Got Engaged to the Man They Call Ugly - Chapter 13

“Please, just show your face! My dear Elinne! I cannot live without seeing you even for a day!”

On top of everything, she had to constantly dodge the endless suitors who chased after her at the mere sight of her face. Fed up, she finally went to Nerva to complain.

“Lady Nerva, could you perhaps make me a little less pretty? Or maybe give me incredible strength instead?”

“What happened now?”

Nerva raised an eyebrow slightly as she sipped the tea Elinne had brewed for her.

This was one of the rare moments when the Goddess of War wasn’t fully clad in heavy armor.

“Did the heroes bother you again?”

“No, now they all adore me.”

* * *

When Nerva first brought her to the palace here in Metis, there was strong opposition from Nerva’s followers.

‘Adopting a mortal whose only talent is being pretty?’

‘We might expect this sort of shallow decision from Vishtar, who cares only for outward appearances, but how could the great Nerva do this? Please reconsider!’

‘She is wise enough. My decision will not change. Elinne herself will prove it.’

Yes, they acknowledged she was exceptionally beautiful, but this wasn’t Venus, the country of beauty. What good was a mortal whose only merit was her looks?

In truth, their resistance was understandable.

She had no outstanding combat skills, so it wasn’t as if she could even be deployed as a spy or assassin who used seduction. Moreover, there was an old saying in Metis that ‘beautiful women with light-colored hair lacked wisdom.’

Hearing this, she suddenly remembered Vishtar’s dazzling platinum-blonde hair.

…Anyway, rather than wasting energy arguing, Elinne decided to prove herself directly. She chose to actively utilize the powers bestowed by the Goddess of Wisdom.

【Your current physical condition is extremely unsuitable for spear techniques, swordsmanship, or archery. Probability of injury: 98%】

“…I know, Monetta. You really don’t have to tell me with exact percentages.”

As Monetta helpfully pointed out, her weak physical condition was utterly useless on the battlefield. Therefore, she had to find another way to contribute.

Unfortunately, all the crucial roles such as blacksmiths crafting weapons, healers treating wounds, messengers delivering orders were already filled by Nerva’s excellent followers.

“You have already done enough by wisely giving me the Golden Apple. Don’t worry yourself so much.”

…Was that really all she could do?

Nerva gently comforted her as she struggled late into the night, telling her that giving her the Golden Apple instead of Vishtar was already more than enough.

Still, Elinne didn’t want to live merely as a pretty, useless freeloader. She racked her brain and searched carefully through Nerva’s vast Archive.

Eventually, she discovered an unexpected empty niche.

Here in Elysion, known as the Holy Empire, everyone consumed the divine food called ‘nectar.’

Also known as the “Dish of the Immortal,” nectar granted eternal youth and immortality. Unfortunately, it tasted horribly bland, exactly like chewing lumps of chalk.

Of course, the divine race was used to it, having eaten nothing else since birth.

But Metis was open-minded enough to grant citizenship to any species who showed ability, meaning there were many mortal-born soldiers, known as ‘heroes’, living here.

These heroes, accustomed from birth to flavorful mortal cuisine filled with spices and seasonings, found nectar no better than culinary torture.

Luckily, mortal cuisine wasn’t forbidden in Metis, and ingredients from the mortal realm were easy enough to acquire. Thus, anyone could prepare mortal dishes if they desired.

However, after days or even months of relentless warfare, the exhausted soldiers lacked the strength to cook proper food themselves.

Occasionally, Metisian cooks would attempt mortal dishes, but as divine-born individuals who’d never tasted human cooking, their dishes ended up looking decent yet still tasting exactly like chalk.

Because of this, mortal heroes usually just forced down nectar, as it was easily available.

…That was it!

Upon realizing this, Elinne immediately started cooking mortal dishes.

She wasn’t particularly skilled at cooking, either.

But ingredients were readily available, and Monetta patiently guided her through each step of the recipes, allowing her to at least finish passable meals.

“Would you like to try some? It’s my first attempt, but it’s probably better than nectar.”

“…It doesn’t look very appealing. Hmm. But it smells good.”

Though they complained about the unappealing appearance, the mortal heroes who tasted it soon wore expressions of utter delight.

Some even cried openly, moved to tears at tasting proper mortal cuisine again after so long.

“It tastes exactly like the dishes my family used to make when I was little…”

“Thank you, Linne! I thought I’d never taste proper mortal food again.”