"A person who is lonely and starved for affection will instinctively respond to the kindness of others."
Ishtar mulled over these words, then looked at the handsome young man and shivered.
If she understood Li Zihan correctly, it wasn't hard to guess that the aloof girl from before actually had a past filled with loneliness and a lack of love.
And Li Zihan, having keenly perceived this, had chosen the direct approach of unilaterally showering her with affection, allowing a girl starved of love and companionship to suddenly receive both...
Ishtar put herself in the girl's shoes for a moment and immediately fell silent.
To have one's life suddenly transform from the harsh cold of winter to the brilliant warmth of summer...
Hey, hey, hey, who could possibly resist that?
As long as this dynamic continued, all it would take was a single catalyst for her to realize her feelings, and that white-haired girl would fall for him in a heartbeat!
And once the relationship was established, she would become the utterly devoted, puppy-dog girlfriend type!
"So you target a girl's psychological vulnerabilities and then launch your offensive?"
"Somehow... I get the feeling you're an incredibly dangerous person."
Though a goddess by identity, Ishtar's thought process was closer to that of a human girl. She stared at the man, who was clearly a scumbag of the highest order, her expression grave.
She felt that perhaps she, too, should keep her distance from this man.
He was too dangerous—a scumbag among scumbags, a Spartan in the art of filth. Even a goddess would be at risk against someone like him.
"Relax, I'm not that interested in you."
The young man, who was firmly convinced that this fusion of Ishtar and Rin Tohsaka was a close relative of Aqua, stated this with complete seriousness.
"Hah? What's that supposed to mean?"
As if deeply offended, the goddess—who was the mythological prototype for Freyja of Norse mythology and Aphrodite of Greek myth—forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
She flicked her long hair over her shoulder and struck a pose, as if showing off her assets.
Honestly, if someone were to take a picture of this moment, send it to the likes of Freyja and Aphrodite, and tell them this was their original prototype, they would probably have a breakdown.
After all, for a goddess of love and beauty who captivated the gods with her charm, being suddenly told that her mythological origin was a dork would be a blow no less devastating than a bolt from the blue.
A bolt of Zeus's lightning or Indra's thunderbolt, to be precise.
"Are you ignoring my charms?"
When she wasn't speaking, Ishtar, with a slight smile, had the stunning and magnificent air of a true goddess. She now forced herself into a sultry pose, attempting to use her power of seduction.
"Fool! Witness what it means to be a 'Manifestation of Beauty'!"
Skill: Manifestation of Beauty
Rank: EX → B
As the Goddess of Beauty, Ishtar possesses a formidable charismatic quality—the ability to attract others. Even in a vessel, her peerless charm surpasses the mortal realm. Originally a composite skill centered on powerful seduction, the tenacious will of her human host removed the binding effects, reducing it to a single-target skill that is, in essence, simply charisma.
It might be embarrassing to point out, but as a Goddess of Beauty, Ishtar-Rin...
Possessed no actual power of seduction.
And so—
Li Zihan stared blankly at the useless goddess, becoming more and more convinced that she and Aqua would have a lot to talk about.
I guess if I'm going to pursue a goddess, it really has to be someone like Athena, Ereshkigal, or Medusa Lily, huh?
Li Zihan thought to himself and sighed.
Back in the Campione! world, he had been completely charmed by Athena's loli form and had wanted to make her his subordinate goddess.
However, Athena wasn't particularly impressed by him—a god with solar divinity who acted like a God of Steel. Instead, she chose to become the guardian deity of Seele, who had always given her a kind and gentle feeling.
The loli he was interested in had suddenly become his lover's guardian goddess. It was completely impossible to make a move on her now!
Dammit all!
The lecher, who had been hoping to engage in some "unspoken arrangements" after Athena became his subordinate, felt a pang of tragic indignation.
"Are you mesmerized by my charm?"
Likely unaware that her power of seduction had long since been snipped away, the goddess looked at the foreign sun god who seemed to constantly look down on her, an arrogant expression spreading across her face.
"So amazing. I'm truly captivated by Lady Ishtar. I really want to throw myself at the feet of the Goddess of Beauty."
As if making a sincere confession, Li Zihan spoke with deep affection. He then stood up and tossed Bronya's breakfast into the Sea of Imaginary Numbers.
Bronya was probably too exhausted; it was unlikely she would wake up anytime soon.
And if her breakfast was left out, it would get cold.
So, it was better to store it in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, a place where the concept of 'time' doesn't exist.
That way, Li Zihan could serve Bronya a fresh, piping hot breakfast the moment she woke up.
"Hey, hey, hey, wasn't that for me?"
The useless goddess, who moments ago was reveling in her ability to enthrall the foreign sun god with her charm, stared wide-eyed at the now-empty table.
"Sorry, I just assumed you had your own way of getting food, so I didn't make any for you."
The young man, who had never intended to prepare Ishtar's breakfast in the first place, stated the fact bluntly.
"Hah?!"
The goddess, who had smelled the food at the same time as Kiana and had come down to forage at the same time, looked as if she had been struck by lightning.
"If you want some, I can make another dish for you."
Vaguely recalling that there were some leftover scraps from when he was chopping vegetables, the young man figured he could probably throw them into a stew to placate the useless goddess.
"Oh, thanks then."
Unaware that her upcoming meal was going to be a bit perfunctory, the goddess rubbed her hands together and sat at the table, her face full of anticipation.
Li Zihan's cooking skills were clearly very high; it was easy to see that anything he made would be a gourmet meal.
And waiting for a delicious meal was, without a doubt, a form of happiness.
Moreover, the temple was now filled with many rare and precious flowers. Being able to admire these beautiful blossoms, which were clearly not from this era, was also a kind of happiness.
Two sources of happiness, one on top of the other—it was simply wonderful.
But, speaking of which, why did Li Zihan plant flowers and herbs in her temple?
Ishtar wondered idly.
He was just a temporary guest. He'd be leaving in a few days, right?
To redecorate the entire place for such a short stay... no matter how you looked at it, something was off.
Feeling that Li Zihan's actions were a bit strange, Ishtar casually asked the young man who was preparing to throw together a random stew for her.
"By the way, why did you want to plant flowers and herbs in the temple?"
"To create a beautiful environment for the cutest goddess in history, of course."