episode_0271

“Sister. Are you trying to drive me crazy here? ”

“Uh…uh uh..”

“I believe that if it were my mom, she would choose Marie.”

“Ma..Maria..”

Both eyes were shaking as if there was an earthquake.

Under the pressure of these two people, which was too heavy to describe in words, I could only sweat profusely, and I couldn’t even utter a single word due to their momentum.

I looked around quickly for a helping hand.

Ariel is no good. Didn’t she create the potion that would allow women to get pregnant in the first place?

But I couldn’t ask Dania for help. I knew Dania would definitely do something for me, but unfortunately, she didn’t have the power to stop Lily and Marie.

Then, in the end, the only one left is Athena.

But Athena just looked at me with calm eyes, as if waiting for an answer. She didn’t seem to have any intention of offering any help.

‘Yes. Athena, you can’t help me.’

I know how Athena looks at me. Perhaps she desires me the most intensely of all of them.

In the end, I couldn’t ask for any help. Feeling frustrated, Lily and Marie simultaneously grabbed my arms and pulled me away.

“Mom. Choose quickly.”

“Sister. Look into my eyes.”

Marie’s eyes, burning and blazing, and Lily’s eyes, looking infinitely empty.

When I looked into their eyes, my mind became even blanker and I couldn’t think of anything.

“Hera. There are no other options, so choose quickly.”

Athena’s voice heard at that time was full of sticky energy.

“If you don’t answer, I have no choice but to ‘punish’ you.”

punishment.

In my experience, all the punishments given by Athena were sensations that drove me crazy. I absolutely did not want to experience that.

“Ha..but..”

How can I answer?

I, who once lived as a man, was asked to decide to carry someone’s child. But the gazes of Athena, Lily, and Marie, who were pressuring me like crazy, were too heavy for me to answer.

“Now it’s time to decide, I’ll give you 5 seconds Hera.”

Athena spoke in a stern voice and spread out her hand, showing me five fingers.

As soon as Athena began to fold one of her fingers, her already pale head began to go numb.

“Okay. Okay… Wait… Let me say something…”

Athena’s fingers folded again mercilessly, as if she didn’t want to hear any excuses.

Now, cold sweat ran down her back, her fingers spread wide.

‘Uh…what should I do?!’

I know Athena’s temperament well. If I don’t respond before those fingers fold, she’ll probably ‘punish’ me for whatever I say.

That’s why I have to give you the answer unconditionally…

‘Who on earth are you going to choose..!!’

I swear I have no intention of holding anyone’s child.

Of course, Lily, who was closer to him as a real sister, and Marie, who was not his real daughter but was close to him, and the other girls as well.

And even if they did choose, there was a problem. If they chose one side, how angry the other side would be, and even if Lily and Marie didn’t choose them, they didn’t even want to imagine what would happen.

“Two.”

Athena’s fingers fold again.

My mind raced as each second felt like a year.

‘I…have to think about it…’

I have to think about it.

A way to make this situation work without having to choose anyone.

Even if it’s not a perfect answer, at least it’ll buy you some time.

Lily. Marie. Athena. Ariel. Sister Dania. I quickly rolled my eyes and looked at each of them.

In a situation where there is no answer, you have to find an answer somehow.

As her brain spun rapidly, Athena folded her fingers again.

“One.”

A thought popped into my head at that moment.

‘perhaps.’

Maybe this answer will calm them down for a little while.

At Athena’s short words, I shut my eyes tightly and shouted at her.

“Mom..I can’t choose!!”

Athena’s last finger stops still.

She looked at me with sunken eyes, then let out a short sigh.

“That’s not the answer, Hera. In the end, I have no choice but to punish you.”

Athena approaches me with footsteps that even make me feel fear.

I hurriedly grabbed her leg and blurted out the thoughts that came to my mind in a situation where there was no answer.

“I..I’m all good..!”

Towering-

Athena’s body froze. She wasn’t the only one. The other women who had been quietly looking at me around also opened their eyes wide and looked at me.

“What?”

The tense atmosphere had calmed down a bit, and Athena’s evil eyes, which had seemed like they would swallow me up just a moment ago, seemed to have calmed down a bit.

After observing their reactions one by one, I felt deep satisfaction and hope in my judgment.

