[Greek Mythology] The Demons Under My Command - Chapter 46

In the days that followed, Li Jia and Linai went to the Pollo Wheat Field every few days.

The mission was already two-thirds complete; once Persephone was successfully born, everything would be settled.

Demeter was very fond of Li Jia. The girl possessed a magical charm that made people genuinely like her.

She slowly began to share the same sentiment as the Goddess of Weaving: this child was worthy of Hera’s affection.

Linai regularly provided psychological counseling to Demeter to prevent mood swings during her pregnancy, while Li Jia brought a large pile of delicious food with her on every visit.

Demeter was suffering from poor appetite, so Li Jia asked Winslow to pickle many sweet, appetizing, and stomach-soothing dried plums. It was Demeter’s first time tasting such sweet preserved plums.

When Demeter experienced severe acid reflux, Li Jia prepared bottles of highly carbonated sparkling water and stored them in the cold room of the Hot Spring Stream, ready to be sent to the Pollo Wheat Field immediately when needed.

Li Jia also drew many designs for the Goddess of Weaving to make thick pillows so Demeter could sleep more comfortably.

She also sketched many adorable, fluffy dresses for the unborn Persephone, with little wheat-ear patterns on the hems.

Demeter was delighted to receive these tiny clothes. She wanted to give Linai a generous reward, but Li Jia stopped her: “Please don’t treat me like a stranger.”

Li Jia wiggled her finger, her eyes full of mischief, and laughed: “I consider myself the little one’s godmother. Unless you don’t want the child to be close to me, then please give me the money.”

No sooner had she spoken than Linai immediately popped her head out from behind Li Jia, sounding a little wronged: “Don’t forget me! I’m a godmother, too. I’ll handle all the storytelling and early childhood education later!”

Demeter lowered her head to gently rub her swollen belly. Her palm was suddenly kicked lightly, as if the little one was agreeing.

She looked up at the two lively girls before her, her eyelashes fluttering, and nodded sincerely: “It seems the little one agrees, too. Then she will be troubling you both in the future.”

The wind swept across the wheat field, and golden waves of wheat surged, enveloping their laughter in the warm sunlight.

Li Jia came back late every day. By the time Hera returned to the Deep Palace, Li Jia was nowhere in sight. Hera could only turn on the small nightlight, bathe, and lie in bed waiting for her return.

She seemed to have grown accustomed to this feeling of waiting.

Every day, hearing the footsteps outside the palace approach, and the soft sound of Li Jia opening the door, a steady sense of security would fill her heart.

In truth, she was not a patient person. To be precise, she was someone who particularly disliked trouble.

But she had encountered her biggest trouble, and what was worse, she had willingly accepted this trouble.

Moreover, if the trouble didn’t bother her for a day, she would feel anxious and uneasy, afraid that this trouble had gone to bother someone else.

The glow of the small nightlight reflected in Hera’s eyes. She heard the familiar footsteps outside the palace and immediately straightened her back, leaning against the headboard, a slight curve forming on her lips.

What would she tell her today?

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, let me tell you…”

As soon as the door was pushed open, a chattering voice entered the hall. Li Jia had run back all the way, sweat beading on her forehead, sticking to her stray hairs. She was completely flushed and steaming.

Before she could finish her sentence, she let out a huge sneeze, and two bubbles hung from her nose. Li Jia wiped them away and tried to continue speaking.

Hera sighed, spoke an Incantation, and the Yellow Spring appeared before her. She said with a half-disgusted tone: “Come here, wash up first.”

Li Jia reluctantly mumbled, “Oh.”

Since the Yellow Spring can move, why did she have to squeeze into the same tub with me that time we went to Dongpo?

Women’s minds are truly hard to guess (°°).

Daring not to speak her mind, Li Jia obediently walked over, allowing Hera to undress her.

As practiced as if she had done it a thousand times, Hera unfastened her dress until all the clothes slipped to the floor. As Li Jia stepped into the water, Hera picked up the clothes one by one and placed them in a wooden basket.

At first, Li Jia was not used to being waited on, but she later realized that this might be a unique hobby of Hera’s.

A hobby is something you don’t have to understand, but you must respect.

Later, when they entered the marriage history and she became Hera’s wife, everything became a matter of course.

Li Jia enjoyed her care.

All along, her perception had been: you need to do something, and only by doing these things can you get what you want.

With Hera, she didn’t need to do anything; she could simply get what she wanted.

She was gradually forgetting why she had come. She didn’t want to leave.

She couldn’t bear to let go.

She couldn’t.

Hera moved a small stool, the one Li Jia often sat on. Hera was tall, so sitting on the small stool looked a bit comical. She spoke softly: “Come closer.”

