Chapter 08
Li Jia's overall feeling right now can be summed up in three words: she's out of options.
After Hera left, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the ring off.
what to do?
You can't just cut off your finger, can you?
What's the difference between this and having a GPS tracker and a time bomb installed inside yourself?
Even if you complete the mission, you're still doomed.
Hera said she would die if she left her, so if she returns to the modern world, wouldn't she die because of this ring, although it's unknown how she would die?
Otherwise, ask the system if there's any way to remove the ring "painlessly".
If she dies, the system won't get any benefits either.
Li Jia tried calling out to the system several times with her mind, but there was no response.
She remembered what the system had told her before it left.
well……
How could she forget that the system is currently down?
Li Jia got out of bed and sat on a wooden chair next to the round table in the center of the inner room. She rested her chin on her hands, her eyebrows were almost twisted into a knot, her lips were pursed tightly, her chin was slightly tucked in, and her whole head was shrouded in a dark cloud.
It wasn't until two figures, one in black and one in white, entered the room that Li Jia came to her senses; she had been lost in thought for so long.
However, what caught her attention first was the aroma of the food, rather than people.
Grape leaf rice wraps, chickpea and onion soup, and fried cheese...
God knows how much she loves cheese.
Li Jia couldn't help but swallow. She hadn't eaten for two days and two nights. Unlike a god, she had long since transcended the desire for food.
She not only loves to eat, but she also has a strong craving for food. A large part of the reason she wants to return to the real world is not because she has any attachments, but simply because she can't bear to part with all those delicious foods.
"My little beauty, let's eat. I know you're hungry, so Doreen and I rushed over here without stopping."
A cute girl in a white maid outfit smiled and placed the food in front of Li Jia, nodding to indicate that she could start eating.
Another girl, dressed in a black maid outfit and with her hair in a high ponytail, put down the plate she was holding.
Doreen casually pushed the object in front of Li Jia, said nothing, and turned to leave. Instead of leaving immediately, she stood guard at the door.
Doreen was a head taller than Winslow, with sharp, cold features and an aura of icy coldness emanating from her.
Li Jia then noticed that she had two long swords covered in gold patterns tucked into her back. The black hilts and silver blades were a striking combination.
Seeing that Li Jia was looking at Doreen, Winslow leaned close to the girl's ear and whispered, "Don't be angry. Doreen is a little shy, but she's a really good person. I'll bet my life on her."
Seeing her so serious expression, Li Jia found it quite adorable and smiled sheepishly, "I believe you."
Feeling very hungry, and being a girl herself, Li Jia didn't hold back and started eating heartily with her chopsticks.
Winslow was in a particularly good mood when he saw her eating so heartily.
It can eat and sleep well; it seems like it's easy to take care of.
They had considered selecting attendants for Her Majesty Hera before, but those people lacked the courage and determination to choose Her Majesty Hera.
The matter of serving as an apprentice has been put on hold for many years.
Since this beautiful young lady is willing to choose His Majesty and stand by his side, they will naturally treat her with sincerity.
After Li Jia finished eating and drinking, she put down her chopsticks, patted her round belly, let out a burp, and seeing that Winslow was still there, she started chatting with her.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.
She has now successfully become Hera's servant and is living in her mansion.
The plot has already entered its third stage, and she needs to understand her lifestyle to prevent Hera from getting stuck with "trash".
Winslow was a chatterbox and had no ulterior motives.
She answered whatever Li Jia asked, and in no time she had a clear understanding of her situation.
Hera's shrine is located in the hot spring valley. There are only four people in the shrine, including Li Jia. Hera likes quiet, so she doesn't bother herself. She usually turns a blind eye to trivial matters.
Winslow and Doreen were orphans she took in, and Hot Springs was their home.
"So what kind of person do you think His Majesty the God is?"
Li Jia carried the tray and went to the kitchen with Winslow. On the way, Li Jia asked a question out of curiosity.
After thinking for a while, Winslow said softly, "Cold on the outside, warm on the inside, reserved and modest."
"He is the best god in the world."
After saying that, she weakly added something else.
"Is that so? It seems I was overthinking it."
Li Jia felt somewhat apologetic. She had only been in this world for four days, and apart from the descriptions of this capricious god in books, she had no other way to understand her.
The only system that knew the plot of the book is now mute.
She even wondered if what was written in the book was true. She hadn't had much contact with Hera, but Li Jia firmly believed that Hera was not a jealous person, otherwise Winslow and Doreen wouldn't have stayed in her mansion all this time.
“Li Jia”.
Seeing that she was lost in thought, Winslow took the plate from her and put it on the stove.
"Don't be afraid. Her Majesty Hera will not make things difficult for you. Even though you are now her nominal servant, she will not make you do anything as lowly as a slave."
"Her Majesty believes in equality for all. As long as you don't make any major mistakes, even if you do, she will still protect you outside. Once you enter the Hot Spring Valley, you will be the God's person."
"She's very protective of her own."