“What do you mean, Hera.”

Athena looked down at me with eyes that wanted clarification, and I answered her right away, not wanting to miss this opportunity right in front of me.

“I..I can’t choose. I love them all..? If I were to have a child, I wouldn’t want to choose just one.”

“……”

Athena’s eyes began to shake greatly at my words, and seeing that made me once again feel certain that my choice was not wrong.

My choice to choose everyone because no one else could choose.

This would shift the decision-making power from me to them.

That means I don’t have to choose anymore.

At least it will buy them time until they can talk amongst themselves and make a decision about who to choose.

I guess I’ll have to somehow try to persuade them by talking to them.

‘Okay, let’s talk about the letter first..-‘

“…..Let’s do that Hera.”

“Huh?”

When I raised my head at Athena’s sudden words, she was looking down at me with strange eyes that I couldn’t understand at all.

“I didn’t know you’d say that..Thank goodness. I would’ve been really upset if I hadn’t been chosen.”

“Huh? That’s… fortunate?”

“It’s a shame that I can’t monopolize it, but I’m still satisfied with the fact that you’re carrying my seed.”

I couldn’t understand Athena’s unknown words.

You haven’t even decided whose child you’re going to have yet, right..?

However, the instincts deeply engraved in his body began to tremble as if they had sensed what Athena meant.

While I was momentarily confused, everyone gathered in one place and started discussing something without me knowing.

“Guys.. Wait..? I haven’t decided who yet..?”

I tried to speak out of my anxiety, but they continued their discussion in a serious tone as if they couldn’t hear me at all.

After a while, Athena came towards me with much calmer eyes.

“You said you would give birth to everyone’s child, Hera.”

Athena patted my head once and then looked towards Ariel.

“Can I administer the medicine right now?”

“Of course! Then I have a chance too, right?”

“…Well. We’ll have to wait and see who gets pregnant first.”

Ariel, with her face brightening for some reason, is stirring something in her arms.

Soon she took out of her sleeve a fancy jewelry box, inside of which was a syringe that looked ominous at first glance, and inside that syringe was a liquid of a bright purple color that looked ominous at first glance.

“….If Mom made that choice, Marie would completely understand.”

Marie nods her head as if she has understood something.

“I can’t help it. It’s okay, sis. I’ll definitely succeed.”

Lily still looks at me with empty eyes.

They grabbed both my arms at the same time.

“Okay..Guys, wait..?”

I tried to tighten my arms, but their bonds held me in no way.

Ariel was breathing heavily and looking at me, and Dania had a fidgety expression on her face, as if she was anxious about something.

Athena took the syringe Ariel handed her and rolled up the sleeves of my clothes.

“Ah..Athena, wait..I still have something to say..”

“Hera, don’t worry. We’ll take care of all your chores and labor.”

Marie and Lily nodded at her words.

“Yeah, Mom. You don’t have to do anything, Mom. I’ll cast a spell so that your body won’t feel uncomfortable even if your stomach gets bigger.”

“If there’s anything you want or want to eat, just tell me anytime, Sister. I’ll bring it to you even if it means cutting the emperor’s head off.”

Marie and Lily whispered in my ears, and Athena, standing in front of me, placed a needle on my arm and spoke.

“You just have to give birth to our child.”

“Ah..Okay..Wait..No..!”

Phew-

As the needle dug into my arm, the stinging pain made me feel hopeless.

It feels clear to me that there really is no way to escape now.

What came into my eyes as I was shaking violently was Athena’s thumb placed on the syringe.

All she had to do was press the syringe and some unknown purple liquid would enter my body.

The fear of the unknown, of not knowing what might happen.

I could only watch the scene, trembling, like a herbivore caught in a predator’s clutches.

And then.

The moment Athena was about to administer the medicine.

“Everyone stop moving right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Athena’s movements were halted by a loud scream coming from one side.

In the quiet silence that had come for a moment, Athena frowned as if she was not pleased with something.

“What?”

“These are the words of the Goddess. If you don’t stop everything right now, you will be punished by heaven.”

A beautiful and youthful voice that sounds familiar.

The owner of the voice was breathing heavily and looking at me with clear, blue eyes.

“Iris..?”