Chapter 98
Her pride was immense, her confidence boundless, and her self-love overwhelming—she was not one to be tied down by a single existence.
Too occupied with herself, she had neither the time nor the inclination to care for another being.
She had shown mercy to something small and wounded, but now that it was capable of surviving on its own, she wanted to set it free.
How it lived was of no concern to her.
She had saved it—that was enough.
“Take responsibility. You saved me.”
“Don’t be such a nuisance, kid.”
“If I become a man, will you look at me?”
“Who knows?”
Yet, despite everything, Aquafuran did not abandon the beast.
Because it was useful.
The beast did anything for her.
At times, it kept her company when she was bored. It hunted with her. It accompanied her on her wanderings through mountains and forests. And on lonely days, it remained by her side.
No matter what, the beast wanted to be of use to Aquafuran.
What she had saved now bound Aquafuran.
The once utterly free goddess became shackled by the act of salvation.
But given her nature, she would never submit to such chains willingly.
Aquafuran mingled with humans. In an era where gods and humans coexisted, the goddess of water was welcomed everywhere.
Amid peace, festivals continued day after day, and Aquafuran became intoxicated—by music, by wine.
Joy, happiness, dance, and more joy.
As he watched her near-frenzied life, the beast grew into an adult. Even when he had matured into a powerful male that humans coveted, the goddess remained unchanged.
“Will you look at me now?”
“Oh my, where did you pick up that way of speaking?”
“From humans.”
“How rude… Come here. Let’s have a drink.”
Beneath the pale moon, Aquafuran, who had been drinking, called the beast over.
Yasamin accepted the wine the goddess poured and knelt at her noble feet.
“What must I do for you to see me?”
“Well…”
“Am I still not enough? What should I do? If you tell me to kill someone, I will. Just let me do something—anything—for you…”
The sight of Yasamin begging for love was unfamiliar.
At that time, he didn’t even have a name; he was simply called the beast. Yet, Siren naturally referred to him as Yasamin—the name she was familiar with.
This was a past he would never want to share with anyone… The story of him and Aquafuran.
She didn’t know why it had appeared in her dreams. Perhaps it was because she truly was Aquafuran. Maybe the seal on those memories was slowly unraveling.
But what mattered was that Yasamin had sought to win Aquafuran’s heart. That he had clung to her like this.
“For me? No, it’s for you. You only want to possess me to satisfy your own heart.”
“Then… is that not allowed?”
“Did I say it wasn’t? I will live freely. You should do as you please, too. But just because you desire something doesn’t mean you can have it all.”
The beast’s face, caught in her gaze, bore a wounded expression.
He still didn’t understand the nature of a human heart.
Though he wore the shell of a human, it was mere imitation.
At his core, he was a beast.
Deep thought was beyond him—instinct was all he knew.
“I… I want you to be unable to live without me. I’ll handle every troublesome, difficult thing for you. I want you to be incapable of doing anything without me.”
“Oh my, how revolting.”
Aquafuran burst into laughter and pressed her bare foot against his chest.
“A man who’s so obsessed isn’t popular, you know?”
“I don’t care.”
“Besides, what you feel isn’t love—it’s possessiveness.”
“What is love?”
Indeed, what was love?
Siren didn’t know, either.
Then, did Aquafuran?
She waited, slightly tense, for her lips to move.
Because she wanted to hear what the person she had once been would say.
“Love is licking each other’s wounds.”
“…What? Why would anyone do that?”
“Why else? Because true love means loving even the darkest depths. At least, that’s what I believe. That’s the bare minimum.”
At Aquafuran’s words, Yasamin’s expression turned serious. He seemed to be chewing over the words, unable to understand them.
Giggling, the goddess lightly pressed her foot against her beast’s nape.
“Try reading a book. Books are the greatest art humanity has created. If you don’t understand something, you can learn it.”
“I don’t know how to read.”
“If you don’t know, then learn. Isn’t that right?”
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