Chapter 242: Flying Bird Into The Bosom
With a solemn glance from the God King, the pressure of the thunderous might silently receded.
A terrifying, heaven-like heavy aura of majesty belonging to the supreme master instantly descended, causing even the serene Leto’s delicate body to tremble violently.
Yet, she still forcibly steadied her mind, merely gazing earnestly up at the one before her, her true and sole master.
Zeus coldly reprimanded, “You are a close divinity to my beloved Hera; she sheltered you, forgave all your past transgressions, and generously bestowed upon you a brand-new, great law. She has always treated your sisters kindly.”
“You are also worldly-wise and exceptionally intelligent. Over this long period, you have known her temperament well enough.”
“She trusts you so implicitly. Therefore, you should know how much harm your current actions will cause her.”
The God King’s voice grew colder with each word, each one striking heavily upon Leto’s divinity like a divine hammer.
“By acting this way, do you truly have no conscience at all?”
The fingers of Zeus that held her delicate jaw tightened slightly.
The force was just right, not enough to harm her, but sufficient to make the goddess before him feel a distinct hint of pain.
The God King’s voice was no longer gentle, but like the roar of thunder from the highest heavens, reverberating through all directions.
Each word struck heavily upon Leto’s heart, and an indescribable fear followed, enveloping all her divinity.
Above the divine palace, distant thunder seemed to rumble from the depths of the clouds. The invisible pressure seemed to declare that in the next moment, the God King’s terrifying wrath would transform into tangible thunder and pour down.
However, this fear originating from the depths of her divinity flashed for only an instant in Leto’s eyes.
She still obediently maintained her most submissive posture, gently parting her lips, and replied in a voice that was both weak and firm, “Your Majesty, Goddess Hera has sheltered our sisters and shown us immense kindness. We will repay her kindness with all of eternity, striving to do so.”
“However, you are our true and sole master. It was you who conquered all, and overcame all.”
“We are your spoils of war; you are the only conqueror who holds all power over us.”
“You did not, like the old God King, punish us, the defeated, without mercy.”
“On the contrary, it was you who personally forgave us. Your immense kindness is something we can never fully repay.”
She paused for a moment, as if gathering courage, then continued, “You are our conqueror, and I long to be conquered by you. In fact, I have already been conquered by you.”
“Goddess Hera is my main goddess, and I should serve her. But you are the master of everything to me; your will is my will, surpassing all else.”
“Therefore, how could I possibly conceal even the slightest thing from you regarding your question?”
“This, is from a public standpoint.”
“As for, as for from a personal standpoint…”
Her voice grew softer, carrying a trace of willing humility that made a god’s heart tremble, “Everything about me has already been conquered by you, including my divinity and all my thoughts.”
“I am willing to lie prostrate before you; no matter how you wish to treat me, I am willing, and even… eagerly anticipate it.”
“Your Majesty, you are so glorious and majestic; you are the greatest, most sacred god.”
“Can a goddess be considered sinful for being conquered by your irresistible radiance?”
“Respected Your Majesty, everything stems from your will. I will forever obey your will.”
“Whether you choose to show mercy and bestow upon me your great and precious love, or ignore me, or discard me like refuse, I will only absolutely and unconditionally obey.”
She reaffirmed her firm conviction, “No matter what your will may be, I will only absolutely obey and execute it.”
The corner of Zeus’s mouth tilted slightly upward, sketching a mysterious smile, and the oppressive aura that could freeze all divinity vanished instantly.
He finally released Leto’s jaw, then gently pinched her smooth and delicate face with his fingertips, saying with a smile, “You are indeed intelligent and obedient enough. Come to think of it, this matter is truly not your fault.”
With the God King’s smile, all the cold murderousness and terrifying pressure transformed into a gentle spring breeze.
Zeus admired the impeccable speech and performance before him, his appreciation for this beautiful goddess growing even more.
Such a goddess is a charming goddess.
“Remember my words from before, and serve my beloved Hera well.”
Leto slightly turned her cheek and, taking the initiative, affectionately pressed her delicate face against the benevolent palm that controlled the universe.
She gently nuzzled, murmuring in a low voice, “Respected Your Majesty, Goddess Hera is our main goddess, and we will absolutely obey her will. However, this obedience is always established on the premise that it does not conflict with your will.”
