Beast! Don't Even Think About Climbing into Bed!

Anna, having taken off her hood, excitedly ran into the shop in Uruk.

"Grandma, Uncle Chengmen said the fresh rice cakes you taught me to make taste great!"

"Oh, by the way, I gave that uncle's daughter a bouquet of flowers, and she was very happy. She gave me a bracelet in return!"

Sitting in a recliner, the kind-faced old man smiled and handed over a cup of hot honey water, nodding slightly as he listened attentively to the child's chattering story.

Months ago, she remembered the bag of wheat cakes that the uncle at the city gate had given her, and she had always wanted to give back to him.

After several setbacks, Anna finally managed to bring some decent snacks and knock on the door of that family.

The interaction of goodwill has nurtured even more vibrant blooms.

The once gloomy and depressed child now has friends of his own age in Uruk and is well-liked by his neighbors.

"Yes, Anna is the best girl, but remember, you look best with your hood off, you look so pretty."

The old woman gently stroked Anna's head, smiling and praising her. The little girl lowered her head shyly.

"My son is busy repairing the North Wall and probably won't be able to come back tonight."

"We cooked a lot of food at home. If you don't mind, please have a meal with this old woman."

Faced with this hopeful plea to stay, Anna hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

The old woman immediately perked up and served the food and dishes to the table. The diligent Anna also took off her cloak and helped by serving the sweet soup.

Under the lamplight, the old man looked at the child with loving eyes, showing the same affection a grandparent would have for their granddaughter, and kept putting food into her bowl.

"Yes, eat more, grow taller, and little Anna will grow into a beautiful girl, and more boys will definitely like her."

Will I be liked when I grow up?

After receiving a positive reply, Anna's eyes lit up, and she quickened the pace of shoveling rice into her mouth.

The purple-haired loli didn't finish her sumptuous meal until her belly was round and full.

Before leaving, the old woman, to thank the child for her company, handed her a blue Chinese Rose, her gentle gaze fixed on the purple-haired little girl's round belly.

"Little Anna has someone she likes, right? Then give this yu tree to her."

"The outside world is dangerous. We've managed to come together and survive, so let's cherish each other."

The purple-haired loli clenched her fingers around the hem of her clothes, her cheeks flushed, and she subconsciously shook her head in denial.

"Where... where is it..."

The old man smiled without saying a word, looking at the heavy rain outside the window, and then became somewhat curious.

"What? The young man who always picks you up isn't here today?"

"Samael is doing something very, very important..."

Anna paused, earnestly explaining to the ancient snake, then her face fell, a hint of disappointment on her cheeks.

"Actually, I also want to help, I want to protect everyone..."

"Then let's work hard..."

The old man stroked the little girl's head, offering her kind comfort.

"Yes! I will try my best to help everyone!"

The purple-haired loli, her fighting spirit rekindled, looked at the lights of the long, rainy night and the outline of the North Wall of Uruk, her little face tense, and nodded earnestly.

After saying goodbye to her mother-in-law, the little girl pulled up her hood, hugged the basin in her arms, and ran into the rainy night.

Meanwhile, upstairs at the embassy.

In the dimly lit room, a graceful figure lay on a bed covered with jewels, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. An inexplicable restlessness made her toss and turn for several hours before she finally got up in a huff.

"What?! I still feel like I've lost out!"

"Shouldn't unclaimed items belong to whoever grabs them first?! Why should she get them!"

Ishtar grabbed her hair, muttering resentfully.

Disturbed by her thoughts, the goddess got up and opened the window to let out some fresh air from the stale room.

However, a cool breeze blew by, the anger subsided, and a rumbling sound came from his stomach.

Tsk, where is Samael? Not even anyone to call for dinner? I'm supposed to be the great goddess of Uruk!

Ugh! Why did I have to think of that guy again! So annoying!

It's all Ereshkigal's fault! With her meddling, all the fat sheep I painstakingly raised, my Treasury of Babylon, is gone!

Ishtar, muttering to herself as if possessed, gnawed on her thumb and paced back and forth in the room. The few glittering items on the floor did nothing to calm her mind.

I have no one to feed me. Speaking of which, this guy's been living in the underworld for who knows what good he's done, maybe...

After a moment, the goddess stopped in her tracks, her gaze sweeping over the luxurious jeweled bed, her expression growing even more gloomy.

Achoo!

