Chapter 16 Impersonating Hebe

Did her beloved younger brother catch it from Hermes?

Hermes never expected Apollo to actually dare to do it; he actually took her to Olympus.

Moreover, he shrunk her!

Olympus was still as magnificent as ever. Apollo, with the little one he had hidden in his palm, evaded the group of gods who were wandering around aimlessly and arrived at the Queen's Palace in the center through a secret garden path.

Zephyrus, the drunken god of the west wind, rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself as he watched the figure quickly slip into the garden, "Strange, why does that sneaky fellow look so much like Apollo? Am I seeing things... Never mind! I'll go find some more wine!"

Every day, Hera would play with Hebe on the swing in the palace courtyard. By then, she should be resting in her bedchamber, and Hera would send Iris away to switch Hermes and Hebe.

“All you need to do then is cry like a baby,” Apollo said, opening his palm to Hermes, who was lying on it.

I must say, the little brat became incredibly cute after she shrank to the point that no one would be angry even if she stole everything from the entire planet Olympus.

But the idea only lasted a few seconds before Apollo dismissed it.

—How could such a thing possibly happen?

Hermes gazed at Apollo's enormous face, which now resembled that of a giant, shrank back, and muttered listlessly, "Yes, I know, Brother Apollo..."

How terrifying, not only for Apollo, but also for the awkward situation that is about to unfold.

To make her pretend to be Hera's child in front of her, and even to make her drink this person's breast milk... just thinking about it is outrageous.

If the truth is discovered, wouldn't we be finished?

Thinking of this, Hermes couldn't help but roll around in Apollo's palm, feeling like a complete idiot for agreeing to act immediately.

Wow! That was close! I almost fell!

She grasped Apollo's slightly bent little finger with both hands, and flew back into his hands using her winged sandals, which had shrunk to the size of herself.

Apollo, whose right hand was itchy from the mischievous little devil's antics, sighed.

“Cheer up, you possess natural power that rivals my sister’s.” As he stepped into the courtyard behind the palace, where exotic flowers and rare herbs grew, he gently comforted the trembling little creature in his hands. “Besides, isn’t your wish to return to Olympus?”

"Why has this guy become so talkative lately?" Hermes thought, trying to regain her composure. Most importantly, how could he be sure her power was strong enough to deceive Hera?

However, things took an unexpected turn; the rainbow goddess Iris, the handmaid of the goddess queen, was not guarding the child by the cradle in the courtyard.

Apollo looked around and was quite certain that there was only the baby in the cradle and no other maids waiting for him, while Hera was still taking a nap in the palace.

He felt something was amiss, but his immediate priority was to switch Hermes and Hebe.

What happens next depends on Hermes's resourcefulness; he will also be waiting in the shadows to act when the opportunity arises.

"It's up to you now, kid," Apollo whispered.

Then the goddess of deception and theft felt a warm current flow through her heart, and specks of gold were sprinkled on her gradually changing body. As the power belonging to the god of light gradually faded, Hermes was already being held in Apollo's arms—in the form of the newborn Hebe.

I have to say, this guy is pretty good at holding babies; she didn't seem to feel any discomfort at all.

Hermes blinked her round, golden eyes, biting her chubby little finger as she watched Apollo extend his other arm, placing his shimmering golden palm on the baby girl still fast asleep in the cradle, causing her to float slowly out of the cradle.

The goddess of youth had light blonde hair adorned with a beautiful floral crown, and her round face, flushed with a slight pink hue, suggested she would grow up to be a beauty. Even at such a young age, she was already dressed in garments made of the finest silk and vibrant wool, and even lay in a magnificent cradle within Hera's realm. This cradle, lined with soft carpets, was crafted from expensive sandalwood and everlasting flowers and leaves.

It's hard to imagine how much Her Highness the Goddess adores the adorable little Hebe.

Thinking of this, Hermes, disguised as Hebe, shuddered again, increasingly afraid that the plan would fail.

She prayed silently in her heart—"Dear Mother Earth Gaia, if you can hear my heart's voice, please bless me with a safe journey! I will surely repay your kindness!"

