, I couldn’t just nod off.
He had come to the embassy formally to convey a message from the emperor.
He mentioned casually that it wasn’t anything remarkable, just that the emperor wanted him to meet the ambassadors from various countries within the empire.
‘It’s essentially an occasion to introduce the son who might become heir to another country.’
From talking with Terence, I concluded that the emperor intended to make his two sons compete.
Although Mikhail had greatly disappointed the emperor, he was still the emperor’s legitimate son and had a strong support base.
Realistically, he was a successor the emperor could not easily give up on.
However, since Mikhail might never change his mind, the emperor would support Terence as the crown prince candidate whenever necessary.
That was probably the emperor’s intention at present.
Ambassador Leok wouldn’t judge official matters based solely on personal feelings, but he did like Terence.
It seemed this was partly because I told him Terence had helped when I sought Diana through the information guild.
“Please visit our mansion often. If it’s not inconvenient, I would like to develop a personal friendship with Your Highness the Prince.”
Leok said this to Terence and left the two young people to spend the remaining time together.
I thought it was a good opportunity and began introducing Terence and Diana to each other.
Diana had developed respect for her mother and wanted to do work like Ambassador Leok.
It wouldn’t hurt Terence to get to know someone who might become an ambassador in the future.
‘I wanted them to build a connection if possible.’
However, their attention seemed focused elsewhere. Since the conversation topic had been about me from the start.
“That must have been terrifying if it was a nightmare!”
“Dreams often reflect emotions or thoughts. Do you have something troubling you?”
Diana empathized, and Terence approached logically. The conversation drifted away from my intention, but I felt warmth from their genuine concern.
“Well, it wasn’t very scary. I do have something on my mind… but it’s not a big deal.”
“Even so, sharing it with someone can ease your heart.”
Terence’s words were echoed by Diana.
“Yes. I also want to support Idel.”
I looked at Terence, Diana, and Vineta, who had been silently watching my back from the start, and hesitated.
“Then there’s something I want to ask…”
I tried my best to make a cute expression.
“Am I… lovable?”
An awkward silence followed. I trembled with shame, wishing I could hide in a hole.
‘Why am I doing this for the sake of wealth and glory!’
Since waking up, my worry had been about the nature of my blessing mentioned by Miela in the dream.
The first thing I thought of was Liena’s blessing: being loved by others.
I doubted it was the same for me, but just in case… the goddess had said it was a weak blessing, so maybe I hadn’t noticed it.
Diana responded first.
“Of course! Idel is so lovable!”
Vineta replied with her usual expressionless face.
“Yes. Idel is indeed lovable.”
Terence, who had turned his head away, finally spoke.
“…Very lovable.”
Even if Diana’s comment was sincere, the other two seemed to speak words they didn’t mean.
Especially Terence, who had been trying hard not to laugh at my question.
“Let’s pretend I didn’t ask that!”
I must be insane! My face felt like it was on fire.
Clearly, my blessing was different from Liena’s.
The goddess had appeared before Liena as she wished.
Then it was likely my blessing had also been given in a form that Liena would desire.
‘If Liena wished to be loved by others and received that blessing, then what about me?’
A blessing that makes money roll in naturally… didn’t seem to exist.
I tried to shake off my embarrassment and focused desperately on discovering the nature of my blessing.
Noticing my thoughts, Terence and Diana shifted the topic elsewhere.
Soon, I joined the conversation naturally, as if nothing had happened.
Even after that embarrassing incident, I continued to ponder as I prepared to leave the empire.
Yet I could neither identify the blessing nor discover the other gift Miela had mentioned. The goddess never appeared in my dreams again.
Then one day, while checking the newspaper after breakfast, I nearly spit out my tea.
It was because of a small article tucked in a corner. The section introduced various rumors circulating in the country.
A bizarre rumor from a rural village in northeastern Andala! Many villagers claimed to have seen a meteor fall beyond the mountains…
The news was minor among other rumors, but to me, it was significant.
“My mine…”
Indeed, Andala was the region where my precious mine was located, and the fallen meteor was the catalyst that transformed an abandoned mine into a golden goose.
However, there was something strange.
“Why is it falling already?”
According to the novel, the meteor should have fallen in early winter, yet it was still summer.
Of course, it would make sense if another meteor fell in winter, separate from this one.
‘No, can that really happen? Two meteors in the same region in one year?’
Even one meteor was rare. It felt strange that reality differed from the novel without reason.
‘Could it be…’
A thought flashed through my mind. Was this the other gift Miela mentioned? A golden goose delivered to me early?
I couldn’t sit still after thinking that.
I had planned to return from abroad before winter, but now it became urgent. I rushed to my room to pack my bag.
“Are you going on a trip?”
Vineta asked, seeing me. I replied with vigor:
“I’m going to get my lovely goose! If you’re okay with it, Vineta, want to come with me?”
Vineta just tilted her head, not understanding my words.
At Cassius’s townhouse, during lunch with the family, Liena spoke:
“Dad, I came up with a great business idea. If it succeeds, it’ll more than cover our last loss!”
Duke Cassius and Leheim turned their eyes to Liena.
“But since the Iber trading company had that issue, I need your help this time. The business specifically is…”
“Liena.”
Duke Cassius, unusually, cut her off.
“Perhaps it’s time to stop with business altogether.”