“Apart from that, we will do our utmost to repay the kindness and bounty of the main goddess Hera.”
Zeus nodded with satisfaction, gazing at the exquisitely beautiful face before him, and suddenly said, “In the future, I will forgive Coeus and Phoebe.”
“They once trampled on my authority; I have reclaimed their powers, and all that has happened in the past is now settled.”
These were plain words, but for Leto, they were like the wildest thunder striking down, instantly piercing her very soul!
Her heart shook violently, her delicate body froze, her heartbeat seemed to stop, and in the depths of her golden eyes, a stormy tempest raged.
Just as she was about to say something, Zeus pinched her cheek again, interrupting all her words.
The God King smiled, looking at her with eyes that saw through everything, “Leto, oh Leto, beautiful and serene you, wise and clear-sighted you, please continue to be so. You are truly charming this way, and I like you very much.”
“Perhaps, one day in the future, I too will be conquered by your beauty.”
As his words fell, the God King’s form transformed into a radiant golden lightning bolt and vanished without a trace.
Leto stood frozen in place, unable to recover for a long time.
After a long while, she finally gently raised her hand and touched her delicate face.
A faint ache still lingered there, along with the irresistible warmth of that hand.
Her heartbeat, which she had forcibly suppressed, finally broke free from the shackles of reason at this moment and began to race wildly at an extraordinary speed.
At this moment, she, who wielded the authority of “Insight,” could clearly ascertain that everything was within the eyes of His Majesty the God King.
This answer made her heart race, but even more so, it made her heart flutter.
His Supreme Majesty the God King was indeed a generous and affectionate majesty.
But she had no time for lingering feelings; she quickly gathered her thoughts and immediately sent a divine message to her younger sister, telling Asteria to quickly find a most suitable excuse to temporarily leave Hera’s side.
His Majesty the God King would be arriving soon.
They couldn’t possibly delay His Majesty’s important business.
Since Leto remained in the Divine Palace, Asteria would naturally attend to Goddess Hera.
Goddess Hera had been in a rather gloomy mood lately.
However, she was, after all, an extremely gentle and kind goddess, and she would only bear any burdens herself.
The blissful taste of embracing her beloved God King before the Council of Gods had transformed into the sweetest poison.
This indelible memory imprint constantly made her yearn and suffer between daylight and night.
She deeply hated her own powerlessness; why could she not erase it all from her memory?
After the Council of Gods, the God King, who had just once again expressed his love for her, continued to indulge unrestrainedly, showing no signs of change.
First, he ventured into the Netherworld and became entangled with the alluring Goddess of Night.
Upon returning to Olympus, before even reaching the divine palace, he and Phoebe created a lovely child, in addition to Selene, the Dominator of Clear Radiance.
Immediately after, in front of all the gods, he announced Demeter as his fourth wife.
All of this made Hera feel profoundly sorrowful.
Her beloved God King seemed to have done nothing of substance, only busying himself with different goddesses!
If this pace continued, in a few years, the number of his wives would likely exceed what could be counted on two hands.
But what about herself?
What could she do?
Should she continue to hold on?
Holding on to a future that she had long foreseen, a future destined to become increasingly bleak.
She constantly endured the ever-growing primal divine impulse, along with the unspoken requests and urgings of the entire universe.
This dual pressure was already close to completely crushing her resilient divinity.
As the Great Mother Goddess, she truly needed to fulfill her most sacred duty.
Now, she could still forcefully separate the laws she had derived.
But what about later?
Would she be able to continue separating new laws one by one like this?
If this continued, she would either have to find other living beings to conceive children with, or she would have to conceive children herself.
Finding other living beings was something she would never consider; that option was never within her scope of thought.
Therefore, only the path of conceiving herself remained.
But…
She herself was still a virgin goddess, pure and flawless!
She only wanted, and was only willing, to conceive their children together with her beloved God King!
However, the God King’s embrace could never be hers alone.
Heaven knows, as the “Great Mother Goddess of Reproduction,” how much envy and affection Hera felt when she saw the lovely children conceived by Zeus and other goddesses.
Her motherhood was naturally the most intense in the entire universe.
And now, this entire Olympus was becoming a place of sorrow for her.