After praying, Hermes thought again that she did not envy Hebe for having Hera's maternal love, because she also had Maia, the most beloved mother in the world.

Enabling Maya to have a better life is her greatest motivation for working hard.

Bathed in sunlight, Apollo gently placed Hermes into the cradle. He glanced at the girl who seemed to have adapted to her new identity, then looked away and retreated into the flower bushes behind the swing, still holding Hebe, who was sleeping soundly with milk foam in her arms.

He would take the Queen of Gods' daughter to higher clouds, and once they were completely hidden, it would be time to enjoy Hermes' performance.

"And you too." Apollo waved his hand, conjuring Hermes' scepter, and looked indifferently at the two green snakes coiled above him. "Next time you bite me for no reason, I'll strip all your scales off."

The God of Light always holds grudges.

Upon hearing that blatant threat, Apistoni and Tokei were both furious and horrified. They quickly exchanged glances, determined to report it to their prince!

That wretched Apollo—he really is a villain! Just wait until our Princess Hermes finds out, and see how she deals with him!

Meanwhile, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, was soaring through the sky in a chariot pulled by golden stags. Looking down at the land and sea below, she yawned repeatedly from her cherry-pink lips; she had been so bored lately that she was even thinking of heading south to Egypt for a visit.

When Artemis passed by Helios, who was driving the chariot of the sun, she was very indifferent and did not even greet him.

Like his two sisters, the moon goddess Selene and the dawn goddess Eos, as well as some of the Titans, the sun god joined the Olympian forces during the Titanomachy, helping Zeus's side defeat the Titans led by Cronus. In return, they gained the right to distribute power and status after the war, unlike the losers who were cast into the abyss of Tartarus by the new god-king.

But that had nothing to do with Artemis. All she remembered was that when her mother Leto was persecuted by Hera for being pregnant and had to wander around, Helios did not lend a helping hand. In the end, it was her mother's sister, the meteor goddess Asteria, who threw herself into the sea and became the island of Delos. With Poseidon's tacit approval, the meteor goddess and her daughter Hecate protected her suffering mother.

After that, Artemis was the first to be born, even though she was originally a twin of Apollo. For some reason, Leto had an unusually difficult time giving birth to Apollo, so Artemis tried to help her mother deliver the baby, and for nine whole days the island was filled with divine blood that was crimson with a golden glow.

The goddess of the hunt can never forget that when her brother Apollo was born, the whole world seemed to be shrouded in dazzling light. He came into the world bathed in brilliant light, as if everything around him paled in comparison.

Even Phoebe, the goddess of light with prophetic abilities, was astonished and set foot on Delos, marveling at the power of light emanating from Apollo, who was still an infant.

On that day, with Hecate, the goddess of the moon, as a witness, Phoebe made a new prophecy to Apollo.

Artemis snapped out of her reverie, the darkness gradually fading from her cat-like amber eyes.

Unexpectedly, the voice of Helios, the sun god, suddenly came from behind.

"Wait, Goddess of the Hunt."

Ugh, what an annoyance! What a nasty guy!

Artemis impatiently stopped her chariot, glanced back at the Titan who had called her, and her eyes clearly showed disdain.

Aside from those old stories, she already loathed most men and despised love, which was why she swore to Styx the River of Oaths to remain an eternal virgin.

"What is it, Helios?" Artemis's tone was filled with an icy chill.

Being with a guy whose gender she despises is awful; he'd better be able to give her a reason to calm her anger.

Helios knew that Artemis disliked him, but he didn't care. Instead, he pointed to the Olympian abode below.

“I saw your brother Apollo.” The sun god’s red curly hair burned with even more intense flames. “He brought the daughter of Maia to Olympus and even switched her with Hebe in the courtyard of the Queen of the Gods.”

Upon hearing this, Artemis was stunned.

Did her beloved younger brother catch it from Hermes?

What kind of mischief have they been plotting together?

[Author's Note]

In mythology, Artemis helped Leto give birth for nine days, ultimately ensuring Apollo's safe delivery. Therefore, she is known as the 'goddess of childbirth and newborns'.