CHAPTER 02.
“Hmph, hmph.”
Ariel sat in a luxurious carriage decorated with pure gold, jewels, and ivory, humming to herself.
The seat was so soft that it naturally lifted her spirits. And the scenery outside the window was fascinating as well.
Magnificent stone buildings stretching high into the sky, countless crowds of people, and, every now and then, four-legged beasts wandering among them.
Having come to the mortal world alone for the first time in her life, everything seemed fascinating to Ariel.
It was rather sudden, but at least I’ve found somewhere to stay. It’s not as bad as I expected.
Just as she was thinking that she might as well have some fun while she was here—
“What is your name?”
The Grand Duke, who had remained silent ever since getting into the carriage, spoke for the first time.
Ariel gazed at his beautiful blond hair fluttering gently in the breeze and smiled contentedly.
What a good boy.
She didn’t particularly like how curtly he spoke, but he was a kind human who had provided a place for her to stay when she had nowhere else to go.
She decided that she would reward him handsomely when she returned to the divine realm and kindly answered,
“I am Ariel.”
Of course, she spoke informally.
Ren’s shoulders twitched slightly, but the Grand Duke didn’t seem to mind.
“Ariel… I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”
“Isn’t it the name of a goddess?”
“A goddess?”
“Yes, the goddess who was supposedly born from a rose. The one the god Achelone took in and raised. Perhaps her parents named their daughter after that goddess.”
Gasp! He knows about me?
Ariel was startled and covered her mouth.
She had never once shown herself to humans before, so how could they possibly know about her?
She was bewildered by the humans’ remarkable information network, yet somehow, she also felt pleased.
The gods treated her like a halfwit, but at least humans recognized her as a goddess, didn’t they?
Ariel was grinning foolishly, having completely forgotten her dignity as a goddess, when—
“Oh, you mean that stupid goddess.”
Ariel’s smile instantly disappeared.
What? Stupid?
How dare a mere human speak disrespectfully about her?
Did I hear him wrong?
It was so outrageous that she doubted her own ears, but the Grand Duke drove the nail into the coffin.
“Born with the destiny of becoming a king, yet unable to wield divine power and consequently ignored by the gods. I don’t know whether to call her pitiful or unfortunate.”
Ariel’s mouth fell open.
What despicable creature had been going around telling everyone about her?
Was it Arande, the Goddess of Beauty? Or Cassandra, the Goddess of Childbirth? Or perhaps Taylard, the God of Rivers?
Ariel folded down one finger at a time as she tried to guess the culprit, then clutched her tiny head and made a miserable face.
It’s impossible! There are too many suspects!
How many gods were there who disliked her?
With this kind of reasoning, she could stay up all night and still never discover the culprit.
Her anger, with nowhere else to go, turned toward the Grand Duke.
How dare he!
Even if the source of the rumors was the gods themselves, how could a mere human dare insult a goddess?
You horrible human! Just wait until I get back to the divine realm. I’ll tell Achelone about you and make sure you get a proper scolding!
Ariel clenched her little fists and vowed revenge.
The Grand Duke continued asking her various questions afterward, but Ariel, thoroughly angered, pretended not to hear a single one.
While the Grand Duke and Ren wondered at her sudden change in attitude, the rapidly moving carriage arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence.
“Come here.”
The Grand Duke got out of the carriage first and held out his arms toward Ariel.
He was trying to show her kindness, but Ariel’s feelings had been hurt too badly to accept it at face value.
What a hypocritical human!
“Hmph!”
Ariel snorted and turned her head away before stretching out her arms toward Ren.
“You carry me.”
“Pardon? But…”
Ren looked at the Grand Duke awkwardly.
The Grand Duke stared at the awkwardly outstretched arms for a moment before nodding.
“Do so.”
He didn’t appear bothered in the slightest.
But Ren, who had served him for ten years, knew better.
His mood has dropped a little.
Ren looked back and forth between Ariel, who had arrogantly raised her chin, and his stiff-backed master, then let out a deep sigh.
“Welcome home, Your Highness.”
The servants lined up by the door bowed respectfully as they welcomed the Grand Duke.
When the Grand Duke nodded, an elderly butler with graying hair stepped forward.
“You’ve returned earlier than expected.”
“That is how it turned out.”
“I expected you to return around dinner, so I haven’t prepared your bath yet. I shall have it ready immediately—”
“No. Prepare the meal first.”
“Pardon?”
The Grand Duke was a man of routine.
Whenever he returned from an outing, he always bathed first and only then ate.
But why today…?
When the butler looked at him curiously, the Grand Duke turned around and gestured with his eyes.
“I thought I might be hungry.”
Only then did the butler notice the child in Ren’s arms.
Blond hair and green eyes, along with that arrogant expression, made her look exactly like the Grand Duke had when he was a child.
Almost as if they were father and daughter.
