Although Tiamat's figure was explosive, leagues beyond Ereshkigal's, Li Lin felt that apart from being stunningly attractive, she was more like a fluffy, affectionate little animal—a creature of the "cute" category. Furthermore, as the Primordial Mother, she exuded a holy, maternal aura that made it impossible to have negative thoughts about her. [Cao Cao enthusiasts excluded].
But when it came to Eresh...
Ennnn, even if it sounded a bit crude, Li Lin had to admit it: he wanted her.
Laugh all you want, don't think physical attraction is too cliché. Why can't a person's beauty be enhanced by their outward allure? A desirable body is a gift from the heavens, and getting an erection is the most respectful response. Li Lin believed he was being brutally honest right now. [He's sincere!]
His gaze towards Eresh couldn't help but become a little more predatory...
"St-stupid! Stop staring at me!" Ereshkigal blushed and couldn't stop herself from giving Li Lin a sharp rap on the head.
Thwack! With a crisp sound, Li Lin let out an involuntary yelp. "What was that for, ow!"
"Tsk." Ereshkigal rolled her eyes at his deliberate theatrics before turning and fleeing back into the room.
Li Lin watched his boss, who tried to act dignified but whose every move was adorable, a smile tugging at his lips. As expected, compared to Ishtar's shrewish personality, a little tsundere like Eresh was far cuter.
...
Having decided on their trip, Li Lin took the two goddesses to their destination early the next morning. Although they were going to the beach, he hadn't chosen a crowded public one. Instead, with the help of a colleague, he had picked a small coastline typically only used by fishermen.
Golden sunlight rained down from the sky. It was the peak of summer, and the scorching heat made even the sea breeze feel warm. Ereshkigal stood on a distant embankment, the occasional gust of wind lifting her cascade of golden hair.
"It's so beautiful," she whispered, gazing at the sparkling sea.
"It is, isn't it? The vast ocean is like a gentle mother," Li Lin said, walking up beside her and also looking out at the water. He had seen the ocean countless times, but every visit brought a sense of spiritual expansiveness, as if all his worries were being washed away by the waves.
"Um, thank you," Ereshkigal said, turning to him. She tucked a few stray strands of wind-blown hair behind her ear, her red eyes looking at him with sincerity. "You can be unreliable at times, but for this, I really have to thank you."
"Haha, you're welcome." Li Lin smiled, gladly accepting his goddess's gratitude.
"Hmph, you really don't know the first thing about humility, do you?" A smile graced Ereshkigal's lips as well. Her magnificent face, framed by her fluttering hair, made her look like a sunlit elf, completely devoid of the gloomy image from the legends.
"Wh-what is it? Why are you staring at me?" Ereshkigal noticed him staring blankly. She blinked her red eyes and turned her face away, a little self-consciously.
"It's nothing. I just think you're really cute, Lady Ereshkigal. Nothing like the gloomy figure from the stories," Li Lin said with a smile, dropping the explosive compliment with a straight face.
"Mmph—."
As expected, the moment he said the word "cute," a blush flashed across Ereshkigal's face. However, she quickly realized she was probably being teased again. Puffing her cheeks, she feigned composure and replied in a haughty tone.
"H-hmph, of course. While there are many concepts of beauty in the world, there are also absolutes. Just as black can overcome white, and the earth can overcome the heavens, as the mistress of the Underworld, isn't it only natural for me to be a little cute?"
"Yes, yes. But if Ishtar heard you say that, it would surely be a different story," Li Lin shrugged noncommittally.
"Oh? So you think I'm wrong?" Ereshkigal's eyebrows shot up, her interest piqued. She put her hands on her hips and advanced on him, step by step. Her red eyes were locked on his, as if she would erupt if he didn't give her a satisfactory answer.
Naturally, Li Lin wasn't going to undermine her; his EQ wasn't that low.
"Not at all. My goddess is, of course, the most beautiful. Even Ishtar, hailed as the goddess of beauty among the gods, would have to take a step back."
"Hmph. You answered correctly," Ereshkigal sniffed, her expression finally relaxing.
"Alright, Mother is waiting for us down below. Let's go," Li Lin said, seeing that their conversation had run its course. He waved to Eresh and started heading down the embankment first.
"Ngh~, you two are so slow," Tiamat grumbled from the golden sand, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel full of chestnuts as she looked不满ly at the latecomers.
"Sorry, sorry," Li Lin and Eresh said in unison, instinctively putting their hands together in apology.
Tiamat didn't press the issue; she was just happy they were there. All she wanted was to be with her children. Nothing else mattered.
Time passed drop by drop. Li Lin set up a lounge chair and an umbrella on the beach, then quietly watched Eresh and Tiamat in the distance, their faces radiant with happiness.
Although they all knew this was just a fleeting dream, and everything would return to normal when they awoke, the smiles on their faces at this moment were real.
For Tiamat, her children were her greatest happiness.
For Ereshkigal, acknowledgment and reliance were her greatest happiness.
For Li Lin, being with beautiful girls was his greatest happiness.
The beach itself was no longer important. What mattered were the people he could be with at the beach. The people who made him feel less alone.
P.S. New author, new book, mwah.
My patreon.com/BOB_Davinchi
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