TGS - Chapter 150

Chapter 150: Identity Revealed

Adia left quickly, giving Lotus a cheerful look before she departed.

Lotus didn't know where she was drifting off to, but in any case, Adia would be back by the time En arrived in Seaton.

Lotus, still carrying the wooden box, turned to Alyuin and said, "Let's go back and rest."

Alyuin's gaze was lowered, her fingertip tapping her chin. Her expression was inscrutable, as if she were deep in thought, and she didn't respond right away.

It wasn't until Lotus shot her a questioning glance that Alyuin seemed to snap out of it, smiling. "Alright."

The princess was unusually quiet on the way back.

Lotus noticed and, unable to think of a reason, asked, "Did something happen in the council hall just now?"

Alyuin replied, "No, everything was normal."

Lotus couldn't help but glance at her again, meeting the princess's eyes, which held a strange hint of a smile. The curve of her lips seemed somehow off.

...She actually looked quite happy.

Was it because she'd received confirmation of the Sanur King's death, or because the enemy camp was retreating?

As she pondered this, the woman and the spirit arrived at their quarters.

Although it wasn't yet mealtime, the servant in charge of their meals brought them some food.

Unlike in the royal city, Seaton had no delicate pastries—just simple roasted meat and porridge, along with some local fruits.

The roasting process wasn't complex, but the skin was crispy and golden, exuding the unique fragrance of local spices and a rich, meaty aroma. The fruit served as a perfect palate cleanser, making for an excellent pairing.

Alyuin carried the tray to the table, drew the curtains, and closed the door. Turning, she saw Lotus's still-translucent form and gestured with her spoon. "Aren't you going to try some?"

Lotus had no intention of eating. She averted her gaze from the tray and was about to speak.

"The roasted meat in Seaton is excellent. It would be a shame not to try it at least once while you're here."

The words were on the tip of Lotus's tongue, but she quickly changed her response. "You're right."

The curtains were drawn, preventing any accidental glimpses into the room from outside.

The door was also shut. No one would normally disturb them, and in an emergency, they would knock and announce themselves from outside first.

Lotus released her spirit form, her feet touching solid ground as she sat down opposite the princess.

The series of movements was quite natural, but as she picked up her fork, strands of silver hair falling along her arm caught her eye, and she paused for a moment.

As her black-haired "incarnation," eating with Alyuin was a common occurrence, nothing to think twice about. But now, she was in her true form.

Silver hair, the white dress and silk shawl she was born with as a goddess—which looked very much in the style of Solancian imagination—a set of solemn gold jewelry, and a cold, ethereal aura.

—sitting across the table eating roasted meat.

Lotus: "..."

Never mind, it was nothing to be concerned about. She calmly began to eat.

Just as the princess had said, the roasted meat of Seaton was delicious. Cut into small, bite-sized pieces, it would make an excellent snack even if not served as a main course.

Lotus had just swallowed a piece of roasted meat when she heard Alyuin ask casually, "Was the wild rabbit messenger Goddess Adia sent out just now formed from divine power?"

Lotus shook her head gently. "That was an incarnation."

"I see. The last time you returned to the Kingdom of the Gods, it was Goddess Adia's messenger who brought me the news. That white rabbit had normal red eyes."

Alyuin toyed with her fork, her gaze seemingly lowered in thought. "But the one today had emerald-green eyes. I've never seen a rabbit with green eyes before."

Lotus chuckled. "They are a bit different. Incarnations usually retain a god's characteristics, like eye color. Adia's own eyes are emerald. You can use that to tell whether it's an incarnation or a messenger next time. It's quite practical..."

As she spoke, Lotus's voice trailed off. She felt as if she had forgotten something.

Alyuin raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

What swirled in her golden eyes was clearly not dawning realization or a question that matched her tone, but the knowing smile of someone who had anticipated this all along.

Lotus said, "Ah."

Now she remembered.

Alyuin rested her chin on one hand. "Nocido? Miss Messenger? The most beautiful blue heron?"

"Was that your incarnation... or your true self?"

The moment she spoke, the air fell silent.

The wind rustled the curtains. The dim, flickering light fell upon Lotus's silver hair, which seemed to glitter with tiny specks of light, and illuminated the lower half of the princess's face, her lips curved into a smile.

Lotus silently set down her fork. Her mind immediately flashed back to the years she had spent masquerading as her own messenger—flapping her wings in circles in the courtyard, carrying the young princess across the river, and sneaking into a craftsman's shop to trade for a practice bow and arrow, among other things.

Who could have imagined back then that things would turn out this way?

Lotus was speechless for a moment, then decided to just admit it. "It was my true self."

This, however, was not what Alyuin had expected. The princess froze, her knuckles unconsciously clenching.

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Even though she had made the connection as she grew up, even though she had her suspicions the moment she saw the rabbit's emerald eyes, and even though it had just been confirmed—Alyuin still couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality.

It really was her.

So it truly had been her all along.

In truth, during her first days at the temple in Kadera, no matter how calm and resolute Alyuin appeared, she was inwardly filled with uncertainty about the future and the loneliness of being far from home, with no one to turn to.

The goddess who appeared in her dreams had, to a certain extent, saved her. She had calmed her unmoored heart and prevented the dark, violent tendencies latent in her personality from taking root.

