Chapter 156: I like you Goddess

“Did the goddess respond?”

“Yes!”

“What did she say?”

“Huh? Oh, well… it’s more like… rather than saying…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that the goddess had pressed on my stomach, causing me to lose control.

Seeing me hesitate, Viviana tilted her head with a puzzled look. It didn’t seem like she fully believed me.

“From what I know, only someone of the stature of a saint or the pope can hear the goddess’s voice.”

“…Oh, is that so?”

Come to think of it, Lillian had said something like that before. She mentioned that as a saint, she could hear the goddess’s words, but ordinary people couldn’t.

Then what exactly had happened at the temple?

At that time, I had clearly felt a mysterious power in the temple.

Could it not have been the goddess relieving my pain? I had been so happy, believing that the goddess had answered me…

“Hehe, I’m not really sure.”

Since nothing would change, I decided not to dwell on it too deeply.

Whether the goddess truly responded or not, I would still go to the temple every day to pray.

“Still, it’s good that your prayers seem to be working. Most people can’t pray as long as you do.”

Viviana looked at me with an approving gaze. I suddenly felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze.

“Don’t you also sit still and pray for a long time, Viviana?”

“Ah, I wasn’t praying, I was meditating.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t really rely on the goddess. I’ll probably keep meditating in the future.”

No wonder she wasn’t clasping her hands; she wasn’t praying.

That was just like her. Viviana was someone who preferred to carve her own path rather than depend on others.

“Hmm… but you must have worries too, right? Talking about them can actually make you feel better, you know.”

“Maybe.”

Viviana shrugged with a nonchalant expression.

I felt a bit sorry for her.

Even if she didn’t believe in the goddess, keeping worries bottled up inside wasn’t a good habit.

“Then how about sharing them with me?”

“What?”

With a smile on my face, I took a playful step closer to Viviana.

“I’m confident that I can listen to your worries more earnestly than anyone else.”

“……”

“I might not be able to help, but I really want to hear them.”

There’s no need to keep sorrow to yourself.

Sharing it with someone can definitely be a way to cope, just like how I confessed my worries and sins to the goddess.

“…Alright. Thank you, Tina.”

“Haha, anytime.”

Fortunately, Viviana readily accepted my offer. I smiled brightly at her positive response.

“Ah, by the way… you haven’t met yet, have you?”

“Huh? Met who?”

“…Tsk.”

Viviana clicked her tongue and crossed her arms, looking displeased.

“Are… are you mad…? Did I do something wrong…?”

“No, it’s not because of you.”

Viviana stood up, picked up a sword placed in the corner of the room, and fastened it to her waist.

“Can you wait here for a bit, Tina?”

“Huh? Oh, sure…”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

With a short laugh, Viviana left the room and, true to her word, returned quickly.

Dragging a familiar-looking woman by the collar.

“She says she has something to tell you.”

I looked at the woman whose collar Viviana was gripping.

Long, flowing black hair, and equally deep black eyes.

Once, when I stayed here, she was one of my personal maids.

And, the person who called me a rag.

“Ah, hello…”

For a moment, I blankly stared into her guilt-filled eyes, then gave a faint smile.

“Hello, Lady Iris.”

***

So, we made up.

Because Lady Iris didn’t really mean those words to me.

At that time, it was clearly because of Lady Vivian’s orders.

Of course, I was hurt… but now it doesn’t seem to bother me much.

Perhaps the Goddess would have forgiven her.

Maybe I wanted to resemble such a Goddess.

Ah, and by the way…

That power that embraced me yesterday, it was the Goddess, right?

I think she knew I was suffering and came to help me.

Embarrassingly… I ended up fainting in a sacred place…

But thanks to that, I felt much more at ease.

It must have been the Goddess who helped me, right?

I want to be sure, but it’s not that easy…

If it really was the Goddess who helped me, I would be so, so happy and overjoyed…

If that’s the case, I might fall even deeper for the Goddess.

Hehe, that would be a bit dangerous, wouldn’t it?

