Chapter 48 The Stove Goddess Failed
The Royal City of Knossos, Crete.
With the arrival of the harvest festival, the whole street is filled with joy. Residents who have been busy for half a year can finally take some time off to tidy up their homes and enjoy this season's freshly husked wheat grains and rice.
The smoke from cooking rises in the evening.
The warm fire was lit, the sumptuous meal was served on the table, and the tempting aroma wafted from every household.
In the city's square that serves as a sacrificial site, priestesses in white robes hold torches, light fragrant wood and spices, and offer bulls, cows, pigs, fruits, beehives, fruit trees, rice ears, chestnuts and other festive offerings to Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. They pray devoutly, hoping that they will continue to receive the gods' blessing and have good weather next year.
As sisters, Demeter's appearance is similar to Hera, but she looks kinder and lacks the majesty of the queen of heaven.
In the flickering firelight, the statue of Demeter being worshipped was a kind-looking woman. She wore a ring-shaped crown woven with golden wheat ears on her head and held a basket filled with symbols such as wheat ears, daffodils, torches, fruit baskets, horns of plenty or sickles.
Looking from afar, it seems as if you can see a hazy and warm glow in the darkness.
As the ceremony gradually came to an end, residents who had finished their dinner came out of their homes in twos and threes, sharing their homemade snacks and bread in the shape of the Corner of Plenty with their neighbors.
The noise of the festival and the aroma of food also entered Hestia's courtyard through the outer wall.
However, this year, the stove goddess did not open the door to enjoy the festive atmosphere as usual. Instead, she squatted in the nursery in the backyard, planting seedlings with her muddy hands, and her white silver teeth chattered under the starlight.
Damn Athena! You just came and destroyed the house! I will never let you in next time!
While Hestia was busy, she kept complaining about her restless niece.
Around the Harvest Festival is the best time for farming.
She wanted to plant the new seedlings as soon as possible to bring her ruined yard back to life.
Fortunately, although I need to stay indoors and spend some time farming, the harvest festival celebration will last for seven days. After I finish this work, I still have the opportunity to enjoy the festival.
Hestia comforted herself with this thought as she finished planting the last bunch of seedlings in her hand, then stood up and turned to look towards the center of the yard.
On the ground covered with dead leaves and broken branches, a guest from afar was lying straight on the ground, motionless.
Although nearly a hundred hideous wounds on his body had healed and scabbed over, he still hadn't woken up. His fists were clenched tightly, his muscles were full of tension, and there was a deep scar on his forehead.
It seemed that even in his sleep, he was still fighting and killing selflessly.
Meanwhile, a young girl with purple hair was squatting beside the man, waiting motionlessly.
It’s been two days…
Was it necessary for Athena to be so harsh?
Hestia shook her head and once again secretly criticized her eldest niece who had caused her trouble. She then walked forward, patted the little girl on the shoulder, and pointed outside the door with a smile.
"Anna, the Harvest Festival is here. It's a rare opportunity. Let's go out and have some fun."
The laughter on the street and the fragrance wafting in from it made little Medusa, who still had a childish heart, reveal a little yearning.
But then, she shook her head slightly and her eyes fell on Lorne, who was lying dead on the ground.
Hestia immediately understood, patted her chest, and took the responsibility generously.
"Don't worry, I'll help keep an eye on him here, he'll be fine."
However, little Medusa still shook her head and looked at Lorne in front of her firmly.
"I'll wait for him to wake up..."
Seeing that she couldn't persuade this stubborn little girl, Hestia could only give up in disappointment, and cursed her niece in her heart for leaving her with a mess to clean up.
The sun rises and sets, and day and night alternate.
Since Lorne, who had been lying dead, showed no signs of waking up for several days, little Medusa took the opportunity to settle down in Hestia's house.
However, eating and living for free is not appropriate after all.
In order to repay this kindness, little Medusa, who had simple values and a sense of morality, began to help with housework in her spare time; or followed Hestia to help water and loosen the soil in the nursery...
Although the Stove Goddess didn't say anything, she undoubtedly liked this little girl who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside and extremely sensible. Not only did she often talk to her to relieve her boredom, she also made her her personal food critic.
Hestia even invited Anna to stay together for several consecutive nights, and she wanted to drag the cute little Anna into bed and move her around.
Unfortunately, no matter how enthusiastic the stove goddess was, the guy lying dead in the yard was still the first person little Anna was concerned about.
Whenever she finished her housework, little Anna would stay by Lorne's side regularly, waiting anxiously for him to wake up.
Not only that, when the sun was shining, she would put up partitions for it;
When the storm is approaching, she will hold up a big umbrella for it;
When the night turns cold, she will move the brazier from the house, lie quietly beside it, and wait until dawn.
Even though Hestia had advised her several times and assured a certain strong guy that nothing would happen, the stubborn little girl still insisted on doing what she wanted.
Tsk, when will this guy wake up...
Inside the house, just as Hestia had tidied up the living room, she was sitting by the fire as usual, looking out at the backyard and muttering to herself, when there was a crisp knock at the door.
The bored stove goddess subconsciously stood up and opened the door.
As the familiar smiling face appeared from the half-open door, Hestia's forehead was immediately filled with black lines. Then, without saying a word, she slammed the door shut and snorted angrily at the outside.
"I'm not here! No one!"
"Are you sure?"
Athena, who was visiting outside the door, raised the corners of her lips when she asked playfully, playing with a small crystal bottle between her fingers, her voice teasing.
"I came here this time with the Secret Dew of Life that I obtained from Aunt Demeter with great difficulty. If you were not here..."
"Bang!"
Before Athena could finish her words, Hestia, unable to contain herself, flung open the door, snatched the small crystal bottle of transparent liquid from Athena's hand with shining eyes, and rubbed it against her cheek lovingly.
This is the [Secret Dew of Life] that possesses the divine power of the god of agriculture and can rejuvenate all things! Finally, we don’t have to worry about the rice seedlings in the yard surviving the winter!
"So, can I come in now, Auntie?"
Athena outside the door looked at Hestia with a satisfied look on her face and asked with a smile.
The Stove Goddess's expression turned from gloomy to bright. She rolled her eyes at her niece who had left her with such a mess, and snorted, then opened the door.
"You still have a conscience!"
Who is the queen? There’s no need to tell me, right?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
