Zeus nodded lightly, yet tightened his embrace in the movement, as if wanting to forever embed the treasure in his arms into the depths of his divinity.
He lowered his head, imprinting an incredibly precious kiss on the purple-haired goddess's smooth jade-like forehead.
"Dear, my beloved, I will always love you."
"Whether past, present, or eternal future, this heart remains unchanged."
The purple-haired goddess returned an extremely sweet smile. She raised her head, meeting Zeus's gaze, responding word by word: "My love, I am the same."
"In infinite infinity, only your name is engraved in my divinity, and my heart beats only for you alone."
"I have only you and will only love you. No matter how many times it repeats, no matter how time cycles, I love only you, I will only belong to you."
After Zeus left, Metis collapsed powerlessly on the dreamlike clouds. Her forced magnanimity and composure instantly crumbled, as if all strength had been drained from her.
Two lines of clear tears could no longer be suppressed, silently and slowly sliding down her moonlight-pale cheeks.
They then fell into the mist surrounding her and disappeared without a trace.
She covered her face with trembling hands.
The wisdom goddess—how could she not know?
She knew more clearly than any deity.
This great God-King destined to rule all and control all, who would become the father of gods—how could there be only one goddess in his life?
Beneath his glorious divine throne were destined to orbit countless brilliant stars.
But she...
No matter how many chances fate gave her to start over, she still could not resist the burning love fire in the Thunder God-King's eyes, could not resist the warmth and strength of his embrace.
Each time, she would once again fall without hesitation.
She could never abandon Zeus's love, much less imagine how desolate and cold the world would be without Zeus.
She was the embodiment of wisdom, yet happened to be the most passionate, most emotional wisdom.
That kind of absolutely sublime rationality that ruled all and controlled all could never truly be born in her.
Nor could it ever appear in any mother goddess.
Wisdom's rationality and emotion clashed fiercely again and again in the depths of her divinity.
And each time, her love for Zeus, surging like spring tides, occupied absolute dominance.
Each time, that emotional flood originating from the essence of divinity, vigorous as ocean tsunamis, swept away rational embankments with overwhelming force.
This deepest love made her almost lose herself, made her willingly place Zeus's joy above everything else.
Even...
Willing to personally push him toward other goddesses' embraces, just to exchange for his happiness.
But she would also feel heartache, pain like being carved by sharp blades.
She would also feel bone-deep sadness, be burned by jealousy's poisonous fire, and breed resentment in endless longing.
She would be heartbroken over love that couldn't be exclusively possessed.
Endless dense sorrow, like countless invisible thorns, wrapped around her entire heart. Each breath brought fine, piercing pain.
Yet she could only choose to wear the gentlest mask, willingly sinking deep into this whirlpool interweaving supreme pain and ultimate happiness.
Drowning within, unwilling and unable to extricate herself.
The poor goddess, in endless bitter sourness, occasionally seized traces of sweetness like a thirsty traveler getting a sip of sweet spring in a dry desert—the taste was even more bone-deep and soul-consuming, addictive.
What is love in this world? It teaches life and death commitment.
How could unforgettable love be abandoned?
Meanwhile, another heart submerged by waves of grief and bitterness belonged to that great mother goddess destined to eternally entangle with this father of gods in endless fate.
That supreme great mother goddess who governed reproduction and procreation, representing life's continuation, survival and evolution in the universe—Hera.
Gentle love and kind tolerance were her innate divinity.
This future master of marriage—her love was eternal and faithful.
If she fell in love, she would only love that one god, offering all her divinity and faith. Her divine fire would burn only for that unique god, eternally faithful and unwavering.
Precisely because of this, she couldn't bear to watch her beloved god become intimate with other goddesses, loving them and lingering tenderly.
Each such scene was like scalding lava burning her heart.
After Zeus publicly declared his beloved to the gods, acknowledging Metis as his beloved wife, this Mount Olympus—the center of the universe, symbol of sacredness and order, infinitely beautiful, infinitely sacred, infinitely magnificent—had transformed from divine realm to gorgeous cage for her.
She could no longer stay.
The vigorous surging love within her had become like a volcano about to erupt, almost making her unable to control herself, nearly turning her to ash in jealousy and heartbreak.
She couldn't compete for other goddesses' beloved male god like competing for prey.
Her dignity, her divinity, her character—all made her detest such behavior!
Metis was moreover her intimate friend—how could she do anything that might hurt the ocean daughter?