Father and daughter.
Huh?
The butler’s eyes widened.
Wait. Could that child be…? No, no. That can’t be.
The Grand Duchess, who had always been in frail health, had passed away immediately after giving birth to her first son.
There was no way a ghost could have given birth to a child, so the only possibility left was that the Grand Duke had fathered a child with another woman.
But that was impossible too.
The Grand Duke had never shown any interest in women.
Even his marriage to the previous Grand Duchess had only come about after the current Emperor personally intervened.
An illegitimate child? Absolutely not.
Then what is that child?
With the golden hair and pale green eyes that symbolized the imperial family, it was difficult to deny that the child looked like the Grand Duke’s own blood.
The elderly butler narrowed his eyes as he examined Ariel.
Then suddenly, he inhaled sharply.
Could it be that His Highness already had a woman he loved?
Yes, that would explain everything.
The Grand Duke’s attitude of keeping away from women in recent years, and even the unusually sorrowful expression on his face on his wedding day.
But if there was a woman he loved, why had she never appeared before?
The butler pondered the question, then quickly came up with an answer.
Oh! It must be because of her social status!
If the Grand Duke took a woman of low birth as his wife, the entire empire would be thrown into turmoil. So he must have secretly hidden her away and enjoyed a private romance with her.
Then they had a child, and after considering public opinion, he had finally brought the child home.
As for the mother’s identity, which had never been revealed to the public, it could easily be fabricated into something respectable.
How pitiful.
Having convinced himself that his absurd fantasy was the truth, the butler gazed at the Grand Duke with tearful eyes.
How painful it must have been to have a child with the woman he loved, yet be forced to hide them until now.
Of course, having an affair was wrong, but wasn’t it human nature to take one’s own side?
I was worried that perhaps His Highness was interested in men, but what a relief to know that isn’t the case.
Besides, after serving the utterly stern Grand Duke and his equally stern son, seeing such an adorable little girl made him extremely happy.
The butler was smiling fondly as he looked at Ariel’s plump cheeks, round and soft like a baby’s bottom, when—
“Martin, are you listening to me?”
“Ah! Yes! Yes, Your Highness. I shall prepare the meal immediately, just as you ordered.”
Seeing the butler behaving quite differently from usual, the Grand Duke narrowed his eyes.
But that was as far as his reaction went.
“After the meal, bring the child to my room.”
The Grand Duke headed into the mansion without another word, and Ren followed behind him.
Martin approached Ariel, who was standing there blankly, and lowered himself to meet her eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, young lady. My name is Martin, and I serve as the butler of the Grand Duke’s residence. It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to serve you.”
“Yes, I am Ariel.”
Ariel, who had remained in a foul mood ever since the Grand Duke called her a “stupid goddess,” answered sullenly.
Even so, Martin pulled up the corners of his wrinkled mouth and smiled gently.
“What a noble name.”
“Hm?”
“Isn’t it the name of the goddess said to be as beautiful as the Goddess of Beauty herself? I hear she is destined to become the King of the Gods someday.”
Ariel froze for a moment.
He had clearly heard the same rumor as the Grand Duke, yet his reaction was completely different.
…Is he making fun of me?
She considered it briefly, but Ariel had always been a simple-minded child.
“Well, there’s no need to praise me that much. Though it is true that I’m prettier than that ugly one. And I really will become king someday.”
Ariel giggled and twisted her body playfully before suddenly lifting her chin arrogantly.
“You may call me Lady Ariel. I specially grant you permission.”
Ahhh!
Martin covered his mouth.
The servants standing behind him bounced excitedly on their feet and squealed.
She’s so ridiculously adorable!
So tiny and precious!
That arrogant way of speaking is just too cute!
Watching the servants stamping their feet and squealing, Ariel giggled happily.
The humans were so cute, becoming overwhelmed with emotion just because she had granted them permission to use her name.
Is this the joy that believers give their gods?
Only now did Ariel understand how the gods must have felt when they bragged about how lavishly their followers treated them whenever they got the chance.
All right. While I’m staying in the mortal world, I’ll win them over and turn them into my followers. Once they’ve all converted, I’ll have them build my temple first!
A temple larger than Achelone’s, the King of the Gods, and more beautiful than Arande’s, the Goddess of Beauty.
And worshippers packed inside until there wasn’t even room to take a step.
Heehee.
While Ariel was lost in her happy fantasy, Martin spoke.
“Oh dear, I seem to have gotten carried away in front of such an esteemed guest. You must be very hungry after such a long journey. Come, let us go inside. I’ll escort you to the dining room.”
“Good.”
Ariel walked forward with her hands clasped behind her back and an extremely dignified expression, determined not to disappoint her future believers.
Ah, that arrogant expression contrasted with those tiny, tottering steps. She’s so utterly insignificant!
Of course, Ariel had no idea that her future believers were thinking exactly that.