Li Jia leaned back, her back resting against Hera’s thigh. Hera put a shampoo cap Li Jia had made on her head, picked up the wooden ladle next to her, scooped up water, and poured it over her head, asking as she did so: “How’s the temperature?”

Li Jia replied happily: “Not too hot, not too cold, just right.”

After wetting her hair, Hera squeezed a few drops of the shampoo essence she had sealed in a glass bottle, rubbed it into a lather in her palm, and then applied it to Li Jia’s hair.

Her slender fingers gently weaved through the strands, meticulously softening every inch, and massaged her temples. Li Jia hummed with pleasure.

The Deep Palace was quiet, with only the gentle sound of water.

“What did you do today?” Hera asked.

Li Jia became excited when she spoke about this: “I became Demeter’s child’s godmother.”

“Little girls are so adorable, so soft and tender when they’re first born. When she grows a little older, I can bring her to the Hot Spring Stream to fish and pick fruits. I told you I would compensate for Your Majesty’s rose garden, and I haven’t forgotten…”

The little one chirped away, her words full of joy. Hera was not talkative, but she liked listening to Li Jia speak.

“You like children?”

As the question left her lips, Li Jia frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, “Your Majesty, I like children, but only other people’s children. I don’t want to have children. I’m still a child myself.”

“If I had a child, I would be anxious about things like whether I could teach her well, whether I could let her grow into a normal person, whether she might become a danger to society, and whether I could protect her.”

“Many people have children just to have children. They give birth, and then what? They grow up without starving or freezing, and then when they’re older, their parents start thinking about what they can get from the child. I think that’s too selfish.”

“If they had a choice, I think many children would choose never to be born into this world, including myself.”

The last sentence came from the bottom of Li Jia’s heart. The woman behind her visibly stiffened, leaned down, and wrapped her arms around her, saying softly, “Understood. No need to have children.”

“Li Jia.”

“Hmm?”

Hera suddenly pressed her cheek close, offering what Li Jia felt was the most gentle and fervent prayer she had ever heard: “Thank you for being born, so I could love you.”

Hearing this, Li Jia froze for a moment, then turned her face toward Hera’s chest, muttering: “It’s a good thing I’m still alive, to be able to wait for you to love me.”

The warm mist of the Hot Spring Stream had not yet completely cleared, but Hera had already paced the hall three times.

She even considered moving Demeter back to the Hot Spring Stream to rest during her pregnancy. Not seeing Li Jia for days made Hera anxious.

If this continued, their relationship would surely suffer.

This would not do.

Inside the Wedding God Temple.

Hera asked Dorin to bring over the recent Marriage Submissions for her to look through. Dorin walked over with the submissions.

Dorin handed the submission to Hera, who was confused: “Why is there only one?”

Dorin: “Your Majesty, the rule of the Wedding God Temple is to complete the day’s tasks on the day they arrive. Most are processed within three days. This was your regulation.”

“This one was just submitted this morning; I haven’t had time to process it yet.”

It seems that high work efficiency is not always a good thing.

Hera opened the submission, scanned it roughly, and upon seeing the location of the signatory, she accepted it happily: “I will go in person tomorrow.”

In the Wedding God Temple, aside from difficult matters that required Hera’s personal attention, most were handled by Dorin.

Finally, Hera mused for a moment and asked, “Do you and Winslow need to avoid me? You don’t actually have to return to the Northern Territory.”

The cold, sharp figure in the shadows was startled, and after a moment of silence, his voice carried a hint of complexity: “No need. She doesn’t remember anyway. She is playful; if I stop her from going, she’ll likely be depressed for a long time.”

As night deepened, Li Jia had just stepped into the Hot Spring Stream when Winslow pounced on her, causing her to stagger. He rushed to share the news: “Li Jia, hurry up and pack your things. Her Majesty is taking us to the Northern Territory tomorrow.”

“That’s your homeland! You must really want to go back!”

Li Jia was completely bewildered. She didn’t really have any feeling for the Northern Territory. She wasn’t the original owner; she only inherited some of the original owner’s memories, which included a period of happy time spent with her parents in the Northern Territory.

As a kind of bodily instinct, she also found herself happy along with Winslow.

I’ll just treat it as a trip. However, Hera must have her reasons for taking them out.

Li Jia and Winslow parted ways at the Deep Palace entrance. Winslow was in a hurry to go back and pack, and Li Jia also needed to pack her things.

The Northern Territory, it’s very cold.

The thought alone gave her a shiver.

She pushed open the Deep Palace door. The person was already sitting by the small nightlight, waiting.

The woman was resting her head on one hand, her eyes closed as if she were dozing. Li Jia had a sudden mischievous idea and tiptoed over, intending to give her a good scare.

Just as she struck a silly, ghoulish pose, Hera’s eyelids lifted, her red eyes slightly narrowed, wearing an expression that said, “I knew it.” Li Jia instantly felt unamused and dropped the scary face.