However, their weekly meetings and the nature of their relationship—close, yet not intimate—created an insurmountable distance. The young princess stood face-to-face with the goddess, yet a barrier remained between them.

During that initial period of adjustment, the only one she could truly get close to, the only one she could touch, was the blue heron messenger. From start to finish, there was only that one, and it had the same serene, gentle, frost-blue eyes as the goddess.

When the messenger carried her across the rapids below the cliffs, her hand would touch its cool, smooth feathers, and she could faintly feel the warmth of its body beneath the thick plumage. It felt like proof of the goddess's presence in her life, yet also like a separate creature watching over her.

Perhaps because of this, Alyuin had always preferred birds to beasts. Her later decision to adopt two orphaned golden eagles was not unrelated.

Seeing Alyuin lost in thought and silent for a long while, Lotus began to worry.

Was it so hard to believe that the River Goddess had once acted as a blue heron?

Or had the illusion been shattered?

Lotus picked up a piece of fruit from the plate and waved it between them, trying to snap the princess out of her reverie.

Alyuin did indeed snap out of it, but her expression was different. It was as if she had discovered a new world. Her brilliant, molten-gold eyes stared at Lotus without blinking.

Lotus relaxed inwardly, but said aloud, "What, can't you imagine me flapping my wings in circles?"

It was rare for someone to joke with Alyuin. Her eyes curved into crescents. "No, I was just remembering how cute Miss Messenger was. And speaking of which, Nocido preferred being called 'the most beautiful blue heron.' Thinking about it now makes it seem even cuter."

Lotus: "..."

Lotus said, "You can just say it."

Using the old nickname for her alias to her face was somehow more embarrassing than just coming out and saying, "You did a lot of silly things back when you were pretending to be a blue heron messenger."

Alyuin looked perfectly innocent. "Say what? Oh, Lotus, you should eat. The roasted meat gets cold quickly. It won't taste the same if you wait."

My appetite is gone, thank you very much.

Lotus pressed her temples. "Well, that's the long and short of it. It was my fault for hiding my identity and pretending to be my own messenger. I should apo—"

Alyuin cut her off. "Don't."

Lotus looked up.

Alyuin's voice was persuasive. "From another perspective, it wasn't really hiding or deceiving. Look, you can transform into a blue heron, can't you?"

Lotus nodded.

"And all blue herons are your messengers, correct?"

Lotus nodded again.

"Therefore, you are also your own messenger. The logic is perfectly sound. Isn't it?"

Lotus—Lotus could no longer bring herself to nod.

That equation doesn't work anywhere in the world!

Alyuin seemed to find it perfectly reasonable. "Exactly. You didn't hide anything from me; you just didn't explain the relationship between the parts. Rather than being upset about being kept in the dark, I'd say it's a pleasant surprise."

It was clear Alyuin was genuinely happy; her eyes were even brighter than usual.

Lotus had mixed feelings.

So, one of her identities had been revealed ahead of schedule, but the outcome seemed rather good. If Alyuin could so readily accept—even delight in—the fact that the Goddess of the Yilu River had served as her personal transport, then there probably wouldn't be any problems later on, right?

Lotus thought back to her mysterious appearance in the young princess's dream when they first met.

...Alright, whether Alyuin could accept that remained to be seen.

Across from her, Alyuin spoke again. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"No," Lotus replied. She needed a moment.

"That's wonderful," Alyuin said, her tone rising with unconcealed delight. "I'd like to see Miss Messenger."

"Now?"

"If you can, that would be best. I haven't really seen Miss Messenger since leaving Kadera. I thought she was stationed there permanently, and I was disappointed for a while."

"May I? We can call it reliving an old dream."

Was "reliving an old dream" really the right phrase for this?

Lotus paused for two seconds before closing her eyes and transforming into a blue heron.

Its feathers were snow-white, while its head and tail were a brilliant cyan. The appearance of this common Solancian waterbird from the Yilu River basin didn't seem out of place, even in the enclosed room.

Alyuin leaned forward, staring without blinking for a moment before remarking, "Looking at you now, you're much smaller than I remember, Miss Messenger."

The blue heron's long beak opened slightly, and Lotus's voice emerged. "That's because you've grown taller since then."

Alyuin's eyes suddenly dimmed. She pressed her lips together, her white teeth clenching tightly in a subtle, almost unnoticeable motion.

The princess slowly bent down, wrapping her honey-colored arms around the base of the blue heron's long neck, just as she had done countless times when they crossed the river.

Then, with a gentle effort, she lifted the blue heron into her arms.

"You're even lighter than I imagined," Alyuin said softly.

Lotus had no desire to comment on her own body mass, so she kept her beak shut, pretending to be nothing more than a large, silent waterbird.

But just then, she felt a gentle hand stroking her folded wings.

"I know there are many things you haven't told me."

The large, downy bundle in her arms stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"But that's alright. You said you would tell me everything, and who knows, perhaps I'll figure it all out before then... It's perfectly normal to guess things in advance, isn't it?"

"In any case, do things at your own pace," Alyuin chuckled softly. "After all, I've belonged to you for a long time now."

—And you were always destined to belong to me.

Lotus listened in silence.

After a moment, the blue heron's slender neck wrapped around Alyuin's from behind, its cyan-crested head coming to rest on her shoulder, a soft and gentle weight.

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