Looking out at the sacred mountains, they were filled with the God King’s wives and their children.
Or, it was those goddesses who had already had intimate relations with the God King but had not yet become his wives.
She wanted to clear her mind and relieve her inner turmoil, but now she could only descend to the vast Earth.
She did not wish to bring attendant nymphs, only having Asteria accompany her.
On Earth, the Prometheus brothers had recently created many living beings, some of which were quite interesting.
Especially recently, with great fanfare, they had created a race called “humans,” even inviting the great Mother Goddess of All Things and the Goddess of Wisdom to assist.
Hera keenly sensed that the God King held this newborn race in extremely high regard.
She was also quite intrigued and was preparing to go and see the newborn humans.
However, she was not in a hurry, and strolled leisurely with Asteria along the way.
For immortal gods, the scenery along the way was often more important than the destination.
At this very moment, Asteria beside her suddenly said softly, “Respected main goddess, I heard that Epimetheus is also with Prometheus.”
“I have seen him a few times before; he is truly an unlikable god, sometimes doing foolish things that make gods uncomfortable.”
“Perhaps, I should go and see him first. If he is present, I will ask him to go elsewhere, to avoid disturbing your mood.”
Hera pondered for a moment.
She really did not want to deal with fools.
Seeing fools reminded her of Poseidon, who was also a fool; that fellow was a constant source of headache and helplessness for her.
She nodded gently, a faint smile appearing on her face, and said with a smile, “Very well, then I shall trouble you, Asteria.”
Asteria returned a slight smile, her expression pure, “It’s no trouble at all. Please enjoy the scenery along the way, and I will go and check first.”
Hera nodded gently, and Asteria’s form turned into a stream of light as she withdrew.
For a moment, only Hera remained in the world, and the mountains and plains became instantly silent.
Before long, the sky seemed to be slowly crumpled by an invisible giant hand, fierce winds swept through the forest, gloom surged, and layered clouds piled up.
Then, lightning flashed, thunder obscured the view, and a torrential downpour suddenly released, turning the landscape into a blur of white, with only the sound of water filling the heavens and earth.
The sudden deluge did not bother Hera.
A warm, golden luminous barrier naturally formed around her, shielding her from all dust and damp cold.
Yet, she wandered alone and lonely on this vast earth.
The rain curtain was also a symbol of “Him” that she was most familiar with—wind, clouds, thunder, and rain were all the language of that Lord of the Sky.
Enveloped by this sudden dark cloud, Hera, whose mood had slightly relaxed due to the beautiful scenery, immediately became dejected again.
Just then, a thin silhouette fluttered towards her through the rain curtain.
It was a small lark, struggling to withstand the raging wind and rain.
But how could this tiny bird’s incredibly small body withstand the majesty from the heavens?
It could only fly about aimlessly and confusedly in the midst of the violent wind and rain.
Its once smooth and shiny feathers were already completely soaked by the cold rain.
The small body struggled to flap its wings in the gaps of the wind and rain, swaying heavily and moving with difficulty.
The once most beautiful and melodious sound from its throat was now obscured by the chill, leaving only a series of pathetic cries.
Its voice was as thin as a thread in the thunderstorm, as if it would be completely swallowed by the wind and rain at any moment.
This bird caught Hera’s eye, and also pierced her heart, which had recently been repeatedly pained by the wind and rain.
In this poor, miserable, and helpless bird, she seemed to see herself.
A creature similarly trapped in the storms of love, unable to break free or escape.
Its trembling fragility instantly evoked infinite pity in her heart.
Thus, she opened her arms, gently raised her hand, and extended a wisp of gentle divine power from her jade finger, slowly drawing the bird, which was already swaying precariously in the wind and rain, into her embrace.
This bird was indeed very spiritual; it did not struggle at all, nor did it show alarm.
It simply followed Hera’s incomparably gentle guidance and decisively flew into the hands of this great mother goddess, obediently resting on her palm.
Gentle and compassionate Hera held the little bird in her palm, gently wiping away all the water stains from its body and drying its thoroughly soaked body with her warm divine power.
The bird was exceptionally obedient in her palm, allowing all her actions without resistance or defiance. From time to time, it would sing crisply with its most melodious voice, as if thanking the goddess for her supreme tenderness.
