Miss Ereshkigal was panicking.
She was seriously panicking.
As a being who shared the same divinity as Ishtar, practically two sides of the same coin, she had a habit of manifesting in the mortal world using Ishtar's body.
And then, a short while ago, she had been confessed to.
The one who confessed to her was a sun god from a foreign land.
"I asked the goddess of fate where I could find a girl who was kind, beautiful, and willing to be with me."
"Fate guided me to Uruk and told me that the girl who fit my heart's desire was in the underworld."
That god of noble status had set aside his dignity and offered treasures, pleading with her—whom he mistook for Ishtar—to act as a matchmaker for him.
"Then you may be disappointed. After being corrupted by the underworld, Ereshkigal is already an ugly, rotten monster."
Perhaps a bit overwhelmed by the suddenness of his pursuit, the goddess of the underworld had chosen to belittle herself.
"Then let me become the sun of the underworld."
Like exchanging rings at a wedding, the youth, who was undoubtedly the center of his own pantheon, had decided to exchange divinities with her without a moment's hesitation. Even knowing she might be a goddess of corruption and death, he was still willing to pursue her. He was willing to cast aside his brilliance as a sun god just to free her from the underworld's corruption and restore her beauty.
Without a doubt, such devotion had moved the goddess who had been abandoned by the other gods at birth and cast into the underworld.
However, to agree just like that would be too rash, too unladylike.
The goddess, who was absolutely the type to give in easily, obviously didn't want to accept his proposal so simply.
So, she had chosen to use the identity of "Ishtar" to get closer to this sun god who had proposed to her. She wanted to observe his daily life, to get to know the character of this man who had already asked for her hand.
And the result…
---o---
"To know the Underworld Queen's heart, all I have to do is ask you right here, isn't that right?"
The youth looked at the goddess appearing in Ishtar's form and smiled faintly.
"My dear Ereshkigal."
Her true name had been spoken.
Stay calm. There's still time to find a Time Chicken or a big Pink Pussycat to use Bites the Dust.
Bullshit!
Where in the Moon World would you find a Time Chicken or a big Pink Pussycat?!
The goddess, who had no idea how she had been exposed, felt his gaze on her and wanted to cover her face and run away.
To use her own sister's identity to investigate her suitor, only to be seen through instantly…
Could this situation be any more humiliating?!
And…
He was asking for her feelings right now.
So, what kind of answer should she give?
Just agree?
They had only known each other for a few days! To agree just like that was far too improper.
Refuse?
To refuse a man who was willing to cast aside his brilliance as the sun for her, to become a king of corruption and plague… that didn't seem right either.
Aaaaargh!!!
Why did it have to come to something like a forced marriage proposal so quickly?!
Miss Ereshkigal inexplicably wanted to flip a table.
Fortunately, she was, after all, an intelligent goddess of the underworld. Even if her long isolation had left her lacking in experience and common sense, she still possessed the wisdom and intellect befitting her station.
Very quickly, she came up with a plan.
"Zihan, you've got the wrong person. I'm the Mistress of Heaven."
The goddess, completely unaware that Ishtar had never once used the name "Zihan," did her best to imitate the Ishtar in her memory and smiled.
You're looking for the underworld goddess Ereshkigal, so what does that have to do with me, the Mistress of Heaven, Ishtar? Ishtar can't just wake up right now and shout, "I'm the real Ishtar, that one's a fake!" As long as I insist that I'm Ishtar, he can't prove anything.
"Alright, then let's just say you're Ishtar for now."
The youth, who had known from the very beginning that the one appearing at night would be the little angel Ereshkigal and not the Useless Goddess, smiled faintly.
"In that case, may I ask my dear Miss Ishtar to do me a favor?"
"I-I suppose so," the goddess, who was now fairly certain her identity had been completely exposed, said with a strained smile.
It was over. He had even used the prefix "my dear." He had definitely seen through her. The only reason he wasn't calling her out was probably because he sensed she hadn't decided whether to accept his proposal and was giving her more time.
Miss Ereshkigal let out a sigh of relief.
"We're friends. If you need any help, just say the word," the underworld goddess said, still determined to maintain her Ishtar persona even though she knew she'd been found out. She smiled demurely.
Li Zihan's gaze lingered on the goddess's face—or rather, on her moist, thin cherry lips—before quickly moving away.
"Please close your eyes."
The youth said with a light smile, stating his request.
"What kind of favor requires me to close my eyes?" the underworld goddess asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice as her bright eyes looked at him.
"It's just a small request," the youth chuckled. "Ishtar, given our relationship, I don't think you'd refuse, would you?"
Hey, hey, hey! What kind of relationship do you have with Ishtar! You'd better explain yourself!
An inexplicable feeling of unhappiness rose in her heart, and the goddess glared at him with her beautiful red eyes. Although, logically, the "relationship with Ishtar" he was referring to was actually his relationship with her. But for some reason, Miss Ereshkigal felt that his relationship with the real Ishtar might be unusually close.
"It's not good to always be so mysterious," the underworld goddess said, her voice a little sharp, like a reprimand. She had a bad feeling about his relationship with Ishtar.
However, when she saw that the foreign god who had proposed to her no longer wore his usual easygoing smile, and that his expression was even a little solemn, she couldn't help but pause.
She sensed something unusual in the air.
It seemed he really did have something important to ask of her.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, she obediently closed her eyes.
And then—
She heard the incantation of the war god, Verethragna.
"I am the strongest, and the one who holds all victory in hand."
"When you are beset by calamity, you need only recite the words I grant you, you need only sing the words of my victory!"
Why is he chanting the incantation to grant a blessing at a time like this?
The goddess, her eyes closed, didn't understand.
But this state of confusion was quickly brought to an end.
A kiss landed upon her lips.
And with it came the divinity of the sun.