Li Jia lay in the rocking chair, watching the branches and leaves outside the window sway as though about to fall. She felt a little melancholy. Without realizing it, she had already spent three seasons in this world, and now it was early winter.
Actually, she quite liked winter.
It was a season suited to eating roasted sweet potatoes.
She had never had much sense of the weather, but the abrupt change in temperature left Li Jia feeling a little down.
A figure blocked her light. Li Jia said nothing; the changing seasons had left her utterly listless.
"Your Majesty, are you here to make me study? Let me lie here for five more minutes. I promise I'll get up."
Winter break had begun, but Hera had not forgotten her coursework. A small space in the Deep Hall had been set aside especially for her to use as a study.
Thanks to Hera, her Little Yellow Chick notebook was densely packed with notes. She had to admit that strict teachers produced outstanding students. Hera deserved much of the credit for her going from failing grades to a score of eighty.
There was a small blackboard in the study. Every day before Hera left to attend to her official duties, she wrote that day's study material and tasks on it in advance. Winslow served as a reminder, and Hera would return in the evening to check her homework.
Hera pulled Li Jia up from the rocking chair. "Get changed. We're going out."
Li Jia's eyes lit up. "Your Majesty, where are we going?"
"To Eastern Lake."
Li Jia immediately answered like a lackey, "Okay!"
Anywhere was fine, as long as she did not have to do homework.
Winslow had previously given Li Jia a crash course in the geography of the land. The entire landmass consisted of four major regions: the Northern Territory, Southern Marsh, Eastern Lake, and Western Peace. Every river, lake, mountain range, and capital belonged to a subdivision within one of them.
As Li Jia understood it, they were essentially east, south, west, and north. Wherever a place was, that was where it counted as belonging, much like assigning a province to whichever region it was closest to.
"Why are we suddenly going to Eastern Lake?"
"What's the climate like in Eastern Lake? Is it cold or hot? How many days are we going for? I need to figure out what clothes to bring."
The moment she heard Hera say they were going out, Li Jia dragged her suitcase out from under the bed and opened the wardrobe to pick through her clothes.
"The climate?"
"Springlike all year round, I suppose. Across from Eastern Lake is Nastya Strait."
There's a sea. Li Jia had never seen the sea before.
In the past, Li Jia had always wanted to visit a seaside city, feel the sea breeze, and collect shells. But she had not had the freedom to do that. She had to run herself ragged to make a living, struggling to secure her next meal even as she ate the current one.
Then the bohemian-style maxi dress she had commissioned would finally come in handy. She had not thought that much about it when she had it made.
She had simply thought that, since it cost her nothing, she might as well draw all the clothing styles she had always wanted. She had not known whether she would ever get a chance to wear them, but even seeing them hanging in her wardrobe made her happy.
The goddess of weaving was highly skilled. Her sketches had been so crude, with only rough outlines and patterns, yet the finished clothes had still been almost ninety percent accurate. Everyone really did have their own specialty.
"Aren't Doreen and Winslow coming?"
After packing and putting on a gray fleece coat, Li Jia asked when she did not see the two of them at the entrance to Hot Spring Ravine.
"They're not coming."
Hera did not take the peacock chariot. Instead, she had Li Jia sit on the suitcase, then pulled it along and reached their destination with a single Shadow Escape.
The strait was a deep-blue fissure torn through the earth, one end joining the surging open sea and the other tied to a tranquil inner bay, while the two of them stood firmly on the mountains.
Hera covered Li Jia with a layer of divine power, concealing both their appearances. They now looked no different from ordinary people among the masses, and Hera's eyes were a normal black.
Li Jia wanted to go to the beach and gestured to ask whether Hera could use Shadow Escape again to take them straight there. Hera frowned and refused. Relying on Shadow Escape the whole way would defeat the purpose of bringing her out to experience life.
Li Jia: "..."
Then why did you use Shadow Escape to get here from Hot Spring Ravine?
Humans are inherently hypocritical. Apparently, gods are no different.
Halfway there, Li Jia could walk no farther. She sat on the ground in a huff and refused to move another step.
"Get on."
Hera's voice came from above her, carrying an unquestionable certainty. Before Li Jia could react, a steady force pressed against the back of her waist. The next second, she had been lifted up, and Hera was carrying her on her back.
The suitcase was directly shrunk with divine power and tucked into Li Jia's coat pocket.
"Your Majesty, you can't do this. Put me down..."
Li Jia struggled to get back onto the ground, but her cheek bumped against Hera's broad, strong back first. It held the warmth of sunshine, mingled with a faint pine scent.
"Hold tight."
Hera did not turn around, only tilted her neck slightly, her voice carrying a trace of barely perceptible fluster.
Li Jia hesitated for half a second before obediently wrapping her arms around Hera's neck. Her fingertips inadvertently brushed Hera's hot skin, and her hands recoiled as though burned, yet she could not help pressing her face more closely against Hera's back.
Li Jia felt the tips of her ears burning and silently scolded herself for being so hopeless.
Hera's steps were steady, each footfall firm. She absorbed the jolts of the uneven road so steadily that Li Jia could barely feel any swaying.
In two lifetimes, this was the first time anyone had carried her on their back. Not even her parents had ever carried her.
Li Jia felt a little dazed. All her firsts seemed to have something to do with Hera. What a coincidence.
"Your Majesty..." Li Jia leaned close to her ear. "Why are you so good to me?"
The warm breath washing over her ear made Hera's heart falter.
"If I'm not good to you, who should I be good to?"
Hearing Li Jia's question, Hera said hoarsely, "You're my only disciple-attendant."
"Won't you have other disciple-attendants?"
Li Jia asked calmly, but inwardly she was terribly jealous. She felt a little sad. She did not want Hera to have other disciple-attendants.
"No. Raising you alone keeps me busy enough."
Hera spoke slowly and softly.
She had neither the inclination nor the courage to lay her entire self before another person again, to have them see through all her ugliness and foolishness and still love her.
That person could only be Li Jia. In front of her, there was no need to dress up any flaws. It was two incredibly similar souls nestled together, a happiness unlike anything before.
Li Jia thought for a while before saying earnestly, "Exactly. I'm a troublesome person, so taking good care of a nuisance like me is already quite enough. Your Majesty needn't give yourself any new trouble."
Hera said, "At least you know yourself."
Li Jia: "..." Couldn't they have a little fun together? Give her an inch and she took a mile.
The sunlit beach looked like golden silk that had been ironed smooth. The sand was so soft and fine that it sank underfoot. In the distance, white-edged waves rolled unhurriedly toward the shore and broke into foam. A few seagulls skimmed obliquely over the sea, tiny droplets clinging to their wings, occasionally landing to peck at little crabs among the grains of sand. It was quite an amusing sight.
Once they arrived, Hera set Li Jia down. The little thing instantly revived to full health, took off her shoes, and stood barefoot in a pool by the shore, reaching out to stroke the surface of the sea a little farther away.
Hera was in no hurry either. She stood to one side, waiting until Li Jia tired of playing before looking for somewhere to rest.