However, even after being dried, the little bird still seemed to be shivering from the cold, its small body trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing its pitiful appearance, Hera’s heart filled with even more affection, and she proactively placed it gently against her warm body.
This cunning bird, however, knew exactly where the warmest place was, and without hesitation burrowed into her embrace, lightly and precisely arriving at her chest.
As if finding its nest, it curled up directly within the exquisitely warm softness of this Great Mother Goddess.
As if sensing a warmth that could melt all cold, the little bird rubbed its bird’s head back and forth between these two magnificent and extraordinary peaks, as if searching for the warmest spot.
From time to time, it would also peck gently with its small beak, as if returning from the icy wilderness to spring, showing its vitality!
By now, the bird’s actions were clearly somewhat improper.
But Hera, whose mood was already low and who had been filled with endless pity, did not notice anything wrong at this moment.
After all, she couldn’t tell what was wrong with this little bird.
It seemed like a perfectly ordinary bird, so she didn’t think much of it.
The Great Mother Goddess was naturally kind and charitable, nurturing all spirits; it was her duty.
Therefore, not only did she not stop it, but she held the bird even more tenderly, warming it with her body heat.
She was completely unaware that the cunning God King’s vile trick had succeeded.
That’s right, this lark was Zeus!
If he hadn’t transformed himself, Hera’s keen senses would never have been fooled.
This time, he transformed into a lark, not the ill-reputed cuckoo.
Those who fabricated the cuckoo stories clearly used the cuckoo’s characteristics to slander him in secret!
He would never transform into a cuckoo!
But a lark was acceptable.
He knew that with Hera’s gentle and compassionate nature, she absolutely could not stand by and watch when she saw this poor bird.
The plan, a great success!
Usually, it was impossible to receive such proactive, gentle treatment from his beloved Hera, or to nest so comfortably against her chest.
The embrace of the Great Mother Goddess was truly…
Wonderful!
This embrace of the Great Mother Goddess was indeed the resting place of all spirits!
Zeus was tightly clasped between these two soft and warm mountains, completely enveloped by the feeling of ultimate bliss.
He almost forgot what his true purpose for coming here was.
Meanwhile, Hera, whose spirits had been exceptionally low, began to feel a sense of incongruity rapidly surfacing in her divine mind after recovering slightly.
Something was not quite right…
Everything was just too coincidental.
The rain, falling at precisely the right moment; the bird, flying in at precisely the right moment.
Moreover, this bird was far too spiritual…
It was unnaturally obedient in her embrace.
Even though she had a natural maternal affection for all living beings, this bird’s behavior was too unlike a real bird’s.
No!
Hera looked down, her golden eyes shining.
What was this bird doing?!
Where was its beak pecking?!
Hera’s originally gentle face suddenly changed, becoming stern.
She reached into her embrace and snatched the bird that was being so presumptuous!
Her jade hand exerted a slight force, yet there was no damage!
Her fingers felt soft feathers, but perceived a divine will so familiar it penetrated her very bones!
As is widely known, His Majesty the God King has always had little resistance to temptation.
Moreover, when facing his most beloved Hera, if he couldn’t control himself, it would be the greatest disrespect to his beloved Hera!
Thus, without her realizing it, he had already become quite excessive.
“Zeus—!”
Both embarrassed and angry, her jade cheeks flushed crimson, she squeezed out his name, her favorite, through her gritted teeth.
Hera, usually gentle, was genuinely angry for the first time.
Recalled to his senses by this cold exclamation, His Majesty the God King’s heart gave a jolt: ‘This is bad!’
And so, the bird, which Hera had firmly grasped in her palm, let out an incredibly piercing cry, then rolled its eyes and tilted its neck.
He decisively chose to play dead.
Hera looked at the clumsy bird, which was feigning death with its head tilted, “acting” so convincingly in her palm.
Her red lips curved slightly upward, revealing a hint of icy amusement: ‘Still pretending!’
With a sudden exertion of her slender hand, divine power surged, wanting to teach Zeus a profound lesson!
The result was, naturally, futile.
Even with all her strength, she still couldn’t harm the bird in the slightest.
The great power that could crush mountains and split seas now only made this “ball of feathers” rounder.
The power that could crush mountains and split seas, at this moment only squeezed this ball of “feathers” more roundly.