A light rain began to fall outside, and mist rose from the mountains. The moisture seeped in through the gauze window, and the coolness made people feel more awake.
The dimly lit room was filled with the dampness of the rainy season and the fresh scent of herbs. In the darkest corner, a wooden bed was laid out, and the candlelight on the headboard cast dappled shadows that swayed gracefully with the breeze that seeped in through the cracks.
The tall figure on the bed was reflected on the wall by the candlelight. She took off her clothes, and there were bloodstains on her back.
Doreen glanced at it and roughly counted in her mind; there were exactly twelve wounds, no more, no less.
One dish is not much.
Not a single dish was missing.
Sudden.
A few cold raindrops slid down the steel beams of the house and landed on the back of her neck, spreading down her vertebrae until her back looked like a red canvas soaked in blood.
Doreen frowned at the horrifying scene, while the person on the bed remained calm and expressionless.
Doreen walked to the medicine shelf next to her, picked up a small porcelain bottle, poured out two pills, and handed them to her.
There was no way to alleviate the divine punishment. All Doreen could do was give her a solid antiperspirant to prevent dehydration.
Without hesitation, she reached out her slender, fair fingers, picked up the pill, and swallowed it. Then, she waved her wrist and used a bit of divine power to instantly wash away the bloodstains on her back, leaving only crisscrossing scars.
If she harms her companions, the sacred mountain will surely bring divine punishment. Twelve divine powers surged and swirled within her body, and finally, she could no longer hold on and vomited a mouthful of blood.
"Your Majesty, why are you doing this to yourself..."
Doreen hesitated, unsure of what to say. She and Winslow had followed the gods for nearly three hundred years, and she knew Hera was not one to meddle in other people's business.
The girl was her attendant, the first attendant in thousands of years to choose her without complaint or regret.
What position or status could she possibly have to make decisions on behalf of His Majesty the God?
"Step back, and don't tell anyone I'm recovering from my injuries."
"Including her."
"Three days will be enough."
Three days are enough to endure the divine punishment and repair the soul.
The beads of sweat on her forehead indicated her weakness; her golden hair had become dry and dull as her divine power dissipated; her vision had become blurred; and she could not even straighten her back.
Doreen took a deep breath and blew out the candle.
She didn't want others to see her frail and sickly appearance.
Including herself.
He left and locked the door to the secret room.
The door creaked shut, and the person on the bed fell heavily onto the couch, closing their eyes. Only faint, barely audible breathing remained in the dark, secret room.
Doreen gave Winslow a few words of advice, saying that she was going on a long trip with the God to handle some tricky matters, and asked her to take good care of Li Jia.
Winslow readily agreed without suspecting anything, because Hera sometimes took Doreen to do some troublesome things and had asked her if she wanted to go along, but Winslow refused.
Winslow was a lazy bum who only liked to lie in the mansion, so on the days when the two of them were not in the mansion, she was the caretaker of the mansion.
She had initially felt a bit lonely, but now that there was another person in the mansion, someone to keep her company, she couldn't be happier.
For the rest of the time, Doreen stayed by the door of the secret room without leaving for a moment.
Knowing that Hera was not in the mansion, Li Jia finally felt relieved. She was not yet ready to face her target.
Everything happened so suddenly that she was caught off guard. She needed to calm herself down and rethink her strategy.
During these three days, Winslow dutifully played the role of housekeeper, showing Li Jia around every corner of the mansion, and even giving her a map of the hot spring valley in case she got lost.
"But there is a secret room in the back mountain that you can't go into. Something that can't be explained is imprisoned inside."
Winslow led the people to the back of the mountain and solemnly pointed to the bottom of the pool.
"Every time Her Majesty Hera and Doreen return, they go inside for a few days. According to Doreen, they 'refine' those evil spirits inside. However, Her Majesty Hera is very powerful. She is the only god in the divine realm whose power is comparable to that of Zeus."
As he spoke, his eyes were filled with admiration, but when he mentioned Zeus, he couldn't hide his disgust.
A womanizer who's always on the run, does he even deserve to be compared to Her Majesty Hera?
"Does Her Majesty Hera also need to handle affairs personally?"
Li Jia asked curiously.
"That's a long story. Each of the twelve gods has their own duties, but some gods are unwilling to fulfill their own obligations and instead take on many servants to do things for them. For example, Demeter has more than a dozen servants who help her plant seeds and take care of the fields and flowers."
"Or like the sea god, have more children to share your divine power and help you handle these matters."
"Her Majesty has no attendants and does not wish to have any entanglements with any men, so she personally performs all her divine duties, being fair and just, and has rescued many unhappy couples and women. Therefore, people worship her in temples from the bottom of their hearts."
"The fireworks at the Temple of Marriage are always the brightest, and Her Majesty Hera's divine power is also the strongest."
Winslow's eyes radiated an undeniable pride.
In heaven and on earth, there is only Her Majesty Hera.
Entrusted by the people.
He enjoys the submission of all directions.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