So she had truly made up her mind to consider moving away from Olympus. This was the only way out she could think of.
It was just that in this vast world, she didn't know where she should go.
She didn't want to go to the sky or underground, because Zeus was in both places.
She also didn't want to go to the cold, empty starry sky. As the great mother goddess governing life reproduction, she wasn't suitable to leave the world—she had her responsibilities.
Thinking it over, only the vast, boundless, all-embracing ocean seemed a suitable destination.
It was just that the countless threads of love and affection already deeply rooted in her divinity were like the most tenacious spider web, clinging to her, pulling her, making her reluctant to leave again and again on the edge of departure.
Even if she could only see Zeus's figure from afar each day, for her tormented heart, it was also great comfort.
Since the divine assembly, the sacred and perfect bright-eyed, white-armed Hera had begun living reclusively, becoming exceptionally low-key.
Except for several sisters who also loved Zeus but couldn't obtain him, who often came to find her to huddle together for warmth in their shared misery, it was great Mother Goddess Rhea who often came to visit with worry.
Her increasingly despondent low spirits now made Mother Goddess Rhea extremely worried yet helpless.
Then there was Metis—this wise ocean daughter also often came to visit with concern.
It was just that these two goddesses' current mental states were truly worlds apart.
One was a goddess thoroughly spoiled by the God-King's supreme favor, daily immersed in the happiness and sweetness her beloved gave her—she was positively radiant!
The other couldn't even squeeze out the most forced smile, absent-minded and listless no matter what she did.
Speaking of which, Hera found it strange why Metis often came to find her.
She wouldn't think Metis was showing off to her, much less believe Metis was deliberately provoking her.
The kind ocean daughter wasn't such a harsh god, and her cherished friend Metis even less so.
She just found it strange. Sometimes Metis showed extremely inexplicable attitudes, even carrying a trace of... sadness she couldn't understand, as if pitying both her and herself.
Many times Metis would comfort and counsel her, saying things that sounded odd and seemingly meaningful.
After the divine assembly, after the feast ended and the clamor dispersed, Hera once again sat alone in distracted silence in her quiet cloud palace.
Her fingertips unconsciously traced the cold marble armrest of her divine seat. She once again made up her mind, almost ready to leave this place of heartbreak.
Just as she hesitated, the Goddess of Civilization and Memory, accompanied by two young goddesses, came to visit.
Hera didn't much like this Goddess of Civilization and Memory. She could confirm this "old" goddess looked at Zeus wrongly—she definitely harbored ill intentions!
But naturally merciful and upright Hera was never one to turn guests away.
She also showed great respect to this goddess whom even Zeus greatly respected.
Hera personally walked out of her temple, her face wearing a proper and gentle welcoming smile, inviting Mnemosyne into the hall.
Looking at Mnemosyne before her, elegant and dignified in temperament, her face full of warm and friendly smiles, holy Hera spoke softly, her voice flowing like a clear spring: "Respected Mnemosyne, great Goddess of Civilization and Memory, welcome."
Her gaze swept over the two goddesses behind Mnemosyne, who kept their heads lowered with obvious unease. She had some guesses in her heart but remained calm on the surface.
"I wonder what important matter brings respected you to my humble abode today?"
Hearing this, Mnemosyne sighed deeply, her eyes revealing perfectly appropriate sorrow.
She spoke with immense respect and sincere tone: "Oh illustrious Hera, the incomparably beautiful white-armed goddess of the universe, Zeus's most beloved goddess of reproduction."
"I come today to presumptuously request something of you, not for myself but to plead for these two poor children behind me."
As soon as she finished speaking, gentle Leto and steady Asteria immediately stepped out from behind Mnemosyne, coming before Hera.
Without saying a word, they resolutely knelt to the ground under Hera's astonished gaze.
Crystal tears had already fallen like broken pearls from their beautiful faces.
Their sudden action truly startled Hera.
Seeing the two goddesses before her weeping like pear blossoms in rain, utterly grief-stricken, the softness and compassion in her nature were instantly touched.
She quickly rose from her divine throne, wanting to reach out and help them up, but was stopped by Mnemosyne's raised hand.
Hera's movement paused. She didn't sit back on her throne but straightened her body, her bearing still dignified and elegant, only her expression becoming serious as she asked: "Respected controller of memory, what is the meaning of this?"
(End of Chapter)
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