At the same time, Samael, who was standing in front of a stone gate and habitually helping to arrange the bathing supplies, suddenly felt a chill and sneezed loudly.

Before the dressing table, with her cloak scattered on the floor and her fingertips touching the Snake Molt on her wrist, Ereshkigal looked at the two figures reflected in the mirror, and a thunderbolt exploded in her mind.

The goddess seemed to wake from a dream, instinctively clutching her chest, and turned to look at her beloved pet, who was now a completely different species, her gaze intense.

"Samael, you still haven't told me why I turned into a human?"

"Because Ereshkigal loves humans the most, I wonder if you would like Samael a little more if I became human!"

The ancient snake's eyes were filled with longing, its face brimming with anticipation.

"So that's how it is..."

Ereshkigal breathed a sigh of relief, then her cheeks flushed slightly, and she hummed softly with her back to Samael.

"Well, whether you are human, snake, or other magical beast form, I like you."

"The key is not appearance, but the soul."

"Then I want to stay the way I am now, so I can have hands, hold Lady Ereshkigal, and talk to Ereshkigal."

The ancient serpent thought for a moment and then pleaded.

The Underworld Goddess gave the "clueless" little fellow a charming glare and pointed to the doorway.

"Then let's go! I need to take off my clothes and take a shower!"

"But I want to bathe with Lady Ereshkigal..."

"No!"

"Why? We used to be..."

"Shut up! Shoot! Shoot!"

During the barrage of questions, Ereshkigal's pretty face nearly bled, and her teeth chattered.

The goddess immediately glared at him and, with a combination of pushing and shoving, shoved Samael, who was standing at the bathroom door, out of the inner room.

Phew! Finally, some peace and quiet!

After closing the door, Ereshkigal returned to the mirror and suddenly felt her face burning hot.

Meanwhile, scenes of past life that had been subconsciously ignored kept resurfacing in her mind, causing the goddess to glare angrily at the door and mutter curses under her breath.

"Fool! You used to be a snake, now you're a being close to God, how can you be the same?!"

Outside the door, Samael pressed his hand to his pounding heart. His back was already soaked with cold sweat, and a look of relief, as if he had survived a close call, appeared in his eyes.

Luckily, I reacted quickly and dodged that potentially fatal question.

Even though he and Ereshkigal used to eat and sleep together, and their relationship was incredibly close.

But pets and lovers are completely different concepts.

Even if you're so close you can talk about anything, like a friend's pet, it's still not okay!

And if the tricks he used to operate by taking advantage of the snake's body were exposed, he would be stabbed to death a thousand times over by Ereshkigal in her rage!

That's why, even after Ishtar used her power of love to drug Ereshkigal, he still hesitated and dared not be too forward.

This was a really tough job! Luckily, I managed to get through it.

Otherwise, Ishtar and I might end up like dried meat skewered and dried in front of the Temple of Heat.

Half an hour later, the pattering sound of water finally subsided into silence.

Samael, who had been left waiting outside, was finally allowed to go back inside.

By this time, the night was deep. The ancient snake, following behind its owner, gazed longingly at the familiar large bed and spoke with anticipation.

"I want to sleep with Ereshkigal. And there's so much I want to tell Ereshkigal..."

The Underworld Goddess recalled the countless times her skin had been rubbed raw, and her face turned so red it bled.

"Is it not allowed?"

Samael looked dejected, his eyes dim, and turned to leave.

"Return!"

However, just as I reached the door, I heard a call from behind, her lips tightly clenched.

Overjoyed, the ancient snake immediately turned around and rushed to the bedside, wanting to crawl into the covers and have intimate contact with its master, and also to enjoy a gentle rub against his chest.

Now that his identity has been exposed, he needs to find a way to change the preconceived notion that he is being kept as a "pet" in the Ereshkigal Valley.

After all, secrets can't stay hidden forever. Once his dirty tricks are discovered, he'll inevitably end up like the char siu pork at the doorstep.

"Don't move!"

But before he could get close, Ereshkigal, her pretty face flushed, immediately raised her hand to stop him, and then, while Samael was stunned, she gritted her teeth and snorted softly.

"Change back to kabuto!"

Is it a relationship, or a pet?

It seems that changing one's ingrained beliefs and aspiring to rise in status is a long and arduous task.

Samael snapped out of his daze, transformed back into his snake form, and climbed onto the bed, both amused and exasperated.