Ishtar's expression shifted unpredictably as she lay on the bed in her temple, like a salted fish.
This was a very rare sight for Ishtar.
The divine maidens serving Ishtar stood trembling along both sides of the temple. Only the emotionless Kurgarru and Galatur dared to stand at Ishtar's side.
A month had already passed since the incident in the Cedar Forest. Gilgamesh had dragged Ishtar out from Humbaba's remains. In Annanu and Enkidu's eyes, there might not have been anything wrong with that. After all, Ishtar was Uruk's guardian goddess, and Gilgamesh's method of rescuing her had hardly been gentle.
But from Ishtar's perspective, it was different.
"Why did he save me?" Thinking of how Gilgamesh had once seemed eager for her to die as soon as possible, Ishtar could not understand why he had saved her.
After all, Ishtar did not think Gilgamesh was the kind of person who would save a god he hated just for the sake of his city.
If she had truly gone missing, or died outside like last time, she felt there was a very high chance that Gilgamesh would have celebrated lavishly, just like her husband whom she had thrown into the underworld.
But... he had saved her.
Although she had asked why he saved her and received the answer, "I just happened to save you," Ishtar felt it was not that simple.
Could it be that he liked her?
Ishtar wore a solemn expression.
Were all Mesopotamian goddesses hopeless romantics?
And what was Gilgamesh doing over there?
"Gil-Gil, look at this. It's Bashmu's Dragon horn."
Annanu waved a huge blue-and-yellow horn in front of Gilgamesh.
The veins on Gilgamesh's forehead had already begun to bulge from irritation.
"Can't you be like Enkidu and go teach the people of Uruk some knowledge?"