Perhaps only those like Shien could understand the excitement and elation in his heart.
The Goddess, who had taken the form of a girl named Kato Megumi, glanced at Shien from the corner of her eye, seemingly lost in thought.
"Love?"
That was undoubtedly a rather unfamiliar word to her.
Still, it was not as though she did not understand it at all.
Though there had only ever been one, she too had someone upon whom she could bestow love.
Or rather, she once had.
That distant memory, etched into her mind—perhaps even into her soul—almost made the Goddess relax her lips.
Yet at the same time, her heart ached faintly.
After all, she would never return.
She would never see her again from this day onward.
Was that why, after the Demon Lord died, she had chosen to enter an eternal slumber?
Because in her dreams, she could keep reliving those memories, reliving that wonderful past.
Under such circumstances, she had even stopped wanting to wake up forever.
"If it weren't for the person she chose appearing in this world..."
The Goddess murmured softly, then raised her head and looked at Shien. A trace of warmth and gentleness began to appear in her calm, unruffled eyes.
"Since you like it that much, I'll let you see one more."
As she spoke, the Goddess waved a hand before Shien, and her entire body bloomed with light once more.
Within that radiance, the girl's appearance changed again, becoming someone entirely different.
She looked only thirteen or fourteen years old, with fair skin, a petite frame, and waist-length golden hair.
She had an adorable, pitiful appearance, yet her attire was exceedingly bold and revealing. She wore only something like a fur coat with its front left open, with nothing beneath it but