A shiver ran down Isis’s spine, prompting her to instinctively hug her own arms. The mere thought of having been spied on by Beacai for eighteen years sent a cold dread through her, despite all the troubles Beacai had helped her resolve during that time.
An Evil God was an Evil God. Their madness was beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals.
The “pets” Beacai spoke of were no different. To Beacai and her kind, they were harmless little creatures; yet, to mortals, these were terrifying demonic beasts capable of snatching away their lives at any moment.
The garden housed such demonic beasts, all kept in captivity. Under normal circumstances, they presented a charming facade, only transforming into their true monstrous forms when threatened.
Tap-tap-tap—
Not long after, crisp footsteps echoed from the garden entrance. Beacai entered, carrying a basket brimming with food, a smile unconsciously curving her lips, as if knowing these little animals would soon nestle affectionately by her side.
Bypassing Isis, she eagerly crouched down, parting the flower bushes to reveal another small rabbit nestled on the ground.
She pulled a few carrots from the basket, held them out in her hand, and offered them to the little rabbit. “Eat up,” she chirped with a smile, “These are all your favorite treats!”
The scent of carrots made the rabbit’s nose twitch several times, clearly indicating a desire to eat. Yet, instead of nibbling the carrots in Beacai’s hand, it abruptly turned and darted deeper into the flower bushes.
“Don’t run away! Don’t you like carrots? I have other things too, all very fresh…”
Assuming it disliked carrots, Beacai hastily stuffed them back into the basket and pulled out some green catnip. But the moment she produced it, the rabbit vanished from her sight.
Her smile stiffened. Soon, she stood up and spotted a small kitten weaving through the flowers. She gently intercepted it, then took a dried fish from her basket.
“You like dried fish, don’t you? I brought some for you! Why aren’t you eating? Are you not hungry? That’s alright, you can take it with you…”
“It’s gone again? If you want to eat, you can always come back… Butterflies, what do butterflies like? Nectar? Hey, I wasn’t finished talking! Where are you flying off to?”
“Little bird, this is for you…”
Busily, she searched for the small animals amidst the sea of flowers, yet not a single piece of food from Beacai’s basket was given away. As time stretched on, the smile on her lips faded, and the hopeful gleam in her eyes gradually dimmed.
Suddenly, she noticed a tremor in the flower bushes ahead, followed by a fluffy head peeking out.
Her eyes lit up once more.
“Oh! Little rabbit, you’re back…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the little head hurriedly retreated. The faint glow in her eyes extinguished again, and not a trace of a smile remained on Beacai’s face.
Clatter—
The basket tumbled, scattering some of its piled-up food across the ground.
‘They didn’t like her either…’
‘Food, it simply couldn’t help her.’
As if sensing her displeasure, the wind in the garden stilled. The scattered petals vanished, and her silver hair ceased its swaying.
After a long moment, she turned and looked at Isis.
Many small animals still clustered around Isis. The little bird perched on her shoulder continued to rub its side against Isis’s cheek, its large eyes even narrowing in contentment.
“Mama, you’re tricking me, aren’t you? This method is utterly useless…”
Isis froze, her hand pausing its strokes on the kitten in her arms. She then turned her gaze to Beacai.
Suddenly, an inexplicable surge of jealousy and envy rose within Beacai.
She couldn’t discern if she envied the pets for receiving Isis’s touch, or if she coveted Isis’s ability to win their affection. Regardless, this complex emotion caused her considerable pain.
“They don’t want to eat this because of me, right? Because I’m here, they don’t even dare to approach the food.”
“But I’ve never hurt them. I just wanted to pet them and be affectionate with them, just like Mama. Why are they so afraid of me?”
She couldn’t comprehend the answer to this question.
Her gaze fell upon the kitten in Isis’s arms. Step by step, she advanced towards it. As if sensing danger, the kitten struggled free from Isis’s embrace and darted into the flower bushes.
At the same moment, all the small animals around Isis swiftly scattered, leaving her alone to face Beacai directly.
This scene made Beacai press a finger to her lips and let out a laugh.
“Look, when I approach, even you can’t keep these pets. They fear me more than they like you.”
With her hands clasped behind her back, she circled Isis. Her small face was tinged with a sickly pallor, and her red lips seemed even more vivid.
“But who are you? You are Yggdrasil, the World Tree, a deity who nurtures countless beings, the Mother of Nature in their eyes. Am I truly so terrifying that even you cannot make them feel at ease?”
Isis knew the answer to this question.
However, the current Beacai exuded a deeply dangerous aura. Her long-suppressed Evil God nature seemed on the verge of eruption, and provoking her at such a moment could lead to unimaginable consequences.
Thus, Isis chose to remain silent.
Yet, Beacai seemed to read her thoughts. She stopped directly in front of Isis, leaned close to her face, and whispered softly:
“You know the answer, don’t you? Yggdrasil, you are the oldest living deity, wielding dominion over nature and life itself. You should understand the hearts of these little animals best of all.”
“Tell me. Speak it. Tell me, why did that previous worshipper, despite my kindness, despise and hate me? You know the reason, don’t you?”
As Beacai spoke, a sweet, blood-tinged fragrance brushed against Isis’s cheek. Under her relentless questioning, Isis continuously retreated until her back met the flower bushes, finally halting her steps.
Beacai pressed closer still, her peculiar, eerie scent making Isis feel dizzy. At such proximity, Isis could even discern the softness of Beacai’s delicate form.
An ominous premonition surged wildly within her heart. Isis averted her head, attempting to pull away from Beacai, but unexpectedly, her wrist was yanked with force. Losing her balance, she stumbled and toppled backward into the flower bushes.
Her golden hair and white gown fanned out like blossoming flowers. Several blooms were crushed beneath her, while a few petals drifted into the air before descending like scattered stars, blurring her vision.
She saw Beacai standing before her, looking down with blood-red eyes that held a chilling tranquility, much like the calm before a storm.
Being pulled down by an Evil God was a first for Isis. Complex emotions welled within her, and she blurted out the answer directly.
“Because you are an Evil God,” Isis stated. “They are afraid of you.”
Aside from sentient beings, other creatures possess the purest of hearts. This holds true even for demonic beasts whose intelligence has yet to awaken. They inherently understand how to seek advantage and avoid harm, especially when confronted with individuals whose aura of good or evil is outwardly apparent.
This was all the more true when facing an entity as supremely evil and deranged as an Evil God.