She plopped down on the chair opposite her and said unhappily, “Elder Sister, can’t you let me succeed in playing a trick on you just once?”

Seeing the little one’s flagging spirits, Hera felt she had indeed been a bit of a killjoy, and smiled: “Next time, I will certainly let my little sister succeed.”

Li Jia happily took advantage of the situation, resting her face in her hands on the table: “To err is human, to forgive divine. I won’t be angry with you this time.”

Hera couldn’t help but laugh; she always had no way of dealing with her.

Hera thought for a moment and said, “Come with me to the Northern Territory tomorrow.”

She was her wife now, and she couldn’t hold her to the standards of an attendant—though she never had.

In the past, Li Jia’s status as an attendant meant she always complied with her requests.

Her tone softened even more: “The snow scene in the Northern Territory, accompanied by the rare aurora, let’s go see it together.”

Suddenly, Li Jia stared intently into the woman’s eyes, smiling: “So, you’re asking me?”

Hera immediately shook her head. Even though her ears were so red they looked like they would drip blood under Li Jia’s gaze, she said faintly, “No.”

Seeing her stubbornly deny it, clearly wanting her to accompany her, Li Jia deliberately said: “Since you’re not, then I won’t go. I thought Your Majesty was not going out for the first time; how could you be afraid to go alone…”

Before Li Jia could finish, Hera immediately grabbed her wrist and said, “I’m afraid.”

Li Jia was stunned, but quickly reacted, grasping Hera’s wrist in return and laughing: “Your Majesty, what are you afraid of?”

Hera blinked, sighed, and said, “I’m afraid you won’t come with me. I wouldn’t dare to look at the Northern Territory’s snowscape and aurora by myself.”

Li Jia pressed her advantage. She got up and sat on Hera’s lap, the two of them extremely close. She kissed the golden long hair scattered by Hera’s collarbone and murmured: “There’s nothing much to do with Demeter. The baby is growing well, and all the food and drink are well prepared. We just need to wait for the baby to be born successfully.”

“I have time and I’m free to go with you.”

“However, Your Majesty, you have to ask me.” Li Jia whispered.

Hera raised her head and kissed the forehead of the person in her arms: “How do you want me to ask you?”

Li Jia looked at her and voiced her long-held desire: “Could you call me ‘Elder Sister’ just once?”

Hera was curious: “Why do you want to hear me call you ‘Elder Sister’?”

Because, in the future, I won’t be able to hear it.

Li Jia believed that since she came from three thousand years in the future, three thousand years in the future is greater than three thousand years ago, so she was older than Hera. It was perfectly reasonable, except that in this world, she was only seventeen and younger than Hera.

Li Jia said pitifully, “Just consider it a small wish of mine. I won’t tell anyone.”

Hera’s heart softened instantly. She smiled and said, “Elder Sister, I’m asking you, please come with me.”

Li Jia was extremely satisfied. To hear her call herself “Elder Sister,” her eyes curved, and she smiled like a crescent moon: “Then I will graciously agree.”

She’s this happy just because I call her ‘Elder Sister’?

If she liked hearing it, Hera wouldn’t mind calling her it more often, provided they were alone.

“But Your Majesty, why the sudden desire to go to the Northern Territory?”

Li Jia jumped off her lap and began rummaging through boxes to pack.

Hera replied calmly: “There is a Marriage Submission that needs to be resolved.”

Li Jia had an ‘I knew it’ expression and let out a soft “Oh,” then continued her loud packing.

Hera couldn’t bring herself to say that she missed her intensely and wanted to spend more time with her, which was why she was going to the Northern Territory.

Hera couldn’t stoop to that. Perhaps a vague explanation wasn’t a bad thing.

In the early morning, the two little yellow chicks gathered at the entrance of the Hot Spring Stream.

The last time they went to the Extreme Night Fortress, Winslow also wanted a little yellow chick cotton coat. As soon as Li Jia got home, she asked the Goddess of Weaving for one in a different size.

Hera: “…”

Dorin: “…Are you also afraid of the cold?”

As she spoke, she tugged at the tail of Winslow’s little yellow chick hat.

Winslow gave her a glare: “Who says you can only wear it when you’re cold? This is called style! Style, do you understand? No taste, hmph!”

Li Jia immediately echoed: “No taste, hmph!”

Dorin: “Fine, fine, I have no taste. Get in the carriage, you people of taste.”

For some reason, Li Jia and Winslow felt that her words were strangely passive-aggressive, but they couldn’t find anything wrong with them. They helped the two little yellow chicks climb aboard the Peacock Chariot.

The wheels rolled, heading in the direction of the Northern Territory. Through the gap in the carriage curtains, the faint white shadow of the distant snow plains could already be seen.

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