After leaving the church, Beacai led Isis to the very heart of Pade City. There, a large iron gate stood, beyond which stretched a flagstone path leading to an unknown destination.
Just as Isis was about to peer inside, her eyes were suddenly covered. Beacai leaned close to her ear, whispering that she had a surprise in store. With that, she continued to guide Isis forward, past the iron gate.
Unable to resist, Isis allowed herself to be led by the hand, moving forward in complete darkness. It wasn’t long before a rich floral scent reached her nose.
The fragrance was complex, unlike the simple scent of a single bloom. Besides the rich perfume, she could also discern the cheerful chirping of numerous birds.
‘Had they arrived at a garden?’
As she pondered, Beacai removed her hands from Isis’s eyes. Instantly, a vibrant tapestry of colorful blossoms burst into her vision.
Beneath a cerulean sky, a few white clouds drifted lazily. As the gentle breeze swept through, the flowers bowed gracefully, creating wave after wave of vibrant petals. With each sway, their fragrance intensified.
Scattered petals danced gracefully within the floral expanse. A few even settled upon Isis’s hair, adorning her like a delicate wreath and making her appear even more akin to the divine being she once was.
Sweeping the wind-tousled strands of hair behind her ear, Isis gazed around in astonishment. She had never imagined that this city, steeped in sin and blood, could harbor such a place of breathtaking beauty.
Beacai spun elegantly before her, the hem of her divine gown merging seamlessly with the pristine white flowers. She appeared as if she herself were a blossom born from the heart of the flower sea.
“When Mother had free time, she enjoyed tending to plants and flowers. So, I remembered all the ones Mother liked and planted them here.”
Plucking a flower from the roadside, Beacai extended it towards Isis, asking with a smile, “Isn’t it beautiful?”
Not taking the flower, Isis glanced at Beacai, then around her, before finally murmuring, “It is beautiful.”
‘She had to admit, the garden tended by the Evil God Beacai was indeed exquisite. There was no reason for Beacai to deceive her about its beauty, and acknowledging it didn’t imply submission to the Evil God.’
‘She was merely stating the truth.’
‘Regardless, she would never acknowledge the Evil God Beacai as her daughter. That remained her unyielding bottom line.’
“I knew Mother would love it!”
Receiving the desired answer, Beacai beamed with delight. Then, disregarding Isis’s resistance, she gently but firmly placed the plucked flower into her embrace.
“Actually, it’s not just flowers and plants. I also keep many pets here. Mother used to have them too.”
Turning her back to Isis, Beacai parted the flower bushes, searching for the pets she kept there. Soon, she spotted something, bending down to pick up a snow-white rabbit.
“Look, it’s a very cute rabbit.”
Stroking the rabbit’s head, Beacai was about to offer it to Isis for a pet. However, she noticed that the rabbit in her arms was trembling uncontrollably, its eyes wide with fear and unease.
Hr hand paused mid-stroke. Beacai fell silent for a few moments, then asked the rabbit, a hint of confusion in her voice, “…Are you afraid?”
Perhaps understanding her words, the rabbit trembled even more violently. Its two long ears pressed tightly against its body, refusing to unfurl.
“Why are you afraid of me? I’ve been here so many times. When have I ever harmed you? You should remember me, shouldn’t you?”
As if coaxing a child, Beacai unconsciously lowered her voice, afraid of startling the rabbit. Unfortunately, her words had little effect, and the rabbit’s trembling only intensified.
With no other choice, Beacai crouched down and placed the rabbit back on the ground. The moment its paws touched the earth, the rabbit pushed off with its hind legs, desperate to escape Beacai’s vicinity.
Yet, due to its fear, its legs were visibly weak, making its attempt to flee rather comical.
Beacai, however, found nothing to smile about. Her silver hair fell forward, obscuring her expression. She looked up at Isis, only to discover, to her surprise, several small animals affectionately gathered around her.
Butterflies fluttered their wings, dancing around Isis. A small bird with golden feathers perched on her shoulder, dozing with its eyes closed. Even a little black cat, seemingly from nowhere, leaned against her ankle, rubbing against her and meowing affectionately.
In their eyes, Isis exuded an inexplicable sense of warmth and security; they knew they would suffer no harm even when close to her.
Isis believed this was due to the authority over nature she once wielded. As Yggdrasil, the World Tree, she had created countless living beings and maintained the stability of the natural world. That aura of a mother to all life had remained with her to this day.
Beacai was filled with envy. Watching her from a distance, she asked, “Mother, how do you do it? Please teach me. I want them to like me just like they like you.”
“Give them food they enjoy, and they might become a little more affectionate towards you.”
Speaking casually, Isis extended a finger to playfully poke the drowsy bird on her shoulder, prompting a few chirps of protest. In response, she uncharacteristically covered her mouth and chuckled.
“So that’s how it is!”
Having learned how to win the animals’ affection, Beacai’s melancholy vanished. Gathering her skirt, she hurried towards the garden entrance, presumably to find food.
As for Isis, she was left behind.
With Beacai rarely out of sight, Isis’s first thought was to escape.
Although Beacai was an Evil God, if Isis could flee far enough before being discovered, finding her wouldn’t be simple.
Touching her neck, the only uncertainty she had was the thorny bloodstain there.
Whether Beacai could track her through the bloodstain, or remotely control her consciousness to make her return obediently, remained unknown. Furthermore, if she were caught trying to escape, the consequences were almost unimaginable.
‘Would Nona be implicated?’
She didn’t know for certain, but Beacai knew Nona was her only weakness.
Therefore, to ensure her obedience, targeting Nona was the most effective method. If the punishment for her escape meant Nona suffering, then escape was impossible.
Cradling the small cat and stroking its head, Isis pondered extensively before ultimately abandoning the idea of escape.
After all, even without escaping, her current physical condition meant she didn’t have many days left to live. Her eighteenth birthday was already intended to be the last birthday celebration she would host for Nona.
Enduring torture by the Evil God for her remaining days was preferable to allowing Nona to fall into danger.
With her decision made, Isis let out a sigh of relief and began to appreciate the flowers in the garden.
Though she deeply resented the Evil God Beacai, Isis had to concede that this entity understood her preferences remarkably well. Whether it was food or flora, Beacai seemed to know her better than even Nona did.