Beacai’s relationship with her followers was starkly different. She indulged and doted on them excessively, even to the point of harming herself to bestow blessings upon them.
She knew she was emulating Yggdrasil, but in the wrong way.
Deities could only command obedience and ensure their will was done if they maintained an aura of reverence.
“Mama, I’ve heard it’s perfectly fine for mothers and daughters to be completely open with each other. In fact, it can even deepen their bond…”
As Beacai spoke, she suddenly placed a hand on Isis’s chest, then blinked innocently. Once the implication of her words registered, Isis swiftly grabbed Beacai’s wrist.
Whether from the steam or sheer embarrassment, Isis’s cheeks flushed an even deeper crimson.
“Where did you hear such nonsense? They can be open with each other because they are true biological mother and daughter. We are not.”
If Beacai were truly her biological daughter, being exposed to each other would be insignificant to Isis. Even an adopted daughter, like Nona, whom she had raised since childhood, would be different.
After all, she had seen their naked bodies countless times when they were young. What was a little openness then?
Moreover, as a mother, she had a duty to teach them necessary knowledge about women, so being open with each other was perfectly normal.
However, Beacai was neither her biological nor her adopted daughter. In such a situation, wouldn’t being open with each other become rather ambiguous?
Isis touched her lower abdomen. What truly bothered her was the demonic tattoo etched there.
It was simply too embarrassing.
“But Mama treats me as her daughter, doesn’t she? Could it be that Mama would be shy seeing her daughter’s body?”
Beacai pressed on, shifting from half-hanging off Isis to pressing tightly against her. Her mischievous little hands continuously roamed over Isis’s bath towel, seemingly poised to quickly pull it off once they found a weakness.
In desperation, Isis coughed, saying, “If you want me to treat you as my daughter, the first thing is to be obedient. As long as you listen, I can agree to your request.”
“Mm-hmm! I’ll be obedient!” Beacai nodded repeatedly, though her hands hardly slowed. The sound of splashing water echoed in the hot spring, causing Isis to frown deeply.
“Stop! Are you being obedient right now?”
Catching her breath, Isis pushed Beacai away. Her silver hair, previously coiled, cascaded down into the hot spring, making her appear utterly vulnerable and pitiable.
Beacai blinked innocently, obediently halting her movements. Then she looked at Isis and asked, “Then, can we be open with each other now?”
Isis had promised to agree if she was obedient; those were her own words.
Slowly and methodically re-wrapping her bath towel, Isis stroked Beacai’s head and chuckled, “You’re a good, obedient child, so be good.”
“Huh?”
For some reason, Beacai felt as though she had been tricked.
Seeing Beacai’s stunned expression, Isis couldn’t help but cover her mouth, laughing wholeheartedly. Realizing she had been played, Beacai pouted, turning her face to the side, seemingly plotting something.
After soaking in the hot spring for a while, Isis felt a slight dizziness. She stood up, intending to leave, but as soon as one foot touched the ground, Beacai grabbed her arm, pulling her backward into her embrace.
*Plop!*
Water splashed everywhere, and the bath towel wrapped around Isis came undone. Lying in Beacai’s arms, Isis looked at the satisfied girl beside her, biting her lip gently.
‘This was her plot!’
Blushing, Isis pushed her away. After re-wrapping her bath towel, she returned to the changing room and put on her clothes.
Perhaps it was because she hadn’t truly come to see Beacai as her daughter yet. She didn’t understand why she felt so flushed when exposed before her.
These emotions simply shouldn’t exist.
****
After their hot spring bath and changing back into their clothes, they returned to the inn.
The softly glowing magic lamp by the bedside cast a golden light. Beacai had already put on her nightgown and was lying in Isis’s arms, her eyes closed in slumber.
Isis sat by the bed, gazing out at the moon through the window, lost in thought.
She still had a few silver coins in her pocket.
Those were originally intended for her carriage fare to leave Prelley, yet she had used the money to buy Beacai a pendant.
She had always seemed to clamor about wanting to escape Beacai, but deep down, she knew it was an impossible feat. Her talk of escape was perhaps just a hope to delude herself.
It was as if she believed that one day she would gain freedom, leave Beacai, and embrace a better life. She clung to these thoughts as a spiritual pillar, lest she gradually succumb while by Beacai’s side.
However, after the events of this period, she had developed a new idea.
Beacai was not an inherently evil deity. In her pursuit of the love she desired, she would be willing to change and become gentle and kind.
Thus, her new idea was quite simple: since escape was impossible, she would instead reform Beacai, transforming her from a wicked deity into a righteous one.
Glancing back at Beacai, Isis noticed that in her sleep, she clutched the teardrop necklace Isis had given her, a profound happiness still radiating from her pretty face.
This idea might sound like a fantasy, but without trying, who could truly know the outcome?
****
Inside the secret elven stronghold in Ped City, five or six figures sat around a table, listening to news brought by other elves. All their faces were etched with shock.
An elf, a priest within the Church of Life, was the first to lose his composure. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his face filled with disbelief.
“What? Ped is to be publicly beheaded tomorrow?”
He looked at the elf who had delivered the news, clenching his teeth tightly, seemingly unable to believe the news was true. However, the elf merely swallowed and continued:
“Yes, according to reliable intelligence, the Bishop of the Church of Blood intends to publicly behead Ped tomorrow to assert his authority and to make us elves, who believe in the Church of Life, abandon any thoughts of resistance.”
“Bastard!”
The priest initially wanted to smash his fist heavily on the wooden table, but seeing many others still seated around, he suppressed his volatile temper and returned to his chair.
Nevertheless, judging by his heavy breathing, he was still unable to calm himself.
Upon receiving the news, Hia looked at Nona, who was seated at the head of the table, and asked,
“What should we do, Nona?”
Ped’s execution was a sight no one present wished to witness. Many elves there had been rescued by Ped, and they were willing to lay down their lives for him.