"Hmph ╯^╰."
Seeing Li Lin approach, Ishtar let out a cold snort and turned her head away, refusing to look at him. Li Lin, of course, knew why she was angry. She was undoubtedly blaming him for not speaking up for her in front of Eresh.
He shrugged, a hint of helplessness on his face. "Don't blame me for not defending you. After all, I'm a resident of the Underworld and Ereshkigal's subordinate. Besides, this isn't like what happened in the Cedar Forest. This time, you were the one in the wrong from the start. Don't tell me you came down to the Underworld just for fun, with no other intentions?"
Ishtar's expression stiffened. Knowing she was at fault, her attitude softened considerably, but she still retorted stubbornly, "U-urusai! I don't need you to say so much! Hmph ╯^╰."
"Tsk, can you stop being a tsundere at a time like this?"
"Wh-who's a tsundere! I'm not!"
"Alright, alright, you're not." Li Lin placed a hand on the bristling Ishtar's head to calm her down. "For the time being, just do as Eresh says. After this illusion ends, I'll find a way to put in a good word for you."
"Eh? Put in a good word? You're willing to help me?" Ishtar stopped fuming, her eyes fixed on him.
"What? You don't want me to?" he asked with a slight smile.
"No, that's not it." Ishtar shook her head, turning slightly to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. "Th-thank you," she whispered.
[Goddess Affection +50%]
For the next few days, Ishtar became much more obedient, just as Li Lin had advised. At the very least, she was willing to embrace her role as a maid. This greatly surprised Ereshkigal, who found it as unbelievable as the sun rising in the west. Although she was tempted to find fault, seeing Ishtar working diligently without complaint, having completely shed her arrogant attitude, she ultimately decided against it.
And so, the third day of the illusion arrived.
That night, in the grand bathhouse behind the palace, Ereshkigal led Ishtar, her maid, inside. They disrobed in the changing room before slowly entering the bath.
Looking at the steam-filled bath, Ereshkigal nodded in satisfaction. The design of this illusion was almost entirely based on Li Lin's memories, leaving no room for her to add her own creative touches.
"I wonder where he got these memories from. I don't recall seeing this kind of architecture even in the heavens," Ereshkigal mused as she found a corner and sat down against a red brick wall.
"Ahhh~~~ (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)."
The warm water enveloped her body, and the gentle pressure relaxed her mind and soul. She lay comfortably at the edge of the pool, letting her golden hair float freely on the steaming water's surface. At this moment, she couldn't be bothered to think about bullying Ishtar. A mere prisoner was far less important than her own enjoyment.
Though she detested extravagance, a certain phrase Li Lin had once said resonated with her: 'I've worked so hard, what's wrong with enjoying myself a little?' While she usually remained noncommittal about such ideas—after all, relaxation can easily lead to sloth—she had to admit that taking a break now and then was a virtue in itself.
As Ereshkigal began to relax, Ishtar, who was sitting nearby, also started to soak in the hot spring, her eyes glinting.
After a while, Ereshkigal slowly emerged from her light doze, feeling a bit bored. She began to look around and touched the cool red bricks of the wall beside her. She suddenly realized… this wall didn't seem very sturdy.
"What's going on? The men's bath should be on the other side of this wall, right?" Ereshkigal's face flushed, but her expression quickly turned icy. Good grief, could this shoddy construction have been intentional?!
At that thought, she had already sentenced a certain man to death in her mind. Damn it, even if you want to mess with me, you should pick a time when we're alone! Ishtar is right here. If something happens... Her expression became unnatural. She bit her lower lip, blushing as she glanced at Ishtar, who was still blissfully enjoying the bath, completely unaware.
A sisters' bath incident... This is too much!
"No, no, wait Eresh! This could all be a misunderstanding!" She shook her head, trying to dispel the wild thoughts. She had nearly gotten carried away. After all, she was the one who created this illusion. Li Lin was merely the provider of memories; he shouldn't have been able to interfere with her creation.
So, was I wrong to blame him? Then what's with this flimsy wall? Ereshkigal scratched her head, completely baffled.
She instinctively pushed against the wall. The next moment, it began to wobble like a stack of building blocks about to collapse.
"Ah? N-no, don't!" she panicked. Without a second thought, she grabbed onto the protruding edge of a brick, trying to stabilize it. But her efforts were in vain. The wall began to fall, but towards her side.
The next moment, Li Lin, who was leisurely bathing in the men's section, heard several heavy splashes and turned his head in confusion.
Pfft—!
He nearly did a spit-take. The towering red wall had mostly collapsed, revealing a huge gap. On the other side, a flustered Ereshkigal was lying on top of Ishtar. Their identical faces stared at each other. The not-so-large Eresh had completely flattened Ishtar.
Li Lin: "....."
Eresh: "....."
Ishtar: "..."