If I end up liking the Goddess even more than this, I’d surely be a nuisance.

So, I’ll just think of what happened yesterday as a coincidence—

Poke poke.

“Huh?”

I opened my eyes, feeling an unfamiliar sensation on my cheek.

“Is something wrong, Tina?”

Hearing my voice, Vivian asked.

“Ah, no. I must have imagined it.”

“Really?”

“Hehe, yes. You can go back to meditating.”

Vivian nodded lightly and closed her eyes, and I followed suit, gently closing mine.

‘…No.’

This wasn’t just my imagination.

Something definitely brushed against my cheek.

Just like yesterday.

‘Is it the Goddess…?’

As I clasped my hands in prayer, something invisible poked my cheek again.

‘Is it really you, Goddess?’

Again, my cheek was pressed.

The signal was so clear that my heart began to race.

‘It was the Goddess…! Ah, so you were the one who helped me yesterday…’

A feeling of happiness spread from my chest throughout my entire body.

The being I had always looked up to and worshipped had responded to my insignificant words.

It was hard to believe.

The first emotion I felt was surprise. And then, what filled my mind next… was undoubtedly love.

“Hey, Goddess… I like you…”

Finally, a response came to the countless prayers that seemed like soliloquies.

My face flushed, and my heart raced at the realization.

Like a girl falling in love for the first time.

Then, an invisible force gently caressed my cheek.

Overwhelmed by the tender touch, I instinctively reached out with both hands.

The intangible force was caught in my grasp.

It was cylindrical in shape.

Rounded and smooth at the ends, with a warm sensation.

Surely, this was the same pillar that had pressed against my stomach yesterday.

‘I like you, I like you, I like you, I like you…’

Drunk with the joy of hearing the Goddess’s voice, I acted out of character and indulged in a moment of whimsy.

Holding the pillar tightly, I gently pressed it against my cheek.

Every time I prayed “I like you,” the pillar trembled slightly.

‘Um… may I open my eyes? I want to see you, Goddess…’

Being able to touch a part of the Goddess ignited a greater desire within me.

I wanted to see.

I wanted to behold a part of the Goddess with my own eyes.

At that moment, the pillar slowly elongated and gently stroked my head with a tender touch.

Taking it as an affirmative response, I immediately opened my eyes and stared at what I held in my hands.

Just like yesterday, nothing was visible.

But as I gazed intently, a faint silhouette seemed to flicker.

A faint trace created by the reflection of light. And within it, a part of the Goddess finally entered my field of vision.

‘Ah… Goddess…’

Overwhelming emotions enveloped me.

A happiness as profound as when my mother named me filled my chest.

I wanted to convey this joy to the Goddess.

That because of her, I was this happy. I hoped this earnest feeling would reach her.

That must have been why.

The reason I did what I did next.

I gently closed my eyes and carefully leaned my face forward.

Feeling the pillar of light cradled in my hands, I quietly pursed my lips.

Mwah—

The sound of my lips meeting the pillar of light was soft and melodious.

A warm sensation seeped into my lips. The trace of the Goddess lingered like an afterglow, faintly swirling around.

Lost in that comforting sensation, I couldn’t help but smile bashfully.

“Ah?!”

But the next moment, the light in my hands suddenly quivered and then scattered into the air.

The part of the Goddess that had been there vanished in an instant. I reached out, fumbling for the space she had occupied, but only grasped at empty air.

‘Ah…’

Perhaps I had been too reckless. Had I made her uncomfortable and driven her away?

A pang of guilt struck my chest. I carefully clasped my hands together and offered a prayer.

‘I’m sorry, Goddess. In my joy at being able to see you, I… I’ll be more careful from now on.’

No response came, but I didn’t stop praying.

She must be listening.

That certainty was deeply rooted within me.

‘Um… I’ll pray even harder from now on. I really like you. I love you, Goddess.’

A whisper-like, quiet final message.

And for a long time, I prayed endlessly to the Goddess.

Please, let her not find me burdensome.

I simply hope that this feeling reaches her.